Noche de luna con flores del río Spring

Capítulo 32

"Hehe, I misspoke. By the way, didn't you ask your master how he cultivated to the 'Ascension to Immortality' stage?" Feng Shui asked curiously.

"I asked, and it took my master nearly two thousand years to go from 'refining' to 'ascending to immortality'. However, he was able to enter the 'ascending to immortality' realm only because his uncles and aunts worked together to help him cultivate. At that time, his uncles and aunts were already about to ascend and undergo tribulation."

"By the time I reached the 'Refining' realm, all my senior uncles had already ascended to become immortals. In my generation, I am the only disciple who has reached the 'Refining' realm, and my master is also about to ascend to transcend tribulation, so he doesn't have much time to teach us..." Gui Eting said helplessly.

“I see. It’s a pity I don’t have a suitable magical artifact for you. In fact, to advance from ‘Refining’ to ‘Ascension’, you need a powerful magical artifact to assist you. You can’t reach the ‘Ascension’ realm by relying solely on your own cultivation,” Feng Shui said with a smile.

"Is that really true?" Gui Eting jumped up from the ground in surprise and asked excitedly.

“Of course, that’s exactly why we’re here. Didn’t I say we’re destined to be together? I’m staying in Sichuan to help you reach the ‘Ascension to Immortality’ realm,” Feng Shui said with a smile.

2004-12-08 23:06:00

"Thank you so much... thank you so much." Gui Eting was so happy to hear this that she didn't know what to do.

The path of cultivation, from the initial 'Initial Formation' stage to the 'Avatar' stage, takes only three to four hundred years to complete. Further advancement depends entirely on one's comprehension and spirituality. If these qualities are average, simply adhering to conventional methods and cultivating rigidly will be extremely slow. Gui Eting is an exception; her comprehension and spirituality are both exceptionally high-grade, which is why she reached the late 'Refining' stage in just over two thousand years.

For an ordinary cultivator to reach the 'Refining' stage, it would take seven or eight thousand years—it's simply unthinkable. However, if a cultivator is personally instructed by a master like an immortal, or possesses a rare treasure, then it's a different story.

The feng shui master brought Gui Eting to the Goddess Temple on Feifeng Peak to help her obtain a magical artifact that could help her achieve the 'Ascension to Immortality' realm. However, nothing in this world happens without a reason. Why does the feng shui master always say that he has a connection with Gui Eting? The author will leave that a mystery for now.

"Hehe, no need to thank me, this is what you deserve. As for the reason, don't ask. You will naturally understand after you become a god." Feng Shui said with a smile.

"Can I cultivate into a god? You're kidding, impossible, hehehe. That's too exaggerated, how could that be possible? You're just kidding, right? How could that be, hahahahaha. I can cultivate into a god? Hahahaha..." Gui Eting was so excited by Feng Shui's words that she became incoherent.

In the cultivation world, divine beings are merely legends. Even true immortals rarely encounter them, let alone cultivators in this realm. Even if they are fortunate enough to meet an immortal, it's an event they can only dream of, something to be proud of and honor. In the minds of cultivators in this realm, reaching the level of immortality is considered the pinnacle of cultivation, the so-called "Great Completion." However, this is only because their current cultivation level is too narrow. When they reach the immortal realm, they will transcend an unheard-of and unseen level of cultivation. Only then will they truly understand the meaning of "there's always someone better," and truly enter the pure realm of "Great Completion." The realm of "divine beings" is simply a myth that cultivators like Gui Eting, currently cultivating in the mortal realm, dare not even dream of.

However, the feng shui hinted that she could cultivate to the level of a deity. This news was even more exciting for Gui Eting than the possibility of her cultivating to the level of "ascension to immortality." This was something she had never dared to imagine, and the news was truly shocking to her.

"That's for the future. Given your current cultivation level, which hasn't reached the 'Ascension to Immortality' realm, it's best not to have too many unrealistic expectations," Feng Shui promptly poured cold water on Gui Eting's hopes.

