Chapter 1279: Suí Hóu Zhū

Upon hearing this tale from the past, Zu'an and Qiao Heng were deeply moved, yet they managed to remain composed.

The other women, however, were brought to tears, imagining how wonderful it would be to be loved by such a devoted man—one whose instincts would compel him to protect and cherish them, even if he lost his mind.

Yan Xuehen practiced the art of Supreme Emotionlessness, which should have prevented her emotions from fluctuating due to sentiment. However, ever since meeting Zu'an, her state of emotionlessness had been utterly shattered. Consequently, she was now more sentimental than an average person. Hearing this story, she even felt her eyes welling up.

Even Yun Jianyue, a notorious figure, felt a softening in her heart, though she was unwilling to show it. Instead, she scoffed lightly, "What's all this talk of love making people weak? It only dulls my blade."

Having spent so much time together, Yu Yanluo and Yan Xuehen were already accustomed to Yun Jianyue's feigned indifference and proud nature, so they simply ignored her.

Zu'an, however, was more concerned with another matter: "Where exactly did Marquis Sui find that Three-Three Flower?"

It was well known that even Emperor Qin Shi Huang, who lived not long after Marquis Sui and employed the entire nation's resources, couldn't find a single trace of the elixir of immortality. Yet, centuries earlier, a man as deranged as Marquis Sui supposedly found it?

The woman shook her head. "I don't know how he found it. At that time, I was already on my deathbed, and he had lost the ability to speak. He was simply holding the flower, extremely excited, but I noticed the black mist around him had grown thicker... Soon after, I was sealed away by the Primeval Spirit Dew."

Not receiving a perfectly reasonable answer paradoxically put Zu'an at ease; if the explanation had been too flawless, he would have suspected it was carefully fabricated.

But she mentioned the black mist had grown thicker. Did that mean he had fallen deeper into demonic possession?

Unfortunately, she wouldn't reveal what incident led to Marquis Sui's demonic possession.

"How many years have you spent here?" Yu Yanluo asked softly. Due to their similar bloodlines, she felt an instant kinship and empathized with the woman's plight, sealed alone in a jade coffin for so many years. She couldn't imagine the loneliness.

The woman looked at Yu Yanluo, surprise in her eyes. She clearly sensed the similar bloodline. "I don't know," she replied. "I know it's been a very, very long time. But Marquis Sui often came to the jade coffin to be with me. Even though he couldn't speak, that was enough."

"Could you sense what was happening outside the Divine Origin Stone?" Yan Xuehen asked curiously. Though she was a Grandmaster, she had only heard legends of the Divine Origin Stone and had never seen anything sealed within it that was still alive.

The woman shook her head slightly. "Not accurately. It was more like dreaming; often, I couldn't tell if it was real or an illusion. However, in recent years, as the Three-Three Flower gradually matured, nourished by its vital essence, my consciousness began to subtly awaken."

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue exchanged subtle nods; this experience was quite valuable to them.

Princess Changning, standing nearby, was considerably displeased. Since the woman had been revived, didn't that mean the Three-Three Flower had already been consumed by her?

They had fought all this way, losing so many comrades, only for their efforts to be in vain.

Yu Yanluo and Princess Suolong, however, felt a sense of relief. The immortality flower was originally meant for the woman by Marquis Sui. Compared to the flower itself, the devotion of a love that spanned millennia touched them more deeply.

Zu'an asked in a deep voice, "You were sealed by the Divine Origin Stone and revived by the Three-Three Flower, but what about him? How could he have survived all these long years?"

"Of course he couldn't have lived through all these years," the woman replied, a trace of sorrow on her face, "because he died a long, long time ago."

"Dead?" Although Zu'an had already suspected as much, everyone's expressions changed drastically upon hearing it. What, then, was that entity that had just been rampaging?

Tears welled in the woman's eyes. "After he fell into demonic possession, his life force was already weak. Then, finding the Three-Three Flower and Primeval Spirit Dew for me completely drained his remaining vitality. The only reason outsiders saw him as 'alive' was because he was sustained by the demonic energy around him. Perhaps his strong desire to wait for the Three-Three Flower to revive me also kept him going."

