#2690 - Seed of Obsession

Many years have passed since I last returned to the Lower Realm.

If calculated in normal time, it actually wouldn't be that long.

But now, Divine Dominion has a time flow of 150 times, while the Upper Realm has a time flow of 50 times.

Each time I return, I see a new scene.

The environment of the Upper Realm is evolving rapidly.

After all, there are the Nine Cauldrons laying the foundation.

Today's Upper Realm is filled with colorful clouds, and the mountains and rivers are permeated with misty aura, as magnificent as a fairyland.

The environment here far surpasses the Lower Realm and the Divine Dominion.

This is because the foundation for changing the environment in the Upper Realm is the strongest, and the Nine Cauldrons are all at the Heavenly Emperor level.

The only shortcoming is that the time for the environment to change is not too long after all.

The birth of various rare treasures requires the accumulation of long years to condense the essence of heaven and earth.

After Jun Wuxie returned, he met many old friends in the Imperial City.

For example, Toad, Mi Qing, and the Mi Tian siblings, as well as the King and Ancient Ancestors of the Desolate Offspring clan who followed him, and so on.

There were also people who used to be very close to him.

Shu Yuan, Tan Xirou, and Ziyun were also present.

After his Imperial Concubines left, they were left in charge of matters in Divine Dominion.

They were all very excited after not seeing him for many years.

Toad showed off his muscles to Jun Wuxie, flaunting like an attention seeker.

Then, with a face full of indignation, he frequently complained that Mi Tian and the others were inhuman, chasing him every day, causing him to overexercise and lose a lot of muscle.

They pulled Jun Wuxie to drink and reminisce, from day to night.

Everyone was almost drunk.

No one used their blood energy or true energy to dissolve the alcohol, relying entirely on their bodies to withstand it.

This wine was no ordinary wine, it was a specially brewed top-grade divine wine, known as the 'Constant God Fall'.

Just a small sip would be enough to make a peak Constant God realm expert drunk.

No matter how good their alcohol tolerance was, they were all somewhat drunk.

Toad, with a thick tongue, slurred his words, his tongue tied, as aggrieved as a two-hundred-pound baby, pouring out his grievances to Jun Wuxie, accusing Mi Tian and others of ten deadly sins.

Every word was inseparable from Mi Tian affecting his sculpting and muscle training.

Mi Tian, listening from the side, slurred back, saying that Toad had no muscle definition at all, saying that he was purely 'fat-wrapped muscle'.

Toad was unhappy, swaying and standing up, starting to strike poses, front flexing biceps, front flexing latissimus dorsi, side flexing pectoralis major, side flexing triceps, front flexing quadriceps femoris...

As a result, Mi Tian curled his lips and said he had no abs.

Toad's face flushed red, and a mouthful of fine wine almost sprayed on Mi Tian's face, expressing that abs were useless, and a macho man didn't need abs.

"You have no abs."

Mi Tian curled his lips, with a very disdainful look, like a repeating machine.

"Damn you, Toad Emperor, I'll spray you with fine wine and give you a saliva bath!"

Toad's face turned red with anger, completely losing his composure.

"Tsk tsk, a toad has lost his composure again, hahaha!"

Mi Tian laughed and said, "Macho men all have abs, so you're not a macho man."

"You know nothing, macho men don't need abs, someone like me is a macho man!"

Toad's saliva splattered everywhere, startling everyone to dodge.

"Damn it, you dead toad, when can you change the habit of peeing when you get excited!?

You're still not convinced, having abs is the most macho, that's an undeniable fact!"

As Mi Tian said, he pulled down Jun Wuxie's belt, lifted his clothes, and pointed to his abdomen, "See that? Eight-pack abs, look at the definition, deeper than your butt crack!

Invincible men all have eight-pack abs, strength and beauty coexist!"

Mi Tian's actions were unexpected to everyone.

Jun Wuxie was stunned, this guy was really, without any respect, actually lifting his clothes in public.

At this time, Tan Xirou, Shu Yuan, and Ziyun were already looking dazed, and there was a hint of strangeness in Mi Qing's eyes.

"Damn, sis, you can't look, do not look at what is unseemly!"

