Chapter 331: Chapter 331: Please Take Me With You
Reviving a Sacred Soldier took over ten minutes, during which he intervened seven or eight times, slaying more than half of the high-level experts of the Divine Clan.
The achievements were astonishing, shocking everyone.
Similarly, the Dantian, Zhou Tian, and meridians within Chen Pingping’s body sustained severe depletion. Even with the replenishment of Spirit Pills, his foundation was injured.
If he were to forcibly join the subsequent battles, his cultivation would inevitably encounter serious problems.
As for the trump card he spoke of, it was something he had taken from the ancestral land of the Divine Clan, with which he could threaten them.
Of course, he didn’t want to resort to that unless it was absolutely necessary, as a last step.
Now, hearing Mo Lai’s words and recalling what the dean had said earlier, Chen Pingping hesitated, his resolve wavering.
This slaughter had started because of him, and now he was about to become a deserter. It was an unpleasant feeling.
"You’ve done your best," Mo Lai said again.
Indeed! Who else could be like Chen Pingping? He stood at the pinnacle of the Imperial Path, revived a Sacred Soldier, and killed more than half of the high-level Divine Clan experts. He intimidated the Emperor Son, Jin Wushuang, and the Clan Leader of the Divine Clan, to the point that they didn’t even dare to revive their Sacred Soldiers or Heaven Tao Divine Weapons. Chen Pingping had accomplished that; he had indeed done his best.
Mo Lai then said, "Leave the upcoming battle to us."
A large number of experts from the Spirit Palace surged onto the battlefield.
Wei Xiaoxi was also taking action.
Heng Ba’s figure was at the forefront. However, he had exhausted himself greatly and would soon perish forever.
The dean was by his side, constantly taking action.
The situation was chaotic.
Chen Pingping watched for a while, a sense of detachment washing over him, as if this terrible battle no longer concerned him.
It was the grudge between the Wen Clan Lineage and the Divine Clan, the slaughter between the Spirit Palace Lineage and the Divine Clan.
He had become an outsider.
Mo Lai patted his shoulder heavily and said in a deep voice, "Take care of Ni’er for me."
"You’ll all make it out alive, right?" Chen Pingping looked up.
"Of course!"
"And them?"
"They will too. All of us will survive, including Dean Ning Anran," Mo Lai declared.
"Alright," Chen Pingping nodded. "I’ll leave, but you must remember what you said today: all of you must survive..."
He was no saint, nor did he possess a saintly heart. But he didn’t want a group of people to die fighting the Divine Clan for his survival; he would feel too guilty about that.
The two said no more.
Chen Pingping clenched his teeth and, dragging his weary body, fled the battlefield.
There was one person who knew the truth: Guang Xiaoyu... The Purple Gold Divine Clan’s true power ran far deeper than this. They still had Lords, and possibly even ancient Sages who were still alive. Ultimately, death in this great war was inevitable. Guang Xiaoyu hadn’t told him. She was being selfish. But she felt she had to be, because if she told Chen Pingping the truth, he might be the one to die in battle. All she could do was silently pray, hoping that what she feared was not true—that all the Purple Gold Divine Clan members were here, with no reinforcements, no Lords, and no Saints to appear.
Mo Lai watched their retreating figures and exhaled a heavy breath of turbid air. He smiled. "Ni’er, you must live well."
Chen Pingping forcefully took Emperor Spirit away, regardless of its willingness.
Then he found Jiang Ni’er, and also Lan Xiuzhi.
He spoke, "You should return to the Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Dynasty. I will give you the Spirit Vein to nourish the Phoenix Cauldron. In the future, it could give birth to a Heaven Tao Divine Weapon’s God. Otherwise, after the Divine Clan’s slaughter ends, the Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Dynasty might become the target for all."
Lan Xiuzhi was startled. "Ah? Why?" Her eyes widened, unable to comprehend for a moment.
Chen Pingping continued, "You can’t come with me."
Seeing Chen Pingping escape alive, she had been overjoyed. She was ready to chatter with him about the dean’s affairs but hadn’t expected the topic to suddenly turn so grave.
Lan Xiuzhi suddenly felt stifled.
"I’m sorry," Chen Pingping said, taking a deep breath.
