Chapter 479
Dawn is approaching outside the communications institute.
Su Tong was helping Changsun Zi hand over a new sacred wood slip.
On the glazed tile platform lay many half-carved and broken wooden talismans. The broken talismans all looked dry and dull, lacking the luster of normal wooden talismans, as if they were lifeless objects that had been dormant for thousands of years.
As Changsun Zi inscribed the incantation, she explained it to Su Tong at the same time. Su Tong listened attentively, nodding occasionally.
A gentle morning breeze carried a man's slightly drunken voice: "You've come to Nanjing to teach students?"
Su Tong turned around in surprise and breathed a sigh of relief when she recognized the person who had suddenly appeared on the stage as the Sage of the Yin Yang School.
"Dean Zou."
Su Tong called out to greet them, while also reminding Changsun Zi that someone had arrived.
Changsun Zi stopped what she was doing and turned around. The dawn was breaking, illuminating the woman's slender and cold eyebrows. She stared at Zou Qian, who was walking over casually, and her gaze lingered on the man's neck, which was covered in scratches.
"You should go and rest first," Changsun Zi said to Su Tong.
Su Tong responded and left.
"What are you doing here?" Changsun Zi looked at Zou Qian again, her brows furrowed slightly, filled with confusion.
Zou Qian walked to her side, her gaze passing over Changsun Zi to look at the characters and incantations behind them. "Don't you feel bad about breaking so many divine wood tokens?"
After hearing this, Changsun Zi stopped looking at him and continued to bend down and carve the words.
Seeing this, Zou Qian scratched his neck again and asked, "Divination by fate?"
Is it really necessary?
"If saying this is pointless, then leave." Changsun Zi said without even looking up.
Zou Qian walked around her once, scratching unconsciously, and drops of blood fell on the characters she had just carved, causing Changsun Zi to raise her head in displeasure.
Before she could say anything, Zou Qian had already raised her hands and taken two steps back in a gesture of goodwill, indicating that she wanted her to calm down.
“To gather the power of all the sorcerers and magicians for divination, the sheer magnitude of that power is unimaginable. Why don’t we first divine the meaning of my Heart-Shattering Curse?” Zou Qian said shamelessly.
Changsun Zi refused, saying, "It's not worth it."
Zou Qian swore, "What I can't remember must be something extremely important."
Changsun Zi: "Figure it out yourself."
Zou Qian squatted down opposite her, his arms resting on his knees, his exposed fingertips stained with blood. Anyone who didn't know better would think he had just crawled out of some mountain of corpses and sea of blood.
"Is there anything between us that I've forgotten?" Zou Qian asked.
Changsun Zi found it amusing. When she looked up, her eyes were filled with laughter. Before she could answer, the man muttered to himself, "I believe I haven't forgotten anything between us, not a single detail."
He said, "We first met when we were sixteen."
Changsun Zi nodded: "In Tingchuan City, you are the pride of the Yin-Yang School who guards the city, while I am a destitute refugee who cannot enter the city."
Zou Qian stared at her and said, "Later you became a saint of the Fangji family, which is remarkable."
Changsun Zi lowered her head: "You were afflicted by the Heart-Bearing Mantra after you became a saint of the Yin-Yang School. I don't know which day it started, but when I saw you again, it was already like that."
Zou Qian shrugged and said, "Maybe I don't even know which day it will be. By the time I realize it, it will be too late."
Changsun Zi asked again, "Didn't you say you found someone to help solve it?"
“That little brat stood me up and broke the promise.” Zou Qian scratched her neck again and frowned. “I have to try to find her.”
After thinking for a moment, Changsun Zi finally spoke up: "The Nine Mysterious Methods and the Yin-Yang Twin Fish may not be effective against your Pearl Heart Mantra."
"Why didn't it work?" Zou Qian couldn't understand. "The Nine Mysterious Methods control Yin and Yang, and the Yin-Yang Pisces refine the Five Elements. Either one can break the Heart-Bearing Curse."
"There are records of those who can do both, but very few can actually use the Heart-Piercing Bead Mantra," Changsun Zi said. "Among the ninth-rate saints still alive today, which one dares to say that they know the Heart-Piercing Bead Mantra?"
Zou Qian fell silent.
He even suspected the Sage Changgen, but the old man denied it outright.
“Perhaps it’s a ninth-rate saint who is already dead,” Zou Qian said irritably. “In any case, the person who cast the curse on me must have the strength of a saint. The range is very small, but we can’t rule out the possibility that there are monsters like Nangong Sui hiding in the shadows and no one knows about them.”
Changsun Zi asked in a low voice, "Why did I cast a spell on you to make you forget?"
"Can't you divine it for me?" Zou Qian said sullenly.
“I’ve tried it, but it didn’t work,” Changsun Zi said.
