Chapter 40 : We Are All Striving to Live

Chapter 40: We Are All Striving to Live

It was precisely those Ghost Infants that filled the sky as they descended.

A pale figure suddenly tore through the air, landing steadily in front of Lü Muxue. Her entire body was pure and dustless, and with a swift motion, she shredded that swarm of Ghost Infants until not a trace remained.

Zhang Su stood in place, her expression calm.

As her monk’s robe fluttered, it outlined a figure that even the loose garment could not conceal.

She casually gathered her robe, lowered her head slightly, and softly said, “Amitabha.”

“Aunt!”

Lü Muxue immediately burst into tears of joy, the heavy burden in her heart finally lifted.

Zhang Su’s expression turned gentle and doting. “At least I made it in time.”

“Aunt, where did you go? I’ve been searching for you everywhere.”

Lü Muxue hurriedly asked.

Zhang Su stiffened slightly, unwilling to elaborate. “I was looking for you as well.”

“Huh? Why are you wearing a veil, Aunt?”

“Mm… uh… I suffered a minor injury. It’s nothing serious.”

Zhang Su found herself unable to explain, a faint blush passing over her ears. On her face was the imprint of the Heartless Mantra struck by Fang Chang.

Who knew why a mark left in an illusion would appear in reality as well?

“Let’s not talk about that for now.”

She coughed lightly twice, then looked toward Consort Ning in the distance, and then at the two Pure Yang Palace disciples who had been gravely injured by Wang Yichen’s sneak attack.

“What is going on here?”

Lü Muxue looked somewhat embarrassed. “It’s a long story. That idiot went too far.”

On the other side—

Luo Yi stood before the two severely injured senior brothers from the Pure Yang Palace, his voice trembling.

“Senior Brother Yang… Senior Brother Wang…?”

Senior Brother Yang, his bearded face contorted in pain, shut his eyes and refused to speak.

But the other, Senior Brother Wang—his chin drenched in blood—suddenly burst into miserable laughter.

“Hahaha—Senior Brother Yang, with injuries like ours, we can finally no longer capture this brat!”

“Senior Brother Wang…”

Senior Brother Wang glared furiously. “Luo Yi! Is that demoness truly worth it?!”

Luo Yi clenched his fists. “I have already decided. In this life, I will never fail Zhao Zhao.”

“This identity as a Dao Child, the bright future in Pure Yang Palace—even becoming its Palace Master in due time… you’re giving all of that up?!”

“All of it.”

“Good!”

Senior Brother Wang’s anger instantly dissipated, replaced by hearty laughter. “With such resolve, how could I stop you?! Senior Brother Yang, don’t you agree?!”

Senior Brother Yang continued regulating his breath with his eyes closed, still silent.

But the anger in his furrowed brows had clearly eased.

Luo Yi trembled as he knelt and kowtowed twice to the two of them.

“Senior Brothers, I cannot return. I can never repay Master’s nurturing grace. I can only bow from afar in gratitude. For the rest of my life, I only hope Master remains in good health—and that the two of you take care.”

Having said that—

His tiger-like eyes widened in fury as he glared at Wang Yichen.

“Despicable villain! And you call yourself a disciple of the Grand White Sword Sect, yet you resort to such a despicable sneak attack!”

Wang Yichen panicked. “No, it was Mu—”

Before he could finish, he froze, gritting his teeth. “So what if it was me… Even if I explain it, it was just a misunderstanding. But you—you truly killed eighteen cultivators!”

“You—!”

“Both of you!”

Zhang Su suddenly spoke, cutting off their argument.

Her gentle features now carried solemn authority as she stared at Consort Ning of the Jade Planting Path in the distance.

“Brothers may quarrel within, but must unite against external threats… settle your misunderstandings later. Right now, there’s still someone outside.”

The two paused slightly.

Luo Yi snorted coldly, understanding the urgency, and turned his gaze outward as well.

Rumble—

Another tremor struck.

Consort Ning stood in her peony palace robe, both graceful and composed, faintly obscured within settling dust.

Three Fourth Realm experts…

All formidable…

And Wang Yichen still held a Twin-Dragon Grass Talisman Treasure.

That thing could even blast through the physical body of the Pure Yang Path!

She was stuck between the Fourth Realm and Fifth Realm—not invincible. She knew she could not defeat the three before her.

Yet Consort Ning still wore an arrogant, domineering expression, looking down on all.

She knew—she had no choice but to advance.

Even if they let her leave now, the Dragon Resentment and the backlash of the Jade Planting Path would kill her within two days.

Consort Ning flipped her palm, revealing the Innate Grass Pill from the secret chamber.

Without hesitation—

She swallowed it in one gulp.

At first, nothing happened.

She could even feel the pill sliding down her throat into her stomach, warm.

Then that warmth began to spread—from deep within her lower abdomen outward.

It burst, seeped.

Flowing along her meridians, wherever it passed, they were expanded, widened, burned into a different kind of substance.

