Transmigration: The Peerless Immortal Husband

Since they couldn’t leave for a while, Gu Yao decided to set up a tent and stay put. Upon seeing this, Chi Changye placed a layer of array formation around the area. The other Tianlin Mainland cultivators also helped out, and soon, an array appeared, separating the Tianlin Mainland cultivators from the Changxian Sect cultivators. With this in place, the Changxian Sect could no longer make any moves without triggering the array and causing an alert.

This made the Changxian Sect cultivators frustrated and angry. It felt as though they were watching a group of cultivators, much weaker than themselves, moving around in front of them while they couldn’t do anything about it. The sense of frustration was overwhelming.

Tian Feirong and the chubby boy went into the valley. Gu Yao understood their personalities and wasn’t overly worried about their safety, so he calmly entered the tent to continue organizing his gains from the valley. Chi Changye naturally followed him in.

Since coming to this continent, except for his closed-door cultivation, it was the first time Chi Changye had been separated from Gu Yao for such a long period. The feeling of longing was uncomfortable, and it made him understand his own feelings more clearly.

Ning Hui watched the figures of the two disappear into the tent, one after the other. He couldn’t figure either of them out. When Gu Yao was provoked and insulted as a “useless person,” he showed no emotional reaction at all. Ning Hui couldn’t imagine anyone, except perhaps someone who had lived for a long time and gone through many things, who could remain so composed. Could he be an ancient monster who had taken over another’s body?

Then there was Chi Changye. From his earlier actions, Ning Hui knew that Lou Huaijing had absolutely no chance against Chi Changye. In fact, Lou Huaijing was probably alive because Chi Changye had refrained from killing him. Yet, despite being such a powerful swordsman, Chi Changye seemed to defer to Gu Yao completely. Why was that? Was it because Gu Yao was so remarkable?

Ning Hui called someone over and whispered, “Find out who Chi Changye really is.”

“Understood, Alchemist Ning.”

The tent itself had a protective array, personally set up by Chi Changye. This allowed Gu Yao to feel at ease as he shared everything that had happened after he entered the secret realm, including the fact that he and the cat had teamed up to kill three Changxian Sect cultivators, as well as everything that had happened inside the valley. As Gu Yao spoke, Chi Changye’s mood fluctuated, his emotions following the highs and lows of Gu Yao’s recounting.

When Gu Yao said he had taken the risk to save someone, Chi Changye showed a disapproving expression. Gu Yao tried to placate him, saying, “I only made my move because I thought I could handle it. If those three were too powerful, I would have definitely hidden and kept out of the way, I swear!”

Chi Changye cut straight to the point, saying, “There were three, not two!”

He thought that with Gu Yao and the cat’s combined strength, leaving two opponents would be fine, but the key issue was there were three of them. The person they were saving, Su Yang, had clearly lost his fighting ability.

Gu Yao’s expression stiffened. As expected, in order to justify his actions, he had to keep making up one lie after another. Eventually, either he wouldn’t be able to keep up the lie, or there would be a loophole. He had become less guarded around Chi Changye, and the slip-up was inevitable.

“Haha…” Xu Chen laughed mockingly from within the space.

Chi Changye sighed inwardly, realizing there were things he didn’t know. Gu Yao must have taken the risk to act only because of the circumstances, but seeing Gu Yao’s awkward expression now, he didn’t want to push him. His previous worry had led him to ask out of instinct.

He reached out and rubbed Gu Yao’s head, applying some force to press it against his chest and hold him close. Gu Yao didn’t want to talk but wouldn’t resist either.

Hearing the strong beat of his heartbeat in his chest, Gu Yao snapped out of his daze, feeling embarrassed as he raised his head but dared not meet Chi Changye’s gaze. He scratched his head, unsure of how to continue. “Actually… actually…”

“As long as it’s not dangerous, there’s no need to tell me everything, Xiao Yao,” Chi Changye said softly.

“No, it’s just that I don’t know how to start,” Gu Yao chuckled awkwardly, then finally decided to give up and said, “Forget it, let Senior talk to Brother Ye about it.”

“Senior?” Chi Changye’s brow twitched.

Xu Chen had been laughing maliciously, but suddenly, his entire being—no, his soul—was pulled out by some force, and the scene around him shifted. He hadn’t even reacted in time and was still holding that exaggerated expression.

Now, face to face, their eyes locked.

The tent fell silent for several breaths. Gu Yao was wondering whether he should break the awkward silence when Xu Chen swiftly turned around, instantly adopting a high-and-mighty demeanor, looking ethereal and grand, with an air of authority. Gu Yao twitched his lips; what was he pretending for? He had exposed himself on the first encounter.

Chi Changye’s gaze became strange for a moment. He couldn’t help but admit that this “senior” actually made him feel a little less guarded. Of course, he wasn’t completely at ease. He asked warily, “Senior, who are you? Why are you by Xiao Yao’s side?”

Xu Chen shot several glaring looks at Gu Yao, annoyed that he hadn’t given any prior warning, leaving him completely unprepared.

He tilted his head arrogantly and said, “Kid, show some respect to your senior. I could be considered half your savior. The other half would be this foolish kid, Gu Yao. Otherwise, do you think you’d be lucky enough to escape with a space rift while being chased and hunted down in the secret realm?”

