Yu Sheng had high hopes for Wen Jiu. In his view, if among the three main disciples, only one would support him in staying behind, and even work hard for his reclusive lifestyle, it would most likely be Wen Jiu.
After all, Wen Jiu was the one most skilled at rural living. The fruits he grew were delicious, his cooking was excellent, and wherever he went, flowers bloomed. If he didn’t enjoy living here, why had he been working hard to revive the fields and forests these past few days?
Under such immense expectation, trust, and affection, Yu Sheng chose to seize the opportunity and confess his identity to Wen Jiu first.
“Master.” Wen Jiu smiled in surprise, “Can I still call you Master?”
Yu Sheng patted him, “Of course.”
“But I’ve also deceived you…” Wen Jiu’s voice dropped. “What the Ghost King said was true; that spirit pet you treated as a companion is actually a part of me… I knew you didn’t want me by your side, so I left it behind, disguising it as a spirit pet to stick to you.”
Yu Sheng once again expressed his understanding. “It’s okay. Even so, I will always love White Dumpling Rabbit.”
You’re adorable; whatever you do is right!
Moreover, this was the time to take the opportunity to lay everything bare! They needed to use this chance to accept and understand each other, which would make it easier to gain support for what was to come!
Yu Sheng continued to ask, “So, you’ve known my identity from the very beginning?”
Wen Jiu nodded bashfully, lowering his head slightly. It was as if the one who saw through another's secret was the one who bore the greatest fault. “At first, I thought… that you wanted me to leave because you sensed your life was nearing its end. You were depressed for a long time, and because of that misunderstanding, I took away the other spirit bodies that were meant to care for you, leaving only a fragment of my consciousness.”
Yu Sheng sighed.
Wen Jiu continued to explain, “Though the spirit bodies were split from my body, they’re like severed flesh—just lifeless shells with energy that can obey. That’s a natural ability of spirit bodies. But the fragment of my consciousness is linked to my mind. Later, because of the distance and the thin spiritual energy at the bottom of the cliff, it could only maintain that connection and couldn’t do anything more.”
Yu Sheng blinked at him, “Ah? Hmm.”
He truly knew little about the common knowledge of the spirit world. Hearing this, all that came to his mind were vague concepts, and he didn’t immediately understand Wen Jiu’s intentions in saying these things.
As a result, Wen Jiu's face turned a bit awkward. He took a deep breath, as if feeling anxious but summoning his courage to explain. “So… so, Master, please believe me, I didn’t mean to prevent it from working for you or always act foolish and lazy. It’s just that it truly isn’t as close to me as my other fragments anymore; you… you shouldn’t be upset.”
Yu Sheng: …
So he was worried about this matter.
“Pfft.” Unable to hold it in, Yu Sheng burst out laughing.
“I could never hold a grudge against you for something so trivial,” Yu Sheng said, shaking his head helplessly while pressing his forehead. “Are you really worried that I might dislike you for not working? You’re my disciple, not a servant.”
He truly couldn’t imagine the rocky mental journey Wen Jiu must have gone through when he misunderstood him...
Wen Jiu continued to look at him with concern, reluctant to leave. “Master…”
Yu Sheng felt a bit uneasy under his intense gaze. “You don’t blame me for making you misunderstand, do you?”
Wen Jiu shook his head. “If Master has reasons not to speak about certain matters, it must be for a reason. How could I hold it against you?”
Yu Sheng felt greatly reassured.
Wen Jiu said, “I don’t need to know your identity, your intentions, or why you faked your death… As long as you need me, I can forever remain the one who is oblivious. In front of you, I can abandon my curiosity and competitiveness…”
“Master, all I want is you. Only by being by your side do I feel like a living person, not a tool everyone wants to seize and use, or a treasure whose value has been squandered.”
Feeling true respect and concern, he could no longer fall into any hopeless, false, or selfish emotions like in the original plot. He couldn’t become the kind of protagonist that would make all the readers cry, deeply mired in suffering and misery.
Yu Sheng felt a surge of emotions within him, truly sensing that this might be the power of familial love.
“Well then, stay by my side.”
Wen Jiu smiled, as if, in that instant, he transformed back to his most genuine self, no longer reserved or burdened with many concerns. His smile was not just gentle and polite but the most authentic expression of joy one shows when genuinely happy.
