Mu Shuqing's temperament was cold and aloof. She could completely ignore Mu Ran's life or death and figure out a way out of the mountains by herself. Now that she took the initiative to propose taking Mu Ran away, it could be considered one of the few instances where her family affection played a role.
But if Mu Ran was unwilling, she wouldn't force it. After all, she had to prioritize saving her own life.
"Mu Ran, I will only say these words once. If you are unwilling, I will not insist."
Mu Ran said: "Thank you for your kindness, Aunt, but I cannot let Jinzhi act as bait and step into a certain death trap. I—"
"Ran Ran."
Cangshu Bai leaned forward, and Mu Ran caught off guard, met those eyes glowing with a dark purplish light. Her consciousness fell into a muddled state, and everything became blurred.
He said softly: "You will obediently follow your aunt down the mountain, right?"
Mu Ran desperately tried to maintain her last shred of reason, but her body obediently nodded, her eyes hollow, and she answered slowly: "Right."
He pressed against her forehead, quietly looking at her for a long time. The time was short, and he hadn't seen enough, but he had to let her leave first.
Cangshu Bai slowly released the hand holding hers, his voice hoarse, "Ran Ran, go down the mountain."
Mu Ran's feet moved uncontrollably, walking to Mu Shuqing's side.
Mu Shuqing conjured a talisman in her hand. Then, the talisman turned into a stream of light and covered Mu Ran's face directly.
Warm spiritual power seeped in through her brow, wrapping around her original contours layer by layer. In just a moment, her originally beautiful and lively appearance was completely replaced, becoming an ordinary face that wouldn't warrant a second glance in a crowd. Even her aura became plain and blurred, leaving no trace of the past.
This was just a blindfold technique, naturally unable to deceive those with profound cultivation. But now Zhenyue Mountain City was in chaos, and those with profound cultivation were searching for Cangshu Bai's whereabouts, having no time to care about a little female cultivator.
Before leaving, Mu Shuqing couldn't help but turn her head and look straight at the lonely man in black.
She said: "Ran Ran once told me that she didn't regret refusing the marriage back then, which resulted in her spiritual roots being shattered and her cultivation destroyed, let alone marrying you. Seeing you now, I think I can roughly understand why she doesn't regret it."
Cangshu Bai's expression remained indifferent, but the fingertips of the hand hanging by his side curled almost imperceptibly.
Everyone was cutting off emotions and desires, seeking the Dao for longevity, forging their hearts into cold iron, and regarding emotions as a burden. Yet they, disregarding life and death, offered their truest hearts to each other.
In this immortal cultivation world full of calculations and slaughter, this emotion was ten million times rarer than top-grade spiritual roots and ancient immortal artifacts.
Mu Shuqing took Mu Ran away, and soon disappeared.
Han Yu circled around its master, revealing a worried look.
In the next moment, the air in the entire valley suddenly solidified.
A terrifying pressure, heavy as mountains and seas, fierce as burning mountains, crashed down from the sky. The spiritual power was so thick it seemed tangible, forcibly locking down the entire space.
The air around Cangshu Bai twisted and trembled, and the rocks beneath his feet silently cracked.
When he turned into light and emerged, the cave also completely collapsed.
A cold and stern voice, carrying supreme majesty, slowly descended from the clouds.
"Destroying the branch family, killing my son, forcibly intruding into my Zhenyue Mountain City, blowing up the earth veins, and ruining the spiritual veins of my Zhenyue Mountain City for thousands of years. Cangshu Bai, do you really think that with a few unorthodox methods, you dare to be presumptuous in front of this lord?"
The clouds surged, and a majestic figure in gold and black stepped through the air, his robes fluttering. His brows and eyes were somewhat similar to Cangshu Qihua's, but he appeared more majestic, stern, and full of killing intent.
It was exactly the Lord of Zhenyue Mountain City—Cangshu Taotian.
After all, Cangshu Bai had the blood of the Cangshu family in him. The blood he shed from his injuries previously fell into Cangshu Taotian's hands, and with a simple search using bloodline restrictions, he knew Cangshu Bai's origins.
At this moment, the pressure in the air was stronger than any opponent he had encountered before.
