"Are you truly going? There must be high-level demon spirits guarding the Fengling Stone. With your current cultivation, if you are discovered, you won't even be able to protect yourself. Are you not afraid of death?" Liu Jiang Fusheng asked.
But Gu Junshi comforted him, "You don't need to worry about me."
"You've decided?" Liu Jiang Fusheng stared at her intently.
"If I don't go, will you?" she suddenly asked.
Liu Jiang Fusheng was momentarily speechless.
She leaned closer to him and whispered in a voice only they could hear, "I know you'll find a way to preserve a sliver of your strength beneath the Fengling Stone, and you'll definitely try to go down and save them. Rather than let you risk it, I might as well take on this difficult task myself."
Liu Jiang Fusheng hailed from Wushang Mansion. They were born and taught to maintain peace in the Three Realms and to sacrifice themselves to save the world in times of danger. Therefore, she knew that Liu Jiang Fusheng, as the future patriarch of Wushang Mansion, would not stand idly by once his memories returned and he understood his responsibilities.
Heavenly Dao: He's wavering? Strike now.
Gu Junshi reached out and pushed him far away, then turned and leaped down.
"Wuming—"
Liu Jiang Fusheng's pupils contracted, but he heard a distant voice from below, "Wait for me patiently—"
He was lost in thought for a moment, his fingernails digging deeply into his palm. "...You're always like this!"
Afterward, they closely monitored the situation below, but could only see a corner of the cliff face, unable to discern the truth beneath the black smoke and flames at the bottom.
Time trickled by. Everyone, from initial patience, grew anxious and flustered. Finally, a brilliant light screen erupted from below, piercing the refraction of the red light. Streaks of light shot out and landed at the edge of the cliff.
Everyone looked closely and saw that it was their fellow disciples who had been captured and disappeared.
In an instant, those hidden in the shadows or in plain sight, filled with joy and excitement, rushed forward.
"The Fengling Stone is destroyed, and they've all come up!"
They were all immersed in the joy of their masters or fellow disciples being rescued, but they completely overlooked Wuming, who had gone down alone to risk her life.
"Wuming—"
Liu Jiang Fusheng ignored the wounded and weary people. Seeing Gu Junshi not emerge, the blood in his heart seemed to surge to his limbs, and his fingertips tingled.
"Where is she?" He walked up to Wei Li and asked hoarsely, "Where is Wuming?"
Wei Li, having been roasted by flames for days, had rough, tangled fur and was in an extremely foul mood. Hearing Liu Jiang Fusheng's question, he impatiently replied, "If you're worried, then jump down and look for her. She has merit for saving people in the sect, and I will reward her later. But now that the demon spirit legion has been alerted, we must leave quickly."
"Sect Leader, leaving like this now, isn't that a bit..."
"Do you intend to wait until the Demon Emperor discovers us and everyone dies here?" Wei Li swept his gaze over them and said sternly.
But...
Their faces turned pale and flushed, a mix of guilt and shame, leaving them unsure of what to do.
They didn't want to die, but if they left "Wuming" behind like this, their previous words of gratitude and reward would be a slap in their own faces.
Liu Jiang Fusheng, his face ashen, prepared to leap into the Flame Valley without another word, but was bound on the spot by Wei Li's immobilization spell. His long sleeves...
"What exactly is the situation below? Daoist Wuming, is she still down there?" Lu Ziyin asked as he approached.
Wei Li glanced at him, then sharply surveyed the people around them. Seeing them all avoid his gaze, he let out a cold sneer, "Wuming successfully destroyed ten Fengling Stones, but was also discovered by the demon spirits. I don't know the specifics of what happened, but she must be severely injured. Whether she can survive..."
"Since the Fengling Stones are destroyed and everyone has regained their spiritual power, why then—"
His words abruptly stopped, as if he had guessed a cruel truth.
When their spiritual power was insufficient, they would rather sacrifice Wuming than venture back into danger.
