Divine Tang Era

Chapter 153 Since ancient times, love has only brought regret.

Rui Wuni sat on the ground, in the same posture as a few days ago, unchanged.

Her hands hung limply at her sides, her fingertips slightly curled, as if trying to grasp something, but she couldn't grasp anything.

She stared blankly into the distance, as if she wasn't looking at anything at all.

Those once bright and sparkling eyes are now veiled in a gray mist, devoid of any luster. A gentle breeze stirs her disheveled hair, the ends covered in dust, but she remains oblivious.

She just sat there, like a soulless statue, letting time slip by her.

Jiu Niang's departure was like the removal of the last pillar in her life, taking away her last thought of living.

She stopped struggling, stopped resisting, and simply sat there quietly, awaiting the end of her fate. Perhaps, death was a relief for her. At least she could see Jiu Niang again, hear that gentle voice again, and feel that long-lost warmth again.

The wind was still blowing, swirling up the withered grass on the ground and gently landing on her skirt.

Rui Wuni remained motionless, as if she had merged with the world and become a part of nature.

Suddenly, Rui Wuni seemed to sense something, slowly raising her head and gazing into the distance. Then, she stood up from the ground, but her weak body could not bear the weight, and she fell heavily back to the ground as soon as she stood up.

A few days ago, in order to withstand the heavenly tribulation, her life-bound artifact, the Nine Virtues True Phoenix Zither, shattered, and almost all her power vanished. She had not been able to cultivate to recover afterward. If it weren't for the little bit of cultivation she had left in her body these past few days, she would probably have already perished.

Only then did she realize the state of her body. She quickly took out a pill, swallowed it, sat cross-legged on the ground, and began to cultivate by performing hand seals.

In an instant, endless spiritual energy surged in, gathered together, and transformed into spiritual mist, which she continuously absorbed into her body.

In just a short while, her previously bloodless face came back to life and became bright and beautiful.

"Um?"

Zhu, Zhu Yuxian, and the people from Fengzhen Temple all turned their gazes toward the scene.

"What... what's going on?" The two people on the other hilltop were also very surprised.

Seeing that she had begun cultivating, Lin Qing quickly stepped aside to protect her and prevent anyone from disturbing her. After cultivating for a while, Rui Wu Ni recovered some of her cultivation, then struggled to her feet and cast a spell, fleeing towards the campsite of Xu Dan and the others.

"Isn't that the direction where the little ones are?" Zhu Yuxian asked with a look of surprise.

Not knowing what Rui Wu Ni was planning, Shan Zhu and Zhu Yu Xian were worried and hurriedly followed. Lin Qing and the people from Fengzhen Temple also followed.

The two men on the other hilltop exchanged a glance, and one of them spoke up, "Should we go over and take a look too?"

"Of course, what else would we be doing here?" The other person glanced at him as if he were an idiot.

Rui Wuni quickly arrived at the campsite, glanced at the wooden walls, mechanisms, and protective formations outside, and with a flick of her sleeve, she vanished inside. The next moment, she appeared in Xu Dan's spacious tent.

"What happened? I clearly sensed Jiu Niang's presence, but she's gone. Where is she?"

Rui Wuni muttered to herself as she anxiously searched around the tent.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard she searched, she couldn't find any trace of Jiu Niang.

Zhu and Zhu Yuxian then appeared inside the tent. Seeing Xu Dan still fast asleep, Shan Zhu waved her hand, and an invisible force spread out, causing Xu Dan and everyone in the camp to fall into a deeper sleep, so as not to disturb them.

"Ni Niang, what are you looking for?" Shan Zhu asked softly.

Rui Wu Ni's cultivation level recovered a bit, and she became more lucid. With the stimulation of Jiu Niang's aura, she gradually regained consciousness.

Upon hearing Ya Zhu's question, he casually replied, "It's nothing." With that, he turned and left the tent.

Jiu Niang has already vanished in the heavenly tribulation; this is a fact witnessed by everyone. Since that's the case, let her disappear completely! Even if she were still alive, she wouldn't be the same person she once was; she should be a completely new person, not some princess.

Perhaps the most unfortunate thing in the world is to become a princess of the Li Tang royal family.

"She wasn't telling the truth," Zhu Yuxian said coldly.

"Everyone knows she wasn't telling the truth, but do you think she will? If she doesn't want to talk about it, no one can force her to. This little thing, I don't know what she did to offend her, I hope she's alright." Shanzhu walked to Xu Dan's bedside and sat down, gently stroking his chubby face.

