Chapter 415: Quietly Watching the Clouds Rise

With that, the ancestor of the Golden Elephant Sect looked at Lu Sangjiu with a faint smile. "Are you certain you want to try such a dangerous method?"

"If you ask me, you’re better off just putting it off day by day. Even if it means being under someone else’s control, it’s still better than losing your life..."

"I will try." Lu Sangjiu’s firm, three-word reply cut off the ancestor of the Golden Elephant Sect.

He raised an eyebrow. "You have quite a fiery personality."

"Very well. I have a technique that can allow the Gu Worm to survive for a moment longer after the heart is extracted. It will also ensure the person whose heart has been removed doesn’t die instantly."

"Whether or not you actually succeed, however, will depend on your own luck."

With that, a streak of light shot into the space between Lu Sangjiu’s eyebrows.

"I’ve helped you as much as I can. You may go."

Lu Sangjiu closed her eyes to absorb the information. When she opened them again, she gave her solemn thanks. "Thank you, Senior. If I am fortunate enough to survive this, I will surely return to express my gratitude properly."

’It was the right choice not to give up hope. See? I’ve already gained something new.’

As she left, Lu Sangjiu felt exceptionally relieved. Even if it only increased her chances by a small margin, it was far better than having no hope at all.

Xie Ningyuan and Chi Yan were waiting outside. The moment they saw her emerge, they both rushed forward to meet her.

"How did it go?"

She smiled at Xie Ningyuan. "Good news. There might be a way!"

She gave them a rough explanation of the method she had obtained. "There’s a chance of failure, but having a chance at all is better than nothing, right?"

Lu Sangjiu was optimistic, but it was clear Xie Ningyuan didn’t share her sentiment.

"Let’s not even discuss whether this method could possibly succeed. Just focusing on the fact that Cangming is at the Transcendence Tribulation Stage—have you thought about how you’re going to get him to obediently let you cut out his heart to retrieve the Gu without killing him?"

The moment Xie Ningyuan said this, Chi Yan, who had been feeling a bit blissfully ignorant, also realized something was amiss.

He blinked and turned to Lu Sangjiu. "Mr. Xie has a point... He’s at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage."

Everyone knew just how difficult it was to kill someone at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage; that much went without saying.

But Lu Sangjiu’s plan was even more outrageous. She had to gravely injure him without letting him die... The difficulty of that was off the charts, wasn’t it?

Chi Yan was instantly deflated. "Ms. Lu, did the ancestor have any other methods?"

Lu Sangjiu kept her smile in place. "You two don’t need to look so glum, do you?"

"Regardless of whether it’s possible, we at least have a glimmer of hope now. That’s better than complete despair, isn’t it?"

She patted Xie Ningyuan’s shoulder. "Besides, who knows? Maybe one day Cangming will have a sudden change of heart and remove the Love Gu for me himself."

"In any case, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. You don’t need to worry so much!"

Xie Ningyuan lowered his gaze. He didn’t argue with Lu Sangjiu, but simply said, "...I will attempt my Tribulation Crossing in the next few days."

That one sentence was all he needed to say. Lu Sangjiu understood what he meant.

’He must think that after he advances, he might be able to find another way to help me. Or, even if we have to use this most dangerous method, he needs the strength to fight Cangming to be of any real help.’

Lu Sangjiu opened her mouth, instinctively wanting to talk him out of it.

She knew that, under normal circumstances, it would be far better for Xie Ningyuan to prepare for a while longer before attempting his Tribulation Crossing. Forcing it now was just too risky.

But after a moment’s thought, she swallowed the words back down.

She knew that even if she said something, he wouldn’t listen.

Just as she worried about him, he worried about her, and he was willing to give his all to help her.

So in the end, Lu Sangjiu didn’t try to dissuade him. Instead, she suddenly leaned in and hugged him. "You’re so incredible. I’m sure you’ll succeed in your Tribulation Crossing."

"But... before I return to the Western Demon Realm, just spend some more time with me first."

"After all, we still have the peace talks. That’s going to be a tough battle in itself. If you’re not by my side, I’ll be scared."

Xie Ningyuan was silent for a moment before raising his arms to embrace her. "...Alright."

Chi Yan: ...

’Right now,’ he thought, ’I must be the most useless third wheel in the entire world.’

Thankfully, they only embraced for a few moments before separating.

"Mr. Chi, thank you for your help. We’ll be on our way now. Farewell."

Chi Yan scratched his head. "I didn’t really help with much... Ms. Lu, please take care."

Lu Sangjiu smiled. "I will. Next time we meet, I’ll buy you a drink."

After leaving the Golden Elephant Sect, the two didn’t tear open a void to travel. Instead, they summoned a small Flying Boat, picked a random direction, and began to fly aimlessly through the sky.

Lu Sangjiu and Xie Ningyuan sat on the deck, watching the sun rise and set, observing the landscapes and the people below.

It wasn’t that they were taking a break from their busy lives. Rather... after leaving the Golden Elephant Sect, Lu Sangjiu suddenly realized that the two of them didn’t really have anywhere else to go.

Neither of them had a home to return to.

Now, Lu Sangjiu was simply waiting for the Immortal Gates to reach a decision and set a location for the peace talks. Then, she would relay the information to the Western Demon Realm.

And once the peace talks concluded, she would have to return to the Western Demon Realm with Cangming.

This little bit of time they had now was possibly all that was left for her and Xie Ningyuan.

So, even though she knew her master and the others were waiting for them back at the Joyful Union Sect, she still wanted to wander around outside for a while, even if it was just to look at the scenery.

"I feel like it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to just quietly enjoy the view like this."

Facing the setting sun, Lu Sangjiu squinted and leaned against Xie Ningyuan’s shoulder.

Xie Ningyuan’s voice was gentle. "Me too."

He had never been a cold or severe person by nature, but so many major events had occurred recently that he simply couldn’t relax. He couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed and joked around so carefree.

He took one of Lu Sangjiu’s hands, toying with her fingers in his palm. "Little Jiu, after all this is over, let’s travel and see the world together, alright?"

"Sometimes, focusing only on secluded cultivation isn’t a good thing. If you relax a little, you might even find your cultivation progresses faster, don’t you think?"

Lu Sangjiu laughed. "I think you’re just looking for an excuse to slack off."

"You’re about to reach the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, so of course you’re not in a hurry. Have you forgotten I’m only at the Nascent Soul stage?"

Xie Ningyuan’s eyebrow shot up, and he said with great pride, "What’s wrong with the Nascent Soul stage?"

"You’re the one who killed a Body Integration Realm expert back when you were only in the Golden Core Stage. Do cultivation limits really matter to you?"

Lu Sangjiu: ...

She hadn’t thought much of it, but hearing him put it that way made her feel a little embarrassed.

"That was just a case of the right time, right place, and right people. Don’t make me out to be so incredible."

"If you asked me to fight a Body Integration Realm expert now? I’m afraid I wouldn’t last a single second."

Xie Ningyuan chuckled. "Since when did you become so modest? What happened to my impossibly arrogant Demon Lord Gu Huang?"

Lu Sangjiu: ...

She didn’t know why, but while she truly had been impossibly arrogant back then, thinking about it now made her feel a strange sense of shame.

"Don’t talk about it. I probably lived too extravagantly in my past life. My punishment is that in this life, despite having the mental age of a centuries-old being, I have to run around calling everyone ’Senior’!"