Yu Sheng was also affected by his mood and added, “From now on, this place will be your home. You don’t need to stand on ceremony; feel free to stay as long as you want and return whenever you wish. I will always be here.”
“Master, you truly know how to joke.” Wen Jiu laughed, his shoulders shaking slightly. “With how well you treat me, how could I abandon you?”
Yu Sheng felt a bit shy. “Then do you want to live here together?” Wouldn’t that have a worse impact on the plot?
Wen Jiu looked puzzled. “Didn’t you just agree to stay with me? Then, of course, we should go to the spirit world together!”
Yu Sheng: “…”
This unfortunate child! Was everything he just said for nothing?!
“Wen Jiu, tell me the truth…”
“Hmm?”
Yu Sheng sighed as he looked up at him. “What have I done wrong…?”
Wen Jiu was taken aback. “Why would you say that? You’re perfect just the way you are.”
“Then why do you treat me this way?” Yu Sheng felt wronged. “Why must you make me leave here?”
In this critical moment, where one could either become enlightened or fall into darkness, even the slightest emotional fluctuation would be amplified, leading to more significant consequences. As soon as Yu Sheng felt aggrieved, the previously calmed spiritual waves surged violently again.
Influenced by this turmoil, the entire stone chamber began to tremble. The barrier wavered, and cracks started to appear on the stone walls, ceiling, and floor, as if they were not sturdy walls thicker than an arm but freshly baked, brittle crusts.
Yu Sheng struggled to close his eyes and stabilize his breathing. For the first time in nearly two hundred years of cultivation, he felt such a vivid and intense sense of defeat, and he faced an uncontrollable situation. He didn’t want to harm his disciples.
“Wen Jiu, you need to go outside—quickly, get out!”
Wen Jiu hadn't moved for a long time; he was still pondering, even reaching out to try to use his body to block as much impact as possible.
“If you don't get out soon, I won't acknowledge you as my disciple anymore!” Yu Sheng could see through his thoughts and immediately took a hard stance. Even his somewhat youthful face showed an unusual intimidation. “What does it matter about the room and the furniture!”
The cracks widened and multiplied; the smooth walls began to deform and twist, increasingly taking on a curved shape.
Even at such a moment, Yu Sheng couldn't help but feel that a part of him remained calm. As he looked at the cracks, he couldn't help but smile, thinking they resembled eggshells, with himself looking like a little dinosaur about to break free.
Wen Jiu's gaze trembled for a moment but ultimately he obeyed and retreated. Before long, Yu Sheng relaxed, unleashing his power, causing the entire stone chamber to shatter, sending dust flying everywhere.
It wasn’t something he got by exchanging points, so he wasn’t worried, heh.
Yu Sheng barely split off some of his spiritual awareness to sense his surroundings and found that his three disciples were unharmed, which finally eased his mind a bit.
After all this commotion, once the dust settled, he found himself sitting cross-legged, with spiritual energy no longer obstructed and flowing freely around him.
Looking at the trees, flowers, fields, and furniture protected by various barriers, Yu Sheng raised his eyes to the wide scenery before him and suddenly froze.
Yu Sheng: System? Could it be that my situation is influenced by the Feng Shui at the bottom of the cliff?
The Three Realms Cliff is located at the confluence of the three realms, and the bottom of the cliff is fraught with danger and chaotic energy. If cultivators are here without any formations to protect them, any mishap could indeed become more severe.
System: Logically speaking, your cultivation level should be high enough not to be affected by this place, and you've lived here for so long that there’s no reason you would only be affected today.
Yu Sheng: But I’ve been living here for so long, and I’ve always been in a lazy state.
System: …Sorry, I don’t have enough data to answer the host’s question.
Yu Sheng: Speak human language.
System: I’ve never encountered such a lazy host before; I lack experience, but theoretically, it seems to make sense.
Seeing that Yu Sheng's condition fluctuated, the three protagonists were also extremely anxious. After establishing the barriers, all three pairs of eyes fixed intently on Yu Sheng.
In the next moment, the three of them spontaneously formed a formation, standing in an equilateral triangle, each exerting their power together to protect Yu Sheng.
Yu Sheng felt helpless; he had been planning to make good use of the stone chamber. Since Wen Jiu wouldn’t allow him to stay at the cliff's bottom, he could have spoken with the other two protagonists separately, but now, all barriers between them had disappeared, and that plan was ruined.
