Chapter 522: Clearing the Air
Chapter 522: Clearing the Air!
The wheel of time turned, ushering in the crisp chill of autumn.
The Thousand Sects Dharma Assembly drew to a close, and the major Cultivation Sects began assembling their vanguard formations.
However, Chen Tian had long since departed, leading Long Ao, the mad prince, and his retinue ahead to the Central Region.
As for Jiang Chen, though he ostensibly handled the rear logistics, the truth was far colder. From the moment he refused to join the expedition, the karmic ties between them had frayed.
They were merely preserving the final, fragile veil of face.
After all, the Dao was long and unpredictable; one could never know when they might need the other, making a complete severing of ties unwise.
These days, Jiang Chen anchored the bulk of his focus on tending his spirit flora.
Moreover, with Zhu Fuxian’s return, the heavy burden upon the sect’s spiritual cultivators had significantly eased.
He found himself graced with ample time to accompany Ruo Qunshuang and Little Linglong.In passing, he delved into the profound cultivation arts and arcane spells of the Jade Dew Sect.
Occasionally, he stoked his cauldron to forge Spirit Weapons, draw talismans, and refine Spirit Pills.
Though his days lacked the blood-soaked thrill of the outside world, they were steeped in a quiet, fulfilling rhythm.
Following another bountiful harvest across the thirty-plus mu of his pocket realm’s Spirit Farm and the six mu outside, his accumulated Lifespan now stretched to a staggering 27,467 years.
However, Jiang Chen no longer cared much about these figures.
He treasured the souls beside him, desiring only to savor the tranquility of each passing dawn.
Before him, the soil of the second-grade Spirit Farm had been freshly turned and enriched, primed for another cycle of creation.
With a casual sweep of his sleeve, Jiang Chen scattered the seedlings for three mu of Top Grade spirit rice, alongside a myriad of seeds for rare spiritual flora and medicinal herbs.
To the untrained eye, the sheer volume seemed almost recklessly wasteful.
Yet the instant they struck the earth, guided by the immense weight of his Divine Sense, the flora automatically rooted themselves into flawless formations, maintaining perfect, harmonious intervals.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Little Linglong clapped her small hands in pure elation. “Daddy is amazing!”
Cradling the child, Ruo Qunshuang offered a warm smile. “Brother Qing’s mastery over the earth grows ever more profound.”
Jiang Chen tossed a fond smile over his shoulder. With another flick of his wrist, the ambient water Spirit Qi surged, swiftly coalescing into a thick canopy of storm clouds hovering directly above the Spirit Farm.
Accompanied by the low, rumbling growl of thunder, a dense, shimmering curtain of spirit rain began to cascade downward.
Basking in the nourishing aura of the downpour, Little Linglong squirmed with excitement. “Mother, I want to go play in the water!”
Despite doting on the girl endlessly, Ruo Qunshuang gently shook her head. “Good children do not run into the rain.”
Little Linglong puffed her cheeks, her tone utterly solemn. “But the rain is calling my name.”
Ruo Qunshuang faltered, a flicker of astonishment crossing her features. “Is that true?”
Entranced by the domestic bliss of recent months, she had nearly forgotten that this child was no ordinary mortal.
As the flesh and blood of a mermaid royal, it was only natural she possessed an innate resonance with the tides. She might even harbor a heaven-bestowed Water Spirit Root.
Realizing this, she shot an inquiring glance at Jiang Chen. Receiving an affirming nod, she finally lowered Little Linglong to the damp earth.
The very next second, the child bolted forward like a wild foal slipping its reins, charging headlong into the misty veil of the downpour.
Both Jiang Chen and Ruo Qunshuang widened their eyes in surprise; the deeper she ran into the dense water Spirit Qi, the faster her tiny legs carried her.
She suffered no worldly resistance. Instead, she moved with the absolute grace of a fish returning to the sea.
Taking in the sight, Jiang Chen’s mind raced. I need to find a way to quietly test her Spirit Root. I might stumble upon a heaven-defying surprise.
Previously, because she had incubated within a frozen womb, he had naturally deduced she possessed an Ice Spirit Root.
Only now did he realize he had woefully underestimated her potential.
In all likelihood, she had been blessed with both Ice and Water Spirit Roots.
What intrigued him most was that she had never exhibited a shred of this elemental affinity before.
During their time in his spatial realm, Jiang Chen had occasionally cast the Major Rain Spell.
Back then, Little Linglong had merely watched with innocent curiosity, never displaying such primal exuberance.
It was as though a sealed gate within her had violently shattered, allowing her dormant bloodline to Awaken.
Calculating the cycles since her emergence from the crystal, Jiang Chen noted she was roughly six years of age.
At such a tender age, mortal children were still rolling aimlessly in the mud.
Yet, she had already begun to Awaken her innate Dao talents.
Even as she danced beneath the torrential spirit rain, not a single drop clung to her garments. Her innate elemental control effortlessly eclipsed that of inner sect disciples who had tortured themselves for years polishing their Water Spirit Roots.
