Chapter 124

Zhou Shuo refined the thoughts of one hundred and eight four-times heavenly tribulations; his soul cultivation not only recovered to its former state but also increased significantly. Although he cannot match a true ghost immortal who has passed four heavenly tribulations, his cultivation has greatly increased, and his soul possesses some of the qualities of a four-times tribulation ghost immortal—there are many benefits.

His cultivation suddenly surged, Zhou Shuo felt an itch he couldn't bear, wanting to test his divine abilities on the spot, but recalling the earlier warning of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden, he honestly suppressed his thoughts, then summoned his subordinates, explained the affairs of Fangsheng Hall, indicating he would go on a distant journey and not return for a short while, and then the rest is up to you all!

In short, after a bunch of talk, Zhou Shuo dismissed his subordinates, then summoned the already cracked portal of passage. Frankly, looking at the spatial door cracked with countless fissures, Zhou Shuo felt a little afraid; this fear differed from the terror of seeing Chiyou, being instead a dread of facing despair—if this door were destroyed, he might be forever trapped in this world.

"Oh my god…" Zhou Shuo reached out and pushed open the cracked door, returning to the independent void, and involuntarily burst out in a loud curse. The three great doors in the space were all damaged to varying degrees; the most severely affected was the black-and-white alien world's door, nearly completely shattered; next was the Qin dynasty world's door, on the verge of breaking; while the Yangshen world's door only had a few obvious cracks.

After cursing at the three great doors, Zhou Shuo felt a sudden chill rise in his heart as he recalled something; he wanted to open this void, but the rift that led home did not appear as it usually did.

"It's over." Zhou Shuo stared at the pitch-black void, his heart turning ice-cold; he could not return to the modern era, nor see his mother.

Zhou Shuo stared blankly; the road home was cut off just like that—how was his mother to fare? Who would support her now that he was gone? If she…

Feeling his distracting thoughts, Zhou Shuo hastily cut them off; if he kept thinking like that, he would ruin himself. Now that the die is cast, the only thing he can do is: first, not to provoke Chiyou, since he cannot beat him; second, to increase his cultivation and try to repair the transit space; if that fails, then he will go all-out against that bastard Chiyou.

"Chiyou, you damn bastard, wait for me!" Zhou Shuo took a deep breath, cleared his distracting thoughts, glanced at the cyan-black fissure gate of the Qin world and cursed, then turned and pushed open the gold-red Yang God gate, glanced back before stepping through, and plunged headfirst into another world within the void.

Within Yun Country, everything appeared calm and tranquil; Zhou Shuo had just set foot in his quiet chamber when he immediately sensed Chan Yinsha being startled and her approach; he closed his eyes briefly to regulate his breath for a few seconds, then opened them and gazed at Chan Yinsha rushing in from outside.

"You're back?" Chan Yinsha, still dressed in a light white gauze robe, wore an expression full of concern.

"Mm, I'm back. Nothing happened lately, right? Did Hongyi leave?" Zhou Shuo looked at his concerned sister and nodded with a smile.

"He left, just a few days ago. Jingren the monk and he departed together, though his disciples remain here." Chan Yinsha looked at the unremarkable fellow, set her worries aside, but she always felt this fellow hid a great secret from her, appearing and disappearing suddenly each time.

"Won't they bring trouble to Yun Country?" Zhou Shuo blurted out; the monks of the Great Chan Temple are wanted by the Great Qian Dynasty, and if caught, the dynasty would have cause to send troops against Yun Country, which, given the peak strength of the Central Plains' Tian Prefecture, Yun Country could not withstand.

"Hmph, a few people I can still protect; besides, those monks have now started growing their hair, so they won't give anyone a handle." Chan Yinsha's face showed pride; as the esteemed Silver Shark King, could she not protect a few individuals?

"……" Zhou Shuo glanced at the Silver Shark King's proud expression, involuntarily twitching the corner of his mouth; "Sis, do you not realize you're being a stubbornly proud tsundere?"

"Well then, what do you plan to do now that you're back?" Chan Yinsha looked at his subtle expression, her face flushing crimson; she also felt that if she hadn't said that last remark just now, the effect would have been better, her pride more genuine.

"Mm, first I've had some fortuitous encounters; I need to cultivate and break through, then head to Yin Prefecture." Zhou Shuo looked at Chan Yinsha's flushed face, a knowing smile appearing, then as he spoke of going to Yin Prefecture his tone hesitated slightly.

"Are you going to Jade Lotus Mountain to seek Yaochi Dao?" Hearing the name "Yin Prefecture," Chan Yinsha's complexion shifted slightly; after being with Zhou Shuo for so long, she had almost forgotten he had two prospective future dao partners.

"Mm." Zhou Shuo, seeing Chan Yinsha's changing expression, silently thought, "As expected."

"I'll go with you!" Chan Yinsha narrowed her eyes, without any beating around the bush.

