Chapter 977: Ling Shu Returns

A long crack appeared on his Nascent Soul's heart. This didn't seem to be caused by an external injury; rather, it appeared to have stemmed from mixed emotions during the tribulation. He tried to examine the crack with his mind. As a result, his chest ached faintly, and an inexplicable sadness welled up within him.

He understood. This was a heart wound. He had undergone the tribulation while carrying his sorrow for Ling Shu. On the verge of death, he had rallied due to self-reproach over Ling Shu's passing. Therefore, his Nascent Soul was born with a trace of a wound.

Jiang Fan clenched his fists, feeling a power he had never known, yet there was no joy in his heart. Instead, only endless regret.

"This power came too late," he murmured. "If I had possessed it earlier, Ling Shu wouldn't have called out 'Brother' as she left in my arms. She could have kept calling, kept calling. And I would have answered forever."

A mountain breeze swept through, bone-chilling. Even Jiang Fan's heart felt a cold emptiness. Just then, he noticed a small pink flower had appeared at his feet. He was slightly stunned. How could there be a flower in the desolate snowfield? The wind gently blew, carrying a faint, familiar fragrance. Jiang Fan took a light sniff; his body stiffened, and his pupils contracted sharply. Because this was Ling Shu's scent. But how was that possible?

"Brother."

Just then, a soft call came from behind him. His soul trembled violently. He couldn't believe what he had heard. That was Ling Shu's voice! It was Ling Shu! Was this an illusion? Or a side effect of his Nascent Soul's wound? How could he hear the deceased Ling Shu calling out? As his mind reeled, the voice from behind him came again.

"Didn't you say you would always answer me?"

At this moment, Jiang Fan felt an impact on his soul far greater than the Boundless Blood Tribulation. He slowly turned his head. A slender figure in a light green long dress stood behind him, with her hands clasped behind her back. In the gentle breeze, her long hair brushed her bare shoulders, and the hem of her skirt gently fluttered. She stood there, quietly looking at Jiang Fan, a faint smile on her lips, just as when they first met.

Jiang Fan's throat was choked; he wanted to say something but couldn't utter a single word. His feet felt like lead as he laboriously walked toward her. He reached out, cautiously touching her arm. His heart pounded wildly, fearing it was all an illusion. It wasn't until the warm, soft touch registered that Jiang Fan's heart, which had been threatening to leap out of his throat, finally settled. It was her! It was really her!

Jiang Fan pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. Her familiar soft body, her familiar scent. It was as if time had flowed back to the moment before her death.

"Brother, you're hurting me," Ling Shu's voice came from within his embrace.

But Jiang Fan didn't let go, fearing it was a dream that would vanish if he released her. Ling Shu looked up and then realized Jiang Fan's eyes were already moist. Her heart also ached, and she allowed Jiang Fan to hold her tightly, wrapping her own arms around his waist. With tear-filled eyes, she murmured, "I'm sorry, Brother Jiang Fan. Ling Shu was willful. If I had known Brother would be so sad if Ling Shu left, I would have lived well. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm truly sorry." Overwhelmed with self-reproach, she shed tears of regret.

Jiang Fan finally confirmed that the person in his arms was Ling Shu. A living Ling Shu! His heart, which had been suffocated by regret, found liberation at this moment. He cradled Ling Shu's much-thinner face and gazed deeply at her. Ling Shu looked at the much-haggard Jiang Fan, feeling even more self-reproach. "Brother Jiang Fan, I... hmm..."

Jiang Fan lowered his head and kissed her. Ling Shu's body stiffened, her small hands tightly gripping Jiang Fan's back, her mind a blank. It wasn't until she felt the intensity of Jiang Fan's passion and his fear of losing her again, that tears welled up again, and she stood on her tiptoes, actively reciprocating.

After a long moment, their lips parted. Jiang Fan looked at the slightly breathless, flushed girl before him, and a long-lost smile finally appeared on his face.

"You're not allowed to leave me again from now on."

Ling Shu wiped away her tears and nodded heavily, "Mmm, I won't be willful anymore. I won't make Brother sad for me again."

Jiang Fan felt an unprecedented joy. His spirits soared as if transported from hell to the human world. This experience of losing and then regaining, of great sorrow turning into great joy, made him feel reborn. At this point, he finally asked, "Right, what exactly happened? I clearly buried you."

Ling Shu quickly explained, "Before I was forced to marry the Sky Demon Emperor, didn't I go around begging for help? I asked Priestess Lingyin, but she didn't see me; she only had Priestess Yaoyue give me a cup of tea. It was that tea that caused my body to enter a state of suspended animation. After you buried me and left, Lingyin brought me back."

As she said this, she embraced Jiang Fan with a heavy heart, leaning deeply into his embrace, and continued, "My body died, but my consciousness remained. I watched Brother cry for me, watched him tell me to wait a little longer, and watched him despairingly place me in the coffin. But I couldn't stop it. I'm sorry, Brother, Ling Shu didn't mean to hurt your heart."

Jiang Fan gently patted her back, resting his chin on her head, a gentle, serene smile on his face. "I don't blame you. Your return is a gift from heaven; you saved me, and I'm deeply grateful."

He paused, then asked, "Since you came back to life so long ago, why didn't you come find me? I was at your grave, on that grassland, fulfilling our promise with your empty tomb."

Ling Shu said shamefully, "Priestess Lingyin wouldn't let me go. She said that if it was for my own good, she wanted me to endure it. She told me to wait until you had completed your tribulation to see you."

Lingyin? Jiang Fan completely failed to understand this mysterious woman. What exactly did she want to do?

Just then, the aura of the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Secrets and others approached from afar. Ling Shu quickly let go of Jiang Fan, brushed her hair, and looked into his eyes, saying, "I know, Brother's sadness might not have been due to deep feelings for me. It was more because Brother is kind-hearted and couldn't accept my dying beside you. But I will try my best to occupy a place in Brother's heart, just like Sister Yunxia."

Jiang Fan gently rubbed her head, his eyes full of affection. After this experience, Ling Shu had already secured a deeply significant place in his heart. Unforgettable for the rest of his life.

The Pavilion Master of Heavenly Secrets, Demon Emperor Nuxin, and Demon Emperor Sihai arrived, each with their people. When they saw Ling Shu, they were all stunned speechless. The deceased person had actually revived? Ling Shu smiled sweetly, bowing slightly, and said, "Everyone, I made you worry. As for the details, perhaps Brother Jiang Fan can explain everything to you after he has met Priestess Lingyin? For now, let's quietly wait for Brother Jiang Fan to complete the final stage of his tribulation, shall we?"

She looked up at the sky. A small cluster of dark clouds still hovered in the air, not yet dispersed. Everyone became curious. It must be the stage where the will of the Ancient Saint bestows a Daoist title upon Jiang Fan.