Chapter 128 – A Triumphant Return?

Inside Ren’s dantian was a sight he’d rather not see. The thumb that had thus far slumbered and remained still was showing signs of movement. Given how weak it must have been from centuries of suppression, only recently breaking out, Ren wished that whatever powerful entity the thumb belonged to would remain a static figure in his dantian. However, it was not to be, as something about the environment of the forbidden region had agitated whatever leftover instincts of the demonic entity still existed.

As Ren saw it, he could either stay and practice his heart cultivation to treat the symptoms of the thumb or endeavor to leave this environment as soon as possible before looking into it. The logical move would be to postpone it for later, but Ren remembered his earlier resolve to use his recent experiences as fuel for progression. If he turned from it now, it would be as good as running away, and that would leave an indelible mark. One that might affect his future heart cultivation and, at worst, turning into a heart demon.

So he gritted his teeth and forced himself to calm down. When he entered the right state of might, Ren began to practice the Reflected Moon of Desire. Soon after, visions buffeted him as the crimson strands sublimated. As predicted, he was faced with the same temptation to stay and succumb to the ghosts.

‘If I hadn’t prepared myself for it, these visions would have even more sway over me. Not to mention knowing the cost of surrender.’ He shuddered. ‘It’s all powerful motivation to stay strong.’

Something about the repeated experience allowed Ren to distance himself, and the vision lost half its normal effects on him. An unprecedented peace and clarity washed over Ren as he suddenly breached the first hurdle of the heart cultivation manual, the Crescent of Longing!

Reaching the first achievement of the manual was no small matter, as the benefits were immediately tangible. Greater control over his emotions, a stable heart not as affected by attacks or shocks directed at him, and more. His heart was a still pool, quickly settling any ripples and becoming a clear surface capable of reflecting the truth.

When Ren finally roused from his blissful state, he saw that Mei Ling was no longer beside him. He slowly looked around, feeling no urgency, and found his friend protecting him by fighting off a small horde of parasitized animals with thrown needles.

“If you’ve finished with your breakthrough, then would you mind if we departed?” She didn’t sound exasperated as much as relieved, but Ren still felt guilty about his impromptu breakthrough. Heart cultivation was a mysterious method, and he couldn’t have predicted when he might have advanced a step. The crimson threads released by the thumb, granting him visions, had accelerated his progress, but the manual itself promised no absolute timeline. It all depended on the cultivator.

Realizing that he needed to act, the forcefully becalmed Ren roused himself and moved to assist Mei Ling. His overwhelming burst of attacking power swiftly eradicated the remaining foes.

“Glad to have you back among the land of the livin… er… dead. Those creatures share some sort of communication, and the first batch I dispatched soon brought this second to us. We need to leave!” Mei Ling looked remarkably pristine for one fighting undead, parasitized creatures. But her exhaustion was clear to Ren. He nodded and recalled his array flags before getting ready to move.

Strangely, Mei Ling began to move in the wrong direction before he called out to correct their course. According to her, it was the direction he had pointed out before they began meditating. Sometime during their respite, the forbidden region had worked its subtle influence to disorient his companion, but Ren’s sense of his karmic connections locations easily let him overcome its lies.

They stealthily crossed the swamps, keeping away from any and all of its residents. The swamps were thriving with life adapted to living in them, but the greatest threats seemed not to be anything living but the odd balls of flame that illuminated an unknown path. If it weren’t for Ren’s innate sense of direction, he might have been tempted to pursue safety by following those pale flames. On the way out, Ren felt compelled to collect a large quantity of the oily liquid of the swamp. It displayed a dense death attribute qi to his senses that Ren felt might have some use in his gardens on the Edge.

Any time they encountered opposition from those grotesque creatures sharing a single glowing flower sprouting from their bodies, Mei Ling had been the one to act first, dual-wielding wicked-looking whips with numerous small blades attached to their tips. A single blow from one of those bladed whips would reduce the mindless creatures to pulp. It wasn’t long before they left the swamp and its parades of parasitized animals behind.

Seeing as it was just the two of them, Ren began to share his abilities, even revealing a slumbering Yu Ran as his primary defense against the threats of the forbidden region. As with Bao Hua, only the details of his Karmic cultivation were kept secret. Mei Ling reciprocated and disclosed what she could about the path she followed. Her terrifying bladed whips were also coated with myriad poisons that spelled doom for anything strong enough to withstand a blow. But she also talked about how the ghost she had subdued was crucial to her progress.

“Ever since we arrived in the Azure Mountains, it felt as if I were released from hidden shackles tying me down. This abundant qi and the rich resources have let me advance swiftly without any sign of a bottleneck. But to make the most of this environment, I needed to change my cultivation manual. Not long after we arrived here, I entered their outer sect dao repository with Master’s assistance, and there I found a tattered scroll while searching for techniques.” Mei Ling’s joy shone through her grimy appearance.

“Yes, I know what you’re thinking. It's the legendary hidden technique priced ridiculously low in the dao repository! I never expected to find something like it, yet somehow the heavens favored me. It’s what led me down this path of controlling ghosts and why I found the qi of your new domain so interesting. If I could subdue ghosts and feed them…” She trailed off.

