My Husband’s Ascension C18 (Part 2)
Chapter 18.2 Misguided Rescue
Zhao Zhao still couldn’t make sense of what was happening.
“It hurts! Ow ow ow—”
“It’s going to split! Split—”
“What is that child of the Zhongli Clan doing? It’s going to split, it hurts so much—”
All around was darkness, pierced only by these chaotic cries and layered groans.
The sounds seemed to spill out from the very depths of a hellish furnace. If not for a slightly coherent voice earlier that had pulled her from her daze, Zhao Zhao might have thought these were the wails of evil spirits.
But she was inside Dao Lord Tianshu’s illusion. How could evil spirits exist here?
Tentatively, she asked, “Who… exactly are you all?”
The chaotic, wailing voices fell silent for a moment.
“She asks who we are?”
“Who are we? Who are we?”
“That child of the Zhongli Clan asked that too—how old was he back then?”
The wailing voices replied in unison, “Don’t remember, don’t remember.”
…It was utterly like a group of rambling madmen.
However, Zhao Zhao did not miss the phrase in their exchange: ‘That child of the Zhongli Clan.’
The first time she’d heard of the Zhongli surname was when Shi Lanyan explained the origins of the Donghua Pearl to her. So the ‘child of Zhongli Clan’ they spoke of must refer to Dao Lord Tianshu.
Had these spirits-like entities existed inside his consciousness since childhood?
What exactly were they?
“Girl, you need to take action.”
The same voice that had awakened her senses spoke again. Zhao Zhao immediately asked:
“Who are you all? Why are you here?”
But the voice did not answer her question. It only said, “The Soul Summoning Forest has been ignited by the Pure Gold Fire. If you don’t leave the Soul-Binding Willow, you and he will both be consumed in the flames.”
Pure Gold Fire?
Zhao Zhao had never expected such a drastic turn of events outside.
Would Mount Ling really go to such lengths just to silence them?
“What about Dao Lord Tianshu? This is a dream constructed by his own heart knot; he should be able to break free himself. With his cultivation, he ought to escape soon, right?”
The female voice let out a soft laugh.
“When an illusion ends is independent of one’s cultivation. He hasn’t yet seen through it, but there is something you can do.”
Zhao Zhao’s eyes brightened at these words.
“Something I can do?”
A faint greenish light, like a firefly, floated toward her. Unlike the wandering spirits that rushed about shouting, this light was steady and clear in the darkness, like a tiny lamp that refused to be extinguished.
“Both our souls are aligned with the wood element. Can you sense it? Even within this illusion, if you calm your mind, you will be able to feel it.”
Zhao Zhao, half in doubt, closed her eyes and activated her spiritual perception, trying to sense the surrounding world.
…It was the power of the wood element.
It was so pure and dense that she hadn’t noticed it at first.
This level of purity far surpassed normal celestial energy; it was more like something that had been refined…
Zhao Zhao thought of Daoist Ming Jue’s alchemy furnace.
The Pure Gold Fire had burned the Soul Summoning Forest, consuming countless souls—perhaps it was another form of alchemical refinement.
“…What do you want me to do?”
The voice spoke gently, “I want you to absorb all the wood element energy in the Soul Summoning Forest and extinguish this raging inferno.”
Zhao Zhao’s eyes flew wide open.
How much?
All of it!??
“It’s impossible, absolutely impossible,” Zhao Zhao immediately denied. “I’m only a fifth-ranked Dawn of Heaven cultivator. Even if energy of such purity entered my body, I couldn’t possibly process it.”
“That’s correct, you’d explode and die,” the voice replied bluntly.
Zhao Zhao was momentarily stunned by the honesty.
“But I’m only asking you to absorb this wood element energy, not to take it entirely into your body.”
With that explanation, a tiny circular formation, no bigger than a thumb, appeared before her eyes.
Its jade-green patterns were intricate and precise, resembling an ancient array—its small size giving it a curious charm rather than awe.
“This is the Yin-Yang Spirit Refining Array (阴阳炼神阵), a secret technique of the Yin-Yang Sect. Regardless of the element involved, this array can be used. You only need to utilize this formation to absorb all the wood element energy in this area and extinguish the fire.”
Zhao Zhao gave a hesitant nod, comprehension only partial, and her mind filled with fresh questions.
