บท 7: Secrets between Us

Shen Xu was confused when he heard that.

Although he was new to the world, he had read the original book and knew the importance of spirit roots.

Without a spirit root, it was impossible to be a cultivator.

However, Zhen Yuan had clearly activated a formation disk, which meant he was a cultivator!

If what he said was true, did he mean he could cultivate without having a spirit root?

Shen Xu looked at Zhen Yuan and lifted his right eyebrow in question.

"When my adoptive parents found me, I didn't have memories, but I had a cultivation technique in my mind." Zhen Yuan explained.

Not only did he have a cultivation method, but also had knowledge of how to arrange formations, draw talismans, and draw inscriptions.

Zhen Yuan didn't know how he knew these things, but they were strangely suited to him.

'How come he is not the book's protagonist?' Shen Xu wondered and looked at Zhen Yuan.

From his experience, only the main protagonist usually had such a mysterious background.

If not the protagonist, then the main villain.

However, Shen Xu had already confirmed that Zhen Yuan was not a character in the original book.

His name had never been mentioned, and his appearance didn't match any of the characters.

'Unless...' He thought but shook his head in denial. Shen Xu was more inclined to believe that Zhen Yuan was a character drawn into the plot because of his transmigration.

"The cultivation technique allows you to cultivate qi without having a spirit root?" He asked.

"My cultivation is different." Zhen Yuan said and sighed.

"What do you mean?"

"Everything in the world contains laws."

"Laws?"

"Fire contains fire laws, water has water laws, living things have life laws,…, The combination of all these laws forms the Dao of heaven."

"My cultivation technique allows me to perceive these laws. While ordinary cultivators refine qi, I comprehend laws."

Shen Xu listened and digested everything he heard.

However, he didn't fully understand.

Ordinary cultivation was still a mystery to him, and Zhen Yuan's cultivation was even more mysterious. It wasn't something he could understand as soon as he heard it.

"I see." He said.

Zhen Yuan looked at the person, and his lips twitched in amusement.

However, he didn't continue to clarify.

Since they were married, Shen Xu had time to understand. When he had questions, Zhen Yuan would answer them truthfully.

"If it's just this, why be so secretive?" Shen Xu suddenly asked.

"There are two reasons. What do you think would happen if someone discovered I can cultivate without spirit roots?"

"You would be captured and forced to give the method." Shen Xu answered without hesitation.

"Exactly. However, the technique doesn't work for anybody else."

After meeting his parents, Zhen Yuan wanted to help his ordinary mother become a cultivator.

Unfortunately, she couldn't grasp the method at all.

At first, he thought the problem was his mother's cultivation aptitude, so he tried passing the method to his father.

However, the result was the same, and he couldn't learn it.

Eventually, they realised the technique could only be used by Zhen Yuan.

"Nobody would believe it. They would think you are lying and giving them the wrong technique." Shen Xu muttered and frowned.

"Letting others know can only bring disaster." Zhen Yuan agreed.

"What's the second reason?"

"As I said before, my cultivation technique allows me to perceive and comprehend laws. One of the advantages of this is that I can recognise treasures at a glance."

"Recognise treasures at a glance." Shen Xu was shocked when he heard that.

This kind of ability was a double-edged sword.

With it, Zhen Yuan could find endless resources for cultivation and training.

However, if someone discovered it, he would be captured and used as a treasure-hunting tool.

"Who else knows about this?" Shen Xu asked.

His voice was solemn and had a poorly concealed murderous intent.

Since they were married, they were grasshoppers on a rope.

If Zhen Yuan was captured, Shen Xu wouldn't be better. He didn't want to suffer, and he didn't want Zhen Yuan to suffer.

At that thought, his hands clenched, and his eyes hardened with determination.

"Are you worried about me?" Zhen Yuan teased.

"Who is worried about you? I am worried about myself." Shen Xu blushed.

"I see, don't worry. It's a secret between you and I." Zhen Yuan smirked and rubbed Shen Xu's hair.

Shen Xu sneered but was secretly happy.

It was only a few hours since they married, but he was beginning to like the marriage.

'Maybe…' He thought and then shook his head.

'It is too early to conclude anything.'

Although he told himself not to be too hopeful, he couldn't control his mood.

With a complex look in his eyes, he turned to Zhen Yuan and held out his hand.

"Take my hand." He said.

Zhen Yuan did not hesitate.

He immediately held the outstretched hand, and both disappeared from the hut.

