Transmigration: The Peerless Immortal Husband

Originally, the black cat cub was lazily sitting on Gu Yao’s shoulder. However, Gu Yao suddenly noticed that its small body was now tensed like a bow, ready to spring at any moment. Its cat eyes had become vertical slits, staring intently at a certain direction ahead.

Jiang Yan spoke cautiously, “Yes, this all suggests a recent change. Everyone be careful. The fragrance from all these strange flowers and plants here, when mixed together, has a hallucinatory effect. Without any defense, it’s easy to fall victim to it.”

Zhou Li and the others were in just such a situation. After Jiang Yan’s warning, they became even more vigilant. To be safe, they specifically took a calming pill provided by Gu Yao. After taking it, a refreshing sensation quickly spread to their minds, making them feel clear-headed. The surroundings were still the beautiful world of flowers and plants, but now, to them, it didn’t seem any safer than the Hidden Valley on the other side.

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Let’s go. Try not to scatter. If we get separated, try to keep clear-headed,” Jiang Yan reminded them.

“Okay.”

Although Gu Yao was very interested in the unusual flowers and plants here, he refrained from acting until he understood the situation better. He didn’t want to harvest these plants and cause an incident before understanding the risks.

Not long after they started walking through the sea of flowers, the black cat cub suddenly jumped down. Just as Gu Yao was about to call it back, he saw the cub extend its claws and swiftly swipe them, causing a large swath of flowers and plants in front of them to fall.

“What is this cat cub doing? This is too dangerous, call it back!” Zhou Li yelled.

“Wait!” Chi Changye spoke up to stop everyone from moving. He took a few steps forward with Gu Yao and waved his hand, clearing away the plants that had been shredded by the cat cub. What lay beneath was immediately revealed, causing everyone to gasp in shock.

“It’s Senior Brother Zhao!”

Zhou Li and the others immediately recognized the body below, which was pierced with numerous roots. It was one of the missing disciples. However, what was even more bizarre than the roots piercing his body was the expression on his face. It was a perfectly preserved, satisfied, and contented smile, as if he were immersed in the most wonderful world. Yet, his flesh and blood had been completely absorbed by the roots, leaving only a hollow shell of skin and bones.

This suggested that Zhao had died unknowingly, possibly still immersed in the most beautiful hallucinations before he passed away. The thought sent chills down Zhou Li’s spine, and he realized he had narrowly avoided following the same fate as Zhao.

This meant the people who had escaped were lucky. Was this the fate of everyone who hadn’t made it out? Zhou Li, thinking about this possibility, immediately turned to look at Jiang Yan, knowing how much his senior brother valued Brother Lu.

Jiang Yan’s face was uncharacteristically serious, no longer the lightheartedness he had shown earlier. Beneath these dazzling, fragrant flowers and plants, there was no telling how many cultivators had been buried. Just as he was about to collect Zhao Min’s remains to bring them back to the academy, the root systems began to move. The severed parts grew back at an observable speed, and it seemed as if they were about to cover Zhao Min’s body again.

Jiang Yan swung his hand, summoning blades made of water that spun and sliced through the vines and plants. He then used a water-serpent rope to wrap around Zhao Min’s body, intending to drag it away. Suddenly, more vines surged up from the ground, attempting to seize it. Zhou Li and the others immediately stepped in to help, and as flowers were cut apart, the air became increasingly filled with a stronger, more intoxicating fragrance.

“Meow!”

The black cat cub let out a sharp cry. Gu Yao raised his head and looked around. The entire beautiful world of flowers and plants, which had been still and lifeless, suddenly began to twist and move. At the same time, more bodies were revealed beneath them—some from Tianfu Academy, others from the Qianxue Sect, and even several demonic beasts that should have lived in the Qiuqu Mountains. All their expressions were of contentment and smiles, none showing any sign of pain from death.

“Meow, meow, meow!”

The black cat cub turned back to Gu Yao and called out a few more times before darting forward. Gu Yao sensed that the black cat cub was asking him to follow. Seeing the vines and flowers closing in around them, their fragrance so overwhelming it made his head dizzy, Gu Yao feared they might suffer the same fate as those before them.

“Quick, follow the cat cub!” Gu Yao said.

“Alright!” Chi Changye, noticing the black cat cub’s behavior, quickly guessed its intention. As soon as Gu Yao spoke, he grabbed his arm, using his sword to clear the way, and closely followed the black cat cub. He also shouted to Tian Feirong and the chubby boy, “Keep up with us! Hurry!”

Tian Feirong and the chubby boy immediately followed without hesitation, knowing that following Chi Changye and the others was their only chance of survival. In such a treacherous place, they had no hope of escaping on their own.

“Follow them!” Jiang Yan immediately ordered, without a moment’s hesitation, running after Chi Changye and the others. At the same time, he cleared the vines blocking their way. “Hold your breath, don’t inhale the fragrance of the flowers outside!”

The black cat cub was indeed extraordinary. Its ability to earn the trust of both Chi Changye and Gu Yao, who followed it without question, made Jiang Yan quickly realize something.

