Jing Li’s fingers tightened around his phone as he read the message.
After planning for so long, the opportunity had finally arrived. He was almost desperate to call Wang Xiaoning immediately and arrange a face-to-face meeting.
Barely enduring until the award ceremony ended, Jing Li headed straight to the parking lot with his assistant. Finding an excuse to dismiss the assistant, he got into the car alone.
As soon as he was in the car, Jing Li called Wang Xiaoning, asking him to come directly to his hotel room to discuss matters in detail.
To his surprise, Wang Xiaoning hesitated when he answered the call, then said, “Mr. Gu has already approached me…”
Jing Li froze, his heart skipping a beat. “What did you say?”
“After I called you earlier, Mr. Gu must have sensed something. He contacted me directly, and when he heard I had a tracking talisman, he came to get it and went straight to their lair…”
“Where?” Jing Li interrupted, frowning, not interested in further explanations. “Take me there now, or tell me the location.”
“But Mr. Gu said not to let you—”
“The location!” Jing Li cut him off again, his voice tinged with urgency. “If you keep stalling, and he encounters danger…”
Jing Li glanced at him, leaving the sentence unfinished, but the murderous intent in his tone was unmistakable.
“Southwestern Wumin County. The location we found is underground in the western suburbs of the county town.” After a moment of silence, Wang Xiaoning finally revealed the address.
He paused, then added, remembering the information Gu Tingshen had discovered earlier, “Though we’ve found the lair, the area is perpetually shrouded in miasma, which isn’t suitable for—”
Jing Li hung up as soon as he had the information he needed. He then cast a spell to transport himself to Southwestern Wumin County.
Situated on the edge of a basin, Wumin County was surrounded by mountains and forests, with only a relatively flat area in the center where a small cluster of buildings stood.
This enclosed terrain facilitated the spread of miasma.
The surrounding mountain ranges were almost entirely shrouded in a thin mist, which grew denser towards the depths of the mountains.
As soon as Jing Li landed on the mountaintop, he was assaulted by the stench of decay. While the odor might be negligible to ordinary humans, it was overwhelmingly potent to a demon cultivator whose sense of smell was millions of times more acute. A cultivator of lesser skill might have fainted from the concentrated miasma.
No wonder the black bear spirit had managed to hide here for over ten thousand years; the geographical advantages were certainly convenient for the concealment of his whereabouts.
Jing Li raised his hand to create a barrier, isolating himself from the miasma. He surveyed the area, attempting to sense Gu Tingshen’s location amidst the encircling mountains.
Fortunately, Gu Tingshen hadn’t anticipated Jing Li’s pursuit and hadn’t concealed his aura. After a brief moment of concentration, Jing Li locked onto Gu Tingshen’s position.
Jing Li steeled himself, ready to give chase.
Suddenly, he felt a disturbance in his soul—a flicker of the divine sense he had placed in the protective charm he’d given Gu Tingshen.
Jing Li’s expression changed instantly. He hastily cast a teleportation spell and vanished.
Jing Li had just arrived when he heard a loud crash. A figure was sent flying, crashing into a distant tree before falling to the ground.
“Gu Tingshen!” Jing Li cried out, instinctively moving towards the fallen figure. Suddenly, he found himself enveloped in a familiar embrace.
Sensing the presence behind him, Jing Li tilted his head back, meeting Gu Tingshen’s handsome face. However, his expression was unusually stern, more serious than Jing Li had ever seen.
“Why did you follow me?” Gu Tingshen asked, his lips tight. “I told you not to come.”
“I was worried about you,” Jing Li replied, scanning Gu Tingshen for injuries. Relieved to find none visible, he added anxiously, “I felt a disturbance in the charm I gave you. Are you hurt somewhere I can’t see?”
Gu Tingshen paused, then reached into his robes, producing the charm he’d kept close. It had a visible tear.
The area’s spiritual energy was sparse, and it lacked any spiritual tools to store items. When the black bear spirit’s sneak attack affected it, the charm unraveled into a tattered cloth.
Gu Tingshen’s face darkened as he held the damaged charm.
Before he could speak, a sinister laugh echoed from across the clearing.
“Hahaha! This must be the world’s biggest joke,” the black bear spirit sneered, looking up at Gu Tingshen. “The almighty Heavenly Dao, falling in love with a little demon?”
“No wonder the world’s spiritual energy is so thin, yet this koi spirit alone repeatedly ascends through tribulations.”
“How can you claim to be fair and just? What right do you have to control the myriad worlds?!”
The black bear spirit’s resentment grew, his malice nearly tangible.
Gu Tingshen ignored him, saying coldly, “Release the demons you’ve captured, and I’ll grant you a quick death.”
“Ha.” The black bear spirit scoffed as if hearing an absurd joke. He looked at the Heavenly Dao’s lofty stance, his tone contemptuous. “If the great Heavenly Dao cares so much about their lives, why don’t you come and take them yourself?”
