Chapter 65 - 40: Can We Start Over

Long Yan couldn’t help but look at Ye Zhaozhao.

He had given up everything for Ye Zhaozhao. It was time for her to do something for him!

He absolutely refused to become a senseless, unaware soul body again!

Li Shuang had been able to nurture him to this point; Ye Zhaozhao surely could too.

But Long Yan had some idea of Ye Zhaozhao’s true character.

He had always believed that he was special to Ye Zhaozhao, different from everyone else. He was the only one who had truly seen her dark side.

He even found her maliciousness... a little cute.

But now.

That same dark side he once found so cute now filled him with dread.

Ye Zhaozhao...

She really was capable of doing the kind of thing Luo Mingyue had described.

Long Yan could feel the Muddy Qi still slowly building within him. If this dragged on any longer, he feared he would be unable to escape the fate of Void Transformation!

"Zhaozhao!" Long Yan cried, his face contorted in pain. "I’m begging you, don’t abandon me. Please, save me."

All eyes turned to Ye Zhaozhao once more.

Ye Zhaozhao wanted to cry but couldn’t shed a tear. Gritting her teeth, she said, "I... I’ll try again!"

And so, Ye Zhaozhao tried again.

Ever since she transmigrated, her life had been smooth sailing. The Spiritual Power that others spent years bitterly cultivating to obtain, she could get from Li Shuang with ease.

This time.

This was the first time she had ever truly encountered the hardships of cultivation.

Ye Zhaozhao failed seven or eight times in a row. A piercing pain shot through her meridians with each attempt, and her face turned a deathly pale.

She silently cursed Li Shuang, Long Yan, the people of Lingxu Peak, and the entire Sword Sect more times than she could count. Finally, she succeeded.

A wisp of Sword Qi sparked from her fingertip.

"That’s too much Sword Qi. Pull some of it back," Li Shuang instructed.

Ye Zhaozhao snapped her head toward her.

Li Shuang’s expression was placid. "The Sword Spirit’s body is too weak. It can’t withstand that much."

Gritting her teeth against the pain, Ye Zhaozhao had no choice but to retract some of it.

"Good. Next time, add one more wisp than you did just now," Li Shuang continued to direct.

Sharp Spiritual Power rampaged through her meridians, but to maintain her image, Ye Zhaozhao could only grit her teeth and bear it.

An infinite resentment toward Long Yan began to fester in her heart.

’If this were a one-time thing, it would be tolerable. But this useless thing, Long Yan, could start producing Muddy Qi anytime, anywhere in the future.’

’Doesn’t that mean I’ll have to live with this kind of pain for the rest of my life?’

Ye Zhaozhao felt like she was going to lose her mind.

She was certain now.

’Li Shuang definitely threw this Wasted Sword Spirit at me on purpose, and I actually fell for it!’

As Ye Zhaozhao channeled her Sword Qi again and again, her expression grew increasingly, uncontrollably ugly.

But she was too slow. The Muddy Qi in Long Yan continued to proliferate.

"Zhaozhao, hurry up! My Spiritual Body is about to collapse," Long Yan urged, his voice frantic.

Ye Zhaozhao shot him a murderous glare!

’I’m in so much pain, and this Long Yan still has the gall to rush me!’

"Long Yan, that’s enough! Can’t you see Zhaozhao is in agony?" Chang Le’an couldn’t help but shout angrily.

"Didn’t Little Frost endure this same pain thousands, even millions of times?" Liu Juncheng said, raising an eyebrow. "And wasn’t it Ye Zhaozhao who kept insisting that Little Frost abandoned Long Yan, while she was the pure, kind soul who took him in? Someone so pure and kind surely ought to be able to endure a little pain, right?"

"Oh no, surely not? Giving up already?" Luo Mingyue blinked. "It seems some people’s kindness has its limits, then."

"You..." Chang Le’an was so furious he started to get up to argue.

Ye Zhaozhao’s face was chalk-white. "Third Senior Brother, it’s alright. I can do it..."

Having come this far, Ye Zhaozhao decided to see the act through to the very end.