Because Gui Eting's behavior just now was completely on the verge of going berserk. Although she had already reached the "Refining" realm and her mind was quite calm, becoming a god was still an unattainable goal for any cultivator. Now, someone was predicting that she could become a "god," which was enough to drive her mind to extreme excitement and madness, completely plunging her into a state of chaos and berserk behavior.

Therefore, seeing Gui Eting's performance, Feng Shui quickly used reverse psychology to provoke her, lest she go astray and lose all her power.

Upon hearing Feng Shui's words, Gui Eting quickly regained her senses. Only then did she realize that her mind was somewhat disordered, and the nascent soul within her body was also expanding violently in the chaos, as if it were about to break through her body. This was clearly a sign that she was about to suffer a qi deviation.

Gui Eting was startled and quickly sat down cross-legged, beginning to use her own cultivation energy to adjust her mind and nascent soul. After a moment, Gui Eting fully recovered and couldn't help but gasp in fear.

"I'm sorry, you must have seen this. I was too out of control just now." Gui Eting's face was pale, it seemed that almost going into a qi deviation had greatly depleted her power.

"It's alright, I understand. Don't get agitated. Take some time to rest and recuperate, and adjust your body's energy channels. Midnight is approaching, so you must control your mind and not act like you did before. Something even more unbelievable might happen then, so be prepared," Feng Shui said with a smile.

Gui Eting didn't speak again, nodded, and closed her eyes slightly to adjust her breathing. She then discovered that the feng shui was beginning to set up a very strange boundary array in the Goddess Hall.

This boundary array looks very simple; it's just an ordinary, irregular triangular spirit-summoning array. Gui Eting had already learned this kind of spirit-summoning array when she reached the "Infant Soul" realm. This kind of array is used to summon low-level demons and the like to be driven by oneself, and it's completely different from the immortal-summoning array that she used on Mount Emei, which could summon wandering immortals.

However, Gui Eting was surprised to discover that although the feng shui array appeared the same as the spirit communication array she knew, the energy channels and changes within the array were extremely strange. Gui Eting couldn't discern the array's core, nor could she tell what type of spirit it intended to summon.

The Spirit Communication Array and the Immortal Communication Array serve a similar purpose, but their levels of sophistication are vastly different. However, both arrays share one commonality: to summon a particular spirit, one must first know its attributes and abilities before attempting to do so.

A spirit summoning array, as the name suggests, is used by cultivators to summon low-level spirits, which are essentially low-level spiritual beings in the human realm. This is completely different from the demon cultivators in the demon realm. This type of spirit summoning array is a one-way summoning array; the low-level spiritual beings summoned by the array caster can only be controlled by the caster and cannot resist.

The Immortal Realm Array is a highly advanced summoning array, usable only by cultivators who have reached the "Refining" realm. The spiritual beings summoned by this array are generally of a higher cultivation level than the summoner. Furthermore, this type of array has two tops. This means that the summoned entity and the summoner are in equal and free positions; if the summoned entity is unwilling to pay the price for what it desires, the summoner has no recourse. It is essentially a summoning array resembling a supplication-based system.

As the saying goes, it's easy to invite a god but difficult to send him away. If one uses the Immortal Realm Array without reaching the "Refining" realm, one might mistakenly summon evil, wandering immortals or other spiritual beings. If one's cultivation level is insufficient, one could easily be killed by the summoned spirits, leaving no chance to escape and no way to send them back, potentially endangering the mortal realm. Therefore, even a cultivator like Gui Eting, who has reached the "Refining" realm, dares not use this "Immortal Realm Array" lightly.

However, the "spirit communication array" set up by the feng shui master made it impossible for Gui Eting to understand what kind of low-level spirit he wanted to summon, because the "spirit communication array" was too strange and mysterious.

"OK, time's almost up. Just stay where you are, don't make a sound or move, no matter what you see." After setting up the "spiritual connection array," Feng Shui turned to Gui Eting, who was still recuperating behind him, and said.

Gui Eting knew the power of feng shui, so she nodded with relief.

