"Certain things?" Wu Fei looked bewildered on the surface, but inwardly watched at his leisure as Yin Fan slowly leaned closer.
Yin Fan said, "For instance, how the Buddha Spirit Sect's Buddhist disciple, supposedly only at early Spirit Transformation, actually has a cultivation at peak Mahayana?"
That cultivation even surpassed that of Wu Fei's master, Jingguan, the sect leader of the Buddha Spirit Sect.
"So that is what you wished to discuss, Devil Venerable." Understanding dawned on Wu Fei. "I thought you would understand my concealing my cultivation."
"Huh?" Yin Fan looked puzzled at his words.
Wu Fei smiled and continued, "After all, the Devil Venerable, supposedly at late Spirit Transformation, actually has a cultivation at mid-Mahayana."
During the earlier life-and-death tribulation, the protagonist had exposed his true cultivation outright to save him.
Yin Fan: "..."
The Devil Venerable inwardly regretted it. He had actually forgotten that, in his haste to save Wu Fei earlier, he had directly used his Mahayana-stage cultivation. Now this was awkward...
So, as things stood, they were six of one and half a dozen of the other. Neither could criticize the other.
Without prior agreement, Wu Fei and Yin Fan skipped over the subject and took the token to find the exit.
Three days later, the two finally left that space.
As soon as they stepped out of the exit, the token in their hands turned into a cloud of smoke and vanished along with the exit.
Wu Fei and Yin Fan now stood at the bottom of a cliff. Around them were only a deep pool, some weeds, and withered trees. They had no idea where they were or how far they were from the Buddha Spirit Sect.
After surveying their surroundings, Wu Fei slowly settled his gaze on the deep pool.
Yin Fan noticed, and certain memories that made his face flush suddenly sprang from the depths of his mind. He looked at Wu Fei, a trace of inexplicable excitement hidden deep within his startled, doubtful gaze. "You aren't going to..."
Wu Fei lowered his eyes to hide the amusement in them, looking through the water's surface into the depths of the pool. "There is something at the bottom."
"Uh..." Realizing he had read too much into it, Yin Fan coughed lightly, took out two water-repelling pearls, and handed one to Wu Fei. "Then let's go down and take a look together."
Taking the water-repelling pearl, Wu Fei swept his gaze over the protagonist's slightly reddened ears. "Thank you, Devil Venerable."
The moment they entered the water, bone-piercing cold assailed them.
This pool...
Wu Fei and Yin Fan exchanged a glance and continued downward.
Yet the farther down they went, the colder it grew. From the bank earlier, this had looked like an ordinary deep pool. Only after entering it did they truly realize it was far from simple.
Left with no choice, Wu Fei raised a hand and covered himself in a layer of spiritual power to keep out the bone-piercing cold.
A layer of demonic qi rose around Yin Fan as well, while a strange, subtle feeling stirred within him.
Deep within the cold pool, there was only darkness.
About a quarter of an hour later, a glimmer suddenly appeared before their eyes. Once they saw it clearly, both Wu Fei and Yin Fan froze.
Wu Fei's gaze flickered. Its entire form shimmered like flames, yet it grew in a ten-thousand-year-old cold pool at an extremely low temperature. Wasn't this a Blazing Cold Tree?
Didn't the book say that the protagonist's natal Spirit Artifact had been refined from the last Blazing Cold Tree in the cultivation world? Why was there another one here...
Yin Fan finally understood where that subtle feeling had come from, too. Back when he had been refining his natal spirit sword, he had personally traveled to the bottom of a ten-thousand-year-old cold pool in the far north and taken a Blazing Cold Tree over ten thousand years old.
He had never expected another one at the bottom of this deep pool...
Having found it, they naturally could not let it slip away. A thought stirred in Wu Fei's mind, and he transmitted his voice to Yin Fan. "You should have more experience than I do in obtaining this Blazing Cold Tree, Devil Venerable."
Yin Fan: "..." He had used the Blazing Cold Sword in front of Wu Fei plenty of times, so it was hardly surprising that he had recognized it.
The two approached the Blazing Cold Tree. Beneath the bone-piercing icy pool, its branches were as scorching as molten lava. Wu Fei stood to one side and watched Yin Fan take the tree.
Although called a tree, the Blazing Cold Tree was only a little over a meter tall. Yin Fan simply dug it out, roots and all, along with the soil beneath it.
He carried the aura of the Blazing Cold Sword, and upon sensing that familiar aura, the Blazing Cold Tree offered no resistance. It was much easier than the first time Yin Fan had taken a Blazing Cold Tree.
Ripples suddenly spread across the still surface of the pool, and two figures, one black and one white, flew out of its depths.
Dismissing the Spiritual Qi barrier around him, Wu Fei lifted his head slightly. "Let's go up."
But Yin Fan stopped him. "What do you intend to do with this Blazing Cold Tree, Buddhist disciple?"
"Since you obtained it, Devil Venerable," Wu Fei said earnestly, "it is naturally yours to dispose of."
They had discovered the Blazing Cold Tree together, but Wu Fei's words meant that he was leaving it entirely to Yin Fan.
Yin Fan paused, knowing full well that Wu Fei's words must reflect his true thoughts. He gazed steadily at the composed Buddhist disciple, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. "You truly are..."
"Someone this venerable one cannot bear to let go of."
Author's note:
Yungdrung: this is the swastika symbol, swastika.
Thank you all so much for your support. I will keep working hard!
Chapter 14: The protagonist's cover was blown
Wu Fei's hand, hidden behind his sleeve, abruptly clenched. His eyes gradually darkened, yet when he looked up, he still wore a faint smile. "Please do not joke, Devil Venerable."
"If you think it is a joke, then let it be one." Yin Fan raised his eyebrows slightly.
Wu Fei's gaze flickered. Although the Blazing Cold Tree was precious, comparatively speaking, it could be put to the greatest use in Yin Fan's hands.
The cliff was far from low. Even with Wu Fei and Yin Fan's Mahayana-stage cultivation, climbing up took considerable effort. Once they reached the top and looked back, mist swirled beneath the cliff, its bottom nowhere in sight. It actually resembled an abyss tens of thousands of feet deep.
This was also why no one else had discovered this Blazing Cold Tree.
Yin Fan surveyed their surroundings. "This is Falling Maple Mountain."
By coincidence, Falling Maple Mountain lay between the northern part of the Devil Domain and the Buddha Spirit Sect.
"In that case," Wu Fei said, looking at Yin Fan, "you will return to the Northern Region, Devil Venerable, and I must return to the Buddha Spirit Sect. Until we meet again."
Yin Fan said, "Why can't this venerable one go back to the Buddha Spirit Sect with you?"
Inwardly amused, Wu Fei said, "The Blazing Cold Tree cannot remain away from the cold pool for too long. You should return to the Northern Region immediately to refine it. If you come back to the Buddha Spirit Sect with me, once the Blazing Cold Sword's aura emerges, I fear word of our friendship will spread throughout the entire cultivation world."
Without the Heavenly Dao's restrictions, Wu Fei would naturally have had nothing to fear from this, but now, it was not yet time...