A Loophole in the Strange Illness?

Whoosh—whoosh—

Where was this?

Wu Wang struggled to open his eyes. Above him stretched a vast azure sky, dotted with a few white clouds. Faintly, he could see a rather strange bird circling low in the air.

His whole body ached, and his head felt as though it were splitting apart. This was the consequence of excessive Spiritual Sense consumption. Moreover, when the elder had shifted him through space this time, he had somehow endured an immense tearing force, as if he had been forcibly squeezed through a seamless wall.

"Senior..."

Wu Wang endured the headache and tried to climb up, but his vision went black. His six senses sank into darkness, and scene after scene surfaced before him.

He had traveled with Senior Shennong, wandering the Western Plains for half a day. To Wu Wang's utter speechlessness, Senior Shennong had actually dragged him along to gather herbs and identify medicinal plants.

He was from the artifact-refining camp. He truly had no interest in alchemy.

Gathering herbs and chatting as they went, the two arrived at the border between the Western Plains and Zhongshan, where the destination of their journey lay.

Kunlun Hill.

Yet the moment they reached the boundary of Kunlun Hill, they glimpsed the fabled Kunlun secret realm, saw the Nine Heavens Gate towering between heaven and earth, and beheld the divine beast Kaiming guarding before it.

At the same time, several incomparably powerful auras suddenly appeared in the east, west, south, and north.

Wu Wang had felt pressure at this level before.

—Back in the Northern Plains, when he had fought Granny Yin and Wang Lin, he had felt it when that drop of Qiong Qi's essence blood dispersed.

Gods!

And gods of extraordinary strength!

A figure flew from the Heavenly Gate and stood proudly above the clouds. Its body resembled a tiger's, its claws brimming with sharpness. It had a human face and nine tails upon its back. Waves of radiance emanated from its brawny body; even the Kaiming beast had to bow in salute when it appeared.

The god Lu Wu.

At the same time, several figures emerged from the other directions.

A god with a human face and a horse's body came from the north. Tiger stripes marked its body, and two bird wings grew from its back. Whorls of green wind spread around it into heaven and earth, as though sealing off the northern sky.

The god Ying Zhao.

Another heavenly god had eight legs and two heads, as if two divine oxen had been fused together. Dense Killing Intent wrapped around it, while its eight legs transformed into gigantic hands, each gripping a weapon.

The final figure to appear seemed human at first glance, but upon closer inspection, its face resembled a leopard's. It had a leopard tail, pointed ears, and sharp claws.

The god Chang Cheng.

The four powerful gods vaguely blocked Shennong Shi and Wu Wang's path, each emanating overwhelming pressure. Wu Wang was only able to endure because he stood somewhat close to Shennong Shi. Had he been farther away, he would likely have been shaken unconscious on the spot.

Shennong smiled. "Well? Are you afraid?"

Wu Wang immediately forced out an ugly smile.

Not speaking was already his final act of stubbornness.

If he opened his mouth, his voice would definitely tremble. That was simply his body's instinctive reaction.

He was merely a minor cultivator who had entered the Core Formation Realm through Anointing. What virtue or ability did he possess to draw the attention of four powerful gods?

"Do not worry. They do not serve the Heavenly Emperor," Shennong Shi transmitted. "But judging from this, a fierce battle is unavoidable.

"I will send you to an island. Wait for me there. At best, it will take several days; at worst, several years. I will come find you."

After saying that, Shennong Shi raised a hand and pressed it against Wu Wang's shoulder. With a gentle push, the surrounding universe collapsed in an instant.

Wu Wang had no time to say anything. At the instant he was pushed forward, he suddenly turned around, aimed his left hand at Shennong Shi, and a Crystal Ball exploded before him. His Spiritual Sense was nearly drained dry in an instant.

Star Invocation Technique: Starlight Blessing.

This Star Invocation Technique was quite common in the Northern Plains and was not considered advanced. Its effect was to bolster the recipient's stamina and increase their strength and speed.

The stronger the target, the more Spiritual Sense the priest expended.

Wu Wang had already given it everything he had, yet he could only add the faintest trace of starlight to Shennong Shi. But...

It should have helped Senior, right?

The collapse of heaven and earth was swiftly mended. Wu Wang vaguely felt that he had fallen weightlessly for a long time this round, until he finally crashed into a shallow stretch of water and felt soft sand and cool seawater.

