Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Can destiny not be changed?

As he spoke, Jiang Zhaoxue pushed Shen Yuqing away and walked out.

Shen Yuqing was dazed for a moment, then reacted and quickly caught up. She pulled Jiang Zhaoxue back just before she opened the door, raised her hand and used her wide sleeve to block the blood rushing towards her. When she lowered her sleeve, she saw Pei Zichen standing outside the door, having slain a life-eating beast. He looked back calmly, "The barrier is broken."

As he spoke, he subconsciously looked at Jiang Zhaoxue behind Shen Yuqing, but could only see a corner of her clothes, just as in his dream, and hurriedly moved away.

"Master! Master's Wife!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Mu Jinyue and Ming rushed in with Pei Shulan.

Jiang Zhaoxue didn't say much. He glanced around and saw that Pei Zichen and Shen Yuqing had already started the sword formation.

Their sword formations were densely packed to kill the life-eating beasts that pounced into the room, but sword cultivators were naturally limited in their abilities to deal with such numerous and difficult-to-kill creatures. At this moment, they relied entirely on the density of the sword rain to forcibly kill them.

However, this method consumes a lot of spiritual energy and can't be maintained for long. They both looked at Jiang Zhaoxue. Jiang Zhaoxue decisively took out the Qiankun Lottery and casually turned it: "The way of heaven is unpredictable, gamble your luck with the heavens, the best is the best, kill the evil in all directions! Go!"

The best fortune stick fell to the ground, and Jiang Zhaoxue crushed the stick with one hand. Thunder roared down, striking the life-eating beasts densely. In just an instant, the life-eating beasts were all reduced to ashes.

The temple fell silent for a moment, with a bright moon in the sky. If it weren't for the reminder of the wall that was knocked down by the life-eating beast, it would seem as if nothing had happened.

Pei Shulan breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from her forehead, stepped back, and slumped down on a chair, gasping for breath: "This is terrifying... What the hell are these things..."

"Is Madam Pei okay?"

Jiang Zhaoxue listened to Pei Shulan's words, her tone softened a bit, and she looked over with concern.

Pei Shulan raised her pale face and smiled bitterly: "To be honest with Master Jiang, I have never seen anything like this in my life. It is indeed not good at the moment."

"Mrs. Pei, don't worry." Jiang Zhaoxue glanced at Pei Zichen, and Pei Zichen understood what Jiang Zhaoxue meant and stepped forward to pour tea for Pei Shulan.

Pei Shulan took the tea and listened to Jiang Zhaoxue's soothing words: "These things only look scary, but they are not a big deal. We will definitely protect Madam Pei's safety."

"Don't talk too big."

Ming reminded calmly: "Your barrier can't protect against these things at all."

After saying this, Pei Shulan's face froze, as if she was remembering what had just happened.

Jiang Zhaoxue and the other three did not say anything. Life-eating beasts were not very aggressive. The problem was that they were too secretive. The barriers were useless against them. They also came in groups, and there were too many of them to kill.

"Where on earth did these life-eating beasts come from?"

Pei Zichen looked at Jiang Zhaoxue and reminded her, "Normally, there wouldn't be so many life-eating beasts."

"I know."

Jiang Zhaoxue was thinking and using his spiritual sense to detect the surroundings.

After probing for a moment, she frowned.

Shen Yuqing noticed that her expression was different and couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"

"There are twelve hills here."

"So?" Shen Yuqing didn't understand.

Jiang Zhaoxue calculated and said anxiously, "A mountain just disappeared."

This made Shen Yuqing stunned. Pei Zichen and he both reacted: "Twelve Crossbow Formation?"

Mu Jinyue was also stunned when she heard this term. Pei Shulan beside her didn't understand it, and since it was a matter of life and death, she asked in a mixed tone, "What is this?"

