Chapter 188 - Arc 12: Ruyi Xianzhuang | Chapter 188: Stealth
Translator: Lynn
The spiritual consciousness expanded rapidly in all directions, meticulously combing through every plant and every inch of soil. Xu Ziqing had never experienced such a terrifying intensity before, and it filled him with fear from the depths of his heart for the first time.
This fear compelled him to frantically accelerate the technique, no, it had to be faster! It must be faster!
The wood-like patterns on Xu Ziqing’s body extended to his eyelids, prompting him to involuntarily close his eyes. Of his six senses, only his sense of hearing remained functional. Due to the closure of the other five senses, his hearing became even more acute; he could almost perceive the sound of grass blades falling within a ten-mile radius.
Especially his consciousness, which could fluctuate and be detected by others, became vague again, sinking into the deepest recesses of his sea of consciousness.
Perilously and narrowly—just as his consciousness was on the verge of sweeping toward the giant tree where he hid—Xu Ziqing finally transformed into wood. His entire body seemed to have metamorphosed into a withered tree, becoming akin to the dry bark on the giant tree—utterly silent and lifeless.
Only a trace of determination lay concealed in the most secretive recesses of his dantian.
Faintly, Xu Ziqing discerned that someone was approaching.
The faint and fragmented voices, magnified by his heightened auditory prowess, materialized into a blurred image as if veiled.
It was a man and a woman, the man leading and the woman following. Suddenly, they both descended to the ground.
The male cultivator exuded a potent aura, harboring immense power within, seemingly capable of reducing everything in the world to dust with a mere touch.
On the other hand, the female cultivator’s strength appeared to surpass that of the male cultivator, but there seemed to be a breach in her body, continuously leaking the formidable power within her, akin to a pouring torrent into the sea.
These two individuals... were immensely powerful!
In a daze, Xu Ziqing realized he wouldn’t stand a chance against them. Even his senior brother might not prevail. And who were they?
His hearing sharpened, and their conversation became more distinct.
The male cultivator donned expansive robes and exuded an extraordinary presence, reminiscent of an exiled immortal, brimming with the righteous might of the immortal way. However, within this righteousness, there was an opposing power, impossible to ignore.
The female cultivator emanated an ethereal and frosty beauty, as if not of this world—presumably a perfect match for the male cultivator.
The woman spoke, her tone distant, “Why did you lead me out?”
Yu Nongqing had connected with Lang Tianqi within the dreamlike realm, aware that Lang Tianqi and Mu Wuxin had been acquainted and in love in the past. Consequently, Lang Tianqi was somewhat guarded.
Romantic involvement between immortals and demons wasn’t tolerated in society. If it involved a righteous demon, it was somewhat permissible. However, Lang Tianqi had previously practiced dark arts and was persecuted by the righteous path. If this were to become known, it could severely tarnish Mu Wuxin’s present reputation.
Lang Tianqi understood that Yu Nongqing had found him suddenly in a dream on the day of Mu Wuxin’s birthday, intending to deceive Mu Wuxin. So, he remained on guard, vehemently expressing resentment and hatred toward Mu Wuxin, feigning his emotions, and gnashing his teeth, all to gain Yu Nongqing’s trust.
As expected, Yu Nongqing was pleased to see his apparent resentment. She sought an alliance with him against Mu Wuxin. Yet, Yu Nongqing could never have fathomed that, while Lang Tianqi had indeed been hurt by Mu Wuxin, his infatuation remained unchanged, and his affection was genuine. Lang Tianqi engaged in numerous discussions with Yu Nongqing, pretending to side with her, merely to extract information.
Subsequently, Yu Nongqing took advantage of the birthday banquet, secretly instructing her confidant to lead Lang Tianqi to the forbidden area.
The authority suppressing Yu Nongqing stemmed from Mu Wuxin, which was quite perplexing. Except for Lang Tianqi, who had cultivated in pairs with Mu Wuxin, and Mu Wuxin’s sole daughter, Mu Ronghua, nobody else could breach the seal.
Mu Ronghua and Mu Wuxin shared a profound mother-daughter bond, making them unwilling to assist outsiders. However, Lang Tianqi had been once targeted by Mu Wuxin, making him the individual Yu Nongqing sought to win over and manipulate.
Upon learning the whole story, Lang Tianqi feigned compliance, pretending to accompany Yu Nongqing’s confidants to the forbidden area. However, his true intention was not to lift the ban on Yu Nongqing but to eliminate this threat to Mu Wuxin secretly.
Unfortunately, upon reaching the forbidden area, Lang Tianqi discovered that several powerful masters, with cultivation bases higher than Nascent Soul, were guarding Yu Nongqing outside the restricted zone. With his current cultivation level, he could handle one or two of them individually, but facing a siege, he risked harm.
As a result, Lang Tianqi was compelled to let Yu Nongqing go, not wanting to negate his prior efforts. Still, he continued the facade of collaboration, pretending to be a common adversary to expose Yu Nongqing’s plot. His purpose in luring Mu Wuxin out now was to disclose the entire plan to her.
Upon hearing this, Mu Wuxin’s tone softened further, and she spoke gently: “Yu Nongqing is sly and deceitful. She may not fully trust you, but she will certainly manipulate you to despise me.”
Lang Tianqi was taken aback: “How could that be?”
Mu Wuxin let out a soft snort: “You’ve just arrived, there must be many things you don’t grasp. If she were to tell you that I had a child with someone else, look at me, I indeed have a daughter who is less than 200 years old. Can you honestly tell me you wouldn’t be infuriated?”
Individuals from Ruyi Xianzhuang, especially its designated successor, always sought to carry on the lineage and pass down their expertise. Historically, they aspired to seek a companion from the immortal way, but Mu Wuxin chose to engage romantically with a demon.
Lang Tianqi, upon hearing this, expressed his sorrow: “You, you really had a child with him?” Their parting from each other was thousands of years ago, before Mu Wuxin assumed the role of villa owner. Now, the daughter was so young... Contemplating this, he couldn’t help but lose hope.
Mu Wuxin sighed: “Dual cultivation of immortals and demons isn’t so straightforward when it comes to bearing a child. The day I absorbed your cultivation level, might have been because of the child within me. However, merging the two practices was challenging. The energies were in conflict, making nurturing a baby exceedingly difficult... It took me millennia to harmonize the energies in her body, turning her into a prodigious talent. She bears no semblance to an offspring of a demon. Even Yu Nongqing is unaware of her true identity.” At this point, she smiled faintly: “It’s been five thousand years, Tianqi. I bore you a child, Ronghua. Do you accept this revelation?”
Xu Ziqing, who had already merged with the trees, couldn’t help but be astonished upon hearing this.
The genuine Mu Ronghua, desiring to engage in dual cultivation with his senior brother, turned out to be the daughter of this immortal and demon!
Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.
Support me on ko-fi for faster releases ^^