Everything about the immortal gu house appealed Lo Jik as he fixatedly observed the walls and floors. The white walls were solid to the touch but appeared in a state of steady flow like the surface was drifting not too different from a regular cloud. He could even notice the walls displaying depth in their cloud-like texture. The wooden floors, meanwhile, displayed an innate quality of suppressing and absorbing noise. Lo Jik hopped a few times on the same spot but could not hear any sound from the impacts of his feet on the floor to his exhales and even heartbeat. It was eerie yet fascinating.
He knew very little about the sect's signature immortal gu house despite his rising status. What he did know was the fact that Spirit Affinity House once boasted two immortal gu houses. The other one, however, was misappropriated by the last fairy chosen by Love Gu—Fairy Mo Yao.
Lo Jik explored the immortal gu house freely. He moved through the short hallways and entered the empty rooms. While it was certainly a house, it did not cater to casual residential needs. The house in gu houses rarely stood for such conditions and boasted a different category of wealth, power, and status. Formed entirely from gu worms and immortal gu worms, gu houses were portable fortresses capable of defending, attacking, moving, and more. Just an incomplete mortal gu house such as Feng Jin Huang's Golden Phoenix Fox Cage was brilliant enough for mortals.
Meanwhile, Spirit Affinity House was a rank 8 immortal gu house! It could even leave a number of rank 8 gu immortals helpless and frustrated!
The might of rank 8 gu immortals was unquestionable, so much so that the only individual capable of holding his own against such monsters above his weight class was considered the strongest rank 7 gu immortal.
Still, in the world of gu worms existed several other ways to challenge a rank 8 gu immortal. For instance, immortal gu houses, schemes, indirect competitions, and more.
Lo Jik couldn't help but feel enamored by Spirit Affinity House.
After all, he also desired such things of beauty.
An immortal gu house could truly help Lo Jik take a step further towards the goal of becoming unhindered in the gu world!
Forget rank 8 immortal gu houses.
Just a rank 6 immortal gu house was enough to plunder and intimidate several rank 6 and rank 7 gu immortals!
Lo Jik lastly stepped into the gu house's control center. The immortal gu house wasn't controlled from within one of the rooms. Instead, it was controlled through the enclosed space in the center of the house with an open ceiling—the skywell.
Wood gave way to dull-grey rocks with eerie smoke carpeting the surface. Lo Jik's silent breathing now let out clouds of condensed vapors as a bone-chilling coldness occupied the central space.
He stood by one of the four entrances leading to the control center and quietly bowed. Though his voice was still suppressed in the immortal gu house, Lo Jik greeted Feng Jin Huang's mother.
"I'm glad you are here, Disciple Gu Yue." Bai Qing opened her eyes and welcomed Lo Jik. She used a gu worm to converse and pinned Lo Jik with an unreadable look. She sat cross-legged and was as pale as a sheet of paper. What surprised Lo Jik internally were the hints of several formations around the woman.
She was concise despite her gentle demeanor.
A strange fluctuation disrupted the eerie flow of the ghostly mist on the floor as a beam of light shot out of Bai Qing's abdomen and transformed into a wavy gate of water adorned by precious pearls. On top of the gate was a coral plaque reading Bai Immortal Blessed Land.
It was Bai Qing's blessed land's entrance.
"Enter."
Lo Jik firmed his heart and followed Bai Qing's order the next second.
Bai Qing's expression changed slightly once Love Gu entered her blessed land, too. She quickly activated another formation as a wave of earthly qi rose from the floor and entered her blessed land, stabilizing it.
'This is too expensive.' She thought bitterly. 'It is truly a fight against time. But all the odds are against us. Oh, Ge'er. I am truly sorry. I have burdened you too much this time. I am to blame for our Little Huang'er's plight.'
Tears glistened Bai Qing's eyes as she quietly maintained the formation.
<<<>>>
Lo Jik focused on the sleeping Feng Jin Huang the second he appeared inside a brightly lit room instead of acknowledging Bai Qing's will. Feng Jin Huang was tucked into a bed, peaceful and snoring softly. Her breathing was deep and calm. The nasty and heavy smell suffocating the room failed to wake her up. The walls of the room itself illuminated the room with a soft glow.
"Do you have any recollections of what this is?" Bai Qing's will began after giving Lo Jik enough time to regather his bearings. He wasn't allowed a chance to inspect her blessed land and was directly brought into this room by Bai Qing.
