Chapter 346: Don’t Leave Tonight |
Time flew like an arrow, days and months slipping by like a shuttle.
By dawn, Chu Huaixu would set off for the second layer of the 【Origin Spirit Realm】.
Previously, the first layer he had cleared was located in the Spring and Autumn Mountain region of the Eastern Continent.
This time, although the second layer’s location was also randomly selected, it was not within the Mirror Country of the Eastern Continent, but within the territory of the Moon Country.
For Chu Huaixu, this actually brought some advantages.
Earlier, he had raised his hand and summoned the Nation-Suppressing Sword of the Moon Country, utilizing the surging Power of Fate contained within it.
During that process, his heaven-defying physical body naturally did not let anything pass by without benefit—when the Power of Fate flowed through him, a portion of it was instinctively locked within his body.
Though it was not much, it would still be somewhat useful while he was within the Moon Country.
It could be considered as gaining an additional buff.
“In the first layer of the Origin Spirit Realm, I encountered a Nascent Soul True Lord who had undergone possession and rebuilt his cultivation.”
“Then in this second layer, it’s likely that the baseline will also be at least a Nascent Soul True Lord.”
“Whoever comes will definitely only be stronger than Ye Kongxuan!”
Moreover, there was one point he cared about even more.
On the side of the Kunlun Grotto-Heaven, techniques available during the Qi Refining stage were relatively few.
Because that stage was merely the initial realm over there—only just stepping into the world of cultivation.
Even a Nascent Soul True Lord who had undergone possession and rebuilt would still be restricted by this.
Like in the previous battle, the flashiest move that old dog Ye Kongxuan had used was nothing more than the Four Symbols Sword Formation.
From the jade slips in his storage ring, it was clear that he actually knew a large number of techniques.
However, the threshold for those techniques was too high, at minimum requiring the Foundation Establishment stage.
“But this time, upon entering the second layer, I’ll be facing cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage.”
“That’s a completely different matter!”
This meant that he was about to beat up centenarians!
According to the cultivation system of the Kunlun Grotto-Heaven, reaching Foundation Establishment at a hundred years old already qualified one as a prodigy of a generation.
If one reached it in their seventies or eighties, they would be monsters among monsters!
Even for those who rebuilt through possession, it was no exception.
Chu Huaixu could not tell whether the opponent he would encounter would be an old man or an old woman.
But no matter what, they had not lived in vain.
Having cultivated to the Foundation Establishment stage at such an age, their strength would absolutely far surpass that of Qi Refining cultivators.
“If not for the suppressive rejection from the Heavenly Dao of the Xuanhuang Realm, the peak of Foundation Establishment would roughly correspond to the peak of the Fourth Realm here.”
“This trip probably won’t be easy.”
Thus, as early as half a month ago, Chu Huaixu had followed his usual method and obtained several strands of Baleful Aura from the Bronze Sword.
This time, it was not to strengthen the Accursed Pills.
Because the two existing Accursed Pills could no longer be enhanced.
He intended to refine new Accursed Pills!
On one hand, they could serve as one of his trump cards.
On the other hand, they could be used to store Spirit Roots.
As his cultivation improved, Chu Huaixu’s development of 【Dao Birth One】 had also increased.
Previously, refining Accursed Pills required a great deal of time.
Now, it only took nine days to produce two more.
Afterward, he repeated the same process, extracting Baleful Aura from the Bronze Sword again to strengthen the two Accursed Pills.
Even the Evil Sword had become somewhat helpless from his antics.
Every time it was about to flare up, it would be sealed by the restriction and forced into slumber.
The next time it was awakened, the moment it saw Chu Huaixu, it would erupt in rage again.
And once the sword spirit grew enraged, the world’s most sinister Baleful Aura would spill out—Chu Huaixu would absorb it, leaving it completely helpless!
Unless one day it suddenly took a liking to him…
But barring accidents, the Dead Fox would surely have ways to provoke it again.
“A broken sword—how smart could it possibly be?”
He treated it as playing with a fool.
Aside from preparing two Accursed Pills, during this period he had also been learning various techniques from his masters.
He studied talisman methods under Li Chunsong.
He learned ocular techniques from Zhao Shuqin.
Using Lu Pan’s relics, he studied formations.
All of this consumed quite a bit of Experience Points.
Because Chu Huaixu knew clearly that according to the original storyline, it was Xu Ziqing who would clear everything alone with a single sword.
The Bronze Sword would directly release Baleful Aura, rendering any flashy techniques useless.
But he was different—he could genuinely be outplayed to death by someone’s fancy maneuvers.
Therefore, he planned to make himself just as flashy.
The more miscellaneous methods he learned, the better!
The upper echelons of the Dao Gate had all begun to marvel at Chu Huaixu’s comprehension during this period.
Anything taught to him today—when tested tomorrow—he had basically already mastered.