Mi Tian noticed his sister's abnormality and hurriedly put down Jun Wuxie's clothes.

Mi Qing came back to her senses, her face slightly red, and slapped the back of Mi Tian's head.

"Only you are allowed to lift it, not your sister to look?

You have no respect, when is it your turn to manage my affairs?"

Mi Tian immediately wilted, glancing at Mi Qing resentfully.

Tan Xirou, Shu Yuan, and Ziyun also came back to their senses, their faces a little red, and hurriedly moved their eyes away, pretending to take the wine glasses in front of them to cover up their embarrassment.

"I'm telling you, you all have a problem with your aesthetics!

What's so good about abs, isn't my muscle fragrant?"

Toad was very unconvinced about this.

"Braised toad should be quite fragrant." Mi Tian quipped, "Look at you, you're even more exaggerated than a bullfrog.

Look at Lord Jun, his figure is a true combination of strength and beauty!"

"You don't understand appreciation!"

Toad glared at everyone present, with an expression that said, 'I see through you all'.

As he said that, he casually condensed a human face with true energy, with very ordinary looks, even a little ugly.

He covered Jun Wuxie's face with that human face, "Would you still like such eight-pack abs?

Do you like eight-pack abs?

You're just craving Lord Jun's face!"

"Don't try to save face, you have no abs."

Mi Tian had a cheap smile on his face.

"Damn you, monkey, I've put up with you for many years!"

Toad didn't know if it was because the wine gave him courage, but he actually pounced directly at Mi Tian, and opened his mouth to unleash a torrent of saliva.

"Dead toad, you're asking for a beating!"

Mi Tian immediately wrestled with him.

After getting close, neither of them used secret techniques or true energy, purely relying on their physical bodies.

Mi Qing watched from the side with a dark face.

This bastard toad was launching a racial attack, scolding her along with him.

Jun Wuxie and Shu Yuan and others watched from the side speechless, smiling at each other.

This farce didn't stop for a long time.

It finally ended with Toad and Mi Tian both bruised and swollen.

In terms of overall strength, Toad was not as good as Mi Tian, the gap was not small.

But in a pure physical confrontation, the two were obviously evenly matched.

It must be said that Toad's focus on his physical body over the years had significant effects.

In the past, even in a pure physical comparison, he was no match for Mi Tian.

Now he could actually be on par with him.

...

They drank until late at night before the party broke up.

After Toad and the Mi Qing siblings had left, only Jun Wuxie, Tan Xirou, Shu Yuan, and Ziyun remained here.

Their faces were slightly red from the wine, appearing particularly lovely in the moonlight.

The atmosphere here suddenly became tranquil from the previous liveliness.

"Lord Jun, how have you been in Divine Dominion these years?"

The tranquil atmosphere lasted for a long time before Ziyun broke the silence.

"Hundreds of years apart, such days are really a little unaccustomed to.

I miss those years when I followed you.

The previous two times Lord Jun returned, you only met me in a hurry...

I thought that after the apocalyptic torrent of the Upper Realm, the relationship between me and Lord Jun would become more and more unfamiliar, more and more distant..."

"What nonsense are you thinking? I have countless subordinates, but you are one of the closest.

Time and distance will not make us estranged.

In my heart, you will always be the Ziyun who followed by my side back then."

"With Lord Jun's words, Ziyun is already satisfied.

Lord Jun, Ziyun toasts you a cup of wine."

She filled Jun Wuxie's glass and filled her own.

"Still drinking, you're already a little drunk."

"If I'm drunk, Lord Jun will just pick Ziyun up."

Upon hearing this, Jun Wuxie couldn't help but be stunned.

"Hehe, Ziyun is joking with Lord Jun, Lord Jun wouldn't take it seriously, right?"

Ziyun chuckled, and the blush on her cheeks slowly spread, extending to her neck.

"I'll drink first out of respect."

She raised her glass and drank it all, then got up, bowed gracefully to Jun Wuxie, "Your subordinate takes her leave."

After speaking, she turned and left, very freely.

Jun Wuxie was stunned for a long time before he came back to his senses after her figure disappeared.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?"

