Dug dug.
Dug dug.
Dug dug...
"What is this loud noise inside my chest?" Ji Mei felt her chest was about to burst. She remembered that she had felt this way before but couldn't exactly remember the day when she stopped feeling heartbeat.
"I- I have a heart now?"
XiNiang clenched her fist as she tried to stand up. Due to the Shura's power that had been drained from her body, the wound from which she took the Aromatic Heart Arrow Root tore open.
'No... This is no good. But until I can calm Ji Mei, I am happy to die inside this wretched hollow Goddess.'
*cough cough* Her situation is now getting worse. She is coughing more blood out from her mouth which indicated that she should undergo treament right now. Breathing heavily, XiNiang crawled her way inside the hollow chamber which led inside a green light at the center.
'This light, it's very warm.' XiNiang said as she approached the altar-like structure. Her sweat dripped from every part of her body and unto her wound causing an excruciating pain as it touched her bare flesh. She screamed as she dragged her wretched body with blood and sweat mixed on the vine-infested floor that she was stepping in.
"Who goes there?!" A distorted booming voice of a woman echoed coming from the bright green light.
"I am Gu XiNiang! I come in peace!"
"XiNiang? I have not heard such a name before. Have you come to steal from me again human?!?"
The walls shook as the woman's voice spoke however XiNiang isn't terrified or threatened by this. She continued to move forward despite the pain and exhaustion.
"I do not wish to steal from you. I came here... To return- something..."
By this, the tremors stopped and the vines from the walls halted swaying violently. After a few moments, two vines entangled slowly towards the bright green light taking form of a woman. XiNiang's eyes widened as she saw a familiar face at the midst of the transformation... Her eyes were filled with tears that fell unto the Heart Arrow Root.
"Little girl, why are you crying?"
"Forgive me... My Goddess. It was just... I remembered someone."
"I see. So in what purpose that you boldly come here?"
"I wish to return this to you."
Helding out the Heart Arrow Root using XiNiang's bloody hands, the entity's eyes grew wide and was suprised.
"I-Impossible!"
"Yes. My ancestors stole it from you. Isn't this your real heart?"
"But Wan Miansu! She told me that she has my real heart..."
"Wan Miansu was just lying to you... I'll prove to you that this one is the real Heart Arrow Root."
"Y-You!"
XiNiang's lips were already pale as the Goddess received the heart arrow root. The Goddess held the grown plant on her hamd and it glowed into a bright amaranth color. The green light dissipated and was replaced by a sheer color of amaranth. The amaranth divine aura spilled and gave off a bright pink colored energy that surrounded all Old Jianghu. The large tree guardian stopped from attacking and the citizens from WenXi city were relieved.
"This is indeed my heart. Thank you young one... What do you wish in return?"
XiNiang's energy was almost gone from her body. The only accupoint that can only function now was JiWu and that means... All of her senses are gone except hearing and speaking.
"I only wish... For forgiveness."
Ji Mei nodded her head and replied... "I forgive you."
XiNiang smiled and after a while, released her very last breath. Her heart had already stopped beating and her pulse is gone. Ji Mei felt happy at the same time pity the girl who saved her.
"Gu XiNiang... You are too important to be forgotten so soon."
--------------------------
QiuShan Li opened his eyes after he sunk under water from his bath tub for a long time. He felt that some part of the Shura's energy was slowly fading away from him. He got up from the tub and put on his clothes and rushed up towards Asuro who was at the balcony facing far away.
"Master... What happened? Why do I feel that something went-"
"I am sorry Li."
"Master... What do you mean?"
"Gu XiNiang is gone."
Li's eyes widened and tears slowly fell down on it's sides. "Xi-Xiniang... She is..."
"Yes, she sacrificed herself to save Old Jianghu."
Memories came flooding back inside Li's head which knocked off a terrible memory forcing him to fall down on his knees while holding his head.
"Li! What is ha-"
As Asuro touched his arm, a dark liquid-like substance leaked emitting a prowess similar to the ancient evil tree. He exorcised the substance by his fire but he could not calm Li down who is acting violently. A horn emerged from the side of his head and this made him more alerted.
'I can't exorcise him if he's too carried away by his feelings. I will chain him up with the Shura's Divination Seal and lock him up at the ritual room where we purified Goddess Cao Cao's heaven sword.'