"That, I don't think it's necessary." Zhou Shuo said somewhat unnaturally, looking at his sister's narrowed eyes.

"I must; if I don't go see them, how can I become your dao partner? Or perhaps you don't wish to be with me!" Chan Yinsha looked at the awkward Zhou Shuo, hiding nothing.

"Yinsha, I'm sorry." Zhou Shuo gazed at his sister's tightly narrowed eyes, his expression fixed on her, shaking his head slightly; if he truly had to make a choice, he could absolutely not abandon the sister flowers, for they had chosen him in his most desperate moment.

"Pa—" a brilliant electric arc exploded before him, startling Zhou Shuo into stepping back a step; he stared, eyes wide, at Chan Yinsha, whose gaze was dark and whose aura grew increasingly perilous.

"Um… Yinsha, don't misunderstand, I—I…" Zhou Shuo looked at the increasingly perilous Chan Yinsha, at a loss for words; "Our feelings haven't reached that point yet, have they?"

"Once you've decided, if you choose those two girls, Yaochi Dao may become your obstacle." Chan Yinsha's gaze turned gloomy; she had always believed she had won Zhou Shuo's heart, but now everything seemed like a mere fling, a playboy's flowery game.

"Yinsha, I'm very fond of you, but I cannot give up Yue Ru and Yue Ting; they are very important to me. As for Yaochi Dao's opinion, they can keep it themselves; I'll give them a chance to voice their views." Zhou Shuo labored to organize his words, explaining the importance of the sister flowers, but it felt somewhat counterproductive.

"So you also intend to give me a chance to speak?" Chan Yinsha felt a tightness in her chest; such overbearingness—was he planning to gather all blessings for himself?

"Yinsha, hear me out—I don't mean that; I do like you, but the sister flowers chose me in my most desperate moment, while you…" Zhou Shuo looked at his sister surrounded by flashing electric arcs, striving to explain.

"My fondness for you is the same as for the sister flowers, but the circumstances differ." Zhou Shuo, after struggling for a while, barely managed to express his meaning; he indeed had that notion of collecting all blessings, but it was merely a thought—if he couldn't become lovers, you wouldn't need such a thing.

"They chose you in your most desperate moment, I…" Chan Yinsha's gloomy expression flickered, the electric arcs around her dimming and fading; this fellow, when meeting her, had strength approaching that of a human immortal—no longer the time of his despair.

"Sorry, back then I intentionally approached you, you…" Zhou Shuo looked at his sister's slightly stalled expression, certainly nodding; at that time he was no longer desperate, for Chan Yinsha was beautiful and strong, and since he intended to venture into the wilderness to seize treasure, he had made some deliberate contact.

"What?" Chan Yinsha looked at the hem-and-haw fellow, her brows raising.

"You're very beautiful, I'm moved." Zhou Shuo looked at his sister whose brows were raised, decisively shelving his goal of venturing into the wilderness to seize treasure; saying this now was obviously unwise.

"……" Chan Yinsha listened to Zhou Shuo's words, a flush rising on her face.

"Yinsha, I think I'll leave for now." Zhou Shuo looked at his sister's reddened face, shifted his steps slightly; he felt that staying longer would be quite bad.

"Where do you want to go?" Chan Yinsha, a bit indignant, watched as he moved to detour around her and leave, and couldn't help asking.

"First I'll go elsewhere; I feel it's best I not appear before you right now." Zhou Shuo honestly confessed his feelings, looking at his sister whose redness had not faded.

"You think staying out of my sight will suffice?" Chan Yinsha chuckled, somewhat amused.

"Mm, perhaps after your anger subsides a bit…" Zhou Shuo glanced elsewhere; being with the present Chan Yinsha was truly awkward.

"No need for you to go; I'll leave first." Chan Yinsha held her breath.

"Well… this is your place." Zhou Shuo felt a little embarrassed.

"Get lost." Chan Yinsha snapped; Zhou Shuo slightly shrank his head, sensibly saying nothing, merely letting her depart.

"Phew." Zhou Shuo, watching her retreating figure, involuntarily let out a sigh; this affair was finally over—juggling two boats is truly dangerous, not something a person can manage, but now that it's out in the open it's better; this isn't the time to consider it, he must hurry to cultivate and seize the moment to repair the transit space.

"Cultivation." Zhou Shuo closed his eyes, sensed the heaven-and-earth qi field, refined the thoughts of one hundred and eight four-times heavenly tribulations; the heaven-and-earth qi field became intricate, not only that field but his own qi field grew sensitive, feeling that every muscle fiber and drop of blood throughout his body was imprinted in his mind like an X‑ray, and each strand of true qi flowing within could be grasped by his consciousness.

"This is space." Zhou Shuo extended his right hand; a slight stir of his consciousness caused the invisible heaven-and-earth qi field to envelop the futon and sundry items inside the room, lifting them slightly off the ground effortlessly, steady and clanging.