However, the recent flash of insight made him realize the cause of the current anomaly: it was precisely because the conditions of “timing, geographical advantage, and harmony among people” had come together!
Harmony among people: Emotional instability; in his past life, he died from being a shut-in, leading to the outbreak of shadows.
Geographical advantage: The unique “Feng Shui” composition at the bottom of the Three Realms Cliff. Just like how a person feels comfortable in the air, a fish in water, and plants in soil, the Three Realms Cliff is a place where air, water, and soil are chaotically distributed at the junction, making it uncomfortable for anyone.
Timing: Since he came to the bottom of the cliff, he had been in a lazy state, maintaining a low-power output mode of survival, causing everything to remain unremarkable and never exceed the critical threshold.
After all these years, his cultivation had been as casual as fishing, just maintaining a state where he didn’t regress—no ambitions, and no actions taken; the most he had ever used his spiritual power was to help dig a well and carry the protagonists' corpses... ahem, bodies.
Just as people find it easier to suffer from oxygen deprivation at high altitudes, Yu Sheng, in such a dangerous place, maintained a long-lasting peace and tranquility due to his lack of ambition. And this tranquility was finally broken today, becoming the final trigger.
System: I feel like these six words aren’t quite suitable for this usage...
Having figured out the crux of the issue, Yu Sheng felt much more at ease, completely ignoring the system’s complaints.
No wonder both the original story and the various rumors in the Three Realms always said that once someone falls from the Three Realms Cliff, there will be no burial place, and absolutely no hope of survival. He had always thought it was just because the cliff was too high, combined with the fact that cultivators’ life-saving techniques were difficult to use, that they would meet their end.
At this point, he realized that the real danger wasn’t those things but the unique structure at the bottom of the cliff, which could amplify all hidden dangers on cultivators at the moment they were least guarded, causing them to explode completely!
Thus, the smartest Wen Jiu always tried to avoid direct confrontation, using only the simplest and most ordinary techniques, which led to Yin Wangzhi's heart demon being triggered time and again, and to Zhan Xiaotian's sword spirit suddenly becoming restless and out of control!
The first step to solving the problem is to identify the crux of the issue, and the second step is to find a solution. After Yu Sheng figured all this out and was no longer misled by appearances, the fluctuations of the spiritual energy around him gradually calmed down, returning to a level even safer than before.
When Yu Sheng focused his spirit again, he discovered that while the three appeared to be cooperating, the constantly changing ground energy required them to adjust their positions continually. During this time, there were actually many minor conflicts and exchanges of murderous glances.
Helpless, he had no choice but to give commands.
“Wen Jiu, swap places with Zhan Xiaotian.”
“Zhan Xiaotian, move to the shortest distance towards Yin Wangzhi.”
“Yin Wangzhi…”
After issuing a series of commands, the three became more efficient in their cooperation. The formation unexpectedly adjusted itself under Yu Sheng’s guidance, making the surrounding “energy” increasingly resemble the human realm, gradually distancing itself from the negative influences of the Three Realms Cliff.
Logically, next… they just needed to restore their emotions to a state of calm and assist each other in recuperation.
Any normal person would seize the opportunity to stabilize themselves with the protagonists' help, quickly returning to a safe and calm state, and would never provoke others while their safety depended on them.
However, Yu Sheng's decision was to madly test the waters on the brink of going astray first.
After all, he was going to fall from grace; such an important event should happen when he was at his most unfortunate and dangerous, when the protagonists were most concerned about him! Just like how people tend to confess their wrongdoings when they are severely injured or suffering, Yu Sheng believed he couldn’t miss this opportunity.
If he waited until everything settled down, the protagonists’ reactions might be even stronger!
From another perspective, the current formation was the safest and most stable. The principle of the formation was precisely to have the Ghost King gather yin energy, controlling the surrounding ghost realm aura within a certain range, while Wen Jiu gathered the aura of the spirit realm, and then Zhan Xiaotian gathered spiritual energy to guide it, with all three working together to forge a “land of the human realm” beneath Yu Sheng.
At this moment, causing fluctuations in the protagonists’ emotions was far safer than after everything ended and he fell from grace.
