A Problem with Their Fate

The secret realm has no normal exit; one can only return to reality when heaven and earth meet.

Zhang Xuezhou had entered and exited the secret place many times, and Li Shaojun also had relevant experience, but the two of them had never actually encountered a secret place that they could enter but could not leave.

On the sixth day after entering the secret place, Gongsun Hong chewed on some still relatively tender tree leaves, while Li Shaojun chewed on some tender grass roots.

Without the spirit jade, the spirit spring is nowhere to be found, and there is no food.

Zhang Xuezhou was still able to patiently refine the spiritual objects he had successfully obtained, while Li Shaojun and the others were completely consumed by hunger.

I really miss the days when we could eat raw fish!

After chewing on the tender grass roots, Li Shaojun couldn't help but think back to the day he ate fish more than ten days ago.

At that time, Li Shaojun felt that life was unbearable; little did he know that the days to come would be even harder.

The grass roots had a bitter taste in the mouth and were difficult to swallow.

What's more troublesome is that, as the time for Zhang Xuezhou to fall into a deep sleep approached, Zhang Xuezhou seemed to be intentionally controlling everyone's food intake.

Li Shaojun noticed that he had received fewer tender grass roots than the previous day.

If even eating grass roots isn't enough to fill your stomach, life is undoubtedly bleak.

Of course, if they can't leave the secret realm in the next few days, there won't even be anyone left to pick tender leaves and dig up grass roots.

"When will this secret place be revealed to the world?" Gongsun Hong asked in a low voice.

"How would I know when we'll be able to reappear in the human world? We'll be dead in ten days or half a month," Li Shaojun said irritably, glancing at Zhang Xuezhou. "Whatever we get is useless!"

"Dongfang Shuo, aren't you hungry?"

After asking Li Shaojun, Gongsun Hong glanced at Zhang Xuezhou, who was not far away.

Since Zhang Xuezhou woke up, Gongsun Hong has only seen Zhang Xuezhou eat a few bites of fish and drink a few sips of spiritual spring water.

If Gongsun Hong's calculations are correct, Zhang Xuezhou has only eaten this much food in the past twenty days.

He knew that Zhang Xuezhou had practiced the art of Grain Avoidance to save his life, but Gongsun Hong never expected that Zhang Xuezhou's Grain Avoidance technique would be so outrageous.

Grain Avoidance has never been the focus of cultivation, since cultivators, even if they don't become extremely wealthy, can at least have enough to eat.

At this moment, Gongsun Hong only regretted that his skill in the Grain Avoidance Technique was too low.

This is even a deadly technique.

Ren Gongsun Hong lived for decades, but he ended up in this desolate place where there were no prey or wild animals.

I'm a little hungry, and my body is starting to feel weak!

Zhang Xuezhou casually replied, then continued his diligent ritual practice.

Refining treasures is not unusual; even without Li Shaojun's knowledge, one could find relevant information.

But what's truly remarkable is the magical object in Zhang Xuezhou's possession.

The more Zhang Xuezhou used the Refining Treasure Technique to refine it, the more he felt that the spiritual object had a stronger connection with him, even becoming like his own body.

Moreover, this kind of spirit seems to have the ability to communicate with spirits. If it is attacked maliciously, the spirit's reaction is likely to be faster than Zhang Xuezhou's, and it may even take the initiative to attack.

Zhang Xuezhou just didn't know if the magical object would still be useful after he lost consciousness.

His constant practice of rituals was also a way of giving himself a guarantee for the next twelve days.

If they cannot find food, Zhang Xuezhou does not rule out the possibility that Li Shaojun and Gongsun Hong will kill each other and eventually resort to cannibalism like Ao Sheng.

Once they regain their physical strength, it's highly likely that the other party will target the immobilized Zhang Xuezhou.

Zhang Xuezhou never makes malicious speculations, but he felt he couldn't afford to be complacent about such a possibility.

He had even begun to control the amount of food the two of them ate when they were hungry and weak.

"No wonder you picked fewer tender leaves for me today," Gongsun Hong said.

"Dongfang Shuo, could you pick some leaves and roots from the trees that have been growing for twelve days?" Li Shaojun, his face pale, said directly, "We certainly wouldn't try to take anything from you."

"I suggest you improve your Grain Avoidance technique so you can hold out for a little longer. The secret realm might open in the next moment," Zhang Xuezhou replied without looking up.

"The art of Grain Avoidance can't be mastered in a short time," Li Shaojun said listlessly. "I want to eat grass roots, I want grass roots that I can never finish eating in this lifetime."

