Chapter 217: Jade Pool Wonderland: Across the Vast Milky Way!
Su Mei, her movements swift and unpredictable, flickered around him, appearing before him, then behind him, then to his left, then to his right.
He was thrown back repeatedly, her kicks landing with resounding thuds.
Despite his superior strength, he couldn’t even defend himself, let alone attack.
“I surrender!” he cried out.
This humbling experience taught him that even with immense power, without skill and experience, it was useless.
If either of these two women faced Yi Shenzi, they could probably defeat him easily.
After all, even Lie Zunyi, the Supreme Emperor of the barbarian court, had been defeated by Su Mei, only daring to return to the Central Plains after her disappearance.
“Not bad,” Su Mei said, landing gracefully before him.
Her robe, already loose, shifted with her movements, revealing glimpses of her body beneath.
Shi Hao, knowing she was deliberately teasing him, couldn’t help but look.
Ye Zi Yin, however, said, her voice a warning, “Although you’ve borrowed our power through the Wedding Dress Divine Art, Yi Shenzi has the strength of an ancient beast. Don’t underestimate him.”
Shi Hao said thoughtfully, “After the failure of the Thunder Sound Universal Transformation Array, when Yi Shenzi’s soul returned to the Melting Sun Demonic Abyss and re-possessed the Primordial Yellow Dao Body, he claimed we forced him to do it. I sensed a shadowy figure merging with him, initially just a small point of contact.
“But then, the connection grew stronger, his power increasing, his aura becoming more monstrous.”
Su Mei said, “Borrowing the power of an ancient beast, like borrowing the power of a Yin Demon, carries the risk of being possessed. He wouldn’t do it willingly. He was relying on the phoenix blood to survive in the abyss and resist the beast’s influence.
“Losing the pearl, and then, with the destruction of his sect, his anger and despair overwhelmed him. He had nothing left to lose.”
Shi Hao looked at Su Mei, “Is there no way to cure someone afflicted by demonic influence?” He told her about Du Yuejiao’s condition.
Su Mei, crossing her arms, shook her head, “It’s a one-way path. Once it begins, it can’t be reversed. It’s only a matter of time before the Yin Demon completely consumes their soul.
“It starts with twisted thoughts, then obsessive behavior, then a complete change in personality. Few can resist it. Most die a violent death.”
“I suggest you kill her before she becomes a danger to herself and others, before she drags you down with her.”
Shi Hao looked at Ye Zi Yin, who sighed and shook her head, “There have been cases of people trying to save their loved ones from demonic affliction, but they either ended up being killed themselves or were forced to kill the afflicted person to prevent further tragedy.
“There are no exceptions. But I wouldn’t recommend killing her. If she truly loses control, sever her meridians, cripple her cultivation, and imprison her. It’s a… kinder fate.”
Su Mei sneered, “Crippling someone’s cultivation and imprisoning them for life? You call that kindness?”
Ye Zi Yin said calmly, “Most people in this world live ordinary lives without martial arts. Those who enter the jianghu, even the most talented, often meet tragic ends. A peaceful life, a natural death… isn’t that a good ending?”
Su Mei chuckled, “If you say so. But even crippling her cultivation won’t solve the problem. There are many ways to obtain power. Driven by their desires, tempted by Yin Demons, they’ll always find a way.”
Ye Zi Yin said, “That’s why they need to be closely monitored. Even in the Taisu Immortal Pavilion, there have been cases of demonic cultivators, their powers crippled, repenting and finding peace, living out their lives in quiet seclusion.”
Su Mei burst into laughter, “You’re talking about Wen Daizong, the ‘Heartless Lord’? A single, unique case in history, and you’re presenting it as if it’s commonplace.”
Ye Zi Yin said, “Although it’s a rare occurrence, it’s still possible. The world is vast and full of wonders. It’s better than giving up hope.”
Su Mei snorted, “You know it’s unlikely, yet you offer him false hope, just to make me the bad guy.”
