461 Chapter 461
Ah Ling's hands and feet were bound, and she couldn't open her mouth. She was fixed to a stone table by the Nine Streams Technique and could only plead for help from Yu Sui with her eyes.
On her way home tonight, she was suddenly tied up by two men. They didn't give her a chance to fight back and even touched her inappropriately. Before they could say a few words, they threatened to disembowel her on the spot.
Fortunately, the man carrying the medicine basket stopped him in a gentle manner.
Ah Ling sobbed and whimpered, desperately trying to signal to Yu Sui with her eyes, while screaming in her heart: Sister, be careful of this wicked woman who likes to cut open people at the drop of a hat!
"Deans, it's been a long time." Yu Sui greeted Shen Tianxue and Pei Daiqing, who were standing in the pavilion, with a smile.
Ah Ling was stunned when she heard this.
Is it someone your sister knows?
Shen Tianxue observed Yu Sui with great interest. Mei Liangyu was the disciple of the Sage Changgen, and the Sages of Taiyi had watched him grow up, so they were quite familiar with him.
Yu Sui, however, was different.
Upon learning of the falling out between the master and disciple of the Ghost Daoist, Shen Tianxue immediately decided to return to Taiyi to watch the spectacle. After returning to Taiyi, she learned that the youngest disciple of the Sage Changgen had accomplished something significant in Qingyang, so she immediately went to Qingyang.
When they arrived in Qingyang, the Zhou Kingdom was burned down by a strange fire, shocking the entire continent. Shen Tianxue was so busy that she didn't know which side's excitement to watch first.
Upon seeing Yu Sui, Shen Tianxue appeared very happy and praised her, saying, "You killed Su Xing; you did a good job."
Yu Sui: "..."
These words had a significant impact on Yu Sui.
She never imagined anyone would say such a thing to her.
Shen Tianxue is independent and unconventional, not swayed by others or worldly conventions, and her mind is different from that of normal people.
Yu Sui knew there were people in the courtyard besides Ah Ling, but she didn't expect it to be these two.
Pei Daiqing laughed and greeted Mei Liangyu: "How long have you been in Dan Kingdom? Would you like us to show you around for a couple of days?"
Mei Liangyu was well aware of the unusual thought processes of these two, and was not surprised at all by Pei Daiqing's words in this situation. He pointed to the bound Ah Ling: "Deans, this is Sui Sui's younger sister."
"Sister?" Shen Tianxue turned around and looked. "She's also Su Xing's daughter? How many daughters does Su Xing actually have?"
Mei Liangyu: "..."
Ah Ling's eyes were fixed, she dared not move, only her mind was still working frantically.
Pei Daiqing said, "When we were in Xuanyang City, we met Su Xing's eldest daughter, and when we came to Dan Kingdom, we met her youngest daughter and her little daughter."
“She’s not,” Yu Sui said with a hint of helplessness, not caring about their encounter with Chu Jin. “A-Ling was picked up on the road.”
Shen Tianxue: "Su Xing picked it up?"
Yu Sui said, "I picked it up."
“Then you’ve struck gold.” Shen Tianxue reached out and touched A-Ling’s forehead. “This girl has a lot of strange worms inside her, just like the student that Dean Jiang wanted, but even more powerful.”
“Ah Xue, I think they probably knew about this,” Pei Daiqing said with a smile. “The person was definitely picked up from Xiao Wei’s place.”
“That’s even better, no need for me to explain further.” Shen Tianxue toyed with the slender curved knife in her hand, the blade pressed against A Ling’s neck. “Then I’ll have to take action and pull the worms out of her body.”
Before she could finish speaking, her hand had already manipulated the blade. With a flash of light, Ah Ling was so frightened that she stopped breathing, but in her eyes she saw another hand grabbing the blade.
Despite being blocked by Yu Sui, Shen Tianxue showed no intention of stopping and continued to push forward with her curved blade, the bursting Five Elements Qi transforming into invisible arrows that shot out.
Yu Sui Chao gave Shen Tianxue a gentle and kind smile: "Dean."
She remained firmly behind Ah Ling, her five fingers gripping the blade, preventing it from advancing an inch.
Shen Tianxue raised her eyes, a bewitching red light flashing in her dark pupils, and three purple fox tails swept out from behind her. The enchanting fox, stepping on Shen Tianxue's shoulder and walking forward, locked its red-glowing vertical pupils on Yu Sui, opening its mouth to reveal sharp fangs in a threatening manner.
Another identical fox shadow emerged from Yu Sui's arms, its tail, even larger than its body, swaying around A Ling. The fox's dark purple eyes exuded a seductive aura as they silently confronted each other.
