Chapter 118: Towards the Blood Sea and the Abyss
“As for the specifics, I can’t tell you.”
Luo Huaxin said lazily, her demeanor carefree. “Anyway, this person… even I’m not sure I can defeat her, so I can only keep an eye on her.”
“Fortunately, she suddenly left for some reason, which was a relief.”
“Then… why didn’t you bring Little Junior Sister back?” Li Guijiao was still worried. “She’s still being hunted by so many people…”
“Pursued, not hunted.” Luo Huaxin corrected, her expression turning slightly serious. “She has her own things to do. Even if I’m her mother, I can’t interfere with her decisions.”
Then, a smile appeared on her lips.
“Besides, with those small fries, they think they can capture my daughter? Heh… Anyway, I’ve made arrangements. As long as that person doesn’t interfere, it will be fine.”
Luo Huaxin’s strength had always been a mystery in the Peerless Summit Sect. Many only knew that she was the rarely seen Peak Master of Falling Flower Peak, but they knew nothing else about her.
The sect’s higher-ups were also vague about this, as it involved the dark history from hundreds of years ago.
But one thing was certain: her strength was among the top ten of all known Nascent Soul cultivators.
“But…”
Li Guijiao wanted to say something, but was interrupted.
Luo Huaxin gently placed a finger on Li Guijiao’s lips and shook her head slightly, signaling her to stop.
“Little one, take my advice and leave the Demon Abyss as soon as possible.” A complicated expression appeared on Luo Huaxin’s face. “The Immortal Domain and the Demon Abyss… are about to change.”
“The four domains of the Demon Abyss won’t give up on their goals, and the nine provinces of the Immortal Domain won’t abandon their responsibilities. This war will inevitably begin… it’s just a matter of time.”
“Leave this place of conflict, far away. It’s best… not to return to the Peerless Summit Sect either. That place is no longer your home.”
After saying this, Luo Huaxin chuckled self-deprecatingly and patted her head. “Oh dear, I’ve become muddled. Why am I telling you, a junior, about these things?”
“I… understand.” Li Guijiao nodded seriously. “There’s a great tribulation coming, right?”
“…You even know about this? How much did Hei Pao tell you?” Luo Huaxin was slightly surprised.
“Nothing, Master never told me about these things… I just guessed.”
Li Guijiao shrank back slightly. She couldn’t say it was from the stories, could she?
“Calling it a great tribulation isn’t quite right.” Luo Huaxin said faintly. “It’s just… a cycle restarting.”
Li Guijiao frowned slightly, pondering Luo Huaxin’s words.
But then Luo Huaxin said, “Alright, don’t ask any more questions, and I won’t say anything more. After you reach Nascent Soul… I don’t know if there will be a chance, but you’ll find out eventually.”
With that, to prevent Li Guijiao from asking three thousand more questions, Luo Huaxin flicked her finger, annihilating the crudely made puppet.
After erasing all traces of Li Guijiao’s aura, Luo Huaxin took her gourd and went outside the Evil Spirit Sect.
The surroundings were filled with low-level cultivators and mortals searching for treasures. In the distance, the tremors from the battle between cultivators could be felt, and the bright moonlight shone down from the sky. No one noticed the beautiful woman drinking alone under the moonlight.
“Xiao Xue, Xiao Xue, are you the door to ascension, the escape from this cycle?”
…
“It’s news about Ah Chou!”
Su Yiyao received the Zither Witch’s message, her face lighting up with excitement.
She immediately checked the message. There were no words, only a location marked.
Seeing the location, Su Yiyao’s expression turned to surprise.
Because she was very familiar with this place.
It was where she had emerged from the depths of the Blood Sea, returning to the world, carrying her coffin.
“Sister Qin sent me this location, what does it… mean?” Su Yiyao paused. “Could Ah Chou be in this place?”
Su Yiyao immediately tried to contact the Zither Witch, intending to ask for more details.
But the communication stone was like it had been disabled, unusable. It seemed that the only thing the Zither Witch could tell Su Yiyao was this location.
Su Yiyao paced back and forth in her room, holding the message, her heart filled with anxiety.
“What is Sister Qin doing? Didn’t she say she would help me bring Ah Chou back…”
“If I leave now, will they realize how important Ah Chou is to me…”
“But if I don’t go, what if I miss Ah Chou?”
