Chapter 150: This Is The Birthday Gift, Happy Thirteenth Birthday
When the last lightning tribulation struck, Ming Zhaoshuang opened her eyes in terror.
It was the Life and Death Contract that allowed her to break Ming Zhaoxue’s Soul Technique.
Her chest hurt terribly, and she stared blankly out the window, just happening to see vast lightning illuminating the entire night, but not knowing where it was falling.
Where did Ming Zhaoxue go?
This question suddenly popped into her mind.
Ming Zhaoshuang seemed to sense something and got up in a panic, only to stumble and fall.
A crisp crashing sound rang out, and the Mountain River Brush, along with that design blueprint, fell to the ground.
The golden characters on it also caught her eye.
“This is your birthday gift. Happy thirteenth birthday, Shuangshuang.”
Ming Zhaoshuang seemed to still be able to see the man’s gentle, smiling face.
Her thirteenth birthday gift was the Mountain River Brush from Ming Zhaoxue.
It was so exquisite, it seemed she could still see golden flowing light swirling around the side of the brush.
The mountains, rivers, sun, and moon were depicted within it, and it gradually overlapped with the brush she had seen in the Heaven and Earth Yin Yang Formation.
It was exactly the same as the design blueprint she had drawn, not a single difference could be found.
But he…
Ming Zhaoshuang looked at the night sky that had already dimmed.
Ming Zhaoshuang put away the Mountain River Brush, and also put away Ming Zhaoxue’s last existing words.
Fushuang flew rapidly, heading towards the last remaining point of brightness.
“System, what happened.”
Ming Zhaoshuang’s voice was incredibly calm, yet laced with a hint of fear: “Tell me, what exactly happened.”
The System did not reply.
Ming Zhaoshuang suddenly roared in fury: “I know you’re awake! Stop playing dead! Tell me, what exactly did Ming Zhaoxue do! Why was there a lightning tribulation! Why did he…”
die.
Why do I feel like he’s about to die.
Under her interrogation, the System finally spoke: “He dug out his own ribs to make a Divine Tool for you. When a Divine Tool is born, there must be a lightning tribulation. He was afraid the lightning tribulation would affect you, so he used his last trace of Spiritual Power for Teleportation.”
Ming Zhaoshuang’s voice trembled slightly: “So, he withstood the lightning tribulation with his physical body, didn’t he.”
He dug out his own ribs to make a Divine Tool for you.
When a Divine Tool is born, there must be a lightning tribulation.
These words kept echoing in Ming Zhaoshuang’s mind, making it so she could barely breathe.
Her chest ached, it ached terribly, as if Ming Zhaoxue had dug out her own ribs, not his.
She bit her lip, her long eyelashes drooping, vaguely revealing a glint of moisture.
The beauty mark at the corner of Ming Zhaoshuang’s eye was so vividly red, as if it were engorged with blood.
Ming Zhaoxue had only transformed less than three days ago, she hadn’t even had time to buy him clothes, nor had she had time to teach him how to tie a hairband.
He had directly opened his chest and removed his bone to forge this peerless Divine Weapon for her.
He hadn’t even rested and had endured the lightning tribulation with his physical body.
How could she not have realized that what Ming Zhaoxue meant by Artifact Refining was to use his own bone and blood to refine it.
Why didn’t she think of it!
If she had thought of it, Ming Zhaoxue wouldn’t have gone to such lengths; she wouldn’t have let him forge a Divine Tool, nor would he have almost died under the Heavenly Thunder.
Seeing Ming Zhaoshuang’s abnormal expression, the System spoke to remind her:
“Rest assured, you have a Life and Death Contract with him, he wouldn’t bear to die.”
The Dragon Race, as long as their will is strong enough, can be considered nearly immortal.
After all, they were born from the Creation of Heaven and Earth, and even if they weren’t the purest first generation, they were still blessed with the heavens’ favor.
Previously, when Ming Zhaoxue underwent his Ascension Tribulation, he was only one step away from death, largely because he had very little will to live.
If he had, he could have battled the Heavenly Dao for at least a hundred more rounds.
Now that he had given his Companion Luminous Pearl to Ming Zhaoshuang, it showed how important Ming Zhaoshuang was to him. If he didn’t care about his own life and death, wouldn’t he care about Ming Zhaoshuang’s life and death?
