Chapter 60: A Fleeting Dream
The spiritual veins on the southwestern border are adjacent to the Great Wilderness, a place of utter silence and desolation. This place was already barren, and now that something has happened, everyone is in danger, and no one dares to approach it.
The real culprit who caused the trouble has not yet been brought to justice. To prevent anyone from causing trouble, Sang Ying still had Xu Baishen lead the disciples of Wuwen Sect to guard the outer perimeter layer by layer.
Xu Xuan appeared again, this time wearing a lively pale yellow dress. She peeked out from behind Xu Baishen and looked at Sang Ying and the other person.
His gaze swept over Xie Lingyu's sword, noticing the jade tassel hanging from the hilt.
After a pause, Xu Xuan slowly took out a gift box from behind her and handed it to Sang Ying. She scratched her face with her index finger and awkwardly said, "Um, I didn't know you two were truly in love before, and you even gave Xie Jianjun a sword tassel. This is for you."
Sang Ying opened the box and found several beautiful dresses, clearly custom-made by the famous weaving workshop in Jinling, in shades of pink, pale yellow, and light blue... colors she had never worn before.
Xu Xuan looked away, her tone light: "I just bought it on the street. I've seen you wearing all red the few times I've seen you. Don't you get tired of wearing the same color all the time? Changing to something new can change your mood."
Sang Ying usually wears bright red clothes, firstly because she likes bright red and feels it is very vibrant, and secondly because she feels that her body is already weak and sickly, and wearing light-colored clothes would only make her look even worse.
She smiled, closed the box, and said, "Thank you."
Sang Ying's opinion of the brother and sister had changed considerably; they weren't the kind of people she had imagined. The Grand Elder had Xu Baishen guide her through the sect, and Xu Baishen shared everything without reservation, offering her a great deal of help.
Xu Xuan is the same; she's not inherently bad, just a bit girlish.
Sang Ying could understand this very well. Before she knew Xie Lingyu's feelings, she was the same way and always overthought things.
Seeing Sang Ying and Xie Lingyu enter the underground, Xu Xuan relaxed and clung to her brother's back, sighing softly, "Sigh, brother, we really are something, how could we have fallen for such a couple?"
Xu Baishen coughed lightly: "That's not true. I only regard Junior Sister Sang as my junior sister."
Xu Xuan scoffed: "Tch, you're still pretending..."
...
According to the Dragon Clan's plan, the lightning element in the underground spiritual veins was being removed using secret methods. Everything was progressing smoothly, and the spiritual veins in the southwestern border region were beginning to be slowly cleansed of lightning element impurities.
When this good news spread, everyone was overjoyed and believed that they would be able to overcome the difficulties soon!
Lightning element is a thorn in the side for others, something to be avoided at all costs, but for Sang Ying, who has a lightning spiritual root, this place is rich in lightning element, making it an ideal place for cultivation.
Just then, her spiritual roots were fused, and she was particularly lacking in spiritual power, so she began to absorb it from the earth's veins.
When she was cultivating, Xie Lingyu stayed by her side and watched over her.
Sang Ying felt that this power was like a fish in water, and it was very smooth to use. Moreover, as she absorbed more, she had a special feeling that she vaguely understood, as if she had reached some threshold, but she couldn't explain it.
The process of stripping away the lightning element was progressing smoothly when news suddenly came from the Cloud Spirit Realm that it had also fallen and been attacked, with many demons and humans falling into a coma.
The dragons guarding the area were anxious, but Sang Ying spoke up: "You should go back first. Xie Lingyu is watching over things here, and there are also people from the Wuwen Sect guarding the outside. Nothing will happen."
Several members of the Dragon Clan who were concerned about the Cloud Spirit Realm nodded and set off to return to the Cloud Spirit Realm.
Not long after the group left, the sounds of fighting and the screams of disciples suddenly came from outside.
Xie Lingyu picked up her sword. "Junior sister, you stay here. I'll go out and take a look."
Sang Ying needed to stay here to maintain the operation of the secret technique, so she nodded slightly and continued to cultivate with her eyes closed.
After a while, she heard a faint sound of wind and suddenly opened her eyes. A talisman sealed the Immortal Binding Rope that was flying towards her.
The Immortal Binding Rope fell to the ground.
Sang Ying looked at the newcomer and suddenly frowned, "The Grand Elder?!"
Xu Bin glanced at the talisman with his spiritual sense: "I didn't expect you to have such methods. You're much better than your useless mother."
Sang Ying frowned, looking at him warily: "So you're the real culprit who tampered with the spiritual veins and harmed your fellow cultivators?! Why did you do that?"
"Harm?"
Xu Bin chuckled, "What kind of cruelty is this? It's just something everyone has to go through. I'm just helping them get used to the Heavenly Tribulation in advance. If they can't even withstand this, what are they talking about cultivating immortality?"
Xu Bin was already a Nascent Soul cultivator, and the difference in cultivation between him and Sang Ying was enormous. He reached out and grabbed Sang Ying in his hand.
