Severing Ties: The Sect Regrets My Departure Chapter 51

"It's you?"

"Nian Zhaoxi?"

Sensing the newcomer, Lü Dongshan immediately raised an eyebrow. However, upon seeing Nian Zhaoxi's frost-white hair, he couldn't help but frown.

"Do you people from the Qingxuan Sacred Land have some kind of problem? Why do you all like to turn your hair white?"

But as soon as he finished speaking, he saw Nian Zhaoxi glare at him fiercely. "You've seen Gu Xiu, haven't you?"

"Yes," Lü Dongshan replied.

Nian Zhaoxi hurriedly pressed, "Where is he?"

"He's not..." Lü Dongshan was about to answer when he suddenly recalled Gu Xiu's earlier peculiar behavior. Looking at Nian Zhaoxi's anxious expression, a suspicion began to form in his mind.

Nian Zhaoxi continued her questioning, "Hurry up and tell me, where is my Junior Brother Gu right now?"

"You guess," Lü Dongshan shrugged.

He thought about how Gu Xiu had said the same thing to him earlier. Now, saying it back to his senior sister felt somewhat like... getting revenge?

However, just as Lü Dongshan was thinking this, he saw a terrifying power suddenly erupt from Nian Zhaoxi. Her right hand lifted, making a grasping motion towards him from a distance.

Lü Dongshan almost instinctively wanted to flee. But... although he had just broken through to the Nascent Soul realm, before Nian Zhaoxi, he couldn't struggle in the slightest. It was as if an invisible giant hand had grabbed his throat, lifting him into the air.

Then, Nian Zhaoxi asked with a face like frost, "What I want is an answer!"

"Tell me."

"Where is my Junior Brother Gu right now?"

Being at someone's mercy, one should beg for forgiveness. But who was Lü Dongshan? He snorted coldly. "Bitch! If you think you can force words out of my mouth, you must still be dreaming!"

"Hmph!" Nian Zhaoxi channeled her spiritual power, tormenting Lü Dongshan. "Will you speak or not?!"

Worried about Gu Xiu, she was too impatient for lengthy talk. She even felt a surge of killing intent, wanting to use the simplest method to find out his whereabouts.

But the more anxious she became, the more arrogant Lü Dongshan grew.

His inner turmoil had been resolved, and his Dao Heart had been reforged—that was true—but it didn't mean he had lost the pride of being a prodigy. Enduring Nian Zhaoxi's torture now, he actually remained completely silent.

Nian Zhaoxi wanted to find Gu Xiu and naturally couldn't really kill him. She could only ease up slightly. "Hurry up and tell me! Where exactly is Gu Xiu?"

"Where is Gu Xiu? Where do you think he would be?" Lü Dongshan sneered.

The speaker may have been careless, but the listener took it to heart. Hearing his words, Nian Zhaoxi instantly had a terrible premonition.

This Lü Dongshan before her had a grudge against Gu Xiu; he had even suffered damage to his Dao Heart because of him! For five hundred years, he had made no progress! Now that he had seen Gu Xiu again... what would he do?

And also...

"Your cultivation... you've already broken through to Nascent Soul!"

In that instant, Nian Zhaoxi was thrown into complete disarray. Her eyes were filled with regret and profound grief.

"Gu Xiu... Gu Xiu he... could it be..."

Seeing her expression, Lü Dongshan, who already felt something was off, became even more certain of his suspicion.

Something had happened at the Qingxuan Sacred Land! Gu Xiu was probably suffering because of his sect! No wonder! No wonder he spoke that way! No wonder when talking about his master and senior sister—whom he once cared about most—Gu Xiu's expression was so flat!

That damn sect that got lucky must have wronged Gu Xiu!!!

Having figured this out, Lü Dongshan let out a cold laugh. "You guessed right!"

"Gu Xiu is my lifelong nemesis. Because of him, I made no progress for a full five hundred years. Now that his cultivation has fallen, if I don't seize the chance to kill him now, when will I?"

"It's truly exhilarating to say it! Killing him allowed my cultivation to break through immediately!"

"Exhilarating! Truly exhilarating!"

"Hahahaha!"

Lü Dongshan's wild laughter carried undisguised joy. The Immortal Touching the Crown! Successfully reaching Nascent Soul! Naturally exhilarating!

But each peal of his maniacal laughter fell on Nian Zhaoxi's ears like a small knife slowly cutting open her heart.

Her heart was broken; the pain was extreme! Even the giant hand holding Lü Dongshan loosened its grip.

Lü Dongshan didn't dare wait any longer. Seizing the opportunity while Nian Zhaoxi's mind was in turmoil, he hurriedly broke free. Not daring to delay, he employed an escape technique and fled instantly.

By the time Nian Zhaoxi reacted, it was already too late. She could only strike out with one palm.

Unfortunately, she failed to stop him.

