Transmigration: The Peerless Immortal Husband

Gu Yao’s decision to enter the Qiuqu Mountains was driven by two main reasons, in addition to his original plans. First, Jiang Yan had already begun preparations to enter the mountains after obtaining the Red Xuan Pill, and would not wait for anyone. Gu Yao decided to catch a ride with him. Second, Gu Yao anticipated the coming storm and thought it would be better to temporarily avoid it.

He could imagine that if he stayed at the academy and the matter of the pills was exposed, he would definitely be brought before The Pill Peak and Valley Master Hu, facing their questioning and suspicions from others. To avoid all this trouble, he decided to leave discreetly.

Tian Feirong and the chubby boy would travel together, which was somewhat beyond Gu Yao’s expectations. However, traveling with Jiang Yan’s group provided safety, so Gu Yao agreed.

In his view, the chubby boy’s decision to join them was likely to avoid an encounter with Valley Master Hu and his group, who were coming to the Tianfu Academy. If they ran into them, it was likely that Valley Master Hu might recognize him.

The attitude of the people accompanying Jiang Yan changed significantly toward Gu Yao. Initially, they had felt that Jiang Yan bringing a few extra people was a hindrance, delaying their progress. They also thought it was too risky to depart immediately, as they hadn’t yet figured out how to deal with the hallucinatory demon liquid that had caused the disciples’ unconsciousness.

However, after entering the Qiuqu Mountains, Jiang Yan received a message from the academy. Valley Master Hu had personally acknowledged the Red Xuan Pill as an effective remedy, and the chamber of commerce was increasing production and supply. This news made them view Gu Yao in a new light, and their attitude toward him became much more respectful.

They knew that although Gu Yao’s combat ability was not as strong as theirs, he might have an extremely important role to play in the mountains, which could be far more valuable than their own abilities.

Since they were traveling at full speed, Gu Yao could only take the opportunity to collect some plants from the roadside during rest breaks. But he was already quite satisfied. As they ventured deeper into the Qiuqu Mountains, the resources continued to be abundant, just as he had heard in the past. Many of the resources found here were things that couldn’t be seen outside.

Others also noticed that Gu Yao, the alchemist, was different from the others, and they maintained a strong interest in him.

When Gu Yao rested, he would also refine a few batches of pills and distribute them, receiving a lot of positive feedback. Just the pills he provided were enough to double everyone’s offensive and defensive strength, so it was clear that good alchemists were highly sought after, but such alchemists were rare and hard to come by.

At the same time, the incredible combat power of Chi Changye was also acknowledged by everyone. Indeed, those who were qualified to stand alongside Gu Yao were not simple people. As for Tian Feirong and the chubby boy, they were regarded by everyone as mere followers. Well, it wasn’t a problem for them to be considered weaker.

Tian Feirong and the chubby boy, who had been underestimated, could only look at each other and secretly make a vow to make these people look at them with new eyes in the future.

The Xingyue Chamber of Commerce held the most comprehensive map of the Qiuqu Mountains. After passing through a swampy area, Gu Yao happily gathered a batch of plants and other materials that grew there. The materials used by the pharmacists of the Starry World were not limited to plants; minerals, the flesh and blood of exotic beasts, and even insect corpses could be used. The reason why the cultivation world might not be as broad is perhaps because the resources here are too abundant.

“Up ahead is the Hidden Valley. Beyond the Hidden Valley is where the strange phenomena occurred, and also where the students encountered trouble. Everyone, be careful,” Jiang Yan said, tracing his finger over the soft leather map and glancing toward the darkened area ahead.

“Brother Jiang, don’t worry, we’ll proceed with caution,” Zhou Li said, his expression more serious and less playful. Though they had chosen the safest route, they had still encountered many battles along the way. Combat, especially battles involving bloodshed, was the best way to forge a person’s strength.

Jiang Yan scanned all the members and nodded slightly. Everyone had changed a lot, especially Gu Yao, Tian Feirong, and the chubby boy. Chi Changye, on the other hand, was accustomed to such life-and-death battles. He was always calm and composed, no matter the situation. Gu Yao and the other two, especially Gu Yao, were supposed to be the ones the group focused on protecting, but instead of enjoying comfort, they had taken up their swords and joined the fight. As a result, the aura around them had become more solid, and they were now much closer to a breakthrough.

After a brief rest, the group stepped into the Hidden Valley. It felt as if they had stepped into another dimly lit world. The area was filled with various miasmas, and the air was thick with the scent of towering, exotic trees. As the miasma and the tree fumes mixed together, they formed a protective barrier in the air. The light from the outside could not penetrate, and the poisonous miasma inside could not escape. This place had naturally become a paradise for some special creatures.

With the high-quality detoxification pills provided by Gu Yao, everyone didn’t need to worry about being poisoned by the miasma. However, the valley was home to various poisonous insects, beasts, and even demon plants. Any cultivator who entered could easily become their prey, with their bones eventually dissolving into the corrupt soil of this place.

