Chapter 58 Hei Yang buried his head in Zhong Jiuli's chest
"How can I help you?" Bai asked in a low voice. "How can I kill it?"
“Use that one move, that thunderous strike that pierces your skull a thousand times! You’ve already engraved it into your very bones, haven’t you?” the black dragon said.
Bai Ye's mind flashed back to the painful memories of being pierced by lightning a thousand times. She opened her palm, and Da Hei appeared in her hand.
"What if I can't kill it?" Bai was still a little worried.
"You can do it! Open your discerning golden eyes and find its origin! Shatter its core with lightning!"
After speaking, the black dragon gave Bai no more chance to hesitate and once again engaged in battle with the dragon shadow transformed from the shadow demon.
Bai watched the battle between the two colossal creatures, and golden light shone in his eyes. In the endless darkness of the starry sky, it was like two rising suns, their light weak but still a beacon of hope.
Only when she actually tried to see the shadow demon's body clearly could she perceive how terrifying it was.
It appeared to be a dragon-shaped body, yet it also seemed to be nothingness. Its body was so black that it seemed capable of devouring all energy and light sources, like a black hole in the universe.
The black dragon's attacks on the Shadow Demon were completely ineffective. With each strike, the exploding black mist would instantly repair itself, and that writhing darkness could devour all attacks.
In contrast, the Shadow Demon's counterattacks sent countless scales flying with each strike that landed on the Black Dragon, and the golden dragon blood shimmered with dazzling golden light in the starry sky.
This is not a fair fight at all. Even if the Black Dragon has immense power, it is still made of flesh and blood. How can it fight against such a pure energy-matter life form?
This is clearly a crushing defeat of life levels from different dimensions.
"Little Tiger!" Black Dragon's thunderous voice boomed in the starry sky, instantly bringing Bai back to his senses.
Bai Ye stared at the strange black shadow, her throat dry. Since embarking on the path of cultivation, she had been confident and invincible, but now she felt a little hesitant.
But the situation left her no room for hesitation; the great black dragon was clearly at a disadvantage. Perhaps sensing the great black dragon's intentions, the dragon shadow hastily coiled itself around the dragon, attempting to merge with it.
"Roar!" The black dragon raised its head and roared, its roar shaking the heavens.
She deliberately tightened her body, entwining herself with the shadow demon. Like intertwined vines, they were inseparable, tightly intertwined.
"Attack it!" the black dragon roared.
The golden light in Bai Ye's eyes grew even brighter. With her Golden Eyes of Truth activated to their fullest extent, she finally saw the other person's body clearly. In the depths of that writhing darkness, a dark mass of black matter was emitting different energy fluctuations.
"Kill!" Bai shouted, his figure leaping up as his heavy sword, Dahei, crackling with the power of the true fire of the sun and the power of the profound thunder, slashed down fiercely.
The lightning sword light, like an inverted Milky Way, drew an extremely dazzling trajectory in the dark starry sky.
In the blinding flash of lightning, the Shadow Demon's head exploded instantly. However, in the next instant, the exploded dark matter flew back into the Shadow Demon's body at an extremely fast speed.
A new head grew out in a matter of moments.
Bai's pupils contracted, realizing she had been tricked; the core of that thing was fake, used to deceive her.
Seeing this, the great black dragon's hope gradually faded. "Even the golden eyes of the White Tiger clan can't find your true form?"
"Well, that's fate, so there's no one to blame but ourselves."
The black dragon spat out the dazzling golden dragon pearl; she intended to destroy it. Even in death, she would not allow this creature to possess her body.
"Hey everyone, wait!" Bai shouted sharply, "I can die a thousand times, and I can unleash a thousand swords."
Bai took a deep breath, the golden light in her eyes like the real sun, her soul rapidly burning, and she no longer cared about the consequences of burning her soul.
Since you've already decided to take action, don't hesitate; hesitation will only lead to defeat.
Her body surged with lightning, creating hundreds of afterimages in the starry sky. At this moment, her void escape technique and lightning movement technique were brought to their fullest potential.
