Qin Shu moved to the very center of the summoning formation. He planted his feet firmly on the beautiful, intricate gilded patterns beneath him, sensed the formation’s flow change in response, and sat down cross-legged without hesitation.
His role was rather unusual. Most of the time, he did not need to contribute much strength at all, but there was also a chance he would need to contribute an enormous amount.
Pei Zhao had just taken the opportunity to explain it to him again. The reason was not actually complicated.
Qin Shu’s fate pattern was unusual, and a sufficiently precious fate pattern had always been one of the crucial elements in arts for inviting deities and guiding spirits. If a cultivator studying such methods did not possess a special fate pattern themselves, they would need someone else to sit in formation for them, or prepare a corresponding feng-shui arrangement in advance, before the technique could achieve its best effect.
Besides serving as the “lure,” Qin Shu could also pretend to be an offering. His life had been condensed from the creative power of Heaven and Earth. Ordinary people could not see anything unusual about him, but any immortal with even a little ability would inevitably notice that something was different.
And the creative power of Heaven and Earth was not only a favorite of gods, yao, and evil beings. It was also the key to allowing the Spirit-Guiding Summoning Formation to maintain its “spirit.”
That was right. The formation possessed a spirit. Once the spiritual energy gathered here became sufficiently pure and dense, once Yuxu’s special cultivation method continuously supplied it with power, and once Qin Shu sat at the exact center of the formation and gently pressed his palm against the gilded stream, the formation finally became truly established.
Qin Shu suddenly sensed a very strange connection and closeness. An unfamiliar yet oddly familiar consciousness was linking itself to him and continuously sending out tiny, frequent bursts of curiosity and goodwill, like an invisible puppy repeatedly sniffing his hand.
“Zhaozhao, the formation has a spirit.” Qin Shu froze for less than half a second before abruptly realizing what it was and immediately asking in a low voice, “It seems to really like me… Should I communicate with it?”
“Mm. You handle the communication. It listens to you best.”
Pei Zhao’s figure remained hidden in the darkness. Qin Shu could not see where he was, only hear his voice clearly, as though it were flowing toward him from every direction at once.
That should have made Qin Shu uneasy, but for some reason, even when he could not see Pei Zhao with his eyes, he could still feel his presence. It seemed very close, almost right beside him, watching his every movement…
Pei Zhao added softly, “Remember to activate the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl first. Give your mind another layer of protection. You control the direction from here.”
“…Okay.”
He was in control? Was Pei Zhao really that confident in him? Qin Shu muttered inwardly. Of course, he kept the thought to himself so he would not shake everyone’s morale.
Even if he was the least reliable person present, he had to look as though he were extremely reliable.
Everyone in this world survived that way. Force yourself to act the part enough times, and eventually you understood how to do it for real. Then there was no need to pretend anymore.
For example, right now Qin Shu cautiously communicated with the newborn formation spirit, sending one instruction after another. “Downward. Maintain the passage extending into the void. Is it stable?”
“Try transmitting spiritual energy and location coordinates. Is that possible? Don’t send too much at once. Try several smaller transfers so the passage doesn’t collapse.”
“You’re my eyes now. Help me look. Is there any living being from our world inside the void?”
“Senior Yuxu, it says the power maintaining the passage isn’t enough. It needs a stronger supply of spiritual energy.”
“Yes, that’s enough… Start by checking due east. If a deity has lost their sense of direction, I think their subconscious would choose east first.”
Qin Shu spoke every sentence slowly and clearly. It was not only so the formation spirit could hear him, but so Yuxu and Pei Zhao could hear as well. If he said something wrong midway through, they could correct him in time.
Yet from beginning to end, neither of them tried to interfere with his train of thought. Not once. Even when they temporarily found no clues, nobody urged him to hurry.
Gradually, Qin Shu’s attention stopped scattering toward his surroundings and concentrated completely on communicating with the formation spirit. His powerful perception was gathered bit by bit, compressed, then wrapped inside the golden stream.
