Chapter 80

The Treasure Duck, though small in size—fitting comfortably in two hands—had an incredibly large stomach. It could store any magical artifact in its belly as long as it did not exceed its cultivation level.

"Cluck cluck cluck..."

However, the Treasure Duck before them did not immediately swallow the long sword. Gu Xuyao, who was about to act, immediately stopped.

"An artifact that can attract a Treasure Duck must be..."

It must be a better artifact!

He continued to wait. The Treasure Duck seemed to be determining its direction. Finally, it found a path, turned back, and affectionately touched the sword with its beak before hopping forward.

At this moment, the long sword was completely free. If Gu Xuyao wanted to take it, no one could stop him. However, to avoid alarming the Treasure Duck, he restrained his impulse.

Following the Treasure Duck through the forest, they turned countless bends. Just as Gu Xuyao was about to lose his way, a mysterious fragrance suddenly wafted up from below. The scent was like sandalwood, a strange kind of sandalwood.

"Quack quack quack..."

The Treasure Duck quacked happily, eager to approach the treasure. However, it tripped and rolled like a ball on the ground.

Pushing aside the leaves in front of him, Gu Xuyao finally saw what the Treasure Duck had found.

Below him was a swamp, a white swamp!

"White Fungus Swamp!"

Almost exclaiming in surprise, Gu Xuyao widened his eyes. He never expected to find the legendary White Fungus Swamp on his second outing.

But what surprised Gu Xuyao even more was that the plump Treasure Duck, after rolling to the edge of the White Fungus Swamp, stopped and hurriedly stood up, bypassing the swamp and diving into a patch of soft-leaved grass.

Seizing the moment, Gu Xuyao suddenly attacked, the sound of thunder startling the Treasure Duck. However, it reacted quickly. Its life was more precious than any artifact, so without hesitation, it dove into the swamp and disappeared.

Gu Xuyao's goal was not to catch the Treasure Duck but to scare it away, as the White Fungus Swamp had already appeared.

But he was still curious about what kind of artifact was hidden in the soft-leaved grass. Gently parting the grass, a blinding light from the sun's rays made Gu Xuyao's eyes uncomfortable.

"This... it's actually a ring..." He picked up the object from the grass and examined it closely.

It was indeed a ring, silver-yellow in color, with a central indentation. It was clear that something should have been embedded there.

As soon as Gu Xuyao picked up the ring, it began to vibrate violently. Before long, it automatically slipped onto his index finger.

"Hmm..." This was one thing, but what Gu Xuyao found unacceptable was that the ring could not be removed, as if it had fused with his flesh.

Frowning slightly, he heard something behind him. Turning around, he saw that the White Fungus Swamp was rapidly contracting. The speed was so fast that by the time Gu Xuyao realized it, it had already disappeared, leaving only a faint white trace on the ground.

The White Fungus Swamp could enhance a cultivator's cultivation. For Gu Xuyao, nothing was more important than this. However, after obtaining the ring, whose function was unknown, he lost the opportunity to enter the White Fungus Swamp. His initially excited mood quickly plummeted.

Sighing deeply, he quickly adjusted his mindset. Gu Xuyao was not one to seek shortcuts. If he could not enter the White Fungus Swamp today, it meant he had no special connection with the spirits of the Earth Resonance Swamp. There was no point in blaming others.

Collecting his thoughts, Gu Xuyao glanced at the silver-yellow ring on his index finger and left.

When he returned to the Liao Wu residence, Ru Hongming was waiting in front of his house. From a distance, he looked anxious, but upon seeing Gu Xuyao, he immediately became arrogant.

"Where did you go today?"

His tone was unfriendly. Gu Xuyao, already in a bad mood, ignored him, merely glancing at him before entering his house.

Seeing this, Ru Hongming's pupils dilated, and he was furious. However, he did not dare to enter Gu Xuyao's house recklessly. Instead, he stood outside and shouted through the door, "Gu Xuyao, don't be too arrogant! You can live here only because of the Ru family's kindness. If the head of the family wasn't so merciful, you'd be sleeping in the swamp of the Earth Resonance Swamp!"