Lo Jik shook his head.
"You were like this before we brought you into Dang Hun Mountain to prevent your soul from dissipating." Bai Qing's Will informed Lo Jik as he frowned.
"Is Sister Feng well?" He inquired. "Shouldn't she be in Dang Hun Mountain instead of your blessed land, Elder Bai?"
Bai Qing shook her head and sighed.
"Her soul is not present in her body, Lo Jik. However, she isn't dead."
Lo Jik pursed his lips and observed Feng Jin Huang again.
"What I experienced during this state must have been well-documented by Elder Xu." He stepped closer towards Feng Jin Huang as the stench nearly overpowered Lo Jik's senses. His eyes teared up involuntarily as Bai Qing cautioned.
"Very little is known about this event, Lo Jik. My husband personally set up an immortal gu formation around Huang'er a few days ago. Getting any closer will be dangerous."
"Lord Feng is here?" Lo Jik's gaze brightened.
"He couldn't stay." Bai Qing shook her head. That didn't mean Feng Jiu Ge's Will wasn't nearby, noted Lo Jik. He cupped his chin and circled the sleeping Feng Jin Huang before exhaling deeply.
"I apologize, Elder Bai. I have no understanding of this situation. You say Feng Jin Huang is suffering the same symptoms I did. However, my soul never left my body."
Bai Qing nodded and glanced towards a particular direction.
"Feng Jin Huang fell into this state a few days ago," said Bai Qing as she looked at one of the walls. "I hope you and Fairy Yi can think of a solution."
Another will stepped through the wall. It was none other than Fairy Yi's will, the sect's second rank 8 expert.
Lo Jik hurriedly bowed and greeted as Fairy Yi nodded towards Bai Qing's will.
"As agreed before, I require privacy in this matter." Fairy Yi beckoned Lo Jik forward while casually dismissing Bai Qing's will. "Only Lo Jik has had enough experience in certain dream realms with how many dream path gu worms he contributed to the sect."
Lo Jik smiled and lowered his head.
"I am honored by your words, Lord Yi. However, my contributions are nothing noteworthy. You were the one who taught me the recipe and bestowed basic understanding of this path."
Bai Qing left after politely urging Fairy Yi to rescue Feng Jin Huang.
Once alone, Fairy Yi observed Lo Jik for a few minutes before nodding.
"You are growing splendidly. Did you think more about our previous discussion?"
Lo Jik hesitated before releasing a soft sigh.
"I did," Lo Jik answered honestly. He did think about it for a few seconds before realizing he had better option than to spend another decade trying to make sense of dream path, completing its set, and then ascending as a dream path immortal through his first aperture. You know, he could… refine Second Aperture Immortal Gu worm and ascend as a dream path gu immortal again after becoming a strength path gu immortal.
As such, he instantly kowtowed.
"I don't have the courage to start over again, Lord Elder. Not when I am already so close! Please, punish me for my cowardice."
Fairy Yi shook her head. Gu immortals of her stature mostly saw through Lo Jik and knew that he didn't blindly decide against such a great future. Being a dream path gu immortal would be a… dream come true in this era. Even better was the fact that Lo Jik's advancement would not incur any tribulation. The process would be relatively simple and result in great profits because of how rare dream path materials were. Spirit Affinity House could be the first to step into the exploration of dream path's true secrets!
It also meant Spirit Affinity House would help develop Lo Jik's blessed land regardless of his status as the next sect fairy being revoked by Heavenly Court. Of course, this development would come at a price. Though, the future profits were enough to move Fairy Yi herself.
Someone like Lo Jik must have compared the benefits and disadvantages of this proposition before deciding against it. Of course, the greatest hindrance in this line of thinking was postponing present gains.
Everyone knew Lo Jik was extremely close to becoming a gu immortal. His foundation as master-level attainment in the profession of flying alongside strength and refinement paths ensured his foundation couldn't be more solid. Sure, a strength path gu immortal did not have a great future in the current era due to the decline of the strength dao. But a mortal Lo Jik with finite primeval essence and resources was a toddler compared to a gu immortal Lo Jik bursting with overflowing talent!
Lastly, becoming a dream path gu immortal was a thing of future. Just because they planned everything did not mean fate had to follow their whims. Being a gu immortal now instantly increased Lo Jik's survivability in the gu world especially when he would not be bothered by any calamity and tribulation in his immortal aperture.
