Chapter 70: The Path Ends Here

The Path Ends Here

Since entering Huang Shoushan, not even a month had passed, yet the team of over ten people had suffered successive losses, and now only six remained. The death of Meng Lingyue was a heavy blow to everyone, but trapped in a dangerous place, they could not afford to wallow in grief. They gathered Meng Lingyue’s remains and divided up the carcass of the demonic bird, then hurried back to the Phoenix Intestine to set up camp and rest. Although the Green Jade Miasma was thick there, the demonic birds would not come to harass them, and it was far from the riverbank, making it safer than the banks of the Fengfu River. The original riverbank was covered in gravel and littered with the remains left behind from dismembering the corpses. After everyone climbed onto the Phoenix Intestine, Ruan Ci had only just retracted her sword Qi when countless insects crawled out from the gravel to lick up the blood. The flocks of birds that had flown away gradually returned, gathering above the riverbank to prey on the insects, a dark, swarming mass that was truly terrifying.

"Senior Brother Li, we are leaving."

After the group rested for a moment, Junior Sister Lian came to find Li Pingyan to bid farewell. Her face was still pale, but her tone was calm. "I am going to activate my Dao-Protecting Jade Pendant. Zhixuan is coming with me. Thank you for taking care of us along the way. Let us meet again when you come to the Pinghai Sect."

Li Pingyan frowned. "We have come this far, Junior Sister, you—"

Just now on the riverbank, the situation had been so dangerous that Junior Sister Lian had not activated her Dao-Protecting Jade Pendant. Now that the storm had passed, the demon had been slain, and Ruan Ci had revealed her identity as a Sword Envoy with wings, protected by Donghua sword Qi, the rest of the journey would be much easier. Junior Sister Lian choosing to withdraw now felt somewhat regrettable. Both Li Pingyan and Chi Pengpeng tried to persuade her to stay, but Junior Sister Lian’s mind was made up. She shook her head and said, "With Zhixuan’s and my strength, if not for Senior Sister’s protection, we would have died long ago. Now that Senior Sister is gone, if we encounter any more danger, Senior Brother Li will not prioritize us, and it will be very difficult for us to survive. If one lacks the strength, one should not continue to be greedy. If I had used the Dao-Protecting Jade Pendant earlier to take Zhixuan away, Senior Sister would have only had to use her full strength to protect you, and she would not have died."

Hearing her say this, Chi Pengpeng couldn't help but glance at Ruan Ci. Ruan Ci also recalled the conversation the two had inside the Phoenix Intestine and sighed slightly. If she had been stingy to the end, those people would have been left in the Phoenix Stomach waiting for rescue and might not have met with disaster. She hadn't expected that these young disciples wouldn't be a burden to Chi Pengpeng, but instead, they had burdened Meng Lingyue.

Li Pingyan said in a low voice, "Junior Sister Lian, if you stay, I will treat you all equally, just like our fellow sect members. Lingyue died to save me; this is a debt I owe her."

Meng Zhixuan also walked over and shook his head. "Senior Brother Li, there is no need to say more. Sister Yue did it half to save you and half for us, but in the end, it was her own choice. She was deeply devoted to you; I don't think she would want to see you burdened by the two of us."

Chi Pengpeng said sadly, "She was too proud. She only needed to say she couldn't hold on. I still had elixirs with me, and my dance-music drum could have provided concealment, giving her a chance to catch her breath and recover."

Junior Sister Lian said, "It would have been useless. Senior Brother Li was positioned too far forward; no one but Senior Sister could have shielded him. Even if I had brought out the Dao-Protecting Jade Pendant, unless Senior Brother Li was willing to abandon his path, it wouldn't have saved him. Senior Sister had thought of everything; she did what she did because she had already made up her mind. Senior Brother Li, you must never forget this."

She stared at Li Pingyan for a long time, then took a pearl hairpin from her bosom and handed it to him. "I still find it hard to understand. Senior Sister had such a bright future, yet it was delayed by her feelings. She originally had hopes of going to the Hengze Heaven, but Master said that if she went, she might lose her life trying to save you—I never expected those words to be a prophecy. Although she didn't go to the Hengze Heaven, she died for you after all. I hate you in my heart, but I also hope you will take good care of yourself and walk further on the path of cultivation. I imagine this is also Senior Sister’s wish."

