LABMY CH121

Because he kept thinking about “repaying the favor,” Mu Jingzhuo seriously studied how to make himself look as if he had cultivated the Body Refining Technique without actually cultivating it.

For Jian Yuanbai, ordinary illusions would be easily seen through. The idea of relying on magical artifacts had just surfaced in Mu Jingzhuo’s mind when he immediately dismissed it. The same logic applied—Jian Yuanbai’s cultivation level was simply too high. In the face of absolute strength, all tricks seemed fragile.

Just when Mu Jingzhuo thought there was no hope, he accidentally discovered a small trick used by mortal theater troupes. To make it more convincing, he even went into seclusion to practice for another half a month.

Then, fully dressed in his props, he appeared inside the grand hall of the main peak of Wuwang Peak.

As soon as Jian Yuanbai returned, he saw a tall and broad-shouldered man, about two meters in height, standing in the middle of his main hall with his hands clasped behind his back.

Jian Yuanbai was somewhat puzzled. Who could appear so boldly in his main hall? Before he even walked closer, he asked, “Who are you?”

The man turned around, revealing a familiar face.

Jian Yuanbai froze for two seconds, as if struck by lightning. With cautious disbelief, he tentatively asked, “Little Spoon?”

Mu Jingzhuo lowered his voice before speaking, making it sound deep and heavy. “Mm, it’s me.”

That one sentence shattered the last bit of hope in Jian Yuanbai’s heart. His soft and delicate wife had truly transformed from a little spoon into a iron ladle.

His steps forward halted, but Mu Jingzhuo closed the distance step by step, finally stopping right in front of him. Standing together, their heights were nearly equal, with Mu Jingzhuo even appearing slightly taller.

Jian Yuanbai suddenly felt immense pressure. He, who had always remained composed even if a mountain collapsed before him, actually felt a cold sweat forming at his temples.

Mu Jingzhuo’s tone was relaxed and even carried a hint of joy. “As expected of a Heaven-grade cultivation technique. In such a short time, I’ve already reached the late Foundation Establishment stage.”

“Choosing to cultivate it was indeed the right decision.”

Jian Yuanbai stiffly responded, “Yes, very good, very good…”

Mu Jingzhuo looked at him in confusion. “Why is Master not smiling? My cultivation has improved significantly—shouldn’t Master be happy?”

Jian Yuanbai forced out a rather stiff smile. “Happy. Very happy.”

He was not happy at all. In fact, for the first time, he felt like crying.

His soft and adorable wife was gone forever. This was definitely worth mourning.

Thinking this, Jian Yuanbai glanced again at the bulging muscles that stretched the fabric of Mu Jingzhuo’s clothing. Unable to bear the sight, he turned his head away.

His heart ached so much it was hard to breathe.

But that very action caught Mu Jingzhuo’s attention. “Why won’t Master look at me? Do I disgust you in my current state?”

Jian Yuanbai immediately denied it loudly. “No!”

Mu Jingzhuo blinked and leaned in slightly, his expression carrying a hint of innocence. “Kiss me.”

Looking at that still exquisitely beautiful face paired with a body like a wrathful vajra, Jian Yuanbai closed his eyes and kissed him. His wife’s lips were still soft, with no particular taste, yet he felt as if he were savoring a sweet jelly.

Their lips and tongues intertwined, yet their bodies seemed as if separated by an invisible barrier.

When they pulled apart, a trace of dissatisfaction and grievance flashed in Mu Jingzhuo’s eyes. His kissed lips were flushed red, and his slightly reddened eyes made it seem like he might cry at any moment. “Master… do you dislike my body?”

“Don’t talk nonsense!” Jian Yuanbai retorted loudly. “My wife is always the most beautiful!”

Mu Jingzhuo blinked. “Then Master, touch me.”

Jian Yuanbai reached out and, through the fabric, felt the rock-hard chest muscles. He couldn’t help but shut his eyes for a moment. An iron ladle. It really was an iron ladle.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw Mu Jingzhuo’s slightly flushed cheeks and his pretty eyes flickering evasively. Suddenly, an idea popped into Jian Yuanbai’s mind. His fingers brushed over the small crimson gemstone embedded in the robe, flicking it slightly. His body leaned forward as he pressed in and kissed Mu Jingzhuo’s lips again.

