“Gaa! Gaa!”
The crane was severely injured, seemingly using its last breath to rescue the person. As a demon, it was already terrified of heavenly lightning, and with half its wing mangled, its flight speed was even slower than a small flying boat!
Nan Zhi immediately reached for her waist and lashed out with her jade belt, firmly wrapping it around the white crane. With a sudden leap, she flew out of the range of the heavenly lightning!
“Gaa! Gaa! Gaa!”
But to her surprise, once the crane saw that Shen Luohe was safe, it suddenly let out a high pitched cry and turned back to fly into the sky filled with lightning—
“What a stubborn crane.”
Nan Zhi stopped in mid air. Watching the resolute white crane, she could not help but softly repeat herself:
“Truly a stubborn crane.”
“Reee—”
Amidst the shifting lightning and the drifting clouds and mist, the blood soaked white crane let out one final long cry and threw itself toward Daoist Qinglong without hesitation!
Before losing consciousness, its bright eyes were filled with nothing but devotion.
Vaguely, it seemed to return to its youth, when it was still a fluffy little chick. Back then, Daoist Qinglong and Danxia were a devoted couple, their love deep and tender.
The tiny crane had flown above their heads then as well, crying out with joy.
The crane did not understand what heavenly punishment was, what it meant to do evil, or what it meant to get what one deserved.
It only wanted to follow its master.
The lightning struck down, and the white crane turned into a handful of ash.
With a gentle breeze, it vanished completely.
...
Nan Zhi sped away, dragging the heavily injured Shen Luohe with her. She retreated a thousand miles away, watching as the Demon Suppression Monastery crumbled and fell.
Fortunately, the location was remote, and there were no people within a hundred miles. If it had been in a prosperous area, she really would not have dared to break the formation so directly.
As she thought of this, a streak of spiritual light appeared on the horizon. Three figures were flying toward her in a hurry. Upon closer inspection, they were Miaoyun, Hua Xijian, and a narrow eyed Taoist.
It was the Taoist who wielded the lamp, the one she had seen in Xingyuan when she was being hunted by Huiyuan.
“Nan Zhi!”
Hua Xijian rushed over. Seeing the bloody wound on Shen Luohe’s chest and his faint, thread like breath, she immediately looked at the two behind her.
The Taoist likely already knew the truth of the matter. Although he was startled to see Nan Zhi, he did not show any other reaction.
“Amitabha. Mercy, mercy.”
Seeing Shen Luohe in such a state, Miaoyun chanted a prayer. She took out a pill and placed it in his mouth while reciting scriptures—
In just a few moments, Shen Luohe’s mangled body recovered at a visible rate. His meridians were repaired, and the massive hole in his chest filled with rapidly growing flesh until it disappeared entirely.
“Cough, cough cough cough...”
Shen Luohe spat out a mouthful of blood, his expression somewhat dazed. He had likely not yet pulled himself out of the terror of death.
“Master, Fellow Daoist Nan... Run! Xijian, Xijian, why... why are you here?!”
The other three present knew the full story, so they naturally understood the painstaking effort Shen Luohe had made to send her away.
Especially Miaoyun and the Taoist.
The moment the formation of the Northwest Circuit Demon Suppression Monastery was activated, they had sensed something. Miaoyun, who had been chasing after her Miaoyun Beads, had run into Hua Xijian by chance.
After hearing the whole story, the nun and the Taoist were naturally shocked.
They had intended to come to the Northwest Circuit to rescue them, but they never expected to see heavenly lightning descending and the Demon Suppression Monastery collapsing.
They had thought that with Nan Zhi’s cultivation, she would certainly not be able to escape the palms of Daoist Qinglong.
Who would have thought that not only would she return alive, but she would also rescue Shen Luohe?
“Amitabha. Little benefactor, we meet again.”
Miaoyun chanted, the Miaoyun Beads wrapped around her hand:
“You are exceptionally clever, and fortune favors the righteous. I have already heard that the disaster on Yin Yang Road was a conspiracy between Qinglong and the demon monk Huiyuan. It has nothing to do with you.