"This pearl hairpin is a rare treasure Senior Sister bought within the sect. When the bright pearl falls, it can avoid miasma and poisonous dust, and the hairpin itself has other wonderful uses. I give it to you; how you dispose of it is up to you."

Li Pingyan took the hairpin and thrust it into his own chest. As the hairpin entered his flesh, no blood dripped out. He said calmly, "I am unworthy of Lingyue’s deep affection and have no way to repay it. Thank you, Junior Sister Lian, for the hairpin. From now on, it will always be by my side. Wherever I go, it will follow."

A trace of a smile finally appeared on Junior Sister Lian’s face. She nodded slightly to Li Pingyan, gave a brief nod to Chi Pengpeng and Ruan Ci, and turned toward the cave entrance. After a few steps, she paused, looked back, and sighed, "I used to think that if I had the luck to be taken in by the Sheng Sect, I would surely achieve great things. Today I know that I lack even self-awareness, and my Dao heart is fragile. I rely on others for everything; I am truly unworthy of seeking a higher path."

Meng Zhixuan stood by her side and raised his hand. "Fellow Daoists, farewell!"

Ruan Ci, Chi Pengpeng, and Li Pingyan all raised their hands and replied solemnly, "Fellow Daoist, take care for the rest of your lives!"

Pan Tanruo hesitated for a moment, then set off to follow them, calling out, "Junior Sister Lian, Junior Brother Meng, I am going with you."

Li Pingyan called out, "Junior Brother Pan!"

Pan Tanruo turned back and gave a deep bow to Li Pingyan, then covered his face and chased after them without further explanation. Li Pingyan sighed, but in the end, he did not force him. A cultivator’s path lies entirely in their own thoughts; since Pan Tanruo did not wish to proceed, Li Pingyan could not guarantee he would survive if he continued, and retreating now was actually the best opportunity.

The three turned the corner, and their presence gradually faded. They lingered at the cave entrance for a while, and a profound aura shot into the sky. In just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a rolling aura appeared in the distance—it was the exact aura recorded by the jade pendant. One moment it was on the horizon, and the next, it had arrived before the cliff.

Ruan Ci and the other two did not go out to meet the visitor, and the True Person did not send any message. In the blink of an eye, the True Person carried the auras of Junior Sister Lian and the others away. Only then did the three go out to investigate. They saw that on the cliff face, stone sap like blood was dripping down, and eight large characters were carved: 'My disciple Lingyue perished here.' The bloodstains zigzagged upward, straight up the cliff. Even within the aura field, one could still see the True Person’s aura, which had sliced through the jungle and stretched far into the distance.

Ruan Ci approached the stone wall, touched it, and said, "Although this wall was carved, it did not trigger the blood miasma. The wounds were all sealed by fine sword Qi. Excellent swordsmanship."

Chi Pengpeng looked up and said, "This is a path the True Person left for us. Following this path, we should be able to reach the main road. There is no time to lose; let us set off quickly."

Although the great power summoned by the Dao-Protecting Jade Pendant would only rescue those disciples whose paths had been severed, if others remained, they would usually give them a helping hand. Just like now, although the two sides had not met, the path left by the True Person was already a great help. Li Pingyan did not stand on ceremony; he replaced his anti-miasma talisman and looked at Ruan Ci. "Junior Sister Ci, have you finished your meditation?"

Ruan Ci stood still and said, "Senior Brother Li, Senior Sister Chi, you go first. During this adventure, I have gained some insights into my cultivation and wish to go into seclusion here for a few days. Since the True Person has left a path, with your skills and without the burden of others, reaching the Yiyun Ferry should be a certainty. Senior Brother Li, let us meet again in the Bao Yun Sea. Senior Sister Chi, may your journey be safe. Once we return to the sect, if fate allows, we can boil tea and talk through the night."

Li Pingyan and Chi Pengpeng were both stunned, but since Ruan Ci said she wanted to go into seclusion to meditate, they would not force her, nor would they mention staying to protect her. Li Pingyan said, "Take care, Junior Sister. Be sure to set up a formation for protection when in seclusion. Let us meet again in the Bao Yun Sea!"

He transformed into a streak of light, circled the eight characters several times, and flew upward into the distance. Chi Pengpeng walked a few steps, looked back at Ruan Ci, smiled, and said, "I hope that one day, Junior Sister’s invitation can come true. Having been away from home for so long, living with such freedom and settling grudges, I have almost forgotten the days inside the sect."

