Dawn broke.
Wind Wushang was finally dead. All the chaos and disputes that could affect everyone in this South Wasteland Temple had settled. The old blind man reappeared—when Wind Wushang was busy sending people underground, he was just leading the crew out with the gold, so he managed to dodge disaster. Now, showing up again and seeing Jack Young's head of white hair, he clearly paused for a moment. But this old blind man had seen it all; he said nothing, just kept up his local dialect—calling out "schoolboy, schoolboy" in a way that sounded rustic and familiar—while he went on loading his sand boat.
After a wild, earth-shattering crying fit, Fiona Fang snapped back to herself. This wild sparrow of a girl was once again brimming with energy. On top of her usual feral streak, she now had the joy and freedom of escaping her cage—no tragic, angsty protagonist moping around after avenging a blood feud, no empty, soul-crushing sadness. She was fired up, hollering and running all over the place; just watching her made you feel happy.
This girl never got lost in hatred, nor did she let it cloud her heart. The two princesses agreed—this kid was going places.
Princess Flower Shifter took care of Rachel Luo, who was nursing a knife wound. The Three Marvel Sect disciple who slashed her was like a rabid dog at the time—went in for the kill, no holding back. Anyone else would be in the ICU by now, but Rachel Luo had Dragon Elephant Skill and a superhuman constitution, so she was basically fine.
Everyone was hanging out on the steps and platforms outside the pyramid, each busy with their own thing. Jack Young and Princess Embroidered Jade, though, headed inside. Princess Flower Shifter hadn’t seen Silverblade King or Iron Spear King, so the two went to look for them—if they found them, they’d just nab them. Of course, those two "Second Heaven" kings (a martial ranking meaning they've reached the second tier of mastery) weren’t really on their minds; the main goal was to chat, talk things over, and pack up their "luggage."
"That was close—if not for you, I would've been toast." Jack Young’s clothes had mostly gone back to normal, the white in his hair slowly fading from the tips, turning black again. The endless chill in his body was now under control, streaming down to his lower dantian, where it seemed to be forming a crystalline ice core. As the cold gathered, his mind, voice, and looks all returned to normal.
Princess Embroidered Jade walked beside him. "Is that cold energy bad for you? If it is, just channel it out. If Princess Flower Shifter and I team up, we can help you handle it."
"Don't touch it. Seriously, don't even think about it!" Jack Young gave a wry smile. This cold energy forming into a core was absolutely untouchable. When it poured in from outside, it was like a stream—just a few seconds and he was about to freeze solid. Mess with it now, and it’d blow up like a bomb, turning him into an ice sculpture in an instant. Think about it: the coldest, purest energy from a meteor in the Ninth Heaven, all packed in here—it could freeze anyone in a snap.
Princess Embroidered Jade’s face flashed with worry. "So what should we do?"
"Well, it's not totally hopeless." After thinking it over, Jack Young realized he had two options. First, if his body could level up to One Dragon Power, a real breakthrough, he might be able to withstand the cold and then figure out how to vent it out. Second, he could do what he did today—enter that ruthless, emotionless state. In that ultimate mindset, his mental power would be maxed out, and his control would be off the charts. Using Internal Martial Arts principles, he could wrangle the cold, turning harm into help, trash into treasure—a killer move, really.
But let's not talk about the first one for now—the second method is seriously risky. Cutting off all emotions messes with your mind, and it's easy to lose balance. With Jack Young's inner demons, one wrong move and he could go berserk—or worse, annihilate himself. In the worst-case scenario, his consciousness would vanish, leaving behind a Cold Jade Demon God running on pure instinct, causing havoc everywhere.
Just now, after Wind Wushang pushed his buttons, Jack Young nearly lost it. Luckily, Princess Embroidered Jade grabbed him in time, pulling him back from the edge. Gotta say, her timing was spot-on—right after his rage exploded but before he totally lost control. It was like a perfect Internal Martial Arts move: clean, efficient, deadly.
For now, he could only use the cold's tendency to shrink inward, channeling it with Internal Martial Arts and storing it in his lower dantian (the body's energy center, just below the navel). The downside? It was like having a bomb buried in your gut—pretty nerve-wracking. But otherwise, no real issues yet. Plus, it wasn't all bad; just like land gets more fertile after a flood, once the cold faded, Jack Young found his meridians were even better suited for Bright Jade Technique.
Without even noticing, his Bright Jade Technique had reached over thirty-five years—pretty legit in the martial world. As his internal energy leveled up, his portable space expanded a bit, just enough to fit that Life-Taking Stone.
Well, time to get moving.
"Princess Embroidered Jade."
"Yeah?"
"I need to tell you something." Jack Young looked at the woman walking beside him, his expression serious. "I'm only telling you this, so please don't share it with anyone else."
"Okay." Princess Embroidered Jade nodded lightly, her pretty face turning a little red and flustered. "Go ahead, I'm listening."
