Longevity starts with choosing Hextech enhancement

Chapter 413 Return to Silent Island: Su Li's Situation
It was the twelfth lunar month when the first snow fell on the Cangming Sea.

Almost every island, large or small, was covered in a blanket of white.

However, the Cangming Market was filled with a lively atmosphere.

It just so happens to be Laba Festival, which is an important festival after we defeated the sea creatures.

Many cultivators put aside their daily affairs and came to the market to either buy spiritual items or simply to join in the fun.

The streets were bustling with people, and both sides were lined with all kinds of stalls.

After Xiao Chen took the neatly arranged pastries from Cangming Tower, he was about to leave.

But looking at the dazzling array of festival specialties, he thought for a moment and also bought some snacks like Laba porridge and candied melon in the market.

And some decorative items such as paper-cuts and hanging paintings.

Although Xiao Chen always slept on the beach on Ji'e Island without even having a humble abode, the main reason was that he simply found it troublesome.

In contrast, Su Li only knew to prepare a small stone house for herself.

Therefore, although these small items may not have any practical use, bringing them home can at least add to the festive atmosphere.

"This trip seems to have taken a while."

Xiao Chen estimated that he had been away for more than a year: "I wonder what the situation is like on the island now."

Although there are no landmarks nearby.

But he still found the location of Silent Island in the vast ocean with ease.

It is worth mentioning that, due to his improved cultivation level, he can now directly detect the concealment and monitoring formations on the periphery.

For Xiao Chen, these things were no longer relevant; he didn't even bother with them.

However, after receiving the report from the Internal Affairs Elder, Iron Fan Zhenjun's heart skipped a beat, recalling the several unusual situations that had occurred before.

At this time, a True Lord entered the Island of Silent Calamity.

His identity is so easy to guess—it can only be Xiao Chen.

At the same time, True Monarch Iron Fan quickly realized that the time when he first noticed the anomaly in the Silent Forbidden Land was almost the same as the time when Xiao Chen made a public appearance in the Sea of ​​Compassion.

He was immediately startled. Could it be that the witch who wiped out the whole family was related to Fellow Daoist Xiao?

No, it should be said that the Moon Witch Saintess is perhaps related to the Xiao family?
I feel like there's a secret here!
Iron Fan True Lord's mind raced, but on the surface he remained calm and ordered, "Hmm, I understand. As before, keep the news under wraps and strictly prohibit it from spreading."

Even if you know something, it's best to pretend you don't.

God knows what the situation is like on the Isle of Silence.

As long as the cursed Moon Witch Saintess doesn't affect the outside world, everything else is fine.

Regardless of outside speculation.

When Xiao Chen returned to Ji'e Island, he was stunned in mid-air.

If he remembered correctly, when he left, the entire island was already lush and green.

However, what lay before them was a shocking scene of desolation.

Large swaths of spiritual herbs withered and died on the spot, and the tree trunks, stripped of their leaves, revealed a pitch-black color.

There used to be a small forest on the east side of the island, which provided him with a lot of food.

But now, looking across the entire island, you can't find even a single flower or a single green leaf.

It's clear that something has happened on the island.

"Strange, what's going on?"

Xiao Chen's first reaction was to suspect that enemies had come to the island.

However, when he used his divine sense to cover the entire island, he found no trace of the battle.

On the contrary, it was observed that in a newly built herb garden in the middle of the island, many spiritual plants with strong vitality were also not spared.

It was as if it had been drained by some powerful force in a very short time, leaving only dried-up remains.

Even the branches of the few fourth-tier spirit trees on the island were twisted into strange symbols.

Colorful spheres appeared on the thick tree trunk.

Their surfaces are so smooth they appear almost unnatural, and they even shimmer with a metallic sheen when exposed to sunlight.

When viewed individually, they look like some kind of peculiar mushroom, but when mixed together, they inexplicably evoke a sense of disgust.

