Chapter 894: Chapter 893: Endless Passage of Time
Hou Niao deeply understood that his biggest problem now was not to be anxious. No one knew how vast the internal space of the Innate Spiritual Treasure was; having reached the Demi Immortal level, he could already engage with the tangible Space Great Dao. If it desired, it could even be an entire universe.
He was already half a month behind Yue Duo and the others, and since he couldn’t fly at full speed here, diving straight into a group of Spirit Plants would mean yelling in vain for help.
The best strategy was to maintain his pace and not fall further behind. Eventually, they would have to stop. Could they keep going like this forever? There must be a limit. Within a decade, changes were bound to happen; they couldn’t really spend all day dealing with these little spirit creatures.
He was sure these Spirit Plant sprites were just obstacles along the path and couldn’t be the ultimate goal.
With his mind made up, he was prepared for a long-term chase, and his mindset became much calmer.
He regarded it as a journey to enhance his cultivation; how rare was it to encounter such an opportunity?
Various Spirit Plant creatures appeared: green, yellow, all sorts of colors, thick and thin in every shape—ginseng, red fruits, Lingzhi, hundred spirits, fleshy crowns... and even more wondrous objects he had never heard of or seen.
Jinxiu Continent’s rejuvenation of spiritual energy was limited, and he was clueless about alchemy and Spirit Plants, so most of the sprites he encountered were rarities to him—like attending a Spirit Plant class with no predictable end.
But regardless of what they were, they all shared a fear of saliva; in truth, they were afraid of the Jade Liquid of human cultivators. Who knew whether this was genuinely the case or merely a psychological effect?
A natural cycle of creation and subjugation.
This was his daily life, without rest and no pauses, moving in the direction he sensed—even if he didn’t know what lay ahead. He trusted his feelings and believed that those who came before him would have similar instincts.
As time passed, it felt as though he was the only living being in the boundless green haze, a solitude he was accustomed to, whether in Lizhi Sea or the Kneecap Desert.
Searching with a time limit was bearable; it was still preferable to wandering aimlessly into the depths of the universe.
However, deep inside, he thought a month or two would be the limit, right?
But harsh reality shattered his illusions—after one month, he hadn’t caught up, and after two months, he still caught no trace of them or even any lingering human presence.
Three months, half a year, one year went by, and he realized this might be a prolonged battle.
Why was he, on his own, unable to outrun those traveling in groups? Now it seemed that in such an environment, that was indeed the case. At least with greater numbers, they wouldn’t advance in a zigzag path like him, cautiously circumventing the sprite group. The larger group’s push was faster, unlike his careful solo approach.
The more it was like this, the more he needed to overcome restlessness and persist in his beliefs.
He merely narrowed his zigzag path but maintained his cautious attitude.
In the process, his cultivation unknowingly advanced, akin to taking Big Replenishing Pills daily—one couldn’t help but metaphorically shovel them into his mouth!
While enhancing his cultivation, he was also training his spiritual power. The Flying Sword Group resembled a swarm of hornets, constantly circling him, continuously morphing their attack formations. This was a journey where sword cultivation and spiritual power cultivation were both achieved, with the only shortcoming being an unknown destination or mission.
Three years later, his Golden Core middle stage showed signs of breaking through to the late stage, yet without the side effects of overdosing on elixirs. One must admit the quality of these Spirit Plants in the Medicine King Furnace was truly top-notch, a chance he could never encounter again, achieving nearly seventy percent of the full cycle of his Golden Core in just three short years, almost unimaginable.
That day, as he cautiously advanced per his usual rhythm, a flurry of auras approached from behind.
He hadn’t caught up with the first group; instead, those who arrived later than him had caught up. This was a small probability event since the vast mist from the outside seemed enormous, and entering from different angles would make encountering someone inside unlikely. But no one knew the exact nature of the space inside the Medicine King Furnace—one could only take it step by step.
Five people came, all unfamiliar, yet one thing was clear: they were all guests from the Upper Realm, not rogue cultivators, as that was the only standard the Medicine King Furnace had for allowing passage.
The five people traveled swiftly, revealing the advantage of group travel by not worrying about the danger of minor sprite entanglements.
One Daoist glanced at him from afar and was surprised, saying, "How did he get in here too? When was Jinxiu Heaven considered the Upper Realm?"
A woman glanced over, "The restriction of the Medicine King Furnace should only apply to ordinary cultivators, so it’s no surprise he’s here given that perspective."
The Daoist smiled slightly, thinking it was a good opportunity now. "Daoist, please hold! The fog here is dense, the path ahead unknown. One more person means an extra hand—why not journey together and offer mutual assistance?"
Another Daoist revealed some displeasure. "Why bother bringing him along? A mid-stage Golden Core cultivator who reached it here after three years of supplementation is just a burden!"
The Daoist chuckled lightly, "The more, the merrier. An extra person means an extra target—so why not?"
Hou Niao was hesitant; on one hand, he wanted to move faster, but on the other hand, he also wished to use the opportunity to enhance his cultivation. Having more people was convenient, but those small green men might not all belong to him anymore.
Seeing his hesitation, the Daoist added, "As far as we know, these Spirit Plant sprites become denser deeper into this Innate Spiritual Treasure. One person might never find the end even after flying for decades. Everyone comes from various realms in the universe, initially strangers. Could we really plan to harm you?"
Hou Niao’s heart was moved; the Daoist seemed to underestimate his sense. Based on his feeling over the past three years, if he kept flying like this, he’d likely arrive within ten years because that growing sense was becoming increasingly clear. Saying it would take decades was just to scare him.
Why?
In the Cultivation World, such accidental meetings among strangers often resulted in mutual disregard. With no familiarity or understanding of each other’s temperament, forcing a group could spoil things. It’s usually better to go separate ways; even truly hospitable people would only invite once, not a second time.
Holding suspicion in his heart, he had only one response to such a situation.
"In that case, I’ll intrude upon you all."
The six of them came together, forming a loosely packed formation, maintaining a certain distance as they flew forward.
Nobody inquired about his background, just as he wouldn’t ask about theirs, following the unspoken rules of the cultivation journey.