Female Lead, Something's Not Right (GL) - Chapter 22

Gu Shiyan!

Shen Shu was horrified. Disregarding everything else, she quickly diverted her spiritual energy to check on Gu Shiyan. Because her heart-blood was inside Gu Shiyan, she could easily sense the girl’s condition. A vision appeared in her mind of Gu Shiyan, like a person made of blood, lying on the ground, life or death unknown. Shen Shu instantly realized the cause.

It was her own heart-blood causing the disaster!

Not everyone could withstand the blood of a divine dragon. Shen Shu had already suppressed the drop of essence blood. She had intended to wait until the Suzaku Tower affair was over to slowly guide Gu Shiyan to absorb it. But something had gone wrong, and the essence blood had directly fused with Gu Shiyan’s dantian.

Even a Soul Transformation cultivator wouldn’t dare to fuse with it directly, let alone a Qi Refining disciple with mixed spiritual roots. Shen Shu couldn’t imagine the pain Gu Shiyan was currently suffering. At this moment, she only wanted to return to the young girl immediately.

“Shen Shu!”

The ball of blazing flame was only a step away from Shen Shu. At this critical moment, she was distracted and motionless. Lu Ran was anxious, not knowing what she was doing. Yu Kong was above the seal, suppressing the surging turbid energy, and he and Zhao Feixue were surrounded by Spirit-Devouring Scorpions, unable to spare any effort to help her.

In a moment of sheer peril, the Floating Light Sword blocked Shen Shu, emitting a dazzling cold light. Shen Shu, with a cold expression, used one hand to control the sword’s frost to counter the scorching fire.

At the same time, she channeled her spiritual energy into the seed Gu, slowly extending it into Gu Shiyan’s body.

Outside the Alchemy Division, Chu Ning’s hands were trembling. She didn’t dare to touch Gu Shiyan, who was curled up on the ground. In a panic, she took a Foundation-Stabilizing Pill from her storage bag and put it into Gu Shiyan’s mouth.

“Xiao Wan! Wait for me! I’ll go get a physician!” Chu Ning hurriedly got up and left.

In the darkness, Gu Shiyan was suffering the pain of her spiritual energy exploding. Her lips were already bitten and cracked. She was agonizing at the brink of death, without even the strength to cry out. If not for the faint rise and fall of her chest, her pale face would lead one to believe she was lifeless.

“Follow my spiritual energy. Guide the rampant spiritual energy in your dantian to your four limbs, and then slowly return it to your dantian.”

While fighting the Fire Bear demon, Shen Shu split her attention to send a voice transmission to Gu Shiyan and transfer spiritual power to protect her dantian.

“True Monarch…” Her voice was weak and faint, but it weighed heavily on Shen Shu’s ears.

“Do as I say.”

“What is she doing! Does she have a death wish!” The usually solemn Zhao Feixue also frowned, seeing Shen Shu’s state in mid-air.

Her face grew paler and paler. The ball of blazing fire was gradually forcing back the frost. As the flame drew nearer, Shen Shu’s complexion paled a bit more. Despite this crucial moment of life and death, she had entered a meditative state, and the spiritual energy on her body was rapidly disappearing.

Lu Ran, seeing the situation, threw a Body-Protecting Talisman into the air. “I’ll take over here!” He then flew forward to resist the Fire Bear demon’s continued attacks.

The storm within her dantian calmed down for a moment. Her consciousness returned, and Gu Shiyan wiggled her fingers. No! She couldn’t give up. She finally had a chance to live a good life in this lifetime; she couldn’t give up so easily. Gu Shiyan endured the pain and circulated her spiritual energy according to Shen Shu’s instructions.

Shen Shu’s pure, milky-white spiritual energy led the way. Gu Shiyan’s three-colored mixed spiritual roots followed behind, circling the storm in her dantian in fine threads. It swept along her heart meridian, passed through her internal organs, flowed over her fingertips, gathered in her arms, and finally circulated back into her dantian.

Whenever the fierce and wild spiritual energy threatened to damage Gu Shiyan’s muscles and bones, Shen Shu’s spiritual power would tangle with it and restrain it, then gently warm and nourish every inch of her skin, hair follicles, muscles, and bones.

As this cycle repeated, Gu Shiyan’s previously ruptured skin slowly healed. The discomfort of the spiritual energy overload was replaced by a pleasant sensation, like being enveloped by flowing warm spring water. Endless spiritual energy was continuously regenerated. The internal circulation became increasingly rapid, and the sixth stage of Qi Refining she had just broken through that day began to subtly waver again.

