Chapter 103 Three Thousand Worlds - The End of Dharma Era (XI) She thought, she understood…
The magnetic field of the entire continent seemed to be affected, day and night became chaotic, the sky and earth changed color, mountains collapsed, and dozens of tornadoes rose from the ground, trying to kill the last bit of life on this land.
"It's too late!" Shi Xianxue jumped up and circled the goddess statue. "Brother Li, split this goddess statue open!"
Although he didn't know what she was going to do, Li Fuchao instinctively trusted his teammate and didn't even ask. He swung his sword straight at the statue that had been sitting there for tens of thousands of years.
The goddess statue was completely cut in half, and a narrow, dark path emerged from it.
It was pitch black, and the road ahead was obscured, seemingly fraught with traps and dangers.
"Xiaoxue, how did you know there was another road here?"
"I'll explain later, Brother Li, let's go up the mountain first."
Li Fuchao did not move, but watched the path warily.
"What's wrong, Brother Li?"
Li Fuchao gestured for her not to act rashly, then shaved off a few blades of grass with the tip of his sword, which transformed into a bluebird in his hand and flew into the cave.
The bluebird, wings outstretched, had just passed through the cave entrance when it was burned to ashes by several spells.
The Dragon Ball froze in mid-air.
"Shishi, I think this passage is set up with the ancient array of the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace, with tens of thousands of mechanisms and spells waiting for us. If we want to unravel them all, it will take at least three hours."
"Three hours is too long. Is there no other way?" Dragon Ball jumped up and down anxiously.
“Yes, but it requires the cooperation of two people. One person can activate these tens of thousands of mechanisms at the same time, which will give the other person a chance to enter the mountain.” Li Fuchao was backlit, and his expression was somewhat unreadable. Sensing his master’s thoughts, the Xuanhe Sword emitted a trembling sound that sounded like a mournful cry.
Shi Xianxue understood what he was trying to do and was startled.
"Brother Li, don't be impulsive. With tens of thousands of traps, even a cultivator at the Tribulation Transcending stage can't guarantee a safe escape. You can't—"
Li Fuchao fastened the dragon pearl to his belt and, with Shi Xianxue in tow, prepared to rush into the cave. "What did you say?"
Shi Xianxue: "..."
Shi Xianxue: "Okay, it's alright now. Keep it up, Brother Li."
By the time he broke through the 444th trap, Li Fuchao's clothes were completely soaked. He was breathing heavily as he looked around at the smooth walls.
This is too slow. The road ahead is full of traps and dangers. He can't let Shishi go on this risk alone. The only way...
In the silent tunnel, he suddenly spoke: "Shishi, please tell Qing Shu for me not to dwell on Master's death. This matter has nothing to do with anyone else. Don't take all the responsibility on yourself, and don't make your life so tiring."
During the brief respite, Shi Xianxue realized just how difficult it would be to break through the Eternal Array. Li Fuchao's words sounded like his last words, and her heart pounded. Just as she was about to say something, the Dragon Pearl was sealed.
Li Fuchao decisively cut open his palm, and blood gushed out instantly.
Outside, snowflakes seemed to be falling like paper. Inside the cave, a lot of snowflakes rushed in due to the chaotic sword energy. The bright snowflakes landed on my shoulders, making me look like I had turned white overnight.
He raised his head, as spirited as when they first met, "By the way, if I manage to escape, and if this matter is resolved, you must take me and Qing Shu to see your new world."
"Brother Li!!"
She was pushed into the dark cave by a powerful force, and countless mechanisms clicked and activated, rushing towards Li Fuchao like a barrage of arrows in the next instant.
That slender, upright figure was instantly swallowed up by the tens of thousands of traps.
Shi Xianxue felt a chill run through her body, her internal organs trembled, and tears welled up uncontrollably. However, the situation was critical, and this was not the time for her to be weak. She quickly wiped away her tears and manipulated the Dragon Ball to fly into the blinding light before the mechanism could launch a counterattack.
