Chapter 1781: A Long Journey (Part One)

Shi Ligui’s brow was currently furrowed in a tight knit.

The spiritual field surrounding him was vast, making his solitary figure appear quite small and the space exceedingly empty.

A shallow mist rose in the early morning, lingering about a foot above the ground. Butterflies flitted gracefully among the blossoms and through the furrows, while the delicate fragrance of medicinal herbs drifted faintly on the breeze. Standing here, one could not help but take deep, lung-clearing breaths, feeling a sense of profound refreshment and tranquility.

At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared at the edge of the field where Shi Ligui stood. The person seemed to have arrived with the morning mist, ethereal and fleeting.

Shi Ligui remained focused on the plant before him—a leaf that appeared to be covered in a layer of white frost—but his voice carried out nonetheless.

“So, Junior Sister is back. How did things go?”

Fairy Ning Ke looked at her Senior Brother standing in the field. Her gaze also fell upon the medicinal herb, a faint light flickering in her beautiful eyes, though she answered immediately.

“He has already integrated into the other sect. There shouldn’t be any major issues; the rest will depend on his own luck. On my way back, I visited several markets I had previously entrusted with the task. There is still no news regarding the Moon-Gazing Pure Immortal Grass. However, I have instructed them to spread the word further. We will check back periodically. How are things on your end, Senior Brother?”

After leaving Huangqi Valley, Ning Ke had flown in concealment at an incredible speed. It was nothing like the leisurely pace she had maintained while escorting Li Yan. On the way there, she had needed to observe Li Yan, answer his questions, and stop at various locations, so she hadn’t exerted her full speed. Since returning from Huangqi Valley, although she was much faster, she hadn’t headed straight back to the sect. Instead, she had made several detours to other locations, only arriving back today.

“I went out some time ago as well, but I also failed to find any news about the Moon-Gazing Pure Immortal Grass. Such matters truly depend on fate and opportunity,” Shi Ligui replied in a low voice, finally straightening his back in the morning mist.

He did not press for more details about Li Yan’s entry into Huangqi Valley. If his Junior Sister said the man was fine, then he was fine. When dealing with Huangqi Valley, the Five Immortals Sect could not use force. Everything now depended on Li Yan’s personal Immortal Fortune.

As Ning Ke spoke, she walked into the field. “Senior Brother, are you cultivating the Clear Void Fruit?”

As she moved, her gaze remained fixed on the spiritual plant covered in white frost. This plant was different from the ones around it. It was enveloped by a small formation, occupying a five-fathom area all to itself. The spiritual energy there was significantly denser, and even the soil beneath it emitted a faint, verdant glow.

“Yes. While I was out looking for news on the Moon-Gazing Pure Immortal Grass, I happened upon a seed for the Clear Void Fruit at an auction. However, after I planted it upon my return, although it sprouted and grew, the seed seems to have suffered some damage. That is why white frost has appeared on some of the leaves.”

Following Ning Ke’s question, Shi Ligui lowered his head to look at the herb again. A look of deep contemplation returned to his eyes, and he seemed to forget that anyone else was present.

Ning Ke navigated around the other spiritual plants to stand beside him. Although Shi Ligui spoke as if it were a casual matter, she knew that the Clear Void Fruit was also an exceedingly rare treasure. This ‘coincidence’ at the auction likely occurred because he had been considering other possibilities while searching for the grass.

The Clear Void Fruit also possessed the property of purifying the Sea of Consciousness, though its effectiveness was much lower than that of the Moon-Gazing Pure Immortal Grass. However, a single Clear Void plant could yield three to five fruits before withering and dying. Three to five Clear Void Fruits would still be quite effective for that young girl. It would offer a significant hope of awakening her.

This was a backup plan Shi Ligui had prepared for Li Yan, but since the Clear Void Fruit was potentially even harder to find, he hadn’t mentioned it. Finding it this time was truly a testament to his great fortune.

The reason the Clear Void Fruit was so precious was that its primary function was not just to purify the Sea of Consciousness, but to expand its capacity. However, that required refining it into an eighth-rank medicinal pill, and the five raw materials needed for such a pill were each incredibly difficult to find.

Shi Ligui had claimed it was a chance encounter at an auction, but he must have paid a considerable price. He simply didn’t wish to talk about it.

Ning Ke’s attainments in the Alchemical Dao were also impressive. While she preferred using techniques for healing or killing, as a powerful practitioner of the Wood element, her knowledge of spiritual plants was naturally profound. If white frost appeared on the leaves and stems of a Clear Void Fruit during its growth, it meant the plant was in serious trouble.

She immediately studied the plant on the ground, observing it through the formation for a moment before letting out a small sigh of relief.

“There are seven leaves in total. Only two and a half have the white frost. It hasn’t spread to the roots or stem yet. There is still hope for treatment.”

“Do you intend to use the Law of Life to temporarily restore its vitality, or have you identified the root of its illness?” Shi Ligui asked. There were two ways to go about the cure.

