Feng Shui

Chapter 20

“If it is, I will keep it for myself; if not, I will return it to you,” Huang Tao said softly, a cunning glint in her eyes.

"Have you forgotten our sisterly bond? You knew he was my man, yet you still tried to take him away from me!" Jiang Yao stood up angrily and glared coldly at Huang Tao.

"Sisterly affection may be precious, but if he can truly refine the universe, how can it compare to the sisterly affection of the past!" Huang Tao sneered.

"With your current level of cultivation, can't you see through the true purpose of cultivation?" Jiang Yao said sadly.

“The peak of cultivation often gives people a feeling of being free from desires and wants, but when you actually stand at the peak of this realm, what helplessness and loneliness you have to face.” Huang Tao suddenly became sentimental.

"Then what else do you want?" Jiang Yao shouted loudly.

"I want something that makes me feel real, I don't want to be lonely anymore, I don't want to experience that endless emptiness and helplessness anymore. I want to know what the other side of this realm is, and only feng shui can let me see that other side." Huang Tao became somewhat hysterical again.

"I won't let him become that person. He belongs to me, to me alone. All I want is the current feng shui, a simple and ordinary life with my lover, a real human being," Jiang Yao said sadly.

"Impossible. You once said, 'Heroes of the world emerge from our generation, once on the path of cultivation, time flies. A thousand years and ten thousand months are discussed in laughter, nothing surpasses a life of drunkenness. Sword in hand, steed in a whirlwind, white bones piled high, birds startled into flight. The mortal world is like a tide, people like water, only alas, how many return?' How many truly return? He is now under my control, following the future I have arranged." Huang Tao's expression changed several times, sometimes sorrowful, sometimes cunning, as she spoke.

"I don't care how many people in this world will return. I only care about my feng shui. I won't let you do anything to him!" Jiang Yao shouted loudly, her eyes filled with resentment.

Jiang Yao swiftly began to dance, the purple energy instantly filling her entire body, and two enormous, alluring butterfly wings unfurled behind her. Simultaneously, she began to play the purple "Enchanting Zither" in her hands, a captivating melody drifting towards Huang Tao.

"A mere trifle!" Huang Tao said dismissively.

A flash of eerie, silvery-white light appeared, and a low-cut, belted silver bodysuit draped over Huang Tao's body. Several strange silvery-white patterns coiled around the sides of her face, and her eyes shimmered with a vibrant, emerald-green light. Her long, flowing hair, as beautiful as the Milky Way, cascaded down her back. Dozens of long, multicolored fox tails also appeared behind her, swaying and displaying a bewitching and eerie beauty.

Huang Tao's armored hands suddenly extended several feet, and at the same time, dozens of tails behind him began to dance, lunging towards Jiang Yao.

2004-12-08 12:58:00

Jiang Yao's zither playing suddenly became incredibly loud, and an immense sonic wave rebounded towards Huang Tao. Huang Tao quickly used its tail to shield itself from Jiang Yao's sonic attack.

"Zzz~~~~~~~~~~~~!" A heavy, loud tearing sound rang out.

All the bamboo in the entire bamboo forest was pulverized by the sound waves, turning into countless powders that drifted throughout the space. Several tails of various colors were also torn off and scattered along with the bamboo powder.

Jiang Yao looked at the fox tails in front of her, a cold smile flashing across her face. However, before her smile could completely fade, ten silver-white claw-shaped streaks struck her. Jiang Yao's body jolted violently, sent flying several meters by the ten silver-white claw shadows. As her body traveled in a parabolic trajectory through the air, a faint purple halo of blood trailed behind her.

Jiang Yao swiftly spun in the air and gently floated to the ground. Her face was noticeably pale, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.

Huang Tao did not attack again, but looked helplessly at the injured Jiang Yao.

"I'm not playing anymore!" Huang Tao said with a helpless smile.

"Why!" Jiang Yao wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and asked, puzzled.

“You’re not a complete Demon Butterfly now, so there’s no point in continuing to fight…” Huang Tao said helplessly, no longer looking at Jiang Yao’s face.

Jiang Yao shuddered upon hearing Huang Tao's words. She hadn't expected Huang Tao to have already discerned her current form and cultivation level.

The Three Realms' Public Hazard: Demonic Butterfly, Demonic Fox, Divine Tree.

The Demon Butterfly is the so-called "Seven Emotions Butterfly".

