Chapter 159: Master is Released
“Eh?” Zhu Yao withdrew from her inner view, and as her master had said, Tao Manfeng was still sitting in front of the table. However, the divine energy surrounding her body had suddenly become quite a bit denser, and it looked as though it was still becoming even denser as well. Even the divine energy that was initially within the room was beginning to stir.
Tao Manfeng sensed this anomaly, and her expression turned joyful. Picking up Zhu Yao, she then sat on the bed cross-legged, and began to absorb the divine energy.
“Yu Yao, there’s abnormal movements with the divine energy within the dimensional space.” Yu Yan’s voice rang in her mind.
Zhu Yao blanked, and only then did she realize that the sudden increase in divine energy in the building was actually coming from the dimensional space. She could actually guide out the divine energy from the dimensional space?
Tao Manfeng meditated for an entire day, before she was able to completely absorb the divine energy. Her cultivation level had increased from the initial early-stage Earth Deity level to the mid-stage Earth Deity level. At this moment, she stopped, and the abnormal movements with the divine energy in the dimensional space stopped as well.
“As expected, it’s a treasure.” Tao Manfeng picked up the piece of divine jade, and her face was filled with excitement. This piece of divine jade could actually be used to raise cultivation levels. She once again inspected it back and forth, and suddenly, she released her divine sense, sending it into the jade.
Zhu Yao’s heart skipped a beat. This sensation felt exactly the same when Goudan first entered the dimensional space. Just as she was thinking of what to do, that strand of divine sense was suddenly repelled back. Her piece of jade-body began to emit out a white glow, and currently, something seemed to be transferred out through her divine sense region.
Pew, pew, pew! After a few of such sounds, like beans being poured out, a few divine herbs came falling down from empty air, instantly filling up the entire floor. Some of them still even carried fresh soil with them.
“These are…” Tao Manfeng abruptly stood up, picked the divine herbs from the ground, and her eyes widened. “Divine Spiritual Grass, Imperial Wind Branch, Meridian Cutting Lotus…” She muttered out these names one after another, and the more she spoke, the more dumbfounded her expression became, as though she couldn’t believe what she was looking at. “How… How is this possible?” These were all extreme-grade divine herbs that had gone extinct a long time ago, and it was extremely hard to find one of each in the Divine Realm.
“Master?” What’s going on?
“They’re divine herbs from the dimensional space. A part of them had been transferred out.”
Transferred out? Just as Zhu Yao was stunned, the table within the building suddenly shook for a few moments, before disappearing in the next instant. Even Tao Manfeng was given a shock.
While in Zhu Yao’s dimensional space, a regular wooden table suddenly appeared.
“This is…” Why were items able to freely enter and exit the dimensional space? For a moment, Zhu Yao couldn’t really understand.
Yu Yan frowned for a moment, before speaking up. “There’s a restriction to the items in this dimensional space. Whatever goes out, a part of it must be taken back in.”
“So those divine herbs were exchanged for a wooden table?” Wasn’t this a little too big of a deficit?
“It’s because this table was in a position closest to you, so it has been sent in.”
Zhu Yao pondered for a moment. Indeed, when Tao Manfeng was inspecting those divine herbs, the thing that was closest to her was this wooden table. “So, in other words, she can’t enter the dimensional space, but she’s capable of retrieving the items in the dimensional space?”
“Not quite.” Yu Yan looked at the position of that wooden table. “She used a blood contract to bind the dimensional space, but after all, it wasn’t her heart-blood. Hence, she can’t be considered as the owner of this dimensional space. The divine herbs that disappeared were all from the corner of the dimensional space, so I believe she’s only able to retrieve items from a particular position.”
Zhu Yao instantly heaved a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that she couldn’t enter.
Tao Manfeng seemed to have realized this point as well, as she consecutively tried it a few times. First, she used her divine sense to inspect the jade, and then, several stalks of divine herbs would appear in empty air inside the building. However, correspondingly, a few items would disappear from the building as well. And, they were all items that were closest to the jade.
“Master, I have a plan. You might be able to come out of the dimensional space in advance.”
