NOVGO.NET Chapter 496: Ch 496- So What If You Become Immortal?
Chapter 496: Ch 496- So What If You Become Immortal?
“Wow, Scarrry. Yino, save me~”
The crimson fox girl pretended to act cute, wagging her tail as she snuggled into Yino’s arms.
But this time, a silent, imposing aura from a third party made both of the jealous little foxes’ tails bristle in an instant.
Ruoning remained silent, merely clearing her throat while fixing her gaze intently on Jinyue.
The latter seemed to have forgotten.
Just a few hours earlier, she had openly mocked Ruoning within the secret realm, even boldly linking arms with Yino right beside her while acting coy…
At that time, Jinyue had bluntly stated that Ruoning’s usefulness couldn’t compare to her own, so by the principle of distribution according to labor, Yino ought to belong to Jinyue alone. Now, the tables had turned.
The current Ruoning was not only capable of playing a role, in this illusion realm tailored specifically for her, she could almost crush Jinyue with a single slap.
Whimper…
Bathed in an unprecedented aura of rightful dominance, even though Jinyue gritted her teeth in frustration, she ultimately found it difficult to resist the instinctive pressure and fear coursing through her body.
Tch, Ruoning can only throw her weight around in the illusion realm. Once Yino returns to his home, we will end up alone…
After weighing her options, Jinyue could only turn her face away and step aside voluntarily.
The invisible struggle between the two women seemed to quietly conclude with a transfer of power, and Yino’s arm ultimately ended up held by Ruoning alone.
As for Yuebai…
…
She hadn’t made a single sound from beginning to end.
Or perhaps, being an elder of the fox tribe and advanced in years, she simply couldn’t bring herself to stoop to fighting with young girls over such matters.
“Alright, time to head to the fifteenth layer and continue our imprisonment.”
With the brief moment of triumph over, Yino couldn’t help but sigh in anguish once more.
The very thought of that illusion’s storyline made him feel as though he were serving a prison sentence, for it was about to culminate in a tragic ending, and Ruoning’s character, Dia, would most likely meet her demise within the illusion.
What made it even more frustrating was that no matter what choices were made, the outcome was predetermined, with no option to skip, players were forced to sit through the cinematic like mere bystanders…
….
“Father!”
“I beg of you, that year amidst the howling wind and driving snow, Dia knelt before your door all night long, pleading to become your disciple…”
“A teacher for a day is a father for life. How can you now bear to hand your daughter, raised under your care for ten years, over to those wicked hands?!”
“Master…”
“I also implores you. You well know, Master, that Dia is exceptionally gifted, possessing the rare and precious Innate Luili Holy Body. If such destiny remains within our Sect, she is sure to grow into a towering tree, safeguarding our sect’s prosperity for centuries to come!”
“Therefore, we beg you to reconsider, Master, and discuss further with the elders…”
“Master…”
“Chaerin is willing to do anything for the sect, even if it means offering up the essence and spirit of this Innate Luili Holy Body for the sake of everyone…”
“I, Jing Chen, ask for nothing else in this life, only wishing to remain by Dia’s side for the rest of my days.”
Familiar memories flooded his mind like a revolving lantern.
In the dimly lit ancient pavilion, Yino felt a scalding, sour bitterness fermenting repeatedly in his heart.
He knew…
This was the storyline summary upon entering the fifteenth layer of the illusion.
In the previous layer of the illusion, Jing Chen was defeated by Wen Ruxiu, and at the critical moment, Sect Leader Jing Cang intervened, breaking the agreement rather than handing over the Primordial Dream Butterfly to the Divine Abyss Sect.
After that, Jing Chen, Ye Chaerin, and many other disciples began kneeling before the sect leader’s door to plead for mercy.
Now…
At the end of the memory, Yino heard Sect Leader Jing Cang sigh, followed by an unprecedented surge of exhilaration flooding his mind.
Clearly, this meant the matter had succeeded.
As sect leader and Jing Chen’s father, Jing Cang had ultimately chosen to grant Jing Chen’s wish.
But what was the cost?
The scene before him shifted once more. When Yino opened his eyes again, he found himself in a magnificent and solemn circular temple
“My child, the origins of the Primordial Butterfly can no longer be concealed.”
