King Ginseng III

Jin Wu and Mu Yu traveled across the Secret Realm, looking at all the ruins and places. They stopped and looked at a lightning cloud constantly pouring down lightning into a pond as disciples sat in the pond cultivating.

Then they saw a flaming mountain with disciples climbing up.

A huge staircase

A massive sword

A tree that touched the clouds

A floating island

Jin Wu and Mu Yu held hands, walking around the Secret Realm, awed again and again by the wonders of the cultivation world.

She leaned on him, hugging his arm with hers, pointing out and smiling happily. He smiled and they chatted while walking around, not worrying about treasures or anything of the sort, just enjoying the time together.

They eventually came to a ruined temple, walking inside.

They were greeted by a golden statue of a monk.

Jin Wu looked at the statue curiously, Mu Yu tapped on the Statue's head and the statue shattered into millions of gold fragments. The duo looked at each other in shock while Mu Yu covered her face in shame, Jin Wu laughed and they left quickly while laughing.

The time in the Secret Realm passed in a flash, but it was very relaxing.

Only 5 days passed in the Secret Realm while an entire month passed by outside.

Jin Wu and Mu Yu were looking at a barrier on the last day.

Mu Yu pointed at the barrier and Jin Wu scratched his head before pressing on the barrier. He got electrocuted and Mu Yu held her stomach laughing loudly.

Jin Wu got up and shook his fist at her, saying some harsh words before looking at the barrier again.

Behind the Barrier was a mist, impossible to see through.

He scratched his head and stared at the barrier for a few minutes before a confident smile appeared on his face. Mu Yu's laughter died down and she wiped the tears from her eyes, still giggling quietly.

Jin Wu touched the barrier again, very confident before falling to the ground and convulsing again. Mu Yu fell over and burst out laughing again, louder than before.

The other disciples nearby had their faces contort with jealousy, glancing at the duo from afar, envy in their eyes and sourness on their lips.

After a few more attempts, Jin Wu submerged into the barrier without getting electrocuted. Mu Yu jumped and looked worried as he disappeared, but a hand stretched out, making a mouth as it flapped.

She looked relieved and slapped the hand, shouting with her hand on her hips, the hand dipped down, seemingly sad as she laughed, grabbing the hand. It pulled her in and they appeared in a completely different world.

Everywhere around them were Herbs!

Mu Yu and Jin Wu's eyes sparkled as they looked around, there was a small hut and endless plains of spirit herbs! Even trees with fruits and bushes, it was like walking into a fairyland!

The duo split hundreds of clones from their bodies and started sweeping the entire area.

It was as though a harvester passed by!

This gave Jin Wu the idea to create farming tools!

The original duo came to the hut and JIn Wu pushed open the door before being electrocuted again, Mu Yu paused, then pointed at him, bursting out laughing once again…

After cracking the barrier on the hut, the duo walked inside to see a ginseng sitting on a bed, sipping on tea, sighing endlessly.

Jin Wu and Mu Yu had big question marks over their heads.

The montage stopped and focused back in on the duo's misadventures.

Mu Yu looked at the Ginseng and muttered, "A sighing Ginseng?" Jin Wu looked at the Ginseng, gasping "The legendary Ginseng king?!" Mu Yu rolled her eyes and the Ginseng nodded, "I am the King of the Ginsengs."

Mu Yu was dumbfounded and Jin Wu laughed, "Finally! You're embarrassed too! What a day!" Mu Yu glared at him and he ignored her, looking at the Ginseng King, "Senior Ginseng, what are you doing here?"

The King of the Ginsengs sighed and replied, "I've been trapped in this Secret Realm since the Master passed away. Once lofty King of the Ginsengs to my miserable appearance today, I'm sorry for showing such a joke. Please forgive me."

Jin Wu's lips twitched, such a formal ginseng!

Mu Yu was still stunned that the Ginseng could talk.

Jin Wu fished for more information, "Senior Ginseng, who is the Master?" King Ginseng III has a reminiscent look on his face, "The Master… A God among men! The most powerful Alchemist to ever live! The patron Saint of our Ginseng Kingdom!"