"You can also summon magical beasts?" Shen Tianxue's surprise turned to interest. "I almost forgot, you still have the Breath of Earth. How about you exchange it for this little girl?"
Yu Sui pushed A Ling behind him with a palm strike, facing Shen Tianxue head-on. Two phantom foxes unfurled their massive bodies, their tails wrapping around the pavilion, and with a burst of force, instantly shredded it.
Pei Daiqing stood in the middle of the path, while the fighting had already broken out over there. He was still laughing and joking with Mei Liangyu: "Elder Chang has been looking for you. A year ago, he was still in Yan Kingdom asking us if we had seen you."
"Dean Pei, I apologize." Mei Liangyu raised her hand, but before Pei Daiqing could understand what was happening, a flash of golden light appeared, and she had already disappeared from the spot.
"Ah Qing!" Shen Tianxue immediately turned around.
If it were just an ordinary barrier or a low-level technique, Shen Tianxue wouldn't be worried at all. But Pei Daiqing's aura and the five elements energy just now disappeared completely in an instant, leaving no trace.
Mei Liangyu raised his hand, holding a bunch of keys.
Shen Tianxue immediately decided to capture Yu Sui to exchange for someone else, but the person who had just put on a show of fighting with her was now running away faster than anyone else, and in the blink of an eye, she had already appeared next to Mei Liangyu.
"These are the keys to Dean Pei's room. You'll have to find them yourself, room by room." Mei Liangyu and Yu Sui, looking completely innocent and like good students, tossed the keychain to Shen Tianxue.
Shen Tianxue took the keychain and squinted, saying, "You two, one of you has the Heart of the Mechanism, and the other not only has the Farmhouse Breath Soil but also the Yin-Yang Twin Fish. Aren't you afraid of having too many things that will burn your hands?"
Mei Liangyu said modestly, "You and Dean Pei have just as much as we do."
"Such rare treasures are never too many, we can never have too few." Shen Tianxue's voice seemed to come from underwater, creating ripples as she finished speaking.
Mei Liangyu's eyes twitched slightly. The entire courtyard was covered by a heavy flow of water, and the sudden sensation of falling into the water made his heart skip a beat.
He regained control of his body, stood in the path and raised his hand to intercept the attack coming from behind. Mei Liangyu turned around and saw Shang Yu Sui's surprised look.
Illusion?
"Senior brother!" Yu Sui called out.
no.
Just as Mei Liangyu let go, Yu Sui suddenly transformed into Chen Tianxue, bending back along his wrist. The pull of the five elements was like a mountain crashing down, causing Mei Liangyu to bend over.
But he reacted quickly, breaking his own wrist to avoid being caught by Shen Tianxue. He dodged back to create distance, and as soon as he looked up, he saw Yu Sui attacking again. His attack immediately turned into a defense.
Because that's not an illusion.
This time, Yu Sui did not slow down because of Mei Liangyu; in fact, he moved even faster. With a flash of red light, the black blade slashed past Mei Liangyu's eyes, splitting a black Gu worm in two. As the blade spun back, the worm fell to Shen Tianxue's feet.
“Dean Shen,” Yu Sui stood in front of Mei Liangyu and looked back, “we have experienced your Eye-Shifting Gu.”
Shen Tianxue glanced at the black Gu worm that Yu Sui had split in two, and said expressionlessly, "Do you know how precious this thing is? If you found out, just say so. You used a deadly move right away. You're too bloodthirsty at such a young age."
She knew that Yu Sui possessed the Breath of Earth, so she wouldn't use the Farmer's Beast Taming and Insect Gu techniques on her. But Mei Liangyu was different. From their previous exchange, Shen Tianxue had discovered that Mei Liangyu's physique had become much weaker than before for some reason.
Shen Tianxue glanced thoughtfully at Mei Liangyu, then shook the keys in her hand and laughed, "Mei Liangyu, your current state is somewhat of a burden to her."
Mei Liangyu also looked up and laughed, "I don't like hearing that."
Yu Sui stepped forward, cutting off their eye contact: "Dean, if you want the Breath Soil, I'm willing to give it to you."
"Oh?" Shen Tianxue raised an eyebrow.
Yu Sui sheathed the black knife and said, "After I die, the Breath Soil will be yours."
Shen Tianxue laughed: "What's the difference between this and killing you to steal my treasure? If I kill you now, I can get the Breath Soil faster and won't have to wait another thirty or fifty years."
Yu Sui said, "But you can't kill me now. I have plenty of ways to wear you down. Outside of Taiyi, you still risk losing your life."
Shen Tianxue didn't take it seriously: "Killing you is a bit difficult, but killing your senior brother is not so difficult."
