Chapter 43:Worthy of Song and Praise, Yet Not a Single Merit Achieved.
The deep bed curtains swayed silently.
The thunderclouds in the sky gradually disappeared, and the purple lightning also vanished. The people of the Demon Palace all let out a sigh of relief.
As they looked at each other, they were still hesitant. “What on earth is Liao Chen doing…”
Before ascending to immortality, the world’s knowledge was all within the control of the Heavenly Dao. Even if there were some heaven-defying artifacts and rules, they were not known to man. In other words, ordinary people were too insignificant. Even if they occasionally said something that went against the heavens, they would certainly not be targeted by the heavenly might.
Therefore, in the entire Demon Palace, the only one who could attract the Heaven-Slaying Divine Tribulation was the Demon God who had already established a connection with the laws.
In the Suixing Hall, a crack quietly opened in the middle of the lotus flower bud, as if something was peeking out from inside.
In the hall, there was intermittent conversation. One person seemed to be doing something fierce. After a short gasp, a low, hoarse voice said, “How about this?”
“If you’re really so capable…” The voice was interrupted, then continued with hatred, “…spit it out once every breath. Otherwise, I’ll just treat you as… a solid pestle for pounding medicine!!”
“Your mouth is really hard.”
“You’re also really incompetent…”
The lotus flower suddenly closed the gap in its petals. The flower bud swayed silently, peaceful and serene.
He didn’t know how long had passed. Yan Jingyu was covered in sweat. Liao Chen lay beside him, supporting his head with one hand, and looked into his soul-lamp.
The soul-lamp was still dim, with only a cold flame remaining. He frowned. “How is it still the same?”
Yan Jingyu’s eyes were dark. He still didn’t forget to sneer. “Do you think the medicine’s effect is absorbed like your release? It’s over with a single pfft?”
Liao Chen bit his back molars and reached out to turn his face towards him. “How many times did I pfft? You didn’t remember clearly…”
“I really don’t remember clearly.” Yan Jingyu said, “After all, even when pounding medicine, an immortal physician knows how to use force. But you, Liao Qi Mei, a big bird that has lived for hundreds of years, a living big bird! You’re just like your father, only knowing how to push forward! Does it show how strong you are?! What… glaring at me? You want to eat me? You’re a waste. In your last life, you were definitely a pestle, an iron pestle, a wooden pestle, a stone pestle, a stupid and clumsy hollow pestle!!”
Liao Chen’s face changed. Even though he didn’t fully understand what Yan Jingyu was saying, he instinctively felt a sense of embarrassment.
He suddenly flipped over. Yan Jingyu’s face changed slightly. He let out a “ha” and panted, “What, the medicine’s speed isn’t enough, so you’re going to make up for it with quantity? Liao Qi Mei, you don’t think you’re very impressive right now, do you? You haven’t fully realized that you were just making a fool of yourself? And you want to embarrass yourself again? Or… you just want to be close to this Lord?”
Liao Chen’s face was a fluctuating mix of green and white. He looked at Yan Jingyu for a while again, then suddenly lowered his eyes. Yan Jingyu stared at him intently and heard him say slowly, “This Lord’s hands can learn all immortal arts and hand gestures. I imagine it won’t be difficult to satisfy the Immortal Lord.”
Yan Jingyu reflexively pulled his lower limbs together, restraining his arms. Liao Chen raised an eyebrow. “I imagine the quantity is large, and the Immortal Lord can’t absorb it. Why don’t I help you reduce some…”
Yan Jingyu suddenly picked up the pillow under his head. Liao Chen flashed and dodged, and as he got off the bed, he was already wrapped in a cotton long robe. He pushed aside the bed curtains and curled his lips. “It seems the Immortal Lord likes this Lord’s legacy very much. To be so full…” He glanced to the side with deep meaning. “…and you’re still reluctant to spit it out.”
“…” Yan Jingyu decided to have a truce with him. He pulled the quilt over to cover his body, curled up his slightly trembling legs, and said, “You keep saying you’re saving me, and you’ve done everything you should have. What you should be doing now is to wait and see, right? Or, are you using your public office for private gain… trying to flirt with me?”
