Chapter 103: Pei Zhi

BOOM!!!

This lightning strike was utterly ferocious; before Chen Hang could react, Fuchan Laozu, reduced to nothing but a skull, was effortlessly torn to shreds!

In the same instant, the vast expanse of the Water-Moon Mirror Heaven was likewise reduced to ashes by the muffled detonation.

Ten thousand hectares of azure waves surged upward, spiraling violently; columns of water shot out like arrows, writhing like dragons and serpents, then exploded midair with continuous thunderous crashes, scattering in all directions!

Amid this cataclysmic upheaval that seemed to overturn heaven and earth, Chen Hang was instantly swept into the tidal waves, unable to respond at all—he would be forcibly ejected from the Water-Moon Mirror Heaven in an instant.

Just as his spiritual sense was about to be forced back into his physical body in the mortal world.

CRACK! With a furious roar from Fuchan Laozu, somewhere unseen, the already cracked Water-Moon world was barely stabilized once more!

“Primordial… Chen…”

The next instant came Fuchan Laozu’s faint, indistinct voice.

“Bashé… Chiming Sect… Wen Ji Tian…”

“Go to the Yuluo Immortal Mansion, seek out Chen Runzi and Chen Yuanji—they and the Kongkong Daoist—”

Before he could hear more than a few stumbling words, Fuchan Laozu’s voice faded away.

Then, in a long, chilling silence.

The Water-Moon world, just barely held together, began to crack apart once more, as if releasing countless radiant, colorful auroras and misty glows.

Chen Hang’s consciousness also grew hazy, as if split in two.

Sometimes, he was a glowing orb of light, still lingering within the crumbling Water-Moon Mirror Heaven, beneath him churning, surging waves.

Other times, he was abruptly returned to the mortal world, trapped within the great cocoon formed by the Evil Wrath Yin Sheng Demon Art, unable to escape…

Amid this back-and-forth flux, Fuchan Laozu’s voice rose again, faintly, but now only in scattered, broken fragments, disconnected and incoherent.

Amid unceasing explosions, the Water-Moon Mirror Heaven finally collapsed, shattered completely by another devastating thunderclap.

Winds and clouds vanished; lake and moon both shattered!

“Pei Zhi! When I return to the mountain, I’ll settle accounts with you!”

“Tai Su Jade Body—”

As Chen Hang’s consciousness was expelled back into his physical body, Fuchan Laozu, voice hoarse and desperate, forced out his final words:

“Channel spiritual energy into your Tai Su Jade Body first! Remember! Do not rashly attempt Foundation Establishment—”

Before he could finish even that, Fuchan Laozu’s voice cut off again, falling silent. Chen Hang sighed inwardly in silence, and instantly, a long, weightless sensation of falling through emptiness swept over him.

His vision darkened; he could no longer see anything.

When he opened his eyes again, there was no longer any lake, moonlight, mist, or aurora before him.

He remained trapped within the palace on Fuyu Lake, regarded by Huaiwu Cave Lord and the Evil Wrath Yin Sheng Demon Art as a vessel for soul possession and rebirth.

“Laozu?”

Chen Hang sent a mental message.

This time, no one answered.

He waited several breaths; only hollow silence filled his ears.

“Enhance the Tai Su Jade Body’s cultivation—”

Chen Hang lowered his eyelids, his gaze flickering slightly:

“The rest of that sentence… was telling me not to rashly attempt Foundation Establishment?”

…

…

“Pei Zhi! Pei Zhi! You little brat, you’re dead! When we return to Yangrang Mountain, I’ll personally go to the Dao Jun and file a complaint— I’ll bury you under it!”

“The Dao Jun is currently visiting friends in Ranluo Gongshou Heaven; Laozu probably won’t even get to see her noble presence.”

At this moment,

high above Fuyu Lake, in the ten-thousand-zhang clouds, Fuchan Laozu, now reduced to half a skull, was furiously screaming into the void—had he still had a full body, he would have clenched his fists and pounded the air in rage.

Before Fuchan Laozu’s gaze stood a tall, beautiful woman with her hair styled in a flying-immortal bun. Her beauty was exquisite, cold, and indescribably arresting.

Her shoulders were like carved jade, her waist slender as a bound silk ribbon. Her neck was long and graceful, her fair skin exposed. She wore a deep emerald Langxiao Feather Robe, adorned with a precious Yangyang hairpin. Her features were as finely painted as brushwork, her eyes like autumn waters, radiating shimmering hues of purple, blue, yellow, and white—ethereal, divine, profoundly mysterious.

Hearing her indifferent reply, Fuchan Laozu grew even more furious. Though now only half a skull remained, he still felt his heart pounding wildly, as if it might leap out of his throat.

