Chapter 109: Shen Liqian’s Choice
Yiqi Huang continued, “Now, with less than a hundred years until the Dragon Clan’s marriage alliance, they only want the closest and strongest person as their Saintess. It is obvious that your sister’s talent is far superior to yours. That is why the Palace Master chose to groom you as the Young Palace Master, making your sister the discarded pawn left in the Dragon Domain.”
Shen Liqian was stunned, and instantly understood why Shen Yaobi’s appearance had changed so drastically.
She probably already knew her own ending.
She hated her father, hated Shen Liqian, and hated Lapis Lazuli Azure Sea for being powerless before the Dragon Clan, forcing her to walk the path destined for her.
Shen Liqian turned around, her body frail, like a withered lotus.
“Wait.”
Suddenly, Yiqi Huang called out to her, and Su Nu Chou, like a phoenix, gracefully flew in front of Shen Liqian.
“Take it with you. It has long wanted to see the world outside of Lapis Lazuli Azure Sea.”
Afterwards, Ming Zhaoshuang could only watch Shen Liqian descend to the Lower Realm repeatedly, and repeatedly come to the Ao Tian Sect, attempting to find the Dragon King Bloodline to replace Shen Yaobi in going to the Dragon Clan.
Shen Yaobi sneered at her, “Just accept your fate. I am the one with the highest talent in Lapis Lazuli Azure Sea. No matter how much effort you put in, you will never catch up to me.”
This was not the first time Shen Yaobi had said such things to her.
Shen Yaobi was usually all smiles with everyone, but towards her, she was extremely indifferent, rarely speaking a few words, and even when she did, it was to urge her to give up cultivation.
Shen Liqian looked at her, at the face that was exactly like her own. The paper lotuses she had folded for Shen Yaobi in the past were already lost somewhere.
Her expression was arrogant, and when she looked at Shen Liqian, it was as if she were looking at ants.
Without any warmth.
Shen Liqian did not know what to say to her. She lowered her head and returned to the Lower Realm, with a determination not to inherit the Dragon Clan bloodline and not to fully awaken her Spirit Root.
Her father controlled her, everyone concealed things from her, and even Shen Yaobi, who had been close to her since childhood, was deceiving her.
She didn’t even know who to believe.
Ming Zhaoshuang could only repeatedly see Shen Liqian’s retreating figure as she left Lapis Lazuli Azure Sea. She involuntarily reached out a hand towards Shen Liqian, wanting to stop her action and tell her that all of this was futile.
Even if she had been in seclusion for six years, she could only watch Qin Feilong refine the Dragon King’s Essence Blood, everything was in vain.
Bai Bai said, “You can’t touch her. I can only let you enter the illusion, but I can’t let you change it. Shen Liqian is deeply trapped in this illusion and can only save herself. Anyone else’s involvement will be futile.”
Most importantly, Shen Liqian’s illusion had already repeated two or three times, each time ending with her not obtaining the Dragon King’s Essence Blood and returning to Lapis Lazuli Azure Sea to continue her original life.
Bai Bai continued, “Believe it or not, this is her last time returning to Lapis Lazuli Azure Sea. Then the illusion will have to be reshuffled again.”
Bai Bai yawned, as if finding Shen Liqian’s illusion rather boring.
Shen Yaobi herself chose to protect Shen Liqian and abandon her own path. Why should Shen Liqian tie herself up? If Hong Hong had chosen such a path, he absolutely would not have cared about her at all.
In Bai Bai’s opinion, there was no need to save someone who sought death.
Unexpectedly, as soon as Bai Bai finished speaking, Shen Liqian suddenly stopped and looked at Shen Yaobi, who had mocked her last.
Seeing that her eyes were soft and not angry, Shen Yaobi turned her head and said:
“I didn’t say anything wrong. Now the Dragon King’s bloodline has already been obtained by someone else. You are inferior to me! You are not as good as me! You still want to fight me for the position of Saintess. You’re dreaming!”
Shen Liqian raised her hand, water spiritual power surged, she looked at her father, looked at the elders of Lapis Lazuli Azure Sea, and finally her gaze fell upon Shen Yaobi, filled with the responsibility and determination unique to an elder sister.