Feng Shui calculated the time with his fingers, and his expression suddenly became serious. A purple-blue mist emanated from Feng Shui's body. Feng Shui's entire body slowly floated into the air, and at the same time, the purple-blue mist overflowed from Feng Shui's body and enveloped the "Spirit Communication Array".

"The immortal spirit has returned to its place, the primordial soul has reached the earth, come quickly!" Feng Shui said in a voice that was almost ethereal, his eyes gleaming with a purplish-blue light.

2004-12-08 23:14:00

Suddenly, a celestial melody, resembling heavenly music, appeared within the spiritual realm array. Immediately afterward, several dazzling rays of light appeared within the array, illuminating the entire hall. Even with Gui Eting's "Refining" realm cultivation, her eyes could not withstand the brightness of this light. Gui Eting couldn't help but close her eyes to prevent them from being injured by the light.

A moment later, the dazzling light slowly dissipated, revealing a woman who could not possibly be described as human. This woman was so unrealistically beautiful; she embodied all the virtues of the most perfect woman in the world, without a single flaw. Such a woman could not possibly exist in this world.

Gui Eting slowly opened her eyes and was stunned by the woman who appeared in the spirit realm array. She sensed that this woman was not a low-level spirit at all, because she felt an aura on this woman that was even more shocking than that of her immortal uncle, Lian Linlan.

Gui Eting finally understood why she couldn't understand the feng shui spirit communication array. It wasn't a spirit communication array used to summon ordinary low-level spirits, but rather a "Summoning Immortal Spirit Array" used to communicate with the immortals of the Thousand Immortal Realms. Gui Eting felt her nascent soul trembling, as if in awe of the aura emanating from the immortal who appeared from the "Summoning Immortal Spirit Array."

This was the first time Gui Eting had ever felt this way. Even when her immortal uncle, Lian Linlan, appeared in the Illusion Sect before, she only felt a sense of awe and pressure from the immortal's aura. Never before had even the nascent soul she cultivated within her been affected like this. It was easy to imagine just how powerful the immortal summoned by the feng shui was.

"What kind of demon dares to use the Immortal-Capturing Array to trap me here?" The immortal within the array spoke coldly, his voice carrying a chilling power capable of crushing one's heart.

"Hehehe... I didn't expect Fairy Yaoji to have already cultivated to the Supreme Immortal stage, and even her temper has improved along with it." Feng Shui had now returned to normal, and he said with a light laugh.

"Hmm...? Who are you, brat, daring to speak to me like that?" The fairy known as Yao Ji surveyed the feng shui and asked angrily.

"Just look at this and you'll know who I am," Feng Shui said softly.

Suddenly, Feng Shui used the "wind from under his sleeve" technique, and a small blue wooden plaque appeared in his hand. There was nothing on the plaque except for a purple silk thread, which looked like a willow leaf, tied to a hole on the edge of the plaque at the top.

"What is this? This is... a divine tree...!" Fairy Yao Ji noticed the small blue wooden plaque in Feng Shui's hand and asked in shock.

“That’s right, this wooden plaque was made by the divine tree itself.” Feng Shui casually said, weighing the small blue wooden plaque in his hand.

"You...you are...Great God above, I was blind and did not recognize your magnificence, please forgive me, Great God." Yao Ji's proud and ethereal aura vanished instantly, and she knelt before Feng Shui, speaking respectfully.

"Hehe... Get up. Sigh... I should have known better than to bring out the sacred wood." Feng Shui said with a helpless bitter smile.

"Thank you, great master. May I ask your name?" Yao Ji stood up and asked respectfully.

“Yi Yao!” Feng Shui uttered these two words softly, and judging from his furrowed brows, he seemed to have an extreme aversion to them.

"Yi Yao...? Could it be...? Could it be...? Please punish me, Your Majesty! I was blind and dared to offend Your Majesty! Please punish me!" Upon hearing the words "Yi Yao" from Feng Shui, Yao Ji was so frightened that she immediately knelt on the ground, prostrating herself and trembling as she spoke, completely losing the arrogance of an immortal she had just displayed.