Having considered all factors, Yu Sheng prepared himself mentally. After changing the formation again, he spoke up.
“Now that we have this opportunity, there’s something I want to say.”
As the last syllable fell, Yu Sheng’s appearance and form changed, his voice gradually becoming deeper, and in the blink of an eye, he transformed into the appearance of the white-haired old man from years ago.
“I’m sorry for hiding this from you for so long; I am indeed your master. I’m not dead, and I didn’t expect… you would come back.”
Wen Jiu: “... Master, I thought you only intended to tell me. I still needed to keep it a secret from my senior brothers for a while.”
Yu Sheng: “Cough, cough…”
Yin Wangzhi, clearly a bit displeased, asked, “What do you mean?”
Wen Jiu looked over innocently, lightly revealing a hint of a smile. “It’s nothing; I just learned about it a bit earlier from the master. Oh, what’s the matter? Aren’t you surprised, Brother Yin?”
Yin Wangzhi, not good at masking his emotions, sneered at the words. “You want me to be surprised? Do you think everyone likes to play tricks like you?”
Wen Jiu's expression turned cold at that, and he fell silent.
Zhan Xiaotian, however, reacted quickly. His hand seals remained steady, but he suddenly exclaimed, “Ah!” Then his eyes widened, quickly filling with tears, his body slightly trembling. He opened his mouth as if to speak but seemed to have the words stuck in his throat. The first thing to escape was a heavily nasal and somewhat dry utterance, “... Master?”
Yu Sheng felt a shiver run down his spine, startled by his reaction, and almost stammered, “Is, is it me?”
“Master... Master, you’re still alive! You didn’t die, that’s wonderful!” Zhan Xiaotian’s performance instinct exploded, his expressions, movements, details, and tone perfect and on point, making it hard to find any flaws. He gazed deeply at Yu Sheng, his eyes almost begging to kneel down. “Disciple misses you so much, Master! Is this real? I won’t lose you again, right?”
Yu Sheng: “...”
Yin Wangzhi wore a face of disgust, clearly taken aback by the unexpected side of the leader of the Immortal Alliance in the human realm.
Wen Jiu shook his head, exchanging a glance with Yin Wangzhi, silently mouthing the words “sacrificial offering.”
Yin Wangzhi pretended to understand, calmly withdrawing his gaze.
Yu Sheng: “Don’t get too excited... No, calm down. I’m really not dead; I didn’t mean to deceive you…”
"No, Zhan Xiaotian already knew his identity, didn’t he? What’s he doing, pretending to be clueless to the point of mastery?
If Zhan Xiaotian hadn’t been blubbering for so long without shedding a single tear, Yu Sheng would almost believe him and feel an overwhelming sense of guilt.
Zhan Xiaotian continued to genuinely act out his shock, surprise, gratitude, and ecstasy, even strengthening the output in the formation to enhance the realism.
Yu Sheng immediately felt that the aura around him became even more comfortable, as if the place he was meditating wasn’t an ordinary human realm but rather a feng shui treasure ground in the human realm…
This, this is the strength of the protagonists?!
Seeing the change in his expression, Zhan Xiaotian smiled brightly, his eyes seemingly glistening with nonexistent tears. “Master, I never want to be apart from you again.”
The next moment, as if competing, Yin Wangzhi’s expression darkened, and he poured even more of his power into the mix, as if trying to gather all the yin energy from the entire Three Realms Cliff, leaving not a single trace behind, directly transforming the cliff bottom into a spring-like climate.
The separation of yin and yang didn’t affect Yu Sheng much, but the temperature noticeably rose, giving him a sauna-like feeling…
He looked towards Wen Jiu for help, hoping he wouldn’t join his two senior brothers in causing chaos, and would give him a break, as the pressure was truly overwhelming.
Wen Jiu smiled lightly at him, their eyes meeting smoothly, and nodded to indicate he understood and wouldn’t let down his master’s expectations.
With a ‘whoosh,’ a third of the barren land at the cliff bottom, marked by Wen Jiu’s position, instantly transformed into a flower field.
Yu Sheng: …
With another ‘whoosh,’ the remaining third of the land’s spiritual energy almost materialized, ethereal and celestial.
With yet another ‘whoosh,’ the last third of the territory was engulfed in cold winds, barren of all vegetation, blanketed in white frost, with ghostly shadows flickering.
