Transmigration: The Peerless Immortal Husband

Tian Feirong adopted an attitude of either making a move or clearing the way and stopping the talk, which infuriated the surrounding cultivators. However, with Chi Changye present, they hesitated to act, and the situation seemed to reach a deadlock.

“Chi Changye, we only need to know where you went and the whereabouts of that painting,” someone shouted from behind the others. Although no one else spoke up, they all looked at him with approval.

Chi Changye stepped forward and coldly glanced at them. “Either move aside, or…” he said with a cold threat, “I’ll make my own way through!”

“You…” Someone wanted to say that Chi Changye shouldn’t be so arrogant and overbearing, but the cultivator beside him quickly covered his mouth and pulled him away. The person who had spoken earlier clearly intended to rally others to pressure Chi Changye, but now it was clear that Chi Changye wasn’t the type to back down. If they pushed too hard, he might actually take action.

The person who had been directly stared at by Chi Changye instinctively stepped aside. When he realized what he had just done, he felt too embarrassed to stay, so he turned and left.

Tian Feirong, following Chi Changye, stuck his tongue out at the direction where the shouting had come from and made a face. “Such a big ego! Why don’t they take the benefits they’ve gained and share them with everyone?”

This statement was indeed reasonable, but no one voiced their agreement with Tian Feirong. Everyone was thinking the same thing, especially since some had noticed the changes in Gu Yao and Tian Feirong’s cultivation levels, which made it clear that they had gained great benefits elsewhere. They were envious, but since some people had already backed down, the gathered momentum dissipated in an instant, and it was no longer possible to build it up again.

As they exited the side hall, they saw that there were still many people lingering behind, some of whom were clearly upset. Gu Yao smiled and raised his voice, saying, “As for the painting, we truly don’t know where it is. After it was teleported to an underground space, we never saw it again. Instead of continuing to press us about the painting, you might as well try looking somewhere else. It might have appeared in another part of the palace. Of course, if you don’t believe me, you can just consider me as talking nonsense.”

After Gu Yao finished speaking, he turned and walked to Chi Changye’s side, and together they walked outside.

Once they left, discussions erupted in the crowd. Some people expressed doubts, but soon others noticed that several people had already left and were heading out. Clearly, they had been persuaded by Gu Yao’s words and decided to search elsewhere for the painting. Those who remained behind cursed under their breath, stomped their feet, and quickly followed suit, afraid they might miss an opportunity.

Seeing how easily Gu Yao had sent them away with just a few words, Tian Feirong secretly gave Gu Yao a thumbs up. “Do these people really think they can find that painting?”

In fact, Gu Yao hadn’t lied to them. After they were pulled into the vortex, they never saw the painting again. So, it wasn’t impossible for the painting to appear elsewhere, as Gu Yao had suggested.

Chi Changye glanced at Gu Yao and Tian Feirong, saying, “I suspect that only those with special bloodlines will react to the painting. Moreover, only you two went in and gained benefits from it.”

He and Tian Feirong were pure-blooded humans. Apart from seeing the scenes in the murals, they had gained nothing. Of course, he didn’t feel regret. He had already chosen his path — that of a sword cultivator.

Humans might not be the most gifted cultivators in the world, but their potential and adaptability were unparalleled. Starting from humble beginnings, they could rise to the pinnacle.

Gu Yao scratched his chin. “It seems so.”

Tian Feirong, hearing this, felt no more regret. “Then let’s go. After all, we’ve already gained quite a bit. How about we find a place to focus on cultivation for the remaining time?”

Little Fatty immediately agreed, “Let’s do that! This palace has places specifically for closed-door cultivation. We should find one of those and settle in for now.”

Neither Chi Changye nor Gu Yao objected, so they headed in the opposite direction from the others. Before they left, Gu Yao found Tao Yue and Du Lingdai and explained their decision. Tao Yue told them to just focus on what they needed to do.

Once Gu Yao and the others had walked far away, Tao Yue wiped the sweat from his forehead. “That was close. I thought those people were going to force Chi Changye and the others to give answers.”

Du Lingdai snorted and said, “Those guys are really unreasonable. The opportunity belonged to Chi Changye and the others. So many people had seen the painting before, but none of them managed to get it.”

Not to mention anyone else, the two of them had only taken a quick glance at the painting and then immediately shifted their focus. They didn’t see it as anything important. It was fine to feel envious, but being jealous wasn’t right.

Some cultivators also noticed the movements of Gu Yao and his group. After seeing them settle into a palace and focus on their cultivation, they reluctantly left. They couldn’t waste all their time on them and decided to search other places while there was still time.

In fact, if they weren’t so impatient, they could see that this place was worth exploring. When Gu Yao and the others found the original area designed for closed-door cultivation, they discovered it contained large-scale spirit-gathering arrays that were far more sophisticated than the ones Chi Changye had set up.

While others focused on closed-door cultivation, Chi Changye realized that, at this stage, simply meditating for cultivation was not effective. Instead, he began studying ancient formation techniques. He believed that if he could master even a small portion of them, he could greatly improve his array-making skills.

