The Saintess Awakens

On a crimson expanse of land, a massive piece of divine source floated in midair.

Lu Zhou used the Lihuo Furnace to suppress it, preventing the divine source's aura from leaking out.

He carefully cut open the divine source bit by bit. Fortunately, his technique was sound, and he ultimately did not harm Yang Yi, who was sealed within it.

He helped Yang Yi, who still retained a trace of life, out of the divine source and laid her flat upon a large crimson boulder nearby.

Yang Yi's beautiful eyes were tightly shut, and she did not move. She looked just like a sleeping beauty from a myth, peaceful and serene.

Lu Zhou took out the jade bottle containing the Undying Divine Phoenix Liquid and fed it into Yang Yi's body, drop by drop.

After he fed the fifth drop of Undying Divine Phoenix Liquid into Yang Yi's body, a radiance like a bright moon seemed to bloom within her, igniting her vitality.

Seeing this, Lu Zhou put away the remaining Undying Divine Phoenix Liquid.

He stood quietly to one side and waited.

After roughly half a quarter-hour, he saw Yang Yi's long eyelashes twitch slightly. She had awakened.

The rising sun had already climbed high into the sky, scattering countless rays of rosy light and nourishing all living beings of the Big Dipper.

Yang Yi's eyes gradually cleared from their initial confusion as she recalled everything.

She looked at Lu Zhou, and Lu Zhou smiled at her.

"How do you feel now?"

"Who are you?"

Yang Yi sat up and studied Lu Zhou with some confusion.

"My name is Lu Zhou. I am a descendant of the Origin Master lineage!"

"What is your relationship with Origin Master Zhang Lin? And this is—"

Before she could finish speaking, she saw Purple Mountain rising in the distance.

Without time to think further, she instinctively stepped forward, intending to rush toward Purple Mountain.

But Lu Zhou's voice reached her ears at that moment.

"You have already entered Purple Mountain once. You should know that it would be futile. If Ancestor Zhang Lin had not sealed you within the source, and if I had not used the Undying Divine Phoenix Liquid to revive you, you would still be nothing more than a living corpse."

Yang Yi paid no heed to Lu Zhou's words. She only wanted to see Zhang Lin, even if it meant dying alongside him.

Seeing this, Lu Zhou could only resort to his trump card.

He continued speaking.

"Ancestor can still be saved. Do you want to save him?"

Sure enough, those words were devastating enough to make Yang Yi stop at once.

She turned around and stared intensely at Lu Zhou. Losing her composure, she could not help reaching out with both hands and tightly grabbing his arms.

It was as though a person about to drown had suddenly glimpsed a sliver of hope for survival and desperately clutched at a piece of driftwood floating in a raging river.

She spoke excitedly.

"Is that true? You have a way to save him?"

Lu Zhou nodded. He took the Dragon Pattern Black Gold Seal from the Qiankun Pearl. It floated above their heads as Dao and reason intertwined, forming a sealed domain around them that would keep Lu Zhou's following words from being divined or spied upon.

Only after doing this did Lu Zhou speak to Yang Yi.

"This matter is of great importance. Once you hear it, remember it in your heart, but do not tell anyone else!"

Seeing Lu Zhou's grave and cautious expression, Yang Yi nodded involuntarily. She told Lu Zhou not to worry and promised not to reveal this matter to anyone.

"In truth, the curse upon the Origin Master lineage is connected to the Underworld, as well as the Origin God and Origin Ghost. I believe that if we raze the Underworld and eliminate the Origin God and Origin Ghost, we may find a way to resolve the problem afflicting Ancestor Zhang Lin."

As the Jade Pool Saintess from ten thousand years ago, and someone with close ties to Zhang Lin, the fifth-generation Origin Master, Yang Yi had naturally heard of the Underworld, the Origin God, and the Origin Ghost. She had simply always believed them to be legends.

Now, hearing Lu Zhou say this, she was stunned and instinctively blurted out.

"They're real? They aren't legends?"

Lu Zhou shook his head and told her with certainty that they were all real, not legends. However, they were not as terrifying as the legends claimed. The so-called Underworld was merely a force established by cultivators at the level of Great Emperors.

As for the Origin God and Origin Ghost, they were experimental subjects created by certain old monsters in their pursuit of immortality.

