The abandoned cannon fodder girl's path to immortality

Chapter 300 The matter is settled, Qingluan Valley

The boy slightly raised his eyelids, revealing a pair of cloudy eyes.

He strained to turn his gaze toward the cave entrance, his lips moved slightly, but no sound came out.

Chen Jinshu stepped forward, squatted down, and placed her fingertips on his pulse.

The pulse is weak and intermittent, and may stop at any time.

She frowned slightly, flipped her hand to take out a cyan pill, put it into Yan Shuo's mouth, and then used her spiritual power to help it dissolve.

After a moment, Yan Shuo's breathing became more steady, and his eyes opened a little, his blurry vision gradually focusing on Chen Jinshu's face.

"Who...who are you?" His voice was hoarse, filled with intense wariness and hostility.

"The person who saved your life," Chen Jinshu said calmly. "You have a soul imprint on you, right?"

Yan Shuo's body trembled violently, a flash of fear crossing his eyes:

"How...how did you know..."

“Because I’ve seen the same mark before.” Chen Jinshu looked directly into his eyes.

"In another person chosen by Xuan Yinzi."

Yan Shuo's pupils suddenly contracted. He struggled to sit up, but due to the severity of his injuries, he fell back to the ground after only one movement.

He was breathing heavily, his eyes filled with despair and fear:

"That...that old devil...he's not dead yet? Wasn't he already..."

"he died."

“Xuan Yinzi is indeed dead, but he cultivated the ‘Three Elements Body Seizure and Rebirth Secret Record’. The soul imprint he planted on you is one of the paths to his rebirth.”

"Half a year ago, did your cultivation suddenly surge, breaking through from the early to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment? And after that, did you often dream of an old Taoist priest in a dark green robe standing in a sea of ​​blood, smiling at you?"

Yan Shuo's body trembled violently, and all the color drained from his face.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but only managed a choked sob:

"So that's how it is..."

"When did you realize something was wrong?" Chen Jinshu asked.

Yan Shuo closed his eyes and remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking:

“Three years ago… that was my eighteenth birthday. Although our Yan family was a small family, we were still quite prominent in Chisha Town. That night, I was practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard, and my father was watching me. My mother brought over a bowl of longevity noodles and said with a smile, ‘Xiao Shuo, eat quickly, or the noodles will get cold.’”

"Before I could even eat, shouts of battle erupted outside. Bandits stormed in, flames were everywhere, and screams filled the air... My father told me to run out the back door while he went to fight off the bandits... and then..."

His voice trembled, and tears welled up in his eyes: "That was the last time I saw my father."

Chen Jinshu listened in silence without interrupting.

Yan Shuo took a deep breath and continued:

“I ran out the back door and ran to the river outside the town. Someone was chasing me; it was the Sand Bandit Alliance. I ran and ran until I entered the Death Sand Sea… Later, I met an old Taoist in black robes. He saved me, healed my wounds, and said that I had the talent and wanted to take me as his disciple.”

"I thought he was my benefactor at the time," Yan Shuo said with a bitter laugh. "Who knew he would turn out to be a devil."

"The old Taoist first took me to a secluded cave in the Eastern Region and began to teach me the cultivation technique. The technique was indeed profound. When I cultivated it, I always had a strange feeling, as if someone was helping me open up my meridians, and my cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds. However, after each cultivation session, I would feel that something had been added to my mind."

It's like someone else's memory, and also like someone else's emotions; I can't tell.

"I had my doubts, but I was so eager to become stronger."

"Only by becoming stronger can I take revenge, find out who destroyed the Yan family that night, and find my surviving family members... So I keep telling myself that this is just a normal reaction and I shouldn't overthink it."

"Until a month ago, when I was cultivating, my spiritual power suddenly went out of control, my soul trembled violently, and then I 'saw' it."

He opened his eyes, his gaze filled with terror. "I saw a gray mark deep within my consciousness, and that mark could move..."

"I wanted to escape, but it was too late. The soul imprint had already merged with me, and I couldn't escape. I just wanted to find a place to wait for death... or wait for that old demon to completely devour me."

After listening, Chen Jinshu remained calm, but a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

She took out the ten-thousand-year-old Soul-Nourishing Wood from her storage bag, cut off a piece the size of her little finger, refined it into liquid soul essence with alchemical fire, and held it in her palm.

"Open your mouth."

Yan Shuo was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously opened his mouth. The soul essence transformed into a stream of light and entered his throat, the warm and pure soul power quickly spreading out to nourish his damaged soul.

He groaned, his face regained some color, and his previously cloudy eyes became clearer.

“I will remove this soul imprint for you,” Chen Jinshu said in a deep voice.

"But the process will be very painful, can you handle it?"

Yan Shuo stared at her blankly for a long while, then nodded forcefully, his voice weak but unusually firm:

"I can endure it! As long as I can get rid of that demon, I'll bear any pain!"

Chen Jinshu nodded, her fingertips gathering cyan-white flames. A small piece of five-colored soil liquefied in her palm, emitting a faint, raw aroma.

"go."