After some deliberation, Su Yiyao’s eyes showed a hint of determination.
She would personally go to the marked location!
In the years since leaving the Blood Sea, Su Yiyao had never returned to this place.
She had never told anyone about what was in the depths of the Blood Sea.
As for why…
It was simple, no one had ever asked her.
Phoenix Venerable hadn’t told Su Yiyao not to reveal the secrets of the Blood Sea.
If the Zither Witch had asked, Su Yiyao might have told her.
But… the Zither Witch didn’t ask.
It was rather ironic. Many wanted to explore the mysteries of the Blood Sea, even the leaders of the Demon Abyss’ forbidden areas.
But no one had asked Su Yiyao, who had emerged from its depths. They even avoided her, trying to ignore her origins.
Now, Ah Chou was also in that place, standing before the Blood Sea.
Su Yiyao couldn’t help but think that the Lunar Phoenix Descent Scripture, which allowed her to enter the depths of the Blood Sea, was given to her by Ah Chou in her final moments.
Could it be that the reincarnated Ah Chou also possessed this inheritance and was also taken away by Sister Liu Lian?
If that was the case…
Su Yiyao’s guilt lessened slightly.
Since confirming that Ah Chou had reappeared in the world, Su Yiyao had always felt that she owed Ah Chou something, that she had stolen Ah Chou’s inheritance.
Su Yiyao had even thought that if she could see Ah Chou again, she would give her all her cultivation.
And now…
“Ah Chou, wait a little longer… Xiao Yao is coming for you…”
Su Yiyao changed out of her Holy Maiden attire and put on the same clothes she wore when she escaped Mount Fengyin with Ah Chou.
Then, she picked up her coffin, took the broken dagger, and headed towards the Blood Sea.
Just as she had arrived at the Temple of the Nether Spirit a few years ago, she now left, taking nothing with her, leaving no trace behind.
At the same time, many who had been secretly watching the Holy Maiden noticed her strange behavior and reported it to their respective lineages.
Information about the Holy Maiden was usually top priority, but as the lineage spies were still analyzing it, another shocking event occurred, instantly diverting everyone’s attention.
—Blood Lord, one of the four lineage masters of the Temple of the Nether Spirit, was assassinated.
Three Nascent Soul cultivators and over fifty Core Formation cultivators were involved.
They broke through the layers of defenses of the Sha Master lineage, sparing no effort, and killed Blood Lord, who was in secluded cultivation, attempting a breakthrough.
The Blood Lord lineage suffered heavy losses in this battle, even several other Nascent Soul elders were killed.
Soon, the Law Enforcement Hall of the Peerless Summit Sect issued a statement, claiming responsibility for this. The Peerless Summit Sect had sacrificed twenty-one elite Core Formation spies and one Nascent Soul cultivator was severely injured.
Then, as if coordinated, the Temple of the Nether Spirit immediately responded, cutting off all contact with the Immortal Domain and purging all Immortal Domain cultivators within the Nether Spirit forbidden area.
With this news, even the still-fleeing Luo Xue was no longer the focus of attention. The Holy Maiden’s whereabouts and strange actions were also put aside.
Because everyone knew that the Demon Abyss and the Immortal Domain… were truly on the verge of change.
…
After fleeing for an unknown amount of time, whether it was half a night or a whole night, the sky above remained perpetually dim, covered by unchanging, gloomy clouds, making it impossible to distinguish between day and night.
Luo Xue followed Nangong Mengxiang’s words, heading west, ever westward.
She was already deep within the Nether Spirit forbidden area, and going further would lead to places even Demon Abyss cultivators didn’t dare to tread.
The concentrated Yin Breath Poison, the endless poisonous miasma, and the thin spiritual energy were all obstacles.
But Luo Xue didn’t stop because even during her Enlightenment Core Formation, Nangong Mengxiang still faintly whispered “west.”
The destination in the west… hadn’t been reached yet.
The number of cultivators pursuing them had decreased significantly. Not everyone could endure such a harsh environment.
And those who could continue believed that Luo Xue was planning to commit suicide in a place where no one could reach.
Therefore, their pursuit intensified, and the competition between them became fiercer.