"The Twelve Crossbow Formation is an offensive formation placed within the maze," Jiang Zhaoxue explained patiently. "It traps the target at the center of the formation, while twelve attacks are deployed in the twelve surrounding directions. In this formation, all the spiritual energy released by the target will be absorbed by the next attack, so each attack will be stronger than the last. For example, the power I just used to kill those life-devouring beasts should have been absorbed by the next attack, and the next attack will be something with even greater power than the one I used to kill the life-devouring beasts. Because this attack method is like shooting an arrow from a bow, one arrow per hour, for a total of twelve times, it's called the Twelve Crossbow Formation."

"That……"

Pei Shulan didn't quite understand and only said, "So, every hour, there will be a wave of the same thing as before, and each time it will be much stronger than the last time?"

"Yes." Jiang Zhaoxue nodded. "The more fiercely we resist, the stronger we will be next time."

"Then we're all going to die sooner or later." Pei Shulan's face turned pale. "If we stay here, will we just wait to die?"

"That's true." Jiang Zhaoxue analyzed calmly, "If we stay on the target, there's no way we can win."

"What should we do then?" Pei Shulan panicked, thinking for a long time, and looked at Jiang Zhaoxue, "Master Jiang, where is that lamp? Can't that lamp lead us out? Wouldn't it be fine if we stayed here?"

After these words were spoken, everyone fell silent and looked at Jiang Zhaoxue and Shen Yuqing.

Jiang Zhaoxue remained silent. Shen Yuqing said truthfully, "If we turn on this lamp, both Ah Xue's and my spiritual energy will be exhausted. We will be powerless to resist and will be in danger."

"This is better than now!" Pei Shulan said anxiously, "This way we can at least get out. Although the two immortal masters have exhausted their spiritual power, isn't Pei Xiaodaojun still here?"

This made sense and everyone fell silent.

Jiang Zhaoxue seemed to think seriously for a moment, then nodded and said, "Indeed, with Zichen here, it would be best for us to activate the Yin-Yang Instrument Lamp."

As she spoke, she looked up at Shen Yuqing: "What do you think?"

"Yeah." Shen Yuqing was obviously still a little dazed and nodded casually.

"Then it's settled." Ming spoke calmly, "The next wave of attacks will be in an hour. Everyone, go back to the main hall and rest. After resetting the barrier, Master Chen and Master Jiang can send spiritual energy into the Yin-Yang Instrument Lantern. After turning it on, we can all go out together."

"Alright." Jiang Zhaoxue nodded. "There's a divine presence in the main hall. Although this dilapidated temple doesn't have much divine power, it's better than nothing. That's it."

After everyone decided on the plan, they moved to the main hall together.

After arriving at the main hall, Jiang Zhaoxue first turned on the Mountain and River Bell. Pei Zichen and Shen Yuqing set up the barrier, then sat down and began to make the Yin-Yang Banner.

I don’t know what the next wave of attack will be. If it is a life-eating beast, the Yin-Yang Banner will not be very effective, but if it is any other monster, the Yin-Yang Banner will be indispensable.

Pei Shulan's face was filled with anxiety, but Mu Jinyue, having traveled extensively with Shen Yuqing for years, seemed somewhat more relaxed. The two of them sat aside, Mu Jinyue whispering soothing words to Pei Shulan. Besides Mu Jinyue's soothing voice, the only sounds in the hall were the intertwined sounds of flames and the rustling of brushes as they crafted the Yin-Yang Banner.

Jiang Zhaoxue sat by the fire and went over what had just happened in his mind.

Although Pei Zichen has a paranoid personality, he is well-educated after all. Under normal circumstances, he would not be able to fall asleep tonight, let alone lose his composure to this extent.

Shen Yuqing was even more chaste and averse to lust. Even when they were a married couple, he rarely felt any sexual desire, let alone now?

Even she...

Thinking of Pei Zichen's "Are you willing" just now, Jiang Zhaoxue's heart trembled slightly.

She didn't dare to think too much, and just continued to think that if the three of them had not woken up at the last moment, when those life-eating beasts crawled in, it would have been too late.

Fortunately, she has always been on guard, and although Pei Zichen and Shen Yuqing were addicted for a while, they were both very strong-minded people. With just a little guidance, they were able to react immediately.