"You can rest assured about that. I've never heard of her indiscriminately killing innocent people," Zhu Yuxian said.

"Oh.

Shanzhu sneered, "Women of the Wu family can be ruthless enough to harm even their own flesh and blood, let alone strangers."

"What should we do then?" Zhu Yuxian asked, his concern bordering on confusion.

"Don't worry! As far as I can see, Rui Wuni has no ill intentions towards the little one. Besides, with you and me here, how could we not protect him?"

"I'm afraid she'll suddenly turn on me."

"No one can hurt him here." Shan Zhu's tone was calm, yet it carried an unparalleled aura of dominance over the world.

Lin Qing and the people from Fengzhen Temple followed them to the campsite, but none of them went in; they simply stood outside and watched quietly.

A short while later, Rui Wuni came out of the camp. Seeing them outside, she went over and took out a piece of bright red coral, as red as blood, and handed it to Lin Qing. "This is for you. It is a fire coral that I found in the East Sea. It should be helpful to your cultivation. It is also a way to thank you for taking care of me these past few days."

"It's nothing, no—no need." Lin Qing's lips trembled, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

Rui Wuni ignored him and handed the fire coral directly to him.

Lin Qing had no choice but to reach out and take it.

Rui Wu Ni nodded to the three of them, then turned and left the camp, disappearing instantly, and no one knew where she went.

Lin Qing gripped the fire coral tightly, so tightly that his hand was pricked and bled. His face alternated between white, red, and black.

"puff"

Lin Qing finally couldn't hold back any longer and spat out a mouthful of blood. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve and left the camp without looking back. His departing figure was utterly desolate.

"The word 'love' is the most hurtful!" Ji Shui Xingjun sighed as he watched his departing figure.

"A single thought can lead to obsession, a second to heartbreak; love at its deepest point is nothing but an illusory dream," said the Star Lord Kui Mu softly.

"Since ancient times, love has only brought endless regret, and this regret will last forever!" Pleiades Star Lord said, shaking his head with schadenfreude.

"Oh, it's only been a short while, and you've all become great poets?" Shan Zhu and Zhu Yuxian came out of the camp and couldn't help but tease them when they heard their words.

"Ha ha ha ha."

Upon hearing her words, the three stars of Maori, Kuimu, and Jishui burst into laughter. "Yes, yes, we are all poets, poets, indeed poets." With that, they walked away into the distance, still laughing.

Shanzhu and Zhu Yuxian looked at them as if they were idiots.

Have a good night's sleep.

When Xu Dan woke up the next day, he felt refreshed, as if all his fatigue had vanished. He stretched comfortably, got up and went outside the tent. He saw a bright sunny day, a rare and beautiful day.

Xue Diao, Xue Bao'er, and the disciples of the martial arts school also got up one after another.

On such a rare occasion with such fine weather, after everyone gathered together for a meal, they started digging for treasure again and got busy.

When they returned to Jingning City, it was already August.

The snow, which had been brewing for a long time, finally began to fall. In just a few days, the city and its surroundings were shrouded in a vast expanse of white snow. As far as the eye could see, the world was a boundless expanse of white, a silver-clad landscape, like a dreamlike ice and snow world.

Another day passed, and the sky cleared up.

Sunlight streamed down from the clear blue sky, shining on the snow and reflecting a golden glow.

In the distance, Jinshan Mountain stands majestically, with wisps of mist swirling around its waist, as if draping it in a mysterious veil. The snow outside the city is just as pristine as inside, but occasionally a few tenacious blades of grass can be seen peeking out their tender green heads from the snow, adding a rare touch of life to this white world.

Xu Dan stood on the city wall, admiring the rare snow scene.

To be honest, in his previous life he was from southern Fujian and had never seen such heavy snow before. This time he was truly treated to a feast for the eyes.

A crisp, cool air filled the air; taking a deep breath, one could almost feel the vastness and purity of the plateau. At this moment, the snow-covered landscape of the plateau was as beautiful as a painting, so breathtaking that one hesitated to disturb it.

Shanzhu, standing on Mingfeng Tower, saw Xu Dan and turned to order, "Go and call that little brat here. He's been back for so long and hasn't even come over. Has he forgotten what we said earlier? The heartless little thing, we've been so good to him."

"Yes," the maid replied and went to leave.

Zhu Yuxian also noticed Xu Dan. "Has this little guy grown taller?"

"It seems a little bit," Ya Zhu said uncertainly.