Chapter 6, Revealing the True Form
It is exceedingly difficult for others to cultivate immortality and ascend to the heavens. She fell down the mountain and fortuitously encountered the opening of the immortal gate, safely crossing the bridge to immortality and achieving an immortal body. Despite having no spiritual power whatsoever, she unexpectedly possesses the potential to control water. This led her to resolutely block the curse and vow to become her bodyguard.
A leaf fell on Tang Miao's face. She closed her eyes and removed the leaf from her face, catching a whiff of the fresh scent of grass and trees. Tang Miao's nose twitched slightly as she murmured, "... lotus leaf porridge!" As she spoke, saliva trickled down the corner of her mouth. She smacked her lips and instinctively inhaled, waking up.
A swirling green mist emanated from his body, growing denser and enveloping the phoenix feather within. Suddenly, the center of the green mist brightened, and countless beams of green light scattered in all directions. Moments later, these green specks and the phoenix feather vanished. In the cave, a tall tree appeared.
Huang Yu sat cross-legged on one side of the stone bed, her upturned face absorbing the moonlight
Tang Miao, exhausted, was sound asleep and completely unaware of the marvelous scene before him. A branch, resembling a human arm, was holding a stone bowl placed beside the stone bed
Tang Miao curiously reached out to touch the tree trunk and said, "So the trees on the mountain are afraid of the heat and have come into the cave. No wonder I didn't see a single tree yesterday. I have never seen such a large phoenix tree; it must be several hundred years old, right? It's truly beautiful!"
You are quite fortunate! he muttered
A sharp cry echoed through the cave. A green leaf flew in and slapped against her mouth. The cry was muffled in her throat, and Tang Miao mumbled in frustration, reaching out to tear it off. The enchanted leaf firmly sealed her mouth, and no matter how hard she tried, it would not come off. Tang Miao, anxious and flushed, soon fainted from the lack of breath
It is much more effective than yesterday! Tang Miao, filled with surprise, tried several times, and Bai Yujue did not disappoint her even once
The temperature in the cave suddenly rose. Huang Yu let out a yawn, stretched lazily, and silently recited the incantation
This girl indeed has a stubborn temperament, unable to tolerate even the slightest loss, and will find ways to regain the upper hand through indirect means. Has he kissed her? Huang Yu gently shook her head, involuntarily recalling the coolness on her tongue. His hand lightly brushed against her cheek, and after drawing out the spiritual power, it seemed that the sensation was even better.
A feather-like green leaf is placed at the bottom of the bowl. A milky white sap flows out from the stem, filling the bowl halfway before retracting. A few green leaves at the tip of the branch wither instantly and gently fall.
I don't feel like playing hide and seek with him. Tang Miao said angrily: "Carving on the tree: 'Tang Miao was here!' This tree is really hard!"
She walked back to the stone platform with her head down, listlessly picking up a stone to scratch on the trunk of a tree
There is a scarcity of water here, and the spiritual herbs and sacred fruits are extremely rare. Not only does he have to expend spiritual energy to meet the needs of his body, but he also has to nurture the sparse grass that grows in the mountain crevices. As a result, his spiritual energy has dwindled to only thirty percent of what it once was.
A bowl of essence was dripped for Tang Miao as breakfast, and Huang Yu was exceptionally fatigued. After revealing his true form, he was startled awake by Tang Miao's actions. With a jolt in his scalp, Huang Yu wearily said: "Be quiet, don't pull, I am very tired"
The fragrance of grass and trees wafted through the air, and a subtle breath flowed gently within her chest. Tang Miao felt a stir in her heart and extended her palm. The white jade ring then steadily floated into her hand. As her thoughts shifted, the white jade ring obediently vanished.
Tang Miao did not look back and continued to carve vigorously on the trunk: "I have already practiced, and I can summon the white jade ring at will, it’s so spiritual! Ah, ah, ah—Phoenix Feather, save me! This is a man-eating tree!"
She murmured, "Mom, it's already past half a day. After today, it will be twenty years for you. It would be great if you could have another child. That way, I wouldn't have to worry about you getting old without anyone to take care of you." Tang Miao said this and felt like crying again. She sniffed and fiercely tore at a leaf, saying, "Don't think about it, it's useless to think!"
She jumped down from the stone bed and walked around the cave. Just as she reached the entrance, she was forced back by the blinding sunlight. Tang Miao sighed and abandoned the thought of searching for the Phoenix Feather under the scorching sun
Unfortunately, his gaze dimmed. Once the vine fibers were extracted, the fire vine would perish. After five years, only a dozen or so plants remained in the cave.
With her hand stretched out in the beam of sunlight, Tang Miao waved at the tiny dust particles floating in the light, feeling playful. She changed her gestures, admiring the shadows cast on the stone wall. After playing with the shadows of a large bird, a peacock, and a small dog, she turned her head to appreciate the tree inside the cave.
Wiping away the drool from the corner of his mouth, Tang Miao opened his eyes and groggily looked at the dense green leaves above him. Suddenly recalling his arrival in the fairy realm yesterday, he turned over and sat up.
No wonder I dreamed of my mother making lotus leaf porridge. Tang Miao licked his lips and sighed with satisfaction, It's so delicious. It's even better than freshly squeezed walnut and peanut milk
A branch suddenly wrapped around her arm. Tang Miao was startled and let out a scream, and the next moment she was thrown onto the stone bed
He lowered his head, and Tang Miao was sound asleep.