They should be mentally affected, but what exactly is affecting them?

Jiang Zhaoxue was thinking when a question suddenly came from the side: "Come to think of it, we've known each other for so long, but it seems like we haven't had a good chat yet."

Ming took the initiative to speak, and everyone present was a little surprised.

Pei Zichen sat in the corner and looked up coldly. Shen Yuqing turned to look at him. Jiang Zhaoxue raised her eyebrows and looked at Ming. Only Mu Jinyue and Pei Shulan seemed to be completely unaware of the strange atmosphere. They looked blankly at Ming who spoke suddenly.

"That was too shocking just now," Ming Hao seemed to know that he had said it abruptly. He glanced at Pei Shulan beside him and said calmly, "There's nothing to do now. Let's just chat and ease Madam Pei's mood."

"That's right." Mu Jinyue listened and slowly reacted. She glanced at Pei Shulan with concern, "Mrs. Pei is still sweating."

"Okay." Jiang Zhaoxue listened, looked at Ming, and said with a smile, "Then why don't we talk about Master Ming's past? Master Ming speaks Daxia Mandarin, and I can't make out his accent. I wonder where his ancestral home is?"

"Taizhou."

When Ming said this, Jiang Zhaoxue and Pei Shulan were both a little surprised.

Pei Shulan finally responded and said with a smile, "That's perfect. I'm from Taizhou too, so we're fellow countrymen. How old is Mr. Ming this year? Where are his parents?"

"Fifteen. My parents abandoned me when I was young. I don't know where I went."

Ming's tone was calm. Pei Shulan listened with a calm expression, as if remembering something. She murmured, "Fifteen... only two years younger than my son..."

"Mrs. Pei's two children don't seem to be only two years younger than me, right?" Ming raised his eyes to look at her with a hint of sharpness.

Pei Shulan smiled bitterly, "I'm not talking about the two at home. I have another child named Xiuji. He was stranded away and his whereabouts are unknown. If he were still alive, he would be seventeen this year."

"Drifting away?" Ming asked indifferently. Pei Shulan froze. Ming chuckled, "I thought you were abandoned by your parents like me."

"What parent would think of abandoning their children?" Pei Shulan smiled stiffly. "If they really wanted to leave their children outside, they would have no other choice..."

"How did Madam Pei and Master Jiang know each other?"

Ming didn't seem to want to hear what Pei Shulan was saying. He looked up at Jiang Zhaoxue and said, "I don't think you two just met in Cangcheng, did you?"

"Oh." Pei Shulan breathed a sigh of relief after hearing him change the subject, and said with a smile, "We met in Taizhou seventeen years ago."

Pei Shulan said this, looking at Pei Zichen with a bit of gentleness in her eyes: "I remember that at that time, Pei Xiaodaojun didn't seem to know any immortal magic?"

"He can," Jiang Zhaoxue explained. "At that time, his spiritual roots were only damaged. We went to Taizhou City to ask the Ye family for the Jade Ganoderma to repair his spiritual roots."

"Can spiritual roots be repaired?"

Ming Minrui spoke up and immediately asked, "If I find the Jade Ganoderma, can I practice it?"

"Repairing and creating something out of nothing are two different things." Pei Zichen knew what Ming was thinking and reminded him, "My spiritual root is only damaged, not gone. The Jade Ganoderma can't help you create a spiritual root."

Ming listened to his hopes being dashed, seemingly unable to accept it, and couldn't help but ask, "Is there no other way? Aren't you gods? Is there no way to help me?"

"You don't have spiritual roots, so you just can't cultivate," Shen Yuqing, who was standing beside him, heard his excitement and said calmly, "But you still have other ways out."

"Weaklings don't even have a chance to survive in this mortal world!" Ming was furious when he heard this. "I'm a useless piece of shit without any spiritual roots. I'll die sooner or later. There's no way out for me!"

"Birth, old age, sickness and death are common in the cycle of reincarnation." Shen Yuqing listened and frowned slightly, "Why do you force it?"

