Chapter 86 - 61: Life and Death in One Thought

Ye Zhaozhao was closing in on Li Shuang when suddenly, she noticed on her map that the red dot representing Li Shuang had begun moving at high speed.

Ye Zhaozhao’s expression changed subtly.

’Her prey was within reach. Was Li Shuang really going to get away?’

Back on the Snow Mountain, it was that waste Long Yan’s failure to kill Li Shuang that had caused all the subsequent trouble.

This time, she would not let the same mistake happen again.

’Li Shuang!’

’She must die!’

’As long as she dies, her destiny, her talent, and her newly awakened Sword Spirit will all become mine.’

’I will replace Li Shuang and become the true favored daughter of the heavens.’

Ye Zhaozhao could already picture the despair and disbelief in Li Shuang’s eyes as she died, and her body began to tremble slightly with excitement.

Perhaps it was destiny for her to kill Li Shuang with her own hands, ending the grudge between them.

Ye Zhaozhao didn’t want to wait any longer.

She took a deep breath and said, "System, unseal my Cultivation!"

’Once my Nascent Soul Stage strength is restored, it will only take a few moments to catch Li Shuang. Then, I can kill her in an instant!’

’This has nothing to do with Talent anymore!’

Li Shuang was still just in the Qi Cultivation Stage.

Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul.

She was two Great Ranks above Li Shuang!

Before such a disparity in strength, even the most peerless genius was utterly helpless.

In that instant, her strength was unsealed.

Ye Zhaozhao’s speed abruptly soared to a terrifying rate.

Instantly, Li Shuang felt an extreme, oppressive presence, and fine beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

’Something’s wrong. This isn’t right.’

’In the Langya Secret Realm, even the demon beasts’ levels don’t exceed the Peak of Foundation Establishment.’

’But the pressure I’m sensing now... it’s far beyond the Peak of Foundation Establishment. It’s not even the kind of pressure a Golden Core Stage expert could exert.’

Having been at the Nascent Soul Stage herself for a very long time, she recognized it almost immediately.

’This oppressive presence!’

’Someone is hunting me using the Cultivation of the Nascent Soul Stage!’

’Something like this is simply unheard-of!’

’In all the years the Langya Secret Realm has existed, no one has ever heard of a Cultivator being able to break its restrictions!’

’And yet, this person is radiating a surging malice that feels disturbingly familiar.’

’The one hunting me is...’

’Ye Zhaozhao?!’

Li Shuang’s expression shifted.

’If it were anyone else, they might not necessarily be out to kill me.’

’After all, with the Demon Clan suddenly causing chaos, the disciples of the Six Sects should be united against a common enemy.’

’But if it was Ye Zhaozhao who suddenly recovered her Nascent Soul Stage Cultivation...’

Li Shuang knew with absolute certainty that she was here to kill her!

Li Shuang’s gaze shifted.

’Alone, I’m no match for a Nascent Soul Stage Ye Zhaozhao.’

’But I also don’t believe that Ye Zhaozhao can maintain her Nascent Soul Stage Cultivation indefinitely.’

’Otherwise, given the intensity of her killing intent toward me, she would have struck a fatal blow long ago!’

’Now, there’s only one thing I need to do.’

’Stall for time!’

’As long as I can run out the clock, I’ll have a chance to survive.’

Li Shuang’s mind raced.

She headed directly toward the distant beast roars.

After activating the Heaven and Earth Melting Furnace, Li Shuang’s next plan had been to hunt the Demon Clan.

Now, with Ye Zhaozhao’s sudden appearance, she might as well lead this trouble to them.

However, Ye Zhaozhao was too fast. Li Shuang didn’t have time to lead her to the Demon Clan’s location.

In the span of a few blinks, Ye Zhaozhao’s voice sounded from behind Li Shuang.

"Senior Sister Li, where might you be going? Why don’t we travel together?"

There was a chilling coldness in Ye Zhaozhao’s voice. In her eyes, Li Shuang was already a dead woman, so there was no need to hide her intentions.

Li Shuang didn’t respond, merely fleeing swiftly into the distance. An object silently appeared from her sleeve.

Ye Zhaozhao sneered.

’This Li Shuang is quite perceptive.’

’But!’

’It’s too late!’

’In the face of absolute power, everything else is futile!’

Ye Zhaozhao appeared before Li Shuang in an instant, then raised a palm and struck down toward the top of Li Shuang’s skull.

The attack descended fiercely.

A flash of glee crossed Ye Zhaozhao’s eyes. She couldn’t wait to see the look of panic on Li Shuang’s face.

The next moment, yellow sand swirled up from the ground, and Ye Zhaozhao’s expression changed slightly.

’Where’s Li Shuang?’

’What’s going on?!’

’Li Shuang was right there, where did she go?’

’Why did she suddenly disappear?’

’Could it be... was she blasted into dust?’

Ye Zhaozhao waited for a moment with an excited expression, but then her face darkened.

’No.’

’If Li Shuang had died, the system would have given feedback immediately.’

’Her Cultivation, her Talent, and her destiny should all be mine by now.’

’But now...’

’The system isn’t reacting at all!’

"System, where’s Li Shuang! Isn’t she dead? Why is there no feedback?" Ye Zhaozhao demanded, unwilling to accept it.

The system’s cold voice replied, "The system does not make mistakes. There is only one reason for the lack of feedback: Li Shuang is still alive."

Ye Zhaozhao’s face instantly turned ugly.

She couldn’t help but glance at her map.

On the map, the red dot representing Li Shuang had also mysteriously vanished.

’And yet the system says Li Shuang is still alive!’

’How is that possible?’

The system’s indifferent voice sounded again: "She has likely entered some kind of strange space. However, she cannot stay in there forever and will have to come out eventually. It is recommended that the host wait here. Also, a reminder to the host: you have used a full five breaths’ worth of your unsealed time. You only have... a final four breaths of Nascent Soul Stage power remaining."

Ye Zhaozhao’s expression changed once again.

She never would have imagined that Li Shuang would be completely unharmed, while she herself had already used up more than half of her unsealed time.

Only four breaths of unsealed time remained.

This meant she only had one last chance!

’Damn it!’

’Is this the power of the Heavenly Dao Female Protagonist?’

’This Li Shuang really is hard to kill.’

Ye Zhaozhao’s expression shifted, and she simply sat down cross-legged on the spot.

’The system said Li Shuang entered some kind of strange space.’

’What kind of space could she possibly stay in for a lifetime?’

’I’ll just wait here and ambush her.’

’The moment Li Shuang comes out will be the moment she dies.’

「Inheritance Space.」

Li Shuang bowed earnestly to Su Mu. "Thank you, Senior."

At the final moment between life and death, she had entered the Inheritance Space, which was how she dodged the fatal blow.

Su Mu smiled. "This is also thanks to your own hard work in truly entering the threshold of the Heartless Dao. With all the functions of the Inheritance Jade Scroll unlocked, I was able to change the Jade Scroll’s appearance, turning it into a grain of sand. As long as it doesn’t move on its own, no one will be able to spot anything unusual."

Now, a single grain of sand in this vast desert was the transformed Inheritance Jade Scroll.

This Senior Su Mu’s ability to create Illusion Realms was truly masterful. The Jade Scroll, hidden amidst the endless yellow sand, was completely untraceable.

At this moment, the scene within the Inheritance Space was different again.

The space was no longer a vast expanse of white. As Li Shuang looked up, she saw a simple bamboo house.

In front of the bamboo house was a small lake, where Su Mu was leisurely fishing with a bamboo rod.