Chapter 65.1 What’s happening now?
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When the word “mask” was mentioned, Chen Xu tilted his head and furrowed his brow. “Is a mask really worth that much spiritual stones?”
The young man in the green robe scratched his head and explained, “My father sold it.”
Pei Jing paused for a moment, then asked, “What does the mask look like? Is it for a man or a woman?”
The young man had no clue. “Um… I actually came here for the payment, I don’t know anything else.”
Pei Jing observed his expression and decided not to press further. As they escorted him out of the mountain gate, he asked with curiosity, “Where is your home?”
The young man in the green robe grew excited and exclaimed, “My home is deep in Xianxiang’s West Alley. If you see a large banyan tree, my family’s pawnshop is right beneath it.”
Pei Jing smiled lightly. Having traveled far and wide for many years and residing at Tianqian Peak, he was not well acquainted with the surroundings of Yunxiao. He had heard of Xianxiang’s existence but had never visited.
The young man hesitated to speak but his eyes gleamed brightly. His genuine honesty and admiration were remarkably pure.
Pei Jing developed a liking for him and advised, “Yunxiao has been troubled lately, so be careful.” The young mab hopped down from the cloud crane, wearing a shy and awkward smile. “Thank you, Immortal.” As the cloud crane took off, the young man suddenly shaped his hand into a makeshift trumpet and shouted, “Immortal! Can you tell me your names?”
Looking from above, the mortal youth on the grassland seemed minuscule like ants.
Chen Xu let out a light grunt.
Pei Jing simply smiled and remained silent. It wasn’t necessary to disclose their names for such a fleeting encounter.
Starlight descended in delicate strands, and 108 towering peaks stood tall amidst the sea of clouds, magnificent and vast. Pei Jing lowered his head, gazing at his own hands, contemplating the glow in the mortal youth’s eyes and recalling Xu Jing’s serene smile. “If he truly embarks on the immortal path, perhaps he won’t be as carefree as he is now.”
Chen Xu grasped the implications in his words and disagreed, “You’re not him, so how would you know?”
Pei Jing, for once, didn’t argue with him, and simply agreed, “You’re right.”
Among the countless living beings, each had their own path and destiny to fulfill.
The water from the chilly pond gradually soaked his long hair, seeping into his clothes. Pei Jing gently pressed his fingers against the edge of the pool. Amidst the mist, his fingers resembled polished jade as they held onto a blade of grass, bending the moonlight.
To draw out the lingering demonic energy within him, he needed to return to the state he was in when he shattered his primordial spirit.
When he secluded himself to shatter his primordial spirit in the past, he meditated on Changji Peak. Every blade of grass, every leaf, every flower, and every tree outside grew and branched in his mind. Even upon opening his eyes, the blooming flowers and lush leaves were right before him, with red flowers peeking out from the cave walls at his side. He merged harmoniously with the natural world.
His body sank into the water, where a force lurked, waiting for an opportunity. Pei Jing struggled to grasp the elusive elemental spiritual energy floating in the air, but they behaved like mischievous spirits, dodging left and right, refusing to comply with his wishes. The world he perceived through his consciousness was a strange and fantastical sight. She could clearly sense Chu Junyu’s breath and heartbeat behind him, making it impossible for his heart to find tranquility.
Pei Jing decided to break free from his constraints and let go, accepting things as they were, whether he understood them or not. Perhaps after practicing for so long, it was the first time his mind couldn’t find peace. Once he came to this realization, he stopped struggling and allowed his divine consciousness to freely roam the mountains. Eventually, it settled beside Chu Junyu.
The young man standing by his side had a pale complexion, as if devoid of sunlight.
In his state of heightened perception, Pei Jing squatted next to him, carefully observing Chu Junyu’s features. He noticed that his eyes could be described as phoenix eyes, with the outer corners slightly slanted, exuding a sense of elegance that was suppressed by his own aloof and stern bearing. When he lowered his gaze, there was a unique sense of restraint. His black robe trailed on the damp ground, and his silver hair, every strand as cold as frost, matched his entire being. His eyeballs were blood-red, the deepest and darkest shade, yet they appeared as pure as water droplets.
Truly captivating.
When Pei Jing first saw him in the maple forest, he felt that he was mysterious and untouchable, his silver hair and blood-red eyes not resembling those of a good person. But as their interactions continued, he couldn’t help but find Chu Junyu’s eyes truly captivating. The icy-cold and pure red color was like plum blossoms in the snow or the twilight sky. Many beautiful things were ephemeral but grew in the depths of the abyss.
The first time they crossed paths on the suspension bridge, amidst the raging winds and snowstorm, Chu Junyu turned back and looked at him while holding an umbrella. Pei Jing would have never imagined that one day this person would have such an impact on his cultivation.
He carried him across the suspension bridge, their bodies pressed close together. Amidst the icy and snowy landscape, their breaths mingled faintly in the wind and snow. Pei Jing asked, “What are your thoughts on Yunxiao?” He replied, “It is the foremost immortal sect, a place where sword cultivators thrive…” Pei Jing laughed and said, “However, their regulations are numerous, and their discipline is strict. It’s truly disheartening.”
Perhaps it was the headache caused by the snowfall in the illusion, but Pei Jing asked without knowing if he truly wanted to know or if the question arose inexplicably, “What do you think of Pei Yuzhi?” The daylight hid behind the clouds, wooden planks connected over the deep cliff, and the snowy path was slippery. The young man did not pause, his lowered gaze devoid of emotion as he replied, “Not bad.”