With another ‘whoosh’…
Yu Sheng: …?!
“Stop it! Save your energy!”
At this rate, the Three Realms Cliff would really become the Three Realms Cliff!
It wouldn’t be the chaotic boundary of the Three Realms; it would be a clear demarcation! How was he supposed to continue being a homebody like this?
The three of them obediently stopped, casting him calm, innocent looks.
Yu Sheng silently withdrew his spell, reverting to his original appearance, “Don’t you have anything you want to ask or say?”
This development was really different from what he had imagined.
He thought that revealing his true identity at this moment would take advantage of the protagonists’ softness and allow him to confess and receive leniency. But now it seemed completely different?
Instead, the protagonists were taking advantage of his inability to move to stir things up? What invisible restraint had suddenly been lifted? Why did it feel like the three of them were even more… unrestrained than before???
Yu Sheng’s spiritual energy had already circulated several cycles, calming down the agitation; he just needed to finish the final touches. He tentatively said, “Xiaotian, you said you don’t want to leave your master, but you’re the leader of the alliance, shouldering great responsibilities. It’s fine to want to stay with me here, but you need to properly handle things with the Immortal Alliance.”
Zhan Xiaotian blinked in confusion. “No need! I’m already the leader; I can pursue personal interests while working for the public good. I can take my master out to enjoy life in the human realm.”
Yu Sheng took a deep breath. “I’m not going out.”
Wen Jiu couldn’t hold back any longer, his tone unusually intense. “Master, you don’t want to go to the Spirit Realm with me, nor to the Human Realm. Are you really planning to follow the Ghost King to that cold and lifeless Ghost Realm?! That place is clearly the least suitable…”
Zhan Xiaotian’s pupils constricted sharply, truly startled this time. He interrupted Wen Jiu sharply, “Impossible!!”
“Heh.” Yin Wangzhi spoke little but cast a disdainful glance at the other two. “Master has already made an agreement with me about when we will spar. Until that agreement is fulfilled, how could he easily go elsewhere?”
What exactly are you so proud of?
Yu Sheng clung to his last shred of luck and hope, looking at Yin Wangzhi. “Wangzhi, you don’t blame me anymore, right?”
Yin Wangzhi stared straight at him and nodded.
Yu Sheng let out a half-sigh of relief. “So you’re willing to let me stay here and not go anywhere, right?”
Yin Wangzhi looked perplexed. “Why? What do these two things have to do with each other?”
This question echoed the confusion in the hearts of the other two.
Yu Sheng felt despair in his heart, realizing that if he didn’t clarify this matter today, he might truly go mad, and everything would be beyond repair. “Aren’t you all using forcing me out of the cliff to vent your resentment, hatred, and blame for deceiving you?!”
Wen Jiu: “...Master, please focus on your meditation. This is a critical moment; it’s easy for heart demons to create illusions and disturb your mind.”
Yu Sheng: …?!
Don’t think that just because you say it politely, I don’t know you’re doubting me! I’m not crazy!! I can still struggle!
Zhan Xiaotian: “Master, why do you say such things? Whether you are our master, or the esteemed Yu Yangzi, or both, we will always invite you out. How could we possibly want to harm you intentionally? Don’t worry, once we go out, I will definitely treat you well, ensuring you lack for nothing and never suffer in the slightest.”
Yu Sheng felt like crying, forcing himself to continue arguing. “No matter what’s outside, if I can’t go out, then I won’t go! Don’t waste your breath; are you really willing to let me go mad just to defy your master’s command at this point?!”
Wen Jiu shook his head, quickly entering a mode of wild speculation, thinking he had been rejected. “Impossible… Master, you must have misunderstood something. How could I hold a grudge against you or want to harm you…”
Zhan Xiaotian also shook his head. “If you still refuse to make a decision now, unsure of which of us three brothers to accept, I’m willing to wait, whether it’s a month, a year, or even ten years.”
Both of them believed without exception that Yu Sheng's refusal must have other reasons. They thought it must be due to their lack of palace intrigue skills or that the other two were too cunning.
Only Yin Wangzhi, who was more straightforward, had a simpler thought. “Master, you don’t want to go out?”
Seeing his second disciple’s thought process aligning with his own, Yu Sheng felt touched and nodded vigorously. “Yes!”
