Chapter 5: Fish

"Don't change the subject, dispel the barrier." Jiang Yu wasn't taken in by him; although the spiritual energy in the space was good, she actually couldn't stay inside to cultivate, which was really useless.

However, cultivation isn't just closed-door seclusion; ultimately one must still communicate with the heavenly and earthly spiritual energy, and perceive the sun, moon, stars, wind, rain, thunder, and lightning.

She could do without this thing, but the other party being so "frank" makes it hard to guarantee they won't kill to silence after obtaining the treasure.

Jiang Bai impolitely sat on the stool, after withdrawing the barrier, he rubbed his storage bag to take out tea set and pour water, saying, "Initially I wasn't sure who had the item, so I could only roughly sense the direction of the other fish token with this piece."

Then I found the trial grounds where various sects recruit disciples on Heaven South Mountain; it just happened to be the entry time, so I had no choice but to register and enter to look."

He tapped the fish-shaped wooden carving on the table, then turned the tables and invited Jiang Yu to sit down and drink tea.

Jiang Yu stood motionless at the doorway, one hand clenched in her sleeve secretly gripping a talisman, and gestured for him to continue speaking.

"The first trial gate had too many scattered people; I searched for a long time before finding you."

"At that time you had just wounded the Crimson Flame Tiger, so you probably didn't notice the anomaly in your storage bag." While speaking, a strand of azure spiritual energy from Jiang Bai's fingers wrapped around the fish carving.

The other fish carving inside Jiang Yu's storage bag immediately trembled incessantly, saying, "It's of higher grade than the storage bag, so why can it still be placed inside?"

"Because it is merely the key to the Great Luo Cave Heaven, not a true space."

"At least over a hundred people possess this key."

"Any cultivator sucked into it will have a cave heaven mark placed on their body."

"On the day it opens, no matter where you are, it will bring you inside." Jiang Bai paused, then decided to explain everything to her at once.

He rolled up his left sleeve, revealing the fish-shaped mark on the inner side of his forearm, saying, "Initially I also thought it was a space, so I placed some items inside, but I didn't expect to encounter a spatial rift, which separated the two fish tokens."

"I believe you have discovered that after entering the space for less than thirty breaths, the body is forcibly ejected."

Jiang Yu's second entry into the space on the decked boat was indeed like that, so she couldn't cultivate inside.

Moreover, she also had several identical fish-shaped marks on her arm, and she had never figured out what was going on.

All I heard Jiang Bai still saying was: "I won't kill you."

"If you die, it will acknowledge your fish token's self-destruction."

"By then, I won't only be unable to retrieve my own belongings; relying solely on half a key in my hand, there's a good chance I won't be able to enter the cave heaven it opens." Jiang Bai sized her up and said:

"If he could kill her, Jiang Bai would not repeatedly come to discuss with her."

Jiang Yu didn't miss the fleeting cold light in his eyes, asking, "Your fish token has already recognized a master; can it still recognize another?"

"One yin, one yang of the Taiji—it is inherently capable of bringing two people inside."

"Those who wish to enter the cave heaven alone simply need not team up with others." Previously, Jiang Bai had never shared this idea with anyone.

Jiang Yu pursued: "What time does it open, and what cultivation level is required to enter?"

"The next opening is in ten years; at minimum, one must be at early Foundation Establishment or higher to enter."

"You……" Jiang Bai sized her up and said: "When fighting the Crimson Flame Tiger, your current cultivation method is somewhat weak."

"It's best to hurry to the Library Pavilion and find a suitable cultivation method to practice."

Jiang Yu practices the most ordinary Leading Qi Method; joining the sect was precisely to obtain a better technique. She asked, "If my cultivation is insufficient, you also cannot enter?"

"You'd better reach the required level; I'm not willing to wait another ten years." As he spoke, Jiang Bai slapped his storage bag, and with a swish placed ten bottles of top-grade Gathering Qi Pills on the table.

Jiang Yu almost stared wide-eyed; previously she had hardly ever used medium-grade pills, and even the apprentice apothecary nearby rarely produced them.

Mainly because spirit stones are scarce, Senior Sister Wan doesn't have enough resources to exchange for spirit herbs to practice, resulting in a low pill yield.

