Volume 4: Hidden Battles – Chapter 237: Your Wife

In response, Liu Xiangshi and his two senior masters immediately gave up the idea of continuing to search the forest and turned instead to studying this possibility. After all, such an opportunity to directly absorb the essence of heaven and earth was once in a thousand years and far more precious than anything else, making it highly appealing to cultivators.

Moreover, this matter held special significance for the people of Yunmen. As a branch of the Xuanmen sect, if they could successfully absorb the energy of heaven and earth through such a method, it would set a precedent and bring endless glory to Yunmen.

However, after thorough research and repeated experiments by the lake, they came to a conclusion: no one, aside from the Phantom Flame True Vein itself, could withstand its immense energy and heat. Faced with this frustrating result, Liu Xiangshi thought of Chu Tianye’s situation and discussed it with his two senior masters. They felt that, at least in theory, absorption was possible—after all, there was Chu Tianye as a living example. Though this “monster-level” individual absorbed whatever energy he encountered, whether it was dragon energy on the ground, moonlight in the sky, or strange life forces, he took it all without hesitation. Yet this was just an exception, with odds even lower than theoretical possibilities!

So, after several days of research, Liu Xiangshi and his senior masters could only give up in frustration. Coincidentally, at that moment, Chu Tianye called to report on Tai Nianran’s injuries and condition. This made Liu Xiangshi connect Tai Nianran’s condition to their research. A person with all meridians severed and no hope of survival seemed like an ideal carrier. During the process of the Phantom Flame True Vein releasing energy to transform again, she could serve as a bridge, an energy absorption link, not only to save Tai Nianran and bring her back to life but also to create a true being infused with the Phantom Flame True Vein, achieving the ultimate realm long desired by the Xuanmen sect!

It was for these reasons that Liu Xiangshi suddenly decided to have Chu Tianye bring people over. He also thought that Tai Nianran alone might not be able to withstand the immense energy and heat of the entire Phantom Flame True Vein. That’s why he asked Chu Tianye to bring Xue Feifei along as well. Especially Feifei’s connection to heaven and earth—Liu Xiangshi had experienced its wonderful state and infinite charm. As part of the same cosmic essence, she might play a crucial role in the absorption process, just like their harmonious resonance with Chu Tianye before!

At the moment the decision was made, Liu Xiangshi felt an inexplicable excitement and anticipation. His two senior mentors were also moved by his bold idea; they immediately began making preparations and even rushed back overnight to their secluded place of cultivation to fetch the necessary materials and tools.

After Liu Xiangshi explained the whole situation, Chu Tianyu was also attracted by his daring plan. But beyond attraction, Chu Tianyu had additional concerns. According to his senior brother, this was merely a plausible inference based on some legends recorded in ancient texts, yet neither the process nor the outcome could be predicted or guaranteed to succeed!

At this moment, Xue Feifei asked on Chu Tianyu’s behalf, “Senior brother, if that’s the case, isn’t everything still just speculation? Then, regarding absorbing this Illusory Flame True Meridian, how confident are you?”

Faced with Xue Feifei’s question and the curious looks from Chu Tianyu and Ouyang Ziyi, Liu Xiangshi scratched his head awkwardly and replied honestly, “Well, to be honest, we’re not even 10% confident!”

“What?” The three of them exclaimed in unison.

“Actually, based on what you’ve said, Miss Nianran’s chances of survival are practically zero. The only way to sustain her life force is by using the energy from the natural qi in your body to maintain the basic vitality of her meridians. But this is only a temporary solution. Even if your true qi can be supplied continuously, you can’t stay by her side 24/7. And even if you could, what meaning would such survival hold for her?” Liu Xiangshi said frankly.

His honesty wasn’t exaggerated; what he said was indeed the truth. But he didn’t know about the Fernandis—a race of the immortal who could revive the “dead” in another form. So, to him, Nianran’s injuries were beyond redemption. Since enduring prolonged suffering was worse than a quick end, he spoke those words.

This bold plan was also made on the spot for this reason. In his view, it was better to take a gamble—success could create another Chu Tianyu-like legend, while failure would at most result in a somewhat regretful release.

Chu Tianyu and Zi Yi, as extremely intelligent people who could grasp the implications of words at a glance, naturally understood the meaning of what his senior brother had said. Thus, Chu Tianyu held no grudges toward his senior brother for speaking frankly—after all, his senior brother didn’t know there was another option for Tai Nianran. At that moment, Chu Tianyu’s mind was filled with such a dilemma: a choice of fate, a choice full of contradictions!

“What? Did I say something wrong?” Senior brother Liu Xiangshi asked, seemingly sensing something was amiss.

Seeing his senior brother’s puzzled expression, Chu Tianyu could only smile bitterly and explain the situation. Only then did Liu Xiangshi realize that there actually existed such a method to bring the dead back to life—and not only that, but even a way to achieve immortality! However, the side effects of this method were likely unacceptable to ordinary people, or even Tai Nianran herself. As the old saying goes, “Life is worse than death!”

For a while, silence reigned in the wooden house, with everyone deep in thought and temporarily at a loss. But soon, everyone’s attention naturally turned to Chu Tianyu—after all, he was the only one who could make a decision now!

Chu Tianyu kept his lips tightly closed, staring out the window. After a long while, as if having made up his mind, he snapped back to reality. He glanced at everyone first, then spoke slowly and clearly, “My personal preference is to have Nianran absorb the Illusion Flame True Pulse. But before that, first, I need to consult Nianran’s aunt to see what she thinks. Second, once the uncles return, senior brother, let’s discuss this thoroughly to assess the chances of success. If it turns out to be an impossible task, then we should give up and return to accept Fernando’s baptism!”

