Chapter 1061: Unbroken Past Thirty

The two martial artists had felt they might be in trouble for some time, given their previous eerie state. Now, beaten by a woman and hearing her words, their feelings were complex, but the beating surprisingly brought a slight sense of relief.

Martial artists tend to be straightforward; they wouldn't feel ashamed simply because their attacker was a beautiful young woman. Judging by martial prowess alone, the woman was clearly beyond the Celestial Realm.

Such a master, with profound martial arts, had clearly intervened to deal with certain matters. This reassured the two martial artists, who no longer felt excessive self-dread.

Having dealt with the two, Hu Yun felt some pressure released, but also a touch of sadness, as three people she had only recently met had lost their lives.

Hu Yun did not alert her elders in the Ju'an Pavilion. Instead, she went alone to Niukui Mountain, found a quiet spot illuminated by moonlight, and with a wave of her sleeve, released the three corpses.

The two old people still had traces of fright on their faces, while the somewhat annoying scholar's expression was now much more peaceful.

"Rest here for now."

Aside from their missing daughter, the two old people had no other relatives in their hometown. As for the scholar, he only knew his home was far away but not its exact location. So, Hu Yun took it upon herself to lay them to rest first.

Hu Yun personally made three stone coffins and buried the three bodies. The two elders were buried together, but as she was burying the scholar, she paused, slightly startled.

"Huh? How could this body be..."

The bodies of the two elders were normal, showing signs of fear, resentment, and residual spiritual traces. However, Scholar Hong's body, which had seemed fine at first touch, was now unnaturally "clean."

This was not a fresh corpse!

Hu Yun stood stunned for a moment, then her eyes widened slightly, her fists clenched, and her hair, freed from its bun, floated gently. A terrifying demonic energy and spiritual power surged around her.

After a long while, Hu Yun exhaled slowly, her demonic energy gradually subsided. With a gentle wave of her sleeve, the two elders' stone coffins were buried, and a stone tablet was erected. The scholar's body was returned to her sleeve, and she then stepped out, flying away from Niukui Mountain.

Despite her anger, the person who had used the corpse was no ordinary practitioner; Hu Yun had to approach the situation with caution.

The Sun family had lived around Ning'an County for generations and had few enemies. For such a powerful being to specifically target their good fortune, it was highly probable that the Great Sage Mi Huang was involved.

Hu Yun performed a quick divination, then headed towards Banana Leaf Mountain. She intended to question She Ji thoroughly about the Great Sage Mi Huang.

Since this person had displeased her, Hu Yun had no intention of letting the Great Sage Mi Huang off lightly. Having spent considerable time with Lord Lu Shan, she had picked up a bit of his 'revenge for grievances' attitude.

What mattered was that Mr. Ji had finally returned, only for this incident to cause Hu Yun great embarrassment in front of her closest elders and family, which was utterly infuriating.

In a canyon on Banana Leaf Mountain, She Ji had transformed into a golden orb of light within her cultivation chamber. Layers of profound golden light and shadow formed dense threads, weaving tightly around She Ji, appearing like a massive golden cocoon up close.

After encountering Sun Yiqiu and engaging in husband-and-wife activities with him in a dream, even without physical intimacy, She Ji had come to regard Sun Yiqiu as her beloved.

She Ji yearned for a beautiful love, like that of Lady White Snake, a love unwavering and unregretted through a thousand years. Although she chose to leave Sun Yiqiu, she would not allow herself to find another person to borrow fortune from, no matter how earnestly Mr. Gao tried to persuade her.

Moreover, even the Heavenly God of the Thunder Department had appeared. She Ji knew she might have nowhere left to flee. Even if she escaped again, it would be useless to merely maintain safety for a short period. Instead, perhaps in this Banana Leaf Mountain, already struck by the thunder tribulation, she might find a few years of "under-the-lamp-dark" peace.

Therefore, She Ji decided to fully unleash the profound treasure fragment she wasn't yet entirely familiar with, to enhance herself at all costs, no longer avoiding tribulation. She was ready to fight, come what may.

These golden threads emerged from all over She Ji's body, which became semi-transparent. A golden substance vaguely appeared within her, the source of the light, covered in profound symbols and markings.

The light within She Ji's body was clearly in a different space from her physical form. In this semi-transparent state, no organs or bones were visible, and profound characters continuously flew forth from the golden substance.

In the canyon, both Mr. Gao and Elder Gong sighed.

"Alas, Lady She's mind is made up. I cannot persuade her."

"Mr. Gao, you needn't worry too much. Lady She is inherently gifted; perhaps this approach will allow her to break through her limitations, though it is somewhat dangerous. But what exactly is this divine object?"

Elder Gong had long heard that She Ji harbored a great secret, which was the cause of her tribulations, but he didn't know the specifics. Now, he was vaguely sensing some of it.

Mr. Gao spoke with an air of profound mystery.

"This object was accidentally acquired by Lady She years ago. It's a fragment of some ancient supreme treasure, containing profound heavenly principles and concealing great secrets. This treasure is extraordinarily wondrous; though incomplete, it subtly possesses the power to seize the creation of heaven and earth. It is precisely because of this that Lady She has continuously transformed, achieving her current accomplishments from a spiritual lynx over three hundred years. Each time she reaches a critical juncture, it reveals a method of breakthrough, showing no limits. It is truly extraordinary."