When a gentle breeze blows, the faint fragrance of osmanthus blossoms wafts from among them.

"Could it be that the curse of the lunar eclipse has struck again?"

Xiao Chen recalled the indescribable feeling he had when he first arrived at Ji'e Island: "Strange, I didn't hear Su Li mention that there would be such a change."

Although they haven't spent a lot of time together, it's been several months.

During their conversation, they also discussed matters related to lunar eclipses.

According to Xiao Chen's understanding, the Curse of Lunar Eclipse has remained largely unchanged over the past hundred years.

At first, even the timing and range of their appearance were very regular.

Later, it was because Su Li chose to fight back that the timing of the outbreak became unstable, but it did not affect the forest on the other side of the island.

But looking at the current situation...

It's not hard to deduce that the scope and severity of the lunar eclipse curse seem to have increased significantly.

"How did that happen?"

Xiao Chen was a little confused as to why the Curse of Lunar Eclipse had suddenly gone out of control.

He reactivated his divine sense to investigate the stone house he had deliberately avoided.

Originally, he intentionally avoided the house out of politeness to avoid embarrassing Su Li.

But he's been back for quite a while now, and the other person hasn't shown up.

Xiao Chen felt it was necessary to find out the specifics.

However, the stone house was enveloped by an even more powerful divine consciousness.

Generally speaking, if a powerful divine sense is found to be entrenched in a place, preventing exploration, it means that the place has been occupied by an even stronger being.

The smart thing to do is stay away.

However, Xiao Chen was quite bold, and he landed directly in front of the stone house.

Then he called out, "Su Li, are you inside?"

"Just let me know if you're there, or I'm coming in!"

A brief silence fell over the room.

Xiao Chen raised his hand and pushed the door open, but as soon as he did, he felt a tremendous force slam the door shut again.

Then came Su Li's slightly panicked scream: "Don't look at me!"

Ok?
What does this mean?
Xiao Chen was bewildered by her strange reaction.

He was a little confused; he couldn't understand what was wrong with the other person, and their emotions seemed off.

It should be noted that Su Li is not only a Nascent Soul True Monarch, but also a Nascent Soul Great Perfection cultivator, ranking among the top combat forces in the entire Compassionate Sea.

Moreover, she once single-handedly killed a powerful sea monster; she's not the kind of weak and delicate little girl.

But why does her voice sound so panicked?
Could it be that an enemy with the cultivation level of Nascent Soul has attacked?

Thinking of this, Xiao Chen couldn't help but become wary.

Meanwhile, inside the house, Su Li pressed her hands against the stone door, her heart filled with conflict.

The two hadn't seen each other for over a year, and she really wanted to run out and see him immediately.

The problem is that, under the influence of the Moon Eclipse Curse, she has now been completely transformed into a hideous monster.

How can I possibly go out and see anyone in this state?

"Are you OK?"

Xiao Chen thought for a moment, realizing that simply being vigilant wouldn't solve the problem, so he took the initiative to ask, "I see something unusual on the island, has something happened?"

"And what are you doing hiding in the stone house?"

Another long silence followed.

If Su Li hadn't just been talking inside the stone house and had even reached out to hold the stone door shut...

Xiao Chen almost thought he was talking to himself.

But the more he did this, the more confused he became.

What exactly happened? Give me a straight answer!
After about half a cup of tea's time, Su Li spoke again: "I'm sorry, I killed all the flowers, plants and trees on the island."

"All the spiritual plants that were born when you broke through are gone too."

what?
What are you talking about?
Xiao Chen was stunned. What time is it? Can we stop talking about these irrelevant things?
Who the hell cares about those flowers and plants!

More importantly, what should he say now?

Tell Su Li: It's okay, I don't mind?
Wow, that's outrageous!

For a moment, Xiao Chen was speechless and didn't know how to respond.

Fortunately, Su Li only paused for a moment this time.