Ren could tell there was more that she wasn’t telling him, but he wasn’t going to ask. The details of one’s cultivation were intensely private. That wasn’t to say he had his suspicions, but he wasn’t going to pry.

He focused on keeping them undetected by any inquisitive creatures. His sword array wasn't too effective on opponents unless he brought out dozens, which defeated the purpose of staying covert. Mei Ling fought off any persistent ones that did find them, her qi and techniques suited to the task. She only brought out a ghostly claw on a single occasion to eliminate a wolf-like creature with a canine skull instead of a head. The beast had fallen apart in chunks but Mei Ling turned pale and wobbly even as Ren retrieved the beast core for her.

Soon began to see the rich signs of life marking the boundary of the forbidden region. Despite their rushed flight away, Ren had continued to stop and collect plants, insects, and soil. Mei Ling made no comment, her face exuding exasperated fondness. Anything that caught his interest was thrown into either his spatial ring or beast storage pouch. There were some that he was rather excited to see flourish on his land, such as the explosive tree.

It was a curious tree with bark that exploded outward when the tree felt threatened. It had many underlying layers ready for subsequent explosions, too, that Ren witnessed evaporating some unfortunate animals. The bark itself was spectacularly flammable. The entire tree was stolen after all its defenses were exhausted. Ren could see it being used as fuel for the forge he had yet to set up.

They were nearly out when Ren suddenly decided to make a slight tangent. It was one of those moments when his instincts warned him about a potential opportunity, and Ren unfailingly heeded those. Soon after, Mei Ling let out a soft gasp of relief when she spotted the bedraggled figure stumbling around. With such an appearance, it would have been easy to mistake Bai Kang for a shambling undead creature.

When they collected him, he seemed delirious and confused, incapable of recognizing them. While Mei Ling was just glad she wouldn’t have to explain to her master that her senior brother had perished, Ren had his doubts. Mei Ling’s senior brother was exhibiting classic signs of possession or cultivation deviation. He subtly shared those deductions with his friend who agreed. She promised to get her master to examine her senior brother on their return.

With the last loose thread tied up, the three of them fled the outskirts of the forbidden region. It was with immense relief that Ren identified more familiar lands that were less prone to the region’s mysterious shuffling. Not long after, he recognized the trio of mountains that belonged to him on the horizon.

Mei Ling didn’t linger and departed swiftly with Bai Kang, who looked close to complete collapse. Ren returned to his cave after bidding them farewell. He could tell after a few days away that the mountains still hadn’t stopped growing, though the pace was still slowing. He laid a sleeping Yu Ran in a warm spot, noting its distended belly, full from all the tasty treats it had consumed.

He greeted his enthusiastic tortoises, petting Ang Jun for responsibly guarding its siblings. He was forced to turn a blind eye toward the bamboo that had once again been nibbled on out of concern for the little tortoise. He couldn’t expect too much from the little one that had already been outsmarted by the pest encroaching on his land.

Ren wearily returned to his cave abode to rest, covered in clingy little tortoises. As profitable and enlightening as this venture had been, Ren had learned not to underestimate the dangers involved. They had encountered such terrifying problems all while staying in the outer areas of the forbidden region that Ren shuddered to think what lay in its innermost regions. After meditating on his experiences, Ren decided to sleep, leaving the examination of the Encroaching Darkness and the Heart of Relentless Suffocation for the next morning.

Ren flew around the Edge ensuring that his arrays were still functioning properly. He was immensely pleased to observe that the 18 small enclaves around the sources of qi leaking into his territory were still flourishing. He had brought a lot of new plant species to introduce to those gardens, though it skewed toward the death attribute nodes. If he wanted to maintain true balance, he would soon have to delve into the sacred grounds, a prospect he had mixed feelings about.

As productive as the venture in the forbidden region had been, it had highlighted his inadequate preparations. And unlike the forbidden region, he could only enter the sacred grounds twice a year. He needed to make the most of that opportunity, and he currently felt underprepared.

Once Ren finished his inspection of his borders, he turned his attention to the two deadly foci of his new formation. And he could tell that his vast array was well on its way into turning into a natural formation, a mark of real stability. At their current stage of growth, the plants were expected to grow nexuses to improve their resource collection ability.

These nexuses were supposed to help the central plant to spread and grow more effectively while acting as a depot to gather the nutrients from the various vines and strands that both plants extended. The Encroaching Darkness put out small black mushroom-looking outgrowths while the Heart grew fleshy lumps under the soil. Ren could spot them rather easily as they shone brilliantly with accumulated qi.

Feeling the warm glow of satisfaction from events happening according to plan, Ren began to harvest the nexuses before they could grow any further. While he could have let them be for some more time, he didn’t want to risk losing control over the plants. As it was, his connection with them was tenuous at best. On the other hand, he had a more direct and urgent use for the harvested mass of vitality.

It had been an unintended benefit that the two plants he needed to create the formation on the Edge were also lifeforms with such rich vitality. Both plants converted the qi they absorbed into growth and vitality, and those nexuses contained a large portion of it. Vital essence that Ren could absorb to progress his boundless space physique!