Chapter 79

Growing up without a care in the world, Ruli Meng was extremely cheerful, with two deep dimples always gracing her perfect cheeks. She was particularly interested in the newcomer, Gu Xuyao.

"Big Brother Gu, you're practicing again, hehe, it's time for you to tell me a story today!"

Gu Xuyao had been at the Liao Wu Manor for seven days. Though the Ru family was small, its layout was clearly defined. There were five venerables in total, and apart from Gu Xuyao, the others were from other families in the Di Xiang Ze who had come to seek refuge. The role of the venerables was to enhance the family's strength, and they were all outsiders. Their residences were concentrated in one corner of the Liao Wu Manor. Gu Xuyao rarely interacted with the other four, as each of them had their own past and no one was willing to share it.

Since learning about the new presence of Gu Xuyao in the family, Ruli Meng had started paying attention to him. On the third day, she spoke to Gu Xuyao for the first time, asking the strange question, "Are you a cultivator like us?" This marked the beginning of their story.

Gu Xuyao opened his eyes and looked at Ruli Meng, who was a beautiful sight, and his lips involuntarily curved into a warm smile.

"Alright, I'll continue the story today, but remember, we only have half an hour each day, and then you must go back to practice."

Ruli Meng was a Dao cultivator, currently at the fifth level of the Jade Smoothness stage. In terms of physical cultivation, this was equivalent to Gu Xuyao's level. However, she had never left the Di Xiang Ze. To be precise, due to her unparalleled beauty, her father, Ru Dongsheng, doted on her even more, and he would worry if she ventured too far from the family.

This overprotective care made Ruli Meng yearn for the outside world. Unfortunately, no one in the Ru family had ever left the Di Xiang Ze, which only intensified her desire to explore the outside world.

"Okay, okay, I'll listen to you. Hurry up, hurry up! Last time, you were hunting that creature called the Three-Eyed Water Dragonfly. Did you catch it in the end?"

Ruli Meng propped her chin with her small, white hands, eagerly waiting for Gu Xuyao to continue the story of his ordinary adventures in the Hong Ni District.

In truth, Gu Xuyao knew that even if she wasn't with him, she wouldn't focus on her practice. However, he felt a sense of joy being with her.

"Li Meng, are you inside?"

Before Gu Xuyao could finish his story, someone called out from outside the room.

"I'm coming in."

The door was pushed open, and a refined young man walked in, glancing at Gu Xuyao with a frown before smiling at Ruli Meng. "Li Meng, the family head sent me to call you. Your mother has something to tell you. Come on, this is a place for outsiders, and we shouldn't stay too long."

This person was named Ru Hongming. His ancestors were once venerables of the Ru family, but due to their loyalty, they served the Ru family for three generations. Later, the Ru family allowed them to change their surname and join the family. Thus, Ru Hongming and Ruli Meng had no blood relation, but she still had to call him brother.

This wasn't the first time Ru Hongming had barged into Gu Xuyao's room without permission. Although the venerables' quarters were indeed more dilapidated than other houses, it didn't mean Gu Xuyao could be disrespected.

"Mr. Ru, you didn't ask for my permission before entering, did you?"

Gu Xuyao could see that Ru Hongming had feelings for Ruli Meng, and for some reason, this made him dislike Ru Hongming.

"Ah, yes, I forgot. So what?"

Ru Hongming acted as if it didn't matter.

Gu Xuyao's brows furrowed, and the accumulated killing intent from countless battles suddenly erupted. Although Ru Hongming's cultivation was on par with Gu Xuyao's, he had never seen such a scene before. He saw a blood-red field, littered with corpses and a stench of death.

"Ugh!"

Ru Hongming, unable to handle it, covered his mouth and ran out of the room, vomiting.

"Hehe, Big Brother Gu, you're so amazing! Okay, I'll save the story time for later. I'm going to see my mother. See you, Big Brother Gu!"

Ruli Meng, unaffected by Gu Xuyao's killing intent, politely bid him farewell and went to check on Ru Hongming.

"Perhaps this is what it means to be completely pure..." Gu Xuyao sighed as he watched Ruli Meng leave. She had no concept or fear of killing, and her innocence was rare in the Di Xiang Ze.