After making clear of the basic method, Tao Manfeng left that small courtyard, and arrived in the market. Though, she was rather smart to not take out those stalks of divine herbs. Instead, she simply rented a cave residence, and began her isolation training. She repeatedly dripped her blood onto the jade, and then, guided out the dense divine energy.
Zhu Yao’s Dantian was pretty much restored, however, whenever she tried to restore her human form, the divine energy she guided out would be absorbed by Tao Manfeng, not even leaving the slightest bit within the jade. Hence, she was basically unable to materialize at all.
Though, Zhu Yao wasn’t in a rush. She was waiting for an opportunity.
Tao Manfeng was in isolation for more than three months, and her cultivation instantly rose to that of an Earth Deity Paragon. With just a single step more, she would be able to make a breakthrough into the Profound Deity level. In regards to raising one’s level from one large realm to another, other than taking in divine energy, a certain degree of fortunate encounters was needed, so she stopped.
The moment she went out of isolation, she bought a large amount of miscellaneous items, and then, took out a pellet cauldron. She wanted to refine a Profound Energy Pellet, a divine pellet that was capable of allowing an Earth Deity to instantly reach the level of a late-stage Profound Deity, and it simply required a large number of Divine Spirit Grass. It was extremely difficult to find this herb in the Divine Realm, but right now, it wasn’t a problem.
Tao Manfeng took out the piece of jade, but this time, she did not insert her divine sense in a testing manner, instead, she instantly released half of her divine sense into the piece of jade. Even Zhu Yao could sense her own divine sense region being assaulted, causing a faint sense of pain to be felt.
In an instant, the cave residence became as bright as day, as the piece of jade released an unprecedented eye-piercing white light. Tao Manfeng excitedly waited for the various divine herbs that would descend from the sky. She seemed to be able to see herself entering the Profound Deity Paragon level, and even the future Gold Deity, Heavy Deity, and High Deity levels. She could even see herself entering the Lightning Divine Tower, and ascending into a God.
As long as she had this piece of jade, she definitely could once again stand above all others, and cultivate to the peak.
She seemed to be unable to contain her own excitement, as no matter how eye-piercing the light was, she stared deep into it unblinkingly. When a shadow appeared within the white light, she could not help but take a step forward, and just when she was about to reach her hand towards it, suddenly, all of the light retracted in an instant.
There wasn’t any divine herbs or divine medicine in front of her eyes, only a man, wearing a snow-white robe, was looking at her with ice-cold eyes. Tao Manfeng was stunned, and was seemingly about to blurt out. “You’re…” Suddenly, in a flash, that figure once again disappeared from her eyes, and in front of her was a floor filled with many divine herbs that had long gone extinct in the Divine Realm.
As expected, she was just imagining things earlier?
“Seal your divine sense region as quickly as possible.” Yu Yan condensed his divine energy, and tapped onto the piece of jade on the ground. While he forcefully turned Zhu Yao back into her human form, he instructed with a solemn voice.
Zhu Yao followed his instructions, and in the second before she sealed her divine sense region, she could faintly see Tao Manfeng sitting within a floor filled with divine herbs with an excited look on her face.
“Master, you’re out?” Zhu Yao pounced forward, and tightly hugged the person in front of her eyes. His chilling and familiar presence flooded her chest in an instant, and she suddenly felt that she could continue being as wilful as she was now. “Masteeeer…”
“Mn.” Yu Yan lightly responded, as he reached out his hand to stroke his disciple’s head. This sense of contact which he had longed for, as expected, he could only be at ease while safeguarding his stupid disciple by his side. Hence, he forcefully stroked a few more times, and without realizing it, his fingertips slid past her warm lips. Unconsciously, he lowered his head, and just when he was about to press on it…
“Mistress!” A round and chubby beast suddenly squeezed between them, and it sat right on top of his head. Reaching out its two front paws, it hooked onto his disciple’s shoulders. Using this opportunity, it flapped its wings, completely pushing away a certain master. “Mistress, mistress, I finally get to see you. I really miss you, you know. Oooou… This beastie wants to give birth to little beasties with you.”
“Sesame.” Zhu Yao blanked, as she carried it by its little wings. “Why are you out as well?”