Yu Sui opened her hand, revealing a golden insect Gu in her palm. She smiled innocently and said, "This is a Heart-Connecting Gu. If you hurt my senior brother even a little, Dean Pei will suffer ten times the pain."
Shen Tianxue remained unmoved: "You think I'd believe such a petty trick?"
"Then you'll have no choice but to gamble with Dean Pei's life." Yu Sui put away the insect worm, her smile playful. "At least you don't even know where Dean Pei is right now."
Shen Tianxue's fingers slowly tightened, and her gaze toward Yu Sui became more serious.
"Master Chang never said that his little apprentice was so cunning."
"Our master is indeed a man of few words."
"People are saying that Nangong Ming's youngest daughter is a madwoman who murdered her mother to steal her treasure."
"People also say that the two sages of the Farmer School betrayed their master and ancestors, and were demons who liked to exterminate entire families."
The two stared at each other in silence. After a moment, the tense atmosphere dissipated, and Shen Tianxue asked her casually with a smile, "So when do you plan to die?"
"Please wait a little longer, Dean Shen," Yu Sui replied jokingly. "Let's set a limit of eighty years."
"You want to live another eighty years?" Shen Tianxue was shocked. "Extremely greedy."
Yu Sui smiled but did not answer.
Shen Tianxue glanced at A-Ling, who was frozen in place by the Nine Streams Technique: "Keep this girl with me."
With that, he disappeared on the spot to go find Pei Daiqing.
Ah Ling breathed a sigh of relief after she was able to move again: "Sister!"
She stopped after running only two steps.
Yu Suizheng stared coldly at Mei Liangyu without saying a word.
Mei Liangyu hoped that A-Ling would come over and distract Yu Sui, but as soon as their eyes met, A-Ling pretended not to see anything and quietly backed away.
Yu Sui asked him, "Senior brother, what are you still hiding from me?"
Mei Liangyu straightened his expression and explained, "I used the Mind of Mechanism too frequently these past few days and didn't get enough rest."
Yu Sui lifted up his self-broken right hand, his brows furrowing slightly. Mei Liangyu then bent it back into place with a crisp snap.
Ah Ling felt a pang of pain just listening to it and couldn't help but shiver.
Yu Sui thought Mei Liangyu could dodge it at the time, but he didn't expect to have to pay such a price.
Mei Liangyu repeatedly assured Yu Sui that it was just that the core of the mechanism had been overworked and that he would recover in two more days, so Yu Sui finally gave up.
On the other side, Shen Tianxue quickly found Pei Daiqing locked in a house outside the alley.
The restrictions on the house were broken the moment Shen Tianxue opened the door with the key. Upon seeing her, Pei Daiqing immediately raised his hands and said, "I'm fine, but that kid seems to be in trouble."
Shen Tianxue breathed a sigh of relief and grabbed his hand, pulling it away: "Are you afflicted with the Heart-Connecting Gu?"
"Hmm? Is it the Heart-Connecting Gu?" Pei Daiqing pointed to the Gu worms on the table. "There are indeed Gu worms in the room, but not on me."
Shen Tianxue: "..."
I was tricked by that girl again.
She saw that the Heart-Connecting Gu was reacting and acknowledged that Yu Sui had the ability to implant the Gu worm in Pei Daiqing, which is why she didn't gamble with Pei Daiqing's life.
It now seems that Yu Sui only placed the Heart-Connecting Gu in the room to scare her, and did not really intend to hurt Pei Daiqing.
"How did the Eye-Shifting Gu die?" Pei Daiqing stared in surprise at the Gu worm that Shen Tianxue had placed on the table, now broken in two.
Shen Tianxue said irritably, "He was killed by a single blow."
“Nangong Sui? He’s become much more powerful.” Pei Daiqing stroked his chin. “Neither of them noticed when the Gu was cast. I thought Mei Liangyu would have noticed, but he seems to have become much weaker.”
Shen Tianxue said, "Although I don't see any signs of injury, my impression of him is definitely not good."
When agricultural sages reach a certain level, they all possess the instincts of wild beasts and a keen awareness of death.
"I get the feeling that he's about to die," Pei Daiqing asked. "Hasn't Nangong Sui noticed?"
Shen Tianxue chuckled and said, "She must have been fooled by his sweet talk. She trusted Mei Liangyu too much."
Pei Daiqing: "It doesn't look like it."
Shen Tianxue beckoned to him: "Want to make a bet?"
Pei Daiqing smiled and followed her outside: "Okay."
Yu Sui, who could see everything through the light core: "..."
Mei Liangyu was puzzled; the person she had just appeased had changed again.
