Zanxing (Retranslated)

Chapter 245 - The Budding of Qinchong (1)

The rain curtain hung like mist, obscuring everything in the world.

Only Shaoyang Zhenren’s figure remained ethereal, as cold and detached as ever.

“Sect Master?” Gu Baiying frowned.

“Men Dong didn’t lie to you.” Shaoyang Zhenren’s gaze was calm. Raindrops fell on him but seemed to leap away lightly, as if unable to touch his robes. He looked at Gu Baiying and spoke plainly, “Yang Zanxing’s life tablet has shattered. She is no longer of this world.”

A thunderous crash echoed as a bolt of lightning fell from the clouds, striking the young man and knocking him heavily to the ground. He lay there, unable to get up for a moment, staring up at the sky. After a long while, he finally spoke slowly, “I don’t believe it.”

Rain fell from the heavens, washing away the dirty bloodstains from his face. Shaoyang Zhenren’s voice drifted into his ears, “The demon is dead. The Chihua Sect has the matter of the Qinchong as a pretext and won’t continue to hold a grudge against you.”

Gu Baiying spoke hoarsely, “You know she wasn’t the culprit.”

“But everyone knows you used the soul-binding technique to gift a portion of your soul to Yang Zanxing. This has planted a thorn in the hearts of all the sects.”

“Why did her life tablet shatter? Was she captured by someone from the cultivation world? No, if that were the case, the Chihua Sect would surely boast about it and wouldn’t be this quiet.”

“The formation of the Demon Extermination Army is imminent, and the Taiyan Sect must contribute. Among the younger generation, your cultivation is outstanding, and the major sects have high hopes for you.”

“If you didn’t find her body, it means she’s still alive. The shattering of the life tablet means nothing. It could very well be an illusion to deceive us.”

They spoke past each other, neither paying attention to the other’s words. Men Dong knelt beside them, biting his lip, too afraid to speak.

Shaoyang Zhenren said, “After the sect examination, when Mayi brought you two back to the sect, it was because of a divination foretelling the emergence of a demon star. By calculation, it coincided with Yang Zanxing’s arrival at Gufeng Mountain.”

Gu Baiying’s voice darkened, “She is not a demon star.”

Shaoyang Zhenren stood quietly. The mountain wind and rain tried to wrinkle his robes, but the rain could not wet them. He remained immaculate and pristine, his snow-white hair a stark contrast to the dark surroundings, like an immortal from the heavens, always detached from the mundane world.

Emotions and desires were burdens to him. He had neither.

Shaoyang Zhenren gazed at Gu Baiying, his eyes seeming to look through him to someone else. After a long pause, he spoke, “Your unyielding nature is exactly like your mother’s.”

Hearing him mention Fairy Qinghua, Gu Baiying was momentarily stunned.

“When your mother left, she asked me to take good care of you. I promised Qinghua to protect you, to ensure your safety, and I cannot break that promise.” His expression grew complex, hinting at some internal conflict. After a pause, he continued, “Yang Zanxing is not one within the Heavenly Dao. I once thought that, through her, your fate might be rewritten, but…”

“Now, your fates are too deeply entwined. This may not be good for you.”

“It’s time to end it.”

Gu Baiying sensed something unusual in Shaoyang Zhenren’s words. He looked at Shaoyang Zhenren, struggling to stand, “Master, what are you planning to do?”

Shaoyang Zhenren lowered his eyes. A bright ball of light formed in his palm, hidden within his sleeve, and he suddenly struck it towards Gu Baiying’s head.

“Master!”

“Sect Master!”

Boom—

Thunder rolled, and the torrential rain pounded the Wulei Platform, making it tremble. The forest fell silent, with only Men Dong’s quiet sobs filling the air.

Shaoyang Zhenren withdrew his hand and looked at the person lying in the formation.

“This is for the best,” he said.

*

The Abyss of Extreme Ice seemed deeper than the day before.

Whenever someone climbed an inch, the abyss seemed to grow a yard, gradually destroying their spirit and filling them with despair.

Blue flowers bloomed and withered, over and over again through countless days and nights. Yet, the person leaning against the ice wall never woke up.

Around her, an ice cave had begun to form, slowly enveloping her. The ice and snow that had accumulated on her body grew thicker, layer by layer.

She no longer resembled a person but more of a statue, silently sitting there, indistinguishable from the countless ice sculptures within the abyss.

A strand of demonic energy shot out from an angle, striking her and knocking off a few flakes of snow, which quickly settled back into stillness.

The sound of massive iron chains echoed from the depths. Bu Jiang pressed her hand against her chest, swallowing the bitterness in her throat.

It had been a long time since Zanxing fell into her deep sleep.

Bu Jiang continuously used her demonic energy to melt the ice and snow accumulating on Zanxing. Initially, it worked well, but over time, the effect diminished, and Zanxing showed no signs of waking. Whether it was her imagination or not, the Abyss of Extreme Ice seemed much colder than usual.

It was said that the higher the cultivation of those who fell into the abyss, the colder it became. Bu Jiang had never noticed this before because no demonic cultivator could match her Heavenly Demon bloodline. Now, with Zanxing in the abyss, both the rate of ice accumulation and the overall coldness had intensified.

But Zanxing had lost her powers and was no different from an ordinary person. Why then did she still affect the abyss this way? Could it be because Zanxing was the daughter of Gui Diaotang and possessed the bloodline of a demon king, which the abyss could sense? Yet a bloodline forever sealed couldn’t truly be called a demon king’s bloodline, could it?

A layer of bone-chilling cold spread from her limbs, causing Bu Jiang to shiver involuntarily.

It was terrible. Continuously transferring demonic energy to Zanxing took a great toll on her, and the Abyss of Extreme Ice had become even more severe than before. Bu Jiang herself was struggling to maintain her strength. She began to feel increasingly fatigued, and in this place, the first sign of her mental power freezing was the onset of frequent and prolonged periods of unconsciousness.

She glanced at the corner of the mountain wall where the name Yang Zanxing was now deeply etched compared to before.

When the name was fully embedded into the ice wall, clear and deeply carved, it signified Zanxing’s death with no chance of reversal.

Bu Jiang gritted her teeth, secretly gathering her strength before channeling more energy to Zanxing.

As blue flowers bloomed and withered in cycles, the abyss remained silent, with frost and snow silently covering everything, freezing the world into a crystalline stillness.

Movements slowed, gradually becoming stiff, and eventually, there was no movement at all. Countless layers of ice and snow crept up silently. In the vast abyss, the woman in the red dress, bound by dark chains, had her vibrant attire dulled by a thin layer of cold mist. Her fingertips remained slightly curved in the position of transferring energy, but her alluring eyes were now closed.

She had become a beautiful statue.