A second life, An Eternal journey to Immortality

..... 

After a few moments, Jiang Cheng couldn't help but smile helplessly. He reached out and gently rubbed Liu Ying's hair, his voice soft and reassuring. 

"I'm okay. You don't have to be sad. Everything will be fine."

Liu Ying sobbed quietly, her voice trembling. 

"Really?"

Jiang Cheng chuckled lightly. 

"When have I ever lied to you?"

She looked up at him, her red eyes still damp with tears, and after a brief pause, she whispered: 

"I believe you... this time."

After Jiang Cheng reassured her for a few more minutes, Liu Ying finally calmed down, her sadness gradually fading. Seeing that she had settled, Jiang Cheng sat down with difficulty, adjusting his posture to begin meditating and refining the medicinal power within his body.

Hours passed in silence.

When Jiang Cheng finally opened his eyes, he spat out a mouthful of black, poisonous blood. The moment it left his body, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. The heaviness in his chest eased, and his breathing became smoother. He felt much more comfortable—his condition had greatly improved.

Beside him, Liu Ying, who had been meditating quietly, noticed his movement. Her eyes snapped open, filled with concern.

"Brother Jiang, are you alright?" she asked anxiously.

Jiang Cheng wiped his mouth, a relaxed smile spreading across his face.

"Yeah... better than ever."

 There was a brief pause. Jiang Cheng hesitated, his gaze lowering as if searching for the right words. When he finally spoke, his tone carried a hint of embarrassment. "Liu Ying... thank you. For everything. If it weren't for you, I might not have made it through this."

Liu Ying turned to him, her red eyes glistening. "Don't say that. We're partners, right? We watch each other's backs. That's what matters."

He nodded, a genuine smile tugging at his lips. "Partners."

... 

After resting for a while, Jiang Cheng and Liu Ying got up and began walking toward the direction of the trees. As they made their way through the aftermath of the brutal battle, Jiang Cheng's steps suddenly halted. His gaze fell upon an unknown puddle of flesh and blood, its rotting stench assaulting his senses.

He frowned deeply, his face twisted in disgust. A wave of nausea surged up his throat.

"What the hell is this…?" he muttered, his tone filled with revulsion as he instinctively took a step back, trying to hold down the urge to gag.

He turned to Liu Ying and asked calmly, "Did you do this?"

Liu Ying met his gaze and, seeing that he wasn't angry or blaming her, she nodded. 

"Yes. When I was outside buying the pill for you, those two thieves took the opportunity to sneak into the cave. If I hadn't arrived in time and launched a sneak attack on both of them, they would have stolen our belongings... and killed you while you were defenseless."

Her tone was steady, but Jiang Cheng couldn't help but be startled when he noticed the coldness in her eyes. That chilling gaze—it was not the playful or gentle Liu Ying he was used to. This was a different side of her, one that belonged to someone who had stepped through blood and death.

He shifted his eyes back to the corpses—or what remained of them. After a brief pause, he said plainly:

"Then... it's a good death."

He looked at Liu Ying with concern and asked, "Did you get hurt? Those two… they were both late-stage Qi Refining cultivators."

She smiled gently and said, "Don't worry. The first one was distracted by the tree outside, and the second... I used a special spell to kill him instantly. I paid a small price, but it's nothing serious. So, there's nothing to worry about."

However, there was a flicker in her eyes—something she deliberately left unsaid. Jiang Cheng noticed it, but he didn't press her. Everyone had their own secrets; he understood that well enough.

After a brief pause, he looked at her with a more serious expression. Leaning in slightly, he lowered his voice to a whisper and asked, 

"When you were outside... you didn't... you know... cause any trouble, right? Like... provoking someone you shouldn't have? Maybe getting into a grudge with someone… or offending some young master?"

