Chapter 32 (Part 2)

“Joyous Union Powder… so he lost control and exposed his hidden foundation?”

Yin Shang was puzzled. Was this not a sign of poisoning?

Ji Wuyi, however, smiled. “Junior Brother Song’s chanting method is ancient and full of profound meaning. If he had not learned it himself, how could he have performed it so excellently?”

“…”

“It seems discussing the art of talismans with Junior Brother Song is urgently necessary.”

Ji Wuyi put away the crystal sphere that had recorded the scene, his eyes fervent. He could hardly wait to leave the secret realm.

Song Yuanxi felt as though he had had a very long dream. In the dream, it was damp and sweltering, making him unable to breathe. After great difficulty, he was finally able to breathe smoothly, but then his body suddenly stung.

His eyes snapped open. He did not see Ling Wushuang. Only Song Yuanruo was keeping watch beside him.

Seeing his elder brother finally wake, Song Yuanruo was very excited. “Elder Brother, how do you feel?”

“Yuanruo, cough, cough.” Song Yuanxi braced himself on his elbows and wanted to sit up, but his whole body was soft and limp, without the slightest strength. “What happened to me?”

“Elder Brother was poisoned by Joyous Union Powder. The toxin was strong, and after you exhausted your spiritual power and physical strength, you collapsed from weakness and fell unconscious. It has been almost two days. You finally woke up.”

Song Yuanruo gave Song Yuanxi the other two Mind-Clearing Pills Ling Wushuang had left behind, then helped him regulate his breathing.

Song Yuanxi finally recovered somewhat. Only then did he ask, “I only remember what happened before I was poisoned. I don’t have any impression of what happened after I got hit with the Joyous Union Powder. I didn’t do anything irreversible, right?”

That was Joyous Union Powder. In the plot of the book, the vicious female supporting character had used every possible method against the male lead. Song Yuanxi was very worried that he had made a mistake. Especially since Ling Wushuang was no longer here, he felt even more nervous.

Song Yuanruo’s expression stiffened slightly. He hesitated to speak, and his gaze was even more complicated.

This made Song Yuanxi even more anxious. “Yuanruo, say something. Did I do something to Senior Sister Ling…”

“No. You didn’t do anything to Fellow Daoist Ling. She only left after seeing you were all right.”

Song Yuanxi let out a breath of relief. Then, thinking of something, he nervously asked again, “Then did I do anything to you…”

“No. Elder Brother did not harm anyone.”

Song Yuanxi relaxed. He lay flat and straight on the grass by the lake, feeling a little pleased with himself. “So Joyous Union Powder is only this much. I, Song Yuanxi, merely at the second level of Qi Refining, still managed to endure it.”

“…”

“Heaven knows, earth knows, I know, and Fellow Daoist Ling knows. Fellow Daoist Ling has already promised not to tell anyone outside. I also must protect Elder Brother, so let us just treat it as a dream.”

Song Yuanruo thought about it for a long time, but in the end, he did not mention a single word.

In the days that followed, Song Yuanxi decisively followed his younger brother around. His greatest worry regarding Tushan Secret Realm had already been resolved, and with the heavy stone in his heart put down, he was even more indifferent toward opportunities.

For this, he even specially sent Jiang Lanyi and Du Tianyu a Voice Transmission Talisman, saying he had other important matters to handle and it was inconvenient for him to travel with them.

Song Yuanruo’s identity had to be kept secret, and Song Yuanxi told no one.

Tushan Secret Realm remained open for one year. There were many opportunities within the secret realm, but time passed in the blink of an eye. Very soon, it was time to leave.

Song Yuanxi followed Song Yuanruo toward the secret realm exit. As he walked, he took inventory of his own possessions.

“This trip into the secret realm gave me quite a lot. I picked plenty of spiritual herbs and plants alone, some of which the sect might not even have. I plan to send them to Father. He’ll definitely be happy.”

“I also found a small spiritual mine. Although I didn’t dig up many high-grade spirit stones, I got a pile of low-grade spirit stones. I can count as a little rich now.”

“Mm… There are also some demonic beast crystal cores. I can’t use these things right now, but once I reach Foundation Establishment, I can use them to smelt and refine my lifebound magical treasure.”

Song Yuanruo was in a cheerful mood. Listening to his elder brother mutter all along the way, he felt that life was truly practical and beautiful. Seeing that his elder brother was very money-grubbing, he directly tossed him a storage pouch.