Yin Wangzhi asked, “Do you want to stay at the bottom of the Three Realms Cliff because you’re reluctant to leave this familiar environment and don’t like other places?”
Yu Sheng nodded again, nearly nailing his chin to the ground. “Mm-hmm!”
Yin Wangzhi, who usually had a gloomy and serious expression, suddenly relaxed, revealing a silent smile that seemed both helpless and somewhat pleased, as if he were thinking, ‘This is easy.’ “Then let’s not leave this home, Master. That’s easy to manage, so there’s no need to worry.”
He was always straightforward. Although he sometimes remembered to have a bit of face in front of his master, he spoke and acted in a simple and direct manner.
As soon as he spoke, Yu Sheng felt he had received the greatest salvation and elevation!
His waist no longer hurt, his legs were no longer sore, and he felt energized enough to fly! Even the chaotic and uncontrollable spiritual energy around him instantly became as docile as a quail!
Ah! So comfortable!
Ah! The fresh air of freedom!
Yu Sheng took a deep breath, feeling completely liberated. The crisis had been successfully navigated, and he stretched his arms and legs before standing up from where he had been. He smiled as if the wind were light and the clouds were thin, and as if it were a clear day after the rain.
He just needed a feather fan in his hand to look even more pretentious.
He looked at Yin Wangzhi with seriousness and focus, finding this disciple more pleasing and adorable than ever. He even began to wonder why he hadn’t noticed before that Yin Wangzhi was such a considerate little cotton-padded jacket. Truly, one cannot judge a ghost by its appearance!
The formation could finally be relaxed; it was still resonating, with a relatively stable inertia around them.
Wen Jiu furrowed his brow, clearly not understanding what Yin Wangzhi meant. “Ghost King, what do you mean by that?”
Zhan Xiaotian added, “Are you trying to use some trick to deceive Master and keep him all to yourself? Master, don’t believe him.”
Yu Sheng was taken aback. “...What?”
Why did it feel like the main character disciples were becoming increasingly reckless? What strange channels were they speaking from? This didn’t sound like something they would typically say. What was going on?
Yin Wangzhi revealed a look of disdain, silently taking something out of his pocket.
“Linglong Snail?” Wen Jiu recognized the magical artifact at a glance, exclaiming in surprise, “You managed to get your hands on such a rare magical artifact!”
It seemed the item didn’t originate from the human realm, and Zhan Xiaotian, not recognizing it either, frowned and asked warily, “What is that?”
In this world of three realms, each with its own rules and countless rare treasures, Yu Sheng, even after all these years, had not fully recognized or become familiar with every magical artifact. At that moment, he only felt that the term “Linglong Snail” sounded somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t recall its purpose.
The artifact was small enough to fit in the palm of his hand, and its shape was memorable, resembling the word “snail.” It had a spiraling shape, gradually widening at the bottom and narrowing at the top.
Fortunately, the entire artifact was crystal clear and translucent, with the spiral part becoming thinner as it rose, making it resemble an ice cream cone. As for its color and texture, it was neither jade, nor crystal, nor metal or wood. Under the sunlight, it shimmered with vibrant colors. If one had to describe it…
Yu Sheng suddenly thought that it might be described as “colorfully brilliant white”!
Unable to hold back a laugh, Yu Sheng quickly coughed lightly, worried he might be misunderstood, and casually praised, “What a beautiful magical artifact.”
Yin Wangzhi, holding the Linglong Snail, felt quite pleased with Master’s rapt attention. He straightened his back a bit more, and although he was usually quiet, he suddenly opened up, saying, “I’m glad you like it. This Linglong Snail is a rare treasure that appears only once in a thousand years, made from the nearly extinct shell of the Qianling Water Snail. That Qianling Water Snail grows in the ghost river where the spirit realm and the ghost realm intersect, and it only sheds its shell once every thousand years, leaving no trace behind. To turn it into this current Linglong artifact is no easy feat; even a slight mishap can lead to failure. It must be crafted by the most skilled and experienced craftsmen within the three realms…”
His demeanor resembled that of a royal relative presenting a birthday gift at the Empress’s birthday banquet, while his eloquence sounded like the wealthy gentlemen during a bidding auction.
Yu Sheng stared blankly, listening intently, his expression gradually becoming serious.
