Chapter 43 Part 1

Facts proved that miracles would not occur so easily again. No matter how Lian Yunzhi and Mu Cheng engaged in dual cultivation, no second Jade Mountain rose from the ground in Xiaoze State.

However, Divine Soul Dual Cultivation still brought many benefits. For instance, both Lian Yunzhi’s and Mu Cheng’s Primordial Spirits became slightly more solid, and the range of Lian Yunzhi’s Divine Sense expanded greatly—when the power of the Divine Soul Dual Cultivation stimulated him until his entire body trembled and he curled up, sinking himself fully into the hot spring, his Divine Sense actually covered the entire Xiaoze State. Not only did he locate all the Black Mist that had scattered when the Pure Bottle was overturned, but he also spotted several Evil Cultivators who had sneaked into Xiaoze State to search everywhere for traces of him.

“Mm…”

The Plant-Form Primordial Spirit shook lightly, flinging out the part belonging to Mu Cheng from its body. Lian Yunzhi also supported himself on a tree branch and stood up from the hot spring pool, his fingertips trembling as he changed into clean clothes for himself.

Mu Cheng’s Primordial Spirit returned to the Paper Man, where it crossed its arms over its chest and stood somewhat unhappily on the tree branch, watching him.

“Business comes first,” Lian Yunzhi explained. He reached out again to pick the little Paper Man from the tree and kissed it. “I’ll definitely tell you in advance next time before we finish.”

In fact, because his action was too quick and too light, his lips had not truly touched the Paper Man’s cheek, but the Paper Man still softened and obediently lay on his shoulder without speaking, even its edges curling up gently.

Compared to that group of Evil Cultivators, Lian Yunzhi was now more concerned about the Black Mist scattered around. After all, he could sense that the sudden expansion of his Divine Sense range was temporary, and the coverage of his Divine Sense was slowly shrinking. It might eventually settle at a range slightly larger than his original one.

He had to collect all that Black Mist back into the Pure Bottle before his Divine Sense range shrank back.

With Imperial Sword Flight riding the wind, Lian Yunzhi discovered that his flight speed had also increased significantly. Was this another benefit of Divine Soul Dual Cultivation?

[Looks like we can do it more often in the future.]

Lian Yunzhi affirmed in his heart.

Mu Cheng, who heard his inner thoughts: “…”

The winds of Xiaoze State would never let the Paper Man fall from his lover’s shoulder, but the Paper Man was still not satisfied. It flipped over, climbed step by step up Lian Yunzhi’s collar, and burrowed inside bit by bit.

“Hey!”

[The wind outside is strong.]

Lian Yunzhi: “…”

Wasn’t the wind you too?

Lian Yunzhi lowered his head and huffed angrily at the deceitful Mr. Mu as punishment.

But the Paper Man still secured its new position.

Its head poked out, its hands gently clutching Lian Yunzhi’s collar, while everything from its neck down pressed against Lian Yunzhi’s skin. It was soaked in warmth and fragrance.

The wind blew mildly around them.

Mu Cheng felt that he had never been so truly comfortable before.

.

At first, Lian Yunzhi did not take those few Evil Cultivators to heart, because the three who came were all at Mid Nascent Soul.

But after he collected all the Black Mist scattered in Xiaoze State and approached these people, preparing to catch them all in one net, he suddenly sensed something wrong—these three had all hidden their cultivation, and their true cultivation was Peak Soul Transformation!

Cold sweat instantly broke out on Lian Yunzhi’s back.

And what was even more terrifying was that, due to the close distance, these people had already discovered him.

[Use the Ten Thousand Woods Protective Boundary Array?]

Lian Yunzhi asked without much confidence. He had never set up the Ten Thousand Woods Protective Boundary Array before and did not know if he could deploy it in such a short time.

[Use it.]

The array’s original diagram suddenly appeared clearly in his mind, with the placement positions for every Top-Grade Spirit Stone marked. Lian Yunzhi immediately acted according to the guidance. His two hands were not enough; dozens of vines moved with him, their actions so fast they created afterimages.

But those Evil Cultivators drew closer and closer, and an arrow even shot straight toward Lian Yunzhi’s brow!

“Bang!”

The arrow was firmly gripped at the same time by a vine and… a hand.

Lian Yunzhi stared blankly in that direction, but his hands did not stop. He placed the last Top-Grade Spirit Stone with a “snap” and infused the final trace of wood spiritual power.

“Boom—”

Ten thousand giant trees rose from the ground, blotting out the sky with forest shade. All attacks and enemies vanished from sight. Towering giant trees surrounded him front and back. Everyone within the array was trapped in a gigantic labyrinth. Even if they slashed desperately with their swords, the tree stumps and fallen branches would regenerate endlessly. Moreover, anyone approaching the “Boundary Master” would be shifted and swapped in position—they could search until they died without finding the array’s master.

But at this moment, Lian Yunzhi had no mind to marvel at the array’s ingenuity. Instead, he stared dazedly at the arrow gripped by the vine.

The vine retracted, but the arrow still hovered before Lian Yunzhi’s eyes.

—Because its fletching was tightly gripped by a hand.

That was not an ordinary hand, but a pure black, blurry one, formed like mist, extending from the Paper Man.

“…Mu Cheng?”

[I’m here.]

The hand released, and the arrow clattered to the ground.

The Paper Man dragged an incongruously “giant” hand for its size and walked step by step to Lian Yunzhi.

Lian Yunzhi knelt on one knee and gently cradled that hand.

He saw the familiar veins and the small mole on the wrist—this was Mu Cheng’s hand.

[I need much more Black Mist.]

Lian Yunzhi immediately took out the Pure Bottle and drew out all the Black Mist inside. The Black Mist eagerly wrapped around the Paper Man tightly.

The arm extended into a shoulder, the shoulder into a chest, a head grew on the chest, and a waist and abdomen formed below…

A human shape of Black Mist slowly stood up before Lian Yunzhi.

It was still a little short… just one finger short.

Lian Yunzhi immediately opened the Storage Bracelet and dumped out everything he had brought from Xiaoze State, tossing it all in front of Mu Cheng. In the instant the items landed, they turned into Black Mist and wound toward Mu Cheng, giving him the final finger.

The Paper Man had long floated lightly out from his body, falling to the ground like an ordinary sheet of paper. Lian Yunzhi picked up the Paper Man, dusted it off, and stored it away.

He raised his head and saw Mu Cheng’s Primordial Spirit pulsing like a heart in the Black Mist chest.

Lian Yunzhi wanted to touch him but did not dare. He only murmured, “…You look like a soul.”

The other souls he had pulled from the Pure Bottle were just like this: misty shells with Primordial Spirits wrapped in their chests.