Chapter 199: Chapter 198: The Final Moment

Jiang Zuo forced himself to calm down. At least, this wasn’t the time to overthink things.

Regardless of whether Su Qi was Jiu Xi, he would not let her come to any harm.

But the thought of Jiu Xi made him want to kill her. Yet when Jiu Xi’s face became Su Qi’s, he was at a complete loss.

The person he had spent a lifetime hunting and hating in his past life had suddenly become the person he cared for and loved most in this one. How was he supposed to process that?

’And what kind of Cultivation Technique could allow a person to have two completely different faces?’ 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

’Even their auras were completely different, as if they were two entirely unrelated people—two separate individuals.’

He had never heard of such a Cultivation Technique. Even techniques that could completely alter one’s appearance couldn’t possibly allow two identities to coexist in a single body like this.

Given his level of attainment back then, his failure to recognize Jiu Xi as Su Qi meant there were only two possibilities.

First, the Jiu Xi of that time was not the Jiu Xi of today.

Second, the Cultivation Technique was related to the secret of Jiu Xi’s immortality—a secret that was beyond his comprehension at the time.

Jiang Zuo hoped Jiu Xi wasn’t Su Qi. Otherwise, he would feel he owed Su Qi far too much.

However, based on her actions, it was highly probable that she was indeed Su Qi.

Jiang Zuo sighed. "Am I Attaining the Dao by killing my wife? And I’ve even followed that path to the very end."

’Whoa, that’s terrifying. This guy is actually Attaining the Dao by killing his wife? I never realized he was so ruthless.’

Duan Qiao felt a chill run down its spine as it listened from the side. ’What kind of man is this?’

Jiang Zuo looked up toward the seventh floor. The fact that Su Qi was safe gave him a new chance.

’But that must be thanks to the Hairband. It seems that really is an incredibly powerful Protective Treasure.’

He was incredibly thankful he had gotten the Hairband from the palace back then.

Then, Jiang Zuo turned to leave. In the future, he might come to understand the Saintess’s secret and what Su Qi was like as Jiu Xi.

He didn’t believe Su Qi would keep it from him for that long.

But just as Jiang Zuo was about to leave, he froze. A thick mist had completely enveloped everything, cutting off his path entirely.

His connection to the Heart-piercing Snake’s senses was severed as well.

It was as if he were standing in endless darkness.

He couldn’t sense or see anything around him.

The darkness gave rise to a sense of danger.

The uncertainty of not knowing one’s surroundings was the most terrifying thing of all.

"Can you still connect to the outside through the Mist?" Jiang Zuo asked Duan Qiao.

Duan Qiao replied, "Sure I can. This stuff doesn’t affect me. I travel through spatial tunnels."

Jiang Zuo nodded. ’It seems even in its weakened state, Duan Qiao is not to be underestimated.’

’A pity its only use is still as a signal tower.’

Jiang Zuo frowned. It wasn’t that he was particularly worried, but this mist was just too strange.

He hadn’t paid it much mind earlier, focused as he was on killing Jiu Xi. But looking at it now, he realized this was no ordinary mist.

Jiang Zuo then began to connect to the Array, and he quickly discovered the mist wasn’t originating from it.

In other words, this mist was different from the thin wisps he had seen when he first arrived.

’So what’s causing it?’

With that, Jiang Zuo took out the two Yin Yang Fish.

The two fish stayed obediently in the water, not daring to make a single wrong move.

Jiang Zuo asked, "Do you know what’s going on with this mist?"

Shiba looked up, then shook its head frantically.

’I don’t know, and even if I did, I wouldn’t tell him.’

Jiang Zuo then took out the Broken Bridge Fishing Rod, shoved it straight into Shiba’s mouth, skewering it. He then used Summoning to call a Fire Elemental Minion and had it roast the fish on the spot.

The Fire Elemental Minion was supremely honored to be able to roast a fish for its boss.

Shiba was stunned. Even Duan Qiao was stunned. ’That’s my body he’s using!’

But Duan Qiao didn’t dare say a word. Speaking up now would be suicide.

’It knew a thing or two about Yin Yang Fish. Most people would practically worship them. Yet this man would roast one without a second thought, completely unfazed.’

’This meant that if it ever became useless, its fate would likely be the same.’

It trembled in fear.

Shiba, for its part, never imagined he would just hang it up to roast without another word. ’How can humans be so savage?!’

’It didn’t want to die!’

But no matter how much it struggled, it was useless. It was too late for regrets.

At that moment, Jiang Zuo looked at Shi Qi, who was hiding in a corner, and asked, "Do you know?"

Shi Qi glanced at Shiba, then immediately nodded.

’It knew that shaking its head meant it would be next on the grill.’

’It did not want to be roasted.’

Jiang Zuo said, "Then what exactly is going on with this mist?"

Shi Qi opened its mouth, but unfortunately, it spoke in the language of fish, which he couldn’t understand at all.

Seeing Jiang Zuo’s emotionless face, it began to panic, feeling as if the man would hang it up to roast at the slightest provocation.

After a moment of panic, Shi Qi began to swim in the water. A line of text started to form on the surface: Shiba knows how to write many words.

It wasn’t that Shi Qi was trying to save Shiba; Shiba just genuinely knew a lot.

Jiang Zuo glanced at the Yin Yang Fish being roasted. "This one is Shiba?"

Shi Qi nodded.

Jiang Zuo then recalled the flames.

The Fire Elemental Minion was very honored to have been able to help its boss.

Then, Jiang Zuo tossed Shiba back into the water.

Without a second’s hesitation, Shiba began to swim, and just as expected, a lot of text appeared on the water’s surface.

’Now, Shiba truly understood the importance of having a useful skill.’

’Especially one you’ve mastered.’

’Otherwise, it might have gone down in history today as the first-ever fully-cooked Yin Yang Fish.’

The message Jiang Zuo read on the water’s surface was:

We don’t know what this thick mist is exactly, but we do know its appearance means one thing.

It will cause the Holy Land Array to resonate, and all parties involved must act in accordance with the mist.

Because what follows the mist will be the most important moment in the history of the Holy Land.

Perhaps even its final moment.

Reading this, Jiang Zuo’s brow furrowed.

’The most important moment?’

’Its final moment?’

’He didn’t know much about the Holy Land, but if it was the creation of the Immortal Spirit Cave Mansion’s master, then what was their goal?’

Finally, Jiang Zuo asked, "Will the effects be significant?"

A line of text then appeared on the water: Very. It could change the Holy Land.

"Is that so?"

Jiang Zuo then gave a cold smirk. "In that case, perhaps I should disrupt things a bit?"

’If the Holy Land changes, does that mean Su Qi will change too?’

’But he didn’t need Su Qi to change at all.’

’Not her appearance, not her personality—nothing about her needed to change.’

’The real Su Qi was the only Su Qi he wanted.’

He was afraid Su Qi would start turning into Jiu Xi, and he had to crush any such possibility.

He wouldn’t act rashly, but he had to at least get this transformation under control. If he proved powerless to stop it, he wouldn’t even be able to respect himself.

With that, Jiang Zuo put away the Yin Yang Fish and Duan Qiao as well.

He needed to find the source.

’Having been put away, the Yin Yang Fish breathed a sigh of relief inside their space. They had survived another day.’

’Since when did Yin Yang Fish have to scheme so desperately just to survive?’

’They didn’t even dare to try any clever tricks.’

’They were terrified they’d be strung up again at any moment.’

Duan Qiao watched them, feeling a sense of shared misery. Only Xiaohong would never face this kind of danger.