First, he rubbed Mu Jingzhuo’s lips with his own, licking and kissing gently yet intensely. Then, he delved inside, exploring the hot and damp space, unreservedly tracing every sensitive membrane with his tongue before finally entwining and teasing Mu Jingzhuo’s shy, soft tongue as if savoring the final delicacy.

The kiss did not stop, and his hands began to wander downward. Just as they were about to slip under the robe, Mu Jingzhuo suddenly grabbed his wrist.

Their eyes met—Jian Yuanbai was puzzled, while Mu Jingzhuo looked flustered.

The truth was, everything about Mu Jingzhuo’s appearance was fake. His disguise wouldn’t hold up under direct touch. His height beneath the robe was also fabricated. Mu Jingzhuo quickly stood up, his eyelashes trembling in nervousness. His lips kissed into a light redness, carried a hint of allure and helplessness.

“You… what are you doing?”

Hearing this, Jian Yuanbai felt wronged. “Wife, you told me to touch you.”

Mu Jingzhuo’s fair face turned completely red. “I didn’t say you could touch under my clothes!”

Lacking the courage to meet Jian Yuanbai’s gaze, Mu Jingzhuo lowered his eyes. In doing so, he noticed something unexpected.

“You… you… you…”

Mu Jingzhuo stammered. Jian Yuanbai followed his gaze downward and, realizing the issue, felt his own face heat up. Holding onto Mu Jingzhuo’s hand, he clung to him and called softly, “Wife.”

“I—I need to go cultivate!” Mu Jingzhuo felt like his hand was being burned. He hastily pulled away and rushed out in a panic.

Before Jian Yuanbai could say a word, the person had already disappeared. He lowered his head, glanced at himself again, and let out a long sigh.

“Running so fast… It’s not like I was going to eat you.”

He still remembered that Mu Jingzhuo had yet to turn eighteen. Even if Mu Jingzhuo hadn’t run away, Jian Yuanbai wouldn’t have done anything inappropriate.

Just then, the system suddenly spoke: “The way you look at Mu Jingzhuo doesn’t match what you’re saying.”

“I never expected you to be into muscular men,” the system sighed. “Tsk.”

Jian Yuanbai flared up. “I am NOT!!”

“I still prefer a softer wife!!”

The system let out another “tsk” and said, “Then what’s this?”

Jian Yuanbai replied, “That’s my wife! My wife!!”

The system continued, “I never thought you’d still have a reaction even after Mu Jingzhuo became like this.”

Jian Yuanbai scratched his head and said seriously, “I truly have no interest in people covered in muscles. I really don’t like it.”

He suddenly smiled. “But when I think about the fact that Little Spoon is my wife, it doesn’t seem that hard to accept.”

“When your wife blushes in front of you, any man would have a reaction.”

It wasn’t that he had accepted muscular, burly men—it was that the person was Mu Jingzhuo.

The system fell silent for a moment. “That’s pretty good.”

Maybe in the beginning, Jian Yuanbai had fallen for Wei Zhenge’s beautiful appearance in the first world, but after loving each other through so many worlds, it had become more like a connection of souls.

After all, even after losing his memory, Jian Yuanbai had never fallen for anyone else. He had remained steadfast from start to finish.

As a result, just as Jian Yuanbai had finished preparing himself mentally, the next day, he was greeted by a fair-skinned, slender, and tall wife.

Jian Yuanbai was dumbfounded, staring blankly. “Wife?”

Mu Jingzhuo’s ears turned slightly red. “Mm.”

Jian Yuanbai: “Why… why do you look like this now?”

Mu Jingzhuo: “What do you mean?”

Jian Yuanbai reached out and gestured exaggeratedly to indicate the muscles. “Your muscles from yesterday… they’re gone.”

Mu Jingzhuo calmly replied, “Oh, that. I never practiced the Body Refinement Technique. That was just a prop from a theater troupe.”

Jian Yuanbai fell silent for a moment. “So you were messing with me?”

Mu Jingzhuo held back a laugh. “I originally planned to keep it on for a few more days, but after seeing your reaction yesterday, I was afraid that if I kept it up for too long, you wouldn’t like my real appearance anymore.”

Jian Yuanbai felt like an enormous hat had been placed on his head, one he couldn’t shake off. “Wife!!”

“I swear I’m not like that!”

