On the opera stage, a dan performer clad in magnificent theatrical robes slowly materialized. Pinching her fingers into orchid-hand gestures, her phoenix eyes gleamed with piercing brilliance as she gazed down at Elder Cai in the audience seats. Her voice was melodious and supple.
"Past Without Trace failed his bid to reach demigod status. Why are you only reporting this now?"
Elder Cai bowed deeply. "This subordinate only received word of it just now."
As the words left his mouth, still bent low in his bow, a resplendent skirt swept into his field of vision. Immediately after, an onion-white jade finger lightly lifted his chin.
Without a sound, the Water God Palace Mistress had teleported from the stage directly before Elder Cai.
"Fascinating. I just used an item to divine an omen, and the hexagram appeared entirely normal. How did you know Past Without Trace failed his breakthrough to demigod? Could it be that you, Cai Qinhe, can see through the mysteries of Taiyin?"
That exquisite, powder-and-rouge-painted performer's face carried a faint, captivating smile, yet her eyes were cold as glacial water. "Cai Qinhe, playing petty tricks before me is exceptionally foolish. You and I are both unfeeling creatures, and we both hold grudges..."
The pale, tender pad of her finger stroked Elder Cai's cheek. She smiled radiantly. "My method of revenge is usually to send people returning to the Spirit Realm."
Elder Cai's expression did not waver in the slightest as he replied with blunt candor:
"Palace Mistress, Ling Tuo and the Southern Sect Leader have joined hands to ambush Past Without Trace. Ling Tuo has schemed for this for a very long time; Past Without Trace will certainly perish. It is time for you to intervene. A Phantasm God item cannot fall into the hands of the Southern Sect, or else another Asura will be born.
"Furthermore, once Past Without Trace succumbs to madness, the citizens of Jinshan City will meet with catastrophic doom. Only your Mirror World can wall the demigods off from reality."
Before a demigod, concealment and scheming were indeed pointless. He had never intended to hide anything anyway; laying his cards on the table, stating the advantages and disadvantages plainly, and allowing the Palace Mistress to decide for herself was his course of action.
A demigod-tier item and the lives of Jinshan City's civilians—neither was something the Palace Mistress could ignore. Elder Cai was certain she would make a move; this was an open ploy.
As for whatever punishment he might incur for calculating against a demigod, that was a matter for later.
Naturally, if the Palace Mistress secured the demigod-tier item, he would not only be blameless, but would have rendered an immense service.
In Elder Cai's view, dealing with Yuanshi Tianzun—the foe who killed his beloved grandson—was merely incidental. The real main event was contending for the Phantasm God item. If the Five Elements Alliance did not intervene, that Phantasm God item belonging to Past Without Trace would ultimately fall into the grasp of the Dark Night Rose and the Southern Sect.
The Water God Palace Mistress gave a soft snort. "The Master of the Central Court is deep in slumber, and that little white tiger is wandering about in an instance. I shall handle this matter together with that man surnamed Jiang. As for your petty schemes, I'll settle accounts with you when I return."
Her body dissolved like foam, vanishing like a phantom.
***
*Zhao Xintong? Why is that girl calling me?* Zhang Yuanqing made no attempt to step away from the Xie family matriarch and grandson, calmly answering the phone.
"Yuanshi Tianzun..." Zhao Xintong's weak, trembling voice came through. "There's a Dominator... an official Dominator... We've been discovered... Come quickly, help us... We're at home..."
*Beep, beep, beep...*
The call abruptly went dead.
Zhang Yuanqing's scalp tingled, his light drunkenness evaporating in an instant.
*Tracked down to their home by an official Dominator? Would a Dominator give her time to make a phone call? Is Elder Cai trying to recreate the airplane ambush?*
*How did he locate Xiao Yuan? It's impossible to lock onto them so quickly through surveillance cameras alone...*
As thoughts raced through his mind, waves of chill surged into Zhang Yuanqing's heart. He sprang to his feet, urgently declaring, "Senior, my friends are in danger. I must leave at once, and I need assistance."
The Matriarch knitted her faint brows. Looking at him with a serious expression on her youthful face, she spoke bluntly: "Are you certain you wish to go? Have you forgotten your own death tribulation?"
"Certain!" Zhang Yuanqing answered without an ounce of hesitation.
The Matriarch shook her head slightly. "Excessive passion brings no longevity. Xie Su, accompany him on this trip."
Xie Su rose. "Yes!"
By this point, Zhang Yuanqing had already fetched out his matchbox, striking two matches in rapid succession to wish for two teleportation jade talismans.
Next, he grabbed Little Red Riding Hood, summoned a Level 4 yin corpse to make a wish, and obtained a third teleportation jade talisman.
