Sixty-Nine: Heartfelt Conversations — The Transformation of Mute

When the woman stepped out in her martial attire, both Wood and Gu Feng were momentarily stunned. It seemed her luck was truly extraordinary; before the Vital Energy Lock was planted, making her a slave, she had managed to hide an entire set of magical gear in her spatial ring. With such equipment, had an ordinary person purchased her, she would have easily escaped.

Ouyang Lingfeng donned her gear with determination, clearly preparing to give her all—naturally so, as this battle was her chance to break free from slavery. She could not afford complacency. In truth, she was bitter at heart. A prodigy in martial arts, she had become a Grand Swordmaster at just nineteen, on the cusp of Sword Saint. Had her family not suffered a great calamity, she would have risen above others, and with time, surely become a ninth-rank powerhouse. But now, she had to fight for her own freedom.

“You’re ready?” Wood asked, seeing her fully armed. “Good. This way, you’ll be convinced by your defeat.”

Ouyang Lingfeng, noticing his dismissive tone, felt a surge of joy instead. Slowly drawing the long blade at her waist, she pointed it at Wood from afar. Her every movement bore the poise of a true expert.

Wood smiled inwardly, intent on tempering her stubbornness. He summoned the “Azure Firmament” sword, nurtured in his true energy, formed a seal with one hand, and intoned, “Sword Command!” Instantly, countless white sword-energies shot toward Ouyang Lingfeng. Realizing she could not face them head-on, she dodged swiftly, but Wood’s control was precise. The moment she moved, his Azure Firmament sword was already at her throat, its keen aura seeming to pierce her very skin.

“If I hadn’t held back, you wouldn’t have evaded that last sword strike,” Wood said coldly. “Now, do you submit?”

At that moment, Ouyang Lingfeng’s heart was steeped in despair. She had expected this young man’s cultivation to be formidable, but not to such an extent—she couldn’t even withstand a single move. As she stood in frustration, she suddenly felt the weight at her neck lighten; the slave collar was cut away by Wood.

“You have two choices,” Wood said, “First, remain a slave. I can guarantee your safety, but you must obey my will. Second, sign a special contract and become my helper. I can enhance your strength, but you may face many dangers alongside me.”

Before Wood finished, Ouyang Lingfeng responded resolutely, “I choose the second!” She cast a glance at the three women with her and added, “They were once my personal maids. They know neither magic nor martial arts. I only ask that you treat them well.”

Wood nodded and, taking out the “Inner Palace” tome, formed a seal with both hands, drawing her into the Inner Palace World.

What Wood concealed was a unique property of the Inner Palace: when a contract was signed with a being weaker than the owner, it functioned as a soul contract. Any being drawn into the Inner Palace would henceforth be loyal to Wood. In other words, as soon as Ouyang Lingfeng entered, her very soul would be influenced, making her his devoted confidante.

“When did I become so calculating?” Wood mused inwardly. “Ah, well, I have no intention of harming her. My nature hasn’t changed for the worse—I'm just simplifying matters.” Lately, Wood had been struggling with this inner conflict. With power, he felt himself drifting further from his former, gentle self—the man who once silently watched the girl he loved from the corner of the wall.

“You may come in as well,” Wood said, reciting an incantation and drawing the three women into the Inner Palace. The Inner Palace World provided everything necessary for survival; he need only add entertainment or special facilities in the future.

So the Inner Palace gained several more private companions, yet Wood’s heart felt no joy—only a kind of heaviness and confusion.

“Wood, what’s wrong?” Gu Feng asked, noticing his troubled expression and patting him on the shoulder with concern.

“It’s nothing. I just… feel like I’m no longer the person I used to be.”

Gu Feng laughed. “People always change, especially when they gain special power or authority. I can understand exactly how you feel. I used to be the least regarded member of my family, always careful, always watching the faces of others, which made me cautious by nature. But after gaining the Plane System, I gradually grew in power and began to control my own destiny. Eventually, everyone had to see to my wishes. Imagine the satisfaction! There were times when I acted without a care, paying back those who wronged or belittled me tenfold. Everyone feared me. But sometimes, late at night, I too wondered if I had changed, if I was still myself. That question plagued me for years.”

Gu Feng paused, then continued, “Perhaps as I’ve aged, I’ve realized: I am still myself, no matter how I change. When one holds power, one’s mindset and standards cannot be compared to ordinary people.”

Seeing Wood still lost in thought, Gu Feng could only add, “As long as you have a clear conscience, do as you see fit.”

