novelapdf Chapter 258 You'll Eat Your Fill
Chapter 258 You'll Eat Your Fill
Chapter 258 You'll Eat Your Way to Death (Second Update)
Time passed by, second by second.
After an unknown amount of time, the sky gradually darkened.
Night fell over Changsheng Temple.
The lotus flowers that had been constantly blooming and dying in the pond suddenly disappeared, and even the water in the pond became murky.
It even emitted a stench like rotting corpses.
Only then did Ling Ye awaken from his reverie, jolted awake from his sudden realization.
She opened her eyes, a hint of regret in her expression: "What a pity, I was just a hair's breadth away from seizing that vital energy—"
She sighed softly and turned to look at Jiang Mu beside her.
This sight gave her a real fright.
Jiang Mu was slumped against a landscape stone.
His handsome face was as pale as paper, his forehead was covered with large yellow beads of cold sweat, and even his lips had lost their color.
He was so listless, like a sickly person who had been hollowed out.
"Xiao Jiang, what's wrong?"
Ling Ye's pretty face changed, and she quickly got up and rushed over, grabbing his shoulder and asking anxiously.
"Sister Ling—I'm so hungry—"
Jiang Mu leaned weakly against her chest, feeling so hungry that she was seeing stars and barely had the strength to speak.
"Hungry?"
Ling Ye found it very strange.
With Xiao Jiang's cultivation level, how could he suddenly be so hungry?
Without thinking twice, Ling Ye touched his cold forehead, feeling extremely distressed: "Hang in there, I'll take you to find that sweet potato monk and ask him for some vegetarian food."
She put her arm around Jiang Mu's waist, half-supporting and half-carrying him, and led him to the front yard.
They quickly found the sweet potato spirit monk who was sweeping the floor.
"Young monk, my younger brother is starving. Is there any vegetarian food in the temple that we could give him?"
Ling Ye asked urgently.
The sweet potato spirit monk stopped sweeping, put his hands together, and bowed slightly apologetically: "Amitabha. I apologize to you two benefactors, but these past few days have been a fasting period at Changsheng Temple, and all the monks in the temple are required to abstain from food and practice meditation. There is no food available for you two benefactors to eat."
"What kind of bullshit Ramadan is this!"
Ling Ye's eyebrows furrowed, and she angrily retorted, "How could such a large temple not even have a single bite to eat?"
"Female benefactor, monks do not lie; the temple truly has no surplus food."
The sweet potato monk slowly shook his head.
Seeing Jiang Mu's listless appearance in his arms, sweating profusely from hunger, Ling Ye felt a surge of anger.
She snorted coldly, her star power surging around her, and was about to draw her sword to force the sweet potato spirit to find food.
But just as her fingertips touched the hilt of the sword...
The bright moon above the temple seemed to be swallowed up by a celestial dog and quickly disappeared.
As the moonlight faded, Changsheng Temple fell into a deathly silence and darkness.
It was so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.
Before them, the sweet potato spirit monk wielding a broom vanished without a trace, as if from thin air.
"What happened?"
Ling Ye was startled and quickly helped Jiang Mu out of the courtyard.
She was horrified to discover that not only the sweet potato monk, but all the other vegetable monsters had also disappeared.
The once vast temple now seemed to have transformed into a desolate, ghostly realm.
Without thinking twice, she helped the almost unconscious Jiang Mu into a monk's quarters.
"Xiao Jiang, lie still and don't move. I'll go find something to eat."
Ling Ye gave a hurried instruction and then went to find something to eat.
The woman searched almost the entire kitchen, dining hall, and even the storeroom, but couldn't find a single grain of rice or a single leaf of vegetable.
Left with no other choice, they had to return to the monks' quarters.
"It's okay—Sister Ling, I can still bear it."
Jiang Mu gritted her teeth, forced herself to cross her legs, and tried to force herself into a meditative state by circulating her internal energy, thereby sealing off her six senses and forgetting her hunger.
But he failed.
Seeing the man's painful hunger, Ling Ye paced anxiously back and forth by the bed.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her, as if she had thought of something.
"etc----"
Ling Ye paused, a blush suddenly rising on her pretty face. "Could it be—could it be because of that cultivation technique from before?"