He saw that Tan Xirou and Shu Yuan were staring at him unblinkingly.

Shu Yuan's gaze was more reserved, while Tan Xirou's eyes were full of passion.

"Master has been gone for so many years, isn't Xirou allowed to look at Master now?"

Tan Xirou was very aggrieved, moved to Jun Wuxie's side, hugged his arm, and said affectionately, "Master, Xirou misses you..."

Her voice had a bit of a sob.

"You, why are you like a little girl, not at all like the head of a noble family."

"Xirou is just a close-fitting maid by Master's side, of course my heart is full of Master."

"Alright, this time I'm back, I will take you to Divine Dominion.

Of course, you can also choose to stay in the Upper Realm."

"Really?"

Tan Xirou's face was full of surprise.

In fact, the Upper Realm and Divine Dominion have long been connected, and she could go at any time.

But the Imperial Concubines did not bring her when they went to Divine Dominion.

She didn't dare to go rashly, worried that she would displease the Imperial Concubines, and maybe Master would also be unhappy.

"Of course it's true.

You can come and go freely between the Three Realms at any time.

Xirou, I have something to say to Shu Yuan."

"Okay, Xirou will go make the bed for Master."

Tan Xi left with a face full of smiles.

Silence returned to the area.

For a moment, neither Jun Wuxie nor Shu Yuan spoke.

"Jun Shen, would you accompany me for a walk?"

There was a hint of anticipation in Shu Yuan's eyes.

"Alright."

Jun Wuxie stood up and extended his hand towards her.

Shu Yuan was slightly startled, then looked at him with a hint of surprise, placing her hand in his.

At that moment, she felt that her relationship with Jun Shen had become somewhat closer.

They strolled on a mountain within the imperial city, stepping on the silvery, mottled light cast by the moon through the leaves.

Along the way, Shu Yuan fell silent again.

Being able to spend time alone with Jun Shen was such a rare opportunity.

She had a thousand words in her heart, but at this moment, she didn't know where to begin, unable to utter a single sentence.

She wanted to speak but didn't dare to.

She feared she wasn't qualified and laughed at her own timidity and lack of courage.

Perhaps this was good enough, as long as she could follow him in the future, occasionally see him, and be able to contribute her own strength when needed.

Reaching an area near a cliff, Jun Wuxie stopped.

Lost in thought, Shu Yuan was caught off guard and almost bumped into him.

"Shu Yuan, your state of mind is not right."

Jun Wuxie had stopped abruptly precisely because he had noticed this.

"Ah, is it?"

Shu Yuan looked at him, her cold and beautiful face slightly tilted upwards. Although she tried her best to keep her gaze normal, there was still a hint of undisguised panic.

Jun Wuxie frowned slightly, his expression grave.

He remained silent, not saying a word, as he held Shu Yuan's wrist, his divine sense and blood energy entering her body to examine her physical condition.

"How could this be!"

Jun Wuxie's frown deepened.

"Your cultivation has already developed problems. Have you not noticed it yourself?"

"Ah?"

Shu Yuan looked bewildered. "That can't be. My cultivation has been advancing rapidly these years. Ever since I learned that there was a Reincarnation Eternal God realm after the God Realm, I entered that realm many years ago."

"Your foundation is unstable. It's not to say that your realm and strength don't match, but there are already signs of Qi Deviation. This is what caused your realm breakthrough to be so rapid. However, this will bring serious consequences. Perhaps one day you will suddenly suffer a backlash!"

"I…"

Shu Yuan hesitated.

"I'll see what exactly is going on!"

Jun Wuxie began to examine her even more carefully, he had to find out why she had inexplicably suffered Qi Deviation.

Gradually, a strange look appeared on his face.

"Jun Shen, have you figured something out? I didn't know that I had already suffered Qi Deviation. How could this be…"

Shu Yuan was somewhat dazed, not noticing it at all.

But Jun Shen would definitely not be mistaken!

At that moment, Jun Wuxie released her wrist, letting out a soft sigh.

"Shu Yuan, tell me, what are you cultivating for?"

Jun Wuxie turned to look at the floating clouds outside the cliff.

