Li Beifei and the other two followed Tao Hua deeper into the peach garden. They walked for what felt like either a short or long period; if the surrounding peach trees weren't all different shapes, he would have thought he was in an illusion. If that were the case, he would have cursed the old man a few times because that was still the fastest way for him to break illusions.
If it was an illusion, a slap would arrive; if it wasn't an illusion, then he would be safe and sound.
How simple and straightforward.
“Aunt Hua, I have a question to ask you,” Li Beifei said, looking at Tao Hua, who was leading the way.
“Hehe, young master, feel free to ask any questions,” Tao Hua said with a charming laugh. She was extremely pleased that Li Beifei called her Aunt Hua. How could such a well-behaved child be a rebellious disciple? The master must have made a mistake.
“Aunt Hua, what is your cultivation level?” Li Beifei asked curiously.
“According to your human race's classifications, I would be considered a Supreme Realm cultivator!” Tao Hua said.
“Your human race? Considered?”
Li Beifei was puzzled, as were Liu Yanran and Liu Yuran. Could it be that Aunt Hua wasn't a human? And why would her cultivation level be described with such vague words like “considered”?
“Aunt Hua, how old are you?” Li Beifei asked again.
“Hmm… let me think…”
Tao Hua appeared to be deep in thought, then said, “Eighteen years and four million eight hundred thousand months. What do you think? Am I young?”
“……” The three of them!
“What's wrong? Am I not young?” Tao Hua turned to look at Li Beifei.
Li Beifei quickly nodded, but he was inwardly bitter. Eighteen years and four million eight hundred thousand months—wouldn't that make her four hundred thousand years old? Could a Supreme Realm cultivator live that long?
Seeming to see Li Beifei's doubts, Tao Hua chuckled and said, “Don't be surprised. I'm not a human. I'm the guardian spirit of this peach garden. The master enlightened me and put me in charge of guarding it. My existence is similar to the spirit of an Emperor Weapon. As long as the main body of the Emperor Weapon isn't damaged, the spirit can exist forever. It's the same with me. As long as this peach garden exists, I can exist forever.”
“I see!”
Li Beifei nodded. Only something like the spirit of an Emperor Weapon could live that long.
Suddenly, a trace of sadness flashed across Tao Hua's face.
“Aunt Hua, what's wrong?” Li Beifei asked curiously.
Tao Hua shook her head and said, “It's nothing. I just feel that some things are regrettable.”
“Regrettable?” Li Beifei was taken aback. Suddenly, he remembered the origin of the peach blossoms all over Fanghua City—they were planted by the old man for his never-before-seen master's wife. This peach garden was obviously also for her.
“Aunt Hua, have you met my master's wife?” Li Beifei asked.
Tao Hua shook her head and said, “That's my regret. I've never met the mistress. The peach garden existed even before I was born. It's been here for five hundred thousand years. I don't understand why the master was so powerful, yet the mistress still fell.”
Li Beifei thought, could there be some inside story here?
“Inside story, my ass!” At this moment, Old Six's voice rang in his mind.
“You know?” Li Beifei was stunned. He had asked about his master's wife before, but Old Six had either brushed it off or remained silent. Now, he was actually taking the initiative to speak.
“Nonsense. I followed Gu Changsheng for a million years. I know a lot of things,” Old Six said.
“Then tell me quickly.” Li Beifei was extremely curious.
“There's nothing to tell. Back then, Gu Changsheng's true body was in seclusion, and he separated a clone to experience the mortal world. Since it was an experience, that clone's cultivation started from zero. When Yao Ji fell, the clone's strength was only at the Quasi-Emperor Realm. What could a Quasi-Emperor do? He could only watch helplessly as Yao Ji transformed into the Dao.”
“As for enlightening Tao Hua, that was something Gu Changsheng did after waking up from seclusion.”
Old Six kept it short, and Li Beifei understood. He had always been puzzled as to why his master was so strong, yet his master's wife still fell. Now that Old Six had explained the reason, he understood.
