The Husband Sings, the Wife Follows

The north wind, carrying ice crystals, swept across the ruins of Dongjing City, and the withered face of Venerable Chengliang gleamed with a bronze luster in the snow.

The old man spoke of his ambitions with great enthusiasm, as if he were radiating new life, but Ganlong Venerable lowered his clear black and white eyes, his expression sorrowful as if he were mourning someone's death.

"So evil spirits have become your free killing tools, cleaning up those who should have frozen to death in the snow?"

"The Sovereign Lord also said that they should have frozen to death in the snow. During the Sovereign Lord's reign, the population of the Northern Ao Continent was five times that of a thousand years ago, and ten times that of three thousand years ago. But this land cannot support so many people."

"You don't need to pretend with me anymore! The person you're trying to save isn't Bei Ao, but yourselves!"

Ganlong Venerable suddenly raised her eyes, her icy gaze now regarding this old man who had followed her for many years, working tirelessly and without complaint, as an enemy. It was as if every word the old man used to explain his ideals was so grandiose that it made her nauseous.

"It's not that Bei Ao can't support them, it's that Bei Ao can't support you greedy parasites! If you ate a few less bites, it would be enough to support even more people than you have now!"

At first, You Su thought the old man genuinely had his own ideas, but now he sensed something amiss.

The claim that they couldn't support so many people is just an excuse. Killing the weak and leaving only the wealthy—does that mean Northern Ao Continent has become prosperous?

The answer is obvious.

They couldn't possibly be unaware of such a simple truth, which is why Ganlong Venerable said they weren't saving the world, but rather saving themselves. This idea of saving the world is more like a competitive instinct driven by the desire for resource monopoly.

But will Bei Ao necessarily turn bad after such a reconstruction? As the saying goes, everything depends on human effort, You Su couldn't judge the ultimate goal of Venerable Chengliang's ideal. However, he couldn't help but secretly complain that the old man was too dishonest. He himself came from a poor background, but now that he had become successful, he wanted to cut off other people's livelihood.

"Your Sovereign Lord is wrong." The old man still refused to admit his guilt, which surprised You Su.

"My mistake was thinking of waiting until things were done before I attacked you!" The peerless Goddess in her simple dress gritted her teeth.

"Yes... So many people are willing to join us, not because they agree with our ideals, but because they know that our plans are more beneficial to them. Every year, the Sovereign Lord deducts a large sum of money and grain from the hands of the Divine Mountain Nobles to support the poor in these remote mountains. The wealthy and powerful have long harbored resentment. They are also afraid that one day, the Sovereign Lord is devoted to the people, will wave his hand and give away all their wealth."

"So you used this plan of mine to persuade them?" Ganlong Venerable finally understood why they were able to keep the news under wraps so perfectly—it was because of their fear of her and their fear of losing their wealth.

"Like a rabbit being killed after its hunt, or a bow being put away after its birds are all gone, how could they not be on guard? The so-called salvation of the world by the Sovereign Lord only saves this vast number of useless people; while our salvation saves them. If you were a person from the sacred mountain, you would make the same choice."

"No, I won't!" The noble female cultivator in simple clothes looked disgusted, knowing that the old man in front of her could not turn back, and she would not have a trace of pity when facing an enemy.

The old man sighed, "My ultimate goal and that of the Sovereign Lord are the same: to make Bei'ao better. Why must we fall into such an irreconcilable situation?"

"Don't insult her, old man! She's not like you, you ungrateful dog!" You Su drew his Ink Pine Sword viciously, the tip pointing directly at the veteran Void Glimpse Venerable.

Watching the young man beside her draw his sword and speak up for her, the softest corner of Ganlong Venerable's heart seemed to be touched. All along the way, she had fought for everything on her own. Misunderstandings, slander, and opposition could not stop her from improving Bei'ao. After she personally drove away her other self, she had mentally prepared herself to be alone forever, but she never expected that someone would stand by her side today, which still moved her like never before.

Although Venerable Chengliang had been branded a ungrateful wretch, looked displeased, he still possessed the pride of a Venerable and was too lazy to argue with a mere youth You Su. Instead, he hypocritically reminded him:

"Your Sovereign Lord is getting so close to this Evil Demon that everyone wants to kill; be careful not to give others cause for gossip."