In the dimly lit cave, there are over ten clusters of fire vines. The thick vines are intertwined around the crevices of the cave. The vine stems are covered with sharp thorns. This is the only large plant that he could cultivate in the Eastern Wilderness. When the sturdy mountain vine is peeled open, there is a pale greenish-white vine core about the thickness of a finger inside. For five years, Huang Yu has relied on this to stave off hunger
The cave formed at the center of the suspended stone mountain is exceedingly spacious, with moonlight filtering through the crevices of the rocks, creating ethereal blue beams of light, tranquil and dreamlike
"Phoenix Feather!" Tang Miao shouted, her voice echoing hollowly in the spacious cave. She muttered in dissatisfaction, "Still claiming to be someone's bodyguard. Where have they run off to?"
A few flowers peek out from among the green leaves. Their slender petals, in a purplish-red hue, stand quietly in the cave, even the dark green walls of the mountain are accentuated with a touch of brightness.
The summer in the Eastern Wilderness was exceedingly difficult for him. The scorching heat of the day evaporated all the moisture condensed from the coolness and coldness of the night. Each day, he relied solely on absorbing the moonlight at night to replenish his depleted spiritual energy.
The blazing sun of the Eastern Wilderness burst forth from the clouds like a shooting star, illuminating the world with its brilliant red light. Instantly, countless beams of light shot down into the cave, resembling long swords piercing downward, illuminating the cavern with a bright radiance
The lowest branch of this tree is more than 2 meters above the ground. In the past, Tang Miao would have fallen down due to her acrophobia. However, the end of the branch is only a little over 1 meter away from the stone platform, and this height greatly boosted Tang Miao's confidence. She grasped the branch and with a slight effort of her arms, easily climbed up the tree
Tang Miao sat contentedly on the tree branch, swinging his legs and squinting at the lush green leaves above. After a day, Tang Miao was finally convinced that he had arrived in the realm of immortals
The leaves rustled, resembling the laughter of phoenix feathers. The cave once again returned to silence
The white liquid was set against the emerald green leaves, creating a pleasing sight. Tang Miao picked up the bowl and took a sniff; the refreshing scent of the herbs invigorated her. With a beaming smile, she said, "Wasn't it said that there is no water in the Eastern Wilderness? This kid is quite something, managing to find something to drink."
Tang Miao jumped down from the stone bed, but there was no one in the cave. She ran to the entrance and glanced around, still not seeing the figure of Huang Yu. Frustrated, Tang Miao kicked a stone away: "In this unfamiliar place, is it too much to ask for someone to talk to me for a while?"
Tang Miao leaned back and laughed heartily on the bed, saying, "I have spiritual power now too! Huang Yu, if you dare to look at me with that idiotic gaze again, I won't let you off!"
Hearing the voice of Huangyu, Tang Miao joyfully jumped down from the branch, looking around: "You are back? Thank you for your breakfast, it was really delicious! Huh, where is everyone?"
The intense sunlight reflected through the uppermost leaves transformed them into translucent jade-like foliage. The leaves appeared semi-transparent, with a faint red glow emanating from their edges, and the veins were clearly visible, creating a stunning beauty
Excited, Tang Miao jumped up from the stone bed, and she was astonished to find that her body seemed to have become a little lighter
Even during the day, the temperature in the cave is high. Tang Miao took off her wide robe made of phoenix feathers and looked around.
Amidst the rustling sounds, feather-like green leaves, the size of a child's face, swiftly unfurl from the branches. The tender green leaves overlap layer upon layer, forming a green barrier that densely and intricately shelters the stone bed beneath the shade of the trees
The spiritual energy he expended to cultivate the grass was far from sufficient to make this stone mountain lush and green. Huang Yu forced a bitter smile; the five-year agreement was nearing its end, and with only three months left, could he turn the tide of defeat?
The stone scraped against the trunk of the tree, and although it would not cause any injury, it made him extremely uncomfortable. Huang Yu could not help but scold, "If you have this energy, you might as well put more effort into cultivating your spiritual power!"
The beam of light in the cave gradually faded. The night had come to an end, and daylight was approaching. He could distinctly feel the temperature rising on his facial skin. Huang Yu let out a sigh, and a hint of helplessness flashed in his green eyes. As the night absorbed the moonlight, with the arrival of day, he could only reveal his true form to reduce the consumption of spiritual energy
After wandering around the cave, Huang Yu still had not returned. Tang Miao, feeling bored, returned to the stone bed and suddenly noticed a stone bowl placed beside the bed, which was lined with a green leaf and contained a pool of milky white liquid in the center
Tang Miao was so frightened that he curled up into a ball, his teeth chattering: "Man-eating tree! Phoenix Feather! Where are you?! Help! There is a man-eating tree here!"
There is a shortage of drinking water here, so it is naturally impossible for her to wash her face or brush her teeth. Tang Miao could not care about so much and drank the contents of the bowl in one gulp
She curled up on her side, her small mouth pressed flat, which was somewhat adorable
It was only then that she realized she was lying on a bed. Although it was called a stone bed, it was actually a flat stone. On top of it lay a layer of over 1 inch thick dry and soft leaves. The texture felt like thick raw rice paper, soft yet durable. Tang Miao picked up a leaf to examine it and confirmed that it had fallen from the tree in front of her.
Huang Yu recalled Tang Miao's mind sea, which was parched to an unreasonable extent, and fell into deep thought
What are you doing? The voice of Huang Yu sounded once again