Liao Chen thought for a while and found that he really had no reason to pester him anymore. He nodded. “Then the Immortal Lord should rest well. This Lord will be right beside you. If anything happens…”
Yan Jingyu directly pulled the quilt over and lay down, and forcefully covered his head.
He closed his eyes, his body enveloped in fatigue. Just as he was about to fall asleep, the bed curtains were suddenly pulled open again. Yan Jingyu opened his eyes and glared at him.
Liao Chen held out two fingers, the tips of which were glowing with spiritual light. “I just thought, I can use my spiritual energy to help you speed up the absorption.”
“You give me—”
“Be good.” Liao Chen directly picked him up, his voice soft. “I think this plan is feasible. I will keep an eye on your soul-lamp. If there is really no consumption within three days, then we have succeeded.”
Yan Jingyu’s eyes suddenly turned red. Liao Chen’s hand, which had been reaching down, paused. “Why are you crying…” he stammered.
“Are you deliberately bullying me?”
He was still glaring at him, but his eyes were covered with shimmering tears. Liao Chen slowly withdrew his hand and said very honestly, “No.”
“Tell the truth.”
“…” Liao Chen was quiet for a moment. He looked at the face so close to him, at his red eyes, red nose, and the lips that were pressed into a curve. The corners of his mouth silently lifted, and then were immediately pressed down. He said softly, “A little…”
“Liao Qi Mei—!” The tears in his eyes immediately rolled out, his voice changing pitch. Liao Chen reflexively moved closer to kiss his cheek, but was directly pushed away by his face. “Don’t touch me with your stinky mouth!” he said viciously.
Liao Chen let him push his face, his eyes curving again. He offered his own hand. “Is my hand okay? It’s my fault for making you cry. It’s fine to punish me by letting me wipe them for you, right?”
Yan Jingyu looked at the hand slowly extending towards him. At this moment, both his hands were forcefully pushing Liao Chen’s face, but Liao Chen’s hand reached over and accurately came in front of him—
The knuckles of his index and middle fingers on the back of his hand touched his wet cheek.
Yan Jingyu came back to his senses and forcefully slapped his hand away.
Half-pushing, half-accepting, he still accepted Liao Chen’s help. The latter had convinced him with one sentence: “It’s already been done. If you can’t absorb it, won’t you be at an even greater loss?”
The two of them stayed on the bed intermittently for three days like this. When he woke up this day, Liao Chen was no longer beside him. He pulled open the bed curtains. Outside was a wooden bucket, with steam lingering. It was clear that Liao Chen had prepared it for him to wash.
Yan Jingyu’s mood was complicated. He reluctantly cast a spell and moved the screen to block the side of the bathtub. Only then did he prop himself up and get into the water.
The water temperature was just right, and there was also a headrest on the bathtub. He had clearly just woken up, but Yan Jingyu was a little dazed. He didn’t know how long had passed before a voice suddenly came to his ears: “When you’re done, come to the Lingxi Hall and let the immortal physicians check your condition.”
Yan Jingyu was so tired he was uncomfortable. He was too lazy to bother with him. A shadow suddenly fell over him. Yan Jingyu lifted his eyelids and saw that he was looking down at him. “Your stamina is not good. I haven’t even used my full strength yet.”
“…” Yan Jingyu closed his eyes again and soaked his body deeper into the water. Liao Chen’s gaze fell on the water. “Where on you have I not seen? And this water is crystal clear. What’s there to hide?”
Yan Jingyu splashed water at him.
Liao Chen raised his hand to block it. All the splashed water was like a tangible substance, condensing in the air and steadily returning to the bucket. He then bent down again, looking at Yan Jingyu’s warm and moist face, so close that he could even smell a faint woody fragrance and feel the delicate temperature. “If you really don’t want to move, shall I carry you?”
His long lashes opened in front of him, his eyes dead.
Of course, Yan Jingyu couldn’t let him carry him. He ate two Rejuvenation Pills and felt a little strength return to his body. Liao Chen didn’t really make him walk a long way. He directly melted through space and let him take one step to the Lingxi Hall.
