The Sutra of Nothingness

"Ugh!" Shangguan Duo opened his eyes groggily, and the blinding light shone directly on his face. He tried to raise his hand to shield his eyes but was so shocked by the pain that he gasped!

"Father, he's awake! He's awake!" At this moment, a little girl carrying a broken porcelain bowl saw that he was awake, her eyes lit up, and she hurriedly shouted and ran out of the room.

In no time, more than a dozen people squeezed into the dilapidated little house! They were all wearing tattered burlap clothes, their faces full of curiosity as they stared at Shangguan Duo!

"This humble one, Zhang Qingyuan, pays respects to the Immortal! Please forgive my daughter Li'er's rudeness!" The father of the dozen or so children immediately knelt on the ground and apologized to Shangguan Duo as soon as he entered.

"Please get up, sir. I can't get up right now, so there's no need for such formalities!" Shangguan Duo was in pain all over, and could only turn his head with difficulty to answer.

"No, no, the rites befitting an immortal are a must. We mortals saw you lying on the ground covered in wounds and didn't know how to save you. We were also afraid that mortal food would defile the immortal's body! We could only condescend to bring you home! We beg the immortal to forgive us for our innocence!" The man became even more flustered when he heard Shangguan Duo say this. He buried his head even deeper and spoke softer and softer, probably afraid that Shangguan Duo would hear him.

"Thank you so much, Senior Zhang, for saving me. If it weren't for you, I would probably be lying dead in the wilderness. I'm so grateful to you, how could I possibly blame you!" Shangguan Duo was so anxious that he tried to get up and help him up, but because his bones and muscles hadn't been fully reconnected, he grimaced in pain and couldn't help but groan softly.

“This is what we mortals should do! And please don’t flatter me, immortal. I am only seventy-eight years old this year, and I may not be as old as you, but I look a bit older!” Zhang Qingyuan immediately kowtowed in reply, his sincerity evident in his words.

"Uh..." This left Shangguan Duo completely bewildered. He had only briefly examined this man named Zhang Qingyuan, and indeed, as he said, he was only in his seventies, but his cultivation level had already reached the seventh level of the Tribulation Transcending Realm. Yet, even with just this weak burst of immortal power, he was in so much pain that he almost fainted again.

"Then get up first and tell me about this place!" Shangguan Duo had no choice but to ask quickly. Having been a mortal himself, he knew all too well the deep sense of inferiority and the trembling, cautious feeling that mortals felt when they met immortals.

"Replying to the immortal, I was hunting on the mountain that day when I saw you suddenly appear from the sky and fall straight down! I rushed over to check on you immediately. At that time, your whole body was limp, and your bones were completely broken, but your body was emitting a faint white light, so I took you home!" Zhang Qingyuan spoke with great enthusiasm, even gesturing wildly, as if he was about to recreate the scene at any moment, completely ignoring the strange looks from the children around him.

"I need to trouble you with a few things now. I will forcefully use my immortal power to give you a pill that comes out of it. Once I recover, I will definitely repay you handsomely!" Shangguan Duo gave these instructions after hearing them. He knew that Zhang Qingyuan would definitely trouble him with some things after he recovered. However, since he had been saved, he had to repay the favor. He couldn't owe anyone a favor, especially not a mortal.

"Little Ringwraith, I need your help. I can't circulate my immortal power right now!" Shangguan Duo closed his eyes and entered his sea of ​​consciousness, looking at the Yin-Yang Realm and the Celestial Instrument, whose bodies had faded to transparency in their slumber. A pang of pain shot through his heart. This reminded him of two old acquaintances, Xuan and Ming, who had also fallen into a similar slumber to save him!

With a wave of his hand, the little Ringwraith closed his eyes in enjoyment. If Zhang Qingyuan hadn't been mindful of Shangguan Duo, he probably would have been sitting cross-legged on the ground enjoying himself, just like his dozen or so children.