After a tirade, Gu Xuyao suppressed his impatience and closed his eyes to meditate.

Apart from his cultivation, there was another thing that troubled Gu Xuyao. After escaping from Zhenxuezi, his body had undergone changes. Strangely, the once-robust Gu Xuyao often felt pain in his chest and the back of his neck. The chest pain had gradually subsided over time, but the neck pain had worsened, and he would bleed daily.

"I remember that Zhenxuezi seemed to have done something to me. Many of his artifacts and techniques are related to blood. Could it be..."

His worry stemmed from the unknown. Gu Xuyao truly did not know what was wrong with his body. If it was indeed Zhenxuezi's doing, no one in the Earth Resonance Swamp could help him.

Time flew by. Five years passed, and Gu Xuyao's cultivation had reached the peak of the first level of the Root Birth Realm, on the verge of breaking through.

According to the cultivation insights left by Tong Ruhai, there were no shortcuts to entering the second level of the Root Birth Realm. It was all about accumulation and refinement.

Therefore, although Gu Xuyao worked hard on his cultivation, he did not act blindly. Everything had to be done step by step, as it was the most stable method. After all, he no longer had the protection of the Taiheng Sect. If he made a mistake in cultivation or encountered any other issues, no one would save him.

Over the five years, Gu Xuyao's relationship with Ru Lixuan grew closer. She would visit him daily, often pestering him with various topics. After hearing about his encounter with the White Fungus Swamp, she frequently asked him to take her out to see if she could find it too.

Of course, her motivation for improving her cultivation was different from others.

"If my cultivation improves significantly, I won't have to practice for a long time, right? Come on, Big Brother Gu, can you take me to look for it?"

Every time she asked him to take her out, she would say this. Gu Xuyao would just smile and take her out for a walk.

Finding the White Fungus Swamp was extremely difficult. Over the years, they had gone out many times. At first, Ru Lixuan searched diligently, hardly speaking. But later, perhaps realizing it was futile, she treated it as a game. They always had a good time, but when she asked him again, she would be very serious.

However, this young girl was not always so lively. Three years ago, her mother fell ill, and she became increasingly depressed. When she visited Gu Xuyao, she often talked about her past with her mother, and tears would fall. The number of times they went out also decreased. Sometimes, when she felt better and wanted to go out, she would just sit in a sunny spot, lost in thought.

Gu Xuyao saw everything. All he could do was be there for her. This was the nature of life, full of uncertainties. There were so few things that could be changed by human effort.

"I can't break through my cultivation. I feel I'm ready, but why can't I do it..."

Another morning, the sun was bright, but Gu Xuyao's mood was not. For a month, he had been trying to break through his cultivation, but to no avail. He could not figure out the problem.

"The senior's notes didn't mention this situation. Is this normal? That's why the senior didn't mention it?"

Now, when Gu Xuyao tried to break through his cultivation, it felt like a strong man trying to crush a ball of cotton. He truly felt the futility of it. Although his cultivation could not improve, the pain in his chest had completely disappeared, and the bleeding from his neck had stopped a year ago. Now, it only caused a tingling pain.

"Creak..."

As Gu Xuyao was deep in thought, the door opened, and a crying face appeared.

"Big Brother Gu!"

Ru Lixuan, sobbing, rushed into the house and threw herself into Gu Xuyao's arms. Her tears streamed down her pale cheeks, stinging Gu Xuyao's skin.

"Lixuan, what happened?"

Gu Xuyao hesitated for a moment before gently patting her back.

"Mother, she suddenly spat out black blood, and her face was pale like a corpse. Father saw her like this and quickly called the cultivator from the Sun family next door to check. He said that Mother has no hope, and the only way is..."

Ru Lixuan sobbed, her body trembling with pain, just like Gu Xuyao's heart.

"What is the only way? Lixuan, take your time..."

"The only way is to find the antler of a Cloud Marsh Deer and the mature Inert Birth Grass. Otherwise, there is no hope." A male voice answered. Looking up, Gu Xuyao saw that someone had appeared at the door. It was none other than Ru Hongming, who had followed Ru Lixuan closely.