Chapter 51: Everyone Loves Little Immortal Mushroom (IX)

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Chapter 51: Everyone Loves Little Immortal Mushroom (IX)

Yan Lu wore a plain dark-blue robe without a single ornament, secured at the waist by nothing more than a pale-gold sash. The front hung half open, revealing a broad, powerful chest. He stood in stark contrast to the other cultivators in their neat, proper attire, lacking their restrained elegance but possessing instead an untamed, carefree air. His black hair flowed freely, and his cold, disdainful gaze carried an intimidating majesty that made others reluctant to meet his eyes.

Beside him stood Shang Ke, white-haired and dressed in red, pristine and untouched by dust. His misty phoenix eyes held an indescribable blend of alluring charm and gentle warmth.

Their temperaments were complete opposites, yet together they formed a remarkably harmonious whole, each possessing an extraordinary bearing that seemed to transcend the mundane world.

Every gaze around them was drawn their way. To remain so composed after enduring the overwhelming divine might from moments earlier was enough to reveal just how formidable they were.

And that impression was not wrong. Shang Ke had absorbed the immortal qi gifted to him by Immortal Luo He and formed a new inner core, allowing his true essence to merge completely with the immortal qi. Although his formal realm was only at the Transformation Stage, his actual cultivation far surpassed that of ordinary cultivators at the Soul Division Stage.

Yan Lu had benefited just as greatly from dual cultivating with him. His true essence had also transformed into immortal qi, causing his strength to advance by leaps and bounds. Even against a Mahayana Stage expert, he was confident he would not be at a disadvantage. And throughout the entire cultivation world, there were only a few dozen Mahayana Stage cultivators.

After observing them for a while, several powerful cultivators present turned their attention toward Shang Ke almost simultaneously. They could all tell that he was a spirit being—and one transformed from a spiritual plant. Unlike demon beasts, spiritual plants capable of assuming human form were extraordinarily rare and naturally contained the spiritual qi of heaven and earth. Simply keeping one nearby could increase the concentration of spiritual qi, nourish true essence, and calm the mind.

If Shang Ke were still a “Demon” Mushroom, he probably would not have attracted this kind of attention. Now, however, he carried immortal qi. To cultivators, he was practically a walking immortal herb—a tremendously nourishing treasure.

Cultivators with lower cultivation might not be able to recognize Shang Ke’s true nature, but even they could sense the distinctly “delicious” aura emanating from him.

Yan Lu’s gaze sharpened. He wrapped an arm around Shang Ke’s waist and vanished from the spot in the blink of an eye.

“Where do you want to go?” Yan Lu asked.

“Seek immortal legacies and explore ancient ruins.” Shang Ke still had plenty of information in his head concerning blessed lands and ancient remains.

The two departed without a care, but their fleeting appearance caused a sensation throughout the cultivation world in an astonishingly short time. Two experts comparable to Mahayana Stage cultivators had suddenly appeared, and one was even an extremely rare spirit-plant cultivator. It was shocking news. Stranger still, no one seemed to know who either of them was. Before long, countless people had begun secretly investigating their identities.

In a forest, Yan Lu sat expressionlessly beside a fire, roasting actual mushrooms. A cry for help suddenly came from nearby, but he did not so much as lift an eyelid. His attention remained entirely fixed on the skewers of mushrooms that were almost done.

Before long, the sound of figures cutting rapidly through the air drew closer, and several people soon appeared within Yan Lu’s sight.

The woman at the head of the fleeing group brightened when she saw Yan Lu. She hurried to his side and pleaded anxiously, “Fellow cultivator, please lend us your aid and help drive these villains away.”

Only then did Yan Lu glance up at her. He turned the mushroom skewers over, lowered his eyes again, and displayed absolutely no intention of helping.

“Fellow cultivator, please, you must—” Before she could finish, a man’s voice from the forest interrupted her. “Feng Luoling, if you want your fellow disciples to stay alive, obediently come back with us.”

“You shameless scoundrels of the Soaring Serpent Sect! I will never go with you!” Tears glimmered in Feng Luoling’s eyes, her expression fearless in the face of death, making her appear especially delicate and pitiful.

