Chapter 222: The Thunder Venerable Divine Crystal
The girl in the colorful dress, sword at her waist, gave a cold glance at the two departing figures and snorted.
She turned, entered her room, closed and locked the door, and climbed onto her bed.
Shi Hao was asleep.
She took off her outer robe, hung her sword by the bedside, slipped under the covers, and, lying on her side, looked at his sleeping face.
All those women… they were all after him.
She had to protect him.
His face, in sleep, was relaxed and handsome.
She snuggled closer, her body nestled against his.
He stirred in his sleep, his arm instinctively reaching out, pulling her closer.
She felt a sense of warmth and security.
Every night, she had been plagued by nightmares.
A voice, whispering in her mind, telling her that men were not to be trusted, that no matter how deeply she loved, how much she gave, she would eventually be abandoned.
The voice, repeating the same words over and over, sometimes sounded like the old woman, sometimes like something otherworldly.
She refused to believe it, but a deep-seated fear lingered.
*Brother Shi won’t abandon me,* she thought, hugging him tightly.
But she couldn’t sleep, afraid that when she woke up, he would be gone.
—
Shi Hao slept for several hours, the exhaustion from his recent battles finally fading.
He looked down at the girl in his arms, her beautiful face turned upwards, her gaze fixed on him, and asked softly, “What is it?”
She shook her head, snuggling closer.
The faint, golden light of dusk filtered through the gauze curtains.
He had slept through the entire day.
Having some free time now, he… *spent some quality time* with her, exploring new and interesting *techniques*.
He had a strange feeling that the more he “bullied” her, the more secure she felt.
Little Emerald, watching from the table, her presence hidden, was, once again, stunned into silence.
—
By the time their *activities* concluded, it was already dark.
Leaving the girl, now sleeping peacefully, to rest, he went outside and, learning that Long Niu had arrived, had Sha Lingshan bring her to him.
Candlelight flickered in the side hall of the Monastery of Coalescing Truth.
Outside, the full moon, bright and luminous, hung in the sky, its silvery light bathing the earth.
“Young Master!” Long Niu, dressed in a simple red robe, her small figure bowing before him.
Shi Hao knew that she, from the Black Lotus Realm, was more accustomed to formality and tradition than those from the Mirror Flower Water Moon Pavilion.
The Black Lotus Realm, in particular, had many rules and customs, which had clearly influenced her.
The Mirror Flower Water Moon Pavilion, under Sha Lingshan’s leadership, however, had a more relaxed and informal atmosphere.
“You may rise,” Shi Hao said, his voice gentle, but his demeanor maintaining a certain authority.
Long Niu stood up, her hands clasped respectfully, and reported that Lie Zunyi, the Supreme Emperor, had left the capital, his itinerary following the route of the Grand Canal.
After uniting the three factions, Shi Hao had instructed them to monitor the canal project.
He had also informed Dark Thunder, but with their disbandment, he wasn’t sure if the Sword King had passed on the information before his death.
He pondered for a moment, then asked, “Has there been any news about Yun Caiyao of the Taisu Immortal Pavilion since her appearance in Dàxīng City?”
Long Niu shook her head, “There are rumors, but nothing concrete. However, many of the ‘unorthodox’ Daoist sects seem to be uniting, forming a new faction opposed to the Chongxian Sect and the barbarian court.”
Sha Lingshan, waving her fan, said, “Many Daoist sects, refusing to acknowledge the Chongxian Sect’s authority, have been labeled as ‘unorthodox’ by the barbarian court. But in the eyes of the common people, they are the true ‘righteous path.’
“However, they’ve always been fragmented and disorganized, without a leader, often forced into hiding, much like us, the demonic sects. If someone could unite them, they would be a formidable force.
“But uniting the righteous path isn’t easy. Only an immortal of the Taisu Immortal Pavilion could achieve that.”
Shi Hao nodded slowly. The demonic sects, feared and despised for centuries, had managed to survive.
The “righteous path,” although suppressed by the Chongxian Sect and the Six Gates for three hundred years, still had many sympathizers. Although scattered and disorganized, they were a potential force to be reckoned with.
If he were Yun Caiyao, his first priority would be uniting them.
