The Journey of Immortal Cultivation

Chapter 936 - 514: The Right Time to Take the Dao Fruit

Last night was a sleepless one for many in the Hidden Stream. After a night of torrential rain, the scent of blood was still thick in many places by the morning. In the latter part of last night, she and Changtian had to change their strategy. Besides having Jiu Mo appear in person to speak, they also announced that except for two or three masterminds, the rest of the offenders would be leniently punished, which finally made most of the traitors abandon resistance.

The one who ultimately chopped off Eke Duo’s head was the other Great Commander, the Rhino Demon Xi Yan. His relatives had died at Elik’s hands during the fighting ring.

This rebellion suppression operation also, under the guidance of informed insiders, uncovered a vast amount of Spirit Stones and herbs in Pilu’s basement. This explained why there was such a loss to Hidden Stream’s interests with acts like "embezzlement." Originally, the Power of Ba Snake controlled people’s hearts, not allowing demons to commit acts that infringed on the interests of Ba Snake and Hidden Stream, so the corruption of these people was very strange.

It was only after interrogation that it was known Pilu used the excuse of "revenge requires funds, and by any means necessary to bring down He Sect Leader" to engage the Foreign Affairs Hall members in such activities. These people either did not think their actions were infringing on Hidden Stream’s interests, hence the Power of Ba Snake could not restrain them.

This rebellion was suppressed before dawn. When the cells of Thorny Hall were overcrowded, Ning Xiaoxian was already in the God Demon Prison receiving treatment from Changtian.

"Your strategy of raising the poisonous insects in a jar kept the demons strong and vigorous, but the hatred between them is entangled and complicated." She massaged her forehead and said, "This needs to change."

"Indeed." He also noticed this problem, "Since you’ve already secretly taken charge of Hidden Stream, you can’t just let it be." He pondered, "In the rules of Hidden Stream, the Elder Council can balance the dual leadership, but we don’t need this balancing power now, though the Elder Council is still necessary. Have He Sect Leader and Langya bring the elders of the Elder Council one by one to the God Demon Prison; once they pledge a Blood Oath to me, it will be fine."

Her injuries were not severe and healed quickly; only the bone in her left arm was damaged, and it would take two more days to fully recover. Changtian gently stroked her shoulder, helping her with blood circulation and muscle relaxation, his movements very gentle.

It was very strange. With Changtian’s personality, if a male fly flew within ten meters, he would be displeased, yet when Huangfuming approached her, Changtian didn’t show strong opposition. It truly surprised her.

What happened?

He remained silent until he saw the fatigue between her brows, then kissed her forehead with concern and said, "Tired? There’s no need for you to personally handle the next matters, rest well."

"Mm." She relaxed in his embrace, then asked, "Is there something you’re hiding from me?"

Changtian said nothing, but a crease appeared in his brows. Ning Xiaoxian knew he only wore such an expression when he was in a dilemma, so she sat up straight, asking nervously, "What is it?"

Seeing her like this, Changtian smiled instead, "No need to be so tense. It’s just that I suddenly had a prophetic insight yesterday, sensing it was time to consume the ’Dao Fruit.’"

"Dao Fruit"? She was startled for a moment before realizing he was referring to Spring Blossoms and Autumn Fruits, the fruit that could help the consumer comprehend the power of Heavenly Dao. This magical tree lived for one life-death cycle per year, and since she acquired it, she had harvested nine fruits but had not used any.

She had previously asked Changtian if he wanted to consume one, and he had only said "not the time yet." To benefit from this Divine Artifact, the consumer had to be at least in the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, and the higher the realm, the greater the reward. Langya also had an opportunity, but must wait for the correct moment of sudden impulse.

So, is now the time? Given Changtian’s cultivation, his sudden impulse is astounding. If he sensed the perfect day to consume the fruit, he would surely not be wrong. This fruit can only be consumed once in a person’s lifetime, with no chance for a retry, so the timing is undeniably crucial.

She asked softly, "When?"

