Chapter 163: Not Exactly a Backstab (Fifth Update)

"Has Lu Ye ascended?"

Jiang Die received the news and froze for a moment.

She carefully examined the contents of the message, pondering over every word repeatedly.

"Impossible. I’ve stationed experts at every ascension point. If Lu Ye had ascended, he would have been captured immediately."

"Unless... he arrived in the Second Heaven through an unconventional path."

No trace.

There was absolutely no trace of Lu Ye in the Second Heaven.

Jiang Die imagined Lu Ye lurking in the shadows, staring at her coldly and silently, as if looking at a dead person, and she couldn’t help but shudder all over.

"Deploy more people! Find him—find out where he is!"

Jiang Die was nearly frantic.

"At the same time, monitor anyone connected to Lu Ye. The moment they ascend to the Second Heaven, capture them and bring them to me!"

Lu Ye had completely vanished.

No one knew where he had gone.

The Buddhist Sect and the Netherworld had returned from the void, and the surviving powerhouses of the alien races had also begun to reappear.

A month later, Liu Zhangfeng held his Dao Companion Ceremony as scheduled.

The Great Desolate Heaven sent their congratulations.

Lu Ye couldn’t resist either and sent Liu Zhangfeng a grand gift—

A cultivation manual.

Titled *Avenue to Heaven Scripture*.

It also contained a set of accompanying divine techniques and spells.

Moreover, Lu Ye warned Liu Zhangfeng that the Tribulation Realm cultivators of the Great Dao Sect should avoid undergoing tribulation for the time being.

It would be best to wait a while longer.

"If you ever face true annihilation, shatter this Thousand-Mile Stone. I will know immediately."

"Understood!"

Lu Ye looked at Liu Zhangfeng with a smile in his eyes—

Just like in their past life, when Liu Zhangfeng had congratulated him.

"Be happy!"

Liu Zhangfeng fell silent.

He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he sensed an overwhelming weight in Lu Ye’s words.

"You too... be happy," Liu Zhangfeng replied.

Lu Ye couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, forget about me..."

"Farewell!"

The heaviness turned into relief.

Happiness or not, it's all so dull.

Lu Ye left the Great Dao Sect, and his karmic ties with it were nearly severed.

The Great Dao Sect had firmly chosen him, and in return, he left behind methods for artifact forging, alchemy, arrays, and talismans.

He also bestowed numerous treasures, and now, the *Avenue Transcending Scripture* was added to the list.

Enough!

More than enough!

Time flew by like a fleeting white colt.

Bai Qiulan reached the ninth level of the Tribulation Realm, while the other three women also made rapid progress.

Yue Hongling was utterly stunned.

Because she had helped Bai Qiulan endure the pain the most. Each bout of agony left her struggling between torment and lucidity.

Undeniably, a faint trace of fear had begun to take root in her heart.

Yet, under such circumstances, her cultivation advanced the fastest—just one step away from the Tribulation Realm, perhaps even achievable today.

Chu Ling had started absorbing Lunar Power from the peak of the Void Refinement stage. Though she hadn’t endured as much suffering as Yue Hongling, her cultivation had still reached the peak of the Unity Realm.

Shangguan Huanling was at the sixth level of the Unity Realm. Each time she endured the agony of Lunar Toxin, she needed a long recovery period. Although her *Primordial HeavenDevouring Scripture* allowed her to absorb Lunar Power more efficiently than the other two, her endurance was far weaker.

Bai Qiulan had no intention of rashly undergoing the tribulation. If she succeeded, the Second Heaven would only have Jiang Die left. Given Jiang Die’s temperament, there was a ninety-nine percent chance she wouldn’t help absorb the Lunar Power.

That meant she would have to bring Yue Hongling and the others with her.

But it was agonizingly slow.

Two full years passed.

Apart from Shangguan Huanling, both Yue Hongling and Chu Ling had reached the ninth level of the Tribulation Realm.

Bai Qiulan finally understood how Jiang Die had felt back then.

Being ready to ascend at any moment yet forced to wait.

"Should we undergo the tribulation?" Yue Hongling spoke up.

"No! I haven’t reached the ninth level of the Tribulation Realm yet!" Shangguan Huanling hurriedly objected.

"You’ve only reached the fourth level after all this time. The ninth level is still far off. If we wait for you, we’ll be waiting forever—senior brother might even reach the Third Heaven by then," Yue Hongling retorted with an eye roll.

"But we’re allies! No abandonment, no giving up! If Sister Bai ascends and you all follow, what about me?" Shangguan Huanling pleaded anxiously.

All three of them looked at Shangguan Huanling.

"You're the one who's slow in cultivation. What can we do about it? It's not like we can go snatch someone else's spiritual treasures for you," Yue Hongling said.

Shangguan Huanling...

"You can't do this! You promised me treasures for saving Chu Ling, and you still haven't delivered..."

"All our enemies are dead now. Where are we supposed to find treasures? Should we just take them from our own allies?" Yue Hongling replied, extremely impatient.

For some reason, her temper had grown incredibly short lately—she was ready to snap at anyone.

"But... you promised me..."

Shangguan Huanling turned her gaze to Chu Ling. Others might hesitate to betray an ally, but Chu Ling was practically an expert at it—she might even gain strength from it.

Chu Ling slammed the table.

"What’s that look supposed to mean? I already promised the Young Master that I’d never betray my teammates again."

"When did you promise that?"

Shangguan Huanling had a good memory, and in her recollection, Chu Ling hadn’t even spoken to Lu Ye.

"I just did! I promised in my heart!"

"But I saved your life..." Shangguan Huanling truly didn’t want to be left behind. If everyone ascended and she was the only one left below, what was the point?

No family.

No lover.

No friends.

Chu Ling stiffened.

A life-saving favor...

Though Chu Ling enjoyed backstabbing, she hadn’t forgotten Shangguan Huanling’s kindness.

Now that Shangguan Huanling had brought it up, Chu Ling couldn’t just pretend she hadn’t heard.

"Then let’s take Huanling with us when we ascend. So what if she’s a few realms behind? I’ll help you find spiritual treasures!" Chu Ling declared.

"Where can we even find them now?" Shangguan Huanling asked.

Chu Ling waved her hand dismissively.

"Don’t worry about that. I’ll definitely find them. But let’s be clear—once I help you reach the ninth level of the Tribulation Realm, my debt for saving my life is repaid. Agreed?" Chu Ling asked.

Shangguan Huanling nodded vigorously.

She wanted to find Lu Ye. She wanted him to know that she had re-cultivated the Path of Love, that she had fallen in love with him all over again!

She wasn’t someone who would betray love!

Chu Ling was already deep in thought.

Which faction should she target?

The Buddhist sect?

No, they had too many techniques and powerful figures.

The Underworld?

No, their overall strength remained largely intact.

The Great Dao Sect didn’t guard much against her, but they were obviously not an option.

Got it!

The Jiezong Sect!

The Jiezong Sect had a grudge against her senior brother, and its members were all body-refining cultivators with limited techniques. Though they now had decent relations with the Great Dao Sect, it was only out of fear of the latter’s might.

The Jiezong Sect it was!

This wouldn’t count as betrayal!

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