Upon hearing Lu Zhou's words, the light that had just returned to Yang Yi's eyes suddenly dimmed again.

The existence of Great Emperors filled her with despair.

What could she possibly use to destroy such beings?

Seeing her reaction, Lu Zhou guessed why she felt that way.

He continued.

"You need not despair so completely. At the very least, we now know that Ancestor still has a sliver of hope. He has not truly fallen into utter despair. That gives us hope, which is far better than having no clue at all!"

"Moreover, in this era ten thousand years later, a dazzling golden age is destined to arrive. I am confident that I can raze the Underworld and slay the Origin God and Origin Ghost in the future!"

"If you truly wish to save Ancestor and welcome his return, then what you need to do now is live well and strive to survive until the day you reunite with him. This was also what Ancestor instructed me to convey to you when he entrusted you to me and asked me to save you with the Undying Divine Phoenix Liquid."

Clearly, Lu Zhou had not followed Zhang Lin's instructions. He had never intended to relay Zhang Lin's words to Yang Yi as instructed.

But equally clearly, Yang Yi knew Zhang Lin far too well.

The instant Lu Zhou finished speaking, Yang Yi suddenly fixed her gaze on his eyes and uttered three words.

"You're lying to me."

Lu Zhou shrugged helplessly. Some women were truly difficult to fool.

"Fine, I'll tell you the truth. Believe it or not, it's up to you!"

"I do not have absolute confidence that I can save Ancestor now, but I am very confident in this. In my view, the chances of saving him are not low!"

"Also, when Ancestor entrusted you to me earlier, he did indeed leave me three messages."

"Ancestor asked me to tell you that he had already died ten thousand years ago, on a morning when the morning glow rose."

"He asked me to tell you that he had long since scattered with the wind. From that day onward, there would be no more Zhang Lin in this world."

"He also asked me to tell you that Zhang Lin's last wish was for you to live well."

A faint breeze stirred Yang Yi's skirts. After hearing Lu Zhou's words, she remained silent for a long time. At some point, her eyes had already reddened, and two crystal-clear streams ran down her delicate, fair cheeks before falling onto the crimson earth beneath her feet.

Under the morning sun, she silently gazed toward Purple Mountain in the distance. She said nothing, only wept soundlessly.

Lu Zhou was silent as well. He could not bear to watch such a scene.

Yet he felt delighted in his heart. He thought that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he had gradually changed the tragedy between Zhang Lin and Yang Yi.

He had given Yang Yi hope and a reason to keep living.

Perhaps, when the ancient races emerged before long, the human race would gain another female saint.

Perhaps the future of Covering the Heavens would have one less regret that left people sighing.

Perhaps he could use Yang Yi to easily obtain the Origin Stone sealing the Crown Prince!

Or perhaps...

Time was like sand in one's hand. It could not be held, and it quietly slipped away. Before they knew it, the sun had already set in the west.

The night was cool as water, and hazy moonlight spilled across the land, making Lu Zhou and Yang Yi seem dreamlike, as though they were immortals.

"Thank you."

Yang Yi spoke. She turned around, and light once more flickered in her eyes as she looked at Lu Zhou. There was a warmth in her gaze.

That warmth was most likely because of Zhang Lin, because Lu Zhou was the current inheritor of the Origin Master lineage.

Or perhaps it was because she was clever enough to understand Lu Zhou's good intentions from earlier that day.

Lu Zhou smiled and waved his hand.

"You overpraise me, Saintess. Ancestor taught me the Origin Heaven Technique. This is simply what I ought to do!"

"No matter what, I still must thank you!"

As Yang Yi spoke, she took a jade pendant from her robes. The words "Jade Pool" were carved on its front, while her name was carved on its back.

She handed the jade pendant to Lu Zhou and said something similar to what Jiang Taixu had once told him.

She told Lu Zhou that she planned to return to Jade Pool. If Lu Zhou ever needed her, he could bring this Jade Pool Token to Jade Pool. He could also display it before Jade Pool disciples, and they should be able to meet his needs then.

Lu Zhou nodded and put away the token.

Then he said to Yang Yi.

"Actually, there is something I need the Saintess's help with right now!"

"Oh? What is it? Go ahead and tell me!"

Many thanks to the great Wuliang Zi Nanwang for the two monthly passes!