Chapter 378: She Died

"No!"

With a piercing shriek from Fu Ling, the Immortal Demon Attraction completely engulfed her.

At the same time, Xie Ningyuan’s struggle against the Rule Power finally reached its limit, and the Merit Light abruptly dimmed!

When the billowing smoke and dust settled, all that remained where Fu Ling had been was a massive crater. She was nowhere to be seen.

Lu Sangjiu gasped for breath, her eyes locked on the crater. "Is she... dead?"

’Or was she repelled by the Rule Power and forced out of the Spirit Void Realm before the Immortal Demon Attraction could hit her?’

Xie Ningyuan stepped forward and retrieved the now-dimmed Green Jade Lotus Lamp from the crater.

The next moment, he was at Lu Sangjiu’s side, helping her up and feeding her a few Elixir Pills.

"She’s dead. This Green Jade Lotus Lamp has become ownerless, which is why it was left behind."

"But her body was likely still transported back to the Upper Realm."

In short, Fu Ling was likely killed at the very same moment she was being expelled. So even though she died, her body was still transported away.

Xie Ningyuan truly understood Lu Sangjiu. She had been holding on by a thread, just waiting to confirm Fu Ling’s death.

Upon hearing Xie Ningyuan’s words, the corners of her lips curled into a faint smile, and then she collapsed, completely unconscious.

Xie Ningyuan’s arms around her tightened slightly. Then, he gently lifted her into his arms and turned to leave.

Duoduo, who had been left behind: ???

’Hey, wait a minute! I could use some help over here, too! How can you only have eyes for my master?!’

Fortunately, Luo Linlang remembered it. She carefully cradled Duoduo, fed it a few Elixir Pills, and followed after them.

Duoduo thought, ’Just as I thought, men are the worst. Pretty ladies are the best!’

「The Upper Realm.」

"Master, you needn’t worry. Ms. Fu Ling is handling it personally. She’s sure to resolve the matter quickly."

The beautiful maid consoled the man in white in a soft, delicate voice as she served him tea.

The man said nothing, merely glancing at a quietly spinning orb. For some reason, he felt a sense of unease.

He picked up his teacup, but just as he was about to take a sip, he suddenly sensed a ripple in space.

The beautiful maid exclaimed in delight, "Ms. Fu Ling is back!"

But the next moment, Fu Ling’s corpse abruptly appeared before them.

The terror and despair from her final moments were frozen on her face, but she was already lifeless.

Moreover, it wasn’t just a physical death; even her Divine Soul had dissipated.

The beautiful maid’s delighted expression froze on her face. The next moment, her face drained of color as she lunged forward, crying out in anguish, "Ms. Fu Ling!"

The face of the man in white darkened to a terrifying degree. ’Lu... Sang... Jiu!’

His fists clenched, his heart filled with unprecedented fury.

’You’re nothing but an ant hiding behind the protection of the rules. Do you really think you’re something special?’

’To oppose me time and time again like this... I... will never let her off!’

"Master! Please, let me go avenge Ms. Fu Ling!"

The man in white shot the beautiful maid an irritated glance. "You? Are you going for revenge or to get yourself killed?"

Fu Ling’s cultivation was higher than hers, and she even had the Green Jade Lotus Lamp he’d given her, yet she still died there. Sending this maid would be nothing but a suicide mission.

The beautiful maid was left speechless. "But... are we just going to let Ms. Fu Ling die in vain?"

The man in white’s eyes grew colder. "Of course she won’t have died in vain. Lu Sangjiu will die by my hands, sooner or later."

"It’s just... sending someone else to the Lower Realm to kill her is no longer realistic."

"She will only grow stronger, while anyone we send to the Lower Realm will have their cultivation suppressed. They would stand no chance against her."

"Besides, crossing realms requires an immense price. I’ll need a long time to recuperate just from orchestrating this one trip. Trying it again would be nothing but a drain on my own power."

He took a deep breath and said coldly, "We’ll just have to wait. Once I have complete control of that realm’s Heavenly Dao Authority, she’ll have no way to escape my grasp."

’If Heaven itself wants her dead, how could she possibly survive?’

Lu Sangjiu remained unconscious for over a month.

During that great battle, she had taken a Heavenly Luo Pill, used her heart’s blood to summon the Power of Nine Netherworld, and even blocked a Heavenly Tribulation for Duoduo. The toll it took on her was immense.

Despite being fed numerous high-grade Elixir Pills, she still lay unconscious for more than a month before she finally woke up.

The first person she saw when she opened her eyes was Xie Ningyuan.

Cultivators don’t need to eat or sleep, so he had truly remained by her side this entire time, never leaving for a moment.

He sensed it the moment she opened her eyes. His calm gaze met hers, showing no sign of emotional outburst, and he simply said, "You certainly... slept for a long time."

"Mmm... I was exhausted. Nothing wrong with getting a little extra rest, is there?"

Neither of them spoke again. They just looked at each other, and then both chuckled softly.

"Help me up. I haven’t moved in so long, my body feels all rusty."

Lu Sangjiu naturally held out her hand. Xie Ningyuan pulled her up, and then, without a word, promptly stuffed two more Elixir Pills into her mouth.

Lu Sangjiu: "..."

Swallowing the Elixir Pills, she said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, "Seriously? I just woke up and you’re already stuffing me with pills?"

"Do you have any idea how serious your injuries were? If I hadn’t been forcing these Elixir Pills down your throat for the past month, do you think you would have ever woken up?"

At this, Xie Ningyuan paused and lowered his gaze. "...I’m sorry, Little Jiu. I was too late."

Lu Sangjiu chuckled and lightly punched his shoulder. "What’s with that long face? You don’t owe me anything. Even if I had died, it wouldn’t have been your fault. And besides, I’m still alive, aren’t I?"

"Don’t look so glum. We’re cultivators. Isn’t our whole path a struggle against the heavens and fate itself? Everyone has a brush with death now and then. It’s no big deal!"

Xie Ningyuan’s expression stirred, and he opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment the door was thrown open and a crowd of people flooded in. "Little Junior Sister, you’re awake!"

"It’s wonderful that you’re alright, Mr. Lu!"

"Little Jiu, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

Amid the chorus of concerned voices, Xie Ningyuan was pushed to the side.

He fell silent for a moment, then obediently stepped back.

’They’ve been worried about her all this time,’ he thought. ’They deserve a chance to talk to her properly.’

’As for what I wanted to say... there will be plenty of time for that later.’

After a round of pleasantries, Lu Sangjiu felt a little embarrassed that her companions had been freeloading off the Divine Tomb Sect for over a month.

Also, figuring her master and the others must be worried about their own sect, she took the initiative to speak. "Master, I’m fine now, so we shouldn’t keep imposing on our hosts. Let’s return to the sect!"

She had expected everyone to agree immediately, but the moment the words left her mouth, the room fell silent.

She faltered. "...Did something happen?"

Everyone’s expression was strange. After a moment of silence, Duan Xingyun sighed softly. "...Something has indeed happened."