Li Muyang’s face turned deathly pale.
His heart even stopped for a moment.
Although when he made the decision earlier, he understood that Yan Xiaoru had already been abandoned by him, and her outcome would be dire.
But upon seeing the Third Miss, at the moment he handed over the talisman, he still harbored some hope for Dan Taiming in his heart.
He hoped that Dan Taiming could save Yan Xiaoru, or at least delay her demonization.
However, the Third Miss and Liu Lian’er hesitating to speak, and the Third Miss taking half a step back while speaking, not daring to look at Li Muyang, afraid of being reprimanded by him who often scolded her… such reactions left Li Muyang momentarily in a daze.
Knowing the outcome is one thing, but accepting reality is another…
But then he saw Liu Lian’er on the deck of the flying boat hesitate for a moment before shaking her head: “Senior Brother Li, Elder Yan is not dead yet…”
Despite saying this, Liu Lian’er’s expression remained uneasy.
Li Muyang was taken aback, frowned at her, and asked, “Then what is the situation with her? She is not dead, then she is still alive? Did Senior Tantai save her?”
There was a hint of surprise and expectation in Li Muyang’s eyes.
But Liu Lian’er naively shook her head again, saying: “Elder Yan is not dead, but she doesn’t seem to be alive either… her current state is very strange.”
“It’s hard to explain clearly with just words.”
“Senior Brother Li, are you going to Jiuyuan City? Elder Yan is currently resting not far from here, in the Desolate Wilderness Mountain about ten thousand li away. Do you want to see her?”
Liu Lian’er’s cautious inquiry left Li Muyang momentarily stunned.
“Desolate Wilderness Mountain?”
The familiar place name made him dazed once again.
Desolate Wilderness Mountain… it was, a thousand years ago, the Daoist ground of the sisters Mo Immortal and Jade Immortal.
Yan Xiaoru actually went to Desolate Wilderness Mountain to recuperate?
Li Muyang said, “Lead the way, let’s go to Desolate Wilderness Mountain.”
He had nothing to do in Jiuyuan City anyway, so he might as well take a detour to Desolate Wilderness Mountain to see Yan Xiaoru.
With the tunneling light speed of the three, it didn’t take long to reach Desolate Wilderness Mountain.
After one two-hour period, Li Muyang arrived at the front of Desolate Wilderness Mountain.
According to Liu Lian’er and the Third Miss, a powerful recluse resided here, a friend of Dan Taiming.
Dan Taiming brought Yan Xiaoru to Desolate Wilderness Mountain, now working together with this mighty recluse to treat her.
Under the guidance of the Third Miss and Liu Lian’er, Li Muyang ventured deep into Desolate Wilderness Mountain and saw a small cottage made of bamboo and wood in front of a scenic waterfall.
Behind the house, the bamboo forest was verdant, and the leaves swayed in the wind. In front of the house, the waterfall splashed water, and spiritual energy lingered in the air.
Standing on the open platform in front of the grass hut, one could see the vast sea of clouds below, creating a refreshing sentiment.
And the mighty recluse living here is called Lord Haitang, a Buddhist cultivator who has lived in seclusion for many years, also one of the top battle strengths of the current world, and once an unparalleled great individual of the Purple Mansion, now having broken through to the Heavenly Eternal Realm after the breaking of the Heaven and Earth Seal.
When Li Muyang landed in front of the grass hut, he saw Dan Taiming under a persimmon tree, playing chess with a solemn-looking woman.
The woman wore plain hemp clothing, without any jeweled splendor, nor the imposing aura of a top-tier powerhouse.
Her full head of silver hair indicated that her years were advanced, but her face still maintained a youthful tenderness, forming a stark contrast with Dan Taiming in front of her.
——Even though Dan Taiming did not appear old, her skin had sagged significantly, like a well-maintained noblewoman.
Longevity and physical aging are natural laws that cultivators cannot defy, only True Immortals can escape the cycles of birth, aging, illness, and death.
And not far from the two chess players in the Heavenly Eternal Realm, in the floral clusters in front of the grass hut, Yan Xiaoru sat cross-legged with her eyes tightly closed, motionless.
Butterflies fluttered around her head and shoulders, seemingly mistaking her for a sculpture.
Aunt Su stood uneasily nearby, guarding the tightly closed-eyed Yan Xiaoru.
And under the persimmon tree lay a giant green lion. This lion had three heads, appearing lethargic yet fierce, clearly a powerful devil.
But now this green lion lay obediently at the feet of Lord Haitang, a mount subdued by this Buddhist recluse.
——Buddhist cultivators always like to subdue powerful devils as mounts.
Li Muyang landed in the thicket not far from the persimmon tree, yet before he could speak, Dan Taiming under the persimmon tree suddenly stood up and said, “Li boy, you’re finally here!”
“We’ve been waiting for you for a long time!”
Dan Taiming very naturally abandoned the chess game and accidentally knocked over the chess pieces on the board with her sleeve upon standing, leaving the black and white board in utter disarray.
Dan Taiming, however, acted as if nothing happened, coming straight to Li Muyang.
“You really abandoned Xiao Ru and went to Jiuyuan City to mess around? What on earth is in Jiuyuan City?”
Dan Taiming glared at the Li Muyang before her, very unhappily demanding an explanation.
“And aren’t you supposed to have a new body, a beautiful young girl? Why are you now an ugly old man?”
Dan Taiming expressed utter disdain.
Li Muyang’s ugly form, combined with his previous decision to abandon Yan Xiaoru, filled Dan Taiming with anger.
Her furious eyes appeared genuine, like she wanted nothing more than to hold Li Muyang down and beat him up.
Li Muyang, however, looked past the irate Dan Taiming, toward the powerful recluse under the persimmon tree, only to see that this recluse, befitting a Buddhist sage, was not at all angered by Dan Taiming’s antics, merely sighed helplessly, and started tidying up the chess pieces on the board.
Then Lord Haitang stood up and said, “We’ve managed to stop Xiao Ru’s demonization. Currently, she stands at the brink of life and death.”
“A step forward will utterly extinguish her consciousness, replaced by the secondary personality created by the demonization.”
“But what we can do is merely halt the demonization temporarily.”
“You, being a cultivator of the Nether Demon Manual, surely know the irreversibility of this demonization.”
Lord Haitang sighed as he approached Dan Taiming, saying: “All we can do is help you have a final farewell.”
“Currently, Xiao Ru’s mind and divine soul are frozen; her five senses sealed, unable to hear the outside world, or even think.”
“Dan Taiming and I can restore her consciousness to a brief clarity, revert her to the state prior to demonization, allowing her to spend about two days with you.”
“These two days are the time for your final farewell.”
“After two days, she will be utterly demonized, with no possibility of reversal.”
Lord Haitang said, “You can bring your true self here, to personally bid her farewell, as this is the last meeting, you might want to see her with your best appearance.”
Lord Haitang’s words made Dan Taiming beside him snort coldly: “With such an ugly form, I won’t let Xiao Ru see you!”
