Su Su knew the fighting had temporarily ceased and began tending to Yue Fuya's injuries.
Yue Fuya stubbornly refused to let Su Su absorb the demonic energy for him, so she didn't force the matter. Her slender fingers glowed with a faint green light as they passed over Yue Fuya's wounds.
Cen Mixuan watched from nearby, unusually refraining from interrupting or causing trouble.
Yue Fuya proved resilient too, pressing his lips together and enduring the healing process without making a sound. His immortal body was being eroded by demonic energy, which continuously assaulted his meridians, leaving his face pale.
Watching this, Cang Hai couldn't help but ask the person beside him who was "also eroded by demonic energy": "Little junior brother, are you alright?"
Tantai Jin remained silent, closing his eyes as purple demonic energy visibly seeped from his body. Cang Hai breathed a sigh of relief.
After Yue Fuya's condition improved, he sat up cross-legged and began dispersing the demonic energy himself to lessen Su Su's burden.
Though the demonic invasion was fierce, enduring through it left no serious consequences. Two hours later, the sky cleared again, and everyone secretly relaxed.
"Fuya?"
"Senior sister, don't worry. I'm fine now."
Having previously heard his junior brother acknowledge Su Su's beauty, Cang Hai was scheming in his heart. He asked Su Su: "I am Cang Hai of the Carefree Sect. May I ask how I should address you fellow immortals?" His friendly face maintained a cheerful smile, making it difficult for anyone to dislike him.
Su Su and the others exchanged names with him.
When Su Su gave her name, Cang Hai immediately deflated - she turned out to be Immortal Venerable Qu Xuanzi's treasured daughter. He glanced regretfully at his junior brother, thinking that while this exceptional junior brother of his could remain single without issue while other Carefree Sect disciples might stay lonely forever, he really should have a partner. But the other party was the Hengyang Sect leader's daughter - truly beyond their reach.
Tantai Jin understood Cang Hai's intentions and shot him a warning look.
Cang Hai sheepishly rubbed his nose. Knowing the Secret Realm was full of dangers, he pulled Tantai Jin aside and shamelessly proposed traveling together with Su Su's group.
"Junior Sister Li, rest assured, our Carefree Sect absolutely won't steal opportunities from others. Any treasures you find are yours, and I'll give you half of whatever treasures I find."
With the Carefree Sect in decline, Cang Hai believed there was strength in numbers. Traveling together would be safer for everyone, otherwise if another wave stronger than the demonic invasion came, it would be truly dangerous. Since they had to travel with someone anyway, meeting Hengyang Sect disciples could be considered fate.
Tantai Jin's eyes flickered slightly, but he remained silent.
Su Su thought to herself that with Yue Fuya injured now, it would be safer to have Cang Hai keep an eye on Tantai Jin rather than letting Tantai Jin harm people from the shadows. After some consideration, she agreed to Cang Hai's proposal.
Cang Hai called to Tantai Jin: "Junior brother, let's go!"
Tantai Jin's gaze swept over Su Su and Yue Fuya before he followed Cang Hai. Cen Mixuan bit her lip and followed them as well.
With Cang Hai in the group, the atmosphere immediately became livelier. Since Cen Mixuan ignored Cang Hai, he asked Su Su and Fuya: "I wonder what opportunities Junior Sister Li and Junior Brother Yue are seeking?"
Su Su said: "My spirit sword is damaged. I'm looking for materials to forge a sword. What about you, Senior Brother Cang Hai?"
Cang Hai took a drink from his gourd and said: "I'll follow fate's arrangement, though I'd like to find a certain medicinal herb for my junior brother. Our master said junior brother has an ailment in his heart meridian. If we could find immortal herbs to cure his chronic condition, that would be wonderful."
An ailment in his heart meridian? The Soul Extinguishing Nails, right? Five hundred years had passed - the Soul Extinguishing Nails must have already fused with Tantai Jin's soul.
Su Su stared at the patterns on her skirt, not looking at Tantai Jin. Nor did she react as strongly as when she first saw Tantai Jin at the banquet.She knew Tantai Jin possessed an almost demonic intellect and had no intention of letting him discover she was Ye Xiwu. But what did it matter if she was Ye Xiwu? Ye Xiwu had long died five centuries ago on the city tower, turned into a handful of dust in the mortal realm.
That past held no fond memories for her.
Now, life and death depended solely on one's own capabilities.
Tantai Jin remained unruffled, as if Cang Hai's words had nothing to do with him, showing no trace of anguish.
The group traveled intermittently, occasionally resting briefly.
Opportunities in the Secret Realm were unpredictable, and none of them forced their luck.