Everyone’s faces showed seriousness and caution, except for the black kitten perched on Gu Yao’s shoulder. The kitten’s emerald eyes gleamed with curiosity. If not for Gu Yao’s control, it might have dashed off to explore on its own. While this place was dangerous for the group, for the black kitten, it might even be less exciting than a backyard.

Throughout the journey, the black kitten had been remarkably quiet. At first, the others didn’t understand why Gu Yao had brought such a seemingly useless pet along. However, as Gu Yao’s own contributions became evident, they gradually stopped noticing the kitten. Since it didn’t affect their actions, they decided to just accept it.

Only Jiang Yan paid a little attention, with a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes. But due to the journey’s urgency, he temporarily put aside his curiosity.

His intuition told him that neither Gu Yao nor Chi Changye seemed like the type of people to keep useless creatures.

Suddenly, a buzzing sound came from ahead. Several people, including Gu Yao, had the same thought flash through their minds: here it comes again! It was definitely another nest of poisonous bees. After having dealt with poisonous insects and bees several times, Tian Feirong felt that the Golden Ring Poison Bees, which his older brother had once mentioned, were far weaker. If the people who had ventured into the ancient mansion had encountered these poisonous creatures, they wouldn’t have known how many would have escaped alive.

In the past, Yangyuan Town had been the extent of their world, but after coming out, they realized how vast the world really was. Upon hearing the buzzing sound, Tian Feirong immediately entered a combat stance.

A swarm of dark, buzzing poisonous bees flew toward them. Despite the dim light, they could still see several bright, vivid colors among the bees. The more bizarre and colorful the bees were, the more poisonous they were. But before the bees could get any closer, they collided with the first barrier. There was a sizzling sound as many bees fell to the ground, and the rest of the swarm quickly descended to devour their fallen comrades.

This was not the first time they had witnessed such a scene, but it still made their scalps tingle.

Jiang Yan summoned a blue spherical magical item. With a wave of his hand, two water chains shot out from the treasure and into the bee swarm, quickly carving out a path. “Go,” he ordered, and the group rushed forward without hesitation, staying close to him. At the same time, if any bee managed to get past the water chains, they immediately used their respective skills to intercept and kill it.

Chi Changye walked beside Gu Yao, wielding a sword. A large number of bees dropped one after another, and anyone paying close attention would notice that the fallen bees had been neatly split in half, their wounds smooth and clean.

Gu Yao, however, did not let his guard down just because of the powerful weapon at his side. Any carelessness in battle could lead to irreparable consequences. Just as another batch of bees fell, the ground below the corpses and soil suddenly shifted. A dark shadow swiftly darted toward Gu Yao and in the blink of an eye was almost upon him.

In a split second, Gu Yao’s wood-type sword flew from his hand, and several green vines sprouted from it, wrapping around the shadow in midair. With a “twist” incantation, the vines tightened and strangled the shadow. With a loud “bang,” the shadow was torn into pieces, and a strange-colored blood splattered out.

The sword, under Gu Yao’s control, swiftly retracted the vines and returned to his hand, now transformed back into a small green sword, spotless and gleaming. The sword looked as clear and green as ever. All the training and effort along the way had paid off. The “twist” technique had become one of Gu Yao’s favorite moves.

After the strangulation, they discovered that the shadow was actually a poisonous snake, its color blending into the environment, trying to ambush the group. Unfortunately, it had failed.

After a long battle, they finally reached the end of the Hidden Valley, where the light brightened once more.

They were now standing in the middle of two contrasting worlds—one side was dim and hellish, while the other was bright and beautiful. Standing on this boundary line, the group felt easily drawn to the world of light, especially after the intense battles and their exhausted minds. Upon seeing the beautiful world ahead, they thought, “We might finally get a chance to rest.”

However, suddenly, a bucket of cold water was splashed over their heads, including over Zhou Li, who wiped his face and quickly snapped back to his senses. He realized that he had unconsciously stepped a considerable distance forward. When he looked ahead at the dazzling, colorful world, he only felt his body covered in goosebumps.

The cold water had been poured by Jiang Yan, who specialized in water-based techniques. He wasn’t any weaker in killing enemies than other elemental abilities, and now, he used it to clear everyone’s minds.

“Senior Brother,” Zhou Li asked as he wiped his face, “What is going on here? This place used to be different from the Hidden Valley, didn’t it?”

The Hidden Valley was fraught with danger, and neither the academy nor the disciples of the Thousand Snow Sect were willing to easily step foot inside. Although Gu Yao had managed to gather many rare spiritual herbs within the Hidden Valley, just these herbs alone could be sold for a significant amount of spirit stones outside. However, no matter how valuable the spiritual herbs and spirit stones were, one still needed their life to obtain them. Despite the danger, there were still some who had crossed through the perilous Hidden Valley to reach the other side, but the information they brought back was different from what they were experiencing now.

It was this difference, coupled with the peaceful and seemingly harmless scene before them, that made Zhou Li feel a sense of unease. The more beautiful something appeared, the more terrifying the hidden danger beneath it.