Chapter 126: You Are Already Dead
On the boundless Blood Sea, a cold, solitary figure drifted slowly towards its depths.
Beside her floated a coffin.
Liu Lian, eyes half-closed, was like a ferryman on a sea of suffering.
Inside the coffin, Luo Xue stared at the wooden sculpture of her past self.
“It really is… a bit ugly…” Luo Xue murmured.
But it was a perfect likeness, a testament to Su Yiyao’s longing.
“Ah Chou isn’t ugly. Ah Chou said it herself…” Su Yiyao mumbled, then stopped, realizing Ah Chou was right there.
“Heh… it’s okay.”
Luo Xue looked at the other items in the coffin: the broken dagger, clothing fragments, and a recording stone, its runes dimmed from repeated use.
Su Yiyao had told her everything that happened after her death, including everything about the Blood Sea.
Luo Xue learned that the terrifying Holy Maiden was actually Su Yiyao…
She couldn’t reconcile the sweet girl before her with the rumors.
“Xiao Yao, you…” Luo Xue asked, “Do you really eat a pair of children every day?”
“Huh?”
Su Yiyao, startled, quickly explained,
“Those are all rumors… I’m just a scapegoat.”
“Hmm…” Luo Xue nodded, believing her.
But Su Yiyao seemed doubtful.
“It’s true!” Su Yiyao insisted, her face flushing. “I killed the Holy Son, but others killed his followers… And that Holy Maiden, I didn’t do anything to her…”
Su Yiyao explained the various incidents where she was blamed.
She had no foundation in the Temple, yet her status was high, making her a perfect scapegoat.
And she was quiet and reserved, further solidifying her image as a villain.
Su Yiyao also apologized for the wanted notice.
Luo Xue understood her predicament.
“It’s okay, I know… Xiao Yao is the best.”
Luo Xue wiped away Su Yiyao’s tears and rubbed her hair.
Su Yiyao relaxed, enjoying Luo Xue’s touch.
Luo Xue smiled faintly, her thoughts drifting.
Before becoming the Holy Maiden, Su Yiyao lived in the Blood Sea.
And her Master… was an old acquaintance of Luo Xue’s.
“Phoenix Venerable…”
Luo Xue shuddered, remembering her first encounter with a Soul Transformation expert.
As for the True Phoenix Inheritance, Luo Xue now knew she only had half, and Su Yiyao had the other half.
Under normal circumstances, Su Yiyao should have encountered one half, awakened her bloodline, and obtained the complete inheritance.
But now, after merging with Su Yiyao, they both had the complete inheritance.
Together, they could wield the power of the ancient Phoenix.
“Xiao Yao, do you know what the ‘door’ the forbidden area lords keep mentioning is, and how was this Blood Sea formed?”
Luo Xue asked.
“I don’t know,” Su Yiyao shook her head. “Master didn’t tell me. I was too busy thinking about you and cultivating.”
“Ahem…” Luo Xue coughed.
“But,” Su Yiyao frowned, “It seems no one outside knows about Master… Otherwise, they would have recognized my inheritance.”
“Is Phoenix Venerable’s inheritance also the True Phoenix Inheritance we have?” Luo Xue asked.
During the battle, their inheritances merged, and Luo Xue felt that this inheritance was unique, only one person could control it.
“It’s a bit different,” Su Yiyao said. “Master’s inheritance is ‘Immortality,’ while ours is ‘Withering,’ like this Blood Sea.”
That’s why that evil cultivator comprehended the Underworld Phoenix Dao technique from the Blood Sea.
“Didn’t Phoenix Venerable tell you anything else?”
“No, Master rarely spoke to me. And I was always thinking about you.”
Su Yiyao replied, occasionally adding some cheesy lines.
“But I never asked Master.” Su Yiyao added.
Luo Xue wanted to ask Liu Lian, who seemed to have followed Phoenix Venerable for a long time.
But before she could open the coffin lid, Liu Lian’s voice rang out.
“Young Mistress, I advise you not to leave this coffin.”
“Why?” Luo Xue asked.
“Because… you are already dead.” Liu Lian said, her voice emotionless.
“I… am already dead?” Luo Xue’s expression was filled with disbelief. “Wait… am I a ghost?”
Luo Xue almost revealed that she would return to her original world after death. Su Yiyao also looked bewildered.
But Liu Lian continued,
“You’re not a ghost. The Eternal Withering Body can’t become a ghost.”
“Eternal Withering Body…”
Luo Xue’s expression turned serious.
She opened the panel, saw her improved talent and changed Dao Body, and frowned.
“You mean, I’m dead… but alive?”
“That’s not entirely accurate,” Liu Lian said. “Although the ‘death’ state is true ‘life,’ it doesn’t mean you can exist normally.”
“No Eternal Withering Body has been able to act freely without restrictions.”
Luo Xue didn’t understand. She could think and move, why was she considered “dead”?
Liu Lian continued,
“You’ve regained consciousness partly because of this immortal coffin, and partly… because Young Mistress Xiao Yao is maintaining your life force, balancing your withering and life.”
So, when Luo Xue first evolved, she lost consciousness. Only after contacting Su Yiyao and the coffin did she regain it.
And Luo Xue hadn’t left the coffin since.
“This physique… is it that useless?”
Luo Xue’s hands trembled.
Su Yiyao held Luo Xue’s hand, sadness in her eyes.
“Young Mistress, the Eternal Withering Body is one of the ten sacred bodies. If it’s ‘useless,’ then there are no ‘useful’ Dao Bodies.”
“But existing only in ‘death,’ even if it’s powerful… what’s the point?” Luo Xue said helplessly, looking at the worried Su Yiyao and sighing.
