Undying Life

Chapter 133: Rebirth from the Nirvana Fire

Shoushan infused Tian Ling'er with a surge of azure energy, then immediately disappeared. This energy seemed to clear Tian Ling'er's mind significantly. Zhong Shan continued to channel his true essence into her, his focus solely on saving her. To him, nothing else mattered now; he was willing to sacrifice everything for her survival.

"Zhong... Zhong Shan," Tian Ling'er weakly coughed up some clotted blood, a faint yet bittersweet smile on her face.

"I'm here, I'm here," Zhong Shan responded, tears streaming down his face. One hand continuously channeled his true essence, while the other gently wiped the blood from Tian Ling'er's mouth.

"Am I beautiful today?" Tian Ling'er asked weakly, her voice barely audible, as if she could slip away at any moment.

"Beautiful, very beautiful. Ling'er, don't talk. The master will be here soon. You'll be saved," Zhong Shan said, his heart aching.

"Ling'er is clumsy, not as good as Sister Ku'er and Sister Bao'er, but Ling'er is happy to die for you," Tian Ling'er said, trembling.

"Don't say that, you'll be fine, you must be fine," Zhong Shan said, holding her, feeling like his whole world was falling apart.

"Can Ling'er be your third wife?" Tian Ling'er asked with immense difficulty. As she spoke, the smile on her face faded, replaced by a look of longing and hope. Even if she was about to die, she needed an answer.

"Yes, yes. Heaven as my witness, from today, Zhong Shan and Tian Ling'er are husband and wife, bound by life and death, never to part," Zhong Shan declared, holding her limp left hand, their fingers interlocked.

Looking at her hand clasped with Zhong Shan's, a faint, sorrowful smile appeared on Tian Ling'er's pale face.

"I'm Zhong Shan's wife now," Tian Ling'er whispered weakly. Then, as if having fulfilled her final wish, she closed her eyes.

At that moment, several people suddenly appeared around Zhong Shan: Tian Xingzi, Nie Qingqing, Gu Shuangzi, Xuan Xinzi, Shoushan, and Shouzong.

"Master, Master, save Ling'er, please save her!" Zhong Shan shouted desperately.

He could feel Tian Ling'er's life force waning rapidly despite his efforts. She was slipping away.

Tian Xingzi rushed forward, but Nie Qingqing was faster, grabbing Tian Ling'er's hand and infusing her with more azure energy, her eyes filled with worry.

Seeing Nie Qingqing take charge, Tian Xingzi stepped back slightly, trusting that Nie Qingqing's intervention would be more effective.

After a moment of channeling energy, Nie Qingqing took out a pill and placed it into Tian Ling'er's mouth.

Gradually, color returned to Tian Ling'er's face. Zhong Shan started to smile, though tears still streamed down his cheeks, as she had not yet fully recovered.

Zhong Shan wept and smiled simultaneously, like a child. No one mocked him; everyone was concerned for Tian Ling'er. They had also overheard the conversation between her and Zhong Shan, and it resonated deeply.

"How is Ling'er?" Tian Xingzi asked urgently.

"Her meridians are completely shattered, and her vital points are destroyed. If she were an ordinary Golden Core stage cultivator, she'd be dead by now," Nie Qingqing said, taking a deep breath.

"Senior, Senior, you must save Ling'er, please save her," Zhong Shan pleaded, utterly distraught.

"Is there any hope?" Tian Xingzi asked anxiously.

Zhong Shan also looked at Nie Qingqing expectantly, as did everyone else. They were all waiting for her to say "yes."

"There is one way to save her, but..." Nie Qingqing began, looking at Zhong Shan.

"Senior, I beg you to save Ling'er. I will agree to any condition you set," Zhong Shan immediately responded. At this moment, he couldn't consider anything else. The person in his arms was his wife. As long as she could live, any condition was acceptable.

Everyone looked at Nie Qingqing with anticipation.

"Ling'er has a rare body constitution, the Li Ding physique. To save her, she must be taken to the Phoenix Palace and immersed in the Nirvana Fire Pool to be reborn. However, you are not allowed to see her," Nie Qingqing said to Zhong Shan.

"Ling'er is my wife," Zhong Shan replied immediately.

Nie Qingqing frowned slightly at his words. "I am taking Ling'er away. I won't make things difficult for you. If you can reach the Nascent Soul stage, you can come find me. At that time, I will let you see Ling'er. Otherwise, you will never see her again."

"Yes, as long as Ling'er can live, as long as she survives," Zhong Shan said without hesitation.

If Zhong Shan had been calm, he would have realized that Nie Qingqing would save Ling'er regardless of his consent. But at this moment, nothing else mattered to him. The only important thing was saving Ling'er, saving his wife.

Satisfied with Zhong Shan's response, Nie Qingqing took out a large red sphere. The sphere was about a zhang (approximately three meters) in diameter and appeared almost transparent, filled with dancing flames, giving it an incredibly strange appearance.

"Let go," Nie Qingqing instructed Zhong Shan.

Reluctantly, Zhong Shan gazed at the unconscious Tian Ling'er in his arms. He gently kissed her forehead before allowing Nie Qingqing to take her. Nie Qingqing carefully placed Ling'er in the red sphere, which oddly allowed her to pass through its surface.

Inside the sphere, Ling'er lay as if asleep, her pale face showing a faint smile. The flames around her body did not seem to harm her.

