A figure appeared in time to support Shui Lingping. But her body was limp as if it had fallen apart, eventually collapsing powerlessly into Shi Xiaoleâs arms.
Her hair tips and the hem of her pink dress fell into the water, drifting back and forth. In the distance, the birds let out a few light cries, which, in the misty morning, seemed somewhat piercing.
Shi Xiaole had a premonition, his heart suddenly constricting. Without thinking, he immediately began drawing on the essence of life, frantically pouring it into the woman in his embrace. Although he knew it was futile, it was the only thing he could do.
Shui Lingping struggled to open her eyes but only managed halfway, her lips moved slightly, making an almost inaudible sound, "Shi Xiaole, thank you."
"Please donât say that, itâs I who should thank you. You had no obligation to do anything for me, yet you defied your vow and left Tiantai Cliff. I know, your fate began to deteriorate from that moment, didnât it?"
Not a Supreme Lord, yet able to break the heavenly vow, Shui Lingpingâs methods were truly unparalleled. But life demands balance, and after all, she was only a mortal; how could she not pay the price?
Including the activation of the "Seal Heaven Array" to kill the Blood Sea Old Demon, such defiance of the heavens further aggravated Shui Lingpingâs fate flaws, leading to an irreparable state.
Shui Lingping said, "It wasnât for you, it was just a coincidence. I had long lost interest in life, just unwilling to die unknown, so before death, I came down from the mountain using your fame. The knowledge that Shui Lingping has learned must be known to the world."
Shi Xiaole, afraid he wouldnât hear her voice, quickly asked, "How can you lose interest in life with all the greatness the world has to offer?"
"Because I see through it all. There is nothing in this world that Shui Lingping clings to, whether life or death, what does it matter? But at this moment, I do have some regrets."
A faint curve appeared at the corners of Shui Lingpingâs lips, her pale and pretty face took on an unusual glow, "It turns out that in this world, thereâs someone who would do anything for Shui Lingping, even sacrifice their life. Brother Shi, youâve given me attachment, and with that attachment, I donât want to leave."
Shi Xiaoleâs voice trembled, "I will save you!"
A vast amount of the essence of life entered her body and just as violently spilled out, like water through a funnel. Her life force was fading at a speed visible to the naked eye, like a candle in the wind, ready to go out at any moment.
Shui Lingping mockingly said, "Actually, I did this on purpose, Brother Shi. I did so much just to make you feel indebted to me. Even in death, Shui Lingping wants the most outstanding man to remember me; Iâm not a good person."
"Congratulations, youâve succeeded," Shi Xiaole said softly.
She seemed to want to laugh, but didnât have the strength to do so. Her partially open eyes slowly widened, those once bright yet empty eyes suddenly radiating light, bringing life to her whole face.
Shui Lingping said, "Brother Shi, I can finally see you clearly, and you are as handsome as I imagined, the most handsome man Iâve ever seen in my life."
Shi Xiaole looked incredulously at the woman in his arms. Her blind eyes, at this moment, had regained their luster. They were tender and sentimental, like the ethereal moon, as if they could shine into oneâs heart.
Shui Lingpingâs lips moved a few times, uttered her last words: "Shi Xiaole, thank you for accompanying me through the happiest three days... After I die, please carve the name âShishi Wulingâ on my tombstone, I want to be family with you. Shui Wuling, thatâs the name Iâve given myself. Brother Shi, what do you think?"
Shi Xiaole replied, "It sounds very nice, a hundred times better than Shui Lingping, Wuling!"
Shui Lingping opened her mouth as if to respond but couldnât make any sound.
In her last glimpse, her eyes flickered with deep longing and reluctance, not for this tainted world, but for the man with a pure heart.
Her eyelids gently closed, two trails of tears ran down her cheeks, falling into the stream, flowing with the current, disappearing in an instant.
"Shui Wuling!"
Shi Xiaole cried out loudly, overwhelmed with grief, unable to hold back the tears that fell onto the womanâs face.
He frantically invoked the powers of the Path of Life and Death, but it was to no avail. He could only watch helplessly as her body temperature grew colder, the smile on her lips becoming fixed.
"If I have grasped the path of life and death, why canât I reverse the fate of those around me? If I cannot reverse life and death, whatâs the use of learning martial arts?"
Shi Xiaole was not resigned to this fate. It was as if there were thousands of storms sweeping through his mind, countless currents flashing, the essence of life falling in large swaths, only to return to the sky.
But it wasnât over yet; a stream of black Qi descended from the heavens, enveloping Shui Wulingâit was the essence of death. Under Shi Xiaoleâs control, the essence of death rapidly absorbed the dead Qi within Shui Wulingâs body.
This time, there was an effect! As the dead Qi vanished, the essence of life took its place in her body, starting to rejuvenate Shui Wulingâs vitality.
However, before Shi Xiaole could feel elated, an endless amount of dead Qi emerged, extinguishing the living force, so rapidly that the essence of death couldnât absorb it quickly enough.
Shi Xiaole pushed his soul to its limits, as massive amounts of the essence of death plummeted down.
One 2-hour period.
Two 2-hour periods.
Shi Xiaoleâs soul nearly burst open, and with each increase in the essence of death, the dead Qi in Shui Wulingâs body also increased, as if an invisible force was opposing him.
With a loud bang!
Shi Xiaoleâs orifices bled, his appearance was extremely wretched, his soul emitted cracking noises, on the verge of collapse. One misstep, and the essence of death was suddenly dispersed.
The next moment, the faint flame of life remaining in Shui Wuling spread rapidly, her body turning cold.