The door was open, and the stone lanterns in the courtyard outside were lit by candlelight, casting a warm glow. Ah Ling squatted outside, too afraid to go in. Mei Liangyu was almost kicked out by Yu Sui as well. She stood in the hall and pointed at Mei Liangyu, saying, "Senior brother, now it's either we break up and go our separate ways from now on, or you tell me the truth."
Mei Liangyu frowned upon hearing the first half of the story, immediately guessing that she had overheard something she shouldn't have through the light core from the two saints of the Farmer's Clan.
Yu Sui asked him, "Are you going to die?"
Mei Liangyu and she spoke at the same time: "My time is coming to an end."
Yu Sui always remembered the side effects of Mei Liangyu's Divine Strategist Technique.
According to He's records, those who possess the divine ability to harmonize with heaven and earth do not live past forty years old.
But that's a side effect caused by frequent use of the "Heaven and Earth Harmony" technique. As long as the frequency of use is limited, it shouldn't happen.
In recent years, Mei Liangyu has even restrained himself from using the Nine Streams Techniques, no longer consuming the Five Elements Qi as before, and only using the Eight Trigrams Generation Techniques when he makes a move.
“I’ve never forgotten the side effects of the Harmony of Heaven and Earth, but it shouldn’t be this early.” Yu Sui didn’t believe it; she thought they had enough time to find a solution.
“My father gave me the Heart of Mechanism not because I have a great talent for mechanical arts, but because I am in harmony with heaven and earth.” Mei Liangyu said this with her eyes lowered, looking very quiet and calm. “I was able to understand the Heart of Mechanism early on and become one with it because of the harmony with heaven and earth. So I had already overdrawn my life through the Divine Mechanism at a very early time.”
He didn't deplete his life force by using the Divine Mechanism Technique when he grew up; rather, he had already overdrawn it during countless days and nights in his childhood, and it was too late to go back.
Yu Sui hadn't thought of this, and now that it had been pointed out, she was somewhat bewildered.
His parents must have known what the consequences would be, but they didn't stop him.
Was it decided from the beginning to sacrifice this child?
Seeing that Yu Sui remained silent, Mei Liangyu walked forward and said, "Sui Sui, I swear, I was planning to tell you in two days anyway."
He appeared calm and composed, but heaven knows how flustered he was inside as he took those few short steps.
Yu Sui actually said that she wanted to live separately from him.
Absolutely impossible.
"Really?" Yu Sui looked up at him suspiciously.
Mei Liangyu reached out and gently stroked her cheek, his slightly trembling hand stopping: "If there is no improvement in two more days, then the time is almost up, and I must tell you then."
Yu Sui remained motionless, staring at him with eyes as black as ink. In that unbelievable moment, Mei Liangyu couldn't figure out what she was thinking.
"I'm not angry."
But she knew what Mei Liangyu was thinking.
Yu Sui said, "I'll think of a way."
She remained very calm.
Mei Liangyu assumed that she had expected this, which was why she accepted it so calmly.
He only realized something was wrong when he discovered that Yu Sui had stopped sleeping and stayed by his side all day.
Mei Liangyu was so exhausted that he needed to rest for longer periods. While he slept, Yu Sui stayed by his side, watching him intently day and night.
Ah Ling was captured by Shen Tianxue for research and was so frightened that she screamed but couldn't wake him.
Shen Tianxue and Pei Daiqing returned to watch the commotion, and Yu Sui didn't chase them away. In Shen Tianxue's words, she was there to supervise Yu Sui, to prevent her from giving the Breath Soil to anyone other than herself, and also to study the worms inside A Ling's body.
Before coming to the capital, the two had met Wei Xizhen and Zhuge Ling in the underground city. Wei Xizhen had specifically invited the two to discuss the research on vipers, wanting to hear the opinions of the two sages of agriculture.
Finding no trace of the Insect Mother, Shen Tianxue grew bored and secretly left the underground city with Pei Daiqing to visit the Dan Kingdom.
Now that she had seen the true form of the Insect Mother, Shen Tianxue felt it was unbelievable.
She grabbed Ah Ling and said, "Are you in the Thirteenth Realm?"
Ah Ling trembled: "I don't know!"
"Then where did the thirteenth realm divine soul core in your body come from?" Shen Tianxue gently patted her cheek. "The Insect Mother failed to transform from a viper into a dragon, nor did she evolve into a Dao Gu Insect body, but she conjured up a divine soul core for you?"
"I really don't know!" Ah Ling said angrily. She was fixed to the table by the Nine Streams Technique and could not move. She could only open her mouth and turn her eyes to express her anger and pity.
"In the dungeon, I was indeed different from others and could use some minor spells, but that day I fell into the insect pool, and all the insects rushed towards me, and then I passed out."
She would rather die than reveal any information related to Yu Sui.