Song Yuanxi caught it and looked up. “What’s this?”

“They are all resources that can be used in the Qi Refining stage. They are useless to me. Elder Brother, if you don’t mind, take them.” Song Yuanruo smiled.

Song Yuanxi opened the storage pouch and looked inside. His eyes instantly lit up. “I don’t mind, I don’t mind! Little Brother, you really are my good little brother. Big Brother loves you to death!”

Song Yuanruo’s cheeks flushed bright red. His elder brother, really—between family, why was there any need to thank him like this?

Song Yuanxi smilingly put away the storage pouch and looked at Song Yuanruo teasingly. If he were not afraid of scaring the other party, he truly wanted to kiss him directly on the forehead to express his intense gratitude.

“Alas, emotions in the cultivation world are still too reserved. I only spoke a little excitedly, and Yuanruo couldn’t take it. Father seems to be the same. He even pretends to be angry to avoid it, as if I can’t see through him! Mother is still the best. She suits my tastes the most…”

Thinking this, Song Yuanxi could not help feeling eager to return home. He wanted to hurry back to Xuantian Sect.

The secret realm was about to open. The two great sects, the four great powers, and the Loose Alliance had gathered, and all the Qi Refining cultivators from every side had assembled. Everyone was waiting for the instant they would leave.

At the same time, however, they were also carefully on guard.

There was not much guarding against fellow sect members. The main focus was still outsiders. Thus, the Xuantian Sect disciples spontaneously formed a broad circle, with disciples of higher cultivation guarding the outer perimeter to prevent sneak attacks from others.

Song Yuanxi and Song Yuanruo tacitly separated. He took the initiative to look for Jiang Lanyi and the others, blending into the larger group just as he had when they entered.

“Junior Brother Song.”

While they were waiting, Ji Wuyi suddenly walked over.

Song Yuanxi still had lingering fear and was not very enthusiastic. “Senior Brother Ji.”

“Junior Brother Song, after we return to the sect, I will go to Wanhai Peak to find you.”

Song Yuanxi instantly grew nervous. What for, what for? Had this pervert set his sights on him?

Ji Wuyi glanced around, then stepped forward again. Leaning close to the other party’s ear, he said quietly, “I am very curious about Junior Brother Song’s art of talismans. We fellow disciples should exchange pointers.”

Song Yuanxi’s expression gradually filled with confusion. I know the art of talismans? How come I don’t know that myself?

Seeing that the other party seemed to be playing dumb, Ji Wuyi added, “I have already recorded all the ancient incantations you recited. Junior Brother Song, don’t play the fool.”

Song Yuanxi was brought to a corner. Ji Wuyi took out a crystal sphere from his storage bracelet and slowly played the image.

“?!”

Song Yuanxi was shocked, stunned, and dumbfounded. Only after a long while did he come back to himself and speak with difficulty. “Senior Brother Ji, you were following me?”

“Junior Brother Song, you must be joking. I disdain petty conduct.”

“Then how do you have these?”

Ji Wuyi was puzzled as to why the other party was reacting so strongly, but he still patiently explained, “There is a lake at the entrance to the Spirit Herb Garden in the secret realm. There is fluorite at the bottom of the lake. The fluorite absorbs the essence of sun and moon and preserves the shadows of all things… Junior Brother Song must have been by another lake in the Spirit Herb Garden. The lake waters are connected, and the lake surface acted like a glazed mirror, projecting everything you did…”

Song Yuanxi fell silent. Then, thinking of something, he quickly snatched the crystal sphere and wanted to continue watching the later contents.

Ji Wuyi silently took out two more and handed them over together. “These are the recordings of the entire process. Junior Brother Song may enjoy them yourself.”

Two hours later, Song Yuanxi had watched the two crystal spheres on fast-forward. His entire person was numb and lifeless, sinking into a long silence.

Song Yuanruo had kept saying nothing had happened. Afterward, when he ran into Ling Wushuang once, he had specially asked her again, and she had also said there was nothing serious.

But in the end!

Song Yuanxi raised a hand to cover his face, his lips twitching. After working hard to calm down, he quickly put the crystal spheres into his own storage bracelet, piled on a smiling face, and looked toward the person opposite him.

“Senior Brother Ji, just give these two crystal spheres to me. Later, I’ll send you two hundred empty crystal spheres.”

Ji Wuyi smiled. “Then I’ll give them to Junior Brother.” He had backups anyway.

