Mountain and sea lantern

Chapter 661 Twenty Years in the Blink of an Eye

Inside the dimly lit cage, Shi Chun, with his disheveled beard and hair resembling a lion's head, leaned against the stone wall, half-asleep and lost in thought.

This is his fifteenth year in prison, and he feels like he's going crazy.

Without Li Hongjiu's help, it would have taken him twelve years to fully refine the demonic essence he had absorbed at the advanced Earth Immortal realm into his own cultivation, and his cultivation would have long since broken through to the Human Immortal realm.

The demonic energy cultivated over twelve years is like a tree on a hill when one is at the Lesser Completion stage of the Human Immortal realm. To make the tree grow to cover the entire hill and truly create a forest, who knows how many more Earth Immortal realm demonic energy cultivators would need to be absorbed.

Then consider the requirements for the Human Immortal Ascension Realm, the Great Ascension Realm, and the Earth Immortal Realm. If he could truly reach the so-called Celestial Immortal Realm, damn it, he couldn't even imagine how many demonic cultivators' bones he would have to step on.

Upon reflection, he realized that the cultivation method he was practicing was a bit excessive.

Thinking about those things is too far-fetched. However, after enduring these three years of refining the demonic essence, he often has various fantasies.

He imagined throwing another demonic cultivator into the Prison of Illusion to interrogate him, then taking the opportunity to absorb demonic energy, which would allow him to pass the time for many more years. There was no other way; this damned cultivation method had too many flaws. Without the aid of demonic energy, no matter how much he meditated and cultivated, it was useless, and he wouldn't make any progress.

But that opportunity to throw in demonic cultivators only happened once, and it never happened again.

So, after being bored for a long time, I started singing to myself, or to people in my imagination.

He even talks to himself and argues with himself.

Sometimes he fantasizes about embracing Bian Weiying, and sometimes he fantasizes about embracing the woman in red and doing shameful things.

Dressed in tattered clothes, he would sometimes dance alone, his mind filled with the image of that haunting figure dancing.

He was always eager to chat with those who came to interrogate him during the intervals between interrogations, but if they didn't confess, they would turn around and leave without saying a word.

Not to mention the interrogators, even Lan Qiaoyan, who occasionally visited him in prison, found his incessant chatter annoying.

Sometimes, the loneliness that has nowhere to go seems more terrifying than fighting and killing, and it is even more unbearable than surviving in exile back then.

He even felt it would be better to sentence him to a severe crime, then cripple his cultivation and throw him into exile, at least giving him a chance to survive.

If it weren't for the fact that Wu Jinliang was involved in some matters, and if Wu Jinliang weren't currently unharmed, he sometimes genuinely wanted to trade his secrets for his freedom. Sometimes the words were already on the tip of his tongue, but the serious consequences he knew about overwhelmed him, suppressing his loneliness.

"Will he be locked up until he dies?" This was a question he often muttered to himself. Whenever this happened, Wu Jinliang became his last remaining hope.

He felt he needed to give Wu Jinliang time. He believed Wu Jinliang wouldn't sit idly by and would definitely try to get him out once he found a suitable opportunity.

After the restrictions on him were lifted, the Prison of Life and Death never gave him a bite to eat or a drop of water to drink for so many years. He had to rely entirely on his own cultivation to absorb and endure it. Fortunately, his immortal body was quite remarkable.

In addition, Lan Qiaoyan would try to communicate with him every year to send him a meal and drinks. She only allowed it once a year, which was already a huge favor.

Fifteen years is a long time, regardless of whether one is a cultivator or an ordinary person. For anyone, fifteen years is not a short time; it can change many things and many people.

People and things are difficult to withstand the test of time.

On a day when the sky was ablaze with sunset colors, it seemed as if even the city of Dazhi was enveloped in a festive atmosphere. It was the auspicious day for the eldest daughter of the Dong family of Chaoyue Pavilion, Dong Liangyi, to get married.

Compared to ordinary people, Dong Liangyi is slightly older, which is fine for a cultivator, even though Dong Liangyi's cultivation aptitude is not very good.

She married into an extremely good family; most people wouldn't be worthy of marrying Dong Liangyi.

The reason why such a good family was willing to marry Dong Liangyi was naturally because they valued the Dong family's background.

It should be noted that the Dong family now has a truly extraordinary background.

Dong Liangyi's master was Situ Gu, the number one weapon refiner in the world. Although she didn't learn much herself, the title was still there.

His younger brother, Dong Liangze, studied under the sword saint Fuque. Thanks to Fuque's dedicated training, Dong Liangze's physical attributes were reshaped, and he has now begun to make a name for himself in the cultivation world.

His third sister, Dong Liangying, also comes from the powerful weapon-refining sect, Yanbao Sect. And not just any ordinary sect, but one that reaches the core level. It is said that she goes to Yanbao Sect every year to meet with the sect leader.