As night fell, the moon hung in the sky. While Su Su meditated and cultivated, she sensed a cold, piercing gaze fixed upon her.
Without even looking, she knew who it was. Tantai Jin was like a venomous snake lurking within the group, waiting to strike—the terrifying part being that no one around him knew his true intentions.
From the moonlit pear blossom grove emerged a spirit beast, snow-white like a deer, with fireflies dancing around its antlers. As the deer dashed into the thicket, Cang Hai exclaimed excitedly, "It's a Herb-Seeking Spirit Beast! Follow it quickly!"
No sooner had he spoken than Cang Hai rushed after it. Tantai Jin didn't hesitate either, leaping forward in pursuit. Encountering a Herb-Seeking Spirit Beast meant rare immortal herbs were nearby.
One such herb, called "Fuxiang," could calm the soul and anchor it to the body.
The group followed the spirit beast out of the pear blossom grove and saw a broken cliff embedded in endless darkness under the moonlight.
A chain-forged bridge spanned the chasm. The spirit beast ran onto the bridge and vanished from sight.
Cang Hai, frantic with impatience, attempted to use Sword Control to follow but unexpectedly plummeted straight toward the abyss. Yue Fuyai, quick-eyed and swift-handed, grabbed him just in time.
Pulled back to safety, Cang Hai broke into a cold sweat, trembling with fear as he said, "No Sword Control or magic can be used on this bridge."
In other words, they had to cross it on foot.
Yet walking across a swaying iron chain over a bottomless chasm, with unknown consequences for falling, made everyone hesitate.
Before anyone else could speak, Tantai Jin stepped onto the chain bridge.
"Junior Brother!" Cang Hai shouted.
Tantai Jin gazed into the eerie darkness ahead, hearing Cang Hai's call but not turning back.
Cang Hai muttered under his breath, "Risking your life for a few spirit herbs—is it worth it?"
Su Su watched Tantai Jin's receding figure and thought, So Ye Bingshang truly held importance in his heart. The man who had once been so afraid of death, so desperate to live, had now learned to charge forward without hesitation for the sake of his lost beloved.
Tantai Jin's figure grew increasingly distant until it disappeared entirely.
Yue Fuyai said, "Senior Sister, wait for me here." He turned and stepped onto the chains as well.
Cang Hai sighed with melancholy—why were the younger generation so recklessly brave these days?
Cen Mixuan took a fearful step back. This was too terrifying! She refused to cross!
Worried about Yue Fuyai, Su Su thought it over and decided to go check on him. Seeing everyone else leaving, Cang Hai found himself alone with Cen Mixuan, staring at each other awkwardly. Scratching the back of his head, he reluctantly followed, legs trembling with fear.
The four of them crossed without major incident, arriving on the other side.
Under the moonlight lay a blue-hued world, with fireflies fluttering everywhere, illuminating the path beneath their feet.
Tantai Jin, who had arrived first, had already vanished without a trace along with the spirit beast.
Common spirit herbs grew all around their feet—ones that could be found outside the Secret Realm as well—so Su Su didn't bother picking them.
After walking for an unknown length of time, Su Su touched a Barrier and stepped through.
But to her surprise, passing through the Barrier brought her back to the very same chain bridge she had just crossed. Below, the endless abyss remained, yet not a sliver of moonlight pierced the darkness.At first, Su Su thought it was an illusion and tried to break it, but to her surprise, it wasn't. The sorcery of the Path of Ruthlessness had no effect on the scene before her.
She had returned to her starting point, with no one around. There was no path behind her, and the way ahead was vast and uncertain.
A pitch-black, pitch-black world...
Instinctively, she frantically reached to touch her left eye. The eyes of her immortal body were clear and intact. No pain, no suffering—it was no longer the World-Toppling Flower.
The past that belonged to Ye Xi Wu had been buried five hundred years ago.
Su Su lowered her gaze to the darkness beneath her feet and withdrew her hand. Don’t be afraid... don’t be afraid anymore, Li Susu. You can’t live in the past forever.
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and used the Ruthless Divine Path to calm her mind and focus her spirit. When she opened her eyes again, she finally saw the path ahead clearly. Su Su hurriedly stepped onto the chains.
The chains seemed endless. Su Su walked for a long time, with no sound around her and no one in sight. Finally, a faint light appeared ahead, revealing steps with a jade-like texture.
Su Su saw Yue Fuyai up ahead, along with a scattering of dead blue scorpions.
They were guarding a frost-blue immortal herb.
Yue Fuyai also saw her, and with one glance, they both immediately understood that something was wrong.
