Chapter 66: Soul Returning Mushroom (IX)

Why would someone as uninteresting as Xie Changzhou be someone Sui Ning truly likes? What is it about him that she would risk her life like this?

Shen Jie’s eyes, dark red and tinged with blood, held no warmth but radiated a chilling sense of danger.

Sui Ning’s sword light continued to shuttle, and Ji Zhiwu’s attacks were directed at her vital points. Coping was proving quite strenuous for Sui Ning.

As Ji Zhiwu’s blade once again swung towards Sui Ning, her phoenix-like eyes narrowed slightly as she tried to sidestep. However, she was entangled by the disciples behind her.

The ruthless blade cut through the air, rustling her disheveled hair. Sui Ning sensed the premonition of death.

Yet there was nowhere for her to retreat.

Her brows tightened, and she was about to face it head-on, even if it meant dying together with Ji Zhiwu.

However, the ferocious-looking Ji Zhiwu was suddenly sent flying with force. Sui Ning turned to look and saw a surging wave of demonic energy rushing towards her. She quickly leaped away.

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“[Host, that’s Shen Jie’s mount, the Hell Wolfhound.]” 

Sui Ning’s face remained indifferent, but her eyes were cold as she tightened her grip on the handle of her weapon, Ba Tian. 

How could Shen Jie’s mount suddenly appear here? 

As if to answer her question, shadows emerged from the distant void, rushing towards them at an alarming speed, with the demonic aura flooding the entire space and casting a dark shadow over the earth. 

The figure standing in front of the demon soldiers made Sui Ning shudder. He was tall and slender, draped in a wide black robe that trailed on the ground, with a handsome and sinister face and dark red eyes filled with bloodthirst and cruelty. 

She had seen him before, in the beast’s consciousness. 

Gui Luan. 

One of the four guardians under the command of the demon god. 

Sui Ning withdrew her spirit pearl, watching Gui Luan warily. The disciples exclaimed in surprise, and the elders of each sect quickly came out to stabilize the situation. 

Ji Zhiwu’s expression was complex and cold as he spoke: “Just mere demons, our cultivation world has been around for thousands of years. How could we fear them?” 

Gui Luan didn’t even look at him, slowly landing and walking towards Sui Ning with a curious glint in his dark red eyes.

Shen Jie spoke coldly, “Gui Luan.”

Gui Luan stopped in his tracks and silently locked eyes with Sui Ning. Suddenly, he laughed and took a few steps back to stand next to Shen Jie.

Sui Ning furrowed her eyebrows. How could Gui Luan listen to Shen Jie like that?

Gui Luan raised an eyebrow, and the smile on his lips turned icy and cold. “Little female cultivator, you know who I am, don’t you?”

“Um.” He paused and tilted his head slightly. “In the mind of the beast, you’ve seen me before, haven’t you?”

Sui Ning remained silent and expressionless, her wounds from Ji Zhiwu’s blade still bleeding and her face pale.

Gui Luan was not angry either, still smiling as before, just as fake and sinister as Sui Ning had seen in the mind of the beast.

He was quite similar to Ji Zhiwu; both were smiling tigers.

“Bold demon, how dare you cross the boundary without permission!” A bearded elder with long eyebrows stood up and accused Gui Luan loudly.

He didn’t know Gui Luan, but based on his cultivation, he could only see that Gui Luan’s cultivation was higher than his own, thinking of him as a leader of the demon race.

Gui Luan chuckled lightly and turned his dark red eyes to the side, his gaze deep and terrifying.

Under his gaze, the elder’s legs went weak inexplicably, his throat tight, and he swallowed a few times, his previously imposing voice suddenly lowering.

“What, what are you going to do, demon?”

His unfinished words were drowned out by the rushing demonic energy, and the powerful pressure made him almost unable to move, not even seeing when Gui Luan made his move.

Blood and light exploded, and scattered bits of flesh and blood sprayed everywhere. The people who were close by were affected and suddenly covered in the elder’s flesh and blood, standing bewildered and unsure of what to do.

