Chapter 11

Darkness.

Boundless darkness once again.

Zhang Xingyu searched for light in the darkness. He did not find light, but he did find a black crystal.

This black crystal seemed to hold him in great contempt.

Zhang Xingyu heard it mutter to itself: "Such a weakling soul, how is it worthy of being my host?"

Just as Zhang Xingyu was about to retort, strands of golden, shimmering rain suddenly fell from the pitch-black void.

These golden rain strands emitted a faint, refreshing fragrance that made one feel clear-headed and invigorated.

Zhang Xingyu greedily took deep breaths, wanting to absorb all these golden rain strands into his body. With every strand he absorbed, he felt a fraction more comfortable.

By the time he had absorbed all the rain strands in the air, he felt completely at ease, and the previous sensation of being torn apart and the feeling of helpless despair had all vanished.

"This idiot host actually has good luck, being able to mend his soul," the black crystal muttered softly.

Although its voice was barely audible, Zhang Xingyu heard it clearly. He looked up at the black crystal floating in the void and saw that it was multi-faceted, pitch-black and shiny, with its surface covered in cracks.

I feel like I've seen this stone somewhere before, but I can't recall it for the moment. Since I can't recall it, I won't think about it. So, Zhang Xingyu asked the black crystal: "That stone, what is this place, and can I get out?"

The black crystal shook slightly.

At the same time, Zhang Xingyu heard a mechanical, cold voice: "Idiot host, this is your Divine Court. You have now mended your soul, so naturally, you can leave. Also, remember, this System is not a stone."

"That's great." Zhang Xingyu jumped up with joy. He only focused on the first half of what the black crystal said, and as for the last sentence, he selectively ignored it.

He hopped around in the void a few times, then asked again: "That stone, how can I get out?"

"Walk forward, do not look back. Idiot host, I remind you again, this System is the God Realm System, not that stone. In the future, show this System some respect." The black crystal shook again.

"Okay, that stone!" Zhang Xingyu nodded, took a step, and walked toward the endless void.

Behind him, the black crystal was so angry it jumped up and down, shivering.

After walking for a while, a glimmer of light appeared ahead.

Zhang Xingyu woke up and found himself lying in a low cave.

A roaring bonfire was burning in the cave, and Wu Tie was sitting by the fire roasting something.

Zhang Xingyu struggled to sit up and called out softly: "Wu Tie."

Wu Tie turned around, saw that Zhang Xingyu had woken up, and walked over carrying what was in his hands.

"God Child, you're awake. Eat something." As he spoke, he handed over the roasted wild chicken.

Smelling the fragrance of the wild chicken, Zhang Xingyu's stomach growled uncontrollably.

He reached out to take the roasted chicken, tore off a leg, and began to gnaw on it in large bites.

A chicken leg was quickly devoured, and Zhang Xingyu felt much better in his empty stomach.

Just as he was about to tear off the other leg, he looked up and saw Wu Tie standing to the side, staring straight at him. Wu Tie's Adam's apple bobbed rhythmically, and a gulping sound kept coming from his throat.

Zhang Xingyu felt embarrassed, put his hand down, and handed the roasted chicken over: "Brother Wu Tie, you should eat some too."

Wu Tie took the roasted chicken and gnawed on it in large bites without standing on ceremony. Except in front of the girl he admired, he never cared about his table manners. Moreover, he was not a person who stood on ceremony. In these wild mountains and forests, those who stood on ceremony would only starve to death.

Before long, the remaining half of the roasted chicken was eaten without a scrap left, and bare chicken bones were scattered at his feet.

After finishing the roasted chicken, Wu Tie gulped down a few mouthfuls of cold water, wiped the grease from the corners of his mouth with his sleeve, and walked back to Zhang Xingyu.

Zhang Xingyu gestured for him to sit down as he pleased, then asked: "Brother Wu Tie, where are we?"

"This is a valley outside the village, probably a few dozen miles away from the village," Wu Tie replied.

