The Lay Flat Life: My Wife's Cultivation Makes Me Stronger - Chapter 38

Hearing Jiang Surou’s seemingly cold and sarcastic words, which actually carried a hint of concern, Han Feng smiled slightly. Without saying a word, he accepted the Immortal Spirit Crystal she handed him.

Jiang Surou was naturally cold and aloof. Before becoming Dao partners with Han Feng, she hadn’t known him at all, but she felt guilty for putting him in danger because of her choice. This guilt had driven her to offer him protective treasures, stand up for him when he was falsely accused, and now, even in the Ancestor’s Secret Realm, she was actively protecting him.

If Jiang Surou truly detested Han Feng, she wouldn’t have bothered to help him at all, let alone shield him from harm. But her personality was too cold, making it difficult for her to express her care clearly, and even her concern came off as distant or harsh.

But Han Feng understood her temperament and didn’t take it to heart.

The little fox, staring at the Immortal Spirit Crystal in Han Feng’s hand, jumped from Jiang Surou’s arms into Han Feng’s, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Quick, let me have a bite! I want to taste it!” she said eagerly.

“Taste what? It’s just an illusion. Eating it won’t do you any good,” Han Feng replied, tucking the crystal into his storage pouch.

“Hmph! You’re a bad person!” the little fox huffed, using the most “vicious” insult her tiny mind could come up with.

“Let’s keep searching for more Spirit Crystals,” Jiang Surou said, leading the group forward.

The little fox remained sulky, her lips pouted, clearly upset that she hadn’t gotten to snack on the crystal.

The secret realm was vast—larger than Han Feng could comprehend, and certainly larger than the entire Yin-Yang Sect’s territory. It contained all kinds of landscapes, but Han Feng hadn’t seen the statue of their ancestor yet. When he asked Jiang Surou, she told him that the statue was located deep within the realm.

They had been randomly teleported into the realm in small groups, and the Jiang family’s group consisted of just over twenty eighteen-year-olds.

As they slowly searched for more Spirit Crystals, the little fox suddenly darted off Han Feng’s shoulder with a swift leap, dashing across the open field like a streak of lightning. In an instant, she was on top of a hill in the distance, her speed beyond comprehension.

“Little Fox, where are you going?” Han Feng called after her.

The little fox, standing atop the hill, proudly held up a glowing Spirit Crystal, her tiny paws gripping it tightly.

“Look! I found a crystal!” she shouted joyfully. Then, with no hesitation, she opened her mouth and crunched down on the crystal, chomping it to pieces before swallowing it. She licked her lips, clearly savoring the taste.

“Did she just… eat the Spirit Crystal?”

“What kind of spirit beast is this? It’s so… fierce!”

“Wait, you can eat those things?”

The Jiang family disciples were utterly dumbfounded by what they had just witnessed.

In all the countless times the secret realm had been opened, no one had ever thought to eat the Spirit Crystals. Every group of disciples had diligently collected them, offered them to the statue, and prayed for divine blessings, terrified that offering too few crystals would result in a poor reward.

Some disciples had tried to keep a few extra crystals for themselves, but once they left the secret realm, the crystals vanished.

The little fox’s actions were unprecedented. No one had ever realized that the crystals could be eaten.

Suddenly, the little fox glanced toward the other side of the hill, her eyes widening in fear. She bolted back toward Han Feng, her tiny legs moving at lightning speed as she shouted, “Bad people are coming! Lots and lots of bad people!”

She leaped into Han Feng’s arms, trembling in fear.

Han Feng and the others looked up, and sure enough, a large group of people, numbering more than fifty, was flying toward them on their swords.

Leading the group was none other than Ye Longyuan.

Both Han Feng and Jiang Surou’s expressions darkened. They hadn’t expected Ye Longyuan to find them so quickly, and with so many people in tow.

As Ye Longyuan’s group descended, the Jiang family disciples drew their weapons and prepared for a confrontation.

Jiang Surou took a step forward, positioning herself in front of Han Feng. “Stay behind me,” she said firmly.

Her determined voice, coupled with her graceful yet resolute stance, deeply moved Han Feng.

This is what it feels like to have someone stand up for you? he thought. It’s kind of annoying… but also a little touching?

Ye Longyuan landed, his demeanor calm as he smiled at the group before him.

“Junior Sister Jiang, it’s been a while. I hope you’ve been well.”

“If you have something to say, say it. If not, leave,” Jiang Surou replied coldly, drawing the light blue sword that Han Feng had given her.

Ye Longyuan’s smile faltered for a moment at her sharp words, but he quickly composed himself. His gaze shifted to Han Feng, and his smile turned into a sneer.

“Hey, you coward hiding behind a woman. Come out and fight me! If you win, you can keep Junior Sister Jiang as your Dao partner. But if I win, I’ll take her for myself. What do you say? Do you dare?”

Jiang Surou quickly leaned toward Han Feng and whispered, “Avoid fighting for now. We’re at a disadvantage. Let’s wait until later, when they’ve fought with other groups and their numbers have thinned.”

Han Feng nodded in agreement, then turned to Ye Longyuan with a smirk. “Why would I fight you? Jiang Surou is already my Dao partner. What do I stand to gain if I beat you? And if I lose, you’re saying I’d have to hand her over? There’s no way I’m agreeing to such a ridiculous deal. You must’ve cultivated your brain into mush.”

Han Feng didn’t want to engage in a direct fight just yet. But that didn’t mean he would back down or swallow his pride. Whenever he faced Ye Longyuan, he had never backed down before, and he wasn’t about to start now.

Would being submissive earn him any mercy from Ye Longyuan? Of course not. So why should he bother holding back?

If things came to a fight, Han Feng was more than willing to go all out. He’d drag Ye Longyuan down with him, even if it meant going down himself.

Ye Longyuan’s expression twisted into a sneer. “Hmph. I knew you were a coward. You don’t even have the guts to face me in a fair fight!”

“Ye Longyuan, look around,” Han Feng retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Don’t you see the tens of thousands of people watching this? I’m a servant disciple, a so-called ‘waste’ who can’t cultivate.

And you, Ye Longyuan, are a prodigy with Heavenly Spirit Roots, the pride of the Ye family.

Even if you beat me, who’s going to admire you for it? People will just see you as a bully, someone who picks on a weak, non-cultivator servant.

Not only that, but you’re trying to steal another man’s Dao partner. You want to break up a couple and take her for yourself. Isn’t that shameful?

Jiang Surou and I are officially registered as Dao partners in the sect, yet you’re trying to wedge yourself between us. What does that make you? A third wheel? A homewrecker?

And you call yourself a disciple of the Ye family. What kind of family raises their children to steal from others, to bully weaker disciples? Not only are you tarnishing your own reputation, but you’re dragging the entire Ye family’s name through the mud.”

Han Feng’s barrage of taunts struck Ye Longyuan hard, his face turning red with anger. His fists clenched tightly as he prepared to attack Han Feng.