In that moment, the name Wuming, and even the existence of this person, felt like a blunt knife, cutting at their flesh, making them restless and deeply uncomfortable.
"Since the demon spirits have discovered the rescue, our escape is fortunate. If the Demon Emperor pursues us, given our current state, we might not be able to resist. Flee quickly!"
Seeing the attitude of his seniors and some of the sect leaders he knew, and then looking at Liu Jiang Fusheng, who was silenced and immobilized, Lu Ziyin knew there was no turning back.
"...Yes."
Heavenly Dao: This move is indeed effective. These people owe you their gratitude yet abandon you. They must be filled with guilt and unease. What will you do next?
Gu Junshi's divine sense quietly observed all of this: My image of righteousness is deeply ingrained. Now, only Liu Jiang Fusheng remains. Blindly taking by force can sometimes push him away. Taking advantage of his unguarded mind, I must leave him with another profound impression.
She gathered spiritual energy around her, enveloped herself in black mist, and transformed into the Demon Emperor.
She tore through the void and appeared above the fleeing crowd, her voice thundering, "Who dares to destroy my Fengling Stones!"
Below, the people were terrified and scattered in panic, "We're doomed, the Demon Emperor is here! Haven't the Immortals of Twelve Heavens and the people of Wushang Mansion arrived yet?"
"It's too late—"
Seeing the critical situation, Wei Li was forced to release Liu Jiang Fusheng from the immobilization spell. However, the first thing he did upon regaining his freedom was to leap towards the cliff's edge.
"Liu Jiang Fusheng, you're insane!"
Heavenly Dao also had a complex expression, harboring some resentment towards Gu Junshi, "Is he going to die for your clone?"
Gu Junshi: "That's not to the extent. It's time for the clone to make its appearance."
Just as Liu Jiang Fusheng charged into the smoke and flames, a dazzling stream of light enveloped him and brought him back to the cliff. In that instant, Gu Junshi's figure became clearly visible to him.
At that moment, her eyes shone with a light that made his own eyes feel hot and stinging.
"A'yi..."
Gu Junshi was covered in wounds, her face even scorched with two black marks. Her eyes burned like torches, bright and fiery.
She grabbed his arms in confusion and asked, "Why did you come down? Didn't I tell you to wait for me up here?"
"I..."
Just as Liu Jiang Fusheng was about to reply, Gu Junshi urgently interrupted, "Alright, there's no time. You and the Sect Leader should leave quickly. I'll hold off the Demon Emperor for you."
Heavenly Dao: This is too exaggerated. Your performance is a bit too much, like a saint.
Clearly, Liu Jiang Fusheng didn't believe her either, "Where are you going? Enough! No matter what you're thinking, stop. You can't handle the Demon Emperor. I don't know what you're trying to do. I don't want to keep guessing and be manipulated by you anymore!"
"Fusheng, calm down. I have no other purpose. Now is not the time to discuss this. Hurry and leave!"
After she said this sternly, she turned her head and saw the sky filled with swirling sand, accompanied by surging flames, rising higher and higher, like roaring, gaping fire beasts, pouncing fiercely upon the fleeing crowd.
"Demon Emperor, I destroyed the Fengling Stones. If you want to be angry, find the right person."
Gu Junshi teleported and appeared above the giant waves. At this moment, she had to reveal her true hidden strength. Golden light radiated from her entire body, momentarily outshining the raging sea of fire.
She used Buddhist dharma to purify the dark energy stirred up by the Demon Emperor. The roaring red sea parted a large hole before her, and at the same time, rescued the people who were almost submerged.
"Wu-, Wumingming?!"
The disciples of the Dayuan Sect recognized the person who had saved them again and their eyes widened.
She hadn't died, and she had returned above, relying on her own strength to escape the demon spirits.
"It really is her."
Wei Li also looked surprised.
