Chapter 260 | Cultivating Through a Game, Becoming Unstoppable

“Gaga-ah!”

The crane was severely injured, seemingly having saved him with the very last of its strength. Demonic beasts were naturally terrified of heavenly lightning, and on top of its severe wounds, half of its wings were in tatters, making its flight speed even slower than a flying boat!

Nan Zhi immediately reached for her waist and whipped out her jade belt, wrapping it firmly around the white crane. With a leap, she flew out of the range of the heavenly lightning!

“Gaga-gaga!”

But to her surprise, once the crane saw that Shen Luohe was saved, it suddenly let out a high-pitched cry, turned around, and flew straight into the sky filled with lightning—

“Stubborn crane.”

Nan Zhi paused in midair, gazing at the resolute crane, and couldn't help but softly repeat, “What a truly stubborn crane.”

“Lii—!”

Amidst the floating lightning, piercing through clouds and mist, the blood-soaked white crane suddenly let out a long cry and threw itself forward without hesitation to shield Daoist Qinglong!

Before losing consciousness, its bright eyes were filled with deep attachment.

Vaguely, it seemed to return to its youth, when it was still a fluffy little chick. Back then, Qinglong and Danxia were deeply in love, an affectionate couple.

The tiny crane had flown above their heads just like this, letting out long, chirping cries.

A crane did not understand what heavenly punishment was, what doing evil was, or what getting one's deserts meant.

It only wanted to follow its master.

As the lightning crashed down, the white crane was reduced to a handful of ashes.

With a gentle gust of wind, it vanished without a trace.

...

Nan Zhi flew at top speed, dragging the severely injured Shen Luohe with her. She retreated a thousand li away, watching with her own eyes as the Demon Suppression Monastery cracked and collapsed.

Fortunately, the area was remote, with no human presence for a hundred li around. If they had been in a bustling region, she really wouldn't have dared to break the formation so directly.

As she thought of this, a streak of spiritual light suddenly appeared on the horizon. Three figures were flying over in a hurry. Looking closely, they were Nun Miaoyun, Hua Xijian, and a narrow-eyed Taoist.

It was the very same lamp-wielding Taoist Nan Zhi had seen in Xingyuan City when she was being hunted by Huiyuan.

“Nan Zhi!”

Hua Xijian rushed over in a panic. Seeing the bloody wound on Shen Luohe's chest and his extremely weak breath, she immediately looked back at the two behind her.

The Taoist had presumably learned the truth of the matter already, so although he was astonished to see Nan Zhi, he did not show any other reaction.

“Amitabha. Mercy, mercy.”

Seeing Shen Luohe in such a state, Nun Miaoyun chanted a Buddhist prayer, took out a pill, and placed it into his mouth. She then began to murmur under her breath, reciting scriptures—

In just a brief moment, Shen Luohe's ruined body began to heal at a rate visible to the naked eye. His meridians were repaired, and the flesh inside the massive hole in his chest grew rapidly until no trace of the wound remained.

“Cough, cough, cough, cough...”

Shen Luohe spat out a mouthful of blood, his expression somewhat dazed, likely still struggling to shake off the terror of death. “Master, Fellow Daoist Nan... Run... Xijian, Xijian, why... why are you here?!”

The other three present knew the full story, so they naturally understood Shen Luohe's painful efforts to send her away.

Especially Nun Miaoyun and the Taoist.

The moment the formation of the Northwest Circuit Demon Suppression Monastery was activated, they had sensed it. Nun Miaoyun, who had been rushing all the way while tracking her Miaoyun Prayer Beads, had crossed paths with Hua Xijian by chance.

Upon hearing the whole story, the nun and the Taoist were naturally extremely astonished.

They had originally intended to come to the Northwest Circuit to rescue them, but they had not expected to see heavenly lightning descending and the Demon Suppression Monastery collapsing.

They had assumed that with Nan Zhi's cultivation level, she would certainly be unable to escape Daoist Qinglong's grasp.

Yet, not only had she returned alive, but she had even rescued Shen Luohe.

“Amitabha. Little benefactor, we meet again.”

Nun Miaoyun chanted a Buddhist prayer, holding the string of Miaoyun Prayer Beads in her hand.