"Impossible." Zou Qian didn't believe it. "You are the most powerful master of magic and techniques in the world."
Changsun Zi didn't care whether he was sincere or not. Thinking that it was the last minute, she stopped hiding it and said, "I have consulted the oracle about your incantation many times, and the answer to each divination was not about cause and effect."
"The only thing I know for sure is that the other side is stronger than me."
Zou Qian could not accept this answer.
At least among the practitioners of magic, there was no one more powerful than Changsun Zi. Zou Qian also didn't believe that the sages of the Yin-Yang School possessed the ability to cast the Pearl Heart Mantra.
So who exactly is it?
Why?
What has he forgotten?
Zou Qian stared at Changsun Zi, her fingers digging heavily into her skin.
That elusive, delicate yet sticky feeling enveloped his soul, making him feel uneasy. He tried his best but always fell just short of seeing the truth.
It was so close.
Having been tormented like this for over a decade, Zou Qian considers it quite remarkable that she hasn't completely gone insane.
Changsun Zi handed a sacred wooden divination stick to the silent man, sensing the irritability and hostility emanating from Zou Qian.
Zou Qian was not destroyed by the Pearl Heart Curse because the power of Taiyi's core gave him more strength to fight against it.
Now that he has left Taiyi and is no longer protected by the power of the Earth's core, Changsun Zi fears he won't be able to hold on.
"This sacred wooden divination stick can keep you in the Soul-Stabilizing Divination Array at all times. You can take it with you when you leave Taiyi and come outside, and it will reduce the influence of the Bead Heart Mantra on you."
After Changsun Zi finished speaking, she continued to carve words on the glass tabletop with the sacred wooden tablet.
Zou Qian held the cold wooden divination stick, staring at it for a long time, and suddenly said, "If you die in this divination, who will give me a wooden divination stick with a soul-stabilizing divination array in the future?"
Changsun Zi said, "Even masters of magic and skill can do this."
Zou Qian: "Not every master of divination is willing to give me a divine wooden slip."
Changsun Zi said casually, "Then go steal it, go rob it."
Zou Qian stood up, holding the sacred wooden divination stick, and looked down at her: "I still suggest you help me divine the Heart Mantra of the Pearl first before looking for the Destroyer of Worlds."
Changsun Zi didn't ask why, but Zou Qian continued on her own, "Because I think this way you won't die."
“I don’t just want to know about the destroyer of the world, I also want to know the truth of the prophecy.” Changsun Zi looked up at him, her bright eyes reflecting the green mountains behind Zou Qian.
"If I fail to find out the truth, then the only way for Shui Zhou to destroy the Strange Fire is through the Eye of the Ruins. This method definitely requires a World Destroyer who carries the Strange Fire."
Zou Qian stood in front of her, her face clearly saying, "What are you talking about? I don't understand." This expression made Changsun Zi frown, but the man scratched his neck and said, "Never mind, I'll go find Nangong Sui to think of a solution."
He knew that Yu Sui was still in the Nan Jing Prince's palace.
Changsun Zi didn't think much of what Zou Qian said and let Zou Qian come and go in a hurry.
Zou Qian was able to enter the palace so smoothly through the Four Directions Heavenly Array because, based on the information given by the mountain spirit, he calculated that Yu Sui was cooperating with He Xinsi, so he took the initiative to release the news to He Xinsi that Yu Sui possessed the special power of several mountains.
Once you've successfully captured He Xin's heart, entering and leaving the palace will be much easier.
That's why He Xinsi suddenly asked Yu Sui a question about communication arrays last night.
Zou Qian headed straight for the Communications Institute in Nanjing.
It was a bright and sunny day. A cool morning breeze caressed their faces, and the natural air swirled around the entrance of the Communication Academy's main hall. He Xinsi and Zou Yuan were still at the entrance, one standing and one sitting, both looking up at Zou Qian, who had landed at the entrance of the main hall using the Wind Control Technique.
"Dean Zou, what a rare guest!" He Xinsi greeted him with a smile. "Where are you headed in such a hurry?"
"I have urgent business with that girl. Your Majesty won't stop me, will you?" Zou Qian said casually as she walked up the steps.
“She has a bad temper. If we don’t warn her, I’m afraid she might kill someone at the drop of a hat, and then none of us will survive,” He Xinsi said with a helpless sigh, shaking her head.
Zou Qian was stunned.
He never expected that such words would come from He Xinsi's mouth.
What do you mean no one can survive? How can you be so sure that Nangong Sui can instantly kill three ninth-rate saints?
Zou Qian knew that Yu Sui's strength must have increased a lot in the past few years, but according to He Xinsi, it was too exaggerated.
He couldn't imagine it.
