Chapter 275: When The Golden Wind And Jade Dew Meet

Chapter 275: When Golden Wind and Jade Dew Meet

The deeper he dove, the water pressure bore down, and his injuries began to ache again.

A night's recovery was ultimately insufficient.

But Zhao Changhe did not give up; he continued to grit his teeth and dive deeper, as long as his internal circulation could hold out, he would explore as far as he could.

When he spoke to Yue Hongling, he had seemed full of confidence and assurance, but that was just encouragement—to bolster her spirits, and his own. A man at such a time must shoulder the burden; in truth, his heart was not as assured as his face showed.

In yesterday's bundle, the medicine for internal injuries had only two or three pills left; he could take one more today, and tomorrow the medicine would run out.

The ointment for external injuries was even worse; there was hardly any left to scrape out, only a tiny smear.

The dry rations would last at most two days, and by tomorrow they would be gone.

In other words, he had to find a way out by tomorrow at the latest.

As for dual cultivation... he did not deny the thought crossed his mind, but there was still a gap between "winning the girl" and "going to bed." Zhao Changhe was uncertain about bridging that gap; he didn't know if, having just gotten together, she would think him too eager and be deeply disappointed...

Moreover, something felt off in his heart—was their first time really to be for dual cultivation?

Could it not be a wedding night free of any ulterior motive, driven purely by passion and harmony?

Besides, dual cultivation did not mean injuries could heal quickly; its basic concept was the circulation of qi, mutual improvement—essentially a cultivation method, with healing as a mere side benefit.

Zhao Changhe, who had studied the Blissful Art deeply, could be certain that even if they did it, it would only be slightly better than the earlier qi transfer—when you are most depleted and parched, mutual achievement works extremely well, quickly bringing spring back to the land, like giving each other a source of living water. After that stage, the effect would diminish; it was a technique requiring long-term union and progress, not something that yields great results from a single bedding.

Even plundering wouldn't have such absurd effects, let alone dual cultivation.

So he stopped thinking about it. He liked her not for her body; with their combined efforts, he refused to believe they couldn't break through this sky!

Zhao Changhe gritted his teeth and continued groping toward the mountain's base.

His wounds subtly cracked again, and blood seeped out once more.

Unlike yesterday when blood drifted on the lake's surface, this time the blood was very close to the mountain body, slowly floating toward it and gradually seeping in.

...

Yue Hongling circled the pile of stones where everyone had rested several times, lost in thought.

Among the scattered rocks outside, seven could be selected to form the shape of the Big Dipper; could these inside also be arranged similarly?

She tried, but no correspondence emerged.

After a moment's thought, she tried the Southern Dipper's six stars, but again no match.

This was very troublesome—there were so many constellations in the sky; trying to outline them one by one would take forever.

She had to narrow down a general range to test... Yue Hongling stroked her chin for a long time, then suddenly had an idea.

This place was in the north; though it was amidst sand and stone, the key point was related to water.

The chaotic stone mountain they had previously inhabited resembled a tortoise and snake.

So should she consider the Black Tortoise's seven mansions? Give it a try.

Coincidentally, the Southern Dipper she had just tried was the first mansion of the Black Tortoise, the Dipper Mansion. So she continued downward: the second mansion, the Ox Mansion...

Still no outline formed.

She continued: the third mansion, the Girl Mansion.

Yue Hongling suddenly jolted—there were indeed stones that could outline the Girl Mansion's shape! But it was ambiguous; every stone seemed slightly off, like pushing the Alkaid position outside could reset it, but here it seemed more advanced, as if choosing any stone to reset could complete the entire Girl Mansion.

This was indeed more advanced... It seemed every stone could be pushed, but only one was correct; pushing the wrong one might have adverse consequences.

So which stone was the array's eye?

Yue Hongling examined each stone along the entire Girl Mansion shape, but found no sign of an array eye, nor even the feeling of an array—it seemed like an unactivated dead array, or one already abandoned.

Just as she hesitated whether to wait for Zhao Changhe to come up and discuss, her heart suddenly stirred.

The stones, which had been dead and unresponsive, suddenly had an energy reaction—not just these stones, but the entire mountain in the lake seemed to react, as if activated by someone.

That was the moment Zhao Changhe's blood seeped into the mountain.

Yue Hongling, a renowned master on the Human Ranking, might not be deeply versed in all formations, but she had a keen sense of energy flow. Once there was an energy reaction, she immediately detected where the array's stagnation lay.

The "Celestial Ford" star position.

Celestial Ford—the earthly Tianjin takes its name from this; its original meaning is the ferry crossing of the Milky Way, the bridge across the galaxy.

This was the array's eye.

Without hesitation, Yue Hongling ran to the massive stone and pushed with all her might.

...

Zhao Changhe's diving position had reached roughly the underwater mid-mountain; the powerful internal circulation of the Six Harmonies Divine Art was nearly failing, and he felt that if he didn't turn back, he would surely drown.

But just as he was about to turn, his rear-sight eye suddenly caught a pile of scattered rocks haphazardly stacked at the mountainside.

Zhao Changhe's heart jolted; recalling that the Big Dipper stone array outside was also at mid-mountain, he wondered if there might be a correspondence here.

So, with the last of his inner breath, he quickly swam toward the scattered rocks.

He had little knowledge of formations, but he had a cheat.

Back then, Vermilion Bird had taught him the method of resonating with the celestial stars to break through realms, and had pointed out the celestial star chart for him. With that chart as a reference, he soon found the suspicious arrangement among these rocks.

It seemed that several of them could form a very complete "Ox Mansion" shape, though slightly misaligned.

