Save the Saintess

Was it not a normal withering?

Yu Meng didn't immediately grasp the significant information behind those words, and like Yu Long, she was somewhat stunned.

What was written on it?

This was the first time You Su had spoken since returning. His voice was like cold iron under the moonlight. He hadn't found the tattered suicide note when he was reading the diary in his Universe Bag with his Divine Sense.

Yu Meng then read the entire contents of the document to You Su. Upon hearing the last sentence, You Su suddenly gripped the hilt of his sword and asked urgently:

How long did the previous Saintess live?

"Thirty...thirteen years old," Yu Long replied blankly.

You Su frowned, realizing now that something was amiss.

As we know from what we know, the moment Saintess's beauty begins to fade, it means her death is imminent.

Even though the previous Saintess was also a mortal, she was not like the peasant women in the mortal world who were exposed to the wind and sun all day long. The Saintess's living environment could be described as pampered and luxurious, with the best food, clothing, and housing.

Is it really possible to become ugly at only thirty-three years old?

It's important to understand that a woman who is past her prime but still has charm is not necessarily inferior to a woman with youthful beauty and rosy hair; many people simply prefer older beauties.

"Have you met the previous Saintess?" You Su asked.

Both women shook their heads. Judging from their age, they were perhaps even younger than the eighteen-year-old Yu Die. In the history they knew, the previous Saintess had died of natural causes.

But the facts proved otherwise; the previous Saintess must have been deliberately murdered! Unable to expose the murderer, she could only leave behind a tattered suicide note, which was luckily obtained by the Yu Die Saintess.

But Jade Ring Pool had been living in seclusion for less than 54 years. Who could have broken into Jade Ring Pool and killed her? There is only one answer: it was someone from Jade Ring Pool herself who killed her!

You Su also gasped, his expression suddenly turning cold and stern. He practically roared out the words:

"I'm going to find the Saintess!"

"Yu Zhen, do you think that among Saintess throughout history, Saintess Yu Die's beauty would rank among the top three...?"

Little Pond Palace, Venerable Shenxi stood by the pond platform that belonged exclusively to Yu Die, gazing intently at the reflections in the water.

Despite the dim starlight of the night, a huge halo appeared in the lake, resembling a giant luminous jellyfish drifting by.

Yu Zhen simply kept her head down, not daring to even glance at the halo of light.

"Every Saintess is a renowned beauty across the five continents, but it must be admitted that although the Yu Die Saintess is mortal, she possesses exceptional beauty."

"You're saying that compared to those female immortals on the Heavenly Immortal Ranking that are all the rage outside, Yu Die might be on the list?"

Yu Zhen thought for a moment before saying, "Venerable Shenxi, you miss the scenery outside."

Venerable Shenxi turned his head; his sideburns were meticulously combed, so neatly that even the lake breeze couldn't scatter them. He countered with a question:

"You don't want to?"

Yu Zhen was taken aback for a moment, but did not directly address the question, as if it were a topic that could not be discussed openly. He then returned the conversation to the Yu Die Saintess:

"The Yu Die Saintess is beautiful, but beauty that cannot be retained is meaningless."

"That's true... The death of the Yu Die Saintess is at least far more valuable than the previous one."

Venerable Shenxi sighed softly, then smiled, as if he looked down on Yu Zhen's weakness.

This Venerable One, who emerged from the bottom of the Jade Ring Pool, possessed a calm yet sharp temperament. He walked steadily yet was full of ambition. If he were merely a diligent and single-minded cultivator, he would be a Venerable One, but not necessarily a family head.

Just then, the wind chimes rang out, and the Yu Die Saintess's personal maid appeared at the entrance to this secluded pool.

"Venerable Shenxi, Yu Zhen, Young Master You requests an audience once again."

"Young Master You? Didn't I tell you to tell him that the Saintess is not seeing anyone?" Yu Zhen frowned.

"I told you, but Young Master You said he's not here to see the Saintess; he's here to see Venerable Shenxi."

"Oh? It seems our Young Master You isn't so stupid after all."

For the first time, a hint of surprise appeared on the composed venerable one's face, which quickly turned into a smile. He exchanged a glance with Yu Zhen, a glint of excited light flashing in his eyes:

"Let him in."