The cave, the formation, the people, the objects… all of them seemed to disappear. Qin Shu could no longer spare any attention for such unnecessary things.
Only then did he form a truly tangible connection with the formation spirit.
The scene before him changed abruptly. An intense sense of weightlessness and a light sensation of floating flooded over him at the same time, accompanied by an indescribably profound sense of perfect wholeness.
The formation spirit was no longer merely a pair of eyes extending outward from him. In that instant, Qin Shu was the formation spirit.
Qin Shu saw the void with his own eyes. It was not as unfamiliar as he had imagined. It was simply chaos, almost pure darkness.
That chaotic power seemed capable of devouring all light and living things. Qin Shu had encountered the same sensation over and over again in his memories, because this was the kind of power Pei Zhao possessed.
But the special power controlled by Pei Zhao and this limitless, infinite chaos of the void were absolutely incomparable in terms of destructive force.
The moment Qin Shu recognized that familiar sensation, a splitting headache tore through him. His nerves felt as though they had been placed over a flame, every bone in his body screaming that it could not endure, while tens of thousands of intrusive thoughts exploded inside his mind.
Run away. Jump into the abyss. Kill someone. Eat someone. Destroy everything he had. Have children. Attack children. Chew the dragon pearl to pieces and swallow it raw. Burn the mountains and cut down the trees. Blow the cave to pieces and let it crush him to death…
Every thought felt too real, every one overwhelmingly intense. For a moment Qin Shu could not even tell which were delirious reactions caused by damage to his soul, which were messages being transmitted by the formation spirit, and which were his own genuine desires.
But making a choice while in severe pain and confusion was guaranteed to produce a serious error in judgment. Qin Shu gritted his teeth, endured without making a sound, closed his eyes, and did nothing.
The stronger the urge to do something, the more he must not do it.
The fine chain around his neck turned cool. The phoenix-feather pendant hidden beneath his clothes released delicate threads of power. Water and fire merged, barely anchoring Qin Shu’s mind to solid ground. Meanwhile, the stabilizing force radiating from the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl only slowly spread into his burning Purple Palace after he forced himself to breathe deeply for nearly ten minutes.
It worked.
The effect was extremely faint. The tangled mass of chaotic thoughts still remained, constantly harassing Qin Shu’s mind, but even the slightest effect was enough.
As long as he could distinguish what was real from what was false, Qin Shu was confident he could block out the interference and make a judgment that belonged to him. It might not necessarily be correct, but at least it would be his own thought.
He exhaled softly and opened his eyes. His divine sense followed the slowly flowing golden stream straight downward, his gaze falling into the void as he continued searching for the missing deity and continuously sent spirit-guiding signals into the darkness.
The lightless, shadowless chaos wrapped around him once again. In an instant, the stray thoughts in his mind seemed to detonate and boil over. The smell of rust spread beneath his nose. Thick blood quietly slid from the corners of Qin Shu’s eyes, while his pitch-black beast horn tore through flesh and rose above his Purple Palace, crimson blood beads adding a cold, savage edge to its appearance.
Yuxu, seated behind the formation eye, abruptly saw the change in him and silently sucked in a breath. Her hands formed a seal, and the power circulating through the golden dragon pearl suddenly doubled, all of it pouring into Qin Shu.
She had not known before that he was a Xiezhi. A faint, difficult-to-name concern had lingered in her heart, making her afraid that Qin Shu’s body could not withstand too much pressure. She had therefore acted with great caution, not daring to exceed the proper limit even slightly.
Only now did Yuxu finally understand where that strange pressure radiating from Qin Shu came from.
If the truth was what she suspected, then the amount of pressure Qin Shu could withstand was actually far beyond this. Yuxu could not see where Pei Zhao was either. Like Qin Shu, she could only sense his silent presence. Since Pei Zhao did not speak to stop her, he was allowing her to make her own judgment based on experience.