Then, he summoned his avatar from outside the courtyard, handing over the Five Elements Spiritual Power Trial Card, the Heaven Worship Set, and the three teleportation jade talismans. After a brief pause, considering that his avatar might need a helper, he also passed over the Ghost Bride.
"Go quickly and save them," Zhang Yuanqing commanded in a low voice.
The official Dominator clearly wanted to use Xiao Yuan as bait to draw him out. Now that the objective was met, they were very likely to execute Xiao Yuan and the rest. A powerful combatant had to rush in for immediate support.
The avatar nodded, crushing a teleportation jade talisman. The two were of one mind and shared the same soul; there was no need for spoken instructions.
Watching his avatar vanish, Zhang Yuanqing turned to Xie Su. "Uncle Xie, take me to Chonghua Compound in Jinshan City."
The reason he had not used a teleportation jade talisman himself was to reserve the remaining two for rescuing Xiao Yuan and Kou Beiyue.
Although he could also store them inside Little Red Riding Hood, Zhang Yuanqing had a faint premonition that a killing tribulation was descending upon him. If an accident befell him, Xiao Yuan and Kou Beiyue inside the hat would surely perish.
Little Red Riding Hood could not store Spirit Walkers who exceeded its own rank, and Zhang Yuanqing was already at the peak of Level 6.
Xie Su withdrew a ball of red string from his inventory. Clenching it tightly, he muttered under his breath, "Chonghua Compound, Jinshan City."
With that, holding one end of the string in one hand, he tossed the ball outward with the other. The red ball hit the ground and rolled, rolling on and on until it rolled right into the void and vanished, leaving behind only a slender red thread.
"Jinshan City isn't far from Pangxie City. Hold the red string and follow it. It will take only two minutes to arrive." Holding the red thread, Xie Su walked steadily forward, disappearing into the void.
Suppressing the boiling anxiety inside him, Zhang Yuanqing grasped the red thread and followed him, vanishing into the void.
***
Inside the bedroom, Zhao Xintong hung up the phone. She knew her time was short; upon discovering that the life fluid had no effect, she had realized her life was drawing to its close.
And so she hung up the phone. At the end of her life, she had one more thing to do.
Zhao Xintong dialed her grandfather's number.
Ever since her father passed away in her childhood, her grandfather had been the person who cherished her most. Her birth mother despised her, her stepfather abused her, and her reclusive personality caused her classmates to dislike her. The phrase her teachers most often repeated was: *They may be in the wrong, but you should also reflect on your own flaws.*
Only Grandpa treated her as a precious treasure. Grandpa always told her she was a little angel.
The phone rang for a long time before finally connecting: "Hello? Tongtong?"
Her grandfather's voice remained as gentle and kind as ever, but the girl lying upon the bed had already closed her eyes, never to hear it again.
Her final words were never uttered in the end: *Grandpa, this mortal world is too bitter. I'm going back to heaven.*
***
"Cough, cough! Cough, cough!"
Kou Beiyue coughed his lungs out, his head swimming with waves of dizziness while his consciousness grew increasingly blurred. The virus was ravaging his body, sending his internal organs spiraling into failure.
The plague unleashed by the Rain Master had effortlessly shattered his physical faculties.
Kou Beiyue crawled and scrambled his way to the doorway of Xiao Yuan's room. Straining with all his might, he twisted the doorknob open, only to see Xiao Yuan curled up by the threshold, her cheeks flushed crimson and her breathing frail as a wisp.
"Xiao Yuan... Xiao Yuan..."
Kou Beiyue cried out in panic, frantically shaking her like a helpless child.
Xiao Yuan's lips parted slightly, and she struggled to speak: "Go... go check on them..."
"No need to look. One in the apartment is already dead, and another is on the verge. You two—one with the highest level, the other with the sturdiest constitution—can still hold out a little longer." A man's leisurely voice drifted in from the living room.
*Tongtong is dead...* Kou Beiyue collapsed to the floor in despair.
A look of sorrow crossed Xiao Yuan's face. She looked down at the shattered black jade in her palm.
Master Wuhen had sent no response.
"B-Boss..." Just then, a feeble call came from the bedroom across the hall. The little fat boy did not even possess the strength to twitch; all he could muster was a desperate cry.
Kou Beiyue used every ounce of strength to crawl toward Little Fatty. The figure sitting on the sofa in the living room did not bother stopping him, simply watching on like a cat toying with mice.
"Good Minister, I'm here. I'm here." Kou Beiyue seized his hand.
Little Fatty strained to open his eyes, his voice rasping and faint: "B-Boss... s-save me..."
"I will, I will." Trembling violently, Kou Beiyue fetched out a vial of diluted life fluid. He shot a nervous glance back at the doorway, and seeing that the official Dominator had not stepped in, anxiously injected the life fluid into Little Fatty's body.
