No matter it is a place full of spiritual energy or a place full of demonic energy, the mountains and trees rooted in the land are always alive and thriving.
The tall trees overhead are so dense that they seem to block out the dim sky entirely. Vines and dead branches entangle underfoot, trapping you completely if you’re not careful.
The young man named Heishi took the old woman's axe, and the other young man named Axiu held a wooden stick. The two of them moved through the dense forest as nimbly as monkeys, leaping forward while clearing the way for the three people behind them.
"When I was young, everyone in the village called me Ah Hua. Later, when I got older, the only people around me were younger generations, so they all called me Granny. You two immortals can just call me Ah Hua."
Granny Ahua is old after all, and although she has some experience in cultivation, she still trembles a little when she moves.
Wen Yun wanted to help her, but Granny Ahua shook her head and declined: "Don't bother me, Immortal. I was born and raised in this mountain. I want to walk a few more times while I can still move."
Her words were calm but heartbreaking. Wen Yun felt sad when she heard this. She quietly used her mental power to hook Ye Shubai's mental power and asked him quietly.
"How much life does Granny Hua have left?"
He was silent for a moment, then answered, "Less than a month."
It's such a pity that Granny Ah Hua could reach the Qi Refining Stage in this place with little spiritual energy and scarce resources, which shows that she actually has excellent talent. If she were in the Four Continents of the Righteous Path, she might have been a talented disciple that some sect or school would treasure. But now, she has a low level of cultivation and cannot make any further progress, and can only silently wait for death.
Ah Xiu in front slowed down his pace, stood in front of Grandma Ah Hua, and carefully pushed aside the hanging vines for her. The old woman looked at him with a kind smile and gently brushed the fallen leaves off his shoulders.
Heishi laughed and called out "Grandma", then pulled up a tuber-like plant and said happily: "I found sweet potatoes, we will have something delicious tonight."
Granny Ah Hua's wrinkled face also broke into a smile. She carefully took the sweet potato and whispered, "We have an honored guest today. You two should hurry up and clean up the village. Then wash the dried wild boar meat. We will go back and cook the meat and sweet potato for the honored guest."
Heishi frowned, a little unwillingly: "But mother-in-law, the wild boar meat was brought by Xiu to you to eat..."
"It's okay, it's okay. Grandma is old and doesn't like to eat meat anymore. Go with Ah Xiu."
She lowered her voice very low, but with her low level of cultivation, she probably didn't know that Wen Yun and Ye Shubai who were behind her could actually hear her voice clearly.
This made Wen Yun feel even more uncomfortable.
She whispered to Ye Shubai: "Is there any medicine that can increase longevity?"
Ye Shubai replied calmly, "It is said that thousands of years ago, alchemy was popular, and some people once developed the Mirror-Breaking Pill that can increase the chance of breakthrough, and the Longevity Pill that can increase lifespan, but later the inheritance was suddenly cut off, and the current medical practitioners can no longer refine these advanced pills."
Grandma Ahua in front had no idea that the two immortals behind her were worried about her lifespan. She urged the two children to go back to the village first, and then carefully led Wen Yun and the others to a big tree.
This tree is no different from other trees in the forest, except that it is particularly thick.
Wen Yun frowned and looked at the tree a few more times.
"There is a formation on this tree, and it looks like the formation method of Fubuki Island."
Upon hearing this, Granny Ah Hua smiled and nodded: "Yes, it is said that our master once set up a formation here to protect us."
The master she mentioned was the Jindan-stage cultivator who led the remnants to escape the pursuit of the evil cultivators. It seemed that he was most likely a disciple of Chuixue Island. Their level of formation was top-notch in the entire cultivation world. It was not surprising that the concealment formation they set up could last for hundreds of years. It was presumably thanks to this formation that this group of remnants were able to escape the pursuit of the evil cultivators.
It’s a pity that it has almost collapsed now.
Granny Ahua didn't know what was so mysterious about the tree. She only knew that it was something left by her master, so she kowtowed to the tree respectfully, then took Wen Yun and the others to the roots of the tree and pushed aside a thick layer of dead branches and leaves.
