It's the folk remedy that really works.

Xu Jin stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the man surrounded by the tribesmen.

Chu Xingchen wore a bright smile as he retrieved food from his spatial ring and began distributing it to the surrounding tribesmen, deliberately giving one of them double the portion.

As more and more tribesmen gathered around, Chu Xingchen finished handing out the supplies and waved his hand dismissively.

"Make some space. I still have someone to find—you can divide the rest among yourselves."

The tribesmen quickly scattered, clearing the path while clutching their provisions before dispersing.

Chu Xingchen lightly clapped his hands, raising his eyes with a grin as he looked at Xu Jin’s stunned expression.

"Long time no see. You’ve been hiding out here—really made it hard to track you down. Luckily, I ran into these locals. They mentioned a strange-looking fool, and I knew it had to be you."

Xu Jin glanced around, noticing that Chu Xingchen seemed to be alone. But what puzzled him most was—

"You can communicate with them?"

"You can’t? How far have you fallen, a disciple of the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect?"

"Aren’t they resistant to spiritual energy? Or do you actually understand their language?"

Chu Xingchen tilted his head slightly. A faint purple glow emanated from Wanban, now in the form of an embroidery needle, as profound Dao rhythms swirled around it. He chuckled.

"Just an advanced version of illusion techniques. They have no cultivation—I could make them somersault without saying a word, let alone talk to them."

Xu Jin was momentarily speechless… An illusion technique at the divine ability level was just an "advanced version"?

Not just anyone could pull that off.

"Your skills are indeed unmatched," Xu Jin conceded, quickly shifting the topic as he gestured to a tribesman beside him. "Come communicate with him—he seems to know the reason behind the frenzied demon beasts."

Chu Xingchen frowned slightly but approached when he saw Xu Jin’s urgency. The purple light from Wanban slowly enveloped the middle-aged tribesman.

At first, the tribesman looked frightened, then curious, before finally erupting into excited chatter in his dialect:

"Gula hong, du ji zui..."

Chu Xingchen listened and nodded along.

Xu Jin eyed him skeptically—was this really how someone who "couldn’t understand" acted?

The tribesman grew increasingly animated, gesturing wildly as he spoke.

Chu Xingchen raised a hand to quiet him.

"What did he say?" Xu Jin pressed.

Chu Xingchen gave him a strange look. "He claims this is an ancient trial. Once it passes, he’ll gain his ancestors’ blessing and become immensely powerful."

Xu Jin blinked, then summoned a drawing of a moon sigil with his spiritual energy.

"What about this? Isn’t it an array formation?"

Chu Xingchen motioned for the tribesman to look.

The man studied the drawing and immediately launched into another explanation, counting on his fingers for emphasis.

Chu Xingchen nodded. "From his description, it does resemble an array formation."

Xu Jin exhaled in relief—his ten-day wait hadn’t been in vain. He pressed further:

"Does it activate in about twenty days?"

Chu Xingchen glanced at the tribesman, who began counting on his fingers again.

"Close," Chu Xingchen said lightly. "Just change the unit from days to years."

"Twenty years?!" Xu Jin gaped at the proud tribesman. "He stopped me for something twenty years away? And he gestured that fast?"

"He thought you were a survivor of the ancient trial—here to save his tribe and help them grow stronger. Oh, and he insists you try their delicacies."

Chu Xingchen’s nose wrinkled in disgust.

"You ate their roasted live rats?"

Xu Jin recoiled. A reputation for eating rats was worse than wasting twenty years.

"I’m a Unity Realm cultivator—I don’t need to eat. And even if I did, why would I eat unskinned rodents?"

Chu Xingchen shrugged, his expression unreadable.

"I didn’t eat them!"

"Sure..."

"Chu Xingchen, you don’t believe me."

"I do. Trust me."

"I don’t trust you!"

"Suit yourself." Chu Xingchen smirked. "Enough wasting time. Yanyun and Daoist Yuyang don’t have twenty years to spare."

Xu Jin stiffened. "They’re here too?"

"Your sect’s Grand Elder is holding the line at Pudu River. Last I heard, Daoist Yuyang smashed the Zhengyin Dharma Temple again." Chu Xingchen gazed toward the Endless Sea. "According to our friend here, the hidden path opens when the moon’s reflection fills the sea."

"Twenty years for them probably means the array needs that long to absorb lunar essence. This place is unnaturally starved of spiritual energy."

Realizing the scale of their mission, Xu Jin didn’t hesitate.

"How do we power the array faster?"

Chu Xingchen stroked his chin. "No food, but you’ve got spirit stones and moon crystals, right?"

Wordlessly, Xu Jin handed over a spatial ring.

"Thank you, Xu Jin, for your noble sacrifice. The world will sing your praises." Chu Xingchen pocketed the ring and began sorting stones. "Don’t worry—I’ll return what’s left."

Xu Jin ignored him.

Last time, it was the same story with the silver and gold notes. He never saw those again.

Chu Xingchen clutched a spirit stone, watching the tribesman briefly before leading Xu Jin toward the Endless Sea.

Illusions didn’t just warp perception—they could also dredge up memories from the weak-minded.

This was the Bai Qing Great Method: Illusory Moon on the Water.

Above the Endless Sea, Chu Xingchen scanned the vast waters, his divine sense expanding as he unleashed the stones’ energy and moon crystals’ radiance.

If the array absorbed energy, its location would reveal itself through the flow.

Spiritual light scattered like stars; lunar essence cascaded under daylight.

Faint glimmers flickered over the sea.

Xu Jin stood beside him, probing with his own divine sense but detecting nothing.

Suddenly, Chu Xingchen grabbed Xu Jin’s arm. Wanban’s light flashed—

Xu Jin’s wrist bled, droplets falling toward the sea.

"What was that for?" Xu Jin demanded.

Chu Xingchen deadpanned:

"Heard a saying—‘Sacrifice a comrade, gain boundless power.’ Thought I’d test it."

Xu Jin: "..."

He was about to retort—and punch Chu Xingchen—when he finally sensed the lunar energy’s pulse.

Chu Xingchen watched as the moonlight swiftly sank, mingling with Xu Jin's blood dissolving into the Boundless Sea, and murmured softly,

"Nothing beats a good folk remedy."

Xu Jin: "…"