Half a month passed.
Zhou Shu lay stiff, like a living dead.
Word had spread of his shattered Qi channels and inability to cultivate. Many of his former disciples had vanished, never once visiting him.
However, a few resentful disciples had visited him a few times, their eyes filled with undisguised pride, as if they had let out all their daily frustration.
Zhou Shu sensed this, but ignored it.
Liu Yuze, his green robe fluttering, approached the bedside, his eyes filled with apology. "The Nine Cloud Cover has been refined. While its quality is a little short of the fifth rank, it's powerful enough to make the Zhenglei Sect suffer. Once the Zhenglei Sect incident is resolved, I will seek revenge on Luo Ming in Guixian Market."
Zhou Shu was shocked. This was what he had been particularly worried about, and it had actually happened.
A fifth-rank magic weapon and one less than that were two completely different concepts, and the difference was significant. It was possible that the Wuwang Sect would be defeated by this very factor.
A complete loss.
He wanted to warn her, but he couldn't speak or move a muscle.
"Disciple, wait patiently. After I reach the Golden Core stage, I will travel throughout Dongsheng Province in search of elixirs to mend my meridians. You will definitely recover."
Liu Yuze whispered a few words before leaving, his heart heavy.
While there were indeed elixirs to mend my meridians in the world of immortal cultivation, obtaining them was far beyond Liu Yuze's reach, and even the entire Wuwang Sect was unlikely to be able to do so.
Soon, another figure approached, holding a skewer of golden-grilled silvertail fish.
"Hey, Zhou Shu, we agreed to grill fish together next time. Why are you leaving me alone?"
The grilled fish rubbed against Zhou Shu's nose, its fragrant oil coating his face.
Yang Hei tore off a piece of the fish and stuffed it into his mouth. "Zhou Shu, get well soon. Life is miserable without you,"
Yang Hei muttered for a long time.
He suddenly stood up and shouted, "What people say outside, about broken meridians preventing cultivation, or geniuses becoming useless, is all bullshit! I'm equally unqualified, yet I've opened two hundred meridians. It's all thanks to your teaching. I can do this, so how could you be any worse than me? Even without meridians, you can still cultivate, right?"
"Even if you can't cultivate, you still have Master, and I. As long as I'm in Wuwang Sect, I'll never let you be bullied!"
Yang Hei said this emphatically, turning and leaving.
Although Zhou Shu couldn't speak, a sudden warmth welled up in his heart.
Friendship isn't about strength, but about character. Strength can be cultivated, but character can't be changed. Teaching Yang Hei the mental method he had deduced was indeed the right decision.
"Why would I need your protection? Don't worry, Yang Hei, I'll be the same from now on," he muttered silently, a hint of a smile on his face.
Even though he couldn't move, he didn't waste time. Every day he would deduce and calculate, exhausting his spiritual sense.
As a direct disciple, the Scripture Library of Tianyun Peak was completely open to him. Since initiating, he had read numerous texts, memorizing them steadfastly, never forgetting them.
He repeatedly calculated and deduced, seeking new ways from these texts—ways to protect himself and grow stronger.
Before his Qi meridians recovered, his spiritual power was destined to be pitifully low, even casting normal spells would be difficult. But he knew that a cultivator didn't necessarily rely on spellcasting.
He would never give up on cultivating the immortal.
In the center of the three peaks stood the Hall of Heart-Searching.
The hall stood dozens of feet tall and vast. Its golden tiles gleamed dazzlingly, while its dark red wooden walls, unchanging for millennia, exuded a profound and profound weight.
A pure black plaque of golden nanmu wood hung at the entrance, inscribed in bold characters: "Seek the Way from the Heart."
Many cultivators gathered in the hall, including the masters of the three peaks and over thirty Foundation Establishment disciples. In the center stood an old man cloaked in black.
The old man was thin, yet towering like a mountain, his imposing presence captivating those around him.
He was Gao Bai, the Master of the Hall of Inquiry, the Master of the Wuwang Sect, and the sect's only Jindan-level cultivator.