She sacrificed her golden bracelet, merged her body with it, and flew upward, quickly catching up to Li Pingyan. Two streaks of light, one after the other, soon crossed the cliff and disappeared above the dense forest. Ruan Ci watched them go in the wind, flew back to the Phoenix Intestine, patted her spirit beast bag, and said in a low voice, "Panpan, protect me."

Wang Panpan jumped out, responded, and spat out several formation disks, setting them up in the passageway. Ruan Ci held the Spirit Brilliance Jade Wall, her slender fingers tapping continuously. The three tail-biting dragons on the jade wall began to rotate, spinning faster and faster, and the green color of the dragon bodies grew deeper. No one knew how much time had passed when suddenly, a drop of green spiritual dew dripped from the jade wall and landed right in Ruan Ci’s palm.

After the dragon patterns spat out their essence, they did not appear withered; instead, they lost some of their heaviness and transmitted a feeling of joy to Ruan Ci. On Ruan Ci’s wrist, the jade bracelet transformed from the Donghua sword suddenly jumped, continuously sending a sense of urgency to her. Ruan Ci backhanded the spiritual dew onto the jade bracelet. With a soft hum, the bracelet jumped violently and transformed into a long green sword, hanging in the air and radiating light. The green light transformed from the drop of spiritual dew flowed up and down, and mysterious runes appeared on the sword body. Ruan Ci was about to look closely, but a huge wave surged into her spiritual sense. Through her firm connection with the Donghua sword, it transmitted a vast, pure spiritual power like the sea. Above the jade pool, the spiritual energy was no longer dripping like pearls, but surging down like a waterfall.

Ruan Ci immediately held her breath and focused, refining this surging spiritual energy with all her might. Strangely, the spiritual energy the Donghua sword had originally sent her, while pure, had to be refined through her technique to become her own. But this time, the surging spiritual energy seemed to be inextricably linked to Ruan Ci; with only a slight movement of her technique, it immediately merged with the spiritual power in her body.

Unknowingly, Ruan Ci had forgotten both herself and the world, reaching a mysterious and indescribable realm. The "Green Brilliance Secret Record" technique in her body circulated endlessly, but her spiritual platform remained without a single thought, empty and silent. Her body was like a withered tree, drifting with the current in the spiritual energy. Her consciousness was hazy, and countless illusions flowed before her eyes, all of them like passing smoke, leaving not the slightest mark in Ruan Ci’s heart.

The Donghua sword opened the heavens and split the earth, one sword giving birth to all things. The divine sword was towering and majestic, pinning through the universe, with the sun and moon as ornaments and starlight as tassels. In the blink of an eye, it transformed back into a long sword in her hand, held by a person in plain clothes. With a casual wave, the sword intent flew to some unknown part of the universe. The ripples alone, just a single ripple, had already struck down a primordial phoenix that covered the sky and sun. That phoenix was also incredibly fierce, its body split in two, yet the phoenix head still struggled to peck at the sword intent, shattering the sword Qi, swallowing it, and only then, with a mournful cry, fell into the great heaven beneath it...

When Ruan Ci opened her eyes, she was still somewhat dazed. The universe she had just seen was similar to her own, yet there were undeniable differences. If she wasn't mistaken, it was... it was the scene of the Yin-Yang Five Elements Dao Ancestor holding a sword to strike down a primordial phoenix in the old universe!

Although she had forgotten the face, being able to see the scene of the Yin-Yang Five Elements Dao Ancestor in the old universe was still a rare karmic connection. Ruan Ci savored it for a long time before looking inward, her eyebrows rising slightly—she had long felt those three wisps of sword Qi leaping, as if something was about to be fed back to her, and she had guessed that this primordial phoenix might be connected to the Donghua sword, which was why the sword Qi had devoured the stalagmites so cleanly. But she had not expected that the feedback from absorbing the residual origin of the Donghua sword’s sword intent would be so generous. This residual origin sword intent, left behind who knew how many billions or tens of billions of years ago, had allowed her to cross two high platforms in one go. At this moment, three layers were solidified, and the fourth layer was already half-condensed!