He then finally explained, "There's something I haven't told you before: I've actually started cultivating again."

"Things suddenly got chaotic outside. I thought I should improve my cultivation level, so that I would at least have the ability to protect myself."

As she said this, she looked up through the stone door and glanced in the direction where Xiao Chen was.

Then he continued, "But I don't have a systematic cultivation method. Since reaching the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage, I haven't been able to find a direction to move forward."

“Until three months ago, I received another copy of the witch clan’s inheritance during the lunar eclipse.”

"I tried to absorb the power of the moonlight to aid my cultivation, following the method described above."

"But I never expected that the curse of the lunar eclipse would suddenly become extremely severe after that."

"And even though I have stopped cultivating, it seems that everything is already beyond redemption."

"It seems like I've become an uncontrollable jinx again."

As she spoke, especially in the last sentence, Su Li's voice became noticeably softer, as if carrying a hint of self-blame and regret.

However, Xiao Chen breathed a sigh of relief.

Oh, so that's how it is. Why didn't you say so sooner?

His hesitation made him nervous just now.

Since they have cultivated the Wu Clan's heritage, there shouldn't be any major problems.

There's no reason for the Moon Witch Clan to deliberately give out a wrong cultivation method, thereby harming their own Holy Maiden.

Therefore, it is easy to conclude that the situation is completely under control and there is no need to worry excessively.

Xiao Chen was even a little surprised, because theoretically Su Li should also be able to understand this principle.

So what is she afraid of now?

He actually locked himself in his room; it's like burying his head in the sand.

After all, if the curse of the lunar eclipse were to take effect, a mere stone wall would not be enough to stop it.

Adhering to the principle of asking questions when in doubt, Xiao Chen directly raised his doubts: "Since it is a secret technique of the Witch Clan, it shouldn't cause you any harm, right?"

"Why don't you come out and talk? What are you doing hiding inside?"

"You know I'm not afraid of curses, so it definitely won't affect me."

However, Xiao Chen didn't know that Su Li didn't care about this at all.

As the power of the Lunar Eclipse Curse increased dramatically, the various effects of the curse also increased several times over.

This includes the fact that the horrific marks that originally covered her cheeks have now spread to most of her body.

Now, not only is his face hideous, but his hands, arms, and other parts are also completely covered with twisted, blood-red runes.

Not to mention outsiders.

Even when she saw her own reflection in the puddle, she felt ashamed because of the strange, blood-red patterns.

Having witnessed so many scenes of inheritance before, Su Li could already recognize that they weren't just random graffiti.

On the contrary, many of them are the battle patterns of the Wu tribe, which can produce various effects if used skillfully.

In ancient times, only the elite warriors of a tribe were qualified to have witch marks tattooed on their bodies by priests to enhance their strength.

But in this day and age...

These patterns that look like earthworms will probably only invite ridicule and contempt.

Su Li even felt like crying.

Now that I've become like this, how can I face people, especially Xiao Chen?

What would he think?

What would a normal person think?

After offering feigned comfort, they will surely distance themselves and reject you secretly.

If that's the case, it's better to hide and avoid seeing each other.

Leave a less bad impression on the other person.

"Su Li, tell me the truth, what happened to you?"

Xiao Chen suddenly asked, "I don't understand, why do you insist on hiding?"

"So now I have reason to suspect that the human race's Nascent Soul stage couldn't stand the birth of a new fifth-tier Great Witch among the Witch race, so they captured you."

"Now the only things in the room are the mechanisms used to cover up the situation and the recording stone."

"Or perhaps the sea creatures have some fifth-tier demons lurking in the shadows, coming to avenge their sea patrolmen and, incidentally, to take over their territory."

"After all, there are too many secret techniques in the cultivation world that can fake a sound."

"There may be other situations, but I won't go into details."

"In short, I'm counting to three now. If you don't come out, I'm going to tear this stone house down."

