Chapter 195: Protagonist 33

Gongxi Yue didn’t know exactly how Xiao Shou obtained the Divine Artifact dice in the future she had seen.

But she had never dared to slack off in her cultivation, pushing herself all the way to the Void Refinement Stage just so she’d have the power to seize the Divine Artifact when the time came.

What she hadn’t expected was that, at the critical moment, her hard-earned cultivation was useless. The Divine Artifact only chose those “outside the world.”

Her spirit sword, brimming with icy sword intent and overwhelming pressure, stirred the black-and-white Spiritual Energy and demonic aura as it slashed fiercely at the Taiji diagram barrier above.

Strike after strike, until finally, faint ripples began to spread across the Taiji diagram.

Qian had slowly made her way to the dice. Because of the strange puddle that Xiao Shou had turned into lying ahead, she had deliberately taken a detour to reach it.

“Qian! Don’t—!”

Just as Qian reached out a finger to touch the dice, she seemed to hear her mother’s voice, faintly calling from beneath the ground. She froze, halting her movement, and glanced down at her feet.

“Mom, where are you talking from?”

The dice suddenly spun into the air and floated right in front of her, catching her attention.

Qian pouted and reached out, grabbing the spinning little thing.

The moment the dice touched her palm, it burst into a swirl of multicolored light.

Qian felt her mind go blank. Countless dusty memories seemed to be stirred, and the once-blurry fragments began to clear.

She heard so many voices.

…

“Daddy, I’ll tell you a secret. The child you’ll have with the person you love most—that’s me.”

A young boy’s sullen, world-weary face transformed into a mature, rugged one. He stood in an office, holding a laptop, dark circles under his eyes from exhaustion. While giving instructions to his subordinates, he still turned to watch her running on the treadmill.

…

“Don’t be afraid, Qian. My body will become an island here, your haven. And my soul will remain with you, always.”

A silver dragon coiled in the sky. She clung to its neck as it soared over snow-capped peaks and landed on a lush green field.

She was so happy—the wind blowing past was warm and fragrant.

…

“If I die, would you cry?”

“Even if I were dying myself, I wouldn’t shed a tear—let alone for you.”

He was always impatient, always angry, always yelling. When he tore off his own arm and threw it in front of her to eat, his face was terrifying—but somehow, she wasn’t so scared of him anymore.

…

“Qian, you really are my daughter. It’s amazing. How did you come into this world? Did Santa Claus send you after I made a wish?”

“You don’t know? Santa Claus isn’t real.”

After filming, her dad would collapse into a chair, exhausted, calling her name over and over.

If she was too busy playing games to respond, he’d cover his face and pretend to sob. Such a troublesome dad—he cried even more than she did.

…

“Mommy’s right here. Don’t be scared.”

Her mom had so many hands—one to wipe her face, one to unwrap her snacks, one to pluck bougainvillea flowers, and two more to tuck them into her hair like decorations.

That wasn’t a scary monster. That was the mom she loved.

…

“You can break free from your chains, end your drifting, and return to the beginning under guidance. Your future will be bright, radiant, and full of joy.”

She had been playing with his staff and accidentally bonked his round, shiny head, leaving a bump. She said it looked like a ball with a lump, giggling as she touched it. He just laughed with her, never getting mad.

…

Finally, a tall, beautiful woman reached out and cupped her in her hand.

Qian had become tiny, like a lotus seed resting in her palm.

“I don’t know how to be a mother. But you can be born from my flesh and blood… and you may call me ‘Mother.’”

Though her tone wasn’t particularly gentle, her hands and eyes were filled with strength.

…

At the moment Qian grabbed the dice, Gongxi Yue saw radiant colors flash in her hand—and then the dice burrowed into her palm.

The instant the dice entered her body, the child’s small frame began to break down. Just like Xiao Shou, she couldn’t withstand the power of the Divine Artifact.

Her tiny body was on the verge of melting when, all of a sudden, a golden lotus bloomed from within her, wrapping her in its petals.

Red, purple, and gold halos swirled around the lotus, forcefully halting the terrifying collapse triggered by the Divine Artifact.

The child’s sudden cry of pain pierced Gongxi Yue’s ears. With a grim face, she slashed her sword countless times, finally breaking through the Taiji diagram and rushing toward Qian.

A torrent of Spiritual Energy and demonic aura surged up from below, drawn irresistibly to Qian, who now housed the Divine Artifact. It rushed eagerly into her body.

If her cultivation had been high enough, such dense Spiritual Energy might have allowed her to ascend on the spot.