Having condensed two high platforms in succession, what she saw with her eyes and heard with her ears seemed different from before. In the inner landscape, Ruan Ci stepped up two more platforms and looked down, feeling that the jade pool reflected the outside world more concretely and minutely, and her perspective was higher and further, allowing her to see more in the aura field. Looking up at the faint spiritual sense sea, she was even closer, and her thoughts moved faster than before.

More changes were about to be realized, but she felt the formation disk being touched. Wang Panpan transmitted, "If you are awake, then come out of seclusion."

Ruan Ci put away the formation disk, stood up, walked to the cave entrance, and asked, "What is it? Has someone come?"

Wang Panpan squatted at the cave entrance, looking down at the riverbank, her cat tail flicking back and forth. "Come and watch the fun, increase your knowledge—I told you to stay here, but not really for you to practice here. You were good, saying you'd go into seclusion and then doing it. If you hadn't happened to wake up, you would have missed this experience."

Ruan Ci walked to her side and sat down, dangling her small feet, and asked curiously, "What is there to see?"

If Wang Panpan hadn't transmitted to her, Ruan Ci would have left with Li Pingyan, and the two would have had each other to rely on. Ruan Ci had thought it was related to Zhou Zhi, that the two were going to ambush the Yanshan envoy, but she hadn't expected Wang Panpan to let her increase her knowledge. She was a bit curious and boasted to Wang Panpan, "Besides, what’s wrong with my seclusion? Do you want to see my cultivation?"

Wang Panpan naturally wanted to see. She leaned on Ruan Ci’s shoulder, told her to release her concealed inner landscape, and after looking closely for a few moments, she couldn't help but nod. "You really have some luck. You gained quite a few benefits in this Phoenix Intestine, didn't you? Who knows when this primordial phoenix was struck down here by the Green Lord. After being exposed to wind and rain for so many years, it actually left behind such a wisp of sword intent, allowing you to refine the divine sword again and get its feedback, pushing your cultivation up two layers."

Ruan Ci also said, "This saves decades of hard work. I’m afraid if I do this a few more times, I won't have the heart to practice, and will just go out seeking death every day, looking for Donghua remnants to improve my cultivation."

Wang Panpan meowed with a laugh, "You are already at the twelfth level of Foundation Establishment, becoming a vessel for the Green Lord to manifest in the world. Isn't this what everyone expects you to do? True Person Wang expects you to do this, the Sect Master expects you to do this, and even..."

"Even Sister Xie and you expect me to do this, right?" Ruan Ci said. Wang Panpan did not deny it, just raised her paw and started licking it. "Your goals are different, but you all hope I will search for the fragments and make up for Donghua’s incompleteness... Before I left, my master also asked me if I knew what this path meant."

Wang Panpan said, "And how did you answer?"

Ruan Ci told her, "I said I knew, but I didn't really care."

Wang Panpan stared at her for a while, her paw held in mid-air for a long time, before she shook her fur and lowered her head to lick again. Ruan Ci leaned against the cave side, looking at the cold moonlight on the horizon, feeling relaxed and at ease. She actually had many things to say to Wang Panpan and many things to arrange, but she felt there was no rush. This moment of leisure, looking at the moon and smiling, was precious and rare.

No one knew how much time had passed when, in the corner of her vision, something moved slightly. Ruan Ci gave an "eh" and looked down. "Panpan, look, on the riverbank—"

Wang Panpan also lowered her head to look at the riverbank and said, "I really wasn't wrong. Forty-nine days, this seed of love should be flying back to its master."

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Updated, sorry for the wait, sending red envelopes to everyone this chapter.

Answering why Chi Pengpeng said she was a Sword Envoy with wings: because Zhou Zhi might be lurking nearby to kill the Sword Envoy with wings. Ruan Ci could pass on her own without needing to release sword Qi to prove her identity, and Ruan Ci’s friends could also pass, but Chi Pengpeng’s subordinates could not. It was Chi Pengpeng’s need, so she had to bear this risk for Ruan Ci.

What else was there? I saw a comment yesterday and wanted to say it but forgot...

Eating dumplings for lunch today! Thanks for everyone’s blessings yesterday!!! I read a very good novel, "Crossing to the Seventies to be an Educated Youth," and recommend it to everyone. I think the writing style is a bit dry, but the heroine is truly shrewd and grand, material for a cadre!

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Thank you all very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!