"Thank you for the reminder, Venerable Chengliang, but you've misjudged him. He's not like you, a traitorous dog who colludes with Evil Demon."

Ganlong Venerable imitated You Su's cursing style and retorted. It was the first time You Su had heard this woman curse, so he looked at her in astonishment, only to find that the woman was also looking at him.

He hadn't seen this woman smile since he was taken away from the sacred mountain by Ganlong Venerable, but now she was smiling.

The nights in Bei'ao are short, but the dawn does not lose its brilliance because of the brevity of the night; on the contrary, it appears even more magnificent amidst the white expanse of the sky. You Su felt that this woman's smile was probably like the first ray of dawn breaking through the eternal night. When her frost-covered brows relaxed, they bloomed into a stunningly beautiful sight amidst the swirling snowflakes. The Goddess's compassion for all living beings and her cunning and agility beyond her years and status blended perfectly in this smile.

No wonder she's at the top of the Heavenly Immortal Ranking...

You Su's mind was immediately filled with only this one thought.

However beautiful she was, the more unpleasant Venerable Chengliang's expression became. The two of them sang in unison, like a husband and wife in perfect harmony.

The twelve bronze beads, engraved with numbers, shimmered with a deep blue divination pattern, coiling into Hun Tian Star Chart in his hand.

"If Your Sovereign Lord insists on blocking the Sea Well, please take a detour to the three Sea Well to the south."

"By the time I arrive, Bei Ao will already be dead. Do you really think you can stop me all by yourself?"

"I only wish to prevent others from destroying my homeland; please forgive me, Your Sovereign Lord."

Ganlong Venerable shook her head and smiled bitterly. She turned around, and four ice shards suddenly appeared on her jade-white fingertips. In the next instant, they were inserted into the four sides of You Su, forming a square with both sides facing each other.

Before You Su could react, he saw deep blue array patterns appear on the soles of his feet. You Su suddenly felt a bone-chilling cold. When he touched his body, he realized that an invisible barrier had appeared and enveloped him.

"Don't run around this time."

The woman whispered her instructions, then, without waiting for You Su's reply, she turned and leaped into the air.

Her elegant long dress fluttered in the air, and her long black hair danced wildly. You Su looked up at her and suddenly realized that the woman in the exquisite fairy robe with a sharp and imposing aura that he had first met was not her. The woman he was seeing now was the real Ganlong Venerable.

You Su wasn't one to court death, so this time he stayed obediently inside the formation. After all, the enemies outside the Formation Technique were no longer the evil spirits that were his natural nemesis, but rather two Void Glimpse Venerable with top-tier combat power.

This is not just a battle for control of the Dongjing City's Sea Well, but also a clash of ideologies between these two men, destined to be a fight to the death until one of them falls.

When neither side can convince the other, then might makes right.

"Kan is Water, Li is Fire— " The old man's cloudy eyes reflected the ice lotus spreading beneath the feet of Ganlong Venerable. "Your Sovereign Lord will step into the Zhen position in three breaths."

Before the words were finished, Ganlong Venerable's wide sleeves billowed, and nine Mysterious Ice Chi Dragons shot out from the void. The extremely cold breath spewed from the dragons' snouts was completely absorbed by the bronze Trigram Plate that appeared out of thin air the instant it touched the old man's clothes. Venerable Chengliang lightly tapped the "Xun" hexagram with his withered fingers, and the cold tide that should have frozen everything turned into a gentle breeze, only causing the snow on the ruins to fall in a soft rustling.

"The Wei Ji Trigram signifies that the matter is not yet accomplished." The old man rose into the air, stepping on the Trigram Plate. "Although the Sovereign Lord is a genius of unparalleled talent, having created a top-tier Cultivation Method unprecedented in history, this 'Ice Seal Ten Thousand Miles' move is one he frequently uses."

Ganlong Venerable's pupils contracted sharply. She clearly saw twelve illusory images appear behind the old man—scenes of her using this move several times over the years, with every detail still vivid in her mind.

She then realized that Venerable Chengliang had engraved every battle that had witnessed her victory into counting rods, turning them into the foundation for predicting the future.

He had long anticipated that the two of them would one day fight to the death.

