Chapter 1970: Determination

On the way back, Zu An's divine sense entered the Glazed Pearl. Inside, the turbid, yellowish-brown water from the River of Oblivion still floated quietly in that space.

However, no matter how he tried, he couldn't control it as the War Priest had before.

Now proficient in the *Embracing Simplicity Scripture*, he had a good idea what was going on. Although the War Priest was dead, the mark it left on this drop of Oblivion River water remained. Zu An knew he had to first erase this mark and then refine it before it could become a magic artifact he could use.

Besides that, the War Priest's Soul-Summoning Banner had also been collected, but it seemed to be damaged from the backlash of the Purple Gold Alms Bowl and required significant effort to repair before it could be used again. While the item was somewhat sinister, a weapon itself held no inherent good or evil; it ultimately depended on its user.

The War Priest's War Formation Disk, however, was completely destroyed. It was unavoidable, given that Zu An's Divine Pattern Weaponry Manual had unleashed its full power.

As for the War Priest's corpse, it was originally his spoils of war, and no one would have dared to object if he kept it. But at this critical moment of the world's survival, he naturally wouldn't hoard it. Instead, he directly handed it over to the academy, allowing the court and the academy's elites to research it together, hoping to uncover more secrets about that demonic world.

He had originally hesitated whether to reveal the Glazed Pearl's enormous spatial capacity to store the War Priest's corpse. But then Yan Xiangu produced several Wind-Guiding Talismans and affixed them around the War Priest. The corpse was then dragged towards the academy as if by an invisible wind.

Zu An couldn't help but marvel, feeling that the way of runes was indeed vast and profound.

Although the War Priest dropped a lot of loot this time, Zu An couldn't feel happy looking at the fallen academy disciples. Not long ago, they were living people, each respectfully calling him "Libationer." He had only read about such situations in books before and found it hard to empathize, but at this moment, he finally understood how that felt.

He could foresee that in the near future, more academy disciples would sacrifice themselves, perhaps even friends he knew well. A profound sense of powerlessness washed over him at the thought.

These hateful demons! He had been enjoying a life of leisure, with beauties by his side and power in his hands, but they just had to come and cause trouble.

Along the way, Ji Xiaoxi was also very sad. No matter how her father tried to comfort her, she kept her head down, silently sobbing.

Ji Dengtu, left with no choice, approached Zu An: "Please go and comfort her. She's been incredibly worried these past few days and barely rested. If she remains in such an emotional state, she's bound to fall seriously ill."

Concerned for his precious daughter's health, he no longer worried about guarding against Zu An.

Trusting Ji Dengtu's judgment as a divine physician, Zu An went to Ji Xiaoxi and gently patted her shoulder: "Xiaoxi, don't be sad. The deceased are gone. If their spirits linger, they wouldn't want to see the little fairy they protected so heartbroken."

"I'm not a little fairy," Ji Xiaoxi mumbled, though her tears subsided significantly.

Zu An smiled: "You're beautiful and kind, always helping the sick and injured. In the eyes of those patients, you *are* a little fairy. Otherwise, why would they have risked their lives to protect you in such a situation?"

Ji Xiaoxi's neck flushed red upon hearing this. For a moment, she forgot to cry, twisting awkwardly, extremely embarrassed.

Ji Dengtu, standing nearby, rolled his eyes, thinking, *This boy is truly smooth-tongued. Xiaoxi is as pure as a blank sheet of paper; how could she withstand his tactics? No, I really must keep Xiaoxi away from him in the future.*

"Brother Zu, do people really have spirits after they die?" Ji Xiaoxi suddenly asked.

Zu An paused, then replied: "If it were before, I might not have been sure, but now it seems likely. The Oblivion River water that War Priest used came from the mythical Yellow Springs..."

"Yellow Springs?" Ji Xiaoxi blinked, her expression somewhat confused and adorable.