After the meeting with Ruli Meng ended, Gu Xuyao got up and left the Liao Wu Manor. The Ru family's control over the venerables was very loose. While the venerables were supposed to protect the family, the Di Xiang Ze was so peaceful that there was no real need for protection. Thus, the role of the venerables was more of a nominal arrangement, where wandering cultivators found a place to stay, and the family gained some support in case of emergencies.

Gu Xuyao could freely enter and leave the Liao Wu Manor. His purpose for this trip was to find out why the Di Xiang Ze was so attractive.

The Di Xiang Ze, as its name suggests, was a vast swamp. While it didn't have the deadly quicksand that could trap people, it had a unique type of swamp.

The locals called it the White Fungus Pond. It was named for its distinctive appearance—a pale, swirling swamp. It varied in size, and every day, some cultivators in the Di Xiang Ze would search for these White Fungus Ponds, while others were obsessed with finding them. These cultivators spent almost all their time searching for the White Fungus Ponds.

When a cultivator entered a White Fungus Pond, they wouldn't die. Instead, they would receive different benefits depending on the size of the pond. According to the Ru family, the most famous White Fungus Pond incident directly advanced a cultivator from the first level of the Root Formation stage to the third level of the Root Birth stage.

However, the White Fungus Ponds were rare and unpredictable. According to ancient legends, they were a blessing from the guardian deity of the Di Xiang Ze, and not everyone was fortunate enough to encounter one.

Gu Xuyao had already searched once, but with no results. He knew it was like looking for a needle in a haystack, so he didn't spend too much time searching. The Di Xiang Ze was mysterious, and even if he didn't find a White Fungus Pond, encountering other wonders would be a good experience.

It was early morning, and the sunlight filtered through the dense, wet leaves of the swamp, casting an uneven pattern on the blackish-yellow ground, creating a unique atmosphere.

The sounds of birds and beasts filled the air, creating a peaceful and serene environment. At such times, Gu Xuyao often thought that staying in the Di Xiang Ze forever wouldn't be so bad. However, the moment this thought appeared, images of shattered faces would immediately flash in his mind.

"Hmm?"

A sudden noise from ahead interrupted Gu Xuyao's thoughts. He quickly jumped onto a tree and observed.

The trees in the Di Xiang Ze were not very tall, about ten feet high, which was no challenge for Gu Xuyao.

"Quack, quack, quack..."

The surface of the Di Xiang Ze was covered with dense, soft grass, which was usually knee-high. A small, fat yellow duck, about the size of a human head, with no visible feet or wings, emerged from the grass, making "quack" sounds.

"This is a Treasure Duck!" Gu Xuyao had memorized the ecological records of the Di Xiang Ze when he first arrived at the Liao Wu Manor. As a former hunter, he was fascinated by such creatures.

Despite its clumsy and fat appearance, the Treasure Duck had a special ability: it could find treasures.

"The Treasure Duck is on the move, which means there must be something valuable nearby. The Di Xiang Ze is vast and rich in resources. Could there really be a treasure today?"

The legend of the guardian deity of the Di Xiang Ze was mysterious. Many ancient books said that the deity controlled life and the cycle of rebirth, and living under its protection was a blessing.

Thus, the Di Xiang Ze often had various unknown treasures emerging from the ground, though not as valuable as the White Fungus Ponds, they were still rare and fortunate finds.

"Quack, quack, quack..."

The Treasure Duck moved slowly, its fat body jiggling with each hop. Gu Xuyao had to be very patient to follow it, as any sudden movement would scare it away.

Gu Xuyao was no stranger to stealth and tracking. As the day progressed, by noon, he followed the Treasure Duck to an open area, where the swamp was a striking emerald green.

Gu Xuyao, hidden in the tree, could see clearly that the emerald swamp was about a mile wide. In the center of the open area, a long sword was embedded in the ground, with a green gem embedded in the hilt. Clearly, this was the source of the swamp's color.

"Quack..."

The Treasure Duck's expression was almost human-like. Upon seeing the sword, its short beak, which was usually squeezed upward by its fat body, slightly opened.

It hopped over to the sword, closed its eyes, and rubbed against it with evident enjoyment.

"The Treasure Duck is a rare and powerful spirit beast. It loves collecting various treasures. If I don't act now, it will take the sword."

The Treasure Duck, despite its unimpressive appearance, was undoubtedly powerful. Its specialty was swallowing treasures, and once a treasure was swallowed, it could only be retrieved by killing the duck. Its ability to burrow underground was also exceptional, making it extremely difficult to capture unless one's cultivation was significantly higher.