Chapter 1300: Unexpected Encounter
This response was undoubtedly heavenly music to Xia Qingyue's ears. She abruptly lifted her head and bowed deeply again: "Senior Shen Xi, this junior knows that disturbing your secluded cultivation is an unforgivable sin, but… my husband has been struck by the 'Buddhist Soul Death-Pleading Seal' from the Fan Di God Realm. I have no other recourse, so I have come here, begging Senior to extend your mercy."
"Since you know of me, you should also know that I am a person beyond the mortal world, never interfering in worldly affairs. Mindful of your sincere devotion to save your husband, I forgive your transgression of disturbing me. Leave now, and do not disturb me again."
Her voice was incomparably pure and gentle, capable of soothing the most extreme agitation and making a sinful heart weep in repentance. But to Xia Qingyue, it was utterly cruel… not even granting her a shred of hope.
"Senior Shen Xi," Xia Qingyue was not about to leave just like that. She said softly, "I beseech you to inform this junior: do you have a way to remove the Buddhist Soul Death-Pleading Seal on him?"
The hazy world fell into a long, profound silence, before the celestial sound, as if from a dream, slowly came forth: "Aside from the one who cast the curse, I am indeed the only person in this world who can remove the Buddhist Soul Death-Pleading Seal on him. However, I say this only because I do not wish to deceive you, not to give you hope. This place is absolutely not something a mortal spirit can enter. You should leave."
Xia Qingyue's heart felt as if struck by a meteor, blazing with a powerful light of hope. Earlier, she had brought Yun Che here with only a sliver of hope… because when Yue Shen Di had mentioned "Shen Xi" to her back then, she had said that Shen Xi possessed an extremely special power that could dissolve all the world's filth and curses.
But that had only been a hope… and now, the celestial sound reaching her ears was Shen Xi herself admitting that she could remove the Buddhist Soul Death-Pleading Seal!
However, accompanying this brilliant light was a calm rejection that kept her thousands of miles away. She pleaded again: "He is not a 'mortal spirit.' Senior, residing here in seclusion, you may not know that half a month ago, he drew down the Ninefold Heavenly Calamity. The Tianji Realm prophesied that he is the 'Son of the Heavenly Dao.' The Dragon Emperor also greatly admired him and even took the initiative to propose adopting him as a sworn son…"
As she spoke, Xia Qingyue held the Dragon God Seal high: "This is the Dragon God Seal bestowed personally by the Dragon Emperor… Every word I speak is true. If the Dragon Emperor were here, he would surely hope that Senior would save him."
The moment she finished speaking, the celestial sound arrived: "I never involve myself in the mortal world. It is not because I am cold-hearted and devoid of desire, but because of a special reason and difficulty. Until that matter is resolved, I will absolutely not break my rule for anyone."
"The seal of life and death on him, the Buddhist Soul Death-Pleading Seal, is out of the ordinary. It could only have come from Fantian Shen Di or Fandi Shennü. To dispel it, with my power, not only would it damage my vitality, it would also take as long as fifty years. Moreover, it would inevitably drag me into the grievances between you and the Fan Di God Realm. I have no reason to do this. Take him and leave… Even if the Dragon Emperor were here, he would only tell you to leave."
Xia Qingyue had thought her words, if not completely changing her attitude, would at least move the other party. Unexpectedly, the words in her ears showed not the slightest stir, gentle yet resolute.
Xia Qingyue's chest constricted. She closed her eyes and said, "Senior Shen Xi, this junior will never let you save him for nothing. Although I am but a mortal woman, I possess the 'Nine-Xuan Exquisite Body.' If Senior is willing to save him, I am willing to entrust the 'Nine-Xuan Exquisite Body' to Senior… I beg Senior to show mercy and grant salvation."
Facing a figure of Shen Xi's level, the "Nine-Xuan Exquisite Body" was the only bargaining chip she could offer.
"Alas…" A long, drawn-out sigh came through. She could sense the despair in Xia Qingyue's words, and these despairing emotions were undoubtedly rooted in her unequivocal answer: "The Nine-Xuan Exquisite Body is a divine body gifted by heaven. Do not squander it… Ling'er, send them away."
A very light sound of footsteps arose. From the mist-shrouded world before Xia Qingyue, a green-clad young girl slowly walked out.
The girl was slender, dressed in light green robes, and even her long hair was a bright emerald green. She looked as if she were bathed in a faint, hazy green light.
She appeared no older than twenty, with an extremely beautiful face and a shyness that seemed innate. Beneath her green clothes, her skin was like newly bloomed petals, whiter than snow and more lustrous than jade—so impossibly delicate that one, in their amazement, would not dare to touch her.
As she approached, a fresh and pleasant fragrance of flowers gently wafted over. The girl stopped before the barrier and said to Xia Qingyue, "Sister, this place has never permitted anyone to enter. Please return."
Her eyes were beautiful, shimmering with emerald light. From between her green hair, her ears were exposed—white, snow-like, and long and pointed, very different from humans.
A Wood Spirit… The name of this race flashed through Xia Qingyue's mind.
That Dragon God guard had said that the maidservant Shen Xi had brought back in recent years was actually a Wood Spirit girl.
The Reincarnation Forbidden Land was a place free of defilement. Indeed, only a Wood Spirit, possessing the power of nature and being supremely pure, could be qualified to enter and accompany Shen Xi.
Her only hope lay ahead. How could Xia Qingyue leave just like that? She remained kneeling, bowing deeply once more: "Senior Shen Xi, I beg for your mercy. If you do not save him, he will surely die. As long as you are willing to save him, whatever you want, whatever you ask me to do… I will agree."
She had never begged anyone like this before.
