CHAPTER 334: CHAPTER 288

"The cultivators of Beijing are limited in number. They possess higher cultivation than me, but their foundation is unstable, and their spiritual energy is not as abundant as mine. Their mastery over spells is also inferior. Engaging them in combat poses no significant threat, so why am I always uneasy?" Mei Lan pressed her hand against her heart, her brows slightly furrowed.

Until now, it is still hard to believe, myths are not just legends; indeed, Immortals exist in this world, it’s just that their whereabouts are unknown to others. If she weren’t a Cultivator herself and had not witnessed that Immortal’s ability to move mountains and overturn seas, she would have thought anyone claiming the existence of spirits and deities insane.

In Dragon Country, amidst the population of several hundred million, there are many who are more outstanding, more intelligent, and possess superior aptitude compared to her. It just so happened that she became aware of the existence of Immortals. Mei Lan knew she was better than the average person, but was aware she was not outstanding enough to catch the special regard of that particular Immortal. She does not know what caught his attention which led her to embark on the path to immortality that many dream of, cultivating towards becoming an immortal and a deity.

Spiritual energy in this world is sparse, making cultivation extremely challenging. She started cultivating late, only beginning after moving to Beijing for school by a twist of fate and joining a sect. After several years of struggle, seizing every second, she managed to cultivate to her current level. Among her fellow sect sisters, she is considered one of the better talents.

Her sect sisters started cultivating earlier than her; some started at the age of seven or eight, some at thirteen or fourteen. Starting at the age of eighteen or nineteen like her, her starting point was much lower compared to her sect sisters. Depending who cultivates using the mental methods provided by that Immortal, the one with the highest cultivation is only at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, and those with the lowest are at the Third Level, like her. It is said that the highest-cultivated sect sister has been cultivating since childhood.

Mei Lan thought that if she had started cultivating since childhood, by now she would at least be at the Qi Refining Tenth Layer.

Mei Lan does not know where her unease comes from, but it deeply disturbs her heart. That Immortal once said that cultivators are more sensitive to their bodies, and Mei Lan was certain that something bad would happen, but what exactly, she did not know.

There was a faint intuition recently, though it was subtle and fleeting, not as strong as this time, causing her heart to constantly pound, unable to settle down.

After pondering for a moment, she opened the door to inform those outside not to disturb her if she did not come out, familiar with her behavior. The people in the house knew that the old master valued this female disciple who stayed in her room from time to time engaged in mysterious activities. After Mei Lan gave instructions, it was conveyed by others.

Returning to her room and locking the door, she took out a gray, palm-sized cloth Storage Bag from her clothing pocket. If Lan Tian were here, he would immediately recognize it as the legendary Storage Bag, surprising even him more. Not everyone in the Cultivation World owns a Storage Bag, only those from large families and sects do; most cultivators do not own one given the sparse spiritual energy here and the scant number of cultivators who actually need a Storage Bag.

Mei Lan caressed the Storage Bag for a while; it was a gift from that Immortal, congratulating her on advancing to the Third Level of Qi Refining, and rewards including elixirs and Spirit Stones, most of which she had used up in her years of cultivation, leaving only some talismans in the Storage Bag. These years have been smooth sailing, and the talismans were hardly used. She dumped them all on the bed, counted a few remaining elixirs, about ten-plus talismans, chose carefully and placed a Defensive Talisman at the door.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed for cultivation, her state of mind was restless. Every attempt to cultivate resulted in the spiritual energy in her Dantian violently surging, rampaging through her meridians, and she accidentally suffered for it, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. Fearing to continue, Mei Lan walked anxiously around the room. After several laps, she thought of the two gu insects.

A few years ago, for some unknown reason, that Immortal instructed her elder sect sister to give her two gu insects to sacrificially refine. After the refinement, he took them back and gave her a part of a mental method, instructing her to periodically sense the existence of the two gu insects. If there was anything unusual, she must inform him promptly.

Recently, something strange happened with the child gu; it suddenly became undetectable no matter how she called. It vanished without a trace. If it had died, as the host, she would have suffered a backlash, but she didn’t, which meant the child gu was still alive, just hidden somewhere.

She could sense the mother gu in Beijing, but its exact position within the Southwest of Beijing was vast and unclear, making it difficult to find, and she lacked the free time.

Mei Lan activated the mental method to sense the mother gu, when suddenly, her eyes snapped open, her face showing a frightened expression. How could this be? Her connection with the mother gu was becoming weaker and weaker, almost on the verge of breaking. What was happening?

Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the talismans on the bed, hesitated as she held a Communication Talisman, wondering whether to inform that Immortal. The abnormal behavior of the gu insects left Mei Lan uncertain. It was rare for that Immortal to trust her with a task. If she reported now, and there turned out to be no abnormality with the gu insects, she feared it might leave a bad impression in his eyes, and her sect sisters would have something against her again.

After much thought, she decided not to inform him for now, given the unclear situation. She took down the talismans and followed the contractual sense between her and the gu insects, heading in the Southwest direction.

...........

Before retrieving the gu, Lan Tian extracted a strand of Chaos Fire and surrounded Ji Feng with it to ensure his safety. Ji Feng only saw Lan Tian trace a circle around him with her fingers, followed her hand movement, and saw nothing.

"Xiao Lan, what did you release?" Ji Feng asked curiously.

"I’ve surrounded you with a ring of fire for protection. In a moment, when the old master retrieves the gu, if the mother gu comes towards you, this ring of fire will prevent it from approaching. Don’t worry, it won’t burn you." Lan Tian stepped back a few paces, looked him up and down, thinking there was too little fire, drew another strand and added it, pondering and then said, "It won’t hinder your movement; it will move with you, very convenient. I’m going to retrieve the gu for the old master." Then, she walked away.

Lan Tian’s pills were very potent. After the old master took them, he entered a deep coma, oblivious to the outside world. Lan Tian’s fingers touched his wrist, and spiritual energy entered his body from his wrist, probing his condition. After circulating a round of spiritual energy, following an acupuncture session in the daytime and taking a dose of spiritual medicine,_logged_posts.