He carefully examined the meridians and got the result he wanted. He couldn't help but smile, "It really is a lightning spiritual root."
It was worth all the time and effort he spent; he finally found the one and only Thunder Spirit Root in the world.
Those fools from the Dragon Clan and Yaochi really thought it was a secret technique they had researched themselves. If it weren't for his secret help, how could they have succeeded?
He still wanted to deceive everyone and keep the fact that he had the Thunder Spirit Root a secret. He provided the method, so how could he not know that activating the secret technique required a cultivator with the Thunder Spirit Root as a catalyst?
Sang Ying struggled, "What do you want to do? Xie Lingyu—"
"Stop yelling, your little lover, who was seriously injured and not yet fully recovered, has already been killed by me with one palm."
Xu Bin tied her up with the Immortal Binding Rope. "Don't worry, I won't take your life for now. After all, you still have a great use to you."
"you--"
Sang Ying's eyes widened, but before she could utter a single word, the Grand Elder slapped her unconscious.
Footsteps suddenly sounded behind Xu Bin, followed by a shocked voice: "Father, what are you doing?! Why did you tie up Junior Sister Sang, and those disciples outside...?"
Xu Bin glanced back and was somewhat surprised; they should have been sent away.
However, having achieved his goal, he no longer needed to hide it and said calmly, "This woman is useful to me, so I'll take her with me. Xiao Shen, clean up the scene."
Xu Bai looked at him in disbelief: "Could you be the real culprit? But why would you do this? Is it just for the position of sect leader?"
Xu Bin scoffed, "What's the point of fighting over something like this? Once you ascend to the Upper Realm, what can't you have?"
"Then why—"
Xu Bin was in a good mood at the moment and didn't mind answering his question, "Of course it's because she has a unique lightning spiritual root in the entire cultivation world."
"This kind of spiritual root has a natural resistance to lightning tribulations. As long as I bring her with me when I undergo tribulation, and use a secret technique, she can protect me from the tribulations. At that time, what heavenly tribulation can't I overcome?"
Xu Baishen was dumbfounded: "Junior Sister Sang is only at the Foundation Establishment stage. Even if she has a lightning spiritual root, how could she possibly withstand the heavenly tribulation for you? She would die!"
Xu Bin glanced at him: "So what?"
He sneered, "Shouldn't she be happy that she, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, was able to witness the Forty-Nine Tribulations before her death?"
Xu Baishen felt that the person in front of him was so unfamiliar that he even doubted his own eyes. Why would his usually gentle and kind father be like this now? Or was this his true nature, and his gentle demeanor was just an act?
He couldn't believe it and took a deep breath, but when he saw Xu Bin about to take Sang Ying away, he immediately made a decision.
He drew his sword. "Father, Junior Sister Sang did nothing wrong. She shouldn't be your scapegoat. I can't just stand by and watch you harm innocent people."
Xu Bin narrowed his eyes in displeasure: "Xiao Shen, you are defying your father. Don't forget, I was the one who took you and your brother in and raised you. And now you want to lay a hand on me?"
Xu Bai felt a pang of pain in his heart. He didn't want things to turn out this way either, but why had Xu Bin become like this? How many innocent people had he harmed in his quest to transcend tribulation?
"Father... Heavenly tribulations don't necessarily require sacrificing others to overcome. As long as one's cultivation is high enough, and one works hard enough, then..."
"What do you know!"
Xu Bin's face suddenly turned sinister. "What do you know about the Fourfold Tribulation, a child who hasn't even grown his hair yet? It's a fight to the death, and every method wants to wipe you out of this world."
"Last time, I used a female cultivator with a Yin destiny as a scapegoat to barely save my life, but I was left with an eye disease and will be blind forever!"
"The Fourfold Tribulation is getting more and more severe each time, and this tribulation is about to arrive. Do you want to watch your father die before your eyes?"
Seeing Xu Bin's agitation, Xu Baishen also felt a mix of emotions, but he still gripped his sword tightly, "...Father, I can't."
Even if it is his father, he cannot cover up his crimes, much less help him to harm others.
Seeing that he was determined to stop him, Xu Bin didn't waste any more words. The difference in cultivation between the two was huge, how could Xu Baishen, a Golden Core cultivator, possibly defeat him?
Just as the two were fighting, a voice suddenly rang out, "Brother, Father? What are you doing?"
When Xu Baishen saw Xu Xuan, he quickly told her to stay away: "Xiao Xuan, go away, don't come any closer!"
Xu Xuan was completely stunned when she saw Xu Baishen pointing his sword at Xu Bin. "Brother, what happened?"
Xu Baishen quickly gave a brief summary. After listening, Xu Xuan frowned and looked at Xu Baishen disapprovingly: "Brother, how could you do this? Father raised us for so long, and not only do you not repay him, you even want to betray him."
Xu Bin smiled, "Xiao Xuan is still the most well-behaved and sensible."