"Yes."

Soon, You Su, dressed in black and wielding a black sword, appeared at the entrance.

A chilling wind swept across the lake, and the dark gold belt around his waist danced in the breeze, his aura so cold it seemed to blend into the night.

"You Su has met Venerable Shenxi and Jade Immortal Master."

You Su raised his hands in a gesture of respect, but did not bow his head or bend his waist.

"Young Master You has been at Jade Ring Pool for eleven days, and it is only today that we finally meet." Venerable Shenxi paid no attention to You Su's arrogance, as if he had truly been waiting for a long-awaited guest.

"I knew your master, Venerable Lotus Sword Venerable, back when she Comprehending the Dao at Jade Ring Pool. I am an old acquaintance of your master. Seeing you is like seeing the brilliant Lotus Sword Venerable back then... What brings you to me?"

You Su pursed her lips and did not answer.

"If it's for the Lotus Root Heart that the Third Elder wants, you don't need to rush. The Lotus Root Heart will mature overnight, and you can take it with you when you leave Jade Ring Pool tomorrow." Venerable Shenxi still had that calm and unhurried smile.

"May I ask Venerable Shenxi, what exactly is wrong with the Lotus Root Heart?"

"Young Master You need not know this; you can simply wait to take it and leave tomorrow."

"The Lotus Root Heart is colorless and tasteless, buried in the Five-Colored Soil at the bottom of the lake, nurtured by the Spiritual Qi of Jade Ring Pool, and is hailed as the purest sacred object in Jade Ring Pool. But unexpectedly, it also hides unseen filth."

Venerable Shenxi's brows furrowed, and he hissed:

"Young Master You seems to have come with ill intentions."

He admires proud people, but he despises overly arrogant madmen who dare to insult the sacred objects of the pool in front of the pool's master. You Su is clearly the latter.

As soon as he finished speaking, the air currents in the air seemed to freeze. This was the ability of Venerable Shenxi. He could not only control his own breathing, but after Comprehending the Dao Realm, he could also control the surrounding air currents.

You Su clearly felt his breathing becoming difficult, and he said in a deep voice:

"Release the Yu Die Saintess, and I will not reveal that Jade Ring Pool personally killed the former Saintess."

Suddenly, the area around the small pond fell into a deathly silence. Within a radius of three zhang (approximately 10 meters) centered on Venerable Shenxi, the wind was as still as water.

"Young Master You, even if you are a disciple of Lotus Sword Venerable, you should be careful with your words. Who would listen to such things that no one would believe?"

Venerable Shenxi stared intently at You Su's already somewhat ferocious face. In front of Void Glimpse Venerable, a young man at the Spirit Platform Middle Stage was no different from an ant.

You Su gritted her teeth and said fiercely, "The lives of mortals are lives too! They are not tools for you to test whether the Jade Ring Pool can be born!"

Upon hearing this, Venerable Shenxi was stunned. The air around him, as if it were a toy he could manipulate at will, suddenly began to flow again. Not only You Su, but even Yu Zhen, who had been silent all along, gasped for breath, staring in astonishment at the blind You Su.

"Young Master You, you're blind, yet you see things so clearly. How did you figure that out?"

You Su Suping, catching his breath, said coldly, "Jade Ring Pool is beautiful, but beauty isn't for oneself to see; it's for others to see! That's why Jade Ring Pool has always kept its doors wide open, eager to tell the world about Jade Ring Pool beauty. Its current seclusion is a last resort. I've never seen a sacred place so awkward. It's teeming with life everywhere, yet the local cultivators often remain secluded. This shows you're tired of your solitary contemplation and are eager to connect with the outside world to restore its former vibrant glory."

"Continue."

Venerable Shenxi put his hands behind his back and looked directly at the young man in front of him.

"But the only way you can determine whether Jade Ring Pool has recovered enough to be reborn is by relying on the Spirit Vein within the Saintess. If the Saintess has no Spirit Vein, it means Jade Ring Pool hasn't recovered its vitality. However, there are two problems: first, without the Saintess's death, there can be no new Saintess; second, Spirit Vein are innate and cannot be regenerated. This means that if Jade Ring Pool has recovered and the mortal Saintess is still alive, you have no way of knowing whether you can be reborn! Therefore..."