Shen Tianxue circled around her and said, "Your Qi root is unstable, scattered and chaotic, and your school of thought is uncertain. At most, you can only use the Bagua Sheng Technique. The light core that was created out of thin air has no fixed shape. This divine soul light core is also unlucky. It was born in your body and was wasted."
Ah Ling was a little unconvinced and said in a low voice, "I can learn it!"
Shen Tianxue didn't reply, but instead turned around and called to Yu Sui under the flower trellis: "Was her soul core really not given to you?"
"How is that possible?" Yu Sui didn't even turn her head, her words sounding utterly innocent. "Dean, for a thirteenth-level divine soul core to appear out of thin air is simply astonishing. Are you sure you didn't make a mistake in your examination?"
This is not the first time.
Shen Tianxue narrowed her eyes.
Previously, I picked up a seriously injured farm student in Taiyi. He was about to die, but a Five Elements Light Core regenerated in his body.
They didn't find any trace of parasites in Wei Ren's body at the time.
"By all accounts, you and he should have been students in the same period." Shen Tianxue walked towards the flower stand. "Do you know Wei Ren from the Taiyi Farming School?"
“I know him.” Yu Sui nodded. “He worked for my mother and kept an eye on me since I was a child. He almost killed me when we were in Taiyi.”
Shen Tianxue: "..."
Is this even possible?
Pei Daiqing, who was pounding medicine nearby, exclaimed, "Oh right, doesn't Wei Ren know how to summon mythical beasts?"
This proves that what Yu Sui said was true.
Shen Tianxue circled around Yu Sui again and sighed, "You're unlucky to have such a mother."
Yu Sui smiled. She propped her head up with one hand and looked at the person sleeping on the bench.
"Where is that kid?" Shen Tianxue asked Pei Daiqing. "In Yan," Pei Daiqing said. "Shall we go find him?"
“He definitely knows what the light core is. We let him get away with it before, but we can’t do it this time,” Shen Tianxue said. “Go and arrest him and question him.”
Pei Daiqing had placed twin Gu worms inside Wei Ren's body, so even if he fled to the ends of the earth, he would still be caught.
After listening to Shen Tianxue's words, Pei Daiqing put two fingers together on the back of his right hand and drew a line. The other twin Gu worms transformed into golden character incantations on the back of his hand.
After reading it, he exclaimed in surprise, "Ah Xue, Wei Ren is in Nanjing now. I saw him in Yan State at the beginning of the year."
"He stopped killing people in Yan and went to Nanjing to kill people instead?" Shen Tianxue accepted it quickly. "Then let's go to Nanjing." She pointed at Yu Sui and said, "Take that girl with you and come with us."
"The two deans can just take Ah Ling with them." Yu Sui seemed uninterested. "Ah Ling would be willing to go with you."
Ah Ling closed her mouth again after hearing these words.
If my sister says I'm willing, then I'm willing!
"No, you have to go." Shen Tianxue didn't care about her. She lightly kicked the bench leg, startling Yu Sui, who cried out and looked up. "What can you do by just watching him like this every day?"
Yu Sui blinked, then looked back at Mei Liangyu: "Every time I see her, it's one less time. Maybe one day I'll suddenly be unable to see her anymore."
She spoke softly, afraid of disturbing the person in their dream.
Shen Tianxue paused, then turned to look at Pei Daiqing, who was pounding medicine with his head down.
Many years ago, Pei Daiqing said something similar to her.
Pei Daiqing seemed to sense something, looked up and smiled at her.
Shen Tianxue saw the overlapping figures of the two of them in Yu Sui and Mei Liangyu. She was speechless for a moment, then suddenly heard Pei Daiqing say, "The soil and water sources of the six states of Yan have changed a lot. I remember when we first went to the six states, the rain that fell from the sky was like black rain that would corrode flesh and blood."
"After the six states lost the Breath of Soil, both the land and the water sources changed drastically, which led to the fact that people from the outside could not get in and people inside could not get out."
Shen Tianxue frowned: "Why are you bringing this up out of the blue?"
Pei Daiqing gestured to Mei Liangyu with his eyes: "When we went there last time, the black rain had disappeared. The fields were lush and green, and the water was clear and bright, as if it had been purified by the five elements."
“He has a thousand schemes in his heart, and also…” Before Pei Daiqing could finish speaking, Shen Tianxue understood, “He is in harmony with heaven and earth.”
Yu Sui gazed at Mei Liangyu silently, without saying a word.
Shen Tianxue looked back at him and exclaimed in surprise, "This kid is risking his life to purify the environment of the six states of Yan. I guess it's because of his connection with the sea eye, so no matter where he is, he can purify the mountains, rivers and soil of the six states by harmonizing with heaven and earth."