"Then why don't you die?" Ming looked at Shen Yuqing and said angrily, "Since it's a common thing, you should just die. Why cultivate immortality?"

These words made Shen Yuqing choke.

Jiang Zhaoxue couldn't help laughing when she saw Shen Yuqing being humiliated. Everyone around her looked at her, and Jiang Zhaoxue quickly pretended to cough.

Shen Yuqing seemed to want to glare at her, but felt that it would be out of control.

Jiang Zhaoxue tried hard to suppress his smile, trying to look more serious, and said solemnly, "Do you really have to cultivate immortality?"

"want."

"Why?"

"Then why did you save Pei Zichen back then?" Ming stared at her and asked, "Wasn't his spiritual roots shattered and he could not survive? Why did you repair his spiritual roots so that he could continue to cultivate?"

When these words were spoken, everyone present had different expressions.

Everyone looked at Jiang Zhaoxue, all puzzled. Pei Zichen, in the shadows, raised his eyes, remembering how she had desperately held his hand time and time again, gazing at her through the flames of the crowd.

Why should we save a person whose fate is determined by the Book of Destiny, who is destined to die, who is deserted by everyone, who only wants to die, whose tendons and veins are broken, and whose spiritual roots are damaged?

He deserves to die more than anyone else.

Harder to save than anyone else.

This question was too sharp, but with everyone watching, Jiang Zhaoxue couldn't help but answer. He could only repeat the same old thing, using his words from the past as a pretext, saying, "He is a child of destiny, with a bright future. He is also my Taoist disciple. He has been wronged and humiliated, and I cannot go against my moral obligation to save him."

"Then you didn't save me because I was born mud, or because I have nothing to do with you?"

"It's not that I won't save you," Jiang Zhaoxue was embarrassed by his question and explained patiently, "but you don't have a spiritual root. If you want to create a spiritual root, there is only one way."

"What method?"

"Tianyan Teng." Shen Yuqing suddenly spoke.

"What is this?"

Ming spoke anxiously upon hearing this.

"The Tianyan vine is a creature that coexists with and grows alongside divine artifacts," Jiang Zhaoxue thought of it, smiling bitterly. "It grows at the intersection of extreme yin and yang, nurtured by the power of all living things. It takes five hundred years to bloom and another five hundred to bear fruit. It's extremely rare to find one. There are many ways to repair cracks in existing spiritual roots. But if you want to create something out of nothing, or reshape a spiritual root above the Nascent Soul stage, only the Tianyan vine can do it."

"Then... where can we find it?"

Ming knew it was no easy task. Jiang Zhaoxue shook her head and said, "This is a matter of chance. Back then, my mother clan, Penglai, tried their best to find one. I couldn't find it, so I couldn't save him."

“What if I grow it myself?”

He meditated and thought frantically, "If I could use the magic elixir to live for a thousand years, I would plant it now and wait for it to bloom and bear fruit..."

"The Tianyan vine is difficult to grow," Shen Yuqing interrupted him, saying coldly, "For it, the person who planted it is its greatest tonic. So when the Tianyan vine encounters the owner who planted it, it will eat the owner."

Ming was stunned when he heard this. Shen Yuqing looked up at him and said, "Its so-called five hundred years of flowering and five hundred years of fruiting are calculated based on the time it takes to eat its owner. Even if you plant a Tianyan vine, the moment you see it, you will die."

Ming listened, sitting on the ground blankly for a long time. He murmured, "Then... you said you found one. Where is it..."

"I used that one."

Jiang Zhaoxue interrupted him, and Ming was stunned. Jiang Zhaoxue recalled the past and said in a calm tone: "We have returned from 1,200 years ago. The Tianyan vine I told you about will mature in 1,000 years and be used by me. You can't wait for a thousand years, and even if you can, I can't give it to you."

Ming listened, staring blankly at the fire in front of him, sitting quietly without saying a word.

The entire hall fell silent. After a long moment, Ming murmured, "Is fate unchangeable?"