You Su clenched his fists, glaring coldly at Venerable Shenxi:

"You treat mortal Saintess as mere tools! When you desperately want to know if you can be born, you deliberately kill her so that the next newborn Saintess will give you the answer! Disregarding mortal lives, how are you any different from evil sects?!"

"Who are you to tell me what to do!"

With a roar, Venerable Shenxi reached out and grasped at the air, You Su was lifted up by a pair of invisible hands that grabbed his waist.

Seeing his anger, and how he seemed to have the upper hand despite being restricted in his actions, You Su sneered:

"I don't think Venerable Shenxi would be so impulsive. I dare to say these things because I have the confidence not to be afraid of the Venerable killing me."

As soon as he finished speaking, the invisible hand tightened its grip even more, but You Su, who was caught in its grasp, did not show the slightest sign of fear.

After a brief standoff, You Su suddenly felt a sense of lightness Venerable Shenxi had already turned around and was looking at the dreamlike white ball of light beneath the Black Lake.

"My Jade Ring Pool acts with integrity and uprightness, not as sordid as you claim. Both the previous Saintess and the Yu Die Saintess chose their own deaths. Mortals living in the heart of the immortal realm are not as easily as you think..."

You Su stared in astonishment, his mouth slightly agape. He had indeed overlooked the possibility that the previous Saintess had actively sought death when analyzing her last words. Recalling the disappointment and sorrow she expressed in her suicide note about the world of cultivation, it wasn't surprising that she wanted to end her life sooner.

"I..."

"Enough, Young Master You, please leave. Tomorrow, Yu Zhen will bring you Lotus Root Heart to exchange for Emperor House Tree, at which time you can leave Jade Ring Pool. After you leave, Jade Ring Pool can say whatever it wants, as Jade Ring Pool has a clear conscience."

"But I can sense that the Yu Die Saintess still has attachments to this world; how could she possibly seek death?"

Venerable Shenxi sighed softly, "This round of Lotus Root Heart has encountered a problem. Once separated from the Five-Colored Soil, they will wither and cannot be taken away. Young Master You, you want Lotus Root Heart for the Third Elder, I'm afraid you have other important purposes. Saintess Yu Die Butterfly knew she wouldn't live much longer, and she knew many of her clansmen were hoping for her death. So, in order to allow Young Master You to take the Lotus Root Heart as you wish, she chose to sacrifice herself, relying on her the Unseen connection with the Jade Ring Pool to become the most suitable nutrients to cultivate the Lotus Root Heart to perfection. Now, Young Master You, do you understand why?"

You Su staggered back a few steps, looking utterly dejected.

"I knew she approached me with ulterior motives, so my flattery and indulgence were all pretense, because I could never stay at Jade Ring Pool for her... But she really never intended to keep me, and even went to such lengths to put my mind at ease before I left. How could she be so foolish..."

"Perhaps the Saintess has already achieved her wish because of you. Young Master You, there is no need to grieve. Go back and wait for tomorrow," Venerable Shenxi advised again.

"Isn't there any other way? She's not dead yet, is she?" You Su took two steps forward and asked anxiously.

"The Lotus Root Heart can't be taken away this way, unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless Young Master You can bring Lotus Sword Venerable in, she attained enlightenment at Jade Ring Pool and has an extremely high affinity with Jade Ring Pool. Only she might be able to take the still-imperfect Lotus Root Heart out."

"Let Master in?"

You Su was clearly hesitant.

Venerable Shenxi glanced at him without noticing and said quietly:

"However, Lotus Sword Venerable is aloof and cold-hearted, so it's unlikely he'll do anything for others. Besides, Yu Die will only last one night before disappearing completely. Young Master You, you shouldn't worry about Yu Die's death. Go back."

"Only one night..."

You Su suddenly shouted like thunder, "I can't watch her die!"

"But if she doesn't die, Young Master You can't take Lotus Root Heart with him. The Saintess is just a passerby in Young Master You's life, so be it."

"We can take her away without her dying!" You Su's eyes were resolute.