Chi Changye was shocked. “Senior was hiding in the secret realm all along? But why would Senior be by Xiao Yao’s side?” Was it because Gu Yao was simple-minded and easy to control?

Seeing that Chi Changye still looked at him with suspicion, Xu Chen was about to jump in anger. Gu Yao quickly tugged at Chi Changye’s sleeve to explain for him. “Senior’s physical body was long gone, and only his soul remains, which is now stored in a treasure. It’s that iron piece I won in the marketplace with Brother Ye. Brother Ye, do you remember?”

Now, Chi Changye was able to piece together the sequence of events. It meant that back then, the senior’s soul could still control the treasure. Somehow, the senior opened a spatial rift, and together, they ended up outside of Yuanyang Town on Tianlin Continent. Gu Yao’s family found him, and the iron piece, where the senior’s soul resided, was taken by an unknown cultivator. Eventually, it ended up in Gu Yao’s hands.

Gu Yao casually explained that when he first found the treasure, he felt a connection to it. After merging with it, he discovered that the senior’s soul resided within. The space contained a pill pavilion, and he had been learning alchemy there, receiving much guidance from the senior.

Now, Chi Changye understood where Gu Yao’s impressive alchemy skills came from. Of course, talent was Gu Yao’s own, but no one was born knowing everything. He had previously suspected, but now everything made sense.

“So it was this senior who helped Xiao Yao deal with the third person?” Chi Changye asked.

Gu Yao nodded. “I had the senior control the formation and trap him inside, dealt with the other two first, and then went after him.”

This reassured Chi Changye. Gu Yao wasn’t acting impulsively, but with both courage and strategy. He tightly grasped Gu Yao’s hand and looked up at Xu Chen with a still cautious gaze. “The treasure is very important. Xiao Yao, you must never reveal it to others.”

“Mm, I understand. I could tell from what happened to Senior,” Gu Yao replied seriously.

Xu Chen was speechless, glaring at Gu Yao with murderous intent. Why did Gu Yao have to use him as an example? It made him sound like a fool, even though he himself had been so open with Chi Changye, pulling his heart out. But when would that kid stab him in the back, he thought?

Chi Changye lowered his guard against Xu Chen. There was no need to speak openly in front of him. In fact, warning Gu Yao now would only make Xu Chen uncomfortable and could stir up other thoughts. So he said, “Senior, do you want Xiao Yao to help you rebuild your body? I can help as well, and Xiao Yao and I will do our best to help you achieve that goal.”

Xu Chen smiled triumphantly when he saw that Chi Changye had conceded, which made Gu Yao avert his gaze.

“You’re smart, kid. It wasn’t a waste saving you back then.” Actually, saving Chi Changye wasn’t the main goal—it was more of a side effect of Xu Chen’s self-preservation.

Gu Yao looked at Xu Chen, then at Chi Changye. He felt like Chi Changye’s intentions weren’t as simple as the senior thought, but he didn’t want to call him out on it.

Chi Changye chatted with Xu Chen for a while. Although he hadn’t managed to uncover everything about Xu Chen, he had learned a few things. Apparently, the senior had been residing in the Pill Pavilion for quite some time, and wasn’t from the cultivation continent where Chi Changye lived. This made him feel a little more at ease. It seemed that when he and Gu Yao returned home, others wouldn’t know about the existence of the Pill Pavilion, thus reducing the dangers Gu Yao might face.

He had never heard of such a treasure before.

Otherwise, if it became widely known, Gu Yao would likely be suspected. Unless he never used his alchemy skills openly, anything like what happened with Xu Chen could still be considered fortunate.

After Xu Chen stayed for a while, he left, as the external energy consumption was too great and offered him little benefit.

Gu Yao told Chi Changye that he had found a Purple Thunder Bamboo for him in the valley. Chi Changye could only express his feelings by messing up Gu Yao’s hair. However, when he learned that the cat and Xu Chen were also involved, his intense joy was slightly reduced because it wasn’t just for him alone.

“Why didn’t you take one for yourself?” Chi Changye didn’t ask Gu Yao to take out the Purple Thunder Bamboo to give it to him, especially after learning that Gu Yao had that Pill Pavilion space. It was safest to keep it there. Otherwise, once it appeared, even the isolation formation around the tent might not guarantee that its aura wouldn’t leak out.

“I have a big bag of seeds left to me by the master of the valley, along with the master’s notes and memories.” Gu Yao thought to himself that he was the one who had gained the most.

“Who is that senior?” Chi Changye asked, quite curious. It’s surprising that someone would leave such a place, filled with rare spiritual herbs, in this secret realm. And it seems that, besides Gu Yao, no one else can obtain a second herb.

Gu Yao had just sorted through some memories and speculated, “That senior seems to be naturally skilled in growing these plants. They might be from a special race, or perhaps a special spiritual clan that can communicate with these spiritual beings.”

Chi Changye, in thought, responded, “So, it’s likely from some ancient special race,” rather than a descendant of the ancient hundred clans. From what it looks like, the ability to cultivate spiritual herbs is extremely powerful.