The remaining cultivators were all at Core Formation or above. They all believed they had a chance to obtain the huge bounty, and no difficulty could stop them.
Finally, when the last cultivator collapsed on the ground, unconscious, the final victor emerged.
A large, burly man slowly approached Luo Xue. Luo Xue struggled to open her eyes, wanting to see his appearance, but she couldn’t.
She was tired, very tired.
It wasn’t just from the long journey. The closer she got to her destination, the stronger the exhaustion she felt.
But the man didn’t approach Luo Xue. He stopped after a few steps.
“Give her to me, Luo Xue,” the man said. “Go and do what you need to do.”
“Hmm?”
Luo Xue looked up blankly. Since the man had gotten closer, she could finally see him clearly.
He was unfamiliar, yet somewhat familiar…
She seemed to have seen this face somewhere before…
Wait?
“Are you… Yu Haoqiang, the Gang Leader of the Tianhai Gang…?”
Luo Xue narrowed her eyes, recalling the scene she had witnessed at the Youxiang Restaurant.
The man before her matched the Gang Leader of the Tianhai Gang in her memory. It was the same person.
“Not anymore,” Yu Haoqiang said faintly. “Give her to me. I’m an old friend of Fengyin’s, I won’t harm her.”
“You mean… Nangong?”
Luo Xue looked at Nangong Mengxiang, who was still immersed in Enlightenment Core Formation, and asked in surprise.
“Yes, Nangong is her only disciple, the only one still alive.”
Yu Haoqiang nodded, took out a crescent moon-shaped necklace, and tossed it to Luo Xue.
“This is her token. You can take a closer look.”
Luo Xue caught the necklace and sensed it slightly, finding traces of Fengyin’s cultivation technique on it.
“Also, I was the one who gave Fengyin the Supreme Forgetfulness Scripture.”
Yu Haoqiang closed his eyes, and his three souls and seven spirits slowly appeared in Luo Xue’s vision.
He was missing two souls and five spirits!
If he continued cultivating this technique, he would probably have no soul or spirits left…
Completely becoming an emotionless killing machine.
“There’s one more token,” Yu Haoqiang took out a wine gourd and tossed it directly to Luo Xue. “Wine Immortal asked me to give this to you. Consider it repaying her favor.”
Luo Xue caught the wine gourd. Before even opening it, a familiar fragrance wafted out.
“It’s my convenient mother’s immortal wine…”
Luo Xue’s expression turned complicated.
Only Luo Huaxin could brew this wine, and it never circulated on the market. Even the most secretive black markets could only obtain her failed products.
Luo Xue had almost used up the immortal wine she had before. She hadn’t expected her mother to send another gourd.
“So? Have I earned your trust?”
Yu Haoqiang’s voice was deep and emotionless.
“I… trust you.” Luo Xue nodded and gently put down Nangong Mengxiang. “Please take care of her.”
Yu Haoqiang looked at Nangong Mengxiang, a rare look of love and heartache in his usually cold eyes, and said,
“I will, because… she is the last trace Fengyin left in this world.”
Luo Xue tossed the crescent moon necklace back, then turned and continued westward.
“And, Fengyin… died because she knew something she shouldn’t have known.” Yu Haoqiang suddenly said.
Luo Xue stopped.
“Remember, these are Wine Immortal’s words.” Yu Haoqiang continued. “Don’t investigate anything… about the Immortal-Demon War.”
“…Okay.”
Luo Xue’s voice came from her back.
“And… thank you.”
Yu Haoqiang suddenly smiled. Although a smile on his rugged face should have been terrifying, at this moment, it carried a sense of relief and ease.
“Thank you, for at least letting Fengyin’s soul find peace and comfort after her death.”
Luo Xue was stunned and turned around, wanting to ask something.
But Yu Haoqiang and Nangong Mengxiang were already gone.
“He must have heard it too, right?”
Luo Xue’s eyes flickered, and she sighed softly.
Yu Haoqiang had been listening to her conversation with Nangong Mengxiang along the way, and he had also overheard the secret Luo Xue had been keeping in her heart.
However… since it had come to this, there was no need to keep this secret anymore.
Finally, Luo Xue continued westward, a hellish scene unfolding before her.
Like walking into a bottomless abyss.
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