NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 22: No More Shackles
Chapter 22: No More Shackles
The next day, early in the morning.
At the third peak of the Chen family estate.
In a room, only Chen Tianliang, Ying Shuangshuang, and Chen Zhixing were present.
"Tianliang, take your medicine."
Ying Shuangshuang held a bowl of medicine, carefully spooning the liquid into Chen Tianliang's mouth, one sip at a time.
Chen Tianliang's face was pale, his aura weak. His cultivation, originally at the True Self Second Realm, had dropped to the True Self First Realm, and he was on the brink of falling into the Spiritual Wandering Realm.
"I know my condition. This medicine is useless," Chen Tianliang said, forcing himself to sit up and gently push the medicine bowl aside with a bitter smile.
Ying Shuangshuang fell silent. The reverse illness was a fundamental injury to the Dao. What could a mere muscle-tonic medicine do?
After a pause, Chen Tianliang asked, "What about you? How are you?"
Ying Shuangshuang also smiled wryly, rolling up her sleeve to reveal a pale arm radiating cold energy.
"I'm fine, but my sealed Snow Cold Body has been activated again. I might need to return to the Frozen Soil Plateau after a while."
They exchanged a glance, sighing deeply, worry etched on their faces.
After a long while, Chen Tianliang seemed to remember something and turned his gaze to Chen Zhixing. "Son, tell me, what happened after those two men took you away?"
Hearing this, Ying Shuangshuang's spirit was also roused, her eyes curiously fixed on Chen Zhixing.
She had wanted to ask how Chen Zhixing managed to survive the two assassins, but with so much happening yesterday and fearing it might distress Chen Zhixing, she had held back.
Chen Zhixing, having prepared his words, spoke with a naive and innocent tone, "Mom and Dad, I don't know. After those two took me away last night, not long after we entered that alley, an old man appeared from the sky. With a wave of his hand, he killed those two men."
At these words, both Chen Tianliang and Ying Shuangshuang were taken aback.
"An old man? Son, are you joking with me?" Chen Tianliang asked, his face showing disbelief.
It sounded too absurd.
If it weren't for the fact that it was Chen Zhixing who said this, he would have thought it was an insult to his intelligence.
Chen Zhixing blinked his bright eyes and replied earnestly, "Dad, do I look like someone who lies?"
"..."
Chen Tianliang was about to speak again when Ying Shuangshuang shot him a glance and said, "Alright, Zhixing is still so young, how could he lie? If no one had intervened last night, would Zhixing have been able to defeat those two men by himself?"
"Some experts enjoy helping others and live in seclusion among mortals, seeking enlightenment. Last night, seeing Zhixing in danger, it’s perfectly normal for them to have killed the villains with a wave of their hand. It just means that Zhixing is lucky and favored by the heavens."
Chen Tianliang was stunned, still doubting, "Is there really such a coincidence? Is Zhixing really so fortunate?"
"Otherwise?" Ying Shuangshuang said with a glance.
Chen Zhixing silently gave Ying Shuangshuang a thumbs up in his heart.
It was indeed thanks to his mother!
In just a few words, she made the story sound plausible and reasonable.
"Zhixing, can you describe what that old man looked like?" Ying Shuangshuang asked with a smile.
Chen Zhixing replied without a hint of hesitation, "The old man had white hair and beard and looked like a celestial being. I couldn’t see the details clearly."
"I see." Ying Shuangshuang nodded, planning to find someone to draw a portrait of the old man based on Chen Zhixing's description when she had time.
A debt of gratitude like this couldn’t go unacknowledged.
"Did the old man say anything else?" Ying Shuangshuang asked.
Chen Zhixing's thoughts shifted, and he took out the Pinghai Pill Recipe and the Nine Revolution Heavenly Cold Sutra from his chest. "The old man gave these to me before he left."
"Mm?"
Chen Tianliang and Ying Shuangshuang immediately became alert, quickly taking the Pinghai Dan Recipe and the Nine Turns Heavenly Cold Sutra from him.
They examined them closely.
The next moment.
"How is this possible?!!!"
A loud exclamation filled the room.
Chen Tianliang's eyes widened in shock as he sprang to his feet, staring in disbelief at the Pinghai Dan Recipe in his hands.
"The Pinghai Pill Recipe can refine Pinghai Dan to suppress the reverse illness!!!"
Just this single line made Chen Tianliang's hands tremble as he held the recipe.
How many years had it been!
The excruciating pain of the reverse illness, which felt like a thousand cuts, had not only tormented him but also stagnated his cultivation at the True Self Second Realm, preventing any further progress!
He had fought, searched, lost hope, and finally given up entirely.
But now...
A recipe capable of refining Pinghai Dan to suppress his internal reverse illness had suddenly appeared before him!
At this moment, Chen Tianliang's eyes reddened as he clutched the recipe tightly, fearing it was just a dream.
On the other hand, Ying Shuangshuang, looking at the Nine Revolution Heavenly Cold Sutra, was also struck like a bolt of lightning, her face draining of color.
Why are Snow Maidens considered omens of disaster and misfortune?
One major reason is that once Snow Maidens leave the Frozen Soil Plateau, the cold energy they emit uncontrollably infects their surroundings.
Eventually, the areas they pass through become icy and lifeless, with no vegetation or living beings.
Moreover, without the extreme cold energy of the Frozen Soil Plateau, they cannot cultivate and age rapidly.
Years ago, Ying Shuangshuang had a fortuitous encounter that allowed her to leave the Frozen Soil Plateau. As long as she did not reveal her Snow Maiden form, she would not be affected.
However, last night, to rescue Chen Zhixing, she had revealed her Snow Maiden form.
She had thought that to avoid harming her child with her cold energy, she would soon have to choose to leave and return to the Frozen Soil Plateau alone.
Then she would live out her days in solitude there, never to see her husband and child again.
But!
Just now, everything had changed!
"The Nine Turns Heavenly Cold Sutra is a perfect cultivation method for extreme cold bodies. By practicing with one’s own cold energy, one can refine cold pills within the body, each cold pill representing a major realm."
Ying Shuangshuang read the description of the method word by word, tears of joy streaming down her face, falling onto the ancient book.
The next moment.
Ying Shuangshuang wiped her eyes and, in unison with Chen Tianliang, looked at each other.
"We are... saved!"
At this moment.
They both cried and laughed.
Chen Tianliang even let out a long, loud howl, releasing years of pent-up frustration.
The next moment.
They both reached out, holding Chen Zhixing tightly in their arms.
Chen Zhixing, slightly out of breath from being hugged, smiled warmly in his heart.
"This is wonderful."
Looking at Ying Shuangshuang and Chen Tianliang, he couldn’t help but feel a gentle anticipation.
Now that the shackles had been removed, how strong would they become in this lifetime?