Chapter 74

The Path to the Dao Ends Here

Since entering Huang Shoushan, not even a month had passed, yet the team of over ten people had suffered successive losses, leaving only six. The death of Meng Lingyue was a heavy blow to everyone, but being in such a dangerous place, they could not wallow in grief. The group collected Meng Lingyue's remains and divided up the carcass of the demon bird before hurriedly returning to Phoenix Intestine to set up camp and rest. Although the green jade miasma was also very dense there, the demon birds would not come to harass them, and it was further 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 by the dismembered corpses. After the group ascended to Phoenix Intestine, Ruan Ci retracted her sword Qi, and countless insects crawled out from the gravel to lick the bloodstains. 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 quite 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 complexion was still pale, but her tone was calm. "I am going to activate my Dao-Protecting Jade Pendant. Zhixuan will come with me. Thank you for your care along the way. When you come to the Pinghai Sect in the future, we shall meet again."

Li Pingyan frowned and said, "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 subsided and the demon had been slain, Ruan Ci had revealed her identity as a Sword Envoy with wings, and with the protection of the Donghua Sword Qi, the rest of the journey would be much easier. Junior Sister Lian choosing to withdraw now felt somewhat regrettable. Li Pingyan and Chi Pengpeng both 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 taking care of me. It is very difficult for us to survive. If one's strength is insufficient, one should not continue to be greedy. If I had used the Dao-Protecting Jade Pendant earlier and taken Zhixuan away, Senior Sister would only have 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 thought of the conversation the two had inside Phoenix Intestine and sighed slightly. If she had been stingy to the end back then, those people would have been left in Phoenix Stomach waiting for rescue and might not have met with disaster. She hadn't expected that these young disciples would not implicate Chi Pengpeng, but instead implicate Meng Lingyue.

Li Pingyan said in a deep voice, "Junior Sister Lian, if you stay, I will certainly treat you all equally, just like my fellow disciples. 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 died partly to save you and partly for us, but in the end, it was her own choice. She was deeply devoted to you, and 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 have elixirs here, and the Dance Music Drum can also provide shielding, giving her a chance to catch her breath and recover."

Junior Sister Lian said, "It's useless. Senior Brother Li is positioned too far ahead; apart from Senior Sister, no one can shield him. Even if I were to take out the Dao-Protecting Jade Pendant, unless Senior Brother Li is willing to give up his Dao path, it wouldn't be able to save him. Senior Sister had thought of everything; she did this only after having 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 a bright future ahead of her, yet she was delayed by her romantic thoughts. 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 become a prophecy. Although she didn't go to the Hengze Heaven, she died for you in the end. I hate you in my heart, but I also hope you can take good care of yourself and go further on the Dao path. I imagine this is also Senior Sister's wish."

"This pearl hairpin is a rare treasure Senior Sister bought at the sect. When the bright pearl falls, it can avoid miasma and deadly dust, and the hairpin body has other wondrous uses. I give it to you; you may dispose of it however you wish."

Li Pingyan took the pearl hairpin and thrust it into his chest with a backhand motion. The hairpin entered his flesh, but no blood dripped out. He said calmly, "I am grateful for Lingyue's deep affection, and I have nothing to repay it with. Thank you, Junior Sister Lian, for the hairpin. From now on, it will always accompany me 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 to walk toward the cave entrance. After a few steps, she paused, looked back, and sighed, "I used to think that if I were lucky enough to be accepted into a Sheng Sect, I would achieve great things. Today I know that I don't even have self-awareness, and my Dao heart is fragile. I rely on others for everything; I am truly unworthy of seeking a higher Dao."

Meng Zhixuan, at her side, raised his hand and said, "Fellow Daoists, let us part ways here!"

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

Pan Tanruo hesitated for a moment, then started running to catch up, 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 Li Pingyan a deep bow, then covered his face and chased after them without further explanation. Li Pingyan sighed, but ultimately did not force him. A cultivator's Dao path depends entirely on their own thoughts. Since Pan Tanruo was unwilling to continue forward, and Li Pingyan could not guarantee he would survive if he did, retreating now was actually the best opportunity.

