Xiao Lin arrived with his personal guards, and in addition, there was a shabbily dressed old man.
The old man grinned at Tantai Jin and said, "Kid, you've committed every evil deed imaginable, and now you dare to defile the immortal spirits and transform into a Flood Dragon? Aren't you afraid of being haunted by your sins and meeting a violent end?"
Su Su saw Tantai Jin's lips curl into a cold smirk.
She thought that if Ye Bingshang weren't present, Tantai Jin would surely have scoffed aloud. With Ye Bingshang standing there delicately, Tantai Jin restrained his arrogance and refrained from retorting.
Yu Qing said, "Uncle Ji, why waste words on that madman? The Zhou Kingdom has been raising demonic creatures for years. There's no way he'd willingly give up the Flood Dragon. He's already killed all those demonic priests. If we go now, we can beat him until he cries for his parents..."
The old man smacked Yu Qing on the head. "All you think about is fighting, fighting, fighting. Use your brain for once. I don't know how you manage to serve as a retainer."
Though the Taoist priests brought by Tantai Jin were dead, were his Night Shadow Guard and the soldiers on the riverbank mere decorations?
Now that the Mohe River was Tantai Jin's territory, their group had sneaked in and was already at a disadvantage. If they tried to fight, they'd be lucky not to be slaughtered in return.
Xiao Lin, unlike Yu Qing, understood the current situation clearly.
Xiao Lin said to Tantai Jin, "The resentment sacrifice isn't sufficient. You cannot awaken the Flood Dragon. If you refuse to give up, once the resentment grows uncontrollable, everyone will die."
Resentment was formless. If it gained sentience, no longer coveting the Flood Dragon's body but instead running amok to kill indiscriminately, no one would be able to control it then.
Pang Yi Zhi also said, "Tantai Jin, ambition does not equate to slaughter. If you led your troops to fight Great Xia honorably, I might still respect you as a man. What skill is there in relying on demonic creatures?"
Tantai Jin glanced at Su Su, then coldly stared at Pang Yi Zhi. "Finished? If you're done, then go die."
He hadn't gone looking for these people, yet they delivered themselves right to his doorstep.
With a wave of Tantai Jin's hand, dozens of soldiers behind him drew their swords and committed suicide on the spot.
Uncle Ji's face paled drastically. "This is bad. He's trying to forcibly awaken the Flood Dragon."
Sure enough, the resentment excitedly passed through the soldiers' bodies, turning a blood-like crimson. It emitted a sinister cackle, preparing to drill into the Flood Dragon's body.
Tantai Jin took out a mirror, identical to the jade mirror Zhao Yun'er had been holding earlier.
The mirror shone upon the Flood Dragon, on the verge of sucking both the Flood Dragon and the pearl oyster inside.
Uncle Ji shouted, "Girl Bingshang!"
Ye Bingshang hesitated for a moment, bit her lip, and threw out the heart protecting scale in her hand. The heart protecting scale shielded the Flood Dragon, resisting the mirror's blood sacrifice power.
Tantai Jin frowned impatiently. The Flood Dragon was unlike other Demonic Beasts; if truly awakened, within three days he could ride it and crush Great Xia.
Under the brilliant light, the slumbering Flood Dragon slowly opened its eyes.
No one knew how many years the Flood Dragon had cultivated. Its eyes were one black and one red, with immortal patterns faintly visible in the black pupil.
The curved jade said nervously, "Little master, it's waking up. It could be an immortal Flood Dragon or a demonic one. If both its eyes turn red, it will become Tantai Jin's creature."
The world would fall into chaos, and then the Three Realms would be thrown into turmoil.
Su Su asked, "How can I stop it?"
The curved jade said, "The Flood Dragon voluntarily slumbered at the icy bottom of the Mohe River. Something must have happened in its past that it couldn't bear. Enter its memories, tell it it must not become a demon, make it wake up. But this method is very dangerous..."The curved jade looked at the Flood Dragon's other bloodshot eye: "Once you enter, you will lose your own memories. You might become a stone or a bird in its distant memories."
Once memories are lost, the consequences are unpredictable.
Su Su sighed: "There's no better alternative."
She stepped forward, but Pang Yi Zhi grabbed her: "Ye San, what are you doing?"
Su Su smiled brightly and deliberately said: "Going to my death."
Pang Yi Zhi stared at her radiant smile, stammering: "Un-unbelievable."
Su Su asked the curved jade: "Why is his face red?"
Curved Jade: "...I don't know."
Ignoring this unpredictable Lord Pang, Su Su followed the curved jade's instructions and stepped under the glow of Ye Bingshang's heart protecting scale.
In an instant, she vanished into the white light.
