FVN Chapter 55 The Two-World Speculator
Chapter 55 The Two-World Speculator
"Hiss, I'm so envious and jealous." Watching Su'e's soul aura rise steadily, Xu Changqing clicked his tongue inwardly. "Think of Xu Ming, he spent months of hard work and went through many dangers before he barely managed to enter the Qi Refining stage. I, this Daoist, transmigrated here, took over this body, and after many battles, risking my life, I'm still only at the peak of Qi Refining, and I still need to find an opportunity to establish my foundation... This little girl, on the other hand, has the gates of the underworld wide open for her, with abundant Yin energy at her disposal. As soon as she started cultivating, everything went smoothly, and she directly entered the Qi Refining stage. Judging from the thickness of the Yin energy accumulated in her body, once it's completely refined, she can probably easily break through to the middle stage of Qi Refining, and might even reach the later stage... It's really infuriating to compare oneself to others!"
Despite this, there was not a trace of jealousy in his eyes, only satisfaction.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Su'e's soul suddenly trembled, and her whole body shone with a bright white light, as if a miniature bright moon was rising in this dark and gloomy world.
The surging Yin energy within her body has been initially refined, transforming into pure Taiyin magic power that circulates endlessly throughout the body. She has already reached the Qi Refining Realm, and her foundation is far more profound than that of ordinary beginners in Qi Refining.
Su'e slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes, formed from her soul, were as clear as a spring, reflecting the moonlight. She looked at Xu Changqing's illusory divine consciousness, her eyes filled with joy.
"Master... I think I can control this yin energy now."
"Hmm, let's stabilize our cultivation first." Xu Changqing nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding gloomy mist, his brows furrowing slightly.
While the transformation of consciousness into form is wondrous, it is ultimately a temporary abode in a foreign land, and lingering there is certainly not a good thing. The laws of the underworld are vastly different from those of the mortal world; the longer one stays, the deeper the soul will be corrupted. Even with cultivation to protect it, there is no guarantee that unforeseen events will not occur. Moreover, in the mortal world, the physical body is left unattended; if an accident occurs, the soul will have nowhere to return.
Su'e, who was appreciating the wonders of the moon phases, seemed to sense Xu Changqing's thoughts. She reached out and gently touched his wrist with her cool and delicate fingertips.
In a state of spiritual consciousness, a person's perception is amplified, and subtle fluctuations in their emotions are extremely difficult to conceal. Therefore, unless one is a lifelong partner, they generally do not do it lightly.
Therefore, Xu Changqing could clearly feel Su'e's feelings for him.
Su'e was new to cultivation and obviously unaware of this, a faint blush appeared on her face, but fortunately, her soul body shone with a pure white light, so it was not noticeable.
She quickly composed herself, her voice becoming pleasant.
"Master, I think I know how to leave here. The 'Taiyin Xuntian Yuanjun Jing' contains methods for traveling to the underworld, sensing the phases of the moon, and anchoring our position in the mortal world. I can try to send us back."
"Alright, give it a try." Xu Changqing sensed her sincerity, his face remaining impassive, and gently grasped her wrist with his other hand.
Su'e's heart fluttered again as he grasped her hand, and she softly hummed in agreement, closing her eyes to circulate the scriptures.
Her body radiated a pure white soul light that rippled like water, subtly echoing the pale white giant moon hanging high in the sky.
She recited the obscure syllables of the scriptures in an ethereal voice, as if they came from the moon palace.
As she chanted, her soul gradually became transparent, as if it were about to melt into the flowing gray-white moonlight around her.
Xu Changqing saw an extremely thin, almost imperceptible wisp of moon-white light extending from the crescent moon's dim light between Su'e's eyebrows, piercing through layers of dark mist, and winding towards some unknown direction.
Immediately afterward, at the other end where the moon-white light disappeared, a phantom portal slowly emerged in the gray void. Behind the portal was the aura belonging to the Qingyang Temple of the present world.
"It's there." Su'e opened her eyes, the moonlight shining brightly in them. She looked at Xu Changqing, and raised her other hand, as if wanting to hold him tighter, but she was also a little shy. In the end, she just gently held the sleeve of his spiritual image. "Master, let's... go."
As soon as she finished speaking, the shimmering white light that her soul had transformed into suddenly contracted and condensed, turning into a spindle-shaped, moon-white halo that enveloped both her and Xu Changqing's illusory divine consciousness. The halo swirled, and faint images of palaces and celestial maps appeared on its surface—the manifestation of the Dharma form of the "Taiyin Xuntian Yuanjun Scripture".
The next moment, the halo followed the moon-white filament and silently slid into the dark void.
Xu Changqing felt the surrounding scenery rushing backward and blurring as before, eventually being replaced by a soft, silvery-white halo.
A cool moonlight seemed to flow through the halo, and the faint tinkling of jade pendants seemed to echo in one's ears.
The moonlit halo trembled slightly and then quietly dissipated.
Xu Changqing's consciousness returned to its place, and he suddenly opened his eyes.
On the couch, Su'e also opened her eyes at the same time.
The original clarity in her eyes was replaced by a layer of warm moonlight, and a miniature star map seemed to slowly rotate deep within her pupils, making her appear mysterious and noble. The faint glow of the crescent moon between her brows had disappeared, leaving only a very faint, crescent-shaped, luminous white mark under her skin, barely noticeable unless looked closely.
Su'e blinked, the moonlight in her eyes gradually dimming, regaining some of its former clarity. Looking at Xu Changqing so close to her, the blush that had just faded from her face crept back up. She quickly leaned back slightly, creating some distance, and whispered, "Master...we're back."
"How are you feeling?" Xu Changqing asked.
Su'e closed her eyes and looked inward for a moment, then said, "Master, I feel very good. The Yin energy in my body can no longer harm me."
Upon hearing this, Xu Changqing's eyes flashed with a sharp light: "Oh? Feel it more carefully now. Is it possible to actively go to that underworld? And is it possible to return?"
Su'e closed her eyes again as instructed, and the faint crescent mark between her eyebrows shimmered with a white glow.
She immersed herself in the teachings of the "Taiyin Xuntian Yuanjun Jing" and silently observed.
A moment later, she opened her eyes, a look of certainty flashing in them.
"Alright." Su'e's voice was cold. She paused, then frowned slightly. "However, this method is quite taxing on my mind and energy. With my current cultivation at the early stage of Qi Refining, even if I use my full strength, I can only make about two round trips a day. If I force myself to go again after that, I fear my soul will become unstable and I might get lost."
"Twice...that's enough." Xu Changqing clapped his hands, a smile appearing on his face. "Being able to actively travel between the underworld and the mortal world is already an immense stroke of luck. Although the underworld is dangerous, it is also a treasure trove that has not been fully explored. Its unique spiritual materials and underworld stones... are all scarce resources in the mortal world and are extremely valuable. Conversely, elixirs, magical artifacts, talismans, spiritual plants, and so on in the mortal world are also scarce commodities in the underworld."
He paced back and forth, the candlelight casting his shadow on the wall, swaying slightly: "Haha, in this way, we have another secret source of income. We just need to buy low and sell high, becoming reliable middlemen between the two worlds, and the profits will be enough to support our cultivation."
He looked at Su'e with intense gaze: "However, this matter is of great importance and must be handled with care. The route, the trading partners, and the supplies to be carried all need to be carefully planned."
Su'e met his gaze and nodded earnestly.