The three turned the corner, their presence gradually fading away. They paused at the cave entrance for a while, and a profound aura surged into the clouds. In just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a rolling aura approached from afar—it was the very aura recorded by the jade pendant just moments ago. One moment it was still on the horizon, and in an instant, it arrived before this cliff.

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

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

Chi Pengpeng looked up and said, "This is a path left for us by the True Person. Following this path, we should be able to reach the main road. Time is of the essence; let us set off quickly."

Although the great beings summoned by the Dao-Protecting Jade Pendant would only rescue those disciples whose Dao paths were severed, if others remained, they would usually give them a helping hand. Just like now, although the two sides had never met, the path left by the True Person was already a great help. Li Pingyan did not stand on ceremony; he replaced the anti-miasma talisman on his body and looked at Ruan Ci. "Junior Sister Ci, have you finished recovering?"

Ruan Ci, however, stood still and said, "Senior Brother Li, Senior Sister Chi, you go ahead. I have gained some insights into my cultivation during this adventure and wish to go into seclusion here for a few days. Since the True Person has left a path, with your skills and fewer burdens, it should be a sure thing to reach the Yiyun Ferry. Senior Brother Li, we shall meet again at the Baoyun Sea. Senior Sister Chi, have a safe journey. Once we return to the sect, we can boil tea and talk through the night if fate allows."

Li Pingyan and Chi Pengpeng were both stunned. However, 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 during your seclusion. We shall meet again at the Baoyun 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 with a smile, and said, "I hope that Junior Sister's promise can come true one day. Having been away from home for so long, living freely 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, quickly crossed the cliff and disappeared into the sky above the dense forest. Ruan Ci watched them go in the wind, flew back to Phoenix Intestine, patted her spirit beast bag, and said in a deep voice, "Panpan, protect me."

Wang Panpan jumped out, responded, and spat out several formation disks, setting them up properly in the corridor. Ruan Ci held the Spirit Brilliance Jade Disk, her slender fingers tapping continuously. The three swimming dragons chasing their tails on the jade disk began to rotate, 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 spirit dew dripped from the jade disk and landed right in Ruan Ci's palm.

After the dragon patterns spat out the essence, they did not wither; instead, they became less heavy than before 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 transmitting a sense of urgency to her. Ruan Ci backhanded the spirit dew onto the jade bracelet. Hearing a soft hum, the jade bracelet jumped violently and transformed into a long green sword, hanging in the air and radiating light. The green light transformed from that drop of spirit dew flowed up and down, and the mysterious runes on the sword body emerged accordingly. Just as Ruan Ci was about to focus her eyes to look closely, a huge wave surged into her spiritual sense. Through her firm connection with it, the Donghua Sword transmitted pure spiritual power as vast as the sea. Above the Jade Pool, the spiritual power was no longer rolling down like pearls, but surging and pounding down like a waterfall.

Ruan Ci immediately held her breath and focused her mind, refining this surging spiritual energy with all her might. Strangely enough, although the spiritual power originally transmitted to her by the Donghua Sword was pure, it still required the operation of cultivation techniques to be refined and made her own. But this time, the surging spiritual energy seemed to be closely related to Ruan Ci; with just a slight operation of her cultivation technique, it immediately merged with the spiritual power in her body.

Unknowingly, Ruan Ci had forgotten both herself and the world, reaching a certain mysterious and indescribable realm. The "Green Brilliance Secret Record" cultivation technique in her body circulated endlessly, but her spiritual platform was free of 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 she didn't know how many illusions flowed before her eyes; they were all passing clouds and did not leave 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, piercing through the universe, with the sun and moon as pendants 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 went off to some unknown part of the universe. The ripples, just a mere trace of a ripple, had already cut down a primordial phoenix that covered the sky and blocked the sun. The phoenix was also extremely fierce, its body split into two, but the phoenix head still struggled to peck at the sword intent, pecking the sword Qi into pieces, raising its head to swallow it, before letting out a mournful cry and falling into the great heaven beneath it...