After realizing what happened, the silent crowd suddenly became noisy, and the disciples who were previously organized became chaotic.

Sui Ning’s pupils shrank as she was shocked by the scene in front of her, and her heart beat faster and faster.

Gui Luan had directly exploded the elder into a pile of minced meat.

The elder was completely dead.

The hellhound next to Shen Jie smelled the fresh blood and became a little restless. Its light blue amber eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty light, and its mouth drooled, emitting a low growl.

It couldn’t help but want to rush forward, constantly roaring.

Shen Jie spoke softly, “Youlan, stay.”

The hellhound could only reluctantly retreat and obediently stand by his side. Shen Jie reached out and stroked its soft fur.

His red eyes swept over the disciples in front of him, and he coldly sneered, “Later, you can eat to your heart’s content.”

Ji Zhiwu’s face was gloomy, and he looked at Gui Luan with a complicated expression. The strangeness in his face was keenly noticed by Sui Ning.

Do Ji Zhiwu and Gui Luan know each other?

Gui Luan raised his hand high, and the demons behind him immediately adjusted their state and prepared to attack.

Ji Zhiwu’s face suddenly turned cold: “Gui Luan, you actually want to go to war with us; you clearly–“

He was too surprised, to the point that his words gave away the fact that he knew Gui Luan. The smile on Gui Luan’s lips froze, and there was a hint of coldness in his eyes as he looked at him.

Sui Ning looked at him curiously, and as she had suspected, Ji Zhiwu knew Gui Luan.

Ji Zhiwu realized he had said something he shouldn’t have and quickly stopped himself, his eyes floating as he met Gui Luan’s gaze full of killing intent. His legs went weak, and his hands trembled lightly in his wide sleeves.

He stuttered, trying to make up an excuse for himself: “You, you clearly know that Cangwu Mountain is the boundary of the cultivation world, yet you dare to bring your troops here.”

Gui Luan looked at him coldly, not saying a word. He raised his hand high, and with a flick, his cold voice sounded.

“Kill!”

The demon soldiers drew their swords and rushed towards the cultivators, and a fierce battle was about to break out.

Ji Zhiwu gritted his teeth and charged forward as well.

Blood quickly spread on the snow-covered mountaintop, and the warm blood melted the thick snow, giving off steam. The once fresh and cold air was now filled with a heavy smell of blood. Limbs were scattered everywhere, and disciples and demon soldiers lay dead in all directions. Sword lights and demonic energy were everywhere, and the void was dark and gloomy.

Sui Ning propped herself up with her sword, and her wounds faintly oozed blood. Her soul bell and spirit pearl floated in front of her, and the warm spiritual energy healed her injuries.

Perhaps because Shen Jie and Gui Luan were here, there was no one to disturb her, giving her time to catch her breath and heal her injuries.

Gui Luan stood by and helped Shen Jie break through the seal in his body. He didn’t know what method Sui Ning used, but it made it difficult for him too. It took a lot of effort to lift the seal.

Shen Jie, now restored, absentmindedly stroked the hellhound next to him. His dark red eyes gazed softly at Sui Ning in the distance.

She supported her thin body with a sword, her delicate face pale and marked with slight wounds. Her eyes stared resolutely at the battlefield in the distance with a shattered and tragic expression.

He felt a bit unhappy; her weak and powerless appearance made him restless.

He thought it was more fun when she was insulting him before.

He took out a pill from his Qiankun bag and threw it to her, saying, “Take it; it will help heal your injuries.”

Sui Ning caught the pill in confusion and looked at it with a furrowed brow.

Shen Jie’s expression was a bit unnatural. He looked away, his voice coldly saying, “It’s just a pill. You saved me once, and I saved you—”

Before he could finish his words, Sui Ning threw the pill back at him, her face cold and indifferent. “I don’t want your pill.”

Shen Jie was stunned. The blood-red color in his eyes faded a bit, and his expression shattered.

