Chapter Seven: Ruan Lingyu

"Come in."
A low, aged voice echoed from within the temple. Only after knocking his head on the ground three times did Leishan rise and walk respectfully into the grand hall.

“These mortals, their religious power is truly formidable. Even this Leishan, a rare talent among them, has been tamed so completely!” High above, Qin Shuang shook his head with a heavy sigh. Having lived among mortals for so long, he understood well the sway their religions held.

Beneath the dragon's skeletal frame at the center of the temple, three withered Kuya elders sat cross-legged. They shared one striking feature: they were all extremely thin. Without their robes, one could easily make out the outlines of their bones—a stark contrast to the robust Kuya people outside.

In the presence of the three emaciated elders, Leishan’s eyes brimmed with reverence and awe. Once the elders nodded ever so slightly, he abruptly seized a knife lying on the ground and slashed at his own thigh. Ruan Lingyu had been sealed within his leg muscle by a special technique.

A gush of fresh blood spurted forth. Leishan, barely glancing at his wounded leg, endured the pain as he presented the blood-stained jade respectfully to the elders, his lips pressed tightly together. “Leishan did not fail in his duty. I have finally brought back the Ruan Spirit Jade.”

The elder on the far right hurried to his feet, holding something black and indistinct—Qin Shuang couldn’t tell what it was—and pressed it to Leishan’s wound. A flash of excitement sparkled in Leishan’s eyes, but he remained still until the central elder accepted the jade.

“Foolishness!” Qin Shuang shook his head again. He had little interest in that peculiar primal spirit stone, but he couldn’t simply stand by and watch the only mortal in this world who had caught his eye become crippled.

Inside the temple, a flash of white light swept by. Qin Shuang didn’t spare the three elders a glance and strode directly toward Leishan. Before Leishan could react, a surge of immortal energy enveloped him, mending his wounds.

“You… why are you here?” Leishan finally came to his senses. His expression darkened with anger as understanding dawned. “You—you followed me!”

“You silly child, do I look like I’d bother tracking you? If I hadn’t happened to pass by, you’d have lost that leg for good!” Qin Shuang shook his head repeatedly. “You’re truly ruthless—severing your own tendon. Are you planning to walk with a cane for the rest of your life?”

Leishan’s leg healed rapidly—so quickly, in fact, that before he could voice his questions, he found his leg completely restored. Startled, he stamped his newly healed limb a few times, staring at Qin Shuang in disbelief.

“Senior, regardless of your connection to Leishan, thank you for saving his leg. Leishan is a good child!” The elder still clutching the bloodstained jade bent low in a gesture of deep respect.

“In truth, I have nothing to do with him. I only just realized he’s little more than a reckless youth.” Qin Shuang shook his head and turned to leave.

“Please, senior, stay!” the three elders called in unison. Though Qin Shuang still appeared as a young man, they knew appearances could be deceiving. For someone to evade their combined senses, even a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage would struggle. And judging by the way he’d just chastised Leishan, he was clearly not an ordinary youth.

Qin Shuang smiled inwardly but simply paused, not turning around—curious to hear what the elders had to say.

“Senior, we know you mean no harm. You just saved Leishan, and on behalf of the Kuya clan, we thank you. We hope you’ll stay to receive our gratitude.” The central elder bent low again, using the most respectful words he could muster.

“That’s more like it…” Qin Shuang thought to himself. He hadn’t intended to go far anyway, and now that someone was trying to keep him, it suited him just fine.

That evening’s banquet of thanks was attended only by the three elders and Leishan. The Kuya tribe was short on goods, so the wine for the banquet was provided by Qin Shuang himself.

“Leishan, what exactly is this Ruan Spirit Jade? You were willing to cripple yourself to protect it, and even attracted the pursuit of cultivators?” As they grew familiar over the meal, Qin Shuang couldn’t help but ask.

“You… you don’t know what the Ruan Spirit Jade is?” The three elders were visibly stunned, and even Leishan paused, staring blankly at Qin Shuang.

Seeing their hesitation, Qin Shuang smiled. “You needn’t worry. I won’t try to take it from you, no matter what it is.”

The elders exchanged glances. At last, the eldest, Gan Ming, stood and bowed again. “There’s been a misunderstanding, senior. We’re just surprised you don’t know of the Ruan Spirit Jade.”

“I only recently arrived on this planet and am not very familiar with it yet,” Qin Shuang accepted the salute graciously, hiding nothing.

