Rebirth of Nezha in the Investiture of the Gods

"For Ao Yu's sake, nothing else matters. Just tell me directly—what must I do?"

Li Mingzhu asked with a smile. At last, he could see a glimmer of hope, and his mood had brightened considerably.

Meng Po, having shared so many secrets and given so much guidance, clearly had her own motives.

"Take Ao Yu into the Bi'an Forest. No one can guarantee whether you'll obtain the Sad Tears or not—I certainly can't help you there. Ultimately, it depends entirely on you.

While I do hope you can find the Sad Tears, as it would free me from being bound to this underworld, I still must remind you: act within your means."

Meng Po finally revealed her request. It turned out that the Sad Tears were in the Bi'an Forest, not only guarded by the Divine Beast Glazed but also tethered to the breath of Houtu, unable to leave the underworld.

Once Li Mingzhu took away the Sad Tears, the medium connecting Meng Po to Houtu would dissolve, allowing her to escape the underworld.

In this world, there is no such thing as a free lunch; to gain something, one must pay a price.

Meng Po wanted Li Mingzhu to have an easier time acquiring and removing the Sad Tears, so she naturally had to provide him with more specific information. Otherwise, why would she bother to tell him so much?

"Such convenient situations don't exist. Just knowing this much is already cause for immense gratitude. Many thanks for your generosity, Meng Po!"

Li Mingzhu bowed in respect—a gesture that was well-deserved.

Regardless of her status as the incarnation of Houtu, his gratitude was solely for the help she had provided.

"That's settled, then. Leave me some wine and go cultivate. You can head to the Bi'an Forest whenever you wish; there's no need to inform me."

Meng Po accepted Li Mingzhu's thanks and requested a few jars of wine in return.

She claimed she wasn't Houtu, but as she recounted those long-past events, how could she not feel the weight of them as if they were her own?

What could be done? In the end, all that remained was desolate sorrow.

"Alright!"

Li Mingzhu said no more. Sensing Meng Po's deep sadness, he left some wine and went to accompany Ao Yu, leaving her to be alone here.

Though both carried burdens of sorrow, compared to Meng Po—or Houtu—Li Mingzhu was much luckier.

At least he still had hope. Perhaps, if that hope were ever shattered, he would end up the same way. But he would never allow such a fate to come to pass.

The following morning, Li Mingzhu set off with Ao Yu for the eight-hundred-mile Bi'an Forest, just as Meng Po had said, without notifying her.

Eight hundred miles of Bi'an Forest, eight hundred miles of yellow sand!

From afar, the area seemed to be brimming with Bi'an flowers. Yet upon entering, it transformed into eight hundred miles of barren yellow sand, exactly as Meng Po had foretold—the Bi'an flowers they saw had all been illusions created by Glazed.

Even stranger, upon entering the Bi'an Forest, Li Mingzhu found that his mana and Daoist abilities were completely ineffective; only his physical strength could be utilized.

Li Mingzhu could survive in the eight hundred miles of yellow sand through his physical prowess, but Ao Yu couldn't. Though she had been saved, her current state was no different from that of an ordinary person.

Li Mingzhu was in such a hurry when he came that he hadn't prepared any food or water for an ordinary person, and the sky offered no respite from the scorching sun above.

Li Mingzhu carried Ao Yu on his back, step by step, pressing forward. When he grew tired, he would find a place to rest; then, while Ao Yu slept, he would transfer his blood into her mouth.

His body, refined to the Peak of Five Revolutions Profound Skill, had reached the Perfect state of a Daluo Golden Immortal, allowing him to go without sleep or sustenance. Using his blood to sustain Ao Yu's life was effortless.

Yet it must be understood: no matter how strong Li Mingzhu's body might be, no matter how swiftly he could recover, in this endless expanse of yellow sand, his reserves were like a spring with no source—once depleted, they couldn't replenish.

Human blood is one of the most crucial elements of vitality, embodying essence, energy, and spirit. With every drop he expended, Li Mingzhu grew progressively weaker.

Perhaps this could not be seen immediately, but if they failed to locate the Sad Tears and escape in time, the toll on him would be immeasurable.

Three months later, Li Mingzhu had become gaunt, his body reduced to skin and bones. Yet every day he persisted in transferring blood to sustain Ao Yu's life.

Without this, in the unforgiving yellow sands, Ao Yu's constitution would not allow her to survive even a single day.

Another three months passed, and Li Mingzhu had transformed from a youthful figure into a white-haired, aged shadow of himself. Though Ao Yu had discovered his use of blood to sustain her life, she was utterly unable to stop him.

Fortunately for them, by then, they were nearing the very heart of the eight hundred miles of yellow sand.

After another three months, Li Mingzhu lay in the yellow sand like a lifeless corpse, with a blue Bi'an flower before him.

Ao Yu wept beside him, overcome with grief. Though she had lost all her memories, the sacrifices Li Mingzhu made over those nine months were etched deeply into her heart.

"The Bi'an flower is now right before you. The Sad Tears you seek are within it, within your grasp.

The Bi'an flower can only save one of your lives. The decision is yours to make!"

An incredibly ethereal voice echoed in their ears. Li Mingzhu summoned his remaining strength, narrowing his eyes as though awakening from a dream. Somehow, driven by an unyielding force, he abruptly leapt forward to seize the Bi'an flower.

Surprisingly, there was no resistance. Li Mingzhu easily plucked the Bi'an flower.

With the flower in hand, he swiftly handed it to Ao Yu before collapsing, falling unconscious—perhaps dead.

"How could you be so foolish?"

Ao Yu received the Bi'an flower, unable to hold back her tears no matter what she tried.

She gently placed the flower near Li Mingzhu's lips, trying in vain to feed it to him. Finally, she chewed the flower into fragments, intending to feed him the pieces.

"Think carefully: if you do this, there will be no chance for you to survive!"

A transparent and haunting figure appeared before Ao Yu, but she ignored it entirely. Despite her resolve, she failed to get the fragments into Li Mingzhu's mouth.

At that moment, Li Mingzhu awakened. A surge of blood energy erupted from within him, bringing back his lost mana and Daoist powers.

"Foolish girl, I won't die like this!"

Li Mingzhu gazed at Ao Yu with gentle eyes, then fed her the entire Bi'an flower. Rising to his feet, he fixed his gaze on the ethereal figure ahead.

It was all merely an Illusion Realm; only the Bi'an flower was genuine.

Li Mingzhu had been waiting for this moment all along. From the time he entered the yellow sands, he knew it was an Illusion Realm, and he could break through at any time.

But if he shattered the illusion prematurely, he would lose the chance to gain the Bi'an flower—a risk he was unwilling to take!