“Hu”
Lu Zheng let out a long breath, then lowered his cloud head and landed on the ground.
“Thanks to the two seniors for helping out!”
“No need, no need. Young master, you are the young master’s master. We are peers. Just call me Dalu.” Hu Dalu waved his hands hurriedly.
Hu Zhou called Lu Zheng master, but called him Uncle Dalu. How could he dare accept Lu Zheng calling him senior?
Moreover, with Lu Zheng’s current strength, he was fully qualified to address him as a peer.
That Taiyi Five Thunder spell from Lu Zheng, plus his clean and decisive killing of Xueyi Saintess, had stunned them.
Gao Zhen also said, “Young master, just call me Old Five Gao.”
Lu Zheng laughed heartily and cupped his hands. “Brother Dalu, Brother Gao Wu!”
“That’s good! That’s good!”
The two nodded repeatedly. Then everyone sat in a circle for a post-battle rest.
Just now, Hu Dalu and Gao Zhen had clashed with Xueyi Saintess. Though only three or five exchanges, they struck without mercy and each took some injuries.
Luckily, the wounds were not severe. After resting a moment and circulating true qi and blood within, they were mostly healed.
Lu Zheng released Du Yueyao from the gourd. She still had her eyes tightly closed, in a coma.
“Miss Du?” Hu Zhou was startled.
A few days ago, when Hu Zhou and his wife returned to visit Lu Zheng, they had met Du Yueyao.
Lu Zheng nodded and briefly explained Du Yueyao’s situation.
Fan Boyu placed a hand on Du Yueyao’s forehead and sensed for a bit. He frowned and said, “Her soul is damaged. It will take some time to recover.”
Lu Zheng had cultivated the “Nine Heavens Golden Vault Cavern Truth Transformation God Method” and was an expert. He knew Du Yueyao’s current state: one part from Xueyi Saintess attempting possession, which eroded her soul and left it weak; the other from Lu Zheng forcibly interrupting the divine descent ritual. Xueyi Saintess was naturally more severely injured, but Du Yueyao had been affected too.
“Luckily, it was just collateral damage. The possession did not succeed, and it did not reach the stage of erasing memories or devouring true spirit.” Fan Boyu sighed.
Lu Zheng nodded. “This counts as a blessing in misfortune.”
“There is also a benefit.” Fan Boyu then took Du Yueyao’s wrist again. “The so-called possession and rebirth is not just soul possession. Xueyi Saintess intended to transfer her entire cultivation into Yueyao’s body. This process runs parallel to the possession.”
Lu Zheng was speechless. “So…”
“So although the divine descent ritual only reached the second step, Xueyi Saintess still transferred over a hundred years of cultivation. Along the way, she improved Yueyao’s meridians and physique.” Fan Boyu smiled. “Once Yueyao heals her soul injury, she will immediately have a century of cultivation to back her.”
Hu Zhou: I am so envious!
Gao Junyu asked, “So Miss Du has turned disaster into fortune?”
“The premise is no hidden dangers or dark injuries linger in her soul.” Fan Boyu said.
“Let’s head back first.”
Lu Zheng used white clouds to lift Du Yueyao, keeping her by his side. He looked at Hu Zhou and the others. “If you are not in a hurry, come home with us. Today, thanks to you all, I will cook personally. I must thank you properly.”
Hu Zhou’s eyes lit up. He slurped. “Master cooking personally?”
Hu Dalu and Gao Zhen also grinned eagerly. “Is there Wuliangye?”
Lu Zheng waved grandly. “As much as you want!”
…
Before leaving, they naturally had to clean up the battlefield.
They destroyed the bodies of Xueyi Saintess and Zhao Wuji completely. Their treasures, of course, became the group’s spoils.
Xueyi Saintess and Zhao Wuji carried quite a few magical tools and pills, but the most valuable items were three.