Why was it so quiet around the immortal herb?
"Senior Sister, run!"
Su Su turned around and saw countless vines suddenly sprouting from the cliff. Unnoticed until now, they had grown wildly, reaching for her and Yue Fuyai, trying to drag them over the edge.
Su Su summoned Karmic Fire to burn the vines, but they quickly regenerated. She realized then that something even more terrifying must lie beneath the cliff, sustaining the vines’ endless growth!
The wildly thrashing vines were more terrifying than giant serpents, and Su Su inexplicably found the scene familiar—
Five hundred years ago, in that small town, the Peach Tree Demon, having obtained the World-Toppling Flower, had also grown wildly, reaching for the heavens.
Could there be a broken, fallen Divine Artifact hidden within these cliffs as well?
The two fought as they retreated.
Before them were chains that rendered Spiritual Power useless; behind them, terrifying vines.
Just as Su Su was about to step onto the chains, Yue Fuyai let out a muffled groan and was dragged straight down toward the cliff.
Su Su grabbed his hand.
"Senior Sister! Let go!" Yue Fuyai urged hastily.
Su Su noticed several loops of golden thread wrapped around his wrist. She turned sharply and, sure enough, saw Tantai Jin, who had appeared unnoticed. He had plucked the immortal herb and was holding the thread, watching them.
Lightning patterns flickered along the golden thread. The dark-robed youth raised his narrow eyes. He stood amidst the wildly growing vines, allowing them to pierce his body. The vines that touched his blood withered one by one. Even at such mutual destruction, he still chose to kill them here and seize Su Su’s spiritual body.
The vines’ strength was immense, and Su Su kept falling.
Tantai Jin, covered in blood, walked to the edge of the cliff. Yue Fuyai realized Tantai Jin had another purpose and said through clenched teeth, "I beg you, don’t harm her!"
Tantai Jin smiled faintly and murmured, "How deeply moving."
A green light shot from the cliff’s base toward Su Su and Fuyai. Fuyai forcibly broke free from the golden thread, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and without hesitation, blocked the green light aimed at Su Su.
His vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
Gritting her teeth, Su Su threw Yue Fuyai onto the bank. But the vines behind her, impossible to evade, wrapped around her waist and dragged her over the cliff.
She clung to the vines, digging her fingers into the stone wall until they bled.
Tantai Jin watched her struggle coldly. Once the vines had drained her Spiritual Power, he would scatter her three souls and seize her spiritual body.Su Su's blood dripped onto the stone wall, which emitted a creaking sound, and a silvery mirror-like surface emerged beneath her like water.
Was the Divine Artifact within the cliff a fragment of the Mirror of the Past or the Mirror of the Future?
Su Su looked down, and the reflection flickered briefly.
She saw a memory from five hundred years ago reflected within—a girl in white fox fur, gazing up at the falling snow.
Back then, Chun Tao was still there, marveling at how heavy the winter snow was in the Xia Kingdom that year. Chun Tao was laughing, and she was laughing too. In Ye Xi Wu's misty, sparkling eyes, aside from the swirling snowflakes, there was also the thinly clad young man in front of the carriage. Su Su shifted her gaze to her own wrist in the image and indeed saw the lustrous curved jade.
But youth knows no sorrow; everything in the reflection seemed so beautiful to her younger self.
Now, those from the past were gone, and she would never see the curved jade again.
A dull, obscure ache filled her heart. Su Su clung tightly to the vines, her eyes slightly reddening.
Meanwhile, Tantai Jin above watched the reflection, his eyes widening in disbelief.
How... how could it be her—
The next moment, the frenzied vines seemed to generate an endless suction force, dragging the girl down into the abyss.
"No! This cannot be!"
Tantai Jin had long forgotten about extracting her soul. He reached out, trying to grasp her. In that instant, all his thoughts became muddled—Ye Xi Wu... Li Susu...
Covered in blood, he looked like a ferocious Asura, chasing after the vines toward her. The wind below was icy cold, and the vines, upon touching his blood, recoiled in fear.
Su Su saw countless cold, ghostly fingers reaching for her from the abyss, along with foul, stinking mouths.
She had no idea what lay beneath the cliff. She couldn't muster any strength or use any immortal techniques, forced to watch helplessly as they touched her.
But the next moment, a figure abruptly embraced her, switching their positions.
Tantai Jin's shoulder was pierced by icy claws, and those filthy mouths bit into him. He fell into a land overgrown with thorns and littered with bones, yet he held the girl in his arms tightly.
Su Su, her Spiritual Power depleted, completely lost consciousness.
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