Chapter 1759: Enemies

“Immortal Ruler Baopu was the one who transformed you?” the others asked.

They were starting to look at Jing Teng differently now. She had been enlightened by an immortal! She was probably the only one left in this world who’d had contact with Immortal Ruler Baopu. No wonder so many people wanted to get their hands on her.

“Just what kind of person is Immortal Ruler Baopu?” Zu An couldn't help but ask. He had heard quite a few legends related to that person as of late, but many of them just seemed too inconceivable, so he had just treated them as unfounded rumors. Now that he knew there was someone who had come into close contact with him, he naturally had to get the truth out of her.

Jing Teng explained, “Immortal Ruler Baopu was a daoist who lived in seclusion. There are many factions among daoists in the world, and each one seeks a different path. There are some that focus on the cultivation of both inner and outer selves, and others that are good at incantations and rituals. Still others are good at formations, pill refinement, or divination. Every single one of those topics is full of depth. Many geniuses aren’t able to fully master one aspect even after pursuing it their entire lives. However, the Immortal Ruler was able to achieve great heights in every single domain.”

“Every single domain?” the others repeated; they were now truly shocked. They were quite talented in cultivation themselves, so they naturally understood that the further along one went in one’s cultivation journey, the more exponentially difficult it would become. Oftentimes, advancing even a tiny bit would take an extremely long amount of time.

For example, even someone who was full of talent like the libationer, publicly known as the most well-learned person in the world, was number two to Zhao Han. Many people had actually felt a bit of regret over his choice. If the libationer hadn’t let himself be distracted and just focused on cultivation, perhaps his achievements would have been even higher than Zhao Han’s. Judging from that, it was easy to see that breadth and height were often mutually exclusive. If someone had really reached the highest level in every single domain, how shocking would that be?!

“Indeed. He cultivated all of the arts, and he reached the position of number one in every single field,” Jing Teng said, her expression full of adoration as she spoke about the past. She clearly deeply revered Immortal Ruler Baopu.

The others were speechless. They slowly digested the shocking information.

After a moment of silence, Qiu Honglei couldn't help but ask, “Then did Immortal Ruler Baopu really achieve immortal ascension?”

Jing Teng nodded and said, “That’s right. He indeed achieved immortal ascension. People all saw it with their own eyes back then. Unfortunately, once he ascended, we never saw him again.”

“Wasn’t the road to ascension already cut short?” Zu An asked, puzzled. Previously, when he had been inside the secret dungeon of the Fiend races’ Imperial Tomb, he had personally witnessed the road to immortality being destroyed. This world had similarly had its immortal path severed in ancient times. Why had someone still been able to ascend?

“That’s also what every cultivator in the entire world wishes to know,” Jing Teng said with a sigh. There was something of a forlorn look on her face, as if she had recalled something painful.

“That’s why everyone in the entire world is looking for you?” Zu An asked. He finally understood why they had encountered monsters again and again over the past few days. He felt as if this woman’s flesh was even more enticing than that of Xuanzang from Journey to the West… No wonder she hadn’t dared leave her territory, and had even asked for them to guard her.

Jing Teng nodded and said coldly, “So, now that you know the truth, you can choose to leave and ignore me. That won’t be considered going against the agreement.”

Zu An replied with a smile, “We aren’t the type to abandon our comrades.”

“That’s right,” Qiu Honglei added with a nod. “Even though I’m from the Devil Sect, the Devil Sect’s people also value loyalty. We aren’t as superficial as those who flaunt their identity as the righteous sects.”

Wei Suo wanted to say some impassioned and elegant words, but unfortunately, he lacked talent in literature. Unable to express himself otherwise, in the end, he just said, “Me too!”

When she saw their sincere expressions, Jing Teng’s ice-cold heart felt a bit warmer.

Zu An said, “Right now, the enemy is hidden in the dark, while we’re out in the open. I think it would be best if you gave us an idea of who our main enemies are. Otherwise, we might be caught off guard later on.”

With how things were, Jing Teng didn’t hide anything any longer, saying, “The main enemy is naturally the Ghost King. He desires the immortal method of Immortal Ruler Baopu. That’s why he wants to do everything he can to obtain me.”

Qiu Honglei was stunned, asking, “You have Immortal Ruler Baopu’s method of immortality?”

“Of course I don’t. I was nothing more than a tree vine, and yet I just happen to be the only one who’s had contact with the immortal ruler. The Ghost King naturally won’t give up any opportunities,” Jing Teng explained.

The others figured that made sense. If they were in his place, they would definitely suspect her too.

Zu An suddenly thought of something and asked, “Were those proverbs you chanted also skills from Immortal Ruler Baopu?”

Jing Teng nodded and said, “When Immortal Ruler saw my human form, he passed on some small tricks for me to protect myself with.”

Qiu Honglei and Wei Suo thought to themselves, You’re so pretty, so you definitely need skills for your own safety.