Many good families have already taken a liking to Dong Liangying, and they are just waiting for her and her family to give their approval.

To outsiders, only the second son, Dong Liangyu, was unknown. Some people wanted to marry her because of the Dong family's background, but Dong Liangyu was somewhat aloof and had made it clear to her family that she had no intention of getting married and would spend her life guarding the library.

Today, the Dong family is indeed enjoying great prestige and prestige. Although Situ Gu usually doesn't teach his disciples much, he personally came to Dazhi City on the day of his disciple's wedding, which caused a sensation throughout the entire city.

Some disciples from the Lian Tian Sect also accompanied him, bringing gifts on behalf of some of the sect's higher-ups. Situ Gu also publicly gave his disciple a magic weapon that he had personally crafted as a dowry, thus fulfilling the master-disciple relationship. The sensational effect it caused was unimaginable.

Sword Saint Fuque and Yanbao Sect also paid their respects.

The groom's family was very excited and publicly announced that they would do everything they could to help Dong Liangyi rebuild her spiritual foundation.

Of course, what people in Dazhi City also talk about with great interest is the story of Shi Chun working odd jobs at Chaoyue Pavilion.

Some news is something that many people will never know immediately. However, several years later, some news gradually spread, and the Dong family of Chaoyue Pavilion finally learned that Wang Ping, who had worked odd jobs there back then, was actually a person living in anonymity.

Of course, they also knew that Shi Chun came from the Prison of Life and was then imprisoned in the Prison of Life for eternity.

On this joyous day, Dong Liangyi had a private meeting with her master, Situ Gu, whom she rarely had the opportunity to see.

She asked Situ Gu privately and heard that her master and Shi Chun were friends.

Yes, Situ Gu admitted.

Dong Liangyi then asked, "Master, is it related to Shi Chun that you accepted me as your disciple?"

After a moment of silence, Situ Gu truthfully told her that he had invited her. Dong Liangyi immediately burst into tears, her makeup ruined.

She remembered someone giving her a hairpin and saying it was the most beautiful moment of her life. It turned out that the person wasn't just saying it; they had actually been making silent sacrifices behind the scenes, but because of the complicated circumstances, they didn't want to ruin her life.

However, some things are lost forever. Since things had come to this, morality and ethics forbade a cultured woman like her to behave any further. In the end, she wiped away her tears, tidied her appearance, and left her kitchen courtyard, getting married in style...

Meanwhile, in the capital of Dongsheng, at the residence of the Mingshan Sect, Tong Mingshan, Fengchi, and Duan Xiangmei were gathered around a table in the hall, staring at a hairpin on the table, seemingly puzzled by its meaning.

Suddenly someone came and said they were delivering a hairpin to Shi Chun.

The three of them had no idea who sent it or what was so special about the hairpin. They examined it repeatedly but still couldn't figure out what was so special about it.

Besides, Shi Chun is still in prison. How could he possibly be transferred in? Who could transfer him in? Didn't the person who sent this hairpin know that?

"In my opinion, it must be related to a woman," Tong Mingshan, with his white hair, said slowly and seriously.

Feng Chi couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. Did you even need to tell me? It's obviously a woman's hairpin.

Now, the two houses in front of and behind them seem rather deserted, with only the three of them there most of the time.

With Shi Chun arrested and Wu Jinliang missing, and the main cultivation resources controlled by those two, it's normal for people's hearts to become restless and unstable over time. Some people have more or less considered seeking other ways out.

The first to encounter trouble was the demonic path behind Feng Chi.

Based on some information they had gathered, the Demonic Path judged that Shi Chun was unlikely to be released from prison. They felt that Xiang Lan'er and Feng Chi were no longer of value there and wanted to transfer them away for other purposes.

Fengchi resolutely refused to leave, firmly believing that Shi Chun could still come out. He used Wu Jinliang as a pretext, saying that as long as there was someone guarding the place, they could still cope with any eventuality and avoid being unable to recover in case of an emergency. After all, Shi Chun was not dead yet. Did we really want to completely cut off our escape route?

She managed to stay only after her strenuous efforts.

Furthermore, Wu Hong, Chen Wuji, Fang Zicheng, and Haoji, who had been captured by the demonic path, were also released thanks to Feng Chi's strong efforts. Her reasoning was that if they were released, Wu Jinliang might contact one of them, and with her nearby proximity, she could easily observe.

The timing of the conversation was good; Shi Chun had been arrested, and holding Wu Hong and the others in custody was no longer of much value, so the group was rescued by Feng Chi.

As for Xiang Lan'er, she had already left this place. Her beauty was useful to the demonic path, so she had been transferred elsewhere and was now in a romantic relationship with a nobleman.

Lan'er's departure further shook the morale of the Mingshan Sect.