There was a hole there that was only wide enough for one person to pass through!
The old man walked in front and smiled apologetically at Ye Shubai and Wen Yun: "I'm sorry to inconvenience you two immortals."
Drilling holes was not difficult for Wen Yun, especially since she was a great wizard who loved to dig magic stones with her own hands and had rummaged around in holes many times before.
But what she didn't expect was that Ye Shubai's posture of drilling the hole was also extremely skillful. He drilled in with a whoosh like a loach, and didn't even dirty the corner of his clothes.
Wanting to save some face for his own sword spirit, Wen Yun quietly asked Ye Shubai in his mind: "You are very skilled in this?"
Ye Shubai was silent for a moment before answering, "Sword cultivators often go out to look for high-quality natural materials and treasures to forge swords. Although I use a phoenix wood sword, I also forged swords for my apprentices in the past."
Wen Yun suddenly remembered this. The swords used by the three senior brothers were all extraordinary. The third senior brother's sword was once secretly misappropriated by Ye Shubai, who flew it to send Wen Yun to the stage during the inner sect competition. At that time, Bai Yushan thought the sword was lost and almost cried like a fool.
But when she took a quick glance at Ye Shubai's ethereal appearance, she really couldn't associate him with those shirtless blacksmiths swinging hammers.
Ye Shubai didn't know that Wen Yun had already thought about it. After he mentioned this matter, he changed the subject: "The first sword of a sword cultivator is often forged by the master. After this is done, I will forge a sword for you."
“…” Some people insist on emphasizing the identity of the master.
The underground cave was narrow and long. Wen Yun had almost figured out what kind of sword he wanted Ye Shubai to forge, but he hadn't even reached the end of the cave yet.
Granny Ah Hua, who was standing in front of us, hunched over, turned around reluctantly, and said respectfully, "My two immortals, our village of survivors is ahead."
After passing through the last narrow cave, the scene in front of me suddenly changed.
This was a huge cave. The view from inside was dim. There was only faint light coming down from a few fist-sized ventilation heads above the head. There were a few glowing jades surrounding them. These two light sources could barely illuminate the entire cave. The air was stuffy and filled with the smell of stale mud, which was so depressing that it was almost impossible to breathe.
After Wen Yun stepped in here, he felt as if he had stepped into an extremely deep and huge tomb, but upon closer inspection, he discovered that it was a completely different world.
Despite living at the bottom of the cave, this world is still orderly. There is an underground river flowing in front of the entrance to the village. The row of houses on the east side are built of wood and bluestone. There are actually several plots of land near the light source on the west side, where some wild vegetables are planted. They look thin and underdeveloped, but growing together in lush greenery, they bring a touch of hope to this underground village.
Seeing Grandma Ah Hua coming back, the two women who were washing things in the lower reaches of the underground river greeted her with a smile: "Grandma, you're back! Ah Xiu and the others just took out some dried meat to wash, and said they would cook it tonight..."
Her voice suddenly stopped, and her eyes fell on Wen Yun and Ye Shubai behind her in fear, pointing at them.
"Granny! Who are they!"
"Heishi's mother, don't be rude to the Immortal!" Granny Ah Hua quickly stopped the woman's rude behavior, turned around and apologized to Wen Yun and Ye Shubai in fear and trepidation: "Immortal, they have been born in this underground all their lives and have never seen the world..."
"It's okay, grandma." Wen Yun quickly supported her and comforted the poor old woman in a gentle voice.
The arrival of Wen Yun and Ye Shubai became the most sensational event in the village of survivors in the past few decades.
Hearing that they were immortals who came to take them home, two or three hundred people began to gradually gather towards the open space in the center of the cave.
They have been living underground since they were born. The blue sky and sea passed down by their ancestors, the rich homes, the mountains and grasslands where they can run freely and bask in the sun, are all distant and unfamiliar things to them. All they remember is the dim light and stuffy air underground. Even occasionally crawling out and nervously breathing in the fresh air can be regarded as the greatest enjoyment.
But they also always remember what their ancestors said.
Someone will come and take them home, back to that rich, beautiful and free hometown.