Silence fell in the room once again.

"one!"

Xiao Chen was not lying; he gathered his true essence in his hands, ready to make his move.

"Wait a moment!"

Su Li finally realized what was happening, and was both amused and exasperated.

She couldn't understand why Xiao Chen would have such a strange idea.

"two!"

Xiao Chen wasn't going to listen to her explanation; he just wanted to see her.

You should know that blood crystals are a treasure that can increase the total amount of qi and blood!
Furthermore, he believed that the Nascent Soul Venerable had many ways to resolve the problem of the cursed power within the blood crystal.

In that case, we cannot rule out the possibility that a certain human god-level being, after learning about the situation on Silent Island, came to eliminate the remnants of the witch clan.

They also discovered the valuable resource of blood crystals, leading to the possibility of secretly capturing her.

Perhaps, the other party is observing me nearby right now, pondering the false background of that so-called reclusive Taoist tradition.

"Can you listen to me first?"

Su Li's voice was filled with anxiety and a slight tremor: "I can't meet you in my current state."

Oh?
Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes; he knew there was indeed something wrong inside the stone house!
So he immediately pressed, "Why? What's wrong?"

"Give me a good reason, or I'll really take action."

Upon hearing this from inside the room, Su Li was both anxious and angry.

This annoying guy, why is he so disobedient!

But at the same time, she felt a strange warmth and happiness in her heart.

Worried that Xiao Chen would really demolish the stone house, Su Li didn't dare to waste any more time.

She bit her red lips and asked in a low voice, "If I told you that I've been affected by the lunar eclipse and turned into a monster, would you still want to see me?"

"I look like a monster now, do you still want to see me?"

Su Li didn't know why, but subconsciously asked twice, "Do you want to see me?"

He even deliberately exaggerated his situation.

Ok?
Xiao Chen was stumped by her question again.

What does it mean to be as terrifying as a monster?
I've killed dozens of powerful demons, and you're telling me this?

Do you think I, a dignified Nascent Soul True Lord, would be afraid of monsters?
Who do you think you are, looking down on them like this!
Xiao Chen immediately declared, "What's the big deal? Of course I want to see you."

"Come out here, let me see what's wrong with you."

Hearing this almost unhesitating answer, Su Li seemed much more relaxed.

She took a deep breath, gently pushed the stone door open halfway, and revealed half of her body.

Then he preemptively said, "Do I look really ugly now?"

Generally speaking, if a person stays indoors for two months without going out, they will become listless and have a sallow complexion.

However, Su Li's situation is rather special.

With the blessing of the lunar eclipse, her blood and energy became increasingly abundant, and her vitality became increasingly strong.

In Xiao Chen's eyes, the figure behind the door, without any makeup, was radiant, full of energy, and beaming with joy.

She looks exactly like a young woman in her late teens.

It has absolutely nothing to do with any so-called monster.

This is quite normal, as the effect of the lunar eclipse on Su Li's cheek originally existed in the form of an illusion.

Even after being enhanced, it still exists in the form of an illusion, and is therefore directly concealed by the veil of divine protection.

"Isn't it pretty?"

Xiao Chen bluntly stated, "I even feel that you look more energetic and vibrant now than you did a year ago."

He was about to say: "Aren't you female cultivators too concerned about your appearance?"

They make a fuss over the slightest change.

However, after thinking about it, I felt it might be a bit inappropriate, so I didn't say anything.

Su Li saw all of this.

He watched as Xiao Chen tried very hard to praise him, but besides saying "energetic," he couldn't say anything else.

I felt a little disappointed, but also touched.

Because she could also tell that Xiao Chen's first words were very sincere.

This shows that he really doesn't mind his current appearance, and even sincerely compliments himself on his good looks.

This... I can't believe he even said it.

Or should we say that men in the world are indeed very good at sweet talk?
Even Su Li herself dared not say that she was very beautiful now.

