Chapter 406 - 215: Wuchen’s Decision

Chapter 406: Chapter 215: Wuchen’s Decision

She raised the corners of her mouth, giving Su Yingxue a happy and sweet smile. She nodded lightly and said with a cheerful grin,

"Wuchen. My Dao Companion."

Su Yingxue was taken aback for a moment, then a smile blossomed on her aged face.

"To think that a decision I made back then would end up bringing about such a fated union."

At these words, a smile also graced Ye Qingyue’s face, her eyes brimming with nostalgia.

Her fated connection with Shen Wuchen had all started back at the grand inter-sect tournament, when her master, Su Yingxue, had instructed her to deliberately lose to him.

If not for her master’s arrangement, Shen Wuchen would never have had that misunderstanding, and the rest of their story would never have unfolded.

Fate was just that wondrous, and just that blissfully sweet.

*

*

*

"Tell us how many enemies are left. We’ll help you wipe them out."

After they had stayed in the Wangyue Sect for a few days, Shen Wuchen noticed Su Yingxue’s condition was steadily deteriorating. His expression flickered, and he took the initiative to speak.

Hearing Shen Wuchen’s words, Su Yingxue froze for a moment, a flicker of hesitation in her eyes.

Shen Wuchen watched her expression and continued, "If we don’t do this, she won’t be able to leave in peace."

He understood Ye Qingyue, just as she understood him.

Upon hearing this, a faint smile touched Su Yingxue’s lips. She nodded gently and said, "In that case, I must trouble you."

Shen Wuchen shook his head, his expression as aloof as ever. He said flatly,

"Senior Brother Zhang will be the one doing the heavy lifting. I don’t have that kind of strength."

’Even though he really wanted to impress Ye Qingyue’s family, the reality was he couldn’t.’

Su Yingxue gave him a startled look. ’It’s the first time I’ve ever heard someone be so honest. This husband of my disciple is certainly interesting... but...’

Her gaze fell upon Shen Wuchen. Recalling her own bizarre state from a few days prior, she couldn’t help but shake her head.

’This husband of my disciple... his power isn’t weak in the slightest.’

After receiving the map from Su Yingxue showing the distribution of forces around the Wangyue Sect, Shen Wuchen began to act.

Outside an island occupied by one of the enemy factions, Shen Wuchen watched a nearby Cultivator at the Nascent Soul Early Stage. He tilted his head and spoke coldly to Zhang Zhentian, who stood beside him.

"Be my backup."

Without waiting for Zhang Zhentian to react, he finished speaking and charged toward the enemy, Ye Qingyue at his side.

Before reaching the Nascent Soul Stage, Shen Wuchen had constantly fought and sparred with others in his same Realm. Although every match ended in his certain defeat, he never stopped fighting.

He did it to accumulate experience, to make himself stronger bit by bit.

But after reaching the Nascent Soul Stage, he had rarely had the chance to fight others in the same Realm.

Now, he had finally encountered one. The opponent’s strength was a Small Realm lower than his own, which suited his intentions perfectly.

When the enemy Cultivator saw Shen Wuchen charging at him, he jumped in fright. Setting aside Shen Wuchen’s extraordinary bearing, his unconcealed Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivation alone was enough to make his heart pound with fear.

But before the fear in his heart could fully take root, his thoughts took a sudden, sharp turn. Facing the rapidly approaching Shen Wuchen, only one thought remained in his mind:

’I can beat him!’

He then adopted a relaxed and carefree posture, awaiting Shen Wuchen’s arrival.

"AH!" A moment later, he cried out in pain. He stared at Shen Wuchen in terror. ’What just happened?’

With no time to think, he saw Shen Wuchen attacking again and could only scramble to defend himself.

But after a few moments of combat, his eyes went wide as he stared at Shen Wuchen in utter disbelief.

’Is this man really at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage? Why is he so weak?’

He immediately shook his head. ’No, no, someone at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage can’t be this weak. So...’

’It’s not that he’s too weak, it’s that I’ve gotten stronger?’

His face lit up with joy, but he quickly felt that something was off. How could he have suddenly become so powerful? There hadn’t been any signs.

’So, it’s not that I’ve gotten stronger, but that this Nascent Soul Middle Stage opponent is just really weak?’

’But how could someone at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage be this weak? So, it must be that I’ve gotten stronger.’

This line of thought cycled endlessly in his mind until he became completely numb to it. His expression twisted, he finally screamed at Shen Wuchen,

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

He was on the verge of a mental breakdown. He had never experienced such a bizarre battle.

One day later, he lay limp on the ground, eyes wide, staring at the haughty Shen Wuchen. "You..." he mumbled, "what the hell is wrong with you?"

As the words left his lips, he closed his eyes, unable to accept his fate.

He hadn’t been defeated by Shen Wuchen in a direct confrontation; he had died from a mental collapse brought on by sheer torment.

Shen Wuchen stared blankly at his fallen enemy, lost in thought.

’It feels like,’ he thought, ’I’ve suddenly learned how to fight...’

*

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*

The aftermath of the battle gradually dissipated in the sea breeze.

A peaceful morning dawned on the humble encampment of the Wangyue Sect.

A briny sea mist enveloped the newly tilled Spirit Fields and the few wooden huts.

Several young boys and girls, dressed in Wangyue Sect disciple uniforms that had been altered to fit them, poked their heads out and peered toward the wooden hut where Su Yingxue was resting.

Their faces, flushed with a healthy, sun-kissed glow from life on the island, shone with eyes full of curiosity.

Ye Qingyue was gently wiping Su Yingxue’s face with a warm, damp cloth.

She looked up, saw several pairs of sparkling eyes through the crack in the door, and gently pulled the creaking wooden panel open.

"Good morning," Ye Qingyue said with a smile to the little girl in front, who wore her hair in pigtails.