But her body was unique and her cultivation weak. The overwhelming flood of Spiritual Energy and demonic aura shattered the fragile balance between the Buddha Bone, the chaotic forces within her, and the Divine Artifact—plunging her back into danger.

Gongxi Yue rushed forward without hesitation, drawing the chaotic energies into her own body. She filtered and refined them before transferring them to Qian, forcibly boosting her cultivation and strengthening her body.

But it was only a stopgap solution. Worse still, the area wasn’t filled with just Spiritual Energy—there was demonic aura too.

Gongxi Yue couldn’t control demonic aura. All she could do was try to drive it out.

Half-cradling Qian, her spine bent under the immense pressure, she shielded the crying child in her arms as Qian whimpered in pain.

Suddenly, Qian’s limp hand was grasped by another.

Tu Hongying, dressed in a red gown, held the child’s hand and began guiding the demonic aura within her.

Meeting Gongxi Yue’s gaze, she said coolly, “Repaying the debt for saving me.”

All the Spiritual Energy in the Secret Realm was surging toward the triangular divine palace in the sky. The surviving cultivators were almost all breaking through to a higher level in the flow of energy.

Some were still fighting over the “Divine Artifact” in the beam of light, but most had already gone mad, charging straight toward the divine palace.

A disciple of the Yunyin Immortal Sect shouted, “Stay away from the divine palace!”

Inside the palace, neither Gongxi Yue nor Tu Hongying could hold on much longer.

Tu Hongying had already been exhausted, and though she had recovered some strength in the river of demonic aura, it was now being drained again.

Qian could no longer absorb the endless influx of demonic energy. If this continued, her body would explode like an overfilled balloon.

“Haha… Hahahaha!”

Tu Hongying suddenly let out a strange laugh. Gray-black demonic aura spread from her hand onto Qian’s.

“This Divine Artifact is clearly too much for you. Be good and hand it over to your elder—maybe I’ll let the little one live.”

Gongxi Yue sensed something was wrong. In a flash, she raised her sword and slashed at the arm holding Qian, forcing her to let go.

“You’re not Tu Hongying. What foul thing is hiding inside her body?”

“Tu Hongying” shook her head, her expression turning sinister. She flicked away the blood trickling down her wrist with a casual wave. “This daughter of mine really is useless. Given such a perfect opportunity, she actually tried to help the enemy. I don’t recall teaching her that.”

In that instant, Gongxi Yue realized who he was—Tu Jin, Lord of the Demon Realm!

He had somehow hidden half of his Divine Soul inside his daughter’s body, slipping into the Godfall Secret Realm right under everyone’s nose.

The interruption shattered the fragile balance within Qian. The illusory golden lotus encasing her body began to wither.

“Buddha Bone, sacred flesh, and a Divine Artifact—excellent.”

A greedy glint flashed across “Tu Hongying’s” face. He had originally come only for the Divine Artifact, but now, seeing the strange changes in Qian, he had decided to absorb both the child’s body and the Divine Artifact.

As for the fact that doing so would destroy Tu Hongying’s body—he didn’t care. Once he left the Secret Realm, he could retrieve the Divine Artifact with his true body. By then, he’d have no more use for his daughter.

Gongxi Yue raised her sword and lunged at “Tu Hongying.”

Though she was in the Void Refinement Stage and had expended much of her energy earlier, her sword intent remained fierce. Facing Tu Jin, who only had half his Divine Soul, she neither flinched nor retreated.

A figure in red and a figure in white clashed in the chaotic space, stirring up demonic energy. Their collisions echoed with thunderous booms.

Blood from both of them splattered across the ground.

Tu Jin, a demon whose cultivation rivaled that of a Spirit Immortal and who had lived far longer than Gongxi Yue, had assumed defeating a junior like her would be effortless. He hadn’t expected her to be so formidable.

Willing to damage Tu Hongying’s body, he managed to severely injure Gongxi Yue’s sword-wielding right hand. Instantly, she switched the sword to her left hand, seized the opening, and drove the blade into Tu Hongying’s chest.

A surge of demonic energy exploded from Tu Hongying’s body. Gongxi Yue was thrown back, crashing to the ground in front of Qian. She swung her sword to deflect the remaining force of the blast.

Blood trickled from the corner of her lips. Her long hair was in disarray, and both arms were soaked in blood.

Tu Hongying didn’t press the attack. Her face twisted in pain, she stood frozen. One half of her body was shrouded in dark gray demonic energy, the other half leaking a faint red aura.

“What are you doing?! You wretched thing, you’re ruining everything!”

Tu Jin hadn’t expected his daughter to rebel, fighting him for control of her own body.

