Chapter 64: Soul Returning Mushroom (VII)

A sharp pain surged into her heart, as if she had been thrown into a snowy wasteland, and she felt as if her blood had frozen all over.

Amidst the white snow, she staggered forward, her legs weak and trembling as if she would collapse at any moment.

“Xie Changzhou…”

Her voice was hoarse and almost inaudible; her face was pale as frost; her expression was lost and bewildered; and her face was unknowingly covered in tears.

Although only a few meters away, it felt as if she had been walking for a century, struggling step by step.

She knelt beside his hand, trembling as she began to push away the snow covering his body.

She had no consciousness left, not even knowing how to use her spiritual energy; her hands were frozen red by the cold snow.

Sui Ning was completely oblivious, desperately digging through the heavy snow pile.

The following parts of the text will be scrambled to prevent theft from aggregators and unauthorized epub making. Please support our translators by reading on secondlifetranslations (dot) com. If you are currently on the site and and you are seeing this, please clear your cache.

“Dkl Ubydtgbsw, Dkl Ubydtgbsw…”

Tla bsv vlyap qzsole wdnsdvaszzyczu, vbl nsze okde tldvzu zkqvkdt bla byka, bla ldvkal rlapsd zssjkdt pbyvvlale yde elpszyvl.

Fbl qkdyzzu rwpble yoyu vbl pdso sd bkp qynl, alhlyzkdt y pzldela qynl okvb bydepsxl qlyvwalp vbyv olal pzktbvzu czwaale yde byae vs pll. Fwk Lkdt valxczle yp pbl cawpble yoyu vbl zypv vbkd zyula sq pdso sd bkp qynl okvb bla bydep.

Mbl pdsoqzyjlp olal tldvzu polrv yoyu, tayewyzzu alhlyzkdt vbl qynl cldlyvb.

Tkp lmralppksd oyp ryzl, okvb czsse sd bkp zkrp yde zsdt czynj lulzypblp nshlakdt bkp lulp. Tkp yrrlyaydnl oyp clywvkqwz yde lzltydv, yde lhld okvb bkp lulp nzsple, bl oyp pvkzz qwzz sq nbyax.

Jwv vbyv oyp dsv Dkl Ubydtgbsw.

Fwk Lkdt’p byde qasgl, bla blyav rswdekdt okzezu kd bla nblpv, yde pbl pvyale yv vbl rlapsd kd qasdv sq bla okvb y eygle lmralppksd.

Mbyv oyp Fbld Kkl.

That was not Xie Changzhou.

She didn’t know how to react for a moment; the tears on her face felt cold in the wind, and she suddenly realized the chill in her body.

“[Host, that’s the male lead!]” 

Sui Ning had no reaction, but the system couldn’t help but speak out.

After seeing that the person in front of her was not Xie Changzhou, Sui Ning was momentarily stunned but soon calmed herself down from her panicked emotions.

She raised her hand to wipe away the tears on her face, looking expressionless and calm.

“Okay,” she replied softly to the system.

The system became anxious and said, “[That’s the male lead; he can’t die. If he dies, the whole world will collapse!]”

However, Sui Ning remained unchanged and asked, “So what? Do you want me to save him?”

Despite the countless times the system had told her that Shen Jie was the male lead, she did not think that he had the demeanor of a male lead. His actions were more like those of a villain than those of Xie Changzhou.

Therefore, she had always had a bad impression of him and did not want to save him. The only person she cared about was Xie Changzhou.

The system became very angry and said, “[Sui Ning, Shen Jie is the male lead, and he absolutely cannot die!]”

Sui Ning slowly got up, brushed off the snow on her knees, and remained calm.

“[Host, if Shen Jie dies, this world will also collapse,]” the system said.

Sui Ning was stunned.

“[At that time, Xie Changzhou will also have to die. Moreover, do you know where Xie Changzhou is right now?]”. 

Sui Ning’s hand hung down, and her cold gaze fell on Shen Jie lying on the ground. 

The system continued, “[But Shen Jie might know]”. 

Xie Changzhou and the Snow Demon disappeared, and the Revival Branch also disappeared. If it wasn’t for the Snow Demon taking Revival Branch to escape and Xie Changzhou going after her, then the Snow Demon would have taken Xie Changzhou away. 

But the Snow Demon’s cultivation was almost the same as Xie Changzhou’s. How could she have captured him so quickly? 

And who injured Shen Jie? 

“[So, host, you must save Shen Jie. Otherwise, the world will collapse, and both Xie Changzhou and you will die.]” 

