The Fairy: From the Traveling Merchant

Chapter 1047 Seclusion (Part 2 Combined)

Ling Wei remained calm and said indifferently, "I know."

She already had little time left in her lifespan, and she had just continuously exhausted her vital essence to activate the power of secret treasures and magical artifacts, resulting in severe depletion of her vital energy. It was only natural that her time was not far off.

Previously, Zhao Chen hadn't noticed because of the island's protective array, but now that they were face to face, he could immediately see the strong aura of "death" emanating from her.

That is the natural manifestation of the laws of the universe when one's fortunes decline and one's destiny is nearing its end.

This is not obvious in ordinary people or low-level cultivators, but for cultivators with supernatural powers, especially those like Pavilion Master Lingwei who have crossed the third heavenly ladder, their destiny is already precious enough. Since she is about to perish, there will naturally be signs.

Legend has it that when a cultivator at the "Dongxuan" level reaches the end of their life, a meteor may streak across the sky, as if a star has fallen.

The core of the "Big Dipper Death Curse" supernatural power embodies this phenomenon, except that it reverses the cause and effect.

Listening to the question and answer between the two, Fu Man, the "Palace Master of Fuyao", finally reacted. Although she was mentally prepared, she still couldn't help but choke up when she heard that the Pavilion Master only had less than seven days left.

At first, she felt very suppressed, but then she covered her mouth and sobbed softly...

Fu Man, Dong Caiyu, and Bai Xue are not far apart in age. Because they have advanced to the level of supernatural powers, they are nominally of the same generation as Pavilion Master Ling, but in reality, they all grew up under Ling Wei's care.

In Fu Man's eyes, Ling Wei was a reliable teacher, a respected elder... and the support of everyone in Fengyin Pavilion.

How could she not be saddened now that the other person is about to pass away?
Seeing this, Ling Wei stepped forward and patted Fu Man's forehead. When Fu Man looked at her blankly, she smiled and said, "Although I don't have much time left to live, I'm not going to die. If you want to cry, wait until I'm really dead."

Fu Man was taken aback for a moment, then her eyes lit up. Just as she was about to ask for details, she saw Pavilion Master Ling turn to "Young Master Wang" and say, "I would like to ask you for another favor, Young Master, so that I can stay on the island for a few more days..."

Zhao Chen sighed again and asked, "Does Pavilion Master Ling intend to risk refining the Flood Dragon Pearl directly?"

How could Zhao Chen not understand Ling Wei's thoughts? He had even guessed her plan long ago, after all, he was the one who sold the dragon pearls of the Crimson and Azure Dragons to her.

Ling Wei nodded directly: "It's too late to ask someone to refine pills. We can only use some auxiliary items to suppress the evil power inside the dragon pearl as much as possible and absorb more life essence."

In particular, the dragon pearl of that azure dragon not only matched her attributes, but was also more suitable for prolonging her life.

She paused for a moment, then added, "If I fail and fall into evil, please do not hold back, young master."

Zhao Chen did not agree immediately, but calculated the time, after all, he had promised "Little Black Cat" that he would go to Yumen County to protect her.

There are still five days until the agreed time... Once we arrive at Yeyi, we can use the "Black Domain Passage" to go directly to Ganzhou... And from Sanxian Island to Yeyi, it will only take about half a day at "Crane Fairy's" speed.

and so……

"I can only stay on Three Immortals Island for a maximum of four days," Zhao Chen said truthfully.

Upon hearing this, Pavilion Master Lingwei smiled, as if she had breathed a sigh of relief, and said, "Four days is enough. In fact, if it weren't for the need to adjust one's own condition, success or failure could be determined in a single day."

In fact, you have one last "insurance" – me… After all, that dragon pearl has already entered the "Star Chariot" and established a connection with it. As long as you consume it, you will most likely become one of our own.

Even if you were to lose control and turn into a monster, I could forcibly throw you into the cargo hold of the "Starship" a moment beforehand to "preserve" you.

Of course, if I were to use my "Five Emperors Paying Homage to the True Ones" supernatural powers to protect you throughout the entire process, then the process of refining the "Dragon Pearl" would not have too many surprises.

The problem is, given this pavilion master's personality, he certainly wouldn't trust an outsider like me.

As his thoughts raced, Zhao Chen changed the subject, saying, "Sect Master Ling, could you hand over the black and red armored behemoth that you suppressed with your natal magic weapon? I can exchange it for the other two monsters you sealed."

Of the monsters captured, the one that first fell into the "Heavenly Ruins Gale Tower" was the strongest, and the profound laws contained in its "halo" were very interesting, which is why Zhao Chen wanted to study it.