Then—

Her abdomen began to swell, writhing as if something inside was turning, stretching.

At the same time, her aura surged visibly.

Luo Yi made the first move.

Great Sun True Fire erupted as he charged forward.

Consort Ning sneered, one hand stroking her abdomen while the other unleashed a sky-filling palm force of Ghost Infants.

Luo Yi met it head-on, burning through the attack with his body—but was still forced back several meters, his expression changing.

“She’s advancing to the Fifth Realm—attack together!”

Zhang Su ordered the disciples to protect Lü Muxue, as the Guanyin Dharma Form manifested behind her.

Wang Yichen once again activated the Twin-Dragon Grass Talisman Treasure.

Suddenly, Consort Ning let out a mocking laugh. Borrowing her swelling spiritual power, she formed a hand seal toward him.

At once, a deep green hue filled Wang Yichen’s eyes, and the heavenly thunder he unleashed instead struck toward Luo Yi.

Luo Yi had been wary of him all along.

Seeing the terrifying might of the thunder, he hurriedly dodged and shouted angrily:

“Wang Yichen!”

Wang Yichen panicked. “No, I… didn’t…”

But he clearly had no control over himself, the green in his eyes deepening.

Gradually, his thoughts shifted:

“No… no… my sneak attack on the Pure Yang Palace brothers is disgraceful, tarnishing my reputation… better that outsiders never learn of it… Fellow Daoists, please be on your way—help Senior Brother Wang keep this secret.”

With that—

He raised his sword and slashed a beam of sword light at Luo Yi.

In an instant, the two clashed.

Zhang Su soared into the air, dancing gracefully. Behind her, the Guanyin Dharma Form formed countless hand seals—some attacking, some sealing, some purifying—pouring down like a storm toward Consort Ning.

Consort Ning released all her protective spiritual power, forming a perfect spherical barrier.

The seals struck with booming impacts, cracks faintly appearing.

Then—

Her aura surged again. Her abdomen bulged grotesquely, her skin stretched transparent, revealing something curled inside.

Then it burst open.

A massive flesh claw extended outward, radiating terrifying aura.

Consort Ning’s once-beautiful face distorted and expanded, becoming increasingly grotesque.

“It’s done! I’ve succeeded!”

Her advancement exceeded everyone’s expectations.

The aura of the Fifth Realm descended.

Black light surged outward, carrying overwhelming Dragon Resentment.

The surviving rogue cultivators and palace members were pierced by the black light, their bodies shriveling instantly as they collapsed.

Even the new emperor of Yan Kingdom was no exception.

Once the Dragon Child was refined, the emperor had no more use.

The Taiyi Talisman Palace disciples desperately protected Lü Muxue, barely managing to hold.

But behind them—

Lü Muxue suddenly screamed.

Black aura leaked from her seven orifices, gradually forming a black dragon that coiled around her neck, tightening.

“Muxue!”

Zhang Su panicked.

She knew it was the Dragon Resentment within Lü Muxue being drawn out.

The massive claw from Consort Ning’s abdomen flashed—

Zhang Su, distracted by concern, failed to react in time. Her Immaculate Glazed Body was pierced clean through by the dragon claw, her body freezing midair.

Originally, her defense should not have been so fragile.

But that night, Fang Chang’s Blood-Filth Aura had broken her threshold, drastically reducing her defense.

“Martial Aunt Zhang!”

Luo Yi shouted in alarm.

Entangled by Wang Yichen, he could not spare himself. Seeing this from afar, his heart sank.

“A-Aunt… no… don’t—!”

Lü Muxue struggled to breathe, crying out in despair as she watched her aunt pierced through.

Her eyes split with fury, her heart tearing apart in pain.

And within this scene of utter despair—

From the corner of her eye—

In the distant dark corridor, a blue light flickered.

With a faint crisp sound—

It rapidly expanded.

Cold air rushed forward, frost forming along the stone walls.

An ice boat burst forth from the darkness.

Its body gleamed blue, shaped like a shuttle, hovering three inches above the ground, leaving behind a smooth icy path.

Over it was inverted a massive square cauldron—illusory, yet exuding the steady aura of the Black Tortoise.

Inside, an extremely handsome yet gloomy man controlled it.

He laughed loudly, while two “girls” (in truth, one male and one female) clung to his legs, screaming miserably.

The ice boat’s terrifying speed did not slow in the slightest.

Along with the inverted Black Tortoise Square Cauldron, it slammed directly into Consort Ning’s protective sphere.

Pu—

A muffled sound, like frozen ice shattering under a heavy blow.

Consort Ning’s upper body exploded midair into countless pieces of black flesh, each instantly frozen, crashing down as crystalline shards.

The ice boat did not stop—crashing into the distant rock wall and breaking into two.

Fang Chang’s hair was disheveled, his body half hanging off the edge of the ice boat—but the smile on his face never faded.

“What the hell was that? I thought it was a speed bump.”

“You can explain it to my insurance.”

“We are all striving to live~~”