--
In the Lingxiao Pavilion of the Nine Heavens Immortal Mansion, several disciples herded the refugees they had taken in to the foot of the Glazed Pagoda like livestock, then quickly sealed the exit and slipped out.
Some of the disaster victims looked up and saw the strange array on the dome. They immediately sensed something was wrong and began screaming as they tried to escape.
The Glazed Pagoda was like a one-way mirror, and the people inside were like ants trapped in a glass bottle. Panic and despair filled everyone's hearts. Those outside could clearly see the miserable state of the disaster victims. The Glazed Pagoda was protected by a sound transmission barrier, so even if there were sounds of mountains collapsing and the earth cracking, the outside world would not hear a thing. But for some reason, as they watched the victims being drained of their life force, the disciples seemed to hear the heart-wrenching screams of their dying moments.
Even the coldest heart cannot remain unmoved by this scene. They almost lured out their inner demons, and hurriedly withdrew their gaze, forcing themselves to concentrate on injecting magic into the formation.
As the crucial core of the Nine Nether Soul Devouring Array, to unleash ninety percent of the Demon Subduing Sword's power, one must abandon the physical body and pour all one's cultivation and soul into the sword.
There was no one guarding the Nine Heavens Immortal Mansion. As a bead, Shi Xianxue quickly flew to the Lingxiao Pavilion. She herself did not know why it was so smooth. She could not even find the guarding disciples along the way. She was afraid it was a trap, but time was of the essence. Even if it was a trap, she had to break in first.
When they rushed into the Lingxiao Pavilion, the Tribulation Transcending stage cultivators were already entrenched in the eight array eyes, with a bronze cauldron standing in the very center.
Song Qingshu drew her sword.
She rushed into the formation like a madwoman, trying to stop Song Qingshu, but before she could reach the formation, she was grabbed and held in someone's hand.
Meeting those deep green eyes, Shi Xianxue shuddered instantly, almost rolling in his palm. "Lou Su! Your sister isn't dead, and the Three Thousand Worlds haven't been destroyed."
The white-robed man in the center of the formation opened his eyes. He sat upright with his back straight and his black eyelashes drooping slightly. He did not pay attention to the chaos outside the formation.
Lou Su seemed quite surprised by her appearance, poking at the Dragon Ball with his finger, "Rongrong?"
“It’s me, it’s me, Lou Su. Listen to me, the Three Thousand Lifetimes really weren’t destroyed. Your sister is my mother, my mother. Her soul is indeed in the Three Thousand Lifetimes. Stop the formation first, and I have a way to let you see her.”
Lou Su remained unmoved, his slender fingers twirling the dragon ball back and forth. "But if you are Rongrong, then who is the person beside the Marriage Stone?"
A marriage stone?
Is it the Marriage Stone from the Demon Realm?
Following the direction of his gaze, Shi Xianxue saw another version of herself dressed in a gorgeous wedding gown, walking across the Magpie Bridge, the young girl shyly placing her hand on the Marriage Stone.
The young couple looked incredibly well-matched standing together.
Even knowing it was fake, seeing it with her own eyes filled Shi Xianxue with an indescribable sadness.
From an angle unseen by others, the boy subtly furrowed his brow.
"Ah~ So the person who married that little beast was Shi Huaiyu. He actually used the Dragon Pearl of Chongming Kingdom. No wonder I had a half-hour blank space here." He clicked his tongue, seemingly puzzled, but his tone turned serious. "Rongrong, what do you think he wants to do?"
Seeing that Lou Su was not acting like a normal person and was completely deaf to anything, Shi Xianxue had no choice but to change her approach and shout to Song Qingshu in the formation: "Sister Qingshu, don't do anything foolish! There is still a chance for this to turn around!"
"What are you shouting for?" Lou Su threw the Dragon Ball out, and the Dragon Ball landed and transformed into a graceful young girl. "How could she possibly hear you when she's inside the array? Don't waste your energy."
As expected, Song Qingshu did not react at all. She stood alone in the center of the formation, her expression blank as if she were being controlled. The wind blew her skirt, and the Demon-Subduing Sword was taken from her hand and stood upright in front of her, as if she was preparing to die at any moment.