Firstly, these Daoist sects had been prominent and respected before the barbarian conquest, labeled as “unorthodox” simply for refusing to collaborate.
But in the eyes of the martial world, they were the true righteous path.
Many of them were staunchly opposed to the barbarian court, forming the core of the Sword King’s Dark Thunder organization.
And secondly, these sects had a history of cooperation with the Taisu Immortal Pavilion, their loyalty unwavering.
The reappearance of a Taisu Immortal Pavilion descendant would inspire them greatly.
Sha Lingshan continued, “But the Chongxian Sect won’t tolerate this. They’ll do everything in their power to suppress them, to eliminate Yun Caiyao. A conflict between them is inevitable.”
Shi Hao said, “As long as Lie Zunyi lives, the barbarian court won’t fall. The Taisu Immortal Pavilion’s long silence suggests they haven’t been able to produce a true high-rank expert capable of defeating him. Yun Caiyao’s appearance now suggests she believes Lie Zunyi is finally vulnerable.”
“But the world is vast and full of wonders. There are countless secret techniques. The barbarians, knowing that without their Supreme Emperor, their rule will collapse, will undoubtedly use every means to prolong his life.”
Long Niu said, “The Ancestral Altar has been searching for the ‘South Pole Longevity,’ a supreme-grade divine crystal. It’s rumored that Ming Yueshu, the Divine Infant, maintains her youthful appearance because of it.
“They must be hoping to use it to extend the Supreme Emperor’s life.”
Shi Hao looked at Long Niu, “Keep an eye on the barbarian court and the Ancestral Altar. As for the Taisu Immortal Pavilion and the righteous path, they’re not our enemies, at least not in our shared goal of overthrowing the barbarians.
“We should even try to establish contact with them, exchange information. Although the Sword King is dead, I suspect he informed the Taisu Immortal Pavilion about the Grand Canal project before his death. They must be investigating it.”
Sha Lingshan asked, surprised, “Zhao Gucheng is dead?”
Shi Hao nodded, “Yes, I was with him when he died. It seems the news hasn’t spread yet.”
With the Sword King’s prominence in the martial world, his death would be a major event.
The fact that they didn’t know about it meant Xue Qingfeng, the Sword Demon, hadn’t revealed their final duel.
Years ago, Xue Qingfeng had been publicly defeated by the Sword King, his status in the martial world forever diminished.
But in their final duel, he had won, yet he hadn’t revealed it.
He didn’t care about fame or recognition, only about his own mastery of the sword.
That victory hadn’t brought him any joy, only a sense of regret.
Zhao Gucheng, in his final years, preoccupied with “worldly affairs,” had neglected his swordsmanship.
But without the Sword King, there would be no Dark Thunder, no Changbai Mountain rebellion, and no current unrest.
Although defeated in their duel, his spirit, his legacy, lived on.
In his final moments, it wasn’t his defeat that he regretted, but not seeing the restoration of China.
“Keep his death a secret for now. Just between us.” Shi Hao took something from his robe, “By the way, look at this.”
Sha Lingshan and Long Niu looked. It was the bone fragment with the purple divine crystal embedded within.
Although small, the diamond-shaped crystal seemed to contain a world within, lightning flashing.
Sha Lingshan said, her voice filled with awe, “That must be the Thunder Venerable divine crystal. And that bone… it doesn’t look like a human bone, but some kind of crystallized stone. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Shi Hao said, “It’s a remnant of Yi Shenzi’s Primordial Yellow Dao Body.”
He turned, “Little Emerald.”
The Emerald Beauty materialized behind him.
“Do you know what this is?” Shi Hao asked.
Little Emerald shook her head, “I’ve never seen anything like it. The Primordial Yellow Dao Body was created by the Poisonous Sunflower Sect. Perhaps they know.”
Sha Lingshan chuckled, “The Poisonous Sunflower Sect suffered heavy losses in that battle. They’ll be hiding for a while, recovering their strength. Although Xiong Wanghu of the Danyang Society is connected to them, he won’t admit it. There’s no point in asking him.”
Shi Hao sighed, “I’ve never liked the Poisonous Sunflower Sect, but those two elders… they surprised me. Although they were after the Black Phoenix Poison Pearl and the Primordial Yellow Dao Body, they also fought to protect Wu Gorge, risking their lives.”
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