CHAPTER 489
The Final Year
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"But Miao Miao isn't alone anymore. You can rely on me, your master, and your senior sisters."
Miaomiao felt like crying, yet a flicker of joy held back her tears…
Of course, she envied the lives of the direct disciples or the elders, but she never imagined this day would come—that she would reside in Lingxian Hall and have her own room.
Her master said she could choose any unoccupied room, didn't need to push herself too hard in cultivation, and could do whatever she pleased—just remember to come for meals on time.
Her mind was so full of thoughts that she didn't even properly enjoy the engraving process.
"All done…"
"Master?"
Miaomiao slowly rose to her feet. The last thought she heard was Master saying he was very tired…
She pulled herself up, adjusted her skirt, and turned to look at Master. He had collapsed exhausted beside the bed.
His face was deathly pale, as if poisoned…
Summoning her courage, Miao Miao helped her master onto the bed. Overstepping her bounds, she took his wrist and felt his pulse.
It seemed he was simply exhausted…
Master was as strong as an ox; with a few days of proper rest, he should recover.
Her right hand was covered in blood. Was she truly worthy of such sacrifice?
In other words, was she worthy?
Was she worthy of such devotion?
Truthfully, she never imagined that Master, who seemed capable of anything, would collapse from exhaustion.
She had just climbed through the window and had been locked in an intense standoff with Master the entire time, leaving no chance to properly look around his room.
Some items lay scattered on the desk. She'd heard that when the Master took on disciples, he would bestow precious treasures upon them.
From afar, Miaomiao spotted the snow-white jade pendant. Truthfully, she knew little about jade and couldn't tell what constituted fine quality.
But she knew that such a Jade Pendant was something her three senior sisters never dared to part with. They kept it close to their bodies, tucked inside their robes, or pinned to their belts if it wouldn't fit.
This was the most precious jade in the world, a priceless treasure.
Was this what the Master intended to give her?
She dared not guess, much less touch it. She could only gaze at it from afar.
It seemed that simply gazing at it from afar was enough.
"Fifth Young Miss, the Master is weary. Leave it to Xiao Ai now."
"Ah!"
"I'm sorry, did Xiao Ai startle you?"
Xiao Ai appeared behind Miaomiao as suddenly as a ghost, startling her into a cry!
"Uh… it's fine, it's fine."
Xiao Ai seemed to be wearing a nightgown today as well, as if she had just woken up.
"My lady is merely a bit tired. Fifth Miss needn't worry—Xiao Ai will tend to her."
Xiao Ai's prompting sparked a flurry of wild thoughts in Miaomiao. Could it be…
But Miaomiao dared not speak recklessly. Realizing Xiao Ai was likely the Master's confidante, she decided to leave it to her.
With that, she returned.
Inside the room, there was no actual treatment taking place. Xiao Ai simply sat beside the bed in Miao Miao's stead, quietly watching over her master.
Another Dead Zone had emerged in the Eastern Realm, this time affecting a wider area than before. Though this world had gained a clearer understanding of Dead Zones,
But mere understanding was clearly insufficient. Confronting the Deadlands demanded absolute power.
Xiao Ai estimated that if the Mansion or Heng'ai Hall did not intervene, the Eastern Realm would be completely overrun within a year at most.
The speed at which the Dead Zone spread far exceeded imagination—she had witnessed it firsthand.
The current Mansion No. 11 was rebuilt. The original structure on the ground had long since turned to ash, consumed by a blinding white light in the instant the deity descended.
Buildings, plants, even the soil itself—all had been vaporized by that immense energy, leaving nothing behind.
Xiao Ai did not fear the deities, for they could not take her life or that of her Master.
Even if they couldn't defeat it, the world was vast enough to find a place for her and her master to settle.
But not everyone could escape like she and Su Cheng had. Like that mansion before, most people had nowhere to flee.
Long ago, Xiao Ai had once asked Lord Xunye what it felt like to be a hero.
Lord Xunye replied: "It is a taste of suffering beyond words. When you too become a hero, you will understand."
Xiao Ai truly didn't understand back then. She idolized Lord Xunye immensely, his most devoted follower.
Xiao Ai believed being a hero must be exhilarating—bathed in the spotlight, revered by all, making her time on this earth worthwhile.
But it wasn't until Xiao Ai took over the mansion and became Lord Su Cheng's personal attendant—becoming just another cog in this vast machinery of power—
Only then did she grasp what Lord Xunye had meant.
It was Lord Xunye, who could have turned a blind eye, who chose to give her a chance to rise. It was the courage to stand firm in a corner, refusing to retreat even at the cost of one's life.
The taste of being a hero was truly bitter beyond words.
She was the Godslayer King, commander of the Qingyue Heavy Armored Corps, the final bastion of royal authority, the most trusted blade of the sovereign.
Yet she was not invincible. Though rumored to be ageless and immortal, even she could not withstand a single Godslayer Arrow.
War had altered everything—forcing the virtuous to slaughter one another for a sliver of survival, while evil grew ever more rampant.
Xiao Ai thought heroes were just a bunch of fools.
They could have lived their own lives, yet they meddle in others' affairs, a bunch of fools determined to save the world.
And the one beside her… was the king of those fools…
Only one year left?
Meanwhile, at the Celestial Path Pavilion.
Shangguan Rou sat meditating in the courtyard—a daily ritual for cultivators.
She had no habit of secluding herself; she believed that voluntarily shutting out the world's clamor was itself part of cultivation.
Artificially created tranquility, on the contrary, hindered her cultivation.
Only when her mind became truly still as water, when she entered genuine meditation, could her blade grow steadier and her cultivation more solid.
But today, an unexpected visitor had arrived in Shangguan Rou's courtyard.
None other than the Great Fox—the current commander-in-chief of the royal army, Ye He.
She still carried that air of a deity descending to survey her subjects, which greatly annoyed Shangguan Rou. Yet, Shangguan Rou had no choice but to endure it.
She strode to the center of the courtyard, then sat back, revealing a massive throne of solid ice that lifted her body.
"Shangguan Rou."
"Just speak plainly. I can hear you." Shangguan Rou truly disliked this manner of conversation. The way the great fox looked at her was as if she were nothing more than an ant.
"You're still so weak."
"My apologies," Shangguan Rou replied, utterly speechless. Truth be told, she didn't have much patience left.
This wasn't her first encounter with the fox spirit either. After all, Cheng Liang had prepared the finest quarters for it.
As the First Disciple of the Heavenly Dao Pavilion, it was only a matter of time before she caught on.
"You have talent, but you're far too careless."
Shangguan Rou was already absurdly powerful. By this world's standards, aside from the overpowered crowd at Lingxian Hall, she was practically invincible.
Though technically a disciple, even Cheng Liang was no match for her anymore.
Yet she still loved this man, and she felt she would continue to love him.
Cheng Liang wasn't perfect, but sometimes perfection felt unreal to her.
It was precisely this imperfection that she cherished.
"Is that so? Do you have any good suggestions?"
Apart from the relentless tide of apostles in the wasteland, Shangguan Rou faced little danger.
"Yes. I think you need to die once. It'll make you stronger."
"So you plan to kill me?"
"No. I plan to kill Cheng Liang."
"That's fine. It's practically the same as killing me."
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