Others had also observed this Wuming from the shadows. Although they hadn't remembered her appearance at first, upon being reminded by the disciples of the Dayuan Sect, they suddenly understood.
"Don't just stand there, hurry and go!"
They saw Wuming transform from an unremarkable disciple with mediocre spiritual roots into someone possessing profound Buddhist dharma, capable of withstanding the fierce blow of the Demon Emperor. They were all deeply shaken.
However, due to her dignified and righteous aura, her unyielding nature, they no longer doubted, automatically assuming her origin and believing she was a powerful being in disguise, living incognito.
Wuming, Wuming, no wonder her name was Wuming.
Gu Junshi rolled up Liu Jiang Fusheng, who refused to leave, and sent him to Wei Li and the others, "Take him and go. I entrust my most important person to you. You must protect him well!"
These people hesitated for a moment, then decided not to betray her selfless intention. They solemnly bowed to her with guilt and began to retreat with Liu Jiang Fusheng.
Liu Jiang Fusheng stared fiercely in her direction. As the distance widened, he was unable to speak, and the air in his chest seemed to be sucked out. The suffocating sensation tormented him, causing his face to turn red, veins to bulge on his forehead, and his eyes to turn bloodshot.
The Great Gate of Heaven was within sight. As they were about to pass through the barrier and completely leave the Land of No Return, he saw Gu Junshi's abdomen pierced by an arm of the Demon Emperor. The glance she cast back at him made everything else dim, and his world collapsed.
A mouthful of blood surged from his throat, and he hoarsely roared, "Wuming—Gu Junshi, A'yi... A'yi—"
He too could cry like this, wailing incessantly, not only ugly but also appearing hysterical.
The Demon Emperor heard his cries and looked in their direction.
Fang Rui was also saddened by his heartbroken cries, "Junior Brother, stop crying. Let's go. She won't survive..."
The others dragged him into the portal.
"You let go of me, let go—She is my wife, my Liu Jiang Fusheng's wife!"
"What?!"
Everyone was stunned.
Wuming, was actually Liu Jiang Fusheng's wife? When did they get married? Was it in their mortal phase?
In the cultivation world, those who became Dao companions were generally not called wives. Only in the mortal world was the female party referred to as a wife.
"How can I... how can I let her be alone..."
"Wuming didn't hesitate to sacrifice herself to buy us time. Don't let him be so reckless. Hurry through the portal!"
Wei Li's thoughts were also complex, but he knew what was more important. Thus, he directly struck Liu Jiang Fusheng, knocking him unconscious, and the group quickly passed through the portal without delay.
After this incident, the person named Wuming gained considerable reputation in the cultivation world. No one knew what happened to her later in the Land of No Return, whether she lived or died.
—
In the blink of an eye, ten months passed.
Liu Jiang Fusheng, as if breaking through a sea of blood, single-handedly stormed into the Senluo Hall. His sword pointed to the ground, a chilling aura emanating from him, like a vengeful spirit returning to the human world from hell. He looked directly at the Demon Emperor seated above.
Heavenly Dao was startled at the sight of Liu Jiang Fusheng, "The resentment on him is almost gone, but this hatred, this animosity, has grown?"
This was to be expected.
Gu Junshi: "Only a bit of resentment remains. Everything should end now..."
Heavenly Dao: "You are the Demon Emperor. If you confess to him, the hatred of killing your wife will naturally be dispelled. But what is the reason for that last bit of resentment?"
Gu Junshi: "I know what it is."
Heavenly Dao:?
Gu Junshi's Demon Emperor looked at the reborn Liu Jiang Fusheng and said with a sinister tone, "Son of the Heavenly Dao, it takes some skill to storm into my hall alone, but it ends here."
"Where is she?"
There was no warmth in Liu Jiang Fusheng's eyes. For the past year, he had suffered torment almost every day. In the past, it was just one wrong decision, his disbelief in Gu Junshi, that led to her death before his eyes.