Therefore, his will to live would be enough for him to be reborn.
Ming Zhaoshuang, however, said: “If there wasn’t the Life and Death Contract, he would have dared to die, right!”
The System remained silent.
Ming Zhaoshuang understood its meaning, she lowered her eyelashes, looking at the scorched mountain forest and streams around them, all that remained after being struck by heavenly thunder, and remained silent.
Seeing her like this, the System continued: “He knew your attainments in Talisman Formations, and you were only missing a Talisman Brush worthy of you, which is why he did this.”
He wanted you to become stronger. He knew your determination to become stronger, and he was willing to dig out his ribs to help you soar all the way up.
So much so that he couldn’t bear to stop for even a moment.
Ming Zhaoshuang also understood this, which was why she was silent. She couldn’t be angry with Ming Zhaoxue, nor could she refuse Ming Zhaoxue’s affections.
She didn’t even understand why Ming Zhaoxue had to treat her so well.
She and he were just chance encounters.
The System said: “You don’t need to feel burdened. Since he did this, it must be that he was willing.”
Ming Zhaoshuang said: “I don’t have a burden. I know he treats me well.”
She just didn’t understand why he treated her so well.
Fushuang sped on, finally reaching the mountain forest.
The mountain forest was desolate, with no living beings around.
Only a White Dragon coiled there, its entire body blackened by the lightning, its scales shed, its flesh and blood mangled, its eyes tightly closed, its breathing faint.
Just like the first time she saw him.
Ming Zhaoshuang stopped, her breathing shallow and slow.
After a long while, she stepped forward and touched his broken horn.
Ming Zhaoshuang asked the System: “How long will it take you to save him.”
The System said: “The energy used to save him last time hasn’t returned yet. This time, his injuries are more severe than last time, and I can’t save him now.”
Ming Zhaoshuang stroked the dragon’s forehead, her Spiritual Power continuously pouring in.
Before Ming Zhaoxue left, he had taken all her Spiritual Power. What she had recovered now was only thirty percent.
The System’s voice was also a little heavy: “When a Divine Tool is born, there are usually forty-nine Nirvana Heavenly Thunders. He endured fifty-three this time. Normally, based on the speed of the thunder’s convergence, he would have had to endure it for at least three days, but the Heavenly Dao simply didn’t give him a chance to breathe, so it ended up like this.”
With his physical body, he endured fifty-three Nirvana Heavenly Thunders.
Even if the Dragon Race is thick-skinned and tough, they couldn’t withstand such treatment.
His willpower was truly frightening.
Ming Zhaoshuang lowered her eyes, her forehead leaning against the dragon’s forehead, thinking about something unknown.
After a long while, Ming Zhaoshuang finally asked: “System, how long will it take you to heal him.”
The System said: “It’s definitely possible to keep him alive for now, after all, the Dragon Race’s Self-Healing Ability is so powerful. To wake up, it will take at least another two or three years. As for complete recovery, to restore him to yesterday’s state, with the resources and conditions of the Lower Cultivation World, it is absolutely impossible.”
Therefore, if Ming Zhaoshuang wanted Ming Zhaoxue to awaken quickly, she could only choose to cultivate to Deity Transformation as soon as possible.
Ming Zhaoshuang laughed upon hearing this.
The System didn’t know why she was laughing, only to hear her suddenly say: “I don’t want to Ascend.”
The System was stunned for a second and asked: “Why?”
“No, Ming Zhaoshuang, don’t be afraid, even though the Heavenly Thunder…”
The System stopped midway, as if remembering something, and suddenly fell silent.
She sighed and said with great helplessness: “Since that’s the case, I can’t force you either…”
Ming Zhaoshuang interrupted the System and said again: “I don’t want to Ascend.”
The moonlight dissipated, receding from the mountain forest.
A sliver of morning sun emerged from the mountain forest.
A vast, snow-like and frost-like morning sun then burst forth, shining on Ming Zhaoshuang’s face, smudged with ash. Her gaze was firm and bright, like the unyielding and inviolable vast Kunlun, standing tall between heaven and earth.
“I know you want me to Ascend, but I don’t want to Ascend. I don’t need the Heavenly Dao’s approval, nor do I need the Heavenly Dao’s pity, because—”
She said word by word:
“I, shall, destroy, heaven.”