Song Yuanxi said goodbye to Ji Wuyi and hurriedly rushed back to Jiang Lanyi’s side. At this moment, his back was a little bent and hunched, and his heart was full of suspicion and anxiety. Toward the gazes his fellow disciples cast his way from time to time, he had all sorts of doubts.

“Are these people secretly laughing at me?”

“What are they whispering about? Are they talking bad about me?”

“Why does that person keep secretly looking at me?”

Jiang Lanyi noticed Song Yuanxi’s abnormality and could not help worrying. “Junior Brother Song, what’s wrong?”

“Senior Sister Jiang.” Song Yuanxi instantly felt wronged. Lowering his voice, he asked, “Did they all see what I looked like after I was hit with Joyous Union Powder?”

Jiang Lanyi thought for a moment, then shook her head. “No. Those present that day were only a small number of disciples from the two great sects.”

Song Yuanxi secretly rejoiced, only to hear Jiang Lanyi add in the next second, “But whether they discussed it among their fellow disciples after leaving, I don’t know.”

Song Yuanxi despaired.

The Qi Refining disciples of the two great sects were all more or less the same. In their ordinary days, apart from cultivating, they loved gossip the most. No matter where one went, the melon-eating masses always had an enormous foundation.

“It’s over, it’s over! I’m gone…”

Song Yuanxi’s mood was low and difficult to recover. From leaving the secret realm to returning to the sect, he remained like this the entire time.

After getting off the Lotus Cloud Boat and then finishing the Golden Core elders’ summary and instruction, Song Yuanxi was the first to slip away.

“Junior Brother Song!” Du Tianyu hurriedly called him back. “Daoist Master Yunxi told you to return to Redcloud Peak first.”

Song Yuanxi gave a hum of acknowledgment and ran outward without looking back. In the end, feeling that running was too slow, he simply summoned a Cloud Crane.

Once the number of people in the air sharply decreased, Song Yuanxi let out a heavy breath of relief. Then he lay on the soft feathers and hugged Little White, sighing miserably.

“Little White, I’ve lost so much face. How am I supposed to get by in the sect from now on?”

A yellow ball of fluff burrowed out. Looking at its unhappy master, it tilted its head in confusion. “Chirp-woof… Daddy?”

Song Yuanxi gave a sound of surprise and slapped it. “What are you calling?”

The little yellow chick shrank its nonexistent neck and called again. “Woof… woof woof?”

Smack.

Another slap.

Song Yuanxi was simply stunned. “Little Yellow, how can you abandon your instincts and learn to bark like a dog? You’re a chicken, understand? You should chirp. That’s not right either. You’re a bird, so you should tweet.”

The little yellow chick could not understand, but it understood slaps very well. Thus, it repeatedly called twice to curry favor. “Woof… woof woof… woof woof woof…”

Song Yuanxi was furious. At this moment, how could he still remember losing face? He picked up the fluffy creature and began educating it.

After a fierce operation, the little yellow chick stubbornly refused to change. Song Yuanxi was so angry he ground his teeth. “Rebellious son! You actually learned bad habits!”

The little yellow chick blinked and blinked its little black sesame eyes, its expression confused and blank.

Back at Tianling Peak, Ji Wuyi, while organizing his belongings, discovered a crystal sphere that had been left out. He opened it and saw that inside was footage related to Song Yuanxi.

“Just interacting with a spiritual pet? I imagine Junior Brother Song won’t need it.”

Ji Wuyi tossed this crystal sphere back into his storage bracelet.

One month later, during the routine affairs of each peak, Ji Wuyi went to Wanhai Peak as the representative of Tianling Peak’s Qi Refining disciples to exchange pointers.

The Golden Core elder of Tianling Peak did not want to let him go. His own disciple had outstanding talent in the art of talismans. Going to that Wanhai Peak was nothing but a waste of time.

The Golden Core elder of Wanhai Peak, however, welcomed him, secretly thinking about whether he could poach him. After all, there had been disciples who changed peaks midway since ancient times. One could cultivate the art of talismans at Wanhai Peak too. They also had a Nascent Soul True Lord proficient in the talisman dao.

“Go early and return early.” Before he left, the Tianling Peak elder did not forget to remind him again. “Do not pay attention to those old Daoists. Only interact with disciples of your generation.”

Ji Wuyi patiently bade the elder farewell, then rode a cloud-luan carriage toward Wanhai Peak.

At this moment, he felt somewhat excited.

“Junior Brother Song, Senior Brother is here…”

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