Shi Xianxue's heart pounded like a drum. She glanced at the blood-red sun and moon on the glazed roof and knew that the time was approaching. Suddenly, she turned her head to look at Lou Su beside her.
"You already have the answer in your heart, don't you? The Nine Nether Devouring Spirit Array combines Yin and Yang, and can be used as a killing array or a life-saving array. As long as the bloodline of the Goddess is added, it can be reversed. Under heaven, there are only two people who know this secret: one is me, because I went to the Tianyi Pavilion eighteen years ago, and I have never told anyone; the other is you, because you recorded it yourself. As for the third person... do you need me to tell you, Chu Ji?"
The third one can only be Kongsang.
This is the formation that came into the world with her birth.
No one knew the things Kongsang left behind better than him. On those sleepless nights, he had caressed the items his elder sister had left behind countless times.
Lou Su frowned, suddenly losing all composure, his gaze becoming more ruthless and contemptuous than ever before: "Why should I believe you? Do you think you're worthy of being called a goddess just because you have the blood of a goddess? Let me tell you, the only one in this world who can be called a goddess is my elder sister."
“I know. I saw the goddess and the demon lord from ten thousand years ago. Unlike the story you made up, they didn’t perish together. Instead, they saved the world from imminent danger. I know my mother is more suited to be the goddess than I am. So, you stop the formation, and I will help you revive Kongsang.” Shi Xianxue walked over and placed the dragon pearl in his cold hand. “Can’t you access my memories? You’re so powerful, you must know whether I’m lying or not.”
"Shut up!" The Dragon Ball was gripped tightly in his hand, terrifying blue veins bulging on the back of his hand. Lou Su's forehead twitched noticeably, clearly he had seen something. His eyes flashed with unpredictable emotions, and he suddenly erupted in rage. "Who do you think you are, a liar who spews nothing but lies? You think I would believe you?"
Lou Su always appeared calm and unfathomable in front of her, never revealing his emotions like this before. Yet, she felt that he was more real now, and therefore less frightening.
Shi Xianxue also got angry: "Believe it or not, then we'll all die together. Anyway, I don't want to save this damn world."
I said shut up!
He cursed under his breath, but the Chaos Stone in the center of the formation seemed to sense its master's intentions and became restless. In the next moment, it broke free from the formation and flew back into Lou Su's hand.
Each of the nine array eyes was guarding one of them, and they were already restrained by the array, completely unaware that the person who activated the array had changed their mind.
If she weren't really his elder sister, these people from later generations wouldn't know what happened back then, and naturally no one would know what his elder sister really looked like. It's better to believe her this once.
"How dare you lie to me..."
A chilling bone sword pierced Lou Su's chest, and warm blood splattered onto Shi Xianxue's chin. The sudden turn of events caused the expression on her face to freeze.
As Lou Su's body collapsed, Zhou Huang's sinister face was exposed to Shi Xianxue. He withdrew his hand and said, "I knew you were useless. Did you think I would really believe you? Since you used Zhe Yue's body, you've essentially handed me leverage. This sword was made from the bones of Zhe Yue's blood relatives. I know I can't kill you, you lonely ghost, but it's enough to restrain you and complete the formation."
Lou Su's consciousness was sealed, and Zhou Zheyue's consciousness took over the body again. Unlike Shi Xianxue and the others, Zhou Zheyue had no memory of this period. He only felt that he had slept for a long time, and when he opened his eyes, his uncle pierced his chest with a bone sword.
"Third Uncle..."
Shi Xianxue held Zhou Zheyue, who was vomiting blood, and watched his face turn pale rapidly. Her body trembled with anger: "Zhou Huang, are you crazy! Lou Su won't die, but this is Zheyue's body. How can he withstand it! He's your own nephew!"
“A nephew? I would even kill my own brother and sister-in-law, let alone a junior of unknown origin.” The Chaos Stone was taken back into his hand. Zhou Huang looked at the sun and moon beginning to converge on the glazed roof. The hidden madness in his eyes could no longer be suppressed. “A person cannot stand firm without being ruthless. Ruthlessness can destroy the whole situation. I broke through to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm at the age of sixteen. I will undergo the Tribulation before the age of thirty. But I was born at the wrong time and encountered this despised Dharma-ending Age.”