Yan Jingyu sat down lazily and placed his wrist on the pulse pillow. Liao Chen sat on the other side and rolled up his sleeves for him at ease.
The immortal physicians had already gotten the fresh phoenix blood. Unfortunately, Liao Chen was unwilling to let them see the phoenix essence and only said that he had already used it on Yan Jingyu in private.
Although they were a little regretful, the crowd could more or less understand. Liao Chen was willing to reveal the phoenix treasure and use it on the Immortal Lord, which could already be called very generous. After all, Yan Jingyu was a person of the immortal sects. Since he was already so magnanimous, if they were to keep asking for it, and it was only for their own selfish reasons, it would be a bit shameless.
Yan Jingyu also clearly felt that the immortal physicians were not as restless as they had been the past two days and seemed to be much more serious.
After the first pulse was taken, he looked at Liao Chen with a hesitant expression. “It looks like the essence has indeed been used.”
Liao Chen nodded, the corners of his lips lifting, a hint of pride in his eyes. “This Lord can’t see any change in his soul-lamp. I wonder if you all have any insights? Has the consumption of the soul-lamp slowed down?”
He had specifically experimented for three days before bringing Yan Jingyu to see them. According to Yan Jingyu’s words, three days should at least be able to delay it by nine days. Although he couldn’t see it… but this jinx’s soul-lamp was already just a cold flame, so it was normal not to be able to see it.
The immortal physicians’ Dao was different from his. They had a more detailed understanding of the various orifices in a cultivator’s body. They would definitely be able to see the changes.
The first immortal physician nodded and gestured for the second immortal physician to come up. Liao Chen watched his movements patiently. “You see, should this Lord increase the dosage for him?”
The immortal physician glanced at him, then smiled and nodded, not responding, and also retreated.
Liao Chen stroked his chin. Soon, the third, the fourth. When all a dozen or so immortal physicians had finished their examinations, they all gathered in a circle to discuss again.
They had learned to be a little smarter recently and had jointly created a sound transmission formation that was imprinted in each other’s spiritual platforms, which Liao Chen could not eavesdrop on. Fortunately, he was in a good mood recently and was too lazy to force them to tell him everything in detail.
So he also didn’t know what the immortal physicians, with their expressionless faces, were saying at this moment—
“Demon! I told you not to let him use it directly. He actually let that demon…”
“I knew this fiend was no good! That phoenix demon is just a beast that can only be used for medicine. How dare he…”
“I thought before that he was actually willing to go and get such difficult medicine. He must be trying his best to save the Immortal Lord. I didn’t expect that in the blink of an eye, he would force the Immortal Lord to…”
“No wonder the Immortal Lord has been missing recently. He must have been tied up by him and that demon…”
“A great shame!!”
…
They cursed fiercely in the sound transmission formation, but their faces were still that of a good person. Liao Chen would occasionally glance at Yan Jingyu, who looked as if he had been dead for a long time, raised an eyebrow, and was still a little baffled.
When the immortal physicians had finally sorted out their words and emotions and respectfully returned to him, he couldn’t help but lift his chin again. “How’s the effect?”
The immortal physicians also glanced at Yan Jingyu, really a little worried about the patient’s condition, and said hesitantly, “We want to discuss it with the Demon Lord alone. Why don’t we…”
“It’s fine.” Yan Jingyu’s voice was calm. “Just say what you have to say.”
The crowd once again sorted out their words. They pushed each other, and after a long while, a bold one finally stepped forward. “As the Demon Lord said, the essence of that demon does indeed have the effect of replenishing the origin, increasing qi, and delaying the burning of the soul-lamp. But that phoenix demon is a beast, after all. How can you let its evil root directly enter the Immortal Lord’s Gu Dao?! Such a method is simply filthy, despicable! Shameless!”
