88: Repairing the Western Earth Veins

The thick Spiritual Qi of the Spiritual Veins gradually dissipated. As a crisp chime of a bell rang out, Lu Shu woke up from his Breakthrough.

Opening his eyes, he saw a snout thrust right in front of his face; Lu Shu hastily pushed it away.

"Brother Bai, I know you're happy for me, but this is indeed a bit terrifying."

The Tiangou spat at him and then ran straight away.

He's even acting disgusted now; are we brothers or not?

At this moment, Lu Shu noticed two figures watching him.

Lu Shu immediately ran over joyfully and bowed respectfully, saying, "Disciple Lu Shu greets Revered Master and... Daoist Venerable."

As for "Mistress" or the like, he could only call her that in private.

Qing Wu and the other nodded, quite satisfied with this Disciple.

Although compared to Ling Ling, the Disciple Yuan Feng had taken in, his cultivation was quite a bit lower.

The current Ling Ling had long since entered the Taiyi Realm and was currently in seclusion to break through to the Taiyi Middle Stage.

But this was also because Ling Ling's foundations were inherently good, and she had also obtained her Old Ancestor's Origin Thunder Bead. Relying on the many insights within it, her cultivation speed had increased significantly.

Lu Shu also had his own cheat, he just hadn't used it yet.

"Get ready to take a trip to the Western Land with us."

In the Western Land, after the Struggle between Dao and Demon, though some core areas had been preserved by them...

...the vast majority of the rest was still affected and utterly destroyed.

It was the perfect time for Lu Shu to utilize his innate Divine Ability. While repairing the Spiritual Veins, he could also gain Karma; with his Luck rising, his cultivation speed would also increase.

"As you command!"

Lu Shu agreed to his Revered Master's words without the slightest hesitation.

Afterward, Qing Wu and his companion took Lu Shu to the west.

The Tiangou had originally wanted to follow, but was kicked back by Qing Wu and ordered to stay and guard the house... The Western Land after the Great Tribulation was completely incomparable to before.

Looking out, the once spiritually vibrant Western Land had now turned into a scorched wasteland.

The cracked earth was crisscrossed with bottomless ravines—scars left by the zhuxian sword Sword Qi.

Dried-up riverbeds exposed pale white bones, with the occasional wreckage of withered spiritual trees.

The air was filled with lingering Evil Qi, and the cool breeze carried a bone-chilling cold.

The soil that should have nurtured life now glowed with an eerie dark red.

On several broken peaks in the distance, residual demonic seals were still devouring the thin Spiritual Qi, turning the vast surrounding area into a true dead zone.

Yuan Feng frowned slightly, her eyes full of regret.

"It seems the catastrophe the west suffered is even more severe than imagined."

Qing Wu shook his head and unfurled the Beast God Palace, slowly absorbing the Evil Qi drifting in the air.

As Lu Shu stepped onto this scorched earth, the burning pain from beneath his feet made him tremble all over.

As an exotic beast born of heaven and earth, he had an extraordinary affinity for Spiritual Veins and could clearly feel the painful groans coming from deep within the earth.

These shattered Spiritual Veins were like severed blood vessels, still gurgling away their last bits of vitality.

Suddenly, Lu Shu transformed into his original form and let out clear, melodious cries. The Golden Bell around his neck also rang in response, harmonizing with him to play a "Earth Meridian Soul Calming Song."

Lu Shu's cries and the clear tone of the Golden Bell intertwined, turning into visible azure ripples that spread in all directions like waves.

Every syllable of this "Earth Meridian Soul Calming Song" could stir the purest Essence of Wood. The moment the notes touched the ground, the cracked soil actually began to vibrate slightly.

Deep underground, those shattered Spiritual Veins seemed to be infused with life.

Pale gold filaments extended from the ends of the broken Spiritual Veins, slowly connecting under the soothing of the Requiem.

The dormant Earth Qi was gently awakened, and the murky Evil Qi gradually settled within the melody, turning into nutrients that nourished the land.

Qing Wu waved his hand, signaling Lu Shu to let loose.

Having received the order, the latter nodded and then strode forward, frolicking away.

Everywhere he passed, the Spiritual Veins revived and all things returned to spring.

The changes between heaven and earth had already begun, especially in this place where destruction led to rebirth.

Even a minor Cultivator like Lu Shu, who had just entered the Taiyi Realm, could attract a significant amount of Qi with every movement.

Of course, this was what he deserved for repairing the Spiritual Veins.

Thus, the west was practically a land of Opportunity for him; not only could he earn Karma, but he could also fully utilize his innate Divine Ability. His Dao would also gradually manifest here.

While lost in thought, Lu Shu ran back, carrying something in his mouth.

Yuan Feng took it and let out a light gasp. "This item is indeed quite strange."

The object in Lu Shu's mouth was a fruit shaped like a baby less than three days old, with all four limbs and distinct facial features. It was translucent white like jade, with a faint golden light flowing over its skin.

"ginseng fruit!" Qing Wu recognized the item.

This item grew on the Ginseng Fruit Tree, one of the ten great supreme Spiritual Roots. It was said to bloom every three thousand years, bear fruit every three thousand years, and ripen every three thousand years, yielding only thirty fruits each time, making it extremely precious.

This tree was held by Zhenyuanzi, the Ancestor of Earthly Immortals.

And the appearance of a ginseng fruit here meant... Looking up, he saw two figures in the distance.

One wore red robes and had a free-spirited expression, waving to them with an undisguised smile; it was indeed Hongyun.

Beside him was someone wearing a dark yellow Daoist robe, with a heavy and natural dao rhyme. It was undoubtedly Zhenyuanzi.

"Brother, are these two really Fellow Daoists? Why can't I see the depths of their strength at all?"

"Have you gone and befriended someone you shouldn't have again?"

Unlike Hongyun, who followed his heart in all things, Zhenyuanzi was characterized by his steadiness; the two complemented each other perfectly.

Seeing that the two before him were unfathomable, he was truly a bit worried.

He wondered if his brother had gone out and met people he shouldn't have again.

This had happened often enough that he couldn't help but be concerned.

Hongyun patted his shoulder. "Rest assured, brother. These two Fellow Daoists are powerful, possess deep fortune, and have no airs. They are certainly people worth befriending."

"Hurry and come with me to meet them."

Hongyun had already told Zhenyuanzi about the time he met Qing Wu and the other in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.

Naturally, he omitted the part where he was captured.

In his description, Fellow Daoist Qing Wu was of noble character, possessed great righteousness, and had no airs.

As for Yuan Feng... though a bit cold and majestic, she was also someone worth befriending.

In short, in his eyes, both were top-tier Great Desolation Cultivators, so there was no reason not to befriend them.

That being said, Zhenyuanzi was still a bit uneasy. He knew his old friend's temperament; what came out of his mouth was often the least trustworthy.