Chapter 24: Love (Untouchable)

Chapter 24: Love (Untouchable)

"I'm going to die."

Not long after, Lan Ling, who had been by Shao Hua's side all along, suddenly spoke.

She was already much older, even without counting the time she was sealed by the Divine Source Seal, she was well over eight thousand years old.

This should not have been her time, but Lan Ling was unwilling to accept it. She had tried several times to advance further, hoping to enter the realm of Alternative Ascension, but all attempts ended in failure.

She invoked a great calamity, striving to reach the Emperor level, an incredibly arduous task.

With the Western Emperor having already achieved it, the path was singular, and no one else could attain it. It was unexpectedly difficult to even take a half-step forward.

Alternative Ascension, after all, was a form of enlightenment, far beyond the Quasi-Emperor Ninth Heaven.

During her last attempt, she was nearly mortally wounded and only barely saved by Shao Hua, who expended great effort. However, her essence was already depleted, and her inner injuries were severe.

Shao Hua said nothing, taking out a divine fruit that resembled a baby and placing it in Lan Ling's hand.

"I can't accept this. I am already a sinner, and being able to follow you is a great fortune. How can I possibly deserve such a divine treasure?"

Lan Ling was startled by the Ginseng Fruit Divine Medicine Shao Hua presented, repeatedly refusing and even prostrating herself on the ground to decline.

"Are you my subordinate, and you want to die without my permission?"

"Take it, that's an order, not a request. As punishment, you will stay by my side for another ten thousand years!"

Shao Hua lightly scoffed, reaching out to pull Lan Ling up, displaying a somewhat domineering demeanor.

Just like when they first met, she showed little tenderness, gripping Lan Ling's chin forcefully and directly infusing the Immortal God Medicine into her body, helping to activate its power.

Shao Hua had long realized that sometimes, one couldn't be too gentle with this person; a bit of dominance was necessary.

"Thank you, my lord, for giving me another life!" Lan Ling bit her lip and quickly knelt to thank her.

This was giving her a new life, a debt she could never repay, even if she worked herself to death.

However, why didn't her lord just kick her a few times? It would have been even better!

Shao Hua sighed, a hint of disdain in her eyes, and the condescending look made a certain psychologically disturbed person extremely excited.

Perfect, just that look of disdain!

Just like when they first met, it made her feel an irresistible urge to submit.

"Don't worry, I have another Immortal God Medicine. This one isn't a problem."

In truth, Shao Hua hadn't thought much about it. She just wanted someone by her side; otherwise, she would be too lonely.

Her parents still had each other, showing off their love every day. Recently, they seemed to be busy with something, though she wasn't sure what.

Sigh, everyone is busy, busy is good.

As expected, after taking the Immortal God Medicine, Lan Ling regained her vitality and began her second life, returning to her youth and vigor.

Her long indigo hair flowed, her bloodline robust and powerful, giving her more confidence to attempt the realm of Alternative Ascension again.

However, this time she chose not to try, instead opting to enter a period of seclusion to cultivate quietly.

In her view, this life didn't belong to her, so how could she squander it?

Shao Hua sent her to the Mythical Shore, which seemed to have some unrest recently, making it an excellent place for seclusion.

Three years later, the Western Emperor and her spouse reappeared, seemingly having emerged from the grief of parting with their young child.

Only Shao Hua keenly sensed something amiss.

"In recent years, the Primordial Ancient Mine has been experiencing strange phenomena. No one knows what's happening. Not long ago, someone saw a mysterious figure emerge from Immortal Mountain and enter the mine."

Shao Hua, upon receiving the report from her sisters Nan and Li, couldn't help but frown.

Strange movements in the Life Forbidden Zone were not good news.

The Jade Pond Sanctuary was located in the Northern Domain, only about ten thousand miles from the Primordial Ancient Mine, and it had a somewhat monitoring role.

"Whatever the disturbance, it's just a matter of dealing with it. So what if they are Supremes? I fear no one." Shao Hua muttered to herself.

After all, she had created her own scriptures and secret techniques, reaching the pinnacle of Alternative Ascension. Taking down one or two ancient immortals wouldn't be a problem.

After all, she wielded the Spirit Treasure Sage's Slaying Sword and Formation Map.

Since personally sealing the Eternal, she seemed to have gained some indescribable changes, needing only one more opportunity to fully understand them.

"Heh, don't worry. With your mother and me here, those old turtles won't dare do much. If they come out, we'll kill them!" Wu Ning laughed wildly.