Sui Ning’s heart trembled, and her throat seemed to be choked. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly. 

“[Host, save him,]” the system said, each word heavy with meaning. 

Sui Ning looked straight at Shen Jie on the ground, with a hint of darkness in her eyes and coldness at the corners of her eyebrows and eyes. 

Suddenly, she met a pair of dark red, icy-cold eyes. 

Shen Jie opened his eyes and stared at her, his gaze full of coldness and wickedness. 

Sui Ning’s eyebrows immediately furrowed, and her sword, Ba Tian, was unsheathed and stood in front of her, watching Shen Jie on the ground warily. 

The system was somewhat helpless: “[Host, Shen Jie’s meridians are almost broken. He can’t hurt you right now].” 

Indeed, although Shen Jie’s eyes were open and his gaze was icy, his breath was weak, and he clearly looked like he was struggling to breathe. 

Sui Ning held her sword with one hand and pointed it directly at Shen Jie on the ground. 

“Where is Xie Changzhou?” 

Shen Jie didn’t speak, his crimson eyes emitting a strange and eerie glow, shrouded in layers of coldness.

Sui Ning snorted coldly and drew her long sword, stirring up spiritual energy that lifted the thick snow nearby. With a lift of her bare hand, the heavy snow was brought down heavily on Shen Jie’s body.

He was already heavily injured, and now, with the snow brought down by Sui Ning pressing on him, the blood rushed up in his chest, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. His whole face was covered in blood.

The system screamed: “[Host, what are you doing? That’s Shen Jie, the male lead!]”

Sui Ning asked him word for word, “Where is Xie Changzhou?”

Shen Jie’s bloodthirsty eyes were full of anger, and there was suddenly a gathering of killing intent in the depths of his eyes. It had been a hundred years since anyone had dared treat him like this. Those who had bullied him in the past had all been destroyed, and now this mere nascent soul dared to insult him like this!

He struggled to get up, but his meridians were severed, and he had no strength to move.

Sui Ning’s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and she spoke coldly: “Where is Xie Changzhou?”

Another thick layer of snow was piled on Shen Jie’s body, and he kept coughing up blood. With each cough, blood sprayed out.

The system was almost overwhelmed by Sui Ning’s actions.

“[Sui Ning! Sui Ning! That’s the male lead!]”

“[Stop, stop quickly!]”

Sui Ning was annoyed by its constant interruptions: “He won’t die.”

He was just hanging on to life, and she wouldn’t let him die. If Shen Jie died, Xie Changzhou wouldn’t be able to survive either.

She just… didn’t like him.

The system was about to kneel down: “[Host, calm down, that’s Shen Jie!]”

Sui Ning wasn’t sure if she could believe it; her eyes were still cold as they rested on the panting Shen Jie on the ground.

Shen Jie let out a low, eerie, and terrifying sound from his throat, his demonic aura surging wildly and emitting a thick and bloodthirsty malevolence.

“Do you want to know where Xie Changzhou is?” He chuckled softly, his lips curling in a sinister manner, and his expression contorted with a hint of darkness.

Sui Ning silently gazed at him, the tip of her sword directed at him, her once gentle and lively eyes now filled with coldness.

Shen Jie tilted his head slightly, a provocative crimson gleam in his eyes.

“He’s dead.”

Sui Ning’s complexion immediately grew dark; the air around her was freezing, and a reddish hue of murderous intent appeared in her eyes. Ba Tian sensed her unsettled anger and buzzed uneasily.

[Sui Ning, he’s trying to provoke you; don’t believe him!]

The system, fearing she might do something rash, quickly shouted to stop her.

Sui Ning gradually quelled her own anger, awakening from her restlessness.

While Shen Jie was indeed a protagonist, so was Xie Changzhou. Moreover, Xie Changzhou was even her target for conquest. If Xie Changzhou died, she would undoubtedly fail her mission and be sent back to her original world.

She was still alive, which meant Xie Changzhou was fine.

Sui Ning’s rapid breath slowly calmed down. She coldly stared at Shen Jie on the ground, not avoiding his dark crimson and bloodthirsty gaze.

“You don’t have to tell me. In that case, I’ll beat it out of you—”

“Demon Lord, that’s Shen Jie!”

A rough voice interrupted her words, followed by a surge of powerful spiritual energy hurtling toward the fallen Shen Jie.

The system screamed, [Quick, save him!]

As soon as he finished speaking, a powerful surge of spiritual energy burst forth, carrying an unquestionable determination as it hurtled towards Shen Jie.