No one answered. Jiang Zhaoxue looked up at him, wanting to say something but not knowing how to start.

He sat by the fire, gradually becoming depressed. After a long time, he seemed to accept the reality and said calmly, "Forget it. If it can't be repaired, then it can't be repaired."

As he spoke, he looked up at the dilapidated temple outside and said in a calm tone, "It's getting late, Master Jiang, please go and light the Yin-Yang Lantern with Master Shen."

Jiang Zhaoxue nodded, stood up and said, "Okay, then let me make it clear. When the Yin-Yang Instrument Lamp is turned on later, it cannot be interrupted. So no matter what happens, you must protect the barrier."

Jiang Zhaoxue looked at Pei Zichen and said, "Do you understand?"

"Disciple understands."

Pei Zichen immediately bowed and spoke solemnly.

Ming also said: "Don't worry, even though I am a mortal, I will do my best to help."

"Me too." Mu Jinyue said immediately, "My disciple's spiritual power is meager, but it can still be considered a help."

"I will never cause trouble." Pei Shulan replied.

Jiang Zhaoxue was quite satisfied with this. After nodding, he looked at Shen Yuqing and said, "Yuqing, please arrange the Yin-Yang Banner first. I will wait for you in the inner hall."

Shen Yuqing responded and took the Yin-Yang Banner outside. Jiang Zhaoxue then stood up and went into the inner hall alone, calling out, "Zichen, pour me a glass of water."

Pei Zichen knew Jiang Zhaoxue had something to tell him when he heard it, so he took some water and went into the inner hall.

Jiang Zhaoxue tidied his clothes and sat upright on the cushion.

Pei Zichen brought the water forward and put the tea down for a moment, then Jiang Zhaoxue grabbed his vital point.

Pei Zichen remained calm and looked up at her. Even though his vital points were locked, he did not resist at all.

Jiang Zhaoxue looked at the young man's non-aggressive eyes, her heart pounding. She lowered her eyes and sent a Heart Cleansing Technique into his body, secretly transmitting a message: "I won't turn on the Yin-Yang Instrument Lamp later. If someone tries to lead you away, follow them. If it's Ming, spare his life."

Pei Zichen immediately understood what Jiang Zhaoxue meant. He lowered his brows and nodded, saying with a reassuring calmness, "Yes."

After saying that, Pei Zichen turned around and walked outside. After taking a few steps, he stopped again.

Under the divine presence, in the darkness of the night, the two men faced each other, one sitting and the other standing.

The lingering echo of the dream was still there. Jiang Zhaoxue's fingertips were hot when she held his arm, and her heart was in her throat the moment he paused.

After a long while, Pei Zichen finally whispered, "Madam... I'm sorry."

Having said that, he walked out of the inner hall without even waiting for Jiang Zhaoxue's response.

After he left, Jiang Zhaoxue breathed a sigh of relief, and then without thinking too much, he calmed down and waited for Shen Yuqing to come.

Shen Yuqing quickly returned to the inner hall and saw Jiang Zhaoxue waiting there. A cushion was placed opposite her. Shen Yuqing walked over and sat opposite her. After opening the barrier with Jiang Zhaoxue, he spoke, "What should we do next?"

"Meditate and cultivate yourself."

Jiang Zhaoxue lowered his head to draw the formation, nonchalantly: "Wait and see."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuqing looked up at her.

Although the chaotic thoughts at that moment have disappeared, the traces are still engraved in my heart.

Seeing his gaze fixed on her, Jiang Zhaoxue raised her eyes curiously: "What are you looking at?"

Shen Yuqing's fingertips trembled slightly, and she said calmly, "Nothing."

"The fish has taken the bait," Jiang Zhaoxue ignored his anomalies and lowered her head to draw the formation. She instructed, "I will now draw a magic circle to find the center of the formation. Once I open the formation, you will directly destroy the target I have set."

"What are you planning?"

Shen Yuqing still didn't understand.

