novelzi Chapter 73
Chapter 73
Since Gu Jiang had incorporated the territory of the Ancient Law Sect into his own spatial domain, the Blood Moon Shadow and the mountains, rivers, and vegetation of this land had merged into one.
While demonic energy contaminated spiritual energy, the two had become inseparable. Originally, the spiritual and demonic energies in this region had reached a balance, but with the revival of spiritual energy across the world, this equilibrium was disrupted. The turbulence of spiritual energy affected the Blood Moon Shadow, and in turn, affected Gu Jiang.
This wave of spiritual energy fluctuations sweeping across the world was something even Gu Jiang could only go along with.
When he lazed on Nie Yinzhi's swing to sleep, his demonic energy unconsciously leaked out, melting the entire garden of the Nie family. The Blood Moon Shadow almost swallowed a servant who happened to be in the garden at the time.
His demonic energy fluctuated too violently, forcing him to leave the densely populated Yuan Province. Nie Yinzhi naturally couldn't let him go alone, so their wedding had to be postponed.
The Qianjiang Cliff outside the Floating Cloud River was a suitable place. Feng Hanying had initially planned to build the Demon Lord's palace there, so the cliff was heavily fortified with layers of restrictions, keeping out any unwanted visitors.
Now, the Demon Lord was busy leading his generals on campaigns, fighting with righteous cultivators over resources in secret realms, and accumulating wealth for the construction of the demonic domain. He was too occupied to return.
Nie Yinzhi followed Gu Jiang and moved into the Chongle Palace atop Qianjiang Cliff. While Gu Jiang was in seclusion, Nie Yinzhi wandered around the cliff, transforming it according to her preferences.
The entire cultivation world was experiencing chaotic seasons due to the turbulence of spiritual energy. On Qianjiang Cliff, both spiritual and demonic energies were exceptionally dense, creating a bizarre climate. One moment, the sun was shining brightly, but as soon as she crossed a suspension bridge, the weather suddenly turned gloomy. A fierce wind carrying chaotic spiritual and demonic energy blew, causing the bridge to sway violently.
Nie Yinzhi stood in the middle of the suspension bridge between two palaces, steadily stepping on the swaying planks as if walking on the crest of a wave. Her bright yellow dress fluttered wildly in the gloomy sky, resembling a sunflower dancing in the wind.
Holding a few plum blossoms in her hand, Nie Yinzhi gracefully leaped across the swaying bridge, landing on the cliffside. Before her feet could touch the ground, she was suddenly pulled into a tight embrace.
Sitting on his arm, Nie Yinzhi wrapped her hand holding the plum blossoms around his shoulder and looked down in surprise. "Why did you come out?"
The weather on Qianjiang Cliff was erratic. While the Chongle Palace was filled with the sound of cicadas, another palace ten miles away was covered in snow. Sometimes, the entire cliff would be draped in red maple leaves when she woke up, but after a short nap, the leaves would have fallen, and new buds would sprout on the bare branches.
In this land of chaotic seasons, Gu Jiang's demonic energy was also in constant turmoil, which must have been uncomfortable for him.
Gu Jiang smiled. "I thought you might be bored alone, so I came out to see you." The plum blossoms near his ear still carried snow crystals, emitting a faint, cold fragrance. "You really like flowers, don't you?"
"Mm." Nie Yinzhi wasn't actually bored, but she did miss him—so much. "The Chongle Palace is too hot. I wanted to pick some plum blossoms for a bath, but they wither so quickly. I only managed to gather these few branches."
Gu Jiang carried her back across the suspension bridge. The wind had stopped, and the bridge was calm again, but the surrounding air was heavy with moisture, as if the river below the cliff had evaporated, creating a thick fog that shrouded everything in a misty haze.
"It might take about three more months for this land to absorb the surging spiritual energy. After that, everything will return to normal."
Nie Yinzhi gently touched his cheek. "Then you'll be better too?" His complexion didn't look good, and his lips were pale. This man, who had stood at the pinnacle of the cultivation world since their first meeting, sometimes seemed as fragile as the plum blossoms in her hand—still in full bloom, yet always on the verge of withering.
"Mm." Gu Jiang nuzzled her fingertips.