He grumbled resentfully, “You’ve learned bad things.”

Mu Jingzhuo couldn’t hold back anymore and burst into laughter, only to be pushed onto the bed and kissed breathless by an embarrassed and angry Jian Yuanbai, forcing him to shut up.

Jian Yuanbai kissed Mu Jingzhuo’s now-red and swollen lips, then pressed his lips against them affectionately and murmured, “Little Spoon.”

How wonderful—his Little Spoon was still a soft spoon, not an iron one.

“You’re not going to practice the Body Refinement Technique anymore?”

Mu Jingzhuo panted lightly and shook his head. “No.”

Jian Yuanbai’s gaze flickered. “Then… do you still blame me for giving you the Dual Cultivation Technique?”

He had always thought Mu Jingzhuo wanted to cultivate the Body Refinement Technique to spite him for secretly modifying the Dual Cultivation Technique.

Mu Jingzhuo’s face was flushed, and his lips, having been kissed so thoroughly, were even redder. His eyes were moist and bright. “I don’t blame you. Didn’t you say you changed it so that it can be cultivated without dual cultivation?”

He tilted his head slightly and kissed the corner of Jian Yuanbai’s lips, then whispered in a soft, spoiled tone, “So I won’t blame you for that… but you kissed me so hard that it hurts. Can I blame you for that?”

Jian Yuanbai’s breath hitched. Suddenly, he said, “I regret it.”

Mu Jingzhuo didn’t speak and tilted his head in confusion, just in time to hear Jian Yuanbai say, “I regret modifying it so that dual cultivation isn’t necessary.”

However, he remembered that even though the technique didn’t require dual cultivation, it still had benefits when used that way.

Mu Jingzhuo’s ears instantly turned red, and with a soft hum, he turned his head away.

…

Throughout the entire Asriga Empire, a passionate cultivation movement had taken over. Ever since the Body Refinement Technique was introduced, the enthusiasm for training had reached unprecedented levels.

At the same time, however, there were some dissenting voices.

Inside the lively and extravagant Flower Pavilion, two young masters in gold-embroidered robes lounged leisurely, holding paper fans as they enjoyed the performances of the skilled and graceful ladies below.

One of them spoke, “The trend of the Body Refinement Technique is really sweeping through. Brother Su, are you going to cultivate it?”

Brother Su snapped his fan shut against his palm. “Are you joking? Cultivate that technique?”

“Haven’t you seen the illustrations in the manual? If I end up looking like that, I’d rather be dead.”

Brother Su wasn’t exactly a stunning beauty, but he had a well-proportioned and refined appearance—one that could still be considered that of a handsome young master.

Brother Gu replied, “But it’s a Heaven-grade technique. You’re not tempted?”

Brother Su sneered. “So what if it’s Heaven-grade? I’m not interested.”

“My cultivation can be lower, but my looks must stay impeccable. I have the background, so if there’s a fight, I can just hire people. They do the hard work, I provide the money.”

“Besides, I come from a noble family. Even if my cultivation is a little lower, my ancestors have my back. What do I have to be afraid of?”

“Brother Gu, are you asking because you’re considering practicing the technique yourself?”

Brother Gu also sneered. “Cultivating that technique means growing three meters tall with bulging muscles. That’s hardly elegant. No, I’m not practicing it.”

The two exchanged glances and quickly reached an agreement, drinking and feasting in high spirits.

A while later, they met again at the Flower Pavilion—this time, a month had passed. Brother Gu scrutinized his friend and asked suspiciously, “It’s only been a month, but Brother Su, you look much stronger. You wouldn’t have secretly started practicing the Body Refinement Technique, would you?”

Brother Su frowned. “What nonsense. After cultivating that technique, you’d end up looking like a giant golden guardian statue. Would I ever practice that?”

“I just hired a new cook at home recently and have been eating well.”

Months later, the two unexpectedly crossed paths in the street. They stared at each other in silence for a moment.

Brother Gu spoke first. “Brother Su, are you sure you haven’t been practicing the Body Refinement Technique?”

Standing there at over two meters tall, his muscles pressing tightly against his clothes, Brother Su replied calmly, “No, of course not. I already said I wouldn’t, so I haven’t.”

“And what about you, Brother Gu? Have you been cultivating it?”

He asked while looking his friend directly in the eye—his friend, who was also now over two meters tall.

