Five days later.
The palace of Tang Lingguo was still in ruins. The high walls were knocked down by Tang Wuke, and the exquisite buildings and palace decorations inside were all reduced to ruins. From a distance of ten miles, it looked charred and was no different from the surrounding bungalows.
The royal relatives who had rarely left the house now had to pick up bricks like the people outside, and stack the furniture with their hands on their hips and sweat dripping down their faces.
The throne made of pure gold was spared, but the person sitting on it was replaced - to be precise, no one had ever sat on the throne, and even this meeting hall had not been visited by anyone anymore.
Jimo Shu spent three days completely absorbing the demon cultivator's soul, and finally repaired the huge hole in her abdomen that had been burning and could not heal. Her realm also jumped several levels and reached the out-of-body stage.
She felt the mottled mixture of spiritual energy and demonic energy in her body, and frowned slightly with some impatience.
Something that lived for eighty years and was useless would become nothing more than a useless old thing after eight hundred. This demonic cultivator spent most of the innate spiritual seeds he absorbed on prolonging his life and replacing his skin, leaving him with no progress and a superficial and frivolous state. If she had swallowed a normal Spirit Severing Stage cultivator, her realm would have improved significantly by far, and it would have also posed numerous hidden dangers for her.
But this was also a helpless move. The poison planted by the leader had hurt her too badly. If she didn't repair it, her body would probably explode and she would die sooner or later.
As soon as she came out of her retreat, she saw Tang Wuke lying on the tree over there, with a rope hanging around his waist, swaying as if he were dead.
"..." Jimo Shu said speechlessly: "Princess, what are you doing?"
It felt a little wrong to call her Princess now, but Jimo Shu and Tang Wuke were not very familiar with each other. They had never spoken a word to each other, and it was not allowed to call someone by their name directly. Tang Wuke was startled by her call and almost fell from the tree.
"Nothing." Tang Wuke finally steadied himself and sat on the tree trunk, saying, "I've always wanted to climb a tree but couldn't find the opportunity. Now that no one can control me, I thought I'd give it a try."
But no one cares about her anymore. Those who want to care about her are either dead or dare not say a word. Tang Yang thought that he could escape disaster by giving up his position voluntarily, but he was thrown into the dungeon on the spot.
Jimo Shu: "You don't have any spiritual roots now. You might die if you fall from the tree."
Tang Wuke laughed and said, "You might choke to death while eating."
Jimo Shu: "..."
Forget it, just climb if you want to.
The view from the tree was truly stunning. From there, I could just peer over the ruins and catch a glimpse of the hazy dusk on the distant skyline. Without the shadows, even the sun seemed a bit gentler, casting its rays lightly on our heads.
Tang Lingguo finally had spiritual energy, but no one had yet developed spiritual roots. It was both fair and unfair. If something was present at birth, it was present, and if it wasn't, it wasn't. It couldn't be changed. Perhaps after decades of spiritual energy nourishment, a newborn would quietly arrive, but that would be a long time in the future, and there was no way to predict it now.
After the war, the small nation's population was already small, and now it had been reduced by a third. When counting the bodies, everyone realized that not many people had actually died at the hands of the demonic cultivators. Instead, the first to die were those who had been the most bullying of the weak. Now, after all their scheming, everything had been reduced to ashes, leaving them with nothing. It was quite ironic.
The princesses' tombs are to be renovated, and their names will see the light of day again, no longer buried in the deep pool of oblivion.
It will take a long time to rebuild the ruins. Jimo Shu looked at the sky from afar, and suddenly heard the familiar grunting sound next to her ears. She frowned and turned around.
A large black snake, holding an apple in its mouth, was proudly overseeing the work in the main city. It would whip anyone who slacked off with its tail, acting arrogantly and with the air of a smug villain. The girls, dressed in farm clothes, mustered up the courage to touch it, but it shook its head and spoke in human language: "You haven't even washed your hands, and you still want to touch me?"
Lin Ping blushed: "...I have washed it!"
"Why is this thing still here?" Jimo Shu said disdainfully, "With a cultivation level of the Out-of-Body Stage, who are you bullying by staying here?"
"It stayed here of its own accord. Master Xue said it's fine, and that giving it an apple a day will do the trick." Tang Wuke didn't know whether what she said was true or not, but Tang Lingguo's predicament had been resolved. If the giant black snake wanted to stir up trouble, she could simply send a letter to Xuanbao Pavilion to get help. However, there was one thing that really puzzled her: "Why would a snake like apples so much?"
The big black snake noticed the two people's gazes and immediately changed into a flattering expression: "Hiss, hiss, hiss!"
Jimo Shu really despised this petty-minded Black Snake, but Tang Wuke had just succeeded to the throne, and this Black Snake could help her consolidate her position, which was also a help.