Sui Ning said coldly, “The Nine-Turned Yin Demon Pill is made from the hearts of nine children. I won’t eat such a pill made from fresh blood.”

Shen Jie’s thin lips tightened, his blood-red eyes flashed with cold light, and his bloodthirsty intent rose to the surface.

He restrained his anger, and the demonic energy around him surged, but he suppressed it.

Shen Jie’s lips curled up into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Since you don’t know how to appreciate kindness, then suffer on your own. You look down on our demonic race’s way of doing things, right?”

His deep and chilly gaze looked toward the battlefield in the void. Finally, he lightly laughed, “But the cultivation world you admire is just as useless. Without Xie Changzhou, they are nothing.”

Sui Ning tightly pursed her lips and looked into the void.

Although the number of disciples from the sect who came with Ji Zhiwu was not much different from that of the demon clan, the demon clan had always been brave and skilled in battle and went crazy and bloodthirsty when fighting. The disciples of the sect only cared about protecting themselves, worried about being injured and losing their lives, and were forced to retreat by the demon clan.

Even though Sui Ning didn’t like Shen Jie, she had to agree with his view. Without Xie Changzhou, the world of cultivation was really no match for the demon clan.

Every time the demon clan attacked, Xie Changzhou would lead the army, and one person would sweep away the demon clan with a sword, and the disciples would then follow up to clean up.

But Xie Changzhou was not here now.

She watched as disciples were violently knocked down and spat blood, and she also saw people being chopped open by the demon general’s big sword.

Panickedly crying and begging for help, fleeing cowardly without any dignity, was this really the world of cultivation she believed in?

It was the world of cultivation that Xie Changzhou had worked hard to protect for three hundred years.

Sui Ning clenched her sword tightly, her blood and spiritual energy churning in her chest, blood spilling from the corners of her mouth, and the smell of blood spreading in her mouth. She desperately suppressed the surging blood in her body.

As the disciples of the sect continued to retreat in the void, Ji Zhiwu, who was fighting, saw Sui Ning standing quietly below, and a dark light flashed in his eyes.

He quickly turned sideways, picked up his sword, and charged towards Sui Ning fiercely and quickly, with a murderous look on his pure white face.

If Sui Ning did not die today, then the matter of Guan Liuzhuo would definitely be exposed by her. She had also seen his relationship with Gui Luan, and he would be the one to die tomorrow.

His eyes were filled with crazed bloodthirstiness, and his body was stained with the blood of the demon clan, like a cruel and bloodthirsty demon.

Sui Ning’s eyes narrowed, and she clenched her sword to meet him. Ji Zhiwu’s blade suddenly stopped just an inch away from him.

He looked stunned, with an incredulous expression on his face, blood slowly trickling from the corners of his mouth, and his gaze slowly lowering to his chest.

His golden robe was stained with blood, and a long black sword pierced through his chest. The blood on the sword was steaming hot, and drop by drop it fell, melting the thick snow on the ground.

“Heh, looking for death.”

A sinister and terrifying voice came from behind him.

Ji Zhiwu looked up and met the surprised gaze of Sui Ning, who had widened his eyes. Ji’s lips moved as he said, “Demon, Demon Lord, for…”

Shen Jie fiercely turned his sword and rotated it once inside his body, fiercely crushing his heart. He slowly pulled out his sword, and Ji Zhiwu collapsed to the ground with his black eyes still wide open and filled with disbelief.

Sui Ning’s face was splattered with Ji Zhiwu’s blood, and there were specks of blood on her cold, white face. Her long eyelashes trembled lightly.

Shen Jie sneered and said, “What a disappointment.”

He handed over a clean handkerchief, and Sui Ning’s gaze fell on his slender hand, trembling slightly. She then ignored the handkerchief and used her cleaning technique to clean the blood off her clothes and face.

Shen Jie’s gaze became cold as he gathered his demonic energy in his hand, burning the handkerchief into ashes. Sui Ning’s behavior made him extremely annoyed.