Brother Gu also shook his head, his expression unwavering. “Naturally not.”

After exchanging a few polite yet knowing compliments, the two went their separate ways—only to return home and continue their relentless cultivation in secret.

For half a year, this feverish training persisted.

Once the Spirit-Suppressing Turtle Stone shattered, the Asriga Empire followed in the footsteps of the maritime region—anyone below the Immortal realm no longer faced tribulations. Combined with the widespread practice of the Body Refinement Technique, cultivators throughout the empire saw tremendous growth in their strength.

Meanwhile, as everyone focused on training, they remained oblivious to the fact that two people had quietly slipped into the sea region.

A servant in humble attire anxiously pleaded with the young man beside him. “Young Master, the Sea of Falling Waters is guarded by the Immortal-grade Spirit-Suppressing Turtle Stone. There’s nothing fun here—let’s just go back, alright?”

The young master, Lan Shaoyu, knocked the servant on the head. “I heard that at the end of the Sea of Falling Waters, there’s another continent. Today, I’m going to see for myself whether it really exists.”

The servant groaned, “It doesn’t exist! This is just an endless sea—there’s no land out there!”

“Let’s go back! If the island lord finds out we sneaked out, we’re doomed!”

Lan Shaoyu didn’t care about him at all. “What’s the fun in going back? I’m already sick of staying on Immortal Spirit Island. Don’t you want to come with me and find some entertainment?”

“Come on, let’s go see what’s really at the end of these waters.”

As he spoke, he shrank the ground into inches and disappeared in an instant. The servant, knowing his young master’s temperament, wore a bitter expression and hurried to follow. He had no interest in seeking entertainment—he was only worried that if he let Lan Shaoyu out of his sight and something happened, the island lord might kill him for fun instead.

Although he was a servant, his strength was in no way inferior to his young master, Lan Shaoyu. In the blink of an eye, he caught up with the reckless young master.

By the time they arrived, they saw no mystical artifact, no Spirit-Suppressing Turtle Stone—only a pile of shattered fragments buried in the silt at the bottom of the sea.

Lan Shaoyu picked up a piece and, sensing the lingering aura on it, smiled. “Interesting.”

“These fragments carry the blood and resentment of so many people. Truly fascinating.”

There were two ways to destroy a mystical artifact. The first was sheer absolute power, forcibly shattering it. The second was to taint it with the blood of countless people.

However, those countless people had to die within a short and unified time frame; otherwise, the artifact would automatically purify itself of the resentment and blood energy.

As its name suggested, the Spirit-Suppressing Turtle Stone was a mystical artifact, but not one with strong offensive capabilities. It was primarily a tool for suppression. And yet, here in the deep waters of this sea, someone had actually sacrificed tens of thousands of lives to destroy it.

Now that was truly interesting.

“What’s so interesting about this, young master?” The servant anxiously said, “The destruction of the Spirit-Suppressing Turtle Stone is a big deal. We should return and inform the island lord immediately.”

“With this discovery, the island lord won’t hold it against us for sneaking out.”

Lan Shaoyu waved a finger back and forth. “What’s the point of going back? Let’s go ashore and see who had the audacity to destroy our Immortal Spirit Island’s artifact.”

“Even though we traveled underwater, these waters have always been under our island’s jurisdiction. We are the only land that borders this sea.”

“If we weren’t the ones who destroyed the Spirit-Suppressing Turtle Stone, then that means—without a doubt—there really is land at the end of these waters.”

The servant instinctively objected. “No, it’s too dangerous.”

“If they were capable of destroying a mystical artifact, it’s far too risky for you to go alone, young master.”

But clearly, his young master never listened to him. Watching as Lan Shaoyu disappeared from sight, the servant gritted his teeth and quickly wrote a message, sending word back to Immortal Spirit Island that the Spirit-Suppressing Turtle Stone had been destroyed.

The news caused a huge stir on the island. The Grand Elder personally led the enforcement team—fifteen men strong—and they quickly arrived at the other end of the waters.

All of them were at the celestial level or higher. With a single thought, they could traverse thousands of miles.

By the time they arrived, Lan Shaoyu had just stepped onto the shore, waiting for his slow-moving servant to emerge from the water. Then, the Grand Elder and his fifteen enforcers arrived.

