Chapter 5: They Want to Murder Their Husband
Shi Hao sighed, “What is there to say? If I have to describe it, I can only use the word ‘dark.’ Lie Zunyi is still alive, still the Supreme Emperor of the barbarian court, while the martial artists of China are either dead or crippled.
“Over the past three hundred years, many sects in the Central Plains have been eradicated by him. Now, the ones helping the barbarian court suppress the Central Plains martial world are the Chongxian Sect…”
Su Mei crossed her right leg over her left, swinging her foot, “Chongxian Sect? What’s that?”
Shi Hao said, “I heard it used to be called Chongming Sect…”
Su Mei scoffed and laughed, “Chongming Sect? Isn’t that the small sect from the Daoist school? Back then, they couldn’t even rank among the eight major righteous sects.”
Shi Hao said, “With the help of the barbarian court, the Chongxian Sect unified the Daoist school and sought justification for the Jin clan’s rule over the Central Plains. They deceive the people, claiming the Jin clan is ordained by heaven. For these three hundred years, the Chongxian Sect has helped the barbarian court maintain stability and control the Central Plains martial world, while the barbarian court has empowered the Chongxian Sect, transforming it from a small sect into the current symbol of the Daoist school.
“Under the barbarian court’s rule, a large number of Central Plains people have become serfs, ten households to a li, collectively responsible for each other. Many people don’t even deserve names, only identified by numbers after birth.
“I’ve heard that the Chongxian Sect, with the help of the barbarian court, has been confiscating magical weapons and martial arts manuals, suppressing righteous martial artists. Over the past three hundred years, under the purges of Lie Zunyi and the Chongxian Sect, the Central Plains martial world has been slaughtered time and time again. Now, the land is filled with martial world scum who have surrendered to the barbarian court, while true heroes can only hide in the shadows.”
Su Mei said, “You say Lie Zunyi has lived for over three hundred years and is still alive? That’s not something achievable through martial arts alone. He must have either cultivated some evil technique or obtained some kind of special divine crystal.”
Shi Hao asked, puzzled, “Divine crystal?”
Su Mei laughed, “You don’t even know about divine crystals?”
Shi Hao said, “I’m not a martial artist. There are some martial artists in the mountain city who have traveled the martial world, but most of them have limited skills, probably not even ranked if we’re talking about martial arts levels. I’ve never heard them mention ‘divine crystals’ before.”
Su Mei opened her lips, about to explain, when a cold and clear voice came from the other side, “Divine crystals are, as far as we know, the source of all magical weapons and supernatural abilities. No one knows exactly how many there are. They are scattered throughout a place called the Divine Ruins, and over the past thousand years, they have gradually been discovered and unearthed.”
Shi Hao followed the sound and saw Ye Zi Yin, dressed in white, walking slowly from behind the ruins.
Her Daoist hairstyle was undone, her hair dripping wet, hanging down her back. She had clearly washed herself before coming over.
She held a wooden comb in her right hand and her hair in her left, slowly combing it.
Her demeanor was still as cold as ice, her voice calm and unhurried, “These divine crystals can be forged into magical weapons by crafting masters or absorbed by the human body. If a person absorbs a divine crystal, they become a supernatural ability user, wielding a specific power.
“Almost every divine crystal grants a different supernatural ability, and so far, there haven’t been any duplicates.”
Su Mei, sitting on the stone, kicked her skirt and laughed, “If a divine crystal is forged into a magical weapon, anyone can use it, but there’s a limit to the number of uses, only once or twice a day. And over time, it will gradually deplete and break down.
“If a person absorbs a divine crystal and becomes a supernatural ability user, they can use the granted ability without limitations. But there’s a catch: a person can only absorb one type of divine crystal, and once absorbed, it can’t be changed.
“More importantly, supernatural ability users can only use their own abilities and no other magical weapons. So, one must carefully consider whether or not to become a supernatural ability user.”
Shi Hao pondered, “So, supernatural ability users can use their powers without restrictions, which is their advantage. While non-supernatural ability users can use various magical weapons, but the weapons themselves have usage limitations?”
Su Mei spread her hands, “That’s right. Of course, it’s not easy for ordinary martial artists to even possess one or two magical weapons. So, if they manage to obtain a divine crystal, becoming a supernatural ability user and enhancing their own strength is a good choice.