The Void Crossing Water Technique
In order to open the gate to the secret realm, Jiang Mu played the role of the "baby" in the mural.
The two people's energy merged, forming a closed loop.
In other words, what Jiang Mu was feeling at this moment was not the hunger he experienced as a cultivator at the Great Perfection of the Sixth Realm.
Rather, it is the most primitive and instinctive hunger demand of an "infant".
Apart from that blended watery spiritual energy, no food or cultivation technique could fill this emptiness and hunger.
"Sure enough, that technique also affected Xiao Jiang."
Ling Ye bit her lower lip tightly, looking at Jiang Mu on the bed with a complicated expression, and murmured, "Let's try it for now and see."
Having figured this out, she no longer hesitated.
Ling Ye sat down by the bed and gently pulled Jiang Mu's head into his arms.
"Little Jiang————"
Her voice was gentle, as if even her breath was burning hot, "Xiao, why don't you try that technique's route again?"
He hadn't finished speaking.
Completely driven by hunger, Jiang Mu, as if smelling a delicious delicacy, plunged headlong into the food.
Ling Ye's body stiffened.
Then, she forced herself to calm down and activated the "Void Crossing Water Technique".
As the cultivation technique was activated, the water elemental energy flowed through the meridians of the two like a tidal wave.
Water is as clear as the sea, encompassing all things.
Only by using one's own primordial yin to nourish the innate yang can one align with the wonders of creation and transformation.
As the cultivation technique was activated, the clear, refreshing watery energy, mixed with a rich life essence, flowed between the two.
Jiang Mu felt a warm, sweet current flow into her body.
At the same time, the hunger that had almost driven him mad quickly subsided.
Once the hunger subsided, reason regained its footing.
but----
Having regained consciousness, Jiang Mu had no intention of leaving.
Instead, it was buried even deeper.
She even skillfully adjusted to a more comfortable position, greedily absorbing the watery essence.
Ling Ye gently stroked the man's head.
Her eyes and brows were gentle.
Time flows by slowly like water.
Jiang Mu made up her mind.
If I really have a child with Sister Ling in the future, no matter if it's a boy or a girl, we must find a wet nurse to raise it separately after it's born.
What kind of international joke is this? Trying to steal food from Jiang?
No way!
This is Jiang Mu's private property, an absolute territory that is sacred and inviolable, and he can't take even a single piece.
Absolutely not a single bit can be shared!
The same thing happened for the next two days.
During the day, Ling Ye would sit by the pond, contemplating the Daoist principles of birth, death, decay, and prosperity.
As soon as night falls and the moon goes out, Jiang Bao will be hungry right on time.
So, Ling Ye began his cultivation.
Whether Jiang Mu was fattened up or not is unknown, but Ling Ye's weight has definitely increased.
Of course, the insights gained by the pond were also fruitful.
In just two days, Ling Ye's aura became unfathomable, clearly indicating that she had made up for the half-step difference in her understanding, and her cultivation had improved by a great margin.
That night, Ling Ye fed Jiang Mu as usual.
Just as the warm atmosphere was getting warmer, the oil lamp in the room suddenly flickered, its light swaying.
-
It felt like being blown by a cold wind.
Ling Ye's eyes, which had been filled with tenderness, immediately regained their coldness and alertness.
She grabbed Jiang Mu's shoulder and whispered, "Jiang Mu, there are people outside!"
Jiang Mu paused.
He raised his head, his eyes turning cold.
"Is anyone there?"
A murderous glint flashed in Jiang Mu's eyes.
Could it be those demonic monks who disappeared during the day, coming to eavesdrop and spy in the middle of the night?
He reached out and grabbed the Blood Frenzy Blade that was placed beside the couch. His figure was as light as a cat as he leaped out of the meditation room and landed in the courtyard.
However, he was stunned when he saw the figure outside.
The creature standing in the yard wasn't some sweet potato spirit or radish monster.
Instead, it was a woman holding a baby in swaddling clothes.
The woman stood with her back to him under a withered tree in the yard.
She was plump and dressed in a simple, light-colored dress.