The female immortal felt a surge of anger rise within her, and her skirt, embroidered with dragon patterns, suddenly exploded into thousands of ice shards, from which a figure wielding a sword leaped forth.

You Su was shocked to realize that these were the moves that Ganlong Venerable might use in the next three breaths; the three hundred and sixty ice shards were three hundred and sixty kinds of murderous intent. Venerable Chengliang's abacus beads trembled wildly, and the bronze Trigram Plate successively displayed the hexagrams "Da Guo" and "Xiao Guo".

"Kun Above, Dui Below, Earth Marsh Lin— " The old man roared, and twelve abacus beads disappeared into the snow.

The ground collapsed into a swamp, swallowing half of the ice shards into the imaginary space evolved from the hexagram.

However, within the remaining ice mirror, Ganlong Venerable's true form had already teleported behind Venerable Chengliang, the ice blade formed by his jade fingers only three inches away from his vital point.

"The ice shards Kan position arrive in three breaths!" The old man's shout mingled with the wind and snow, and the twelve abacus beads suddenly embedded themselves in the snow.

The ground beneath You Su's feet suddenly trembled violently. He saw the woman's reflection emerge from beneath the ice—the reflection was actually holding an ice shard and stabbing it towards her own back!

Fortunately, Ganlong Venerable was not entirely unprepared. This fatal blow came too easily, and the three ice shards that had been hidden behind her fluttering skirt finally revealed their fangs, forcing Venerable Chengliang to retreat.

The initial clash ended with the two evenly matched. Venerable Chengliang traced the hexagram "Zhen" with his withered finger, saying, "The Xun Wind Dissolves Ice, Li Fire Melts Snow. Sovereign Lord ice Technique Method is nothing but a mirage before me!"

The cold wind howled through the ruins, You Su's body, enveloped by an invisible Formation Technique, felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. However, this ice array helped him block out an even more terrifying pressure from the outside world.

He saw Ganlong Venerable's ice shards shatter into countless stars in the void, while Venerable Chengliang's bronze Trigram Plate remained suspended in front of his chest, each divination precisely resolving the deadly murderous intent.

This is different from the battle between Archimedes Venerable and Venerable Chengliang on the empty plain of the sacred mountain, because at this moment, these two are going to kill!

Having witnessed the life-or-death struggle between the two Void Glimpse Venerable, You Su couldn't help but sigh that anyone who could cultivate to the Void Realm was no ordinary person.

"The Qian Trigram governs Heaven, the Kun Trigram governs Earth—" The old man uttered a deep chant, and the Trigram Plate beneath his feet suddenly expanded, enveloping a vast expanse of land.

As the hexagrams intertwined, every falling snowflake became his eyes, and every gust of wind became his ears.

As Ganlong Venerable's wide sleeves billowed, nine Mysterious Ice Chi Dragons burst forth from the sky. The extremely cold breath spewed from their snouts was transformed into a gentle breeze by the "Xun" trigram pattern the instant it touched the hexagram.

You Su gripped the Ink Pine Sword tightly. Even though he wasn't participating in the battle, he could feel the terrifying suppressive force emanating from Venerable Chengliang. He clearly remembered Archimedes Venerable saying that diviners shouldn't calculate for themselves, but this old man was clearly willing to suffer the backlash from the Heavenly Dao, as long as he could stop Ganlong Venerable!

You Su had witnessed the First Elder's slaying of that Void Realm cultivator from the Southern Yang Continent. Ordinary Void Realm cultivators were no less powerful than a catfish compared to a shark compared to someone of his level. However, the Ganlong Venerable was not at her peak. Having lost half her soul, she not only lacked the strength to suppress all enemies, but also found it difficult to sustain a prolonged battle with only half her divine soul remaining...

But the battle between life and death won't wait for you to recover. The old man lightly tapped the Trigram Plate with his withered fingers, and the ground collapsed with a roar. The ice lotus that bloomed at the toes of the Ganlong Venerable had not yet solidified when it was swallowed into the abyss by the "Gen" position divination pattern.

The female immortal staggered backward, her long black hair brushing against her pale lips, a thin line of blood winding down from the corner of her mouth.