“Senior… if such a method exists, why not teach it to Dao Lord Tianshu? Wouldn’t it be safer for him to execute it? And also…Senior, you still haven’t told me who you are, or why you are here.”
The female voice chuckled, still avoiding the question, saying only, “There are some things in this world only he can do, and some things only you are capable of.”
Amid the boundless darkness, the distant cries and wails echoed faintly.
A speck of jade-green light pressed against Zhao Zhao’s forehead.
“Go save them.”
The gentle, flowing voice in her ear was quickly drowned out by the torrent of array incantations flooding her mind.
Thus, Zhao Zhao didn’t hear the voice’s final words—
In the future, please save him too.
…
He must not delay any longer.
Dao Lord Tianshu stared at the stack of snow-white paper before him. Even with a thousand feelings of reluctance, refusals, and unwillingness swirling in his heart, at such a critical moment he could not afford to linger, questioning his Dao heart leisurely.
It was merely a name.
Even if written on paper, it meant nothing.
Yet, just as he was about to lift his brush to write the third name, the ink brush in his hand suddenly shattered.
He raised his head and glanced around.
Not only the brush, but everything in the surroundings was disappearing, collapsing. The illusion was crumbling, and the half of the power that had been secretly opposing the Soul-Binding Willow gradually returned to his body.
The dreamlike miasma dissipated, and he was back in the midst of the Soul Summoning Forest.
The single Soul-Binding Willow before him was dead.
…But where was Zhao Zhao?
As if sensing something, Dao Lord Tianshu abruptly raised his head, eyes fixed on the area where the fire raged most fiercely.
The instant he caught sight of that figure, his pupils constricted sharply.
The Pure Gold Fire had scorched the entire sky into a brilliant orange-red, and amid this cruelly beautiful scene, the jade-green figure was charging straight into the heart of the flames.
In the blink of an eye, it was swallowed by the lashing tongues of fire!
Hot! Hot Hot!!!
Zhao Zhao leapt into the blaze, her first reaction: it was unbearably hot!
The Five Elements counteract each other, and the Pure Gold Fire, being a metallic fire, specifically overpowers wood elements. Even with the Yin-Yang Refining Array protecting her, she still felt as if she were being roasted alive.
“Miss Immortal! Miss Immortal!”
The rogue cultivators trapped by the Pure Gold Fire had nowhere to flee, pressing closer and closer in despair. Yet the moment they saw someone boldly dive straight into the inferno, a spark of hope ignited instantly.
“Miss Immortal, please save us!”
“That Miss Immortal… doesn’t seem to be a disciple of Kunwu…”
“Who cares which sect she belongs to? As long as she can save us, she’s a deity or bodhisattva in our eyes!”
These rogue cultivators, implanted with spirit gu by Mount Ling’s shamans, had no idea what was happening.
The veiled Wu-Shaman had already ordered all the gu from their bodies to be recalled while setting the fire. If they were burned to death along with Zhao Zhao and the others in the Soul Summoning Forest, the veiled Wu-Shaman could simply claim that these rogue cultivators had attacked the shamans and stolen the Pure Gold Fire seed.
Once they all perished, even if anyone realised she was holding back the truth, there would be no evidence to convict her.
After all, they were just unaligned, wandering cultivators. Who would care if they died?
Zhao Zhao looked down at the group of rogue cultivators, her heart filled with guilt.
Because the veiled Wu-Shaman wanted to kill her and Shi Lanyan, these innocent cultivators were caught in the crossfire, destined to become sacrificial victims alongside them.
If she had no means, it would be one thing—but now, armed with the Yin-Yang Spirit Refining Array taught by that Senior, she had the power to save lives. No matter what, saving even one more person was worth the effort.
Zhao Zhao endured the searing heat that threatened to turn her body to ash.
Following the method Senior had taught, she steadied her mind and focused her will, using the array beneath her feet to draw in the surrounding wood element energy.
The moment the trees touched by her absorption lost their spirit energy, they crumbled into piles of ash. As long as she could draw in the wood element energy faster than the flames spread, without the fuel of the Soul-Binding Willows, the Pure Gold Fire would cease to expand and could be brought under control.
“Zhao Zhao, are you out of your mind?!”
