CHAPTER 49: CHAPTER 49: FLOWERS BLOOM IN SPRING [VOTE REQUEST]

This Fairy Immortal, how can she still be cursing people?

On the side of the small island, on the beach’s rocks, Wu Wang sat cross-legged on a cushion, eyes closed, seemingly in meditation.

However, the shadow of his Divine Soul on the Spirit Platform was propping up his chin, swinging his feet, and continuously tossing and catching the Yan Emperor’s token.

As thrilled as he was, he hadn’t lost his rationality. Nor did he feel that the other party must respond to his feelings. He was more aware that his strong affection for women he could come into contact with was chiefly due to his strange illness.

He tried to analyze it, but it was ineffective.

Though reason kept reminding him that Jingwei was ill, and the passion he offered might end up like the bubbles in the sea waves—mere transient fireworks.

But...

"Perhaps this is what youth is, youth."

Wu Wang gazed at the tireless bird repeatedly engaged in the toil of filling the sea and sighed lightly.

What a sin.

Let’s wait for Elder Shen Nong to come and discuss the aftermath.

Thinking this, Wu Wang finally made up his mind and decided not to disturb this senior Fairy Immortal of the Human race for the time being.

He also had plenty of tasks to attend to, the most critical being his own cultivation level.

After being unreservedly enlightened by Elder Shen Nong, a sudden influx of comprehension that made him feel like he’d been instantly ’fattened’ with knowledge, he had accepted and comprehended the Solidifying Pill realm. Taking this opportunity, it was perfect to solidify his own realm.

Wu Wang took a deep breath and recited the Heart-clearing method several times before he could finally calm his mind, reciting the first to the third layers of the Yan Emperor’s mantra in his heart and immersing his Spiritual mind in each circulation.

Before long, Wu Wang opened his eyes, a hint of doubt in his gaze.

Why does it feel like cultivating the Yan Emperor’s mantra here is so much smoother?

He extended his Spiritual Sense, carefully sensing the conditions of the great array, and soon made a new discovery.

The great array set up by Elder Shen Nong did not stop the exchange of Spiritual Energy inside and out, but it reduced the impact of the Great Wilderness’s Dao rules, artificially creating a tiny blessed land for Cultivation.

Cultivation is all about cultivating oneself, and achieving the Dao means slowly unfolding one’s way between heaven and earth, or setting it atop the pre-existing Great Dao.

Here, one could naturally achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Wu Wang glanced at Jingwei, who was flying back and forth in the distance, feeling somewhat more balanced in his heart. He closed his eyes and meditated, beginning a closed-door cultivation at this place.

「And so, half a month later.」

Wu Wang had confirmed that there was indeed no bubble in his cultivation, and the enlightenment bestowed by his elder was truly extraordinary.

—He really had worried about his cultivation being inflated before.

He didn’t know whether the senior was still fighting those powerful Innate Gods or not. If the senior had won the fight, would he be entitled to share a bit of the credit?

I fought alongside Human Emperor Shen Nong and defeated Lu Wu, Yingzhao, and other gods.

Tsk, the art of words.

「Another half a month passed like this...」

"Will Elder Shen Nong eventually come or not?"

As Wu Wang watched Jingwei, still tirelessly flitting back and forth, his state of mind became a touch restless.

Cultivation, cultivation—it was only through cultivation that he could feel unaffected by the passage of time, suppressing the occasional romantic impulses arising within him.

「Another two months or so passed.」

Wu Wang slapped his thigh and stood up, taking two steps towards Jingwei, determination written in his eyes.

If Elder Shen Nong intended to facilitate things, then he would apply the relationship theories from his past life’s academic expertise and experiment with the flavor of romance!

But after a few steps, he stopped sulkily and asked himself several times in his heart:

Wu Wang, what have you considered Fairy Immortal Jingwei to be? Because of your strange condition that allows you to only touch her, must she reciprocate your feelings? How is that different from breaking a leg and expecting a passing beauty to look after you for life? What kind of domineering and unreasonable logic is that? She is the most special one to you, but you aren’t that special to her.

