Final Chapter
Wen Zheng picked up the broken sword she had just found, and indifferently slashed her own palm. Blood gushed out, but she seemed not to feel the pain as she placed her palm next to the Jianmu seedling.
"With my blood, I invoke the Heavenly Way; with my body, I wish to exchange for the eternal spring of the Jianmu tree, so that it may never perish."
"The evil will never see the light of day."
After she finished speaking, Wen Zheng felt as if all the blood in her body had been drained away by something, and the sky suddenly darkened, making it impossible to see her own hand in front of her face.
Thunder rumbled in the distance, sounding as if it were approaching, and flashes of purple lightning illuminated the expression on Wen Zheng's face.
Tension, fear, resentment, and finally, relief.
When she came up with this plan, she had no one else around except for the long-deceased Qingling Daoist, which is why she came up with such a drastic way to make the Jianmu tree grow.
Later, the plan proceeded as she had envisioned, everything went perfectly, except for... Mu Qing.
With a lingering attachment in her heart, she was unwilling to die. Now, there was no turning back.
As a golden bolt of lightning struck, Wen Zheng's figure vanished, and the two Jianmu saplings grew at a visible speed.
The two seedlings climbed upwards, tightly entwining each other. The newly grown tree was much stronger than the one that had collapsed before.
A mass grave on an ancient battlefield a thousand years later.
Mu Qing blocked Shan Fengyu's path, while Taiqing Jianjian stood between the two, refusing to back down.
Dan Fengyu clicked his tongue, let out an impatient sigh, and said, "You still have time to stop me?"
Mu Qing remained expressionless, her sword already slashing forward.
"Heh." Shan Fengyu dodged aside, then, as if remembering something, chuckled and said, "Do you know what Wen Zheng did?"
"Too much nonsense." Mu Qing's attack was swift, and the ice condensed on the Taiqing Sword cut through the black shadow on Shan Fengyu's body.
Dan Fengyu wasn't annoyed by the cut, and said with a smile, "Speaking of which, Wen Zheng is really a selfless and kind person."
Mu Qing's sword strike was a fraction of a second slower.
Elder Ye, who had arrived with the others, happened to witness the scene and shouted sternly, "Don't listen to his nonsense!"
It was nothing more than a desperate struggle before death. Once Shan Fengyu was dealt with, the immediate crisis would be over.
Elder Ye took out his magic weapon and struck at Shan Fengyu.
Seeing that more people were surrounding him, Shan Fengyu was not angry. He said, "Wen Zheng took the apricot hairpin from me and used the divine power of the Goddess Xuanhe to go back a thousand years and plant the Jianmu tree."
"What a pity. The conditions for the Jianmu tree to grow are her life. Do you think she might sacrifice herself so that the Jianmu tree can grow?"
Mu Qing knew Wen Zheng's character best and had the answer in his heart. If he really had to face this choice, Wen Zheng would definitely sacrifice herself to make the Jianmu tree grow.
Upon realizing this, Mu Qing's face turned pale, and she almost dropped her sword.
Elder Ye stood alone, blocking Shan Fengyu, his expression furious: "Do you think sowing discord will work?"
Dan Fengyu shook his head and smiled, "This isn't about sowing discord; it's the truth."
If they can stop Wen Zheng, their clansmen will be able to emerge from underground, and then the cultivation world will be theirs.
If they don't stop Wen Zheng, the problem of the evil spirits can be solved, but what about Wen Zheng's life...?
Dan Fengyu really enjoyed this kind of test of humanity, and laughed loudly: "Now go to the treasury to get the token of the Goddess Xuanhe, and you can still stop Wen Zheng."
Mu Qing and Elder Ye looked at each other, but neither of them made a move.
Dan Fengyu said quietly, "Time waits for no one. Wen Zheng may have already started the blood sacrifice by now."
Caught between the future of the cultivation world and the person she had chosen, Mu Qing was torn between two difficult choices.
He was indifferent by nature. Since he began cultivating immortality, apart from his master, Daoist Qingling, he had no special feelings for anyone else. Back in the Immortal-Demon Battlefield, there were even human cultivators who were jealous of him and tried to frame him.
All along, cultivating immortality has only brought him pain and the malice of others. He has no deep feelings for the cultivation world and cannot sacrifice the most important person in his life to save it.
Thinking of this, Mu Qing sheathed his sword and turned to leave, but Elder Ye saw this and waved his magic weapon to stop him, shouting, "You believe the nonsense of demons?"
She didn't know if the demon's words were true or false, but now that Mu Qing was gone, it would be troublesome for them to deal with Shan Fengyu.
Mu Qing lowered the hand blocking her way, her voice trembling slightly: "I know Wen Zheng, she would definitely do the same."
Having witnessed Wen Zheng's hardships and perseverance throughout her journey with the Immortal Chasing Sect, he naturally understood her stubbornness.
Moreover, before the final competition, Wen Zheng said so much to him, and the meaning was very clear: she was already prepared to sacrifice herself.