With Ji Zhiwu’s death, the disciples of the sect were left without a leader, and chaos ensued. The only remaining elders desperately protected the disciples, and the morale of the demon clan rose as they fought harder.

Sui Ning’s eyes darkened as she struggled within herself, and as if she had made up her mind, she gritted her teeth and drew her sword, ready to charge forward.

The bloodied long sword blocked her path, and Sui Ning looked at it with a frown. Shen Jie’s face tensed as he said, “You are just a mere nascent soul. Going up there would mean death. Are you tired of living?”

Sui Ning waved her sword, blocking the sword that was in her way, and charged forward without looking back. “Even if they are weak and powerless, these are the lives that Xie Changzhou wants to protect. I am willing to stand with him.”

“He has protected me repeatedly, and it’s time for me to do something for him now. Even if I die, I have no regrets.”

A light voice came through, and Shen Jie’s hand holding the sword trembled slightly, his eyes growing increasingly complex and deep.

He looked towards Sui Ning in the void, who was clearly very skinny, but showed no signs of backing down while fighting against the tall and powerful demons.

He was even more jealous of Xie Changzhou.

“What’s wrong? Are you interested in her?” A playful voice came from behind him.

Shen Jie withdrew his sword and said coldly, “No.”

Guai Luan walked up to him from behind with his hands behind his back, and the two stood shoulder to shoulder, looking at the void together. “You’ve only been together for a few days, so how can she move you just by protecting and saving you?”

Shen Jie’s pale hand tightened, his blue veins bulging on the back of his hand, his thin lips pursed, and anger brewing in his eyes.

Guai Luan continued to speak without mercy, “She only protected you because of Xie Changzhou. That young female cultivator is Xie Changzhou’s person and naturally stands on the same side as him. As for us-“

He paused deliberately for a moment, then opened his mouth with deep meaning, “She only feels disgust towards us.”

“Shut up!” Shen Jie’s demonic energy rushed towards him but was cleverly resolved by Guai Luan.

Deep panic flashed in Shen Jie’s reddening eyes, and they shone with crimson light.

Guai Luan smirked and taunted, “I’m just reminding you not to have unnecessary thoughts, or we’ll all die without intact corpses.”

He left with a flick of his sleeve, his black robe dragging on the ground as he flew into the void.

With his arrival, the disciples of the sect who had already been resisting stubbornly were immediately swept away, and only a few remained.

Shen Jie looked towards the void, where several demons surrounded Sui Ning. Their vicious attacks and overwhelming demonic energy almost overwhelmed her.

Only the sword’s light in all directions could help him locate Sui Ning’s position. He clenched his fists, and the expression on his face gradually calmed down.

Gui Luan was right. Sui Ning was only doing this for Xie Changzhou, so why bother?

For the first time in his life, someone protected him, leaving him confused about himself.

“Huh.”

It’s really ridiculous.

Whether Sui Ning lives or dies has nothing to do with him. The righteous and the evil cannot coexist, and he and Xie Changzhou cannot live together, and Sui Ning will definitely be opposed to him.

He turned cold, and the demonic energy surged around him.

“Youlan, go.”

The hellhound’s pale blue eyes brightened instantly, glowing with an eerie light. It charged straight into the battlefield and tore at the disciples with all its might.

Shen Jie stood below with his hands behind his back, looking down at the battle with a cold and sinister expression.

Sui Ning still couldn’t hold on. She didn’t know how many demons she had killed, and everything in front of her was blood-red. The bloody demonic energy completely enveloped her, making her almost vomit.

She only fought instinctively against the demons in front of her. If she stopped, she would surely be surrounded and torn apart by the demons.

She still wanted to live to see Xie Changzhou. She didn’t want to die.

The disciples of the clan are few and far between, and many demon races are surrounding her, making her situation even more difficult.

If it weren’t for the protection of the Soul Bell and Spirit Pearl, Sui Ning would have been killed long ago.