Li Chunsong even felt: “Compared to him, I was nothing but rotten wood back then!”
As for Zhao Shuqin, in his eyes, he was merely rotten wood number two.
In such a short time, Chu Huaixu had already become a mid-grade talisman master, a mid-grade formation master, and a mid-grade ocular technique master.
Although he indulged in the feeling of being a monstrous genius—giving others the illusion that he surpassed Comprehension 10—he had also nearly exhausted his Experience Points.
As the sun set, the family of three, along with Lin Zixuan, the uninvited guest, finished dinner together.
After the meal, Chu Huaixu glanced at her.
He felt that the girl seemed distracted—her appetite had even decreased today.
Sensing his gaze, she suddenly stood up and briskly began clearing the dishes, preparing to wash them.
Dead Fox: “.”
That wasn’t what he meant.
Chu Huaixu took the initiative to ask, “Go on, what’s the matter?”
Lin Zixuan hesitated, a trace of conflict appearing on her face. She looked up at this half-enemy in front of her and finally said:
“Well…”
“Do you want to plant another 【Spirit Seed】 in my body?”
After thinking for a moment, the Dead Fox agreed this time.
“Alright.”
The two entered the room and sat cross-legged facing each other.
Chu Huaixu drew a drop of essence blood and infused it with a strand of Spiritual Energy and a strand of Divine Sense.
Lin Zixuan immediately used a secret method, then opened her small mouth and held it within.
She held it there, slowly refining it within her body, establishing a faint connection with Chu Huaixu.
At this point, all preparations before entering the Origin Spirit Realm were complete.
Night gradually deepened.
Chu Huaixu sat on a meditation cushion and opened his Mission Interface.
After the Eastern and Western Continents’ Grand Competition ended, he once again claimed the title of Xuanhuang Champion, naturally allowing him to claim the main quest related to the Origin Spirit Realm.
And this time, the mission rewards were still extremely generous.
“One Heaven-grade Treasure Chest, plus 1 Spirit Embryo Attribute, and 2 million Experience Points.”
The rewards were similar to the finals of the Eastern and Western Continents’ Grand Competition, only with an additional one million Experience Points.
Of course, more importantly, clearing it would also grant a Fragment of Xuanhuang Origin.
Chu Huaixu personally guessed that this time, it would most likely also be two fragments!
“Over at the Kunlun Grotto-Heaven, they’ll probably bring one over as well,” he thought.
He had now basically figured it out—the so-called Heaven-and-Earth Calamity was, in essence, nothing more than a typical invasion by foreign races.
And those foreign races were naturally the cultivators of the Kunlun Grotto-Heaven.
The so-called Origin Spirit Realm could essentially be understood as a series of boundary nodes.
If Chu Huaixu lost, the Kunlun cultivators would seize the Origin Fragments and use secret methods to collapse the node.
In doing so, it would be equivalent to punching a “hole” in the Xuanhuang Realm.
That hole would then become one of the channels through which cultivators could descend into this world in the future.
What made it even more troublesome was that once such a “hole” formed, the cultivators of the Xuanhuang Realm would not even know where it was.
Because the Origin Spirit Realm was an extremely special existence—like a virtual realm existing between illusion and reality.
Chu Huaixu’s trip to the Moon Country this time only led to the entrance of the second layer.
It could be understood as the “teleportation array” being located there.
But where the Origin Spirit Realm itself truly resided—no one knew.
Therefore, when Kunlun Grotto-Heaven launched a large-scale invasion, no one could prepare defenses in advance.
Because no one knew where they would descend.
There was only one best solution.
Guard the Origin Spirit Realm and kill the cultivators on the other side!
Simple and brutal.
After opening his eyes, Chu Huaixu sensed someone outside.
He opened the door and saw Han Shuangjiang standing there. Smiling, he invited her in and asked, “Why didn’t you knock?”
“I was afraid you were in meditation and didn’t want to disturb you,” the Big Ice Block said.
Chu Huaixu took her small hand and led her to sit on a long bench.
“What’s wrong?” he asked gently.
“I just… couldn’t sleep, and couldn’t calm my mind to cultivate. I wanted to come see you,” she said softly, lowering her head.
“So restless? Worried about me?” Chu Huaixu smiled.
“How could I not be worried!” Han Shuangjiang replied irritably.
She continued, “I just feel that in such a vast Xuanhuang Realm, with so many powerful people and capable individuals, why is it that the most dangerous tasks and heaviest burdens always fall on you alone?”
Chu Huaixu inwardly muttered: “Exactly—this was supposed to be Little Xu risking his life!”
Recruiting a dishwashing junior really came with a price.
He shrugged. “Can’t be helped. The Origin Spirit Realm is just too special.”
“And I estimate I can at most handle the first three rounds. By the time the fourth layer opens, I likely won’t have reached the Seventh Realm.”
