Gao Wu insists on cultivating immortality.

Chapter 18 Strange Spirits
The sky was unusually dark, and Gao Wu could only barely see the lake water churning below, but he couldn't see Song Mingyue at all.

Having learned from his previous experience, Gao Wu knew how strange the cold of Bailin Lake was, and he was afraid that Song Mingyue would not be able to withstand it.

Besides, no matter what Song Mingyue's reason for jumping into the lake, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing. Especially since she had asked him for help beforehand.

Gao Wu did not rush to jump into White Scale Lake. Having learned from his previous experience, he first silently recited the incantation. When he was almost ready, he jumped in.

The icy lake water surrounded him from all sides, its chill penetrating to his very bones and internal organs, freezing him stiff all over.

He recited the last two lines of the incantation, activating the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation. The azure light that transformed into a divine dragon instantly roamed throughout his entire body.

With the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra reaching the minor completion stage, the speed of chanting the mantra has increased significantly, and the power of the mantra has also increased considerably.

The chill that had frozen Gao Wu's body was immediately dispelled, and Gao Wu adjusted his posture and quickly paddled forward.

The lake was dark and deep, and Gao Wu couldn't see Song Mingyue, but there was a subtle connection between them that played a crucial role at this moment.

Gao Wu quickly found Song Mingyue. The girl's body was stiff, but her eyes were unusually bright, bright enough to illuminate the dark and cold lake water. Gao Wu even saw his own reflection in the girl's eyes.

This strange phenomenon surprised Gao Wu as well. Without thinking, he grabbed the girl by the collar and tried to pull her up to swim.

Just then, Gao Wu felt a sudden surge of cold around him, and even with the blessing of the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra, his body was frozen stiff.

The chill was like an invisible giant serpent, coiling around him and Song Mingyue and constantly contracting inward.

This was not Gao Wu's illusion; rather, he and Song Mingyue were pressed tightly together under the suppression of an invisible force, their faces touching and their eyes locked.

The invisible giant serpent kept contracting, and Gao Wu felt as if his spine was about to be broken. His mind seemed to be frozen, and all that remained in his heart was the fear of cold and death.

Fortunately, with the protection of the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra, he did not lose his mind due to fear.

Song Mingyue across from her was clearly not feeling well either, but there was no panic in her bright eyes, instead, there was a sharpness like a blade.

Gao Wu didn't know what Song Mingyue was thinking, but he could sense her soaring and powerful fighting spirit. This young woman seemed to be battling something unseen!

No, it's a battle!

He thought of the strange spirits his grandfather had mentioned, a kind of invisible yet tangible otherworldly being, very similar to the evil ghosts and demons that people often talked about, and also known as demon spirits.

The invisible chill in the surroundings was not a natural hypothermia caused by the lake water, but some kind of supernatural force?

Gao Wu didn't care what the invisible chill was; the key was to break free from the restraints and escape the predicament immediately.

If they delayed any longer, not only would they freeze to death from the cold, but the mere suffocation would be enough to kill him and Song Mingyue.

Gao Wu silently recited the incantation again to activate the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation. The azure light transformed into a divine dragon that danced and dispelled the chill that had frozen his body.

With his strong physique, Gao Wu immediately regained his mobility. He carried Song Mingyue and swam with all his might. Soon, he broke through the ice and surfaced. He took a long breath and carried Song Mingyue ashore in one breath.

Song Mingyue remained stiff, her body as cold as ice. Fortunately, her eyes were still bright, though they had lost their sharp edge.

It was still too cold outside, so Gao Wu carried Song Mingyue straight back to the dormitory.

The senior high school students were all in evening self-study, and there was only an old man guarding the dormitory at the moment. The old man was watching the big TV intently and didn't see Gao Wu bring his people in at all.

There are surveillance cameras at the dormitory entrance and in the hallways, but unless something happens, no one checks the footage.

After closing the door, Gao Wu breathed a sigh of relief. It wouldn't look good if someone saw him carrying a beautiful woman home.

Soaked and disheveled, Song Mingyue was a mess. Gao Wu thought for a moment and then put her on the ground. He only had one bed, and with Song Mingyue covered in water and mud, he wouldn't have anywhere to sleep if she got dirty.

