36: Blackstone Village, a Glimmer of Light in a Turbid World

Darkness, like viscous asphalt seawater, swallowed Chen Feng once more, bringing with it a chronic pain and exhaustion. His consciousness floated in boundless chaos, with only the cold, chain-like sensation of the Immortal Curse gnawing like a venomous snake deep within his dantian, and the faint yet persistent tremor of the fate disk nirvana mark towards a vast origin deep within the earth, acting like an anchor in the darkness, maintaining his last shred of perception of reality.

He didn't know how much time had passed, perhaps an instant, perhaps several days.

A warm, bitter, strongly earthy-smelling liquid was forcefully poured into his mouth. The taste was extremely peculiar, like rotten grass roots mixed with old dirt boiled together, making Chen Feng instinctively want to resist. Yet, a gentle but firm force held his jaw, forcing the bitter liquid to slide down his parched throat.

"Cough cough... cough..." Violent coughing tore at his chest, like an old bellows. Chen Feng suddenly opened his heavy eyelids, and the dazzling, earthy-yellow daylight, filled with turbid dust, once again flooded his vision.

He found himself lying on a hard earthen bed, with rough dry straw beneath him and a worn hemp quilt, smelling of sweat and smoke, covering him. The earthen bed was in a low, dim mud-brick house, its walls blackened by smoke, the roof a simple thatch. A few murky rays of light filtered through a small window, illuminating the tiny dust motes dancing in the air.

A figure, back to him, was stooped over, busy at a smoky earthen stove, where a dark green, strangely odorous paste bubbled in a pot. It was none other than the terrified Old Man Shi, the woodcutter!

"Oh dear! He's awake, he's awake!" Old Man Shi heard the coughing and spun around. His dark, rough face still held traces of lingering fear, but even more so, a sense of relieved gratitude and cautious deference. "Honorable Immortal Master! You... you're finally awake! I... I boiled the medicine according to the old village chief's recipe, how... how do you feel?"

Honorable Immortal Master? A hint of self-mockery flashed in Chen Feng's muddled eyes. In his current state, he was but half a step from death; how could he possess any semblance of an immortal? He tried to circulate his dao foundation, but his dantian remained utterly still, as if frozen by ten thousand years of profound ice. Only the Immortal Curse, like a maggot clinging to bone, radiated a cold and stubborn corrosive sensation deep within the cracks. The only fortunate thing was that the dense turbid qi permeating this world seemed to have a natural suppressive effect on the golden light of the Immortal Curse, making its erosion extremely slow, as if it had fallen into a viscous bog. [Immortal Curse Erosion: Continuously suppressed by external turbid qi... erosion efficiency extremely low (0.1%)... maintaining stalemate...]

"Where... is she?" Chen Feng's voice was hoarse as sandpaper, his throat burning with pain. Every word he uttered aggravated his injuries.

Old Man Shi quickly pointed to the other side of the earthen bed: "That... that Immortal Maiden is over there! The old village chief came to see her and said... said the Immortal Maiden was even more severely injured, as if... as if most of her soul was lost... I followed the old village chief's instructions and also fed her medicine, but... but she hasn't woken up..." His tone carried both reverence and lingering fear, clearly awed by Su Wanzhao's unparalleled grace, which was hard to conceal even in unconsciousness, and the mysterious, dim mark between her brows.

Chen Feng laboriously turned his head.

Su Wanzhao lay on another simple earthen bed, covered by a similarly worn but clean quilt. Her eyes were tightly shut, long lashes casting faint shadows in the dim light. Her face was pale, almost transparent, and her breathing was so faint it was barely perceptible. The Star Vortex mark between her brows was so dim it was almost gone, like the last spark of a candle flickering in the wind. Her tattered Star Radiance Battle Skirt had been replaced by a coarse cloth villager's dress, clearly ill-fitting, yet it could not hide her inherent aloofness and fragility. A chilling sense of desolation emanated from her, as if the flame of life could extinguish at any moment. [Su Wanzhao's Status: Deep Coma! Chaos Star Vortex Dao Body severely injured and dormant... origin depleted (95%)... flame of life flickering weakly... Immortal Curse erosion (weak stalemate)... external turbid qi slightly nourishing (passive)...]

Chen Feng's heart sank abruptly, as if plunging into an ice cave. More than his own severe injuries, Su Wanzhao's dying state filled him with powerlessness and panic. This turbid world, with its almost non-existent spiritual energy, simply could not nourish her depleted Star Vortex origin! Although the vast earth origin sensed by his life plate imprint was strong, it was separated by endless turbid qi, like a reflection in a mirror.