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

Although she had forgotten the appearance, being able to see the scene of the Dao Ancestor of Yin-Yang and Five Elements in the old universe was still a rare opportunity. Ruan Ci couldn't help but savor it for a long time. Only then did she operate her cultivation to look inside, and her eyebrows rose slightly—she had long felt those three wisps of sword Qi leaping and moving, as if something was about to be fed back to her. She had even guessed that this primordial phoenix might have some connection with the Donghua Sword, which was why the sword Qi had swallowed the stalagmites so cleanly. But she had never expected that the feedback from absorbing the residual sword intent origin of the Donghua Sword would be so generous. This residual origin sword intent left behind tens or hundreds of billions of years ago had actually allowed her to cross two high platforms in one go. At this moment, three layers were solidified, and the fourth layer was also 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 world, Ruan Ci took steps to climb two more platforms. Looking down, she felt that the Jade Pool reflected the scene outside more concretely and meticulously, and her perspective was higher and further. In the field of aura, she could see more. Looking up at the looming spiritual sense sea, she was a bit closer, and her thoughts turned faster than before.

Just as she was about to meditate on the other changes, she felt the formation disk being touched. Wang Panpan transmitted a voice, "If you are awake, then come out of seclusion."

Ruan Ci put away the formation disk, got up, walked to the cave entrance, and asked, "What's wrong? Has someone come?"

Wang Panpan squatted at the cave entrance, looking down at the riverbank, her cat tail flicking back and forth. "Come and see the excitement, gain some knowledge—I told you to stay here, but not really for you to practice here. You are good; you said seclusion and you went into seclusion. If you hadn't happened to wake up, you would have really 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 a voice to her, Ruan Ci would have left with Li Pingyan, and the two would have had each other to rely on. Ruan Ci thought it was related to Zhou Zhi Mo, that the two were going to ambush the Yanshan envoy, but she didn't expect Wang Panpan to let her gain knowledge. She was also 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. It rested on Ruan Ci's shoulder, told her to release her concealed inner landscape world, and after looking closely for a few moments, couldn't help but nod. "You really have some luck, having gained quite a few benefits in this Phoenix Intestine, right? I don't know when this primordial phoenix was cut down here by the Green Lord. After being blown by the wind and rained on for so many years, it actually left such a wisp of sword intent, calling you to refine the divine sword again and get its feedback, pushing your cultivation up by two layers."

Ruan Ci also said, "This saves decades of hard practice. I'm afraid if I do this a few more times, I won't have the heart to practice, going out every day to risk my life, looking for Donghua remnants to improve my cultivation."

Wang Panpan laughed meowingly. "You are already at the twelfth layer of Foundation Establishment, becoming a piece of the Green Lord's reliance to manifest in the world. Isn't this what everyone is hoping you will do? True Person Wang hopes you will do this, the Sect Master hopes you will do this, and even..."

"Even Sister Xie and you hope I will do this, right?" Ruan Ci said, and Wang Panpan did not deny it, just raised its claws and licked them. "Your goals are different, but you all hope I will search for the fragments and make up for the Donghua deficiency... 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 it, "I said I knew, but I didn't really care."

Wang Panpan stared at her for a while, its claws raised in mid-air, pausing for a long time before shaking its fur and lowering its head to lick again. Ruan Ci leaned against the cave side, looking at the cold moonlight on the horizon, feeling leisurely and at ease. She actually had many things to say to Wang Panpan and many things to arrange, but she felt that these were not urgent. This moment of leisure, looking at the moon and smiling, was instead precious and rare.

I don't know how much time passed when, in the corner of her vision, something moved slightly. Ruan Ci let out an "eh," lowered her head to look, "Panpan, look, on the riverbank—"

Wang Panpan also lowered its head to look at the riverbank and said, "I really guessed right. Forty-nine days, this Love Seed should be flying back to its master."

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Updated, sorry for the wait, everyone. I'm sending out red envelopes for this chapter.

Answering why Chi Pengpeng said she was a Sword Envoy with wings: because Zhou Zhi Mo might be ambushing nearby to kill the Sword Envoy with wings. Ruan Ci can pass by herself without releasing sword Qi to prove her identity, and Ruan Ci's friends can also pass, but Chi Pengpeng's subordinates cannot. It is Chi Pengpeng's need, so she has 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 to everyone for the blessings yesterday!!! I read a very good novel, "Crossing 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 very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!