You Su's pupils constricted sharply—the instant that crimson bloomed on the snow, he saw the ice crystal runes that had quietly condensed at the fingertips of the Ganlong Venerable. Those runes did not attack the old man, but silently seeped into the cracked well platform. The fairy's skirt, embroidered with dragon patterns, billowed wildly in the gale, like a snowflake that refused to fall.

"Why must Your Sovereign Lord force yourself to persist?" Venerable Chengliang stroked his beard and sighed, his withered hair entwined with dark blue trigram patterns. "You are no longer the person you once were."

Ganlong Venerable sneered, and the ice lotus beneath her feet suddenly shattered into countless crystals. Each crystal reflected her pale, ethereal face. Three hundred and sixty figures simultaneously formed hand seals, and towering ice pillars abruptly rose across the entire snowfield. Venerable Chengliang's divination Trigram Plate spun rapidly, and twelve abacus beads transformed into streams of light, disappearing into the void and weaving a giant bronze net along the trajectory of the approaching ice pillars.

"Boom!"

The instant the icicles collided with the divination net, You Su heard the sharp sound of porcelain shattering. He looked up abruptly and discovered that the seemingly chaotic icicles were actually outlining mysterious patterns on the snow—these were the icicles that Ganlong Venerable "mistakenly" smashed into the ground five moves ago, now echoing the runes beneath the snow!

The old man frantically moved the abacus beads, only to discover to his horror that the "future" shown in the divination was being distorted— the Ganlong Venerable had already buried the real killing move in the "past"!

It was only then that You Su realized why she had walked into the city!

She wasn't lost; she was simply carving out a path!

This horrible woman, in order to deceive the heavens, even fooled him!

Snow erupted from this enormous array plate like magma, filling the sky. You Su, who was obediently staying in the array, almost thought the sky had collapsed when he saw the overwhelming white.

The snow suddenly stopped, You Su finally saw her again.

"As I said, I guessed you would come here."

A deep blue lotus bloomed from the fairy's fingertips, and the icicles that had been swallowed by the divination suddenly surged out from the void.

Every "mistaken" Technique Method became a prelude to reversing the tide of battle. The defensive formation that Venerable Chengliang had meticulously calculated had now become a prison that trapped him.

The bronze Trigram Plate cracked inch by inch amidst the intertwining ice and snow, and the old man's withered body was thrown hundreds of feet, smashing through these centuries-old ruins along the way.

What finally stopped him was the enormous round well located in the center of the city.

Evil creatures are continuously pouring out of this former 'mother well' of Dongjing City. They are extremely excited about the feast that Venerable Chengliang has delivered to their door, but they are quickly frozen solid as they bar their teeth and pounce on him.

The dying old man showed no gratitude for the Sovereign Lord's kindness. Gazing at the now dark and murky well, he seemed to be transported back to his childhood, fishing with his friends around the well—a rare sight in the Northern Ao Continent. But everything was gone; the well had changed, and so had the man.

"Do you regret it?" the woman asked with pity, looking at the disfigured Dongjing.

The old man simply shook his head, coughing up a mouthful of dark red blood.

"These evil spirits are the life-giving rain of the new era. They will devour all useless roots, allowing Northern Ao Continent to gradually thrive."

"After they've eaten them, won't the rest go after you? The Northern Ao is teeming with evil spirits; do you intend to confine yourselves to the area around the sacred mountain?"

"Hasn't Your Sovereign Lord seen rain before? Rain will stop... The Master will send these evil spirits back to the seabed, and then Bei Ao will be relieved and reborn!"

The hand gesture that Ganlong Venerable was about to make suddenly stopped:

"Sir? Who is sir?"

But the old man seemed no longer to hear her question; the last bead was hidden in his own throat, and the wind carried his final murmur before his death:

"Mother, the well water isn't cold..."

The snow fell silently.

Ganlong Venerable slowly walked to the old man's side and gently closed his eyes with a wave of his hand.

The ruins of Dongjing City trembled in the twilight as the third Sea Well collapsed with a deafening roar.

You Su watched as the woman bent down and picked something up; it turned out to be a grain of millet that had been frozen for hundreds of years.

Perhaps Bei Ao didn't want lofty immortals, but rather people who needed to bend down and pick up millet.

You Su didn't say anything, but caught the woman before she fell backward to the ground.