"So? You're going to stop her?" Elder Ye asked in a deep voice.
She knew Wen Zheng's character, so she asked.
Given Wen Zheng's personality, she would never tolerate Mu Qing ruining her plan to sacrifice the Jianmu tree; even if he went, it would be of no use.
"You can't stop Wen Zheng, she won't listen to you."
After Elder Ye finished speaking, he put down the magical artifact that had been blocking Mu Qing. Now that things had come to this, it was up to Mu Qing to make her choice.
After a moment of silence, Mu Qing took his first step, then his second. He walked faster and faster, running like the wind towards the location of the treasure vault that Shan Fengyu had mentioned.
"Mu Qing!!!"
Elder Ye shouted hoarsely, "It's no use, you can't stop Wen Zheng."
These words made Mu Qing stop in his tracks. He turned to look at Elder Ye: "I know, I just want to see her."
Even if this is the last time I see him.
Elder Ye's words stuck in his throat, his lips trembling as he couldn't utter a sound.
After a long while, she sighed and waved her hand: "Go, go, go quickly and come back quickly."
Mu Qing gave a soft "hmm" and quickly left.
After everyone had gone, Elder Ye looked at Shan Fengyu and said sarcastically, "Now that Mu Qing is gone, we can kill you too."
"Is that so?" Shan Fengyu smiled, and the black aura around him suddenly surged, enveloping everyone in a black mist.
The crowd that had just arrived panicked and cried out in alarm, scattering in all directions. Elder Ye, seeing the panicked crowd, shouted, "Don't panic, don't panic, everyone come closer!"
With the precedent of the black mist killing people, no one listened to Elder Ye's words and they all fled.
Seeing that most of the people had run away, Elder Ye cursed angrily and turned to control his magic weapon to strike Shan Fengyu.
Even without anyone else, she could still kill Shan Fengyu; it would just take a little more time.
Her ruthlessness was reflected in her increasingly ferocious magical artifacts. Dan Fengyu failed to dodge them several times, and much of the mist on her body dissipated.
"Going all out like this?" Shan Fengyu's smile was laced with provocation. "Anyway, I'm going to die here today, so taking you and Wen Zheng with me won't be a loss for me."
Elder Ye didn't speak, but gripped the magic weapon even tighter.
Just as the next wisp of black mist was about to strike, a knife blocked her way, and a cheerful voice rang out: "They're all fighting, why didn't anyone come to call me?"
Panting, Feng Gui clutched her injured abdomen, picked up a knife from the ground, and pointed it at Shan Fengyu: "Whether you take it or not is not up to you."
Even if she gets hurt, she will not bow her head and admit defeat.
Dan Fengyu snorted coldly, and the black mist condensed into raindrops that fell upon them, and the two immediately began to fight.
Mu Qing, who had just stepped out of the ancient battlefield mass grave, suddenly stopped. The lotus lantern in his storage bag jumped out, and the soul of Qingling Daoist appeared in front of him.
"Mu Qing, turn back and trust Wen Zheng."
Qingling Daoist stopped Mu Qing with an almost forceful attitude, his face serious, just like when he taught him martial arts when he was a child.
"Master!" Mu Qing cried out, kneeling down on both knees: "I can't not even see her one last time."
At least let him say one more word to Wen Zheng.
"Mu Qing, you need to know your responsibilities. Wen Zheng didn't tell you this because she didn't want to see you like this."
Mu Qing lowered her head and remained silent.
Qingling Daoist shook his head, not understanding how his cold-hearted disciple had become like this. He offered a word of advice: "A cunning rabbit has three burrows. Wen Zheng had planned everything. It's impossible that she didn't have a backup plan."
"If you believe her, turn around and go back."
Mu Qing lowered her head and thought for a while, then suddenly stood up and continued heading towards the location of the treasure vault.
Just as Qingling Daoist was about to stop him, he saw countless thunderclouds appear in the sky, with golden and purple thunderclouds converging in one direction.
Mu Qing turned around: "What...is this?"
Qingling Daoist said softly, "Wen Zheng has succeeded."
Even rare and precious materials must undergo tribulations before they are born. With such a huge commotion, the only possible explanation is the Jianmu tree.
Mu Qing stood frozen in place like a stone, staring in the direction of the lightning tribulation. She gave a bitter smile and rushed towards the location of the lightning tribulation at the fastest speed she had ever traveled.
When he arrived, Elder Ye and Feng Gui were both seriously injured, and Shan Fengyu was in no better condition. Most of the black energy around him had dissipated, and he was barely breathing.
Upon seeing Mu Qing appear, the group was taken aback. Elder Ye asked blankly, "You're back so soon?"
Mu Qing didn't speak, and walked tremblingly towards the direction of the lightning tribulation.
His unusual behavior stunned the group, and then they realized a possibility.
"Wen Zheng...she succeeded?"
Looking at the lightning tribulation that was so close at hand, the group had their answer.