With that, he raised his hands. The surrounding miasma instantly gathered around him. He then swept his arm forward, transforming the pitch-black miasma into an attack.
But it wasn’t aimed at Gu Tingshen. It was headed straight for Jing Li.
The black bear spirit, having lived for over ten thousand years and constantly absorbing the world’s spiritual energy and demonic power, possessed strength far beyond Jing Li’s.
Before Jing Li could react, the attack was upon him.
Gu Tingshen’s expression turned cold. He raised one hand to dispel the attack while using the other to hold Jing Li, dodging to the side to avoid the impact. When they landed, the surroundings had completely changed.
The once tree-covered forest had transformed into an endless black wasteland. Countless wooden stakes protruded from the ground, each entwined with black threads. The other ends of these threads were held directly in the black bear spirit’s hand.
The entire wasteland resembled a massive black cemetery, deathly silent, impenetrable even to the slightest breeze.
“You pity their fates in my hands? Let’s see if you’ll endure attacks from these creatures you so pity, all for the sake of your mercy!” The black bear spirit sneered, manipulating the threads to command the stakes towards Gu Tingshen and Jing Li.
The stakes uprooted themselves, sprouting countless branches that extended toward the pair. As they grew, the branches thickened like writhing maggots. Their tips split into numerous twigs, transforming into black, withered claws that lunged forward with sharp talons.
Gu Tingshen’s expression darkened. He instinctively shielded Jing Li behind him, erecting a barrier for protection before turning to face the onslaught.
The encroaching branches filled the wasteland with a mass of black vines.
Gu Tingshen surveyed the scene, then swept his hand forward. A white light instantly spread out, enveloping the entire wasteland.
The black vines, restrained by the light, began to struggle. Their writhing produced an eerie, hissing sound. Yet the white light, while restricting their movement, inflicted no real damage. If anything, it agitated them further.
“As expected of the Heavenly Dao, always playing at false benevolence,” the black bear spirit sneered. “Ha, you think—”
Before he could finish, Gu Tingshen raised his hand again. A golden light followed, overlaying the white.
As the two lights merged, the struggling vines began to convulse violently. Black specks appeared on their surface, as if something was being forcibly extracted from within.
“Impossible!!!” The black bear spirit’s mockery froze on his face, replaced by disbelief. “You’re using your own primordial spirit to purify them?!”
These demon souls under his control had long lost their sentience. To save them, the Heavenly Dao would have to dissolve his own primordial spirit to repair and grant them new life. There was no other way.
The Heavenly Dao’s existence stemmed from eons of refining the essence of heaven and earth, gradually developing consciousness through pure spiritual energy.
To grow powerful enough to control the myriad worlds required countless ages of tempering. To maintain balance across all planes, the Heavenly Dao itself must remain utterly inviolate.
Thus, the Heavenly Dao was inherently dispassionate.
But the black bear spirit never imagined the Heavenly Dao would go to such lengths for these insignificant beings.
Didn’t he fear damaging his true form would destabilize the planes, causing universal laws to fail?
“Shen-ge!” Jing Li cried out simultaneously, trying to stop Gu Tingshen.
But Gu Tingshen had clearly made his decision. He didn’t look back, his actions unwavering.
In the blink of an eye, half the blackness had faded from the vines across the wasteland.
The black bear spirit, having bound these demon souls to his own to control them fully, suffered the same effects as the vines.
The sheer number overwhelmed him, draining the color from his face and slowing his manipulations.
“Shen-ge, use this!” Jing Li, assessing the situation beyond the barrier, called out again urgently. He pulled a green object from his robes and tossed it over—the Heart of Life gifted to him when healing the Tree of Life in the Green Forest.
The Heart of Life could revive the dead and protect the souls of living beings.
This way, Gu Tingshen would only need to strip away the dark energy and banish the souls back, allowing them to slowly heal through spiritual nourishment.
“The Heart of Life?! That old fool willingly gave it to you?!”
This time, the black bear spirit was utterly enraged.
But no one cared about his emotions.
Sensing movement behind him, Gu Tingshen turned to see something green flying towards him.
He instinctively caught it, pausing as he recognized the object. Meeting Jing Li’s earnest gaze, he couldn’t help but smile.
“Alright.” He didn’t refuse Jing Li’s intention but didn’t immediately use it. Instead, he stepped forward to the barrier, took Jing Li’s hand, and placed the Heart of Life back in his palm, clasping their hands together.
As Jing Li began to speak again, Gu Tingshen smiled gently, “Since it was your idea, you should be the one to do it.”
As he spoke, he exerted a slight force. A purple-gold light burst from their joined hands, intermingling with the green specks from the Heart of Life. It spread, eventually enveloping the entire wasteland and seeping into the black vines.
Instantly, the violently convulsing vines quieted. As time passed, they began to retract, returning to their original stake forms. Fresh green buds sprouted on the stakes.
While the black vines were fortunate to have their souls protected, the black bear spirit wasn’t so lucky.
