Transmigration: The Peerless Immortal Husband

After a year of secluded cultivation in the underground space, Gu Yao and the fatty boy had both advanced their cultivation to the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. They were now just waiting for the right opportunity to break through the barrier standing between them and the Golden Core stage.

Further meditation and cultivation wouldn’t yield much progress, so Gu Yao decided to leave seclusion. He began preparing to leave the area entirely, which is why he gave the Foundation Establishment Pills to Boss Dong and Ding Dali. Over the past year, their efforts and growth had not gone unnoticed.

Their rapid progress in cultivation during this time wasn’t solely due to the treasures they had obtained earlier; the unique qualities of this underground space played a significant role. Just within the Purple Bamboo Forest alone, there were numerous rare treasures: the ‘Purple Crystal Bamboo Shoots’, which took a thousand years to form, gathering the essence of the forest; the ‘Purple Crystal Spirit Dew’; and the ‘Purple Bamboo Rice’, each a remarkable heavenly treasure.

Gu Yao refrained from destroying the formation protecting the Purple Bamboo Forest, choosing to preserve it. The existence of this underground space also ensured the continued protection of the teleportation array hidden beneath it.

Before leaving, however, Gu Yao wanted to meet the mischievous little creature that had been playing hide-and-seek with him and the cat for so long. Standing in the Purple Bamboo Forest, he called out with a smile:
“Come out, little one. If you don’t, we’ll be leaving, and there won’t be anyone left to play with you.”

The cat perched on Gu Yao’s shoulder bared its teeth in frustration. This was the creature’s territory, and no matter how skilled the cat was, it couldn’t catch it here. Annoyingly, its master didn’t seem particularly intent on helping, allowing the little thing to remain smug and elusive.

As soon as Gu Yao finished speaking, a flash of green light darted by and landed on one of the purple bamboo stalks. The cat attempted to pounce but was held back by Gu Yao. Then, from behind a section of the bamboo, two purple leaves peeked out, followed by two small, purple eyes blinking mischievously in Gu Yao’s direction.

Gu Yao chuckled. The wood spirit was truly unique. It didn’t have a fixed form and could mimic the shapes of various spiritual plants it had encountered. This was why the cat could never catch it. It was hard to imagine how such a wood spirit had come into existence.

Xu Chen, observing from the side, couldn’t help but marvel. “You’re really lucky. At first, I thought this wood spirit had developed sentience from some rare heavenly treasure. I never expected it to have been nurtured directly from the essence of wood itself. This area might have been a home for the Wood Spirit Clan in ancient times. If this little one fell into the hands of a greedy cultivator, it could be used to create a physique imbued with the Wood Spirit’s power.”

Gu Yao had only learned the true nature of the little creature thanks to Xu Chen’s explanation. Initially, he too had assumed it was just a spiritual plant that had taken on a humanoid form.

Gu Yao had no intention of stripping it of its intelligence. He simply thought of it as a potential helper. Extending his hand, he gently coaxed, “Come with me and be my little steward. You’ll like your new home. This place is no longer suitable for your growth.”

The declining vitality of the land wasn’t just due to the formation—it might also have been related to the little spirit.

A soft, childlike voice suddenly echoed in Gu Yao’s mind: “Big Brother, you sound like a trickster. But you carry the scent of the Elder Brother. If he says I should follow you, then I’ll go.”

The first part of the comment made Gu Yao’s lips twitch. Such blunt honesty wasn’t a great trait. He figured the “Elder Brother” it mentioned must be his uncle, which made the familial hierarchy even more confusing.

Still smiling, Gu Yao asked, “So, will you come with me? If not, we’re leaving. Who knows when we’ll return?”

The little spirit hesitated for a long time. Just as Gu Yao considered leaving it to stew a bit more, it finally leaped into his palm. Gu Yao was taken aback by its appearance—it had taken on the exact form of his uncle but in miniature, with green skin and two purple bamboo leaves sticking out of its head. Gu Yao’s eye twitched as he fought back laughter.

The figure, while noble in bearing, looked utterly adorable in its shrunken form, making him want to pinch it. He couldn’t help but wonder how his uncle would react to this little mimic.

Gu Yao held it together, but Xu Chen, inside the spatial space, burst into uproarious laughter, even rolling on the floor.

Perhaps Gu Yao’s uncle had been the first to discover the little spirit, which was why it had chosen to mimic him. Suppressing his amusement, Gu Yao sought its consent and placed it in the spatial space. He didn’t establish any binding contract, deciding that if the spirit eventually preferred to stay with his uncle, he would let it go.

Thus, Gu Yao’s space gained a new resident, affectionately named “Zi Baobao” (Purple Baby) by his uncle, who was utterly delighted. Gu Yao couldn’t help but think, ‘It really is a baby, after all.’

Zi Baobao immediately took a liking to the space and quickly began organizing Gu Yao’s messy spiritual fields. Xu Chen was equally thrilled, finally having a neighbor, and he often amused himself by teasing the little spirit.

To Gu Yao, both of them—Xu Chen and Zi Baobao—felt like children who never grew up. Even Xu Chen, supposedly a senior figure, wasn’t much more mature or steady.

When they left the underground space, the special beast hide was no longer needed. Boss Dong and Ding Dali also returned to the surface, filled with mixed emotions. Before leaving, they swore an oath in front of Gu Yao and the others: they would never reveal anything about the underground space. Breaking the oath would result in stagnated cultivation, the eruption of inner demons, severed meridians, and death.