Su Su moved too quickly. Uncle Ji stared wide-eyed, his beard bristling with anger: "That audacious girl!"
Despite his words, since Tantai Jin had sacrificed so many people, this remained the only method to prevent the Flood Dragon's demonic transformation.
Tantai Jin's face darkened, clearly having thought of something: "Nian Bai Yu."
Nian Bai Yu took the jade mirror from him. Without another word, Tantai Jin stepped into the red light of the jade mirror.
His goal was opposite to Su Su's - to make the Flood Dragon become a demon.
Ye Bingshang watched the spinning heart protecting scale in the air, her face pale. She instinctively tried to recall it, but found she couldn't control it. Holding her breath, she thought of Ye Xi Wu inside...
Gritting her teeth, Ye Bingshang also stepped into the white light.
A hand quickly grasped hers: "Bingshang..."
Unable to explain, Ye Bingshang looked back at Xiao Lin with sorrowful eyes: "I-I'm sorry, Your Highness."
Xiao Lin sighed softly but didn't release her hand. The white light swallowed them both.
Uncle Ji asked Yu Qing expressionlessly: "Are you going?"
Yu Qing shook his head vigorously: "No!"
Before their conversation ended, they saw another figure rush in beside them.
Uncle Ji: "What's wrong with this Pang Yi Zhi? What chaos is he causing inside?"
Yu Qing raised an eyebrow: "Probably because his beloved went in, and he's worried about her safety."
Uncle Ji angrily tugged at his beard: "A bunch of reckless fools!"
The Flood Dragon's past is also called Prajna Floating Life! Did they think that place was easy to enter? They should worry about forgetting the present world and becoming idiots!
Yu Qing calculated: "Ye San counts as one of ours, right? So four of our people went in, while Tantai Jin only has one. Our chances are higher!"
Hearing this, Nian Bai Yu across from them frowned.
Yu Qing smirked mischievously: "Old Ji, quickly, set up a Barrier! We can't let any more of Tantai Jin's people enter!"
Understanding, Uncle Ji immediately threw out his treasures, covering both the opposing resentment-filled jade mirror and the heart protecting scale.
Nian Bai Yu's face darkened with anger: "Your Majesty... you!"
Yu Qing: "Hahaha."
Uncle Ji: "Hehehe!"
Nian Bai Yu could only regret that his side lacked Taoists and Monster Exterminators to deal with these two ruffians.
As the two objects contended in the air, everyone watched them nervously.
Even Uncle Ji felt uncertain - what exactly would happen in the legendary Prajna Floating Life?
"Is she completely shameless?""If she had any shame, she should have voluntarily requested to step down. Just think, what place does our Upper Clarity Immortal Realm have for a mere clam demon? I heard she came from the mortal Mohe River. Do you know what kind of place Mohe River is? That black water is filthy and foul—just one glance at it could unsettle your mind for days."
"That's not quite right. She shamelessly clung on and married True Lord Ming Ye. Since the True Lord is now the master of Upper Clarity, we have to address her as our mistress."
This sarcastic remark drew a round of mocking laughter.
"Everyone knows the True Lord despises her to the core. It's been nearly a century since their marriage, and he has never once visited her courtyard. The True Lord only married her for the Saintess. For the past hundred years, he has been searching everywhere for rare treasures and spiritual materials, all to awaken the Saintess. I heard that in a few days, the Saintess will wake up. When that happens, where will the clam demon have to stand?"
The curved jade had transformed into a jade bracelet and followed Su Su into the Prajna Floating Life. Hearing all this, it let out a heavy sigh.
So the demon at the bottom of the Mohe River actually came from the Upper Clarity Immortal Realm ten thousand years ago.
Ten thousand years ago, the flood dragon was just one step away from transforming into a dragon. This immortal flood dragon was immensely powerful and repeatedly led celestial soldiers in battles against the demon race. Later, he became the master of the Upper Clarity Immortal Realm, and his name was Ming Ye.
About a century ago, Ming Ye was ambushed. The Saintess he had raised took the blow for him, and both of them fell into the mortal Mohe River, where they were found by Sang Jiu, the little princess of the Clam Tribe.
Sang Jiu saved them, but while Ming Ye survived, the Saintess was left hanging by a thread. The Clam Tribe made a demand: if Ming Ye married Sang Jiu, they would use their treasure to save the Saintess.
Ming Ye agreed.
For a hundred years after Sang Jiu married into Upper Clarity, Ming Ye refused to spare her even a single glance.
It wasn't just Ming Ye—the entire Upper Clarity despised Sang Jiu. In everyone's eyes, the Mohe River Clam Tribe was insatiably greedy, coercing the True Lord.
Although the Clam Tribe also practiced immortal cultivation, their cultivation was low, and they were known for their lazy nature. In Upper Clarity, Sang Jiu was scornfully called a "clam demon."
