“Don’t you have any other way?” Qin Qingyue’s crimson dragon pupils locked tightly onto Wu Zhaohua, her voice urgent.
For the first time in her life, she so desperately wished to hear the answer she wanted from this woman she’d always been at odds with.
Wu Zhaohua, at least, possessed Sect Inheritance, and perhaps knew some methods of Defying the Heavens.
Wu Zhaohua only shook her head slowly, her clear and cold gaze still fixed on that ever-more ferocious sky above, as if it would devour them at any moment, feeling the pull from the Heavenly Gate to the Immortal Realm.
“No.”
Qin Qingyue’s face turned icy cold, a hint of determination flashing in her eyes.
She abruptly raised her hand, deep black light beginning to gather and boil in her palm, her aura suddenly rising to a heart-stopping peak like the surface of the sea before a storm.
Her jet-black hair whipped about wildly without wind, dragon might spreading outward, stirring the spiritual energy around them.
Wu Zhaohua took just one glance to see through her intent, shaking her head again:
“It’s useless, Qin Qingyue.”
“How is it useless!” Qin Qingyue’s voice was hoarse with agitation, and carried a mad desperation.
“I’ll sever my own Dao Foundation! If my cultivation falls back to the Soul Formation Stage, and I don’t go to the Immortal Realm, isn’t that enough?!”
“I can’t just leave him here alone, how is that any different from watching him die?!”
To sever her own Dao Foundation meant giving up the hard-earned Celestial Immortal Form, abandoning the supreme cultivation of Supreme Sage Great Ascension, nearly destroying her path of Dao.
But Wu Zhaohua remained calm, her voice gentle:
“This is no different from suicide.”
“Even if you sever yourself, the Immortal Tribulation locked onto you will still descend upon your broken body. How will you resist?”
Qin Qingyue let out a bitter laugh, laced with sorrow:
“If I’m not even going to the Immortal Realm, why should I care about Immortal Tribulation?!”
Wu Zhaohua finally withdrew her gaze from the sky and looked at Qin Qingyue’s face:
“The Rules of Heaven and Earth have already been twisted. All those in the Great Ascension Stage have been marked.”
“It’s not a matter of what you want; it’s not something you can simply refuse.”
“Otherwise, you never would have sensed the Heavenly Gate to the Immortal Realm in the first place. Since you sensed it, the laws of Heaven and Earth have already chosen you. There’s no escape.”
Qin Qingyue froze, as if doused in ice water, suddenly a little more sober, yet an even deeper despair welled up inside.
That’s right. Panic leads to chaos—Wu Zhaohua is correct.
Even if she destroyed her own cultivation, the Immortal Tribulation that targeted her very essence would still descend, and the Heavenly Gate to the Immortal Realm would still open for her.
“Then what if I go to the Immortal Realm first, then sever my cultivation and find a way back?” Qin Qingyue’s tone held an uncertain hope.
Wu Zhaohua’s brows furrowed slightly as she looked at this always overbearing, dazzling Black Dragon, now flustered and helpless, and for a moment, complicated feelings arose within her.
She had never seen Qin Qingyue lose composure like this.
“I don’t know how the rules of the Immortal Realm work. We’ll only know once we arrive.”
“As for Jiang Huai…”
Her voice dropped low, “What matters now is finding a way for him to survive.”
She feared that once they entered the Immortal Realm, it would be a road of no return.
Hearing this, Qin Qingyue hesitated no longer, whipping around and transforming into a streak of black light, heading straight for Longyin Hall.
Wu Zhaohua said nothing more either; with a flash of sword light, she followed close behind.
Inside the hall, Jiang Huai saw the two women return, with Wu Zhaohua behind them as well, all with a gravity he had never seen before, and hurried forward:
“What happened?”
Those below the Great Ascension Stage couldn’t sense the opened Heavenly Gate to the Immortal Realm at all.
Qin Qingyue stopped in front of Jiang Huai, lifting her trembling slender hand to gently touch his cheek, her fingertips icy cold.
Those eyes, always full of dominance and possessiveness, now shimmered with tears and an indescribable sadness.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Huai’s heart sank, as he turned and gripped her cold hand, glancing at Wu Zhaohua beside them.
That aloof Sword Immortal also looked complicated, standing silently nearby.
Wu Zhaohua’s voice finally broke the silence.
“The Rules of Heaven and Earth have been forcibly altered,” her tone was low.
“All cultivators at the Great Ascension Stage will be forcibly guided away from this world.”
Jiang Zhun’s body went rigid, his pupils contracting.
He understood instantly: this was the so-called ‘backup plan’ of the Outworld Heavenly Demon.
Clear out the top combatants, turning the Five Provinces Continent into an unguarded hunting ground.
“So that’s it. This is their method?” he murmured to himself, fists unconsciously tightening until his knuckles turned white.