Could that black demonic energy actually sustain a life for so long?

Everyone was a little excited. How many powerful individuals in this world had gone to great lengths in pursuit of immortality? If those ancient, dying figures knew of such a thing, wouldn't they go mad?

However, they quickly calmed down. Although the demonic energy could allow a person to exist for a very long time, it meant losing one's consciousness, retaining only instincts and past obsessions. Could that truly be called immortality?

Zu'an, feeling a touch of apology, said, "So, by that logic, I just killed him."

The black energy around the monster was now so thin it was almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

Without the sustenance of the demonic energy, his entire being visibly weakened.

Before the woman could answer, a dry, raspy voice spoke, "No, you freed me."

It was as if he hadn't spoken in an incredibly long time, and the act itself was unfamiliar.

Everyone was startled. Had the monster just spoken?

The woman was equally surprised and overjoyed. "My love, you... you've regained consciousness?"

Her voice trembled, fearing that everything before her was merely an illusion.

The man smiled gently at her, then, with her help, struggled to sit up. "Ever since I fell into demonic possession, I've wished for death, but couldn't end it myself. My mind was consumed by endless suffering. Thanks to your wondrous light, you actually managed to dispel the evil from me."

As he spoke, his body visibly withered at an alarming rate, as if he were being... weathered away.

"My love!" The stunning woman clearly understood that this was merely her beloved's last flicker of life. Grief welled up within her.

Zu'an looked at the flashlight in his hand, amazed that such an ordinary object could have such a profound effect.

Marquis Sui casually tossed an ancient scroll of animal hide towards Zu'an. "Now I possess nothing of value, and the Three-Three Flower was used to save Yu'er. So, please accept this treasure map, which I acquired many years ago, as repayment for your kindness in saving me."

Zu'an caught it effortlessly, immediately sensing the extraordinary quality of the animal hide. However, the mention of a treasure map made his head ache. Not long ago, the Daoist Wu Liang had also peddled a so-called treasure map, which led them into all these dangers.

Marquis Sui then turned to the woman. "I haven't seen a sunrise in millennia. Will you watch one last sunrise with me?"

The woman was already weeping uncontrollably, unable to speak, but she nodded silently.

None of those present were weak, and they naturally sensed that Marquis Sui was indeed nearing his end, so there was no need to obstruct him.

Just before leaving, the woman suddenly remembered something. She turned back and pulled Yu Yanluo aside. "I sense that your bloodline is quite similar to mine, though it seems to lack a trace of divinity. This bead is of no use to me now, so I entrust it to you. I hope you will pass it down through the generations."

As she spoke, she produced a perfectly spherical, luminous pearl. It resembled a pearl but was far larger, and a faint, ethereal mist emanated from it. Even from a distance, one could sense the immense power contained within.

"This is..." Yu Yanluo was stunned, utterly unprepared for such a magnificent gift.

The other women in the distance also noticed the situation, secretly wondering if this bead could be...

At that moment, the woman explained, "Our Nuwa clan is small, almost always passing down through a single lineage. After death, each successive descendant seals their soul and cultivation within their body's spirit pearl, so that future generations can inherit and cultivate from it. Within our clan, we call it the Sacred Spirit Pearl. Outsiders know it as the Spirit Snake Pearl or the Luminous Moon Pearl, but it eventually became most widely known as the Marquis Sui Pearl."

"The Marquis Sui Pearl!" Recalling the earlier murals, Princess Changning in the distance was practically consumed by jealousy. She had toiled for so long, and yet there was no elixir of immortality for her, nor any share of the Marquis Sui Pearl. How could all the benefits fall to others?

Yu Yanluo, however, hastily refused. "This is far too precious; I cannot accept it."

The beautiful woman sighed. "I cannot allow our clan's legacy to end with me, and I have no descendants of my own. Your bloodline is the most suitable for it."

Concerned about her husband's deteriorating condition, she had no time for persuasion and simply pressed the Marquis Sui Pearl into Yu Yanluo's hand.

Then, cradling Marquis Sui, whose body seemed on the verge of disintegrating, she lightly pushed off with her toes, and their figures vanished into the distance.