Zhao Wuji had two. One was that black wooden peg: not only tough and durable in material, but also infused with seven Yuan Shengjiao curses. Once it wounded, the curses followed into the body.
The other was a wooden pearl soaked in various spiritual herbs, called the Myriad Spirits Pill, specialised in resisting all sorts of evil curses.
Xueyi Saintess’s most important item was one: that three-coloured jade pearl. With it protecting her, no arts could invade.
Lu Zheng wanted to divide the spoils. Hu Zhou and the others firmly refused. In the end, they only took a few unimpressive tools and pills. But for these three most valuable ones, they all said to leave them for Du Yueyao.
Yes, and one more: Xueyi Saintess’s hand串, with a bodhi seed attached. It was also a storage magical tool. The space inside was no smaller than Lu Zheng’s gourd.
Storage magical tools were not cheap.
To refine a storage magical tool, first, the materials had to pass muster: infused with spiritual qi, with potential to expand space. Mostly rare gold and jade products or special spiritual fruits, like Shen Ying’s jade bottle that gathered peach blossom malignance or the gourd in Lu Zheng’s hand.
Second, one needed to know the runes and seals for refining storage tools. Though methods varied by sect, one had to know at least one.
Third, one’s own cultivation: to refine a storage tool, one’s dao attainment had to be at least a millennium upward. This was not something ordinary people could whip up casually.
Baiyun Temple naturally had the refining heritage. But Lu Zheng’s cultivation was insufficient now, so no one taught him. He was not in a rush to learn either.
Finally, refining storage tools was not easy. After all, it involved opening space. Even experts needed vast mana to expand and stabilise the space, engrave runes. And such high-level figures would not spend their days refining storage tools to give away everywhere.
So, those with storage tools were mostly experts or sects with deep foundations. For ordinary small and medium sects, even one storage tool could be a sect-guarding treasure.
This item did not boost combat, but it was a rarity in this world, not common like in novels where everyone had a storage pouch.
Lu Zheng originally wanted to give some away. But unexpectedly, Hu Zhou and Gao Junyu both already had storage treasures. So he did not give any out.
Lu Zheng, “…”
Having backing was impressive, huh! Biological ones!
…
With the scene handled properly, the group rode clouds back to Tonglin County.
Liu Qingyan, who had received the news, was already waiting at Lu Zheng’s home. Seeing everyone return, she hurried over. Seeing Du Yueyao lying unconscious on the cloud bed, tears nearly fell.
“What happened to Yueyao?”
“Her soul is injured.” Lu Zheng said, then briefly recounted the earlier events.
“Teacher’s wife, Master was amazing. He killed a Yuan Shengjiao saintess.” Hu Zhou added excitedly.
Liu Qingyan was even more frightened. She grabbed Lu Zheng’s wrist. “Husband, you are not injured, right?”
“No, no. With Brother Dalu and Brother Gao Wu’s help, it went very smoothly.” Lu Zheng smiled.
Liu Qingyan was still worried. She carefully checked Lu Zheng’s pulse. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief. Then she took Du Yueyao’s wrist and sensed her soul again.
“How is it?” Lu Zheng asked.
Liu Qingyan nodded. “I have a soul-nourishing incense I made. Let Yueyao sleep in the room with the incense burning continuously. Then each day, I will use silver needles on acupoints, nourishing her soul with the incense. In about three months, she will recover fully.”
Fan Boyu jumped in fright. “Three months? Full recovery?”
One must know, for such a heavy soul injury, he thought Du Yueyao would need at least a year to recover barely.
Liu Qingyan nodded. “She will wake in three days. In three months, she will be fully healed.”
“Impressive!” Fan Boyu was shocked.
Hu Dalu and Gao Zhen exchanged glances. They did not expect Liu Qingyan to be so capable. No wonder she qualified to be called the Azure Medicine Lady.
Lu Zheng raised his brow. He knew Liu Qingyan had a way. Otherwise, how could she be worthy of the title Azure Medicine Lady?