Outside the blazing wall of fire, Shi Lanyan, already freed from her illusion, shouted at her.
Having escaped slightly earlier, she had searched the ground for Zhao Zhao, only to look up and find her recklessly diving straight into the inferno.
“Can you even extinguish the Pure Gold Fire? Don’t be insane, figure out a way to save yourself!”
Pale-faced, Zhao Zhao forced her eyes open.
Sweat blurred her vision, but just from the voice, she could tell—with that domineering tone, it could be no one else but Shi Lanyan.
“You’re alright,” Zhao Zhao smiled faintly. “Thank goodness you're alright.”
Shi Lanyan never expected her to say something like that. Stunned for a moment, her anger only deepened.
“You even have time to worry about me! Did I ask for your concern?!”
Shi Lanyan looked left and right, stamping her feet in panic.
Where were they?
The disciples of Kunwu, those who usually swaggered about, claiming their sect was the greatest in the cultivation world, why wasn’t a single one in sight at such a critical moment?
And Dao Lord Tianshu—
With the Soul Summoning Forest ablaze like this, why wasn’t he intervening?
“Master—!”
Finally entering the Soul Summoning Forest, Mu Ling and Zong Fei, sweating profusely, found Dao Lord Tianshu and hurriedly reported, “The willows in the Soul Summoning Forest have inexplicably begun to wither, and the flames are diminishing. Some disciples have already been sent inside to rescue people, while others are using the Water-Spirit Glazed Pagoda (水魂琉璃塔) to suppress the fire.”
The Pure Gold Fire, amplified by the Soul-Binding Willows, had been growing ever stronger; even with fire-controlling artifacts, it could not be extinguished in time.
Yet somehow, all the willows suddenly withered at once, granting them passage.
The young man moved silently through the dense forest, finally asking, “Where are the people of Mount Ling?”
Zong Fei was taken aback. This was the first time he’d heard his master speak with such coldness.
“…Their whereabouts are currently unknown.”
“Locate them yourself,” Dao Lord Tianshu commanded calmly. “Rescuing people is urgent, but you must remain vigilant for Mount Ling’s covert actions.”
Zong Fei hesitated. “Master, are you certain it’s Mount Ling? After all, Mount Ling is a lineage that has assisted successive generations of ascended powers. There might there be some misunderst—”
Before he could finish, he met Dao Lord Tianshu’s rare, icy gaze.
Zong Fei didn’t dare speak another word in Mount Ling’s defense and immediately urged his sword to leave.
The remaining Mu Ling suddenly pointed into the distance. “Master! The fire over there—it’s about to be extinguished too. Isn't that shi—Miss Xie?”
She came close to uttering the title ‘shiniang (master’s wife)’ they used in private; Mu Ling immediately checked Dao Lord Tianshu’s reaction.
He appeared entirely unfazed by her slip of the tongue, his gaze gliding over the smoldering remnants of the fire.
With the wildfire no longer obstructing their path, the rogue cultivators who had been trapped—swords drawn, talismans activated—now surged forward, escaping across the residual flames with utmost haste.
Only Shi Lanyan moved against the tide, every motion devoted entirely to catching Zhao Zhao, who had plummeted helplessly from midair.
Zhao Zhao’s robe had been singed and burned by the Pure Gold Fire. No practitioner of the Divine Farmer Dao could endure such searing heat; her exposed flesh bore wide, blistered burns.
Shi Lanyan tremblingly produced a medicinal pill to administer to Zhao Zhao, utterly unaware that beside the cliff lurked a shadow—
A gu-manipulating shaman!
Dao Lord Tianshu’s gaze sharpened. With resolute swiftness, he drew his sword and advanced. The surrounding cultivators barely perceived his motion before the shaman’s head was severed in an instant.
In that final instant, what remained in Dao Lord Tianshu’s eyes was the specter of a mocking grin.
Sensing the danger, Dao Lord Tianshu pivoted and surged toward Shi Lanyan and Zhao Zhao—
However—
It was late!
Arriving but a step behind, Mu Ling beheld Shi Lanyan clutching the wounded young woman in her arms as she leapt unhesitatingly into the abyss.
The wind swept aside Shi Lanyan’s long hair, revealing for an instant the nape of her neck—where a cinnabar-like vermilion mark glimmered faintly.
