bestfiction Chapter 198 Understanding One's Own Feelings
Chapter 198 Understanding One's Own Feelings
Chapter 198 Understanding One's Own Feelings
After that thrilling battle, Xu Xiaoxiao and Mu Zhusheng embarked on a long and arduous search.
Their footprints covered the entire demon realm, leaving behind their eager search in every corner. However, no matter how hard they tried, Jiang Jingzhi seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.
"How could this happen? Where did Senior Brother go?" Xu Xiaoxiao frowned, her eyes filled with anxiety and unease. Her voice was hoarse from shouting and running around for so long.
Mu Zhusheng also looked exhausted. He gently patted Xu Xiaoxiao's shoulder, trying to comfort her: "Junior Sister, don't worry too much. Senior Brother is a lucky man, we will definitely find him."
Despite Mu Zhusheng's words, Xu Xiaoxiao's heart felt like it had fallen into an ice cellar. She began to recall every moment she had spent with Jiang Jingzhi, those moments that she had previously overlooked now appearing vividly in her mind.
She realized that, without her noticing, her senior brother had already taken up a special place in her heart. Her heart tightened unconsciously; it turned out that she had already fallen in love with her senior brother.
"Second Senior Brother, I must find Eldest Senior Brother. I have something to say to him." Xu Xiaoxiao bit her lip, her eyes revealing an unprecedented determination.
Mu Zhusheng looked at Xu Xiaoxiao and understood her thoughts. He nodded slightly and said, "Okay, let's search together. Even if we have to search the entire demon realm, we can't let our senior brother fall into the hands of that bad guy."
So they rushed to the demon realm without stopping. The demon realm was a harsh environment with rampant monsters, but they did not back down at all. They asked every demon they encountered about Jiang Jingzhi, but all they got was disappointment.
As the days went by, the search remained fruitless, and Xu Xiaoxiao's heart sank to the bottom. Her eyes were filled with loss and despair, but her belief never wavered.
"Senior Brother, where are you? You must wait for me, I will definitely find you." She murmured to herself countless times.
Finally, after going through countless hardships, they had to accept a cruel reality—they could not find Jiang Jingzhi in the Demon Realm and the Demon World.
Left with no other choice, Xu Xiaoxiao and Mu Zhusheng decided to return to the Huitian Sect and seek help from their master, Li Changchun.
The moment they stepped into the Huitian Sect, Xu Xiaoxiao felt a mix of emotions. Once, this was her warmest harbor, but now, she was filled with anxiety and worry.
They hurried to Li Changchun's residence, and the moment Xu Xiaoxiao saw her master, her eyes instantly reddened.
“Master…” Her voice was choked with emotion.
Looking at his two beloved disciples, Li Changchun saw that they were dressed in rags and looked haggard, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.
"What's wrong with you all? Tell me slowly." His voice was gentle yet carried a hint of authority.
Xu Xiaoxiao and Mu Zhusheng told Li Changchun the whole story.
After listening, Li Changchun frowned and his expression became very solemn. He knew his eldest disciple Jiang Jingzhi's strength in the cultivation world. Anyone who could render him powerless within three moves must be someone of great importance.
"I never expected there to be such a powerful figure," Li Changchun muttered to himself. "It seems this matter is far more complicated than we imagined."
Xu Xiaoxiao said anxiously, "Master, Senior Brother must have been kidnapped by that bad guy. What should we do? You must save Senior Brother."
Li Changchun nodded slightly: "Don't rush, go back and rest well to recover your strength. I need to cast a divination for Jingzhi to see if we can find any clues about him."
Although Xu Xiaoxiao and Mu Zhusheng were still worried, they knew that their master's words made sense. They bowed to their master and turned to leave.
Back in her room, Xu Xiaoxiao lay on the bed, but couldn't fall asleep.
Her mind was filled with Jiang Jingzhi's image. She remembered her senior brother's care and concern for her, and the adventures they had gone through together. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Senior brother, you must be safe and sound. I haven't had a chance to tell you yet that I like you..." she said silently in her heart.
Meanwhile, Mu Zhusheng also found it hard to sleep. He was well aware of the seriousness of the incident. What was the purpose of the mysterious person who stole the core of the Demon Realm? And how could they rescue their senior brother? These questions kept swirling in his mind.
The next morning, Xu Xiaoxiao got up early. After a quick wash, she went to Li Changchun's residence, anxiously awaiting her master's divination results, her heart filled with trepidation.