"Is the medicine... useful?" Chen Feng's gaze turned to Old Man Shi, with a hint of hope he himself hadn't noticed. Although the bitter medicinal liquid was unpleasant, after it entered his body, it indeed brought a faint warm current, slightly dispelling some of the bone-deep coldness and exhaustion. This warm current was not spiritual energy, but rather some original life essence, seemingly precipitated in the grass, wood, and earth.

Old Man Shi rubbed his hands, a little flustered: "It's... it's an ancestral folk remedy from our Black Stone Village, called 'earth root soup.' It's made by boiling the roots of 'Bitter Earth Thistle' gathered from the shady side of the old mountain, mixed with hearth soil aged for over three years, and a bit of old well water... The old village chief said this soup is most effective for sustaining life! In the past, if someone in the village was injured by a mountain demon and only had one breath left, drinking this could help them recover... I don't know if it works for immortals..."

earth root soup? Bitter Earth Thistle? Hearth soil? Chen Feng's muddled perception carefully felt the faint warm current within his body. It indeed contained an extremely sparse, yet unusually pure, earth vitality. Although impure and enveloped by dense turbid qi, it was precisely this primitive earth-attributed vitality that barely sustained his and Su Wanzhao's last flicker of life, and even... seemed to have a minuscule "neutralizing" effect on the Immortal Curse's erosion? [Physical Body: Weak earth vitality nourishment... crack repair (0.01%)... extremely slow... turbid qi slight erosion...]

"Old... village chief?" Chen Feng caught that name.

"Yes, yes! That's Old Village Chief Zhang of our village!" Old Man Shi quickly said, "Yesterday, I ran back to the village scared out of my wits and happened to run into the old village chief sunbathing at the village entrance. I... I told the old village chief everything I saw about two immortals... ah no, two distinguished guests falling from the sky, and... and that look in your eyes, Honorable Master..." He shivered, still frightened by Chen Feng's fierce gaze. "The old village chief's face turned very serious after hearing it. He said I had both great luck and great trouble! He told me to quickly lead the way and quietly carry the two distinguished guests back to my house. He even personally went to the back mountain to gather herbs and taught me how to boil this 'earth root soup,' instructing me to take good care of you and absolutely not spread the word, saying... saying it would bring disaster!"

Old Man Shi lowered his voice, mysteriously: "The old village chief also said that looking at the appearance of the two distinguished guests, it doesn't seem like an ordinary disaster, but rather... like a heavenly tribulation! He told me not to tell anyone, otherwise... otherwise the entire Black Stone Village would suffer!" His eyes were filled with reverence and lingering fear.

Suffered a heavenly tribulation? Chen Feng sneered inwardly. Heavenly tribulation? That Gold-Robed Immortal Envoy was more like a heavenly tribulation! This old village chief... seemed to have some insight? A village chief from a remote mountain village could actually discern the extraordinary nature of their injuries and know how to use such a folk remedy containing primitive earth vitality to sustain life?

Just then, a slow but steady footsteps sounded from outside, accompanied by an aged and gentle voice: "Shi family boy, have the distinguished guests woken up?"

The door curtain was pushed aside, and an old man with white hair and beard, a lean face, dressed in a faded coarse cloth gown, walked in, leaning on a well-worn, glossy jujube wood cane. The old man's figure was stooped, but his eyes were exceptionally clear and bright, carrying the wisdom and gentleness of someone who had seen much of life. His gaze swept over Chen Feng and Su Wanzhao on the earthen beds, finally resting on Chen Feng's face. He paused slightly, then revealed a warm smile, cupped his hands in greeting, his posture respectful but not subservient: "This old man, Zhang Shouzhuo, serves as the village chief of this village. It is truly fortunate to see the distinguished guest awaken."

Old Village Chief Zhang Shouzhuo! Chen Feng's muddled perception instantly tensed. He instinctively wanted to probe the other party's background, but his spirit was depleted, his dao foundation dormant, so he could only rely on his most primitive intuition. There were no spiritual energy fluctuations on the old man, confirming he was indeed a mortal. But his demeanor, his composure, and especially the fleeting glint in his clear eyes, as if he could perceive certain essences, were definitely not something an ordinary old man from a mountain village could possess!

"Thank you... village chief." Chen Feng laboriously squeezed out a few words, his gaze scrutinizing, fixed on the other party.

Zhang Shouzhuo seemed not to notice the wariness in Chen Feng's eyes. He walked to Su Wanzhao's bed, extended his hand, which was covered in age spots but remarkably steady, and gently placed it on her wrist pulse, closing his eyes in concentration for a moment. After a long while, he withdrew his hand, his brows slightly furrowed, and let out a soft sigh: "This young lady... her foundation is severely damaged, her soul is scattered, like a lamp running out of oil. This old man's 'earth root soup' can only barely sustain a breath, delaying the oil from burning out... Without... good fortune, this may not be a long-term solution."