“Not to mention the fifth layer, which requires at least the Eighth Realm to enter.”
Although he had the system, Chu Huaixu didn’t think leveling up could be that fast.
After reaching the Fifth Realm, progress would become extremely difficult.
On the system side, the Experience Points required would skyrocket.
Within the next year, advancing from the Third Realm to the Fifth Realm was still possible with effort.
But reaching the peak of the Seventh Realm the year after—that was pure fantasy.
Most likely, the fourth layer of the Origin Spirit Realm would have to be handled by his First Master, Shen Man.
Unless he encountered some heaven-defying fortune and gained limitless Experience Points to level up at lightning speed.
Han Shuangjiang did not comment.
She only said, “I think Junior Brother Xu is probably tossing and turning as well, unable to sleep or cultivate.”
“He’s probably feeling very guilty.”
“Why?” Chu Huaixu asked.
“Because he knows that he was originally the Heaven’s Mandated One in the Dao Ancestor’s prophecy—the one meant to wield that sword and enter the Origin Spirit Realm. But now, you’re the one taking the risk in his place. With his personality, how could he feel at ease?” she replied.
The Dead Fox immediately set up a Soundproofing Formation before speaking nonsense:
“What can he do? Compared to me, he’s just too weak!”
After saying that, he grew serious.
“None of that matters. What matters is solving the Heaven-and-Earth Calamity. This isn’t just one person’s problem.”
“Since I’m the most suitable, then I should go.”
After saying those words, even Chu Huaixu himself was stunned, wondering if he had been influenced too much by the Dao Gate.
He clearly wasn’t this righteous!
Holding Han Shuangjiang’s hand, he gently patted it.
“I know you’re worried about my safety.”
“I promise you—I’ll come back unharmed.”
“Mm.” The girl nodded.
Then she saw Chu Huaixu looking at her with a smile.
Having become Dao companions for some time, they naturally understood each other without words.
How could she not know what that smile meant?
But she still said, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Chu Huaixu replied, “I feel like we haven’t been alone like this for quite a while.”
“That’s nonsense—three days ago you were… mm—!”
Before she could finish, her lips were already sealed.
In an instant, both could faintly feel each other’s breath.
Han Shuangjiang lightly pushed him.
The force was small—he didn’t move.
She pushed again, even more lightly.
Still no effect.
Instead, it carried a hint of reluctant resistance.
Then came only response.
Han Shuangjiang, this “dual-degree” theoretical expert, had always improved rapidly under Chu Huaixu’s “guidance.”
Thus, both found the kiss extremely pleasant.
After a long while, Chu Huaixu finally pulled away slightly, looking down at her flushed face, teasing her with his gaze.
Her eyes were fixed on him, lips slightly parted, chest rising and falling rapidly, her breathing shifting from her nose to her mouth.
“Senior Sister,” Chu Huaixu called with a smile.
Han Shuangjiang angrily punched him, her usual cold demeanor completely gone.
“Don’t call me Senior Sister!” she said, somewhat embarrassed.
“How about you don’t leave tonight?” he teased.
“But… I…” she stammered.
“But what?”
“My Body of Profound Yin… before the Fifth Realm… anyway, it’s not allowed!” she refused firmly.
“What are you thinking? Who said I wanted to consummate with you?” he stared into her eyes, then deliberately clicked his tongue.
But inwardly, he cursed the fact that neither of them had reached the Fifth Realm yet!
They had been Dao companions for so long—things should have progressed naturally by now.
He pulled her into his arms and lifted her onto his lap.
The girl instinctively let out a soft cry.
Her full hips pressed against his thighs, the flesh spreading outward, stretching her clothes into a rounded, plump curve.
Chu Huaixu said nothing more.
Their lips met again.
His hands rested on her waist.
Her proportions were naturally striking, perfectly fitting his grip.
After their lips parted, he moved downward along her neck.
It made Han Shuangjiang feel both ticklish and warm.
“Chu Huaixu… sto—stop…” she tried to protest.
But her voice carried breathy softness, trembling slightly at the end.
With a voice like that—who could stop?
Chu Huaixu grew bolder, his hands moving upward from her waist.
After more intimate contact, he simply lifted her and carried her toward the bed.
Han Shuangjiang looked at him, resignation gradually appearing on her face.
Thinking that he would depart for the Origin Spirit Realm tomorrow, she found herself unable to refuse.
Moreover, she herself was already somewhat immersed.
Her robes loosened, slipping from her collarbone and shoulders.
Chu Huaixu’s hand covered a soft fullness, feeling its elasticity even through the thin layer.
He could tell she was deliberately suppressing her voice, leaving only soft breaths and mouth breathing.
After all, Little Xu was in the next room.
But he only found it amusing.
“Did you forget? I set up a Soundproofing Formation.”
“Y-you… you learned formations just for this… mm…”