Seeing them, Lan Shaoyu pouted with boredom. “Tattletale again.”

The servant smiled ingratiatingly. “It was only out of concern for your safety, young master.”

The Grand Elder glared at Lan Shaoyu and scolded, “Reckless!”

Lan Shaoyu pretended not to hear and instead asked, “Grand Elder, what is this place? I’ve never heard anything about it before.”

The Grand Elder glanced at the city ahead, his eyes filled with disdain. “This is the Land of the Forsaken.”

Lan Shaoyu was curious. “The Land of the Forsaken? What kind of place is that?”

The Grand Elder had no fondness for this troublemaking son of the island lord, but since Lan Shaoyu was the one who discovered the destruction of the Spirit-Suppressing Turtle Stone, he decided to explain. “The Land of the Forsaken is merely a place where lowly wretches live.”

“Most of the people here are incapable of cultivation.”

Lan Shaoyu was stunned. “There are people in this world who can’t cultivate?!”

The Grand Elder’s eyes flickered with contempt. “That’s why they’re just a bunch of lowly wretches.”

“Every so often, a few people with no background and no traceable past appear on the Ninefold Continent. Those people all come from the Land of the Forsaken.”

Lan Shaoyu seemed to realize something, his eyes filled with disgust. “So that’s how it is.”

The Grand Elder nodded and continued, “You weren’t told about this before because the Land of the Forsaken is insignificant. For a thousand years, they’ve never been able to stir up any real trouble.”

“But if they were the ones who destroyed the Spirit-Suppressing Turtle Stone, then I have no problem teaching them, with blood, what can and cannot be touched.”

With that, he waved his hand and shattered a memory crystal buried in the sand.

At that moment, someone rushed into the Astrica Imperial Court and knelt before the Human Emperor. “Report!!!”

“A group of eighteen people, whose cultivation levels we cannot discern and who don’t appear to be from the Astriga Empire, has emerged from the sea.”

The Human Emperor’s expression changed drastically. “So soon?”

“What about the guards stationed in Fisherman’s City?”

“They’ve already rushed over!”

At the border of the waters, a massive golden formation appeared in midair, shielding Fisherman’s City behind it.

On the front lines of the city, a group of muscular men and women stood tall, their clothing stretched tight over their bulging muscles.

The leader among them stood over three meters tall, their muscles swollen and robust, looking as though they could shatter a city wall with a single punch. When they spoke, Lan Shaoyu’s jaw nearly hit the floor.

“Who are you people?”

Lan Shaoyu gawked. “What the—you’re a woman?!”

This person was twice his size, yet their voice was unmistakably female?!

“You’re telling me you’re a woman with that kind of physique??!”

The leader responded, “So what if I am? Can women not be stronger than men?”

She gave Lan Shaoyu a once-over, saying nothing more, but the meaning in her gaze was clear.

Just as Lan Shaoyu was about to teach this insolent woman a lesson, the Grand Elder interrupted.

The Grand Elder sneered. “Is this your so-called strength, you lowly wretches of the Land of the Forsaken?”

“Then let’s see how many of you there are.”

The Grand Elder stood with his hands behind his back. “But no matter how many come, you’ll all be nothing more than ghosts beneath my hand.”

He deliberately gave them time to gather because he wasn’t looking for a small fight—he wanted a massacre. He wanted to cripple this land, to make them remember, through blood, what could and could not be touched.

As expected, more and more people arrived, their eyes filled with wariness. A translucent barrier rose from the shore, separating them. The tension in the air was thick with the scent of impending slaughter.

Soon, half the coast was packed with towering, muscle-bound warriors.

The Grand Elder didn’t act—he didn’t even care about their weak little barrier—but he failed to notice the uneasy expressions on half of his enforcers’ faces.

Moments later, the entire shore was packed.

One incense stick’s time later, even the beach couldn’t hold them all.

From the distant city walls, more and more muscular men and women emerged.

At first, the enforcers remained calm. But when the entire beach was filled with muscle-bound giants, their faces twisted in shock and disbelief.

What the hell?!

The entire coast was packed with towering, muscular warriors, their veins bulging over layers of thick, rock-hard muscle.

Against this backdrop, the enforcers of Immortal Spirit Island suddenly felt… small.

Even the Grand Elder felt a flicker of discomfort.

Damn it!

What the hell do these people eat to grow like this?!