The shredded petals danced through the air. Some fragments landed on their bodies, and to their astonishment, these petals could absorb the spiritual power within them, causing the flow of their spiritual energy to become uncontrollable. In a panic, they grabbed any available pills—spiritual recovery pills, detoxifying pills, and calming pills—and swallowed them in hopes of holding on just a little longer. Maybe, just maybe, they would manage to break free from this strange place. At this moment, there was no time to worry about the possible side effects of taking too many pills.

As the black cat cub continued running, its body gradually began to change. It grew larger, and black mist began to rise around it. Any vine or petal that touched it was immediately corroded, and the energy released from the corrosion was absorbed by the cat cub, causing its aura to grow stronger.

The petals and vines, sensing the change, didn’t stop their attack on the black cat cub. In fact, they became even more aggressive. Though Chi Changye and Jiang Yan didn’t fully understand what was happening to the cat cub, the movements of the petals and vines gave them a clue: the cat cub might be heading toward the core that these plants were guarding.

The entire floral world transformed into a ferocious beast, opening its sharp fangs. Petals in the air converged into a storm, and within this storm, massive serpents formed from vines and roots surged forward, trying to swallow the group of cultivators below.

In an instant, Chi Changye was enveloped in lightning, his body surrounded by electric arcs. He raised his sword, and the lightning coiled around it as it swung through the air. With a powerful “Open!” the sword cleaved through the storm, and a violent explosion echoed. The massive serpent blocking their path was torn open, and this time, it was Gu Yao who quickly pulled Chi Changye into the gap. The green sword, transformed into a vine, also pulled Tian Feirong and the chubby boy through.

“Poof!” Chi Changye barely managed to steady himself before spitting out a mouthful of blood.

“Big Brother Ye, are you alright?” Gu Yao frantically poured a high-quality healing pill from his bottle into Chi Changye’s mouth, too hurried to worry about being seen.

While Jiang Yan, Zhou Li, and the others were still in shock from the incredible power of Chi Changye’s strike, they only snapped back to reality when they heard Gu Yao’s cry. They gathered around, and they saw that Chi Changye, with Gu Yao’s help, had already seated himself cross-legged. After looking around, he realized they had escaped the immediate danger and flashed a reassuring smile at Gu Yao. Then, he closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

Gu Yao stayed by his side, while the black cat cub, showing no signs of abnormality, returned to its usual obedient state, lying on Gu Yao’s lap. Tian Feirong and the chubby boy, though still dazed, kept their vigil, one in front and the other behind. They had managed to escape the danger thanks to Chi Changye’s extraordinary performance, which came at a great cost. Naturally, Gu Yao was determined to protect him with everything he had.

Jiang Yan and the others took a step back to guard their position, exchanging looks filled with shock. The power of that strike had far exceeded the strength of someone who had mastered Qi refining, and even a Foundation Establishment cultivator might not have been able to match it. So, what kind of strength did Chi Changye actually possess?

After adjusting his breathing for a while, the chaotic thunder spiritual energy within Chi Changye’s body gradually calmed down, and his breath stabilized. Jiang Yan and the others let out a sigh of relief. Earlier, Chi Changye had likely forced himself to increase his spiritual power to unleash that strike, which had exceeded his body’s capacity, causing a backlash. Now, the situation should be much more stable. If it had resulted in irreversible consequences, they would feel somewhat responsible.

“I’ll stay here and keep watch. Zhou Li, you take a few people and scout around to investigate the situation here,” Jiang Yan instructed.

“Alright, Brother, don’t worry,” Zhou Li replied. He too took a moment to regulate his breathing, recovering enough spiritual energy to handle ordinary enemies. Since his brother’s strength far surpassed his own, he was confident Chi Changye would be fine under his watch.

Zhou Li led the group to check the surroundings. As they observed the area, they couldn’t help but feel curious about Chi Changye.

“When he first entered the academy, he was just a follower of Gu Yao, right? He only became famous after the battle with Wu Meng. But judging by today’s performance, his strength is far beyond what we saw when he fought Wu Meng. His thunder spiritual power is incredibly solid and pure. His spiritual roots and talent must be very high—didn’t they test him back then?”

If they had tested him, would Wu Meng have dared to challenge Chi Changye?

Zhou Li rubbed his nose, laughing wryly. “At that time, he entered as a follower. Who would test a follower? Besides, which follower from previous years hid their abilities so deeply? Moreover, Elder Yi has already taken an interest in him, so other peaks wouldn’t dare to make any moves.”

From what he knew, Elder Yi hadn’t given up on his plans.

“Yeah, just from that sword strike, it’s clear he’s a genius swordsman. He definitely shouldn’t be in any peak other than Sword Peak. Perhaps he’ll be different from those who have challenged the Sword Sect before. If our Tianfu Academy produces a cultivator like the dean, our reputation and standing on Tianlin Continent will be greatly improved.” Who wouldn’t want their academy to be renowned, rather than being known as a trashy refuge?

“Stop talking, just that one sword strike made me want to go to Sword Peak and study swordsmanship myself,” Zhou Li said, excited. The fact that sword cultivators could challenge opponents beyond their level was definitely no myth.

While they talked as they walked, they never let their guard down. Suddenly, Zhou Li paused, his breath stuttering before he quickened his pace. “Hurry, ahead is Senior Brother Lu!”