It was time to leave. Jimo Shu stood there without saying a word.
"Miss Jimo." Tang Wuke seemed to have remembered something. He twisted his body in the tree and said cautiously, "You know, I was in the palace until I was sixteen. I don't know how to talk to people, so if I guess anything wrong, please forgive me. Do you want to know where Zhong Changyao went, or where Miss Yun went? I don't know which one to say, for fear of offending you."
Jimo Shu's face darkened: "Can't I just stand here?"
Tang Wuke glanced at her expression and found that she still hadn't left. He asked tentatively: "Then let me talk about the one in front first?"
Jimo Shu said reservedly, "The latter."
Wouldn't it be better to just say no at the beginning? Tang Wuke said with difficulty: "Miss Yun's injuries are very serious, and Master Xue can't cure her immediately, so he rushed to the carriage the day before yesterday to recuperate first."
Jimo Shu: "Anything else?"
"What else?" What else? Tang Wuguan looked at her cold expression, and then an idea flashed in his mind: "Also, it is said that the eldest lady of the Northern Realm sent her a letter, saying that there is something important to discuss, and asked her to go to the Northern Realm as soon as possible. If Miss Jimo is interested, she can chase after her now, and maybe she can catch up with the carriage."
Jimo Shu said proudly: "I don't care. I just asked casually."
Tang Wuke sighed, "It's really scary when the Demon Cult members become so careless."
Jimo Shu: “?”
She was just asking casually. She had no other intention. She hadn't completed her mission in the Four Directions Secret Realm, and the leader had been trying to recall her, but for some reason, she just didn't want to go back. She had come to Tangling Country on her own initiative. She hadn't decided where to go next; she was completely blank. Without her mission, she didn't even know what to do anymore. She'd just take it one step at a time.
A man and a demon stood in the sunset, with no topic to talk about, and it was a little awkward for a moment.
Tang Wuke racked his brains, and then an idea flashed in his mind: "You also think Zhong Changyao is mentally ill, right?"
Jimo Shu slowly frowned: "He ran away again?"
In Jimo Shu's eyes, Zhong Changyao had transformed from a hypocrite into an indestructible cockroach, a sight both disgusting and annoying. Jimo Shu also found Tang Wuke rather strange now, because in the storybook she had, she and Tang Wuke were either slapping each other or framing each other. Whenever they appeared together, the plot would suddenly shift from cult conspiracy to exciting domestic intrigue.
"Yeah. Afraid of being hunted by Miss Yun, he disappeared instantly while unconscious. I wonder what kind of witchcraft he used." Tang Wuke felt a little speechless when he thought of Zhong Changyao's eyes: "Miss Jimo, maybe I'm over-assuming, but every time this man talks to me, I feel like his face is full of 'other men only covet your beauty, but I don't. I'm so special, why don't you want to marry me?' With all due respect, if you really want to calculate it this way, I will first marry Yahe, and then Miss Yun. If you meet him next time, remember to stay away from him."
"Hide?" Jimo Shu sneered, "It's still unclear who's hiding."
If they meet again next time, she will definitely pull out Zhong Changyao's brains.
As if she heard her own name, Yahe, who was not far away, poked her head out and saw Tang Wuke sitting on the tree with an unhappy expression.
The palace was destroyed, not to mention the official uniforms. She still wore her own clothes, but pinned on her collar was the jade buckle that represented Tang Lingguo's official status. Tang Wuke's expression softened for a moment, and he deliberately raised his voice and said, "Miss, you seem quite dissatisfied with me."
"Yes, I'm very dissatisfied." Yahe said with a stiff face, "Lunch has been out for an hour and a half. If the emperor doesn't eat, am I going to bang my head against the pillar and make a protest?"
Tang Wuke tiptoed down from the tree. The big black snake, with its flattering skills, immediately put its head forward to receive the blow. She clapped her hands and landed on the ground, laughing, "How could I bear to let you hit the pillar?"
Yahe said, "... Then come and eat quickly!"
Jimo Shu frowned, and suddenly felt that the atmosphere was a little weird, but her simple and young mind could not decipher where this weirdness came from.
She looked at Tang Wuke's figure and said, "So, you plan to stay in Tang Ling Country like this?"
Jimo Shu still remembered that she seemed to be very interested in cultivation and the martial arts world. Although she had no spiritual roots now, it would be nice for her to just be an ordinary person and travel around. Why should she take on the hard work of rebuilding the country on herself?
Tang Wuke did not stop and turned around. Her face was still as beautiful as ever, but her manners had lost that lingering sense of dignity. It had only been a few days, and she had already been infected by Yun Xian, and she had lost her way in standing and sitting. She curled the corners of her lips slightly.