This artifact was priceless! Was the Ghost King trying to use it to seize all my wealth in exchange for my freedom?!
Zhan Xiaotian, standing nearby, had already grown impatient from listening. He poked his ear with his pinky and frowned, “I once had an acquaintance who loved to show off. He died later.”
Yin Wangzhi’s continuous chatter paused momentarily, and he let out a cold laugh. “When words are many, the meaning is often lost. Then I won’t describe the true power of this artifact; I’ll just demonstrate it.”
With that, he gathered a massive amount of ominous energy in his palm and poured it into the Linglong Snail. His other hand formed a sword with his two fingers, pointing directly at the snail, controlling it to rise into the air. As it floated, it grew larger and brighter, gradually becoming transparent.
Yu Sheng’s eyelids twitched; he had a feeling something big was about to happen.
Before long, the Linglong Snail grew larger, transforming from a small object in his palm to something resembling a towering structure. It continued to rotate and emitted a faint glow. The white exterior of the artifact became increasingly transparent, revealing the intricate and bizarre structures within, filled with all sorts of mechanisms and formations.
Then he heard Yin Wangzhi's voice whispering in his ear. Turning his head, he found Yin Wangzhi had silently positioned himself beside him.
“Master, this is a method that your disciple thought would be perfect for you. Do you like it?”
Perfect for me?
Yu Sheng hadn’t fully comprehended yet when Wen Jiu beside him seemed to realize something. “So that’s it. Truly fitting for the Ghost King.”
Ghost, Ghost King? Why did that sound a bit frightening?
Here’s the translation of the provided text:
---
Yin Wangzhi continued, “Master, you don’t want to leave home, and your disciples can’t bear to part with you. That’s fine; I will never put you in a difficult position.”
Yu Sheng: “…?”
When the Linglong Snail had expanded to an unimaginable size, covering the entire cave at the bottom of the cliff, Yu Sheng finally felt a distinct sense of crisis. He started to tremble, as if a gust of wind had swept through him from head to toe... After a moment, he realized it wasn't him shaking but the entire ground beneath his feet starting to quake, with the source of the tremor most likely being the magical artifact.
It was too late to stop it now. Yu Sheng and the other three protagonists gathered their energy, stepping onto the wind and rising into the air to a height where they could look down at the still-expanding and rotating Linglong Snail.
Soon, the very ground they had been standing on was covered by the artifact, and the rotation gradually slowed down. Just as Yu Sheng worried that his cave would be demolished by the artifact, the Linglong Snail came to a stop, remaining still for a few breaths before beginning to rotate in the opposite direction.
This time, it spun faster and faster, and instead of expanding, the entire artifact began to shrink as it rotated in reverse, the speed much greater than before.
Moreover… as the Linglong Snail shrank, the place it had occupied was left as a smooth, round, and perfectly cylindrical deep pit. All traces of the cave, the water well, and the flower field had vanished!
Watching everything unfold before him, Yu Sheng suddenly thought of the golden alms bowl of Fahai, the tower of Li Jing, the Pagoda-bearing Heavenly King, and the purple-gold red gourd stolen from Taishang Laojun that had the ability to make one respond when called...
Yu Sheng tremblingly raised his hand, his voice changing to a hoarse, weak, and stuttering tone as he pointed at the deep pit before him and the artifact still spinning above it. With a pale face, he looked at Yin Wangzhi and stammered, “It, it… it swallowed…?!”
It swallowed my home?!
Seeing him so agitated, Yin Wangzhi summoned the Linglong Snail back to his palm and placed it before Yu Sheng. He took one of Yu Sheng's hands and gently placed it on the even more colorful and dazzling Linglong Snail, indicating that he could touch it freely, examine it, or even take it away.
“Yes, Master, it took your home away. From now on, no one will be able to harm this home.”
Yu Sheng let out a suffocating sound, having forgotten to breathe, causing his face to redden slightly. His wide-open eyes looked as if they could never close. “You… you…!”
You really demolished my home… You, how ruthless! I regret it so much…
Yin Wangzhi noticed the slight flush on his face and, for some reason, felt warmth on his own. He softened his voice, holding Yu Sheng’s hand as they both cradled the Linglong Snail between them. “Yes, in the future, Master, if you want to come out to relax, you can; if you don’t want to come out, then don’t. You don’t have to care about what others say or do.”