"Then, I'll hold this piece as collateral, and you lend me your piece so I can go in and retrieve the items—is that feasible?" Seeing her still silent, Jiang Bai flicked the fish-shaped wooden carving, sending it flying before her eyes.

She involuntarily took hold and examined it closely; a momentary lapse of her divine sense seeped inside, and then she saw a space similar to her own piece.

Inside, beside a dozen or so potted spirit herbs, there was a fully loaded water tub, and nothing else.

"Your words are half true, half false—I can't tell." Thinking she couldn't delay any longer, she rubbed her storage bag and took out her own fish-shaped wooden carving.

Unexpectedly, the two fish-shaped wooden carvings in her hand instantly merged into a Taiji shape, then flew up to midair, spinning and gradually forming a jade token.

Jiang Bai sprang up to grab it, and Jiang Yu reacted just as quickly, both lunging for it at the same moment.

Bang bang bang

In an instant, the four fists exchanged several moves in the living room, neither wanting to let the other snatch it first.

Jiang Bai hadn't expected her to be so troublesome, always able to block him, saying, "Jiang Yu, don't force me to use heavy hands."

"You deliberately sent the fish carving to my hand, didn't you?"

"All those previous actions were merely to trick me into producing it, so that the two could unite." Jiang Yu realized she had fallen into a trap, and she struggled even harder to seize the fish-shaped jade token, for whoever got it first would have the initiative.

Just as her hand touched the fish-shaped jade token, Jiang Bai unleashed a Wood Spur Technique.

Jiang Yu dodged in time; the wood spur struck the jade askew, and both were enveloped by the white light it emitted. After a bout of dizziness and vertigo, they fell into the space.

In the instant she leapt up, she saw Jiang Bai already clambering to his feet and running toward the spirit pond.

All she saw was a sword actively flying from within the pond into Jiang Bai's dantian.

Natal magic treasure?! Could he not be at the Qi Refining stage?

Jiang Yu was astonished beyond measure; with a single thought, she swiftly flashed outward, seized the jade token that had ceased spinning in midair, and grasped it in her hand.

She took a sealing talisman and affixed it; the fish-shaped jade token shot away with a swish, its light even brighter than before.

After a slight hesitation, she extended her divine sense inward and saw Jiang Bai forming seals and striking around the spirit pond.

In the blink of an eye, a ring of bright light shot out from around the pond, transforming into arrow-like light floating in the air, while the pond water vanished with a splash.

But at the pond's bottom, a round, smooth crystal the size of a chicken egg was revealed, its flowing light and gorgeous colors exceedingly beautiful.

The instant Jiang Bai seized the crystal, he was bounced out of the space.

Jiang Yu's divine sense was also ejected; she quickly flashed toward the doorside.

However, Jiang Bai's pressure suddenly bore down on her: "Who are you planning to seek help from? Aren't you afraid others will kill you and seize the treasure?"

Jiang Yu instantly felt as if she were carrying Mount Wan on her back, unable to move; she thought to herself, "It's over, I shouldn't have been greedy in probing with my divine sense, thereby delaying my chance to escape."

"If the opponent's cultivation is too high, they surely have a way to abduct me out of the valley without alerting anyone."

"Should I self-detonate the defensive formation? No, it's not yet a fight to the death."

Jiang Bai didn't know what she was thinking, grabbed the jade token and asked again: "There's a cosmic box at the bottom of the pool—do you want to help pull it out?"

Jiang Yu quickly said, "You go get it yourself—I'll stand guard."

"Testing me?" Jiang Bai gave her a half-smile, then set down the crystal stone, poured tea and drank, saying, "One must wait half an hour before entering again."

"Senior, are you at Foundation Establishment or Golden Core?" Jiang Yu had no idea, but she knew that the spiritual power of a Qi Refining cultivator couldn't move a treasure-grade sword.

Jiang Bai just smiled silently, closing his eyes to meditate and exert pressure on her.

Jiang Yu, unable to wait for him to speak, sensed the pressure lessening and was about to bolt out the door.

But the moment she lifted a foot, an immobilization talisman held her fast.

Jiang Bai turned her to face the wall behind the door and said, "You guess there's a fish token that unites two into one; after you die, can I use it to enter the blessed land?"

"Little girl, in the cultivation world strength reigns supreme—you're still too inexperienced."