A Misperception—Was I a Third Wheel?

"Rest easy and recuperate, Senior. Once Senior Zhen Yuanzi returns, it may not be impossible for you to live another life."

Seeing Hongyun in such a feeble state, Jing Chu spoke with utmost seriousness.

Hongyun was a Quasi-Sage above the Great Luo realm. The True Spirit imprinted within the River of Time had not been extinguished, and he even still had a wisp of Primordial Spirit remaining.

If Hongyun recuperated for several dozen, or even a hundred, yuanhui, he might yet return to his peak.

"Difficult, difficult, difficult."

Patriarch Hongyun shook his head with a sigh. No one understood his own condition better than he did; recovery was simply far too difficult.

"Hongyun!"

A long, worried cry rang out from the distant horizon. A terrifyingly swift figure tore through layers of air and space, appearing before Jing Chu in an instant.

The arrival was none other than Zhen Yuanzi.

Zhen Yuanzi was somewhat disheveled. Eastern Emperor Taiyi was simply too powerful; even wielding the Earth Book, he had possessed no strength to contend against him.

As one of the Three Treasures of Creation, the Chaos Bell's power to reverse time was truly impossible to resist.

Even the Earth Book was restrained by it. Otherwise, how could he have been left in such a sorry state?

"Zhen Yuanzi!"

Seeing his old friend land beside him, the weakened Hongyun could not help but reveal a faint smile.

"I was too greedy. Had I cast aside the Primordial Purple Qi sooner, I would not have dragged you into this."

Looking at Zhen Yuanzi's injuries, he sighed sorrowfully, guilt showing on his face.

After obtaining the Primordial Purple Qi, Hongyun had always harbored thoughts of becoming a Sage. Yet his strength had been insufficient, and he had not even managed to sever the two corpses.

As for the realm of a Sage, he did not know how far short he still fell.

Holding the Primordial Purple Qi naturally drew the covetous eyes of countless people, and now he had ended up in this state.

"Hongyun, why would you think such things? We are sworn friends. Why speak this way?"

"You have only a wisp of Primordial Spirit left. You can remain in my Five Villages Temple."

"We can cultivate day and night, discussing the Dao together."

"Would that not be good?"

Zhen Yuanzi looked at the weakened Hongyun, his eyes brimming with sorrow and guilt. If he had been a little stronger, how could Hongyun have failed to protect that strand of Primordial Purple Qi?

Standing at a distance and watching the two of them, Jing Chu suddenly found an inexplicable thought rising within him.

Was he a little superfluous here? Did he feel somewhat like a third wheel?

Would it be better if he took this chance to leave?

"Senior Zhen Yuanzi, Senior Hongyun's Primordial Spirit is weak right now. You should return to Five Villages Temple as soon as possible."

"If another crisis arises now, Senior Hongyun will likely..."

Jing Chu said no more, but Zhen Yuanzi's heart abruptly tightened. It was already a blessing amid misfortune that Hongyun retained even a wisp of Primordial Spirit. If danger struck under such circumstances—

Just as Jing Chu had said, he would surely be unable to escape it again, perhaps even perishing completely.

Only after untold calamities and yuanhui would his True Spirit be able to gather again from the River of Time and return.

"Indeed. Just as little friend Jing Chu said, we should return to Five Villages Temple first."

"The Ginseng Fruit Tree is one of the ten supreme innate spiritual roots. If your Primordial Spirit enters it to recuperate, your injuries will recover much faster."

"Little friend, why not return to Five Villages Temple with us?"

With a solemn expression, Zhen Yuanzi stored the Nine-Nine Red Cloud Soul-Dispelling Gourd inside his sleeve before looking at Jing Chu and speaking earnestly.

Jing Chu had shown kindness to both him and Hongyun. Had Jing Chu not arrived, when Hongyun was ambushed and slain, he certainly would not have been at Hongyun's side.

Thinking of this, worry filled his heart. If that had truly happened, Hongyun would certainly not have survived. He might not even have fared as well as he did now.

Even the Nine-Nine Red Cloud Soul-Dispelling Gourd would have fallen into the Demon Court's hands.

At that thought, Zhen Yuanzi's heart turned icy.

This karmic debt had to be repaid no matter what, even if Jing Chu was merely a junior in his eyes at present.

"I had better not. This junior still has some other matters to attend to."

"I will not return to Five Villages Temple with you, Senior."

"Now that Senior Hongyun has lost the Primordial Purple Qi, the Demon Court will likely no longer set its sights on Five Villages Temple."

"Even so, please be careful, Senior."

Jing Chu shook his head slightly. He was already quite satisfied that two great powers of the Primordial World owed him a karmic debt.

It was time for him to leave and head to Wuyi Mountain.

There, he would make plans for the supreme innate spiritual treasure, the Treasure-Dropping Copper Coin.

"Since that is so, this poor Daoist will not insist that little friend stay."

"I do not know where little friend is headed, but take these to quench your thirst along the way."

With a casual wave of his hand, Zhen Yuanzi caused more than ten Ginseng Fruits to appear before Jing Chu.

As an innate divine being born long ago in the Primordial World, although Ginseng Fruits ripened only once every ten thousand years or so, they were hardly rare to him after all his years of existence.

Giving away more than ten of them so casually was merely to let Jing Chu quench his thirst on the road.

Jing Chu understood this as well. He did not refuse and accepted them directly.

Though these Ginseng Fruits were of little use to him and truly could only serve to quench his thirst, they would be quite useful to the Three Skies.

Perhaps consuming fruit borne by this supreme innate spiritual root might even give them an opportunity to break through.

Though Ginseng Fruits were of little use to a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, each one contained dense innate spiritual qi and Dao essence, making them rather useful to Golden Immortals.

After accepting the Ginseng Fruits, Jing Chu did not linger. He immediately transformed into a streak of divine light and flew toward Wuyi Mountain.

"Little friend Jing Chu has a pure and kind heart. Fellow Daoist Tongtian has taken in a truly fine disciple."

Watching the departing figure, Hongyun's eyes could not help but reveal a trace of emotion and envy.

His foundations were noble, yet he did not possess the slightest arrogance. He was extraordinary to the extreme.

"You have only met Jing Chu once. How can you be so certain?"

Seeing Hongyun's confident expression, Zhen Yuanzi shook his head with a smile and spoke.

Their words were merely casual conversation; it was not as though he held any dissatisfaction toward Jing Chu.

"This child showed no greed whatsoever toward my Nine-Nine Red Cloud Soul-Dispelling Gourd. Though he could have erased me with a wave of his hand, he never acted."

"I, Hongyun, have made countless friends. I am still confident that I can judge a person's character."

Hongyun chuckled. His weakened Primordial Spirit swayed slightly. Though he was already in such a state, he showed not the slightest resentment toward heaven or blame toward others, as if he did not care in the least.

"Humph!"

"You have made countless friends, so why am I the only one still at your side?"

Seeing Hongyun's feeble form sway gently, Zhen Yuanzi flicked his sleeve. The Universe in the Sleeve immediately enveloped Hongyun within it.

Then, as he headed toward Five Villages Temple, he spoke to Hongyun inside his sleeve.

"Friends are friends, but there are ordinary friends and sworn friends!"

"And Zhen Yuanzi, you are my sworn friend!"