"Hey, I brought you your favorite snacks."

Xiao Chen stepped forward and pulled out a golden silk glaze pastry, handing it over: "And there's a little gift too, guess what it is?"

"Just a reminder, this is related to the Chinese New Year."

However, as he approached, he was surprised to see the situation inside the stone house: "Hey, why is there a sculpture in your house?"

"It looks quite new. Did you carve it yourself?"

"I've never seen a sculpture of someone wearing a feathered robe on the island before."

At this point, Xiao Chen was still a little curious: "And this feather robe looks quite familiar, like I've seen it somewhere before."

Su Li turned her head and looked at it, her face immediately turning red.

He quickly took a step forward, closed the stone door, and also placed a layer of restriction to prevent peeping.

Then, in a flustered manner, he explained, "No, you must have seen it wrong."

Xiao Chen nodded in deep agreement: "That's true. I've been reading so many ancient books lately that my head is spinning. I must have mixed up some illustrations."

"Forget it, let's not talk about that anymore."

"Look what this is! I brought you back a New Year's picture!"

As Xiao Chen spoke, he took out paper-cuts, peach charms, and other items: "In a couple of days, I'll help you decorate your little house."

"It's a holiday, so it's better to decorate it a bit to make it feel more festive."

"Also, I'll tell you, I brought back a big piece of crab meat."

"It was taken from a level four red flower crab, I guarantee it will be delicious!"

"It's no exaggeration to say that, apart from frozen fish, this is the second best thing I've ever eaten."

"You must try it later."

Looking at Xiao Chen, who was beaming with joy and was no different from his previous returns, Su Li was momentarily dazed.

She had just hurriedly closed the door when she suddenly jumped out.

The two are now less than a foot apart.

With her exceptional eyesight, she could even see her own reflection in the other person's pupils.

Even so, Xiao Chen never showed any discomfort or aversion.

In the past two months, none of the bad scenarios that Su Li had anticipated and worried about actually happened.

It seems as if the effects of the lunar eclipse power mutation do not exist at all.

It turns out she was just overthinking things.

"Thank you!"

Su Li's beautiful eyes curved into crescent moons: "This is the best gift I've ever received."

what?
Xiao Chen was slightly taken aback. You've never received a New Year's picture before?
Is it really that pitiful?
"The sun is about to set, how about we have grilled fish today?"

Su Li finally returned to her usual self and skillfully asked, "There are no more fruits and vegetables on the island now. I'll look for any seeds left tomorrow."

This is how the two of them interacted on the island.

"Great! Speaking of which, I haven't had your grilled fish in ages, I'm really craving it."

Xiao Chen had gotten used to it, and every night he would sit on the beach by a fire, sharing food and chatting with Su Li.

Of course, he also noted down the matter of the seeds.

There are still twenty days until the Chinese New Year, so there's plenty of time to take a trip to the new cultivation world.

I'll bring back some spirit plant seeds when I come along.

A quarter of an hour later.

While the fish is skewered and grilled over the fire...

Xiao Chen also took the opportunity to learn about the specific situation: "What exactly is going on with the anomaly of the Lunar Eclipse Curse?"

"Tell me in detail what exactly the impact has been."

Su Li's biggest worry has been resolved, so there's no need to hide anything anymore.

So he described in detail what happened two months ago.

According to her, she didn't feel any difference when she first used the secret method of the witch clan to absorb the power of the moon.

It was simply considered a special cultivation method of the witch clan.

However, during the lunar eclipse, she discovered that the lunar energy she had absorbed was merely stored within her body and had not been fully absorbed.

As a result, under the lunar eclipse, the power of the moonlight was also corrupted and turned into the power of curse.

This resulted in an exceptionally severe lunar eclipse.

As she spoke, she took out a blood crystal that was noticeably larger than usual: "Even the blood crystal produced during that lunar eclipse was twice the size of the usual one."

(End of this chapter)