“Now that the Divine Abyss Sect is pressing step by step, if you truly wish for Dia to remain in the our sect, unless you can rally the entire Liuli Sect to oppose the Divine Abyss Sect…”
“However, Dia is your beloved. Though I am the sect leader, it is not ruled by one voice alone. I alone cannot sway the entire sect. You must seek the majority approval of the esteemed elders present here to gain the full support.”
“Alas…”
At this, the old sect leader sighed again and took his seat.
Yino looked up and saw that on the circular tiered seats of the Elder Council, those usually kind and white-haired elders now had glowing red eyes and sharp, cunning features, like a pack of devils eager to devour the young girl standing behind Jing Chen.
“In my opinion…”
“If she is to remain in Liuli Sect, she must offer three drops of her essence blood to the Elder Council each year. How can the bloodline of the Primordial Butterfly be monopolized by the Jing family alone?!”
“Three drops?! How are we to divide just three drops among us?”
“Our Sect is located in Jiangnan, with an abundance of immortal herbs and medicines. For a Primordial Butterfly inheriting an ancient bloodline, such a quantity of essence blood is but a drop in the bucket!”
“Ensure the immortal herbs are plentiful! Ten drops per year!”
…
Jinglan Peak.
Late into the night, two women were still seated at the courtyard chess table, each with a cup of hot tea, chatting leisurely.
“Nearly a century has passed now…”
“That child, is he still refusing to emerge from that realm of mental confinement?”
The crimson-robed beauty, gazing at the stars, seemed to recall something and lowered her brows with a sigh.
Across from her, the elegant woman with dark hair and a cyan dress also sighed softly:
“Yes… He has long since lost his mind, sealing himself alone in that realm. He refuses to see even me, so how can we speak of resolving his inner turmoil?”
“So…”
At some point, the crimson-robed beauty’s voice suddenly paused.
She raised her eyes, her pale golden phoenix pupils, filled with countless stars, slowly constricting as she stared intently at Ye Chaerin.
“All these years, after learning of the reincarnation of the Innate Liuli Holy Body, you went to great lengths to take Ruoning as your disciple. Now that Ruoning has only been in the Liuli Sect for half a year, you risk her safety by sending her into the Illusion Realm… Chaerin, you’re doing this to help Jing Chen revive the soul of the Primordial Butterfly, aren’t you?”
“…..”
Chaerin widened her eyes, as if awakened by some unbearable painful memories. Despite her usual aloof composure, her serene immortal countenance now showed traces of emotional turmoil. Her hands trembled slightly as she carefully set down the teacup she held, then lowered her gaze, not daring to meet the phoenix eyes of the elegant fan-wielding beauty across the table.
“I admit, I have thought of this…”
“But over the years, I have been observing the stars and divining fate. Yet my power is insufficient, I simply cannot calculate the true resolution concerning Jing Chen… So, I thought…”
“As long as this lingering worry can be ended sooner rather than later, regardless of the outcome, let fate decide.”
“If Jing Chen truly succeeds in reviving Dia, that is his destiny. I would regain two dear friends…”
“If instead, heaven favors Ruoning, and she shatters Jing Chen’s illusion, returning after achieving cultivation, I would gain a new Destiny’s Child, one who can reveal the future, as my disciple to nurture…”
“Master, what do you think…”
“This way, no matter who wins, I do not lose. At the very least, that Chapter would finally close, and after all these centuries, I might finally find some peace within, isn’t that so?”
“Master, do you know…”
“I haven’t had a peaceful night’s sleep in many years.”
“My cultivation has been at same stage for so very long. Every night, the lingering souls of Jing Chen and Dia haunt my thoughts, they are the tribulation of my destiny! If I cannot overcome this tribulation, I will never truly break through and ascend to immortality!”
“And what if you became an immortality?”
At this point, Changli smiled faintly. She leaned back; her eyes filled with nostalgia. “Even if you become immortal, those who have passed will never return to your side. The decrees of fate will not change in the slightest just because you’ve ascended…”
Bang!
Chaerin slammed the table and stood up.
“Feng Changli! You sit high in the celestial pavilion as a master of the game, how could you possibly understand the suffering of us born as mere pawns!”