After a long while, Li Changchun finally emerged from the room, his expression still grave. Seeing Xu Xiaoxiao, he sighed softly, "This divination is somewhat obscure and difficult to understand. Jingzhi's whereabouts are concealed by a powerful force. I can only vaguely sense that he seems to have been taken to an extremely mysterious place, a place that doesn't belong to the cultivation world, but rather appears to be in the upper realm. Even after expending five hundred years of cultivation, this is all I can see."
Xu Xiaoxiao's heart sank: "Master, what should we do? Is there really no way to find Senior Brother?"
Li Changchun looked at Xu Xiaoxiao, his eyes full of comfort: "Xiaoxiao, don't be discouraged. Although this divination didn't yield a clear result, at least we know that Jingzhi is still alive. There are only two ways for people in the cultivation world to go to the Immortal Realm: one is to reach the peak of the Mahayana stage through their own cultivation and ascend to the Immortal Realm through the tribulation of lightning; the other is for a powerful being from the Immortal Realm to come down and guide them. Your senior brother was taken away, and people from the Immortal Realm who come down to the cultivation world will definitely pay a heavy price. So, the only way for us to save Jingzhi is through ascension."
When Xu Xiaoxiao heard her master Li Changchun's words, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Although she had expected that the rescue would be difficult, she did not expect that she would have to reach the peak of the Mahayana stage and undergo a tribulation to ascend to the Immortal Realm before she could hope to save her senior brother.
She subconsciously clenched her fists and looked at her hands, as if she could see her cultivation level clashing with that of her senior brother.
"Peak of the Mahayana stage..." Xu Xiaoxiao murmured to herself, her voice tinged with bitterness, "I'm only at the early stage of the Nascent Soul stage now, how long will it take me to reach that realm..."
Her mind instantly conjured up every detail of her cultivation journey: countless days and nights of diligent practice, struggles against all sorts of hardships and obstacles. Yet, even so, she was still far from reaching the peak of the Mahayana stage.
“But I must do it.” A determined light suddenly shone in Xu Xiaoxiao’s eyes. “Senior Brother, you must wait for me. I will definitely come to save you, and I will tell you in person that I like you.”
She made a silent vow in her heart, a vow that, like a burning flame, dispelled the fear and confusion in her heart.
Li Changchun looked at Xu Xiaoxiao with eyes full of relief and encouragement: "Xiaoxiao, the path of cultivation is full of hardships. Although this challenge is huge, I believe in you. As long as you are steadfast and take one step at a time, you will surely succeed."
Xu Xiaoxiao raised her head, looked at Li Changchun, and nodded vigorously: "Disciple will follow Master's teachings. I will definitely work hard to cultivate and ascend to the Immortal Realm as soon as possible."
Li Changchun nodded slightly and continued, "There are no shortcuts in the path of cultivation. You must remember that every cultivation session is a test of your abilities, and every breakthrough is a testament to your growth. In the process of cultivation, you must not be impatient for quick results, but rather proceed steadily and surely."
"I understand, disciple," Xu Xiaoxiao replied earnestly.
At this moment, Mu Zhusheng also arrived at Li Changchun's residence. He saw Xu Xiaoxiao and his master talking, so he stood quietly to the side and waited for them to finish before walking over.
"Master, Junior Sister," Mu Zhusheng bowed to the two of them.
Li Changchun looked at Mu Zhusheng and said, "Zhusheng, we must do everything we can to rescue Jingzhi after he was kidnapped. Like Xiaoxiao, you must also work hard to cultivate and improve your strength."
Mu Zhusheng nodded firmly: "Master, don't worry, I will definitely do it. My junior sister and I will definitely rescue our senior brother."
Li Changchun then gave them some instructions on key points and precautions for cultivation before letting them leave.
Xu Xiaoxiao and Mu Zhusheng walked back to their room in silence.
After a long silence, Xu Xiaoxiao finally spoke, "Second Senior Brother, do you really think we can succeed? As far as I know, no one in the cultivation world has ascended to immortality in the last thousand years."
Mu Zhusheng glanced at her and said earnestly, "Junior Sister, we can definitely do it. Senior Brother is the most important person to us. We can't give up. Moreover, Master will help us. All the disciples of Huitian Sect will work hard to rescue Senior Brother."
Hearing Mu Zhusheng's words, Xu Xiaoxiao felt a warm current surge in her heart: "Yes, Second Senior Brother is right. We can't give up. Even if there's only a one percent chance, I won't give up."
After returning to her room, Xu Xiaoxiao immediately began her secluded cultivation. She sat on a futon, adjusted her breathing, and circulated the spiritual energy within her body.
During her cultivation, she constantly recalled every moment she spent with Jiang Jingzhi, and those warm moments became her motivation for cultivation.
