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Chapter 49: Everyone Loves Little Immortal Mushroom (VII)

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Shang Ke once again experienced his soul leaving his body. This meant that he wasn’t completely dead and further resurrection was possible.

Yan Lu’s situation was not very ideal though. His eyes were bloodshot, his body badly damaged, while the energy in his body was in complete chaos. If he did not rest properly, even his spirit root would crumble. He carried the mushroom body, now turned into a flower, and walked aimlessly. He only collapsed near a brook when his body gave out and his strength was completely exhausted.

Shang Ke, now reduced to soul form, followed by his side without faltering. He tried entering the mushroom body several times and discovered that he could freely change between states. The devil dan within the mushroom body had already crumbled, so for the time being it was impossible for him to transform. If it weren’t for the golden seed given by Daoist Luo He, the moment the devil dan crumbled, he would have been sent back to the system space.

Shang Ke suddenly realized that each world actually had its own opportunities. He did not necessarily have to rely on the system to give him rewards. If he took advantage of the opportunities given to him, grasp them and look for other help, it would all raise his chance of completing the mission.

Yan Lu’s external injuries appeared serious, but it was not hard to heal. What was worrying him was the inside.

【Yan Lu, Yan Lu, wake up.】 Shang Ke tried to wake him up, but there was no result.

He tried to move his body, but he could only float a few centimeters for about three to four seconds before turning powerless. Shang Ke knew that souls could also cultivate, but a soul like him without any foundation had nothing to work on. 

Despite this, Shang Ke paused and walked over and over again until he finally moved Yan Lu to a spot where he can rest for a bit.

His soul state could not access the storage within his mushroom body so Shang Ke had no choice but to go out and find spiritual herbs. He cautiously decided to wait until a later hour to go out in order to lessen his chances of meeting a cultivator. A soul, especially a plant-type soul was a ‘very nutritious’ thing. Even if it’s a righteous cultivator, it was quite hard to say that they would not have side thoughts.

Three days later, Yan Lu woke up from his sleep and discovered that all the injuries on his body had healed quite a bit. The chaotic energy within him has also eased somewhat.

Little Mushroom!

Yan Lu suddenly sat up, a soft lump immediately tumbling off his body. He subconsciously reached out to catch it and looked at it. It was the little mushroom-turned-flower-bud. 

Yan Lu’s taut muscles gradually relaxed as he caught sight of a couple types of medical herbs set beside him from the corner of his eyes. Among them was a herb that still held dew, it was clearly not picked too long ago. 

Who saved him?

A trace of confusion and caution flashed through his eyes. He carefully checked over the medicinal herbs. They were all high-class spiritual herbs. Strange, since whoever left them was kind enough to give him herbs in the first place, then why did they not directly make them into a pill? After spiritual herbs are picked, if there is not a suitable storing method used, then they must be refined quickly so as to not waste the spirituality and effect of the spiritual herbs.

Yan Lu did not linger too long on that question. He decided to wait for the person that gave him herbs to return before bothering about it. He carefully placed Little Mushroom against his chest then picked up a herb and started to heal himself.

Unfortunately, because his injury was too great, he could only absorb half of it before fainting once again. 

When he woke again, there was once again a large array of medicinal herbs set by his body. However, he still couldn’t find any traces of the one who put them there.

Yan Lu felt as if the situation was somewhat familiar, as if he had already experienced it before. He took the little mushroom out of his bosom and muttered hopefully, “It’s you, right? Little Mushroom?”

But his Little Mushroom never responded. 

Over the next few months, batches of medicinal herbs frequently appeared next to him. Despite his lack of money and the large number of herbs he had wasted, the person still continued to bring him more. 

Day after day, it never once stopped. 

“Little Mushroom, I know it’s you.” Yan Lu cupped the flower bud, his eyes sweeping over it, “Where are you? I want to see you.”

He did not know that a soul was standing in the corner, not five meters away from him. He just could not see it. 

Shang Ke’s soul was too weak, only cultivation experts could possibly notice his presence. As his dual cultivation partner, Yan Lu could sense his existence, but after Shang Ke’s devil dan was shattered, everything returned to as it had been before cultivating.

The two remained so close yet so far from each other for years until Yan Lu was healed and back to his former condition.

