Healing a Wound by Cutting Out Flesh

Gu Yuanqing said calmly, "There should be a second half to your statement, shouldn't there?"

Zhang Xuanlin said, "Indeed, there is a second half to the sentence: 'While the method is good, it's like Healing a Wound by Cutting Out Flesh. I'm afraid this Floating World won't even have Transformation before it's already riddled with holes by the Demon Realm. Compared to a world, a mountain is far too small.'"

Gu Yuanqing chuckled and said, "So, according to you, what should I do now?"

Zhang Xuanlin said, "If I am not mistaken, young friend Gu has obtained the inheritance of the Ancient Demon Refining Array Demon Refining Array, intending to use it to change the current situation of this world's barren Spiritual Qi and fragile space."

Gu Yuanqing poured Zhang Xuanlin another cup and said, "Does what you said mean that this method is feasible?"

Zhang Xuanlin's Divine Sense could only maintain the movement of this body; all his abilities, including his judgment, were affected. Seeing Gu Yuanqing's expression, he assumed he had guessed correctly and continued, "It is feasible, but this matter cannot be accomplished overnight. Disrupting the original Array Formation will put this realm in danger. Young friend, you should think it over carefully."

Gu Yuanqing smiled enigmatically, "You don't want the Lingxu Sect to lose this Floating World, do you?"

"The Lingxu Sect naturally doesn't want to suffer such a loss, but the Countless Living Beings in this realm are far more important. Compared to that, everything else is insignificant."

Gu Yuanqing was unsure whether Zhang Xuanlin's words were true or false. In the past, he could sense the emotions and thoughts of people on this mountain to some extent, but he couldn't sense anything from Zhang Xuanlin.

Moreover, the opponent is merely Puppet and Split Soul, so any threat would likely be futile.

Seeing that Gu Yuanqing remained silent, Zhang Xuanlin advised again, "I believe you are not a heartless person. If you turn back now, it may still be in time."

Gu Yuanqing was unwilling to elaborate on the matter, as the reality was completely different from what Zhang Xuanlin knew, and he couldn't possibly reveal his own secrets. So he changed the subject, asking, "Sect Master Zhang, how much do you know about the Demon Realm?"

Zhang Xuanlin was slightly disappointed and replied, "I don't know much. A hundred years ago, I had the opportunity to probe with my Divine Sense, but that was all. Some ancient texts do record it, but they are not very detailed."

Gu Yuanqing said, "Since that's the case, let's take a closer look here. It's a rare opportunity, and the trip won't be in vain."

Zhang Xuanlin sighed, "Judging from your words, young friend, you're not going to let me leave like this?"

Gu Yuanqing smiled slightly, "Sect Master is, after all, a senior expert and Cultivator at the Heavenly Human Realm. I am a junior and have many things I would like to ask for your guidance, but I haven't yet figured out how to arrange things."

Zhang Xuanlin stared at Gu Yuanqing for a moment, then burst into laughter. "You kept me here only because I saw something I shouldn't have known. However, since you know I was just Split Soul, how do you know I can't relay the message to the real me?"

"There's no need for Sect Master to worry about that. I, Gu Yuanqing, am quite confident in my abilities. Besides, if you could truly accomplish it, you probably wouldn't have mentioned it." Gu Yuanqing poured Zhang Xuanlin another cup of tea.

Zhang Xuanlin remained noncommittal, calmly drinking his tea before saying, "Ji Qingyun should be in your hands, shouldn't he?"

Gu Yuanqing did not hide anything. "He is indeed here. Would Sect Master like to see him?"

Zhang Xuanlin nodded and said, "Since you've come to find him, let's meet him."

With a thought from Gu Yuanqing, Ji Qingyun was lifted from the Heaven and Earth Pool, and a moment later, Dao Body landed in the courtyard.

Ji Qingyun landed on the ground and saw the middle-aged man sitting opposite Gu Yuanqing. At first, he felt that the man looked somewhat familiar, but then he remembered him and his face lit up with joy. He immediately knelt down and said, "Disciple Ji Qingyun greets Sect Master. This disciple is incompetent and has caused Sect Master to come in person."

