Chapter 103: Pei Zhi

Boom!!!

This bolt of lightning was exceptionally fierce. Before Chen Heng could even react, the head of Ancestor Fushen—the only part of him that remained—was effortlessly torn to shreds!

In the blink of an eye, the vast expanse of the "Water-Moon Mirror Sky" illusion was also shattered into nothingness by the muffled, thunderous impact.

Myriads of green waves surged against the heavens, spiraling and roiling. Water columns shot out like arrows, dancing like dragons and snakes, only to burst repeatedly in mid-air, echoing with an endless roar as they scattered in all directions.

Caught in this cataclysmic upheaval, Chen Heng was instantly swept into the surging torrent. Unable to mount any defense, he was on the verge of being forcibly ejected from this illusionary realm.

Just as his divine sense was about to be pushed back into his physical body in the real world, a sharp crack echoed through the void, followed by a wild roar from Ancestor Fushen somewhere in the distance. The fractured Water-Moon world was forcibly stabilized once more!

"Primordial... Chen..."

The next moment, Ancestor Fushen’s voice came through, distorted and hazy.

"Ba Snake... Chiming Sect... Wenjitian..."

"Go to the Yulu Immortal Mansion. Seek refuge with Chen Runzi and Chen Yuanji. They and Daoist Kongkong—"

Before he could finish his stuttering instructions, the Ancestor’s voice faded away.

Then, amidst a long, eerie silence, the miraculously stabilized world began to crumble again, as if countless brilliant, gorgeous rays of light were leaking through the cracks.

Chen Heng’s consciousness drifted in a trance, as if split in two. At times, he was a glimmer of bright light, lingering within the crumbling Water-Moon realm, with the heaven-turning waves beneath his feet. At other times, he suddenly returned to the waking world, bound within the massive cocoon formed by the "Evil Grudge Yin-Victory Demon" magical art, unable to break free.

During this back-and-forth, Ancestor Fushen’s voice rang out again with great effort, but this time, it was only fragmented, incoherent words.

Amidst the continuous explosions, the Water-Moon Mirror Sky finally collapsed entirely. With one last violent thunderclap, it shattered completely.

The wind and clouds dissipated; the lake and moon vanished!

"Pei Zhi! I am not done with you when I return to the mountain!"

"Taisu Jade Body—"

As Chen Heng’s consciousness was expelled back into his physical body, Ancestor Fushen exhausted his last bit of strength to deliver one final message:

"Use your spiritual energy on your Taisu Jade Body first! Remember! Do not lightly build—"

Before he could finish, the voice cut off abruptly, leaving no further sound. Chen Heng sighed silently in his heart, and an overwhelming sensation of weightlessness washed over him.

His vision darkened, unable to see anything. When he finally opened his eyes, the lake, the moon, and the mist were all gone.

He remained trapped within the palace atop Floating Jade Lake, being used as a vessel for possession by Cave Master Huaiwu and the Evil Grudge Yin-Victory Demon.

"Ancestor?" Chen Heng asked via telepathic transmission.

But this time, there was no reply. After waiting for several moments, he was met only with a hollow, empty silence.

"Improve the cultivation of the Taisu Jade Body..." Chen Heng lowered his eyes, his gaze flickering. "Was the rest of that sentence... warning me not to build my foundation lightly?"

...

"Pei Zhi! Pei Zhi! You wretched girl, you are dead! Once I return to Yangrang Mountain, I will personally file a complaint with the Dao Sovereign against you!"

"The Dao Sovereign is currently visiting friends in the Ranluo Gongshou Heaven; I am afraid the Ancestor will not be able to see her noble self."

At this moment, high above the ten-thousand-foot cloud sea over Floating Jade Lake, Ancestor Fushen, now reduced to half a head, could not help but curse at the sky. If not for his missing body, he would have clenched his fists and struck out in fury.

Before him stood a tall, beautiful woman with her hair styled in a "Flying Immortal" bun. She was breathtakingly lovely, with a cold and unattainable elegance. Her shoulders were delicate, her waist slim, and her neck graceful. She wore a deep green feather robe, adorned with a precious sun-shaped hairpin. Her features were as if painted by a master; her eyes were like autumn water, and she radiated a faint, holy, and profound purple-blue-yellow-white glow.

Hearing her indifferent reply, the Ancestor grew even more infuriated. Despite having only half a head, he felt his heart thumping wildly, as if it were about to leap out of his throat.

"When did you follow me, you wretched girl? Why aren't you refining your Three Treasures in the grotto-heaven instead of coming out here to run wild?!" He gritted his teeth and shouted. "You scared me to death! I thought it was that bastard Chen Yushu, who had calculated my movements using the Zhongtian Doushu and struck from afar!"

