Zhang Mingyuan poured out everything that had happened in the illusion of the Illusionary Heart Abyss during the Heavenly Marriage trial, as well as the deductions he had made after reading 《Ancient Anecdotes》 in the Scripture Pavilion of Myriad Snow Palace just now, holding nothing back.
“Old Xu, do you think she's stupid?”
“The Heavenly Immortal status—that is a realm countless cultivators dream of. Yet for my sake, she forcibly downgraded herself to a Red Dust Immortal!”
Zhang Mingyuan's voice carried a heavy nasal tone.
“She is coughing now, and even consummating our marriage... It must be that the Dao injury damaged her origin, and it's an irreversible, fatal wound! She was in such a hurry to marry me because she knows her time is running out...”
Hearing this, Lingxuzi's brow furrowed tightly.
Having read widely, Lingxuzi naturally knew about the secrets recorded in 《Ancient Anecdotes》 that Zhang Mingyuan mentioned.
However, he had never heard of anyone forcibly reversing their ascension and downgrading to a Red Dust Immortal.
Throughout history, no one in the Xuanling Realm had ever done such a thing, and no one knew what kind of terrifying backlash it would trigger.
Yet, Lingxuzi knew in his heart that Zhang Mingyuan's deduction was likely spot-on.
What did it mean to be a Red Dust Immortal?
They were peerless existences in this world, having long transcended the birth, aging, sickness, and death of mortal flesh. How could such a being cough like a mere mortal?
Furthermore, Su Jinxue was a proud, aloof woman who valued her dignity more than her life. If she hadn't reached an utterly irreversible point, how could she have suddenly changed her attitude and rushed to enter a Heavenly Marriage with Zhang Mingyuan?
Looking at his good brother, who was usually so high-spirited but now sat before him as dejected as a pile of mud, Lingxuzi fell silent.
He didn't know how to comfort him, for in the face of a fatal Dao injury, any words would ring hollow and powerless.
Seeing that Lingxuzi remained silent, Zhang Mingyuan's despair deepened.
He turned, grabbed another jar of wine from the table, and tilted his head back to chug it down.
A flash of anger flared in Lingxuzi's eyes at the sight.
With a flick of his fly whisk, he snatched the wine jar from Zhang Mingyuan's hand and slammed it heavily onto the ground.
With a loud crash, wine splattered and shards flew in all directions, filling the air with the rich aroma of alcohol.
“What time do you think it is to still be drinking?! Can't you pull yourself together?!” Lingxuzi barked.
Zhang Mingyuan's eyes were hazy. He shook his head with a bitter laugh.
“Old Xu, leave me alone. Even someone like you, who has read so many books and is known as the know-it-all of the Xuanling Realm, has no idea what to do. Just let me drink. Let me drink myself to death!”
As he spoke, he reached out to grab yet another jar.
Seeing this, Lingxuzi's anger flared. He threw a heavy punch straight into Zhang Mingyuan's chest.
“Drink, drink, drink! What the hell are you drinking for?!”
Zhang Mingyuan stumbled back. Before he could even steady himself, Lingxuzi backhanded him with a sharp slap to the face.
“Your wife is about to die, yet you're sitting here like a coward, drinking to escape reality!”
Lingxuzi pointed right at Zhang Mingyuan's nose and roared.
“I'm telling you, what's the point of blindly guessing here? You can go ask Su Jinxue! Go find out if it's really as you think! You don't even have the courage to verify the truth, yet you're here barking like a stray dog!”
“Where is your pride as the Qingyun Heaven Sacred Lord? Where is that arrogance you had when you chased people across the world with your sword?!”
Zhang Mingyuan's head was whipped to the side, five red finger marks appearing on his cheek.
He fell into deep thought, but soon, that dejected aura enveloped him once more.
“Heh... It's useless.”
Zhang Mingyuan let his hands fall limply to his sides, his voice raspy.
“With that woman's stubbornness, her rushing to marry me means she must have run out of options. Her time is short, which is why she wanted to spend her remaining days... Whether I ask or not, what's the point? It will only add to her worries.”
“Dammit!”
Lingxuzi couldn't help but curse, looking at him with intense frustration.
“Then you can go ask the Heavenly Dao! Although the Heavenly Dao is usually high and mighty and never manifests, it seems to care deeply about you and Su Jinxue. If you ask it, you might be able to get some way to save her!”
“The Heavenly Dao...”
Zhang Mingyuan muttered to himself. A sudden spark of light flashed in his originally dim eyes.
“That's right! I can fucking ask the Heavenly Dao!”
He slapped his thigh hard and sprang to his feet.
The dejected air around him vanished instantly, and even his drunkenness seemed to clear up completely in that moment.
“The Heavenly Dao has looked down upon the eons since ancient times. It must know how to save Little Xuexue! If it dares to refuse, I'll use Dog Slaughterer to smash its Heavenly Dao will to pieces!”
Zhang Mingyuan gnashed his teeth, a fierce light gleaming in his eyes.
Seeing this, Lingxuzi finally let out a sigh of relief. He turned around, smoothed out his disheveled collar, and put on a deeply gratified expression.
“Indeed. I shall accompany you to ask the Heavenly Dao.”
“But... don't be so reckless. What's this about using Dog Slaughterer to smash the Heavenly Dao? You're asking for a favor right now!”
“When you ask for a favor, you must have the proper attitude, understand? You have to be polite...”
“...”
Behind him, there was only dead silence. There was no response whatsoever.
Lingxuzi's brow furrowed as he whipped around.
Only to find that Zhang Mingyuan, who had been standing there just a moment ago, was long gone.
All that remained was a spatial rift that hadn't fully closed yet, howling as turbulent void currents spewed from it.
“Holy shit!”
Lingxuzi's expression changed dramatically, his elegant and gentle persona instantly shattering.
He hurriedly transformed into a streak of light and chased after him into the spatial rift, shouting anxiously in the void.
“Old Zhang! Wait the fuck up!”
Lingxuzi was now truly anxious to the extreme.
Others might not know, but he knew all too well that Zhang Mingyuan was a ruthless lunatic who had actually slashed the Heavenly Dao before!
Although he had been in a state of Qi deviation back then, right now—
How was he any different from being in a state of Qi deviation?!
If Zhang Mingyuan really threatened the Heavenly Dao with it and offended it to the point of no return, let alone getting a way to save Su Jinxue, it would be a miracle if the Heavenly Dao didn't bring down world-destroying tribulation lightning to obliterate both of them!
“Zhang Mingyuan, you bastard, calm the hell down!”
Lingxuzi's voice, wrapped in spiritual energy, echoed through the void, carrying a hint of exasperated despair.
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