novelraw Chapter 231 : Meeting Wen Ling’er Again
Chapter 231 : Meeting Wen Ling’er Again
Chapter 231: Meeting Wen Ling’er Again
“Oh?”
The young man seemed to let out a small laugh upon hearing this, but looking at the panicked Ji Yuan in front of him, he still gave a word of advice:
“No need to panic like this. If I really wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead a hundred times over.”
…As harsh as those words were, they were indeed true.
If a Nascent Soul ancestor had really come to ambush and assassinate him, not to mention using a Fixed-Point Teleportation Token—he probably wouldn’t even have time to react.
Ji Yuan thought to himself and still replied seriously, “Junior has not deceived Senior. I truly wish to join the Shang Court.”
In the cultivation world, more skills were never a burden.
And the same went for identities.
Right now, he had a righteous path identity, and basically a demonic path one as well.
From what Hua Yaoyue had said, this righteous–demonic war was likely just an internal conflict stirred up by the Shang Court. If that were the case, then gaining a Shang Court identity would only be a benefit. As the saying goes—
If you can’t beat them, join them.
“Oh? Not the time for you to destroy the Shang Court’s spirit vein schemes anymore?”
The young man looked at Ji Yuan with a half-smile, his gaze showing no sign of anger.
“Well…”
Ji Yuan braced himself and stood up, speaking somewhat awkwardly:
“At that time, Junior truly didn’t know that spirit vein was part of our Shang Court’s plan. I thought it was those bastards from Medicine King Valley stealing it, so I reported it to the sect.”
“If I had known it was our Shang Court’s scheme… I would’ve done everything I could to cover it up!”
“One 'our Shang Court' after another—tsk, you really are good at talking.”
The young man paced back and forth in front of Ji Yuan with hands behind his back, then slowly said, “Ji Yuan, born in Zengtou Market, Yunyu Marshlands. False Spiritual Root. Established Foundation at twenty-three. Later became a disciple of Real Person Wangyou of the Water Dragon Sect. Known to be close with the Li Family. Skilled in formations. Few battle records.”
“Since his breakthrough, his cultivation hasn’t advanced even a bit. Still at early Foundation Establishment… but just now, you clearly broke through to late Foundation Establishment, didn’t you?”
The more the young man said, the colder Ji Yuan’s back became.
What did this mean?
It meant the Water Dragon Sect had already been thoroughly infiltrated by these remnants of the Shang Court!
Useless Water Dragon Sect.
“In my view, the Water Dragon Sect hasn’t treated you poorly. Why still seek to join our Shang Court?” the young man asked, turning to look at Ji Yuan with a hint of curiosity.
Ji Yuan stood with hands clasped, silent for a moment, before replying, “A wise bird chooses a fine tree to nest in. The Shang Court comes now bearing the momentum of the Western Shang’s demonic path. The righteous path is on the brink of collapse. Rather than waiting for the moment to decide, it is better to decide early.”
In short, to Ji Yuan, it was one simple idea.
Righteous or demonic—it made no difference to him.
Ji Yuan had never thought of himself as righteous, nor as demonic.
Ji Yuan was just Ji Yuan.
Today, he truly wanted a Shang Court identity—and also, he truly wanted to run away… He’d seen Jiang Hong use a Fixed-Point Teleportation Token once. That thing could withstand his own assassination attempt, but could it withstand a Nascent Soul True Monarch’s strike?
Ji Yuan didn’t know.
The token was precious. He only had one. And only one chance. He didn’t dare use it lightly.
The smile on the young man’s face faded slightly. “If everyone in this world were as sensible as you, it’d be much easier. Unfortunately… some people are stubborn. Stuck in their ways.”
“Of course, those old fellows back then… were like that too.”
Ji Yuan didn’t know how to respond, so he simply stayed silent.
The young man then changed the topic with a meaningful tone. “But if everyone were like you, then this world would be a hard place to survive in.”
“Ah… Senior flatters me.”
Ji Yuan laughed awkwardly.
“You’re a smart one.” The young man chuckled freely. “I came to this Mirror Lake for nostalgia, and happened to find someone extracting water fortune. I suspected it was you… and unexpectedly, it really was. Since fate has brought us together…”
He stopped mid-sentence.
Ji Yuan instinctively wondered—what did he want?
Make him a disciple? Bring him into the Shang Court?