Meanwhile, Zu An thought to himself, Those proverbs definitely aren’t just small tricks. But if she didn’t want to talk about it, he wouldn’t continue pressing her either. Instead, he asked, “How strong is that Ghost King?”

Jing Teng replied, “Extremely strong, stronger than all of us combined. Everyone in this world believes he’s the one closest to becoming immortal.”

The mood immediately became heavy. She had seen Zu An’s strength and now understood his strength better than before, and yet she had still come to that conclusion. It was easy to imagine just how strong the Ghost King was.

“Even a ghost can achieve immortality?” Wei Suo asked in shock.

“All things in this world have a chance of immortal ascension. Why would ghosts be any different?” Jing Teng replied.

…

Then, Zu An asked her about what formidable skills the Ghost King had. Unfortunately, Jing Teng had never fought against him and didn’t know anything about that either.

“The only thing I’m sure of is that with the appearance of the great tomb by the Zhi River, which is also the cultivation cave Immortal Ruler Baopu used, the Ghost King definitely won’t let go of something like that. However, the seal Immortal Ruler Baopu left behind is extraordinary and the Ghost King shouldn’t be able to break through it for some time either,” Jing Teng said.

“Great tomb?” Qiu Honglei asked in confusion. “Why would Immortal Ruler Baopu have a tomb if he ascended?”

“I don’t know either. There are rumors that his mortal coil lies there. There are also some who say that the great tomb was left behind by another ancient immortal, and that it was precisely because Immortal Ruler Baopu obtained their inheritance that he was able to ascend…” Jing Teng said with a sigh. “I’m but a tree vine, so how could I know those things about Immortal Ruler Baopu?”

“Then will we encounter that lover of yours this time?” Zu An suddenly asked.

Jing Teng’s expression immediately turned cold. She asked, “Why does that concern you?”

“Someone whom even you would favor has to be extraordinary. Now that the tomb has appeared once more, he might make an appearance. Since he harmed you in the past, if he sees you again, he’ll likely still be an enemy. We might have to fight then. That’s why it would be better to know more about him, so we don’t immediately start at a disadvantage,” Zu An said calmly.

Jing Teng stared at him carefully to try to figure out whether he was being sincere, or if it was because of something else. After a while, she said, “His name is Zang Ao. In the past, he was the prince of a wealthy clan. Back then, he had a carefree and aloof nature, but after what happened to me, his personality changed greatly. I heard that he spent a long time creating the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“The Adventurer’s Guild was created by your man?” Wei Suo exclaimed, shocked.

They had already spent some time in this world and naturally knew about the ever-present Adventurer’s Guild. It was a network of the world’s experts who helped the guild complete various missions. The cultivators themselves could also issue their own missions through the Adventurer’s Guild, which was why its existence was greatly welcomed. Even the most powerful individuals in this world often had good relationships with the Adventurer’s Guild. After all, it was a useful intermediary platform.

The boss of the Adventurer’s Guild had always been mysterious. There were many legends regarding him. Some said he had wealth equivalent to that of an entire nation, while others said he had unfathomable strength. Some suspected that he was vicious and ruthless…

None of Zu An’s group had expected that legendary person to be Jing Teng’s ex.

“What do you mean, my man? The two of us only dated with boundaries. Nothing ever really happened between us!” Jing Teng snapped, glowering at him.

Wei Suo’s neck shrank back. Qiu Honglei was a bit suspicious, however. She just felt that this woman was directing those words at someone.

“How strong is he?” Zu An asked with a light cough.

“In the past, when we met, he was too weak to even truss a chicken,” Jing Teng replied.

“In the past?” Zu An repeated, keenly noticing her wording. “Then what about now?”

“I don’t know,” Jing Teng answered. “After what happened back then, he obtained my fiend pill. Together with the strength of the Adventurer’s Guild over the years, who knows how many treasures he’s amassed? It’s hard to measure his strength. That’s without accounting for the fact that the number of experts he can mobilize through the Adventurer’s Guild is innumerable.”

Zu An said with a sigh, “I didn’t expect your former man to be so formidable.”

Jing Teng’s expression darkened and she snapped, “I already said he wasn’t my man or anything!”

You have successfully trolled Jing Teng for +222 +222 +222…

Zu An was stunned. Why are you suddenly getting upset?

Qiu Honglei said, “I remember that you seemed to have another enemy. It was precisely that person who influenced your ma… ahem, your relationship with that man, correct?”

“That’s right,” Jing Teng answered, a hint of killing intent flashing through her eyes. “He’s none other than Divine Firmament Sect’s Sect Master, Sun En.”

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

“Divine Firmament Sect?” the others repeated in surprise. They had heard of the sect’s name during their journey.

Because there were ghosts roaming all over the world, there were still some sects that practiced exorcism. Among them, the Divine Firmament Sect was the one with the greatest reputation. However, it was rumored that their sect master had already gone missing for many years, so the sect was on the verge of collapse.

They had never expected that very man to be Jing Teng’s enemy!