He also sensed the flow of energy, but unfortunately, lacking Yue Hongling's cultivation and insight, he couldn't pinpoint where the energy flow was obstructed.

But he had another cheat.

He had used the Wang family's sea mud before and was very familiar with its aura. As he approached the stone array, he clearly felt the similar aura growing closer.

The point with the most concentrated aura—that was the array's eye.

By now, his lungs were about to burst. Gathering the last wisp of inner breath, he pushed with all his strength against one of the stones.

The "Imperial Pathway" star position—the carriage road for an emperor's journey, the path leading to an expedition.

Almost simultaneously, Yue Hongling aligned with "Celestial Ford," and Zhao Changhe aligned with "Imperial Pathway."

The entire mountain blazed with light, its aura surging to the Ox and Dipper constellations. Both of them felt a dizzying spin and vanished from their spots.

The emperor traverses the expedition path; the Weaver Girl crosses the Milky Way.

The Ox Mansion is the Cowherd.

The Girl Mansion is the Weaver Girl.

A ripple passed, and both appeared in an unknown space inside the mountain, colliding into each other's arms and tumbling to the ground.

The ground was soft and bouncy, as if covered in jelly.

The entire interior of the mountain was formed from the same kind of sea mud as the Wang family's, but here it was more condensed, already turned into jelly.

At the very core, a stone emitting a soft glow floated in the center, exuding a distant and vast aura. Strands of energy slowly dispersed, accumulating over time into a solid, jelly-like substance.

The two embraced and rolled on the jelly, tumbling several times before stopping, with Yue Hongling beneath and Zhao Changhe above. Beside them, the soft glow of the treasure illuminated the small space like warm candlelight. The fragrance of the celestial treasure filled the tiny chamber, intoxicating.

Neither of them looked at the treasure; they gazed at each other, eyes full of joy.

Even the joy of surviving a disaster paled in comparison to this moment... because both realized that it was their shared telepathy that had led to this moment of solving the riddle and meeting.

If there had been but a single soul, or if either had faltered by a mere heartbeat, this perilous quest for treasure would have surely ended in ruin, and a certain stubborn man might well have suffocated beneath the lightless waves.

Every lingering anxiety dissolved away, consumed entirely by the vast, surging torrents of energy.

For human sustenance is naught but the gathering of vital force, and here resided the purest, primordial energy; one could survive for a lifetime without a single crumb or drop of water simply by drawing it directly into the soul through martial discipline.

As for the mending of their flesh... if the King clan's sacred mire could once envelope Zhao Changhe to heal his deepest internal wounds, then this sediment, a hundred times more potent, rendered a mere gash upon the ribs completely trivial.

They required no effort at all to feel their grievous wounds knitting close, as a gentle, soothing aura caressed each laceration with exquisite comfort.

After a long, wordless gaze, Yue Hongling spoke in a soft, melodic murmur: "It is sweet and fragrant here."

Zhao Changhe replied in a low, fervent whisper: "Not nearly as sweet as you."

"I am soiled and foul."

"Tell me who dares say so, and I shall break him," Zhao Changhe murmured idly, his fingers weaving gently through the silken cascade of her unpinned hair.

This was Yue Hongling, her long tresses floating free.

His touch then wandered to her cheek, tracing downward along the bare skin of her arm, softer and smoother than any rare nectar, whiter than the finest jade.

Yue Hongling surrendered to his tender advances, her breath catching slightly, offering no resistance.

She knew well that he had desired this long before, yet he loathed to treat her with base opportunism, nor did he find the previous places fitting; a lone man and a solitary maid, bound by a mutual pledge, could have easily used the pretext of dual cultivation to heal their wounds, yet he refused to use such an excuse to beguile her into bed, as though he had erected a sacred boundary within his own heart.

It was rather foolish, in truth... but it was precisely this honorable folly that won her devotion.

That was the tender heart of chivalry they both cherished, far removed from the hedonistic paradise of the Maitreya Sect.

And at this very moment, there was no longer any need for hesitation; following their soul-stirring triumph over the array and this reunion akin to the Cowherd and Weaver Girl, it felt as though fate itself had decreed this union.

When the golden autumn wind meets the jade-like dew of morning, they surpass all the countless encounters of the mortal realm.

Their lips met once more in a passionate embrace, closer and more fierce than any embrace they had shared before.

He no longer contented himself with the sweetness of her lips, his kisses straying to her cheeks, her slender throat, and lingeringly further down.

Breathing heavily, Yue Hongling raised her body slightly, easing the way for his hands to unfasten her garments.

These tattered robes were already so simple to undo... surely he had purchased them with this very intent...

As her flesh met the cool air, he buried his face against her.

Yue Hongling closed her eyes, cradling his head in her arms as she murmured: "I always knew you harbored such wicked designs, and now you have found your moment... you truly are impatient."

"Once we leave this place, riding out into the shifting sands amidst the clash of great armies, there may never be another chance... if fate should sunder us across the horizons, who knows what year we might meet again," Zhao Changhe murmured in response. "I do not wish to be so foolish ever again..."

Yue Hongling said no more, offering only a soft, compliant sigh.

She too was uncertain where her path would lead once they returned to the world outside.

Neither of them possessed a home, for the vast martial world was their only sanctuary... perhaps it was true that after this parting, the boundless horizons would keep them apart once more.

Within the narrow, confined space, the sound of heavy breathing grew deeper, until a low, sudden gasp echoed softly.

In the world outside, twilight had fallen once more across the golden desert, where a lone blade-wielding wanderer led a steed, walking toward the crimson glow of the evening sky.