Zanxing (Retranslated)

Chapter 308 - The Seven (1)

The rain on Heishi Mountain was colder than the rain down in the valley.

The rain fell in slanted, dense sheets, soaking into the black soil beneath. Above, a green paper umbrella shielded from the drifting raindrops, keeping the cold and thin chill at bay.

In the mountains, Bu Jiang and Zanxing walked slowly.

Early in the morning, Zanxing woke up from the Demon Energy Pool. Upon learning this, Bu Jiang hurried to the Chaos Hall to confirm that she was unharmed, then invited her to have breakfast at the Yao Ming Hall. After breakfast, they came up to Heishi Mountain together.

The city below was shrouded in a layer of mist. Zanxing hesitated before finally speaking, “Mother, today I saw Master Mingjing coming out of your hall.”

Was it really so? She had noticed Mingjing’s lingering affection for Bu Jiang, but they only arrived in Heishi City last night and were already living together today. Wasn’t that a bit too fast?

Seeing the complex expression on Zanxing’s face, Bu Jiang shot her a reproachful look. “Where are your thoughts going? I, your mother, never revisit old flames. Even if I had feelings for him, that was all in the past.”

Zanxing’s heart stirred. “Did you really have a past with him?” Her gaze at Bu Jiang grew more complex. “He is a Buddhist cultivator. Even if you want to find a lover, how could you end up with a Buddhist cultivator?” And for this Buddhist cultivator to still hold onto these feelings years later—Amitabha, what a sin.

“I didn’t think so much at the time.” Bu Jiang walked ahead nonchalantly. “I just saw his holy and untouchable demeanor and found it appealing. He was also quite good-looking. Moreover, none of my lovers were Buddhist cultivators, so I thought I might as well give it a try. Life is about taking risks.”

Zanxing: “…”

Collecting lovers like stamps, is it?

She said, “But it seems that Master Mingjing still wants to rekindle old flames with you.”

“I no longer have feelings for Buddhist cultivators.” Bu Jiang smiled, though her words showed no trace of lingering affection. “It’s difficult to mend a broken mirror. There’s no need to force it. Rekindling old flames would only make my current lover jealous.”

She turned her head to see Zanxing’s disapproving expression and chuckled lightly. “You don’t need to look at me like that. I don’t think I’m the only woman in the world to be moved by two men, am I?”

Zanxing: “You probably have more than just two.”

“So what if I do?” Bu Jiang raised her head proudly. “Our demon clan is destined to cause heartache. Do you think all demon women are as unambitious as you? If I hadn’t had Xiao Shuang help you with a few people in the Chaos Hall, you wouldn’t even have two now.” As she spoke, her tone turned into a mix of reproach and frustration.

Fearing Bu Jiang might get worked up and bring up the matter of people being added to the Chaos Hall again, Zanxing quickly changed the subject. She looked ahead and said, “The spiritual vein is here!”

On Heishi Mountain, the vibrant red spiritual vein was located beside a rock wall in the dense forest. With a wave of her hand, Bu Jiang sent the thin veins of energy spreading throughout Heishi City, enveloping it like countless red serpents, winding around and wrapping the city.

“This…” Zanxing’s brows furrowed gradually.

Compared to the last time she saw the spiritual vein, the one in the Demon Realm seemed even more diluted.

Previously, the veins were thin, but now the vivid red had faded significantly, as if the spiritual energy had been substantially drained.

Bu Jiang’s gaze sharpened slightly. “Just as I thought.”

“Mother?”

Bu Jiang looked at Zanxing with a grave expression. “Zanxing, try to sense it.”

Zanxing nodded.

When she was at Yue Mountain and fought with Gui Yansheng, the Xiao Yuan Pearl had been split in half by Gu Baiying’s Xiu Gu spear. Zanxing and Gui Yansheng each managed to grab half. Zanxing clearly remembered that rather than just grabbing, it was as if the half of the Xiao Yuan Pearl had flown directly to her.

After it entered her chest, Zanxing felt the surging primordial power within the Xiao Yuan Pearl. At that time, she fell from the Buddhist Tower, partly due to Gui Yansheng and partly because of the energy pouring into her from the Xiao Yuan Pearl.

Later, when she returned to Heishi City and entered the Demon Energy Pool, the Xiao Yuan Pearl’s presence had disappeared from her chest when she woke up. However, she could still sense its aura. Within a single night, the Xiao Yuan Pearl had fully merged with her.

Zanxing was unsure whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. Her palms no longer bore any marks, and she was no longer bound by the “Heavenly Dao” constraints. Whether or not the Xiao Yuan Pearl would have any impact on her future was still to be seen. However, as Bu Jiang mentioned, Demon King Gui Diaotang’s cultivation had reached the late stage of Shattered Void, just one step away from transcending tribulations. Such cultivation was still unable to refine the Xiao Yuan Pearl. It was hard to believe that she, being only at the Soul Condensation stage, could absorb the Xiao Yuan Pearl so easily.

Nonetheless, she felt no discomfort in her body, and her Demon King’s power was abundant. For now, she could only wait and see.

Zanxing walked to the source of the spiritual vein. On the way up, she had still seen the vivid red veins continuously emerging from the ground. Now, the flow was even slower than before. It seemed that if this continued, it might soon be impossible to see even this continuous flow.

She closed her eyes and slowly gathered her primordial power from her dantian. Suddenly, a green shadow emerged from her dantian.

This shadow was the size of a pigeon’s egg and was a pure emerald green. However, within the green dantian pill, there was a black tree shadow swaying. The tree shadow had dense branches and leaves, deeply rooted in her dantian, continuously emitting abundant power of the Demon King.

In the Ten Thousand Killing Formation, Zanxing’s Golden Core had been liquified and lost. Later, when she fell into the Abyss of Extreme Ice, she awakened her Celestial Demon Bloodline and practiced the Peerless Heart Sutra. The Qinchong seed in her spiritual vein had completely withered, its fruit absorbed into her body, and half of the Xiao Yuan Pearl had merged with her. Now, she had condensed her soul, but this soul core was unlike any other demon’s. It contained both demonic and spiritual power and continued to grow, uncertain of what kind of formidable energy it would become in the future.

A stream of blue-black energy rose from her palm, condensing countless primordial powers into a thin flow. This flow gently drifted towards the source of the spiritual vein, enveloping the vivid red vein with a blue-black hue.

The rain fell even more heavily on Heishi Mountain.

The rainwater ‘sizzled’ as it mingled with the red flow, but the water flow at the source did not become any more speedy.

An old crow silently flew up from the dense forest and perched on a treetop, watching the two people by the spiritual vein.

As time passed, Zanxing’s brows gradually furrowed.

The Demon King’s power continuously flowed into the spiritual vein, but the vein was not reawakened. The vivid red source seemed like a bottomless pit, a greedy beast absorbing the Demon King power as if it were a stone sinking into the sea, without any visible ripple. No matter how much was poured in, it was absorbed.

If this continued, even if she stood here for a day and night, there would be no change.

Zanxing stopped her actions.

“It’s no use,” she said, looking at Bu Jiang. “I can’t awaken the spiritual vein.”