Still too slow—his growth simply couldn’t keep up with the looming crisis.
If only he had reached Soul Formation Stage cultivation, he would at least have a fighting chance, but now he was just a mere Golden Core.
Jiang Huai took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging emotions, managing a comforting smile as he gently stroked Qin Qingyue’s cheek with his fingertips:
“What’s with that expression? Isn’t going to the Immortal Realm a good thing?”
Qin Qingyue’s eyes reddened instantly as she shook her head fiercely, her black dragon tail instinctively coiling around Jiang Huai’s waist, tighter and tighter.
“If I leave, what about you?”
Her voice trembled with a sob she couldn’t suppress.
Jiang Huai didn’t answer, nor could he give her any certain response.
He could only continue in a light tone, as if this was just an ordinary farewell:
“Qingyue, your Misfortune has already dissipated. When you reach the Immortal Realm, it’s a fresh start.”
“Rein in your temper. Up there, there’s always someone higher, and immortals beyond immortals. It’s nothing like the Five Provinces.”
He looked at Wu Zhaohua, then back to Qin Qingyue: “Don’t keep clashing with Wu Zhaohua anymore. Even if you two can’t be friends, at least try to get along.”
“When you first arrive in the Immortal Realm, everything will be unfamiliar. Having someone to look after each other is far better than having another enemy.”
“Promise me, will you?”
Qin Qingyue stared at Jiang Huai’s face, subconsciously nodding.
Jiang Huai paused, his voice even gentler: “When you’re over there, take good care of yourself.”
“Don’t act tough, don’t take risks—stand firm first.” “Wait for me. I will come find you.”
He spoke slowly, as if trying to pour out every warning and wish for the future all at once.
When Jiang Huai finished, he turned to Wu Zhaohua, his tone pleading: “Please, don’t quarrel with her over there.”
“You’ll both need help over there, and you can take care of each other. She won’t argue with you anymore—she’ll help you.” His voice softened.
If the two Celestial Immortals could look out for one another, they would be a formidable force even in the Immortal Realm, and likely face no trouble.
Wu Zhaohua was silent for a moment before finally speaking, giving her promise:
“I promise you, I won’t have any conflict with her in the Immortal Realm.” She looked at Jiang Huai, her gaze complicated:
“You don’t need to ask me.”
Qin Qingyue’s tears finally broke through the dam, a clear droplet sliding down her cheek and landing, scorching hot, on the back of Jiang Huai’s hand.
“Why are you saying these things? I don’t want to hear them! I don’t want to be separated.”
She had never considered parting; she had wanted to at least wait until Jiang Huai reached the Union or Great Ascension Stage before they separated.
Why so soon? Why did it have to happen so early?!
Jiang Huai reached out, gently wiping away her tears, his smile tinged with helplessness.
“Perhaps life is always full of separations.”
“I always thought that walking the path of cultivation would give me the strength to hold on to everything I didn’t want to lose. I just didn’t expect… I didn’t expect this day to come so quickly.”
“Then what about you?” Qin Qingyue clung tightly to his sleeve, as if letting go would make him vanish.
Jiang Huai met her gaze, his eyes becoming incomparably resolute, and spoke each word with firm clarity:
“I’ll do my best to survive.”
“Then, by any means necessary, I’ll come find you.”
He held her hand, pressing it to his chest.
“I will live on. I’ll come find you in the Immortal Realm.”
Qin Qingyue only shook her head, the overwhelming grief drowning her, almost making it impossible to think.
Survive? How could it be so easy?
With cultivation only at the Golden Core Stage, facing the coming tide of Outworld Heavenly Demons, he was like a guttering candle in a raging wind.
Seeing her like this, Jiang Huai felt lost as well.
The road ahead was pitch-black, yet the will to survive burned ever more fiercely in the face of despair.
“I won’t die so easily, not ever.” Whether saying this to Qin Qingyue or to himself, it was hard to tell.
“So you mustn’t do anything reckless in the Immortal Realm either. Live well. Wait for me.”
Qin Qingyue took a deep breath, forcibly shaking off her sorrow.
She could feel it—the call of the Heavenly Gate to the Immortal Realm was pounding at her soul like a drum, the aura of the Heavenly Lightning Tribulation already gathering high in the sky.
Zhu Siyao glanced at Zhuxin beside her. Mother and daughter’s eyes met, a thousand words left unspoken.
Zhuxin stepped forward, holding her daughter tightly in an embrace, unable to voice so much of what she wished to say.
“Help me take care of her,” Zhuxin said to Su Yingman.
Su Yingman, having reached the peak of the Union Stage, was not sensed by the Heavenly Gate to the Immortal Realm.
She stepped forward, putting away her usual playful demeanor, and solemnly said:
“Don’t worry. As long as I, Su Yingman, draw breath, I won’t let them come to harm.”
In this moment, there was no need for more words.