The two knew that even if they reached the Foundation Establishment stage, they would never be able to reenter the underground space. In the years that followed, they did search for the two scraps of hide but never found any trace of them.

After dropping off Boss Dong and Ding Dali, Gu Yao and his companions boarded their flying artifact and departed.

“Boss, what should we do now? Should we head back to Yuanyang Town?” Ding Dali asked. They had been away for quite some time. Would people back home assume they had been eaten by demonic beasts?

Boss Dong replied thoughtfully, “We won’t go back just yet. Let’s find a new place to go into seclusion and prepare for Foundation Establishment. Once we’ve succeeded, we’ll return and see who dares to act out.”

“I’ll follow your lead, Boss,” Ding Dali said loyally. His simple nature made him trust Boss Dong’s decisions completely. He thought about the scene they’d face—returning with their Foundation Establishment completed—and it thrilled him. Those people back in town would surely be stunned.

With that, the two picked a direction and set off. Holding the Foundation Establishment pills in his hand, Boss Dong still couldn’t suppress his excitement. At the same time, he found the Gu family’s actions laughable. If not for his oath of secrecy, he’d have loved to tell them just how much opportunity they had missed—not just Gu Yao’s uncle but Gu Yao himself.

Gu Yao and his group originally planned to return directly to Tianfu Academy. However, shortly after leaving the underground space, Gu Yao received a message from Hu Master regarding the bounty Gu Yao had previously issued. He had nearly forgotten about it, having lost hope of any meaningful result. But since Hu Master had taken the trouble to send word, it seemed this lead might be different.

“We’re making a detour to Alchemist’s Cauldron City,” Gu Yao told the fatty boy. “Your grandfather sent a message…” Gu Yao briefly explained its contents.

The fatty boy was delighted. “I’ll get to see Grandpa again!” he exclaimed. Nowadays, every meeting felt precious—there wouldn’t be many more. When Gu Yao and Chi Changye eventually left Tianlin Continent, he and Tian Feirong wouldn’t stay behind either. His grandfather wouldn’t permit it, as leaving was the only way to pursue greater opportunities and broader horizons.

The four of them changed course, heading straight for Alchemist’s Cauldron City without any breaks.

At the same time, Hu Master had received responses from both Gu Yao and his grandson, so he waited for them at the General Guild. He also informed the cultivator who had brought the body-refining technique that the person they sought would arrive soon.

The cultivator, eager for Gu Yao’s help, quickly came to Alchemist’s Cauldron City. He had been staying there all along, not daring to leave, worried that other cultivators might target him for his possession of the technique. While the body-refining method itself might not be overly valuable, trading it for a promise from Gu Yao to refine pills was invaluable.

Onboard the flying artifact, Gu Yao reviewed Hu Master’s message, which explained the situation of the cultivator.

“He’s from a fallen family,” Gu Yao summarized. “He wants me to help heal his child. The child’s case is complicated. During a fight, his dantian was crippled, leaving him unable to cultivate. Later, the family discovered an ancient body-refining technique and thought they’d found an alternative path for him. But as the child trained in body refinement, his condition worsened. Eventually, someone told the family that the child’s constitution was naturally unsuited for body refining. Forcing it only led to meridian shrinkage. When he stopped training, the symptoms stopped worsening.”

“But,” Gu Yao continued, “the damage had already been done. The injuries were compounded. According to Hu Master, treating this is going to be extremely difficult.”

Chi Changye frowned. “Are you still planning to take it on? It sounds pretty tricky.”

Gu Yao thought for a moment. “We’ll check the situation first. I’ll do my best, but if it’s beyond my abilities, there’s nothing I can do.”

It was a case of parental love and persistence. Despite his child being rendered a cripple, the father hadn’t given up and had gone to great lengths to seek Gu Yao’s help. This dedication moved Gu Yao deeply.

One can only say that human hearts are too complex, and even cultivators cannot escape this complexity. Some view their children as nothing, even wishing to kill them, while others are willing to sacrifice everything for their children.

Upon arriving at Alchemist’s Cauldron City, Gu Yao didn’t waste any time and went straight to the Alchemist Guild. The cultivator who had been seeking help had already been notified by the guild that Gu Yao was on his way. The cultivator, hurriedly bringing his son, rushed to the guild, and their arrival caught the attention of some people with ulterior motives. Thus, the news that Gu Yao was about to appear quickly spread.

Apart from Gu Yao’s appearance, it was hard to think of anything else that could make this father and son so desperate.

However, they didn’t even get to see Gu Yao. Instead, Gu Yao and the others directly entered the Alchemist’s Grand Guild and met with Hu Master and the others, including the father and son who sought medical help.

When Hu Master saw Gu Yao, he was momentarily stunned, and when he looked at his grandson, the same thing happened. The surprise and delight in his eyes were hard to suppress. The cultivation levels of Gu Yao and his grandson were now both at the peak of Foundation Establishment, which he could tell without being told. It was clear that during the past year, they had been in a blessed land, focusing entirely on their cultivation.

“Alchemist Gu…” The cultivator seeking help spoke urgently. “This body-refining technique has been passed down from my ancestors. Whether you can cure my son or not, this technique now belongs to Alchemist Gu.”

He was offering the technique in exchange for Gu Yao’s help.