“Ha.” Tu Hongying dropped to one knee, her fingers digging into the wound Gongxi Yue had inflicted. That strike had pierced a vital point of the Demon Race, awakening the Divine Soul that had been suppressed within her.

“What a fine father you are. I had no idea you planned to use me like a disposable tool!”

Her face twisted with fury, no less fierce than Tu Jin’s rage. Father and daughter suddenly turned on each other.

“Gongxi Yue, you’d better take your daughter and run. Now.” Tu Hongying looked up at Gongxi Yue, blood running from her brow into her eyes.

Gongxi Yue knew Tu Hongying was losing ground. It wouldn’t be long before Tu Jin regained full control.

The golden lotus surrounding Qian was almost completely withered. One of her legs had already begun to melt.

In pain and frightened, the child instinctively cried out for her mother.

Qian was wailing, her cries sharp and heart-wrenching.

Behind them loomed the menacing Tu Jin. In front of her, her child screamed in agony. Gongxi Yue took a deep breath, her grip on the sword so tight her hand split open, blood dripping down.

“It’s okay. It’ll all be okay soon.” She let go of the sword and reached out to Qian.

This child had not been conceived in the usual way—she was a lump of blood and flesh Gongxi Yue had extracted from her own body to house a soul from beyond the world.

So now, if she returned to being a lump of flesh, Gongxi Yue could take her back into herself.

Her bloodstained hand covered Qian’s eyes, shielding her face.

Amid the heavy scent of blood, Qian caught the familiar cool fragrance of her mother. Her pain-stricken body suddenly began to warm. Slowly, the pain faded, and her consciousness slipped into darkness.

Tu Jin, still struggling with Tu Hongying for control, saw Gongxi Yue’s actions and froze in shock—then burst into laughter.

“Righteous prodigy? Hahahahaha! So the so-called pride of the righteous path acts no different from us in the demonic path!”

The child in her arms had vanished. The blue light that had occasionally flickered around them, like Xiao Shou’s red light before, was now absorbed into the Divine Artifact—the dice.

Gongxi Yue lowered her head and picked up the longsword beside her.

The Buddha Bone Divine Artifact, along with the flesh and blood, had been fully absorbed into her body. Boundless Spiritual Energy and demonic aura surged toward her, flooding her body.

Her cultivation soared. Her body tore apart and was mended again by the Spiritual Energy. Gongxi Yue suddenly looked up, blood in her eyes, and pointed her sword at Tu Jin—

Inside the Secret Realm, the Spiritual Energy had reached a terrifying density. Cultivators with weaker cultivation couldn’t even breathe under the pressure. They suffocated, their bodies rupturing—

Like overinflated balloons, they burst from within. And as the Godfall Secret Realm reached its limit, it suddenly exploded.

Outside the Secret Realm, those waiting saw the golden-red realm in the sky pulse like a heart—then detonate in a blinding flash!

Fire rained down. Spiritual Energy and fragments of all kinds scattered across the sky, painting it crimson.

The Sect Masters, elders, and several Spirit Immortals waiting below all moved at once.

A brilliant streak of light fell from the heavens, radiating unmistakable divine power.

Such pure divine power hadn’t been seen in this world for thousands of years.

From the Demon Realm surged a tide of demonic energy. Within it, a face emerged—twisted and ferocious—it was a man’s.

“You dare, whelp?!”

Jing Lingzhao recognized him—it was Tu Jin. He was about to draw his sword when the divine light from the sky pierced through the half-soul Tu Jin had rushed to send.

The divine-powered sword struck him down!

Even Jing Lingzhao was stunned for a moment.

His disciple, who had only been in the Void Refinement Stage before entering the Secret Realm, had now slain half of Tu Jin’s soul with a single strike?

If he had known that within the Secret Realm, Gongxi Yue had already severed half of Tu Jin’s soul, he wouldn’t be so shocked now.

At this moment, Gongxi Yue’s aura was both powerful and fragile—powerful because of the Divine Artifact within her, and fragile because her body was continuously breaking apart.

Jing Lingzhao was the first to reach his disciple’s side, only to find that her body was still absorbing the surrounding Spiritual Energy, and her cultivation was steadily rising.

“Master, take me back to the sect.”

The Immortal-Demon Convention came to an abrupt end, but no one had the mind to care. The Lord of the Demon Realm was slain, the young lord gravely injured, and many disciples who had entered the Secret Realm perished in the final explosion.

The biggest winner, the Yunyin Immortal Sect, was rumored to have obtained the Divine Artifact through Gongxi Yue—yet she never even showed her face.

Contrary to outsiders’ expectations, the disciples of the Yunyin Immortal Sect weren’t celebrating.

They followed closely behind their grandmaster, the Lingzhao Sword Immortal, escorting Gongxi Yue back to the sect.

