Chapter 446: Chapter 405: A Sliver of Hope

Jiang Yuebai suddenly sat up from the bed, the night was as cold as water, wrapped in a chill, and the constant rumbling still echoed in her mind, while the light spots from the vast sea of thunder lingered before her eyes.

She remembered...

After breaking through the Blood Sea sky screen, she saw Ding Lanzhi and the people from Feiyan Pavilion, and finally... Xie Tianbao!

Perhaps seeing Xie Tianbao made the tight chord in her heart loosen. She exhausted herself controlling the Cloud-Breaking Charge and used most of her spiritual energy to maintain the Undying Vine, then fainted.

The sound of waves came from outside the window, the fine gauze fluttered in the salinity of the sea breeze, and Jiang Yuebai got down from the bed and rushed towards the door.

The door was opened from outside, and Jiang Yuebai bumped into Lu Nanzhi.

"Anan!"

Jiang Yuebai grasped Lu Nanzhi’s arm, trembling and urgently inquiring.

"How is it? What about Xie Jingshan? And my master, where are they? And Shen Huaxi, where is everyone?"

Lu Nanzhi pulled Jiang Yuebai back into the room, "It’s alright, everyone’s fine. Sit down, I’ll tell you slowly."

Jiang Yuebai carefully watched Lu Nanzhi’s expression, fearing she was deceiving her with comforting lies.

At the table, Lu Nanzhi poured a cup of tea and placed it in front of Jiang Yuebai, then spoke, "Mountain and Sea Building and Feiyan Pavilion people arrived very timely. They threw down a hundred thousand Divine Sky Thunder Talismans that specifically counter yin evil, along with the Feiyan Pavilion’s Twelve Flower God Array, and Senior Xie Tianbao arrived just in time. The Blood Sea Ancestor is thoroughly dead."

Jiang Yuebai frowned, "Really? Wasn’t it said the Ghost Clan are immortal and indestructible?"

Lu Nanzhi sighed, "Not all of them. The last time the Blood Sea Ancestor was suppressed, he also left a hand behind himself, which let him survive a little and slowly recover in the Asura Domain. This time, everyone’s action was faster; he won’t have another opportunity to resurrect."

"My master..." Lu Nanzhi paused, "Sword Lord Guanghan and True Monarch Cang Huo were slightly injured. True Monarch Jiuchuan was invaded by Blood Evil in the dantian while saving Shen Huaxi—it’s a bit troublesome but not serious. Senior Sister Miaoyin has also returned with us to Wentian Island. As for Xie Jingshan..."

Seeing Lu Nanzhi’s furrowed brow, Jiang Yuebai’s heart leapt up, "What’s the matter with Xie Jingshan?"

"He... he’s down to only one soul sealed within his body—whether he can be rescued, his mother and grandfather are still trying."

Jiang Yuebai immediately stood up, "Where are they, take me to see them."

Lu Nanzhi stood up, "Okay, I’ll take you."

The two came out of the room, bypassing the corridor, and Jiang Yuebai saw Lii Jiuchuan standing afar with a pallid face in front of Shen Huaxi.

"...I was saving you as a matter of convenience, you needn’t feel burdened. I’ll inform the Sect Master about the Asura Domain matter; while the Ghost Tide is still controllable, join forces with other righteous sects to conduct a cleanup of the Asura Domain. Are you willing to lead the way for everyone?"

Shen Huaxi looked up at Lii Jiuchuan in disbelief, knowing this was an opportunity—an opportunity to shed his Ghost Clan identity and return to the righteous path, even paving a way for the Extraordinary People.

"True Monarch Jiuchuan, do you really... not blame me?"

Lii Jiuchuan patted Shen Huaxi’s shoulder, "Qing Nangzi is Qing Nangzi, and you are yourself—what happened in the past doesn’t matter; what matters is what you do from now on. You’re a good kid, and I’m willing to trust you once more."

Shen Huaxi’s eyes suddenly reddened, the heat from Lii Jiuchuan’s palm stinging his nose, while he bit his lip and lowered his head, his shoulders trembled, falling silent tears.

Since his father died, no elder had ever said such words to him, and no one was willing to give him another chance to choose anew.

Lii Jiuchuan, risking his life, saved not only his physical being from the Blood Sea, but also his struggling heart and soul from the darkness.

"Let’s go."

Jiang Yuebai did not disturb the master and Shen Huaxi, walking not much further, and then she saw True Monarch Cang Huo scolding Sword Lord Guanghan. Sword Lord Guanghan stood under the tree with a gloomy face like a wooden stake, looking at the near houses with complex emotions, a silhouette was cast on the window.

"...People have good and bad among them, why can’t there be good ghosts too? You’re really going to drive me mad! What are you two looking at—get lost! Ahem, ahem, ahem!"

