Chapter 246: 打扰了

Wu Jianwu, a cultivator, squatted on a treetop, a sharp gleam in his eyes. This Wu Jianwu had previously provoked him on the Forbidden Sea, but later seemed very afraid and no longer posed a threat. Moreover, he had even helped pay the cost of executing Xu Qing's subordinate earlier. After some thought, Xu Qing decided not to approach him. He was preparing to head to the ruins where the Grand Azure Dao Temple was located, but he still casually asked, "What is he doing?"

The shadow immediately spread across the ground, constantly changing its form. It seemed the scene it observed through its eye was too complex, causing it to shift shapes several times. Ultimately, it even split itself to fully depict the scene. In the image, the shadow divided into more than ten strands, transforming into various fierce beasts. Each beast shared a common characteristic: its belly was highly distended. At the same time, the shadow also outlined Wu Jianwu's figure. He was sitting beside one of the beasts, stroking its swollen belly.

This sight surprised even Xu Qing, who had little curiosity, leaving him puzzled. Beside him, the Adamantine Sect Patriarch gasped. "What's going on? What is that fool doing? Why are all these beasts' bellies so big? Are they pregnant?" As he spoke, the Adamantine Sect Patriarch's spirit body trembled, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face. "Master, why don't we go take a look at that fool? I think he's up to something big!"

Xu Qing remained silent. He wasn't naturally curious, but the scene was too bizarre. He decided to see it for himself and then spoke, "Lead the way." The shadow immediately became excited and quickly pointed the way. Xu Qing's body swayed, and he vanished into the jungle, following the shadow's direction.

It wasn't long before Xu Qing saw a mountain. This mountain was a branch of the Mount of Truth range that extended into the Phoenix Forbidden Zone. Xu Qing glanced at it, then leaped onto the mountain. Soon, on the other side of the large mountain, he saw a crack hidden within the dense vegetation. It was about ten feet long, naturally formed, and very secluded. Had it not been for the shadow leading the way, Xu Qing would have found it difficult to notice this fissure.

Standing before the crack now, Xu Qing's expression showed a hint of surprise; the secrecy of the location clearly indicated Wu Jianwu's caution. After pondering, he cautiously slipped into the crack and rapidly advanced, following the shadow's guidance. The fissure was much deeper than Xu Qing had imagined. As it extended downwards, it gradually became damp, as if it penetrated through the mountain and ground, leading to an underground river. It also branched into many paths, like a labyrinth. Had the shadow not provided precise directions, Xu Qing would have found it difficult to find the correct way even if he had entered.

After a short while, Xu Qing reached the end of the fissure. Below the end, a massive underground grotto appeared. A bat was clinging to one side of the grotto, observing everything; it was the spirit possessed by the shadow. Xu Qing approached the edge, looked down, and scanned the grotto below. His expression instantly became extremely bizarre.

Inside the grotto were more than twenty fierce beasts. These included wolves, tigers, and many other strange-looking creatures. All of them were subdued and sealed, lying there with their bellies greatly distended, as if pregnant. In addition, there was a dug-out pool in the center of the grotto, containing many medicinal liquids that emitted wafts of herbal scent.

Wu Jianwu, bruised and swollen, was squatting by the medicinal pool, taking out liquid with a stone bowl. He then walked over to a giant bear with a bulging belly and carefully and meticulously fed it the medicine. The giant bear's expression showed fear; it wanted to struggle but to no avail. Its entire body was sealed, rendering it powerless to resist, unable even to stand up. Wu Jianwu's expression was incredibly gentle as he fed the medicine, stroking the giant bear's belly and muttering softly, "It's normal to have some reaction, just bear with it a little longer. My reliance for the rest of my life depends entirely on you. My little darling, hurry and be born." He continued, "Once my little darling is born, I'll be formidable! Then I'll definitely let Sheng Yunzi know who the true prodigy is! Who is the eternal prodigy? Only I, Wu Jianwu, am supreme!"

Wu Jianwu gritted his teeth, his expression seemingly startling the nearby giant bear. Its struggles intensified, and Wu Jianwu quickly stroked it gently, trying his best to be soft and soothing. "Be good, don't move. You need to rest peacefully during this time. Once the little darling is born smoothly, you'll have rendered a great service, and I'll treat you well." This sight made Xu Qing's eyes widen. Beside him, the Adamantine Sect Patriarch shivered and quickly took out a jade slip to record the scene. Perhaps due to extreme shock, the Patriarch's action of recording made some noise.

Thus, the next instant, Wu Jianwu in the grotto noticed something. He abruptly looked up, a fierce expression on his face. "Heaven and Earth, profound and yellow, are my room; once I call out, there's nowhere to hide!" As he spoke, he leaped to his feet. But in the next moment, he saw Xu Qing, whose face still held a trace of shock.

"Xu Qing?" Wu Jianwu's heart pounded; he was bewildered, wondering how the other party could find him when he was hidden so deeply. But he quickly reacted, glancing at the pregnant beasts below and then noticing Xu Qing's expression. He immediately took a sharp breath. "Xu Qing, you've misunderstood."

