I Have a Golden Crow

”Whoosh~ whoosh!”

One pitch-black figure after another stabbed straight downward, accompanied by faint sounds of cleaving air.

More than twenty Divine Wood Pavilion Spirit Masters surged forward together, rapidly gathering Spiritual Qi into a carpet and constructing the Bottomless Gate.

At the Youhan Tree Root, the Spirit Branches were still writhing in agony; shattered branches withdrew from the Underground Gate, and fresh branches filled in the gaps.

Seeing this scene, Du Yu’s expression grew a bit complicated, and he sighed inwardly.

A tattered Spirit Branch stretched over, like a Warrior covered in wounds, gently wrapping around Du Yu’s shoulder: ”Du Yu.”

”Mm.”

The Divine Tree: ”Don’t feel sad for me.

Half a month ago, when you left Kunlun, you said something: ’Sweet as honey.’”

”Heh.” Du Yu let out a mute laugh. He picked up the damaged Spirit Branch with one hand, gently kneading it in his palm.

The Divine Tree: ”Maybe you’ll be able to free me a little earlier, Du Yu.”

”What?”

The Divine Tree let out a long, deep sigh: ”All this time, I’ve treated resisting Youhan as a long-term mission.

Establishing Spirit Cultivation Places throughout Great Xia was for the sake of a counterattack decades, even centuries down the line.

I believed that as the Human Race grew generation by generation, I would eventually nurture the Great Xia I wanted.

But Du Yu, you grew too fast.”

Du Yu pressed his lips together, neither agreeing nor denying.

The Divine Tree: ”This is the fourth Youhan Branch you’ve felled. I remember how each one fell; I witnessed every change in you.

Four months ago, you still had to rely on the Great Xia Army, needed the Supreme within you to help, and required the Seven Saints of Great Xia at your side.

Back then, you needed the cooperation of the entire Great Xia.

Yet now, you’ve already tuned the Twin Squad to its best state. You only need a handful of people, and your speed in cutting down Cold Wood astonishes me even more.”

Du Yu remained silent, offering no response.

The Divine Tree: ”Spirit Cultivation Places still need to be built; the rise of Spirit Masters is the foundation of the Twin Trees’ resistance against the Youhan Tree. But...

Du Yu, let’s make a bet.”

Du Yu finally spoke: ”What kind of bet?”

The Divine Tree: ”We’ll bet that before I complete a peak-stage Great Xia and lead the Twin Tree Realm to counterattack the Youhan Tree Realm, you will, by your own means, step ahead of me and take me into that ideal world.”

”You... you’re betting on me to win?”

”Yes.”

”Then how is that even a bet?” Du Yu suddenly laughed. ”I want to bet on me winning too.”

The scarred Spirit Branch wrapped tightly around Du Yu’s arm: ”Then may there be no losers between us.”

So... a double win?

If someone wins, then there must always be someone who loses.

In that case, we’ll just have to trouble the Cold Tree to lose twice.

Du Yu turned his gaze toward the Youhan Tree Root. The Spiritual Energy Carpet was being steadily laid down to completion.

As he watched, Du Yu couldn’t help picking up the Spirit Branch: ”You’re sure the Jade Gourd can’t imprison the Cold Tree’s true body?”

”I’m sure.” The Divine Tree’s tone was grave. ”If it could, then that would mean the Youhan Tree is deceiving you, luring you down into a deeper Bottomless Abyss.

This Jade Gourd cannot imprison my true body, and it certainly can’t imprison the Youhan Tree.”

”Got it. I’ll think of another way.” Du Yu let out a soft sigh. ”I’m heading back. If there’s another mission, just summon me directly.”

The Divine Tree: ”Alright.”

Wind around the feet drew fire, and Du Yu flew upward.

Seeing this, Nan and Wei immediately followed.

Li Mengnan floated to Du Yu’s side and showed him her watch.

2:59:22 p.m.

Twenty-one minutes?

There’s still a lot of room for improvement. After all, everyone had spent quite some time waiting for the Demon Spirit Squad to withdraw.

The trio flew straight up. Dense Cold Mist scattered away, opening a path for them.

”Master Qing, they’re back,” Jiang Feng said softly.

”Mm.” Yang Qingqing slowly opened her eyes. Those beautiful Peacock Eyes pierced layer after layer of Cold Mist, looking downward.

