Chapter 1690: A Beast of Burden

The group arrived in a hilly region covered in lush green cypress trees. The massive trees reached for the sky, vibrant and full of life.

Beneath the clear blue sky, a section of space suddenly distorted, looking like a wrinkled face. A black hole appeared, emitting a soft humming sound. Figures began to emerge from the hole in rapid succession. Soon, the sky returned to normal.

“Such dense spiritual energy! Even that secret realm can’t compare to this!” Mo Qing took a deep breath, feeling his entire being refreshed. Beside him stood Wei Zhongran, Zhao Min, Gong Chenying, and Zi Kun.

Finally, Li Yan and the middle-aged man stepped out. Their clothes were stained with blood. Wei Zhongran surveyed the area. There were demonic beasts nearby, but their ranks were not high. This meant their luck was good; they hadn’t landed in a sect’s territory or a high-level beast’s den.

“We finally made it. This is the Cangxuan Realm!” Wei Zhongran spoke softly, looking around.

The journey had been long and perilous. They had encountered black holes, spatial fragments, and swarms of Star-Fallen Beasts. As they ascended, the suppression of the heavenly laws became increasingly heavy, making every step a struggle. The Star-Fallen Beasts grew stronger; had it not been for Li Yan and the middle-aged man, they might not have survived.

Zhao Min, Gong Chenying, and Zi Kun were also scanning the area. The constant attacks from the Star-Fallen Beasts had left them shaken. Seeing no powerful beasts nearby, they sighed in relief.

Li Yan and Dong Fuyi exchanged a look. ‘Of course it’s safe.’

This was a sparsely populated area they had specifically chosen. They had even smeared some beast blood on the others to make it look like they had just escaped a fight. They had considered moving closer to the Malevolent Spirit Sect before letting them out, but some things didn’t allow for that.

“The spiritual energy here is only average, so the beasts are not high-ranked. Find a place to settle; you must all use the Immortal Transformation Fluid as soon as possible. You need to merge with the laws of this world. Junior Sister Bai is still unconscious; once you have recovered, you can help her again!” Li Yan told them.

He chose this place to allow their souls to merge with the laws of the Immortal Spirit Realm. He would personally assist the unconscious Mu Sha with the fluid. When the boy woke up, he would simply have him use it again; Mu Guyue wouldn’t know the difference. As for Bai Rou, Li Yan couldn’t help her, as it required physical contact.

“Heh… I’ve benefited from your father-in-law’s connection this time. I’ll pay you for the fluid later!” Mo Qing chuckled. They were better prepared than Li Yan had been during his first trip, knowing the basic rules of the upper realm.

Li Yan smiled and nodded. He wouldn’t refuse. They were fellow disciples, but while Wei Zhongran and Zhao Min could accept his gifts, Mo Qing felt differently. Li Yan had already saved their lives; he wanted to repay what he could immediately.

Unlike Mu Guyue, who had spent her wealth on a suit of armor for her son and had nothing left, Mo Qing had held power in the sect and was far from poor.

Soon, they carved out several temporary grottoes in a hillside. After setting up small arrays, Li Yan provided them with the fluid. Gong Chenying and Zhao Min entered one grotto. Li Yan then released Bai Rou and the meditating Li Zhaoyan. After explaining the situation to a wide-eyed Zhaoyan, he told her to focus on her recovery.

Li Yan and Dong Fuyi stood guard outside. Using the fluid would take about half a year. Given Bai Rou’s condition, they would have to wait a bit longer. Since he and his master had already adapted to the laws, they were fine, though using the fluid would accelerate their own acclimation…

A year later, the group was flying under a different sky. Dong Fuyi had “taken his supreme spirit stones,” so he had to finish the “transaction.” They were heading for the Malevolent Spirit Sect. With Dong Fuyi as their guide, the journey was much easier. Dong Fuyi had traveled the Cangxuan Realm extensively in his youth. Even Mo Qing and Wei Zhongran had a general idea of the sect’s location from the records, unlike Li Yan’s first confused arrival.

Dong Fuyi pretended to be a cultivator from the North Pastoral Realm who was unfamiliar with the Cangxuan Realm. He would occasionally check jade maps and “consult” with Li Yan. The others were curious about the new world, especially Li Zhaoyan, who refused to stay in the storage space. She stayed by Li Yan’s side, asking endless questions.

Li Yan patiently explained everything to her. He didn’t use voice transmissions, so his lessons benefited everyone except Dong Fuyi. These were insights he had gained over many years, things that might take them a century to learn on their own.

Zhao Min watched her daughter circling Li Yan like a happy bird. She saw the genuine love and tenderness in Li Yan’s eyes. Seeing her father by her side, looking content, she felt the scene she had dreamed of since childhood had finally come true. The thorn in her heart began to melt…

Zi Kun was also full of questions. Knowing Qianji could be resurrected had improved his mood. Though he wasn’t as boisterous as before, the novelty of the upper realm was helping him recover.

When they traveled, they used teleportation arrays when available. Otherwise, they sat atop a giant purple feather released by Dong Fuyi. He didn’t use his full speed, which would have revealed his cultivation, but maintained the speed of a Late-stage Void Refinement cultivator. Even so, the speed left Wei Zhongran and the others in awe.

Wei Zhongran privately asked Li Yan how many supreme spirit stones he had paid. When Li Yan said “fifty,” even a man as steady as Wei Zhongran was shocked. Li Yan knew that everyone except Zhaoyan would suspect something if he didn’t provide a high price for such service.

Wei Zhongran shook his head. Fifty supreme spirit stones! Even if his entire family sold everything, they couldn’t gather such wealth.

Soon, Mo Qing, Zhao Min, and Gong Chenying began to look at Dong Fuyi with a hint of dissatisfaction. Clearly, they had discussed it and sent Wei Zhongran to ask. Knowing the price, they felt the senior was being far too greedy.

Dong Fuyi sat at the front, seemingly unaware, but they were all on the same artifact. As a Body Integration master, their private transmissions were clear to him. His face twitched.

‘I worked myself to the bone to bring you up here, and you treat me like a greedy crook? I… I…’

He looked at the dark-skinned youth behind him and felt a massive headache. Since finding this disciple, he had been a beast of burden and a scapegoat. But then he sighed.

‘I truly owe him!’