"How could I possibly be willing to give up, and I will never stop."
The Chaos Stone has been returned to its place.
"Don't you know the price of activating the Nine Nether Soul Devouring Array? Even if you take revenge, this continent will be plunged into apocalypse, and you will still be unable to comprehend the Great Dao."
"What revenge? What I want is to attain immortality."
The radiance of the sun and moon shone down through the glazed roof. Almost all the disciples of the immortal sects participated in activating the formation. Soon, as the formation was successfully opened, they found that they could not extricate themselves. It seemed that something strange was greedily absorbing their magic from the bronze cauldron in the formation, not stopping until they were dried up.
Thinking of the tragic plight of the disaster victims beneath the glazed pagoda, they were instantly thrown into a panic.
"Master! Master, save me!"
As the sun and moon returned to their proper places in the scene, Zhou Huang laughed heartily, showing no pity: "What killing formation or formation? This is clearly a broad road to help me become an immortal."
Shi Xianxue felt her blood run cold. Zhou Huang had deceived everyone, intending to sacrifice all living beings on the entire continent to pave his own path to immortality.
"Goddess, Demon Lord, and that God of Order whose authenticity is unknown—this world is too lenient with bloodlines, causing them to become arrogant and ignorant of their own limitations. But I, Zhou Huang, insist on eliminating the lineage of immortals, making them stepping stones and paving stones for my bright future."
He looked up at the sky, his expression almost manic. "There are heavens beyond heavens. I can't wait to see the worlds beyond that."
After saying that, he turned around and stepped into the magic circle.
Meanwhile, Zhou Zheyue in his arms was coughing violently from the blood in his lungs. He quickly lost his color, and his dark eyes began to turn as pale as autumn frost as he continued to lose blood.
From the moment she was separated, Shi Xianxue lost her qualification to be a goddess, and she could no longer use the power of repair.
Overwhelmed by panic, tears streamed down her face helplessly: "Zheyue! Zheyue, I'm sorry, I can't use my repairing power. What should I do? How can I be so useless? How can I save you, Zheyue?"
Zhou Zheyue's consciousness was no longer clear. He shook his head with difficulty, and another mouthful of blood gushed out. He spoke intermittently, "I... I always knew that there was... another soul in my body... I was afraid that you would think I was a monster, so I kept it a secret... I'm sorry, Xiaoxue... I'm so happy to know you... I don't blame anyone. I should have... should have died a long time ago." Shi Xianxue felt as if a hole had been torn open in her heart.
"You are...you are a goddess. The first time I saw you...you were so beautiful."
Shi Xianxue sobbed uncontrollably, "Don't say anymore, don't say anymore! Zhe Yue, hold on! I will definitely find a way to save you!"
She didn't want to be a goddess because she came from the peaceful and equal world of the Three Thousand Worlds, where she lived a muddled life as an ordinary person for twenty years. No one taught her how to be a proper goddess, so she comfortably used this excuse to shirk her responsibilities. No one could use the identity of a goddess to hold her hostage.
If she doesn't become a goddess, she can't even save the people she cares about, her friends.
She regretted it.
The person in her arms was growing weaker and weaker. A golden spell, as bright as sunlight, descended upon her. Shi Xianxue sensed a familiar aura and looked up in surprise, "Linglong?"
Linglong, dressed as a tea-serving maid, took Zhou Zheyue from her arms: "My repairing power is limited; I can only preserve his minimum vital signs. Goddess, please, you must succeed."
The formation was wide open, seemingly capable of accommodating millions of people, but Shi Xianxue knew that once someone stepped inside, they would be crushed into dust by the formation's exclusionary nature.
But she had no choice.
Because what's more terrifying than death is watching the people you care about die one after another, and being powerless to do anything about it. This is not what she wants to see, and she can no longer choose to run away.
The length of life is finite, but its breadth is not.
She thought she knew what she wanted.
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