Later, Young Master Nan noticed something was wrong and stepped in to stabilize the situation. He recruited the people from the Mingshan Sect to work within his capabilities. Whether you call it giving them a future or keeping them on the sidelines, he helped stabilize the situation.

He also felt it was a pity that Shi Chun's team was disbanded. There were three cultivators who had absorbed the divine fire, and any one of them would be in high demand anywhere. That's why the cost of supporting these people was naturally quite high.

It's also a way of keeping a glimmer of hope for Shi Chun. If Shi Chun ever gets out, I can at least express my apology and give him an explanation.

What puzzled Nan Gongzi was where Wu Jinliang had gone; he couldn't get in touch with him at all.

In fact, among the Mingshan Sect group, Duan Xiangmei secretly had contact with Wu Jinliang. Wu Jinliang would occasionally send her a message to reassure her, but Duan Xiangmei didn't know where Wu Jinliang was, and she supported Wu Jinliang in hiding.

She was afraid that Wu Jinliang would also be arrested and imprisoned.

In fact, Feng Chi had already noticed something amiss from Duan Xiangmei's composure, but she remained silent. Unlike Lan'er, who was watching over her, Feng Chi, who was capable of making decisions on her own, did not report this matter to the Demonic Path.

Time flies, and five years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Amidst the mountains, water, and pavilion, Mulan, dressed in white, exudes an even more outstanding charm, her feminine allure becoming fresher and more dazzling, imbued with a mature elegance.

Having finally managed to arrange a meeting with her daughter, Mulan now reprimanded her with a sullen face, "Who gave you permission to sign up on your own? In this great war, the five major powers are fighting and vying for territory, with rivers of blood and corpses stretching for miles! You wouldn't even be good enough to fill a tooth gap if you died. What good would you do there?"

Mulan Qingqing calmly said, "I just want to be myself and walk a path that I can control."

Shi Chun turned himself in because of her, but she couldn't even visit him in prison. She begged her father many times, but he refused to help no matter how much she pleaded. Finally, she realized that in the end, people have to rely on themselves!
Mulan turned around repeatedly, almost laughing in anger. He, who had rarely spoken harshly to his daughter, completely lost his temper. Pointing at his daughter's nose, he angrily rebuked her: "Do you know that your starting point is the destination that countless people want? What do you mean by walking a path that you can control? Let me tell you, no one in this world can act recklessly. Don't be so naive!"

"For the sake of the sect, I have always been obedient and willing to give everything for it. Is it childish to disobey even once? Why pretend? When have you ever cared about the life or death of your family? I have already registered, and there is no going back." Mulan Qingqing threw down her words and turned to leave, her intention to avoid further discussion was clear.

Enraged, the dignified master of the Star Gazing Pavilion put one hand on his waist and the other on a pillar, panting heavily, his head turned to stare at his daughter's departing figure, his eyes revealing a murderous ferocity.

After a long while, once he had regained his composure, his retainers entered and sighed, "Master, the rules of the five families are set in stone. Once you've registered, you can't go back on your word. Since things have come to this, let's reconsider."

Mulan countered, "How can we plan this out in the long run? Once we join the war, it's a life-or-death struggle. There are countless people with cultivation levels higher than hers. I can't just send people in to fight to the death just to protect my daughter, can I? It's not like finding a bunch of people will be enough. She's learned this the hard way..."

At this point, recalling why his daughter had been taken advantage of last time, he suddenly paused, his eyes flickering thoughtfully. He then turned and paced back and forth, muttering to himself, "There is a suitable person who might be able to lend her a hand..."

His men responded with a shout, "Who? I'll go find him right now. He'll have to agree whether he wants to or not. It's not good to expect a whole group of people to risk their lives, but dealing with one or two people shouldn't be a problem."

Mulan paced back and forth, saying, "People are imprisoned in a living hell."

"Sheng Yu?" The sergeant was taken aback, then quickly realized, "Shi Chun?"

Then his eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly, "That's right. This fiend can not only gather a crowd to fight valiantly, but he can also escape danger from life-or-death situations time and time again. He even escaped from a group of Heavenly Immortal level experts who led a group to surround and kill him. This cannot be explained by luck alone; he is definitely capable. He is the most suitable person for the Four Battlegrounds. If he is willing to wholeheartedly help Miss, he might really be able to help Miss fight her way out..."

Then he hesitated and said, "The key is that he's imprisoned in the prison; we can't get him out."

Mulan paused, as if she had made up her mind, and said, "Qieshan still owes me a favor."

“This…” Buqu said, looking on Qieshan’s behalf with difficulty: “Can he agree to this? I’m afraid he can’t make this decision.”

Mulan narrowed her eyes slightly. "He took away a member of the demonic path and couldn't give me a satisfactory explanation. Since he's involved with the demonic path, do you think I can't catch him?"

(End of this chapter)