Eyeing the mushroom soup that had suddenly appeared, Yan Lu didn’t react, already used to it. Although he couldn’t see Little Mushroom, he knew that he was always by his side. 

But he still wants to see him, to hold him, like before. To walk together and see everything the mortal world had to offer, to immerse themselves in every moment and get lost in all the scenery.

While Yan Lu drank his soup, he thought on how to help Little Mushroom increase his cultivation so he could appear once more. 

He had once tried sending his true essence into the flower bud itself, but the result was a violent rejection. Little Mushroom was clearly of devil cultivation, while the flower contained immortal qi. Back then at Heavenless Secret Realm, the old cultivator in the picture had given Little Mushroom a golden seed. It was the golden seed that contains immortal qi that was preserving Little Mushroom’s divine sense. At the same time, under its care, the shattered devil dan of Little Mushroom would likely turn into an immortal’s. This was likely the reason he was being rejected. 

After coming to this conclusion, the thought of dispersing his cultivation and recultivating rose in his mind for the first time. In the past, Little Mushroom always wished for him to follow the righteous path but because he wanted to dual cultivate with him, he never went along with him.

Now that Little Mushroom obtained the opportunity to cultivate again, why not accompany him and cultivate again as well?

With his plan set, Yan Lu carried it out with nearly no hesitation. He activated his true essence and destroyed the cultivation he had recovered not too long ago. 

“Ah…” Yan Lu cried out in pain as the true essence within him violently collided. The clothes on his body loudly ripped as his muscles ruptured, drenching him in blood.

Shang Ke, who was watching by the side, was struck dumb. In the past, he had used every brain cell to think of a way to make Yan Lu give up devil cultivation and failed. Yet, after he turned into a soul, he had actually destroyed his own cultivation without warning. Involving this kind of matter, only Yan Lu would be so determined to do as he wished.

After his cultivation was dispersed, Yan Lu quickly aged by several years. His black hair turned into silver, his muscles quickly withered while his skin also withered and wrinkled. He looked like he had one foot in the grave. 

Only now did Shang Ke understand the consequences of dispersing one’s cultivation. In order to complete his mission, he had always tried to persuade Yan Lu to enter the righteous path, thoughtlessly believing that changing his cultivation was for his own good. Never did he realize just how much courage and willpower was needed to cultivate again.

Shang Ke walked by the weakened Yan Lu, opened his arms, and gently embraced his shoulder. Although he knows that the other can’t see him, he still wants to give his support.

【Yan Lu, in this life, unless I die, I will always stay by your side.】

Yan Lu opened his tired eyes. A brilliant splendor flashed through his eyes and the corner of his mouth rose. Following that, he closed his eyes again and slept deeply.

Fate really works in strange ways sometimes. Shang Ke entered the devil path for Yan Lu, while Yan Lu went to the righteous path for Shang Ke… 

A hundred years later, an old man in ragged clothing traveled through the noisy crowds of the street markets, leaning heavily on his walking stick. Everyone avoided him when he passed by, sending him gazes of disdain and disgust.

The old man did not care at all. He still walked through, neither slowly nor quickly. Although this man looks very old and his body broken, as long as one paid more attention, they would notice his pace was firm and his gaze sharp. An indescribable distinct air was emitted from his figure.

This man was Yan Lu, who had gone into closed-door seclusion for one hundred years. His cultivation nowadays had risen to Core Formation Stage and was just a step away from Nascent Soul Stage. The reason why he came out of seclusion was because the Origin Realm that only appears once every millennium was about to open.

According to legends, the Origin Realm was once the battlefield of an ancient deity, and buried there were many powerful immortal tools. If given the chance, not only would one improve their strength, they would also be able to obtain the special objects and god-level cultivation methods left behind from ancient times.

However, the place where the Origin Realm opens was different every time, the way in only lasts a single day as well. After three months, everyone in the realm will be expelled out. No matter if it was a living person or a dead one.

Yan Lu did not enter the Origin Realm for immortal tools or cultivation methods, rather, he wanted to find some immortal wood to help Little Mushroom cultivate.

Under Yan Lu’s nourishment, Little Mushroom did not change much. First was because his strength was too weak, second was because he lacked spiritual objects to nourish him.

A hundred years of dry and dull waiting made Yan Lu feel hollow and lonely. Although he could occasionally glimpse a vague outline of Little Mushroom’s soul, he couldn’t touch him or smell him. The constant disappointment weighed heavily upon him.

