Breaking through a bottleneck in one’s sleep wasn’t unheard of, but it was the first time any of them had witnessed it firsthand.
The spiritual energy fluctuations from breaking through the third bottleneck were much more intense than the previous two. A gentle breeze caressed their faces for over half an hour as almost all the spiritual energy on the island gathered around Ji Tongzhou, shimmering and glowing.
Breaking through the third bottleneck meant one was qualified to become a direct disciple, able to cultivate high-level celestial techniques combining the five elements. In cultivation sects, passing the three bottlenecks was considered truly entering the path of immortality, truly experiencing the profound mysteries and endless variations of high-level celestial techniques.
This young prince had somehow lucked out, breaking through the bottleneck while fast asleep.
Ye Ye noticed that although Ji Tongzhou was asleep, his facial expressions were constantly changing – sometimes sorrowful, sometimes gloomy. He couldn’t help but feel alarmed.
Although Ji Tongzhou hadn’t said what he experienced in the illusion, it was easy to guess that it must have been related to the Yue Kingdom and Long Ming Zuo. Judging by his attitude towards those from Long Ming Zuo, this matter was likely a constant thorn in Ji Tongzhou’s heart.
Ji Tongzhou was different from him. When the Gaul Kingdom fell, he was only six or seven, too young to understand. Later, he met the Bai Li sisters, entered the academy, joined the immortal army sect, and everything went smoothly. So many years had passed, and he had grown from a child to an adult. The overwhelming hatred in his heart had long since faded.
Ji Tongzhou, however, had always been successful. Now he was no longer an ignorant child. If something truly happened to the Yue Kingdom, he might go to any extreme. Even knowing that everything in the illusion was fake, this prince who had always had things go his way and never truly suffered might still be unable to let go. Especially since he appeared carefree on the outside but wasn’t resilient inside – he couldn’t handle heavy pressure. Among their group, Shen’s illusion had affected him the most.
Bai Li Gelin suddenly sighed, “What if he causes trouble again when he wakes up? Should we all restrain him together? No one can control him. Why don’t we just tie him up now?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Ye Ye glared at her. “Let’s all sleep here tonight. Li Fei set up an earth wall. That way, if he makes a fuss when he wakes, the noise will at least wake us up.”
Ji Tongzhou wandered again on that snowy plain, alone and lost, with nowhere to go.
His country was destroyed, his people gone. He wanted revenge but lacked the power. He wanted to search for people, but in this vast world of mountains and seas, where could he possibly find them?
For some reason, he suddenly remembered a time long ago at the academy during the new disciple selection. He had eagerly sought out Elder Xuan Shanzi, who looked at him and shook his head: “Your nature burns like fire, you are a person of deep emotions. You cannot enter our Mysterious Gate. Those who enter our Mysterious Gate are all fated to break through the barriers of emotion and desire. But you do not have this fate.”
He had been very confused and hurt at the time. “A person of… deep emotions? But I don’t even know anything about love yet…”
“The word ’emotion’ is not simply about romance between men and women. All kinds of love, hatred, and worldly attachments – your heart’s fire is difficult to extinguish. You are a person of the world, not one who has transcended it. Go to the Hua Gate instead. The Xing Zheng Hall of the Hua Gate suits you best.”
Now, as he pondered the words “worldly attachments, heart’s fire difficult to extinguish,” he felt a mix of complex emotions. Looking out at the vast world, with its boundless flying thunder and wisps of thin, miserable fog, he had already lost everything. Yet his heart still could not die.
Vaguely, as if a voice was saying that all of this was just an illusory bubble, Ji Tongzhou suddenly burst into laughter. What did it matter if it was real or fake? This experience had been branded into his memory, constantly replaying, driving him mad. All the wild desires sleeping in the depths of his heart had been awakened by this illusory dream – longing for magnificent mountains and rivers, for beauties like jade, for every intoxicating, exhilarating day.
He had gained too much and could never return to that ignorant past when he didn’t even know what he wanted.
Ji Tongzhou let out a long sigh, clasping his hands behind his back as he gazed into the distance. The vast snowy landscape vanished in an instant, replaced by countless floating islands – the Chu Feng Academy from his memories. Snake-like vines densely crawled and intertwined on the walls of the disciple quarters, clusters of wisteria flowers drooping down. Everything he saw was only in black and white.
He slowly walked along the outer wall of the disciple quarters, coming to a familiar courtyard gate with the numbers “Seven, Eight, Nine” carved on it. He stared at the words “Qilin Chamber, Thousand Fragrances Chamber, Tranquil Mystery Chamber” that he hadn’t seen in many years, feeling an unusual warmth in his heart.
Pushing open the gate, he saw a little girl wearing the red and white intertwined disciple uniform of the academy standing in the courtyard, looking up at the lush climbing vines. Hearing him open the door, she quickly turned around, her long braids making a beautiful arc. She had plain features but bright eyes.
All kinds of colors began to spread from where she stood, instantly devouring this monotonous black-and-white world. She frowned, looking at him bluntly and punching his shoulder roughly like a boy: “Didn’t we agree that four people would copy scriptures together? Where did you run off to?”
Ji Tongzhou looked into her clear black and white eyes, suddenly feeling a myriad of emotions. Someone called out from behind him: “Tongzhou.”