May you be reborn as a cow in your next life!

Zhang Xuezhou rejected this unreasonable request without hesitation.

From initial joy to the search for treasure, then to the joy of finding the spiritual spring, followed by battles with spirits, and finally to the despair of food shortages, the group's days have been anything but ordinary.

The search for the exit from the secret realm, which had the least impact on everyone, brought an unbearable sense of despair.

Zhang Xuezhou, relying on his near-immortal Grain Avoidance technique, could go without food for more than half a year. He remained relatively calm at this moment, but Gongsun Hong and Li Shaojun could not.

Even Li Shaojun, who could die repeatedly, couldn't withstand it.

"You know I can live. As long as I can live to a few days ago, my physical strength can still hold out for a while," Li Shaojun said.

"You mean I need to take you underwater now and tie you to a tree, then eliminate the risks you pose?" Zhang Xuezhou asked, pursing his lips.

"Stop arguing! I have a feeling I'm the one in the most danger. Are you guys discussing using human flesh as food?"

When Zhang Xuezhou and Li Shaojun were exchanging questions, it was as if they were speaking in cryptic language. When Gongsun Hong finally understood, his face immediately turned ashen.

"Having survived countless dangers and entered the Sole Self Realm, if our cause of death is hunger, I would not be content even as a ghost," Gongsun Hong murmured. "We must have offended the Grand Duke Jupiter, otherwise we wouldn't be so unlucky!"

"Many people starve to death in this world; does that mean everyone has offended the Grand Duke Jupiter?"

Li Shaojun glanced at Zhang Xuezhou with some apprehension. Seeing that Zhang Xuezhou didn't make a move, he mumbled a reply to Gongsun Hong.

Li Shaojun could already foresee that the days ahead would not be easy.

Not only will Zhang Xuezhou control his food intake, but Zhang Xuezhou will also tie him up before he falls into a coma, making it difficult for him to have any wicked thoughts.

Li Shaojun has indeed run out of tricks.

He was knowledgeable in many Daoist skills, but none of them were at a high level.

This made Li Shaojun feel that he was doomed.

When Gongsun Hong mentioned saying things against his conscience, he became even more annoyed.

"Many people starve to death, but very few great cultivators do. There must be someone among us who offended Tai Sui, causing the others to suffer the same fate," Gongsun Hong emphasized. "Our journey has made me question the meaning of life itself."

"You mean we have to separate?" Li Shaojun asked. "You can still eat a few leaves now, and I can still nibble on some grass roots. If we separate, we'll have nothing to eat, and we'll die even faster!"

"It's not about separating," Gongsun Hong shook his head and said, "If we offend Tai Sui, we need to cleanse ourselves of bad luck; only then can we ensure our safety!"

"How do I wash it?" Li Shaojun asked.

"I've heard that the Daoists have a book called the ' Yellow Emperor's Yin Talisman Scripture,' which is said to dispel worldly dust and obscurity and should have some wonderful uses," Gongsun Hongdao said.

"The Daoism you're referring to is Huang-Lao Daoism, not Daoism itself," Li Shaojun frowned. "Those are texts that only the royal family, who controlled Huang-Lao Daoism, could possess!"

"Old Master Huang..."

Gongsun Hong fell into thought.

He glanced at Zhang Xuezhou, then at Li Shaojun, and then at himself.

Gongsun Hong believed that one of the three must have a problem with his fate, which led to misfortune for himself or affected others.

In some fortune-telling practices, this type of fate is called the "Heavenly Killing Lone Star," while others consider it a "broom star" or a "disaster star."

These people themselves are alright, but those who are around such people will find it very difficult to survive if they are not strong-willed.

Gongsun Hong suspected that there was something wrong with his destiny, after all, his life had been terrible, and few of those who followed him had a good ending.

As for Zhang Xuezhou, he is young and promising, while Li Shaojun is a Daoist successor; neither of them seems to have any problems.

In conclusion, Gongsun Hong believed that he had offended Tai Sui, which caused him to bring misfortune to his teammates, and that he needed to dispel the bad luck in his destiny.

He kept rambling on about related matters, which made Zhang Xuezhou frown slightly, and Li Shaojun's brows furrowed as well.

Gongsun Hong blamed himself, and Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but think of himself as well. As for Li Shaojun, it was no different; he had been like a jinx for so many years, and his friends never lasted long.

For a time, all three of them believed that there was something wrong with their destiny.