"Where are we?" Zhen Yuan asked when he noticed the surroundings.

"It's my portable space. It's called 'chaos flame space'."

When Shen Xu received the red pearl inheritance, he learned the name of the space.

"Chaos flame space…" Zhen Yuan looked around, and his heart skipped a beat.

Although the two were looking at the same scenery, what he saw was different.

In his eyes, there were silver runes floating all over the space.

These runes depicted the laws in the portable space, and they immediately grabbed his attention.

"What's wrong?" Shen Xu asked.

"The chaos flame space is the most profound treasure I have ever encountered. It has many laws which I can't understand."

"Are there laws in this space?"

Zhen Yuan smiled and rubbed Shen Xu's hair.

"There are laws in everything." Zhen Yuan said, and a trace of sadness crossed his eyes.

"I want to tell you everything. Will you listen?" Shen Xu clenched his hands and looked at Zhen Yuan.

"I will listen."

After that, Shen Xu told him everything.

He talked about his previous life, the book, his transmigration, and his thoughts when he met Zhen Yuan.

When he finished his story, he looked at Zhen Yuan, not wanting to miss any subtle reactions.

"Do you believe me?" Shen Xu asked cautiously.

"I believe you." Zhen Yuan answered without hesitation.

Although Shen Xu couldn't prove his transmigration, Zhen Yuan believed him.

It wasn't because he especially trusted the other's character. After all, they had just met.

It was because he was also in a strange situation.

When Zhen Yuan considered everything, he accepted the world was vast and mysterious.

If he could cultivate without a spirit root, their world could also be a book. In the same way, it was not difficult to accept that his husband was from another world.

"What about the original Shen Xu? Where did he go?" Zhen Yuan asked.

"I don't know about this." Shen Xu said and frowned.

The original Shen Xu should not have died.

However, the current Shen Xu did not encounter the original's soul when he transmigrated.

"Don't worry. We will figure it out."

"The laws on your body are normal, and no one should discover that you have taken the house."

"Do I also have laws?"

Zhen Yuan smiled helplessly. His eyes softened, and he chose not to answer.

"What will you do about your cultivation?" He asked instead.

"I want to abolish my cultivation and start over with the chaos flame cultivation technique."

In most cases, a cultivator could switch their cultivation technique without abolishing their cultivation.

However, the chaos flame technique was a god-level ancient technique.

If Shen Xu wanted to use it, he had to abolish his current cultivation and start from the beginning.

Fortunately, he was only in the qi refining realm.

At his level, he didn't feel too resistant about abolishing the hard work of the original owner.

After all, doing so could only help him and not harm him.

"The original owner used a mid-grade profound level technique. Although the technique is among the best in the Canglan continent, it can't compare to a god-level technique." He continued.

"You are right. However, you must wait until after we enter the Divine Rainbow academy." Zhen Yuan reminded.

There were only three months before the registration.

If Shen Xu abolished his cultivation right away, he would not qualify to enter the academy.

"I know." Shen Xu agreed.

"I plan to practice alchemy in the remaining three months. I want to enter the alchemy school when we enter the academy. What about.." Shen Xu started, but his eyes flew wide open.

He grabbed Zhen Yuan's hand and squeezed urgently.

"You don't have a spirit root. Can you enter the academy?"

From reading the original book, Shen Xu knew the requirements for entering the Divine Rainbow academy.

Although the academy was not particular about the number or quality of spirit roots, the students must have spirit roots.

When he thought about this requirement, Shen Xu couldn't help but worry.

"You don't have to worry. My cultivation technique has a concealment effect." Zhen Yuan explained.

"If someone checks my body, they will find that I have a single water root. My revealed cultivation realm is the twelfth level of the qi refining realm."

"Your technique should also be a god-level technique." Shen Xu said.

He guessed this because the chaos flame technique also had a concealment effect.

When someone checked his body, they would find that he had a single fire root and not the chaos fire root.

The cultivation technique could also hide his cultivation level, even from higher-level cultivators.

"Maybe." Zhen Yuan said.

However, he felt this was not the case.

Since he started cultivating, Zhen Yuan felt his destiny was different from others.

Others pursued immortality, but his instinctual pursuit seemed to be different.

Unfortunately, he didn't know what he was pursuing or how to explain the feeling to his husband.

'It won't be too late to talk about it when I figure things out.' He thought.

"Your chaos flame space and transmigration…" Zhen Yuan started and waited to get Shen Xu's attention before he continued.

"Let it be the second secret between us."