I initially thought He Xinsi and Yu Sui had a temporary business relationship, but now it seems that He Xinsi is being far too indulgent with that girl.
“Then I’ll trouble Your Majesty to inform her,” Zou Qian said.
He would still give He Xinsi some face.
He Xinsi laughed loudly, "You Zou family members are all quite interesting."
The two members of the Zou family exchanged a glance but remained silent, seemingly not very familiar with each other.
"Dean Zou, it's been a long time." Yu Sui's voice came from inside the hall.
He Xinsi was not surprised and gestured to Zou Qian to let him in.
After Zou Yuan and the others went inside, they said, "He came to resolve the Heart-Bearing Curse."
“The Heart-Piercing Curse is indeed a difficult problem, but the person inside possesses both the Nine Mysterious Techniques and the Yin-Yang Twin Fish. Dean Zou’s days of being tormented by the Heart-Piercing Curse are coming to an end.” He Xinsi stood up from her chair and beckoned Zou Yuan to go in and take a look.
“Zou Qian may be the only person in the world still alive who has mastered the Zhongzhu Heart Mantra,” Zou Yuan said, following He Xinsi.
"Don't speak too definitively. There are still many people and things in this world that we don't know," He Xinsi said. "Isn't that little girl a living example?"
Zou Yuan replied, "Nangong Sui is unique, and so is Zou Qian."
Zou Qian used her Wind Control Technique to traverse the entire Communication Academy, heading straight into the mountain range, and arrived in front of Yu Sui in a short while.
You can tell he's really anxious.
"Dean Zou," Yu Sui peeked out from behind the mountains and greeted Zou Qian, but was interrupted by her, "Forget about breaking the promise, but don't tell me you haven't mastered the Nine Mysterious Techniques yet."
Zou Qianyi lifted his robe and sat down to meditate, his expression serious: "Time is running out, we can talk about other things later."
"Which method do you want to use?" Yu Sui didn't waste any more time and stepped forward to ask, "The Nine Mysterious Techniques, or the Yin-Yang Twin Fish?"
Zou Qian said, "First, the Nine Mysterious Methods, then the Yin-Yang Double Fish."
Yu Sui nodded: "Okay."
As soon as she finished speaking, ripples spread across the ground, and the Three Thousand Star Sea unfolded between the two of them. The moment Zou Qian closed her eyes, her soul was pulled into Yu Sui's Nine Provinces Star Sea.
Zou Qian was no stranger to the Nine Provinces Star Sea, nor was he.
However, in Zou Qian's Nine Provinces Star Sea, only three thousand stars were in place. The Nine Provinces Star Sea he felt now was filled with the five elements of energy, which was both shocking and comforting. His soul, which was troubled and agitated by the Pearl Heart Mantra, immediately became calm.
When Zou Qian opened her eyes, she still saw the cliff at the top of Luoshan Mountain, shrouded in mountain mist and extremely cool.
He looked up and saw the golden sun hiding behind the clouds, revealing only a faint, captivating halo.
The chill on the summit of Luoshan was somewhat dispelled by the golden sun in the sky. Zou Qian looked down into the water, where a bright moon hung in the boundless, deep blue sea, causing the chill to rise continuously.
The energy of heaven and earth rose and fell, reaching a delicate balance at the cliff top of Luoshan Mountain, where it was incredibly stable.
Although Zou Qian was in a hurry, he couldn't help but be amazed by Yu Sui's magnificent view of the Nine Provinces and Star Sea.
So this is what it looks like after the sun and moon have returned to their proper positions?
Before Zou Qian could ask the question, Yu Sui, who was standing next to her, said, "Dean Zou, you need to concentrate."
Five golden characters appeared before Zou Qian, resembling the spirit characters of a master calligrapher or Taoist talismans. The characters, representing the five elements, gradually approached the man sitting on the cliff edge, their oppressive force rendering Zou Qian immobile.
Yu Sui gently waved his hand, and the five characters fixed in front of Zou Qian, buzzing.
But despite their constant noise, the energy within Zou Qian's body remained unchanged.
Zou Qian moved her eyes, her gaze towards Yu Sui silently asking: What's going on?
“Dean Zou, your Heart-Bearing Incantation… is quite interesting.” Yu Sui squatted down to look at him, her fingertips waving in front of his eyes, creating a light breeze. “Logically speaking, since I have mastered the Nine Mysterious Methods, I should also know all the incantations of the Yin-Yang School.”
"But I don't know the Heart Mantra."
Zou Qian's first reaction was: Impossible.
"That's why I could only use the Nine Mysterious Methods to dismantle your Five Elements and remove the Pearl Heart Mantra from your body."
Zou Qian was suppressed by the Nine Mysterious Techniques and could not move or speak. She could only ask Yu Sui with her eyes why this was happening.