“Young Master is taking good care of my Fengyin Pavilion. If it weren’t for the need to explain to the government, it would have been more appropriate to give it to you directly.” Ling Wei smiled and nodded. Then, with a thought, she directly conjured her natal magic weapon, the “Heavenly Ruins Gale Tower,” and handed it to Zhao Chen.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Chen frowned slightly, then relaxed.

The essence of artifact-type supernatural powers is a manifestation of a certain aspect of a cultivator's inner world in reality. They can only be transformed into tangible objects when manipulated by one's own divine consciousness, and they will immediately dissipate after being taken over by others.

The fact that Zhao Chen can now hold the "Heavenly Ruins Gale Tower" means that Ling Wei has severed this fundamental divine power, abandoned all the "laws" she has comprehended and the "principles" she has understood, and temporarily turned it into a true divine artifact.

This principle is similar to the fact that after a cultivator with supernatural powers dies, there is a certain probability that their inner world will materialize and become a magical artifact.

One is temporary, while the other can last a long time.

Such self-inflicted injury is similar to the state after one's fundamental supernatural power is destroyed; one cannot use it again for a short period of time.

Seeing this, Fu Man, who had just calmed down, exclaimed again, "Sect Master, how could you sever your own foundation?! How can you deal with the evil power within the Flood Dragon Pearl in the best possible condition?"

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Ling Wei waved her hand, not wanting to say more, but seeing Fu Man's worried look, she explained simply, "Directly consuming the 'Dragon Pearl' is actually equivalent to being infused with evil spirits. Whether I succeed or not, I will change my foundation... The weaker my original foundation is, the easier it will be to succeed."

"Moreover, I have mastered more than just the foundational 'law,' which is enough to restrain the laws within the Flood Dragon Pearl."

Her words were very organized, clearly indicating that she had planned ahead when she decided to fight the monster, thinking three steps ahead for every step she took, as if everything was within her calculations.

Perhaps it's because she's been the leader of the sect for too long that people have long forgotten that when Ling Wei was traveling the martial world, she had the prestigious title of "Lone Chess Master of the Heavenly Ruins"!
Zhao Chen understood this point, which is why he directly transferred the black and red armored monster inside the "Heavenly Ruins Gale Tower" to the inner world for imprisonment, and then put the two ends he had sealed into the tower.

The entire process was completed within the restricted space constructed by "Starry Night Restoration," so it was quite smooth and there were no mishaps.

After completing the exchange, Zhao Chen used his divine sense to return the "Heavenly Ruins Gale Tower" to Ling Wei.

Unexpectedly, Pavilion Master Ling handed it over to Fu Man and instructed him, "This 'tower' can last for four or five days if it is not used. You can then give it directly to the person in charge of the Dao Immortal Sect or the government."

"This time, thanks to Young Master Wang's generosity, the credit was mainly given to me... And given the fact that I burned my lifespan, plus the fact that the 'spoils of war' were exchanged for those two slightly weaker monsters, I shouldn't arouse any suspicion. Remember, when exchanging for merit, try to get rare and powerful Qi or a powerful secret treasure that can serve as a foundation."

After hesitating for a moment, Fu Man nodded emphatically and said, "Yes."

"Finally, after Elder Yu recovers, please have him and Young Master Wang witness my intention to pass the position of Pavilion Master of Fengyin Pavilion to you, Junior Sister Bai Xue..." As she spoke, Ling Wei looked into Fu Man's eyes and asked, "Can you object?"

Even if she successfully extends her lifespan, she will have effectively left the realm of Great Xia cultivators and would no longer be suitable to serve as the Pavilion Master.

Fu Man understood Ling Wei's meaning and immediately shook his head: "Junior Sister Bai is a fourth-grade divine power, and her future is brighter than mine. She is naturally the most suitable for the position of Pavilion Master."

Although a fourth-grade divine ability is still considered mid-grade, it offers a glimmer of hope for advancing to the "Dongxuan" level.

“Although those with fourth-grade supernatural abilities often achieve extraordinary things once they cross the threshold of ‘Dongxuan,’ very few can actually succeed. It requires great perseverance, great opportunity, and great wisdom.” Ling Wei didn’t really think Bai Xue could do it, but compared to Fu Man and Dong Caiyu, there was still hope.

Unfortunately, my little apprentice disappeared without a trace after she left, and I have no idea where she is now... She is the most likely future of Fengyin Pavilion.

After giving all the instructions, Ling Wei closed her eyes to rest. Although she hadn't been injured, the series of battles had left her exhausted. If there weren't other matters that required her personal attention, she would have already returned to the mountain gate to rest in seclusion.

……

In the afternoon, a massive steel ship, two or three times larger than the "Seeking Immortals," sailed through the waves towards the Three Immortal Islands.

The ship carried not only Dong Caiyu, known as "Shuoyun Zhuifeng," and Bai Xue, known as "Yunxiu Qingpin," as well as the five mid-grade supernatural cultivators they had invited to help them, but also a captain officer from the East China Sea Navy.