That fall nearly made him cough up blood on the spot.

His Spiritual Sense had been violently depleted in a short time, and his body had undergone an immensely long spatial shift. That was why Wu Wang could not open his eyes now.

Faintly, when Wu Wang was sent here, he had also heard several lines of conversation.

A deep, resonant voice asked:

"What does the Human Emperor mean by this? Since you brought your disciple here, why expend such great effort to send him away?"

Shennong Shi gave a soft laugh and replied calmly:

"I merely brought him here to broaden his horizons, to let him experience what it feels like to face you directly at an early age. It can also serve as encouragement for him."

In his dazed state, Wu Wang could not help worrying about the Human Emperor of the Human Domain.

Could the elder defeat those gods?

After all, he was already advanced in years. His strength had been inherited from the old Human Emperor Suiren Shi, and he had devoted part of his energies to opening the path of medicine. His strength was probably inferior to that of the two old Human Emperors, Suiren Shi and Fuxi.

Earlier, he had even said things like, "I can naturally retreat unscathed," and "At most, I'll come find you in a few days"—words that sounded forbidden the moment they left his mouth.

No, he had to do something.

Although the elder liked setting up juniors, had a rather black heart, showed neither restraint nor mercy when acting, and cast too wide a net like a scoundrel, thinking about it carefully, he truly had taken great care of Wu Wang.

To say nothing else, the Flame Emperor Token was one path toward resolving his strange illness. At the very least, it had allowed the completely clueless Wu Wang to grasp a thread of hope.

How could men of our generation let a senior walk alone?

He had to!

Going back was impossible, but thinking of a way to head to the Human Domain and find reinforcements was still feasible.

Wu Wang forcibly opened his eyes and saw the pale golden light screen in the sky. The necklace on his chest was faintly heating up as well. Strands of warm breath spread from the Flame Emperor Token at his spiritual platform, and after his entire body merely trembled a few times, he tilted his head and fell unconscious again.

In the haze...

"Jin Wei, Jin Wei."

Who was it?

Who was speaking?

The voice was somewhat sharp and delicate, yet quite pleasing to the ear, like the clear cry of a lark. It made one feel comfortable listening to it, and Wu Wang discovered that he had unexpectedly recovered some of his energy.

Two icy claws pulled open his lips, yet he felt no pain from being cut.

Just as Wu Wang thought a bird was about to peck at him as though he were a corpse, a sweet stream flowed over his tongue and slipped down his throat.

The numbness swiftly receded, and the skull that had felt ready to crack gradually settled down.

"Jin Wei, Jin Wei."

The call sounded beside his ear again.

Before long, Wu Wang felt his lips being nudged open again, and a bird's beak pecked in once more. A somewhat warm stream of water entered Wu Wang's mouth, then swiftly vanished down his throat.

It reminded Wu Wang of his previous life, when he had been exhausted after extreme survival training and the young nurse had fed him nutrient solution...

A moment later, an indescribable scorching sensation rose throughout his body, as though he had fallen into a bonfire.

His limbs brimmed with inexhaustible strength, and he even had the illusion that he could crush a stone barehanded.

Wu Wang's fingers twitched lightly. His entire body shuddered unconsciously for a while, and a pale violet crescent mark flashed upon his forehead. Then he suddenly opened his eyes.

Puff! Puff!

The pitch-black bird he had seen earlier was frantically flapping its wings as it took off.

Wu Wang instinctively stared at the bird, at its jade-like beak and pale golden claws. He sat upright at once, sent several pills flying from his sleeve into his mouth, and said:

"Thank you, fellow Daoist."

His Spiritual Consciousness barely extended beyond his body. He immediately activated the pills, restoring his injuries and Spiritual Sense.

The bird circled half a turn before landing on a reef not far away. Tilting its head, it studied Wu Wang, then let out two tentative calls through its crystalline beak:

"Jin Wei, Jin Wei."

Wu Wang opened his eyes. He was drawn to the intelligence in the bird's gaze and found it exceptionally beautiful as well. It was an exotic species he had never seen in the Northern Plains.

He smiled. "Did you save me?"

The bird raised its head slightly, seemingly rather proud of itself. Its two wings even posed as though planted on its hips.