Asuro carried him inside the ritual room and afterwards, performed the Shura's Divination Seal. Li was placed at the center of the room with blood red chains bounded around his body. No one had ever broken this type of seal and Asuro was the most finest Shura there is.
"Li! Listen to me! Control your emotions! Don't let it get into you, Li!"
Li growled as the chains gripped both of his hands tightly. The half side of his face was gradually turning into the visage of a demon. BeiYin helped upon subduing the demonic presence that caused tremors inside the room.
"I'll help, father."
Asuro nodded in response and together, released a strong chi turning the blood chains into a bright golden colour. Qiushan Li became stable after a short period of time. The chains golde glow faded gradually as he fell unconscious on the array.
"Father what is happening?" BeiYin approached Asuro who was currently checking Li's pulse.
"There is something wrong in Old Jianghu. I will ascend there and take a look. Do not leave Li's side. It will only take a matter of time until the shura's seal will disintegrate."
Conjuring a portal array, Asuro opened a direct portal leading to Old Jianghu. BeiYin was hesitant for his father to go. She felt that incompetence would swallow her whole and felt distraught as she tugged her father's sleeve.
"Father. I think you should stay here I think I cannot perform the seal well."
Asuro faced back his daughter and gave her a warm gentle smile. He turned back and gave a pat on her head. "You are the sixth shura's daughter. You should believe more in yourself rather than believing to what others say."
BeiYin's eyes gave off a vibe of happiness as she heard those words come off from her father's mouth. For decades, she had grew old and watched her kingdom silently fight war against the White Snake's country.
Now, she is fighting not just a war for the county, but a war for the whole world inhabited by mortals, immortals and demons. Mustering up her courage, she had her head held high and replied to her father. "I, BeiYin... Proud daughter of the sixth shura won't back down to this challenge placed upon me."
"That's the spirit." Asuro happily said as he entered to the portal array and spirited away leaving a trace of cherry blossom petals behind.
______________________________
Gu XiNiang opened her eyes once again and found herself inside Shifting Flower Sect's main hall sitting on her usual table where she would sit for the whole day. She felt strange and stood up from her seat.
Mei WuTang went inside the room and poured some tea on her teacup. Everything was nostalgic and she was certain that she had already died.
"What's wrong Clan leader? You seem abit pale." Mei WuTang asked her.
"Where am I?"
"Uh, inside the sect. Eh Clan leader Gu, you are acting strange."
"No... I... I am not supposed to be here."
Gu XiNiang's world spun as she is getting dizzy after saying those words. Mei WuTang took a step further close to her and her distorted sounding words echoed. "XiNiang, we would you be right now?"
Gu XiNiang felt herself spun along with the illusions faster and faster until...
It was all void and found herself standing in the middle of a cerulean-blue pond. Everything inside the illusion seems real as cranes flew high above. The snow peak mountain ranges seemed to be gleaming as a new light of the day shone upon it. Everything was in pure silence when she heard a drop of water from behind her back. She turned around and saw a familiar face who looked like someone she had seen before her death.
"Gu XiNiang. I had finally found you."
"W-Who are you? What am I doing here? Am I dead?"
"Yes. You are inside the illusion created by your nascent soul. You may have died mortally but you may choose to reincarnate back to Old Jianghu and start again or ascend to be an immortal."
"Immortal? I haven't reached the peak of cultivation yet. My cultivation base is low because I died."
"How else would you have let me absorb the Heart arrow root if you have a low cultvation base?"
XiNiang's eyes grew wide as memories came back into her and realized that the one she was talking to was the fallen Goddess ,Ji Mei.
"Ji Mei..."
"As a gift for saving me, I will let you ascend to the ninth heaven and become an immortal."
"But I am unworthy for this..."
"Those who have the heart to help and sacrifice themselves for the good cause are worthy to be an immortal."
Ji Mei hovered quick in front of Gu XiNiang and using her point finger she flicked XiNiang's forehead. The mark of the Spring Blossom Goddess appeared on her forehead sending a clear pinkish aura across the skies of Old Jianghu.
As Asuro arrived timingly he felt the ascension had already started and found XiNiang's body slowly transforming into a sacred lotus.