She whispered, her five fingers flying across the air. Five-colored earth liquefied into blue, red, yellow, white, and black threads, weaving into intricate runes in the void. The runes flickered, emitting a peculiar aura.

It possesses both the vitality of plants and the sharpness of metal, like a bond attempting to pull something out of Yan Shuo's soul.

"Bear with it."

She gave a low shout, and the talisman transformed into a stream of light, disappearing into Yan Shuo's brow.

Yan Shuo screamed in agony, his whole body curled up violently, veins bulging all over his body, and blood spilling from his seven orifices.

The azure-white flames in Chen Jinshu's hand burned fiercely, penetrating the soul seal with even greater force, and beginning to gradually erode its foundation.

"Ah!!!" Yan Shuo let out a shrill scream, as if his soul was being ripped out one by one.

"Don't move! Guard your mind and keep it clear!" Chen Jinshu shouted sharply, his hands moving without stopping. The threads formed from the five-colored soil tightened and tightened, locking the gray mist tightly, and then he pulled hard!

Yan Shuo's body convulsed suddenly, then collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

Chen Jinshu finished her practice, a thin layer of sweat glistening on her forehead. She took out a pill, swallowed it, and regulated her breathing for a moment before finally feeling relieved.

"The soul imprint has been removed," she said casually.

The matter of Xuan Yinzi has finally come to an end. The two containers have been found and the soul seals have been broken. Now, as long as we ensure that the two people's consciousnesses are intact and that Xuan Yinzi has no chance of possessing them again, the matter will be over!

Yan Shuo lay on the ground for a while before he recovered.

He wiped the blood and sweat from his face, staring blankly at Chen Jinshu with his bloodshot eyes, which were filled with intense pain. After a long while, he spoke in a trembling voice:

"I...I've really gotten rid of that devil?"

"Ah."

Yan Shuo's body trembled slightly, first with soft sobs, then with loud wails.

He lay on the ground, his hands supporting him, his shoulders heaving, crying like a child.

Chen Jinshu stood there, not disturbing him, but watching the water droplets dripping from the cave ceiling, splashing tiny ripples on the stone wall.

For a moment, only the sounds of water and weeping echoed inside the cave.

Jiang Yi stood at the cave entrance, watching this scene without saying a word.

He recalled the feeling when his soul imprint was removed, the feeling of surviving a catastrophe after returning from hell to the human world, which could not be expressed by crying alone.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Yan Shuo's crying gradually subsided.

He got up, knelt on the ground, and respectfully kowtowed to Chen Jinshu.

"Thank you for saving my life, senior." His voice was hoarse, but solemn and powerful.

"Yan Shuo's life belongs to you from today onwards."

Chen Jinshu raised her hand, making a gesture of support: "Get up. There's no need for that."

"Your injuries are quite severe, and your cultivation foundation has been damaged, so it's unlikely you'll make any progress in your future cultivation. However, if you can find suitable elixirs to recuperate, there might be a possibility of recovery." Upon hearing this, Yan Shuo's eyes shone with a glimmer of hope: "Senior, do you mean... I still have hope?"

Chen Jinshu did not answer, but only said:

"Let's get out of here first. The Black Scale Python could come back at any time; this is not a place to stay for long."

Yan Shuo struggled to his feet, and Jiang Yi stepped forward to help him up.

The two followed Chen Jinshu back the way they came.

When we emerged from the rift valley, it was already nearing dusk.

The setting sun painted the sand dunes on the horizon a brilliant golden-red, while the distant city of quicksand appeared and disappeared in the twilight.

Chen Jinshu stopped, glanced back at the cave, then at the two wounded young men behind him, and a thought crossed his mind:

"Although Xuan Yinzi is dead, the remnants of his soul, soul imprint, and vessel for possession he left behind... the legacy of this matter may be more extensive than I anticipated."

"Senior, are we really leaving?" Yan Shuo asked, his voice carrying a hint of unreality.

"Hmm." Chen Jinshu took out a jade slip from his sleeve, tapped it lightly with his fingertip, and projected a faint, interwoven terrain phantom.

"On the edge of the southern border, there is a valley called 'Azure Phoenix Valley,' which is rich in spiritual energy and rarely visited by people. I plan to stay there for a while."

Jiang Yi stepped forward, looking at the undulating mountain outline in the illusory image: "Azure Phoenix Valley? This junior has never heard of this name."

"I found it in an ancient jade slip." Chen Jinshu put away the jade slip and stepped forward.

"Let's go."

The Azure Phoenix Chasing the Moon Shuttle flew out from the sleeve, transforming into azure light that hovered three feet above the ground.

Chen Jinshu stepped forward first, and Jiang Yi and Yan Shuo exchanged a glance before quickly following.

The shuttle trembled slightly, its emerald light blazing brightly, transforming into a streak of light that shot into the sky and sped off in the southwest direction.

……

Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

"We're about to enter the southern border region. Below us is 'Crimson Python Ridge,' where monsters often roam. Hold on tight."

Chen Jinshu said casually, tapping the shuttle lightly with his fingertips.

A brilliant blue light shone forth, and the shuttle suddenly plunged downwards, skimming along the mountain ridge.