Mu Yu was speechless, muttering "Ginseng Kingdom?" Jin Wu didn't sweat the small details, even monsters could build cities, what's so special about a Ginseng Kingdom? He asked, "What happened? Could it be that he was plotted against?"

The Ginseng King shook his head, "Old." Mu Yu and Jin Wu's lips twitched, King Ginseng III sighed again, "Such is life, I suppose. The meaning of death is the climax of your entire life's work, a necessary end to a wonderful play…"

Jin Wu was dumbfounded now, a philosophical Ginseng? Now he'd seen everything!

Mu Yu was used to Ginsengs talking now, how could she flinch at a mere philosophy from a Ginseng? Asking instead, "Senior Ginseng, why are you in the Secret Realm?" King Ginseng III replied simply, "Master was the owner of this World. Originally, this world was his own inner world. Later on it was occupied by various cultivators wishing to leave their inheritance here or seal demons…"

Mu Yu and Jin Wu's brains exploded, w-what?!

King Ginseng III sipped his tea, "The Master was a truly superior man, capable of all sorts of immortal feats. It's a pity he left this world permanently… Such is the folly of man…" Jin Wu stopped King Ginseng III before he went on a tirade of humanity's purpose in the infinite universe, "Senior Ginseng, did your Master place down the Barrier too?"

King Ginseng looked over and nodded, "Yes. It's quite surprising that you were able to pass the barrier with your ant-like cultivation. The Master had prophesied the arrival of an Immortal Couple long ago. He tasked me with leaving everything for these destined immortals."

Jin Wu and Mu Yu were in a daze, this pie really fell from the sky!

King Ginseng III sighed, "Unfortunately, only the area inside the barrier and the Thunder Pool is still within the control of the Master's final will. The rest have been lost to time I'm afraid. The Jade that held the Master's Inheritance has turned to dust just a hundred years ago."

Jin Wu asked with regret, "Senior Ginseng, do you know anything?" King Ginseng III shook his head, replying strangely, "I'm simply a Ginseng. How could I know of many things? My place in this infinite microcosm…" Jin Wu listened to the Ginseng go on about his purpose in life in a complete daze…

Mu Yu cut him off, "Senior Ginseng, where was your Master from?" The Ginseng was caught with an attractive topic, "Well, the Master never liked to talk about his heritage, sparsely mentioning a world of immortals, gods, and demons. He had apparently seen Ginsengs that had broken through the sky and ascended… A true warrior against Fate, perhaps I too am a Ginseng fighting against fate…"

Mu Yu almost died, Jin Wu took over, asking quickly before King Ginseng III could go on, "Senior Ginseng, breaking through the sky? Did you Master ever mention where to?" King Ginseng III thought about it before sipping his tea, wetting his tongue, memories swimming in his beading Ginseng eyes, a faint sigh from his mouth, "Master… The Heavenly immortal in all our lives… He mentioned transcending this mere plane many times, fighting against fate in his own way…"

Jin Wu wanted to kneel down and beg the Ginseng to get to the point, Mu Yu's eyelids got heavy and she slowly dozed off while standing, only Jin Wu was awake… Until he fell asleep during the part where the Ginseng started theorizing on Fate itself.

Suddenly, the nose bubbles on Mu Yu and Jin Wu popped as the Ginseng shouted "HOWEVER!" they were startled and King Ginseng III continued, "Basing my theory in reality seems to have overstepped my bounds… Could it be that I am fated to follow in my Ancestor Ginseng's footsteps and fight against the Heavens themselves?"

Jin Wu couldn't hold it anymore, "Senior Ginseng! The Realm! What realm did he say!" King Ginseng III touched his 'beard' with his root hand, "He seems to have said 'Divine World'." Jin Wu and Mu Yu let out a breath and cheered inwardly, finally! Something useful!

King Ginseng III continued, "Although, what is the purpose of such a name? The word Divine implies…" Mu Yu slowly started dozing off as Jin Wu's face collapsed…