Cangshu Bai slowly raised his eyes, his black clothes fluttering under the terrifying pressure. "Your son spoke insolently first, and your Zhenyue Mountain City forcibly abducted my wife later. Even if I turn your Zhenyue Mountain City upside down today, so what?"
Cangshu Taotian's gaze locked onto Cangshu Bai like a scorching sun, and the pressure increased by another three points. The world seemed to collapse with it. "Arrogant brat, today this lord will dismantle your bones and let you know the consequences of betraying the family and disobeying the city lord!"
Before the words fell, golden light surged, and the long sword in Cangshu Taotian's palm unsheathed. The sword aura, like a mountain, cleaved straight down.
Cangshu Bai flipped his palm, and a pitch-black spear gleaming with a cold, deadly light broke through the air.
The hand holding the spear was as steady as a rock. Even though his cultivation was far inferior to the opponent's, there was not a trace of retreat in his eyes, only a ruthless determination to perish together.
Beside him, Han Yu's body suddenly expanded, and ice-blue scales covered the sky, instantly turning into an ice dragon several zhang long. Its scales gleamed coldly, and its dragon whiskers were like blades, coiling around Cangshu Bai's side.
Cangshu Taotian's sword momentum was like mountains and seas crushing down, each strike carrying the power to split mountains and sever peaks.
Cangshu Bai's cultivation was inferior, but he won in his bizarre footwork and daring to fight for his life.
He didn't block forcefully, only using the spear's momentum to wander. The black spear was like a poisonous dragon exiting its cave, every move aimed at Cangshu Taotian's vital parts. When the sword came, the spear picked it up; when pressure came, he turned sideways. Even though he was constrained everywhere, he relied on a fearless bravery to forcibly turn the disadvantage into a stalemate.
The longer they fought, Cangshu Taotian faintly developed a love for talent.
The Cangshu family had only produced one genius, Cangshu Linfeng, in hundreds of years. If Cangshu Bai could be used by him, it would only be beneficial to the Cangshu family.
As sparks flew between the sword and the spear, Cangshu Taotian said: "Cangshu Bai, you are a rare good material seen once in a century. As long as you drop your weapon and bow your head now, and hand over Mu Ran, I will let you acknowledge your ancestors and return to the main Cangshu family."
This storm had caused such a big commotion that a life must be handed over for Zhenyue Mountain City to save some face.
Since the matter started because of Mu Ran, it would naturally end with Mu Ran's death. This couldn't be better.
Cangshu Taotian's tone softened, carrying a hint of condescending recruitment. "This lord can let bygones be bygones regarding the past troubles in the mountain city. You will have a share in the resources, status, and future power of the Cangshu family."
He flicked his sword tip, knocking away the black spear. His gaze was like a torch, and the sword aura pierced into Cangshu Bai's shoulder, triggering old wounds. Instantly, blood flowed like a fountain.
Cangshu Bai's figure stepped back two paces, swaying slightly.
He had fought to the death with the people of Zhenyue Mountain City consecutively, set up restrictions, blown up earth veins, and forced himself to fight to the death with Cangshu Taotian. His spiritual power was already overdrawn, and his body was covered in layers of wounds.
The black spear trembled slightly in his hand but didn't fall to the ground.
Cangshu Taotian saw that Cangshu Bai was at the end of his rope and threw down the last sentence: "Don't ruin your future and throw away your lifelong path to heaven for a woman."
He thought he was giving this junior a way out.
Sacrificing a woman who had lost her spiritual roots was not a big deal.
Cangshu Bai was repelled by the powerful sword aura, kneeling on one knee, his hands stained with blood, yet still tightly holding the spear supporting him on the ground. His whole person was terrifyingly quiet.
He raised his eyes again, looking at the figure towering high above. Slowly wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, the madness and ferocity he had suppressed to the absolute limit finally burst through his gritted teeth.
"To hell with your grand path to heaven!"
Cangshu Taotian's face turned livid. "You reckless fool!"
In the next instant, with blood gushing wildly from his shoulder and his spiritual power nearly exhausted, Cangshu Bai charged straight up with his spear. Swirling at the tip of his weapon was his final resolve: a desperate death wish to take his enemy down with him.
No more defending, no more dodging, no more holding back even a fraction of his strength.
Even if he were destined to lose, he would drag this out to the bitter end. Only when his wife had reached safety would he allow his own body to be shattered to pieces.