Liao Chen’s face darkened slightly. A hand immediately reached out from the side and covered the immortal physician’s mouth, directly pulling him down. He said in a good-natured tone, “What he means is that the Demon Lord’s method is too simple and crude. It is both a waste of the spiritual medicine and an insult to the Immortal Lord…”
He was also covered by the mouth and pulled back. Another person stepped forward, coughed lightly, carefully sorted out his words, and said, “The reason why the phoenix demon’s essence can achieve the effect of delaying the soul-lamp is because it can replenish the deficiency of the physical body. And the reason why the Immortal Lord’s soul-lamp is about to be extinguished is because of the divine wood casting the body. Although the divine wood has a spirit, it is a dead object after all. To inject activity into it, one must draw from the soul-lamp. In theory, the existence of the phoenix essence is to replace the existence of activity as much as possible, so that the divine wood does not have to draw fuel from the soul-lamp, and on this basis, the result of delaying the consumption of the soul-lamp can be obtained.”
The immortal physicians behind him nodded repeatedly. Liao Chen’s face softened slightly. “This Lord has treated him for three days.”
Three days… The immortal physicians glanced at Yan Jingyu again and cursed in their hearts at the same time. The immortal physician who had spoken with reason also restrained himself, took a deep breath, and said, “The Demon Lord is indeed of great virtue, to be willing to be alone with a treasure like a phoenix for three days for the sake of the Immortal Lord…”
Yan Jingyu’s mouth twitched. He turned his head to look. Liao Chen actually nodded seriously, as if he were affirming his praise of his virtue.
“But while the phoenix essence was entering the Immortal Lord’s body, it also took away the Immortal Lord’s yang essence. Is that not false?”
Yan Jingyu had already realized what the other was going to say next. He glanced at Liao Chen’s still ignorant face and casually picked up a teacup in preparation.
Liao Chen seemed to have thought for a moment and was still trying to justify himself. “But the phoenix gave a lot.”
The immortal physicians took another breath. The immortal physician who had spoken also forced a smile, decided to end this conversation cleanly and directly, and said straightforwardly, “The Immortal Lord’s physical body already needs to burn his spirit to obtain activity, which naturally means that he is already extremely weak. To supplement it further is to constantly fill a ravine with sand and stones. How much can be absorbed depends on fate. But every time you indulge that evil beast in humiliating the Immortal Lord, it is equivalent to making the ravine even deeper. Now, the Immortal Lord is clearly in a state of yang deficiency. The Demon Lord’s actions in these three days are certainly praiseworthy and commendable, but now it is just a matter of two things canceling each other out, which is approximately nothing.”
“It can be said that not a single merit has been achieved, and the root has been damaged instead.”
The last sentence clearly carried a tone of accusation.
Liao Chen’s expression was dazed. He subconsciously looked at Yan Jingyu. The latter had already silently picked up a teacup and completely covered his face with his wide sleeve.
Half an incense stick’s time later, Yan Jingyu was curled up in the bed curtains, and Liao Chen was sitting on the jade bed.
Yan Jingyu couldn’t sleep now. He quietly pushed aside the bed curtains to look at Liao Chen. The latter was supporting his elbow on his knee, his expression dazed as he stared blankly.
Yan Jingyu shook his head, decided to let him calm down properly, pulled up the quilt, and lay down for a while. Just as he was about to fall asleep in a daze, he looked at Liao Chen again. The latter was squatting by the lotus pond, motionless. The lotus flower also tried its best to look serene, motionless.
Yan Jingyu fell asleep. When he woke up again, Liao Chen had already changed his position and was sitting at the table, quietly staring at the blood beast.
Just like that, until night came, Yan Jingyu really couldn’t hold on anymore and climbed up, calling out to him, “I’m hungry.”
Liao Chen had at some point pulled off a petal from the lotus demon and was now using the petal to poke the blood beast’s nose again and again.
Hearing the sound, he looked up, but his gaze did not turn over. He lowered his eyes, put the lotus petal into his Qiankun Pouch, and walked out without a word.
And then, Yan Jingyu couldn’t find him anymore.
It was only after resting for a few days and going to the academy again that he heard that he had run out to find medicine again. Yan Jingyu directly rushed to the Lingxi Hall. The immortal physicians were talking lively. In the teleportation array on the side, various spiritual herbs and spiritual medicines were being frequently sent out.