"At the beginning, I asked Miss Yun what the Jianghu was like. It was full of flashing swords, bloody storms, and the joy of revenge. It was as thrilling as it could be. Then Miss Yun told me that the monsters out there fart." Tang Wu Ke couldn't help but laugh. "It seems everyone's Jianghu is different. I think I've experienced it."
"The Jianghu is like this. There are people who want to harm you for no reason, and there are also people who will help you regardless of everything for no reason. The former are more common, and the latter are less common. I'm lucky enough to have met one, so I won't rush." She looked at the vast road outside the main city. That was the direction Yun Xian left, and smiled softly at Jimo Shu:
"Miss Jimo, go find your own world."
at the same time.
Inside the spacious carriage.
Everyone sat around the only couch, their expressions difficult to discern.
Yun Xian was lying there peacefully with her eyes closed. Ever since she said she wanted to change her nickname, she had been in a coma until today.
Xue Lingxiu was sitting on the horse outside with a gloomy face, taking a deep breath.
...Xiao Yuan and the Xingyan Sect elder had been knocked flying, so naturally, they had no vehicles to use. Of course, this wasn't his fault, but the Xingyan Sect elder, knowing he was useless, had gone back in a hurry. But Xiao Yuan insisted on staying. It would have been fine if she stayed, but that Dao Sect elder Liu Xu wanted to stay too. Monk Mingshu wanted to get in the car, so how could he stop him?
No matter how spacious the carriage was, it couldn't hold so many people. It was clearly Xue Lingxiu's own carriage. Now he could only drive the carriage outside in frustration. Even Buddha would be angry!
Inside the carriage, there was a gloomy atmosphere, and the men were silent and the women were crying.
Xiao Yuan looked at Yun Xian's peaceful face, covered his face with his hands and said helplessly: "This... you are coming back the same way you left. You really haven't forgotten your original intention."
Originally, Yun Xian was injured and went to Tang Lingguo, thinking that he could recuperate well. However, he came back in a bad state. Not only did he not gain weight, but the little flesh on his face was completely gone. Now his face was ashen and his lips were pale. He returned to the image of an ugly sleeper.
It is even uglier than before. At least its skin was white before. Although Xiao Yuan washed and scrubbed it now, it is not easy to heal the cracked skin all over its body. Its whole body is red and cracked everywhere. It is really a prophecy coming true. It has become the little fire baby among the ice and fire people in the forest.
"Wuwu..." Xiao Yuan shed tears: "I raised a child so ugly, I will definitely be punished..."
Qiao Lingshan still didn't know who this self-proclaimed auntie was. Although she had never seen her before, she still consoled her by saying, "It's okay. Luckily, she didn't die."
Mingshu nodded silently beside him.
"Fortunately, the task list stated that the portrait was self-selected." Feng Ye said with lingering fear: "If the portrait was of my current appearance, others would think Yun Xian had been exposed to some kind of Five Stone Powder."
"The way she eats apples, I've long suspected that the apples were mixed with Wu Shi San..."
Su Chi: “…”
Everyone was gathered around, but he was the only one who was silently changing the water and medicine. Xiao was originally quite satisfied with this senior brother, but when he looked at him, he found that he also had pale lips and was much thinner. This person was a sick beauty, and the one lying there was an ugly little fire baby. He suddenly felt unbalanced.
It’s that kind of parental mentality. They know that the child next door is objectively cuter than their own, but they will never admit it!
It's really mean to get mad at someone because they're too beautiful.
"Awake, awake!" Liu Xu, who had been closely watching Yun Xian's expression, said, "His eyes moved!!"
Xue Lingxiu swooshed into the carriage.
Taiping was flattered by the grand occasion as soon as he opened his eyes: "It doesn't have to be like this..."
Xiao Yuan kicked it aside and said, "I'm not talking about you."
Taiping: “?” Hey!! Even if it didn’t have any credit, it must have worked hard!! It’s almost bursting!!
The familiar canopy appeared before his eyes again. Yun Xian slowly opened his eyes and encountered several big heads approaching him. One of them was still shiny. He almost thought that he had been extradited to paradise.
"Lingxiu." She said hoarsely, "My voice..."
Xue Lingxiu was as cold as a gust of wind: "Can you let me see?"
Qiao Lingshan: "Do you always say this every time you wake up? Obviously other parts of your body are more serious than your throat!"
It would have been fine if she hadn't said anything. As soon as Qiao Lingshan started talking, Yun Xian felt like there was no place on her body that didn't hurt, as if she had been hammered eight hundred times like a rice cake. But she still touched her face, as if she suddenly remembered something, and struggled to get up and said, "Let me see, let me see..."