“I turned into a small size and hid myself within that bad person.” Sesame waved its big tail, as it hanged onto Zhu Yao’s body. “Mistress, you don’t even care about me. It’s been such a long time, yet you’re not going to hug this beastie?”
Zhu Yao’s expression darkened. She tried to get Sesame off her body, but to no avail! Why were Sesame’s words becoming even more clingy? Back then, it was understandable since she was a dragon which possessed a bloodline that could suppress it, but now, she was just a piece of jade, there’s no need for it to worship her like this, right?
“Mistress, look, I became this thin became I missed you so much.”
“Sesame! If you don’t get down from me, do you believe that I will make you even thinner?”
“Mistress, you’re so ruthless, so wicked, so nonsensical.”
“Scram!”
“Mistress…”
Sesame still had some things to say, however, it suddenly felt his body becoming light. Its entire body was raised up by a large force, and then, with a bang, it was thrown out the door. Yu Yan waved his hands about, casually setting down another restriction on the door. As expected, he shouldn’t have agreed to his disciple’s idea of raising a pet back then. He wondered if it was still possible to throw it away now.
“Master…” Your throw was a little too ruthless, right? I can’t even see Sesame’s figure anymore.
Yu Yan glanced at his disciple, and his gaze landed at the two beast claw marks on her collar. His brows furrowed, and the cold aura from his body once again flooded out. Reaching out his hand, he cast a Dirt Removal Art, instantly removing those two marks without a trace.
However, his line of sight still stared at the exact same position, and it did not move for a long while, as though there was some sort of dirt that couldn’t be washed off.
“Mas… Master…” Zhu Yao’s heart trembled. If you look at me so intensely, I will not be able to hold myself back.
“Zhu Yao.”
“Ah?”
“Strip your clothes.”
“Sure! Do you want it to be flawless white, or half concealed and half shown? Just say it, no need to be modest.”
“…”
Ever since she found out that Tao Manfeng’s divine sense could be used to exchange for items within the dimensional space, Zhu Yao felt that this method could be used to bring her master out. Hence, she had been waiting for the moment when she was going to exchange for a large amount of items within the dimensional space. As expected, in order to make a breakthrough into the Profound Deity level, Tao Manfeng had decided to begin refining the Profound Energy Pellet. SInce the Profound Energy Pellet required a large amount of Divine Spirit Grass, she had her master move a large amount of Divine Spirit Grass to the corner of the dimensional space in advance. Tao Manfeng was unable to see the exact situation within the dimensional space. During her several tries of exchanging items, occasionally, there were times when all she would receive was Divine Spirit Grass. Naturally, she would believe that there was a large amount of Divine Spirit Grass within.
Hence, in order to refine the pellet, she went out to prepare a lot of items, as she planned on exchanging a large bulk of them at one go. Her master could then use this opportunity to come out, while bringing along Sesame with him. Though, Tao Manfeng was instead the one who was trapped within the dimensional space, which was something Zhu Yao had never expected.
Initially, she had thought that the ones entering would be the miscellaneous items Tao Manfeng had prepared. Who would have known that the dimensional space would directly absorb her into it? Such an unfortunate child. And, looking at her expression, she did not seem to be aware that she was trapped inside either. The reason why her master had Zhu Yao seal her divine sense region, was most likely in order to prevent her from realizing it.
Though, there was a single point she did not seem to understand. In the end, did Tao Manfeng know that Zhu Yao was actually this piece of jade? And on that day, why did Tao Manfeng enter her room?
“She isn’t aware of your true form, rather, she simply saw through the true form of that mushroom.” Yu Yan stroked her head, and explained with a solemn voice.
“You’re saying she was looking for Mushmush?”
“Mn.” Yu Yan nodded. “She must have suspected him, hence the reason she tried to test him. On the day she stopped the two of you, most likely, it was simply to see the true form of that mushroom. Though the lightning glow in her palm back then looked frightening, it was simply an art used to inspect and reveal one’s true form. And it was directed at that mushroom spirit.”
Was that the reason why her master said that she simply had to stand there without moving?
“She sure concealed herself very deeply.” And back then she was actually thinking that she was a little pitiful. That water dragon which Miao Lin cast back then was definitely the retribution she deserved, huh.