Yan Jingyu walked over to have a look. Although they were all rare herbs, for Liao Chen, they were not particularly dangerous. It was just that the distance spanned seemed to be very long… And for a person with his personality of often fighting to the death, this was more like mechanical herb gathering.
It also matched his state during this time…
Yan Jingyu relaxed a little. On the other side, someone had already come over. “This is a pill we have refined with phoenix essence. Immortal Lord, please use it in the next few days.”
“…” Yan Jingyu finally understood why he was unwilling to see people.
He nodded. “Do you all also place it in the Gu Dao when you take medicine in the past?”
The crowd stopped their movements and said hesitantly, “Sometimes we also take it orally.”
“…Is there no other way to take medicine?”
Everyone looked at each other with some sympathy. He must have been traumatized by that evil beast a few days ago.
“Actually, when a cultivator takes medicine, they can also refine it with spiritual energy and let it merge into the spiritual energy to travel throughout the body. It’s just that the Immortal Lord’s dantian is now empty…”
“Why didn’t you say so earlier!” Yan Jingyu was annoyed. He had an external spiritual sea!
Although his meridians were now withered and it was difficult to draw in spiritual energy, it was still possible to take medicine. But soon, Yan Jingyu found that he had overestimated himself. The external spiritual sea could only be used externally. Once he tried to draw in spiritual energy, he would immediately have symptoms of spirit-drowning. Every time he refined a pill, it was like swimming eight hundred miles in the water. His whole body was covered in cold sweat, he was dizzy, and the suffocation was unbearable.
He finally couldn’t take it anymore and sent a sound transmission to Liao Chen: “Don’t give them any more essence!!”
Not until the middle of the night did Yan Jingyu receive his response. “Still useless?”
From his tone, it was clear that he was a little lacking in confidence.
Yan Jingyu’s sleepiness was all gone. He sat up straight in bed and formed a seal to transmit his voice. “Where are you?”
“The Bitter Sea of the North Underworld.”
“So far away? No, no, no, don’t transmit this.” Yan Jingyu timely withdrew his posture, thought for a moment, and formed a seal. “I haven’t been to the Bitter Sea yet.”
The spiritual energy of the feather jade was limited after all, and his sound transmission was not as simple as Liao Chen’s. Every time, he had to concentrate his energy to start. And the North Underworld was really too far. After two sounds, the spiritual energy of the feather jade was already more than half gone.
At most, he could only transmit one more sentence…
Yan Jingyu pursed his lips, his arm lifted, but before he could move, a crimson spark suddenly appeared in the bed curtains.
The spark was initially like a mosquito, but gradually grew larger. A circle of sparks appeared at the edge of the space, and the expanding sparks in the center first revealed a pale purple starry sky, with a deep sea below. As the sound of the Kun entered his ears, a school of fish like fireflies appeared in the sea, indistinct and beautiful.
The scorched marks grew larger and larger. He finally saw Liao Chen sitting on a cliff, his black clothes whipping, his expression stern and dignified. His gaze was also watching the burned-through space, and the gradually revealing Yan Jingyu from inside.
Yan Jingyu revealed a smile. Like a swimming fish, he poked his head in, leaped over the long and narrow spatial tunnel, and reached out his hand to him.
Liao Chen held his wrist and pulled him to his side. Yan Jingyu’s feet were suspended in the air. He turned his face to look at the boundless Bitter Sea, the close-fitting sleeping robe on his body swaying, and said with pleasant surprise, “This authority of yours is really useful.”
A black robe was pressed on his body, wrapping him up tightly. Liao Chen took out some socks and clothes, directly held his ankle, and pulled him to his side to sit down, lowering his eyes to put them on for him. “You don’t even know how to wear clothes.”
“I was sleeping, okay?” Yan Jingyu said, “I sent you a message in the afternoon. You only replied so late. You deliberately didn’t want me to hear it, right?”
Liao Chen was clearly still a little uncomfortable. He also looked at the Bitter Sea. “I’m going to get the Kun’s core.”
“Who asked you to get it?”
