New Hope Arises

Yun Renshu was in the same room as her again, but this time, there's an awful silence. He didn't talk like usual, and his expression was very contemplating.

The lady mocked him in her mind, 'Scared now that I'm not the person you thought I was?' Although, her hatred still remains. The memory of that night appeared again in her mind.

She was sitting in the lotus position, calmly absorbing the energy from the cores of evil cultivators —Cores that her master had harvested. Everything was peaceful and working out when she felt a tug and another sharp pain in her abdomen.

The tiny ball of lightning was reacting to an attraction from outside. Shen Yue guessed that another lightning was nearby, and the ball wished to be with its fellows. Another pull came, and the lightning hit her daintian's protective walls. Unfortunately, keeping up the protective layering became difficult for her after the fourth tug. Now, the lightning was free to bounce around again, and it kept doing so. It's acceleration increased, along with the pulls.

She could only think of one person she knew that is attributed to lightning. It is the crown prince, Yun Renshu. When she thinks about it, they're probably questioning her disappearance and have come to search for her. Unfortunately, the only thing Yun renshu could use to track her down was this pull. He still believes that I'm Zi Shen.

She spat out blood after her abdomen daintian became chaotic. The pain was increasing, and finally, her consciousness couldn't hold on. The likely result would be that the lightning ball would keep bouncing and growing in acceleration that the strength would soon destroy her inside. That was what happened indeed.

When her walls were broken, the protective energy blocking her meridians from the black power to enter was gone. The dark energy seeped into her body, her mind, and everything. The lightning, too, wouldn't stop, until there's nothing to hit.

--

Looking inside using her consciousness, she could see a tiny ball of lightning tranquil inside. Unmoving and staying at the spot where her foundation formerly was.

She glanced at him. It seems that there are reasons why he doubts that I'm not Zi Shen. This ball is making him think so. "Hm…" She hummed to call for his attention, and he stood up immediately.

Ha, his eyes' guilt is ever so clear, like the tree leaves floating on the river. Shen Yue tried her best to speak, but her only muffled noise came out. Yun Renshu's confused expression told her he didn't understand.

She wanted to 'explain' (lie) that this lightning was from the lightning tribulation in her core-forming stage, but her mouth couldn't utter a word. Shen Yue decided to resort to another thing. Might as well take out the lightning using this lightning user. She moved the lightning energy using the last bit of her strength and only caused it to drive for 3 millimetres. Thankfully, he still caught it. His cognition was cautiously watching her daintian and her outside.

"What do you want me to do with the lightning? Stabilize it?"

Shen Yue's eyes glared at him. "Then, punish it?" Another glare was thrown before he got it. "Take it out?"

Her head nodded a little, but her request troubled him. He has already hurt her, and he knows it himself. By touching the lightning, he could worsen her condition. "I'm sorry, miss, but I can't. It's still beneficial for your recovery. Ass you know, lightning extinguishes evi-"

"HMMMM!!!!"

"Alright, alright." the crown prince sighed and sat down in lotus position. He's about to do such a disrespectful and embarrassing act as a cultivator, how can he have the resolve to do it?

He's planning on cultivating and using the lightning energy inside her body to level up. That way, the energy ball would become a gas, get out of her system, and move inside his body. This is the least painful way he could think of unless she wants to die from getting her body wrecked again.

This is akin to robbing a cultivator of their hard work. It is very immoral, and the fact that you're staying in their daintian-well, in this case- broken daintian for an extended amount of time is very disrespectful. You're invading their personal space.

Judging from her expression even, she knew that he's at fault for her situation, causing him to want to run. Despite knowing, she really would allow him to do this?

In guilt, he secretly talked to her father. "I will marry her." He said with resolution. She might not like him, but she would only be a burden to those around her, including her senior brother and her master in her state. Their cultivation would be hindered as they can't go to isolation, or delve into cultivation for days, unbothered.

Yun Renshu explained it to his father, causing him to pity Shen Yue. Their family really got her too involved in things. In the end, he agreed, but this news was never mentioned to her.

Two months later and the bastard speck lightning was finally gone from her sight. The person beside her bed also has levelled up into the late level of the hollow orb stage. It was nearing the peak.

"If you're done, then leave. Send Yun Wei inside. I want to talk to him."

A short silence came until Yun Renshu answered. "I sent him for experimental training in the Hu Tian sect to better his cultivation and temperament. I thought that's what you'd like as well as his junior sister."

"Oh," She responded in disinterest right after. Since everything is settled, then she can be an empty bottle now.

But Yun Renshu wasn't done with confessing. He took her hand in his and gave her a bracelet with the carving of a phoenix. "And our marriage is a month away from now. I thought I'd let you know."

It was a forced, useless marriage that lasted another 8 years before they left the palace, bounding their marital vows.

Zi Shen again returns to the Hu Tian sect, but now in the name of Shen Yue. The kids have grown old, and the old has grown older. Somehow, she felt like it changed too much. It slightly became unfamiliar and not home.

That doesn't matter, though, because a new hope arises. The artificial spirit root has finally made its way to its owner's line of sight.