"Three days from now." He whispered, "I’m in a bit of a bind. I’ve heard other Daoists say that after consuming the Dao Fruit, everyone gains their insights into the Heavenly Dao in different ways, but it invariably takes a long time."

She had a foreboding feeling, "What do you mean?"

"I’ll have to go into closed cultivation and meditation. It could be as short as three months or as long as half a year. The longer the closed cultivation, the greater the benefit. However, the duration is determined by the Heavenly Heart perceived and not something I can choose."

Her face fell, "So long?"

Changtian stroked her hair without speaking. He had never left her for so long, and this girl was a magnet for trouble of the kind that if she didn’t go looking for it, it would automatically find her. The last time he consumed a turtle pearl and meditated, he woke to hear she’d entered a secret realm, nearly making his Three Corpse Gods jump in rage. Even under his watchful eye, she often courted trouble, and now with half a year of meditation... what if he awoke to find the world outside had changed?

Ning Xiaoxian saw his expression and knew what he was thinking, and couldn’t help but tease, "Hey, I’m not that prone to causing trouble, alright? Besides, I’m peacefully staying in Hidden Stream now, where else would I go, and what trouble could come my way?" Previously traveling west, during his last meditation, she was avoiding Miluo’s pursuit. Now the westward journey was finished, she didn’t know where her next mission was, and she had no personal enemies, the only possible troublemaker being Yin Jiu You. But as long as she stayed within Hidden Stream, Yin Jiu You should also be unable to touch her, right?

So, her current situation could really be called stable, why worry? He’s just too used to protecting her, like a mother hen, and cannot discard this mindset immediately.

Changtian paused, "In this half year, can you really stay in Hidden Stream and not wander off?"

"Why not? It’s just half a year."

"Great, give me a solemn vow!"

"You!" It turned out, he didn’t trust her indeed. She angrily made a vow, but when she was halfway through it, he silenced her remaining words.

Don’t finish the latter part, it’s hard to keep if you vow it. He thought.

"What will you do without me?" Even with her vow, he still wasn’t reassured.

"I’ll just chill." She also felt reluctant, boohoo, six months without cuddling in Changtian’s embrace, her exclusive nest, "For this half year, I’ll go nowhere, rest assured!"

"Changtian." Suddenly, her face flushed, she buried her head in his chest, "You’ll be in closed cultivation for so long... before you do that, do you want to...?"

He suddenly felt parched, "Want to what?"

She opened her mouth, unable to speak further.

He suddenly understood, "I would like to, but it’s not possible." His stability now rivaled that of the Ancient Sages, able not only to refrain from pinning her down but also to compel himself to stop. Changtian, you’re incredible, he told himself.

Ning Xiaoxian’s face turned snow-white, her voice slightly trembling, "You, you don’t like?" She was conservative by nature; gathering enough courage to be this proactive, only to have him reject her... They had traveled together for years, yet he adhered to his boundaries, never crossing the final line. Did he truly not want her?

Changtian saw her expression, knowing she misunderstood, and hugged her tightly, "It’s not what you’re thinking. Before consuming the Dao Fruit, one must have a clear heart and burn incense, awaiting optimal efficacy."

She buried her head in his chest, not daring to lift it, pounding his body twice with her hand. However, Changtian could see even her ears were flush, like the evening sunset. He gently stroked her hair, "Shall we wait until I come out of closed cultivation, alright?"

How could she dare answer? Until he asked twice, she finally nodded in a daze.

After they played around for a while, Changtian remembered something, "Do you like children a lot?"

She looked up, knowing Changtian meant Huangfuming, and nodded. She did like children who were clever like jade and adorable, otherwise, she wouldn’t tolerate Huangfuming hanging around her. Her secrets were many and shouldn’t be exposed.

"Whether it’s adopting human children or getting some demon kids to play with is fine." Changtian said earnestly, "But keep your distance from Huangfuming, his Evil Qi is heavy, being close to him does you no good. His aura feels quite familiar to me." (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com) with recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)