“But supernatural abilities also have ranks, and the powers granted by different divine crystals vary greatly. Many of them offer quite limited enhancements to strength. True experts are unwilling to become supernatural ability users unless they encounter a supreme-grade divine crystal that truly appeals to them.
“Oh, and one more thing, all divine crystals are indestructible.”
Shi Hao said, “Indestructible?”
Ye Zi Yin, standing beside them, said indifferently, “When a supernatural ability user dies, or a magical weapon reaches its usage limit and breaks down, a pure energy will be released. The used divine crystal will reappear within a hundred-mile radius, in the same shape and color as before it was absorbed or forged. It will also grant the same supernatural ability when forged or absorbed again. The reason for this is unknown.”
Su Mei snorted, glaring at Ye Zi Yin, “Why do you always have to interrupt?”
Ye Zi Yin’s expression remained unchanged, “I’m speaking my mind. What does it have to do with you?”
Su Mei glanced sideways, then suddenly flickered, appearing before Shi Hao like a ghost.
Before Shi Hao could react, she struck his chest with her palm.
Immediately afterward, a series of explosions echoed.
Two beautiful figures flitted around him.
“What are you doing?” Ye Zi Yin’s cold voice rang out. She had been on his left just a moment ago and was now on his right.
“Don’t worry, no matter what, he is the man who took both our virginities,” Su Mei’s laughter echoed around him. “I won’t just kill him like that. I’m going to impart the Mysterious Charm Technique to him, have him join my Evil Lotus Sect, and once he leaves, revive the demonic sects.”
Ye Zi Yin snorted, “If he’s joining any sect, it will be my Daoist sect. Step aside. I will impart the Immortal Ice Technique to him, making him the only male disciple of my Taisu Immortal Pavilion, and he will shoulder the responsibility of upholding righteousness in the martial world.”
The Enchanting Fire Witch retorted, “Nonsense! My man, Su Mei’s man, would never become a hypocrite of your Daoist sect!”
The Holy Jade Immortal said, “Having been intimate with me, if he joins the demonic sects, I would rather kill him myself.”
The two figures circled Shi Hao like a spinning top, making him dizzy.
He stood there, relatively unaffected, but the surrounding bricks and tiles were constantly being sent flying. Unknowingly, air currents swirled around him, forming small tornadoes that swept outwards in all directions.
Shi Hao wanted to say, your strength has recovered quickly, and even more, could you please ask for my opinion?
He shouted, “Both of you, don’t…”
Suddenly, he felt a tightness in his chest and back. The Enchanting Fire Witch pressed her hand against his chest, “Channel your energy through your meridians. I’ll help you open your eight extraordinary meridians.”
The Holy Jade Immortal’s hand pressed against his back, “Focus your energy and hold it within. I’ll help you open your twelve primary meridians.”
Should he channel his energy or hold it within? The eight extraordinary meridians and the twelve primary meridians weren’t the same thing at all, were they?
Shi Hao felt a burst of flames surging into his chest, spreading to his limbs. Soon, most of his body was filled with a burning heat.
But from his back, a cold energy flowed directly into his dantian, circulating through specific, subtle meridians.
The two energy flows, one hot and one cold, clashed within him. The hot energy churned on the outside, while the cold energy condensed into a sphere, radiating outwards.
At first, they didn’t interfere with each other, but then they began to clash. His body alternated between hot and cold, the pain almost tearing him apart.
The Enchanting Fire Witch shouted, “Move aside! Aren’t you the noble and supreme immortal of the Daoist sect? Are you really fighting me over a man?”
The Holy Jade Immortal said coldly, “You should be the one to move aside. Your demonic sects harm the world and cultivate all sorts of evil. I won’t let you lead him astray.”
Both women intensified their efforts simultaneously. Shi Hao felt as if a volcano was erupting within him while a glacier was simultaneously freezing him. The volcano and glacier collided, and he felt as if his body was about to explode.
Under the impact of the two energy flows, his meridians continuously widened, and many acupoints opened with crackling sounds.
The two women, refusing to yield, clashed within him, each trying to suppress the other’s power and expel it from his body to pave the way for their own cultivation method.
But neither could defeat the other, and in their stalemate, Shi Hao felt despair.
It was as if a sea of fire and an iceberg were rushing towards him simultaneously, creating a vast chasm in the rumbling collision, and he was falling into the abyss, doomed forever.
