Chapter 1648: Ten Years

Time flew by; ten years passed quickly.

At the South Sea front line, tens of thousands of cultivators were fighting fiercely. Continuous roars filled the air as various magical lights flared up one after another. From time to time, cultivators were killed, their bodies falling into the sea and staining a large area of water crimson.

Wang Rongfei, Wang Rongxiang, and Wang Rongting were enveloped by a three-colored barrier of blue, red, and green light, with a three-colored orb the size of a longan floating above their heads. The three of them played their instruments—a green jade flute, a red pipa, and a blue guzheng respectively. They cultivated sound-based techniques, and Wang Ruyan had instructed them on numerous occasions.

Opposite them stood four men in identical blue robes. These four were cultivators from the Dongli Realm; when the masters from the Tianlan Realm directly attacked their homes, they were given a choice: surrender or die. At this critical juncture, they chose to survive, becoming pawns in the service of the Tianlan Realm.

The continuous sounds of the flute, pipa, and guzheng caused the four men to appear somewhat dazed, their faces flushed crimson. A burly middle-aged man's expression turned cold. He flipped his hand, producing a sparkling golden orb that emitted astonishing spiritual energy fluctuations—clearly, it was a magic treasure. The golden orb shot out, transforming into a golden streak that flew directly towards their opponents.

Just then, a five-colored shield, three zhang tall, descended from the sky, blocking the path of Wang Rongfei and her companions. Boom! A golden sun, a hundred zhang in diameter, illuminated the sky, radiating astonishing heat and rolling heat waves. Seizing this opportunity, the four men, including the middle-aged one, intended to retreat. However, a vast white talisman descended from the sky, suddenly bursting open and unleashing a strange, chilling power. The four men's escape speed drastically decreased, and they quickly reinforced their defenses.

Just then, following a burst of rapid flute sounds, three sound waves—blue, red, and green—swept over them. Two Core Formation cultivators let out a scream, clutching their chests with vacant eyes, and rapidly plummeted towards the seabed. At the same time, two three-zhang golden giant eagle puppet beasts approached from the left and right. Their scythe-like talons struck the middle-aged man's protective spiritual light, which shattered instantly as if made of paper. After a scream, the middle-aged man's head was crushed by the golden giant eagle.

Before the three bodies could fall into the sea, a shimmering blue net flew over, caught them, and returned to Wang Yingjie. Wang Yingjie was all smiles. While his personal strength wasn't exceptional, he wasn't fighting alone, as he had the assistance of his clansmen. He had been on the front line for ten years, experiencing hundreds of battles. During this period, the Wang family lost four Core Formation cultivators, and five more were severely wounded. The set of puppet beasts Wang Yingjie had previously exchanged for played a significant role; however, he could only control two of the five third-tier puppet beasts, using them to assist his clansmen in eliminating enemies.

Wang Yingjie skillfully collected the valuables from the bodies and stored the bodies in a spirit beast orb.

Just then, a whooshing sound suddenly rang out, and something instantly appeared before Wang Yingjie.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, be careful." A woman's voice, clear as a silver bell, suddenly rang out, and a blue water column over a hundred zhang tall abruptly rose from the sea, blocking Wang Yingjie. With a muffled thud, the blue water column split in two, and a red-glowing short blade appeared before Wang Yingjie, poised to cut him in half. Countless five-colored runes lit up on Wang Yingjie's body, forming a thick five-colored light barrier that protected his entire being. The red short blade struck the five-colored light barrier with a muffled thud. A shimmering blue sound wave then swept over, sending the red short blade flying backward.

Wang Yingjie turned to look at a blue-robed girl with a hint of baby fat. He nodded and said, "Thank you, Fairy Chen." The blue-robed girl had fair skin and features like a porcelain doll, making her pretty and lovely. This was Chen Yunzhi, a disciple of the Four Seas Sect. During a battle, she had been severely wounded, and Wang Yingjie had intervened to save her, sustaining minor injuries in the process.

Wang Yingjie was a descendant of Fairy Bailing. He had never married, and his Dao heart remained firm. Given that he had saved her life, coupled with his prominent background and firm Dao heart, Wang Yingjie was an excellent candidate for a Dao companion. From then on, Chen Yunzhi stayed very close to him.

Chen Yunzhi smiled slightly and said, "It's nothing, just a small favor."