Wu Wang hung his head in dejection for a while, then walked back to the shady edge of the beach and sat down cross-legged once more, hands enclosing his core as he drew in strands of fire from the world around him.

In truth, he wanted to rush forward without a care, but still, he couldn’t convince himself.

「Time flashed by, and half a year had passed since he arrived on the island.」

"Cultivation, truly fascinating," he murmured.

Wu Wang opened his left hand, and a pale white flame danced in his palm. Having just broken through his current realm a few days ago, his heart brimmed with insights once again.

He discovered he had taken a shortcut.

He had started with the Praying Star Technique, from which one could obtain power from the Star Gods and swiftly boost his Divine Thought. Then, through his mother’s arrangements, he was able to pursue dual methods and embarked on the path of Cultivation.

A strong Divine Thought made it easier to perceive the Great Dao, to bind the fire’s Spiritual Energy around his body, and to resonate with the Great Dao.

He had moved from the early to the mid-phase of Solidifying Pill in merely half a year.

Of course, such fortune was limited to before the Nascent Soul Realm. As Wu Wang’s cultivation level increased, the advantage brought by his formidable Divine Thought would be caught up by his peers at the same realm.

Wu Wang estimated that it should not be a problem for him to catch up to Ji Mo in cultivation level within twenty years.

That is, assuming he could continue to cultivate in such a blessed land without disturbance.

"What a wonderful place this is. The Human Emperor has truly outdone himself, even saving on the need for Spirit Arrays and Spirit Stones."

Wu Wang shook his head with a smile, stood up, and walked into a simple wooden hut nearby, standing before a rudimentary easel. Gazing at the timely passing birds outside the window, he held his brush and waited.

Soon, he had drawn a new picture of a flying bird with its wings outstretched and added a small note by the side.

"No anomalies in the past three days, Jingwei maintains the state of filling the sea, the cycle of breaking free from this state remains at thirty-six days, have observed the moment of Jingwei’s awakening—at ’zi’ hour."

After a while, the Jingwei bird fluttered past the window. Wu Wang watched with a smile for a moment, then put down his brush and returned to his place of meditation and seclusion.

He was observing Jingwei.

Yet, this was not out of any voyeuristic desire, but a serious observation of the Jingwei bird’s Divine Soul state.

Just in case Elder Shen Nong had sent him here for the sole purpose of aiding Jingwei, he at least needed to have a clear understanding.

The situation with Jingwei was actually quite dire.

Wu Wang had now realized that her constant filling of the sea was actually a way to nourish her Divine Soul. In the state of filling the sea, her Divine Soul could remain cohesive and intact.

However, every thirty-six days when she awoke—either transforming into human form or simply maintaining the appearance of the Jingwei bird—there would be a slight dispersion of her Divine Soul.

How to maintain the solidity of her Divine Soul while she transformed into human form was the ’topic’ that Wu Wang continually pondered during his cultivation.

It’s not like he could just carelessly approach and ask: "Do you fancy a romance, Fairy Immortal? The kind where your soul scatters as you laugh?" That would be far too flippant.

To resolve this conundrum, Wu Wang, having explored Cultivation without success, turned his attention to the Praying Star Technique, where he excelled.

「So, a year and three months after arriving on the island.」

"Forgive me for lacking in kindness and righteousness, Elder Shen Nong!" Wu Wang declared.

As the ’zi’ hour approached, the moon was clear and the stars sparse.

Wu Wang stood up, exhaled softly, gazed at the Divine Wood radiating faint glimmers in the dark night and stepped towards it.

No, I need to review it once more.

Wu Wang pulled out a small piece of paper from his sleeve, reviewed his self-devised strategies and daily tips for pursuing the Fairy Immortal, then ignited a bit of fire with his fingertips, burning the paper completely, leaving no trace.

Flipping his hair casually, he leaned against the tree trunk, waiting for Jingwei to fly back from the sea.

By Wu Wang’s calculations, she should naturally awaken by the time she returned...