They looked at Wen Yun and Ye Shubai with curiosity and joy, whispering to each other: "They are so beautiful. Great Grandfather really didn't lie to us. Immortals are all very beautiful."
"Yes, my mother-in-law is also half-immortal, so when she was young, she was also the most beautiful woman in our village."
…
Wen Yun liked being praised for her good looks, but this was the first time she was praised so directly and purely, and her face flushed slightly.
But after seeing the appearance and clothing of these survivors, her heart sank.
They were very white, because of the unhealthy skin color that came from staying underground for so many years. All of them were thin and short. The coarse linen clothes that Grandma Ahua wore were already the most decent ones. The other villagers were all shabby. Children like Axiu were shirtless, with only a circle of leaves around their waists. The adults only had a few pieces of pitiful animal skins or bark clothes to cover their key parts.
There is an underground river, which makes daily water use convenient, but it also makes the entire underground cold and gloomy. Mortals like them have no spiritual protection, and they probably can't even keep out the cold with just the clothes they wear.
However, they seemed to have gotten used to it, and they came forward with things in their hands, smiling.
"These are the bird eggs my boy dug out from the ground the day before yesterday."
"These are the wild fruits we picked yesterday."
Soon, a pile of food as high as a small mountain had been piled up in front of Wen Yun. These things might seem simple, but for the people living underground, they were the most precious things in their home, and they were all sent up voluntarily by them to entertain the guests.
Granny Ah Hua was also very happy about her children's understanding, and smiled with her eyes curved: "Two immortals, please sit down, we will prepare dinner right away."
Wen Yun couldn't bear to watch it. It wasn't that she disliked the food, she just felt sorry for these people who had such a hard life.
She held Grandma Ah Hua's hand and smiled, "Grandma, please sit down first, we will follow."
As soon as she finished speaking, she took out a whole piece of fire fir wood from the mustard seed sac and threw a fireball at it, instantly igniting it.
Wen Yun was very satisfied. He finally understood why the third brother used firewood as firewood. It was really suitable...
"Wow!"
The survivors were stunned. They could actually light wood without using flint or a fire drill. Is this really the power of immortals
However, Wen Yun was not finished yet. She took out dozens of killed chickens from the mustard seed bag...
These were the helicopter chickens that Zhu Erchong insisted on catching and killing at the time, saying that he was going to keep them and roast them for later when he returned to the sect. However, he did not expect that Wen Yun would get the advantage this time.
The chickens grown in the Xuantian Secret Realm are naturally extraordinary. Each one weighs thirty or forty kilograms. The survivors were dazed when they saw it: "Is this a pheasant?"
"Is it wild?"
"But... are pheasants this big? Why are they different from the ones we caught in the forest?"
"I guess this is a beast raised by an immortal? He is indeed an immortal!"
Wen Yun appeared calm and composed on the surface, but in fact she was staring at the dozens of chickens as if she were facing a great enemy. She was planning to give these survivors some meat, but there was a serious problem - she only knew how to eat, not how to cook.
At this moment, Ye Shubai, who had been watching from the side, stepped forward and took a fat chicken from her.
"Let me do it."
His sleeves had been rolled up to his forearms and his eyes were lowered. He skillfully skewered the chicken on elderberry logs and then took out a handful of seasoning from somewhere and sprinkled it on the chicken. The whole process was not crude at all but smooth and beautiful.
Wen Yun listened to his instructions on the side, and used magic to control the temperature from time to time.
Everyone, including Granny Ah Hua, stared at the two of them in amazement, until the fairy girl gently called out to them, "Come on, everyone. It tastes better when it's hot."
It turned out that the immortal was roasting pheasants for them! How could mortals like them dare to let the immortal do such a thing for them!
The expressions of the survivors became terrified, and Grandma Ahua was even more shocked. She was about to kneel down in panic, but Wen Yun grabbed her first.
"Grandma, please try it first."
A fragrant chicken leg was stuffed into Grandma Ahua's mouth. The chicken skin had already become crispy and crispy, while the chicken meat was still soft, tender and juicy. An incredibly rich aura burst out after taking a bite!
