CBGC - ch182

Chapter 182: Pain

Speaking of virgin men who are tens of thousands of years old, Su Tingyun’s first thought is whether Bai Su’s "skills" might not be activated due to some innate deficiency… 

After all, she does harbor certain thoughts, though she lacks the courage to act on them. Before transmigrating, she had read some cough material. After transmigrating, she had even snuck a peek at her Little Uncle’s abs. Of course, she never did anything more outrageous—firstly, because she didn’t have the courage, and secondly, because, deep down, she’s still a bashful maiden. 

Ugh…

Bai Su, as the quintessential tall, rich, and handsome cultivator of the cultivation world, likely doesn’t need anyone’s courage to attract people willing to throw themselves at him. Stealing a discreet glance, she lowers her gaze and even quirks her lips slightly. She can’t help but feel that Jiu Yue’s remarks about "certain attributes" might not be all that reliable... 

Both Bai Su and Jiu Yue have far superior cultivation levels compared to Su Tingyun, so her subtle movements don’t escape their notice. 

Jiu Yue stifles a giggle behind her hand, while Bai Su’s face darkens. An odd ache settles in his lower abdomen—a sensation best described as "egg pain." 

After her quick assessment, Su Tingyun straightens her expression and declares, “Bai Su is not my personal bodyguard.” 

This time, she positions herself squarely between the two of them and says earnestly, “I’ve said it before—we’re life-and-death friends.” Finishing her words, she casts an annoyed glance at Jiu Yue. 

Su Tingyun has already made her relationship with Bai Su clear and emphasized that they’re friends. Yet, Jiu Yue’s continued comments feel out of line. 

Jiu Yue chuckles and loops her arm around Su Tingyun’s. “Sister, I really do like him.” 

“If you like him, go pursue him yourself. Why are you asking me?” 

Unexpectedly, Bai Su speaks up directly, “I already have someone in my heart.” His speech is slow and deliberate, especially the way he emphasizes the word "someone", making Jiu Yue snort in dissatisfaction. She steps forward and pushes open the stone door to the Sacred Temple's restricted area. 

Curious, Su Tingyun looks up at Bai Su, only to find him staring straight ahead at the stone door. His face is ashen, as though smeared with soot, clearly furious. For someone as composed and seemingly unflappable as Bai Su to be this angry, it seems Jiu Yue truly has a talent for provoking him. 

“This is the Temple's restricted area,” Jiu Yue announces at the doorway. 

Although no one is usually allowed in there—not even herself—Jiu Yue is now the absolute authority here. If she decides to enter, the demon guards at the door wouldn’t dare to stop her. 

As the stone door creaks open, a gust of cold wind rushes out. 

Jiu Yue retrieves a luminous pearl, casting a faint light on the path ahead. 

“Normal lamps don’t work here, and divine senses are suppressed. Only these special pearls can light the way,” she explains, then adds, “Deep inside this restricted area, spiritual energy and all techniques are unusable. It’s called the Dead Zone or the Sealed Domain.” 

Her words make Su Tingyun’s heart tighten slightly—not for herself but for Bai Su. Her own spatial domain can’t accommodate Bai Su. If something goes wrong, she couldn’t possibly abandon him and hide inside. 

Cultivators rely heavily on spiritual energy and magical artifacts. Without spiritual energy, and if they can't use their own reserves, they are no different from ordinary mortals. Even their ability to forgo food through energy absorption relies on spiritual energy circulating within their bodies. Without it, they would experience hunger like anyone else. 

“I’ve been here once before,” Jiu Yue says with a smile. “That person sent me to clean the altar. I stayed for less than two hours, so it wasn’t too bad. Still, suddenly losing all my powers left me feeling pretty unsettled.” 

The path ahead is long and winding, and as they progress, the spiritual energy becomes thinner and thinner until, eventually, it vanishes entirely. Su Tingyun, having come from the mortal realm, adapts quickly. In contrast, Jiu Yue and Bai Su appear far more solemn. For cultivators who stand at the pinnacle of power, the pressure of being in a sealed domain without spiritual energy is far greater. 