Song Mingyue probably wouldn't care about these details. Song Mingyue's body was still cold and stiff, and Gao Wu felt that she couldn't stay like this, so he pressed the beauty's forehead and cast the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra on her.

He has many experiences of blessing others with mantras, and he is certain that others will not see the mantra's spiritual light, nor will they sense anything unusual.

The Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation was indeed miraculous. As soon as the divine light of the incantation flashed, Song Mingyue's body went limp, and her pale face turned bright red.

"Cough cough..." Song Mingyue coughed a few times, spitting out a little water. She struggled to sit up and leaned against the radiator, letting out a long sigh of relief.

Gao Wu took an unused towel from the cabinet and handed it to Song Mingyue. He casually sat down next to her. "Sister, tell me, what's going on?"

He almost lost his life trying to save Song Mingyue. He didn't feel anything at the time, but thinking about it now, he can't help but feel a little scared.

Song Mingyue has to give him an explanation for this.

Song Mingyue checked the towel to make sure it was new before wiping her face. She felt very uncomfortable being all wet, but thankfully there was no supernatural force causing the cold, so these discomforts were nothing to worry about.

She was silent for a moment before speaking softly, "You know about spirits, right?"

"I've heard of it, but I don't know much about it," Gao Wu asked. "Is the eerie chill at the bottom of the lake a supernatural spirit?"

"Otherworldly spirits can be seen as wandering ghosts and evil spirits, or scientifically speaking, a stable life force field. Only when the source energy of another world is abundant can invisible yet tangible otherworldly spirits be born."

"The physical rules of the real world are stable, and even if a life can be transformed into a spirit after death, it will quickly dissipate. As the real world and the other world continue to merge, the stable area where the two worlds intersect and merge will be transformed into a virtual realm."

Song Mingyue looked at Gao Wu, her bright phoenix eyes revealing a questioning look.

Gao Wu shook his head: "I've never heard of the Void Realm."

"The virtual realm is actually what is known as the secret realm. In terms of spatial state, the virtual realm is like a mirror, reflecting both the other world and the real world, and stably integrating the rules of the two worlds."

"Therefore, the virtual realm will always present two parts: one part is a projection of the real world, and the other part is a projection of another world. Other spirits cannot exist in the real world for long, but they can survive in the virtual realm."

Song Mingyue's expression turned serious as she said this: "What attacked us just now was a spirit from the illusory realm. In the real world, it only has about one percent of its power left."

“I have naturally keen spiritual power, and somehow I resonated with this strange spirit. That day, I came to check on things during the day and was bewitched by the strange spirit in White Scale Lake, and unknowingly fell into the water. Luckily you saved me, otherwise I would have died that time.”

Gao Wu was puzzled: "If you can't beat it, you can at least avoid it, right? Why go looking for your own death?"

“I’ve resonated with the alien spirit; my spirit is now entangled with it. There’s no escaping it. The longer I delay, the deeper its resonance with me will become, and it can easily annihilate my consciousness even from thousands of miles away. I must kill this alien spirit as soon as possible,” Song Mingyue explained.

"I see." Song Mingyue's explanation was simple and clear, and Gao Wu understood it completely.

He thought for a moment and then asked, "Was your diving tonight also due to being possessed by a spirit?"

"No, that's not it. I just saw you and thought I'd try to see if I could deal with the alien spirit," Song Mingyue said.

"You really trust me!" Gao Wu was somewhat flattered. Song Mingyue had only met him once, yet she entrusted her life to him.

If he had hesitated even a moment, or hadn't jumped, Song Mingyue would have died.

Song Mingyue looked deeply at Gao Wu, then lowered her eyes and said softly, "Humans have six billion genome codes. Throughout their lives, people instinctively seek out people whose genomes correspond to their own six billion genome codes."

“I’m absolutely certain that you are the person my genome corresponds to. You are someone I can trust.”

Gao Wu was surprised, secretly pleased, and proud when he first heard this theory. He couldn't help but smile.

He looked at Song Mingyue again, and found her increasingly pleasing to the eye: "This little vixen is cold as ice, but her voice is surprisingly pleasant..."

(End of this chapter)