Or perhaps a brotherhood oath at Mirror Lake?
Just as Ji Yuan was puzzled, the young man smiled and said, “How about this—since you wish to join our Shang Court… just hand over a strand of your divine soul, and I’ll take you in as my adopted son. How about that?”
Hand over his divine soul—and be his father?
Ji Yuan went silent.
Though he had flexible identities, he also had bottom lines.
Handing over his divine soul was one of the most crucial ones. Once handed over… his life would no longer be his own.
Becoming an adopted son? That was the second line.
So the moment the young man spoke, it was already a dead end.
“I won’t treat you poorly. Back when the Shang Court ruled all of Cangluo, countless people wanted to join my Plum Manor, let alone be my adopted son.”
Plum Manor? Ji Yuan’s expression flickered slightly.
The young man continued with a smile, “You know the Shang Court’s Holy Lord back then? He was my sworn elder brother. So if you become my adopted son, even if this righteous–demonic war gets bloody, none of it will touch you.”
“In that case, may I ask—why is Senior Plum willing to take me as an adopted son?”
Ji Yuan didn’t believe in free lunches.
Though he would have to give up his divine soul and call someone 'Father', compared to the benefits Plum Manor could offer, that didn’t seem like much.
Especially from a Nascent Soul True Monarch’s perspective—taking a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s divine soul and making him an adopted son was indeed nothing.
Plum Manor’s smile faded as he stared at Ji Yuan and spoke slowly, “Young man, being smart is good. But don’t be too smart.”
“I’ve offered you a way to live. Best you grasp it well. Why break the last bit of pretense?”
At first, Ji Yuan didn’t quite understand, but hearing those words—and recalling all the previous comments—he finally understood.
To seize his great fortune!
This Plum Manor probably knew he’d gained some major opportunity. And it likely wasn’t from the Shang Court. So he was looking to force it out of him.
Then there was really no room to talk.
Time to gamble!
Ji Yuan said no more. He immediately activated the Fixed-Point Teleportation Token in his storage pouch. Whether it worked or not—it all depended on this one try.
If he could escape…
Then sorry, Plum Manor—I’ll curse your whole family!
If he couldn’t escape…
Then sorry, Senior Plum—I’d love to serve you for life. That was all a misunderstanding just now.
So even while attempting to flee, Ji Yuan didn’t curse or threaten—lest it all backfired.
As the token in his storage pouch shattered, Ji Yuan’s body was instantly enveloped in golden light, which shot through the roof and into the sky.
“Hm?”
Plum Manor seemed a bit surprised. He hadn’t expected Ji Yuan to possess something like this.
Seeing the activation, Plum Manor reached out and grabbed forward. In an instant, a massive crimson hand appeared out of thin air, gripping the golden pillar of light tightly.
The entire courtyard was reduced to dust under that palm.
“Crack—”
The hand crushed the golden beam tightly, emitting grinding sounds.
Ji Yuan stared intently at the point of contact, terrified that the golden light shield wouldn’t withstand a Nascent Soul True Monarch’s strike and would shatter.
But even so, his figure continued to rise slowly.
Not even a Nascent Soul True Monarch could stop this teleportation token?!
Ji Yuan was greatly relieved.
Plum Manor’s eyes dimmed as he let go and sighed. “As expected of something left behind by Big Brother. So many years have passed, and I still can’t overcome it.”
Seeing this, Ji Yuan finally spoke:
“Senior, fate has brought us together. I hope that next time we meet, we can sit and drink tea together… rather than fighting.”
The world was vast.
They might cross paths once or twice—but Ji Yuan didn’t believe there would be a third time.
And as long as he formed his Golden Core, with the Shapeshifting Talisman in hand, even a Nascent Soul True Monarch wouldn’t be able to see through his identity.
“Heh, you sure are bold.”
Plum Manor sneered. “The Shang Court will soon unify Cangluo once more. Having rejected me today, there will be no place left for you on the Cangluo Continent.”
“Boy—you better hide well!”
“Then I’ll trouble Senior to keep watch.”
With those words, Ji Yuan’s figure finally flashed with golden light. Accompanied by a ripple of spiritual energy, he… vanished from the spot.
Plum Manor stood in the ruins, hands behind his back, expression dark and unreadable.
Fortune…
Indeed, after learning Ji Yuan’s background, Plum Manor had his eyes on the fortune he carried.