This apology was for Lan Xiuzhi, and for the Phoenix Cauldron.
Then he re-entered the Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Dynasty, chose a place to settle the Spirit Vein, passed on some powerful cultivation methods to Lan Xiuzhi, and gave her many Spirit Pills, offensive techniques, and powerful Divine Weapons.
He commanded Earth Chicken to set up several seventh and eighth-tier Arrays.
He urged repeatedly, "I hope you become strong enough to protect yourself and the Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Dynasty. If fate allows, we will definitely meet again."
SOB SOB! Lan Xiuzhi choked out, "Pingping, can you please not go?"
Chen Pingping shook his head. "This is the Spirit Realm, and I must return to the Heaven Martial Continent."
"But, I’m afraid..." she looked at Chen Pingping with pitiful eyes.
Chen Pingping smiled comfortingly. "It’s okay. You have an extraordinary physique; I believe in you."
Lan Xiuzhi still choked on her sobs, her eyes red-rimmed. "Can you not go?"
Chen Pingping remained silent.
Not go? Probably not possible. The commotion he had caused was too great. The three great imperial dynasties regarded him as a lifelong enemy, and the Purple Gold Divine Clan had mobilized their entire clan to kill him. If he stayed here, the Spirit Realm wouldn’t know a day of peace. Moreover, he had his own matters to deal with, such as... those concerning his master. His master’s identity and origins seemed to be growing more and more mysterious. He was a bit curious, and even a bit excited.
"Be good, no crying," Chen Pingping looked at her. "You look so unsightly when you cry!"
"Mm, I won’t cry. But Pingping, can you not leave?" Lan Xiuzhi quickly wiped her tears away, looking at him with hope in her eyes.
"I’ll come to see you often," Chen Pingping smiled.
After arranging everything, just before he left, he still worried about Lan Xiuzhi, so he left the Demon Flower with her. Only then did he turn and walk away.
Behind him, Lan Xiuzhi cried, tears streaming down her face like pear blossoms in the rain: "Pingping, you’ll come back, right? Pingping, will you think of me? Pingping... take me with you!"
"Please!"
SOB SOB...
"I don’t want to stay here alone."
"Pingping, I actually knew long ago that you took the God from the Phoenix Cauldron, but... so what?" she wailed, crystalline tears streaming down her face.
She was heartbroken. But she did not pursue him. She felt that if Chen Pingping didn’t take her with him, there must be a reason. Perhaps the situation on the Heaven Martial Continent was even worse, and he needed to go back to handle things. When peace was restored, Pingping would surely come back for her.
Lan Xiuzhi sobbed in the cold wind, her eyes swollen from crying. Chen Pingping’s figure had long since vanished from the distant landscape.
"I won’t cry, I won’t cry. Pingping said I look unsightly when I cry."
"I must be strong." She held back her tears, wiping them over and over again, but her tears, disappointingly, kept streaming down.
She didn’t know how much time had passed.
Lin Yuexin arrived and sighed softly. Ultimately, she was too late.
When she heard about the great battle between the Divine Clan and Chen Pingping, she had hurried over, only to find he had already departed.
Later, when she arrived at the Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Dynasty, she still missed him.
Her wish to say goodbye could now only remain in her heart.
Looking at the sorrow-stricken Lan Xiuzhi, she quietly comforted, "Are you okay?"
「In the distance!」
Guang Xiaoyu couldn’t help but speak up, "Senior Brother, she’s crying so heartbreakingly. Why don’t you take her back to the Wuji Sect?"
Had it been before, she would have resolutely refused. In this world, no woman was worthy of her Senior Brother—well, except for herself. But Lan Xiuzhi’s weeping was too distressing; it stirred her compassion.
Chen Pingping said helplessly, "It’s not that I don’t want to, but that I can’t. If she were to leave, the Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Dynasty would probably be finished!"
Without a Heaven Tao Divine Weapon, the Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Dynasty would soon become a prime target, and its annihilation wouldn’t be far off.
But if Lan Xiuzhi stayed, she could be given the Spirit Vein and everything needed for her cultivation. Ensuring her growth would allow her to support the Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Dynasty. Perhaps then, there would still be a sliver of hope.
Guang Xiaoyu glanced back once more and then remained silent.