Several days later, five li south of Shànchǎn Prefecture City and west of Jinma Pass, a carriage had just come to a stop. The driver jumped down and opened the carriage door.
"Great Hero Su, we've reached the outskirts of the city!" the driver called.
Su Xue staggered out with his daughter in his arms. His face was pale, and his eyes were bloodshot. Seeing that the man who had rescued him was wearing the uniform of the Dian Cang Sect, he asked, "Are you the one from Spreading Might Through the Martial World of the Dian Cang Sect?"
"Your humble brother is Liu Tianyang!" the driver replied with a bow.
Su Xue stared at him. Remembering that he had been with Gao Mingmo, he asked suspiciously, "Why did you save my daughter and me?"
Liu Tianyang smiled. "Great Hero Su has championed justice throughout the Central Plains and is famous across the land. I've admired you for a long time. Seeing that you couldn't bear to abandon your wife and daughter, and that you're a man of loyalty and affection, I truly couldn't bear to let you be harmed by those vile scoundrels!"
Su Xue's expression softened. He pressed on, "Were you the one who sent the water and steamed buns to the dungeon a few days ago?"
Liu Tianyang smiled. "It was just a small favor. It was nothing worth mentioning!"
Su Xue's eyes grew hot. He suddenly dropped to one knee and said gratefully, "Brother Tianyang, I'll never forget your life-saving grace!"
Liu Tianyang had not expected Su Xue to show him such great respect. He hurriedly helped him up. "Brother Su, there's no need for this! Take the child and leave quickly through the mountains. I'll drive the carriage away and draw off the pursuers!"
"No, I'm not leaving. I'm going back to save Bai Bing." Su Xue spoke firmly.
Liu Tianyang sighed. "Brother Su, you're too deeply poisoned. Recover first..."
Su Xue cut him off coldly. "If I can't save Bai Bing, then we'll die together!"
Although Liu Tianyang was angry, he still tried to persuade him. "Brother Su, even if you don't care about yourself, are you going to abandon the daughter in your arms?"
Su Xue looked at his daughter and was just about to entrust her to Liu Tianyang when Liu Tianyang leaped onto the carriage and rode away with a crack of his whip.
Su Xue had no choice. Holding his daughter upright, he abandoned the main road and headed up the mountain.
The midday sun was scorching, and the dense forest was stiflingly hot. Gao Bingxue's head rested against Su Xue's shoulder. She woke from the heat, opened her eyes, cried out in fright, and struggled free.
They had reached halfway up the mountain. Su Xue lost his footing and quickly stopped, setting his daughter down.
As soon as Gao Bingxue was released, she hurriedly backed away two steps. She looked around and warily watched the unfamiliar man before her.
Su Xue smiled. "Xue'er, you're awake!"
Gao Bingxue asked nervously, "Who are you? How do you know my name?"
Su Xue said gently, "I'm your father."
Gao Bingxue cursed him when she heard that. "I'm still your grandmother!" She often traded insults like this with several children in the Marquis's residence while playing with them.
Su Xue's face darkened. "Xue'er, don't be rude! Your mother will be angry if she hears you."
No matter who this man is, I'll escape first and figure things out later. Gao Bingxue turned and prepared to run. Su Xue reached out to stop her, but Gao Bingxue shoved both hands into his abdomen.
Su Xue had exhausted his inner force, and his abdomen was filled with poisonous blood. The instant she touched him, it erupted, and his body fell backward. His daughter tumbled into his arms. Before he lost consciousness, he held her tightly, and the two of them rolled down the mountain together.
Clip-clop... clip-clop...
Clip-clop... clip-clop...
Two horses came along the main road. An old and a young Daoist turned over and dismounted.
The old Daoist transferred a breath of true qi into Su Xue and massaged his abdomen several times. Su Xue spat out a mouthful of black blood and slowly regained consciousness.
The young Daoist picked up the sword beside Su Xue. He gripped the hilt and tried to draw the blade, but no matter how hard he pulled, it would not come out.
"Changqing, stop fooling around. Put it down!" the old Daoist said.
"Master, this sword is strange. Take a look!" the young Daoist said, handing it to his master.
The old Daoist took the long sword and drew an inch of its blade. He hurriedly asked, "The level-ten divine weapon, Cang Lang Sword. Are you Su Xue?"
Su Xue replied groggily, "Senior, save... Xue'er... take her back to Solitary Mountain!" His hand pointed toward his daughter lying beside him before dropping limply.
The old Daoist snorted. "Now that you've met this poor Daoist, dying won't be so easy."
The old Daoist turned to the young Daoist. "Changqing, take out the Seven Insects Seven Herbs Divine Pill."