For a century, she lived in extreme humiliation. Her own Dao Companion was searching for rare treasures and spiritual materials for the slumbering Saintess, while she guarded a humble bamboo hut, enduring whispered mockery.
Today was no different. "Sang Jiu," holding freshly washed mermaid gauze, once again overheard their taunts.
"Sang Jiu" was dressed in a pink mermaid gauze gown, her delicate, pearly-white feet bare, with a small bell tied around her ankle.
Her appearance was innocent, but in the eyes of the minor immortals, her attire was considered highly indecent.
The women deliberately raised their voices to humiliate "Sang Jiu," causing the curved jade to grow anxious.
It never expected that in the Prajna Floating Life, Su Su would take on the identity of a clam demon.
This identity wasn't entirely bad—it was still better than being a carp or a stone. But it wasn't exactly good either.
Sang Jiu's situation was dire. Compared to the residents of the Upper Clarity Immortal Realm, her cultivation was low, and she was often bullied.
She loved the flood dragon Ming Ye, but Ming Ye detested her.
To make matters worse, the Saintess was about to awaken.
If only Su Su had been luckier and taken the place of the Saintess in the Prajna Floating Life, the difficulty of awakening the flood dragon would have been several levels lower.
The curved jade looked at "Sang Jiu," who bore an eighty percent resemblance to Ye Xi Wu, and felt deeply disheartened.
Such was the nature of the Prajna Floating Life: Su Su no longer remembered she was Li Susu and now believed herself to be "Sang Jiu."
Even though the curved jade had followed her in, it couldn't speak or remind her. It was now just an ordinary jade bracelet, and no amount of anxiety would help.
Su Su paused in her steps. The women expected her, as usual, to hang her head in sorrow and shed tears. To their surprise, she suddenly turned around and retorted, "Since you know I am your mistress, you should keep your mouths shut. Even if Ming Ye doesn't love me, I am still the mistress of Upper Clarity."With that, she flung the wooden basin in her hands, sending the damp mermaid gauze flying out to drape over the gossiping little fairies.
They shrieked, tearing through the gauze before erupting in fury: "You... you!"
Su Su made a face at them. "Me, me, me! Even if I can't beat you in a fight, Ming Ye values rules above all. If you dare lay a hand on me, you'll be expelled from Shangqing tomorrow!"
Their faces flushed crimson with rage, but Su Su paid them no mind. Clutching the wooden basin and abandoning the gauze, she headed toward the bamboo house.
Once inside, the smile faded from her face. She sat blankly at the table, lost in thought until the moon rose.
Changing into a solemn, gold-speckled dress and properly fastening her shoes, she picked up a glazed lantern and stepped out.
The mists of the Upper Clarity Immortal Realm never fully dissipated. Sweeping her sleeve to part the fog, she walked toward that familiar yet distant palace.
The closer she got, the more a sour ache tightened in her chest.
When she saw the brightly lit hall ahead, she rubbed her heart and sighed softly.
They said... the Saintess was about to awaken.
Once she woke, Ming Ye would despise her even more.
Su Su's heart twisted painfully. Her pride urged her to turn back, but thoughts of her Father King and people beneath the Mohe River left her no choice.
Lifting the lantern, she approached. A young fairy maid bowed upon seeing her—a gesture of respect, yet her expression told another story. In the Upper Clarity Immortal Realm, Sang Jiu was treated as filth. Were it not for Ming Ye's strict governance and emphasis on rules, she likely wouldn't have survived this long.
And it was precisely this that kept a flicker of hope alive in her for him.
The fairy maid said, "The True Lord has instructed that the Princess may enter directly."
Su Su nodded, ignoring the maid's tone, and carried the lantern inside.
Behind a dark screen embroidered with a hundred birds, the silhouette of a cross-legged figure was faintly visible.
At the sight of him, her heartbeat quickened involuntarily, stirring a mix of anticipation and joy.
But remembering her purpose, her shoulders slumped in defeat. She knelt respectfully and pleaded, "I beg the True Lord to lend the sarira to the Clam Tribe."
Every ten years, the Mohe River would swell, churning its depths and claiming countless shrimp soldiers and crab generals.
No wonder the gossiping fairies called the Mohe River filthy and foul—it was the harsh, desolate reality.
No matter how much he loathed her, once a decade, Su Su had to swallow her pride and borrow the sarira to quell the floods.
The man behind the screen slowly opened his eyes.
His tone was cold, almost icy. "Not today. I will lend you the sarira in nine days."
Su Su grew anxious. "But the Mohe River will flood tomorrow! Without the sarira, disaster will strike."
His voice remained unfeeling. "Tian Huan is awakening. The sarira is needed to purify the turbid energy for her."