"No, don't look at it yet." Xiao Yuan held her face lovingly and gently, saying, "Appearance is only temporary. If you're ugly now, it's because you're injured. Don't worry too much. Auntie will take you to Qiankun City to find the most famous doctor Fang. Don't look at the mirror yet, I'm afraid you won't get too excited, okay?"
"What mirror? I don't want a mirror." Yun Xian said inexplicably, "I want to see the task list of Xuanbao Pavilion."
“…”
Yun Xian successfully obtained the task list. As if hearing her dying cry, the column after the nickname was empty. Yun Xian instantly exhaled, fell down, and said in pain, "It hurts, my whole body hurts!"
Xue Lingxiu finally pushed Mingshu aside, reached out to feel his pulse, and said, "It's under control for now."
"What do you mean?" Qiao Lingshan said, "But she said it hurts."
"With my Out-of-Body Stage cultivation level now facing the meridians of the Spiritual Stage, how could it not hurt?" Xue Lingxiu said yin-yangly, "No matter how wide my meridians are, I can't compare to her broad-mindedness. No matter how big my Golden Core is, I can't compare to her courage. This is the first time I've seen someone capable of such a thing. Do you know that if I had made a mistake for even a moment, you would have turned into fireworks right now?"
After hearing what he said, Yun Xian quickly looked inward and realized that she had indeed accidentally touched it. The entire country's spiritual energy was poured into her body. No one else would have such an opportunity (and certainly wouldn't dare to have it). She directly passed the Nascent Soul stage and reached the Out-of-Body stage.
However, because this is someone else's spiritual energy after all, the realm is still a bit superficial, and it will take a long time to consolidate before it can be successfully mastered.
Xue Lingxiu frowned: "Are you listening to me?"
"Ah, at least he's not dead." Xiao Yuan was peeling an apple for Yun Xian and said casually, "It can be considered a blessing in disguise. I got the golden bell."
Everyone: “…”
I can't even tell which one is my biological aunt.
Yun Xian was still lying on the couch, unable to move for the time being. He could only move his eyes and his brain slightly.
Qiankun City is relatively close to other cities. Geographically, it belongs to the Northern Realm. However, because the city is so powerful, it is not like other cities that are tightly controlled by the two sects of the Northern Realm.
The business there is also well developed, and auctions, black markets, and dungeons are all famous.
"Oh, right," Xiao Yuan took out the letter and said, "Miss Ji sent it to you. She said she'd meet you in the Northern Realm. Do you want to reply?"
"I'm eighteen years old, how can you open my letter without my permission..." Yun Xian hadn't finished his protest when he realized that Ji Rongxue didn't even bother to put an envelope in it. He just sent it over with a naked piece of paper. He couldn't help but shut up.
I don't know where this piece of paper was torn off from. The edge is rough and there is a lion hair on it.
"I think there's something important going on. The Body Strengthening Sect is currently competing against the Sword Sect, and it's going on like crazy." Xiao Yuan said, "Xiao Yunxian, think about whether you want to go or not."
Liu Xu said weakly: "I'm still here... I'm from the Sword Sect..."
Xue Lingxiu: "Then you should go out and catch the bus."
It was so crowded that he could hardly stand.
Liu Xu immediately turned around and went out.
"Wait." Yun Xian noticed something written on the back of the paper with his sharp eyes. "There are more words on the back."
Xiao Yuan turned around.
The words "If Ji is lost, the lion will not come again" were written on the back, and next to it, a large, unlovely paw was drawn in a cold and cruel way.
Yun Xian: “…………”
Everyone: “…………”
To be honest, if Miss Ji had written a few more notes, Yun Xianguang could have saved the ice packs for his wounds.
Amidst the speechless gazes of the crowd, Yun Xian put the note away, continued to lie down, and shook his head, saying, "I'm still not going."
Xiao Yuan: "Oh? Why?"
"Seizing the Golden Bell for Jiange and resolving the Tang Ling Rebellion is my duty as a hero, and it's my duty I do willingly. I never ask for any reward, nor do I think it's something to be proud of." Yun Xian sighed deeply and said, "But even I, someone like me, would like to rest for a while, recuperate a little, and then return to Jiange to see my elderly father, my younger sisters and brothers, and those geese. This is a dispute between two factions in the Northern Realm. Who can judge right and wrong in such a chaotic situation? As an outsider, it's inappropriate for me to interfere. So, I'm not going."
Xiao Yuan flipped the note again and said, "There's one sentence missing. The reward for success is 30,000 high-grade spirit stones."
Yun Xian: "Hiss, but then I changed my mind and felt that comfort is something only the dead can have! I won't rest, I don't need to rest. Let's go, head to Qiankun City immediately!"
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