Seeing this, her fellow disciples immediately declared that they would protect her even at the cost of their lives.

Yan Lu frowned. A perfectly quiet and leisurely afternoon had been ruined by this noisy crowd.

At that moment, the members of the Soaring Serpent Sect attacked. One flying sword shot directly toward Feng Luoling. Whether deliberately or by accident, she happened to be standing directly in front of Yan Lu. When the sword approached, she immediately dodged aside, leaving it to fly straight at him.

A cold gleam flashed through Yan Lu’s eyes. With a casual flick, he sent a pebble flying. The stone shattered the instant it struck the blade, while the impact knocked the flying sword off course and sent it hurtling toward an empty patch of ground.

The members of the Soaring Serpent Sect were inwardly shocked. This man had deflected a flying sword infused with true essence using nothing but a pebble?

“Scram!” Yan Lu barked coldly. His voice rang out like a great bronze bell, majestic and imposing enough to shake their minds and souls.

The members of the Soaring Serpent Sect exchanged wary glances. One of them asked, “May we ask who this esteemed senior is?”

“I said…” Yan Lu turned his mushroom skewers again. “Scram.”

The second “scram” carried a sound attack, stabbing into their primordial spirits like sharp needles. Sudden agony swept through them, and their expressions changed instantly.

So powerful! Shock appeared on the faces of both groups.

“We offended Senior through our recklessness. Please forgive us.” The Soaring Serpent Sect members at least knew when to retreat. “We’ll take our leave immediately.”

Yan Lu ignored them. If Little Mushroom had not disliked killing, he probably would have killed them all already.

After the Soaring Serpent Sect left, Feng Luoling gracefully stepped forward and bowed. “Many thanks for your assistance, Fellow Daoist.”

As she spoke, her beautiful eyes lingered shyly and admiringly on Yan Lu. She had already recognized him as the man who had appeared within the golden light when the Primordial Realm closed. His imposing figure had left such a deep impression that she had been unable to forget him. She had never expected fate to let them meet again, and the thought delighted her.

“This humble woman is Feng Luoling of the Pure Dust Sect. May I ask how I should address you?”

Yan Lu acted as though he had heard nothing. Seeing that the mushrooms were finally cooked, he began eating. He took one bite and frowned. Mm. As expected, they’re nowhere near as good as Little Mushroom’s.

Feng Luoling felt somewhat resentful at being completely ignored, but she restrained herself and maintained her smile. “Fellow cultivator, do you enjoy mushrooms? I happen to be skilled at cooking. Why not let me prepare them for you as repayment for saving my life?”

“Junior Sister Feng…” One of her fellow disciples started to stop her, only to be silenced by a look.

At that moment, all Feng Luoling wanted was to establish a connection with Yan Lu. She had completely forgotten that her fellow disciples were still injured.

Feng Luoling bent gracefully, pulled back her long sleeve, and reached toward the mushrooms scattered on the ground. She failed to notice that one little white mushroom among them quietly rolled aside, narrowly slipping past her fingertips.

Yan Lu’s gaze instantly sharpened. With a sweep of his sleeve, he mercilessly sent her flying.

“Junior Sister Feng!” Several Pure Dust Sect disciples rushed over to help her up, glaring furiously at Yan Lu. “What are you doing? As a man, how can you use force against a defenseless woman? Don’t you think that’s beneath your dignity?”

“When I said ‘scram,’ that included all of you.” Yan Lu did not care in the slightest about dignity or status. He looked at them as though they were lifeless objects.

Feng Luoling had always taken pride in her beauty and had been pampered since childhood. Never before had a man humiliated her like this.

She snapped indignantly, “I treated you with courtesy. It’s fine if you don’t accept it, but why attack me without warning?”

Killing intent flashed through Yan Lu’s eyes. His fingers idly rolled the bamboo skewer as he considered which method would kill the entire group fastest.

“I’ll say it one last time. Scram!” Drawing upon what little restraint Little Mushroom’s kindness had taught him, Yan Lu made one final effort to resist his instincts.

“You…” Feng Luoling still wanted to argue, but her fellow disciples quickly held her back. She might not understand the danger she was courting, but the others could sense it clearly. Compared with the man before them, they would rather face the Soaring Serpent Sect again.

