Chapter 507: Didn't Ask You to Come Now
The Violet Gold Marquess left peacefully.
…
In the ancient cave beneath the glacier, the Violet Gold Marquess felt a chill spread throughout his entire body… no, half of his body.
He could feel his qi and blood rapidly draining from the wound, despite his best efforts to use his divine abilities to seal it. However, the foundational qi of the eighth-realm cultivator continued to consume everything within him.
If he weren't trying so hard to heal the wounds, he would likely be unable to preserve even half of his body.
However, for an Eminent One like the Violet Gold Marquess, as long as they had not yet died, they could restore themselves to life, even if they were reduced to a pile of blood.
This was the exact reason why Eminent Ones at a high cultivation level would cultivate foundational qi that could prevent healing. Of course, there were other methods. For example, Di Nufeng would just burn it away entirely.
Even if you possess the ability of Last Drop of Blood, you still need to have a drop of blood, right?
The injury inflicted by the Whale-Riding Immortal was even worse than the one he had previously sustained from Immortal Jiuyi. The golden energy from the strike continued to gnaw at the Violet Gold Marquess. He was already struggling to stop the injury from spreading and he could barely exert additional effort to heal his wounds.
If he had a large supply of precious herbs to continuously replenish his qi and blood, he could use his foundational qi to fight back against the spreading injury. It would take him some time, but he would be able to stop its progression.However, during his last closed-door cultivation, he had depleted all his reserves to repair his body.
After the attacks, he barely had any Soul Subjugators left. With so few people available to gather spirit plants and precious herbs for him, he had none remaining in reserve.
At this moment, he could only place his hopes on Fifty-Eighth.
If Fifty-Eighth could bring precious herbs to save his life at this moment, the Violet Gold Marquess would be willing not only to promote him as a Guider but also to recognize him as his own "father."
At that moment, he truly felt life slipping away from him!
As he anxiously waited, a dark figure finally descended onto the glacier outside.
He’s here!
The Violet Gold Marquess was filled with joy, as if he had clutched a much-needed lifeline.
But he didn't act hastily. Instead, he carefully suppressed his aura and assessed the situation there with his divine sense. As a seventh-realm cultivator specializing in soul arts, his range of divine sense was significantly broader than that of other great experts.
That's why he was confident in using this method.
However, what the Violet Gold Marquess saw made his heart skip a beat.
The figure that landed was clad in a black robe, unmistakably the same Eminent One who had nearly obliterated him with a mere flick of his finger!
Why is it him?!
The Violet Gold Marquess’s remaining half of his chest heaved violently. He quickly suppressed his aura, stopping the fluctuation of his foundational qi, not daring to make any sound.
An eighth-realm Eminent One possessed an even more powerful divine sense; he dared not make the slightest movement.
At the same time, he silently prayed, hoping this person was merely passing by and not here in search of him. But why did he carry the aura of the Soul Subjugator Token?
He can't possibly be Fifty-Eighth, right? Impossible… absolutely impossible! I must be mistaken; my divine soul is injured and my senses have become muddled.
Then, he saw the person take out the Soul Subjugator Token.
Shortly after, he received a message.
[Fifty-Eighth]: "Marquess, your subordinate has arrived."
Huh?
The Violet Gold Marquess's pupils widened in despair. Shit. He is Fifty-Eighth.It felt like a non-swimmer falling into the water, clinging to a log to stay afloat, only to realize it was a fierce crocodile.
So the three Soul Subjugators I selected to infiltrate the White-Bone Hall as my undercover agents turned out to be actual undercover agents? What kind of sick joke is this?
He was so angry he wanted to punch the wall, but he neither had the strength nor dared to move.
If he made the slightest noise and alerted this person, his life would be truly ended by a mere flick of the finger!
At that moment, the Violet Gold Marquess could only wait for Fifty-Eighth to leave and then look for another way to survive.
As the saying went, "If one survives a great disaster, fortune will follow." As long as he made it through today's crisis, he would surely rise again!
But as that thought flashed through his mind, the Violet Gold Marquess felt uncertain once more. He had already faced a great disaster before, losing a whole chunk of his body previously.
He had just emerged from closed-door cultivation! It seemed more likely that it would be surviving one disaster only to face another.
At that moment, he recalled all the evil deeds he had committed throughout his life—the innocent lives he had taken, the mountains of corpses and seas of blood recorded in the Netherworld Codex. Could this be retribution?
He couldn't help but silently pray, Heavens, if you spare my life this time, I, the Violet Gold Marquess, will surely turn over a new leaf!
As soon as this thought crossed his mind, he heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching.
Bang.
A massive wolf head came into view. The wolf stood at the entrance of the cave, furious that some creature had intruded upon its territory.
No wonder there was such a hidden cave here. So it's the lair of an icefield demonic beast? The Violet Gold Marquess thought.
"Roar..." The giant wolf let out a low, muffled growl.
The Violet Gold Marquess stared at it with his one remaining eye. If he were in his prime, he could have killed this demonic beast, which appeared to be between the fourth and fifth realms, with just a glance.
But now, his strength was sapped by his severe injuries, leaving him nearly immobile. If he risked everything for a desperate counterattack, he might just succeed.
However, doing so would create fluctuations in his foundational qi, which would surely be detected by that eighth-realm Eminent One, putting his life at risk.