“I get it, you just want to murder your husband!” Knowing he was about to die, Shi Hao, in his final moments, threw caution to the wind and shouted his accusations, “If you want revenge, just say it! Don’t torture me like this. Fine, if you want to kill me, then kill me. Just remember, we were husband and wife for a night, so don’t forget to burn some paper money for me next year.
“My family line has only one heir for three generations… I know, you’ve probably already forced out what I left inside you with your internal energy, so I don’t expect you to bear my…”
Su Mei interrupted, “Shut up!”
Pressing her hand against his chest, her smile vanished, her expression unusually serious, “Don’t worry, there might still be a way.”
The Holy Jade Immortal, behind him, also frowned, “Hold on a little longer. We’ll think of something.”
Shi Hao: “…” Am I really going to die?
The Holy Jade Immortal and the Enchanting Fire Witch weren’t actually trying to kill him; otherwise, he wouldn’t have survived this long.
They were merely using their supreme powers to establish the foundational cultivation methods of their respective sects within him, preventing him from cultivating the other’s techniques.
However, both of them simultaneously building his foundation, one with Daoist techniques and the other with demonic arts, was inherently incompatible. And neither was willing to back down.
Initially, one focused on the dantian, circulating energy through the twelve primary meridians, while the other occupied the rest of his body, channeling energy through the eight extraordinary meridians. And somehow, both systems were actually functioning.
But now, their powers had converged at Shi Hao’s middle dantian, spiraling out of control in their collision.
Shi Hao felt like he was being torn apart… and he wasn’t wrong.
His heart meridian had been “accidentally” severed by the two.
If they hadn’t realized the gravity of the situation and cooperated to stabilize his shattered heart meridian, forcibly guiding his life force, he would have died instantly.
Even so, his heart meridian was as fragile as the last layer of thin ice under the scorching sun, about to break at any moment.
If they withdrew their powers now, without doing anything else, he would collapse immediately.
More importantly, their Daoist and demonic energies were simultaneously circulating within him, locked in a stalemate.
At this moment, the two energies maintained a delicate balance. If either of them retreated even slightly, the other’s energy would surge like floodwaters finding a breach, rampaging through the meridians opened by the other.
In that case, Shi Hao would undoubtedly explode.
The first man in their lives would be blown to smithereens before their eyes… Although they didn’t particularly care about his death, being accused of “murdering their husband” before he died still made them feel uncomfortable.
Shi Hao fell silent. He had shouted “murdering their husband” earlier, hoping to make them restrain themselves.
Now, with their responses, he realized he was truly about to die!
He quickly shut up, afraid of offending them… He felt he still had a chance to survive.
Like a frozen image, everything stopped. The two stunning beauties, one in front and one behind him, remained motionless. He too was frozen, not daring to move a muscle.
The Holy Jade Immortal and the Enchanting Fire Witch quickly considered their options.
Just like the conflict they had instigated within the martial world years ago, leading to an irreversible catastrophe, their current dispute was about to destroy the man who had taken their virginity.
This made them both feel somewhat regretful.
Suddenly, the Holy Jade Immortal said, “At this point, there’s only one way. He must cultivate both Daoist and demonic arts simultaneously.”
The Enchanting Fire Witch frowned, “Easier said than done. How can we make his body circulate two opposing cultivation methods at the same time?”
She paused, then added, “Unless…”
The Holy Jade Immortal said, “We each use a portion of our foundational essence, instill it into his upper and lower dantians, directly break through to the ninth rank foundation for him, raising him to the eighth rank cultivation level. Then, we use that power to repair his severed heart meridian, simultaneously establishing the foundation for both the Immortal Ice Technique and the Mysterious Charm Technique.”
Shi Hao thought, what severed heart meridian?
What have you done to me?
Can I still be saved?
The Enchanting Fire Witch actually laughed, “Are you serious?”
The Holy Jade Immortal said calmly, “Do you have any other ideas? Or should we maintain the current situation, continuously expending our energy until we’re both exhausted, and then watch him explode into pieces?”
The Enchanting Fire Witch said, “Fine! But I’ve never heard of anyone cultivating both demonic and Daoist arts. I don’t know if it will actually work.”
She turned to Shi Hao, “Bear with it, honey. It’s going to hurt a lot!”
Shi Hao felt two streams of energy, one ice and one fire, intertwining at his Dantian (or chest/middle dantian) acupoint. One surged upwards, the other downwards.
The next moment, a searing pain tore through him…
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