“Your condition is critical. If you can endure, your cultivation will break through and you may achieve Ascension. But if you fail, your body may collapse entirely,” said the Lingzhao Sword Immortal, placing a hand on his disciple’s back with a grave expression.

Gongxi Yue’s face was pale as snow. From her expression alone, one couldn’t tell the level of pain she was enduring.

“Master, I will succeed in Ascension,” she said firmly.

A mix of relief and sorrow flickered across Lingzhao Sword Immortal’s face. His gaze slowly shifted to her abdomen, where a familiar Divine Soul lay hidden.

“That child…”

“When I achieve Ascension, I will send her to be reborn,” Gongxi Yue replied.

Two years ago, Jing Lingzhao had already suspected that Qian was not a child born of Gongxi Yue and another through natural means, but his love for her had never wavered.

Before the expedition to the Secret Realm, he had spoken with Gongxi Yue about it, but she had her own plans—just as stubborn as he had once been.

Now, all that could be said was that fate had run its course. Their bond with that child had come to an end.

Crane Cauldron Mountain, where Gongxi Yue resided, was now crowded with people.

A group of junior disciples who had entered the Secret Realm with her—disheveled and exhausted—were also waiting there.

Gongxi Yue emerged slowly, dressed in a fresh white robe, looking no different from her usual self.

Only the steadily rising aura around her betrayed the fact that she was in a dangerous state.

Her martial aunt, Lang Qingyue, examined her body and said gravely, “The Divine Artifact inside you has been fully activated. It’s greedily absorbing all the Spiritual Energy and demonic energy around it. If your cultivation can’t keep up with its demand, it will drag you down.”

“If you had some kind of blood-flesh elixir to replenish your cultivation, it would greatly increase your chances of Ascension.”

“No need to worry, Martial Aunt. Even without it, I will ascend,” Gongxi Yue said calmly, her gaze sweeping over the concerned faces of her junior sisters.

Suddenly, she asked, “Where is Wen Xunzhen?”

No one dared to ask her about Qian. If Wen Xunzhen were here, she would have asked about Qian the moment she arrived.

Gongxi Yue’s hand brushed lightly over her lower abdomen.

Lang Qingyue answered her question. “After you went to the Godfall Secret Realm, Wen Xunzhen finished refining the True Restoration Pill. Then someone from Medical Valley came.”

They had come to inform her that the Valley Master of Medical Valley, Wen Bailian, had passed away. Before his death, he had named her—his only daughter—as his successor and asked her to return for a final visit.

Wen Xunzhen had once sworn never to set foot in Medical Valley again. She had even considered staying in Yunyin Immortal Sect for the rest of her life. But when news of her father’s death arrived, she couldn’t suppress the complex emotions that surged within her.

“She said she would just take a quick look and return, but it’s been several days and there’s been no word. I’m afraid something’s happened.”

A realization dawned on Gongxi Yue.

“I’m going to Medical Valley.”

White funeral banners fluttered in the wind. A mourning hall had been set up in a secluded hall within Medical Valley.

When Lang Qingyue, Gongxi Yue, and the others arrived, they assumed it was for the Valley Master. But the disciples of Medical Valley informed them that the deceased was Wen Xunzhen.

“The Valley Master only pretended to be ill to lure Senior Sister Wen back. Who would’ve thought she’d suddenly fall ill and die after returning,” a disciple explained.

“You may be from a great sect, but that doesn’t give you the right to barge in here!” several disciples shouted, blocking their way.

Gongxi Yue’s spirit sword, Falling Frost Wind, swept through the mourning hall, bringing with it a bitter, bone-chilling snowstorm. It scattered the disciples, whipped the white banners into the air, and sent the yellow-white funeral flowers flying.

She stepped into the hall and, with one slash, split open the coffin—revealing it to be empty.

Gasps erupted all around as Gongxi Yue summoned her sword formation, nearly overturning the entire Medical Valley.

“Where is Wen Bailian?!”

Wen Bailian was in his secret chamber, preparing to refine an Ascension Pill. The rare ingredients lay cold and lifeless on the shelves.

This was a moment he had long anticipated. But the two Demon Generals standing in the corner of the chamber cast a shadow over his face, filling it with rage and despair.

He never imagined that the Ascension Pill he had been secretly preparing would attract the attention of the Demon Race.

And Gongxi Yue’s arrival—of all people—was the last thing anyone expected. She had obtained the Divine Artifact; instead of hiding away in the sect to cultivate for Ascension, she had come here to meddle.

Wen Bailian’s secret chamber didn’t remain hidden for long before Gongxi Yue uncovered it. She had used so much spiritual power that her body cracked open, staining her white robes crimson.

