Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 298 296: Encountering the Golden Sky Divine Thunder Again

On Cold Mountain, clouds and mists swirled. Spiritual Qi surged like a tide, gathering toward a certain location within the Cold Palace Sword Mansion.

Ye Liyuan opened her beautiful eyes, an imperceptible tremor within her gaze.

She walked out of the courtyard and came to stand before Pei Yuhang, who was gazing out from the cliff's edge.

"Ah Han, is Yueqiu about to break through?"

Pei Yuhang stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze profound. As he looked toward the distant center of the gathering Spiritual Qi, his eyes filled with undeniable tenderness and concern.

He nodded slightly, his voice low. "Yes... Liyuan, you felt it too."

Hearing this, Ye Liyuan turned her head and shot Pei Yuhang a look, her tone a mix of playful complaint and self-deprecation:

"Of course. I just lost my Cultivation, I didn't lose my memory. How could I not feel such an obvious and immense fluctuation of Spiritual Qi?"

A flicker of her old spirit flashed in her eyes, as if her former playfulness and pride had not yet completely vanished.

However, as a cold wind blew past, carrying with it the premonition of heavenly thunder, that hint of a smile was quickly replaced by a dimness in the depths of her eyes.

Ye Liyuan's plain white dress danced in the breeze. The mountain wind lifted her long, dark hair, revealing a face that was elegant yet slightly pale.

Her fingertips unconsciously traced the patterns on her cuffs, her voice so soft it was almost lost in the wind:

"Has it already been so long that even Ah Han's disciple has far surpassed me, reaching the Divinity Transformation Realm?"

"And now... I don't even have the courage to face the Thunder Tribulation for the Golden Core."

"As her master's wife, I'm truly useless."

Her voice grew quieter and quieter until it was nearly a murmur, filled with endless loneliness and self-mockery.

The mountain wind howled, whipping at the hem of her dress as if to scatter her frail figure into the vast expanse between heaven and earth.

The chilly mountain wind made this former champion of the Sword Dao pull her collar tighter, as if that could ward off the coldness welling up in her heart.

She, too, had once been a prodigy of the Sword Dao, her fame no less than Pei Yuhang's.

But that was all in the past.

Just then, a warm, broad hand gently took hold of her own slender, icy one.

The warmth from his palm was like the spring sun, spreading from her fingertips to her heart and dispelling the chill and loneliness within.

"Liyuan, I will wait for you on the path to long life. I will always wait for you."

He inclined his head slightly, his gaze falling on her trembling eyelashes, his eyes full of pity and deep affection.

"Even if the whole world forgets how dazzling you once were, I will tell you the stories every night before you sleep."

Ye Liyuan's expression faltered. When she lifted her eyes to look at him, a trace of panic and helplessness flashed in their depths.

"Why are you suddenly saying such sappy things! Where did you learn all these sweet-talking tricks..."

A blush crept up the tips of Ye Liyuan's ears, and a faint pink flush spread across her cheeks.

'Otherwise, how will I ever keep him in line in the future?' she thought, subconsciously trying to pull her hand back, not wanting Ah Han to see this vulnerable side of her.

But Pei Yuhang only held it tighter.

In the end, she closed her eyes in embarrassment, her long lashes fluttering like a butterfly's wings, casting a faint shadow beneath them.

Ye Liyuan raised a hand and tapped Pei Yuhang lightly. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the fluttering in her heart, then lifted her chin and said with feigned pride:

"Who needs you to wait? I'll catch up soon enough!"

She blinked, her eyes full of affection as she looked at Pei Yuhang. "Don't forget, I almost beat you to the Void Refining Realm~!"

...

...

Qing Yueqiu sat cross-legged in a dark cave, her silver hair falling like frost and snow. The Asura Killing Momentum gathered between her brows, and crimson patterns pulsed beneath her skin.

A bloody mist escaped her with every breath. The Evil Qi coalesced into a crimson vortex, and a ghastly wind beside her, carrying the shrieks of lost souls, slammed against the stone walls.

Under the girl's increasingly powerful aura, the butterfly-shaped Curse Seal on her back looked all the more sinister, as if it had come to life.

Finally, as the seal she formed with her fingertips shattered, a faint Asura phantom appeared behind her. The phantom's features were blurry, but it bore a slight resemblance to Ji Shenyun.

—The Dao of Slaughter was complete.

Qing Yueqiu opened her crimson eyes, which were as deep as a sea of blood, burying the countless souls of those who had fallen to her sword.

She had reached the critical point of the Nascent Soul realm, and the vortex of Spiritual Qi above her was about to coalesce into a Celestial Tribulation.

But she did not break through at that moment. Instead, she drew the Glazed Sword at her side and spoke to this companion she had only recently met:

"Luminous, you see it, don't you? The path I walk is completely different from the one Dieyin Fairy took. After I break through to Divinity Transformation and my soul and body become one, you will have no chance to choose another Sword Holder unless I die."

Her fingers paused. Her gaze fell on the faint, cold gleam on the sword's blade, and her tone grew solemn. "Even so, do you still choose to be my Lifebound Spirit Sword?"

The Luminous Shadow Sword trembled slightly, and a calm yet sorrowful voice emerged.

[Dieyin's Dao was beautiful, but it had its limits. That's why she ultimately perished under the assault of the boundless Demon Sea... As for you, I currently see no limit.]