"Legend has it that after death, people go to the Underworld, where the Yama and Judges examine whether you've performed good deeds and accumulated virtue in your life. Those who have will be reincarnated into good families. Villains, however, will enter different levels of hell according to their sins, enduring endless torment and punishment before being deemed worthy of reincarnation. And before reincarnation, everyone must drink a bowl of Meng Po's Soup, which makes them forget their past lives. Legend says that Meng Po's Soup is primarily made from Oblivion River water, supplemented with various tears and medicinal ingredients..."

Zu An recalled various myths and legends from his past life and explained them to her.

Ji Xiaoxi's apricot eyes widened at times, and her small mouth slightly parted at others, clearly captivated. The other two academy disciples were equally attentive; it was a rare opportunity to be personally lectured by the Libationer.

Even Yan Xiangu and Ji Dengtu couldn't help but prick up their ears. While they had read about the legend of the River of Oblivion in some ancient texts, it was often only fragmented words, not nearly as detailed as Zu An's description. They wondered where he had learned all this.

Seeing everyone so serious, Zu An felt a bit awkward. He couldn't very well tell them that these were just legendary stories and shouldn't be taken literally.

However, on second thought, if Oblivion River water had actually appeared, were those legends really fake?

The group continued on for an unknown period when suddenly, a rapid clatter of hooves echoed, accompanied by a clear, melodious jingle.

Everyone looked up to see two women riding towards them. Although the maiden behind was also quite comely, everyone's attention was drawn to the woman in front.

Her skin was like congealed cream, her features picturesque. A crimson bindi adorned her forehead, and her exquisitely styled bun was adorned with various delicate and grand ornaments. The fabric and style of her dress clearly indicated a palace origin, and a mere glance naturally revealed an air of nobility and charm.

Exquisite jade pendants and ornaments hung from her waist; the melodious jingle they had just heard must have been produced by their collision as she rode.

Chang Tian, one of the academy disciples, felt his chest struck by a heavy hammer with just one look, his heart pounding wildly. Ji Xiaoxi was also beautiful, but hers was the gentle, harmless beauty of a docile girl next door. Coming from humble origins himself, he had some resistance to that type of beauty. In contrast, the noble and strikingly captivating beauty of the woman before him had a far greater impact, making her irresistible.

Mei Rou also felt inferior, as if the other woman was a swan in the clouds while she was the plainest ugly duckling on the ground. In her usual circles, she was considered decently attractive, and many had complimented her beauty. While she had marveled at Ji Xiaoxi's beauty, Ji Xiaoxi was too young, and Mei Rou instinctively saw her as a little sister, making it difficult for the natural competitiveness between women to arise. It wasn't until she compared herself to the woman before her that she understood what true beauty was.

"Greetings, Crown Princess," Yan Xiangu bowed slightly.

"Master Yan," Bi Linglong quickly dismounted and returned the bow. Given Yan Xiangu's status, she didn't strictly need to bow, but Bi Linglong knew better than to be impolite. Rong Mo, her maid, who was trailing behind and panting, also quickly dismounted.

Her gaze fell upon the enormous corpse of the War Priest nearby, and she couldn't help but look startled.

"So that's the Crown Princess, no wonder she's so noble and beautiful..." several young juniors murmured, somewhat lost in admiration.

Ji Dengtu, on the other hand, was fine. He preferred slightly more mature women, and recently, he seemed to prefer fictional characters from books. He wasn't sure if it was because Young Master Zu's stories were too well-written or something, but he had dreamed of Teacher Bai several times at night.

"Crown Princess, are you rushing for an urgent matter?" Yan Xiangu asked with some concern. "Tongluo Mountain ahead may still harbor dangers. It's best if the Crown Princess doesn't proceed further."

"Thank you, Master Yan. I sensed terrifying battle fluctuations from this direction, so I came to check on the situation." Bi Linglong subtly glanced at Zu An. Seeing that he didn't appear injured, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Yan Xiangu pointed to the War Priest's corpse: "This monster invaded just now, and Libationer fought a great battle with it. Libationer can tell the Crown Princess the details. Libationer, we'll go ahead and wait for you up front."

"Alright," Zu An couldn't have been more pleased.