Seeing Ji Qingyun's listless appearance, Zhang Xuanlin nodded and said, "Get up. This isn't your fault. This young friend Gu's methods are beyond your reach."

Gu Yuanqing smiled and said, "You two must have something to say, why don't you go for a walk?"

Zhang Xuanlin stood up and said with a smile, "Then I'll take the opportunity to see the wonders of this mountain, young friend."

Ji Qingyun was about to speak when a thought suddenly shifted, and he fell silent. Although his Divine Sense was absent, he could still sense the strange atmosphere between Gu Yuanqing and his Sect Master. A thought arose in his mind, but he quickly suppressed it, thinking that the Sect Master was a master of the Heavenly Human Realm. No matter how talented Gu Yuanqing was, how could he possibly be a match for the Sect Master?

The two of them turned and left the Courtyard. Zhang Xuanlin walked along the road with his hands behind his back, seemingly admiring the scenery.

"Sect Master." Ji Qingyun trailed half a step behind, hesitating to speak.

"Just say what you have to say. Your Divine Sense cultivation is suppressed, and you can't use any of your methods. But on this North Spring Mountain, nothing can hide from this young friend Gu." As he spoke, Zhang Xuanlin glanced back at the Courtyard.

Gu Yuanqing smiled lightly, but in his heart he was thinking about how to deal with the two people in front of him. He could not let them go, but there was no point in killing them, especially Zhang Xuanlin, who was just a Split Soul of a possessing Puppet. If he was killed, what he saw and heard might be transmitted back to the original body.

Upon hearing this, Ji Qingyun's heart sank, and the thought he had just suppressed resurfaced in his mind.

Seeing his expression, Zhang Xuanlin knew what he was thinking and said calmly, "The Array Formation on this mountain is wondrous. When I Split Soul to enter the mountain, I was restricted by it."

Ji Qingyun's guess was confirmed, and he was shocked. His face changed drastically, and after a moment, he bowed deeply in fear. "It is this disciple's incompetence that has caused the Sect Master to be in danger."

Zhang Xuanlin smiled calmly and said, "It's alright, I was just Split Soul. It just means I can't get you out of here for the time being."

"The path of cultivation is inherently about facing dangers and difficulties. I am insignificant as a disciple, yet the Sect Master has personally come to my rescue. I would have no regrets even if I were to die." Ji Qingyun was deeply moved. It was somewhat unexpected that Zhang Xuanlin, as the Sect Master, would personally risk his life for him. Originally, he thought that with the loss of the Heaven Gate Token, he, a mere Third-Generation Disciple, would probably only be abandoned. But now that Zhang Xuanlin had come, the grievance of being punished to guard the Floating World five hundred years had vanished without a trace.

Zhang Xuanlin smiled and said, "As the Sect leader, it is my duty to protect the Sect. Your experience of this tribulation is not necessarily a bad thing. All tribulations are trials, and if you can emerge from them, your cultivation may well advance further. Alright, let me ask you, how much do you know about this Young Master Gu?"

Ji Qingyun said with shame, "That day, when I used the Sky Burning Tower to suppress this mountain, I was suddenly pulled into the mountain and suppressed. Then I was thrown into a deep pool and turned into a small fish. All I know is what I learned outside the mountain. If the Sect Master has seen the Sect of this realm, he probably knows more than I do."

Zhang Xuanlin glanced at Ji Qingyun but didn't blame him. He asked, "You just said there was a deep pool where small fish could transform into water?"

A flicker of fear crossed Ji Qingyun's eyes as he said, "This pool is extremely strange. From the Outer Realm, it appears to be only five zhang long and wide, but inside it is a vast ocean. Once a person enters, they are transformed into a fish. Moreover, this is not Illusion Technique; they become just like ordinary fish from the inside out."

Zhang Xuanlin frowned. "A treasure of Grotto-Heaven, a technique of Creation?"

"Perhaps it is, but I am simply dull-witted. I have stayed inside for several months and still have not been able to discover anything."

Zhang Xuanlin remained silent for a moment. He then diverted some of his consciousness to investigate the situation in the Mountain. However, as soon as he had this thought and his Divine Sense was extended, he suddenly felt a heavy pressure around him, and two more portions of his Split Soul sense were forced back into the core of the Divine Court.