The backlash from countless demon souls caused his spirit to quake uncontrollably. As tender shoots emerged across the wasteland, he finally coughed up blood, his body crumpling to the ground.
The demonic energy accumulated over ten thousand years began to dissipate, and the black bear spirit’s human form became unstable.
He glared hatefully at the two relaxed figures nearby, his resentment peaking. Seeing their light-hearted smiles as they held hands infuriated him further, driving him to madness.
“What Heavenly Dao and fate? It’s nothing but the victor writing history!” The black bear spirit gritted his teeth, forcing his remaining demonic power to his spirit platform. “Even if you are the Heavenly Dao, this vast world never lacks the spiritual power to nurture new life!”
“Since you’re determined to oppose me, let’s see if you can have the last laugh!”
With those words, he forced his last bit of demonic power to his spirit platform, ruthlessly activating it. His spirit platform began to crack.
However, just before his spirit platform could self-destruct, Gu Tingshen suddenly sent a palm strike, completely shattering it. The black bear spirit could only stare in disbelief, eyes wide.
“You’re right, it is about victors and losers.”
“But from the very beginning, you were never qualified to be my opponent.”
Gu Tingshen’s cold, calm words drifted on the wind, the final blow to his enemy.
The black bear spirit finally succumbed, dissipating into stardust along with the wasteland.
Simultaneously, the forest previously controlled by the black bear spirit gradually returned to its former state.
The spirits previously controlled by the black bear spirit had their constraints completely dissolved. Under the protection of the Heart of Life, they all fell into a deep slumber, waiting for the right moment to reawaken.
The world returned to peace.
Seeing the forest restored to its former tranquility, Jing Li felt momentarily dazed.
The Dark Forest had vanished so quickly that he felt a sense of unreality.
“What’s wrong?” Having resolved the Dark Forest problem, Gu Tingshen noticed Jing Li’s blank expression and gently squeezed his hand.
“Nothing.” Jing Li snapped back to reality, about to say something when his phone rang in his pocket.
He took it out and saw it was Qin Hao, his brother’s secretary, calling. He answered.
Qin Hao informed him that his brother had suddenly fainted and been taken to the hospital.
Jing Li’s expression changed. After getting the hospital address, he and Gu Tingshen rushed over.
When they arrived, Jing Yu had just finished his examination and been moved to a ward. Qin Hao and several executives were inside.
“How’s my brother?” Jing Li asked as he entered the room.
Qin Hao turned to see him, initially surprised by his quick arrival.
Assuming Jing Li must have been nearby, Qin Hao quickly replied, “He’s just finished the examination. We’re waiting for the results now.”
Jing Li nodded, moving directly to the bedside. He sat down and took Jing Yu’s hand.
He sent a thread of spiritual energy into Jing Yu’s body, carefully examining it. Only after confirming there were no issues did he withdraw, relieved.
To the others, this appeared as a display of brotherly affection, with the younger brother concerned for the elder.
The executives, who knew Jing Li, gathered around to comfort him. “Er Shao, please don’t worry too much. I’m sure the president will be fine.”
“That’s right. Mr. Jing has always been healthy. It’s probably just fatigue from overworking these past few days.”
…
The room quickly grew noisy with everyone’s reassurances.
Jing Li thanked them for their concern, then suggested they could return to the company if they had work to do.
The executives looked at him, then at the unconscious Jing Yu on the bed, hesitating.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. A doctor in a white coat entered, carrying a stack of test results.
All eyes immediately turned to him, with some anxiously inquiring about Jing Yu’s condition.
“There’s nothing serious. All test results are normal. It seems to be caused by recent fatigue. He just needs to rest more in the future.”
Everyone sighed in relief upon hearing Jing Yu was fine.
The doctor continued, “However, for the patient to rest properly, it’s best not to have too many people in the room. One or two people to care for him should be sufficient.”
Jing Li nodded, asking Qin Hao to escort the doctor out. He then once again politely asked the executives to leave.
This time, reassured by the doctor’s words, the executives didn’t hesitate. They nodded to Jing Li and departed.
Once everyone had left, only Gu Tingshen and Jing Li remained in the now quiet room.
Gu Tingshen pulled two chairs over and sat beside Jing Li next to the bed. He glanced at Jing Yu’s face, “He doesn’t seem to be in any danger. It’s likely he was affected by the recent spiritual energy fluctuations.”
Jing Li paused at these words, then seemed to realize something, his heart stirring slightly.
Just then, Jing Yu’s eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.
Jing Li noticed from the corner of his eye and immediately stood up. “Ge?”
Hearing this, Jing Yu turned his head slightly. Upon meeting his brother’s gaze, he was silent for a moment before calling out in a low voice, “Xiao Jin.”
Jing Li was momentarily stunned.
Although the pronunciation of the name seemed the same as usual, for some reason, he felt that his brother was calling him by his name from the Spiritual Realm.
Sure enough, the next moment, Jing Yu continued, “I remember everything now.”
One last chapter and we’re saying goodbye to Jing Brothers and Mr. Gu.
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