"One thunderous strike, two strikes, three strikes, and I'll kill you, you ghostly shadow."
Bai Ye's voice rang out from all directions, and with each sword strike, a false source of energy was shattered.
Amidst the deafening thunder, the eerie dragon shadow continuously shattered and reformed.
"It's no use, I am immortal," the Shadow Demon spoke.
"You disgusting thing, you don't even have your own voice, you steal other people's bodies and voices, you are really disgusting."
Amid Bai Ye's furious roar, lightning bolts exploded continuously in the starry sky.
"The White Tiger Clan, ah, they're so delicious," the Shadow Demon said with a sigh. "After I devour this black dragon, you'll be next!"
"Heh, you've missed your chance." Bai Ye's light laughter echoed across the starry sky, and hundreds of afterimages vanished like bubbles.
The final revealed form shone with a light more dazzling than the sun, and the heavy sword in its hand thrust out with the force of splitting the heavens and earth.
This sword strike was like Pangu creating the world; wherever the sword's edge pointed, the entire starry sky trembled.
"No, no, no, that's impossible."
The Shadow Demon's voice was distorted and deformed, "You can't see through me at all. How could a mere Golden Core cultivator possibly see through me? You're just blindly lucky."
"Whether I can see through it or not, it's up to me to decide," Bai said softly. Her primordial spirit was disintegrating, starting from her fingertips, her skin shattered, and she turned into crystalline fragments that drifted among the stars.
The power gained from burning her divine soul was backfiring, and even her pretty, bright face was covered with cracks. However, the corners of her mouth were turned up, and the smile in her eyes did not diminish at all.
"Break!" A single word, barely a whisper, echoed across the silent starry sky.
The Shadow Demon's core shattered instantly, its enormous and eerie body crumbling like a broken mirror, the fragments transforming into countless points of light in the starry sky before finally dissipating into nothingness.
“Little tiger…” The black dragon stretched out its claws and carefully supported Bai Ye’s remaining upper body. Her primordial spirit had become so transparent that it had almost dissipated, and everything below her waist had turned into scattered specks of light.
"You, do you know that you are the only remaining pure-blooded white tiger in the world? Your life is a million times more precious than the entire Nine Provinces Continent." The black dragon's voice was somewhat deep.
Bai shook her head slightly. She didn't understand the weight of those words. She just looked at the scattered fragments of the Shadow Demon and gave a weak smile. "My life is worthless. My wife's life... is the most precious. I can't bear to let her fight to the death, so I have to fight to the death."
She clung to her last shred of consciousness, muttering weakly, "Once I've recovered, you'd better give me a thousand stabs on the forehead, or this isn't over."
After saying this, her primordial spirit completely subsided, condensing into a tiny point of light the size of a grain of rice in the black dragon's palm.
With a wave of her hand, the scattered primordial spirit points in the starry sky seemed to be summoned and converged into her palm.
With each point of light that merged in, the faint flame of the primordial spirit shone a little brighter, like a spark rekindled in the darkness.
With a flicker, the enormous, sky-covering form of the black dragon vanished, transforming back into human form, clad in a black veil, her figure graceful and alluring.
She gently cupped the pulsating primordial spirit in her hands and slowly left the starry battlefield constructed from divine consciousness.
On the dragon skeleton outside, several people stood, lay, or sprawled in various positions, their primordial spirits being pulled into the black dragon's sea of consciousness. When the black dragon appeared, everyone woke up.
"Who are you!" Liu Xianyue was the first to speak, looking warily at the woman who had suddenly appeared.
"My name is Hei Yang!"
After Hei Yang finished speaking, he walked towards Bai Ye on his own.
Zhong Jiuli almost instinctively dodged and stood in front of Bai Ye.
"What did you do to her? Why is her primordial spirit in your hands? Release her primordial spirit." Zhong Jiuli had many questions. Before Hei Yang could answer, silver light flowed in her palm, and she was already preparing to launch an attack.