"Alright, get up. Ignorance is no excuse, but I have something to ask you." Feng Shui seemed to dislike this elaborate ceremony and said impatiently.

Gui Eting remained seated cross-legged on the ground, not daring to move an inch. Ever since Fairy Yaoji appeared, she had realized that her entire body was completely beyond her control. Her nascent soul had dimmed, as if afraid of the immortal aura emanating from Yaoji, and had even fallen silent. This was already shocking enough for Gui Eting, but amidst her shock, she was also worried about the feng shui.

During her time with Feng Shui, she had sensed that his aura was only slightly stronger than hers, not particularly high. However, Feng Shui had now summoned an immortal, and she sensed that this immortal's cultivation level was even higher than her martial uncle, Lian Linlan. Gui Eting feared that if Feng Shui accidentally offended the immortal, he (or she) would be doomed. The difference between a cultivator and an immortal was immense, like heaven and earth.

However, things rarely go as planned. Gui Eting could hardly believe that the ethereal and proud Fairy Yao Ji would kneel before Feng Shui, and with such a grand gesture at that. Gui Eting felt like she was dreaming and couldn't believe it was real.

In fact, Yao Ji had already sensed something was amiss with Feng Shui's identity the moment he produced the sacred wood tablet. Therefore, Yao Ji quickly used the Mystic Immortal Barrier to envelop herself and Feng Shui within it. Because some of the conversations were not something a cultivator of Gui Eting's level was qualified to hear, and Yao Ji feared that others might overhear, it was best to isolate this place from outside sounds for the sake of safety.

However, to Yao Ji's utter surprise, Feng Shui was actually a deity from the Divine Realm, and even more unexpectedly, he was more than just a deity. When Feng Shui uttered the name "Yi Yao," Yao Ji only felt the name sounded familiar. She quickly searched her memory and discovered that "Yi Yao" was actually one of the eight supreme gods who created the Divine Realm. This utterly terrified Yao Ji.

Yao Ji can be considered a senior immortal in the Thousand Immortal Realm, possessing some understanding of the Divine Heaven Realm. However, in the records of the Thousand Immortal Realm, the eight supreme gods of the Divine Heaven Realm are merely mythical figures. The records only mention their names, offering no further information. The records of the Divine Heaven Realm within the Thousand Immortal Realm are only accessible to the "Monet Supreme Immortal," who is about to ascend to godhood. This allows the soon-to-be-ascended "Monet Supreme Immortal" to gain a rudimentary understanding of the Divine Heaven Realm, preventing any embarrassing blunders upon ascension. Other lower-ranking immortals are completely unaware of this record's existence. Yao Ji is currently an immortal who has just reached the "Monet Supreme Immortal" level and is on the verge of ascending to godhood.

Unexpectedly, someone used the "Immortal-Capturing Array" to summon her, the "Supreme Immortal Monet," to the mortal realm, which is why Yao Ji was angry. However, when she discovered who had summoned her, she could only humbly admit her inferiority.

"What does Your Excellency wish to ask?" Fairy Yaoji asked, her legs visibly trembling.

"Was there a Taoist named Feng Yileng in ancient times who possessed a magical artifact here?" Feng Shui asked.

"Yes, but this magical artifact has now become a quasi-divine artifact as the refiner's cultivation level has improved," Yao Ji said with emotion.

“Very good, what I want to ask you is this magical artifact,” Feng Shui said with a smile.

"What? Does the Venerable God want this divine artifact?" Yao Ji asked in shock.

"What's wrong?" Feng Shui asked curiously.

"I have reforged this divine artifact again. Since I am about to ascend to become a god, I have refined this quasi-divine artifact again, preparing to use it as my own tool after my ascension," Yao Ji said.

“That would be even better. Now I not only want this artifact, but I also want you…” Feng Shui’s smile suddenly turned eerie as he looked at Yao Ji and said.

When Yao Ji heard Feng Shui's words, her heart skipped a beat. Looking into Feng Shui's eyes, she suddenly felt that something unusual was about to happen to her.

