Chapter 2590: Qinger and Chi Yao
"Hua!"
At the center of the blood lake, on that sword island, a dazzling pillar of light shot up, breaking through the lake's surface and striking toward the starry sky above.
The pillar of light seemed to be formed from countless bright light swords converging together. Although it did not possess overwhelming power, it was extremely strange, able to mobilize the power of heaven and earth.
The sword island, including the swords stuck into it, turned into smoke and disappeared.
Such a sudden change caused Chi Yao and Wuma Jiuxing, who were in the midst of their clash, to abruptly stop and separate, hovering dozens of zhang above the blood lake's surface.
Both stared at the center of the blood lake, lost in thought for a long time, finding it hard to believe.
Wuma Jiuxing was no weakling; he was enough to represent the blade path of this eon, and could even be called an eon-level representative figure.
However, he had become a god too recently, and his realm had not yet been fully consolidated, so he was naturally far from a match for Chi Yao. And Chi Yao, unable to use divine abilities to reveal her identity while also protecting Blood Lingxian, who was breaking through his realm, could not do much to him either.
She had only managed to slash a half-foot-long wound on his body.
The sword wound on Wuma Jiuxing's chest healed on its own. "So it was all an illusion. The so-called divine sword and supreme sacred artifact war blade were just ancient projections."
An illusion that could deceive the eyes of gods was far too clever, and it also made one wonder, "Could this place be a trap?" With that thought, Wuma Jiuxing grew even more wary of this altar and blood lake.
Though gods were powerful, they were not without restrictions.
On the blood lake, the pillar of light that shot into the sky lingered, containing an extremely pure sword path intent.
The Abyssal Ancient Sword in Chi Yao's hand seemed to sense something, trembling softly.
Wuma Jiuxing's gaze fell on Chi Yao. His red hair blazed like fire on his head. "Even if you hide your identity, it's useless. I've already guessed who you are. Since you dare to oppose the Blade God Realm and the Heavenly Realm Faction, from now on, the Kunlun Realm will face many calamities. I hope you die after the Kunlun Realm does."
Leaving these words, Wuma Jiuxing leaped down from the giant stone altar, stepped onto a Yinglong, and tore through the air, departing.
He had to leave, because Blood Lingxian was about to break through and become a god.
With just Chi Yao alone, he had no chance of victory. If Blood Lingxian joined in, he would surely suffer a crushing defeat, and escaping would cost him a heavy price.
Moreover, the gods of the Heavenly Realm Faction had yet to arrive, and he didn't need to guess that some unknown incident had occurred.
If he didn't leave now and was trapped in Jiannan Realm by the gods of the Hell Realm, he risked falling.
Chi Yao did not pursue Wuma Jiuxing. She glanced at Blood Lingxian, who had already condensed a divine body and was nearly done breaking through, then flew toward the cluster of stone buildings.
She knew that Zhang Ruochen had traveled with that demonic woman from the Hell Realm for a while, so he probably wasn't in mortal danger.
But could a demonic woman's actions be judged by common sense?
What if... what if something happened to Zhang Ruochen? Would her eight hundred years of suffering have been in vain?
She wouldn't even know the meaning of cultivating in the divine realm anymore.
Just now, when the pillar of light rose from the blood lake, the Abyssal Ancient Sword had sensed Zhang Ruochen's aura.
This information slightly eased the tension in Chi Yao's heart.
"Chen Ge, you must not let anything happen. Hold on, wait for me, you must wait for me."
Chi Yao arrived at the foot of the stone building. She pressed her palm forward, releasing divine-level spiritual power. Countless specks of light flew from her palm, analyzing the divine patterns and images on the stone wall at an incredible speed.
In terms of intelligence, Chi Yao was by no means inferior to Bai Qinger.
In terms of spiritual power, Chi Yao was even above Bai Qinger.
"Pa!"
In an instant, a circular window opened a crack.
Chi Yao was extremely anxious and didn't want to waste time continuing to analyze. She thrust her sword.
This sword strike radiated brilliant light, surging with immense divine power, forcibly pushing the window open. Her figure flashed inside.
Following the Abyssal Ancient Sword's perception, Chi Yao quickly arrived at the vast space where floating islands of giant rocks hung. Although the blood moon had shattered, the light emitted by the six divine swords was brighter than before, like six suns suspended in the sky.
The entire space was as bright as day.
Chi Yao finally found Zhang Ruochen, but when she saw the scene before her, she was stunned. Her head throbbed and her vision went dark, filled with regret.
Why?
Why did she have to barge in?
There, two flawless, bare bodies lay intertwined with a naked Zhang Ruochen, embracing each other. The scene couldn't have been more beautiful, but it struck Chi Yao's mind like two sharp swords piercing her heart.
She stomped her foot hard, unable to bear looking any longer, afraid she might lose control of her sword. So, she reverted to her true appearance, turned around, and left, fleeing the place as fast as she could.