"Try to recall when you were afflicted by the Heart-Bearing Curse," Yu Sui's voice fell into Zou Qian's ears, an irresistible command.
He closed his eyes and began to recall, but his brows furrowed tightly.
Zou Qianlian couldn't even remember when she was afflicted by the Heart-Bearing Mantra.
Every time I desperately try to recall something, it's torture for myself.
Yu Sui snapped his fingers, and two small fish emerged from the sea. They raised their heads and leaped out of the water, their enormous bodies enough to blot out the sky.
“The Yin-Yang Pisces purification might wash away your cultivation, so I tried to absorb the Heart Pearl Mantra. Dean Zou, you might get injured.”
The cool water droplets fell on Zou Qian's face, making him think it was raining, but when he opened his eyes, he saw countless falling sparks.
The water element and the fire element subjected his body to the torment of ice and fire, refining his five elements and searching for the existence of the Heart-Piercing Mantra to erase it.
The two enormous creatures circling overhead followed Yu Sui's command and looked down, finally finding their target. When Zou Qian met the majestic and radiant golden eyes of the Yin-Yang Pisces, her soul felt as if it had been struck by a heavy blow; a buzzing sound echoed in her ears, and her mind went blank.
Why can't I still remember?
"call"
Zou Qian recovered from the suffocation and gasped for breath, supporting herself with her hands on the ground.
"Why?" Zou Qian asked in a hoarse voice before she could straighten up. "Why doesn't it work? Why can't even the Nine Mysterious Techniques and the Yin-Yang Twin Fish break my Heart-Bearing Curse?"
The solution they had been hoping for didn't work, and Zou Qian seemed to have gone even more insane.
Yu Sui did not reply, but instead looked up at the yin-yang symbol above.
The black fish swam on its own, while the white fish looked down at the two below. Under the gaze of its dazzling golden eyes, it continued to refine Zou Qian's five elements and expel the Heart-Piercing Curse.
It's not that it can't be expelled, it's that the mantra of the pearl is repeatedly descending.
Who is it?
Who is constantly casting the Bead Heart Mantra on Zou Qian?
What exactly did he forget?
Yu Sui saw He Xinsi and Zou Yuan, who had come to the mountain range, through the particle light core.
As soon as He Xinsi arrived near the three great mountains, she sensed that the surrounding aura was unusual. Three thousand stars fell beneath the feet of the two people in front of her, and the vortex of star sea looked extremely sharp, capable of crushing anything that dared to intrude.
Zou Qian closed his eyes but his face was ferocious, with veins bulging all over his body and a murderous aura emanating from him, which was completely different from his usual lazy and decadent appearance.
He Xinsi noticed that in the deep blue and pale purple starry sea, two figures, one black and one white, appeared and disappeared intermittently.
"This doesn't look like a success," He Xinsi asked Zou Yuan. "Is her Star Sea different from yours?"
“Nangong Sui is from the Nine Provinces Star Sea,” Zou Yuan said. “He is the same as Zou Qian, yet different from Zou Qian.”
"Is this Heart Mantra so powerful that even the Nine Mysterious Techniques and the Yin-Yang Twin Fish cannot undo it?" He Xinsi asked the same question.
Zou Yuan was still concentrating on his assessment, his eyes revealing astonishment, clearly indicating that Zou Qian's situation was extraordinary.
In their understanding, both the Nine Mysterious Methods and the Yin-Yang Twin Fish were sufficient to resolve the Heart-Bearing Mantra.
They did not underestimate the Heart-Piercing Pearl Mantra, but compared to these two, it was absolutely suppressed.
Zou Yuan asked, "Even going back twenty years, which ninth-rate sage could cast the Heart-Bearing Incantation on Zou Qian?"
Perhaps it was the Sage Chang Gen.
This old man's strength is unfathomable, and he has close ties with the He family.
Perhaps it is the He family.
They possess many secret techniques that have not been made public.
They hadn't paid much attention to Zou Qianzhong's Heart Mantra before, but now that they realized even the Nine Mysterious Techniques and the Yin-Yang School's treasures couldn't undo it, they finally understood and realized something was wrong.
After listening to the conversation between the two, Yu Sui realized that Zou Qian's Heart-Bearing Mantra had nothing to do with them.
"Again!"
Zou Qian shouted angrily, holding her breath.
He looked up and stared directly into the white fish's eyes, his entire body's meridians suffering from the torment of ice and fire, the force seemingly about to melt all the bones in his body.
"Even if it destroys all my cultivation and erodes my light core, keep going! Until I remember!"
Zou Qian was determined to end it all at this moment.
Yu Sui sensed the changes in the five elements' energy around him, but knew it was useless.
No matter how many times you try, you cannot break his Heart-Bearing Curse.
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