Ning Zhuo was no longer the patient boy he once was.
In the orchard at the foot of Fire Persimmon Mountain, the persimmons that silently grew by absorbing magma and geothermal energy awaited the moment of self-destruction upon ripening and falling.
Ning Zhuo had walked out from the Fire Persimmon Mountain in his heart.
He was no longer the persimmon that had patiently endured for years, seeking only an instant of self-sacrifice.
He came to Ten Thousand Medicine Valley, bearing criticism, doubt, and praise under public scrutiny, eventually becoming a Divine Seed of the Five Elements.
He participated in the war in Liangzhu Country; the caliber of the military family allowed the seed to grow, dispelling narrow-mindedness and embodying dignity and brave courage.
He arrived at the Yin Tide Black Swamp, gazed up at the giant statue of his mother, and accepted the arrangements of his mother and the Heaven of the mortal world with delight.
He was determined to pursue the shadow of his mother, following the deepest impulses of a child’s heart, emulating the actions of his parents.
"The son of a hero shouldn’t be a small thief!" he felt ashamed beyond words, and the plan to become a savior was now laid before him.
Like a ray of sunshine shining on the seed buried underground at just the right moment.
This was an opportunity.
It was a gift of fate, a mother’s arrangement, Ning Zhuo’s way to confront his shame head-on, enabling him to from now on rise with dignity and bask in the sunlight for redemption!
He had already walked out of Fire Persimmon Mountain!
He had the realm of the Five Elements, righteous courage, aspiration for brightness, compassion for sorrow, and contemplation of the wise.
Like a seed sprouting, uncovering the tenderest shoot, reaching for the sunlight.
Thus, this Ning Zhuo leapt into the whirlpool, unwavering and without hesitation!
He cleverly debated with traitors, painstakingly made the best possible decisions, any mistake might lead to a different outcome.
He went through threats of life and death, soul extinction, countless twists and turns, and exhausted all efforts to seek out the tiniest chance amidst the cracks.
He finally ascended the altar and seized the Heavenly Ghost Skull!
He was swept away by the Wangchuan Tributary, thrust into dire straits.
Lord of Wanchuan!
Was he such an easy existence to deal with?
He was the lord of a country, at the Divinity Transformation level, the ruler of Wangchuan Underworld, and a ghost hero who had schemed for a century to walk the path of enlightenment!
Even when he was plotted against, surrounded, distracted, and heavily constrained, he still relied on his strategy, battle strength, and willpower to steadfastly reach this moment.
Exhausting himself to the limit, fighting to exhaustion.
The old nest of Wangchuan Immortal City was ablaze, the Earth Evil filthy Divine Separation had been shattered...
The losses were heavy.
But with the final arrangement, the Lord of Wanchuan could still put Ning Zhuo to death!
Was he the only one who suffered heavy losses?
Silent Ghost Monk, Painted Skin Rakshasa, Ghost Fire Lord Yin Jiu... and Luo Si, his whole body covered in Yellow Earth, rapidly transforming into a clay figurine.
He was immobile.
Qing Chi knelt down, tightly gripping the fishing rod, turning her memories and emotions of herself and Jiao Ma into bait.
Her heart seemed to bleed, forced to make the most ruthless decision on herself.
"First, abandon the memories, strive to retain my affection for Xiao Ma!"
"Even if... I completely forget Xiao Ma, I have this strong emotion to persist to the end, to save him ashore!!"
Qing Chi wept with blurred eyes, distant cries towards the sinking Ning Zhuo, sorrowfully exclaiming.
"Xiao Ma, Xiao Ma..."
"Hurry back."
"Discard those useless memories and emotions, even if it is ours..."
"As long as you live, everything is good. Even if you forget me."
The Lord of Wanchuan, far away in Wangchuan Immortal City, was taking in everything.
He stared closely at Ning Zhuo in the tributary, while desperately mobilizing the Netherworld Flood Dragon Scissors.
A ghostly gleam flickered in his eyes, leading to new insights: "You are too stubborn, little ghost, and too shallow. Do you think Heaven of the mortal world arranged for you to come just to deal with me?"
"No, It’s arranging you too!"
"The River of Oblivion is the Sin Washing River, It uses my hand, soaking you, washing your sins, so you can cleanse and renew, gain a different life."
Ning Zhuo continued to resist the Wangchuan washing with all his might.
"Qing Chi, Luo Si..."
He could hear Luo Si’s cries, Qing Chi’s sobs, but stubbornly refused to relax even a bit.