Xu Xuan smiled and said, "Of course, Dad. Don't be angry. My brother just had a momentary lapse in judgment. I'll talk to him and he'll be fine."
He grabbed Xu Baishen and said loudly, "It's just a female cultivator you like. There are so many female cultivators in the world, you can't find any of them. You should reflect on yourself and honestly apologize to your father, do you hear me?"
Xu Baishen saw her frantically winking at him, realized what was happening, sheathed his sword, and silently admitted his mistake.
Xu Xuan went over to massage Xu Bin's back. "Father, your tribulation is at an uncertain time. She has an extraordinary identity, and if she is discovered to be missing, there will definitely be a massive search. Bringing her back to the sect like this is definitely not a solution. I know a very secluded place in Lingyuan. Why don't we take her there and lock her up for now?"
Xu Bin thought about it and decided it was feasible. "Then let's do it this way for now."
Just as Xu Xuan was about to speak again, she suddenly noticed some unusual fluctuations above her head, and a sense of fear followed.
...It's a tribulation of lightning!
However, her cultivation level was still far from breaking through to the Tribulation Transcending Realm. She quickly looked at Xu Baishen, only to find that his gaze had also froze.
It wasn't her tribulation lightning, nor his, so it was...
Xu Bin laughed loudly, "You've come at the perfect time. Let me see just how powerful the legendary Thunder Spirit Root really is."
Xu Xuan gritted her teeth. Damn it, why did it have to be so fast? There wasn't even time to call someone to come and save her.
Her face showed worry: "Father, have you tried that secret technique? Wouldn't it be dangerous to use it directly like this? Maybe we should..."
Xu Bin ignored her completely, and a gust of wind swept them both far away, trapping them outside the range of the thunderclouds with a magical barrier: "Don't get in the way here!"
Then he picked up the mulberry fireflies from the ground and began to set up the formation.
Xu Baishen and his sister tried their best to break through the barrier, but they couldn't move at all. They could only watch helplessly as the thunderclouds condensed and took shape. The pressure of the Fourfold Tribulation was so great that everyone could hardly breathe.
The formation was complete. They watched as Sang Ying was placed in the center of the formation. Then, the tribulation lightning bypassed Xu Bin, who was undergoing the tribulation, and struck her squarely.
One after another, the girl suddenly coughed up blood, her already pale face turning as white as paper, her body charred from the scorching lightning and fire.
"Junior Sister Sang—"
"Sang Ying!"
The brother and sister were utterly devastated as they watched the girl wither away like flower petals, her life force growing weaker and weaker. They had used all their strength but still couldn't break through the barrier. A tremendous sense of powerlessness overwhelmed them, surging up like a tidal wave.
After an unknown amount of time, as the last lightning bolt of the Fourfold Tribulation dissipated, the girl lay on the ground, completely lifeless. Only the crackling of electric snakes on the ground could be heard, and the thick thunderclouds above her head dispersed.
Xu Bin laughed loudly, "The Forty-Nine Tribulations that terrify cultivators throughout the world are nothing more than this."
"Wow, you're so amazing!"
Xu Bin was smug and self-satisfied. "Even the Fourfold Tribulation can't do anything to me. Ascending to immortality is just around the corner."
Applause came from the side.
"Wow, then I wish you all the best in getting what you want soon."
Xu Bin realized at this moment that the voice was not Xu Baishen and Xu Xuan. He turned his head sharply and saw a fair and snow-white face sitting lazily on a rock, clapping his hands without any emotion.
Xu Bin's eyes widened as he turned to look at the girl's corpse on the ground, then at the girl sitting on the rock, incredulous: "How are you still alive? No, you were clearly dead, killed by the lightning!"
Sang Ying smiled and snapped her fingers.
The surrounding scenery swayed like water, then shattered like a mirror, and everything began to dissipate, revealing a new scene.
In the conference hall of Yunling Realm, everyone present seemed to wake from a dream, and their puzzled gazes turned to Xu Bin, who stood in the center with a sinister expression.
What's going on here?
This seems to be the location of the second meeting and discussion? How did we suddenly end up here? What happened?
Those present were confused, but Xu Baishen, who had experienced this situation before, suddenly understood what was going on.
They never truly ended that meeting; everything that happened afterward was an illusion, not reality.
Like a reflection in water or a flower in a mirror, it's all just a fleeting illusion.
Xu Baishen felt incredibly fortunate at that moment. Looking at Sang Ying's face, he thought, thank goodness it was just an illusion, she was alright... she didn't die.
Sang Ying sat in the chair, propping her chin up, and said slowly, "What do you mean by 'luring the snake out of its hole' or 'using a plan against a plan'? Just hearing you guys talk about such complicated plans makes me tired."
A refined and elegant young man stood behind her, his expression indifferent, holding a small mirror in his palm.
The girl casually lifted her eyelids, looked at Xu Bin, and smiled.
"Look, the real culprit has been found, hasn't he?"
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