His body swayed, as if he were about to fall.

Ji Qingyun quickly stepped forward to support him, anxiously asking, "Sect Master?"

Zhang Xuanlin took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a moment, and then regained control of the body. He pushed away Ji Qingyun's hand and said, "It's alright. This young friend Gu is quite cautious."

His heart sank slightly, knowing that in this situation, it would be impossible to leave or send a message back to his main body. Even if he were willing to extinguish this Split Soul, he might not be able to bring back any information while he was in this Mountain.

The two walked and talked about news about North Spring Mountain, and finally stood on the Scenery Pavilion to look at the scenery of the Demon Realm outside.

It was nighttime, Blood Moon hung high in the sky. Occasionally, ferocious beasts several meters tall could be seen peeking out from the forest.

Zhang Xuanlin frowned slightly, realizing that he had been somewhat careless in his entry into the mountain and had underestimated the people in the Floating World, which had led to his current predicament.

Gu Yuanqing withdrew his gaze; what the two men were saying was of little use to him.

Suppressing Heavenly Human Realm Split Soul's demise today has given him more confidence. At least for now, he still hasn't found an opponent in Within North Spring Mountain. He just doesn't know how he'll fare against a true Heavenly Human Realm Great Cultivator.

Looking Mountain Observation North Spring Mountain, he thought to himself, "I need to reorganize Beiquan North Spring Mountain from now on. I should either throw all the people I've imprisoned here into the Heaven and Earth Pool North Spring Mountain, or designate a separate area for them. Otherwise, they'll interfere with my cultivation."

"Also, now that Zhang Xuanlin has arrived at North Spring Mountain, we can't just keep him around for nothing. There's still a lot we can learn from Cultivator at the Heavenly Human Realm. Perhaps the cultivation methods for those at the Divine Platform Realm and above will fall into his hands."

Looking down at North Spring Mountain again, the mountain was originally only about 300 feet high, with sheer cliffs on three sides and a relatively flat Front Mountain.

Coming up from the Front Mountain, there is a huge square. In the center of the square is the Sect hall. Several dozen feet behind the main hall are the Scripture Collection Pavilion, the Sword Casting Pavilion, and other buildings. And at the innermost part is the Ancestor Hall, which enshrines the ancestors of the North Spring Sword Sect.

Further back, there is a mountain about fifty feet higher than the Front Mountain, with a narrow crevice leading to the Repentance Cliff, and the Spirit Spring is also located in this back mountain.

The surrounding Courtyard are divided into two main sections. On the left, near the back mountain, there are seven or eight Courtyard with good terrain. These were the former residences of the head and Elder of the North Spring Sword Sect Leader. Gu Yuanqing's residence is one of them.

Below it are the Courtyard where the Sect's Attendant, managers, and True Disciple live, and further away are a few side courtyards where servants live.

To the right is the place where the disciples of the North Spring Sword Sect practice and live. The Courtyard is much worse. The Cliff where Heaven and Earth Pool is located is also on this side.

Previously, only six or seven hundred people could descend into the Mountain, but now the number has increased considerably.

After thinking for a moment, Gu Yuanqing decided to let Zhang Xuanlin stay in the disciples' Courtyard below for the time being. A Celestial Person Great Cultivator should be given a certain degree of respect, especially since he wanted to learn some things about Late Stage cultivation from him.

He thought to himself, "When my Object Control Power advances further, my cultivation reaches another level, and my control over North Spring Mountain improves, I will rebuild North Spring Mountain."

Among the books sent by the Imperial Family were some related ones. Gu Yuanqing had a general idea in mind, but his own methods were not enough to support him to make such a big move. Moreover, North Spring Mountain changed every day, and it would have to be changed again after it was changed now.

As Gu Yuanqing was pondering this, he suddenly sensed an unusual movement at the foot of North Spring Mountain. At first, he thought it was just a ferocious beast that had broken into the Mountain and been moved away. However, upon closer inspection, he discovered that it was a young man and a young woman. The two were dressed in rags and had disheveled hair. They seemed to be frantically trying to escape from being chased. After entering North Spring Mountain and being teleported elsewhere, they were looking back in alarm.

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