Throughout the six states of Yan, there were traps and mazes that had been set up for many years. These hidden underground structures were unknown to others, but Mei Liangyu knew them all.
Pei Daiqing nodded and said, "He made himself a walking land-based sea eye. It was right for him to disappear during the chaos. The changes in the six states will make others suspect that it is due to the Breath of Earth, and they will not guess that it is related to him."
If they hadn't witnessed Mei Liangyu's exhaustion firsthand, and hadn't examined his Five Elements Qi while he was asleep these past two days, and hadn't happened to have visited the Six Provinces, they wouldn't have guessed these things.
Shen Tianxue suddenly realized and said, "Then he really deserves to die. He risked his life to save the six states, and he still survived. That means the heavens are biased. I'm going to kill him too."
Yu Sui remained silent.
Shen Tianxue asked her, "You knew all along?"
Yu Sui nodded, and just as Shen Tianxue was about to speak, she heard her say, "I just found out."
Shen Tianxue: "..."
Forget it, she couldn't be bothered with other people's relationship problems.
"Let's go for a walk." Shen Tianxue called Pei Daiqing away, and also took A Ling with her.
It was the peak season for wisteria to bloom in Dan Kingdom. Clusters of small purple flowers hung from the trellis, shielding the blazing sun and casting cool shade. The noisy people had left, and the return to tranquility eased the brows of those on the deck chairs.
Yu Sui gently brushed away the wisteria blossoms that had fallen into his hair, recalling the days when she was still in the Ghost Path Holy Hall. Back then, her senior brother often slept on the recliner in the Holy Hall. She would be out there cultivating hard, exhausted to the point of death, and when she turned around, she would see someone peacefully and comfortably sleeping on the recliner.
She was so jealous. So jealous she wanted to punch someone awake.
Now, her hand landed on the man's cold face, but only lightly brushed it, flicking his forehead with her finger.
"Senior brother, wake up."
"Talk to me."
As if summoned, Mei Liangyu's eyelashes fluttered slightly as she slowly awoke. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw a woman sitting under the flower trellis, bathed in the gentle breeze, gazing at her.
Yu Sui waved her hand in front of his eyes: "Senior brother?"
Mei Liangyu grabbed that hand and placed it over her eyes.
"Cool." Yu Sui tried to pull it back, but he held her tightly and she couldn't move.
"Wake up." Mei Liangyu's voice was hoarse, indicating that he was not fully awake.
Yu Sui leaned closer to his ear and asked, "Did I disturb you?"
He smiled for a moment, the corners of his lips curving upwards.
Didn't you want me to talk to you?
Yu Sui laughed and said, "Then tell me about how you used the Sea Eye and the Divine Mechanism to purify the six states of Yan."
Mei Liangyu peered at her through the gaps between his fingers: "You should have guessed this a long time ago."
Yu Sui nodded again: "We guessed it when we left Qingyang, but I just haven't asked you to confirm it."
She laughed again as she spoke, the silent pause seeming to be a sigh of helplessness.
"I just didn't expect that you had been using the Harmony of Heaven and Earth to refine the Heart of a Thousand Machines since you were a child, and I didn't expect that you would also need the Divine Mechanism Technique to purify the six states of Yan."
"My Divine Mechanism Technique and the Heart of a Thousand Machines are inseparable." Mei Liangyu closed her eyes again, her eyelashes gently brushing against Yu Sui's palm.
“Master… He sealed the Heart of a Thousand Machines in Taiyi, but he didn’t completely seal it, so I can learn the arts of a hundred schools.”
His voice sounded as if he might fall asleep at any moment, yet it carried a clear sense of reassurance.
He comforted the person who was holding him tightly.
"For decades, the mechanical sorcerers of the six states of Yan have laid out sun and moon seals and mechanical eyes in various places. They connect the sea eyes in other places with the core of the mechanism, changing the five elements of the six states day and night, purifying the soil and water."
"The sun reflects the soil, the moon reflects the water source."
"The Sea Eye can absorb the impurities of the six states, dragging them into chaos to tear them apart or purify them. It itself comes from the Earth Fire Sacred Stone of Taiyi and possesses sufficient power."
Yu Sui stared at him: "Is it because the Breath of Earth was divided in two that we had to arrange all this?"
Mei Liangyu gently shook his head: "The six states are controlled by Xirang. Their plan is to completely free the people of the six states from Xirang. The division of Xirang only makes the environment of the six states worse."
"There are no skilled practitioners of the art of leveling in the six states of Yan."
"This is an agreement between the six states and the government. When they are able to leave the six states, it will be the time when the Yan Kingdom is destroyed and reborn."
This plan was unstoppable from the very beginning.
Perhaps there were times when choices were made.