Twice. Three times. Six times. Yuxu stopped holding back. She concentrated completely on Qin Shu’s expression and condition, using everything she had learned throughout her life to draw out as much of the dragon pearl’s power as possible while staying within a controllable range.
The golden streams flowing through the spherical space grew darker and denser as well, condensing until they could no longer be compressed. Although they were swollen with explosive, destructive force, Yuxu held them under absolute control, trapped them inside the meticulously engraved formation, and directed everything into Qin Shu.
She heard the slow sound of bones breaking. It came from Qin Shu’s hand bones. One section after another cracked upward, the damage spreading rapidly like the lines of a spiderweb.
His clothes gradually turned red as well. At first there was only bleeding beneath the skin. Then countless tiny wounds appeared, blooming across his body like scarlet flowers.
At this point, it was his body that could no longer keep up with his mind… yet Qin Shu was still enduring. The formation continued operating at high intensity, and Yuxu did not dare stop for even a moment. She carefully held the energy supply at this barely stable upper limit, then closed her eyes and immediately began multitasking, meditating to regulate her own slightly disordered breathing and circulation.
The strain on her was considerable too. If the spiritual-energy formation Pei Zhao had modified had not been powerful enough, the moment the passage formed, the void might have drained her dry.
The white dragon lay coiled between her legs. Seeing the situation, he acted at once, spitting out a snow-white pearl and suspending it above Qin Shu’s head. Icy dragon qi spread rapidly, quickly repairing Qin Shu’s damaged body.
This was an entirely different kind of nourishment. It came from the fresh, youthful power of the dragon race, proactively feeding vitality into Qin Shu… and Qin Shu could feel the difference clearly. Vitality. This was something Pei Zhao did not possess.
Whenever Yuxu finished meditating and resumed control over maintaining the formation eye, the white dragon would retrieve his pearl, coil up, and immediately rest while waiting for the next moment he was needed.
This wordless cycle of cooperation continued for an entire night before anyone realized it. The Soul-Stabilizing Pearl on Qin Shu had already cracked and completely lost its effect, but by now Qin Shu had long since grown accustomed to the pain and the mad thoughts. He no longer needed the pearl to help stabilize him.
His soul was like a piece of iron heated red-hot and beaten again and again, violently tempered by repeated torment. It grew at an unbelievable speed, absorbing nourishment from every direction. Qin Shu even secretly drew in a little of the power from the void, that strange chaotic force that was neither alive nor dead…
It was not until the first faint light of dawn arrived and the first strand of purple qi from the horizon entered the cave, gathering along the carefully arranged feng-shui layout, that Qin Shu suddenly opened his eyes wide.
Yet his gaze carried a strange, almost mystical emptiness. He appeared to be staring straight toward Yuxu, but in truth he was not looking at her at all. His gaze was fixed on the empty space ahead, his perception still tightly linked with that of the formation spirit.
Yuxu suddenly sensed something. Her heart jumped, and every muscle in her body tensed.
“I found them,” Qin Shu said quietly. His speech was slow and steady as he reported every word. “They can see me.”
“They’re coming toward me. Very fast. Wait… there’s more than one. Zhaozhao, can you see them?”
Only then did Qin Shu’s tone finally show some real emotion. He sounded genuinely puzzled. “Why are there five people? Is that right?”
“It’s the Five Manifestation Gods of Wealth. Yes, there should be five. So they were the ones suppressing this fracture…” Yuxu suddenly understood, her eyes brightening. She reminded him softly, “Fellow Daoist Qin, hold on. Five gods manifesting at once will create tremendous pressure, but they bear you absolutely no ill will. As soon as they step onto the spirit-guiding passage at the cave entrance, you can withdraw your divine sense. After that, follow Fellow Daoist Pei’s signal.”
“…Okay.”
Yuxu was right. Five emotionally unstable gods charging straight toward him at the same time was genuinely frightening.