The cultivation method it uses is true music, the sonic demon of mythology. This demonic butterfly, encompassing all aspects of human life and born from the various sounds of the world, uses the zither as its instrument and enters into a state of profound emotion. Upon reaching its peak, it splits into seven personalities, encompassing the emotional changes of joy, anger, sorrow, grief, fear, and shock—also known as the "Seven Emotions." The "Seven Emotions Butterfly" splits its complete life into seven lives, yet these seven lives once again become a perfect composite life form…

The Demon Fox Huang Tao – one of the "Six Evil Demon Foxes"

Some believe the Six Desires refer to the desires for food, sex, power, offspring, wealth, and status. However, this is incorrect. The Six Desires are actually the Six Evils, referring to wind, cold, heat, dampness, dryness, and fire—the six energies of nature. Born from these six energies, resembling a fox, he/she initially possessed six distinct personalities. Due to a certain event, coupled with his/her fox-like appearance, he/she was mistaken for a demon fox, an evil entity. In reality, he/she embodies the purest natural energy. The "Six Evils Demon Fox" is a fusion of six life forms…

The Tree of Life

Legend has it that the divine tree of the divine realm is composed of the light of life; everything about it remains a mystery…

At this moment, Jiang Yao was not able to fully recover to the state of "Seven Emotions Butterfly" at all; she now only possessed one-seventh of the magic butterfly.

“Demon Butterfly, I think you’ve sensed it too. Since your last reincarnation, even though you’ve regained the memories you had, you can’t possess the power you once had,” Huang Tao said mysteriously to Jiang Yao.

"How did you know?" Jiang Yao asked in surprise.

"Nothing can escape the Demon Eyes of the Demon Realm. I even have some knowledge of the movements in the Divine Heaven Realm, let alone your seven reincarnations, only in this life have you truly obtained the complete memories of the Demon Butterfly. Forget it, Demon Butterfly, you are no match for me now. Based on the sisterly bond we forged in the ancient times, I will spare your life. Come back to me for you when you have truly returned to your original form, the perfect Demon Butterfly." A trace of kinship remained in Huang Tao's eyes as she persuaded her.

"What else can I say? With my current strength, I'm no match for you. From today onwards, we'll never talk about our past relationship again. If we ever meet again, we'll be enemies. I'll be back!" Jiang Yao glared at Huang Tao with hatred, then turned and disappeared.

"Poor girl, the strongest demon butterfly in the entire Demon Realm has actually become two entities in reincarnation. But I still prefer the current demon butterfly more. Take good care of yourself. I hope you can obtain the complete demon butterfly body." Huang Tao murmured, looking at the distant sky of the Demon Realm.

2004-12-08 14:13:00

Chapter Thirty-One: The Wind Easily Turns Cold

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Snow-white petals drifted through the veil of spring onto the muddy shore of the lake, like the vast, desolate, and lifeless snowfield beyond the Great Wall.

"When spring ends, beauty fades, flowers fall, and people die, both unaware of the other's fate."

Like a beautiful woman fading into old age, or a garden of fallen flowers, it adds to the boundless sorrow and loneliness. Looking at this scene, beautiful as snow yet tinged with sadness, Feng Shui couldn't help but sigh at the vicissitudes and impermanence of life.

The wind blows and chills the air; a tranquil lake, a painted boat, drifts leisurely on its surface. Feng Shui sits there, lamenting the impermanence of life, and reminiscing about the beautiful women he has lost along the way.

"The willows are shrouded in mist and smoke, the orioles sing wildly and the butterflies dance, and the swings have been turned several times as spring departs."

Snow-white petals scattered on the shimmering lake surface. Gazing at the dark silhouettes of the distant mountains, Feng Shui suddenly began to sing: "The mountain light is like a pool, the lake light is like a ribbon, every step reveals a face of raw silk. I knock on the door of the hermit, I visit the immortal Su Shi. I've explored every beauty of Xi Shi, what does it matter if the moon is bright and the road home is far? Boat, don't let it turn; cup, don't let it sit shallow."

Whether it's the longing for one's beloved or the melancholy of unfulfilled ambitions, neither is willing to transform into a cloud in the high sky.

"If spring had feelings, it would understand words, but there is no proof. The evening clouds over the east bank of the river say that spring is in the north, but I don't know where spring dwells."

Intentionally, I send spring away; unintentionally, I try to keep it. It will return again next year; why not let it stay? Even peach blossoms understand sorrow, their petals fluttering like red jade. My gaze stretches to the distant Chu sky, but I see no way for spring's return. If spring had feelings, it would be even more bitter, its fleeting beauty passing in secret. The setting sun beyond the mountains, spring waters flowing beside the ferry—I wonder where spring dwells?

"You're quite interested!" a voice broke the reverie of feng shui.

"You've brought me here for three days now. What is your purpose?" Feng Shui looked helplessly at the handsome man who exuded a depressing aura and asked angrily.

"Actually, I just wanted to get to know you better, but after observing you for the past three days, I've found that I'm gradually finding it harder to understand you!" The man carefully examined the feng shui from head to toe.