Hearing Tian Huan's name, bitterness filled Su Su's mouth. In the past, she would have yielded—she couldn't compete with Saintess Tian Huan, nor did she dare.
But today was different. If she didn't obtain the sarira, she wouldn't leave.
Pressing her lips together, she lifted her head. "Ming Ye, I'm begging you. Lend me the sarira. I'll return it the moment I'm done."
The man glared coldly at her. "After all this time, you still lack any sense of propriety."
As his words fell, a mystic light from his array struck her shoulder. She grunted in pain.The man watched from behind the screen as the girl in the golden dress lifted her face. Wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth with a near-defiant smile, she declared, "If I can't call you Ming Ye, then I'll call you husband. Even if you beat me to death today, I must obtain the sarira."
To hell with Saintess Tian Huan! If she couldn't get the sarira today, she'd drag Tian Huan down with her.
Rising from the floor, she circled around the screen, abandoning all pretense of decorum as she fixed her gaze on the man.
The moment she saw his appearance, the curved jade widened its eyes in disbelief. Who could tell it who this man was—the one who bore an eighty percent resemblance to Tantai Jin?!
No way... It couldn't possibly be what it was thinking.
Had Tantai Jin actually replaced the immortal flood dragon's true form in Prajna Floating Life? Whether this would lead to enlightenment or damnation now rested entirely in his hands!
The curved jade felt utterly hopeless. With such overwhelming odds, what was even the point?
Unable to speak, in its despair, a sudden thought emerged: Since Tantai Jin had replaced the immortal flood dragon, could he now experience the flood dragon's emotions?
Tantai Jin lacked love threads, but the flood dragon possessed them. Fortune and misfortune were intertwined—perhaps this Prajna Floating Life would allow Su Su to successfully extract the Evil Bone.
A surge of joy replaced the curved jade's despair. Success or failure hinged on this very moment.
Meanwhile, Ming Ye's pitch-black pupils reflected Su Su's current appearance.
Su Su stated, "I know you despise me. Give me the sarira, and I'll leave immediately."
Ming Ye regarded her impassively. "Sang Jiu, don't think for a moment that I won't kill you."
Su Su thought to herself, You would. Of course you would.
He didn't love her—why would he show her any mercy?
Su Su retrieved a pink pearl from her bosom. The pearl was exquisitely beautiful, nearly half the size of a palm.
Nervous about the mischief she was about to commit, she moistened her lips with her tongue. "I know you were injured while searching for Spirit Marrow for Tian Huan, and tomorrow you must lead troops to slay the nightmare demon. I won't harm you—I only want the sarira."
With that, Su Su crushed the pink pearl.
The pearl disintegrated into powder, passing through the protective barrier and settling entirely upon the man.
Though Su Su's Cultivation was lacking, she had spent a century carefully nurturing this single pearl. It was enough to immobilize an injured True Lord for a short while.
It was also Ming Ye's fault for constantly risking his life for Tian Huan, returning injured each time. Most inhabitants of Upper Clarity looked down on Su Su, treating her as insignificant—including Ming Ye, who never guarded against her, thus giving her this opportunity.
Su Su climbed onto Ming Ye's bed.
His icy dark eyes turned toward her, expecting her to flinch as she always had over the past century whenever he grew angry.
But this time, she didn't. Her face flushed crimson as she whispered, "I didn't mean to offend you."
She unfastened his robes, revealing his broad, solid chest.
When Su Su's delicate white fingertip pressed against his heart, his breathing noticeably quickened—purely from fury.
"If you take the sarira today and cause Tian Huan harm, never return to the Upper Clarity Immortal Realm. Anyone from Upper Clarity who sees you will kill you on sight."
Her lashes trembled as she lifted her tear-glazed eyes to meet his gaze.
Tears threatened to fall, yet her words remained stubborn. "Fine, I won't return. Once Tian Huan awakens, you'll be eager to kill me anyway."
Ming Ye's eyes darkened, but he remained silent.
Su Su retrieved the sarira. The golden relic, the moment it landed in her palm, was carefully concealed within a shell.
Sitting cross-legged opposite him, she rubbed her eyes and murmured softly, "It's been a hundred years... This is the first time I've been so close to you.""You wish you could kill me right now. Fine by me, since I won’t like you anymore anyway."
"At Shangqing, everyone treats me like a monster." Tears fell with soft plops as she hung her head, hiding from his sight. "But at Mohe River, I was a princess too."
She lifted her gaze, eyes blazing with a mix of fear and boldness as she stared at him.
"If you don’t want me, then I have nothing left to fear."
Curved jade, seeing this, inwardly cursed, "Holy shit…"
No way, what is my little master about to do!
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