Wu Wang nearly laughed aloud. He rummaged through his sleeve, took out a preserved spirit fruit from his Yin-Yang Ring, wrapped it in Magic Power, and pushed it toward the bird.

Who would have thought...

The bird did not even glance at it. It spread its wings, flapped them twice, and flew away directly with an air of elegance.

Following the bird's retreating figure with his eyes, Wu Wang saw a cliff by the water. At its edge stood a tree emitting specks of pale green radiance, exceptionally eye-catching.

He sat on a slightly elevated stretch of beach. Behind him lay a thicket of interlacing branches and leaves, while before him stretched an endless sea.

Now that he had calmed down somewhat, a few doubts surfaced in Wu Wang's heart...

Why had Senior Shennong insisted on bringing him to Kunlun Hill to broaden his horizons? There seemed to be some deeper meaning behind it.

Uh, could the old senior have been using him to put up a false front?

Wu Wang suddenly understood the crux of the matter.

Senior Shennong had gone to Kunlun Hill to seek an immortal herb that extended one's lifespan. It was equivalent to going there to make a deal. He himself had already reached the limit of his lifespan, and the Human Domain still had no successor to the Human Emperor. Under that double predicament, the lifespan-extending immortal herb had become an essential commodity.

From the hints Senior Shennong had revealed, that special immortal herb had long been controlled by the Heavenly Emperor. Other than the Heavenly Palace, it could only be found at Kunlun Hill.

And the actual ruler of Kunlun Hill was the Queen Mother of the West, famed throughout the Nine Wilds.

Senior Shennong had brought him there to tell the Queen Mother of the West:

Look, I actually have a successor. You can't threaten me. Make the immortal herb cheaper.

Wu Wang could not help throwing back his head with a long sigh, silent tears streaming down his face. The corners of his mouth twitched as he raised a middle finger toward the sky.

That old man had schemed against him again!

And before being sent away, he had even exhausted all his strength to place a Star Invocation Technique blessing on Senior Shennong!

He had even been thinking, It should have helped Senior, right?

Old ginger was spicier, old socks smellier. The Great Wilderness' old cured meat had earned its reputation; between every line of the Classic of Herbs, the two words "tricking people" were written plain as day.

"Hiss—"

He sucked in a sharp breath. Tearing pain flared across his forehead again, and the dull aches throughout his body returned.

This was his first time overdrawing his Spiritual Sense. Although he had taken pills, he would still need a period of quiet recuperation before recovering.

That said, what had the old senior sent him here to do?

"Jin Wei, Jin Wei?"

The bird's call came again. Its chirping seemed to contain some kind of Magic Power, rapidly easing Wu Wang's headache.

Wu Wang turned to look and saw the elegant bird flap its wings as it flew from that tree glowing with healthy light. It carried another fruit in its beak, pale red and no larger than a grape.

It circled slightly in the air, landed on Wu Wang's arm, accurately dropped the fruit into his palm, then fluttered back onto the reef.

Its pale golden claws were like works of art, their size and shape perfectly proportioned.

Wu Wang hesitated slightly. The spirit fruit appeared nontoxic, but one of the common rules of the Northern Plains was that one should not casually eat things in the wild.

Remembering how he had felt while unconscious earlier, Wu Wang smiled. He brought the thumb-sized fruit to his mouth, adjusted his grip, and left a neat bite mark at its pointed tip.

The fruit immediately transformed into a warm stream that flowed down Wu Wang's throat. Heat surged through his body once more, and every inch of him filled with strength.

There was even a ball of fire burning in his lower abdomen.

Wu Wang turned sideways. The bird hopped onto his shoulder in puzzlement.

"Thank you."

Faint pale white markings appeared on the bird's forehead. It gestured with its claws for him not to move around.

Wu Wang gazed at the bird, tried making a gesture, and asked softly, "Can you understand what I'm saying?"

The bird blinked its bird eyes. "Jin Wei."

"Jin? Wei?"

Wu Wang was somewhat puzzled. He stared at the bird for a while, and suddenly a lightbulb seemed to light up behind his head.

He understood. Bird language.

It was the same principle as speaking to cats and dogs. Encounter a cat, and one meowed; encounter a dog, and one barked. Encounter a flock of little squeakers, and one probably had to squeak squeak squeak to blend in.

There were people in the Northern Plains skilled in bird language.