“I will look for the cause first. If that fails, I will use the Law of Life to sustain it while we find more time to solve the problem.” Ning Ke shook her head. She hadn’t discerned the cause yet, so she fell silent and began to observe the plant meticulously.

Time flew, and soon it was noon. Shi Ligui rearranged a set of formations around the Clear Void Fruit. Only then did he walk forward with Ning Ke, who was standing nearby.

Although they hadn’t identified the specific cause of the symptoms, they had spent the half-day exchanging opinions and had arrived at several deductions. In the future, once they prepared some auxiliary materials, they could approach the problem from these angles and see if the treatment worked.

“Senior Brother, even if the Clear Void Fruit is successfully harvested, it will take fifteen hundred years to fully ripen. That might be a bit tight for Miss Bai. It can only be considered a backup measure.”

In the air, the two flew toward a distant mountain peak.

“As you said, it is only a backup. Perhaps it won’t even be needed by then? Who can predict the ultimate outcome of events? Just as I didn’t know I would find the Clear Void Fruit, now that the opportunity has arrived, we should simply do our best. Li Yan does not wish to employ that final resort you once proposed, as it would cause Miss Bai to lose all her memories. My current efforts are simply to provide an extra glimmer of hope.”

Shi Ligui’s voice remained low as he spoke. Then, he suddenly shifted the topic. “While you were away, I visited the Dark Point and received news from Xing Jia and Feng Yu. They will be moving in four months…”

Shi Ligui immediately began discussing sect matters. Ning Ke had come here the moment she returned precisely for these major affairs. The two of them were responsible for guarding the sect while Xing Jia and the others were away executing a plan. Naturally, the two sides would exchange news from time to time.

They used many backup locations for message transmission. This time, it was at a second-rate sect where one of Feng Yu’s clones was stationed. They referred to that sect as the ‘Dark Point.’ Thus, the two began to deliberate on the sect’s affairs.

In the Wangliang Sect of the Immortal Spirit Realm, within a bamboo courtyard on Little Bamboo Peak.

Gong Chenying and Zhao Min sat in the courtyard. Above them, a canopy of bamboo leaves swayed, casting mottled, shifting shadows across the ground.

“Husband has only sent one message back. I wonder how his progress has been over these years?”

Zhao Min was dressed in robes as white as pristine snow. she had only just emerged from a period of closed-door cultivation, and Gong Chenying had been waiting for her in the courtyard.

Gong Chenying’s slender, jade-like hands were resting on a stone table. A thick scent of blood still clung to her person. On the stone table lay a jade slip. Her beautiful eyes were fixed on the table, staring somewhat blankly at the slip.

“With Junior Brother’s methods, he should have a good chance. However, we cannot assist him until we reach the Spirit Transformation stage, which is quite frustrating.”

More than sixty years had passed. With the assistance of resources from the upper realm, both Zhao Min and Gong Chenying had entered the late-stage Nascent Soul realm. Furthermore, over these years, they had begun to continuously seek out the Law insights of Great Cultivators. Zhao Min’s recent seclusion had been specifically for the purpose of comprehending the power of the Laws.

They hoped to achieve Spirit Transformation as soon as possible. Although they possessed the Grand Void Fruits, the time they had spent at the late-stage Nascent Soul realm was still too short. Even for cultivators in the upper realm, Spirit Transformation was not an easy feat. People like Shangguan Tianque and the Great Elder of the Donglin Family had once been stuck at this realm, enduring century after century of bitter cultivation.

If Zhao Min and Gong Chenying were to consume the Grand Void Fruits now, it would be a forced breakthrough. They still needed time to consolidate their foundations.

On his way to Huangqi Valley with Ning Ke, Li Yan had sent a jade slip back from a certain market. The contents informed them and their master that he had found a lead on the Moon-Gazing Pure Immortal Grass but needed to infiltrate a second-rate sect and wait for an opportunity. He mentioned it might take ten to twenty years and told them not to worry. He promised to bring Senior Sister Bai back to the Wangliang Sect as soon as she was cured.

In the jade slip, Li Yan hadn’t mentioned Huangqi Valley by name, only saying he was going to a second-rate sect to avoid worrying his wives and master. Li Yan had paid several times the standard amount of spirit stones to the merchant to ensure the message was delivered quickly. Thus, it had arrived years ago.

That merchant was also incredibly powerful. It was a shop Ning Ke had recommended to Li Yan, possessing ultra-long-distance teleportation formations in many locations. Furthermore, the Wangliang Sect’s location was not remote; it was surrounded by many great sects and was very prosperous, making teleportation even more convenient and efficient. Also, Huangqi Valley was located in the northern part of the Cangxuan Realm, which was relatively closer to the Wangliang Sect than the Five Immortals Sect.

This gave Li Yan a sense of relief he hadn’t felt back when he was in the Broken Army Sect. That place had been so remote it felt like a barbaric wasteland, making everything exceedingly difficult.