After Gu Yao consolidated his cultivation at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, he hung a sign outside the palace offering alchemy services. He indicated the maximum level of pills he could handle and listed the rewards he would accept, which included not only spiritual herbs and stones but also the books and jade slips obtained within the secret realm. Gu Yao felt that this was a far greater gain than running around looking for personal rewards.

Once Tian Feirong stabilized his cultivation, he took over these miscellaneous tasks, leaving only the little chubby boy in seclusion. The little kitten and the crystal snake no longer fought each other; occasionally, the two little creatures would disappear for a while. With the crystal snake leading the way, Gu Yao wasn’t worried about them running off. After several such occasions, he clearly noticed that the two little creatures’ auras were growing stronger, so he let them be.

Some people, seeing Gu Yao’s approach, decided to follow suit. Rather than risking their lives on uncertain adventures, they chose to calm down and take advantage of the conditions in the secret realm to cultivate properly. As long as they didn’t get too greedy, they had already gained a lot from coming here, and some things weren’t worth fighting or struggling for.

For example, the Ningying pills in the main hall. After a fierce fight, one side emerged victorious and attempted to break the barrier to retrieve the pills, only to find that the barrier was even stronger than others. It took them great effort to break it, and when they finally got the pill, the losing side, who had been waiting for them to exhaust their strength, snatched it away. The losing side, unwilling to accept this, pursued them out of the main hall and even out of the Cangkun Hall. Now, only the cultivators who followed them knew what had happened; everyone else was clueless.

The better the item, the stronger the barrier. Sometimes, breaking it could even trigger a counter-reaction from the formation. The situation Gu Yao learned from the alchemists who came seeking pills was that there were still several treasures in the main hall that had yet to be claimed.

Some cultivators approached Chi Changye, hoping to recruit him. Even though the disciples of Changxian Sect were unwilling, they had to admit that Chi Changye was the strongest cultivator in the secret realm. So, they tried to get him to join their group, offering him a generous reward once the barrier was broken and even offering to invite him to join Changxian Sect. However, Chi Changye turned them all down, unwilling to get involved in any further disputes.

On the other hand, several alchemists from Cuiyan Valley, knowing Gu Yao was here, came specifically to seek him out. As a result, Gu Yao began to exchange ideas with them while continuing his alchemy work. The group of those seeking his expertise gradually grew larger.

Some people were drawn by his alchemy skills, while others, as the time for the secret realm’s closure approached, saw the intensifying conflicts within. Some cultivators took advantage of the chaos to steal others’ gains and make a fortune. To avoid dying for no reason and ending up as someone else’s stepping stone, they chose to move closer to the palace where Chi Changye and the others were.

For the cultivators of Tianlin Continent, Chi Changye and Gu Yao were still willing to offer help, of course, as long as it was on their own turf. Once outside of this place, they could no longer do anything to assist.

Chi Changye was still deeply engrossed in his research of ancient formations. Jiang Yan and Lu Qiusheng came in from outside. After a while, Chi Changye raised his head and saw that although the two looked somewhat disheveled, the situation was still manageable. He nodded at them: “You’re here as well.”

“Yes, we knew this place was good, so we decided to stay here for a while. There are only a few more days left before the secret realm closes.” Jiang Yan explained. “Once it closes, no matter where anyone is, they will be immediately thrown out. The closer it gets to the closing, the more dangerous it becomes outside.”

As they were talking, Lou Huaijing arrived, of course, led in by Tian Feirong. Unlike Jiang Yan and the others, who could enter directly, Lou Huaijing had to be brought in.

After leading him in, Tian Feirong quietly told Lu Qiusheng, “This guy has been here more than once. Every time, he tries to recruit Brother Chi to join their Changxian Sect. It’s really annoying. Brother Chi has already rejected him, but he still hasn’t given up. And by the way, they also want to recruit Gu Yao to join.”

It was probably because Lou Huaijing knew how much Chi Changye valued Gu Yao and wouldn’t leave him behind. Plus, Gu Yao had shown great talent in alchemy, earning the recognition of these Changxian Sect cultivators, even if they hadn’t openly expressed it. That was why Lou Huaijing made this decision.

Lu Qiusheng crossed his arms and sneered. “Tch, what a pipe dream. Is Chi Changye really someone so easily swayed?”

Although he said this, he and Jiang Yan still nervously watched Chi Changye and Lou Huaijing, afraid that Chi Changye might actually agree. They couldn’t stop him either, as it would mean obstructing his pursuit of the Great Dao ( The Supreme Path of Cultivation), so this decision had to be made by Chi Changye and Gu Yao themselves.

“Lou Huaijing, there’s no need to persuade me further. My decision won’t change.” Before Lou Huaijing could speak, Chi Changye spoke his answer.

Lou Huaijing sat cross-legged in front of Chi Changye, looking at him in confusion. “Why? Why are you rejecting such a great opportunity? You should know that if you turn this down, you may never find another way to leave Tianlin Continent.”

He was truly confused and genuinely seeking an answer. Could anyone really refuse a path to ascend? If he were in Chi Changye’s shoes, he certainly wouldn’t make such a choice. Troubled by this, he came to ask Chi Changye for clarification.