In Taiyi, if Mei Liangyu chooses never to regain her memories...
Yu Sui's fingers trembled as she thought of this.
Mei Liangyu continued, "Initially, I wanted to purify the world of the six states, but I also wanted them to rely on the power provided by the Breath of Earth, so that the environment of the six states would be changed and people outside would be unable to adapt to it."
In this way, the tribes of the six states can be used by you.
"Does Master know about this plan?" Yu Sui asked. "Why was he so certain that he could protect you from death in Taiyi back then?"
“Perhaps they knew,” Mei Liangyu said.
He didn't say much.
Sage Changgen never explicitly stated it, but it can be inferred from subtle details. Sage Changgen refrained from using assassins to eliminate the root of the problem because he also needed the power of the Mechanists to accomplish a certain purpose.
"Is it the power of the Earth's core?" Yu Sui guessed.
"Just like I guessed," Mei Liangyu joked. "I'm already prepared to go back and ask him for advice."
Yu Sui said there was no need, as they already had a Taiyi Saint here.
When Shen Tianxue returned with her entourage that evening, Yu Sui summoned her to the flower trellis and asked her about the reason why the power of the earth's core is immortal.
After listening, Shen Tianxue suddenly realized: "So this old man really does know how to control the power of the earth's core. I had doubts before."
Pei Daiqing was taking Mei Liangyu's pulse when he heard her words. He said, "Of the current twenty-four saints, Elder Chang has been in office the longest. According to previous records, he will only last forty years before the power of the Earth's core becomes ineffective, and another saint will be chosen."
Shen Tianxue sat at the stone table, toying with a glass wine cup in one hand, lost in thought.
"So Master's original plan was to use the power of the Earth's core to prolong Senior Brother's life. Even if he wasn't at the Saint realm, he could still be chosen by the power of the Earth's core?" Yu Sui asked.
Shen Tianxue chuckled and beckoned to her with her finger: "You two are really interesting. I do know a similar method that can extend your senior brother's life. Would you like to hear it?"
"Of course I'll listen." Yu Sui sat up straight opposite her like a well-behaved student.
"What will you give me in exchange?" Shen Tianxue asked.
“Eighty years minus ten years, Dean Shen can obtain the Breath Soil ten years earlier,” Yu Suisu promised.
Shen Tianxue: "..."
It sounds like a good deal, but something just doesn't feel right.
Pei Daiqing said from the side, "This method is similar to Elder Chang's."
"Is it also about using the power of the Earth's core to prolong life?" Mei Liangyu asked.
“That’s right. Actually, the power of the Earth’s core isn’t only found in Taiyi. Ah Xue and I suspect it also exists in Nan Jing.” Pei Daiqing stood up, holding a medicine hammer, and tapped on the meridians and acupoints on Mei Liangyu’s upper body. He said slowly, “Does Emperor He Xin of Nan Jing know this?”
Mei Liangyu slightly curled the corners of his mouth, his expression a half-smile: "The only surviving saint on the continent who cultivates both Taoism and magic."
“He should have died long ago,” Shen Tianxue said. “But he’s still alive.”
“Back then, he was hit by my and Ah Xue’s Hundred Farmers Palm, his meridians were shattered and his light core cracked, he was bound to die.” Pei Daiqing couldn’t help but smile as he said this, “But it was his fate to survive. Some people are like you, born to be favored by the heavens.”
Pei Daiqing tapped Mei Liangyu on the head with a medicine hammer.
Mei Liangyu blinked: "I cannot agree."
“The existence of the Earth’s core power is related to the gathering of energy in the light core,” Shen Tianxue said, resting her chin on her hand as she examined Yu Sui. “Although your master has been removed from his physical body and transformed into a ghost god, I guess his divine soul light core must still be there.”
"Within Taiyi, the power of the Earth's core kept him alive; from another perspective, the power of the Earth's core was also connected to his lifeline."
"When the ghost transforms into a spirit, the physical body dissolves, and the light core and qi coexist, that is, they become one. The light core no longer has an independent form."
"But the power of the Earth's core must be connected to his divine soul core, so his core will be re-embodied. In other words, in Taiyi, there is a divine soul core connected to Elder Chang's life that has been hidden."
As long as one is a low-level sorcerer, refining the five elements and manifesting the nine-level techniques, one cannot do without the light core.
Shen Tianxue fiddled with the brightly colored wine cups and said jokingly, "You two don't need to look at me like that. I've told this secret to quite a few people. In the past two years, more and more people have been looking for Elder Chang's light core in Taiyi."
"The Twenty-Four Saints?" Yu Sui asked.
Shen Tianxue made a shushing gesture at her: "It's just a treasure hunt game. Let's see who's willing to risk their lives to find it first. Do you two want to join in?"