"That man is currently trapped within the grotto-heaven of the Primordial Demon Sect, unable to take even a half-step out. He is loathed by Heaven and obstructed by the Pure Yang Lightning Tribulation. Even with his immense supernatural powers, he cannot truly calculate the painstaking arrangements you have made, Ancestor." Pei Zhi’s voice was cold and detached.

"Unless Chen Yushu could step out of the grotto-heaven, there might be a chance, but in his current pitiable state, the power of his Zhongtian Doushu is greatly diminished. What the Ancestor said is nothing but a delusion."

"...That is a relief. You really gave me a scare. I truly thought Chen Yushu was having one of his fits." Ancestor Fushen let out a long breath, stunned, before flying into a rage again.

"Wait! Who is talking about Chen Yushu? I am asking you, why aren't you properly refining your Three Treasures? What are you doing at Floating Jade Lake? Bored to death?"

"Naturally, I am here for the Ancestor."

"Me?"

"Chen Yushu’s momentum already aligns with the rising fortune of the Six Demon Sects. It is unstoppable; even the Eight Orthodox Sects cannot block him. The future Qianyuan Sichen Palace will certainly have a place for him." Pei Zhi spoke without expression. "His achievement of the Harmony Realm is beyond doubt; it is merely a matter of time. Does the Ancestor truly wish to provoke such an enemy for our Taifu Palace, all for a moment of pity?"

"How could it come to that... how could it? You girl, you always love to make a mountain out of a molehill."

The Ancestor’s blustering rage vanished instantly, as if doused by a bucket of cold water. He drooped his eyebrows in embarrassment, and after a long time, he gave a dry laugh. "Chen Yushu has so many heirs; what does a mere Chen Heng matter? He is insignificant, utterly insignificant! Even if he escapes, it won't matter. Why are you so anxious?"

Having said this, Ancestor Fushen felt his logic was sound, and his confidence returned. He blinked his eyes and probed, "How about this? I will continue to send him a transmission and finish what I started. Don't the bald dogs of the Buddhist sect always say that saving one life is better than building a seven-storied pagoda? I will accumulate some virtue, and you, girl, can share in the karma, can't you?"

"Why is the Ancestor so determined to save him?" Pei Zhi asked.

Ancestor Fushen remained silent for a long time. Just as he was about to speak, Pei Zhi interrupted him.

"Is it because of Chen Yan? Does the Ancestor feel guilty for Chen Yan's death, and thus feel pity for Chen Heng, who shares a similar fate, hoping to make amends through him?"

Ancestor Fushen rolled his eyes and said nothing.

"So, what does the Ancestor plan to teach this Chen Heng to help him escape?" A moment later, Pei Zhi suddenly smiled faintly.

"You agree? Really?" The Ancestor, who had abandoned all hope, was suddenly revitalized. He scrutinized Pei Zhi, grinned, and beamed with joy.

"The best way is for him to join the Chiming Sect! You don't know, this boy has already grown close to a core disciple of the Chiming Sect. With the protection of the Chiming Sect, even if Chen Yushu has heaven-defying powers, he would be helpless and forced to give up! How about that? That counts as a path to survival, right?"

"A core disciple of the Chiming Sect—which one?"

"Wei Lingjiang!"

Pei Zhi pondered for a while, a cold sneer appearing at the corner of her mouth. Her beautiful face revealed a hint of mockery.

"Wei Lingjiang, so it is that girl from the Wei family. Does she not wish to avenge her own father? To think she is here playing at romance—how truly stupid. The Dao Sovereign once said her cultivation potential could rival mine, but now it seems she is merely a fool distracted by trivial affairs of the heart. How is she worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as me, Pei Zhi?"

"The two of them are sweet on each other; what does that have to do with you, you wretched girl? Do you have to mock that too?" Ancestor Fushen gave a bitter laugh. "Your mouth is as unforgiving as ever!"

"The Ancestor says joining the Chiming Sect is the best plan, but in my view, it is the worst. Even if Wei Lingjiang is a core disciple, she is not the Sect's Dao Child. I doubt the Chiming Sect's Dao Sovereigns would waste their efforts for her." Pei Zhi ignored the Ancestor, her eyebrows arching slightly. "What else?"

"The other way is to seek the Yulu Immortal Mansion and join Chen Runzi and Chen Yuanji. They are his brothers; they would surely lend a hand. With Chen Yushu’s true body currently trapped, he is out of reach and would likely be unable to do anything..." Ancestor Fushen spread his hands and laughed heartily. "There are always more solutions than problems. As long as I tell him the truth about his background and give him a few pointers, he might not be able to escape for a lifetime, but temporarily evading his pursuers shouldn't be difficult!"