But what Jack Young said wasn’t what she expected: "Princess Embroidered Jade, I told you before that my hometown is very, very far away—so far it’s basically in another world. That wasn’t just talk, it’s the truth. I really don’t belong to this world." With a wave of his left hand, he swept a mountain of gold from the third level into his storage space—like some kind of immortal magic. "I come from a place called Earth. Between you, Princess Flower Shifter, Fang Lingji, and me, it’s like we’re separated by heaven itself."
Princess Embroidered Jade trembled slightly, her face turning pale as she stared wide-eyed at Jack Young.
Jack Young kept collecting treasures as he talked, telling Princess Embroidered Jade everything he could. He wasn’t usually a talker, but just now he really felt like chatting with her. He told her about his family, his parents, his childhood, and the sudden appearance of his 'sisters.' He talked about Old Man Tang, the shady oil seller, about Jinlun who taught him the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, and about friends he’d met along the way. He even talked about Chinese martial arts, internal energy, and his wild ideas for new types of kung fu.
He talked and talked, like he was trying to use up a whole year’s worth of words in one go.
At first, Princess Embroidered Jade was really quiet, but then she started talking too. This calm, quiet woman finally opened up—asking questions, getting curious, wondering, suddenly understanding, and laughing.
She asked, so are you all from the land of immortals?
He said, nah, compared to you guys, we’re the ones who seem less like immortals.
She said she might look cold, but as a kid she was super rebellious. Back when she lived on a farm, she was the best at raiding bird nests.
He said, not just when you were a kid—you’re still pretty rebellious. Other people might not see it, but you can’t fool my sharp eyes.
They walked and talked, moving piles and piles of gold and materials to Misty Peak. The Valley of Lost Souls was sparkling with gold, practically turning into a golden canyon. Wu Zhengfeng’s eyes were turning into gold coins, and he was practically drooling. But when he turned around and saw Jill Young standing there, eyes shut and deep in concentration, he couldn’t help but ask, "What’s up?"
"Shh, quiet! They're live-streaming a pickup right now!" Jill Young clenched her fists and, like she was cheering at a pep rally, whispered in an excited, mischievous tone: "Kiss her! Pin her down! Make her yours! Seduce her, tempt her, brainwash her! Make her obsessed, make her crazy, make her fall for you and only you! GO! GO! GO! Get that girl!"
Yeah, everyone has an angel and a devil pop up in their head at moments like this—especially Geminis. Jill Young turned into a chibi little devil, complete with horns and a tail, broadcasting her mysterious temptations inside Jack Young’s mind. Meanwhile, outside the pyramid, Rachel Luo was sitting there all gloomy and lost.
Ever since Jack Young and Princess Embroidered Jade walked off together, Rachel Luo had been sulking at the pyramid entrance, staring blankly around. Suddenly, she jolted upright—where did Madam Three Marvels go? Not good, something’s up! I have to report this right now!
Driven by some strange emotion, Rachel Luo didn’t go looking for Princess Flower Shifter, who was closer—she just dashed into the pyramid. No way, I have to find Master right now!
Jack Young was completely unaffected by the mysterious temptations—he seemed to have some kind of auto-filter, blocking all those mischievous thoughts. He and Princess Embroidered Jade kept talking, walking, and hauling loot, until they reached the entrance of the third-floor maze, standing before the Life-Taking Stone. There were still people in the maze, rushing around in a panic. When they saw Jack Young and Princess Embroidered Jade, they freaked out and scrambled to get away. The bloodbath in this maze had left everyone on edge.
Soon, the hall was empty.
Jack Young put his left hand on the stone, golden light flashing—and the Life-Taking Stone vanished instantly. This crazy stone that traded life for power might come in handy one day. Turning to Princess Embroidered Jade, Jack Young shared everything: Dragon Elephant Skill, Prajna Skill, Internal Martial Arts, the works. She had once given him her most treasured martial arts secrets, and Jack Young wasn’t the type to forget a favor—of course he’d return the gesture. Whether she could grasp it all or not, Jack Young didn’t know. But he did know that seeing new horizons would be a big help for her future growth.
It felt like everything had been said.
They both fell silent.
After a moment, Princess Embroidered Jade lowered her head and whispered, "Are you leaving?"
"Yeah." Jack Young glanced at his left hand. "I can feel my time is running out."
Princess Embroidered Jade bit her lip—a rare expression for her. She looked up at Jack Young, her eyes shining with a gentle, heartbreaking light. Her voice was soft and dreamy: "Will you come back?"
Jack Young shook his head. "I don’t know if I can come back—but if I can, I absolutely will." He took out the Juehuan Sword and held it out to Princess Embroidered Jade. "I heard from Princess Flower Shifter that you’re a master swordswoman, so I’ve always wanted to give you a good sword. This one suits you. Take it."
Princess Embroidered Jade didn’t take the sword. She searched Jack Young’s eyes, struggling for a moment before finally mustering her courage. She didn’t want to let fear leave her with regrets: "What… do you think of me?"