Lü Dongshan fled for a full hundred miles before revealing himself again. As soon as he did, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Just one palm strike. And he was already severely injured!

This showed Nian Zhaoxi's strength!

Lü Dongshan ignored his condition and quickly took out a wooden doll. Then, with hand seals forming a mysterious technique, an arcane power descended upon it.

"Gu Xiu, that bitch is very strong. Even I couldn't withstand her. If you meet her now, you'll likely be extremely passive. I received your kindness; naturally, I won't repay kindness with enmity!"

"Although I don't know what grievances you have with that damn sect, since you don't want to see them... then I'll help you!"

As Lü Dongshan muttered, the hand seals were finally completed.

Looking at the doll that carried traces of Gu Xiu's aura, Lü Dongshan chuckled darkly. "Bitch! Isn't your Heaven's Secrets Divination technique supposed to be powerful? Let me see which is stronger: your divination or my 'Deceiving Heaven to Cross the Sea' technique!"

"Break for me!"

Without further hesitation, Lü Dongshan crushed the doll with one palm!

After finishing everything, Lü Dongshan wore a smug expression.

Nian Zhaoxi's divination technique was extremely powerful. But just because Heaven's Secrets techniques are strong doesn't mean there's no way to conceal things. He had taken a risk by attacking someone from Tiance Mansion precisely because he had his own methods.

However, the smile didn't last long before Lü Dongshan suddenly paled slightly.

"Damn it! That Tiance Mansion girl is still there! Gu Xiu! You bastard! You've screwed me over again!"

...

Meanwhile, on the other side, Nian Zhaoxi, who had just performed Heaven's Secrets Divination to determine Gu Xiu's safety, suddenly changed color drastically.

She performed divination for Gu Xiu but found that... the result showed...

Gu Xiu... was dead!!!

"No! This can't be!"

"Junior Brother Gu couldn't have died just like that!"

"It must be fake! It's fake!!!"

Unwilling to believe it, Nian Zhaoxi performed divination multiple times again, but without exception, the results were all the same.

Gu Xiu... was truly dead!

"Junior Brother Gu!!!"

Nian Zhaoxi let out a mournful wail and hurriedly took out her Heaven's Secrets Reincarnation Mirror. This mirror was perilous but also powerful.

"Junior Brother Gu... you can't be dead... you definitely can't be dead!"

As she formed hand seals, memories flooded her mind, making Nian Zhaoxi feel as if needles were constantly pricking her heart.

Had she... truly been one step too late?

Pfft!

A mouthful of vital blood sprayed out; her lifespan diminished once more. But on the mirror, no revelation appeared about Gu Xiu's fate.

Instead, an image appeared on its surface... a female general...

What?

What's going on?

I clearly wanted to find Gu Xiu... why does the mirror show me this person?

Who is this?

And also... could Junior Brother Gu really be dead?

Nian Zhaoxi couldn't understand and could only put away the mirror.

But at this moment, it felt as if all her strength had been drained; her face was utterly grief-stricken. Her gaze swept blankly around her surroundings; she wanted to search for any trace of Gu Xiu... even the slightest thread...

"Little Junior Brother... whether alive or dead... Senior Sister will find you!"

"If you are still alive... no matter where you are... Senior Sister will definitely find you."

"If you have died..."

"Senior Sister will bring you back to the sect... clear your name... and erect a tomb for you!"

"As for that Lü Dongshan... no matter where he flees..."

"In this lifetime... I will use his flesh and blood as your sacrifice!!!"

However, after searching for a while, Nian Zhaoxi found nothing related to Gu Xiu. Instead, within a small formation array, she discovered a female general sitting cross-legged, merging with the mountain terrain.

"This is..."

"The 'Guard Like Mountain' technique of Tiance Mansion?"

"Merging one's life soul with mountains and rivers... To completely kill someone using this technique requires extinguishing all vitality in these mountains and rivers."

"This life-preserving technique... Was it used to block that Lü Dongshan?"

"But..."

"She is only at Foundation Establishment. This technique requires at least Golden Core cultivation."

"A 'Guard Like Mountain' capable of blocking Lü Dongshan would probably require sacrificing one's life at Golden Core level..."

Nian Zhaoxi felt somewhat puzzled, but her mind could only hold the devastating news of Gu Xiu's death; there was no room for anything else.

Yet just as she was about to turn and leave, Nian Zhaoxi suddenly froze.

"She..."

"Is she that woman from the mirror?"

"And on her body... There is Junior Brother Gu's aura?"

...

While Nian Zhaoxi tried to figure out how to rescue Ye Hongling from Tiance Mansion, on another side, the Wanbao Pavilion caravan—which had long since waited for Gu Xiu's return and set off again—had traveled some distance further before gradually coming to a stop.

Gu Xiu was still inside the carriage continuing to merge cultivation techniques when Su Rumei’s voice came from outside.

"Fellow Daoist Feng."

"Yunxiao City... we’ve arrived!"