“I heard that one Kun’s core can increase one’s lifespan by a hundred years.” Liao Chen looked around. Only then did Yan Jingyu discover that the distant cliffs were also standing with various figures. The North Underworld was already considered the outside world. The people who could come here to get the core were at least at the early Taiqing stage. Yan Jingyu subconsciously held his hand. “This is useless to me. Let’s not get involved.”
“How do you know it’s useless?”
“Don’t you have many Longevity Pills?”
“It’s not the same as this.” Liao Chen said, “I heard it can make deadwood come back to life and barren slopes turn green.”
“But if you do this, what’s the difference between you and the people who captured the phoenix demons back then?”
“If I don’t take it, others will.”
“Then we won’t take it either.” Yan Jingyu held his hand tightly. “And the Kun only appears once every hundred years from the Bitter Sea. Whenever it appears, countless stars will surge out from the sea. It’s only for a moment. If anyone takes the Kun’s core, it will be at least a thousand years before we can see it again.”
“That’s a mortal saying.”
“But the Kun has always only swum in the Void Sea. It’s true that the Void Sea and the Bitter Sea only overlap for a moment every hundred years because of the changing stars.”
Liao Chen looked ahead silently. On the star-studded sky, one could already see the ethereal seawater, shimmering, as if a special coating had been applied to the sky. That was the trace of the water of the Void Sea overlapping with the Bitter Sea.
A vast and magnificent sound came from the distant sky. A cultivator on a distant mountain cliff immediately stood up. Liao Chen also quickly got up, but was pulled by Yan Jingyu. “No one can catch the Kun. That moment is already the limit it can show to the world. Unless someone dares to chase it to the Void Sea, I know you have the Li Fire now and can get out no matter what, but I don’t want it to disappear just like that.”
Liao Chen looked at him, then broke free from his hand. “You can think.”
His figure flew away from the cliff. Yan Jingyu had no choice but to stand up. “Liao Chen…”
Liao Chen turned his hand and slapped him back into the bed curtains. He didn’t look back and rushed towards the illusion in the sky with all the cultivators. “No one can stop me from what this Lord wants to do.”
Tens of thousands of stars surged up from the Bitter Sea. The cultivators attacked at the same time. In an instant, blood was splattered like ink among the stars.
A huge and sacred figure slowly emerged. ‘Lian Feng’ instantly passed through the burned-through space and stabbed straight into the thick and elastic abdomen.
The magnificent and vast sound was tinged with a tragic pain.
Liao Chen turned his hand and crushed a cultivator’s head, at the same time twisting his waist to dodge an extremely fast sword. As he flipped over, he burned through space and came to another person’s back.
His blood, the Kun’s blood, and the blood of the people who also came to fight for the Kun’s core, dripped down.
Amidst the countless stars, one after another, crimson and demonic flowers bloomed.
The burned-through space in the bed curtains slowly closed. Yan Jingyu soon couldn’t see anything.
This was the process of Liao Chen finding medicine for him each time.
Those spiritual herbs and spiritual medicines were always being watched by countless people. Everyone had someone they wanted to save, and everyone could die at the hands of another for the sake of another person.
The winner had committed countless killings, and the loser died on the spot, with nothing.
Yan Jingyu sat on the bed in a daze. After a long time, he let out a slow sigh…
If I had known, that day when the immortal physicians said his efforts were useless, I should have stopped him.
“Be safe… Liao Qi Mei.”
The stars fell back into the Bitter Sea. The Kun’s huge figure sank into the Void Sea and disappeared without a trace.
The Li Fire burned through space. Liao Chen did not hesitate to step forward. As his figure disappeared into the void, he suddenly heard a conversation between a Daoist couple from another mountain cliff—
“What a pity. This Void Sea and the Bitter Sea only overlap once every hundred years. They say that as long as you come to see the Kun with your beloved and make a wish to it, you can be together for a lifetime. I didn’t expect… to witness its fall with my own eyes.”
“It doesn’t matter! Even without it, we will still be together for a lifetime!”
In the void, the man in black stopped his steps and looked at the blue core in his hand, which was covered in blood but still looked like starlight scattered in the deep sea.
After a long while, he forcefully wiped the blood off on his clothes and put it in his bag.