"Hahahaha, I actually lost to a human, and a woman at that." Dan Fengyu lay on his back, his laughter tinged with bitterness.
After so much planning, all his efforts were in vain, and he can finally get some rest.
Lying on the ground, Shan Fengyu closed his eyes, the faint breathing from his chest indicating that he was still alive.
Mu Qing walked towards the location of the lightning tribulation without stopping. The first lightning bolt landed at his feet, and the purple lightning illuminated the sorrow in his eyes.
"Come back quickly!!!"
Elder Ye and Feng Gui shouted together, trying to get Mu Qing to leave the dangerous place where the lightning tribulation was gathering.
Mu Qing acted as if she hadn't heard, and quickened her pace, almost running towards the location of Jianmu.
His approach stirred the lightning in the sky, and purple and gold lightning bolts fell, striking him away.
Mu Qing fell to the ground beside Feng Gui, his body covered in charred marks. He seemed oblivious to the pain and continued running toward the direction of the lightning tribulation.
Once, twice, three times...
Countless lightning bolts struck Mu Qing until he could no longer move, at which point the lightning bolts gathered their full power and struck the newly grown Jianmu tree.
The half-person-high Jianmu tree grew taller and taller under the repeated lightning tribulations, almost breaking through the sky.
Lying to the side, Shan Fengyu looked at the newly born Jianmu tree, chuckled, and finally breathed his last, the black mist on his body dissipating.
As Elder Ye and Feng Gui listened to the thunder, feeling as if their ears were about to go deaf, the tribulation finally stopped. Before them stood a towering tree, the power of its rules so immense that no one dared to look directly at it.
Mu Qing looked up at the newly grown Jianmu tree, then coughed up a mouthful of blood. Tears finally fell from her eyes, and she slammed heavily to the ground, as if she were dead.
His light, his hope, was utterly shattered.
Elder Ye and Feng Gui helped each other to their feet. They glanced at Mu Qing lying to the side and pursed their lips, unsure of how to comfort her.
The word "love" is the most hurtful. If you understand it, you'll get over it; if you don't, you'll be doomed.
"Mu Qing, do you want to go see the Jianmu tree?" Elder Ye asked, then realized his mistake and quickly stopped.
Mu Qing seemed to come alive, and staggered toward the location of the Jianmu tree.
The injuries he sustained from the lightning tribulation were too severe. When he reached the Jianmu tree, his legs gave way and he knelt down before it, his eyes vacant.
Is this what Wen Zheng has always wanted to do?
Now that she's succeeded, where is she now?
Mu Qing lowered her head in silence, her mind gradually clearing, leaving only Wen Zheng's face in her thoughts.
Just as he lowered his head, the leaves of the Jianmu tree rustled, and the intertwined Jianmu tree suddenly split open in the middle, from which a figure fell out.
"Ouch, that hurts so much!"
The woman's voice was very familiar. Mu Qing subconsciously looked up and saw the face he had been thinking of.
The woman rubbed her sore arm and, feeling the burning gaze beside her, she turned her head sharply and met Mu Qing's eyes.
Are you sick?
The simple question made Mu Qing smile, and as tears streamed down his face, he softly called out, "Wen Zheng."
Wen Zheng frowned, puzzled, and asked, "You know me? Who are you?"
Elder Ye and Feng Gui rushed over upon hearing the noise. They were startled to see Wen Zheng still alive. The two looked at each other in astonishment.
Wen Zheng was very happy to see Feng Gui and greeted her, "Aunt Feng."
Upon hearing the familiar address, Feng Gui couldn't help but ask, "You still remember me?"
Wen Zheng smiled and said, her eyes crinkling, "Of course I remember. We met a couple of days ago when the library was being renovated. You've forgotten?"
Feng Gui thought for a moment, calculated the time in her mind, and said, "Her memory is stuck thirteen years before she was expelled from the Thousand Saints Palace."
Mu Qing asked, "Can she recover?"
Wen Zheng frowned and said, "Aunt Feng, what are you saying? What do you mean by expelling me from Qian Sheng Palace?"
When Elder Ye saw Wen Zheng like this, he took her hand and placed his fingertips on her pulse. After a moment, under the gaze of the others, she opened her eyes and said, "It's not a big problem, I just have amnesia."
"Should we do something to help her regain her memory?" Feng Gui asked.
Elder Ye shook her head and took out a pill: "Wen Zheng asked me to refine a pill to restore her memories. I didn't expect it to be used here." She stuffed the pill into Wen Zheng's mouth.
Countless images flashed through her mind. Wen Zheng covered her head and squatted down. After a long while, she shook her head and stood up. Her gaze swept over everyone and finally stopped on Mu Qing.
"How did you get yourself into such a mess?"
Wen Zheng walked over and helped Mu Qing up, patted the dust off his clothes, and said softly, "Do you remember the secret treasure you got in the demon realm? I used it, so I came back alive."
Mu Qing's eyes brightened, and he reached out to hug her, saying in a heartfelt tone, "Welcome back."
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