Hei Yang did not stop walking. Her black gauze dress moved without wind. With each step she took, her sharp aura pressed down on Zhong Jiuli like a mountain.
"Get out of the way." The calm words carried boundless dragon might.
"Give her back her primordial spirit." Zhong Jiuli raised her hand to snatch it.
"Let go of Ye Zai!" Jiao Jiao's body suddenly grew larger and she crashed into the woman in black.
Liu Xianyue and others also stepped forward to lend their support.
The crowd swarmed forward, their fierce attacks coming from all directions. Hei Yang didn't even raise his head; he merely flicked his sleeve, and the crowd was sent flying backward like kites with broken strings.
Zhong Jiuli was so shaken that she staggered back several steps before regaining her balance.
“Little Candle Dragon, you are indeed talented, but this is my territory, and you can’t beat me.” After saying that, Hei Yang’s figure flashed and he appeared in front of Bai Ye.
She grabbed Bai Ye by the neck with one hand, half-embracing him in her arms, and with the other hand formed an ancient dragon-patterned hand seal. After attracting a small ball of lightning magic essence to merge with Bai Ye's primordial spirit, she slowly pressed that ball of primordial spirit light into Bai Ye's brow.
Zhong Jiuli could tell that the other party meant no harm; otherwise, there would have been no need to send Bai Ye's primordial spirit back into his body—he could have just crushed it.
As her primordial spirit returned to its place, Bai Ye's pale face finally regained a trace of color. She coughed lightly, her vision gradually focusing. When she saw the person in front of her clearly, she weakly raised her hand, her index finger and thumb forming a pistol, and pressed it against Hei Yang's brow.
"Bang!" The sound was low but full of force.
Hei Yang chuckled, "You hate me that much? You're already thinking about blowing my head off before you've even woken up?"
"A thousand times! A thousand times! I'll kill you a thousand times!" Bai muttered to herself before slowly closing her eyes. She was exhausted. Her primordial spirit was damaged, and the nearly thousand deaths she had experienced had left her mentally drained.
"Da Bai." Zhong Jiuli quickly stepped forward and snatched Bai Ye from Hei Yang's hands.
Bai relaxed in the familiar cool fragrance, like a little animal that had found its den, pressing his cheek against Zhong Jiuli's neck and gently rubbing it, "It's my wife's scent."
Only Zhong Jiuli could hear the mumbled words clearly. She pulled her arms around him tightly and hugged him. "I'm here."
Hei Yang glanced at the two people who were tightly embracing each other, got up and walked to the dragon's head. He raised his hand and pressed it on the dragon's scales. A flash of light appeared, and the dragon's mouth slowly opened, spitting out a flawless body that seemed to have been created by the gods.
The woman was extremely beautiful, her skin as white as jade, and her long, seaweed-like blue hair swayed gently in the seawater. She was covered only by a white veil.
The moment Ah Lian saw the woman clearly, she couldn't help but gasp.
Everyone's gaze swept back and forth between Ah Lian and the woman, their eyes filled with surprise.
"Little mermaid, it's time to go home," Hei Yang said to A Lian.
A-Lian staggered forward and walked up to the woman. She raised her hand and stroked the woman's cheek, and countless fragments of memories surged up like a tide. "So that's how it is... So you were here. I'm sorry, I actually forgot what I was supposed to do back there."
Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, Ah Lian's body transformed into countless points of light, like fireflies returning to their nests, disappearing into the body with its eyes tightly closed.
The next moment, the woman slowly opened her eyes. In her deep blue pupils, the former innocent clarity was gone, replaced by a calm and dignified look that had come from a life of experience.
She looked at everyone, a faint smile playing on her lips, and said, "Thank you all for taking care of me these past few days."
His voice was like shattered jade falling on ice, cold and hoarse from not speaking for a long time.
"Oh, it's alright," the Chu sisters waved their hands.
The two women were quite close to Ah Lian, and they were both a little flustered at the moment. Their best friend, with whom they had been having a good time, had suddenly become a big shot, and they didn't know if they could still have fun together in the future.
