Chapter Fifteen: Human World (Three)

  With a glance, Ji Ruoxuan looked at Gu Qing from top to bottom, then from bottom to top, and muttered: "Huh? How can she be such an ordinary woman?"

  "Ordinary? Where is it ordinary?" Shang Qiushui became even more strange, saying: "Not to mention her unique and elegant demeanor, just this appearance and figure, isn't it comparable to Shi Ji's? Moreover, I completely can't see through her Taoist skills, and I don't even know if she has any Taoist skills. Just this one point of being deeply hidden and not revealing oneself, is enough to show that she is indeed the first among the disciples of Yun Zhong!"

  "But... " Ji Ruochen furrowed his brow, seemingly weighing his words carefully, but after a long time, he finally said: "Shui Shifu, do you think that Gu Qing is really there?"

  "She stood upright, but where was she? Brother Dust, what's wrong with you? Is it because your progress is too fast and your foundation is unstable, so some problems have arisen?" Shang Qiushui asked in puzzlement.

  Ji Ruocheng shook his head, his face gradually turning pale, and it seemed that even a simple gaze had consumed a lot of his energy. He hesitated for a moment, then said: "Autumn Water brother, I don't have any problems with my cultivation. But I did see her standing there, yet somehow, I always feel that where she's standing is actually empty."

  "Could it be that her cultivation has reached the point where she is one with heaven and earth? That's equivalent to the Upper Clarity Realm of our sect's Three Purities True Scripture! If there really is such a person, then she must definitely become an immortal in this lifetime. Is that even possible?"

  Ji Ruo furrowed his brow and said, "I also can't explain it clearly, it's just a simple feeling... maybe I'm wrong, Autumn Water Shixiong, I'm extremely tired, so I'll head back now."

  For some reason, Ji Ruochen didn't want to stay here for another moment, so without waiting for Shang Qiushui's response, he immediately turned around and was about to leave. Shang Qiushui was taken aback and hastily called out: "Brother Ruochen, what...

  At this moment, heaven and earth are quiet.

  Although Ji Ruocheng had turned her back, she saw in her divine consciousness that Gu Qing's eyes, which were originally extremely calm and tranquil, suddenly had a spark of life, just like the divine consciousness that was scattered throughout the world had suddenly returned to her body.

  At this moment, the hustle and bustle of the crowd has disappeared. Under the blue sky and white clouds, amidst the green mountains and clear waters, she stands alone.

  Gu Qing slowly turned around. Her movements were gentle, yet seemed to contain the power of a thousand kilograms, and as she turned, the clouds rolled and the wind moved. The fierce gusts that contained immense power only blew up a few strands of her black hair, brushing against her skin as white as ice and snow. Her eyes not only regained their vitality but shone brighter and brighter, in an instant, Ji Ruochen could no longer see her figure, and where she stood, there was only a dazzlingly bright light that seemed to blind!

  That scorching gaze seemed to have traversed millions of years, passing through countless earths and heavens, finally landing on Ji Ruochen's body.

  In an instant, Ji Ruo was engulfed by a raging inferno that seemed to have descended from the heavens, as if ignited by the celestial fire. His body emitted an indescribable intense light and heat! He felt like he was in a city ablaze, with no wind or water around him, only flames. With each breath, he inhaled fire and exhaled light.

  He was unable to move, standing in the center of the burning city, watching as that figure disappeared into the distance, leaving behind a city engulfed in flames. Ji Ruochen didn't know why, but for an instant, he felt a tearing pain in his heart. He didn't understand where this pain came from or what it was. All he knew was that this pain had pierced through his heart and lungs, hurting him so much that he completely forgot about the fierce flames burning around him.

  He could only watch as the figure walked away, unable to move or call out.

  That figure had already disappeared into the distance, and the fierce flames were also unknown when they would be extinguished. He stood in the ruins of the tiles, and for a moment he was heartbroken. This piece of flame-burned city, like a huge lock without edges, tightly locked him in the center of the city, unable to move. He gazed at this vast expanse of ruins, slowly raised his right hand, clenched his fist, and was about to strike down with all his might, striking down the giant lock that had locked him here. But why was it so difficult for him to make such a decision, letting his right fist hover in mid-air, unable to fall again?