Once they realized the divine sense Qin Shu had spread into the void did not belong to some evil being from beyond the world, those fellows actually moved faster and faster, whipping up a colorless hurricane inside the chaos… The pressure they brought with them was truly extraordinary.
“Zhaozhao, I want to run.” Qin Shu caught sight of one smaller man sprinting toward him with tears streaming down his face, tears and snot flying everywhere. The corner of Qin Shu’s mouth twitched uncontrollably. His throat suddenly tasted sweet, and in the next moment he spat out a mouthful of blood.
The way matter moved inside the void differed slightly from the laws inside the world. If the man came even a little closer, those tears and that snot would immediately flood into Qin Shu’s sensory system. He genuinely wanted to run!
The overwhelming pressure on his body was one thing. Qin Shu’s real reason for vomiting blood was that seeing someone’s snot flying everywhere disgusted him so badly he could not hold it in.
Fortunately, Pei Zhao was a very reasonable person. Just before the little deity’s tears reached the safe boundary, Pei Zhao’s gentle voice finally sounded beside Qin Shu’s ear. “Withdraw your divine sense. Sit down and regulate your breathing immediately. Leave the rest of the communication to the formation spirit. You’ve worked hard, Qin Shu.”
It was like hearing celestial music and suddenly having his ears cleared!
Elio’s Notes: This line riffs on a famous phrase from Bai Juyi’s Song of the Pipa Player, used here comedically for Qin Shu’s overwhelming relief.
Qin Shu retreated with desperate enthusiasm, soothing the puppy-like, bewildered formation spirit along the way. When his perception rapidly contracted and returned completely to the quiet, cold spherical cave, Qin Shu did not move another finger. He simply closed his eyes and immediately began meditating.
He needed to regulate himself and stabilize his exhausted soul at once, lest his inability to adapt to the environment trigger confusion and delirium again.
As for everything that came next, it truly had nothing to do with him anymore. He had done his best. Qin Shu felt as though he had died more than a dozen times in a single night and was almost tired of dying. Only now could he finally relax a little.
He fell asleep. It lasted only five short minutes, just enough for his brain, which had been operating at extreme intensity, to empty itself for a tiny while.
When Qin Shu opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in Pei Zhao’s arms. His beast horn had already withdrawn. His body lay on the hard cave floor, but his head rested on Pei Zhao’s lap, allowing his stiff neck to relax completely, while Pei Zhao’s cool palm gently covered his eyes.
It was a familiar cool softness, wrapped in a faint fragrance that lingered beneath Qin Shu’s nose.
Qin Shu closed his eyes again and treasured that wonderful sensation for a little while. Only then did he raise a hand, take hold of Pei Zhao’s wrist, and pull it slightly downward. Narrowing his eyes contentedly, he kissed Pei Zhao’s palm and asked in a slightly hoarse voice, “How did it go?”
“Why don’t you look for yourself?” Pei Zhao pinched his cheek and replied softly.
Qin Shu exhaled and reluctantly sat up. Even then he leaned bonelessly against Pei Zhao, refusing to put any distance between them.
Then he froze slightly, momentarily speechless. Their faces had been difficult to see clearly in the darkness of the void. Now, with the five Gods of Wealth standing in a row before him, Qin Shu finally realized just how much they resembled one another.
Apart from slight differences in height, they looked like true brothers carved from the same mold. Every one of them was broad, sturdy, and powerfully built, dressed in simple hunters’ clothing with cloth leggings and shoes.
The only part of them that looked remotely divine was the brand-new armor worn over their clothing… It looked like a modern offering donated by worshippers. The craftsmanship was exquisite, but the armor also looked somewhat out of place.
“I am Chai Xian Cong. Thank you, young friend, for guiding the five of us brothers home.” The oldest man stepped forward, clasped his hands solemnly, and spoke in a voice full of strength. His powerful gaze swept over everyone present like flashing thunder. “You saved our lives, and you saved Jing City from danger. Even dying could hardly repay such kindness. If you ever need help from us brothers in the future, just say the word. Call, and we’ll come!”