So, he couldn't move. His only chance of survival lay in the hope that this wolf demon wouldn’t eat him—or, better yet, that it might bring him some treasures of nature.
Thinking this, he fixed his gaze on the wolf demon with his one eye, trying his best to show a warm and friendly smile with the remaining half of his mouth.
Initially, the wolf demon hesitated, but now the fury in its eyes was fully ignited.
This unwelcome guest had not only invaded my lair but had even dared to provoke me! These were the thoughts racing through the wolf's mind.
“Roar——”
…
Dusk was approaching, and the howls of ghosts and wolves echoed all around.
Though the human population was low in the Northern Regions icefield, it was not without life. The icefield was home to numerous demonic beasts, making it a dangerous place at night.
Chu Liang had been waiting for so long that his body started to stiffen.
He didn't dare make any unusual movements, fearing that the Violet Gold Marquess would be suspicious. But it had already been half a day; surely any doubts should have dissipated by now, right?
You might not be in a hurry to heal, but I'm in a rush to get home for dinner!
Occasionally, he received messages of concern from Jiang Yuebai through the United Hearts Jade, asking about his situation. However, since the Violet Gold Marquess still hadn’t appeared, Chu Liang was reluctant to leave.
The situation remained deadlocked until almost nightfall.
Everything at Fengya Mountain had ended, and the members of the major sects had returned home. Only the members of the Mount Shu Sect remained, waiting for news from Chu Liang.
This Violet Gold Marquess is too damn patient, Chu Liang thought.
After sending several messages without receiving a reply, Chu Liang finally decided to give up. He asked Jiang Yuebai to inform the elders of the Mount Shu Sect to carefully search within a hundred li around his location for any signs of foundational qi fluctuations.
Streaks of light scoured the area for a while, but no discoveries were made. In the distance, a streak of light descended, revealing Jiang Yuebai's figure on the icefield.
"Looks like he got away. That scoundrel from the diabolical sect is truly cunning," Chu Liang said with a sense of resignation.
"You did great this time," Jiang Yuebai said with a smile. Dressed in a gown with a ring of pure white fur around the neck, she continued, her eyes gleaming with pride, "You ruined the evil plan of the diabolical sect, inflicting significant losses on the Dark King Sect. The Discipline Master mentioned that these diabolical cultivators won't be able to cause any more problems for a while, and it's all thanks to you."
As she spoke, Chu Liang could see the moonlight reflecting off the vast white icefield.
"It was our team effort," Chu Liang said with a smile. After a moment, he added, "I ran into Whale-Riding Senior again. He confirmed that he really is... Jiang Tiankuo."
"Ah." Jiang Yuebai's smile faltered for a moment, her gaze shifting as she said softly, "I knew it was him."
"He said he had his reasons for not being able to show himself openly," Chu Liang explained. "I think once he's done with all his tasks, he’ll come see you at Mount Shu."
"Let him be," Jiang Yuebai said, her gaze dimming slightly.
Seeing her expression, Chu Liang felt a sudden pang of sympathy. He didn’t know what it was like to be abandoned by one’s parents; he had never experienced it himself, but he imagined it must be very painful.
However, when he saw the sorrow on Jiang Yuebai’s face, he couldn't help but step forward and gently hold her hand, saying, “It's okay; everything will be alright.”
Jiang Yuebai's shoulders trembled, and for a moment, it was unclear what thoughts crossed her mind. She remained silent and still, as if frozen in place.
Chu Liang’s face appeared calm, but his heart pounded so hard that he felt it might burst from his chest.
The vast icefield stretched endlessly for miles, the moonlight casting a frosty glow over everything. They stood so close that he could feel her warm breath mingling with the crisp, chilly air.
Other than that accident on the stage, this was the first time Chu Liang had been so close to Jiang Yuebai.
Suddenly, Chu Liang felt he needed to be braver.
He realized this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If he let it slip away now, who knew when they would have a chance to be in such an atmosphere again?
So, he leaned closer to Jiang Yuebai’s ear and whispered, “I—”
He had barely uttered a single word when his pupils suddenly dilated, and panic flashed in his eyes. He stepped back immediately.
Sensing his change, Jiang Yuebai finally looked up and said, “You—”
She had barely uttered a word when Chu Liang stammered, "Esteemed sen—ah, U-uncle Jiang."
Jiang Yuebai abruptly turned around and saw a figure standing in the moonlight behind them. She had no idea when he had arrived.
The figure was tall and handsome, with a weathered face and a complex expression—it was none other than Whale-Riding Immortal.
“I...” The usually carefree Whale-Riding Immortal appeared a bit nervous at that moment. He wanted to look at Jiang Yuebai but hesitated, ultimately directing his gaze toward Chu Liang.
His gaze at Chu Liang conveyed a myriad of emotions: self-control, anger, disdain, and confusion over what to do next.
The Whale-Riding Immortal twisted his wrist repeatedly. Was he contemplating chopping someone into pieces? No one could tell.
The Whale-Riding Immortal continued, “I thought about it, and you were right. I should come see her...”
Chu Liang’s expression grew a bit numb, his eyes filled with a mix of nervousness, relief, disappointment, and a hint of regret. For a moment, he felt like crying but found no tears.
He screamed inwardly, Uncle, I asked you to come see her, but I didn't mean now…
GLTD Alternate Universe's Thoughts
Translator: GT