They were aboard a military warship.

As they approached the Three Immortal Islands, Bai Xue and Dong Caiyu discovered that the "Three Lights Welcoming Immortals Formation" had not been activated, and their hearts sank, almost thinking that the island had already fallen.

It was only at this moment that the ship's radio received a message from Sanxian Island, and they learned that the monster had been defeated, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.

"So Young Master Wang arrived last night and even helped the Pavilion Master take down two monsters in one fell swoop. It seems he really is as strong as you said!" The heroic spirit of Dong Caiyu returned to her brows. After a few words of admiration, she teased, "It seems you really have to become his 'slave' this time."

Bai Xue didn't take this level of teasing to heart at all, and only murmured, "So it turns out that the young master is also skilled in the Divine Eagle Army's supernatural abilities... That makes sense, the Wang family has a concubine who has close ties with the Great Xia royal family, so it's perfectly normal for her to possess military supernatural abilities."

Although the process of this speculation was completely unrelated, the result was correct—Zhao Chen's military supernatural abilities were indeed completed by Wang Qingling; he initially only had a list of spells.

The reason Zhao Chen had Fu Man include information about the "Divine Eagle Vajra Body" in the "report" was because such a large figure couldn't be hidden during combat.

Besides the few supernatural beings on Three Immortals Island, there are also quite a few Qi Sha cultivators. Although they cannot observe the details of the battle, they know that there are mechanical figures fighting against the monsters.

Upon receiving news of the monster's retreat, the tense atmosphere on the warship instantly dissipated. The mid-grade supernatural beings who had been invited to assist in the battle, who had initially been apprehensive, became lively and began to fawn over Dong Caiyu.

In response, Dong Caiyu patiently provided emotional value while maintaining the "aloof swordsman" persona.

After all, regardless of whether the crisis at Three Immortal Islands has been resolved, since they were willing to risk their lives to rescue them, Fengyin Pavilion should be grateful for their kindness.

However, Dong Caiyu still played a little trick, subtly expressing her gratitude and admiration for "Young Master Wang" in her words, so that those mid-grade supernatural cultivators could understand her thoughts despite their discomfort.

That young master Wang not only came from a prestigious family, but also helped Fengyin Pavilion at a crucial moment. Even though the key to victory or defeat lay with Pavilion Master Ling, he was most likely the one who broke the balance on the scales.

Such contributions earned them the admiration of their heroines, so there's nothing to be jealous of...

Of course, the most important reason is that the Jianye Wang family is quite powerful, and they can't afford to offend them, otherwise they would have to test their strength.

Just as the cultivators on the warship were each lost in their own thoughts, they finally arrived at the Three Immortals Island pier.

As soon as Dong Caiyu and Bai Xue disembarked, they saw Fu Man, who looked exhausted.

Glancing at the other person's noticeably larger "white hair," Bai Xue asked with concern, "Senior Sister Fu, are you alright?"

She glanced around, then frowned and asked, "Where are the Pavilion Master and Young Master Wang?"

Why are the Pavilion Master and Young Master Wang listed together? Fu Man, who had been feeling comforted by her junior sister's concern, glanced at Bai Xue strangely, then bowed apologetically to the various powerful cultivators who had come to her aid, saying:

"In order to severely injure the monster, the Pavilion Master burned his lifespan and is now in seclusion."

After speaking, she turned to her two junior sisters, "Young Master Wang was injured and is recuperating in the pavilion... Um, Senior Yu from the Fuhai Chamber of Commerce is also here."

"As for me, my injuries weren't too serious, so I was sent to greet you."

Upon hearing that Pavilion Master Lingwei had actually burned her lifespan, those who had previously doubted her ability to repel the enemy and capture two monsters were immediately relieved and filled with admiration.

Having lived in this sea area for many years, they knew more or less about Ling Wei's situation, knowing that her lifespan was not long and that she was risking her own life to protect the island!
When Dong Caiyu heard about this, she was a little anxious, but seeing that her two sisters were still relatively calm, she knew that there must be something hidden. So she suppressed her unease and decided to ask them in detail in private.

However, at this moment, the military captain stepped forward and said to Fuman, "I would like to meet with Young Master Wang. Please introduce me, Fairy."

This captain also had the surname Wang, and came from a prestigious family, the Wang family of Jianye.

……

Meanwhile, Zhao Chen, who claimed to be recuperating, had actually entered the secret realm of "The Chess of Yaochi" and was creating the giant beast with black and red armor.

The main reason he wanted it, besides the fact that its "halo" principle was somewhat interesting, was because...

"This thing looks exactly like 'Dark Zagi'... well, in its juvenile form."

(End of this chapter)