"My apologies for disturbing you." Xu Qing gave Wu Jianwu a deep look and turned to leave. He thought Wu Jianwu had serious issues in his mind.

Seeing this, Wu Jianwu grew anxious. He no longer cared about fear, forgot to recite poetry, and immediately chased after Xu Qing, shouting loudly, "Xu Qing, it's not what you think!" Wu Jianwu felt incredibly anxious and wronged deep down. After opening the wish box and obtaining that bottle, he had been depressed for a long time, yet felt it would be a pity to throw it away. So he had been researching, tracing clues to discover that the mighty figure who left the bottle was an extraterrestrial cultivator who followed the Xuan You Ancient Emperor.

Therefore, after being defeated by Sheng Yunzi at the First Peak, he vowed to make Sheng Yunzi pay. That's why he came to the Phoenix Forbidden Zone to prepare, intending to cultivate bloodlines from the previous era here. The reason he wasn't doing it in the sect was his concern for his reputation, fearing misunderstandings if seen by others there, and also worrying about being spied on in a crowded environment. That's why he found such a secret place. But he never imagined that Xu Qing would actually see him. The thought that his reputation would be completely ruined if Xu Qing went back to the sect and spread the word filled him with dread. At this moment, his mind even conjured images of everyone in the sect, from top to bottom, looking at him with strange eyes. All of this made his scalp tingle, making him feel as if the sky was falling and he was consumed by extreme anxiety.

Seeing that he couldn't catch up to Xu Qing, he quickly shouted, "Xu Qing, I'll pay you! Please don't tell anyone!" "Everyone lives their own way, it's fine," Xu Qing's voice came from afar. "It's really not like that!" Wu Jianwu's face turned purplish-red, and he grew even more anxious. "Xu Qing, I'll give you 300,000 spirit stones!"

At this moment, Xu Qing stepped out of the fissure and onto the mountain exterior. Hearing this, he paused, turning to look behind him. Soon, Wu Jianwu, with red eyes, rushed out from the fissure, quickly took out spirit bills, and shoved them directly into Xu Qing's hand. "Take it, Xu Qing, you must take it! If you don't, I won't feel at ease. This matter is truly not what you think. I... I..." Wu Jianwu's breathing became ragged. Seeing this, Xu Qing quietly accepted the spirit bills and nodded seriously. "I didn't see anything."

However, Wu Jianwu was clearly still uneasy. "Xu Qing, why are you here in the Phoenix Forbidden Zone this time? Is there anything I can help you with? Just say the word." "I'm looking for poisons," Xu Qing replied, glancing at Wu Jianwu. "Poisons? I know about those! I'm familiar with this place, I'll take you!" Wu Jianwu quickly offered upon hearing this. "No need," Xu Qing shook his head and turned to leave. "Xu Qing, don't leave yet! Wait for me, I'll go get it for you, alright? There's a place under this mountain that definitely has the poison you need!" Wu Jianwu said, quickly sprinting towards the fissure.

He genuinely wanted to fetch the poison for Xu Qing; he wouldn't feel at ease otherwise. Without waiting for Xu Qing's agreement, he vanished into the fissure, rushing deeper inside. In his haste, he didn't notice an eye appearing within his shadow, furtively observing its surroundings. Xu Qing looked thoughtful, lowering his gaze to the shadow at his feet. The shadow quickly contorted on the ground, depicting Wu Jianwu's movements and his surroundings as much as possible.

Soon, the shadow's shape changed, showing that Wu Jianwu, after entering the fissure, jumped into a pool within the grotto and swam deeper. He then traversed a hidden passage and entered a larger space. In that space, there seemed to be a lake. However, the shadow depicted the lake's surface as a giant human face, with slow, undulating movements, as if the water was very viscous. After Wu Jianwu arrived, he directly scooped some substance from the lake, put it into a stone bowl, and turned to return. The shadow's depiction was somewhat incomplete. As Xu Qing pondered, Wu Jianwu returned.

"Xu Qing, does this meet your needs?" Wu Jianwu asked, handing Xu Qing a stone bowl. Xu Qing's gaze swept over it and instantly focused. Inside the stone bowl was a jelly-like substance, appearing liquid yet not entirely so. It was deep blue, translucent, and emitted a fragrant aroma. "Immortal Jelly!" Xu Qing was moved; he recognized the item. This item had been mentioned in Master Bai's pharmacopoeia. It wasn't a poison but an extremely rare catalyst. According to Master Bai's research, he believed there was a high probability that this substance was related to the immortal qi recorded in ancient texts.

"Underneath this mountain, there's a strange lake, and it's filled with this stuff. I found it years ago and took some out, but it would dissipate within an hour at most, no matter how I stored it, so I couldn't bring it back to the sect. And this substance is harmless to humans, but once I gave a fierce beast a mouthful, and it immediately rotted to death. So, I figured it must be a kind of poison, right?" Wu Jianwu quickly explained. "Take me to see it." Xu Qing pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly.

Without a word, Wu Jianwu immediately led the way. At this moment, Wu Jianwu would agree to anything Xu Qing asked. So, he didn't hesitate to reveal this secret place, which he usually wouldn't tell anyone about, and swiftly led Xu Qing there. They soon arrived at the underground lake.