[The Cultivation Realm will not remain peaceful for long. The Abyss will reopen sooner or later. Right now, I only want to find a Sword Holder who can far surpass Dieyin, someone who can one day carry me back into the Abyss to kill. Yueqiu, you are already the best Sword Holder for me.]

A flicker of emotion crossed Qing Yueqiu's crimson eyes. At last, she said softly, "I can't promise you much, but if you wish to taste the blood of demons and devils, I will take you there in the future."

With that, she leaped up, using Sword Control to race toward the location she had prepared in advance, ready to face the Thunder Tribulation.

WHOOSH—

A gale howled, and the girl's long silver hair flew wildly in the wind, seeming to merge with the dark clouds in the sky.

The inky blackness overhead had reached its peak. The speed at which the Thunder Tribulation was gathering far exceeded Qing Yueqiu's expectations; even Pei Yuhang hadn't predicted this.

Qing Yueqiu was still some distance from her planned location, but she no longer had time to get to the Array her master had prepared in advance.

'I'll have to face the Thunder Tribulation here!'

A look of determination flashed in her crimson eyes. She made a forced landing on a desolate mountaintop, facing off against the black sea of thunderclouds above.

In the sky, a dark golden light shone through the roiling thunderclouds—the light of thunder.

The low rumble of thunder was like the roar of an ancient beast, making the very earth tremble. A suffocating pressure filled the air, as if time itself had frozen in this moment.

"It's here!"

Qing Yueqiu's gaze sharpened. She abruptly swung the longsword in her hand, unleashing a sword light as sharp as frost, its momentum vast and powerful!

At the same time, a golden bolt of lightning split the sky, streaking straight down as if to tear the world apart.

The sword light collided head-on with the golden lightning. Thunder Power and Sword Qi intertwined, and in an instant, a blinding light erupted, unleashing a violent wave of energy that swept out in all directions.

...

...

Back at the Cold Palace Sword Mansion, Pei Yuhang could no longer afford to be affectionate with his Dao Companion.

His dark robes snapped in the wind. His eyes were locked on the brilliant golden glow in the distance, his brow furrowed and his expression grim.

"This golden lightning—"

"It's Golden Sky Divine Thunder!"

Ye Liyuan's voice suddenly cut in, laced with shock and panic.

She hurried to Pei Yuhang's side, her plain white dress fluttering in the wind, her pretty face filled with utter astonishment.

This Golden Sky Divine Thunder was the very first tribulation lightning she had encountered when she faced her Void Thunder Tribulation!

How could she ever forget that world-ending sight? The golden lightning had torn through the sky like a giant Dragon, as if trying to pulverize her very Divine Soul.

"But Yueqiu is only breaking through to Divinity Transformation right now. How could she encounter a Divine Thunder of this level?!"

Ye Liyuan's voice trembled, her tone filled with disbelief.

A flicker of panic crossed her gaze, as if she foresaw some terrible outcome.

'The Celestial Tribulation is so unpredictable,' she thought. 'Could it be that after the Golden Sky Divine Thunder, that terrifying blood-red calamity will descend as well!'

STEP—

Pei Yuhang took a large step forward, seemingly about to rush over and stand guard.

He should have been there to watch over the girl from the start. It was only because Qing Yueqiu had said she didn't want to be distracted by his presence that he hadn't gone.

But now, his beloved disciple's life was in danger. Pei Yuhang couldn't be bothered with such concerns any longer.

Just then, a slender hand grabbed Pei Yuhang's arm.

Ye Liyuan's eyes were red-rimmed, her beautiful gaze filled with pleading.

She couldn't bear to watch Ah Han get into trouble again...

"Liyuan, please believe me."

Pei Yuhang spoke the exact same words he had said when he saved her from her own Thunder Tribulation.

...

...

In truth, Qing Yueqiu's strength far exceeded Pei Yuhang's expectations.

When the girl said she could handle the Celestial Tribulation alone, it wasn't blind arrogance.

After all, what she had mastered was not only the Sword Dao, but also the Asura physique of a clan that could be called "Demigods."

Within the waterfall of golden lightning, Qing Yueqiu's figure seemed exceptionally frail, yet she stood firm and unyielding.

Her brilliant silver hair glinted with a cold light amidst the flashes of electricity, as if she herself were the most resilient existence between heaven and earth.

The bolts of the Thunder Tribulation came one after another, each more ferocious than the last, roaring like furious dragons. Every strike carried world-destroying power, yet Qing Yueqiu's aura only grew more condensed and immense.

Her physical body seemed to be absorbing the Thunder Power, using it for Body Forging.

Faintly, Qing Yueqiu sensed a familiar aura approaching at high speed. A resigned smile, tinged with an undeniable sweetness, touched her red lips.

'Sigh... Master came after all...

'We've already sparred, but Master still doesn't trust my strength. He's always telling me to trust him unconditionally.

'But he can't even bring himself to trust me!'

Qing Yueqiu's expression was full of mock resentment. She raised her head and gazed at the sea of lightning in the sky.

"There are only a few bolts left, right? I don't want to make Master worry any longer. Come at me all at once."

As she spoke, Qing Yueqiu actually raised her Glazed Longsword and flew up into the heavens, heading straight into the river of lightning.

The Sword Qi in her hand was completely unleashed. The Power of Killing Momentum merged perfectly with the Moonlight Essence, forming the phantom of a blood moon behind the girl.

Moon of Fading Blossoms—

In an instant, half of the thunderclouds were shredded by the formless Sword Qi. As the clouds receded, a blood-red moon peeked out from within.