Here's a more humorous and paranoid twist on the scene with Jiang Cheng's exaggerated paranoia:

---

"No, I didn't do anything or offend anyone," Liu Ying began, her voice casual. "Except when I was bidding at the auction... there was this Young Master from a Foundation Building family who was bidding for the same things…"

Before she could continue, Jiang Cheng's eyes widened in horror. He shot to his feet, his voice rising in panic. "I knew it! I knew something like this would happen! So what happened next? Did he threaten you? Did he say his uncle is a Foundation Building elder from the Qinglin Sect? Or wait, did you kill him?!" His bloodshot eyes were practically bulging from his face, and he was speaking so fast his words were blending together. "Are they hunting you down right now? Are they already outside? Oh no, oh no, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Liu Ying stared at him in disbelief, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to process his hysteria.

Jiang Cheng was practically shaking with paranoia now, his hands flailing about. "What have you done?! You have to let go and surrender yourself to the Qinglin Sect! They'll spare your life, I'm sure of it! They'll see your talent and protect you oh, but you might want to bring me too! They'll spare this Taoist Priest dog's life along with yours, right? Or… or… we could just leave the domain! Let's run! No, fly away! I'll start packing! I'll make us a new identity!"

His voice was getting louder, and as he spoke, his anxiety made his saliva fly around like a torrential downpour. 

Liu Ying was utterly speechless, staring at him, blinking in slow motion.

She couldn't help it. She burst out laughing, holding her stomach. " brother Jiang , calm down! It's not that serious!"

Then Liu Ying began to tell Jiang Cheng in detail about what happened when she first went to the town and her return.

Jiang Cheng calmed down and was surprised by Young Master Zhang Qian's generosity. He couldn't help but curse the dog authors' novels he had read in his previous life.

They always lied to this Taoist Priest. How could a young master from a noble family be so brainless and crazy?

He sighed in relief, praising Liu Ying for her thoughtfulness and how she dealt with things. "You're handling things better than I did," he said. "As expected from you." He laughed to hide his embarrassment.

Liu Ying, also embarrassed by his praise, didn't notice his discomfort. 

... 

After they calmed down, Jiang Cheng said seriously to Liu Ying, "Since we're here in this cave and I think we'll have to stay for a few years, we should make some plans for what we should do during that time."

Then he took out his spirit bag and began sorting through the techniques and spoils he had taken from the flower thief.

He continued, "First, we need to study everything in this jade slip about formations so we can learn how to set up a formation to cover this cave and prevent anyone from entering."

"This is our first priority: the formation," Jiang Cheng said. "Second," he continued, taking out a book on disguise techniques, "we need to master this to the perfect level for our safety when we go outside. Even if we kill someone, they won't know it's us unless they calculate it through the secrets of the heavens, and I'm sure they'll pay a heavy price for that."

"Third, we need money. I see that we don't have much left to buy the necessary resources for body art training, spirit cultivation pills, talismans, and so on."

Before Jiang Cheng could continue, Liu Ying took out two space bags and said, "There are still spirit stones here, at least twenty thousand in total, along with some Spiritual Condensation Pills, Essence Condensing Pills, some junk, and..." She pulled out an unknown book, reading its title. "It's called the Astral Soul Refinement Technique. It talks about refining the soul with the energy of the stars."

When Jiang Cheng took the book and looked at it, he couldn't help but laugh and hug Liu Ying. "You're really my lucky star! Now we have all the techniques, from body to spirit."

"I knew it," he said with a grin. "This young master is destined to become a great emperor!" He laughed heartily.

Liu Ying was momentarily embarrassed, but then she put her hands on her hips, flashed a playful smile, and said smugly, "You should praise me more." She tilted her head slightly, clearly enjoying the attention, her confidence shining through despite her earlier embarrassment.

Jiang Cheng "__" 

He was speechless. 

He then coughed and said, "First, let's study this formation inheritance until we can set up a covering formation."

He looked at Liu Ying and continued, "Don't dismiss the formation; it's actually quite important. For example, we can set up a Spirit Gathering Array wherever we find a suitable place, allowing us to gather surrounding energy for our own use. We could even create a spiritual land to nourish our spiritual fields. 

Or, we could help other cultivators set up Spirit Gathering Arrays and earn high rewards in return."

He paused for a moment before adding, "Not everyone can become an array master. You could say they're extremely rare."

