Chapter 594: Chapter 542: The End Draws Near
Underground caverns, by the magma river.
Bai Jiuyou retreated to the shore, warily watching the distant male cultivator in green clothes.
The Fire Qilin chewed on Ancestor Miedu, flames fiercely burning on its body, already at a realm where it could break through at any moment.
It no longer tangled with Bai Jiuyou and the male cultivator in green, directly rushing to the Abyss and diving into the magma, disappearing from sight.
At the same time, the magma below surged swiftly, condensing into an indestructible black barrier.
Bai Jiuyou looked carefully and discovered it was entirely Taixuan Pure Gold, with her current strength she couldn’t smash through that hard shell in a short time.
The green-clad male cultivator approached, Bai Jiuyou squinted, took out a white gauze to blindfold herself, covering her golden eyes.
"Who are you?" Bai Jiuyou asked.
The male cultivator in green glanced at Bai Jiuyou and then at the Taixuan Stele, "Just like them, someone who wants the stele."
The male cultivator in green and Bai Jiuyou stood off across the shore, neither of them acting rashly.
After a moment, Bai Jiuyou, worried about Jiang Yuebai, spoke first, "What’s the origin of this stele?"
The male cultivator in green slightly raised his brows, seemingly a bit surprised, everyone who came here was after the stele, yet she didn’t know the origin of the Taixuan Stele.
The male cultivator in green said nothing, Bai Jiuyou helplessly said, "You must have seen it too, my friend was absorbed into the stele, if you have a way to help me rescue her, we can leave the stele."
Speaking, Bai Jiuyou released the aura of a Peak Nascent Soul.
The male cultivator in green had just recovered from old injuries, his cultivation was only at Mid-Stage Nascent Soul, having exhausted much after sneak attacking Ancestor Miedu, in a real fight, he indeed wasn’t a match for Bai Jiuyou.
He flickered his eyes, pressed his brow, pondering something.
"There’s an array within the Taixuan Stele, called ’Floating Life is like a Dream’, those who fall into it have their Dao heart blinded, becoming lost to mundanity, their previous ’Desire and Not Get’ will become ’Lost and Found’, indulging in present fulfillment, consuming their Divine Soul until fading into nothing."
Bai Jiuyou clenched her fist, prior Jiang Yuebai was saying her luck turned, turn for nothing, it was Heavenly Dao giving her a small boon making her careless, then when she got complacent, kicked her into the pit.
Bai Jiuyou glanced at the magma abyss, not much time left, if the Fire Qilin really breaks through now, this place would be leveled to the ground.
And, Jiang Yuebai’s sudden entrapment in the stele was too odd, this green-clad male cultivator was definitely not what he seemed, she had to be cautious.
"Is there really no way to rescue someone?" Bai Jiuyou trialed.
The green-clad male cultivator stared intensely at Bai Jiuyou, sternly said, "That may not be possible, the one who entered the array can only break it themselves."
"Then would you mind if I carry this stele away, put it somewhere else?" Bai Jiuyou asked, pressing forward half a step.
The green-clad male cultivator felt the pressure from Bai Jiuyou, his peripheral vision swept to the Taixuan Stele.
Bai Jiuyou couldn’t bother with much, taking advantage that she hadn’t felt any harm to her yet, stepped forward, directly pounced on the Taixuan Stele.
Just a person-height stele, Bai Jiuyou exerted all her strength, yet only managed to lift it a little, feeling as if something was anchoring it below.
She tried several times, unable to fully lift the stele.
When her strength was almost depleted, preparing for another attempt, suddenly came the sound of earth and stone collapsing from afar, torrents of Demonic Qi like a flood deluge in, all were from the Demon Clan!
*
Floating Life Dream Realm, Jiang Family Village.
Jiang Yuebai stood in front of the wandering swordsman Zhuo Qingfeng, her younger brother broke free from her hand and fled.
"Come back!"
Jiang Yuebai shouted behind, although Yun Country didn’t have strict gender segregation, it was still better to have someone around when meeting an outside man.
"I was passing by with Master while escorting a caravan and thought to visit you." Zhuo Qingfeng said in a low voice, cheeks slightly red.
