Stranger Danger-Chapter 1787: Overcoming The Heart Demon, Plucking the Immortal Peach
“Can’t look back... can’t look back...”
Ye Qing gritted his teeth and forced down the irrational impulse and terrible fear inside his heart. Instead, he stared at the immortal peach in front of him.
“It’s an illusion. That’s right. It’s all an illusion. Once I pluck the immortal peach, the illusion will disappear naturally.”
To be honest, he wasn’t sure if the person behind his back was an illusion or not. He wasn’t sure if something worse would happen once they got close either. It could easily be something life-threatening.
However, the only thing he could do now was push forward.
The next moment, something embarrassing happened. As he had lost all of his power, he found himself unable to use the qi of boundlessness either. In other words, he could not pluck the immortal peach.
Should I just use my hand?
The thought flashed through Ye Qing’s head, but he extinguished it right after. No, absolutely not!
Although Elder Furnace did not say what would happen if he grabbed the immortal peach directly with his hand, he could not imagine that it would be a pleasant outcome.
What do I do... what do I do?
Ye Qing frowned deeply as the footsteps came closer and closer, and the pressure grew heavier and heavier. For a time, he had no idea what to do.
He had never been this helpless and unsure since he became a Sage.
Should I leave?
Ye QIng hesitated. If he gave up, he would never cross paths with the immortal peach again. He would also lose an opportunity to swiftly increase his power.
But if he didn’t give up, and the person behind him reached him, then he would be facing a life-or-death crisis.
What should he do?
“If your heart is as cold as ice, then the sky may collapse, but you will not be alarmed. The future may be everchanging, but you will remain calm and collected.”
Ye Qing was stuck in a quagmire of panic, fear, and hesitation when a soothing voice entered his ears. “Guard your mind, Joyless. If you are single-minded, then no evil or art can disturb you.”
“Qingyou?”
The moment Ye Qing heard Feng Qingyou’s voice, an epiphany suddenly struck him. He thought, if I dispel the fear in my heart and become fearless, will the illusion behind my back disappear as well?
I might as well give it a go.
If the method still did not work, then he would leave immediately. No matter how wonderful the immortal peach was, he could not enjoy it if he was dead. Besides, his life directly concerned the fate of humanity and the Four Evils right now. He could not die, at least not now.
His mind made up, Ye Qing immediately started chanting a heart-clearing mantra. He focused on focusing his mind, calming his heart, and expelling his heart demons.
Ye Qing was a Sage. His willpower was solid, and his mind was flawless. On top of that, the “Paranirmitavaśavartin Heavenly Demon Sutra” he practiced was a first-rate emotion and desire manipulating martial art. Therefore, it took him little time to calm himself and melt away the fear inside his heart like snow.
As his fear gradually dissipated, Ye Qing clearly sensed that the terrible aura behind him was weakening.
As if knowing that Ye Qing had found a way to suppress them, the footsteps behind Ye Qing suddenly grew rapid.
It works!
Overjoyed, Ye Qing ignored the footsteps behind him and kept guarding his mind and dispelling his fear.
While this was going on, the footsteps were growing ever faster and closer to Ye Qing.
Just a few breaths later, Ye Qing felt a hand clapping against his shoulder. The palm was as cold as ice and filled with indescribable power. It felt like it could annihilate his soul and consciousness at any moment.
Ye Qing remained unmoved and continued to focus on refining his mind. The moment the hand grabbed him was also the moment the last wisp of fear in his heart disappeared.
“Sigh...”
It was at this moment Ye Qing heard a quiet sigh. The sigh sounded like it came right behind him, but it also sounded like it came from countless time and space away. It was overflowing with weariness, helplessness, and sorrow.
The next moment, the icy palm left his shoulder. The immense power contained within the palm had departed as well.
“Phew... I’m finally safe...”
Ye Qing let out a long, long sigh of relief. He still did not know what the thing behind him was. It was very likely a wisp of intent the Shennong Dao Lord had left behind. Whatever it was, it was extremely terrifying.
At the beginning, it was probably just a bundle of formless aura. If the harvester guarded their mind and willpower and felt no fear, then they could probably overcome this trial easily and without encountering any danger.
But if the harvester could not guard their mind and succumbed to fear, then Shennong Dao Lord’s intent would be summoned. If the harvester could not overcome their fear before the Shennong Dao Lord’s intent reached them, then they would die.
At the very least, Ye Qing felt death breathing down his neck when the hand had grabbed his shoulder.
Of course, just because he felt death didn’t mean he was actually going to die. However, he was going to suffer some injuries at the minimum.
At the same time Ye Qing overcame the Shennong Dao Lord’s intent, he also regained all of his strength.
The terrible power from earlier had drawn out his fear and cut off his connection to his power through it. That was why he couldn’t feel his power earlier.
That didn’t matter though. What mattered was that he was one step closer to obtaining the immortal peach.
Ye Qing summoned the qi of boundlessness once more and gently tapped the peach tree’s branch.
Tap!
The entire peach tree wobbled when he made the first tap. As if sensing its face, the immortal peach manifested its face and stared at Ye Qing with its small, beady eyes. It wore a pitiful, tearful expression that seemed to say, “Don’t eat me! Don’t eat me!”
“Sorry, brother... I don’t have the luxury of mercy right now!”
For a moment, Ye Qing actually felt sympathy for the immortal peach and the impulse to give up. However, Ye Qing learned his lesson and never lowered his guard since, so he only lost himself to the weird impulse for an instant before recovering his senses.
Don’t worry though. Your sacrifice is one that will benefit all of the living. Not only will your death be worthy, it will serve a great purpose. I will not forget you, and everyone in the world will remember your contribution.
As he thought this, Ye Qing tapped the branch another time and caused a flash of light this time. Realizing that feigning weakness was no use, the immortal peach’s expression suddenly turned hateful and ugly. Thick demonic qi was rolling off its body as well.
The peach tree was no different. It was waving its branches threateningly and brimming with terrible power. It seemed to be trying to intimidate or warn Ye Qing.
“Feigning weakness didn’t work, so you’re changing to intimidation tactics?”
Ye Qing wore a scornful expression as he summoned his power and pushed down the peach tree’s terrible energies via brute force. “I just want your immortal peach. If you keep getting in my way, then trust me when I say that I will uproot you and end your line once and for all.”
The greatest dangers posed by the peach tree and the immortal peach were the illusions and the Shennong Dao Lord’s intent. Once he overcame them, nothing else could pose a threat any longer. For him at least.