  It wasn't until a sudden sharp pain shot through his chest that Ji Ruochen was pulled out of that endless, boundless abyss.

  This time he could shout, but the habit of endurance since childhood made him forcibly swallow his voice, and only hummed a low, dull sound.

  Ji Ruocheng heard his own voice, as well as the sound of the wind, the sound of water, and the clamor of human voices. The world was once again filled with sounds.

  "Brother Ru Chen, why are you leaving so soon?" Autumn Water was still calling out from behind.

  Ji Ruochen suddenly froze in place.

  What about the moment when the city was engulfed in flames, and what about the thousands of years that stood alone in the flames? What time is it now? Is it a continuation of just a moment ago, or is it already after thousands of years?

  Another wave of scorching pain shot through his chest. Ji Ruochen was prepared this time and didn't make a sound, his face only flashed with a hint of pallor. He looked down to see that the small piece of cyan stone on his chest was emitting a faint glow, incredibly hot, not only burning through his inner and outer shirts but also scorching a large area of skin on his chest.

  Ji Ruochen didn't care about the scorching pain, and quickly covered her chest with her hand to prevent anyone from seeing the cyan stone. As soon as her palm touched the stone, a hissing sound was heard, and a thin stream of cyan smoke emerged. Ji Ruochen's expression remained unchanged, and she quietly grasped the stone tightly. Strangely, at the moment when the stone was completely grasped by Ji Ruochen, the high heat on its surface quickly dissipated, and it returned to its usual warmth.

  It all happened in the blink of an eye, and Ji Ruochen couldn't even distinguish whether those scenes that came flooding in were real or illusions. However, he could clearly feel that a pair of scorching eyes was fixed on his back.

  Gu Qing stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the figure on the high building across Taiqing Pool, who was about to leave but froze in place.

  In an instant, she was as if descending from the heavens to the mortal world, stirring up clouds and winds, and the sudden change in her breath immediately caught everyone's attention, with dozens of piercing gazes falling on her in a split second.

  Under the gaze of many, Gu Qing was calm and composed, as if the dozens of young monks around her did not exist. She only gazed at Ji Ruochen on the other side of the Taiqing Pool. Those who didn't know Gu Qing well might think she had extraordinary willpower, but Chu Han and Shi Qi knew that in Gu Qing's eyes, these people were completely non-existent. Whether they cried or laughed, even died or lived, it wouldn't stir up a single ripple in her emotions.

  It was only then that dozens of young cultivators all realized that Gu Qing was not right. Chu Han and Shi Ji also had a look of surprise on their faces, and they followed Gu Qing's line of sight to stare at Ji Ruochen who was facing away from them. The other young cultivators' innate talents and cultivation were actually not bad either, and they closely followed Chu Han and Shi Ji to discover Ji Ruochen along Gu Qing's line of sight.

  Although there were four buildings on the opposite bank of Taiqing Pool, and more than 40 disciples looked out from the building, however, all the people who accompanied Yun Zhongju were cultivators, that is to say, they would not let Ji Ruochen successfully blend in with the crowd, let alone Shang Qiushui by his side was so eye-catching.

  Ji Ruochen had already successfully escaped from the illusion and recovered his ability to move, but at this moment he was like a thorn in the back, with dozens of fiery gazes falling on him, making it impossible for him to move or not move.

  He had already scolded Shang Qiushui dozens of times in his heart, but Shang Qiushui still didn't know the severity of the situation and said: "Ruochen brother, Gu Qing is watching you right now! Hmm, why are all these other people looking over too? Ruochen brother really isn't ordinary, as soon as he appears, he's so eye-catching! It seems that those three from Yun Zhongju also know about Ruochen brother's earth-shaking talent. Hehe, let's see if they still dare to think that Daode Zong has no one."

  Just as Ji Ruochen was wailing, it seemed like he was afraid that others wouldn't notice him enough. On Gu Qing's face, which was usually calm and seemed like it would never change in a million years, there was actually an expression!

  She had a faint, almost imperceptible smile on her lips, her right hand still behind her back, and her left hand slowly raised, paused for a moment, then pointed at Ji Ruochen from afar. She asked the Taoist priest, "Taoist master, who is that person?"