"How did we get here? What about Miss Yuyao and Grandma Wu and the others?" Zhang Xingyu pressed.

Seeing Zhang Xingyu's worried expression, Wu Tie felt a bit moved and recounted what happened after he fell unconscious.

That day, Zhang Xingyu killed the Feather Immortal with one arrow.

He himself had exhausted his soul and fell into a coma.

Grandma Wu, the Great Elder of Kuafu Village, was also seriously injured and in critical condition.

In the end, the village elders discussed and decided to evacuate the clansmen from Kuafu Village via a secret passage.

The evacuees were divided into two groups.

Wu Tie, Gu Yuyao, and Zhang Xingyu were the first group, leading the way out.

The elders led the clansmen and the injured Grandma Wu as the second group, evacuating afterward.

Before leaving, the elders instructed Wu Tie and Gu Yuyao not to stop once they were out and to head south as quickly as possible.

Wu Tie carried Zhang Xingyu on his back, Gu Yuyao held the night-luminescent pearl, and the three of them walked in the narrow secret passage for half a day before crossing a large mountain outside the village and exiting the long valley.

When they arrived outside the valley, it was already late at night.

Wu Tie carried Zhang Xingyu on his back, and together with Gu Yuyao, they walked another twenty or thirty miles south in the dark, arriving at a small stream to drink water and rest.

However, Zhang Xingyu had not woken up since falling unconscious, and the two were very anxious.

The two drank some water and were about to get up to continue their journey.

Just then, several colorful light shadows suddenly appeared in the sky.

The light shadows flashed past above their heads like meteors.

They were cultivators.

Wu Tie and Gu Yuyao looked at each other, neither daring to speak aloud.

After these cultivators flew away, Wu Tie carried Zhang Xingyu on his back, and they set off south again with Gu Yuyao.

They trekked over mountains and through water, walking another twenty or thirty miles south under the cover of night, and by then, it was broad daylight.

Wu Tie and Gu Yuyao breathed a sigh of relief and were just about to find a place to feed Zhang Xingyu something.

At this moment, a woman draped in colorful rosy garments suddenly flew down from the sky on a sword and landed directly in front of the three.

This woman looked to be about thirty or forty years old and was very beautiful.

After she flew down, her pair of phoenix eyes never moved away from Gu Yuyao. The woman stared at Gu Yuyao, examining her carefully from head to toe.

After a while, she nodded and asked softly: "Little girl, what is your name, and where are you from?"

Gu Yuyao was very nervous from being stared at and did not answer the woman's question for a long time.

Wu Tie, who was beside her, saw this and quickly answered for her: "This Immortal Sister, she is my younger sister, named Gu Yuyao. We live in a mountain village on the other side of the mountain."

"Gu Yuyao, a good name." The woman in colorful garments nodded, seemingly very satisfied with the name.

Immediately, she said again: "I observe that your sister has clear bones and excellent aptitude; she is good material for cultivation. Ask her if she is willing to take me as her master and go with me to cultivate."

"Yuyao, this Immortal wants to take you as her disciple, what do you think?" Wu Tie looked at Gu Yuyao.

At this moment, Gu Yuyao had steadied her mind. She gave a graceful bow to the female Immortal and said: "Thank you, Immortal Sister, for your favor. But my companion is seriously injured and unconscious, and I still need to find medicine to treat him. So..."

Before Gu Yuyao could finish her refusal, the female Immortal raised her hand to stop her.

"Don't be in such a hurry to refuse. Do you know who this humble Daoist is?"

Gu Yuyao shook her head, indicating she did not know.

The female Immortal was not annoyed and introduced herself softly: "This humble Daoist is the Pavilion Master of the Tianya Hai Ge. Our Tianya Hai Ge is one of the most powerful sects in this Xuantiandalu. I see that you are good material for cultivation and cannot bear to see you die of old age in these wild mountains, which is why I want to take you as a disciple. Do you know that if it were anyone else, they couldn't even get me to take them as a disciple even if they begged?"