This was a gift Yuanshi Tianzun had given them, one vial each. Concentrated life fluid was exceedingly rare, and even the diluted version was considered strategic materiel within official ranks.
Yet no change occurred within Little Fatty's body. The light in his eyes was steadily dimming to ash.
"How can this be? How can this be?!" Kou Beiyue was frantic. The agitation provoked violent coughing fits, blood vessels bursting across his eyeballs until he resembled a patient in the final stages of consumption.
A sneer resonated from the living room.
How could his virus ever be cured by life fluid?
The light in Kou Beiyue's eyes faded away. Conversely, a spark of brightness suddenly rekindled within Little Fatty's lifeless gaze.
"B-Boss... I don't have much time left. Listen to me... listen to me." Little Fatty stared intently at him, his gaze focused and earnest. His voice miraculously regained some strength: "I sensed it... I sensed his emotions. He's here for Yuanshi Tianzun. He won't slaughter us all right away. This is the only hope for you and Xiao Yuan. Her level is the highest, and your constitution is the strongest; neither of you will die immediately.
"In a moment, I will stall him. I can hold him for two seconds. Then, you must take Xiao Yuan and leave right away. Don't let Yuanshi Tianzun come here... that man surnamed Cai won't let him off."
His internal organs had already failed; to speak so much now was likely nothing more than the final resurgence before death.
Kou Beiyue's eyes burned crimson. "If we die, we die together!"
"Boss, Boss... I've always listened to you. This once, listen to me just this once, please!" Little Fatty pushed himself up, staggering toward the outside. "Give me a chance to atone... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to leak your information..."
He had always carried that guilt in his heart.
He charged out of the room like a tragic warrior, launching a desperate assault against an insurmountable enemy.
*Thump!*
The moment he rushed out of the room, Good Minister Chooses His Master to Slay's body collapsed limply, turning into a corpse.
Yet an unyielding soul tore free from the confines of its mortal shell. The instant Little Fatty's spiritual body materialized, his hand snatched out an ugly rag doll. The doll's eyes were crude stitches shaped like Xs, and its mouth was a single line.
This was his ultimate trump card, an expendable item obtained from an A-rank Saint instance—the Cursed Boy.
It could unleash a terrifying curse, one that even a Dominator could not hope to endure unscathed, but the price of invoking it was a life.
"With my soul, I curse you! I curse you to have your soul scattered and perish horribly, just like me!" Good Minister Chooses His Master to Slay snarled fiercely.
The Cursed Boy's "mouth" snapped open, swallowing Good Minister Chooses His Master to Slay's soul in a single gulp.
Immediately after, black flames erupted over the rag doll, rapidly reducing it to ashes.
The next second, black flames ignited over Relentless Raging Waves, scorching his flesh and incinerating his soul.
Tears streaming down his face like rain, Kou Beiyue had no leisure for grief. He staggered out of the room, stooped to scoop up the weapon lying on the floor, and activated its Blood Reservoir ability.
The Bewitching Demon's bloodthirsty frenzy temporarily suppressed the debilitation wrought by the disease. Like a raging bull, he kicked down the door to Xiao Yuan's room.
By the doorway, he found her unconscious, her breath faint as a thread.
Kou Beiyue scooped Xiao Yuan into his arms, a ruthless glare settling on his face as he bolted toward the balcony, leaping straight out into the open air from the high-rise.
Yet he slammed violently into an invisible membrane.
That membrane was composed of water, sealing off the entire balcony. Indiscernible to the naked eye, it manifested only upon impact.
Kou Beiyue and Xiao Yuan were bounced backward, crashing heavily onto the floor together.
Xiao Yuan stirred faintly awake.
"Laughable!" Relentless Raging Waves' voice drifted in from the living room. He had already smothered the flames on his body. That supposed trump card—a curse forged from the sacrificial life of a Level 4 Saint—had merely caused him a few seconds of pain. "What made you think I would forget to lock down the residence? Just stay there obediently and await Yuanshi Tianzun's rescue. Though, of course, you might not live long enough to see it."
Despair painted every inch of Kou Beiyue's face.
Xiao Yuan's consciousness grew hazier and hazier, her heartbeat slowing to a crawl. A Spirit Medium's physical constitution was naturally incomparable to that of a Bewitching Demon.
She caught the scent of death approaching. In this fleeting moment, memories of her past flashed before her eyes like a revolving lantern. Looking back on her life, there was so much dissatisfaction and regret, so much resentment and hatred.
Yet ever since meeting him, the bitterness in her heart had slowly subsided.
*That night... that night... if only I had asked him to stay...*
She slowly closed her eyes.
At that very moment, a figure materialized soundlessly within the bedroom. He wore bright yellow boots, magnificent ceremonial robes draped over his shoulders, and an azure jade belt cinched at his waist.
It was none other than Yuanshi Tianzun.
Chapter 631