Such rapid cultivation speed—most likely tied to a fortune that could lead directly to the Nascent Soul stage.
And such a fortune was highly tempting to a Nascent Soul cultivator like him—even if it was just observing someone else’s path for his own gain.
As for a Divine Transformation-level fortune? Absolutely impossible.
Because he’d seen the one above the Cangluo Continent…
‘What a pity—I don’t know any divine soul extraction techniques. Otherwise, I’d have taken this kid, extracted his soul, and slowly peeled away his fortune.’
Plum Manor shook his head and finally left the place.
Compared to handling a small Foundation Establishment cultivator, he had more important things to do.
If those succeeded, they’d be far greater than any personal fortune.
Today’s encounter had been pure coincidence.
To gain it was fortune. To lose it was fate… That had always been Plum Manor’s philosophy.
Otherwise, back when the Shang Court was torn by infighting, he wouldn’t have chosen to walk away from it all.
—
Water Dragon Sect.
In the sky above, a dazzling golden pillar of light descended from the heavens. But before it could touch the water’s surface, a gentle breeze swept by and carried it away—vanishing without a trace.
Several streaks of light from distant islands converged at that spot.
“Junior Brother Xuanshui, did something happen?”
“It should be that a disciple used a Fixed-Point Teleportation Token to return to the sect and was taken in and protected by the ancestor.”
As Real Person Xuan Shui spoke, his expression turned a bit grim.
Because within the sect, only two Fixed-Point Teleportation Tokens had ever been issued. And just now, he had reacted quickly. At the moment the teleportation arrived, he had already sensed the person’s identity.
Ji Yuan…
Disciple of Real Person Wangyou.
At the thought of that Senior Sister Wangyou, Real Person Xuan Shui grew uneasy, because he could sense the cultivation levels of the other senior brothers and sisters, but every time he faced Real Person Wangyou, he couldn’t sense a thing.
To him, Real Person Wangyou seemed like someone with no cultivation at all.
What did that mean?
Either he was too useless—or she was far too strong.
With that thought, Real Person Xuan Shui hurriedly sent a message talisman to Hua Yaoyue to report the matter.
“If the ancestor acted, then there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Keep watch for a while. If the ancestor needs anything, remember to send us a message, Junior Brother Xuan Shui.”
The elders dispersed, and Real Person Xuan Shui naturally nodded in agreement one by one.
Water Dragon Sect, deep in an unknown island, within a valley.
As a golden light descended from the sky, Ji Yuan’s figure appeared within it.
“Ah—”
Just as he landed and stood firm, he seemed to be momentarily dazed, nearly stumbling on the spot.
But once he stabilized—
He was certain.
He was back!
Water Dragon Sect—he, Ji Yuan, had finally returned!
He looked around joyfully. On both the southeast sides stood stone pillars carved with numerous formation patterns. Not only that, but the smooth stone slab beneath his feet was also covered with similar engravings.
This… was a teleportation formation?!
Ji Yuan instinctively wanted to imprint and record it for future study.
If he could create a Teleportation Formation, then the world would be wide open to him.
But just as he was about to study it further, he heard a young woman’s voice behind him.
“Who… are you?”
Ji Yuan turned abruptly and saw a graceful young girl standing just outside the teleportation formation.
The girl appeared about sixteen or seventeen, dressed in a moon-white long dress. Her black hair fell freely, and her waist, tied with Ice Silkworm Silver Thread, was slim and delicate.
She was born with willow-shaped brows, naturally upturned eyes, and clear pupils like the Mirror Lake Ji Yuan had recently seen—untainted by even a speck of dust.
With cherry lips slightly parted and her head tilted, a faint dimple appeared on her cheek when she smiled lightly. She was exceptionally beautiful.
Ji Yuan stared at her—and she stared right back, eyes wide.
For some reason, Ji Yuan felt this Foundation Establishment peak girl looked familiar, but couldn’t remember where he’d seen her.
“May I ask, fellow Daoist, where is this place?”
Ji Yuan snapped out of it, retracted his gaze slightly, and cupped his hands as he asked.
“This? This is Clear Wind Island. Who are you, and why are you in this valley?”
“I’ve never seen any outsiders here before.”
The girl stood up as she spoke, stretching slightly.
“Clear Wind Island?”
Ji Yuan frowned slightly.
He was intimately familiar with all the islands of the Water Dragon Sect—even those established by Foundation Establishment senior brothers and sisters. He had made sure to learn about them.