“We’re almost there,” Jiu Yue says as the pearl in her hand grows increasingly bright, until it resembles a small sun. 

After walking nearly another mile, they finally arrive at the Temple's altar. Su Tingyun tries to circulate the spiritual energy in her body and immediately realizes Jiu Yue wasn’t exaggerating. Here, the spiritual energy within her feels as though it has vanished into thin air. She is no different from an ordinary mortal, and her magical artifacts are completely useless—without spiritual energy, how could they be activated? 

Fortunately, she possesses the artifact ring, which defies the heavenly laws. 

Yet, at this moment, Su Tingyun starts to wonder if she and Bai Su have been overly confident. Jiu Yue seems familiar with this place. If she has some hidden tricks up her sleeve, or if the Temple Priestess is unaffected by the Dead Zone, she and Bai Su would be in serious trouble. The thought makes her uneasy. 

Jiu Yue walks straight up to the altar and places the pearl into its center. 

In the middle of the altar stands a pillar, ancient and weathered, covered in rust and grime that obscures its original form. The pillar looks so fragile that it seems like it might collapse at any moment. Su Tingyun feels a twinge of anxiety—this space depends on that pillar for support. If it breaks and the space collapses, she might be fine, but how would Bai Su and Jiu Yue escape? 

As Jiu Yue sets the pearl into a recessed spot on the pillar, Su Tingyun worries that even the weight of the pearl might cause the pillar to crumble. 

Jiu Yue, however, remains unbothered. After placing the pearl, she says, “There’s nothing here, not even spiritual energy. I’ve only been here once before. You said the corpses all lead here, but this place is completely empty and harmless.” She stomps her foot on the altar, wondering if it's hidden underneath.

The area is vast and empty, save for the altar and the pillar. If anything is hidden, it would have to be within these structures. 

Bai Su’s Nirvana Fire can’t be summoned without spiritual energy. 

However, Su Tingyun’s Heavenly Fire is part of the Five Elements within her ring's space and stems from her soul, so it remains unaffected. She immediately ignites the fire. Previously, in the mine pit, it was the light of the Heavenly Fire that revealed the corpses. Perhaps it will prove useful here as well. 

As the flames ignite, Jiu Yue lets out a startled cry. 

From beneath the seemingly unremarkable altar, a blood pool emerges, filled with countless remains. Standing on the altar, Jiu Yue suddenly feels as though she might fall at any moment. Panicked, she tries to leap away, but without spiritual energy, her attempt to fly results in nothing more than a clumsy step forward. She nearly tumbles onto the second circular platform of the altar, but Su Tingyun quickly grabs her, preventing the fall. 

Though Jiu Yue is powerful, her unstable foundation and shortcut to advancement leave her combat abilities weaker than they should be. Stripped of spiritual energy and strength, she is like a fallen deity. Faced with sudden terror, she becomes visibly disoriented. 

Yet, her overreaction seems oddly exaggerated, arousing suspicion. As Su Tingyun contemplates this, she notices Jiu Yue shooting her a sidelong glare, then casting a coy look at Bai Su. 

Su Tingyun: “…” 

She hasn’t given up yet? Is she deliberately feigning weakness to provoke Bai Su’s protective instincts? 

Please. If you haven't realized it yet, had it been Bai Su here, he wouldn’t help you; he’d probably push you… 

Suppressing her exasperation, Su Tingyun shifts her attention to the blood pool beneath the altar. “These bones truly all lead here. But for what purpose?” 

“It’s definitely not for anything good,” Jiu Yue replies. 

“How about we destroy the altar?” Jiu Yue suggests timidly, leaning toward Bai Su with an expression of feigned terror. But Bai Su steps forward, neatly sidestepping her approach. 

Typically, destroying an altar would put an end to whatever dark purpose it serves. 

“But we can’t use spiritual energy here. Destroying the altar isn’t possible.” 

Bai Su thinks for a moment, then brightens. “I might have an idea.”