If she played her part until the end, she could still maintain her public image and maybe even garner some sympathy.

Otherwise, she would suffer a double loss, having given up so much for nothing.

"I... I can keep going..." Ye Zhaozhao said, forcing herself to channel her Sword Qi once more.

But...

She had taken too long. Long Yan’s Spiritual Body could no longer hold out.

Before the Muddy Qi could be completely purged, Long Yan let out a wretched scream as his body slowly began to turn ethereal.

In the end, only a transparent soul body remained, standing there with an expression of pure resentment.

"What a pity," Li Shuang sighed. "Junior Sister Ye, if only you’d been a fraction faster, Long Yan might not have lost his physical form."

But her eyes were ice-cold.

’With Ye Zhaozhao’s half-baked skills, she was destined to suffer, and Long Yan was destined to undergo Void Transformation.’

’Ye Zhaozhao and Long Yan’s karmic retribution was arriving, bit by bit.’

’And I will stand on the shore and watch them fall into the abyss.’

Long Yan stared at his now-transparent body, an expression of utter devastation on his face.

Ye Zhaozhao’s expression was just as foul. ’I went through all that pain, and this piece of trash still lost his physical form!’

’Was all my effort for nothing?’

"Little Junior Sister, first finish purging the last of the Muddy Qi," Shen Yue reminded her with a sigh.

Though resentful, Ye Zhaozhao put on an obedient expression and complied. She purged the final wisp of Muddy Qi, but by then Long Yan had completely lost his physical form, his power diminished by an unknown, but certainly massive, amount.

"There. I trust Junior Sister Ye has now mastered the art of Sword Qi Washing Spirit. The next time Muddy Qi appears, you just need to repeat this process," Li Shuang said placidly. "By my estimation, that will be within the next three months. You should be prepared, Junior Sister Ye. However, the bond between you and Long Yan is so moving it could shake heaven and earth. I’m sure you’ll nurture him well, no matter the cost."

"As his useless former master, I only managed to barely nurture him into a physical form. You, Junior Sister Ye, are a peerless talent. It’s not impossible that the two of you could one day achieve Human and Sword Unity and align with the Heavenly Dao. So I’ll be the first to congratulate you. May you two be locked together forever."

’Human and Sword Unity? Align with the Heavenly Dao?’

Long Yan and Ye Zhaozhao exchanged a look, and each saw a flicker of resentment in the other’s eyes.

Long Yan resented Ye Zhaozhao’s uselessness, which had cost him his physical form.

Ye Zhaozhao resented Long Yan for being a Wasted Sword Spirit, forcing her to endure such immense pain.

Li Shuang just watched quietly.

’Long Yan, a Sword Spirit, had developed feelings for Ye Zhaozhao. For her, he had even gone so far as to betray me.’

’But could it be that his feelings were already beginning to fade so soon?’

’Was he already beginning to resent Ye Zhaozhao?’

’How utterly... ridiculous.’

"Alright, the Muddy Qi has been purged. If there’s nothing else, you can all leave now," Luo Mingyue said, already shooing them away.

Long Yan floated in the air, but did not move.

A realization dawned on him. ’If I were truly a peerless Sword Spirit, it wouldn’t matter. I could thrive with anyone as my master.’

’But as it turns out... I’m just a Wasted Sword Spirit.’

’If I stay with Ye Zhaozhao, I’m afraid it won’t be long before I’m completely corrupted by Muddy Qi.’

’Only Li Shuang can lead me back to my peak.’

Long Yan looked at Li Shuang with pleading eyes. "I... I didn’t know you had done so much for me. There have been so, so many misunderstandings between us. But misunderstandings can always be cleared up. Can we... start over?"

Long Yan stared intently at Li Shuang.

He was certain.

’Li Shuang must care for me.’

’Otherwise, she wouldn’t have done all these things for my sake.’

’After thirteen years together, I refuse to believe she feels nothing for me at all!’

"Long Yan!!!"

Before Li Shuang could even react, Ye Zhaozhao let out an uncontrollable shriek.