Celestial Dragon Sword Venerable

"Long time... long time no see. Kunpeng Divine Son... The Celestial Secret Divine Son is as infinitely charming as ever."

Bai Changyi’s heart was bleeding, but he could only reply obediently.

"Yes, let’s brave the Secret Realm and hunt for treasures together in a bit."

Ye Tianling said with a smile.

Hearing this, Bai Changyi and Bai Changsong’s mouths twitched. The muscles on their faces tensed up, unable to decide whether to laugh or cry.

’Treasure hunt together, my ass! Who the hell wants to hunt for treasures with you?!’

’If we hunt for treasures together, will there be anything left for us?’

’We wouldn’t even get the scraps!’

’You snatched up all the Hellfire on the Thirty-Sixth Layer of the Heaven-Reaching Tower! Did you leave even a single cinder for anyone else?’

’Who wants to hunt for treasures with you?’

Bai Changyi and Bai Changsong cursed him endlessly in their hearts, but they could only shamelessly force a smile and agree.

’Could they dare refuse?’

’They really didn’t dare!’

’Unless you’ve been tormented in Tianshu Ancient Town and cleaved by that Blood-Colored Battleaxe, you could never comprehend the soul-shattering experience!’

"Alright, alright. Let’s... hunt for treasures... together."

Bai Changyi was on the verge of tears.

’Revenge?’

’Retaliation?’

He didn’t even dare to think about it now. ’This guy is a monster, a parasite on the Celestial Dao, on a completely different level!’

Previously, both Bai Changyi and Bai Changsong had indeed wanted revenge. After all, Bai Changxi and Bai Changxu had both been killed.

But ever since the name "Saint-Slaying Demon" began to spread, all thoughts of revenge had completely vanished.

Especially after Projection Stones depicting the massacre of the entire Celestial Overpass Holy Land began to circulate, all the voices clamoring to make an enemy of Ye Tianling fell silent.

Now, aside from a few Saints who were still trying to plot against Ye Tianling, everyone else, even some Daoist Ancestors, cherished their lives too much to get entangled with this "Saint-Slaying Demon" who had survived Celestial Dao Erasure.

This was especially true for Daoist Ancestors like Yao Yu of the Golden-winged Roc Lineage; it was impossible to say how deep their fear ran.

Thinking of this, Bai Changyi and Bai Changsong glanced at each other and smiled bitterly, feeling the urge to just die.

’Damn it, running into the Celestial Secret Divine Son even in this godforsaken place... We must have ten lifetimes of bad luck!’

...

After a dozen or so breaths, the commotion finally grew loud enough that Kong Lindao was roused from his state of epiphany.

He immediately sensed something, and looking up, his gaze fell directly on Ye Tianling.

By now, Ye Tianling had left his previous spot and walked to within a hundred meters of Kong Lindao.

"Brother Tianling!"

A look of joy appeared on Kong Lindao’s face, but it was quickly replaced by worry when he noticed the decay of Ye Tianling’s Life Force.

"Brother Lindao, we meet again. Your Life Chart is quite remarkable. You have a long road ahead of you."

Ye Tianling glanced at Kong Lindao’s Life Chart and found he couldn’t see through it at a glance. It was like gazing into the endless transformations of the Netherworld, profound and vast.

This meant that Kong Lindao’s future was destined to be world-shaking.

"You’re too kind, Brother Tianling. Brother Tianling, your Venerable Soul Curse... is very severe. But this time, for the Life Soul Spring, I want to give it to Tianxi... We... let’s compete for it fairly."

Before seeing Ye Tianling, Kong Lindao had been thinking he would do anything for Ye Tianxi, even if it meant making an enemy of Ye Tianling.

But after Ye Tianxi’s condition had fully stabilized, he’d had his own epiphany. He had gained a great deal and emerged from that state of frenzied chaos.

So, he had already abandoned that crazed notion and decided to compete fairly instead—because he didn’t want Ye Tianxi to look down on him as a brother after he had obtained the Elemental Magnetic Aurora and the Life Soul Spring.

"Brother Lindao, I don’t need those things. If I obtain them, my plan is to comprehend and study the changes in the Venerable Soul Curse to break it at its root, not just use these resources to alleviate its effects. Alleviating it is a compromise, and if you compromise just to survive, you can never achieve true survival."

Ye Tianling said with a serious expression.

Kong Lindao shuddered. He lowered his head silently and said, "Brother Tianling, I apologize. I was being foolish. Whatever you plan to do, I, Lindao, will do everything in my power to assist you—I only ask that Tianxi can live."

"Don’t worry about Tianxi’s condition."

Ye Tianling walked over and took out the Netherworld Fruit that Li Xuyao had given him. "This is a Netherworld Fruit. After she takes it, it can extend her Life Force for more than two months. That will give her some breathing room. I’m not actually worried about the Venerable Soul Curse, but about the others who were cursed... I’m worried about when their curses will erupt."

As he spoke, Ye Tianling arrived at Ye Tianxi’s side.

Ye Tianxi had fallen into a coma, her entire being appearing extremely haggard.

Though it had only been a few months, Ye Tianxi had grown further, changing from a young girl into a true fairy.

But her gaunt and haggard appearance made her seem incredibly frail and weak, as if she might undergo Transformation Dao at any moment.

In fact, Ye Tianxi’s appearance bore several points of resemblance to Ye Tianling’s. Combined with the faint connection from their Ye Race bloodline, Ye Tianling had long since come to see her as a younger sister.

"It’s all because of me, isn’t it? The Venerable Soul Curse was aimed at me. All of you were just dragged into it."

Ye Tianling sighed, then said wistfully, "That’s why, even if you had truly become my enemy, Brother Lindao, I would have accepted it calmly."

Kong Lindao shuddered. He knew that some of his thoughts could no longer be hidden from Ye Tianling.

He was filled with shame and said apologetically, "Brother Tianling, I’m sorry. I, Kong Lindao, have been far too narrow-minded."

Ye Tianling shook his head and said with a sigh, "Brother Lindao, when true emotions assault the heart, if one can still remain calm, are we even ourselves anymore? Supreme Emotion and Nature, Unrestrained and Indulgent—that is our true nature! Your feelings for Tianxi are the same as my feelings for Tianyu and Tianmo. I would be willing to go through Entering Demon for them, so what is it for you to fall into a frenzy for her?

"So, you don’t need to blame yourself. This version of you is the Kong Lindao I know."

Ye Tianling spoke quietly, but his voice then softened as he said, "Tianxi, I know you can hear me, you just can’t wake up. Maintain your Meditation, achieve a state of No Thought. I will help you with the Refinement of this Netherworld Fruit, and you’ll feel better soon."

Ye Tianling’s voice was gentle, dreamlike and illusory, as if it carried a Soul-Suppressing effect.

Ye Tianxi’s gently closed eyes trembled. Her long eyelashes quivered several times, but she could not open her eyes.

But she was very obedient and compliant, cooperating with Ye Tianling.

The Netherworld Fruit drew near Ye Tianxi’s somewhat pale lips, shrinking continuously until it transformed into a wisp of Netherworld Spiritual Liquid and flowed into her mouth.

Ye Tianxi’s entire body was as if ignited by the flames of Nirvana.

The *Nirvana Nine Transformations* Cultivation Technique began to operate on its own.

Soon, wisps of Nirvana’s flames began to appear.

Then, the flames gradually grew somewhat stronger.