The trees on both sides rushed past, startling a flock of kingfishers perched on the branches.

Three days later, at dusk.

After flying through a dense miasma forest, the view suddenly opened up ahead.

A valley surrounded by green mountains on three sides lies quietly in the twilight.

The valley is lush with vegetation, and a clear stream meanders through the valley floor, its waters reflecting the sunset glow on the horizon, shimmering with golden light.

In the center of the valley, there is a pool about ten feet in diameter, its surface shrouded in a faint mist of spiritual energy.

Beside the pond, several acres of abandoned spiritual fields are overgrown with weeds, and dilapidated stone embankments can be vaguely seen.

"We've arrived." Chen Jinshu maneuvered the shuttle to land slowly beside the pool, retracted the shuttle, and looked around.

"This is the Azure Phoenix Valley."

Jiang Yi and Yan Shuo jumped off the flying shuttle and looked at the secluded valley in front of them, their eyes filled with undisguised shock.

Jiang Yi squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil from the spirit field, rubbed it, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes:

“Senior, although this spirit field has been abandoned for many years, the spiritual energy in the soil has not been completely lost. If it can be reclaimed and planted with spiritual plants, it will probably be no less than the medicinal garden of an ordinary medium-sized family!”

Chen Jinshu nodded, walked to the pool of water, squatted down, and gently stirred the surface of the water with his fingertips.

Rippling water, a pure spiritual energy flowed into my body through my fingertips.

She closed her eyes and sensed for a moment, then opened them with a hint of satisfaction in her eyes: "There is a branch of a third-grade low-level spiritual vein at the bottom of the pool. Although it is not very good, it is enough to support our daily needs."

Yan Shuo leaned closer, looked at the pool of water, and swallowed hard. "Senior, may I have a sip?"

Chen Jinshu glanced at him and nodded.

Yan Shuo immediately lay down by the pool, cupped the water in his hands, and poured it into his mouth.

The cool, sweet spring water, carrying wisps of spiritual energy, entered his throat. He let out a long sigh of relief, feeling much more refreshed.

"Good water!" He wiped his mouth, his eyes lighting up.

"It tastes a hundred times better than the Sand Spring water in Flowing Sand City, where half a spirit stone costs a bucket!"

Jiang Yi slapped him on the forehead: "You're useless."

Yan Shuo chuckled, not annoyed at all.

Chen Jinshu looked at them and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

She took out a jade hairpin from her storage bag, gave it a gentle shake, and Qingheng materialized from the hairpin, landing on the ground, her bare feet stepping on the soft grass.

"Wow!" Qingheng opened her arms and took a deep breath of the spiritual energy in the valley, her little face full of satisfaction.

"Master, this place is so comfortable! It's much better than that dilapidated stone house in Flowing Sand City! The spiritual energy here is at least three times richer!"

As she was speaking, she suddenly saw the sacred field by the pool. Her eyes lit up, and she skipped over to it, squatted on the edge of the field, and dug her little hands into the soil to feel it.

"Huh?" She tilted her head.

“Although this spiritual field is abandoned, the soil quality is quite good. Master, we can plant Qingning tea trees here! I’ve been wanting to find them a field where they can get plenty of sunshine for a long time!”

Chen Jinshu walked to her side and looked at the few acres of barren land: "No rush. First, clear the valley and set up defensive barriers before considering planting."

She turned around and looked at Jiang Yi and Yan Shuo:

"You two, find a suitable place in this valley and each build a wooden hut. Go out into the forest to cut the materials yourselves, and deal with any monsters that appear on your own."

"Yes!" The two clasped their fists together and turned to walk towards the dense forest at the valley entrance.

into the night.

A bonfire was lit in Qingluan Valley.

Chen Jinshu sat cross-legged by the campfire, a palm-sized piece of five-colored soil floating in front of her. Her mind was immersed in the Mysterious Female Treasure Furnace, silently communicating with the remaining essence of the Yin Marrow Jade.

Qingheng lay on her lap, her little head nodding, seemingly a little sleepy.

Jiang Yi and Yan Shuo each held a whittled wooden stake, sat on the other side of the fire, and chatted idly.

"Brother Jiang, what level of magic weapon do you think Senior's Mysterious Female Furnace is?"

“I always felt that it was something that ordinary Golden Core cultivators could not possess.”

Jiang Yi glanced at Chen Jinshu and, seeing that she was still in seclusion, whispered, "Don't ask about things that shouldn't be asked about your senior's affairs."

"I'm just curious," Yan Shuo said, pursing his lips.

"Tell me, how tall would that Qingning tea tree that you raised, senior, grow if it were planted in this valley?"

Before Jiang Yi could answer, Qing Heng suddenly raised her head and mumbled, "At least three zhang tall!"

Yan Shuo was startled, then laughed and said, "Senior Qingheng isn't asleep either?"

"Who should I call senior?" Qingheng wrinkled her little nose. "I'm only three years old!"

As she spoke, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty. She no longer knew how old she was, but it had been three years since Jinshu had taken human form. (End of Chapter)