Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 727 - 359: Jiang Wan Appears (End of Volume Three)_4

Chapter 727: Chapter 359: Jiang Wan Appears (End of Volume Three)_4

Old Madam Ran’s breathing gradually weakened, "Grandmother will be leaving first. You must take good care of yourself. Though I never got to hold the chubby little boy you and Jiang Mo might have had, seeing you, Qingchen, in bridal attire is enough. My Qingchen is the most beautiful bride under heaven..."

Old Madam Ran struggled to lift her hand, trying to caress the young girl’s cheek.

But ultimately, her hand fell powerless.

The sole Commandery Princess of Dazhou’s imperial city, thus passed into eternal rest.

Ran Qingchen clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles pale from the force, her slender figure trembling uncontrollably as she suppressed the surging emotions within.

Black-red tears, like congealed droplets of blood, slowly slid from the corners of her eyes, leaving stark, haunting trails down her cheeks, adding an air of tragic desolation.

She crouched down and grasped the old lady’s hand.

The young girl whimpered, the black demonic qi around her surging wildly.

She carried Old Madam Ran’s corpse on her back and walked out the door, intending to bury her.

But as she stepped out, Ran Qingchen abruptly lifted her cold, penetrating gaze to the man upon the opposite rooftop.

Zhao Wuxiu!

"Shuras are meant to be emotionless."

Zhao Wuxiu had abandoned his usual plain attire, now adorned in a more vibrant silk garment.

Ran Qingchen mocked, "Using my hand to sever the ties between you and the Dazhou royal family, then coming to kill me, avenging your master and resolving your karma—Zhao Wuxiu, you truly are devious."

Zhao Wuxiu replied, "Ascension requires cutting off all karma."

"And do you truly think you can ascend?"

Ran Qingchen snorted coldly, "You’re gravely injured now. Trying to fuse my Shura Borderless Soul is nothing but a delusional fantasy. Even if my soul is unstable and my cultivation is yet to fully recover, dealing with you is more than enough!"

Zhao Wuxiu fell silent.

Indeed, he was seriously injured—a wound inflicted by Yan Changqing.

Why had Yan Changqing traveled thousands of miles to the capital to deliver that single sword strike?

First, to humble the Emperor, for having wronged his daughter.

Second, for his true purpose.

To severely wound Zhao Wuxiu, forcing him to abandon his attempt to fuse the Shura Borderless Soul.

Third, to test whether other masters still lurked within the capital.

Yan Changqing had never intended to "save" his daughter. As Li Guanshi had said, to truly save Ran Qingchen, she must become a Shura, resolving everything at its root.

But as Ran Qingchen’s words fell, she suddenly realized her demonic qi was slipping out of her control, as though trapped by an invisible force.

Her pupils contracted as she raised her head to the sky.

In the ominously darkened heavens, a colossal, ancient golden door gradually manifested, radiating a boundless aura.

The Heavenly Gate!!

Zhao Wuxiu had actually opened the Heavenly Gate!

The majestic Heavenly Mighty poured from the gate, transforming into a massive invisible hand that sought to suppress the Shura.

Ran Qingchen was forced to her knees, her hands pressed against the ground, slim fingers embedded in the dirt. Her alluring and delicate face now twisted with a ferocious grimace.

Zhao Wuxiu said calmly, "I cannot kill you, but Immortals can."

"Zhao Wuxiu, you actually made a deal with those dogs above!"

Ran Qingchen’s soul began to be pulled from her body, her voice filled with immense resentment and rage, "Do you think that by sacrificing your True Soul they’ll allow you to enter the Heavenly Gate? You’re too naive!"

Zhao Wuxiu paid her no mind, raising his head to gaze at the gate with burning fervor.

This Heavenly Gate, he must enter!

...

The Imperial Palace was in a chaotic uproar.

Yet within Fengluan Palace, tranquility remained.

Empress Luo Wanqing waved away the panicked female official reporting to her, her beautiful eyes gazing steadily at the Golden Throne Hall. She let out a soft laugh, and then laughed even louder, increasingly delighted.

Er Liang, who had been practicing swordplay, tilted her little head in puzzlement, watching her Mistress.

"Er Liang, your Mistress has become a widow."

Luo Wanqing wiped away tears of amusement from the corners of her eyes, smiling as she spoke.

The woman turned to look at her opulent palace, her gaze filled with a reluctant fondness, "The Empress is no more. If I want to enjoy all the riches of the world again, there’s no hope left. Unless..."

Luo Wanqing’s eyes suddenly brightened, and she turned to Er Liang, saying:

"Does your Master intend to vie for the world? If not, I could begrudgingly become Empress again and join him."

Er Liang was about to speak when she abruptly looked up to the sky.

Luo Wanqing also glanced upward.

"The Heavenly Gate has opened."

Luo Wanqing was dazed for a long moment before sighing, "That Zhao Wuxiu—no better than Zhou Chang. He’s gone mad, lost in obsession. But can he truly ascend?"

"No."

Er Liang said softly.

"Why not?" Luo Wanqing reflexively asked.

Er Liang replied, "Because I’m here."

Luo Wanqing was stunned, lowering her gaze to the usually timid young girl, who now seemed to speak so boldly.

For some reason, she suddenly realized Er Liang had changed.

Changed into someone seemingly... more mature.

Er Liang set down her sword and walked to a high platform, her skirts flowing lightly as she moved, her youthful yet icy face revealing a hint of sorrow and melancholy beyond her years.

"Above the Heavenly Gate, still lies heaven; at the end of the Great Path, there’s always the Path."

She turned back and smiled brightly at Luo Wanqing, "Senior Sister, thank you for taking care of me."

Luo Wanqing widened her eyes, astonished.

Jiang Wan!?

The girl lifted an arm, her voice ringing out:

"I have a sword, called ’Cangsheng’! It can slay demons, subdue Buddhas, and vanquish Immortals!"

Heaven and earth suddenly changed color.

Golden beams of light shot up from all corners of Dazhou, forming streams of Sword Qi.

Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions...

These beams almost exclusively emanated from the common people.

"Cut!"

Millions of Sword Qi converged, launching straight at the Heavenly Gate.

The gate shattered instantly, and the Immortal Giant Hand was severed as well, emitting furious, thunderous roars of unwillingness.

Zhao Wuxiu stood dumbfounded.

The sword descended, crushing the world’s greatest cultivator into a deep pit in the ground.

——

[Volume Three, End]