However, her meridians are almost depleted, and she can no longer absorb the spiritual energy of the Soul Bell and Spirit Pearl.

The sword light of the Ba Tian is shuttling back and forth among the demon clan, cutting them down one by one.

A familiar and cold voice came.

“Step aside; I’ll handle this.”

Sui Ning’s heart sank.

It’s Gui Luan!

The demon clan attacking her scattered away, and a powerful demonic energy came towards her. Sui Ning had no room to retreat.

The Soul Bell and Spirit Pearl were firmly in front of her.

A faint smile slowly appeared on Gui Luan’s beautiful and sinister face, with cruel and murderous intent in his red eyes.

Shen Jie clenched his hand behind her and took a step forward but stopped abruptly; his throat rolled as he looked up.

Forget it; it’s better to die. He and Sui Ning are simply incompatible due to their opposing beliefs.

The next second, his dark red pupils shrank.

Gui Luan’s deadly move stopped in front of Sui Ning, as if it had been stopped by something.

Then a bright light flashed in the void, fiercely throwing the demonic energy surrounding Gui Luan at him and sending the demon race around him flying.

Gui Luan’s red eyes flickered, and he quickly dodged.

Sui Ning stood there in a daze as the familiar scent of cold pine wafted over her. Her waist was tightly bound by a pair of hands.

Her mind went blank, and she was firmly pulled into an embrace from behind, the pleasant aroma of cold pine seeping into her senses.

The person in front of her held her captive, burying their head against her neck and gently nuzzling her fair skin.

Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes, as if she had suffered great grievances. She hugged his lean waist tightly, burying herself in his chest.

The hands around her waist slowly tightened, pulling her a bit closer into his embrace. His clear, cold voice was slightly hoarse at this moment.

“Sui Ning, I’m sorry.”

Sui Ning shook her head with a muffled voice. “I missed you so much.”

Xie Changzhou hugged her even tighter, his slender hands lightly stroking her soft hair.

Shen Jie, who had been observing from below, also approached and stood beside Xie Changzhou.

His dark red eyes darkened, and he coldly taunted, “Had enough of this? Still indulging in intimacy at a time like this?”

Xie Changzhou released Sui Ning, wiping away the tears from her face. His brows and eyes were composed and calm.

Sui Ning locked eyes with him, feeling an inexplicable tremor in her heart.

Why did Xie Changzhou seem to have changed so much?

His gaze remained gentle as before, but now there was a hint of emotion she couldn’t quite grasp.

A dim, deep obscurity lurked within, tinged with a touch of mischief.

A familiar, icy coldness that resembled someone she had encountered before.

Yet, at the moment, she couldn’t quite put her finger on exactly who he seemed to be.

Her throat tightened, her eyelashes trembling lightly as she asked, “Xie Changzhou… what’s wrong with you?”

Xie Changzhou suddenly suppressed the emotions in his eyes, his clear and refined face still filled with tenderness, as if her previous impression of him was an illusion.

“I’m fine.” He rubbed her head.

Sui Ning was pulled behind him, his tall figure firmly concealing her.

Xie Changzhou hooked his lips and looked at Shen Jie and Gui Luan without saying a word, suddenly rushing forward.

His white robe left afterimages, causing Shen Jie and Gui Luan’s expressions to change as they quickly went to meet him.

As soon as they fought, Shen Jie’s dark red eyes flashed with surprise and disbelief. “You’ve entered the later stage of crossing the Tribulation?”

The later stage of the Tribulation is just one step away from ascension.

His cold poison had been resolved!

Xie Changzhou’s long sword slashed out, the resolute sword light hitting Shen Jie and Gui Luan hundreds of meters back.

He stood alone in the void, his snow-white robe fluttering.

Sui Ning heard his icy-cold voice: “You’re not worthy to ask.”

He suddenly went towards them, fighting fiercely with Shen Jie and Gui Luan.

The two realized that Xie Changzhou had made great progress in his cultivation; their faces suddenly turned cold as they used all their abilities to fight him.

