Chapter 199: Choice and Enlightenment

The atmosphere in the deserted temple was depressing. Wu Gensheng's words were like a heavy hammer hitting their chests. Originally, thirty-six people still had a chance to win, but now only nine people were going. No matter how you looked at it, it was a meaningless sacrifice.

Duanmu Ying, Ruan Feng, Ma Benzai, Zheng Zibu and others were speechless one after another. The cruel reality destroyed any unrealistic delusions they had.

"Let's make a contract, everyone."

Wu Gensheng looked around, straightened his back, the dejection on his face gradually faded away, and he was ready to tell the truth.

"What. Contract Fourth Brother, what's wrong with you?" Feng Tianyang looked suspicious.

"Everything I say next is extremely important. Please think carefully before making a choice."

Wu Gensheng took a deep breath, and faced those pairs of eager, curious, and worried eyes, and he spoke plainly:
"The owner of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley is Zhang Borui from the Northern Song Dynasty, also known as 'Zi Yang Zhenren', the founder of the Taoist Jindan School."

"And under the ancient pavilion at the end of the What Is Humanity Cave that I am taking you to, there is a jade wall left by this senior. The patterns on it are completely different from the patterns carved on the outside that help people circulate Qi."

"Pondering the Jade Wall can help you find a shortcut to realize your deepest desires. When I first entered, the Jade Wall was almost completely damaged. Later, when I began to comprehend it, the vision I got was the shadows of the thirty-five of you."

"My biggest wish at the time was to find a way to go to Southern Xinjiang and retrieve my daughter's body. With the jade disc's suggestion, I realized that I should rely on your power to comprehend together."

"You all have your own obsession with cultivation and great ambitions. You will gain extraordinary abilities from the jade disk, and I need your strength."

As Wu Gensheng continued to tell the story, everyone finally understood the reason and were even more shocked that the owner of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley would be the Taoist sage. With such great abilities, he must have ascended to heaven and become an immortal long ago.

"Originally, everything was going according to plan, and both you and I would be able to achieve our dreams. However, the traitor hiding among us really disrupted my plan, so I had to make some changes."

Having said this, Wu Gensheng looked at everyone with a guilty look and asked:

"I can continue to give you the jade disc for your enlightenment. In return, you don't need to follow me to the southern border to die. You just need to share the abilities you have learned with me. In this way, I will be even with you all for the favors I have shown you in this life."

"If there is an afterlife, we will be brothers again. In order to prevent you from regretting it, I need to plant a special poison in you."

As soon as he finished speaking, eight white bone poisonous insects slowly emerged from Wu Gensheng's right wrist. They were shaped like centipedes with hundreds of legs, and their entire bodies were transparent, revealing their crystal clear internal organs and golden blood.

"Fourth brother, can you control Gu?!" Ruan Feng was surprised.

"My wife knows how to do this. She taught me how to do it."

Wu Gensheng was filled with sadness and explained:
"As you can see, the Mountain Covenant and Sea Oath Gu is only owned by the tribe my wife belongs to in the vast southern border. Unfortunately, its inventor is the ancestor of this lineage."

"No matter how many experts you find in the world, you can't free this poisonous insect from its bondage."

"Fourth brother, what is the contract you want to make with us?!"

Duanmu Ying paid attention to the white centipede the size of a fingernail. This thing did not seem to be a living thing. It had no temperature, no substance, and no smell. It did not seem to parasitize on flesh and blood, but rather was more like a plant planted within the soul.

"First, after you gain the ability, you need to pass it to me in its entirety."

"Second, the secret of the jade disk must not be mentioned to outsiders."

"Third, respect my choice. You must not follow me to Southern Xinjiang. And find a way to find the traitor and make him pay with his life."

"Those who can do these three things, follow me to comprehend the opportunities that belong to you. Since the time we became sworn brothers, I have been somewhat calculating against you. Today, Feng Yao is here to say sorry to everyone."

Wu Gensheng bowed and kowtowed to everyone again.

"Fourth brother, the first two are easy to say, but the third one, you have to go alone. We will have a guilty conscience watching you die for the rest of our lives."

Wu Gensheng looked in the direction of the voice, glanced at Ma Benzai, and said with a wry smile:
"But I can't let you die with me. Twenty-fifth brother, if you really want to do good for me, live a wonderful life for me, fulfill your ambitions, and establish your own sect."

"Yingzi, save more people and become the best doctor in the world."

"At seventeen, just eat well and stay fat, live longer, and be free from worries."

"Anyway, since you can't help me more, just try to live a free and comfortable life. Do whatever makes you feel comfortable. That's what I'm most happy about."

"There is no room for negotiation on the three contracts. I'll be waiting for you outside the temple. Come with me if you think you can."

Everyone has his own destiny and it cannot be forced. After saying this, Wu Gensheng stood up and walked out. He waited silently outside the temple.

Less than a few dozen breaths later, footsteps were heard approaching. Looking back, they were Zhou Sheng and Gu Jiting. Both of them were sorcerers. They took the situation lightly and knew that there was nothing they could do. So they simply followed Wu Gensheng's arrangements and took things as they came.