"Then just let me go. There's no point in keeping me here anyway, and it's just a waste of your food," Feng Shui said with a melancholy expression.

"I want to let you go, but I'm not willing to. Do you know how important you are to me?" The man said excitedly, his eyes filled with expectation.

"You haven't fallen in love with me, have you?" Feng Shui realized he had encountered a "womanizer" who was interested in men.

"You wish! I just want to know the secrets hidden within your body." The man rolled his eyes at Feng Shui, then continued muttering to himself, "What kind of constitution is he? With his current cultivation level, he's just an ordinary human. He's not a god, much less a demon, but he doesn't seem like a monster either. So why does he possess this strange, special body? What is it?"

"It seems there are quite a few mentally ill people in this eerie realm," Feng Shui said helplessly.

"Never mind!" The man seemed to have figured something out, adjusted his emotions, and said with a roused air.

"What did you calculate?" the feng shui master asked, puzzled.

"Hehe, I won't make things difficult for you to stay here any longer," the man said with a magnanimous expression.

"So you mean I can leave now?" Feng Shui asked excitedly.

"Of course you can. But you're unfamiliar with this world, so I think you should stay with me. I'll teach you how to cultivate. This way, you can develop your body's potential and also have a chance to return to your own world in the future. Isn't that a win-win situation?" the man said sincerely.

"I knew you wouldn't be so kind as to let me go," Feng Shui said dejectedly.

But then she thought about it again. The man hadn't shown her any ill will these past few days, and had even treated her well with good food and drink. Besides, she was a stranger in this place, and the sweet soup wasn't here. It wouldn't be good for her to survive in this strange realm, so she secretly decided that it would be better to stay.

"Alright then, since you insisted on me staying, I'll reluctantly stay here for a while. It must be quite boring with you all alone here, so I'll stay with you for a couple more days," Feng Shui said with a smug look on his face.

"Hehe, that's great!" the man said happily.

"By the way, where did Tangshui go? She said she would teach me cultivation that day, but then I haven't heard from her since. What happened?" Feng Shui asked curiously.

"You're talking about that young woman, aren't you? She's no good. If I hadn't arrived in time that day, you would be dead already," the man said, acting like a savior.

"You're exaggerating too much," Feng Shui asked, disbelieving.

2004-12-08 14:14:00

"It's not an exaggeration at all. Do you know? The power emanating from your body at that time is something only the legendary demon gods in this demon realm can possess. And that demon cultivator didn't want to obtain the secret within your body. So, that young woman was seducing you, and then assimilating your body, so that she could completely digest your flesh and reach the cultivation realm of a demon god." The man explained in detail.

"This can't be true, can it?" Feng Shui was startled.

Because he was only now beginning to sense something amiss. Why had such an incredibly powerful force suddenly appeared within his body recently, and why had the sugar water been nearby during both episodes? He deduced that these two episodes of power were entirely caused by external forces invading his body. The root cause was that someone wanted to assimilate his flesh, and the sugar water had been nearby both times. Thinking this, Feng Shui broke out in a cold sweat.

“You don’t need to be afraid. With a body similar to that of a demon god, you have nothing to fear from so-called invasion and assimilation. Because with such a body, your body has become an extremely strong defensive barrier. If an enemy who is not on the same level tries to harm your body, your body will automatically resist, causing the intruder to suffer severe damage.” The man saw through Feng Shui’s thoughts.

"Oh, I see. You gave me quite a fright." Feng Shui breathed a sigh of relief, then asked, "By the way, I've been here for three days and haven't asked your name yet. My name is Feng Shui, the 'Feng' in 'smooth sailing' and the 'Shui' in 'smooth sailing'."

“Your name is quite nice. My name is Feng Yileng. Like you, I was once a human.” said the man who called himself 'Feng Yileng'.

"You're also surnamed Feng? What a coincidence to run into a family like us. By the way, you said you used to be human, so what are you now?" Feng Shui asked, puzzled.

"According to cultivators, I should be considered a rogue immortal who hasn't survived the Heavenly Tribulation. However, when I was refining a rogue immortal to undergo tribulation, I couldn't gather my primordial spirit and ended up possessing a mountain fox. So, I'm now a mutated demon immortal." Feng Yileng reminisced about the past and said with a sigh.

"What you're saying sounds like gibberish to me." Although Feng Shui has experienced so many unbelievable things, he still doesn't understand the path of cultivation very well.

“Hehe, none of that matters. You now possess this special, unique physique, which is the fundamental condition for cultivation that you cannot choose. It’s just that you haven’t met a good teacher to teach you how to cultivate, which is why you only have a powerful body but cannot unleash the power that comes with it,” Feng Yileng said.