Changqing took out the pill and gave one to Su Xue. Then he glanced at the little girl beside him and asked, "Master, should I give one to this little girl too?"
The old Daoist glanced over and silently agreed. "Give her one as well. She's also deeply poisoned."
Changqing helped the little girl sit up, pinched her mouth open, and fed her a Seven Insects Seven Herbs Divine Pill. He noticed a Twin Fish Jade Pendant hanging around the little girl's neck. Changqing also took a Blue Fish Jade Pendant from around his own neck. The two pieces fit together perfectly.
He separated and joined them again, playing with them.
In the Small World, Bai Xue and Chen Qing heard a strange cry in the Siheyuan Courtyard. They ran outside and discovered the Great General's Nascent Soul and the Princess's Nascent Soul leaping excitedly above the lake.
The mountains and forests in the distance appeared and disappeared intermittently.
The Great General's Nascent Soul and the Princess's Nascent Soul hurriedly flew toward the edge of the grassland. Bai Xue and Chen Qing followed them.
When they reached the edge of the Small World, the Great General's Nascent Soul called out, "Sister Yu, the body takeover will happen today. Have you made up your mind?"
The Princess's Nascent Soul replied, "Brother Qing, I'll listen to you!"
On Penglai Immortal Island, in the garden of the White Jade Palace, White Deer Immortal had just seen Qing Shi and Bai Yu meet and was laughing cheerfully.
Suddenly, two streams of energy drilled out of the jade pendants, revealing the enormous shapes of infants. They glared menacingly at Changqing and Bingxue, who lay on the ground.
White Deer Immortal flew into a rage. "You wicked disciples!" Her figure flashed and vanished, leaving behind only a five-colored afterimage that flew toward the lower realm.
Chen Renfeng gazed at the scene in the water mirror. Knowing that the Great General's Nascent Soul had escaped, he sensed trouble and hurriedly said, "White Crane Immortal, let's follow them too."
White Crane remained motionless. Helpless, Chen Renfeng took some Immortal Fruits and fine wine from the table and handed them to her. With a crane's cry, a white shadow vanished from the garden.
In the southern outskirts of Shànchǎn Prefecture City, dark clouds blanketed the sky, and fierce winds howled.
The Princess's Nascent Soul and the Great General's Nascent Soul gathered the Spiritual Energy from within a hundred li, forming a vortex of Spiritual Energy. Bingxue and Changqing were in the center.
Suddenly, a deer's cry rang out. The Princess's Nascent Soul and the Great General's Nascent Soul were struck simultaneously. After two screams, they burrowed into the jade pendants.
A moment later, the dark clouds dispersed, and the fierce wind died down.
Fire Dragon True Person stood respectfully before Chen Renfeng and White Deer Immortal. White Deer Immortal held the red cord of the Twin Fish Jade Pendant in her hand.
Chen Renfeng said, "De Sheng, carry out the task I assigned you with all your heart. Once your Karma Value reaches six hundred thousand and you form your Golden Core, you'll have a chance to ascend."
Fire Dragon True Person hurriedly knelt in excitement and said sincerely, "Master, what is my Karma Value now?"
Chen Renfeng took the Karma Calculation Instrument from his sleeve. After calculating, he said, "De Sheng, you already have two hundred thousand Karma Value. There are very few grandmasters in the human world who surpass you."
Fire Dragon True Person felt somewhat disappointed after hearing this. He was still four hundred thousand short of the six hundred thousand needed to ascend. It was far too distant.
Seeing that the time was right, White Deer Immortal said, "Chen Tuan, let's go. We'll put these jade pendants where they belong."
A moment later, White Deer Immortal and Chen Renfeng appeared in a secret chamber at the bottom of Luoqie Lake. Chen Renfeng looked at the bronze coffin in the center and found it unbelievable. Could it be that I've returned to the starting point again?
White Deer Immortal waved her hand, and the lid of the bronze coffin floated up.
Chen Renfeng saw the bodies of the Princess and the Great General lying inside. They wore brand-new red wedding robes, exactly the same as those he had discovered during his archaeological excavation.
White Deer Immortal placed the Twin Fish Jade Pendants on her beloved disciples one by one and sighed softly. "Your Nascent Souls are hiding in the Small World, and I have no way to deal with you. Then spend the rest of this life inside."
Chen Renfeng stood to the side, anxious to find a chance to enter the Small World and meet Bai Xue and Chen Qing.
White Deer Immortal gazed at her beloved disciples' corpses, looking sorrowful. Chen Renfeng urged her, "Immortal, we should return."
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