"But, Xingyu is sick and is still unconscious, I have to save him," Gu Yuyao explained in a low voice.

The female Immortal glanced at Zhang Xingyu on Wu Tie's back and slightly furrowed her delicate brows.

"He had part of his soul sucked away by something, which is why he is unconscious. Did you encounter any demons before?" the female Immortal asked.

Wu Tie and Gu Yuyao shook their heads in unison.

The female Immortal did not press further; she asked Gu Yuyao: "What is he to you?"

"He is my, my patient," Gu Yuyao answered stammeringly.

"If you want him to wake up, you must mend his soul," the female Immortal pointed out.

"Immortal Sister, do you have a way to mend his soul?" Gu Yuyao asked anxiously.

"I do," the female Immortal answered affirmatively.

"Immortal Sister, please save Xingyu!" Gu Yuyao stepped forward and grabbed her sleeve, pleading.

"Saving him is not very difficult; a Soul-Nourishing Pill will suffice. It's just that this Soul-Nourishing Pill is refined from seventy-seven forty-nine types of precious medicinal herbs that nourish the soul and is extremely rare. For me to use it on an unrelated mortal, I am quite reluctant," the female Immortal said leisurely.

Gu Yuyao was very anxious: "He is not an unrelated person; he is my friend."

The female Immortal smiled: "He is your friend, not this humble Daoist's friend, so what does it have to do with me? Unless..."

When the female Immortal said the word "unless," she stopped.

"Unless what?" Gu Yuyao asked anxiously.

"Unless he is someone related to this humble Daoist, such as being my disciple, or a relative or friend of my disciple," the female Immortal laughed.

"Please save Xingyu. I am willing to be your disciple. If I become your disciple, Xingyu will be someone related to you," Gu Yuyao pleaded loudly.

"Good!"

Upon hearing this, the female Immortal immediately took a pure white jade bottle from her storage ring.

Inside this jade bottle was a snow-white pill, the size of a longan, with a fluorescent glow on its surface.

The female Immortal took out the pill, stuffed it into Zhang Xingyu's mouth, and then explained softly: "Once he dissolves the pill, he will wake up in three days."

"It takes that long?" Gu Yuyao asked suspiciously.

"Silly girl, his soul is damaged; being able to mend his soul and wake up is already a tremendous stroke of fortune," the female Immortal said softly, looking at Gu Yuyao.

After a pause, she raised her voice: "Alright, I have already treated the person, now you should perform the apprenticeship ceremony!"

"Greetings, Master."

Gu Yuyao had no choice but to step forward, kneel on the ground, and kowtow respectfully three times.

The female Immortal accepted her apprenticeship ceremony with a smile and then stepped forward to gently help her up.

Then, the female Immortal smiled and said to Gu Yuyao: "Since you have already taken me as your master, you need to know my name. My surname is Zhuge, and my given name is Qing. As your master, I have cultivated for over a thousand years and have only taken three disciples. Above you, there is a First Senior Sister and a Second Senior Sister; you will naturally see them when you return to the sect in the future. As for the sect's rules, I will explain them to you in detail on the way."

After a pause, she added: "Good disciple, go and say goodbye to your brother now; we will set off for the sect in a quarter of an hour."

"Master, can't we wait for Xingyu to wake up before leaving?" Gu Yuyao pleaded.

Zhuge Qing shook her head gently: "No. There are many affairs in the sect; how can I delay here? If you are fated, you will naturally be able to reunite in the future."

Gu Yuyao had no choice but to tearfully step forward to say goodbye to Wu Tie: "Brother Wu Tie, take care. And, take good care of Zhang Xingyu."

"Take care, Yuyao." Wu Tie was also extremely reluctant.

Gu Yuyao had tears in her eyes, looking back every step of the way, but in the end, she stepped onto Zhuge Qing's flying sword.

The flying sword soared into the sky. A moment later, a hearty laugh came from the sky: "Although this old woman did not find any treasure, I have taken a good disciple here. This trip was truly not in vain, haha! Haha!"