Seeing her prized disciples return safely, a trace of a smile appeared on Yang Qingqing’s face.

”Master Qing.”

”Master Qing.” The three spoke one after another as Du Yu also flew to stand before Yang Qingqing.

The woman placed one hand on her disciple’s head, gently rubbing it. ”Well done.”

Du Yu grinned, looking up at the Immortal Master, and lightly nodded.

But then, Emperor Qing’s palm gave a gentle push and shoved Du Yu to the side again.

Du Yu: ”...”

Really just use and toss, huh?

Yang Qingqing closed her eyes once more, as if carefully sensing something. Then her jade-like hand turned over, and endless green Energy gathered into her palm.

Gourd Mountain slowly shrank, and everything within it shrank in proportion.

Only Du Yu and the others, bodies pierced through by the rich green Energy, remained in the world.

All the Cold Mist, Cold Trees, Cold Beasts, and so on inside the Yellow Sand Wall all merged into that shrinking Jade Gourd, falling into Emperor Qing’s palm.

”Gulp.” At the entrance to the 20th-level Stone Gate, He Xingyao’s Adam’s apple twitched, his heart filled with shock.

He had never seen the Bottomless Pit this clean!

Forget the Cold Tree—even the drifting Cold Mist had vanished. The Abyss held nothing but sheer darkness.

If your Pupil Technique were strong enough, you could even see the bottom of the Bottomless Pit 2,400 meters below in a single glance!

It’s worth mentioning that if Du Yu hadn’t severed the Youhan Tree Root, then while the root was still connected to the Otherworld, the Jade Gourd would not have been able to take in the Cold Wood.

The Jade Gourd could indeed try to yank the Cold Wood out, roots and all, but that approach would inevitably have very little effect.

Even Du Yu can try to escape the Jade Gourd’s suction, let alone the Cold Wood?

”Let’s go, our mission’s done.” Yang Qingqing lifted the delicate Jade Gourd, gazing at the little ”Cold Branch bonsai” inside.

They didn’t need to meddle; the cleanup outside the Yellow Sand Wall, as well as the follow-up management of this Bottomless Abyss, could all be handed over to the Demon Spirit Squad.

Du Yu spoke up at the right time: ”Master Qing, I want to go to Wanhui·Fengyang City, see if I can bring back a few horses.”

”Hm?” Her disciple’s words clearly caught Yang Qingqing off guard.

Du Yu continued, ”Master Qing, are you going back to the Sea Realm to rest?”

Yang Qingqing thought for a moment, then said, ”Send me to the Mountain Realm, I’ll go sit under the Twin Trees.”

The Twin Trees were growing at a frightening pace, worthy of the title ”Mother of the Great Xia Demon Spirit Realm.”

In just half a year or so, Little Hemp Flower had already grown to Spirit Level·Great Success Stage, and the total Demon Breath and Spiritual Qi she released was quite considerable.

Yang Qingqing had just put an entire Bottomless Abyss into her gourd; of course she could do Demon Spirit Dual Cultivation and get twice the result for half the effort.

Du Yu looked at everyone: ”Are you going in to cultivate too? Or heading back to the Ancient Pine Tower, and I’ll take you out again after I go home?”

Jiang Feng: ”I...”

”What’s wrong, Senior Sister?” Du Yu said. ”Don’t feel embarrassed about refusing, just say what you’re thinking.”

Among the Cyan Sect crowd, there were two people not suited for Demon Spirit Dual Cultivation.

Fu Jianzhou and Jiang Feng.

It’s not that they can’t cultivate that way, but that splitting their focus in two would make them much less efficient.

The root cause was that neither of them had a Spiritual Artifact suitable for autonomous cultivation.

Emperor Qing had the Jade Gourd, Du Yu had the Shadow Gu Tower, Li Mengnan had the Miaoxiang Bowl, Lin Shiwei had the Black Python Robe.

Speaking purely from the aspect of cultivation, the four of them were a cut above, unmatched in this world.

And among these four Spiritual Artifacts, the Shadow Gu Tower and the Jade Gourd were a tier higher.

They were bona fide Tier T0.

Jiang Feng and Fu Jianzhou didn’t have this kind of Spiritual Artifact, and they weren’t Paper Crane Disciples either, so both of them belonged to the group for whom ”if you’re not advancing, you’re falling behind.”