Add one's emotions, express goodwill through one's face, and the syllables did not matter. One simply had to imitate the other party's calls...

Taking a breath, Wu Wang sat there and tried moving his legs. With a certain rhythm, he experimentally called out:

"Jin Wei, Jin Wei? Jin Wei Jin Wei?"

The bird: ...

Bang!

The bird flew to one side. A puff of green smoke suddenly exploded around it, and before Wu Wang could react, a slender, graceful outline emerged from within the smoke.

Beach, tree shade.

Green smoke, a human silhouette.

A jade foot stepped from the green smoke, unstained by the slightest dust and untouched by vulgarity. Fine, tender skin reflected the setting sunlight with an almost translucent crystalline texture.

Above that jade foot was a light pale green short skirt. Because she was stepping forward, the hem had not yet fully settled, causing Wu Wang's gaze to shift instinctively—before he hurriedly moved it back toward the green mist.

She walked out of the green mist just like that.

Her dark hair and lustrous locks cascaded like a waterfall, while her pale green short skirt clung to her exquisite figure.

Her bright eyes glimmered with faint pale blue light. Her nose was delicate, her thin lips soft, and her lashes curved gently. Her somewhat slender face carried a trace of helplessness;

And unconcealed disdain.

Wu Wang: ...

Tsk, not almond-shaped eyes.

Still, those eyes were indescribably beautiful, unable to bear even the slightest addition or subtraction.

She pursed her lips, furrowed her brow slightly, and gave Wu Wang a huff.

Then, with a light tap of her slender hand, strands of green smoke left in midair condensed into three intricate, large characters.

Afterward, she stepped back half a pace and lightly spun her graceful body. Her ornaments chimed, her long hair fluttered, and she transformed back into the black-feathered bird, flapping her wings as she returned to the reef.

Wu Wang frowned slightly, though his gaze remained clear. With a turn of his thoughts, he deliberately revealed a look of shock.

He opened his mouth, his eyes full of admiration. Yet all that emerged was a string of "Th-this" sounds as his hands gestured at the young woman's figure from moments before.

Then, as though he had swiftly come back to his senses, he carefully stared at the phantom of those three large characters and tried to make them out.

They were ancient human characters, intricate in form and heavy with strokes, faintly resembling simple drawings. Yet every stroke was quite clear, and together they possessed a slender, elongated quality.

He examined them from every angle, scrutinizing them carefully, turning them over and over without being able to settle his mind. Soon, he figured out their combined meaning:

Speak plainly.

Speak!

"God?"

Wu Wang asked tentatively.

With a puff, the bird transformed into human form again. It spoke directly to Wu Wang in a somewhat hoarse, strangely accented voice:

"Human."

A human who could turn into a bird, and was this beautiful...

No!

Wait, wait a moment!

Wu Wang's lips trembled. He sprang up in excitement. That bird had just stood on his shoulder? And he hadn't fainted?!

"What about my strange illness? No, miss, could you turn into a bird and land on my shoulder? I—I have something I need to verify."

The bird tilted its head in puzzlement, a trace of wariness appearing in its little eyes. But after Wu Wang repeatedly invited it, it still fluttered down onto his shoulder.

It was standing firmly on it!

He hadn't, fallen, asleep!

Wu Wang's voice could not help but tremble. Even when standing beside Shennong Shi and facing those powerful Innate Gods, he had never been this nervous, never trembled like this.

Could it be...

Could it be that he had found a loophole in the curse cast by the Innate Gods?!

"Miss, could—could you please turn into human form? This is very important to me!"

"Jin Wei?"

The bird blinked, then lightly hopped up. A puff of blue smoke burst forth, and one smooth bare foot stepped onto Wu Wang's shoulder while the other hovered slightly in the air.

The sensation... a soft sensation...

Wu Wang clenched his fists tightly and could not help looking up, wanting to see the young girl's face clearly—only to forget that his current angle was somewhat... improper.

The girl froze, then realized what was happening. A flush crept over her snow-white neck, swiftly spreading toward her cheeks.

Bang!

With a muffled thud, Wu Wang was hurled high into the air and fell toward the sea, yet his face was full of excitement.

The girl who had flown away with the force of that kick transformed into a bird and shot toward the Divine Tree, crying "Jin Wei, Jin Wei" without pause. Before long, she returned, clutching a gleaming short blade in her talons.