It was the mark of Mount Ling’s spirit gu!
“Master—!”
Mu Ling surged forward with all her strength, yet still too late. Before her very eyes, her master plunged after the two figures, their silhouettes swallowed in the blink of an eye by the boundless darkness below.
At the foot of the cliff, miasma seethed, so thick not a single ray of light could penetrate.
Mu Ling collapsed at the edge, her mind a void.
This was no ordinary cliff.
It was the Soul-Shattering Abyss (碎魂深渊), the forbidden ground of Langhuan—none who entered had ever returned alive.
Even if Dao Lord Tianshu, the peerless sovereign of the cultivation world, might have the strength to escape unscathed…what of Miss Immortal Lanyan and Miss Xie?
…
The miasma seeped endlessly through his nose, ears, and mouth, invading the five viscera and six bowels, clogging even the natural circulation of spiritual power within the body.
Amidst the unceasing plunge and the weightless descent, Dao Lord Tianshu’s eyes had already lost their sight, his ears their hearing—yet upon his face calmness still reigned. He steadied his heart, seeking the traces of Shi Lanyan and Zhao Zhao’s presence.
The master of the spiritual gu was dead; Shi Lanyan’s mind should, by now, have been freed from its shackles.
Perhaps at this very moment she was calling his name—yet he could not hear.
And as for Xie Tanzhao, who had been pushed into the abyss by her…
She had forced her will upon an ancient array far beyond her cultivation, and her body had been scorched by the Pure Gold Fire that was inimical to her very (wood) essence. Without timely aid, her fate would balance upon a knife’s edge between life and death.
Faster.
Steadier.
He summoned forth the entirety of his spiritual power, widening the reach of his perception until it encompassed the void, and at last he seized upon the faintest ripple of difference.
It should be there.
The air still quivered with the faint tremors of a cry and…the subtle resonance of the Donghua Pearl.
Dao Lord Tianshu no longer dared to cast his senses further. The miasma of the Soul-Shattering Abyss weighed heavily upon spiritual power; should he recklessly extend his perception, he might well lose the strength needed to bring them back alive.
If he did not reach them with the utmost haste and depart as swiftly as he came, then once the miasma wholly invaded their meridians, even Heaven itself would be powerless to save them.
Resolute, he gathered all his spiritual essence, and like lightning sped toward the locus of the Donghua Pearl—
Only to find but one.
Deaf, sightless, engulfed in unbroken blackness, his only certainty lay in the cool pearl resting within his palm.
There was no more time for doubt.
His meridians were already half-clogged; if he delayed even a breath longer, none of them would leave this place alive.
The choice must be made within a single heartbeat.
Dao Lord Tianshu hesitated for less than the span of a breath before summoning his Single Intent Sword. With the last vestiges of his strength, he pierced through the suffocating miasma, driving them upward in a final surge toward the surface of the earth—
“Master!!”
Mu Ling’s tears had not yet had time to well forth. In less time than the burning of a single stick of incense, she beheld Dao Lord Tianshu, as if wrought from miracle itself, charge forth from the abyss of no return with someone in his grasp.
Two figures collapsed heavily upon the ground.
His chest roiled with turbulent Qi and blood; the backlash from forcing his spiritual power through the smothering miasma erupted, and Dao Lord Tianshu felt as though every meridian in his body were shattering inch by inch in unendurable torment.
Yet not a sound escaped him. Wiping the blood from the corner of his lips, his parched voice rasped, “Send word… to Polaris Confucian Sect. That I failed to retrieve Shi Lanyan… The fault lies with me. Should Polaris harbor resentment, let them come seek me.”
Mu Ling froze, stunned. She lifted her gaze toward the woman her master had brought back.
“Master… what… what are you saying…”
The miasma had not yet dispersed. Blood seeped from his eyes and ears.
Yet his eyes, though clouded, could still faintly discern form and shadow. He gazed at Mu Ling as she supported him, her lips trembling, quivering as though struggling to give voice to words.
The sunlight was blinding.
His blurred vision fixed upon the movement of her lips—he could barely make out the shapes, could almost grasp their meaning, and yet the words seemed to slip beyond his comprehension.
What she voiced was—
“Master, the one you brought back… is none other than Miss Immortal Lanyan!”