Senior Brother Fu was in a better position—he was only at Demon Taming General·Peak Stage—but Jiang Feng was already a Demon Taming Emperor; she had to make choices and protect her core foundation.

If they could, who wouldn’t want Demon Spirit Dual Cultivation?

But Jiang Feng truly didn’t have the capacity to play it that way.

Jiang Feng looked at Li Mengnan: ”Can I go to Junior Sister’s place?”

”Of course, Senior Sister, what are you being polite for!” Li Mengnan’s face bloomed with a sweet smile. ”Looks like Senior Sister really likes the Huangtu Temple, huh?”

Inside the Peach Blossom Realm, an Earth God Temple remained, left behind from the clash between Kui Chou and Empress Huangtu.

This so-called site was formed by a Supreme Saint unleashing a Clear Moonlight–grade Demon Skill at full power!

The Earth Demon Breath inside was incredibly dense; back when Li Mengnan stayed at home with Jiang Feng, Jiang Feng had already gone back to visit there again.

If Master Qing hadn’t needed to establish the Bamboo Snake Garden, Jiang Feng would probably still be in the temple.

Jiang Feng nodded lightly. ”Mud Po really likes it there.”

Li Mengnan picked up a Seven Treasures Staff in her hand and tapped the air lightly with the butt of the staff; Jiang Feng’s figure vanished at once.

Fu Jianzhou sidled over. ”Junior Brother, can I go to the Sea Realm?”

Du Yu rolled his eyes. ”Another one acting all polite.”

Fu Jianzhou gave an embarrassed laugh. Over these past few days, he’d been staying under the Twin Trees with the sect to prepare for battle, and it had really been rough on him.

Master, junior brother, junior sisters—every one of them was like a giant beast devouring Energy, while Fu Jianzhou could only hide behind the tree and sip the broth.

This time, leveling the Bottomless Abyss had taken the Cold Tree’s life, and also saved Fu Jianzhou’s.

He’d better go back to the Sea Realm; there was a Begonia Tree there he could have all to himself.

”Hoo~” After Bell Shadow flickered, Fu Jianzhou disappeared without a trace, and Du Yu muttered, ”Fine by me, at least we’re separating the Mountain Fire Saber and the Cold Lake Sword for now.”

Hearing this, a hint of helplessness rose in Yang Qingqing’s heart.

Whenever that saber and sword clashed, it would either be one side winning miserably, or both sides perishing together.

Just like a few hundred years ago, when they fell at the same time.

As for how to break this deadlock, everyone still had to think it through carefully; it involved Holy Soldiers, and there was no room for even the slightest carelessness.

Lin Shiwei looked at Du Yu and said softly, ”I’ll go to Fengyang with you?”

”Aren’t you about to advance? You should hurry up and cultivate.” Du Yu went on, ”I’ll go and come back quickly, and then head to the Twin Trees to cultivate with you as soon as possible.”

”Mm...” Something stirred in Lin Shiwei’s heart—this was a perfect opportunity!

If she could initiate her breakthrough first, then guide Du Yu through his, it would give her an enormous sense of fulfillment!

Lately, most of Du Yu’s Energy had been poured into Spirit Cultivation.

He’d even spent quite a while in the Bamboo Grove; the Shadow Gu Tower inside him had been resting for half a month,

Opportunity!

The more she thought about it, the brighter Lin Shiwei’s eyes became.

She really wanted to do something for Du Yu, instead of always trailing behind him, enjoying the meticulous care he gave her.

Only when the girl was taken into the Mountain Realm did she realize she hadn’t said goodbye to Du Yu.

Inside the Bottomless Pit, of the Cyan Sect’s six-person squad, only Du Yu remained.

He glanced left and right, then headed straight for the Stone Gate entrance. ”Director He.”

”Here!” He Xingyao responded immediately.

Du Yu: ”The Bottomless Gate has already been sealed. The rest is up to you guys.”

”Yes, sir!” He Xingyao nodded heavily.

Du Yu suddenly changed the subject: ”Oh right, how do I get to Fengyang City? Are there any flights? Or do I need to transfer, take a high-speed train?”

He Xingyao clearly froze for a moment, hesitated a few seconds, then said, ”Seven or eight hundred kilometers... I can contact a military plane for you?”

Du Yu chuckled, scratching his head. ”That feels a bit much.”

He Xingyao said quickly, ”It’s only right, only right...”