Lovesick Heartbreak Red
The two stepped out of the wormhole onto a winding dirt path amid tall, brilliantly yellow crops. A breeze stirred the crops, giving the scene an air of exceptional tranquility.
Chen Jianjun and Chen Xin had already left the dirt path and set foot on the road to Spirit City when Chen Jianjun stopped and looked back, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "I think I know how you managed to survive Tang Chen's hands."
"Who?" At a loss, Chen Xin looked at his father, then glanced back, but saw no one. His divine sense detected no one behind them either. "Father, who are you talking to? Qian Xunling?"
Chen Jianjun nodded, paying little further attention to what was behind them as he continued toward Spirit City. "Xin'er, what did you think of Young Master Xunling just now? Don't hide what you think. Answer honestly."
For a moment, Chen Xin did not understand why his father was asking, but he gave the question serious thought and answered from the bottom of his heart. "Father, to be frank, I don't much like that fellow. Deep in his bones and in his eyes, he has an arrogance that puts him above everyone else, even though he's only at the Soul Saint level right now."
"There are plenty of people on the continent who are stronger than him."
"But we have to admit that reaching this level at his age, escaping Tang Chen, and drawing the attention of a deity-any one of those three things would shake the world, yet all of them happened to him. He has a unique charm." Chen Jianjun chuckled.
"Charm? Heh, he only has such talent because he inherited the Qian Family bloodline. He's so unruly because he thinks his Qian Family status will shield him, so he's not afraid of anything.
"Anyone else in his place would be the same." Chen Xin made no attempt to hide his contempt for Qian Xunling, paying no heed to any of the potential Qian Xunling had displayed.
Chen Jianjun looked at Chen Xin, shook his head, and fell silent.
Yet he felt somewhat disappointed. He had originally thought that Xin'er might one day surpass his limits and carry the Seven Kill Sword to greater heights, but such a simple question had made Chen Jianjun begin to have second thoughts.
Far away from them.
Qian Xunling had also realized at once that Chen Jianjun had discovered him. He waved a hand. "Sure enough, he spotted me."
"If even he can find me, let alone that father of mine."
Qian Xunling felt it was something of a pity that he had not seen Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen fight to the death, so this time, he wanted to watch Qian Daoliu's battle with Chen Jianjun no matter what.
To avoid being discovered, they would have to conceal their presences.
The Divine Aspect Martial Soul could completely conceal all of his Soul Power, but Bibi Dong had no means of hiding herself, so they would still be discovered.
Bibi Dong looked at Qian Xunling and lowered her head slightly. "Martial Uncle, have I caused you trouble again?"
"Yes," Qian Xunling said bluntly.
"Sorry." Bibi Dong stood there, dejected.
Qian Xunling took out the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, but after considering it, he realized there was no chance Little Spider could make it acknowledge her as its master, so he put it away again.
She was so young. Where would she find a lover?
Aside from the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, there was one other thing that could conceal both their presences. Qian Xunling took out the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.
"The Sea God's Divine Sense inside it has already dissipated, and I don't have the Sea God's mark on my forehead. I don't know whether I can use the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud." Qian Xunling infused his spiritual power into it.
He dared to do so because the Sea God's Divine Sense inside it had already dissipated, so he would not suffer a spiritual backlash.
As Qian Xunling's spiritual power delved deeper, a subtle sense of control immediately welled up in his mind. He smiled. "It worked."
"Vast Sea Protective Shroud." Taking advantage of the close connection, Qian Xunling immediately activated the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud's ability.
A blue barrier instantly enveloped them both.
Bibi Dong looked around in surprise, then turned to the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. "Martial Uncle, are we trapped inside?"
With that, Little Spider reached out and touched the barrier. It warped slightly, but did not break.
Then Little Spider hopped around inside the barrier, examining it with great curiosity. She looked at the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud in Qian Xunling's hand and asked, "Martial Uncle, where did you get this thing?"
"Little Spider prepares your everyday necessities, and I've never seen this thing before," Bibi Dong said with a smile.
Qian Xunling examined the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud closely. Rather than answering Little Spider, he smiled as realization dawned on him, as though he had gotten a bargain. "In principle, anyone acknowledged by the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud becomes its master and user, as well as the Sea God's sole inheritor.
"But the Sea God's Divine Sense previously stored inside the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud was dispelled by the Goddess of Kindness, so I still count as half its master."
"In that case, this will be easy."
Qian Xunling deactivated the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.
Bibi Dong wanted to play a little longer, but when she saw Martial Uncle head toward the dirt path, she had no choice but to follow. Then she asked curiously, "Martial Uncle, what was that Immortal Herb you took out just now called? Little Spider thinks it seems different from the other Immortal Herbs."
"It's called the Lovesick Heartbreak Red. It's known as the king of Immortal Herbs. As long as someone has a single breath left, eating it can immediately bring them back to life," Qian Xunling replied.
"It's that amazing?" Little Spider's small mouth fell open. After thinking for a moment, she added, "But why does it feel so lifeless to me? It doesn't have the presence of the king of Immortal Herbs at all."
"Because it hasn't acknowledged a master yet. Only after it does can it display the power of the king of Immortal Herbs," Qian Xunling replied.
"Acknowledge a master? An Immortal Herb can do that? How do you make it acknowledge you, Martial Uncle?" Bibi Dong grew even more curious and pressed him with questions.
Qian Xunling found her a little annoying, but explained anyway. "It's very difficult to make it acknowledge a master. A person must shed a drop of their heart's blood onto it, and as it falls, they must hold unwavering love for someone in their heart. Only then can they earn its acknowledgment."
"There's a legend about the Lovesick Heartbreak Red. They say a young man fell in love with a flower fairy, and she gave her heart to him in return. Their love burned so fiercely that they even became husband and wife. But immortals and mortals belonged to different worlds. A heavenly god discovered the lovers, and as a result, the flower fairy died and became a white peony. Before the peony, the young man wept until his tears ran dry, his heart shattered, and he died of lovesickness with a broken heart. His last drop of heart's blood stained the white peony red, and it became the king of immortal treasures, the Lovesick Heartbreak Red."
"Boo-hoo... How could that heavenly god be so hateful? The young man and the flower fairy clearly loved each other. Why did he have to tear them apart?" Little Spider wiped away her tears.
Qian Xunling chuckled and looked at Bibi Dong. "Perhaps the heavenly god knew about the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, so he persecuted the two of them to bring one into being, then took it for his own collection."
"How could he be so wicked!" Little Spider clenched her fists and lowered her head angrily, but soon calmed down. She looked at Martial Uncle, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Martial Uncle, is there someone you love?"
"No."
Qian Xunling answered bluntly.
"No one?" Little Spider's eyes widened. Alongside her surprise, she felt a little happy.
Qian Xunling assumed she only wanted to hear some gossip. He had no time to chat with her about it, so he flicked his sleeve. "Let's go."
Bibi Dong watched Martial Uncle's retreating back, her little face beaming. She murmured an acknowledgment and hurried after him.