Its entire body was even tinged with a faint silver glow, making it particularly conspicuous and eerie in the pitch-black night.
Ling Ye quickly straightened his disheveled clothes before walking out.
When Ling Ye saw the white-clad figure holding the child from behind, his expression was filled with surprise: "Could she be the woman from the mural on that stone tablet?"
Jiang Mu tentatively took half a step forward and asked in a deep voice, "May I ask who you are, senior?"
The woman ignored Jiang Mu's question.
She didn't turn around, but instead held the baby in her arms and walked towards the archway next to her.
Jiang Mu and Ling Ye exchanged a glance and followed in tacit agreement.
The woman in white walked very slowly, yet with an extremely elusive gait, making no sound whatsoever.
She carried the child and led the two of them through several moon gates and through several winding corridors, finally arriving at the pond where she had meditated and gained enlightenment during the day and night.
The woman stopped by the pond.
Then, to Jiang Mu and Ling Ye's astonishment, her body turned into specks of silver light and dissipated into the air.
"Disappeared?"
Jiang Mu quickly stepped forward.
At this moment, the pond is a patch of dried-up silt.
Only in the very center of the pond lay a withered, yellow lotus leaf.
Beside the withered lotus leaf lay a letter.
The letter was quite tattered.
Ling Ye jumped into the pool and carefully picked up the letter.
The edges of the letter paper had become brittle.
Ling Ye focused intently on deciphering the incomplete content above.
After reading the contents, Ling Ye said with a strange expression, "This letter—was left by that woman for her husband."
The woman refers to herself as "He" in the letter, and judging from the few words she utters, she is a lotus fairy.
"A lotus fairy?"
Jiang Mu was taken aback.
Ling Ye nodded, his tone complex: "The letter didn't explicitly state who her husband was. It only complained that her husband didn't trust her and allowed his clansmen to imprison her."
The letter also mentioned that, in addition to the son in her arms, she was pregnant with another child.
Because she had secretly consumed a certain spiritual fruit, both children were essentially—spiritual fruit treasures.
Because the letter was so badly damaged that the handwriting in the latter half was illegible, Ling Ye could only piece together these fragmented pieces of information.
Looking at the withered lotus leaves at the bottom of the pond, Jiang Mu had a guess in her mind.
"If this woman is a lotus demon, and her two children, due to the mutation of the spirit fruit, have both become spirit fruit demons..."
A sudden realization flashed in Jiang Mu's eyes, and following the logic, she deduced, "Then that tenth-tier ginseng fruit demon king in the Black Prison Forest outside is most likely the baby boy that the woman is holding."
But here's the problem—
Where did her other child go? Since it was born of a twin, it must also be a demonic creature similar to a ginseng fruit.
Ling Ye shook his head, indicating that he couldn't guess.
The woman named "He" died in the secret realm of Changsheng Temple, while her eldest son left for some unknown reason and grew up outside into a terrifying tenth-level demon king.
As for the baby still in the womb, whether it disappeared after birth or died in the womb, no one knows.
The truth behind these events remains elusive.
However, at least a clear storyline has been established for now.
This lotus demon was married to a man in her previous life, but due to a misunderstanding or family interests, she was forcibly imprisoned in the tower. The woman, on the other hand, used that special cultivation technique to enter the secret realm of the Longevity Temple.
Perhaps she hid here and raised her son.
He eventually died from exhaustion?
"Tsk—"
Jiang Mu was speechless.
Why does it feel like my luck lately has been tied to ginseng fruit?
Previously, when helping Lan Rou'er avenge her at the bottom of the Water Mansion, the Fifth Master Yu, who was killed, revealed that the mysterious person who ordered them to exterminate the Lan family was looking for a treasure called the "Seven-Aperture Ginseng Fruit".
Now, to make matters worse, another giant ginseng fruit demon king has appeared.
After a while, Jiang Mu started to wonder what ginseng fruit tasted like.
and many more!
A flash of lightning seemed to strike Jiang Mu's mind.
The family heirloom in Lan Rou'er's home.
The Ginseng Fruit Demon King in the Black Prison Forest, and another missing child mentioned in the Lotus Demon's letter.
Is there any connection between these two?
Just as he was pondering this, a sudden change occurred.
