This disaster was on a scale unseen since the Desolate Era.
As though he had been possessed by a god of death, Dong Jing was killing immortals left, right, and centre.
Additionally, the most powerful of their number, Ancient God Zi Huan, was unable to even use his divine power—let alone stop any of the chaos erupting around them.
Although Cang Lan was strong enough to help, he had too many people to protect and was unable to fight to his fullest potential. Not to mention the bunch of devil beasts eyeing them covetously from the side, ready to pounce at a moment’s notice.
There was simply no way to win this fight.
In the end, the immortals were forced to retreat to Mt. Kongwu.
The destruction Shi Sheng caused had spread to the point where the ground holding the Heavenly Realm up gave way completely. And since it was situated above the Mortal Realm…
The weather turned irascible as disaster after disaster struck down from the heavens, causing utter chaos in the Mortal Realm.
The new era Shi Sheng spoke of was unavoidable.
……
Mt. Kongwu.
Yue Yao had already washed up and taken some healing pills, but her face was still pale. She had most likely been scared witless by the devil beasts.
“Master…” Yue Yao looked at Zi Huan pitifully, “It feels like there’s something crawling around inside my body… It’s really uncomfortable.”
Zi Huan knew exactly what she was talking about—he was experiencing the same thing, after all.
“Don’t worry, I’ll find a way.” Zi Huan rubbed Yue Yao’s head.
“Master…” Yue Yao’s eyes misted over, making her look even more delicate and pitiable than before.
Zi Huan rubbed Yue Yao’s head somewhat absentmindedly before his hand slid down unconsciously, brushing past her cheek, a foreign emotion taking root in his eyes.
Yue Yao’s mind initially blanked out, but her heart soon began to race as wild thoughts flew through her head.
But Yue Yao shot them down immediately. ‘He’s my Master! How can I think about him that way? There’s probably no one worthy of Master…’
“Master?” Yue Yao’s face was pink as she called out to him in a soft voice.
Zi Huan snapped back to his senses and his eyes shifted away from Yue Yao. “Have a good rest. I’ll think of something.”
“En,” Yue Yao nodded obediently.
Zi Huan nodded before turning to walk out the door, where he encountered Cang Lan. There was an indescribable tension in the air, but neither of them saw fit to break the silence.
Only when Yue Yao cleared her throat did Cang Lan brush past Zi Huan to enter the room.
……
Meanwhile, the immortals cooped up on Mt. Kongwu were at their wits’ end.
The Heavenly Realm had been destroyed. And although Shi Sheng had vanished somewhere, Dong Jing had brought his forces from The Great Desert to begin his conquest.
And to add to that, their one and only Ancient God was currently unable to use his divine power because of Shi Sheng’s plotting. As such, the immortals were engaged in lengthy discussion in the hope of finding a way to cure Zi Huan. After all, they would only have a chance to turn things around if he could regain his strength.
“We’ve already tried so many methods, but those things seem to have melded into his flesh and bone! There’s just no way to force them out!”
“Ancient God Zi Huan, do you feel anything besides the itch?” The Jade Emperor asked Zi Huan worriedly.
ZI Huan lowered his eyes. “The sensation has gotten stronger these past few days.”
“Doesn’t that mean it’s worsening?!”
“What should we do? And Qing Guan never let slip what it was…”
“Just what in the heavens…”
The immortals sank into another round of heated discussion, interspersed with the occasional curse upon Qing Guan’s eighteen generations of ancestors.
“Er… I think I know what they might be. But… I don’t know if I should bring it up.” A minor immortal at the side raised his hand and spoke up somewhat timidly.
The crowd fell silent as all eyes turned to the minor immortal. The Jade Emperor snapped in a low growl, “We are in a state of emergency! Just spill whatever you know so we can all consider our options!”
The minor immortal wiped cold sweat off his brow before continuing in a small voice, “I once read about a type of insect that causes symptoms similar to the ones Ancient God Zi Huan described.”
The Jade Emperor’s eyes lit up. “What insects? Is there any solution?”
“I don’t know what their name is, but it was stated that these insects went extinct in the Desolate Era. However, I know that they can make one unable to use divine power. And it’s not just limited to divine power—even devil power…will be suppressed,” the minor immortal spoke in as much detail as possible.
“Then is there a solution?” This was what the Jade Emperor was most concerned about at the moment.
The minor immortal looked at Zi Huan before swallowing with some difficulty. “There is…but…”
“Well? Spit it out! What’s with all the hemming and hawing?” Even without the Jade Emperor saying anything, others had already started to press him.
Ancient God Zi Huan was their only hope now.
“He has to… do that… with a woman…” The minor immortal’s face was burning.
“Which ‘that’?”
“It’s… It’s…” The minor immortal couldn’t say it.
One of the other immortals got impatient and said bluntly, “Have intercourse?”
The minor immortal nodded, embarrassed.
Now everyone’s eyes turned to look at Zi Huan. His expression was the same, but the look in his eyes had changed slightly. “And this will work?”
“That’s what was recorded in the book. But the woman has to have these insects in her body too…”
Yue Yao, who had been eavesdropping outside, blushed and ran back to her room, her heart thumping. She had heard the minor immortal’s words just now. To get rid of the foreign entities in her body and her Master, they had to do that…
She was no stranger to this matter. After all, as a mortal, she had gotten married to Cang Lan and their marriage had been consummated.
However, it hadn’t been with her body.
Yue Yao sat alone in her room, waiting restlessly.
And that night, as expected, Zi Huan came to her.
He stared at Yue Yao for a moment. “Yue Yao…”
Yue Yao nervously tugged at her clothes. Her face was red but she feigned calmness as she looked at Zi Huan. “Master?”
Zi Huan didn’t reply, causing the atmosphere to turn somewhat awkward.
Yue Yao grit her teeth as she mustered up the courage to speak, “Master… I’m willing.”
Zi Huan looked at her in surprise.
“As long as you can recover, I’m willing,” Yue Yao hurriedly finished before lowering her head.
“Yue Yao, are you aware—”
Yue Yao interrupted Zi Huan, “Master is only like this because of me. This is the only thing I can do for you.”
She took a deep breath before loosening the cloth belt at her waist. With some uneasiness in her heart, she took off her clothes, piece by piece, until she was standing naked in front of Zi Huan, “As long as you don’t mind, Master.”
Zi Huan’s eyes darkened. “I’m sorry, Yue Yao.”
Yue Yao didn’t get the chance to say any more before she was enveloped in a cold embrace. The lights were all extinguished, plunging the room into darkness.
A moment later, the sounds of panting could be heard from inside, sounds that soon turned into the pained moans of a woman.
By the time Cang Lan had rushed back, it was already too late.
Zi Huan silently donned his clothes and left. The room was still completely dark; one could only guess what the interior looked like.
Cang Lan threw a punch at Zi Huan but a group of people appeared from out of nowhere and hurriedly held him back.
“Highgod Cang Lan, this was our last resort—only Yue Yao had these things inside of her as well.”
“Indeed. If Ancient God Zi Huan does not recover, our Heavenly Realm is finished!”
“Highgod Cang Lan, please calm down!”
Cang Lan wrested himself free from their grasps, giving them one final glare before entering the room and slamming the door shut.
The crowd glanced at each other before rubbing their noses and looking up at the sky.