“That’s not true,” Liu Lian shook her head. “Like this coffin, there are ways for an Eternal Withering Body to act freely, but most have limitations.”
“Normal ‘life’ is ‘death’ for the Eternal Withering Body. Your current state… is like being half-dead.”
“Also, by maintaining this ‘death’ state, the Eternal Withering Body can continuously absorb the withering energy in the world, gradually becoming stronger, even reaching the Great Emperor Realm.”
“Great Emperor…”
Luo Xue’s mouth opened slightly.
What level was that?
Above Ascension?
And absorbing withering energy… sounded familiar.
“You can ask Master about these things. That’s all I can say.”
Liu Lian stopped her.
“Alright.”
Luo Xue nodded. She looked at the tearful Su Yiyao and comforted her.
“It’s okay, Xiao Yao. There’s still Phoenix Venerable. Perhaps she can solve this.”
“Wuu… Ah Xue, don’t leave me again…”
Xiao Yao hugged Luo Xue, sobbing.
“I won’t, this time, no matter what…”
Luo Xue hugged Su Yiyao.
“Really?”
“Really,” Luo Xue said, “I won’t lie to you.”
Su Yiyao relaxed and quickly fell asleep in Luo Xue’s arms.
Her peaceful sleeping face, her slightly curved lips, were filled with happiness.
“Sleep well, Xiao Yao.” Luo Xue patted her back and sighed. “You’re also very tired.”
Luo Xue gently laid Su Yiyao down and covered her with a thicker set of clothes.
Then, she felt a bit lost.
About this world, about her existence, and about the Eternal Withering Body, she still had many questions.
Perhaps only Phoenix Venerable could answer them.
But before that…
“Sister Liu Lian, can I ask you some questions about yourself?”
“About me?” Liu Lian paused, surprised.
“Is that not allowed?”
“Of course, I’ll answer anything.”
“Are you the owner of the Treasure Pavilion?”
“If you’re talking about the shop Shangguan Yu manages for me, then yes,” Liu Lian replied, her voice fluctuating slightly.
“But I rarely participate. I just take out some of my collection to exchange for resources for Young Mistress Xiao Yao.”
“What’s your relationship with her? And how is she alive again?”
Luo Xue continued to ask.
Liu Lian seemed overwhelmed and, after a long silence, replied,
“Master saved her, and I take care of her for Master. That’s all.”
“Why did she save her?”
“Because she’s a friend of someone Master cares about… Young Mistress, please don’t make things difficult for me. Master should explain these things to you personally.”
Liu Lian’s voice was almost pleading.
However, Luo Xue had learned enough.
So, Shangguan Yu was saved because of True Person Fengyin, and Phoenix Venerable’s power was truly terrifying.
To revive a Nascent Soul ghost cultivator without any side effects…
Was this the power of “Immortality”?
Of course, it was also because Shangguan Yu’s death wasn’t complete.
“We’re almost there, Young Mistresses,” Liu Lian said softly. “Young Mistress Luo Xue, Master… has always wanted to meet you.”
…
The forbidden area lords couldn’t get any information from Shangguan Yu. She seemed to be stalling.
The Shangguan Yu here was just an illusion.
The forbidden area lords were more reserved than the Primordial Mother, patiently dealing with Shangguan Yu.
But Shangguan Yu was unmoved, giving vague answers.
Even the Ghost King’s appeal to kinship couldn’t sway her.
She just kept saying things like, “What you know is what you know, and what you don’t know, you shouldn’t know.”
So… the three forbidden area lords gained nothing.
However, even if Shangguan Yu didn’t stop them, they didn’t intend to enter the depths of the Blood Sea.
The outer regions already held the power of the Ascension Realm.
If they went deeper… they might lose their lives.
The forbidden area lords were cautious.
If not for her approaching deadline, the Primordial Mother would have been even more cautious.
But now…
Burning with the Infinite Fire, the Primordial Mother would suffer unimaginable pain until her death.
The Blood Sea tide was approaching.
The forbidden area lords didn’t dare to stay any longer, both because of the withering and because of what had just happened to the Primordial Mother.
They retreated without hesitation.
Only the Primordial Mother remained, wailing in agony.
Compared to the vast Blood Sea… a burning, twisted beast was insignificant.
After they left, Shangguan Yu’s illusion dissipated.
She stared at the departing forbidden area lords, a sneer on her lips.
“This is a cage?”
“Hahahaha… I didn’t expect these old fogies to actually think that…”
“If you truly break this cage, that would be the arrival of true despair.”
“…Hopefully, that day will never come.”
…
The Primordial Mother’s death had a huge impact, especially since she had recalled most of her disciples before dying.
The Primordial Mother Cult’s forces were greatly reduced.
And they lost contact with the Primordial Mother.
The Primordial Mother Cult worshipped her, and every disciple consumed her flesh and blood.
Now, their god was gone.
The Peerless Summit Sect, leading six smaller sects, attacked the Primordial Mother Cult’s territory.
The four Soul Transformation ancestors intervened, almost killing all six Grand Elders of the Primordial Mother Cult.
Such a crushing victory was because the Peerless Summit Sect’s sword cultivators were almost invincible at the same level, especially their ancestors from the golden age.
And without their deity, the Primordial Mother Cult’s elders were greatly weakened.
The four domains of the Demon Abyss became three, and the Peerless Summit Sect solidified its position as the leader of the Immortal Domain.
But the price was high. The Peerless Summit Sect had the highest casualty rate.
However, the other three domains didn’t attack the Peerless Summit Sect, but instead retreated and entered the stalemate phase prematurely.
Only a few knew that this was because… this war had lost its meaning.
…
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