Recalling these moments.
Pei Jing couldn’t help but let out a faint laughter, though it quickly disappeared. In his current state of divine consciousness, he extended his hand and gently twirled a strand of Chu Junyu’s silver hair around his fingertips, tugging it lightly.
His voice was soft, “And what about now? Now, what do you think of Pei Yuzhi?”
After asking this question, Pei Jing suddenly turned pale, feeling a sharp pain in his chest.
Agony spread from his bone marrow, tearing at his divine soul. His divine consciousness instantly dissipated into starlight, returning to its original form.
Therefore, he didn’t see the silver-haired youth lift his gaze and look ahead.
The young man in the icy pool shuddered violently, and a dense blood-red color swirled at his brow—a small trace of blood, intertwined with primordial dark energy. Pei Jing surveyed his own body and discovered that his golden core had cracked, with fissures resembling a network of thin snakes. Then, from within the cracks, a more dazzling blue light emerged.
He possessed a singular water spiritual root. Could this be… the initial formation of a nascent soul?
No! Soon, Pei Jing dismissed this notion.
It must have reached the critical point where the golden core breaks to form a nascent soul.
However, with the presence of the demonic aura, success was impossible for him.
As expected, as the golden core slowly cracked open, the same chilling and damp aura that had hindered his breakthrough from the beginning once again overflowed. It surged out from the bottom of his dantian, its black-red color profound and ancient. The demonic aura—it could be considered the most mysterious and primordial blood in this world. Chu Junyu had mentioned that this thing had been within him since his birth. Pei Jing couldn’t help but wonder if Pei Yuzhi’s identity in the novel was also not as simple as it seemed.
However, at present, his body and spirit were torn apart by pain.
He quickly suppressed these random thoughts with his willpower.
Amidst the extreme cold and intense heat, Pei Jing heard Chu Junyu’s words. It seemed that every time he found himself in a predicament or danger, it was Chu Junyu who guided him.
The voice remained as calm as the first snowfall, “Don’t struggle.”
Pei Jing found himself inexplicably amused. Sure.
And so, he truly allowed the spiritual energy within his body to stop struggling, letting the demonic aura entwine around his golden core. Just when the coldness was about to freeze and shatter his golden core, the power that had always surrounded him in the water pool surged into his body. It was a force capable of toppling mountains and overturning seas, with tremendous momentum.
In an instant, it alleviated all the pain in his blood and marrow.
Strangest of all, his body showed absolutely no signs of rejection.
Warmth dispersed the cold. Pei Jing slowly opened his eyes, recalling the sight of flowers blooming on his shoulders as he closed himself off during the seclusion on Changji Peak. Now, as he turned his head, all he saw was Chu Junyu’s chin, cascading silver hair, and the line of red lips.
Suddenly, he felt in a good mood. While Chu Junyu dispelled the demonic aura for him, Pei Jing rested his hand on the edge of the shore and quietly asked, “Has anyone ever told you that you’re good-looking?”
Chu Junyu stared at him and took a deep breath.
He pinched off a blade of grass with his fingertips.
Simultaneously, the thread of black energy within Pei Jing’s body was annihilated.
He fell silent, lowering his head to meet those smiling and clear eyes. They were just as pure and bright as the eyes of the young man who held a cup of coffee, stood on the top floor of the office, and smiled from afar through the window.
A cold mist, a torrential downpour of darkness.
Memories became jumbled, and time and space overlapped.
The once indescribable pain and anger slowly dissipated, no longer scorching his rationality.
He was very clear-headed and composed. He smiled faintly with his head lowered.
“There were many, but I’ve forgotten them all.”
Pei Jing tilted his head slightly. “Did you forget because too many people have praised you?”
“You could say that.”
Pei Jing clicked his tongue. “We really are alike.”
A hint of an enigmatic smile appeared at the corner of Chu Junyu’s lips.
After the removal of the chilling aura, Pei Jing didn’t notice any significant changes in his body. Perhaps it was because it had been dormant for too long and only manifested during breakthroughs, so he didn’t feel much. He emerged from the water, used a bit of magic, and his clothes were dry. After removing his headdress, his waist-length hair cascaded down, its black strands glistening, contrasting with his white garments.
Breaking through the Nascent Soul or breaking through Cangsheng. Now that the cause of the bottleneck had been eliminated, Pei Jing planned to enter seclusion immediately after resolving the current matter at Yunxiao.
Bathing in the moonlight, Pei Jing looked at Chu Junyu and couldn’t help but think highly of him. “When I break through the Nascent Soul Stage, I will definitely come to thank you in person.”
Chu Junyu responded indifferently, “If you can find me.”
Pei Jing: “If I find you, will you meet with me?”
Chu Junyu: “It depends on why you seek me out.”
Pei Jing felt a bit guilty and said, “Just to express my gratitude, that’s all.”
Chu Junyu laugh, his tone chilly. “I won’t meet you.”
Pei Jing: “…” Damn. “Then how can I meet you?”
Chu Junyu ignored him.
Pei Jing gritted his teeth in frustration but laughed. “It’s alright. There’s nowhere in this world I can’t go. That used to be the case, and it will be the same in the future.”
Confidence was all that mattered.
Chu Junyu turned his head slightly, his smile barely visible. “Well, I hope that when we meet again, you won’t be too disheveled.”
Pei Jing: “…??” What did that mean?
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