Free Web NovelChapter 687: Chapter 256: Heart of Desperate Resolve (Part 4)
"However... from now on, I must accelerate my pace."
"Hong Xiu will definitely not let such a great opportunity go to waste and will surely want a share of my fortune."
With a sinister glint in his eyes, Hong Ye immediately formed a finger technique and waved his hand to cast a golden light.
A portal shimmering with light appeared out of thin air, as his figure stepped through, appearing inside the Glazed Hidden Mechanism Compassion Light Tower.
The pea-sized blue lamp flame quietly burned, its dim light extending the shadow of the cross-legged figure in front of it into the darkness.
Hong Ye quietly observed the obviously thinner figure in front of him, Shen Chongxu, whose back was covered with dense tree roots. He frowned, thought for a moment, then slowly walked over.
Inside the Glazed Hidden Mechanism Compassion Light Tower, Shen Chongxu heard footsteps from outside and slowly opened his eyes.
At this moment, Hong Ye happened to push the door open and, meeting Shen Chongxu’s gaze, smiled and said, "Little friend, are you not satisfied with this place?"
Shen Chongxu sneered but did not respond.
Hong Ye glanced again at the porcelain bottles on the desk in front of him and continued, "These elixirs are excellent resources for cultivation. If you find them insufficient, I will have more sent to you."
"You must not be hard on yourself."
Shen Chongxu slowly turned his head, squinting his eyes at him, and said in a deep voice, "What exactly have you bald donkeys done to me?"
Though influenced by the Glazed Hidden Mechanism Compassion Light Tower for several months, he couldn’t see his true form and was unaware that his body had already grown full of roots.
Those roots continuously siphoned the fortune and luck of the Shen Family through his veins.
But with his understanding of Jianan Temple, he knew they hadn’t expended so much effort just to imprison him simply.
For several months, he had vaguely sensed a strange force constantly extracting something from within him.
Along with it, his demonic qi was slowly being drained away too.
Facing his gaze, Hong Ye smiled faintly and said, "No need to hurry, little friend. I merely wish to purify the demonic qi in you to aid your cultivation."
After a slight pause in his words, he gently waved his hand.
A flash of light, and dozens of spirit crystals rich in spiritual power appeared instantly on the desk in front.
"You might think it’s easy to tamper with elixirs, but surely these spirit crystals pose no issues, right?"
"No matter my intentions, you should rest assured in improving your cultivation."
Hong Ye smiled, then nodded slightly, saying, "Farewell, little friend, cultivate well."
The elixirs he had sent earlier were indeed for cultivation, without any manipulation.
But the purpose wasn’t truly to let Shen Chongxu cultivate peacefully in the Glazed Hidden Mechanism Compassion Light Tower.
By using him to extract the fortune and luck of the Shen family, the Nine-leaf Bodhi inevitably absorbed the spiritual and demonic qi within him.
Providing elixirs was to prevent excessive loss of spiritual and demonic qi, which could endanger his life.
Moreover, with abundant spiritual qi in him, the Nine-leaf Bodhi could extract it faster.
Shen Chongxu looked at the closed door, then gazed at the spirit crystals before contemplating briefly and picking up a piece to examine closely.
Natural spirit crystals are indeed difficult to tamper with.
Yet he never trusted that Jianan Temple would have such good intentions.
"You can’t tamper with spirit crystals..."
"But the more you desperately want me to cultivate, the less I will."
In his youth, his grandfather Shen Yuan had advised their brothers.
When you can’t discern the enemy’s intentions, there is a straightforward way to resist.
The method is, "The more the enemy wants something, the less you give; the more they don’t want to see something, the more you should find ways to do it."
Now, Monk Hong Ye was giving elixirs and spirit crystals, wanting him to cultivate well; by not cultivating, he was already resisting.
Let’s see what other tricks they have up their sleeves.
With a wave of his hand, Shen Chongxu stored the spirit crystals in the storage bag and sat cross-legged on the meditation mat.
Just as he was pondering what else he could do, a streak of light suddenly flashed in his mind.
Soon after, a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Someone come!"
"Someone come!"
His cries quickly summoned a helper in the late stage of the Fetal Breathing Realm who was guarding him.
"What instructions do you have, Taoist friend?"
The helper entered and asked politely with hands in salute.
"I wish to see that bald... your World Honored One!"
Hearing this, the helper was momentarily stunned, then saluted and said, "Please wait, Taoist friend, I will invite the World Honored One for you."
A moment later, Hong Ye, who had just left, returned to the Glazed Hidden Mechanism Compassion Light Tower.
"Little friend, what do you wish to see me for?"
Shen Chongxu smiled and looked at him, saying, "If I’m not mistaken, I probably have no chance of leaving this tower alive, right?"
Hong Ye’s expression paused slightly, just about to speak when Shen Chongxu raised his hand to interrupt, "Don’t take me for a fool, Shen."
"Either way, it’s a death. Shen has a request, and if Jianan Temple can agree, I’ll live well."
"Otherwise, you know, even a cultivator at the Fetal Breathing Perfection Realm, if intent on dying, no amount of control from you can stop it."
Hearing this, a flicker of unnoticeable panic flashed in Hong Ye’s eyes.
The reason he went to such great lengths, using the Glazed Hidden Mechanism Compassion Light Tower, to make it seem like Shen Chongxu was merely imprisoned, and unaware that the Nine-leaf Bodhi was extracting the fortune and luck of the Shen Family from him, was to avoid him choosing to end his life should he find out.
"What request do you have, little friend? Feel free to speak," Hong Ye said after thinking for a moment.
And precisely at this moment, Shen Chongxu was instantly sure that they wanted him alive.