The last part of his sentence seemed to have deeper meaning, his words carrying a bit more weight. After he finished speaking, Yin Wangzhi intentionally raised his eyes, casting a provocative and mocking glance at the other two.
“Ugh…”
What a move! This is simply too brilliant, too brilliant…
At that moment, Yu Sheng’s heart experienced a rollercoaster of emotions, and he finally understood what Wen Jiu meant by “the Ghost King’s methods.” He felt a pain in his heart that left him speechless.
He had been too naive; he hadn’t understood these three disciples well enough.
He had forgotten what kind of person Yin Wangzhi had been—how he acted decisively, doing things without hesitation, even enrolling as a disciple after taking action first. He had forgotten how ruthless Yin Wangzhi had been upon his return, how he would attack first and speak later, how he had tortured him in nightmares before blowing up his grave.
Staring blankly at the Linglong Snail in his hands, he concentrated and could even vaguely see the outline of his “home” through the translucent shell.
“Too cunning!” Zhan Xiaotian exclaimed indignantly, almost drawing his sword. He stepped forward, placing himself between Yu Sheng and Yin Wangzhi, angrily breaking the tension. “What a shame that you are the Ghost King, yet you resort to such schemes to force Master to go with you to the ghost realm! What is this? A threat?!”
Yu Sheng, overwhelmed by sorrow, had forgotten to cry. He looked up expressionlessly and silently agreed with his eldest disciple’s words. Yes, this was a threat, wasn’t it? But I have no choice anymore!
Wen Jiu smiled, shook his head, and patted Zhan Xiaotian’s shoulder, secretly giving him a knowing glance. “Eldest brother, what nonsense are you saying? Since Brother Yin cares so much for Master, how could he possibly use this to threaten him? Today, he must be here to present this magical artifact as a gift to Master.”
After saying this, he looked back at Yin Wangzhi with a soft but subtle jab, “Right, Brother Yin? What treasure could be more important than Master’s happiness?”
Yu Sheng stopped staring at the artifact in his hand and began to fixate on the deep pit covered in black mist. His heart filled with despair as he found himself mentally echoing their banter.
Yes, what could be more important than my very own head?
He then silently squatted down, holding the snail, drawing a circle in the dirt, lighting three small twigs, and placing a round pebble in front to represent a steamed bun, commemorating his once peaceful and settled life.
The Ghost King was not one for quarrels, and his earlier lengthy speech was already an exceptional outburst. He now ignored Wen Jiu’s trap, turning his attention to Yu Sheng, who was squatting down for some unknown reason. “Master, the choice is entirely yours.”
Yu Sheng let out a long sigh, his gaze distant. “Why must I choose?”
Zhan Xiaotian moved closer, squatting next to Yu Sheng. “Master, you should have heard. There’s a prophecy of the Heavenly Revelation. Within a hundred years, there will be great chaos in the three realms, and the entire Three Realms Cliff will cease to exist.”
Wen Jiu added, “Master, we didn’t come to force you to acknowledge your identity, nor do we want you to step out to handle the big issues or involve yourself in troublesome matters. We simply hope to take this opportunity to repay your kindness.”
At this moment, the system popped up with a new mission.
【New Mission: Please save the world and maintain harmony in the three realms!】
Yu Sheng was taken aback and opened the star mark that followed.
【Hidden Setting: Zhan Xiaotian, Yin Wangzhi, and Wen Jiu are the children of the three realms. Their personal fortunes are interconnected with the fortune of the three realms. If the three protagonists constantly dispute among themselves, there will never be peace in the three realms! The only solution is to resolve their conflicts and accept each other, working together to protect the three realms!
If the three protagonists cannot accept each other and ultimately merge, the three realms will become isolated and separated, leading to a longer and more terrifying apocalypse. The consequences will be akin to the sea, land, and air being completely disconnected from one another!
Mission Hint: Ten thousand years ago, the three realms were once a single entity. Later, the children of fortune were born, walking as deities in the mortal realm. Due to various reasons, they split their god, soul, and body, transforming into three individuals. At the same time, the world divided into the spiritual, ghost, and human realms.
Please persuade and guide the three children of the realms to merge once again, helping the three realms unite for world peace!】
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