Yu Sui seemed to be seriously considering: "What if that light core could extend my senior brother's life?"
"Why don't we go to Nanjing first? If He Xin is relying on the power of the Earth's core outside of Taiyi to prolong his life... that would be much easier than going to find Elder Chang's light core," Pei Daiqing advised.
"Ah Qing, don't underestimate these young people." Shen Tianxue glared at him.
Pei Daiqing walked around from behind the chair and gave Shen Tianxue a fawning pat on the shoulder: "He Xinsi's situation is our speculation. Let their senior and junior brothers and sisters go and verify it. If it's not the power of the earth's core, then we'll gamble with He Xinsi again. This time, he'll definitely die."
Shen Tianxue squinted comfortably and waved her hand, "Then it's settled. We'll set off for Nanjing tomorrow."
Yu Sui did not object.
After Ah Ling had eaten and drunk her fill, Shen Tianxue called her aside to cultivate. Halfway through her practice, Shen Tianxue also called Yu Sui over, wanting to teach her a few moves of the Farmer's Illusionary Beast and have her pretend to be her disciple to challenge He Xinsi.
Mei Liangyu drank bowl after bowl of the life-sustaining medicine that Pei Daiqing handed her.
Looking at Shen Tianxue and Yu Sui outside the flower stand, Pei Daiqing sighed, "Such a big thing, if it were Xue, she would have turned against me long ago and given me a good scolding. Look at your junior sister, she didn't say a single harsh word to you."
Mei Liangyu stopped drinking the medicine and glanced sideways at Yu Sui.
That's not the case.
Yu Sui was very angry about Mei Liangyu's concealment.
But ever since killing Madam Su, Yu Sui has lost the right to be angry with anyone.
"Has Dean Shen ever regretted killing his master and wiping out his entire family?" Mei Liangyu asked in a low voice.
Pei Daiqing smiled and looked at Shen Tianxue, replying, "She has no regrets."
"We just lost," Mei Liangyu said.
Pei Daiqing's gentle, smiling face calmed for a moment, then he raised his lips and smiled like a Maitreya cat: "You and I are the same, we both lost to the laws of nature and morality."
"The kindness of giving birth is greater than that of man, and the kindness of raising is greater than that of heaven; the kindness of giving birth shapes our bones and blood, and the kindness of raising us shapes our body and mind. Even if only one person knows the gratitude or resentment involved, as soon as one makes a move, it means that one has lost."
Pei Daiqing's voice was gentle and peaceful, yet it possessed an incredibly powerful strength.
Mei Liangyu looked at Pei Daiqing.
They knew nothing of Pei Daiqing and Shen Tianxue's past, nor of the specific grudges between their sects; they only knew of the infamous reputation of the two saints of the Farming Clan for murdering their master and annihilating their entire clan.
They are despised by the world, ungrateful, and utterly rebellious.
The reason for this remains unknown.
When Mei Liangyu looked at Pei Daiqing, he understood that others now viewed him and Yu Sui in the same way.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Pei Daiqing touched his face.
Mei Liangyu laughed and said, "For them, only death can defeat us."
After saying that, he lowered his head and drank the medicine.
Pei Daiqing smiled and clinked his teacup against his medicine bowl, producing a crisp sound.
Shen Tianxue compared Yu Sui's magical beast to Madam Su. Yu Sui listened quietly for a while and then said that she didn't want to hear people mention Su Xing so often. If it continued like this, she would stop learning from Shen Tianxue.
"You killed him, and now you say you don't want to hear about it. What are you afraid of?" Shen Tianxue asked strangely. "Do you regret it?"
Yu Sui shook her head: "Dean Shen, you don't need to test me."
"What am I testing you for?" Shen Tianxue asked, amused.
"Dean Shen wants to find your shadow in me from back then, but if our roles were reversed, we might not make the same choice."
Yu Sui looked at her reflection in the pond, her expression calm.
"I cannot know your grievances and feelings, Dean Shen, nor can you know how I ended up like this. Even though we both committed heinous acts and were criticized by the world, even those of the same kind cannot fully understand each other."
After hearing these words, Shen Tianxue remained silent for a long time.
She and Yu Sui looked into the pond together. The night breeze rippled the surface of the water, and the ripples came and went. When the water returned to calm, it seemed as if nothing had ever happened.
Only the night wind that brings turmoil and the swaying pool water that follows it are clear.
“You’re right,” Shen Tianxue looked at the person under the flower trellis, “but even if it happened a hundred or a thousand times, I would still make the same choice.”
Yu Sui looked up at the night sky, where scattered stars met her eyes. She raised her eyebrows slightly and said, "I have no regrets about losing to the laws of nature."
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