The pill shop assistant shook his head in dissatisfaction when he saw how foolish the jade shop assistant was.
Chen Renfeng could not stand listening any longer. The people in this world were being far too long-winded, so he blurted out, "One hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones!"
"You're right, Fellow Daoist. We happen to have one in the shop. Would you like it?" the pill shop assistant asked eagerly.
It looks like I've fallen into a trap! High-Grade Spirit Stones must be extremely precious here. Ancestor Lu and White Deer Supreme Immortal only gave me 2,500 of them, so I'd better spend them sparingly. Besides, I don't want to continue cultivating. I just want to hurry home. My wife has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and is waiting for treatment. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis... Could it replenish vitality?
Chen Renfeng immediately asked, "Fellow Daoist, do you have any pills that can replenish vitality or restore youth?"
The pill shop assistant replied, "There's a Life Essence Pill. After taking it, severed limbs can regrow and wounds will heal in moments. But as a Void Refinement Stage cultivator, you probably won't need it. The Primal Essence Pill would be more practical."
Chen Renfeng was overjoyed. "How much for the Life Essence Pill and Primal Essence Pill together?"
The pill shop assistant was an honest man. "A Primal Essence Pill costs one High-Grade Spirit Stone. I'll give you a bottle of ten Life Essence Pills for free. Buy one, get ten."
Chen Renfeng readily paid one High-Grade Spirit Stone.
He put the Primal Essence Pill into his Storage Bag. Then he opened the jade bottle containing the Life Essence Pills and poured out a white pill. It was crystal-clear and filled with an immense vitality.
He excitedly put the pill away and kept it close to his body.
After he left the pill shop, the jade shop assistant secretly took two High-Grade Spirit Stones from the pill shop assistant.
After buying what he needed, Chen Renfeng was about to go meet Bai He. However, the jade shop assistant pestered him into taking another look around the artifact shop. Chen Renfeng was tricked into buying two pill furnaces, two humanoid puppets, and some metal tools, formations, and talismans for making puppets.
After being pestered until he finally lost his temper, Chen Renfeng drove the jade shop assistant away. The man had earned ten High-Grade Spirit Stones—he really was quite skilled.
An hour and a half later, Chen Renfeng returned to the place where he was supposed to meet Bai He. Bai He was squatting on the ground with her chin propped in both hands. When she saw him, she rolled her eyes reproachfully.
"Immortal Elder, you're terribly late!"
Chen Renfeng flushed awkwardly. Bai He transformed into her beast form and spread her wings, and Chen Renfeng climbed onto her back.
After taking flight, Bai He flew toward a dense forest at the foot of the mountain. After several breaths, she stopped in front of a courtyard.
There were no walls. A plaque hung between two pillars, with the words "Hidden Immortal" written on it.
Weeds covered the courtyard. Someone had trampled a path through them. Ten zhang farther in were three caves, with the middle one being slightly larger.
After Bai He landed, she transformed into human form and said coolly, "Immortal Elder, I put the things you bought in the kitchen."
Bai He first went to the cave on the right. After some bustling around, several jars and pots were filled with Immortal Rice, Immortal Fruit, and Immortal Spring Water. There also seemed to be a jar of insects, which Bai He hugged to her chest. "Immortal Elder, I'm going back to my room to sleep. Call me if you need anything."
Chen Renfeng had only just arrived and wanted to keep a low profile. Besides, the household was so poor it could barely scrape by, yet Bai He had still remained loyal. He could only nod.
The middle cave belonged to Chen Renfeng.
The cave had no door, only a formation. It recognized his appearance and aura and opened automatically when he approached. Inside, there was only a stone table and a stone bed. However, the stone bed had been refined from a single piece of High-Grade Spirit Stone. He had seen one in Bai Xue's study.
Chen Renfeng secretly sighed. Chen Tuan looked poor enough to be unable to afford food, but he spared no expense when it came to cultivation resources.
Chen Renfeng went to the cave entrance and looked around again. After confirming that no one was watching, he set up another formation. These were all things Chen Tuan had learned, and since Chen Renfeng had inherited his legacy, he naturally knew them as well.