“Find an uninhabited place, stabilize your dantian, and prepare to break through.” Shen Shu’s voice was a little hoarse and sounded strained.

Gu Shiyan didn’t hesitate and quickly went to the Alchemy Room. A good number of disciples were still in secluded cultivation there.

“A small private room, three days.” The slowest Qi Refining breakthrough usually only took a day. This situation was truly special. Gu Shiyan thought for a moment, and to ensure against any sudden incidents—as a breakthrough cannot be interrupted or disturbed, which could easily lead to spiritual energy disorder and damage to the spiritual roots—she tossed down a hundred low-grade spirit stones to ease her mind.

The caretaker monk looked at Gu Shiyan in surprise but said nothing, handing over the token. However, after Gu Shiyan had walked away, he touched his chin, and showed a hint of greed in his eyes.

Just as Gu Shiyan entered the alchemy room and was about to sit down, Shen Shu’s voice came again.

“There is a defensive array in the storage bag. Place it on the door to ensure you are undisturbed during your breakthrough. Ugh!” Before Shen Shu could finish speaking, there was a heavy groan, and then silence.

“True Monarch?”

Gu Shiyan felt a surge of worry, but at the moment, she was in dire straits herself. She had no choice but to push the worry aside and, without being overly sentimental, took out the array from the storage bag Shen Shu had given her, sat cross-legged, and began her breakthrough.

•••••

Suzaku Tower, Tianyan Dark River

After Shen Shu’s Floating Light Sword shattered the Fire Bear demon’s full-force attack, rocks from the ceiling began to crash down. Yu Kong, holding a golden lotus, suppressed the turbid energy and retreated back into the abyss. Just when they thought they were safe, the magma dark river began to churn violently, and the entire environment shook with earth-shattering force.

The turbid energy, with the unstoppable force of a thunderbolt, broke through the golden lotus seal and plunged into the magma. A sharp, mournful bird cry suddenly erupted. A crimson suzaku with completely black eyes and a mouth filled with turbid energy was reborn from the ashes, stirring up massive waves.

“It’s Suzaku!” Zhao Feixue shouted, taking out a top-grade defensive artifact, the Hunyuan Umbrella, to block the attack while retreating rapidly.

As soon as the suzaku appeared, its sharp claws instantly tore the Fire Bear demon to shreds. Huge rocks continued to fall. The group scattered to dodge. In the midst of this, Shen Shu was struck by a massive rock, flying several yards. Her connection with Gu Shiyan was forcibly severed. The spiritual energy she hadn’t had time to recall immediately backflowed, delivering a heavy blow to her dantian.

A coppery taste surged up Shen Shu’s throat, but she suppressed it.

Lu Ran was horrified. “The Tower Suppressing Divine Beast’s soul has been corrupted by the turbid energy! Retreat first!”

Zhao Feixue anxiously argued, “The seal hasn’t been repaired. We have a serious responsibility; how can we retreat!”

“Feixue! Now is not the time to be reckless. A sudden change has occurred, and the plan has been disrupted. Going now will not only fail to repair the seal but will also lead to pointless death! We leave first, and once the Suzaku’s soul stabilizes, we will make further plans!” Lu Ran finished speaking and anxiously looked in Shen Shu’s direction.

“You all leave first. I will follow shortly.”

Yu Kong raised her hand and tore off the white veil covering her eyes. Her golden pupils partially opened. As she chanted, streams of golden light transformed into Sanskrit script, converging to form a Demon-Subduing Pestle engraved with a magic spell.

The tip of the Pestle formed a giant golden array, which, with the crushing pressure of ten thousand jin, pressed down on the Suzaku’s soul, which was attempting to emerge from the magma river, forcing it back to the riverbed.

The Suzaku’s soul fought against the Pestle. Although the Suzaku had turbid energy within it, it was a divine beast and a symbol of auspiciousness. The power of the Demon-Subduing Pestle was greatly reduced. The Suzaku spat out a mouthful of True Samadhi Fire, like a volcanic eruption. Under the high temperature, the others had to use their immortal artifacts and retreat first.

The group fled in disarray, their top-grade defensive immortal artifacts already melted and damaged.

“Where is Shen Shu!”

Lu Ran finally realized that Shen Shu was still inside the cave. Just as he was about to go back, a tremendous roar echoed.

Rumble!

Giant rocks rolled down, blocking the underground entrance to the Suzaku Tower.