True Monarch Cang Huo cursed angrily, chasing away Jiang Yuebai and Lu Nanzhi, triggering his wound to cough blood, and he simply lay down at Sword Lord Guanghan’s feet.

"If you want to touch Miaoyin today, step over my body!"

Lu Nanzhi frowned deeply, took a long look at Sword Lord Guanghan, hesitant to call him as ’master’, and pulled Jiang Yuebai away.

This courtyard was very large, with Mountain and Sea Building and Feiyan Pavilion people guarding all places, while the rear courtyard was personally sealed off by Xie Tianbao. Once they arrived outside the yard, Xie Tianbao seemed to sense something and immediately opened the barrier to let them inside.

The inside of the rear courtyard was very dark; upon entering, Jiang Yuebai saw Xie Jingshan, sealed with runes on the bed, pale-faced and quietly like a mannequin.

In an instant, Jiang Yuebai seemed to see Xie Jingshan jump up from the bed bustling, chastising her for barging into a man’s room.

But there wasn’t...

Xie Tianbao was hunched, sitting in the darkness, illuminated by candlelight on half of his body, making him look old and weary.

"Sigh..."

Xie Tianbao sighed, and Jiang Yuebai could not discern what exactly his cultivation level was—higher than Nascent Soul but weaker than Divinity Transformation; perhaps he hadn’t achieved Divinity Transformation successfully, which was why he hadn’t been rejected by the Earth Spiritual Realm.

Ding Lanzhi, equally weary-looking, rose from the bedside to greet her, walked to Jiang Yuebai, and suddenly bowed deeply with hands cupped in gratitude.

"On behalf of the entire Xie Family, I thank you for the grace of rescuing Jingshan!"

Jiang Yuebai retreated in panic, "No, no, no, this time it’s all my fault—I shouldn’t have taken him to the Demon Clan. If he hadn’t gone, this wouldn’t have..."

"Alright."

Ding Lanzhi interrupted Jiang Yuebai, reaching out to hold her and Lu Nanzhi, with slightly reddened eyes, gently rubbed their faces as a mother would. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"Good children, you’ve endured much this time. I know Jingshan’s nature better than anyone, once he decides something no one can change his mind. Yuebai girl, you must not blame yourself—I know you tried your best. Thankfully, you two are unharmed, or my heart..."

Ding Lanzhi could not continue, releasing them to wipe her tears.

"Thank goodness you used the Phoenix Eggshell and Undying Vine in time to prolong his life, so Jingshan still has a thread of hope."

Ding Lanzhi collected herself and turned around, both Jiang Yuebai and Lu Nanzhi looked at her with hopeful eyes.

Ding Lanzhi said with a bitter smile, "Speaking of this matter, I still find it unbelievable—when Jingshan was three, I took him to play in the mortal world, and on the way, we encountered a fortune-telling blind man. As soon as he saw Jingshan, he said Jingshan has a great calamity in his fate."

"He said Jingshan was destined to be a wealthy family man, but unfortunately, someone altered his fate, claiming this Sword Immortal reincarnation fate was too strong for him to bear, which led to a bloodshed calamity upon him. He also said if this bloodshed calamity isn’t overcome, Jingshan would..."

Jiang Yuebai gently squeezed Ding Lanzhi’s arm in comfort, while Ding Lanzhi took a breath.

"The blind man said he has connections in King Yan’s place. If I give him one hundred gold coins, he would talk to King Yan, and if Jingshan is in trouble, he’ll have his soul linger by the Wangchuan River for forty-nine days to wait for a soul retrieval. At that time, how could I believe this mortal fraud? But now Jingshan’s situation turns out exactly as he said."

Jiang Yuebai exchanged a glance with Lu Nanzhi, asking Ding Lanzhi, "So now can we find that blind man, and then retrieve Xie Jingshan’s soul?"

Xie Tianbao, sitting behind them, snorted coldly, "In this vast Earth Spiritual Realm, find one mortal within forty days? Whether he could survive until now is another matter."

Ding Lanzhi said, "I’ve already mobilized Mountain and Sea Building and Hongyan Building in every place, as well as our Xie’s connections, to find this person. But we can’t rely just on him; we have to find a way to enter the underworld, try searching for Jingshan’s soul."

Xie Tianbao sighed, "It’s not that easy—living men cannot enter the underworld."

Ding Lanzhi turned to Xie Tianbao and said, "The Merfolk are envoys of the underworld. As long as we find the Merfolk Country under the Netherworld Sea, there’s still a glimmer of hope."

Xie Tianbao furrowed his brows deeply, remaining silent.

Ding Lanzhi looked at Jiang Yuebai and Lu Nanzhi again, patting their shoulders.

"I will handle this matter. You two have a good rest and patiently wait for Jingshan to return."