“When did you sneak over here? Why aren’t you staying inside your cave realm to refine your Three Treasures? What are you doing out here causing chaos?!”

He shouted through gritted teeth:

“You little brat, you nearly scared me to death! I thought Chen Yushu had used the Zhongtian Dou Shu to track me down and strike from afar!”

“That man is currently trapped inside the Demon Sect’s cave realm, unable to take a single step out—hated by Heaven, blocked by Pure Yang Thunder Tribulations. Even with boundless divine power, he cannot accurately perceive Laozu’s careful arrangements.”

Pei Zhi’s voice remained cool and detached:

“Unless Chen Yushu can escape his cave realm, there’s only a slim chance. But in his pitiful state now, the power of Zhongtian Dou Shu is greatly diminished. What you said is pure fantasy.”

“...That’s a relief. I was truly frightened—I thought Chen Yushu had gone mad.”

Fuchan Laozu first exhaled in relief, then paused, and immediately erupted again in fury:

“No! Who cares about Chen Yushu? I’m asking you—why aren’t you refining your Three Treasures inside your cave realm? Why are you here at Fuyu Lake? Are you bored out of your mind?”

“Of course, it’s for Laozu.”

“Me?”

“Chen Yushu’s rise has aligned with the six Demon Sects’ surge of destiny—his momentum is unstoppable. Even the Eight Xuan Sects cannot stop him. In the future, the Qianyuan Sichen Palace will surely have a place for him.”

Pei Zhi spoke without expression:

“His attainment of the Union Dao realm is inevitable—only a matter of time. Will Laozu really risk bringing this enemy upon Tai Fu Palace for the sake of a little pity?”

“How could it come to this… how could it? You always overreact.”

Fuchan Laozu’s furious rage instantly extinguished, as if doused with a bucket of icy water.

He awkwardly drooped his eyebrows, then after a long pause, chuckled awkwardly:

“Chen Yushu has sired so many offspring—what’s one Chen Hang? Insignificant! Insignificant! Even if he escapes, it won’t matter. Why are you so anxious?”

After speaking, Fuchan Laozu felt his words were perfectly reasonable and his confidence swelled.

He blinked, then ventured:

“Why not I send him another message, finish what I didn’t say?”

“Aren’t those monk bastards always saying, ‘Saving one life builds seven-tiered pagodas’? Laozu accumulates some merit, and you, little brat, get some too?”

“Why does Laozu want to save him?” Pei Zhi asked.

Fuchan Laozu fell silent for a moment, about to speak—when Pei Zhi interrupted him again.

“Is it because Chen Yan? Do you feel guilty for causing her death, so now you pity Chen Hang, who shares her fate, and want to make up for it through him?”

Fuchan Laozu rolled his eyes and said nothing.

“So, how exactly does Laozu plan to teach Chen Hang to escape death?”

After a pause, Pei Zhi suddenly smiled faintly.

“You agreed? Really?”

Fuchan Laozu, who had given up all hope, suddenly perked up.

He studied Pei Zhi carefully, grinned, then broke into a broad smile.

“The best way is to join Chiming Sect! You don’t know—this boy has already become close with one of their True Disciples. With Chiming Sect’s protection, even Chen Yushu’s boundless power can do nothing—he’ll have to give up! How’s that for a way out?”

“Which True Disciple of Chiming Sect?”

“Wei Lingjiang!”

Pei Zhi fell into thought, then slowly curled her lips into a cold sneer, a mocking expression flashing across her radiant face.

“Wei Lingjiang? So it’s that Wei family girl. Doesn’t she want to avenge her own father? Yet here she is, falling in love—how utterly foolish.”

“The Dao Jun once said her future Dao potential could rival mine. Now I see—she’s merely a fool obsessed with petty emotions. How could she ever be worthy to stand beside me, Pei Zhi?”

“They’re happily in love—what’s it to you, you cruel little brat? Even this you have to mock?”

Fuchan Laozu chuckled bitterly: “Your tongue is still as sharp as ever!”

“Laozu says joining Chiming Sect is the best strategy. In my view, it’s the worst. Even if Wei Lingjiang is a True Disciple, she’s not a Dao Heir. The Chiming Sect’s Dao Jun won’t waste effort on her behalf.”

Pei Zhi ignored Fuchan Laozu, her dark brows slightly raised:

“What else?”

“The other option is to seek out the Yuluo Immortal Mansion and seek refuge with Chen Runzi and Chen Yuanji—they’re his brothers, they’ll at least lend a hand. Chen Yushu’s true body is trapped, unable to reach them—surely he can’t do anything…”

Fuchan Laozu spread his hands and laughed loudly:

“There are always more solutions than you think. Once I reveal his true origins and give him a few hints, he may not escape forever—but a temporary escape? That’s easy!”