"Are you A-Lian?" Chu Erniang asked, mustering her courage.
The woman nodded. "I am A-Lian."
"That's good, that's good." Chu San Niang patted her chest and said softly, both of them somewhat stunned by A Lian's aura.
“However, people prefer to call me the Lord of Storm Island,” A-Lian said once again.
"Hiss!" The two sisters gasped, their eyes widening in unison. Although they had some suspicions, hearing the other admit it was still quite unbelievable.
Bai, who was leaning against Zhong Jiuli's chest, opened his eyes and looked up at A-Lian.
Upon seeing this, she was also somewhat shocked. Although it was the same eyebrows and eyes, the oppressive aura surrounding the person in front of her made people afraid to look him in the eye.
A-Lian turned her head and looked over. In the instant their eyes met, Bai also vaguely saw that gentle, kind-hearted little sea siren with clear eyes again.
"Tsk..." Bai chuckled lightly, "No wonder he always talks about our island lord, turns out he's just trying to promote himself in a roundabout way?"
Upon hearing this, A-Lian raised an eyebrow slightly, and her terrifying aura receded like the tide, returning her to her usual gentle and harmless appearance.
"Alright, everyone, this matter is settled, you should leave now." Hei Yang began to urge everyone to leave.
"And what about you?" Bai asked Hei Yang.
"I died tens of thousands of years ago," Hei Yang said softly. "My bones are buried here, and my dragon soul is trapped here, so why move my grave?"
"Oh, then I wish you a pleasant death."
"Ha, what a ruthless tiger cub. I wasted my life's knowledge of thunder magic by imparting it all to him."
"That's what you were supposed to give. Weren't you the one clamoring to give me your inheritance? If I'd known, I would have just given you some lightning magic instead, and I wouldn't have helped you at all," Bai retorted.
After she finished speaking, she buried her head in Zhong Jiuli's chest and said, "Zhong Daya, let's go. I need to sleep for three days and three nights."
Zhong Jiuli lowered her eyes and chuckled softly, her voice so gentle it could melt honey: "Yes, you can sleep as long as you want."
Having said that, he embraced the person in his arms tightly, then transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the water.
Seeing this, everyone followed suit and left the abyss that had swallowed the lives of countless cultivators.
The remaining cultivators, still struggling to advance on the dragon bone, scattered and fled after realizing the restriction had disappeared. Everyone felt a sense of relief, never expecting to survive.
......
A few days ago, on Tiankui Island.
The midday sun was obscured by thick, leaden-gray clouds, and a sense of oppression filled the air.
Experienced fishermen know that this is a sign that a storm is coming.
Deep within the mines of the various powerful families, the sound of pickaxes striking the rock walls had ceased at some point, replaced by an inexplicable deathly silence.
"Brother, why are these guys so quiet today? Are they slacking off in the mine?" Wang Er, a guard at the Wang family mine, asked casually, looking at his partner.
"Let's go in and take a look. A bunch of spineless bastards, they won't listen unless they're beaten." Another guard spat lightly, grabbed his whip, and walked deeper into the mine.
Seeing this, Wang Er quickly followed. The two walked along the deep mine shaft for a long time, but did not see the miners who should have been obediently digging here.
"Strange, where did everyone go?" Wang Er muttered to himself. He felt a chill run down his spine and tugged at the sleeve of the person next to him. "Brother, let's go out and report to the captain first."
The other person also sensed something was wrong, and when his companion brought it up, he readily agreed.
The two men had just turned around when they met a dozen pairs of eyes burning with rage behind them. They were startled at first, then instinctively lashed out with their whips at the crowd.
However, the moment the whip was lashed out, it was grabbed by the lead miner.
They were about to yell and curse when they realized something was wrong: the restraint bracelets on the miners' wrists were gone, leaving only a ring of old, bluish-purple scars.
“Oh no…” Wang Er’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and cold sweat slid down his forehead.
In the next instant, all the miners rushed forward, and the two were crushed into mincemeat by the violent attack in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, similar scenes were unfolding in the mines of many prominent families on Tiankui Island.