Despite the intense and imposing energy barreling towards him, Shen Jie remained calm and indifferent, lying lazily on the ground with a mocking smile on his lips. It was as if he was about to die, but he didn’t seem to care.

Suddenly, his smile faltered as a look of surprise flashed across his bloodshot eyes.

A frail and slender figure had positioned herself firmly in front of him, brandishing a hideous ancient sword in her hand as she withstood the deadly attack from Guan Liuzhuo.

It was a female cultivator named Sui Ning.

With each word spoken, her voice seemed to be on the verge of tears: “I told you, Shen Jie cannot die!”

If Shen Jie died, Xie Changzhou would also die, and she couldn’t let that happen.

Sui Ning’s delicate face was covered in cuts and wounds; her eyes were bloodshot, and her body trembled slightly from the pain. Despite her appearance, she remained stubbornly resolute as she stood between Shen Jie and the lethal attack, her face filled with unwavering determination.

Guan Liuzhuo sneered, “How stubborn!”

With a wave of his hand, a more ferocious attack was unleashed, hurtling towards Sui Ning. She tried to muster her spiritual energy, but she was too weak to fight back.

She could only watch helplessly as the deadly attack from Guan Liuzhuo approached.

But she refused to give up. She had not yet found Xie Changzhou.

Blood dripped from the wound on her neck and fell onto the soul bell at her waist, causing a powerful aura to burst forth. A cold and fierce killing intent was released, surging towards Guan Liuzhuo and Ji Zhiwu.

Both of them were shocked; their faces were filled with fear as they were overwhelmed by the powerful and terrifying aura. They could only watch as the mysterious power unleashed from the soul bell crashed heavily into their bodies.

Spiritual energy surged at their dantian, and both of them involuntarily spat out large mouthfuls of blood, feeling as if their entire meridian had been shattered. They fell to their knees, unable to move.

The familiar aura made Sui Ning’s heart tremble, and the pain in her body seemed to dissipate. She could only sense that warm, pure energy.

It was Xie Changzhou.

The soul bell gently swayed, emitting a crisp sound, and Sui Ning tremblingly reached out to touch it.

Tears almost welled up in her eyes.

[Host, hurry and take Shen Jie away now!]

The system’s mechanical voice echoed in her mind.

Sui Ning choked and nodded, struggling to support her injured body as she dug Shen Jie out of the thick snow.

Shen Jie couldn’t move, but he still didn’t hold back his words: “I told you Xie Changzhou is dead. Why bother saving me? Even if you save me, he won’t survive.”

Sui Ning silently carried him on her back. Despite Shen Jie’s towering height, his body was lean. As a Nascent soul stage cultivator, she could manage to carry him.

Shen Jie’s gaze flickered. It was the first time in two hundred years that he had been so close to a woman, and he felt uncomfortable all over.

He struggled in vain and coldly said, “I told you, Xie Changzhou is dead!”

Sui Ning still acted as if she hadn’t heard him, carrying him on her back and leaving with her flying sword.

Her consciousness was hazy. Although the wound on her neck wasn’t deep, fresh blood oozed out, staining her pristine white clothes.

The wound on her arm caused by the snow demon was deep enough to reveal bone, and she was also injured by Ji Zhiwu’s sword.

In her recent battles against Guan Liuzhuo and Ji Zhiwu, she had almost exhausted her spiritual energy. With her unsteady flight, there were several moments when she almost dropped both of them.

She couldn’t make out what Shen Jie was saying, and she could only vaguely hear the voices of people behind her.

But her consciousness grew increasingly heavy, and the cold wind blowing against her face couldn’t rouse her awareness.

She only felt her consciousness becoming blurred, dissipating, and eventually falling completely into darkness.

Sui Ning fell from the void with Shen Jie on her back.

Her soul bell firmly protected her and placed her on the ground safely.

Shen Jie, on the other hand, fell heavily to the ground. His already heavily injured body worsened, and he suddenly coughed up blood, was completely unable to hold on, and fell into a coma.

At the moment before he closed his eyes, he saw the bell emitting a faint light, firmly protecting the female cultivator, and the gathered barrier blocking the snowflakes floating in the sky.

Meanwhile, the spirit pearl was suspended in front of her, carefully healing her wounds.

Only he was left, lying alone in the snowy wilderness, severely injured.

Shen Jie was once again stimulated and vomited a large mouthful of blood.

That damned Xie Changzhou—even his disappearance could stimulate him like this!