Nie Yinzhi obediently let him carry her as they slowly made their way back to the plum grove. The snow in the palace had melted, leaving the ground wet and muddy, with fallen petals mixed into the mud. New buds sprouted on the damp branches.
As Gu Jiang walked into the plum grove, the trees rapidly grew new leaves, sprouted buds, and bloomed.
Gu Jiang helped her pick a basket of petals, varying in shades of pink, and then led her back to the Chongle Palace. They scattered the fresh plum petals into the pool, and as the hot water steamed, the room filled with the fragrance of plum blossoms.
She had come here because the Blood Moon Shadow had merged with this land. If Gu Jiang had chosen this place, he must have liked it. Though a thousand years had passed, and the Gu family was no more.
Soon, magical treasures and talismans filled the sky, and waves of demonic energy spread across the plains, clashing with spiritual energy.
The battle ended quickly. The overwhelming pressure of a Great Ascension cultivator spread across the plains, catching the righteous cultivators off guard. They soon retreated.
Nie Yinzhi stood high in the clouds, looking down at the retreating righteous cultivators and the demonic cultivators bowing at her feet. For a moment, she understood Feng Hanying's ambitious drive.
She couldn't help but touch her wrist. Although the forest hadn’t fully grown, she had subtly achieved the grand ambition she once had of trampling the entire cultivation world under her feet.
Nie Yinzhi basked in her pride for a while, but when she saw the faint traces of the blood moon amidst the chaotic spiritual energy, she immediately tossed aside any thoughts of unifying the cultivation world. All she wanted now was to return to Qianjiang Cliff and hold the precious one she had hidden away in her golden nest.
The demon generals followed behind her, their eyes practically engraved with the phrase "strength reigns supreme." They seemed eager to switch allegiances, fawning over her as they escorted her back to Qianjiang Cliff.
From a distance, at the outer hall of Qianjiang Cliff, a figure stood on the rooftop. Nie Yinzhi waved off the demon generals behind her, stepped onto her spiritual sword, and swiftly dashed through the barrier. She leaped off the sword and threw herself into Gu Jiang's arms.
The demon generals observed for a moment, exchanged glances, and finally understood. These two were only intermittently ambitious. Since ancient times, the allure of soft jade and warm fragrance had always been the greatest demotivator. Only Feng Hanying still harbored grand aspirations.
By the time the spiritual energy in the cultivation world had completely dispersed into the mountains and rivers, the atmosphere finally calmed down. As Gu Jiang had predicted, it took a full three months.
In the mortal realm, it was already the end of the year.
A grand wedding in the Nie family of Yuan Province marked the beginning of the new spring. Following their parents' wishes, they held the ceremony according to mortal customs, and the entire city's liveliness seemed to converge there.
The snow in the courtyard had melted from the bustling crowd, leaving only the rooftops still blanketed in white. Nie Yinzhi, dressed in crimson and gold wedding robes, leaned against Gu Jiang's shoulder, watching the bursts of fireworks overhead.
"What I said before doesn’t count anymore," she murmured.
Gu Jiang tilted his head to look at her. "Hmm?"
The drop of heart’s blood in Nie Yinzhi’s spiritual core warmed slightly. "Brother, when you gave me your heart’s blood, was it just to protect me, or was there something else?"
Gu Jiang stared into her eyes, illuminated by the fireworks, and blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Nie Yinzhi glared at him for a moment, then puffed out her cheeks in frustration. "Never mind, then."
She stood up, ready to jump off the roof, but Gu Jiang grabbed her waist and pulled her back, holding her tightly against him. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he chuckled amidst the crackling fireworks. "It also means I want you to stay with me for a very, very long time—longer than seven hundred and eighty-two years and one month."
Nie Yinzhi suppressed the smile tugging at her lips, feeling a bit teased. She huffed, "I’ll have to think about it."
"Too bad. The heart’s blood is already yours. You can’t return it," Gu Jiang said, yawning as he carried her down from the roof. "We have plenty of time. You can think about it while you sleep."
Nie Yinzhi pressed her hand against the demon lord’s chest, unconsciously rubbing it. "Well, I suppose that’s not entirely out of the question."
After all, she also wanted a very, very long time.
[End of Main Text]