She smiled faintly, “You are in the Mid Nascent Soul stage now, right? I have also broken through to the Mid Nascent Soul stage. In terms of strength, I am not inferior to you.”
It wasn’t just Shen Yaobi who was surprised, even Shen Liqian’s father was surprised.
Or rather, everyone present was surprised.
Clearly, the last time Shen Liqian descended to the Lower Realm, her strength was only at the Late Golden Core stage. Even if she fought for opportunities, she should have at most reached the Early Nascent Soul stage.
Yet, in just these three months, Shen Liqian had consecutively broken through two levels, becoming a powerhouse at the same level as Shen Yaobi.
Shen Yaobi bit her lip, her expression unreadable. For a moment, it was impossible to tell if she was happy or sad.
She looked up at Shen Liqian, and a flicker of fear flashed in her clear pupils.
“Even so, you will only have the talent of a Peak Grade Spirit Root your entire life! I only need to put in a little effort to surpass you.”
Talent is talent. It’s not something that can be overcome with just some opportunities and effort.
This was the basis for Shen Yaobi’s words.
Although Shen Liqian had an Innate Spirit Root, her Innate Spirit Root had impurities.
The Upper Cultivation World never lacked talent, and it wasn’t uncommon to have two Peak Grade Spirit Roots. Some even chose to cultivate only one Spirit Root for fear of imbalance.
Even if Shen Liqian had the ability to cultivate both Spirit Roots exceptionally well, Shen Yaobi knew that no matter how good a Peak Grade Spirit Root was, it was still inferior to an Innate Spirit Root.
One hundred Peak Grade Spirit Roots were not comparable to one Innate Spirit Root. This was the Heavenly Dao, this was Shen Liqian’s unchangeable fate.
Unexpectedly, when Shen Yaobi finished speaking, Shen Liqian calmly interrupted her.
“Who says I can only have the talent of a Peak Grade Spirit Root?”
Shen Liqian retorted. At some point, a dagger appeared in her hand. As her words fell, the dagger plunged into her own heart, splashing blood.
Shen Yaobi’s eyes widened, and she stared at her blankly.
The elders of Lapis Lazuli Azure Sea realized what she was about to do. Spiritual power surged, and they were about to interrupt Shen Liqian’s action.
Blood trickled from the corner of Shen Liqian’s lips. She said, “If you make a move, I’m afraid I can only die here.”
The elders stopped their actions, their fingers clenched tightly around the table corner, veins bulging. The spiritual power around them gradually subsided.
They looked at Shen Liqian with astonishment, as if looking at a rare genius, or a formidable madman, yet with regret, as if seeing her final end.
In front of them, Shen Liqian cut open her own chest with the dagger. Amidst the churning flesh and blood, she found her Spirit Root.
She dug out the part belonging to the Wood Spirit, piece by piece.
Due to the extreme pain, her face turned pale, and even her hands trembled, causing her to dig in the wrong places several times. The sharp blade cut her heart, and blood dripped.
Self-excavation of Spirit Root.
Shen Liqian chose such a path to escape her fate.
The Spirit Root, the lifeblood of a cultivator, had long been bound to the cultivator’s body and soul, even more important than their flesh and blood.
Since the beginning of the cultivation world, although Innate Spirit Roots were rare, it was not uncommon for Innate Spirit Roots to coexist with other quality Spirit Roots. However, no one had ever chosen the path Shen Liqian was taking!
Self-excavating Spirit Root was something almost no one could endure.
Most importantly, it was highly possible that the trembling hand of the wielder could damage their own Innate Spirit Root.
A single mistake could turn a genius into a mortal.
Therefore, even though the Palace Master of Lapis Lazuli Azure Sea knew what his daughter was doing, he did not dare to act.
He did not want Shen Liqian to become a mortal. No one wanted Shen Liqian to become a mortal.
So they could only watch as Shen Liqian bit by bit removed a part of her body from within until that bit of emerald green color completely disappeared from her body, leaving only a patch of bright red flesh and blood.
Ming Zhaoshuang could only watch this scene.
