Cultivating with Symbiosis Panel

Li Ye's heart trembled when he saw the hem of that garment.

It was clearly the Taoist Robe of the Four Seasons Sect!

He sensed something amiss, but the voice continued to echo:

"The disciple of True Man Su Xing from the Four Seasons Demon Sect... He carries exceedingly strong Qi Fortune."

"Sooner or later he will find out."

"You agree with me, don't you, my junior brother?"

The voice, like a thunderous explosion, rose within Li Ye's mind. He immediately decided to erase the memory, but his power was dissolved by an even more peculiar force.

The sunny, cheerful voice continued within the memory bubble: "The Celestial Dao loves you, Qi Fortune favors you, you will sooner or later arrive here—to dig us out one by one, like rats hiding in tunnels.

But can you truly make up your mind to utterly cut off the evil thought of me, your senior brother. Good and evil are two sides of the Heart Power; without me, he can never truly Prove Tao as a Nascent Soul.

I wish to know if you, or those junior brothers of mine, or maybe that old fellow, would act in such a way?

What do you say, junior brother?"

In a daze, it seemed a figure wearing the Four Seasons Sect Taoist Robe emerged, gently patting his head as it once did on Ruoquan Island.

Then everything vanished into thin air.

The memory bubble stayed in place, the glow of Spiritual Power still stable, embracing the bright memory bubble like a jewel.

Yet the recent memory alone vanished completely.

Li Ye looked in that direction with lingering doubt, his mind racing.

Is what's inside real? Involving senior brother's matters? If it's true… must fellow disciples really turn against each other? Is this the true plot of the Hell Path?

His mindset had been well nurtured long before, rarely harboring particular loathing, but "Hell Path" made him feel deeply disgusted from the heart.

Not daring to openly challenge the Four Seasons Sect, they covertly engaged in vile deeds, truly like rats lurking in gutters, filthy and sinister!

The mud doll on his shoulder seemed to sense his emotions.

Encased in white light, its slightly "rough" little hand gently touched his cheek, then leaned in close with its whole body.

Beneath the somewhat chilling Heart Power was the warm touch of the Five-Colored Stone, like actual skin, pressed tightly against his face, soothing his emotions swiftly.

"Sigh."

"Thanks for comforting me."

Li Ye's fingers gently stroked the mud doll's head, and it seemed to receive permission, clinging gleefully to his face, and could not be pried away...

"You really are getting out of hand." Li Ye was helpless, but he did not remove the mud doll; he maintained this state, strolling away from the Guardian Envoy's little courtyard.

As he was about to leave, the Guardian Envoy seemed to awaken but couldn't utter any curses, because a branch of the Demon-Suppressing Tree unhesitatingly blocked her mouth.

Only muffled sounds faintly emerged.

Li Ye's figure left decisively, already having lost interest in communicating with her.

The branches and veins of the Demon-Suppressing Tree had completely fused with her, the power within her supposed to handle trivial matters became the source of nourishment for the Demon-Suppressing Tree.

Meanwhile, the Demon-Suppressing Tree maintained the circulation of her consciousness and Spiritual Power, preventing her from dying, from sleeping, until the Demon-Suppressing Tree truly withered.

But the Demon-Suppressing Tree's lifespan…

The predecessors of the Four Seasons Sect used the longest-lived tree species, able to persist through the ages with Spiritual Power nourishing and tending them—

In the Demon Suppression Valley, there were quite a few Demon-Suppressing Trees planted since the sect's founding, alongside those privileged "guests" enjoying "immortal" status.

What awaited the Guardian Envoy was the same, and even greater "privileges" as those guests.

Pain stretched endlessly, finally returning upon themselves.

Congratulations.

...

Outside.

Li Ye did not bother with wrapping up matters concerning Other Shore City.

He knew clearly that even inviting people to help required offering rewards, and inside Other Shore City were many treasures formed from Vengeful Spirits, Ghost Qi, and Demon Path.

Those treasures would be his payment to the assisting Cultivators.

Cultivators, especially those who had wandered outside for long, were somewhat akin to locusts in certain respects.

Everything here, including buildings, items spawned by Wish Power, even the water of the Bitter River, could be taken away through various means by them.

This was precisely what Li Ye intended, after all, he needed to dismantle this place and then manage arrangements for the villagers here.

Yet people have their closeness and distance, and upon encountering a Sword Cultivator from the Celestial Vein Sword Mountain, he disclosed a few treasure troves' locations from the Guardian Envoy's memory to him.

Just as he was leaving the city, he saw a low house with a small silhouette on the verge of dissipating.

It was Old Jiang's granddaughter.

She had taken the village's rice, saying she was searching for her parents, but what about her parents?

There's no need to sweep with Divine Sense or observe, Li Ye already knew these people had long been controlled by the Guardian Envoy's hair, and upon the Guardian Envoy's demise, they would go berserk and then perish.

Perhaps they had long perished or were casually eradicated by a passing Cultivator, as they were beyond saving.

Li Ye reached out his hand, but the small silhouette seemed to notice his presence, gently shook her head at him.

"Big Brother..."

"I'm going to find Grandpa... Sorry."

The soft, airy voice came, and then the unstable soul dissipated completely, vanishing without even a chance for reincarnation.

"Whew."

Li Ye reached out to rub the mud doll's head, then turned around, the Rice Robe leaving a streak of golden light on the murky, sullied ground, ascending and dissipating toward the sky.

Soon, he arrived at the entrance of Xiguang Village.

He looked at the Jianmu branch planted in the ground, his gaze lingering on it for a long time, somewhat surprised—there was quite a bit of Wish Power within, surrounded by some incense ash and censers.

Obviously, it had been worshipped by someone.

The main trunk of Jianmu had completely rooted here, its fine roots gradually enveloping the whole village.

"I suppose you don't plan to leave with me."

Though he had already guessed, he still asked.

The answer was unsurprising.

This Jianmu branch, nourished by Wish Power, emanated a faintly guilty and rejecting wave of Divine Thought, swirling around Li Ye, like a child sneaking out to play without elders' permission.

The children protected by Jianmu within the village joyfully gathered around Li Ye:

"Immortal Brother!"

"Big Brother!"

"You're here! Are those outside... all gone?"

Surrounded by these innocent, cheerful children, Li Ye finally smiled, gentle and warm, and he affectionately patted the head of a child almost hanging entirely on him:

"Yes."

"From now on, this place belongs only to you."

"I can also take you away, to the vast world outside, to see the place where all Spirit Plants can truly be cultivated, where Spirit Beasts can run freely."

He originally had this intention, but the children immediately shook their heads, and the other villagers who arrived also responded in unison:

"We're fine living here!"

"With the farming methods you taught us, we can survive!"

"After all, this is where our ancestors have lived!"

Li Ye blinked, and promised: "This place will forever belong to you, but you will also have the chance to venture out, just don't forget this piece of earth, don't forget to fill this land with abundant rice."

As a Golden Core True Man, and having eradicated this Hell Path stronghold, this place, this space naturally belonged to him; that was the sect's rule.

Also…

He looked up to the sky, where his master and True Man He sat in the void, seeing him look over, and waved:

"Well done!"

Just simple praise, no extra words.

Yet it relaxed the taut string in Li Ye's heart completely, and he beamed with the vigorous spirit of youth.

Shouting toward the sky: "Of course, who else do you think I am!"

This loud proclamation made even the distant Cultivators turn their heads, and True Man He revealed a surprised expression, subsequently shook his head.

His tone carried clear envy:

"That's wonderful."