  Just as her icy fingers pointed at Ji Ruochen, Ji Ruochen felt like he had been stabbed with a sword and his whole body trembled. He could no longer care about anything else, took big strides, and rushed towards the stairs.

  Chu Han's face suddenly changed, and he bowed his head towards the building in the distance. In a loud voice, he said: "Which outstanding senior disciple of the Dao De Zong is over there? Why are you so bitter about meeting me?"

  Chu Han's eighteen words were like pearls, round and smooth, with an indescribable clarity and pleasantness. Although her voice was not loud, it easily traversed the vast surface of Tai Qing Pool and reached Ji Ruochen and Shang Qiushui. This time, however, these eighteen words were like a bell or a chime, rising and falling in pitch, each note different from the last, with each word overlapping the next, like giant waves crashing against Ji Ruochen one after another!

  As soon as the first word sounded, Shang Qiushui immediately felt the great power of the voice that was destroying and withering, and his face changed greatly! He hastily flew his sleeves like a dance, grasped seven spells in an instant, and then shouted a clear shout. The sound of the shout was gentle and beautiful, but it couldn't hide the intention to kill, and in an instant, it dispersed the first ten words of Chu Han's voice. However, the last eight words came rushing forward like a huge wave, pressing down on Ji Rufei!

  Ji Ruocheng's body suddenly became a blur, his hands rose like crane wings, and between the opening and closing of his fingers, fragments of residual shadows emerged. In an instant, around him, like fireworks bursting, a dazzling rain of fire erupted continuously.

  Ji Ruocheng's body suddenly stopped, let out a low hum, and then, amidst the crowd's stunned gazes, he lifted his foot and descended the stairs like a wisp of smoke, disappearing into the distance in the blink of an eye.

  Just as Gu Qing pointed it out, nearly a hundred Taoist priests and monks who were coming and going by the side of Taiqing Pool noticed the situation here, so Ji Ruocheng's back was added with more than a hundred eyes, seeing him off all the way.

  This stretch of road, Ji Ruocheng ran like the wind and smoke, with every move, there was not a single wisp of smoke or fire. Only those with high cultivation could see how fast Ji Ruocheng was running, but what was rare was that he ran in harmony with heaven and earth, without disturbing even a single leaf or blade of grass around him. If he used this method to launch a surprise attack on a rainy night, even someone with a higher level of cultivation than Ji Ruocheng would find it difficult to detect.

  Just then, Ji Ruochen rushed out a few steps and saw that the gazes directed at him had changed from initial shock to admiration, surprise, and even jealousy.

  Shi Jia gazed out at the distant figure of Ji Ruocheng, and with a wave of his hand, he used the secret technique of Yun Zhong Ju Du Men, speaking in a voice that only Chu Han and Gu Qing could hear: "That person's magical abilities are unpredictable and ever-changing, but unlike the other disciples of Dao De Zong, they don't have any craftsmanship to speak of. Truly, it's enough to move one's heart!"

  Chu Han snorted and said: "His Taoist skills are many, but the various methods do not harmonize, they are mixed and impure, how can he have a great future?"

  Shi Qi smiled lightly and said, "Others only use mixed and impure Taoist methods to block your Baizhen True Spell, what can you say about that?"

  Chu Han's face changed slightly, his sword-like eyebrows furrowed, and he began to think.

  He knew that the guest was a connoisseur, and since Gu Qing had asked, he glanced at Taiqing Pool on the opposite bank and said: "Those two are both young disciples of my sect. The one facing this side is called Shang Qiushui, who is under the door of Taixu Palace's Taiyin True Man. The one who left should be Ji Ruochen, currently hanging his name under the gate of Taichang Palace's Ziyang True Man."

  "Is it Ji Ruochen?" Shi Qi put away the Cloud Dwelling Secret Method, first reciting Ji Ruochen's name twice, then lightly laughed and said: "It seems he is very unwilling to see us, are we that frightening?"

  Gu Qing stood with his hands behind his back, gazing in the direction where Ji Ruocheng had disappeared, a faint smile on his face. For some reason, Chu Han and Shi Qi saw Gu Qing's subtle expression and exchanged a surprised glance, their faces filled with astonishment.

  Gu Qing turned around and said calmly to the doorman, "Since he doesn't want to see us now, that's fine. Would you please tell me where Ji Ruochen lives? I'll visit him tomorrow."