Zhong Shan stretched out his arm, unable to hide his reluctance as he watched Ling'er inside the red sphere.

"Qingqing," Tian Xingzi called to Nie Qingqing.

Nie Qingqing looked at Tian Xingzi and said, "Tian Xingzi, I'm taking Ling'er. With you, she will only continue to get hurt."

"Sigh..." Tian Xingzi sighed deeply. He had no choice but to accept the situation. Ling'er could only be saved at the Phoenix Palace, and Nie Qingqing was the only one among them who could enter it. As long as Ling'er could be saved, that was all that mattered.

"Qing'er," Nie Qingqing called out to the sky.

"Caw—"

A long, piercing cry echoed from the sky, and in an instant, the giant blue Luan descended, flapping its wings as it landed in the valley in front of them.

Holding the sphere containing Ling'er, Nie Qingqing leaped onto the Luan.

"Let's go, back to the Phoenix Palace," Nie Qingqing commanded.

"Caw—"

With a long cry, the blue Luan soared into the sky, quickly flying towards the northwestern horizon and disappearing from everyone's view in a matter of moments.

Zhong Shan watched as Tian Ling'er was taken away, stretching out his arm as if trying to grasp the distant Ling'er, unable to let go.

"Master, Ling'er will be alright, right?" Zhong Shan asked Tian Xingzi.

Looking at Zhong Shan, Tian Xingzi sighed slightly. "In that Phoenix Egg, Ling'er will be safe. After undergoing rebirth through the Nirvana Fire, she will recover completely, possibly even better than before. Don't worry too much."

With Tian Xingzi's reassurance, Zhong Shan felt a slight relief, though his heart was still filled with a complex mix of hope and anxiety. The image of Ling'er inside the sphere, surrounded by flames yet unharmed, remained etched in his mind. All he could do now was wait and strive to reach the Nascent Soul stage, so he could see his beloved wife again.

"Yes, Master," Zhong Shan responded, taking a deep breath and wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes.

"Who exactly is responsible for this?" Tian Xingzi's eyes flashed with a fierce light as he looked at Zhong Shan.

Zhong Shan knelt before Tian Xingzi, his fists clenched and veins bulging on his forehead.

"Ling'er is now my wife. She took this blow for me. The enemy is none other than Lei Ting, whom we encountered at Lei Hua Valley. He is an extremely vile person. I must tear him to pieces and eradicate his entire clan. Master, I will avenge this personally," Zhong Shan said fiercely, his eyes bloodshot and his voice filled with an overwhelming rage.

Eradicate his entire clan?

Everyone around Zhong Shan took a deep breath. In the realm of cultivators, killing an opponent was one thing, but Zhong Shan's words were shockingly extreme, calling for the extermination of the enemy's entire clan.

Tian Xingzi took a deep breath and nodded, "Very well, you may avenge Ling'er."

Tian Xingzi's words were an unequivocal endorsement of Zhong Shan's request, as if he didn't even consider Zhong Shan's current level of cultivation.

The others exchanged glances, sensing the chilling intent in Tian Xingzi's tone. No one tried to dissuade Zhong Shan, trusting in Tian Xingzi's confidence in his disciple.

"Thank you, Master," Zhong Shan said, bowing deeply.

"Still calling me Master?" Tian Xingzi remarked.

Looking up at Tian Xingzi, Zhong Shan immediately corrected himself, "Thank you, Father-in-law."

"Good. After you return from killing that wretch, I will take you to pay respects to your mother-in-law," Tian Xingzi said.

"Yes," Zhong Shan replied promptly.

Tian Xingzi flipped his hand, producing four one-foot-long nails. He looked at Zhong Shan and said, "These are Soul-Sealing Nails. You know what they're used for. Capture Lei Ting and don't let him die too easily."

There was a palpable chill in Tian Xingzi's voice, like a cold wind sweeping through the area, revealing that he was far from a kind-hearted person, especially when it came to avenging his loved ones.

However, this chill did not dampen the spirits of those present. Instead, it was like a refreshing breeze that calmed their agitated hearts, making them feel invigorated.

"Yes, Master," Zhong Shan responded again, using the term out of habit and respect, though he had formally addressed Tian Xingzi as father-in-law.

Carefully accepting the Soul-Sealing Nails, Zhong Shan's eyes gleamed with a murderous intent.

"Stand up," Tian Xingzi instructed.

"Yes," Zhong Shan said, rising slowly.

"Has Bei Qingsi already left?" Tian Xingzi asked again.

"She has gone to Shenzhou. I have located the Mud Buddha, but I don't know if he has arrived," Zhong Shan reported.

"The Mud Buddha is currently at Kaiyang Sect. You should go there now and leave other matters aside for the moment," Tian Xingzi advised.

"Yes, disciple will take his leave," Zhong Shan said, bowing to everyone.

The group nodded in acknowledgment. Zhong Shan gave them one last look before turning and heading back the way he had come.

Meanwhile, among the previous group, Shoushan and Shouzong had disappeared once again, leaving only Tian Xingzi, Gushuangzi, and Xuanxinzi watching Zhong Shan's departing figure.

"Senior Brother, shall we return?" Gushuangzi asked.

"Yes," Tian Xingzi nodded, leading the two back towards Kaiyang Sect.