A huge dragon roar echoed, and both warring sides retreated in an orderly fashion, collecting the bodies of their fallen comrades. A short while later, Wang Yingjie and the others returned to the garrison, each going to their respective homes.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, please wait," Chen Yunzhi called out, her face flushed with shyness. "I have something to tell you."

Wang Yingjie stopped, turned to look at Chen Yunzhi, completely puzzled. "Tonight, Senior Sister Lin is hosting a banquet for fellow disciples. Would you like to come with me?" Chen Yunzhi's expression was nervous and filled with expectation. After years of fighting side by side, she had unknowingly fallen for Wang Yingjie.

Wang Yingjie frowned slightly and said, "No, I still have things to do. Maybe next time!" He knew Chen Yunzhi's feelings, but he didn't want to hold her back.

Five-spirit-root cultivators in his clan married and had children early, solely because their five-spirit-root aptitude was widely considered trash in the cultivation world. Wang Yingjie refused to accept his fate, firmly believing that human will could overcome destiny. If the Five Spirit Rogue Cultivators among the Five Immortals of the Outer Seas could advance to the Nascent Soul stage, why couldn't he? Why should five-spirit-root cultivators be reduced to mere breeding machines?

From a young age, Wang Yingjie had been disciplined and devoted to the Dao. Along his path, countless beautiful female cultivators had shown interest in him, and Wang Yingjie had, at times, felt tempted. He clearly understood that with his five-spirit-root aptitude, it was already commendable if he could simply maintain his own cultivation, let alone spare attention for others. If he were to marry, he couldn't possibly expect his Dao companion to fully support his cultivation, could he? And if he had children, he certainly couldn't just ignore them! As a five-spirit-root cultivator, he required immense cultivation resources. He had been able to reach Core Formation thanks to Wang Qingling's considerable help, but to reach Nascent Soul, he would have to rely solely on himself. Wang Qingling couldn't help him with that, as there were already too many Core Formation cultivators in the clan waiting to form their Nascent Souls.

Throughout the cultivation world, cultivators who married and had children were mostly three-spirit-root individuals who either mastered a skill, had profound cultivation, or came from a prominent background. For a five-spirit-root cultivator to marry and have children would severely hinder their own cultivation; to put it more seriously, it would be self-sabotage of their Dao path. If Wang Yingjie had wanted to marry, he would have had a crowd of wives and concubines long ago. He had spent over a hundred years in a cycle of working for the clan to earn contribution points, using them to exchange for cultivation resources, cultivating in seclusion, and then emerging to work for the clan again for more points—all simply to advance further on his Dao path.

Wang Yingjie didn't want to burden others, nor did he want to be burdened by them. He simply wanted to cultivate diligently, advance to the Nascent Soul stage, bring glory to his ancestors, and let his deceased parents smile in the afterlife. At that time, he could loudly tell those who had mocked him that human will could overcome destiny, and aptitude wasn't absolute.

Hearing this, Chen Yunzhi's face showed some disappointment. She had invited Wang Yingjie many times, and each time, he had refused.

Wang Yingjie sighed lightly and suggested, "Fairy Chen, we are different. You should find a suitable husband."

Chen Yunzhi bit her red lip tightly and asked seriously, "Am I too bad? Or do you have a special preference?"

Wang Yingjie took a deep breath, a look of recollection on his face. He said, "When I was very young, my clan uncle advised me to marry early. He said, 'Your aptitude is poor anyway, there's no hope for Foundation Establishment, you might as well enjoy life.' Have you ever experienced that feeling when everyone thinks you're worthless? Several generations of my ancestors stopped at the Qi Refining stage, and everyone thought I should also marry early and have children, repeating my father's life. But I refused to accept my fate. To reach this point today, do you know how much hardship and suffering I've endured?"

Chen Yunzhi pouted and said softly, "Marriage doesn't affect the Dao path. You can still cultivate after marriage."

"I believe it will affect me," Wang Yingjie stated. "Before I reach Nascent Soul, I will not consider matters of the heart." Wang Yingjie's gaze was firm.

Chen Yunzhi pondered for a moment and then asked, "I can wait for you to reach Nascent Soul. Will you accompany me to the banquet?" Her eyes were full of expectation; if Wang Yingjie was willing to attend the banquet, that would be giving her a chance, and she would dare to wait.

Wang Yingjie hesitated for a moment before saying, "Just this once. Don't expect it again." Since things had come to this, a further refusal would be hurtful.

Hearing this, Chen Yunzhi's face bloomed like a peach blossom, and she nodded in agreement.