Chapter 26 Duan Jiuyou, what kind of outrageous thing have you done?!
The old ancestor was determined to die.
Qi Xinghe's attention was entirely focused on the Heart-Gathering Lotus. His reaction was completely different from Liu Tianshi's; he seemed unconcerned about the lotus withering. To be precise, this outcome was entirely within his expectations. He didn't offer any words of comfort to Liu Tianshi, nor did he approach her. He simply stared at the withered lotus, displaying the same infatuated expression Liu Tianshi had when she first saw the Heart-Gathering Lotus.
Duan Jiuyou sensed something was amiss, and as he pondered this, the Heart-Gathering Lotus had completely withered into a handful of dust. It moved with the wind, soaring into the air, and suddenly transformed into a gray thundercloud, rolling across the barrier wall that Du Heng had placed within Zhao Zhao City.
The thunderclouds shifted and intertwined several times before suddenly exploding with a thunderous roar that struck the barrier wall.
Duan Jiuyou's expression hardened, and in a short moment he understood the cause and effect.
There is no Heart-Gathering Lotus at the riverbank that can restore one's appearance; it is merely the array eye set up by Du Heng!
Every barrier needs a central core for support; once this core is discovered, the entire barrier collapses. Du Heng deliberately placed the core at the riverbank, confident that no one in Zhao Zhao City could reach the other side. Qi Xinghe saw the core's location and tried to retrieve it several times, but knew it was impossible. Thus, he fabricated the lie that the Heart-Gathering Lotus could restore one's appearance.
Restoring her appearance was Liu Tianshi's obsession. Qi Xinghe knew that as long as he fabricated this lie for her, she would definitely rack her brains to find a way.
Besides her, Duan Jiuyou guessed that Qi Xinghe might have also told other "artifacts" about the "wonderful uses" of the Heart-Gathering Lotus. These uses and their effects must have been different, and they were all fabricated according to the other party's needs.
He needed people other than himself, and also aimed to take the Heart-Gathering Lotus. However, this was not an easy task. Even Liu Tianshi had a stroke of luck this time. She happened to meet Duan Jiuyou and Di Jiang who came to her to repair the Lingtian White Blade. Thus, a deal was made, which enabled Liu Tianshi to obtain the Heart-Gathering Lotus and also helped Qi Xinghe to remove the array eye that Du Hengbu had placed in Zhaozhao City.
A hole appeared in the barrier, and Qi Xinghe leaped into it, about to escape.
He had longed for this for a long time; ever since he fell into Zhaozhao City, he hadn't stopped thinking about leaving. Liu Tianshi had jumped into Zhaozhao City on her own initiative—she was crazy. She was willing to be a foolish couple with him in Zhaozhao City, but he didn't want to give up his high-ranking official position and generous salary in the Heavenly Realm.
Even if Liu Tianshi were stupid, she would know at this moment that she had been deceived. She roared with resentment and flew up to fight with the unfaithful Qi Xinghe.
Didn't he want to leave? Unfortunately, Liu Tianshi disagreed!
Duan Jiuyou had no time to pay attention to their love and hate. He formed a hand seal and silently recited an incantation.
The barrier around Zhaozhao City has been broken. She must erase their memories and lead Dijiang away before the river crossing arrives.
Unfortunately, it was too late. Divine weapons pressed down from above the barrier. Du Heng sensed it the moment the barrier broke and quickly rushed over with the repairing divine weapons.
Standing on high ground and looking down, he immediately spotted the little guy standing in the courtyard, frowning and muttering incantations.
The Heart-Gathering Lotus is not something an ordinary person can obtain. Now that the barrier has broken, and Duan Jiuyou is in a hurry to erase the other party's memory, even without thinking, he can tell that this trouble was caused by her.
Du Heng was furious and roared through gritted teeth.
"Duan Jiuyou! What a despicable thing you've done?!"
Duan Jiuyou was concentrating on reciting the incantation when Du Heng's shout came so suddenly that she flinched.
She looked up at the sky and said, "Shut your mouth. I'm not familiar with this mantra to begin with, and you've interrupted me. I don't even know where I left off."
Du Heng wasn't as eloquent as Duan Jiuyou, and Duan Jiuyou had a sour temper; once she turned on him, she was incredibly fierce regardless of right or wrong. Knowing he couldn't win the argument, Du Heng ordered his soldiers to continue repairing the barrier while summoning the Heavenly Seal Token. This was his only way to contact the Heavenly Realm, similar to a carrier pigeon, capable of bypassing numerous obstacles and reaching the Emperor directly.
He's going to complain to the Emperor about Duan Jiuyou!
Duan Jiuyou's heart sank, and he hurriedly rushed into the air to snatch it.
The Heavenly Seal Token cannot enter the Heavenly Realm. Once Bai Yanxing discovers it, will the Imperial Empire still have a chance to survive?
Du Heng was unaware of Duan Jiuyou's secrets, only knowing that she was afraid of the Emperor's wrath, which gave her even more confidence to speak out.
Duan Jiuyou was blocked by hundreds of divine soldiers under Du Heng's command. Even with her divine strength, it was impossible for her to stop Du Heng immediately. In her desperation, she tried to ram into the human wall several times, but she couldn't bear to use too much force, fearing she would injure the divine soldiers. However, if she didn't use her strength, she couldn't break through!
Du Heng, beaming with pride, used his hand as a brush to raise the Heavenly Seal Token.
He had just hung up the Heavenly Seal Token when he found that his fingers, which were forming a hand seal, could not move. In an instant, it felt as if a thousand-pound cauldron was being placed on his wrist, pulling him downwards, downwards—
Startled, Du Heng looked back at the unassuming house and saw a person sitting on a bamboo chair in the courtyard. The old tree in the courtyard had been untrimmed for many years and blocked his figure. Du Heng peered through the shadow of the tree and met a pair of indifferent and cold eyes.