After making all the preparations, Chen Renfeng sat cross-legged on the jade bed. He clasped his hands together, placing the Twin Fish Jade Pendant in his palm. The primordial spirit in his Sea of Dantian emerged from the top of his head. It still looked like Chen Renfeng, and it burrowed straight into the jade pendant.
Chen Renfeng stood in the grass of the Small World. He looked around but saw neither Chen Qing nor Bai Xue. His heart tightened, and he hurriedly shouted, "Chen Qing..."
"Bai Xue... where are you?"
Chen Renfeng walked toward the lakeside, calling out loudly. Countless ominous thoughts arose in his mind. As soon as he reached the lake, he noticed movement beneath the water and immediately extended his divine sense to investigate.
Suddenly, a white shadow shot out of the water. Bai Xue had both hands clamped tightly onto it, dragging it rapidly across the surface.
Bai Xue shouted, "I've got you! Let's see where you can run now. I'll teach you to insult me!"
The white shadow turned out to be shaped like an infant. Chen Renfeng's divine sense locked onto it. The infant was none other than the Princess's nascent soul.
Unable to break free, the Princess cursed furiously, "You crazy hag, let go of me! You mortal!"
Chen Renfeng sent his divine sense beneath the water and saw Chen Qing swimming after the Great General's nascent soul.
Chen Renfeng mobilized his magical power and sealed the space. The lake water suddenly froze. Chen Qing, Bai Xue, the Princess's nascent soul, and the Great General's nascent soul could no longer move. The four of them rose from the water and floated three zhang above the ground. Chen Renfeng then crooked a finger, and all four landed on the grass.
The restraints on Bai Xue and Chen Qing vanished, while the other two nascent souls remained immobilized by his magical power.
"Uncle Chen, where did you go? We looked for you for so long," Bai Xue asked with concern.
Chen Renfeng did not know where to begin, so he asked first, "Bai Xue, how is your foot injury?"
"It's healed. I washed it in the lake, and it got better. It's amazing." Bai Xue beamed.
Chen Renfeng nodded happily, then asked, "How did you two end up fighting these two nascent souls?"
"Nascent souls?" Bai Xue and Chen Qing exchanged glances, then looked at the Professor with puzzled expressions.
Chen Renfeng knew he could not hide it from them, so he explained, "The green infant is the Great General's nascent soul, and the white infant is the Princess's nascent soul. They entered the Small World within the jade pendant to escape the suffering of reincarnation.
"What did they do to provoke you two?"
Bai Xue spoke first. "I was washing my feet by the lake when this white infant called me an ugly mortal and said I had dirtied the Immortal Spring Water. She called me an ugly freak, so of course I couldn't let her off."
Chen Qing followed up, "This green infant eavesdropped on us and called me Bai Xue's lapdog, but said I couldn't even lick the right spot. Of course I couldn't spare him."
After hearing them out, Chen Renfeng shook his head with a bitter smile. "Have you found a way out of here?"
Only then did the two remember the important matter, and they both shook their heads.
Chen Renfeng sighed. "I found a way out, but Spiritual Energy poured into my body in an instant, and I... I vanished completely."
"What? Professor, you... you're a ghost now?" Chen Qing hurriedly took half a step back.
"Uncle Chen, don't scare me. Who are you now?" Bai Xue pressed.
Seeing their strange expressions, Chen Renfeng helplessly sat down cross-legged and gestured for them to sit as well.
Bai Xue sat down first, and Chen Qing sat beside her.
Chen Renfeng told them everything that had happened during his journey outside, leaving out the fact that he had used his blood to open the seal. He was afraid the two young people would recklessly try it themselves.
After Bai Xue finished listening, she began sobbing, her face filled with despair.
Chen Qing rose to his feet and roared, "I don't want to be trapped in a cage in the Immortal World! My mother is still waiting for me to come home for dinner..."
"Stop crying!" Chen Renfeng shouted.
Before you continue