Even when she had arrived in the God Realm, she had gone straight to the Yue Shen Realm, where Yue Shen Di treated her as a daughter, and later she even bore the title of "Divine Empress." She had never had to submit to anyone.
Today, she knelt long on the ground, setting aside all her cold pride and dignity… only to receive gentle ruthlessness in return.
"Sister," the Wood Spirit girl said, "the mistress has her own difficulties and will not break her rule for anyone. Even if you kneel here for a hundred years, the mistress will not grant your wish. It might even make the Dragon Emperor angry… So you should leave early and seek other methods."
Other methods? It was the Buddhist Soul Death-Pleading Seal. How could there be any other methods?
"Senior Shen Xi…" Just as Xia Qingyue was about to beg again, suddenly, Yun Che, whom she was holding tightly in front of her, flashed with golden patterns all over his body. He convulsed violently, his eyes suddenly flying wide open, and a scream of unbearable pain tore from his throat.
"Uwaaaaaaah…"
"Eeeugh… aah… aaaahhh!!"
After a brief period of unconsciousness, he had awoken once more in the abyss of nightmares, letting out howls like a tormented demon.
In this dreamlike, pure world, his screams were especially piercing and jarring, startling countless birds, insects, and butterflies into panicked flight.
"Yun Che!" Xia Qingyue hurriedly held him tighter, carefully gathering his hands to stop him from scratching himself again. She raised her head and cried out toward the front: "Senior Shen Xi, I beg you, no matter what, save his life. Xia Qingyue will remember your kindness forever and will repay you with her life… Even if I cannot repay you in this life, in the next life I will show my gratitude…"
"Aaaaah… aah!!"
"Eeugh… aaaaaah…"
Apparently having never heard such a miserable, agonized cry before, the Wood Spirit girl's tender face—fresh as a freshly peeled fruit—paled slightly. Her gaze timidly turned away, unable to look at Yun Che writhing and screaming. Adding to that, Xia Qingyue's plea, nearly dripping with tears and blood, stirred her heart. Unable to bear it, she also pleaded: "Mistress, he looks so in pain. Can we really not… save him?"
The celestial voice drifted faintly: "There are countless sorrows in this world, and no one can save them all. This is their fate. As one outside the mortal world, I naturally should not interfere. The seal on him is unusual. If I save him, not only will it defile this place, it will also force me into worldly entanglements, and it will destroy the 'effort' I have poured into this place for at least twenty thousand years."
These words made the Wood Spirit girl's beautiful eyes widen. Clearly, she had not expected it to be so serious. She could only forcefully suppress all her pity and said apologetically to Xia Qingyue: "I'm sorry, Sister. Although he is pitiful… but… the mistress really cannot save him. Please take him and leave soon."
"I beg Senior… save him." Xia Qingyue did not move. She closed her eyes, her voice desolate and powerless. In the vast God Realm, outside the protection of the Yue Shen Realm, only Yun Che remained by her side, with no one to help her. The only bargaining chips she could offer were her Nine-Xuan Exquisite Body and her own life… She had no idea what else she could do.
But if she left this place, there would truly be no hope left… The only thing she could do at the end would be to kill Yun Che with her own hands.
This agonizing feeling of powerlessness… just like the desperate situation back at the Bing Yun Fairy Palace…
Seeing Xia Qingyue's appearance, especially her eyes, the Wood Spirit girl bit her lip. Then, as if she had thought of something, her eyes reddened and tears fell…
She quickly wiped away her tears and turned to leave. But after only two steps, she stopped, turned back, and said to Xia Qingyue: "Sister, you should still take him away. The mistress really cannot save him. I have a few spiritual medicines here that the mistress refined. They cannot save him, but… but perhaps they can ease his suffering."
As she spoke, the Wood Spirit girl had already produced several emerald-green pellets in her hands. She stepped forward a few paces, then directly stepped out of the barrier, intending to hand them to Xia Qingyue.
It was at the moment the Wood Spirit girl stepped out of the barrier that a strange, emerald-green radiance simultaneously flickered at the chest areas of both her and Yun Che.
In that instant, the Wood Spirit girl felt as if struck by lightning. She froze completely, and the green pellets rolled from her hands and scattered on the ground.
"Lin…’er…" She murmured a single word, like a dream, and then suddenly, she threw herself toward Yun Che, her hands gripping him tightly, tears instantly streaming down her face: "Lin'er… Lin'er… it's Lin'er… Why… why do you have Lin'er's aura on you… Who are you… Why do you have Lin'er's aura on you…"
Xia Qingyue looked up, staring blankly at the Wood Spirit girl. She had been so gentle and timid, but now she seemed to have gone mad. In just a few sentences, she was incoherent, tears gushing like a spring.
As she drew closer, the emerald light on Yun Che's chest grew even more intense, as if responding to something. Beneath this emerald radiance, Yun Che's consciousness regained a bit of clarity. Through his blurry vision, he saw the Wood Spirit girl, her face streaked with tears like rain on a pear blossom. A strange feeling spread through his body…
He struggled to speak, his voice trembling: "You… are… He… Ling…"
The hands gripping Yun Che tightened. He Ling nodded vigorously, her uncontrollable tears soaking her cheeks: "I am He Ling! Lin'er… what happened to him… What exactly happened to him?! Tell me, I beg you, tell me!"
Yun Che's dry, cracked lips quivered. Even with his soul sinking into the abyss, he was stirred and trembled with emotion at this moment.
He Ling…
She was He Ling…
The elder sister He Lin had thought of day and night, the one he had begged Yun Che to find before he faded away… the last descendant of the Wood Spirit Royal Clan.
He had finally found her, but at a time like this…