But he had never heard of an island named Clear Wind Island.
Could it be that this island wasn’t within Water Dragon Sect territory?
Was the teleportation formation placed elsewhere?
That was possible.
But perhaps more likely was that Clear Wind Island itself was a hidden island, like Li Family Island. That would explain why he hadn’t heard of it… Ji Yuan leaned toward that explanation.
Just as he was thinking of leaving, he saw an old woman with silver hair and a cane slowly walking into the valley.
At first, she was still outside the valley, but after Ji Yuan blinked once, she was already right before him.
What kind of strength was this?
Ji Yuan didn’t hesitate. He immediately saluted.
“Junior Ji Yuan, disciple of Real Person Wangyou, greets Senior.”
Back in Water Dragon Sect territory, when meeting a mysterious expert, he naturally had to report his master’s name.
“Oh?”
Kong Xifeng seemed slightly surprised, giving Ji Yuan a once-over. “You’re that last disciple taken in by Hua Yaoyue?”
“Senior knows me?”
Now it was Ji Yuan’s turn to be surprised.
“Back at the sect, and still hiding your identity—what sort of conduct is that?”
Kong Xifeng gently raised and lowered her cane.
With a soft thud—
Ji Yuan felt a breeze brush across his face, and the Shapeshifting Talisman stuck to him spontaneously combusted. In an instant, he changed from an ugly-looking middle-aged man back into the dashing Ji Old Devil.
“Mm?”
“It’s you! Brother Ji!!!”
A joyful voice shouted beside him.
Before Ji Yuan could react, the girl threw herself into his arms with a fragrant breeze.
Ji Yuan quickly reached out and caught her.
With soft jade in his embrace, Ji Yuan finally began to realize something. He first glanced at the silver-haired old woman opposite, and seeing her smiling calmly with no other reaction—
He finally dared to place his hands on the girl’s shoulders and gently pushed her out of his arms.
Looking at the girl up close, Ji Yuan carefully studied her features. Only after a long gaze did he recognize a familiar face from her appearance. “You are… Wen Ling’er?”
“It’s me! It’s me, Brother Ji! How could you not recognize me?!”
Wen Ling’er called out excitedly.
“Ah… you've changed so much. I really didn’t recognize you.”
Ji Yuan was half amused, half helpless.
Wen Ling’er had joined the Water Dragon Sect the same year as Ji Yuan. Back then, she was seven. Twelve years had passed—now she was nineteen.
From a little girl who couldn’t even speak properly, she’d grown into the maiden before him.
Ji Yuan truly didn’t recognize her.
Back then, Wen Ling’er had been chubby—but now she was slender and graceful. The change was drastic.
“Hmph! I remembered you, but you forgot about me! You’ve definitely forgotten Ling’er!”
Wen Ling’er puffed her cheeks in protest.
But when she turned toward the silver-haired old woman, she broke into a smile again. She bounced over and hugged the old woman’s arm, gently swaying it as she said:
“Master, this is the Brother Ji I told you about.”
“I was just about to take you to meet him—but he came here on his own, hmph.”
“Alright, alright.”
The silver-haired old woman chuckled. Her face wrinkled with a smile as she reached out and affectionately patted Wen Ling’er’s little hand.
At this point, how could Ji Yuan not know who this person was?
He stepped forward, posture even more respectful, cupped his hands toward the old woman, and said, “Junior Ji Yuan greets the Supreme Elder.”
“No need for such formality.”
Kong Xifeng smiled and raised her hand. As she did, Ji Yuan, who had been bowing, straightened up involuntarily.
“What happened out there that forced you to use a Fixed-Point Teleportation Token to escape? With Hua Yaoyue’s nature, she surely gave you a life-saving item.”
Kong Xifeng asked.
Hearing this, Wen Ling’er naturally realized that Ji Yuan had encountered danger outside. She quickly said, “Brother Ji, did someone bully you? You can tell Ling’er—Ling’er…”
Wen Ling’er rolled her eyes, then waved her little fist. “Ling’er will ask Master to beat them up for you!”
While feeling moved, Ji Yuan still explained to Kong Xifeng:
“Junior encountered… Plum Manor… by Mirror Lake of the Beast Taming Sect.”
“What? You encountered him?”
There was a trace of surprise in Kong Xifeng’s voice.