Flying out of the giant stone altar, she entered the vast and desolate ruins of the Origin Divine Temple alone.
After who knows how long, Chi Yao stopped.
Her tall and moving figure could no longer stand straight. She had none of the proud and cold demeanor of the Kunlun Realm's empress; instead, she looked like a wounded young girl, or a resentful wife abandoned by her husband.
Chi Yao let her jet-black hair cascade down like a waterfall, biting her lip lightly. As she swung her sword to cut the rubble on the ground, she walked aimlessly.
"Chi Yao, Chi Yao, how ridiculous you are. Eight hundred years have passed. You are no longer the Chi Yao princess of eight hundred years ago, and he is no longer the Zhang Ruochen of the past. It can never go back."
"Perhaps the Zhang Ruochen of the past truly loved only you. But over the years, wasn't it you who pushed him into the arms of other women? When his heart was weakest, saddest, most pained, most helpless, and most lonely, it was they who were by his side."
Chi Yao immediately denied herself, shaking her head. "No, he is a man. He should be strong enough. How many years has he endured this? I am a woman. I should be the one who is weak, sad, pained, helpless, and lonely. At such times, I bear it all alone, for eight hundred years."
"If I can do it, why can't he?"
"Were all those vows of eternal love false? If his feelings are so fragile, so easily broken, then back then, he should have let me kill him with his own sword."
"Hua!"
She swung her sword, reducing an ancient wall to dust, which collapsed with a roar.
"As a man, shouldn't he be stronger? Chen Yuan, tell me, why has your master become like this?"
Chi Yao's star-like eyes stared at the Abyssal Ancient Sword in her hand.
"Perhaps... perhaps he was seduced by that demonic woman, or maybe he had no choice..." The Abyssal Ancient Sword truly didn't know how to answer this question, so it said this.
"Wrong! If he could control himself, no temptation could overcome him. I think he believes that now that his cultivation has achieved something, stepping into the Great Saint realm in such a short time, and being hailed as an eon-level genius, he has lost himself and begun to indulge." Chi Yao said.
The Abyssal Ancient Sword was troubled. "Master is not that kind of person. He has always been restrained."
Chi Yao was already furious and wouldn't listen to any of this. She snorted coldly. "And those two women, utterly shameless. I can no longer tolerate it. That Ji Fanxin, known as the Hundred Flowers Fairy, pure as ice and jade, with a fairy heart and jade bones. I thought I could trust her, but she turns out to be no different from that demonic woman of the Goddess Twelve Pavilions. Both harbor ill intentions and don't know how to maintain their purity."
"Infuriating! How have the women of this world fallen to such a state? Zhang Ruochen is just a Hundred Shackles realm Great Saint. Why do they all cling to him and seduce him?"
"Chen Yuan, tell me, is there any real feeling between them?"
The Abyssal Ancient Sword felt that every question from the empress was a death sentence. After thinking for a long time, it said, "Even if there is feeling, it can never compare to the empress's feeling for the master."
Chi Yao sat down on a pile of rubble, thrusting the Abyssal Ancient Sword into the ground. She propped her left hand against her temple, feeling utterly exhausted.
After a long time, her gaze sharpened. She stood up, tied back her disheveled hair, and activated the imperial robe that had turned into a belt. Instantly, she was radiant, her aura soaring to the heavens. The flying dragons on her robe bared their claws, restoring her to the image of a peerless empress.
"The more I grieve, the more I lose, the more they will laugh and gloat. He is only at the Hundred Shackles realm now. He cannot afford to relax or indulge, nor can he let a demonic woman and a hypocritical fairy lure him into the abyss of desire, numbing his will, leading him to seek pleasure and abandon progress. Someone must step forward to spur him on and wake him up." Chi Yao said.
The Abyssal Ancient Sword reminded her, "Empress, doing this will only drive you and the master further apart, deepening the rift."
Chi Yao seemed to think of something. Her bright, star-like eyes dimmed considerably, and she laughed self-deprecatingly. "It doesn't matter. Isn't this what I've been pursuing all along?"
She picked up the Abyssal Ancient Sword and walked back toward the giant stone altar. Her figure grew taller and more imposing, her bearing graceful. No trace of a young girl's demeanor or disappointment could be seen.
Even her emotions were deeply hidden.
...
When Zhang Ruochen woke up, Bai Qinger was already fully dressed, having broken through to become a god. She stood atop a mountain peak below the floating giant rock island, radiating pure white divine radiance.
She had condensed her divine body but had not yet formed her Star Soul Divine Throne.
Chaos qi and origin light swirled around her enchanting and unparalleled body. A golden step-sway hairpin was inserted into her topknot, while the other half of her hair fell to her waist, loosely tied with a blue ribbon.
Her skin seemed moistened by divine dew, flowing with light.
There was not a single part of her that was not beautiful.
