Volume One, Chapter 17: Divorce! Love Severed for Life

Page (1/3)

Bai Zhi silently watched everyone, slowly lowering the token from her hand. The gleam of surprise in their eyes had yet to fully form when Bai Zhi suddenly tossed the token high into the sky.

“Crack.”

In an instant, the token split cleanly in two.

“Bai Zhi! Have you gone mad?” Yuan Lingqing’s pupils constricted sharply. Seeing the marriage token shatter like that, two beams of starlight surged into the heavens, and the sky above darkened ominously.

Thunderclouds gathered, lightning slithered like venomous serpents through the clouds, amassing a terrifying force determined to crush anyone who betrayed their vow to the Heavenly Dao.

The oppressive power emanating from the Heavenly Dao rendered the disciples immobile, their eyes wide with fear as they stared at the sky.

Lin Caibing’s lips trembled, her voice escaping in broken, choked murmurs.

“No… please… I can’t die… I can’t…”

Bai Zhi looked at her coldly, inwardly wishing this heavenly thunder would strike her down, shattering her to pieces—ideally taking the Demon Emperor with her.

But she knew that was impossible.

Lin Caibing must not die yet…

With a flick of her sleeve, Bai Zhi sent the disciples sprawling from the platform, crashing heavily beyond its edge.

Chen Qing’s face darkened as he waved his hand, pulling the disciples behind him, eyes locked onto Bai Zhi.

If anything went wrong, even if it cost him a hundred years of cultivation, he would shield Bai Zhi from this calamity.

Yet forcibly interfering with another’s karmic fate spelled unpredictable disaster for both him and these disciples.

Yuan Lingqing stared at Bai Zhi’s indifferent expression; a gnawing pain crawled like insects beneath his skin.

“Zhi, are you truly so resolute?”

“Yuan Lingqing, from this moment on, we are even.”

Bai Zhi sprang upward on her toes, soaring straight toward the crackling thunderbolt.

Three blinding flashes illuminated the night sky.

Bai Zhi landed heavily, barely able to support herself.

This sensation… it was strangely familiar…

It was exactly the same as in her past lives.

But… it was not over yet.

Bai Zhi looked toward Yuan Lingqing.

“Now… it’s your turn…”

Yuan Lingqing clenched his fists until his knuckles whitened, yet he hesitated, frozen.

He admitted it—he did not want to do this. He still harbored feelings for her.

“Won’t you go?”

Page (2/3)

“Zhi… I…”

Bai Zhi sneered coldly, resolutely leaping again. “Since you dare not, I will bear your burden one last time.”

“Zhi’er!”

Chen Qing’s pupils contracted sharply from a short distance away.

Bai Zhi intended to withstand three heavenly thunderbolts meant for Yuan Lingqing! This was madness!

Even the thunderbolt during the nascent soul tribulation numbered only five.

Was her determination truly this absolute?!

“Zhi! Don’t!”

Yuan Lingqing leapt forward but was blasted back by the residual force of the lightning, falling heavily to the ground.

He could only watch helplessly as Bai Zhi, weakened as she was, bore the three thunderbolts meant for him.

Her white figure fluttered down like a butterfly with broken wings, gently landing on the tribulation platform.

“Zhi! Zhi!”

Yuan Lingqing rushed onto the platform wildly, cradling Bai Zhi in his arms, frantically pouring spiritual energy into her, attempting to quell the raging thunderbolt power within her.

A single tear fell upon Bai Zhi’s face as she slowly opened her eyes, a faint smile curling at the corner of her lips.

“In this life… love is severed.”

The thunderclouds dissipated, and all fell silent.

Across the land, all human cultivators felt the shift in the air, gazing skyward as a single phrase echoed in their ears.

“Bai Zhi and Yuan Lingqing, in this life, love is severed.”

Yuan Lingqing realized he could do no more. Watching Bai Zhi cough a mouthful of fresh blood onto himself, his eyes flooded with unprecedented helplessness and panic.

“Zhi… Master! Please! Save her! Save Zhi!”

Chen Qing’s figure flickered as he landed beside Bai Zhi, intending to heal her, but his expression shifted, and he suddenly stopped.

“Master! What’s wrong? Please save her! I beg you…”

Chen Qing merely shook his head, silently watching Bai Zhi, a flicker of surprise gleaming in his eyes.

Bai Zhi closed her eyes, holding her breath, sensing the thunderbolt power within her gather toward the dantian, the glowing point left by Daoist Cangyan.

Gradually, the light expanded into a sphere, absorbing the thunderbolt’s power!

Bai Zhi was astonished. Struggling, she sat up and slowly tried to absorb the remaining thunderbolt power into her meridians.

Seeing her calm gradually return, Yuan Lingqing seemed utterly drained, staring blankly at her profile, unable to collect himself for a long while.

Lin Caibing trembled all over.

Her trembling was not from fear, but because that voice echoed darkly in her mind.

“Lin Caibing… do you see? Now Yuan Lingqing’s fortune has dropped to fifty, while Bai Zhi’s fortune is nearing ninety…”

“What… should I do?” Lin Caibing asked numbly in her heart.

Page (3/3)

“Obtain her… seize her fortune for me… I will grant you all you desire…”

The voice gradually faded, and a flicker of red flashed briefly in Lin Caibing’s eyes.

She could only smile bitterly to herself.

To steal another’s fortune, one must first win their trust.

As long as the other believed in her, she could slowly drain their fortune.

Before, when Bai Zhi and Yuan Lingqing were soulmates, Yuan Lingqing’s fortune was almost a hundred, while Bai Zhi’s only seventy.

So she began to siphon fortune from Yuan Lingqing.

Each time Yuan Lingqing showed her protection and trust, Lin Caibing could extract some of his fortune.

Later, she found that when Yuan Lingqing’s fortune dropped to ninety, it would soon replenish, but Bai Zhi’s fortune would decrease accordingly.

By stealing one’s fortune, she could gain double. Lin Caibing worked harder to ingratiate herself with Yuan Lingqing, paying no heed to Bai Zhi.

But after offending Bai Zhi so many times, now… regaining Bai Zhi’s trust would be no easy task.

Countless complex emotions flickered through Lin Caibing’s lowered gaze, finally hardening into icy resolve.

If there is no trust, she would rebuild it!

Bai Zhi was a person who valued feelings deeply; if she could reveal her sincerity, it was certain she could succeed!

Certain!

Having made her decision, Lin Caibing suddenly rose and ran up the platform.

“Master! Are you alright?” She knelt before Bai Zhi, her face bearing unprecedented sincerity and remorse.

“Master, I was foolish and reckless in my youth. Please forgive me! I mistook the poisonous heartbreak grass, causing you undeserved suffering. I took your jade pendant. I was careless and destroyed your elixir furnace…”

With every bow, her forehead gradually swelled red, blood mingled with tearful regret dripping down.

“Master! I wish to stay by your side, to serve you, until you are willing to forgive me!”

Faced with her sudden and heartfelt repentance, Bai Zhi remained expressionless.

Perhaps others would find such heartfelt confession touching, but Bai Zhi knew clearly.

There must have been some change that made Lin Caibing behave so contritely.

“Master…”

Before Bai Zhi could speak, Chen Qing interjected.

“Zhi’er, since this young disciple is so sincere, you should keep her by your side and observe her from now on.”

Bai Zhi looked up at Chen Qing in disbelief, seeing him gaze calmly at Lin Caibing, a glint of scrutiny in his eyes.

Frowning, she was about to refuse when Chen Qing suddenly turned his gaze toward her.

A chill ran through Bai Zhi’s heart.