A trace of shock flashed across her old face. She took another bite carefully and cherished it, and found that her broken body, which seemed like it would collapse at any time, had actually regained a little bit of strength.
For the other survivors, this roast chicken was a satisfying meal they had not had for a long time. Moreover, the chicken was completely different from the ordinary pheasants they hunted. It was so delicious that people almost swallowed their tongues.
The sunlight above gradually set, and a gentle ray of light fell into the cave from the small hole, reflecting the red fire of the firewood, illuminating the whole village with warmth and joy.
Wen Yun took a step back. She didn't hold the meat of the helicopter chicken in her hand, but a few half-green and half-yellow wild fruits, which were given to her by the survivors before.
She took a bite, and the sour feeling immediately exploded in her mouth, but there was no abnormality on her face, and she still looked calm and peaceful.
Then, Wen Yun passed a fruit to Ye Shubai's mouth: "This fruit tastes very good. Here, I'll give you one."
Ye Shubai looked at the fingers that were brought to his eyes. They were white, tender and slender, like two pieces of green onion, and were made even more lovely by the green and yellow fruit.
He retracted his gaze but did not open his mouth. Instead, he took the fruit with his hand and put it into his mouth.
"… "
Ye Shubai's handsome face wrinkled slightly, which made Wen Yun laugh secretly. She held the sour fruit in her mouth and slowly got used to the sourness.
"I didn't ask you that day why you came to the outer sea to rescue Senior Brother Shen. He is not a disciple of the Tenth Peak. In fact, it doesn't matter if you don't come to save him."
She came to save Shen Xinghai because Shen Xinghai risked his life to enter the Xuantian Secret Realm in search of medicine for her that day, and she could not forget this kindness.
Ye Shubai swallowed the sour fruit in his mouth and was silent for a moment before speaking: "How can the younger generation protect the elders?"
Wen Yun was stunned for a moment before he remembered that he was talking about the day when they left the secret realm. In order to protect them, Zhu Erchong wanted to go to the open sea alone to rescue his fellow apprentice. It turned out that Ye Shubai, who had a calm expression on his face, was also moved by him.
"Then this time..."
There was no ripple in Ye Shubai's clear eyes, and he gave the answer Wen Yun expected: "I have already promised, how can I break my promise?"
Sure enough, he was not just talking, he really wanted to bring these survivors home.
Wen Yun smiled faintly. She looked up at the man beside her and said positively, "How about we take them back with us after we find Junior Brother Shen?"
"Um."
She held her chin up and said with some difficulty: "But it is impossible to carry so many people on a flying sword. In the past, the demon cultivators also built ships to sail across the open sea. We can also hurry up and build a ship that can accommodate hundreds of people... or a spiritual boat like the sect that can fly and cross the sea?"
As he spoke, Wen Yun fell into deep thought, and began to think carefully about how to bring the survivors home.
Ye Shubai, who was beside her, frowned slightly, then raised his head and looked at one of the small holes on his head.
The airflow there suddenly became a little chaotic.
He moved closer to Wen Yun silently, then tightened his grip on the wooden sword.
After a moment, a strange and shrill howl came from the small hole above his head. Although it was still a long distance away from the cave, the sound that came out was extremely loud. It seemed that the small hole also had the function of amplifying the sound of the ground.
The moment this voice was heard, the faces of the people who were laughing and talking happily just now suddenly turned grim. Everyone covered their mouths and noses habitually, staring at the movement above in horror.
Granny Ahua silently took out her axe and chopped it. The airflow immediately extinguished all the flames and the light of the spiritual jade, and the whole cave fell into endless darkness.
Wen Yun didn't know what was going on, but she had always been a very vigilant person. After discovering that all the villagers around her were trying their best to hold their breath, she wisely did not ask, but just silently moved one step closer to Ye Shubai.
In the darkness, the two of them huddled together.
The area under the cave had become a truly silent graveyard. Only the faint sound of the underground river could be heard. At the same time, the howling of the unknown monster above head became sharper and closer, and even the dirt above head began to fall and hit him.
No one dared to make a sound, they were trying their best to erase their own existence.
At this moment, a baby in swaddling clothes whimpered a few times, and then burst into loud crying!