Su Yingman could not guarantee she could protect them all the way to the Great Ascension, but as long as she still lived, she would keep them safe.
Wu Zhaohua walked up to Jiang Huai, gazing deeply at him, as if to carve his features into her soul.
“Jiang Huai,” she called softly.
“You must take care of yourself over there, too,” Jiang Huai reminded her in turn.
Wu Zhaohua tilted her chin slightly, forcing back the hint of moisture in her eyes. Her tone regained its usual coolness.
“I won’t be like her, crying and sniveling. I’ll only say this: live well, and wait for me.”
“When I reach the Immortal Realm, I’ll definitely find a way to come back for you.”
She placed a simple, ancient Token brimming with immense sword intent into Jiang Huai’s hand—the Wenxuan Sect Leader’s token.
“I’m entrusting the Wenxuan Sect, and all the disciples, to you.”
She gripped Jiang Huai’s hand tightly, with immense strength.
“You have to live. I believe in you. I’ve always believed in you!”
“You can definitely do it.” She paused, her eyes flashing with determination.
“In the past, I waited for you to come home in that little courtyard.”
“Now, it’s your turn to wait for me here. You must survive.”
Suddenly, a wild wind swept through the hall, tossing the hair of Jiang Huai and Wu Zhaohua. The two of them just gazed at each other.
Jiang Huai looked at her, through her eyes, truly seeing the person before him.
Though beautiful, she was still the Wu Zhaohua from that little courtyard.
“Alright,” Jiang Huai whispered.
Between them, it felt as if they had returned to the atmosphere of the past.
Wu Zhaohua, feeling the familiar air, smiled faintly and patted Jiang Huai’s cheek.
“Wait for me to come home.”
Boom!
The entire Longyin Hall shook violently.
Outside the hall, the once menacing sky was replaced by boundless auspicious clouds and radiant colors, vast and unmatched immortal qi pouring down like the Milky Way, yet also containing the terrifying power of the Heavenly Lightning Tribulation.
A massive, supreme phantom of the gate slowly solidified high above the nine heavens.
Space itself began to reject them.
An irresistible force of ascension enveloped Qin Qingyue, Wu Zhaohua, and Zhuxin.
Their bodies floated up uncontrollably, feet leaving the ground, rising toward that gate of light.
Immediately, the terrifying Heavenly Lightning Tribulation thundered down.
Jiang Huai rushed outside to witness the heavenly lightning.
Brilliant immortal thunder split the sky like giant dragons, striking down and engulfing the figures of the three. The sight was both magnificent and terrifying.
Jiang Huai held his breath, staring at this breathtaking scene.
No one knew how much time passed before the tribulation finally subsided.
Qin Qingyue, Wu Zhaohua, and Zhuxin were all bathed in dazzling immortal light, their auras undergoing earth-shaking transformation.
The immortal light around Qin Qingyue and Wu Zhaohua was the brightest, clearly marking their successful ascension to the Heavenly Immortal Realm.
Zhuxin’s immortal light, though slightly dimmer, was still stable and solid; thanks to Jiang Huai’s earlier help, she had firmly stepped into the Earth Immortal Realm.
They rose higher and higher, further from Longyin Hall, further from Jiang Huai.
Qin Qingyue stared desperately at the ever-shrinking figure below, using every bit of her strength to cry out, her voice piercing through the clouds, echoing with the power of a dragon’s roar, filled with heart-wrenching reluctance and urgent exhortation:
“Wait for me! Jiang Huai! You must wait for me!!”
Jiang Huai tilted his head back, nodding fiercely, etching their figures into his memory.
No one knew if this would be their last meeting.
“Mother!” Zhu Siyao’s tearful cry rang out, filled with helplessness and fear.
Zhuxin, too, was streaming with tears as she watched her daughter and Jiang Huai’s forms fade into the immortal clouds.
Who could have imagined that these women, once standing at the pinnacle of the Five Provinces Continent, would leave all together, in such a sudden and unforeseen way.
At last, the immortal light faded, the gate of light vanished, and the sky returned to a brief calm—a dead, suffocating stillness.
The calm did not last long.
At the edge of the Five Provinces Continent, space rippled like water.
Then, a thick, writhing shadow crept soundlessly into this world that had just lost its guardians.
From within the darkness came a twisted, yet somewhat familiar, feminine voice.
Sensing the power vacuum left by the realm’s greatest defenders, she let out a sharp, unrestrained laugh, filled with conquering desire:
“Hahaha! This world is finally ours to rule!”
This land, which had once inflicted heavy wounds upon them, now lay as defenseless as a helpless child, at their mercy.
Before her words even faded, she transformed into a swift, evil shadow, racing straight toward the direction of the Palace of Jiumei, guided by the fragmented memories taken from Zhu Siyao.
“This time, let’s see who can still protect you?!”