“You are exceptionally intelligent, and heaven truly favors the blessed. This poor nun has already heard that the disaster on Yin Yang Road was actually a conspiracy between Qinglong and the evil monk Huiyuan, and had nothing to do with you. You have truly suffered during this time.”

“This junior must thank you, Nun, for your Miaoyun Prayer Beads. They protected me time and again. If not for you back at the foot-shop, I would have been killed by Daoist Qinglong's external incarnation long ago.”

As soon as Nan Zhi saw the Miaoyun Prayer Beads, she knew that her family should be safe for now. She briefly explained the situation inside in a few sentences, leaving out the Corpse of Old Nan and instead claiming she had broken the formation eye by sheer luck.

Whether Nun Miaoyun believed her or not, the Taoist beside her still stared at Nan Zhi in shock.

“You... you broke Mo Chenghuai's formation? Just you?! Mo Chenghuai is a direct disciple of the Qingjing Sect's formation lineage, having studied under Ningxue Ancestor. How could a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator like you easily see through the Two-Form Inversion Formation he set up?!”

The Taoist couldn't help but voice his doubts.

He had met Nan Zhi before.

To think that after not seeing her for just a few days, a Qi Refinement cultivator had actually stepped into Foundation Establishment!

When on earth did this happen?

Just a few days ago, this female cultivator was clearly only at the Qi Refinement Great Circle!

And now, what had this Foundation Establishment cultivator accomplished?

She had faced Daoist Qinglong, a Late-Stage Nascent Soul powerhouse, broke the formation set by Mo Chenghuai of the Qingjing Sect right before the eyes of high-level cultivators, and even escaped completely unscathed from the punishment of heavenly lightning.

No one would believe any of these feats.

“It was merely a coincidence. It just so happens that this junior has done some research on formations, and by a stroke of luck, I found the formation eye. With the help of Immortal Danxia, I was able to break it.”

Nan Zhi replied neither humbly nor haughtily, cupping her hands. “If you have doubts, Master, you can ask Fellow Daoist Shen. However, by my estimation, Master Mo has likely met with misfortune.”

“I didn't mean it that way. I am Qiu Buguo of the Wuwei Sect. You may call me Uncle Qiu,” the Taoist hastily waved his hand.

“I was merely astonished to see that you are so young yet have such deep insights into formations. You haven't been on the path of cultivation for long, yet you could break Mo Chenghuai's formation. You will surely achieve great things in the field of formations in the future. Sigh, who would have thought that Daoist Qinglong's obsession with Immortal Danxia was so deep that it had already become a heart demon? He committed so many evil deeds, and even dared to attack disciples of his own sect, bringing down the heavenly lightning upon himself with no hope of escape. It truly is a fitting retribution.”

At these words, they couldn't help but sigh in grief.

With such a massive heavenly tribulation, Daoist Qinglong was as good as dead.

Over there, Shen Luohe finally regained his senses. Seeing Miaoyun, Qiu Buguo, and the others, his face flushed with shame, and he did not even dare to look at Nan Zhi. He tightly closed his eyes and said in self-abandonment:

“Junior Sister, do not bother saving me. I have wronged Fellow Daoist Nan, and I am weak and cowardly, unwilling to confront Master. I should apologize with my death.”

“You idiot.”

Hua Xijian's face was cold as frost. She suddenly swung her arm and slapped Shen Luohe hard across the face:

“Slap!!”

The other three present were all stunned.

It truly was an incredibly loud slap.

“Shen Luohe! Do you truly believe that I, Hua Xijian, am someone who would cling to life at all costs, a coward as timid as a mouse?! Do you honestly think I am the type of useless waste who deserves to be protected, who can only hide behind others?!”

Hua Xijian's voice was resolute, and the red mark between her brows seemed to grow even more vivid with her anger:

“By insulting me like this, you have not only underestimated me as a person, underestimated my feelings, but you have also underestimated the sword in my hand! After today, all ties between us are severed. Everything we said in the past about cultivating the Great Dao together is completely null and void! Once your injuries heal, I will fight you to the death to avenge the humiliation you have inflicted upon me today!”