A faint smile also touched Bi Linglong's lips. *Why didn't I realize before how understanding Master Yan is?*

Soon, Yan Xiangu led the others away. As Ji Xiaoxi left, she looked reluctantly at Zu An. After such a long separation, she didn't want to part with Brother Zu so soon, but since he had serious matters to discuss, she didn't voice any objections. At the same time, she secretly sighed, *The Crown Princess is truly beautiful.*

Once they had gone far enough, Bi Linglong let out a soft murmur and threw herself into Zu An's arms, hugging him tightly.

Seeing this, Rong Mo couldn't help but rub her forehead. *Miss is becoming increasingly unconcerned now.* However, while her mistress was unconcerned, she couldn't forget her duty. She quickly led the horses to a distance, vigilantly watching their surroundings to prevent anyone from approaching and witnessing the scene.

Zu An chuckled, holding the slender, soft body in his arms: "I'm fine. At my current cultivation, it's quite difficult for me to get injured."

"I just wanted to hold you like this," Bi Linglong said in a muffled voice, her face buried in his chest.

"What's wrong?" Zu An felt her jade arms wrapped tightly around him, as if she were afraid he might suddenly run away.

"Nothing, just let me hold you for a moment." Bi Linglong's voice trembled slightly, and she fell silent.

Zu An paused, then hugged her just as tightly.

After a long while, Bi Linglong finally straightened up slightly, a hint of embarrassment on her face, as if hiding something. She changed the subject: "Where did that monster come from? How could it be so powerful? Before, everyone in the capital was saying it was a Celestial Immortal fighting."

"Ah, an invading species from another world..." Zu An sighed and roughly explained what had happened here. Given her status, she would soon receive intelligence reports about this anyway.

"What?" Bi Linglong's expression shifted slightly. She had never imagined such a thing could happen. The long period of peace was likely about to change.

"You don't need to worry too much," Zu An comforted her. "As long as we prepare well, it won't be easy for those monsters to get through."

"I'm so useless. Every time something happens, I can't..."

In truth, she had been a prodigy since childhood, with excellent cultivation compared to her peers. But now, beside a genius like Zu An, and other top masters of the previous generation, she paled in comparison.

Zu An laughed wryly, not expecting that to be her main concern. So, he took a brocade box from his怀里 and placed it in her hand: "This is for you."

"What is it?" Bi Linglong paused.

"A Marrow Cleansing Pill. It can raise your cultivation aptitude by another level, allowing you to cultivate faster," Zu An explained. When they met in the small house on the academy mountain, their passion ignited like dry kindling, but then the Empress arrived and interrupted them, leaving no time to give it to her.

Bi Linglong hesitated: "Ah Zu, you might not know, but my aptitude was already measured as top-tier in the academy, and I've been nurtured with all sorts of elixirs since childhood. I'm afraid this pill won't have much effect on me."

Zu An shook his head: "No, this Marrow Cleansing Pill is useful. Even if your aptitude was already top-tier A-grade, it can still raise you another level."

"Ah, there's such a miraculous thing in the world?" Bi Linglong was somewhat shocked.

"Of course," Zu An chuckled. "Otherwise, why do you think I cultivate so quickly at such a young age?"

At that moment, Bi Linglong finally realized what secret he had just shared with her. Her eyes blurred for a moment. Overwhelmed with emotion, she threw herself into his arms again, directly standing on tiptoe to offer him a sweet kiss.

Zu An paused, but quickly wrapped his arms around her slender waist, passionately returning the kiss.

Rong Mo, watching from afar, could only turn away, letting out a soft hum: "The sour smell of love."

They kissed passionately for a long time before Bi Linglong reluctantly pulled away, her eyes full of affection, as if having made a decision:

"Ah Zu, no matter what happens from now on, I will always stand by your side!"

Zu An couldn't help but chuckle, gently pinching her smooth cheek: "Silly girl, you've always been on my side."

Bi Linglong pressed her lips together and shook her head, but she didn't explain.

*Silly big brother, you don't understand what I mean...*