"The power of the formation isn't unlimited," Jiang Zhaoxue explained patiently. "Once the formation's attack on us reaches its limit, it must be used in conjunction with the formation's core. They're forcing us, and I'm forcing it too. As long as the formation's core appears," Jiang Zhaoxue looked out the door and spoke calmly, "I'll definitely find it."

*** ***

When Jiang Zhaoxue and Shen Yuqing set up the barrier in the inner hall, Pei Zichen sat at the door with a sword in his arms, looking at the Yin-Yang Banner at the door without saying a word.

After a while, Ming followed him out, lifted his coat, sat down next to him, and asked curiously, "How long will it take them to turn on this light?"

"Based on their cultivation levels, it will take at least half an hour."

"Not sad?"

Ming turned to look at him. Pei Zichen paused, pretending not to understand anything, and asked softly, "Why are you sad?"

"Don't I know your temper?"

Ming chuckled, "You'd kick any dog ​​that passed by Jiang Zhaoxue, and now her legitimate husband is here, aren't you pissed off?"

"You seem to know me very well." Pei Zichen raised his eyes and asked doubtfully, "Do we know each other?"

"I don't know him." Ming turned to look at him, "But I understand people like you."

Pei Zichen remained silent. Ming stared at him, as if peeling his skin off. He said lightly, "You look like a gentleman, but deep down you're a filthy creature worse than an animal. I'm not as lucky as you. If I could have a spiritual root like you and be born in the Spirit Sword Immortal Pavilion," he thought for a moment and chuckled, "perhaps I could live the same life as you."

"What's so good about being like me?" Pei Zichen thought and said calmly, "I lost my father, mother, and brother when I was seven years old. In order to follow my master's wife, I traveled thousands of miles from Jiangzhou to the Lingjian Immortal Pavilion. I practiced hard for nearly ten years, fell off a cliff unjustly, and lost all my relatives and friends..."

"But she's by your side." Ming interrupted him. "You lost your father, your mother, and your brother. You traveled thousands of miles from Jiangzhou, but in the end, there was someone waiting for you at the end. But some people," Ming paused, as if trying hard to restrain themselves, before continuing, "spend their entire lives wandering from one place to another, searching and waiting, but never finding anything."

Pei Zichen remained silent. He studied the person in front of him and listened to Ming's soft voice: "Your parents are dead, that's okay. But some people's parents are still alive, but they are abandoned by their parents. Isn't that more painful than having their parents die? I'm jealous of you."

Ming said, turning his eyes to look into Pei Zichen's eyes: "If I were you - I could be like you -"

He didn't say anything else, Pei Zichen looked at him quietly.

On that face covered with scars and completely unrecognizable from its original appearance, he seemed to see the outline of himself at the age of seventeen.

Pei Zichen couldn't help but frown, looking at the person in front of him, hesitantly said: "You..."

Before he could finish his words, there was a loud "bang" suddenly coming from the side!

Pei Zichen and Ming turned their heads instantly and found a huge vine lashing heavily on the barrier.

Then, dense swarms of life-eating beasts pounced from behind the vines, like wasps looking for a queen bee, and madly crashed into the barrier without caring about life or death!

"How long has it been?!"

Pei Zichen spoke immediately and turned around to ask Mu Jinyue who was calculating the time.

Mu Jinyue frowned and replied coldly, "Half an hour."

The next attack should have been launched in an hour, but now, less than half an hour later, the second attack was launched again.

It's ahead of schedule!

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The author has something to say: The next chapter will be published on the evening of March 23rd. Leave a comment to receive a red envelope as an apology for my slow update.

The updates are slow now, but I'll get faster once they pick up [laughing and crying] It's just that I can't write fast. You can stock up. The current plot is all about laying out information and building momentum for the next chapters, not just emotional entanglements. The plot is moving forward.

This copy currently has:

1. Darkness and betrayal

2. Breaking the Formation

3. Learn the truth

4. The birth of Silla clothing

5. Seal the Nine Nether Emperor Xuanming

There are five major plots, and everyone can estimate the progress.