"Her? You mean the woman who blocked this Emperor in the Land of No Return back then?"
She stood up, her tall and slender figure exerting a powerful pressure on the surroundings. With a wave of her hand, a clone of Gu Junshi floated in mid-air.
"A dead person, and you still want her?"
His pupils trembled, his lips quivering, yet he firmly uttered one word: "Want."
"Then this Emperor shall return her to you."
The clone was enveloped in a cocoon of death qi. Death qi was an absolute poison to the living, yet Liu Jiang Fusheng was not afraid at all. He flew forward and hugged her, even as the death qi rotted the flesh on his arm.
"A'yi, I've come to take you home."
But he never expected that the moment he touched the clone, with a "bang!", the corpse shattered.
Heavenly Dao was stunned: What are you doing?
And Liu Jiang Fusheng, seeing that even the corpse could not be preserved, lost his mind completely. He stood there in a daze, maintaining the posture of holding her with both hands. The wind blew open, his eyes turned blood-red like a demon, and his cultivation surged, finally reaching the level of a half-step Golden Immortal.
At this moment, the sky seemed to have a hole poked through it. Heavy lead-colored clouds gathered, and thunder rumbled and flashed.
"You—"
"Go—"
"Die—"
The immortal sword in his hand was completely melted into water by his cultivation. It transformed into golden lotuses that closed, causing a cosmic anomaly. All surrounding buildings turned to dust.
When the golden lotuses bloomed, an unprecedented light sword appeared. Its grade surpassed that of immortal artifacts, and it carried spiritual energy as it stabbed towards the Demon Emperor.
The Demon Emperor could not dodge at all. The immortal sword passed directly through her chest and sent her flying. She crashed through several mountain bodies and was impaled onto a rock face.
Liu Jiang Fusheng instantly flashed and moved in front of her.
He wanted her to die, and to die a terrible death.
He clenched his five fingers and pulled the immortal sword out of her inch by inch. The dark armor around the Demon Emperor shattered like glass. He coldly averted his gaze, but the next moment, the helmet on her face also fell off piece by piece, revealing the face beneath. He was completely stunned.
"...A'yi?"
He exclaimed in disbelief.
Gu Junshi's mouth was full of blood. She pulled at the corner of her lips and managed a smile for him, "The love tribulation is broken. You can soon cultivate and become an immortal."
Liu Jiang Fusheng's mind could not process anything at this moment, "What are you talking about?"
"You never believed I was sincere towards you... but now, I've even given you my life. Do you believe me?" Gu Junshi coughed up more blood.
Liu Jiang Fusheng trembled all over, as if he could no longer bear the cold, "Please, please, don't say anything else—"
Her voice grew weaker and weaker, "I lied to you again. This time, you can never forgive me..."
His eyes were splitting, hurting more and more. Everything he saw was blood-red. Something warm flowed from the corner of his eyes, "Why is it like this? Our ending shouldn't be like this..."
"Then what do you think your ending should be? If you were given another chance to choose, would you be willing to believe her?"
In his mind, a deep, resonant voice, carrying the vicissitudes of time, seemed to be speaking.
"Believing in her will also bring about change. The person you love will also learn to love you as you do. Although her emotions are indifferent, not as passionate as yours, nor as deep as the sea, she is willing to let time rewind again and again for you, to save you."
His encounter with her here was not accidental or coincidental, but her repeated insistence.
Liu Jiang Fusheng covered his wet eyes and choked out, "I believe it, I truly believe it. Please bring her back to me."
Heavenly Dao: Resentment value is zero.
"You don't need to beg me. As long as you truly believe, she will naturally return to your side."
As this sentence disappeared, the environment in front of Liu Jiang Fusheng flickered, and then everything vanished. He arrived in a pitch-dark realm. Just as he was confused, a beam of light shone from afar, illuminating his path forward.
"Husband, you've slept long enough. Wake up."
"Father, please wake up. Mother and Lebao are all waiting for you."