“A clear conscience…” Hearing those words, Wood suddenly felt enlightened. Yes, as long as he remained true to himself, why should he care so much? After all, he hadn’t used his power to do anything truly evil.

Having come to terms with himself, Wood clapped Gu Feng’s shoulder, saying sincerely, “Thank you, Brother Gu, I finally understand.”

“Understand what?” a voice interjected. It was Zi Gui, who had come looking for them. “Wood, I heard Gu Feng gave you four beautiful women. Why don’t you bring them out for us to see? Don’t tell me you’ve already tucked them away in your Inner Palace! Looking won’t hurt, will it?”

Gu Feng pushed him aside. “Go away, we’re having a serious conversation. By the way, didn’t you collect some dragon meat? Roast some and let’s have a dragon feast tonight. I’ve never tasted dragon before!”

At this, Zi Gui pulled a face. “You and I think alike, but I’ve already tried it. Dragon meat isn’t tasty at all—tough and stringy. Think about it, the stuff is thousands of years old—how could it taste good?”

“But Rudao Xuan says dragon meat can be used in alchemy, and it’s considered a high-grade item—at least A-rank in the Plane Trading Store. He told me to give some to you, Wood, since with your ‘Demon Refining Gourd,’ there’s a chance of producing top-grade pills.”

“Indeed! Anything from the Dragon King is a treasure. Eating it would be a waste. Let’s do as Rudao Xuan suggests,” Gu Feng agreed.

“I propose we divide the Dragon King’s remains into portions.” As the saying goes, speak of the devil and he appears—Rudao Xuan and Baldy arrived. “Every part of the Dragon King is precious and should be put to use: divide the meat into five shares—keep or sell as you wish, except for Wood’s share, which should be reserved for alchemy. The dragon’s blood goes to Baldy and Zi Gui; with their technology, they can refine evolution serums, which will benefit us all. The dragon scales go to Gu Feng, since the Magic Plane has the technology to craft armor from them.”

No one objected to Rudao Xuan’s arrangements—he had thought of everything.

Thanks to Gu Feng’s generous hospitality, everyone lingered in the Magic Plane for about ten days. But with Zi Gui and Baldy each leading their own groups, they worried about leaving things unattended for too long. On the tenth day, everyone returned to their respective planes.

The first thing Wood did upon returning was to contact Nan Shan and send the Invincible One back to the Silicon-Based Plane for repairs. The technology there was so advanced that in just a few hours, Invincible One was returned, good as new. Nan Shan also sent him several repair robots and suggested he set up a maintenance station at the space base for swift repairs of robots and other machines.

After a few days’ rest, Xiu Yuan, Uncle Li, and his friend Gu Yueguan came to visit.

“Brother Wood, how did the matter I mentioned last time go?” Uncle Li got straight to the point.

Seeing Wood hesitate, Uncle Li’s tone grew a touch dissatisfied. “Brother Wood, have you forgotten about the matter I entrusted to you?”

At that, Wood suddenly remembered: Uncle Li believed he had a master skilled in immortal arts and had asked Wood to arrange a meeting. In fact, it was Uncle Li’s hope to meet this master that had prompted his earlier generosity, gifting Wood the treasures from the tomb.

“You mean meeting my master, right? Sorry, but my master does not belong to this mundane world—he will not receive you,” Wood replied honestly, for his true master, the Carefree Immortal, was not from the Material Plane. Seeing Uncle Li’s disappointment, Wood smiled faintly. “However, my master did say that while walking in the mortal world, we must rely on mortal power. He plans to found a sect, and those who contribute to the sect may be taught the sect’s secret immortal arts.”

Upon hearing this, Uncle Li and Gu Yueguan’s eyes lit up. They had long suspected that Wood’s master possessed the legendary immortal arts. If they could learn even a little, they might achieve immortality. Hearing Wood confirm this, they were overjoyed.

But old hands are always cautious. Even in his excitement, Uncle Li remarked, “Seeking immortality is our deepest wish, but Brother Wood, you don’t seem to possess these immortal arts yourself…”

Before he could finish, Wood rose into the air, a blue sword hovering above his head. At the sight, Uncle Li’s knees buckled and he fell to the ground.

(This chapter, describing the protagonist’s change in character, was truly difficult for Wood to write. He found it hard to explain such transformation. In fact, many experience such changes, but Wood lacked the skill to describe it fully in words. He spent six hours on this chapter and still feels dissatisfied. Please forgive him this once!)