“Greetings, King Xiancong. It’s enough that all of you returned safely. The credit for suppressing Jing City’s fracture can’t be put on me. We humans should be thanking all of you for what you’ve done…” Qin Shu got halfway through the polite speech before he simply could not help laughing. “By the way, was the one crying hardest the youngest brother?”
“Cough… Xianzhao, he’s talking about you. Explain yourself!” King Xiancong looked slightly embarrassed and pushed the smaller man hiding in the back forward.
Without his face covered in tears and snot, the fifth brother, King Xianzhao, was actually the best-looking of the brothers. He was a little slimmer and shorter, with the faintly quiet, cultured air of a scholar from ancient times. His features were more refined too, and his beard was much neater than those of the other brothers.
Mm. He must have tidied it after leaving the void. Qin Shu truly could not forget the enormous figure rushing toward him earlier… Back then even the beard had been flying wildly in the air, soaked with tears.
King Xianzhao was clearly embarrassed too. After clasping his hands in greeting, he reached into his pocket to show his gratitude and apology, then presented Qin Shu with a gift.
A huge, glossy, healthy-looking chicken, plump and beautiful, almost like an absurdly oversized fat version of the Vermilion Bird.
According to King Xianzhao, this was a fortune chicken the brothers had raised at their own Daoist sanctuary before coming to suppress the fracture. It not only laid eggs every day. Eating the eggs was highly nourishing, good for the body’s qi and blood as well as one’s fortune, and once in a while it would even lay a golden egg.
They had kept it purely for fun. Things like golden eggs and nourishing food had long since stopped being necessary to immortals. Better to give it to Qin Shu, who could bring it home, eat eggs every day, and nourish his luck while he was at it.
The instant this magnificent, glossy fat chicken appeared out of thin air and began strutting around the cave like a general, pecking at stones everywhere, the other brothers were all startled.
They had absolutely no idea that King Xianzhao had brought the family fortune chicken along when he left to suppress the fracture.
“Honestly, you’re still this naughty… How many years have you lived, and you’re still fooling around? When are you going to grow up? Doesn’t your wife ever keep you under control?”
The eldest brother, King Xiancong, leaned backward in sheer exasperation and immediately entered big-brother scolding mode. But his mouth was fierce while his actions were completely honest.
While scolding him, he grabbed the huge chicken and stuffed it straight into the stunned Qin Shu’s arms. “Since our little brother gave you a gift, the rest of us can’t come empty-handed. Everyone has to give something! Here, young friend, hold on to this lucky general first. And you, big sister over there, come, come. What do you want? Food? Drink? Something alive or dead? Treasures and magical artifacts? Wealth luck or good fortune?”
Yuxu had lived for several thousand years. It had been a very long time since anyone called her “little sister,” and for a moment she did not even realize he was talking to her.
“King Xiancong, you’re too kind. I don’t need anything…”
“That won’t do! Little sister, your cultivation method looks unusual… How about flower and herb seeds? Want some? Tianshan snow lotus, that sort of thing. Our treasure vault has piles of old seeds that have been sitting there for thousands of years. Nobody knows how to grow any of them!”
Yuxu’s eyes slowly lit up. After a brief silence, she found herself utterly unable to refuse. King Xiancong let out several rough, booming laughs, turned around, and immediately ordered his brothers to hand over every good thing they had. Nobody was allowed to be stingy.
How had things turned into this?
Qin Shu stroked the huge fat chicken in his arms, which carried the faint fragrance of grain, and looked at the noisy, chaotic scene before him. For a moment he could not tell whether he was rescuing gods who had nearly died or sitting on the heated brick bed in a hunter’s village home, chatting with the family.
But this was far better than the cold, silent cave from before. So much better.