Feng Luoling was soon persuaded to leave. Before going, she cast Yan Lu one last resentful glare and secretly swore that one day she would make this unbearably arrogant man crawl at her feet.

After the group left, Shang Ke transformed back into human form from where he had been hiding among the mushrooms. He wrapped himself in a plain robe, sat beside Yan Lu, and took the skewers from his hand. “I’ll roast some new ones for you. I’ll eat these.”

The murderous aura surrounding Yan Lu immediately vanished. He wrapped his arms around Shang Ke’s waist, lazily rested his chin on his shoulder, and quietly watched him roast mushrooms.

“From now on, when you turn into a mushroom, stay on me so no one else can pick you up.” That woman should consider herself fortunate that she had not actually touched his Little Mushroom. Otherwise, Yan Lu would have broken at least one of her arms.

“Heh.” Shang Ke suddenly laughed.

“What are you laughing at?”

“Do you remember that woman just now?” Shang Ke asked.

“Why would I bother remembering her?” Yan Lu asked indifferently.

Shang Ke smiled. “True.”

Back in the Primordial Realm, she had looked down on the aged Yan Lu and hadn’t even shown him basic respect. Now that she had seen his handsome, imposing younger appearance, however, she was suddenly all smiles and attentiveness. The difference in treatment was far too obvious. Even in a world obsessed with appearances, character still mattered.

Neither of them knew that after this encounter, Feng Luoling began asking everywhere for information about them and tracing their movements. She followed their trail and arranged occasional “chance encounters” along the way.

Before long, the names Yan Lu and Shang Ke became widely known. Wherever the two went, they attracted considerable attention.

Shang Ke’s very existence drew countless powerful cultivators like moths to a flame. The value of the immortal qi within him to cultivators hardly needed explanation.

Cultivators of the righteous path were not necessarily good people. The primary difference between them and demonic cultivators was simply their method of cultivation. Murdering others for treasure was commonplace. As long as one’s cultivation realm was stable and one’s strength overwhelming, many believed there was little need to fear karmic retribution. Before facing their tribulation, most gave little thought to what consequences their killings might eventually bring.

After countless people with ulterior motives suffered defeat at Yan Lu’s hands, his reputation grew ever greater. Many came to believe that the reason his strength was so extraordinary and his advancement so rapid was entirely because of assistance from the spirit cultivator Shang Ke.

Their dual cultivation was no longer a secret either. Although Shang Ke was male, his beauty was exceptional, and to outsiders, dual cultivating with such a rare spiritual being represented both an unusual experience and an enormous temptation.

The rumors became increasingly exaggerated with every retelling.

Shang Ke was soon treated almost as though he were some divine treasure incarnate, with rumors claiming that anyone who dual cultivated with him would see their cultivation advance by leaps and bounds.

Shang Ke quickly became an object of pursuit throughout the cultivation world. But Yan Lu was too powerful for anyone to confront directly, so people began taking a softer approach, proposing that they “rent” Shang Ke from him or exchange various treasures for Shang Ke’s blood and hair. When Yan Lu heard about these offers, he turned the offending sects completely upside down.

“Rent” Shang Ke? Trade for his blood? Did these people really think Shang Ke was nothing more than a little mushroom Yan Lu had planted? Even if he were, they still wouldn’t be getting a single strand of Little Mushroom’s hair.

“Let’s go into seclusion,” Yan Lu suggested.

“Sure.” Shang Ke happily agreed.

Yan Lu did not want anyone disturbing him when he dual cultivated with Little Mushroom.

Shang Ke agreed because both of them were only one step away from the Mahayana Stage. They needed a quiet place to cultivate and break through their bottlenecks in one go.

The two found a blessed land beside the water, peaceful and secluded with abundant spiritual qi. After establishing protective wards, they entered secluded cultivation there, distancing themselves from the noise and concerns of the mortal world.

Deep in the mountains, they lost track of passing time. Shang Ke and Yan Lu spent their mornings frolicking together in the water, their evenings having sex, and their spare hours refining artifacts, cooking outdoors, and growing mushrooms. Their dual-cultivation life was peaceful, comfortable, and utterly shameless.

Until, one day, catastrophe descended.

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