The chasm between an ordinary genius and a creature of myth was glaringly absolute.
A wisp of longing surfaced in Ruo Qunshuang’s gaze. “If the heavens had graced me with Linglong’s talent, I would have seized the mantle of a core disciple without breaking a sweat.”
Jiang Chen stepped forward, wrapping a comforting arm around her waist. “Once our Linglong ascends to the pinnacle, forget being a core disciple—you shall be revered as a Sect Matriarch.”
Ruo Qunshuang shot him a teasing, sidelong glance. “And just how many centuries will I be waiting for that day?”
Jiang Chen flashed a roguish grin. “If waiting proves too tedious, we could always…”
Before the suggestive remark could leave his lips, a sharp, spiritual tremor pulsed from his Square Inch Ring.
Withdrawing the source of the disturbance, he found it was Senior Sister Bei Qingtang’s Communication Talisman.
Ever since the incident where he nurtured the Phoenix Fire at Crimson Fire Peak, the two had not exchanged a single transmission.
“Senior Sister?”
“Junior Brother, present yourself at the Verdant Wood Peak immediately!”
“What is the matter?”
“I commanded you before to immerse yourself in the Life Pool and temper your mortal coil!”
“But… regarding that specific sect mandate, I believe I failed to fulfill it.”
“You… your incessant dawdling will be the death of my Dao Heart!”
Unable to stomach her Sixth Junior Brother’s infuriating lack of ambition for another second, Bei Qingtang forcefully severed the connection.
Jiang Chen stared blankly at the dimming jade. “Senior Sister’s temper seems to have cultivated a few fiery spikes.”
Ruo Qunshuang blinked innocently. “To be fair, I also think you have been rather sluggish lately.”
Jiang Chen snapped his attention back to her, shaking his head defensively. “When it comes to you, how can it be called ‘sluggish’?”
Ruo Qunshuang tilted her head, genuinely puzzled. “Then what is it called?”
Jiang Chen’s grin widened into something utterly shameless. “It is called foreplay!”
Instantly, a violent flush seized Ruo Qunshuang’s delicate features.
She looked as radiant and flushed as a perfectly ripened spirit peach.
Laughing, Jiang Chen reached out to playfully pinch her cheek before summoning Shattered Moon Flowing Frost. “Alright, I must depart for Verdant Wood Peak. You two enjoy the rain.”
Sloshing happily in the spirit rain, Little Linglong waved a wet hand. “Farewell, Daddy!”
Swoosh!
Shattered Moon Flowing Frost tore free from the earth’s gravity, streaking upward into the Ninth Heaven at a terrifying speed.
…
…
After a brief flight, Jiang Chen pierced through the misty wards and descended upon the Verdant Wood Peak.
Unlike the shifting chaos of the other immortal peaks, this sanctuary remained anchored in ancient serenity, utterly unchanged.
He soon traversed the winding paths to the Qiongxin Domain, locating his Senior Sister.
However, she was not alone. Standing beside her were his Second Senior Brother, Zhou Yan, and the man’s so-called “fiancée,” Su Tiantian.
The unexpected presence of the Medicine Fairy’s disciple caught Jiang Chen entirely off guard. “Senior Sister, what is the meaning of this gathering?”
Bei Qingtang shot him an imperious, meaningful look. “Before you enter the ancient womb of the Life Pool, your Second Senior Brother wishes to clear the air with you.”
Jiang Chen arched an eyebrow. “Regarding what?”
Zhou Yan stepped forward, gently pulling Su Tiantian to his side. He spoke with grave solemnity. “Junior Brother, I am already aware of what transpired between you and Tiantian.”
Jiang Chen immediately took a defensive step back. “Second Senior Brother, I swear to the heavens, I share absolutely no karmic ties with her.”
Good grief. I avoid Verdant Wood Peak for a few months, and more venomous rumors sprout like weeds? Will these people ever grant me peace?
Zhou Yan hastily raised a hand to placate him. “Calm your heart. Your Senior Brother places no blame upon your shoulders.”
Jiang Chen frowned deeply. “Let us just lay the raw truth on the table.”
Zhou Yan readily nodded. “Exactly. Let us clear the air.”
Jiang Chen took the initiative. “The truth of the matter is this…”
Without omitting a single detail, he laid out the exact sequence of events from that fateful day.
From Su Tiantian abruptly descending upon his Spirit Farm seeking a lost soul, to the Medicine Fairy’s bizarre, aggressive demand that he sever his ties and marry into their lineage.
Truthfully, the entire affair carried a heavy stench of absurdity. For a core disciple who practically lived as a recluse, to suddenly catch the eye of the venerable Medicine Fairy—and to be pressured into a spontaneous matrilineal marriage—was utterly preposterous.
Zhou Yan was no fool. Having absorbed the full narrative, he gave a slow, deeply appreciative nod. “Junior Brother, I offer you my profound thanks for refusing that union.”
“In exchange for your honor, I am willing to gift you my entire allotted duration within the Life Pool this year!”