The man propped his head up with one hand, looking relaxed. With his other hand, he seemed to be manipulating a puppet. He pressed down with one finger, and Du Heng's wrist would move down again. He raised another finger, and Du Heng would uncontrollably make a gesture to take back the Heavenly Seal Token!
Du Heng was secretly anxious, but he couldn't get rid of it. He couldn't control his hands, or even his own consciousness.
That slender figure, paired with that youthful face, made it seem as if they were playing some kind of game, and the oppressive feeling of this game was a fear that went straight to the depths of one's heart.
--who is he?
Du Heng felt a chill run through his body and couldn't utter a single word.
He was silenced by the Emperor, and would not have a second chance to speak for a short period of time.
Emperor Jiang called out "Jiuyou".
The voice wasn't loud, but Duan Jiuyou, who had been paying close attention to the situation, quickly responded.
She returned to Di Jiang's side and saw him raise his palm, pulling out a handful of azure light, and then lower his other hand, causing a sky-piercing array to descend from the sky, directly suppressing Du Heng, the repaired divine weapon, and Qi Xinghe and Liu Tianshi who were fighting in the sky.
The dilapidated courtyard was like a pot of dumplings, with people falling out all over the ground, crooked and twisted. Di Jiang casually stretched out his five fingers, and ribbon-like rays of light floated from those people. These rays of light gathered between Di Jiang's fingers, which were the thoughts and five senses of those people.
He gathered them together, which floated into the air and coalesced into a scroll recording the past. Under the Emperor's gaze, the pages flipped rapidly, and then, with a flick of his finger, he tore off the page about today.
This page of memory rose without wind, floated up, drifted to the barrier that needed patching, and was patched up seamlessly.
The thunderclouds dispersed instantly, and the sun shone brightly, revealing the weariness on Emperor Jiang's face.
Emperor Jiang lowered his eyes and glanced at the door again. A beam of light emanated from the courtyard, encircling the entire Zhaozhao City and plunging everyone in the city into a deep sleep.
Duan Jiuyou saw Di Jiang close his eyes, and then open them a moment later. At the same time, the people who had landed in the house also disappeared.
Duan Jiuyou said with some concern, "You're using such a powerful technique, can your body handle it?"
He cast a spell of oblivion on the entire Zhaozhao City, wiping out the memories of Du Heng and the others, and even mended the barrier to its original state. Even though Duan Jiuyou was not a magic cultivator, he knew that Duan Jiuyou must have suffered considerable losses.
"It's all because you're useless."
If these tasks were left to Duan Jiuyou, it would take countless hours, and more importantly, there's no guarantee that the other party would forget about them completely.
Emperor Jiang sighed and stood up, his body swaying slightly as if he couldn't support himself.
Duan Jiuyou reacted quickly, ducking down and snuggling into his arms, becoming half of his "crutch".
She looked up at him and said, “Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. If we’re talking about physical strength, do you admit that I’m stronger than you? The Ao clan is born and never dies. Just the fact that no one in our clan has ever died speaks volumes. You can’t compare to that, can you? You’ve never really used me before, so you don’t know all my advantages. Once you do, you’ll probably love me more than ever.”
As a high-ranking official of nine dynasties, Duan Jiuyou has always been appreciated by the emperors. Even though she is extremely unreliable in her duties and doesn't like to get involved in politics, this is one of her strengths. Di Jiang is the only one who thinks she is useless. Because she is currently reforming him, she doesn't want to argue with him, but she still needs to correct what needs to be corrected.
Di Jiang chuckled, and the two stood very close. He casually pinched her soft, white cheek. He didn't know if he would fall in love with her in the future, but he knew that this trip had not been in vain.
Duan Jiuyou once swore to the heavens and the earth that three thousand merits could replenish his primordial spirit to ten percent, and that the magical power he had expended today could be replenished even more after he returned.
The two used the Floating Cloud Scroll to return to the Tenth Realm.
Disciples of the Ao Sect were always there to receive visitors at the Tianhai Stone Gate. The stone gate opened and closed silently, and one could return the same way one entered.
As night fell, the two first went to Xianwei Mountain, where a cloud of blood mist had just dissipated. It was the vassal who had transformed into the likeness of Emperor Jiang, acting on Emperor Jiang's instructions before his departure.
Although Emperor Jiang was not in the Ten Realms, the Wilderness Clan never stopped hunting beasts. In order to create the illusion that he was always in the Ten Realms, they would occasionally throw down several magic arrays disguised as Emperor Jiang's vassals. No one in the Ten Realms knew that Emperor Jiang had left the territory, so naturally no one was willing to tactlessly fight for territory in the area where the Wilderness Clan roamed.
"Your Excellency."
Sensing the presence of the Emperor, the vassal appeared beside him in a flash. His face, identical to the Emperor's, quickly reverted to its original appearance as if ink had been mixed with water.
Emperor Jiang continued walking, passing through layers of shadowy trees, deeper into the mountains.
They intend to pierce the Yuan Dan here and release the people imprisoned by Fang Zhuo.
Duan Jiuyou handed the original core and the Lingtian White Blade to Di Jiang. The process was extremely simple. Di Jiang gently moved his long fingers holding the blade, and the blade flipped, instantly shattering the original core.
A flash of golden light appeared within the pill, and a thousand transparent figures landed. Their bodies were too weak to regain their physical form for the time being, but they were enveloped in a pure spiritual energy that could be collected. This was the merit and spiritual power that the Imperial Territory was about to reap.
This spiritual energy is used to nourish the primordial spirit and is completely different from ordinary spiritual energy.
Di Jiang tilted his head back slightly and absorbed all the spiritual energy in just a few breaths.
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