Chu Tianyu’s proposal made sense and was thoughtfully considered, so everyone nodded in agreement, with no objections.

After that, Chu Tianyu called home. Since Nianran’s aunt was now being taken care of by her third master, she should be recovering well by now. It was her master who answered the phone, and Chu Tianyu immediately explained the situation here and his decision in detail. After hearing this, the mad scholar also nodded in approval and handed the final decision-making power, along with the phone, to Nianran’s aunt.

In fact, Nianran’s great-aunt’s injuries had already healed by most. She and Kuangru were worried about Nianran’s condition and the success of their mission when Chu Tianyu’s call came through just then. Tai Qi had also heard roughly what Chu Tianyu had said, so when he was about to repeat it, Tai Qi suddenly interrupted, “Tianyu, there’s no need to say anything else. Just tell me how confident you are about this process of absorbing the True Pulse.”

On the other end of the phone, Chu Tianyu remained silent for a while before honestly saying, “Great-aunt, to be honest, we’re not at all confident!”

Tai Qi wasn’t surprised at all. Instead, she asked, “Then help Nianran choose between taking a risk or turning into a zombie!” Clearly, in her mind, all undead were considered zombies.

Chu Tianyu replied without hesitation, “I’ll choose the former for her, even if there’s only a one percent chance!”

“Very well, then you decide for your wife!” After saying that, Nianran’s great-aunt hung up the phone right away, without any hesitation.

Hearing the busy signal, Chu Tianyu felt extremely grateful, his eyes even becoming a little moist. His great-aunt’s last words not only showed her stance but also cleverly relieved pressure on him. It meant he should go all out without any concerns—especially the phrase “your wife” said it all!

With his great-aunt’s encouragement, Chu Tianyu resolved to dive headfirst into researching the Illusionary Flame True Pulse with his senior brother Liu Xiangshi. By combining his own insights, he offered many suggestions that enlightened Liu Xiangshi. Many problems that seemed unsolvable before were now easily resolved. After all, who could understand better than Chu Tianyu how the qi of heaven and earth enters the human body?

Ouyang Ziyi and Xue Feifei also became busy, helping out while learning the mysticism of the Cloud Gate sect. Xue Feifei, in particular, already had a foundation, though she had only learned the basics at the Heavenly Sound Sect before. This time, she truly broadened her horizons.

A few days later, with the return of two of their uncles, the research team became even more active. They would often discuss a single detail until dawn, giving the impression of living in the mountains without any sense of time.

These days have been tough for Chu Tianyu—he not only had to put in effort to conduct research alongside others but also had to regularly maintain the energy pathways within Tai Nianran’s body. Physical exhaustion wasn’t the biggest issue; it was the mental strain that caused even the usually energetic Chu Tianyu to show signs of fatigue…

As time went on, the group’s research focused on a few key problems. First, how would the Illusory Flame True Vein transform energy when approaching that strange small lake and the life-bearing land on the island? Second, how could this energy be guided into Tai Nianran’s body, and how could it be resolved and absorbed? How could the others assist?

It could be said that without solving these two major problems, all other efforts would be in vain. Yet both problems were impossible to predict or determine. Fortunately, there was some hope—Chu Tianyu and Xue Feifei had found the extremely cold Jade Solidification and the warm jade from the bottom of the lake in that valley. These two items, one cold and one hot, had opposing properties that complemented and counteracted each other with the Illusory Flame True Vein. This became the focus of their research—proper use of them would be crucial for successful absorption!

“Tianyu, we’ve tried many times before you arrived. Aside from the Illusory Flame True Vein becoming warmer and softer as we approached the lake, there was no sense of it wanting to attach to a person, nor any suction or other abnormalities,” said Liu Xiangshi, standing by the lake and speaking to Chu Tianyu, who was holding Tai Nianran.

This was the first on-site experiment after their research. Of course, Chu Tianyu brought Tai Nianran with him. It was unclear whether Tai Nianran’s injuries had worsened or if her body now relied entirely on Chu Tianyu’s energy to sustain her. In any case, Chu Tianyu spent more and more time each day channeling energy into her to regulate her condition—this was also the reason he was eager to conduct the experiment on-site!

“Senior brother, try moving a little closer to the lake. Hold this warm jade as well, and see if anything changes under these specific conditions. Feifei, keep your Jade Solidification ready at all times—so we can respond promptly if anything goes wrong, just in case…” Chu Tianyu followed the steps he had planned the previous night.

Liu Xiangshi took the warm jade and also took out the Illusory Flame True Vein, which resembled a sapphire, placing it in a special container brought by their uncles. After all, when the Illusory Flame True Vein softened and emitted heat near the lake, it was impossible for a human to endure it, let alone observe its detailed changes up close.

Actually, these two “things” were often placed together during the study of the wooden cabin, and various attempts were made to bring them into contact, but there was no reaction at all—not even a slight rise in temperature! So today, when Liu Xiangshi placed them together in a container, he didn’t expect anything unusual to happen. Yet, things took an unexpected turn. Just as Liu Xiangshi stepped into the range where the Illusory Flame True Pulse could be altered, a blazing white light suddenly surged within the container in his hands. The temperature in the air rose instantly, and the surrounding space was distorted by this heat, creating an otherworldly atmosphere. Liu Xiangshi, who was inside, was instantly enveloped by this white light, feeling as if he were in a steamer. The heat from the container penetrated through his ice-gloved hands, scorching his palms. As if suddenly gaining sentience, the heat rebounded from his palms, breaking free from the container’s constraints. A dazzling beam of light shot out like a meteor, heading toward the place where Chu Tianyu had absorbed the Life Stone. It paused above that spot, and as its light stopped, a red light screen quickly descended…