2004-12-08 23:16:00

Chapter Eleven Thorough Change

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Gui Eting didn't know what the immortal and the feng shui master inside the barrier were talking about, but she could tell that the immortal seemed to be hiding something, which was why he set up the barrier. However, Gui Eting felt that the immortal was going to unnecessary trouble.

A tear of despair rolled down Gui Eting's cheek. Her whole body seemed to have lost all strength, and she felt weak. However, she still stubbornly held on with her spirit, refusing to collapse. She didn't want to lose face in front of the immortals.

When the immortal appeared here and set up a barrier to prevent her from eavesdropping, Gui Eting finally understood what her master, Han Zheng, had once told her.

"In the cultivation world, only having great strength is the true foundation. Without strength, one will be regarded as insignificant as an ant."

These words echoed in Gui Eting's mind again and again, but now they struck her heart like a hammer, making her feel as if her soul had been shattered by those words.

At this moment, Gui Eting had never felt the meaning of those words so deeply, because her nascent soul had been shattered by Yao Ji's secret use of her immortal power at the same time that Yao Ji had set up the barrier. In other words, the nascent soul that Gui Eting had cultivated for nearly three thousand years was gone forever, and all her three thousand years of cultivation had been completely wasted.

Gui Eting didn't understand why the Immortal Yaoji would do this. She was now utterly desperate, yet suddenly she grasped many things she hadn't understood before, and her view of life and death became remarkably detached. However, a trace of reluctance remained—a reluctance stemming from the feng shui within the barrier. Gui Eting only wanted to say one more word to the feng shui before ending her insignificant yet brilliant life.

Gui Eting felt as if she no longer had the strength to wait and say her last words to Feng Shui. Her eyelids were heavy, and even her heartbeat had weakened. Gui Eting knew this was a normal reaction when a person dies. Three thousand years was not long to come. What in this world was still worth cherishing? There was one more thing: a man, a man to whom she had not yet told how much she loved him.

However, Gui Eting no longer had the strength to say those words. She only hoped that when she reached the underworld, Meng Po wouldn't let her drink the soup that erased her memories of her past life. Because, in this life, the only thing she truly cherished was a man named Feng Shui, and the fact that she had fallen in love with him. Although she knew it would lead nowhere, it was her only unforgettable memory…

Feng Shui strode up to the body of the deceased Gui Eting, his eyes filled with shock.

"What did you do to her?" Feng Shui turned around and shouted at Yao Ji behind him, his voice filled with excitement.

"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me! Just now, I thought Your Majesty was a villain, so I prepared to set up a barrier and then kill you. But I noticed that Your Majesty's friend was also present, so when I set up the barrier, I destroyed her nascent soul." Yao Ji immediately knelt on the ground, trembling with fear as she spoke.

"What did you say... Don't you know that destroying a medium's nascent soul is a sin against heaven?!" Feng Shui shouted, almost frantically, while holding Gui Eting's corpse.

"I know, I know, but I didn't think much at the time and just killed him. Please, Your Majesty, spare my life! Please, Your Majesty, spare my life!" Yao Ji said in a trembling voice.

"Hahahaha... I, Feng Shui, have calculated everything under heaven, yet I still cannot fathom the fate of those around me on my path of demonic cultivation... Ah...!" Feng Shui's spirit was on the verge of collapse as he screamed in anguish.

Why would Feng Shui say that? Because throughout his many years of cultivation, none of the people who have appeared around him and become familiar with him have ever had a good ending.

The first is the ancient Demon Butterfly, Feng Shui's beloved, who was tragically killed by a deity because of her relationship with him. The second is Grass Ash, his only junior disciple since he began cultivating demonic arts. Feng Shui had long regarded Grass Ash as his own brother, but Grass Ash also met a tragic end, being reverted to his original form. The third is Gui Eting at this moment. Why is Feng Shui helping Gui Eting so much? Because Gui Eting is a single individual that has split off from the "Seven Emotions Butterfly," which is the Demon Butterfly.