Indeed, from afar, he caught sight of the colorful feathers on Jingwei’s forehead gradually dimming, her eyes starting to appear more lifelike.

Then, she spread her wings in a wide arc and alighted in a nearby herb garden.

Wu Wang smiled serenely, for he had anticipated this very scene. He took a thick paper book from his sleeve, turned to face the tree trunk, and began to emit waves of barely containable laughter.

He had undergone professional training; if he found something even slightly amusing, he could immediately laugh out loud.

He laughed, perhaps for the duration of a tea break.

Wu Wang heard the soft fluttering sound and his Spiritual Sense captured the image of the Jingwei bird spreading its wings and landing on a tree branch above his head, as he continued flipping through the pages of the book in his hands.

Then, with a soft POP, a young girl wearing a light green short skirt sat on the branch, swinging her smooth, bare feet and asked softly, "What is this?"

It worked!

[Wu Family’s First Technique for Chasing Fairy Immortals]!

Wu Wang, as if startled, looked up at the young girl, making an effort to keep his gaze only on her lovely face.

"This is a comic book," Wu Wang said with a smile. "Would the Fairy Immortal like to take a look? It’s quite interesting."

Jingwei blinked gently. "You flip through it; I can see from here. There’s no need to bother with me."

Her speech, which had a strange accent, had diminished greatly. Clearly, it was because she hadn’t spoken for so long that she had somewhat forgotten how to converse with others.

Wu Wang agreed with a smile, flipping through the picture book, while observing Jingwei’s expressions with his Spiritual Sense.

Soon, the thick picture book was flipped through to the end, and Jingwei seemed a bit reluctant to finish.

Wu Wang said with a smile, "Would the Fairy Immortal like to come down and take a look? There are more interesting parts inside."

"What kind of parts?"

She looked at Wu Wang with a hint of wariness, but Wu Wang just smiled back at her.

After a short while, Jingwei hopped down from the branch, standing two feet away from Wu Wang.

Wu Wang placed the book in front of her, pinching one corner so it rustled as it flipped. Jingwei watched intently as two stick figures appeared in the corner of the book, fighting with swords and spears.

She covered her mouth and chuckled lightly, clearly amused.

Wu Wang turned the book, sliding another corner of the pages, revealing an image of a deer hopping and jumping. Then he turned the book over and started the Spell anew...

Jingwei’s laughter was incessant, her eyes filled with curiosity.

Wu Wang passed the book to her, and without much hesitation, she nodded and took it, constantly flipping through it under the tree, watching the animated sketches with great enjoyment.

Wu Wang released a Crystal Ball shining with a faint yellow light, scattering starlight on himself and Jingwei, making her feel a bit of warmth.

"This is..."

"Just a little Spell," Wu Wang explained. "It will keep you alert for a while longer without causing any harm."

"Thank you."

Jingwei responded, tidying a strand of hair beside her ear, and continued to flip through the thick book in her hands.

Before long, Jingwei reluctantly handed the book back to Wu Wang, asking softly, "Did... Did Father ask you to come here?"

"Sort of."

Wu Wang nodded with a smile. Seeing the dim expression on Jingwei’s face and immediately understanding something, he sighed, "In fact, I’ve only met Elder Shen Nong a few times. That day, I was picking herbs with Elder Shen Nong when we were suddenly attacked by several powerful Innate Gods. Elder Shen Nong pushed me, and the next thing I knew, I was here."

"Is he in danger?" Jingwei’s eyes were full of concern as she quickly asked, "Were they very powerful enemies?"

Wu Wang immediately got the idea.

There was some unpleasantness between this father and daughter, yet they cared deeply for each other. No wonder she was the Fairy Immortal he held in high regard.

"Don’t worry, it’s a bit tricky, but the old senior can handle them," Wu Wang said with a smile. "He asked me to wait here for a few years. He was also worried that you’d be lonely and wanted someone to come and keep you company."

"That’s not necessary."

Jingwei pursed her lips and looked down, ready to jump back onto the branch.