“You’re from another planet?” The three elders’ gazes changed subtly. They had suspected Qin Shuang was extraordinary, but an off-worlder was beyond their expectations.

“To be honest, the Ruan Spirit Jade only appeared five years ago,” the second elder, Qi Lian, explained hastily. “We don’t know why it came to this world, but the information it carries has excited the entire Kuya clan—and the cultivators of Suyu Star as well.”

“There are five pieces of the Ruan Spirit Jade. When assembled, they can take us to a land of abundance, with enough food, resources, and spiritual energy…” As Qi Lian spoke, longing lit his face.

“That simple?” Qin Shuang was taken aback. For someone like him, even relocating all the people of this planet would be no great feat.

“Simple?” The third elder, Xiao Qing, glared at him. “To reach another world—a world of endless food, resources, and spiritual energy. Not just for us Kuyas—even the sword-flying cultivators, even the mightiest among them, the Second-Tribulation Loose Immortals, would find it nearly impossible.”

“Indeed. Even if their internal energy were limitless, for a Second-Tribulation Loose Immortal to find a prosperous planet would take tens of thousands of years,” Leishan couldn’t help but add, clearly dissatisfied with Qin Shuang’s casual tone.

Qin Shuang now fully understood. Even the most powerful on this world—the Second-Tribulation Loose Immortals—couldn’t actually traverse space. They would likely die from spiritual exhaustion long before reaching another planet. No wonder the Ruan Spirit Jade was so coveted.

“But…” Qin Shuang hesitated, then voiced his doubt. “Aren’t you afraid the information on the Ruan Spirit Jade is false?”

“We’ve considered that,” Gan Ming replied gravely. “But given Suyu Star’s current state, we have no choice but to trust it. If we can’t find a better resource world, sooner or later, we Kuyas and the cultivators will fight to the death.”

“Heh, it seems everyone has their own troubles,” Qin Shuang mused, thinking of his own snail’s pace in cultivation, a sour feeling welling in his heart. “I wonder if my elder brother faces troubles of his own.”

By the end of the banquet, Qin Shuang had gained a general understanding of Suyu Star. The planet was home to just over a million people, with more than a hundred thousand cultivators above the Golden Core stage. What puzzled Qin Shuang was how the six thousand Kuyas managed to withstand the pressure from the cultivators. He knew well that, while cultivation here had declined, there were still three Second-Tribulation Loose Immortals overseeing the planet—far more powerful than the Kuya people.

Speaking of the Kuyas, Qin Shuang could only marvel. They were pure mortals, just with longer lifespans—typically three hundred years, with the rare few reaching four hundred. Only the three withered elders had lived longer; the youngest among them was already over twelve hundred.

The elders earnestly asked Qin Shuang to stay, their intent plain: with their strength, they could not protect the Ruan Spirit Jade. Qin Shuang, finding Leishan agreeable enough, agreed to act as their bodyguard—if only to pass the time.

Far away on Earth, in a bar, the stylish Qin Si’s lips curled into a faint smile. “That kid’s living well—hasn’t cultivated at all since arriving. But I must say, the spiritual energy here is pitifully thin…”

“Brother Si, come on!” A girl, the very picture of modern charm and beauty, beckoned to Qin Si from the dance floor.

****************************

On Qin Shuang’s tenth day on Suyu Star, the leader of the Wuling Sect finally arrived at the Kuya headquarters with his disciples.

“Ten pieces of low-grade spiritual equipment? This is outright extortion—barefaced robbery!” In the Kuya temple, Wuling Sect’s Head, Ling Yufei, slammed his palm down on the table. The table, made of ordinary material, couldn’t withstand the force of a cultivator at the Tribulation Crossing stage and instantly shattered into nothingness. Ling Yufei stood up, making no effort to conceal his fury, his demeanor clearly inviting a fight.

“Ling Yufei, let me remind you: you’ll have to compensate for that table you just broke,” Qin Shuang said with a playful look before turning to Leishan. “Leishan, ask Elder Lingjiang what he thinks of his leader’s behavior.”

“Alright!” Leishan replied, gripping Lingjiang’s Nascent Soul even tighter and lifting it up. “Elder Lingjiang, your sect leader seems rather disrespectful. The negotiations aren’t even finished, and he’s already destroyed our table. What do you think should be done?”

Completely sealed by Qin Shuang, Lingjiang’s Nascent Soul couldn’t move or speak. Yet, powerless in Leishan’s grasp, its expression twisted in agony.