He turned around to see Ye Ye, Bai Li Gelin, Bai Li Changyu, Lei Xiuyuan… His friends and rivals were all there, still young and innocent. The blazing sunlight stung his eyes. This colorful, carefree world was so beautiful. Before he met them, his life had been so monotonous. The thousands of colors only appeared after he got to know them.
And the person who first brought all of this to him was Jiang Li Fei.
If he hadn’t provoked her in Lu Gong Town, he wouldn’t have met these colorful people. The beautiful colors in his life were brought to him by her.
Ji Tongzhou suddenly opened his eyes. The sky was dark and dim, with a thin, transparent light blue embedded at the horizon – it was just before dawn. Everything was silent except for the rise and fall of breathing sounds.
He slowly sat up, looking around silently. Ye Ye and the others were sprawled on the ground not far from him, sound asleep. Besides concealment techniques and the bronze wall technique, there was also a transparent earth wall erected around them, probably to prevent him from running away again if he woke up.
Li Fei was curled up on her side, using a disciple robe as a cushion, her long hair spread out behind her as she slept soundly.
Ji Tongzhou couldn’t help but crawl over to her side, sitting next to her and gazing at her sleeping face.
In her sleep, Li Fei vaguely felt a gaze focused on her. She drowsily opened her eyes and suddenly saw a figure sitting beside her, immediately startled and about to cry out.
A hand suddenly covered her mouth. He shook his head, gesturing for her not to make a sound. Li Fei then realized it was Ji Tongzhou – he was awake! He had been asleep for a full three days and nights! No one expected him to sleep for so long. Ye Ye had checked his clothes before, and his wounds had long since healed. She had also probed his extraordinary meridians, and everything seemed normal. But he just wouldn’t wake up, even when they pushed, patted, and called him. They couldn’t find any reason for it.
She sat up abruptly, looking around to see the others still fast asleep. Bai Li Gelin’s foot was even propped up on Lu Li’s stomach. They had all been careful not to leave while sleeping these past few days, keeping watch here.
“You’re awake? Do you feel unwell anywhere?” Li Fei asked in a low voice. She wasn’t sure if there would be any issues with someone who had broken through the third bottleneck and then slept for three days and nights.
Ji Tongzhou gave her a faint smile but didn’t speak.
Li Fei was puzzled and examined him closely. His expression now was unfamiliar, yet very calm. This calmness was different from before, though she couldn’t pinpoint exactly how. This expression made him look much more mature and reserved.
“Ji Tongzhou?” she called softly, confused.
Ji Tongzhou still didn’t speak, just looking at her deeply. His gaze no longer held that hidden ghostly fire, but it still made her feel uncomfortable. He suddenly grasped her hand, lifting her sleeve to look at her wrist. Her skin was smooth and taut, without a trace of a scar.
Was he going to bite her again?! Li Fei forcefully pulled her hand back. Ji Tongzhou pressed on her shoulder, smiling with a hint of melancholy: “What are you afraid of?”
With that, he stood up and looked around as if he didn’t recognize the place. Suddenly, he laughed, stretched lazily towards the dawn, and let out a big yawn. The others were all woken up by him, opening their eyes and staring at him blankly for a long while before they each reacted.
Ye Ye jumped up anxiously: “Tongzhou?”
Ji Tongzhou ruffled his tangled, loose hair and turned back with a smile. Seeing everyone staring at him like dumbfounded geese, he frowned, his arrogant prince tone returning: “Breaking through the third bottleneck feels great.”
He glanced smugly at Lei Xiuyuan, who coldly averted his gaze, yawned, and lay back down. He hadn’t slept enough.
Seeing that he had woken up and was no longer in a frenzy of madness, everyone let out a sigh of relief. At this moment, no one wanted to mention the illusion and risk provoking him again. Bai Li Gelin pointed at him and laughed loudly: “Ji Tongzhou, you need a good wash! How can a prince be so slovenly? You’re filthy!”
He had been sleeping since he was injured, and his body was covered in blood stains and dust. His long hair was tangled, and his face was also terribly dirty, looking nothing like the clean and well-groomed prince he usually was.
Li Fei tossed him her wooden comb: “Here, I’ll lend it to you.”
Ji Tongzhou caught the comb. It wasn’t exquisite or magnificent at all, and it was very old, looking like it had been used for many years. The carved flowers on it were already blurred. He gently traced the carvings with his fingertips, then flicked the comb teeth, but in the end, he silently put it in his sleeve without a word.
Li Fei added: “Return it quickly when you’re done. I need to use it too!”
But he acted as if he hadn’t heard and simply walked away.
When the clean and refreshed prince returned, Li Fei waited for half a day without seeing him return her comb. She had to go find him with her messy hair: “Where’s my comb?”
Ji Tongzhou raised an eyebrow: “I accidentally broke it while combing, so I threw it into the sea.”
Th-threw it away?! Li Fei was utterly dumbfounded: “How could you just throw away someone else’s things?”
Ji Tongzhou smiled: “Don’t be angry. I’ll buy you a new one to make up for it later.”
As expected, he was still that wealthy and arrogant prince. Li Fei didn’t know why she wanted to laugh, and she did laugh, patting his shoulder like a man: “This Ji Tongzhou looks more pleasing to the eye.”
Ji Tongzhou suddenly picked up a lock of her long hair, then gently let it go, saying softly: “You’re a woman. Next time, don’t pat people so casually.”