However, Zuo Shu didn't have a good solution for the time being. Although her magic could knock down the Corpse King, the Corpse King was insensitive to pain and there were many of them. They also had to protect Shen Yu, who was weaker than her, so she could only be in a passive defensive state. If this continued, just as Shen Yu said, she would be defeated sooner or later.
--what to do.
Countless thoughts raced through Zuo Shu's mind as she recalled the things Shen Mo had given her before he left.
It was a jade pendant engraved with arrays. Using it would instantly teleport one to a location pre-set by the engraver. Shen Mo said it should not be used unless absolutely necessary. Over the years, Shen Mo has only created six of them.
Shen Mo, with his profound cultivation, had long anticipated the risk of her death on this journey, which is why he gave her this item, instructing her to bring Shen Yu back safely.
Just as Shen Yu was injured by the Corpse Fiend due to exhaustion, and Zuo Shu was about to grit her teeth and activate the jade pendant, an unexpected event occurred—
"Zuo Shu—"
With a loud shout, the man leaped up, raised his heavy sword, and plummeted down, instantly clearing a space from the densely packed corpses that resembled a surging tide.
As the dust settled, a man dressed in a tight-fitting outfit appeared beside Zuo Shu.
"Chen Yi!" Zuo Shu looked at the man who had suddenly appeared in disbelief, and exclaimed in surprise, "Weren't you supposed to go back to report?"
"I was worried about you, so I came along to check on you." Chen Yi smiled at her.
He turned to look at the corpses that had gathered again, and said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Now is not the time for catching up. Let's get rid of these monstrous things first. Same old rules, let's see who can get there faster."
The familiar conversation seemed to reassure Zuo Mei, and she smiled brightly, her eyes crinkling: "Let's compete!"
When Zuo Shu faced the Corpse King alone, she had no strength left to fight back, but it was different with Chen Yi by her side. They had known each other for many years and had an extraordinary tacit understanding. Although they said they would compete to see who could kill more, it was impossible for them to actually fight each other separately. Gradually, they managed to hold their ground amidst the Corpse King's encirclement and even showed a tendency to expand outwards.
With the help of the two, Shen Yu was able to catch his breath and then continue fighting the Corpse King.
Seeing that the previously favorable situation had been shattered by this suddenly appearing man, the old man was furious. He glanced at the huge red lotus in the sky above Fen Gong and Qin Moyu, and fear appeared in his eyes.
But he had no way out. The man had said that he could either defend the city to the death and kill them, or return alive only to suffer a fate worse than death.
Left with no other choice, he summoned Shen Yanlan's remnant soul again.
Having been awakened by Shen Yu once, Shen Yanlan was clearly not as easy to control as before, so the old man could only keep pressuring her to join the battle.
Unexpectedly, this time, when Shen Yanlan's remnant soul sensed Shen Yu, it preferred to endure immense pain rather than take another step forward.
"Damn it—" Large beads of sweat rolled down the old man's forehead. Just then, the Red Lotus Karmic Fire that Qin Moyu had condensed quietly bloomed!
In an instant, the world seemed to freeze. Tiny red lotus flames, each the size of a thumb, condensed in the air and then scattered into petals, falling with the falling snow.
The petals had no effect on the old man and Shen Yu, but they caused unexpected changes when they landed on the Corpse King and Shen Yanlan's remnant soul.
The corpses, no longer controlled by the old man to attack Shen Yu and the others, twisted their stiff necks and let out painful roars.
The corpses, whose throats were damaged, could not make a loud sound, but when they roared at the same time, it was an indescribably shocking scene.
These roars, filled with pain, gradually transformed into faint sobs and cries amidst the falling petals of the crimson lotus flames, as if countless souls were uttering their unwilling lamentations.
Finally, when one of the corpse monsters stopped roaring, its body was frozen, but its hideous face showed a relieved ease.
The roars grew fainter, as if someone had unknowingly freed their souls from their decaying bodies.
Shen Yanlan's remnant soul, however, became increasingly solid after touching the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, transforming from faint to semi-transparent.
“This…” Shen Yanlan stared blankly at her hand, then looked up at Qin Moyu as if she had a premonition.
There, a red lotus flame floated in the air, serene and beautiful.
But soon, the red lotus flames gradually faded and eventually disappeared into the air, followed by Shen Yebai's anxious figure rushing over.
The outcome of this battle was already self-evident. The old man, having lost all his trump cards, was pierced through the body by Shen Yanlan's spear, which could be considered revenge for being manipulated by the other party.
Shen Yu retrieved all of Shen Yanlan's remains, and waved goodbye to Shen Yanlan with tears in his eyes.
Shen Yanlan's lingering soul remained in the world solely due to her unwavering will to live. Now, having learned from Shen Yu that the South was safe and sound, she was already content. She believed that Shen Yu would take her home to reunite with her father and brothers, and so she calmly disappeared from the world.
It's a pity that, as her remnant soul was about to disappear, she was never able to see the southern scenery she had desperately protected one last time.
…………
Snowstorm, a never-ending snowstorm.
Qin Moyu stood in the wind and snow, forgetting why he had come and where he was going. As far as the eye could see, there was only endless ice and snow. Loneliness felt like a thousand-pound weight pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.
So he decided to set off.
He didn't know which direction to go, so he just picked a random direction and started walking in silence.
Anyway, the snow and wind won't stop—this thought inexplicably popped into Qin Moyu's mind.
He walked and walked, but somehow bumped into someone, slipped, and fell comically to the ground.
"Watch where you're going." A cool, clear female voice said.
Qin Moyu looked up and saw a graceful woman.
She was undoubtedly a stunning beauty, but her eyes and brows were even colder than the wind and snow. She wore a light blue jacket and skirt, which was simple and elegant but could not hide her beauty.
"Did you get stunned?" She tilted her head slightly, looking at Qin Moyu with a hint of doubt, but reached out to help him up.
"Th-thank you..." Qin Moyu stammered, blushing as she awkwardly extended her hand.
Her slender hand grasped a large hand.
But this hand didn't belong to Qin Moyu; it passed right through the woman. Only then did Qin Moyu realize that he had become transparent without his knowledge, and at the same time, another unfamiliar voice rang out.