Encouraging him to become a dream path gu immortal by fueling his greed was a simple but effective scheme to suppress Lo Jik, a scheme Fairy Yi was more than happy to weave.
Alas, she only understood Lo Jik's character, not his wealth and opportunities.
"Stand up." She waved her hand. "Every individual perceives the great dao differently. There is no need to apologize for the path you have chosen, Disciple Lo Jik."
Fairy Yi expertly buried the disappointment in her heart and continued freely.
"You must be quite curious. As Fairy Bai revealed, Feng Jin Huang is suffering the same symptoms as yours when you were dragged into a self-dream realm due to mysterious causes. Her soul, however, is not present in her body."
'Mysterious.' Lo Jik sneered internally. He was certain that the source of those 'mysterious events' was perched atop his shoulder in the form of rank 9 Love Gu.
"Her soul is elsewhere because the dream realm imprisoning her is not of her making." Fairy Yi informed. "She had entered Fairy Bai Qing's blessed land and fell asleep out of exhaustion. As you can conclude, Feng Jin Huang did not wake up. Alarmed by such a change, Fairy Bai and Feng Jiu Ge instantly set this formation to prevent her body from deteriorating. Much to everyone's surprise, the lack of soul did not harm her well-being. We're still maintaining the formation around her to prevent any unforeseen circumstances."
Lo Jik sniffed again. The stench was the result of the formation protecting Feng Jin Huang.
"That will acting as Feng Jin Huang in Hu Immortal Blessed Land was extracted after her soul disappeared?"
Fairy Yi's lips curled slightly at the question. She nodded.
"That is so." Fascination veiled her gaze as she observed the snoring Feng Jin Huang. "We could locate her soul only after Fairy Bai activated the methods she left in Feng Jin Huang and extracted a will. Surprising us all, the will was not as fragmented as we expected. Not only that, it also retained all of Feng Jin Huang's memory right up until it was extracted, leading us to confirm the state of her soul alongside understanding the connection between her body and soul."
Lo Jik appeared impressed. His mind instantly wondered the applications of soul and wisdom paths needed to achieve this effect.
"Why was I brought here, Lord Elder?" He cut to the chase. "I can't imagine being of much help when you all are in the dark."
"Oh, Lo Jik." Fairy Yi chuckled slowly. "Our helplessness does not imply ignorance, and your ignorance does not diminish the aid you stand to contribute."
He still did not get a straight answer as Fairy Yi continued staring at the sleeping Feng Jin Huang.
"We suspect Feng Jin Huang might have discovered the true use of the immortal gu worm she refined as a kid."
Lo Jik froze. He knew the story. Everyone in Spirit Affinity House knew this tale. It was one of the reasons Feng Jin Huang attracted everyone's attention since a young age besides her father being Feng Jiu Ge.
Dream Wings Immortal Gu worm appeared in Feng Jin Huang's dream when she was three-years-old. It did not exist in reality and only appeared in one's dream. Nobody knew its use until now and it was named 'Dream Wings' because of its ethereal and enchanting appearance alongside the unique circumstances with which it appeared. Despite having no primeval essence, much less immortal essence at the time, the sleeping Feng Jin Huang did not have any difficulty refining the immortal gu worm as her own!
"Did she ever tell you Dream Wing's use?" Fairy Yi inquired as Lo Jik nodded.
"It's a movement gu worm." Lo Jik whispered. "It is one of the rare gu immortal gu worms that do not require any immortal essence and instead expended Sister Feng's spirit."
"No gu worm can have multiple uses." Fairy Yi confirmed. "Feng Jin Huang's soul and the immortal gu worm both left her body. It does act like a movement gu worm but the limits of its movement itself were unknown."
"Where is her soul, Lord Elder?" Lo Jik questioned respectfully.
"Follow me." Fairy Yi hummed and led Lo Jik past the room with no doors. The nearby wall split open naturally and extended into an open space.
"It took us some effort to detect her whereabouts. Do you understand, Lo Jik? It took us gu immortals a few complications to divine a mortal's location. Look. There she is."
Lo Jik stared ahead. Gold reflected in his shrinking brown pupils as what stood before him was a cloud of golden dust fashioned from distinct clusters. He could not look past the cloud as one peculiar ring around it rotated in a consistent speed in a tilted axis.