"After we truly become formation masters," Jiang Cheng went on, "whether we're helping others set up formations or using the Spirit Gathering Formation to nourish our spiritual fields, the benefits we can gain are enormous."

"Scarcity makes things valuable, and that's absolutely true."

Liu Ying was amazed and asked, "How can we make money, for example?"

Jiang Cheng smiled and explained, "We could earn tens of thousands of spirit stones a year from planting spirit rice in the fields and selling it. The more we plant, the more money we can make. But we should be careful, as there's a risk of causing some disaster."

Liu Ying was puzzled and asked, "What disaster could happen? We didn't hurt anyone."

Jiang Cheng smiled and placed his hands behind his back. "Well, of course, we haven't done anything in particular. It's just that you don't have a backer, selling spirit rice everywhere, that is the definition of 'Courting death' . everyone will know there is something wrong here so we should be cautious and sell the spirit rice in various markets to avoid attention. 

He paused before continuing, "An array master is like a treasure box. Their importance is immense. Not only do they have the ability to set up powerful formations to protect the place , but they can also generate wealth with their knowledge, they are the same as the alchemists "

"The Qinglin Sect and the surrounding sects all have high demands for array masters and alchemists. 

Anyone who can teach or create formations can command a high price, and their value only increases as fewer people master the skill."

Liu Ying was amazed, nodded. " I see."

Jiang Cheng then nodded as well and said, "Those are all things for the future. Today, we're going to study the basics of formations. First, we'll learn how to carve array patterns onto spirit stones. 

Second, we'll study the special techniques used to set up formations. 

And finally, we'll learn how to observe the flow of spiritual energy between heaven and earth."

Liu Ying thought for a moment, then said, "I understand."

Jiang Cheng smiled and said, "Let's begin."

Then, they both sat across from each other and started studying the basics of formations and how to set them up.

The days passed in a quiet rhythm, with Jiang Cheng and Liu Ying seated across from each other, their minds consumed by the ancient texts on formations.

Neither of them had much experience with formation art, but both were eager to learn. They read diligently, their brows furrowing in concentration as they attempted to decipher the mysterious intricacies of the jade slip and books that lay before them.

Jiang Cheng was the first to break the silence. His finger traced the strange array patterns on the page as he muttered softly to himself, trying to understand the meaning behind each symbol.

After a moment, he looked up at Liu Ying, his voice thoughtful. "This part about the flow of spiritual energy… It seems like it's talking about how energy can be manipulated and guided, but I'm not sure how to form the array properly."

Liu Ying nodded, her eyes fixed on her own book. "Yes, it's all about creating a balance in the environment so that the energy aligns in a specific way. It requires a certain level of precision and understanding of the natural flow of energy."

She paused for a moment, then looked up with a thoughtful expression. "I think it's also important to visualize how the energy will move through the array once it's activated."

Jiang Cheng's face lit up with a spark of realization. "Ah! So, the energy must be guided through the array, like water flowing through a channel. The formations are like pathways, and the symbols are the borders that shape the flow. But…" He paused, his brow furrowing as he studied the patterns again. "How do we ensure the energy doesn't leak out? And how do we stabilize it once we've created the array?"

Liu Ying smiled softly, her red eyes gleaming with determination. She flipped through her book, her fingers tracing the lines of text. "It's all in the precision of the pattern," she said with confidence. "If the symbols aren't placed correctly, or if the array isn't drawn in the right way, the energy will escape. It's about creating an internal balance."

She pointed to a specific section of her book. "This part explains how the angles of the symbols create a containment effect, trapping the energy inside."

Jiang Cheng leaned forward, his gaze fixed on the passage she had pointed to. His voice was filled with admiration. "I see. You've got a better grasp of this than I thought. I need to pay more attention to these small details."

Liu Ying's lips curled into a faint smile, her voice playful. "We're both learning. We can teach each other as we go along." She returned her attention to the text, her fingers gently tracing the complex lines of the formation.

As the days turned into weeks, the two of them grew more in sync. They read together, explained their thoughts to each other, and constantly tested their theories.

Every time they encountered a mistake or an unclear concept, they helped each other work through it. Slowly, the mysteries of the formation art became less elusive.