This was a long-planned riot; the miners' pent-up anger, suppressed for decades, was just waiting for this moment to be unleashed.
Although the elders of the major families all possessed Nascent Soul cultivation, there were also many miners with profound cultivation.
Some were once powerful rogue cultivators, but offended a powerful family and had their cultivation sealed, becoming slaves in mining. Others were originally from a collateral branch of a powerful family, but angered the head family's scions and were exiled here.
More often, however, are low-level cultivators with no background who are forcibly brought here and spend their lives in this dark and sunless mine.
When these people unite as one, the power they unleash far exceeds the imagination of the aristocratic guards.
The united miners were like an unstoppable torrent.
The battle lasted for most of the day, and by the time the shouts of battle on the island gradually subsided, it was already completely dark.
Dark clouds churned, and rumbling thunder echoed; the thunderstorm that had been brewing all day finally poured down.
Raindrops pelted down, washing away the scattered corpses. The clear rainwater seeped into the soil, only to be stained crimson by the blood-soaked earth.
But the rain grew heavier, as if the heavens themselves were witnessing this belated reckoning. If the rain continued long enough, this island, filled with oppression and sin, would eventually be cleansed.
The major families only received the news two days later. By the time they arrived at Tiankui Island using their clan's teleportation array, the entire island was already eerily silent.
The ground was littered with the corpses of the guards, the mine had collapsed, the spiritual veins had been emptied, and all the miners had vanished without a trace. There was not a single living person left on the entire Tiankui Island.
......
Bai Family Council Hall.
The heads of the seven major families and thirty-six second-rate families gathered here, and the atmosphere was so heavy that it was almost suffocating.
However, the old lady Bai, who should have been sitting in the main seat and in charge, was not there. Instead, the second master of the Bai family was sitting in the main seat.
Wearing a white robe, Master Bai had a refined and scholarly appearance. Even after such a major incident, he showed no anger on his face. Instead, he smiled and looked at everyone, saying, "I hope you patriarchs will understand. Your patriarch's old illness has recently relapsed, and he is unable to receive guests. Therefore, I, Bai, will preside over today's matter on his behalf."
The crowd's expressions varied, but no one dared to raise any objections.
Firstly, it's because of the Bai family's status in Guzhou. For tens of thousands of years, no family has been able to shake the Bai family's position as the number one family in Guzhou. All other families consider it an honor to marry into the Bai family, but the women of the Bai family never marry outside the family.
Secondly, this second master of the Bai family, though seemingly gentle and refined, is actually extremely ruthless. Over the years, he has been the one handling almost all of the Bai family's external affairs.
“It’s alright, it’s the same whether Second Master Bai is in charge.” The Wang family head spoke first, his voice deep and thunderous. “However, today’s matter is more troublesome than we thought.”
He looked around at everyone and said slowly, "According to my ancestor, this riot by the miners on Tiankui Island was no accident, but was manipulated by that person from the Sanqing Sect."
“Sanqing Sect? Zhong... Jiuli?” Patriarch Zhao exclaimed in surprise. When he mentioned Zhong Jiuli’s name, he even subconsciously lowered his voice, and there was a hint of hesitation in his words.
The Li family head replied, "Brother Wang, please don't speak carelessly. Sect Leader Zhong and we have always kept to ourselves. Why make things difficult for us?"
“That’s right, Brother Wang, you mustn’t be talking nonsense,” the Ye family head also said.
The head of the Wang family slammed his hand on the table, stood up, looked around at everyone, and sneered, "Gentlemen, don't forget that my Wang family has a marriage alliance on Tian Shu Island, and my son Wang Jian went to Tian Shu Island some time ago."
“But his life tablet was shattered some time ago, and one of my ancestor's avatars was also destroyed. All of this was done by Zhong Jiuli.”
"Everyone, the Sanqing Sect first cut off our spiritual vein resources, the next step is to attack and kill the outstanding disciples of our clan, and finally, they will extend their reach into Guzhou. At that time, we will be like turtles in a jar, at the mercy of the Sanqing Sect!"
