Chapter 49 Part 3

But undeniably, the new method was much faster. In just two years, Lian Yunzhi broke through to Great Ascension, and in another three years, he reached half-step ascension—Tribulation Transcendence Stage.

Yet the final step refused to break through.

Until that day, he climbed the stairs and went up another floor.

This was the Near Heaven Tower’s topmost floor.

This floor was strange—no demon beasts, no techniques, no cultivation chambers.

Only a clean, beautiful Spirit Lake brimming with spiritual power, crystal clear to the bottom.

Lian Yunzhi stepped in as if bewitched, transforming into a miniature true form and immersing his entire body.

So comfortable…

Lian Yunzhi closed his eyes.

.

The wind gently swayed, the moon hung in the clouds.

Lian Yunzhi saw a vine dangling from a tree, hanging down before him. The vine asked, “What are you?”

Lian Yunzhi answered, “I am a stalk of Spirit Capturing Grass.”

Vine: “You’re so lucky, growing right by the secret realm’s spirit pool. No people, no demon beasts here. You might grow huge, transform into human form, and ascend to immortality.”

Yeah, yeah.

Lian Yunzhi happily swayed in the wind.

Day after day, the little Spirit Capturing Grass grew bigger and bigger. He drained the spirit pool’s water, extended his roots far away, and found another spirit pool.

“That’s the Millennium Cold Pool,” the vine envied. “So abundant in spiritual energy.”

Lian Yunzhi’s leaves curled uncomfortably. “The pool water’s too cold. I like it warmer.”

The vine curiously asked, “Do all Spirit Capturing Grass like high temperatures?”

Lian Yunzhi shook his leaves. “No, only me.”

…Huh?

Why only me? Lian Yunzhi tilted his stem and leaves in the wind.

The Spirit Capturing Grass grew taller and taller, but at a certain height, it stopped.

“Why aren’t you growing anymore?” the vine asked.

Lian Yunzhi whispered, “I’m too fragrant. If I grow taller, I’ll be eaten.”

The vine laughed. “No people or demon beasts here to eat you. This is a perfect secret realm.”

Lian Yunzhi tentatively grew a bit taller. Indeed, no one ate him. But his leaves suddenly drooped. He suddenly felt so sad.

The vine asked, “What’s wrong?”

Lian Yunzhi said, “I feel so lonely.”

Vine: “I’m here with you.”

Lian Yunzhi looked at it. “But I still feel lonely. I feel like the one with me shouldn’t be you, but… but…”

But a youth tied to a tree.

Lian Yunzhi’s roots suddenly stiffened—he remembered! That youth was still tied to the tree waiting for him to deliver the Soul Scattering Needles!

Lian Yunzhi panicked, uprooting himself from the soil and hurrying outward.

The vine hurriedly asked, “Where are you going?”

Lian Yunzhi said, “Back to where I came from! Someone’s waiting for me there!”

Vine: “Even if going back means imprisonment for ten thousand years? Even if staying here lets you ascend to immortality soon, you still want to go back?”

Lian Yunzhi turned his head. “Yes, someone there needs my company. And I’ll still strive to cultivate and ascend after going back!”

Vine: “He needs you, but what about you? You’re Spirit Capturing Grass, but you have immortal affinity. Haven’t you thought of living for yourself?”

Lian Yunzhi: “I need him too. I like him. Only he can fill my loneliness. My immortal affinity came from him too—his blazing fire mutated me, his tears protected my body.”

Lian Yunzhi walked forward step by step, then suddenly shifted to human form. He started running, faster and faster. He couldn’t wait to see Mu Cheng sooner. He missed him so much. It had been so long, a full sixteen years since he’d seen Mu Cheng.

His footsteps abruptly halted.

Sixteen years…?

No! He was in the Near Heaven Tower now! This was an illusion?!

In an instant, everything around him changed. The secret realm vanished, and Lian Yunzhi returned to the top floor of the Near Heaven Tower. Beneath his feet… lay a pile of bones.

All corpses of half-step ascension cultivators!

Cold sweat instantly beaded on Lian Yunzhi’s back. If he had indulged in the “perfect cultivation illusion” the Near Heaven Tower built for him and failed to awaken, those bones underfoot would be his fate—and the ascension day in the illusion would be his death!

Lian Yunzhi’s hairs stood on end. He snapped his head up, only to see the secret realm’s vine had become a dark green venomous snake clinging to the Near Heaven Tower’s wall, coldly watching him. The moment their gazes met, the venomous snake shot toward Lian Yunzhi like a cold arrow!

Lian Yunzhi immediately flung out his vines—one part firmly guarding his body, the other swiftly striking the venomous snake!

But the venomous snake was far more troublesome than imagined. Every vine tried its utmost to capture it, to absorb its spiritual power, but the snake slithered through the gaps. Each bite made the vines wither and sent unbearable pain through Lian Yunzhi’s limbs!

Lian Yunzhi gritted his teeth, retracted all vines, pulled out his long-unused flying sword, and unleashed sword strikes at the snake! Sword arts and spells assaulted together. After an exhausting entanglement that drained both sides, Lian Yunzhi finally trapped the venomous snake firmly with the Golden Cage Formation and thrust his sword!

Bang!

The venomous snake exploded into a pile of green mist. Before the vines could capture and absorb it, the mist rapidly reformed into an even larger venomous snake lunging at Lian Yunzhi!