He looked up at Chen Feng, his gaze clear and candid: "As for you, distinguished guest... although your external injuries are severe, your foundation is... unusually robust, but it seems to have been wounded by some extremely malevolent force, like a venomous dragon locking an abyss, sealing your primordial divine power. This power... is supremely yang and rigid, yet it carries the shackles of supreme order; it is definitely not a mundane object of this world." He paused, his turbid yet clear eyes seeming to penetrate Chen Feng's superficial weakness, seeing the stubborn golden Immortal Curse deep within his dantian. "The turbid qi in this world is heavy, and it seems to have a restraining effect on that malevolent force, but it is merely a drop in the bucket, difficult to eradicate."

Chen Feng's heart was violently shaken! This old village chief could actually describe the characteristics of the Immortal Curse so accurately?! Was he truly a mortal?

"Village Chief... you have keen insight." Chen Feng's voice carried a hint of imperceptible hoarseness and probing.

Zhang Shouzhuo waved his hand, a humble smile on his face: "This old man has merely lived long in these mountains and seen some strange illnesses and injuries. Distinguished guest, you flatter me." He changed the subject, his expression becoming serious: "However, for two distinguished guests to suffer such severe injuries and fall from the sky... this is a great anomaly. Although this old man has strictly ordered the Shi family boy not to spread the word, there's no wall that can keep out the wind. Although this world is shrouded in turbid qi, it is not without... 'eyes above.'"

His murky gaze turned towards the turbid sky outside the window, implying something.

"Black Stone Village... our ancestors have barely survived here for generations, seeking nothing more than peace. This old man dares to ask the distinguished guests to agree to one thing." Zhang Shouzhuo cupped his hands, lowering his posture even further, "Before your injuries heal, please temporarily hide in the village and do not reveal any divine powers. Once you are well, whether to stay or leave, is entirely up to you. This old man is willing to use this frail body to provide some protection and convenience for the distinguished guests, only asking... that you do not bring about that... monstrous disaster to my small Black Stone Village."

His words were sincere, his posture extremely humble, yet they carried an undeniable bottom line—do not implicate the village.

Chen Feng fell silent. Light flickered in his muddled eyes. This old village chief saw too clearly. He pointed out their predicament: powerful enemies lurking ("eyes above"), unable to protect themselves (severe injuries), and Black Stone Village as their only, fragile sanctuary. His proposal was a reluctant cooperation and compromise between both parties in a desperate situation. He would provide shelter and the barely life-sustaining "earth root soup," and they would need to hide their identities to avoid bringing trouble to the village.

"Agreed." Chen Feng squeezed out a word through gritted teeth. This was the only option for now. He needed time, needed to find a way to recover his strength and remove the Immortal Curse in this turbid land! And even more, he needed to find an opportunity for Su Wanzhao to survive!

"Thank you, distinguished guest!" Zhang Shouzhuo's face showed a relieved smile, and he cupped his hands again. He turned to Old Man Shi, his tone regaining the village chief's authority: "Shi family boy, take good care of the two distinguished guests. The earth root soup must not be interrupted daily; go to my place for the necessary herbs. Remember, keep your mouth shut, if even a hint of news leaks out..." His murky gaze suddenly became sharp as a knife.

Old Man Shi shivered in fright, quickly swearing an oath: "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare! Old Village Chief, rest assured! If I, Shi Dazhuang, dare to say one extra word, let me... let me be dragged away and eaten by a mountain demon!"

Zhang Shouzhuo nodded, then took another deep look at the still unconscious Su Wanzhao and the depleted Chen Feng, before leaning on his cane and slowly leaving Old Man Shi's dim mud-brick house.

Silence once again fell upon the room, broken only by the crackling of firewood in the earthen stove and Old Man Shi's heavy breathing.

Chen Feng slowly closed his eyes, forcefully suppressing all the pain and exhaustion. His consciousness sank into the silent dantian, into the core of the cracked Star Returning Ruins Dao Foundation.

The tremor of the fate disk nirvana mark pulsed faintly but continuously, like a heartbeat in the darkness. It clearly pointed in a certain direction within the village—that seemed to be the location of Black Stone Village's ancestral hall! The source of that vast, ancient earth origin aura, enveloped by endless turbid qi, was there!

Ancestral hall... ancestral land... earth origin... and that Old Village Chief Zhang Shouzhuo... a mortal who could see through the Immortal Curse at a glance?

Black Stone Village, this small isolated island in the turbid world, seemed to hide more secrets than imagined.

Live. Recover strength. Find the origin. Save Last Light.

In the exhausted darkness, Chen Feng re-anchored his goals. He needed time, and even more... an opportunity. This opportunity might lie deep within the ancestral hall, where ancestors were worshipped and the aura of earth origin emanated.