Chapter 298: Let Me Handle This! (Requesting Moon Tickets! Requesting Subscription!)

Time flew by swiftly; in the blink of an eye, a day and night passed, yet even after the garden where the gourd vine lay was entirely shrouded by the qi of life and death, the strange phenomena showed no sign of fading.

Clearly, the head of the Heaven-Repairing Sect and its elders were not extraordinary geniuses like Wu Xian—they had little resistance against the accumulated millennia of death qi eroding the gourd vine, and staying too long caused visible signs of bodily decay.

Thus, after confirming that the Sacrificial Spirit was slowly reviving, these Heaven-Repairing Sect elders flew out of the garden and established layered arrays and barriers to confine the death qi within the garden, preventing it from leaking out and harming ordinary disciples.

Simultaneously, they immediately ordered all disciples outside the sect to return immediately, then activated the sect’s grand protective seal to lock down the pure land, aiming to suppress the news and prevent outsiders from learning of the gourd vine’s current state, lest anyone exploit the opportunity to invade and disrupt its revival.

Suddenly, the atmosphere within the Heaven-Repairing Sect grew heavy; though many disciples did not know the full situation, they sensed an oppressive pressure like a storm before rain, all tense and even walking in pairs at night, fearing they might encounter something terrifying.

Thus, two more days passed in calm silence, yet within the Heaven-Repairing Sect’s disciple circles, a minor rumor spread.

It was said that Shi Yi, the double-pupiled youth who had only recently joined the Heaven-Repairing Sect, had encountered some problem—on the second day after the pure land was sealed, he suddenly announced he was entering deep seclusion and refused all challenges from other disciples.

This behavior was highly unusual, unlike the double-pupiled youth’s past demeanor.

Some speculated he had encountered a cultivation mishap and needed seclusion to repair himself; others claimed he had been defeated by a mysterious Heaven-Repairing Sect disciple, severely wounded, and was now forced to retreat to heal.

Whichever was true, it proved the double-pupiled youth was currently in dire condition—his most vulnerable moment—and disciples who had previously suffered defeats at his hands could not help but stir with thoughts.

Especially those with petty hearts, eager to take revenge on Shi Yi, sent someone daily to his cave entrance to shout and provoke him, demanding another duel to reclaim their lost face.

Shi Yi ignored them entirely, as if truly entering death seclusion—until several Heaven-Repairing Sect elders intervened and temporarily put an end to the matter.

But after this incident, the double-pupiled youth’s reputation of invincibility among his peers had significantly diminished; he was no longer as mysterious or unbeatable as before.

“Boom—”

Half a month later, thunderous roars echoed above the Heaven-Repairing Sect’s pure land; golden lightning erupted in the sky, then dissolved into radiant rain that fell upon the garden, sealed by layers of arrays.

Seeing this, the Heaven-Repairing Sect’s many elders grew ecstatic and immediately dismantled the arrays, allowing the radiant rain to flow faster into the garden’s depths.

At this moment, the yin-yang fish-like qi of life and death had vanished, replaced by an endless ocean of runes.

They filled the void, arranging into countless forms, faintly coalescing into a magnificent Five Elements and Eight Trigrams array, glowing brilliantly.

Among them, the Five Elements rune—the character “Wood,” symbolizing life—suddenly blazed with emerald light, spreading outward like ripples on a lake.

Instantly, the entire Heaven-Repairing Sect was flooded with vital life qi, connecting heaven and earth; merely breathing it in, even elderly sect elders felt their bodies light and their qi abundant, brimming with boundless vitality, as if rejuvenated by decades.

“Such rich and pure life energy—could the vine truly have undergone another transformation, living a second life!”

Far away, countless ten thousand miles distant, divine light bathed the heavens, overwhelming the sky; a figure with twin wings stood terrifyingly in the void, like a demonic god descending.

“From ancient times until now, having lived so long, it still endures—utterly unbelievable.”

Far away, a monstrous bird radiated terror, its massive body veiled in roaring black mist, its eyes as large as lakes, reflecting on the heavens like twin blood moons.

“Impossible! It’s merely a false god—its divine flame should have long since extinguished. It’s only holding on by force. Today, I’ll see clearly!”

On another side, countless ten thousand miles away, a being stood atop a great mountain; with one step, a golden path appeared beneath his feet, surging straight toward the Heaven-Repairing Sect’s location.

Not only him—two other figures were also rushing toward this place, clearly determined to confirm the gourd vine’s true condition.

If it truly revived and extended its lifespan, they would immediately withdraw, abandoning their plan to besiege the Heaven-Repairing Sect—or at least reconsider.

But if the gourd vine was merely bluffing, they had no objection to striking early, slaying the ancient vine, seizing the divine seed it left behind, and gaining the chance to ascend to the Divine Flame realm.

…

“Thank you, young friend.”

Within the Heaven-Repairing Sect’s ancient garden, the gourd vine thrived with vitality; its once-dull leaves rapidly turned green, then became translucent, radiating serene, precious light.

Simultaneously, the gourds on the vine rumbled, emitting chaotic qi, as if a terrifying cosmic melody resonated.

“No need. Just remember your promise.”

Opposite him, Wu Xian stood and stretched, his entire body crackling like popping roasted soybeans.

Behind him, the vast inner universe cavern had vanished, yet his aura was overwhelming—clearly, he had successfully remade his true self and entered the Transformation Spirit realm.

Moreover, after continuously practicing the “Withering and Revival Nirvana Art” for half a month, absorbing and transforming life and death qi, Wu Xian’s body, soul, and spiritual power had all made tremendous progress; his combat power naturally soared—he could easily defeat two or three of his former self.

Thinking this, Wu Xian gazed at the gourd vine, gradually regaining its youth, his eyes flickering with flame; after a moment, he shook his head: “You’ve extended your lifespan, but only temporarily—at most ten years, you’ll return to decay. To truly escape this predicament, you must break through to the True One realm.”

The True One realm, also called the True God realm, is the next stage after Divine Flame, requiring deeper comprehension of cosmic laws and the true ignition of divine flame—so stable that even after death, it will not extinguish.

The ancient gourd vine had lived for millennia, far surpassing ordinary Divine Flame cultivators; its understanding of cosmic laws had long met the requirement, lacking only foundation.

But now, Wu Xian’s Withering and Revival Nirvana Art had filled this gap—the gourd vine’s life energy was overflowing, the perfect moment to break through the critical barrier. Miss it, and it would never again have the chance to become a True God.

“I understand your meaning, young friend, but some will not watch me break through in silence.”

The gourd vine spoke, its voice tinged with bitterness and helplessness.

“Hah! A bunch of rotten potatoes and broken eggs.”

Wu Xian glanced outside, spotting three figures hovering beyond the Heaven-Repairing Sect’s borders, watching with predatory intent; his lips curled in a scornful sneer.

“Help someone all the way… Old Gourd, focus on your breakthrough. As for those three, leave them to me.”

(End of Chapter)