"Really? Sugar Water once said something similar, but she said she would teach me how to cultivate demons. But, alas... now I'm here." Feng Shui felt a pang of helplessness as he thought of Sugar Water.

"Humans cannot cultivate into demons because you simply do not possess the conditions for it. Fortunately, you met me; perhaps this is your destined fate." Feng Yileng patted Feng Shui on the shoulder, giving him an expression that said, "Follow me, and I guarantee you'll live a life of luxury."

"Is all of this really predestined?" Feng Shui didn't look at Feng Yi Leng's expression, but turned to look at the distant mountains, muttering to himself with a confused expression.

※ ※ ※

It rained when the plums were ripe. At first, it was misty, as light as a woman's eyelashes, then gradually the rain became more rapid, stirring up three inches of dust on the ground. The wind came, spreading in all directions with the rain, splashing the grass in the mountains and fields, making it more vibrant, and the flowers more alluring, their fragrance mingled with the scent of earth.

The lake ripples gently, the air is hazy and tender, willows sway in the breeze, mountains are shrouded in mist, and a lone boat drifts far away on the lake.

Feng Shui and Feng Yi Leng sat cross-legged facing each other in the painted boat, but remained silent.

With a flick of his left hand, Feng Yileng conjured a pale purple earring out of thin air, its surface shimmering with a subtle, flowing light. Feng Shui was taken aback by Feng Yileng's technique, for he seemed quite familiar with this method of conjuring objects out of thin air, yet he couldn't recall where he had seen it before.

At this moment, a clear voice appeared in Feng Shui's consciousness: "I am now using a method of communicating information through consciousness that I used when I was cultivating in the human world, called 'Spiritual Connection.' This earring in my hand, although it looks no different from other earrings on the surface, is completely different in essence. This earring is a storage medium used to store boundary arrays, also known as formations. Its name is 'Limitless Pestle.' Although it looks like just an earring on the surface, its interior is incredibly vast. As for how big its interior is, I don't know. This 'Limitless Pestle' can only be used to store boundary arrays, but it cannot store physical objects. This is the first magic weapon I cultivated after becoming a demon immortal, and it is also one of the essential magic weapons for cultivation. Now I give it to you as a gift for your introductory cultivation with me."

2004-12-08 14:16:00

Feng Yileng brushed aside the hair near Feng Shui's left ear and discovered a natural ear piercing on Feng Shui's earlobe. Feng Yileng found this somewhat strange but didn't ask. Instead, she directly placed the earring-shaped "Wuji Pestle" on Feng Shui's left ear. The "Wuji Pestle" was clearly quite small, easily passing through Feng Shui's ear piercing, but it seemed a little loose. However, the ear piercing on Feng Shui's earlobe automatically shrank, tightly embracing the "Wuji Pestle," leaving Feng Yileng momentarily stunned.

"Did you wear an earring in this piercing on your left ear before?" Feng Yileng asked curiously.

"No, this piercing in my left ear was something I had with me when I was born, it wasn't something I got myself, and I've never worn any earrings before," Feng Shui said excitedly, touching the "Wuji Pestle" on his left ear.

"I see. I thought you got your ears pierced yourself the day after tomorrow." A subtle, unusual look flashed in Feng Yileng's eyes as he smiled and said.

"I don't like those flashy, frivolous things," Feng Shui said casually, stroking the magical artifact on his left ear with obvious delight.

"Alright, let's not talk about these useless things. Now I'll teach you a simple array formation technique. Once you've learned it, you can store the method of this array formation into the 'Limitless Pestle,' and then use it whenever you need it. As long as you have a thought, the method of this array formation will naturally be released from the 'Limitless Pestle' for use. First, I'll teach you to cultivate the most basic teleportation array," Feng Yileng said earnestly.

On the deck of the pleasure boat, Feng Yileng was seen rapidly drawing a strange boundary array pattern with his hands. As his fingers moved, several intersecting white boundary array lines gradually formed a pattern on the deck, emitting a bright white light.

"Alright, now you can place your hands on it and release your seven senses to experience the mysteries of this boundary array. Once you have completely memorized the composition and function of this white boundary array, it will automatically be stored in your 'Limitless Pestle'. You can take it out and use it whenever you need it in the future. Now, try to comprehend it on your own. I'm going to rest for a bit." Feng Yileng said to Feng Shui with the air of a master leading the way, but the cultivation is up to the individual.

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the small room in the painted boat. Just before entering, Feng Yileng seemed to remember something and turned to Feng Shui, saying, "By the way, don't use your spiritual sense to activate this boundary array lightly. You only need to remember how to collect, the structure, and the function of the boundary array. If you accidentally use this teleportation array carelessly, I can't guarantee where you'll be teleported to."