The tragedy of Shui Wuling lay in her greatly damaged fate, like a breached dam, impossible to control at the source; what use was it to fix the gap at the end?
"Destiny, is it the essence of the laws of heaven?"
Tears mixed with blood, Shi Xiaole held the woman in his arms tightly, unwilling to let go. Was he really just to watch her die, becoming nothing more than an ethereal soul?
During these days, Shi Xiaole racked his brain, but he could not think of any solution. He was even less able to persuade Shui Wuling to seize his life fate to extend her life. Under such circumstances, even the elders of Moral Mount were helpless.
"Am I still too weak?"
How could Shi Xiaole bear to truly bury Shui Wuling in the ground and let her go alone, turning into a pile of rotten flesh and bones?
"With your abilities, the universe beyond the heavens is your stage. There are so many wonders you have yet to see. How can you die? Just because I canât revive you now doesnât mean I canât in the future. Shui Wuling, you must wait!"
Shi Xiaoleâs palm opened, locking in a strand of soul essence.
This was Shui Wulingâs last evidence of life. No living being could rely on a strand of soul essence to come back to life. The Great Path is fifty, and heaven evolves forth-nine, ultimately leaving a sliver of possibility for humans.
What Shi Xiaole wanted to do was to turn this faint possibility into reality. He knew it would be difficult, but it had to be done.
That afternoon, Shi Xiaole returned to Nine Heavens Mountain and, in the backyard of Divine Sword Villa, with his own Life and Death Dual Qi as the base, and drawing auxiliary essence from the Life and Death Path, he actually created a Life and Death Pool with a diameter of a hundred zhang.
The Life and Death Pool was always swirling with the rich Life and Death Dual Qi, profound and unpredictable.
Shi Xiaole placed that strand of soul essence into Shui Lingpingâs body, and then slowly submerged her body into the Life and Death Pool. Nourished by the Life and Death Dual Qi, Shui Lingpingâs condition would forever remain at this moment.
After everything was done, Shi Xiaole entered the Life-and-Death Unfounded Cave and found three incomplete corpses in an endless sea of flowers. They were the Three Divine Generals.
After the Three Divine Generals perished in East Victory Village years ago, they were brought back by Shi Xuanzhong and preserved by supreme methods. Shi Xiaole adopted the same methods and submerged these three corpses into the Life and Death Pool as well.
"Wait for me."
Withdrawing his gaze, Shi Xiaole leaped away and returned to East Victory City.
Starting from that day, Shi Xiaole lived a reclusive life in Nine Profound Residence, spending each day in the courtyard, deeply contemplating martial arts. Even Shi Wuyou and other close ones seldom saw him.
Upon learning of Shui Wulingâs death, Shi Wuyou wept bitterly for a long time, and the senior management of Nine Heavens Mountain were also visibly downcast.
They might not have been familiar with Shui Wuling, but who didnât admire her methods? Without Shui Wulingâs various arrangements, Nine Heavens Mountain might not have been able to get through smoothly during the more than fifty years of Shi Xiaoleâs disappearance.
One could say that the presence of the fairy was akin to that of Shi Xiaole back in the day, providing everyone with a full sense of security.
Half a year later.
A grand Sword Qi burst from Nine Profound Residence, vanishing in an instant but still startling all around.
"Could it be him again? Within such a short time, he has made another breakthrough?"
In the residence where the Fire Stiff sect was stationed, the ancestor of the Fire Stiffs looked alarmed and did not speak for a long while. Behind him, the two Fire Stiff sons were equally shocked.
"Such powerful Sword Qi!"
The Immortal Scholar and Saintly Love Young Master were playing chess. After sensing the disturbance, they looked at each other, both seeing shock in each otherâs eyes.
In the backyard of Nine Profound Residence.
Shi Xiaole held a silver-white long sword, its blade patterned with diamond shapes, waves of power surging out, wantonly slicing through the void.
This was the tenth top-grade Spiritual Sword he had forged according to the method for high-quality Spiritual Weapons obtained from Mu Qianji. The process of forging the sword was also a process of retrospection and enlightenment.
Just then, the power of Shi Xiaoleâs Heart Sword surged from five hundred eighty-five strands to an astounding six hundred thirty strands in a single moment.
The reason for such fast progress was partly due to his cultivation of the "Immortal Gate Sword Technique," and partly due to the sword arts foundation he had accumulated daily erupting all at once.
The increase in Heart Sword power in turn promoted the improvement of swordsmanship. A myriad of sword lights appeared in front of Shi Xiaole, and the perfected "Immortal Gate Sword Technique" seemed to be on the verge of taking another step forward.
Disregarding the astonished and prying eyes within East Victory City, Shi Xiaole continued to forge swords, immersed in the state of self-forgetting enlightenment.
The outside world was abuzz, with everyone discussing what realm the great villa masterâs martial skills had reached.
In the days that followed, Immortal Scholar and other Supreme Lords visited multiple times to discuss a plan to counterattack the forces from beyond and eradicate them in one fell swoop.
But the great villa master avoided them.
Time and again, Immortal Scholar and the others were snubbed. Shi Wuyou, speaking on behalf of his father, claimed that his father was at a critical juncture and could not be disturbed.
The proponents of war, upon hearing this, had no choice but to temporarily relent.
Another two months passed just like that.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Waves of torrents pounded on the surface of the "Seal Heaven Array," causing the arrayâs light curtain to cave in violently. In the distance, one terrifying figure after another suddenly arrived, catching everyone in East Victory City off-guard.
Inside the backyard of Nine Profound Residence.
Shi Xiaole lifted his head, a cold smile playing on his lips: "Finally, theyâre all here."