Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 712 - 353: Rejection from the Empress Dowager

Chapter 712: Chapter 353: Rejection from the Empress Dowager

The upheaval at Zhenxuan Mountain came abruptly and vanished even more abruptly.

Originally, everyone anticipated a fierce and grueling battle, but after experiencing an inexplicable turn of events, everything returned to silence. The golden radiance that had enveloped the forbidden area slowly dissipated.

To everyone’s shock, the Dharma Aspect of the Taoist Ancestor had already disappeared without a trace.

The burial chamber was almost razed to the ground, leaving behind a scene of utter devastation.

The three masters—Xuanyuan Shugui, Taoist Kumu, and Heaven Master Chou—had also vanished without a sign of their presence.

Dugu Luoxue and Qu Hongling anxiously scoured the ruins in search of Jiang Shouzhong, yet even after turning over every corner, they could not find Jiang Shouzhong himself or even a single strand of his hair.

Qi and the others also relentlessly searched for the Taoist Ancestor’s stone coffin.

Oddly enough, though the stone coffin remained in place, the remains of the Taoist Ancestor inside had inexplicably vanished.

Either they had been taken away by the three former masters at the Heavenly Human Realm, or perhaps they had mysteriously disappeared along with Jiang Shouzhong... Reflecting on the earlier phenomena, most believed it was likely the latter.

"Master Dugu, Miss Qu, rest assured, we will find Jiang Mo," said Qi to the two women in consolation.

With tearful eyes, Qu Hongling, distraught for her beloved, cried out angrily:

"The Taoist River Map belonged to Jiang all along! Yet you insisted on subjecting him to some absurd trial. If anything happens to Jiang, I swear I’ll overturn your Zhenxuan Mountain and bury you lot alongside him!"

Understanding her anguish, Qi did not take offense at her threat and turned to Dugu Luoxue, saying, "Master Dugu, please take Miss Qu back to rest. We will continue searching here to see if the Taoist Ancestor left behind any secret chambers."

Dugu Luoxue remained relatively composed.

From the earlier upheaval, she had a strong instinctive feeling—it might have been caused by Jiang Shouzhong.

Though the reasons were unclear, she believed he was unlikely to be harmed.

"I’ll leave it to Sect Master Qi then," she said with a bow before taking the unwilling Qu Hongling away.

After the two women departed, Qi instructed Yun Wuqing to take Fang Ziheng for treatment, while he himself returned to the site of the ruined burial chamber with its empty stone coffin. Staring at the vacated coffin, he muttered:

"Before ascending, the Taoist Ancestor left behind some parting words, saying the mortal world is like a great dyeing vat—if you do not plunge into it, you cannot survive. Perhaps the heavens are no different.

Taoist Ancestor, judging by what transpired, it seems someone suppressed you. What exactly happened here?"

Qi couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed, sighing deeply as he continued organizing his disciples to search.

...

At the foot of Zhenxuan Mountain, nestled within a secluded forest...

With blood oozing from all seven orifices, Heaven Master Chou stared grimly toward the forbidden burial site, his expression dark as he remarked coldly, "Do you think it might have been the Taoist Ancestor’s hand?"

Xuanyuan Shugui remained silent, tuning the strings of his erhu.

Beside him, Taoist Kumu shook out the tattered sleeves of his robe, sneering coldly:

"You two are astonishingly cowardly. Without even confirming whether it was the Taoist Ancestor’s doing, you fled faster than anyone else and nearly got me killed in the process."

"Hmph, you’re one to talk. As if you did any better," Heaven Master Chou retorted with a mocking grin.

The three of them had survived through sheer resilience, cherishing their lives far more than anyone else.

The earlier events had indeed been terrifying—regardless of whether the Taoist Ancestor had acted or not, the risk of staying was simply not worth the potential cost of losing their lives.

"Go back to the mountain?"

Xuanyuan Shugui laid his bow across his erhu strings, testing the sound, his hollow eyes turning toward Taoist Kumu.

In turn, Taoist Kumu looked toward Heaven Master Chou.

"What are you looking at me for? Going back to the mountain now would be utterly pointless!"

Heaven Master Chou rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Staring at the childlike figure of Heaven Master Chou, Taoist Kumu’s wrinkled face relaxed into a sly, amused smile. "Old Chou, as I understand it, you utilized the Nirvana Bone to regain your youth, but there’s no way your cultivation could have been restored to its peak so quickly—you must have resorted to the Yin Yang Great Reincarnation Secret Technique.

However, according to my understanding of that technique, it has a fatal flaw: the cultivation can only be sustained for about a two-hour period, and it’s followed by violent backlash. At this moment, I’d wager you’re just a paper tiger, which is why you dare not head back to the mountain."

Leaning leisurely against a tree with his hands tucked inside his sleeves, Heaven Master Chou chuckled and replied, "You sly old devil, there’s no need for all this indirect probing. If you insist, we can have a duel and see which one of us is the real paper tiger."

Taoist Kumu simply smiled, saying nothing.

Tension surged between the two, shrouding the air in cold hostility.

Ultimately, Xuanyuan Shugui’s soft playing of his erhu broke the mounting tension as he spoke gently, "Enough. No matter our differences, we’ve cooperated before. Now’s not the time to undermine each other. Instead, we should focus on figuring out how to uncover a path to ascension."

Taoist Kumu stretched languidly and said with self-mockery, "What other path is there? Wait for death, I’d say."

Shaking a small bell in his hand, he turned away with his puppet Su Junyang, humming softly, "Brightly seen yet obscure, audibly clear yet unheard... foolish troubles of the mundane."

Watching his retreating figure, Heaven Master Chou muttered coldly, "That old devil clearly has other plans."

"And aren’t you the same?" Xuanyuan Shugui responded with a knowing smile.

Heaven Master Chou’s lips curved upward. "True enough, all three of us are old, wretched bastards—each hiding secrets of our own. Coming to the Taoist Ancestor was merely to seek answers, but it doesn’t mean our years of living were wasted."

Steering the conversation in another direction, Xuanyuan Shugui asked, "Do you think Zhao Wuxiu will succeed?"

Heaven Master Chou pondered briefly before replying indifferently, "The path he’s chosen is one we three have all walked before—seeking to utilize the Shura Borderless Soul as a means to evade the heavenly laws and enter the Heavenly Gate.

Heaven encompasses the Three Realms—human, immortal, and demon.

Yet the Shura exists beyond these realms—neither human, nor demon, nor immortal.

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