"Give."

Wu Gensheng extended his hand over, and the two men stretched out their palms. The white centipede instantly penetrated their skin and merged into their souls. They completed the three restraints.

Then, within a quarter of an hour, the remaining six people came out intermittently.

Without exception, they all agreed to Wu Gensheng's request, and were stabbed deeply into the soul by the Mountain Oath Gu.

Ugly time.

Wu Gensheng held a torch and led everyone along the thorny mountain road, moving forward.

About an hour later, they were brought to a natural cave where the temperature was cool and there were streams and underground rivers. Wu Gensheng lit clusters of oil lamps hanging on the rock walls.

In an instant, everyone sat on the ground in a circle, about ten meters apart from each other. Wu Gensheng sat in the center and told them:

"When you are contemplating later, relax your mind and don't be afraid. Even if something unexpected happens, I can pull you back in time."

"Okay." "Thank you for your help, Fourth Brother."

"You are Welcome."

Wu Gensheng leaned over and brushed away the dust on the ground, and a jade disk hidden underneath gradually appeared.

It has no dazzling colors, but is rather rough, like an unpolished raw material, bearing all kinds of mysterious runes and vast mountains and rivers.

True Qi fell from Wu Gensheng's right hand and turned into a breeze, holding up the jade disk and slowly floating it into the air. A concentrated gaze came over in an instant.

"Let's get started, everyone."

The eight people meditated, concentrating on looking at the patterns on the jade disk. Within a few breaths, a faint blue light appeared under each of them, which continuously gathered and evolved into a dreamy lotus.

Zhang Huaiyi's eyes suddenly trembled, and everyone disappeared, replaced by a dark world.

"This is?"

When he looked around, he found a familiar figure on the left. Blue light appeared in that person's eyes, and the golden light and thunder magic around him all dissipated, making it impossible to get close to him. It was the scene when Zhang Huaiyi and Wu Gensheng fought for the first time.

He wanted the spirit of the gods.

Surpass senior brother.

Surpass the Master.

But he wanted more than just the spirit of the gods.

He wanted to do what the gods could do, and he wanted to do even more what the gods could not do.

The figure standing on the left seemed to be still;

Then, he turned to the right and saw every bit of the Tianshi Mansion. Several senior brothers were surrounding a burly old figure. They were standing in the distance, surrounded by rolling thunder, as if it was a natural disaster.

Complete thunder method.

Heavenly Master.

The position of Heavenly Master.

These are also what Zhang Huaiyi wanted. When he was immersed in the temptation on the right, the figure on the left changed, and began to slowly turn around and walk towards the deeper darkness.

"and many more!!"

Zhang Huaiyi subconsciously exclaimed, not wanting this great opportunity to disappear before his eyes. Just as he was about to chase after him, the elderly figure on the right also took the opposite path.

"broken."

Zhang Huaiyi, who noticed this scene, knew that one cannot have one's cake and eat it too. He made a decisive decision and turned around to chase the opportunity that represented the divine spirit.

Master, please forgive me. I can't go back.
With a resolute belief, Zhang Huaiyi rushed forward, chasing the illusory figure, getting closer and closer.

At the same time, the other seven people also appeared in different virtual worlds. Duanmu Ying's body was transparent. She walked in a ruined city ravaged by war. There were bloody wounded everywhere. Some were dying, and some of the bodies were incomplete.

Looking at the shocking hellish scene, even though she had been practicing medicine for many years, she couldn't help but feel her legs and feet going weak and she kept retching.

"啕——"

She held on to the broken wall and walked as slowly as a snail, like a passerby. As she passed by, the corpses behind her turned into wisps of light and disappeared.

Feng Tianyang appeared in a vast primeval forest, where a large number of mountain elves lived. They were not only highly spiritual, but also had strong cultivation.

He inexplicably discovered that he had the ability to enslave these elves at will, and his desire was like a flood that could not be stopped.

"Hahaha!!!"

"mine!!"

"It's all mine!!"

Feng Tianyang looked crazy, his laughter shook the mountains and forests, and the vast black energy turned into dense chains that suppressed all the elves hiding everywhere and plundered their abilities.

"Grrrrrrrr!"

As he continued to detain spirits, Feng Tianyang's desires gradually became distorted. Faced with an elf that refused to surrender, he grabbed it, opened his bloody mouth, and swallowed it.

Gradually, his body became bloated, and in the end he was completely unable to move. He turned into a huge tumor and lay quietly in the forest, emitting miserable wails.

The eight people present were all undergoing different trials while comprehending the jade disk. Some were easy, some were difficult, and some were easily obtained.

The shortcut to destiny came quietly, and they found what they had been practicing for their entire lives.

In the real world, the lotus beneath the meditator's seat was blooming brightly. Seeing this, Wu Gensheng revealed a faint smile of expectation.

The unique skills that these eight people have been dreaming of are now within reach.

(End of this chapter)