"Is that so?"

Ancestor Fushen probed, "These are all good plans, right? Can I send him the transmission now?"

Seeing Pei Zhi’s eyelids drooping slightly, a faint, ambiguous smile on her face, she did not answer directly. Ancestor Fushen’s mind raced, but he could not determine whether she was agreeing or refusing.

After struggling internally for a long time, a possibility suddenly occurred to him. He hesitantly lifted his head, his expression complex.

"That wouldn't be good, would it?" he lowered his voice.

Pei Zhi looked confused.

"You haven't taken a liking to Chen Heng, have you? You won't let me speak because you want to save him yourself? To make him remember you deeply? That... that wouldn't be right. Wei Lingjiang was there first, girl. If you forcefully steal someone else's love and it gets out, it won't be a happy tale."

The more Ancestor Fushen spoke, the more he convinced himself he had guessed the truth. His remaining half-head beamed with excitement.

If not for such motives, why would Pei Zhi travel from Yangrang Mountain to Floating Jade Lake? And if she came, why did she wait until he was about to reveal the truth to cast her lightning and shatter his illusion? If the former was an act of impartiality, the latter...

Now that it was all over, why was she still lingering here, listening to his plans to save Chen Heng? All these actions added up to one thing—there was definitely something fishy going on!

"You—"

"What is the Ancestor ranting about now?" Before the Ancestor could finish his joy, Pei Zhi glanced at him strangely. "Are you and this Chen Heng so well-acquainted? We haven't even truly met; how could you conclude I have feelings for him? That is truly absurd!"

"Then you—"

"Stopping you from revealing his background was Elder Wei's intention. I happened to be free, so I came to watch the show." Pei Zhi’s voice remained cold and detached, though the corners of her lips curled up imperceptibly, giving her deep, gorgeous features an indescribable charm. "As for why I chose to shatter your Water-Moon Mirror Sky right when you were about to speak, and why I haven't left yet, but instead stayed to listen to your trivial nonsense..."

She finally covered her mouth and laughed, speaking in a leisurely tone: "Why doesn't the Ancestor take a guess?"

"What do you mean?" A sense of unease rose in Ancestor Fushen's heart. "...Wait! You aren't just doing this to watch me make a fool of myself, are you?!"

His face stiffened as he finally realized the truth.

"Exactly," Pei Zhi said with a smile.

"I thought you were actually going to show mercy and let me save Chen Heng once! How did you become as devilish as me, you girl, so fond of watching others suffer!" Ancestor Fushen shouted, his eyes wide. "What do you gain from this? What kind of madness is this?!"

"Then what did you gain, Ancestor, when you tricked me into eating mud for a month, claiming that if I ate it with every meal, I would ascend to immortality? What kind of madness was that?" Pei Zhi’s expression remained unchanged, a faint smile on her face. "Of course, my Taifu Palace never interferes in outside affairs. You should stop worrying about Chen Heng’s life or death; don't waste your efforts anymore."

"You—"

Ancestor Fushen was anxious. He wanted to argue further, but Pei Zhi, having enjoyed the show, was now fully satisfied. She conjured a streak of talisman light and flew off into the distance, disappearing in an instant.

Deep below the ten-thousand-foot clouds, in the palace on Floating Jade Lake, the Evil Grudge Yin-Victory Demon finally sensed something was wrong. With a shriek, it transformed into a flickering, ghostly shadow and detached itself from Chen Heng’s body, hovering in mid-air, filled with suspicion and fear.

"Liu Niang, what is it?" Cave Master Huaiwu, standing at the altar, frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"This person... this person’s true energy is not as lowly as you described! And he seems to hide some technique within his body that has neutralized my demonic energy!" The Evil Grudge Yin-Victory Demon suppressed its terror, raising its hand to strike with a crimson baleful light. However, the moment it hit Chen Heng’s face, it was steadily blocked by a thin layer of golden light, which emitted a dull, bell-like resonance.

"This is... the Golden Light Divine Talisman?!"

Seeing this, the Evil Grudge Yin-Victory Demon completely lost its composure. It darted behind the altar, trembling. "Ai Yuan! This must be someone from the Ai clan, acting on Ai Yuan’s behalf! Think of something, quick, I cannot die here!"

Hearing the shrill wailing behind him, Cave Master Huaiwu’s face darkened, and he, too, lost his composure. He reached into his sleeve, but just as he was about to move, his ears pricked up, as if he had heard something.

"This is?" Cave Master Huaiwu looked up toward the southeastern sky, a flicker of panic in his heart. "What is this disturbance?"