Elder Gong's face showed shock. From what he heard, having this treasure meant that, to some extent, there were no limits to cultivation breakthroughs?

"Can one easily break through realms with this treasure?"

Mr. Gao nodded and then shook his head.

"Yes and no. But at least it can point the way, and it's absolutely feasible. I also possess some ability to divine heavenly secrets. Lady She trusted me and lent me this object to calculate celestial mysteries, all the way to Ning'an County. Unfortunately, Lady She fell in love..."

Mr. Gao sighed again. True love wasn't inherently bad, but he had thought She Ji could prioritize, as destiny and opportunity were paramount.

As it stood, She Ji intended to put all her effort into trying to gain some control over this treasure, using its power to make a stand. Consequently, Mr. Gao's own hopes had become dim.

"How could a demon capable of being called a 'Sage' be shaken so easily?"

Mr. Gao still harbored a sliver of hope: that they could still connect with the legendary figures said to reside in Ning'an County. But now that She Ji had given up, this hope might truly be nothing more than a fantasy.

Regardless of what others thought, She Ji had long grown tired of hiding. At this moment, she was striving to comprehend the treasure, as countless thoughts and pieces of information were continuously triggered from deep within her by the object, filling her with endless characters. She felt her head splitting, and every part of her body and soul seemed on the verge of being torn apart and exploding.

Sweat constantly seeped from She Ji's skin, instantly evaporating. In just a few days, her body had begun to tremble uncontrollably, making it impossible to calm herself and regulate her breathing. Yet, she continued to clench her teeth and endure.

At this moment, her eyes continuously pulsed with golden light, and various tiny characters formed golden threads, shooting out from the golden substance within her and piercing through her eyes.

"Ugh, ahh—"

She Ji let out a pained shriek. Before her eyes, she could only see infinite profound patterns and golden light. Her eyes stung terribly, yet she could not close them. Words, pictures, sounds, cries, laughter, screams, animals, mountains, mortals, immortals, demons, heaven, earth—

In the valley, centered around She Ji's cultivation chamber, a spiritual wind began to blow. It was like a vortex, with spiritual energy subtly gathering from within the valley, Banana Leaf Mountain, and even farther away. Though seemingly inconspicuous, by the time it reached She Ji's location, it had become a storm.

"Ah—"

She Ji was on the verge of collapse. She felt she was dying but was completely unable to stop. Even her fear and unwillingness were almost overwhelmed by the immense flood of information.

Mr. Gao and Elder Gong could no longer sit still. One could only stare helplessly, while the other immediately went into the mountain to stabilize the spiritual energy fluctuations, preventing the commotion from becoming too great.

High above Banana Leaf Mountain, a red-haired figure appeared.

"Hmm? This commotion... it seems that wretch is overestimating herself."

The man conjured a crystalline blue substance in his hand, crushed it gently, and then blew the fragments towards the sky.

Instantly, violent winds swept through the area, and dark clouds gathered in the sky. A true storm began to form, obscuring the surrounding spiritual energy fluctuations.

"This will cover up the commotion, saving trouble... Hmm?"

The man suddenly turned his head to look in one direction. There, a figure stood in the sky, red robes fluttering in the wind.

"We meet again, Young Master Hong!"

Hu Yun smiled, but her words were clipped and heavy. Coming to find She Ji, she had instead stumbled upon the true culprit—this was excellent.

"You must be Fairy Hu Yun. I've long heard of your esteemed name, and meeting you today is indeed an eye-opener. There's a demon in this mountain who stole my treasure, and I was just about to retrieve it. What brings you here, Fairy? And who is Young Master Hong?"

"Don't play dumb with me!"

Hu Yun stomped her foot, making the clouds tremble. She transformed into a streak of red light that shot directly at the man. As he reeled back, the red light suddenly vanished.

"Pfft, pfft, pfft..."

The next instant, countless streaks of bloody light burst from the man's body, each one slashing past him before flying in various directions, transforming into several Hu Yuns. Each Hu Yun wore a ferocious expression and had piercing eyes, with sharp talons on their right hand.

The man touched the blood streaks on his face, then looked up at his surroundings.

"Fairy Hu Yun, I have no grievance with you, yet you strike so mercilessly. Isn't this a bit excessive?"

The surrounding Hu Yuns stared coldly at the man and spoke in unison, creating a multitude of voices.

"There's no complete soul, only a wisp of primordial spirit. Who are you, or rather, what are you?"

The man stopped pretending. His wounds gradually healed, and the fragments of his clothing floated back to him.

"Me? Hahahaha, Fairy Hu Yun, why pretend not to know? You intended to set a trap for me, so naturally, I won't sit idly by. More words are useless. Let me witness what profound methods you've learned from Mr. Ji and the Sage of Literature!"

The man went from stillness to motion, suddenly charging in one direction, precisely towards Hu Yun's true body. With a single punch, he unleashed a torrent like a roaring mountain and surging sea, sweeping away the torrential rain, the mountain storm, and even the lightning from the sky.

"Roar—"

"Rumble, rumble, rumble!"

The magical battle on Banana Leaf Mountain was incredibly intense, causing all spiritual beings in the mountain to tremble in fear.