Having achieved Golden Body Perfection, he naturally had the right to be so disrespectful to ancient Supremes, facing them with a high and mighty attitude.

These years of rest and recuperation weren't just about having a second child. With the help of his wife and daughter, he had also made significant progress on the path of Alternative Ascension.

Of course, the most important person in the family was the pillar of the household, the formidable Western Empress!

Thanks to Shao Hua’s deliberate guidance, she had gained the experience of cultivating in the Kunlun Ascension Land, studied a broken Immortal Cauldron for thousands of years, and explored the path to immortality. Now, she was unfathomably powerful.

So when Shao Hua learned about the unusual activity in the Primordial Ancient Mine, her first thought was to simply charge in with the family and kill a Supreme Being to intimidate the Life Prohibited Zone.

Simple, brutal, and direct.

Mother also displayed her formidable side, making a gesture of suppressing the universe with a single hand, living up to her reputation as a Path-Realized Being.

The family of three gathered, and Mother suddenly got the urge to cook, saying she wanted to discuss their next move properly.

Shao Hua was flattered. The last time she had tasted Mother’s homemade cooking was on the day they bid farewell to Little Eternal. If you went back further, it was hard to say how many years it had been.

As the evening sun cast its glow, the lotus pond beside the red pavilion shimmered, with a few Dragon Loaches swimming and leaving trails of ripples.

Western Empress changed into casual home attire, and Shao Hua, who knows where she found it, tied a silk ribbon to hold Mother’s long hair in place.

"Like a fairy descending from the heavens", Shao Hua praised.

Such an unparalleled woman, capable of fighting Supremes and entering the kitchen, was both dignified and graceful. How did she end up with that muscle-headed guy?

Shao Hua glanced at her father, who was grinning foolishly, and was at a loss for words.

Western Empress casually tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, focusing intently on her cooking.

Her arms moved gracefully, her fair and beautiful fingers working with a natural and skilled rhythm, creating a unique beauty in the process.

Shao Hua was certain that her mother hadn’t cooked a proper meal in thousands of years. The fluidity of her movements was entirely due to her profound cultivation, where both body and spirit reacted far beyond the norm.

A different kind of "Brute Force Breakthrough", devoid of emotion and filled with technique, her cooking was a display of skill approaching the Dao, a visual feast.

Some people, just by standing there, are a sight to behold.

"Try it", Western Empress said with a smile, her black hair swaying, her appearance ethereal and radiant.

Father also brought out his cherished wine.

"I’m not much of a drinker; I get tipsy easily", Shao Hua declined, though she was actually uninterested in the drink.

At her level of cultivation, mortal liquor was like water; how could she get drunk?

"Try it. Life is short, and one should enjoy the moment. How can you know the taste without trying?" Father said.

Shao Hua couldn’t refuse, so she thought about it and decided that a few sips with the family wouldn’t hurt. The atmosphere was already set, and any further refusal would make her seem ungrateful.

They raised their cups and drank together. After two cups of wine, although she wasn’t drunk, her fair cheeks were already tinged with a light blush, making her even more beautiful.

"Wait, what did you do?!"

Shao Hua’s eyes were a bit unfocused, but suddenly, she seemed to regain some clarity and demanded an answer.

There was something in the wine!

No, that wasn’t all; the food was also off!

Even more alarming, she had been targeted by a secret technique as soon as she arrived, destined for this ordeal today.

Especially the secret technique that had been cast on her, meticulously prepared by Western Empress, known as the "Curse of Love."

In the world, only she could make Shao Hua so completely unguarded and unaware.

Otherwise, anyone else would not have been able to catch her so easily.

"I’m sorry, I didn’t want it to be this way, but I know you too well. I had no choice", Western Empress hugged her daughter tightly, her voice trembling.

Some things, children shouldn’t have to face. Why should she ask her children to fight alongside her?

When she pursued the Dao, she had already been too powerless, having to rely on her daughter to protect her, leaving her with a deep sense of guilt.

If possible, she would have preferred to give the opportunity to pursue the Dao to her daughter.

"We know you want to become an Immortal, so go ahead and chase your dreams. All the karma of this life will be settled by your mother and me!" Wu Ning, with tears in his tiger-like eyes, said firmly.

Western Empress lowered her head, tears streaming down her face. The repeated farewells to her children were a heavy burden, even for an Emperor’s Heart.

"This time, let me protect you. If you can, go see the scenery of immortality for us."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end