The three great tribulation experts fought fiercely, and the fluctuations of their power made it impossible for others to approach. The demon generals turned their attention to Sui Ning, rushing towards her with their swords.

The barrier left by Xie Changzhou knocked them back, turning any demon that touched it into a pool of blood.

He had cast the spell to turn them into corpses.

Suining’s hand curled slightly, and her heart filled with fear.

It wasn’t her imagination; Xie Changzhou really seemed like a different person.

How could a person who is so upright and compassionate resort to such vicious means of killing people?

She stared in astonishment as Xie Changzhou, Shen Jie, and Gui Luan fought fiercely, with waves of pressure sweeping over them from time to time, killing the surrounding demons.

Gui Luan was furious and shouted, “You fools, why are you just standing there? Come and kill him!”

The demons, intimidated by their pressure, gritted their teeth and rushed forward.

Xie Changzhou was completely surrounded.

Sui Ning was almost trembling with fear. His barrier protected her, but she couldn’t get out, so she could only watch.

He was facing two crossing the tribulation experts and thousands of demons alone.

Suddenly, a mechanical and cold voice rang in his mind.

“[Mission progress is being accurately verified. Current progress: 95%.]”

Suining suddenly stopped; her throat seemed to be choked, and she could hardly speak.

“[96%]”

Suining trembled and spoke, “System, system…”

The system did not respond, and the mechanical voice in her mind continued to speak.

“[97%]”

“System, are you there…”

“[98%]”

“System, please talk to me…”

“[99%]”

The sound of the machine stopped speaking for a long time, as if it had been paused.

Sui Ning’s eyes were red as she looked towards Xie Changzhou.

Suddenly, a powerful beam of light erupted nearby, and the strong pressure knocked the surrounding demons to the ground, their limbs flying everywhere. Shen Jie and Gui Luan fell from the sky.

Xie Changzhou landed slowly, standing alone with a cold expression.

The Cangwu Mountains were covered in dark clouds, and the thunderous roar of thunder echoed through the heavy clouds. Purple lightning flashed through the sky.

Xie Changzhou’s black hair danced in the wind, his robes fluttering, and his eyes were full of coldness and frost. His spiritual energy was powerful and overwhelming.

He looked up at the sky, his lips slowly curling into a wicked and ruthless smile.

The impending thunder suddenly struck him, heavily hitting his body.

“Xie Changzhou!”

Sui Ning’s tears fell suddenly, pounding the barrier, wanting to rush out.

The pressure of the thunder was so strong that Shen Jie and Gui Luan couldn’t even stand up, and the weaker demons disappeared in black smoke.

Even with his protective barrier, Sui Ning could feel the pressure that made her heart tremble.

Xie Changzhou’s spiritual energy resisted the thunder, and each thunderbolt hit him fiercely, staining his white clothes with blood and dropping drops of blood.

Sui Ning was powerless, feeling a faint pain that gradually overwhelmed her. Tears streamed down her face as she cried out his name.

But Xie Changzhou didn’t even look at her, only focusing on the thunderbolt above his head. His expression was mocking—an arrogance that she had never seen before.

There were a total of 21 thunderbolts, one after the other, hitting him.

The last thunderbolt had been brewing for a long time when it suddenly struck.

The powerful pressure almost blinded Sui Ning, and her vision was blurry as she looked at the afterimage.

As the pressure gradually dissipated, she slowly opened her eyes.

Xie Changzhou stood amidst a mountain of corpses; behind him, the dead demons burned with a blue, ghostly fire. His snowy white robe was soaked in blood; the hem fluttered, and his black hair flew behind him.

He pulled at the corner of his lips as he looked at the gradually dissipating dark clouds. His lustrous eyes intertwined with a chilling and ruthless aura, emitting a strong sense of murderous intent.

He had succeeded in crossing the tribulation and was about to ascend.

Then the mechanical voice sounded.

“[Mission progress 100%, congratulations host; you can go home now.]”