Gao Bai glanced around, his expression slightly solemn. "In two hours, the Zhenglei Sect will launch a massive attack. They've been preparing for this attack for a long time, joining forces with two other sects. They have three Jindan-level cultivators and nearly a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators."
An uproar erupted from the crowd, and the faces of the many Foundation Establishment disciples paled, bewildered.
"Three Jindan-level cultivators! What should we do? What should we do?"
"It's over! Will our Wuwang Sect be wiped out?"
"Is it too late to escape now?"
Hearing the outcry, Gao Bai's brows knitted together, and he let out a roar that resonated like a resounding bell, shaking everyone's heart.
The crowd fell silent.
"I've told you all this long ago, yet
you're still so flustered now?" Gao Bai said slowly. "The fifth-tier magic weapon, the Nine Cloud Cover, has been successfully refined. Even if a few more Jindan-level cultivators arrive, they won't be able to breach the Heart-Searching Hall. Don't worry. From now on, everyone, follow my instructions."
The cultivators breathed a sigh of relief, awaiting orders with peace of mind.
"Master Mo, Liu Yuzhe, Aunt Yun, the Three-Element Spirit Gathering Formation in the Heart-Searching Hall has been set up. You must guard the center of the formation and not leave for a moment."
"Yes, Palace Master!" the three responded in unison.
"Send ten Foundation Establishment-level disciples to bring all the disciples from the three peaks to the Heart-Searching Hall within two hours. No one must be left behind. The rest of the Foundation Establishment disciples must enter the Spirit Gathering Formation and be at your command at all times."
"Do you want to bring the menial disciples as well?"
"I told you, no one must be left behind! Every disciple is a treasure to our Wuwang Sect, and we must not abandon them!" Gao Bai's voice grew louder, its echo resonating.
"Yes, Palace Master!"
Ten Foundation Establishment-level disciples filed out, each heading to each peak to gather disciples.
Suddenly, the hall was lit up with light, and the Three Yuan Spirit Gathering Array had taken shape. The masters of the three peaks each sat cross-legged in a corner, and many spirit stones were piled around them, providing a continuous supply of spiritual power to the center.
The other disciples entered the formation and took their positions, their expressions filled with awe.
Gao Bai sat at the center of the formation, brows lowered and eyes closed, ready to face this battle that would determine the sect's life and death.
An hour and a half later.
The Foundation Establishment disciples returned to the hall one after another, followed by a group of Qi Refining disciples, from both the Inner and Outer Sects, even the menial disciples.
Liu Yuze, sitting in the west corner, glanced at them and suddenly became furious. "Liu Shan! Where's Zhou Shu? Why didn't you bring him here?"
"Ah..."
Foundation Establishment disciple Liu Shan quickly knelt on the ground, saying in panic, "Master Liu, I went to the top of Tianyun Peak and couldn't find Junior Brother Zhou. I thought he had been brought back by my fellow disciples some time ago, so..."
A strange look flashed in Liu Shan's eyes, and he felt a smug joy in his heart. He had always been jealous of Zhou Shu, and now that he had the opportunity, he deliberately avoided looking for him, hoping that he would die at the hands of the Zhenglei Sect.
"You're talking nonsense!"
Liu Yuze suddenly stood up. "Zhou Shu can't even move at the top of the peak. How could they not find him? It's clearly intentional! If you refuse to go, I'll go and bring him here myself!"
"Sit down,"
Gao Bai slowly opened his eyes. "Yuze, this concerns the life and death of the sect. You can't leave the center of the formation for a moment."
Liu Yuze said bitterly. "Liushan! If you don't find Zhou Shu again, don't come back!"
Gao Bai said calmly. "Less than half an hour. You won't be able to come back even if you go. No need to go again."
"But, Zhou Shu..."
Liu Yuze sat down heavily, his face a complicated expression.
"Everyone has his own destiny. This is his."
Gao Bai lowered his eyelids and said no more.
At this moment, a tall young man suddenly rushed out of the Heart-Searching Hall and ran towards Tianyun Peak in an almost frantic manner.
The disciples were shocked and stared at the young man's back in silence for a long time.