"What am I cultivating for…"

Shu Yuan stood beside him, saying softly, "In the past, it was for the clan. Later, after the clan was guaranteed safety, cultivation was only for Jun Shen, to keep up with Jun Shen's pace, to be able to share Jun Shen's burdens when needed…"

"So, you mixed cultivation with emotions."

Shu Yuan was stunned, not expecting Jun Shen to say that.

"Jun Shen, did you… did you have to expose Shu Yuan's feelings like this?"

She felt a little sad, a little wronged, and a little empty.

It wasn't because Jun Shen spoke so bluntly, but because his tone was very serious when he said it. Was he blaming her, or did he feel that she wasn't qualified?

"There's inherently nothing wrong with mixing cultivation with emotions, as long as you have the right mindset, there will be no drawbacks.

But while you're doing this, you have feelings of inferiority in your heart, and you're always worried about gains and losses, full of anxiety, so that a heart demon quietly breeds in a corner of your heart, unknowingly weaving a mental prison for yourself, and planting the seeds of obsession.

The faster the seeds of obsession grow, the faster your realm-breaking speed will be.

But this is not sustainable, it will collapse your cultivation path at some point!"

Shu Yuan's red lips trembled. Despite trying her best to remain calm, her eyes were already filled with tears.

Her emotional fluctuations also became intense, "Yes, I am inferior, I know I am not worthy, I know all of this, I know I shouldn't have extravagant hopes, shouldn't have unrealistic fantasies.

But I can't control myself, I can't do it, I spend every day in repeated entanglements, I…"

The more she spoke, the more agitated she became, the more she seemed on the verge of collapse.

Just as she was about to break down, a finger pressed against her soft red lips.

Shu Yuan's voice stopped abruptly.

She stared at him with tearful eyes.

"There is no such thing as being worthy or unworthy. To love someone is everyone's freedom and right.

If I felt that you were unworthy, then I wouldn't have come out alone with you tonight.

Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I…"

The tears in Shu Yuan's eyes finally couldn't help but roll down, "Is it really possible?"

"Of course." Jun Wuxie nodded gently. "So, don't overthink things in the future, weaving a mental prison for yourself while planting the seeds of obsession.

If you continue like this, you might develop a split personality."

Shu Yuan smiled through her tears, "If I develop a split personality, will Jun Shen no longer want Shu Yuan?"

"That won't happen, it's just that you might not be able to keep up with our pace, which is probably not what you want.

Adjust your mindset properly.

This time I've returned to take you to the Divine Ancient to fight against the doomsday torrent.

In your current state, I wouldn't dare let you go to the battlefield to kill enemies."

"Ah, has the doomsday torrent in the Divine Ancient broken out?"

"Not yet, but it will be soon, there isn't much time left."

"Then I promise to adjust myself before the doomsday torrent and dispel the heart demon!

When the time comes, I want to go to the battlefield to kill enemies. How can I watch you fight against the dark creatures while I do nothing…"

"Then you have to hurry.

Go to the Divine Ancient now and have Jing Ya give you some special resources, to solve the heart demon while increasing your strength."

"Is Jun Shen talking about the Reincarnation Fruit?

Sister Jing Ya gave me a few a long time ago."

"No, besides the Reincarnation Fruit, there are other special resources.

Now the Divine Ancient has a 150x time array.

Although I plan to upgrade the Lower Realm's time array to 150x as well.

But when you go to the Divine Ancient to cultivate, you can take whatever resources you need at any time, and with Jing Ya and the others watching you, they can help you in time if you encounter any difficulties in resolving the heart demon."

"Okay, then I'll go to the Divine Ancient now."

Shu Yuan immediately prepared to leave. Just as she was about to step forward, she suddenly stopped, asking curiously, "Jun Shen, how did you see through people's thoughts and discover the origin of the heart demon?"

Jun Wuxie smiled, "Your seeds of obsession have taken root and sprouted in your heart. Those seeds of obsession look like me, do you think I wouldn't know?"

"Ah?"

Shu Yuan's face instantly turned red, and she turned and ran as if escaping.

Too embarrassing, so shameful.

At this moment, she didn't know how to face him anymore, only to run away.