You have truly suffered during these past days.”
“I must also thank you for the Miaoyun Beads. They have protected me many times. If not for you back at the foot shop, I would have been killed by Daoist Qinglong’s external incarnation long ago.”
As soon as Nan Zhi saw the Miaoyun Beads, she knew that the Nan family should be safe for now. she briefly explained the situation inside, but she omitted the Corpse of Old Nan, claiming instead that she had accidentally destroyed the formation eye.
It was unclear whether Miaoyun believed her or not, but the Taoist beside her continued to look at Nan Zhi with astonishment.
“You... you broke Mo Chenghuai’s formation? Just you?! Mo Chenghuai is a direct disciple of the Qingjing Sect’s formation lineage, mentored by the Ningxue Ancestor. How could a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator like you easily see through the Two Form Inversion Formation he set up?!”
The Taoist could not help but voice his doubts.
He had seen Nan Zhi before.
In just a few short days, a Qi Refinement cultivator had actually entered Foundation Establishment!
When exactly did this happen?
A few days ago, this female cultivator was clearly only at the Qi Refinement Great Circle!
And now, what has this Foundation Establishment cultivator done?
She had faced Daoist Qinglong, an expert at the late Nascent Soul stage, broke Mo Chenghuai’s formation right in front of a high level cultivator, and even escaped the heavenly lightning punishment completely intact.
No one would believe any of these feats.
“It was merely a coincidence. I happen to have some research in the path of formations, and I stumbled upon the formation eye by chance. With the help of Immortal Danxia, I was able to break the formation.”
Nan Zhi cupped her hands, neither servile nor overbearing:
“If you are suspicious, you can ask Fellow Daoist Shen. However, based on my judgment, that Master Mo is likely in a dire situation.”
“That is not what I meant. I am Qiu Buguo of the Wuwei Sect. You may call me Uncle Qiu.”
The Taoist hurriedly waved his hand:
“I was simply startled to see someone so young with such deep insights into formations.
Since you have broken Mo Chenghuai’s formation so soon after entering the path, you will surely achieve great things in the field of formations in the future.
Sigh... I never imagined that Daoist Qinglong’s obsession with Immortal Danxia would be so deep that it would manifest as a heart demon. To think he committed so many evils and even dared to strike a fellow sect member. It is only right that he brought down the heavenly lightning upon himself. This is truly a case of retribution never failing.”
His words were met with another wave of heavy sighs.
With such a massive heavenly tribulation, Daoist Qinglong was surely dead.
...
Over there, Shen Luohe finally regained his senses. Seeing Miaoyun, Qiu Buguo, and the others, his face filled with shame. He did not even dare to look at Nan Zhi. He simply closed his eyes and said in self abandonment:
“Junior Sister, do not waste your efforts to save me. I have wronged Fellow Daoist Nan, and I am weak and spineless. I was unwilling to confront my master. I should atone for my sins with death.”
“You idiot.”
Hua Xijian’s face was as cold as frost. She suddenly swung her hand and gave Shen Luohe a violent slap:
Slap!!
The other three present were stunned.
It truly was a resounding slap.
“Shen Luohe! Do you truly believe that I, Hua Xijian, am a coward who only cares about survival?!
Do you really think I am the kind of waste who deserves to be protected and can only hide behind others?!”
Hua Xijian’s voice was firm and powerful. The red mark between her brows seemed to grow even more vivid with her anger:
“By insulting me like this, you have not only underestimated me as a person and belittled my feelings, but you have also underestimated the sword in my hand!
From this day forth, all ties between us are severed. Everything we said about cultivating the Great Dao together is null and void. Once your injuries are healed, I will challenge you to a death match to avenge the humiliation you have dealt me today!”
What a fiery temperament.
How did it jump straight to a duel to the death?
Your Qingjing Sect... ah, never mind.
Nan Zhi nearly choked on her own saliva.
Rate on N.U.