She looked at Shi Hao, “There is a way, but it’s… difficult. Yin Demons are formless and intangible, corrupting the soul, but if you can transcend your mortal limitations and reach the legendary realm of the immortals, you might be able to dispel them, restore her soul, and reshape her destiny.”
Ye Zi Yin shook her head, “That’s even less likely…”
“Is it?” Su Mei, pointing at Shi Hao, smiled, “Don’t you think he’s the most likely candidate for such a breakthrough? You and I, we’ve both reached the peak of our respective paths, Daoist and demonic, yet neither of us has been able to transcend. We don’t even know what we’re missing.”
“Perhaps the reason we can’t reach that level is because we’re too… specialized. Perhaps true transcendence requires dual cultivation, like him? If that’s the case, with our guidance, he might become the first to achieve such a breakthrough since the Three Sovereigns of antiquity.”
Ye Zi Yin’s expression softened, a thoughtful look in her eyes.
Su Mei shrugged, “Of course, it’s too early to say. To transcend, he first has to reach the high ranks. And every step beyond the third rank is incredibly difficult. There are countless ‘geniuses’ in the martial world, and many, despite their talent and their seemingly good fortune, meet tragic ends.”
Ye Zi Yin, surprisingly agreeing with her, nodded slightly.
She knew Su Mei’s words were meant for Shi Hao.
Having reached their level of cultivation, they understood the fickleness of fate, the unpredictability of the world.
Countless martial artists, despite their talent and their initial success, had fallen.
They had high hopes for Shi Hao, but they also knew that arrogance and complacency could lead to ruin.
Su Mei looked at Shi Hao and suddenly said, “This might be an opportunity.”
Shi Hao asked, “What opportunity?”
Su Mei glanced at Ye Zi Yin.
Ye Zi Yin frowned, “Are you serious?”
Su Mei smiled, “What are you afraid of? We’ll be guiding him. And besides, the two of us alone can’t do it. This is our chance. Although his cultivation level is technically the same as ours, his dual cultivation makes him… slightly stronger.
“With him as a… buffer, we don’t have to worry about each other. And that greedy boy… he’ll want both of us anyway.”
Shi Hao asked again, “What are you talking about?” They were clearly discussing something he didn’t know about.
Su Mei turned and floated away, “Come on, I’ll show you.”
Ye Zi Yin, seemingly having made up her mind, approached him and whispered, “You’ll understand soon.” She took his hand, and they followed Su Mei.
Shi Hao realized there were deeper secrets within the Primordial Grotto Heaven.
During his previous visits, due to time constraints, he had only been to Ye Zi Yin’s waterfall and Su Mei’s palace.
Now, they were taking him somewhere else.
They flew over a vast expanse of ruins, the destruction increasing as they went.
The once magnificent palaces and pavilions were now just piles of rubble.
A large, ornate building, tilted precariously, its former grandeur still evident in its broken remains, its jade and stone shattered, a testament to some ancient, devastating force.
They flew over it, Shi Hao’s movement, although enhanced by his increased cultivation, still far less effortless than theirs, his feet occasionally touching the ground.
As his foot landed on a section of the roof, it collapsed, sending debris raining down.
The level of destruction here was far greater than elsewhere.
They continued forward, entering a thick mist, like a series of closing curtains, the path behind them disappearing as they passed.
Shi Hao looked back and saw faint, shimmering patterns in the mist.
Then, they arrived at a white jade bridge, also broken and shattered, but the jade here seemed stronger, more resilient, than the other structures, its pieces still connected, despite the cracks.
Shi Hao looked up and saw a river flowing beneath the bridge, its waters rising on either side, as if defying gravity.
He stared at it, and his mind reeled.
The river, seemingly close, was also impossibly distant, its shimmering surface a swirling galaxy of stars.
“What river is that?” he asked, his voice filled with awe.
Su Mei, floating ahead of them, turned and smiled, “Didn’t you recite that poem? ‘Across the vast Milky Way, a secret crossing.’”
Shi Hao was stunned, “That’s… the Milky Way?”
Su Mei chuckled, “Indeed. It is.”
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