“But you never said anything when I asked before. Why are you being so proactive today?” Li Beifei asked curiously.
“Nonsense. I didn't dare to speak back then,” Old Six admitted directly.
“Why do you dare to now?” Li Beifei asked.
“You're still talking nonsense. Gu Changsheng can even bring you here, so some things can be said. How can you be so stupid?”
“Damn it, if I'm stupid, then you're a coward!” Li Beifei was unhappy. It was one thing for the old man to call him stupid, but for a cheat to scold its host was outrageous.
“You're not a coward?” Old Six sneered.
“I'm not… I don't call that being a coward. I call that following my heart, following my instincts, understand?” Li Beifei was very stubborn, determined not to admit that he was a coward.
“Hehe!”
Old Six's mocking laughter echoed in Li Beifei's mind.
“I'm ignoring you.”
Li Beifei directly chose to ignore Old Six.
Li Beifei said to Tao Hua, “Aunt Hua, I know why my master's wife fell.”
“Oh?” Tao Hua looked at Li Beifei curiously.
“The person who was with my master's wife back then wasn't my master's true body, but a clone experiencing the mortal world,” Li Beifei said.
Hearing this, Tao Hua's face showed a look of understanding.
“No wonder!”
“By the way, how did you know?” Tao Hua asked.
“Ahaha… well, the master told me when he was drunk.” Li Beifei laughed awkwardly, giving a reason that even he didn't believe.
Tao Hua looked at Li Beifei with a smile. Li Beifei felt guilty and didn't dare to meet her gaze. Tao Hua smiled and said, “Forget it, it doesn't matter how you know. What's important is that we've arrived.”
Arrived?
Li Beifei and the other two looked around and realized that their surroundings had changed without them knowing. The two sides of the road they had passed were previously full of peach trees, but now they were surrounded by bare mountains, with no exit in sight. They didn't even know how they had gotten in.
What was even stranger was that they were standing on soft yellow sand.
This was simply a desert basin.
“Aunt Hua, did you bring us here to…” Li Beifei asked in confusion. Could it be that they were going to plant peach trees in this environment?
“Hehe, of course we're here to plant peach trees,” Tao Hua said with a chuckle.
Hearing this, Li Beifei's eyes widened. Looking at the bare mountains around them with only jagged rocks, planting peach trees in this environment was a joke, right?
“This place doesn't even have the hardiest weeds. How can you plant peach trees?” Liu Yanran, who had been silent all along, also spoke up.
“What do you see around you?” Tao Hua asked.
“We're surrounded by bare mountains, and the ground is covered in sand. There's no sign of life,” Li Beifei said, describing what he saw.
“Me too,” Liu Yanran said.
“Ah?”
Just as they finished speaking, Liu Yuran exclaimed and looked at them.
“What 'ah'? Do you see something different from us?” Li Beifei rolled his eyes at Liu Yuran.
“Yes!” Liu Yuran nodded.
“Little girl, what do you see?” Tao Hua asked, her eyes full of curiosity.
Liu Yuran said, “I see a lake ahead. There are countless small fish in the lake, and the surrounding area is covered in dense forests. There are singing birds and fragrant flowers, full of life.”
“Hehe, you're the first person to see such rich scenery. Not bad, not bad. If the master knew, he would definitely be surprised,” Tao Hua said with a smile.
“Aunt Hua, what exactly is this place? Why do we all see different things? Is it an illusion?” Li Beifei asked.
Tao Hua shook her head and said, “What you see is all real. Little Yu, go to the lake you see and catch a fish.”
“Yes!” Liu Yuran nodded and walked forward several dozen feet under the puzzled gaze of Li Beifei and Liu Yanran. Then, they saw her attack the yellow sand on the ground.
But the next moment, they were stunned.
They saw Liu Yuran reach out and catch a live carp in her hand.
“How is this possible?” Liu Yanran's face was filled with disbelief. This was almost like creating something from nothing.
“This place is called the Void Realm. It's a world between virtuality and reality created by the master. Everything you see is a manifestation of your inner self.”