A faint light flickered in Wu Wang’s sleeves, and in an instant, he held a stack of books in his embrace, saying dejectedly, "So, was all my drawing for nothing?"

Jingwei paused in her steps, humming softly, then turned around to stare at the stack of books in Wu Wang’s hands for a moment, her lips slightly puffed up.

"Hmph! It’s only because of the effort you’ve put in..."

Wu Wang couldn’t help but smile with his eyes.

That night, beneath the Divine Tree, for just an hour.

The two of them, separated by a three-foot distance, kept flipping through the small booklet in front of them.

Amidst the rustling of the pages, those simple animations seemed especially amusing.

Wu Wang looked at the little trinkets he had obtained from the Northern Wilderness inside his Storage magic treasure, then raised his head to see the girl sitting with her legs together, her laughter incessant, her eyes always squinting into crescents.

His Dao heart was unaffected, clear and unobstructed.

It wasn’t until the familiar colorful feather appeared on Jingwei’s forehead that she somewhat reluctantly put down the booklet and said to Wu Wang, "I... have to change back now."

"Ahem, well," Wu Wang asked casually, "Before this, did Elder Shen Nong send someone to keep you company?"

Jingwei blinked. "You are the first to come here, aside from my father."

Having said that, she got up and turned around, her long hair and skirt fluttering gently, bringing out a hint of a silver bell-like laugh.

"I’ve never felt as joyful as I do today."

"My name is Wu Wang."

"Mm... My name is Nüwa."

"Well, see you next time."

So spoke Wu Wang, and Jingwei laughed lightly, transforming into the Jingwei bird amidst a puff of blue smoke and flying towards the canopy.

Under the tree, Wu Wang grinned, waving his arms and delivering a few forceful punches into the air.

The hardest first step, taken!

"Jin Wei?"

A crisp bird chirp came from the tree branch, and Wu Wang instantly stood up straight, turning around with a scholarly smile restored. "Fairy Immortal, what’s the matter?"

It gently shook its head, the Spirit Fruit in its beak falling into Wu Wang’s palm, then turned and flew back into the canopy.

Before long, Jingwei re-entered the state of sea-filling, following her obsession to fly back and forth ceaselessly.

Wu Wang sniffed the Spirit Fruit in his hand and deduced its extraordinary value. It contained a vast amount of fire-type Spiritual Power, capable of thickening one’s Dao foundation and stabilizing one’s essence. Even if not used in Elixir refinement, its effects were still exceptional when taken directly.

Swallowing the fruit in one go, Wu Wang gathered up the comic books, storing them in a special Treasure Sack, humming a tune as he drifted towards the seaside hut.

Ah, Mother, he might... be in love.

「Meanwhile, within the deepest part of the starry sky above the Northern Wilderness, inside that grand Temple.」

Cang Xue, who was standing with her Staff in hand and eyes closed, revealed a tender smile. Who knew what she had seen.

Where the starlight fell, the Dao rules of the Stars surely existed.

"Remnant soul..."

She opened her eyes, her gaze radiant with Divine Light, yet behind that light flickered faint memories and contemplation.

「After an unknown amount of time.」

Suddenly, without warning, the Staff in Cang Xue’s hand trembled slightly. The head Priest of the Sun Ritual immediately gripped her Staff tightly, her eyes bursting with Divine Light as she scanned various parts of the starry sky.

Why was there such a fluctuation?

After searching for a while, Cang Xue closed her eyes again, and an immense silhouette of the Star God’s body materialized high above the Temple.

Around the Northern Wilderness, the stars shone brightly, with numerous Priests continually bowing in worship.

Finally, Cang Xue found the source of the disturbance and, with a somewhat bemused expression, looked towards Wu Wang in a great array somewhere deep in the East Sea, in the southeast of the Great Wilderness.

This?

The silhouette of the Star God above the Temple slowly dissipated, and the stars of the Northern Wilderness returned to normal.

Cang Xue once again closed her eyes, observing Wu Wang’s current condition through the necklace he wore on his chest, her expression gradually becoming more serious.