In the deep valley beneath her feet, the Earth Demon Sparrow was suppressed by her divine power, curled into a ball.
Zhang Ruochen looked beside him. Ji Fanxin seemed very tired, still lying on the giant rock, not yet awake, her hair disheveled. Because of her, the Hundred Flowers Fairy, the floating giant rock island had spontaneously grown a large number of spiritual flowers, colorful and extremely fragrant.
The fairy lying amidst the flowers was even more ethereal and beautiful.
Zhang Ruochen took out a white robe and gently draped it over her, covering her dazzling immortal body. His heart was a mix of emotions, feeling both an indescribable joy and a trace of fear and unease.
What had he, Zhang Ruochen, done to deserve the fairy's favor, to taste a pleasure that should not belong to the mortal world?
He also felt that his once unshakable heart had begun to waver. If he could have a woman like Fanxin by his side, holding her in his arms every day, traveling through mountains and rivers, having children, wouldn't that be the joy of life?
Why struggle so hard to cultivate?
Why fight and kill?
Why not return to a simple life and seek the life he wanted?
Restoring order to the universe—even Ten Jie Wen Tianjun and Xumi Saint Monk could not achieve it. How dare you, a mere Hundred Shackles realm Great Saint, set such a vision?
"A warm bed is a hero's grave. Zhang Ruochen, you truly disappoint me. It seems you will never surpass me in your lifetime."
Chi Yao's voice came from afar, growing closer.
"Hua!"
She wore an imperial robe, her hands behind her back. With every step she took, a patch of golden clouds appeared beneath her feet.
In an instant, Chi Yao arrived above the floating giant rock island, and a rolling divine might descended with her.
"Chi Yao!"
Zhang Ruochen's gaze moved away from Ji Fanxin's delicate and beautiful face. He stood up straight and looked upward.
For some reason, Chi Yao's sudden appearance caused a slight panic in Zhang Ruochen's otherwise calm heart.
But now, Zhang Ruochen was no longer what he used to be. He was not the saint who, facing Chi Yao's divine might on the summit of the Moon Worship Demon Sect's Wuding Mountain, had to cut off his own legs to avoid kneeling.
Ji Fanxin woke with a start. Seeing Chi Yao hovering above, her heart trembled. She secretly mobilized her spiritual power, causing the spiritual flowers around her to grow wildly, wrapping around her.
After a while, she emerged from the flower cluster, dressed in a clean white robe.
Chi Yao glanced at her, her eyes cold and full of disdain. Then, she extended two jade fingers and waved lightly.
"Shua!"
A sound of breaking wind, and the Abyssal Ancient Sword flew down, landing at Zhang Ruochen's feet.
"So Chen Yuan was taken by her." Zhang Ruochen thought to himself, and many guesses emerged in his mind.
"Don't you dare harm our master."
The six divine swords flew from six different directions, dragging scorching sword qi and divine flames, slashing toward Chi Yao in the golden clouds.
"Don't—"
Before Zhang Ruochen could stop them, Chi Yao took out the Chaos Time-Space Lotus and absorbed all six divine swords into it, suppressing them.
How could pseudo-god-level divine swords resist Chi Yao?
Zhang Ruochen had a bad feeling. He said coldly, "Chi Yao, I know you are here on the Dragon Lord's orders. You can leave now."
Chi Yao was even angrier. "Fine! Since you say so, I naturally won't stay."
"Wait."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Return the six divine swords."
Chi Yao held the Chaos Time-Space Lotus, her voice icy. "The six swords tried to kill me, so I suppressed them and took them for myself. That's only natural. Return them? Zhang Ruochen, how naive are you? Do you think you're still a sixteen-year-old boy?"
Zhang Ruochen's gaze sharpened. "Chi Yao, if you take the six swords away, there will be no chance of reconciliation between us."
Chi Yao said, "If you come back to the Kunlun Realm with me now, I will return the six swords. Otherwise, with your cultivation as the Ruochen Divine Son of the Undying Blood Clan, I could suppress you with just one finger."
Ji Fanxin knew the relationship between Chi Yao and Zhang Ruochen, understanding that their grievances and grudges were not something an outsider could intervene in, so she stood quietly to the side.
"Ji ji!"
A strange cry came from the mountain range below.
Chi Yao looked over and saw a dense demonic cloud rising from the deep valley.
A stone sparrow over ten li long flew in the demonic cloud, stirring up hurricanes.
Bai Qinger stood on the sparrow's back, her body radiating rings of divine light. One hand was behind her back, while the other waved lightly, causing sixty-five bronze chimes to fly out and line up in two rows.
She said, "Since Zhang Ruochen has become my man, then only I in this world can be so fierce with him. If another woman dares to take what's his by force, I will get angry, even if that woman is a god or an empress."
...
Today is my birthday, so I was delayed. Just one chapter, but it's four thousand words.
Tomorrow, I'll continue with two chapters.