But this blood-soaked Gongxi Yue was even more terrifying. The two Demon Generals tried to flee, only to be slain on the spot. Wen Bailian, who had tried to hide, was dragged out as well.

As a “medicinal ingredient,” Wen Xunzhen’s corpse lay exposed on the shelf, without even a covering.

Gongxi Yue stepped forward and took off her bloodstained outer robe to cover her friend’s body.

Perhaps she regretted it—regretted only warning her not to return to Medicine Valley, but never telling her that Wen Bailian had raised her all her life only to one day use her as an ingredient in a concoction. That was how she died, so easily, so pointlessly.

After seeing the future, Gongxi Yue had changed the fates of her family, her friends, her sectmates… everyone—except Wen Xunzhen.

This new friend who had never appeared in her visions of the future.

Wen Bailian got what he deserved, dying in the shabby spirit hall he had prepared for Wen Xunzhen. Before he died, he cursed Gongxi Yue with all the venom he had left:

“You’re no different from me! You took her away just to use her blood and flesh for your Ascension! You can’t steal my Ascension elixir!”

Gongxi Yue didn’t even look back. She took Wen Xunzhen’s body and returned to the sect.

Lang Qingyue looked at her, wanting to speak several times but holding back.

“She was a person, not a medicine,” Gongxi Yue said.

She cremated Wen Xunzhen’s body and buried the ashes beneath the wisteria tree on Crane Cauldron Mountain, where she often stayed.

The night before taking Qian to the Immortal-Demon Convention, she had promised her: if Wen Xunzhen couldn’t go, she’d bring back a treasure from the Secret Realm as a gift for her best friend, Zhenzhen.

She had also promised Wen Xunzhen that once she brought Qian back from the Immortal-Demon Convention, she’d take them both outside the sect for a few days of fun.

The Lonely Moon Sword Monarch always kept her word—but these two promises, she failed to fulfill.

She sat on a large stone at the edge of the sword terrace on Crane Cauldron Mountain. Spiritual energy surged around her like a sea, threatening to drown her.

Clouds churned, day turned to night and back again.

Her cultivation broke through from the Void Refinement Stage to the Mahayana Stage—and finally, she faced her Tribulation.

Thunderclouds roared. Pillars of violet lightning split the sky.

Gongxi Yue opened her eyes, stood with her sword in hand.

She saw her family and friends gathering on a distant peak, waiting. She gave them one last look—a silent farewell. Then, her gaze calmed, and she rose to meet the Lightning Tribulation head-on.

Boom!

Boom! Boom!

This Lightning Tribulation was unlike any before it. For three days and nights, the Ascension Lightning Tribulation—unpassed for millennia—raged on.

Nearly everyone looked up, watching, waiting.

At last, the tribulation ceased.

The thunderclouds dispersed, sunlight spilled across the sky, and the figure that had turned from white to red vanished into the heavens.

“Did Senior Sister succeed in her Ascension?” someone asked.

Ordinary disciples felt nothing, but Jing Lingzhao, a Spirit Immortal who had already passed the Tribulation Stage, suddenly burst into joyful laughter.

He felt it—the barrier that had sealed off Ascension for their world had shattered under the power of the Divine Artifact!

After thousands of years, cultivators in this realm could ascend once more!

His disciple had gone ahead. Soon, he would follow.

It began with a single cheer, then the cheers echoed across the heavens. Some laughed and shouted, others bowed their heads and wept.

…

“Qian.”

Qian rubbed her eyes and woke up.

Was that thunder just now? So loud, she thought.

In front of her sat her beautiful mother—cool and distant, her face expressionless. She reached out a hand.

Qian instinctively tried to place her hand in hers, but quickly realized she no longer had hands. Confused, she floated upward, gently cradled in that outstretched palm.

“I never knew how to be your mother. I haven’t done well these past few years. But at least… I can help you one last time.”

“At the moment of Ascension, I’ll tear through the Barrier of Time and Space and send you to the place you most long for.”

To where your heart lingers, where your memories ache, where your regrets remain.

It felt like she was holding a tiny firefly lantern, walking through darkness—but within that darkness, colors swirled and danced.

Qian swayed, feeling herself drifting farther and farther away in those hands.

“Go.”

Qian wanted to call out to her, but no sound came.

The Fourteen-Sided Divine Dice flew from Gongxi Yue’s hand, soaring toward her.

Qian instinctively “grabbed” it—and the moment she did, she felt weight return to her. She began to fall.

Below, countless voices called out to her.

One voice stood out—clear, familiar.

“Qian, you’re back.”