"Fairy Bai La encountered what most gu immortals fear the most—a tribulation of a brand-new dao. Fortunately, like most gu immortals of us ten ancient sects, she prepared sufficiently for such an encounter and her remaining will helped us collect her body stuck in her blessed land."
"Had it not been for Spirit Affinity House's ability to refine the soul in tandem with the formation I created to connect Dang Hun Mountain with the immortal gu house, I fear, Fairy Bai La's soul might have already been lost in this dream realm."
Lo Jik blinked owlishly, gasping.
"Dream realm?" He pointed at the cloud of dust. "That's a dream realm?"
Fairy Yi nodded with a grave expression. "I am afraid so, Lo Jik. That is indeed a dream realm. Until now, we experienced and explored dreams made from our memories and experiences—self-dream realms. Unfortunately, Feng Jin Huang is stuck in Fairy Bai La's dream realm. We confirmed that much from the memories extracted from Feng Jin Huang's will."
Saying so, Fairy Yi shot Lo Jik a discreet glance.
"I see…" Lo Jik stepped closer only to feel restricted in space. He looked at Fairy Yi, who shook her head.
"Any closer and you will be sucked into the dream realm."
Lo Jik gaped before he quickly stepped back.
"And the influence of this dream realm is increasing ever so slightly." She continued. "We have no formations or killer moves to counter this natural aspect of dream realms. Every mortal killer move disappears in the dream realm and our investigative immortal killer moves failed to uncover anything. We most certainly need dream path killer moves or killer moves with dream path effects to safely interact with this dream realm."
"Maybe Sister Feng is our only hope." Lo Jik shook his head. "The fact her immortal gu worm could let her enter Lord Bai La's dream realm confirms Sister Feng's fortuitous encounter belonged to dream path."
Fairy Yi agreed with a nod.
"I…" Lo Jik gritted his teeth. "I can only pray for their safety."
"No." Fairy Yi smiled. "You can do much more, Lo Jik. I want you to try exploring the dream realm just like Feng Jiu Ge and my main body did for a brief period. While still unsafe, I was left her to guarantee your survival."
He blinked and instantly looked intimidated by the responsibility.
"I don't wish to deny the honor of saving Sister Feng and Lord Bai La, but…" He glanced at Love Gu on his shoulder. "Love Gu is a legendary rank 9 immortal gu worm. It must be bringing a huge pressure on Lord Bai Qing."
"We prepared for everything, Lo Jik." Fairy Yi encouraged. "The formation around Spirit Affinity House on Dang Hun Mountain does not only help me nourish and refine Fairy Bai La's deteriorating soul but it also allows Fairy Bai Qing to replenish the expenditure of the blessed land's earth qi used up to support Love Gu."
The corner of Lo Jik's lips twitched before he exhaled in defeat.
"I am a mere mortal, Fairy Yi. How can I compare to experts like you and Lord Feng?"
Fairy Yi's reply, however, was irrationally optimistic as she gestured him to step forward.
"We all observed your growth, Disciple Lo Jik. You are an otherworldly demon chosen by the legendary Love Gu. There is nothing mere about you."
'Flattery won't get you a good fucking, you hag!' Lo Jik cursed internally before he heaved deeply.
"Forgive me for this audacious demand, Lord Elder. May I prepare for three days?"
Fairy Yi appeared thoughtful before nodding.
"You may." She added after a moment. "And rest assured. We already discovered a way to snap others out of a dream realm within a short range of time. Feng Jin Huang would have already returned if not for the effects of Dream Wings Immortal Gu worm interfering with my methods."
***
Alternate Title: Interior of the gu house; Importance of gu house; A mark of wealth and prestige; Other gu immortals: Lo Jik is a mere mortal *Spirit Affinity House gu immortals who watched him grow in real-time: There is nothing mere about that mortal!*; Lo Jik appropriately trying to stay away from truly dangerous situations *Meanwhile Fairy Yi putting a cheer leading outfit: You can do it! You can do it! U. CAN. DO. IT. Kisses*; Feng Jin Huang stank?; Layers of formation; Dangerous responsibility; The disadvantage of being in a sect; Schemes even suggestions and encouragement; Incomplete understanding; Lo Jik unironically WOULD fuck Old Hag Yi; True use of Dream Wings?; Entering Bai La's dream realm; Three days of grace
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