So Yan Lu decided to take a risk this time and go to the Origin Realm to try his luck.

His decision was in line with Shang Ke’s intentions. As this world’s “main character”, Yan Lu naturally has the “Main Character Halo”. No matter how weak he was, he would still obtain countless chances within a predicament. 

The development of the event was just as Shang Ke foresaw. Yan Lu smoothly entered the Origin Realm and become one of the glorious and fortunate “scavengers” among all the cultivation experts that went around looking for treasure.

When the Origin Realm only had two days left before closing, Yan Lu met a woman and saved her life then.

Yan Lu rarely saved people—even though he switched to the righteous path, he never truly changed his style. He merely acted more low profile, most of his time being spent on cultivating and nourishing Little Mushroom. As such, in these one hundred years, he did not make a single friend nor did he make a single enemy.

For him to take the initiative and save someone, even Shang Ke felt very amazed.

After that, Shang Ke found out that this woman was the praised ‘Most Beautiful In the Cultivation Realm’ Feng Luoling, whose cultivation has already reached Demigod Stage. She was plotted against in the Origin Realm and was forced to enter a forbidden area and almost died. Yan Lu just so happened to be passing through and gave her a pill, then took her out of the forbidden area.

Shang Ke carefully sized up this Number One Beauty. Her appearance and temperament were really out of the ordinary, don’t tell him Yan Lu this guy who has abstained for a hundred years fell for her? Hmph, even if he did it’s useless. The other is a beautiful woman, it was impossible for her to like a certain senile someone.

“Many thanks for your help fellow cultivator.” Although Feng Luoling spoke of thanks, her eyes carried a trace of disdain and icy arrogance.

Yan Lu did not have any reaction while Shang Ke was unhappy. Although Yan Lu’s current cultivation wasn’t high, he still saved her. Even though Feng Luoling wasn’t grateful, she actually dared to look down on him!?

Keep on disdaining him then! If you have the ability to, spit back out the pill Yan Lu gave you then lie back down on the ground and cough blood.

Right at this moment, Feng Luoling’s sect has received her cry for help and hurried over. When they saw Yan Lu, they immediately labeled him as the perpetrator and attacked.

They really saved a damn dog.

What was even damning was that Yan Lu was attacked for half a day before Feng Luoling finally spoke, “This cultivator is not a bad person, everyone stop, don’t harm the innocent.”

That presence that was free of any impurities had already dazed the group of ignorant men.

Shang Ke was angered: What the hell were you doing earlier!

Following that, the group of people apologized with neither warmth or spite to Yan Lu then turned around and left with Feng Luoling.

They left, just like that?

Yan Lu saved her! At least give him a token or make a promise that you will repay it someday. Even if was just empty words, it was better than just walking away without saying anything!

It was very clear that they simply did not care about Yan Lu. 

Shang Ke thought of how, if it weren’t for him appearing out of thin air and changing Yan Lu’s fate, he would already be a formidable and renown Devil Lord of this generation. The entire cultivation world would be unwilling to make an enemy of him. Instead, now Yan Lu saved another person’s life and did not gain the proper respect. On the contrary, was even given the cold shoulder. These two situations were just so different that Shang Ke, who knew the truth, felt pained for him.

Yan Lu himself did not care. Toward insignificant people, he did not want to waste too much of his energy on them. However, if his bottom line was really touched, even if he dragged in innocent people as well, he would not let the other off.

【So Yan Lu, why did you save her?】 Shang Ke used his divine sense to interact with him. Through Yan Lu’s one hundred years of nourishment, his soul was much more compacted and capable of “spiritually interacting” with him.

Yan Lu fell silent for a moment, then slowly said two words. “Too free.”

Shang Ke: “……”

In fact, it was because that woman’s eyes resembled the phoenix eyes of Little Mushroom. However, after he saved her, he lost interest. Little Mushroom’s eyes were bright and lively, changing constantly while that woman didn’t have a hint of his appeal.

“A few days ago, I passed by God Perch Peak and noticed that the summit has a clear spring. Why don’t we go take a bath there?” Yan Lu suddenly proposed.

Shang Ke naturally did not have objections.

As such, Yan Lu headed for God Perch Peak with his Little Mushroom.

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