Whenever she felt tired and wanted to give up, she would think of Jiang Jingzhi's smile, his care and encouragement for her, and then she would be filled with strength again.
Meanwhile, Mu Zhusheng was not idle either. In his room, he carefully studied various spells and alchemy.
He knew that his current strength was far from enough to rescue his senior brother; he had to continuously improve himself.
In the days that followed, Xu Xiaoxiao and Mu Zhusheng devoted themselves wholeheartedly to cultivation.
They forgot the passage of time and all external distractions, focusing on only one goal—to rescue Jiang Jingzhi.
Seeing his two disciples working so hard, Li Changchun felt both gratified and worried.
It is gratifying that they have firm beliefs and determination, but worrying that the mission is too arduous and their success is still unknown.
But he also knew that all he could do was provide them with help and guidance, while also striving to break through to the Mahayana stage himself, so as to contribute to the rescue of Jiang Jingzhi.
Therefore, Li Changchun also chose to go into seclusion to cultivate, hoping to find a better way to rescue him when he emerged from seclusion.
Inside the Huitian Sect, all was quiet except for the occasional sound of spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from the room where Xu Xiaoxiao and Mu Zhusheng were in seclusion.
The entire sect is working silently to rescue Jiang Jingzhi. They believe that as long as everyone works together, they will be able to overcome the difficulties and bring Jiang Jingzhi back safely.
Jiang Jingzhi felt a sudden dizziness, and when he came to his senses, he found himself in a gloomy mansion.
The surrounding air was filled with an old and decaying smell, as if this mansion had been weathered by countless years.
He stared intently at the mysterious man, only to see that his breathing was disordered and his steps were unsteady, clearly indicating that he had been seriously injured in the previous time tunnel.
The mysterious man, struggling to stay upright, chanted an obscure incantation, and a forbidden spell radiating an eerie light landed on Jiang Jingzhi, instantly sealing his spiritual power.
Jiang Jingzhi felt as if his spiritual energy was bound by a thick shackle, unable to circulate even slightly.
"Keep an eye on him, don't let him get away," the mysterious man instructed a thin disciple beside him in a hoarse voice. He then hurriedly walked towards the depths of the mansion, presumably to heal his injuries.
The disciple stepped forward, holding a sharp blade, and looked at Jiang Jingzhi warily, as if afraid that he would suddenly attack.
Jiang Jingzhi ignored him, instead closing his eyes, concentrating, and trying to use his divine sense to perceive the surrounding environment.
As his divine sense spread out, he was shocked to find that everything here was so unfamiliar. The familiar spiritual energy fluctuations of the cultivation world were gone, replaced by a mysterious and powerful force. This force convinced him that he was no longer within the realm of cultivation.
Although Jiang Jingzhi was shocked, he quickly calmed down. He knew that since the mysterious man had not killed him immediately, it meant that he still had value to him.
He had to escape as soon as possible, not only for his own safety, but also to avoid worrying Xu Xiaoxiao and the others. He could almost see Xu Xiaoxiao anxiously searching for him, and his heart ached.
"I have to find a way to break this curse," Jiang Jingzhi thought to himself.
He began to carefully study the forbidden spell on his body, trying to find a way to break it. The forbidden spell was extremely complex, and each rune contained powerful energy, like locks that firmly locked his spiritual power.
Jiang Jingzhi recalled the various spells and knowledge he had learned, pondering a solution. He knew that time was of the essence, and every minute and second was extremely precious.
The disciple guarding him seemed to sense his intentions and became even more vigilant, his sharp blade twitching slightly, ready to respond to any move he made.
"Hmph, don't waste your energy. This forbidden spell was cast by the master himself. There's no way you can break it," the disciple mocked.
Jiang Jingzhi ignored him, still immersed in his research on the forbidden spell. Various possible ways to break it flashed through his mind, while he was also looking for loopholes in the mansion's defenses.
He discovered that although the mansion's defenses were strong, they were not invincible. If he could find the key point, he might be able to find a chance to escape. And breaking the forbidden spell was the key to all of this.
Jiang Jingzhi calmed down and began to try to touch the runes of the forbidden spell with his divine sense. Each touch was like touching a hard wall, causing his divine sense to ache slightly. But he did not give up and tried again and again, constantly searching for the subtle flaws between the runes.
Finally, after countless attempts, he discovered a weak point in the forbidden spell. Although the flaw was extremely small, it was like a ray of dawn in the darkness for Jiang Jingzhi. He concentrated all his divine power and attacked the flaw... After successfully escaping, he began an endless escape.
"end"