The withered lotus leaf that was originally on the mud suddenly trembled slightly, and then emitted a pure green light.
The light suddenly entered Ling Ye's body.
Ling Ye's delicate body trembled slightly.
A pale blue lotus leaf mark appeared on her smooth brow.
The markings are lifelike and the details are clear.
Like exquisite jade inlaid between her snow-white skin, it accentuated her originally aloof and ethereal temperament, adding a touch of watery grace and gentleness, like a fairy walking on water with every step she took.
"What is this?"
Ling Ye raised his hand and touched his brow.
I felt a warm current constantly nourishing my soul.
Before she could investigate further, the previously silent night sky suddenly resounded with chanting.
Those "vegetable monks" who disappeared during the day suddenly reappeared out of nowhere.
This time, however, they were no longer sweet potatoes or radishes, but ordinary monks dressed in robes with solemn expressions.
There were old and young people, all radiating a faint golden light.
It is obvious that these people are spirits.
They sat around the dried-up pond, hands clasped together, eyes lowered, fingers twirling prayer beads.
It seems they are performing a final ritual to guide the lotus spirit to the afterlife.
At the very front of these monks' spirits stood a kind-faced, white-browed old monk.
Judging from its appearance and features, it is indeed "Sweet Potato Spirit" Mao Mao.
The old monk faced Ling Ye, clasped his hands together, and smiled slightly: "Amitabha. So-called worldly opportunities are nothing but illusions. There is cause without effect, and effect without cause. The arising and ceasing of conditions are all like trying to catch the moon's reflection in water or viewing flowers in a mirror."
Only by letting go of attachments can we see our true nature.
Since the female benefactor has accepted the karmic debt owed to the benefactor, this Void Water Magic can be considered returned to its rightful owner.
After saying that, the old monk turned his gaze to Jiang Mu, who was standing to the side.
He flicked the sleeve of his monk's robe lightly.
A bead slowly floated to Jiang Mu's front.
"Amitabha Buddha, this relic without Buddha is the benefactor's opportunity."
The old monk's voice was distant and resonant: "Whether it is good or bad, it is all determined by the future."
"Benefactor, we hope that we will meet again someday. I hope that by then, you will have your own Buddha in your heart."
Before he finished speaking, the so-called "Buddha-less relic" transformed into a stream of light and directly entered Jiang Mu's body.
Jiang Mu raised an eyebrow and her lips twitched slightly.
Why force opportunities into things?
Just as he was about to ask what the relic was for, a powerful suction force suddenly surged from the soles of his feet.
Space distorted, and white light engulfed everything.
In just a few breaths, the feeling of weightlessness vanished, and his feet were back on solid ground.
"You're back?"
Jiang Mu shook her somewhat dazed head.
The two of them had returned to the second floor of the ginseng tower where they had started.
The second floor has now returned to its original state; it is no longer a secret realm. The runes on the surrounding walls have long since disappeared, and the staircase leading to the first floor has appeared before our eyes.
"It seems that the secret realm of Changsheng Temple has been closed."
97
Ling Ye touched the mark between his eyebrows, still feeling lingering fear. He had spent three days and three nights inside, feeling as if he had just woken from a long dream.
Jiang Mu quickly pulled open her collar and looked down at her chest.
There wasn't even a red mark.
He then circulated his internal energy to examine his dantian and meridians, and even carefully searched through his demonic energy channels, but still couldn't find it.
What about the lack of Buddha relics?
"Never mind, what's meant to be will be."
Jiang Mu shook her head, putting the matter aside for the time being, and turned to look at Ling Ye, "Let's go, let's go find Yue'er first."
The two walked down the stairs side by side.
When she reached the corner, Jiang Mu stopped.
He glanced back at the empty second floor, a hint of lingering affection in his eyes.
Jiang Mu suddenly said, "Sister Ling, can I ask you something? If I get hungry again in the future, could you feed me some watermelon?"
Upon hearing this, Ling Ye gritted his teeth and remained silent.
Pretend you didn't hear it.
All you ever do is eat!
Next time, I'll just shove a watermelon weighing dozens of kilograms into your mouth and stuff you stuffed to death, you bastard!