Jiang Yuebai sighed, "Don’t come again in the future, you were injured and collapsed in the mountain before, it would have been the same for anyone to save you, I don’t need your gratitude, moreover... My parents had already arranged a marriage for me, without Aunt Shen’s help during that famine, we wouldn’t have survived, so I... will marry there."
Jiang Yuebai hesitated a bit, actually she didn’t want to marry, if possible, she wanted to travel, like the female War God of Yun Country she read in the Five Flavors Travelogue, riding a horse and wielding a sword, seeing the whole land.
Zhuo Qingfeng insistently argued, "But didn’t you say before, you don’t like living a life where you can see the end at a glance? Don’t you yearn for my kind of wandering life, seeing all the rivers and landscapes?"
Jiang Yuebai startled, from the yard wafted the smell of food, she immediately knew her mother was cooking her favorite dishes again.
In those famine years, their family walked past the Ghost Gate, now being able to live well with her parents was her greatest satisfaction.
Furthermore, here was wise Elder Tao, knowledgeable Mr. Lii, there was Anan who discussed writings with her, Young Master Xie was annoying, but quite interesting too.
The female hunter Zhao Xiu, who always came and went alone in the mountain, would bring her up the mountain to trap hunt, teaching her some basic skills.
Not far from Jiang Family Village, in the town, were several close friends, each day her life here was joyous and satisfying.
"Yuebai, come with me, I’ll take you to see the world’s landscape." Zhuo Qingfeng extended his hand.
Jiang Yuebai looked at Zhuo Qingfeng’s earnest expression and thought this might be her only chance to leave, but she didn’t want to rely on others, even if someday she were to leave Jiang Family Village, it would be on her own, not with dependence on anyone.
Jiang Yuebai instinctively retreated, the sharp sound of cicadas irritated her greatly.
"Don’t come again!"
Jiang Yuebai decisively left, pushed open the courtyard gate, walked into her small enclosed yard.
"Mother, I’m hungry, I want to eat."
"Food’s almost ready, first get your little brother out, he’s stealing food at the counter."
Her mother’s voice came from the kitchen, Jiang Yuebai suddenly felt not so empty inside, she turned to look at the Hidden Misty Green Mountain at the horizon, just stay a little longer, then pursue what she wants, yes, just a little longer.
After lunchtime, Jiang Yuebai was preparing to deliver food to her father in the field, but when she stood up from the table, her vision suddenly went black, like being drained of her soul, she collapsed to the ground.
"Yuebai!"
"Sister!"
Mother and brother rushed to her side, she could feel the shaking, hear their voices, but couldn’t move.
The pinch on her philtrum hurt sharply, she finally gradually regained awareness.
However, from that moment she suddenly became ill, her body weakened day by day, groggy, many physicians were consulted by her parents, none could do anything.
Even Lu Nanzhi and Xie Jingshan sought renowned physicians and gifted hands, prescribed many medicines, Zhao Xiu from the mountain personally gathered herbs and hunted for her nourishment, yet she showed no sign of improvement.
In her limited lucidity, Jiang Yuebai thought a lot.
Part of her thought dying like this was fine, couldn’t change anything, her twelve years of life were quite happy.
Moreover, everyone she cared about lived well, she had nothing to regret.
But another part was unwilling, feeling some important matter unfinished, she shouldn’t be like this, she only just sprouted the thought of leaving then fell ill, it seemed like Heaven was stopping her.
With no other choice, her parents eventually decided on that path.
Wedding for luck!
They planned for her to marry Shen Family’s eldest young master early, unexpectedly Aunt Shen and the stranger readily agreed.
Everything was arranged quickly, but the night before the wedding, she felt she was on the brink, she forced herself, thinking it shouldn’t be, the persistent sense of disharmony made her feel she should have the ability to escape all this.
A strong will seemed to break some barrier, she was thrown into a darkness.
Whether it was a dream or not, or maybe the ghostly messengers weren’t as terrifying as her mother said, she saw a small creature all black, nose slightly long, appearing out of nowhere.
This ghost messenger was so cute, why did she feel she’d seen it somewhere?
"Little Bai!"
A clear shout, Jiang Yuebai’s Divine Soul shook.
Anan!
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