"Seven Emotions Butterfly" encompasses all aspects of human life. Born from various sounds in the world, this "magical butterfly" uses the zither as its instrument and enters the realm of emotions. Upon reaching its peak, it splits into seven personalities, including the emotional changes of "joy, anger, worry, thought, grief, fear, and surprise," also known as the "Seven Emotions."

In ancient times, the "Demon Butterfly" was killed by a deity and transformed into seven individual life forms by the hand of Feng Shui. These seven life forms were reborn as humans, but could never again become a complete whole. As the "Demon Fox" said in the Demon Realm, Jiang Yao was not yet a complete "Demon Butterfly," and therefore unworthy to fight her. However, Jiang Yao, through several reincarnations, absorbed the four emotions of "sorrow, grief, fear, and shock" from the "Seven Emotions Butterfly." Gui Eting, on the other hand, had stopped reincarnating as a "sorrow" emotion Demon Butterfly three thousand years ago. This explains why Gui Eting was able to reach the late "Refining" stage in just over two thousand years—it was entirely due to inheriting a part of her previous "Demon Butterfly" form, resulting in such rapid cultivation.

However, the first reincarnated "Demon Butterfly" that Feng Shui found was Jiang Yao, which destined Feng Shui and Jiang Yao to truly love each other. Gui Eting only inherited one-seventh of the Demon Butterfly's "emotions." Because of this, although Feng Shui understood Gui Eting's feelings, he couldn't accept an "incomplete" woman, so he could only call her his destined one. Just as the song says, "I don't love so much, just a little; your love is as deep as the sea, my love is shallow..."

Feng Shui stayed in Sichuan because he had foreseen Gui Eting's arrival. It was only after fully regaining his memories on Goddess Peak that he learned Gui Eting was also one of the "Seven Emotions Butterflies." Therefore, Feng Shui wanted to help Gui Eting, as he had predicted a calamity upon her arrival in Sichuan. However, the nature of this calamity was vague, and Feng Shui couldn't fully ascertain its details. He thought he could help Gui Eting escape this calamity, but ultimately found he couldn't change fate.

"Feng shui? Demon cultivation? Could it be...?" Upon hearing the words "demonic cultivation" mentioned in the feng shui conversation, Fairy Yaoji suddenly realized something.

2004-12-08 23:17:00

Yao Ji recalled a recent order from the Divine Heaven Realm to the Thousand Immortal Realm, instructing them to find a demon cultivator reincarnated in the mortal world, whose name happened to be Feng Shui. Yao Ji's eyes lit up at this thought. She carefully probed Feng Shui's aura with her spiritual sense, only to discover that Feng Shui's current cultivation level was merely within the "Ascension to Immortality" stage of a Daoist cultivator, not at all the aura of a so-called "divine being."

Only then did Yao Ji suddenly realize that it was all a deception by Feng Shui, using counterfeit tokens from the Divine Realm and posing as a deity to mislead her. Yao Ji had never actually seen a "deity," only having once witnessed a "divine wooden tablet" presented by a Divine Realm envoy when the Divine Realm issued its orders. This tablet resembled Feng Shui's. When Feng Shui presented the "divine wooden tablet," Yao Ji was already thrown into disarray, no longer daring to use her spiritual sense to probe Feng Shui's true nature, thus becoming even more easily deceived. Then, Feng Shui somehow learned of the name of the deity "Yi Yao" and used it to deceive Yao Ji, making her even more hesitant to act rashly and instead believing him.

However, when Feng Shui saw Gui Eting's corpse, he was so traumatized that he blurted out his true identity, and Yao Ji finally understood Feng Shui's true identity.

"Hahahaha... Feng Shui, the demon cultivator, so you've been lying to me all along. If you hadn't revealed your identity yourself, I would have truly been fooled. Speak! What exactly is your purpose!" Yao Ji stood up, regaining her immortal arrogance, and pointed at Feng Shui, who was still holding Gui Eting's corpse on the ground in front of her.

"Hmph...! It seems that man proposes, God disposes. Since things have turned out this way, I have nothing to say. I only regret that I miscalculated one step back then!" Feng Shui turned around and looked at Yao Ji with resentment.