Yu Zhen, hidden in the shadows, smiled slightly, inwardly marveling at Venerable Shenxi's skill in fishing, as he had actually caught the biggest fish with that tiger-headed striped bream.

Venerable Shenxi remained silent for a moment before speaking:

"The Saintess is in the White Light Algae underwater. It is Saintess will to die, and I will not go against Saintess wishes. If Young Master You wishes to save her, then go yourself."

Then, with a flick of his finger, a strange barrier of wind suddenly appeared around You Su:

"This way it will be easier to get into the water; you won't get wet, and you can breathe normally. The rest is up to you."

"You Su thanked Venerable Shenxi."

You Su sensed the changes around him, bowed to Venerable Shenxi to express his gratitude, and then walked to the edge of the small, secluded pond and jumped in.

His body was agile, and he entered the water in a standard manner, making a splash with very little water.

Venerable Shenxi watched with satisfaction as You Su swam towards the luminous white algae, and together with Yu Zhen, who had walked to his side, they revealed a satisfied smile.

You Su opened her eyes in the water, but in reality, the water didn't even enter her eyes due to the barrier.

To his astonishment, he discovered that the clump of White Light Algae, just like the Little White Fish, could be seen by him even when he hadn't opened his eyes!

Each leaf of the White Light Algae resembles a wandering snake, and the naked Yu Die Saintess is like prey bound and tightly surrounded by the snakes. The spiritual essence belonging to the Jade Ring Pool within her body is being absorbed by the white algae and then injected into the Five-Colored Soil at the roots to cultivate the incomplete Lotus Root Heart.

This was the first time You Su had seen the Saintess's appearance in person, and even though she was pale and swollen, he was still awestruck by her beauty.

You Su quickly increased her speed and swam towards the Saintess.

Fortunately, these White Light Algae were not aggressive, You Su, supporting the Saintess's body, did not have any romantic thoughts. He quickly tore off the algae, wanting to rescue the Saintess as soon as possible.

"Waaaaa?!"

Yu Die slowly opened her eyes. Unable to speak in the water, she could only hold her breath and whimper.

"Don't speak, I'll take you back!"

You Su spoke decisively, her hands continuing their work. Some of the white algae were tightly bound, but the situation was urgent, and You Su didn't bother to hide it anymore.

Yu Die was already extremely weak, so she could only lie half-reclined in You Su's arms and let him do as he pleased.

She had long been prepared to die. No one in this large Lineage wanted her to live. The only person who didn't want her to die was an outsider she had only known for six days... Her eyelashes trembled, and a few drops of crystal-clear liquid, not belonging to this pool, seemed to have mixed into the clear lake water.

You Su removed the last strand of white algae, freeing Yu Die from her constraints. Only then did You Su avert his gaze, trying to ignore the vast expanse of shimmering white before him. He then removed his black robe and wrapped it around the Saintess in the water.

The Saintess remained quietly smiling throughout, never taking her gaze off You Su's face for even a moment.

"Let's go."

You Su Suheng held the Saintess's body in his arms, and with a surge of Qi in his feet, prepared to take the Yu Die ashore.

In the blink of an eye, the wandering White Light Algae seemed to come alive! They no longer resembled white snakes, but rather the glowing serrations inside a spiral mouthpart!

The "White Light Algae" suddenly contracted, swallowing You Su's legs whole and forcefully pulling him back as he was about to You Su upstream.

The barrier left by Venerable Shenxi shattered instantly, and the lake water surged towards You Su's body like a tide.

You Su looked back in horror, as if he could see regular undulations in the Five-Colored Soil behind White Light Algae. Deep beneath this body of water, a strange water beast was hidden!

Without hesitation, You Su used all his strength to push the jade Yu Die in his arms upwards. The Yu Die floated rapidly to the surface under the powerful waves. She looked at all of this in despair. She wanted to scream, but the water, like an all-pervasive despair, poured into her throat, making her unable to make a sound.

In an instant, You Su was swallowed up by that mouth-like organ and disappeared.

Just before darkness fell You Su suddenly remembered something he hadn't paid any attention to— Old Yu's words of advice to him before he entered the pool.

You must never go into the water again!