“How?”

Fuchan Laozu probed: “Are these good plans? Can I now send him a message?”

Seeing Pei Zhi’s eyelids slightly lowered, her expression faintly amused but not directly answering,

Fuchan Laozu struggled to think, turning it over and over in his mind—he still couldn’t tell if she agreed or refused.

After much internal turmoil, suddenly, as if grasping a possibility, he raised his head hesitantly, his expression complex.

“That wouldn’t be right,” he whispered.

Pei Zhi looked puzzled.

“You’re not… taken with Chen Hang, are you? You won’t let me speak because you want to save him yourself—to make him remember you deeply? That… isn’t right.”

“Wei Lingjiang got there first, girl. If you forcibly steal someone’s love, word will spread—and it won’t be a good story.”

The more Fuchan Laozu spoke, the more convinced he became—he had guessed the truth.

His remaining half-skull lit up with delight, his spirit soaring.

If it weren’t for such intentions.

Why would Pei Zhi have come all the way from Yangrang Mountain to this Fuyu Bay?

And even if she came, why did she wait until the very moment I was about to reveal the truth to unleash her Thunder Art and shatter my Water-Moon Mirror Sky?

If the first two were merely acting according to duty, one might understand…

But now that everything is done, why does Pei Zhi still linger in Fuyu Bay, listening to how I plan to save Chen Hang?

All these actions together must mean something is amiss!

“You—”

“What’s the Ancestor raging about now?”

Before Fu Can Ancestor could finish laughing, Pei Zhi gave him a strange glance:

“Am I that familiar with the Chen Hang you speak of? We’ve never even properly met—how can you claim I harbor feelings for him? That’s utterly absurd!”

“Then you—”

“Blocking you from revealing his origins was Elder Wei’s wish. I happened to be idle, so I came over just to watch the show.”

Pei Zhi’s voice remained cool and detached, yet her lips twitched faintly, enhancing her deep, radiant beauty with an inexplicably captivating air:

“As for why I chose to shatter your Water-Moon Mirror Sky just as you were about to speak—and why I haven’t left yet, listening to your trivial nonsense—”

She finally covered her mouth and laughed, speaking slowly:

“Why don’t you guess?”

“What do you mean?” Fu Can Ancestor felt an unexplained unease stir in his chest.

“...Wait! You didn’t come here just to watch me make a fool of myself, did you?!”

His face froze rigid—he had finally guessed the truth.

“Correct.”

Pei Zhi smiled sweetly.

“I thought you truly meant to spare me, letting me save Chen Hang once! How did you turn into such a devilish creature, just like me, loving to watch the spectacle?!”

Fu Can Ancestor glared and shouted: “What do you want?! What madness is this?!”

“Then what did you want when you tricked me into eating mud for a whole month, claiming daily consumption would grant me transcendence and flight? What was your goal? What madness was that?”

Pei Zhi’s expression didn’t change; she smiled faintly:

“Of course, my Tai Fu Palace never meddles in outside affairs. Whether Chen Hang lives or dies is none of your concern—stop wasting your energy and cease your futile efforts.”

“You—”

Fu Can Ancestor grew frantic.

He wanted to argue further, but Pei Zhi, having enjoyed her spectacle, was satisfied; she summoned a talismanic light into the air and vanished into the distance, her form gone in an instant.

Beneath ten thousand zhang of clouded sky.

Within the palaces of Fuyu Bay.

The Evil Anger Yin Sheng Demon finally sensed something was wrong; after a startled cry, it shed Chen Hang’s body as a flickering, shadowy wraith and hovered uncertainly in midair.

“Liu Niang, what’s wrong?”

Huaiwu Cave Lord frowned: “What’s amiss?”

“This man… his true qi is not as lowly as you claimed! Moreover, something within him has neutralized my demonic energy!”

The Evil Anger Yin Sheng Demon forced back her fear and hurled a crimson death-light—but the instant it struck Chen Hang’s face, it was cleanly blocked by a thin golden glow, emitting a dull, bell-like chime.

“Is this… Golden Light Divine Talisman?!”

Seeing this, the Evil Anger Yin Sheng Demon completely lost composure; her demonic shadow darted behind the ritual altar, trembling in terror.

“Ai Yuan! This must be someone from the Ai clan, sent to handle Ai Yuan’s affairs! Think of something—hurry! I can’t die here!”

Hearing the desperate wailing behind him, Huaiwu Cave Lord’s face darkened; he too lost his composure.

He quickly reached into his sleeve, about to act—when his ears suddenly twitched, as if catching a sound.

“What is this?”

Huaiwu Cave Lord looked up toward the southeast sky, his heart lurching:

“What kind of disturbance is this?”