Ning Zhuo hadn’t truly refined the Buddha Heart Demon Seal; he was merely at Foundation Establishment cultivation, far from being qualified.
He could only do his utmost to support and leverage the Magic Treasure’s power, unable to master it with ease.
He worried that if he relaxed even a bit, it would collapse completely from point to surface.
There’s also one more thing...
"To become a hero, must one forget the past?"
"Supposing oneself forgets, does that guarantee that past sins are washed away and you have a chance to start over?"
"Even if it were true, I refuse to do so!"
Because even as a thief, that is me.
That’s my way of survival.
That’s my journey.
I will never negate my past, even if it’s humble, ugly, dark, unbearable.
"Buddha Heart Demon Seal, give me strength to persist!" Ning Zhuo’s willpower was firm, unwavering.
If it were the main stream of Wangchuan, he would have taken different actions long ago. But here was the tributary, lacking the support and supplement from the Lord of Wanchuan, it was a rootless source.
The Wangchuan Tributary would also be consumed.
Already heavily drained in resisting the Ice Coffin within him. Now, in cleansing Ning Zhuo, it was countered by the power of Buddha Heart Demon Seal.
"I’d rather exhaust you dry!" Ning Zhuo’s fighting spirit was high.
He wished to live up to his mother, yet didn’t want to forget any memories related to Sun Lingtong.
Just then, his downward trend suddenly stopped, then was pulled up by the fishing hook, his entire body elevated a little.
"Hmm?!" The Lord of Wanchuan’s expression changed dramatically in that instant.
Luo Si rejoiced: "The fishing skill finally shows its effect!"
Qing Chi’s face wasn’t just pain and sadness; it also gained a touch of joy: "All the sacrifices are worth it."
It turned out that the memories she gave up had reached the furthest point.
The defensive battle memories of White Paper Immortal City were what she and Jiao Ma (Ning Zhuo) experienced together.
These memories worked for Ning Zhuo personally.
Qing Chi’s joy quickly faded, a fog of confusion rippled in her eyes.
"Where... am I?"
"What am I doing?"
"Am I saving someone, why do I need to save him?"
Even though she lost all memories, the emotion she deliberately retained was abundant and intense.
Save him, must save him, even at the cost of life!
Qing Chi lifted her arm with effort, slowly tugging Ning Zhuo up.
Wangchuan Immortal City.
"Don’t even think about succeeding!!!" The Lord of Wanchuan roared; his face now ferocious, extremely tense, lacking the poise of a prefect.
Ning Zhuo held the Heavenly Ghost Skull, if he got rescued because of this, the Lord’s century-long grand plan would be destroyed completely.
The Lord of Wanchuan would never let this happen!
In an instant, he exerted himself to mobilize the Netherworld Flood Dragon Scissors.
His bead-string had completely shattered, but in the Wangchuan Tributary, only a thin layer of Ice Coffin was left.
The efforts of the Lord of Wanchuan earlier bore some fruit.
The Netherworld Flood Dragon Scissors within the Ice Coffin stirred tremendously, transmitting force outside.
If the Lord of Wanchuan were present, he could easily reclaim this important national weapon to decapitate Ning Zhuo and the other little thieves!
But the Lord currently was far away in the Wangchuan Immortal City. Even the troops he dispatched to the altar battlefield hadn’t yet arrived.
He could only use the Connect Heaven and Earth Great Array to transmit his Divine Sense and Mana, remotely inducing the Netherworld Flood Dragon Scissors.
The Great Array was terribly damaged, but the core remained intact. The altar battlefield was the core, allowing the Lord’s influence to be communicated.
The Netherworld Flood Dragon Scissors jerked fiercely, emitting ghostly light from the scissors, pushing against the surrounding Ice Coffin, furiously smashing towards the submerged Ning Zhuo in the tributary.
"No!" Luo Si exclaimed in his heart.
His entire body was covered with thick clay soil, only a small part of his original face remaining.
Ning Zhuo didn’t see the Netherworld Flood Dragon Scissors approaching.
He was facing away from the Ice Coffin.
In the river of oblivion, Divine Sense didn’t work, unable to extend beyond the body, in fact, it would be washed away immediately.
Ning Zhuo was fully supporting Buddha Heart Demon Seal, unable to afford distraction, not even able to manage the Life Hanging Thread to send a message of one or two words to Qing Chi.
At this moment he had become the prey, ready for slaughter.