After the head of the Wang family finished speaking, the entire council hall fell into a deathly silence.
The calming incense burned quietly in the incense burner, but at this moment, it could not soothe the spirits of the many family heads. Everyone involuntarily turned their gaze to the main seat.
Between Master Bai's slender fingers, a string of green jade beads shimmered with a warm, luminous light as he played with them. His mutton-fat-like knuckles and emerald green jade beads complemented each other, giving off a mysteriously cool and translucent feel.
The crowd's somewhat anxious minds suddenly calmed down.
"Please speak freely, esteemed patriarchs." Master Bai chuckled, lightly tapping the bracelet in his palm, producing a crisp sound of jade striking jade. "Today, I am merely acting as a witness on behalf of the patriarch. Once you have agreed on the terms, I will relay them to the patriarch word for word."
The family heads who were swept by his smiling gaze unconsciously straightened their backs.
"If you ask me, Old Gu, then let's fight! We'll send the clan's elite forces straight to Zhongzhou. I refuse to believe that with the strength of our entire Guzhou, we can't wipe out the Sanqing Sect!" The Gu family head slammed his fist on the table and stood up, speaking in a deep, booming voice.
After exchanging glances, the heads of the various families hesitated before saying, "Old Gu... it seems we really can't wipe out the Three Pure Ones Sect."
The Gu family patriarch flew into a rage, his copper-bell-like eyes widening in fury. "You old bastard, how dare you boost the morale of others while diminishing your own?!"
"Gentlemen, let's not waste this pointless argument." The head of the Wang family clapped his hands, signaling everyone to look.
"According to the information I have received, Zhong Jiuli is currently alone and has already ventured deep into the Hidden Dragon Abyss."
These words caused an uproar among the audience.
"Hidden Dragon Abyss?" Several family heads exclaimed, their eyes filled with shock and greed.
"Yes, Hidden Dragon Abyss, the legendary Hidden Dragon Abyss where no one can escape once they enter." The Wang family head sneered. "We only need to send people to set up the Chu family's sealing formation at the exit of Hidden Dragon Abyss. At that time, whether she can come out alive or not, she will not be able to escape our grasp!"
"Old Wang, is your information accurate?" the Gu family head asked.
The Wang family head's face was contorted with rage, veins bulging on his neck, and he almost growled through gritted teeth, "This information was obtained by my son at the cost of his life, do you think it's accurate or not?"
"My ancestor is preparing to leave seclusion and personally go to Dongzhou." After saying this, the Wang family head sat down again, looking completely calm and collected. He was absolutely certain that these family heads would be tempted.
Sure enough, the council chamber fell silent for a moment.
"My Gu family agrees!" The Gu family head slammed his fist on the table, his voice booming.
"The Chu family has followed suit!" The head of the Chu family stroked his long beard, his eyes gleaming.
"The Ye family agrees."
"The Zhao family is willing to go..."
Amidst the rising and falling cheers, many family heads expressed their willingness to go. As for the thirty-odd family heads of second-rate families, they had no right to speak; being able to listen in was already an honor for them.
Master Bai stood up and looked at everyone. “In that case, please go home and inform your respective ancestors. I will report today’s decision to the family head without missing a single word.”
As the heads of the families dispersed, the council hall returned to silence.
Master Bai lowered his eyes and stared at the string of green jade beads in his hand, his slender fingers slowly closing.
"Second Master!" A ghostly figure appeared behind Second Master Bai.
"Go, send a team of elite troops to Dongzhou with those people," Master Bai ordered calmly.
"Yes!" The guard accepted the order and left.
On this day, the ancient state was shaken. All the cultivators speculated about what had happened that had prompted all the aristocratic families to mobilize all their elite forces.
The interstate teleportation array stayed lit for a full day before finally stopping.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Bai Ye: My wife carried me in her arms like a princess! [Dog head with rose in its mouth][Dog head with rose in its mouth][Dog head with rose in its mouth]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
