482 - Rebirth of a Star: Another Day, Another Drama

Chapter 482: The Destruction of the Life and Death Herb As soon as the shadowy figure appeared, his first action was to reach directly for the Life and Death Herb. “You dare!” Bai Liming was livid with rage, his eyes wide and bloodshot, his entire figure moving with lightning speed. In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of the stranger. However, the man's hand had gripped the roots of the Life and Death Herb, needing only a merciless squeeze to destroy it. The herb was so fragile that even harvesting it required extreme care, or it would simply wither away. Bai Liming forcibly stopped himself, his voice trembling as he spoke, “Do… do not act recklessly. Do not destroy it. Whatever you want, I can give to you.” “Oh~ Bai family’s young master, do you think there’s anything I lack? What could you possibly offer me?” A familiar voice rang out. Until now, everyone's attention had been on the Life and Death Herb, so it was only then they noticed the figure was Fu Changming. “You’ve been following us all this time!” Ye Linglong said coldly. Feeling a weight in her heart, Ye Linglong realized that despite being vigilant on their journey to prevent anyone from following, and having dispatched a few small-time followers, they hadn’t noticed Fu Changming's presence. Was an Immortal Emperor truly so terrifying? Could he hide himself so perfectly? Long Shuo eyed Fu Changming suspiciously before speaking, “He must possess an immortal artifact capable of completely concealing his presence, or perhaps even a divine artifact. Otherwise, I would have noticed something.” His voice was full of conviction; having awakened the laws of space himself and nearly mastering them, Long Shuo was highly sensitive to spatial disturbances. Even the perfect concealment of an Immortal Emperor could not entirely hide spatial traces unless he had a suitable divine artifact. “That’s right!” Fu Changming admitted candidly. “I do have a semi-divine artifact that perfectly conceals me, though unfortunately, it’s one-time use.” He spoke with a touch of regret. When he first acquired the semi-divine artifact, he had been elated, only to find out upon inspection that it was severely damaged and could only be used twice—once had already been used on Di Zhang Ling. And the last use was reserved for this child, connected intricately to Di Zhang Ling. Fu Changming’s gaze turned menacingly towards Ye Linglong, “What is your relation to Di Zhang Ling?” Ye Linglong frowned slightly, curious as to how he knew of her connection to Di Zhang Ling. Quickly piecing it together, she realized that when she killed Fu Yuantian, she had held Qianjun in her hand. Although the soul imprint was destroyed instantly, an image might have been transmitted. It probably happened when he saw Qianjun at that moment. Since concealment wasn’t her plan, Ye Linglong admitted openly, “I am his disciple—the disciple avenging him!” At the same moment, Di Lianyun looked on with hatred at Fu Changming, the man who had killed the emperor family's patriarch and now feigned benevolence towards the imperial family. “Hahaha, to think Di Zhang Ling would have a disciple. Wasn’t he always arrogant, disdainful of everyone? You surely were not personally accepted by him, were you?” Fu Changming laughed heartily, then focused on Di Lianyun behind Ye Linglong, “It seems you know her identity? Did you never doubt her words? Moreover, she holds Qianjun, an artifact of your family. Are you truly at ease handing over your family’s sacred item?” Fu Changming did not bother to deny anything, seeking instead to sow discord. The temptation of divine artifacts was indeed significant, and he didn’t believe Di Lianyun would willingly allow the family’s divine artifact to fall into outsider hands. What Di Lianyun said next nearly knocked him off his feet. “She is not an outsider! In terms of seniority, she is the ancestor of my imperial family!!!” Di Lianyun declared adamantly, supported by nods from other members and guards of the imperial family. As the saying goes, take someone’s hand, accept their favors, especially since the ancestor had given them plenty. Moreover, a divine artifact, possessing a spirit, chooses its own master. Even if recaptured, what difference would it make? Better to cling to the ancestor’s support and secure more heavenly-grade pills—that was the reality. By seniority, she was indeed the family’s ancestor, unlikely to abandon them. Fu Changming was almost infuriated to death by this—useless, the lot of them! “Ye Linglong! If you hand over the divine artifact Qianjun to me, I’ll give back the Life and Death Herb. Otherwise…” He paused, hand inching closer to the herb, speaking coldly, “Otherwise, I’ll destroy it!” “No!” Bai Liming shouted in alarm. Long Shuo shifted slightly, calculating if he could save the herb through instant teleportation. But Fu Changming was too close to the herb. He couldn’t guarantee the herb’s safety. Bai Liming realized that with Fu Changming’s character, even if they surrendered Qianjun, he might not keep his promise. He might end up losing both the herb and Qianjun. Just as he was resigning himself to give up, Ye Linglong spoke up, “I agree!” Fu Changming’s eyes sparkled with joy, “Hand over Qianjun first!” “No!” Bai Liming’s eyes widened. Ignoring him, Ye Linglong brought forth Qianjun into her hand. At that moment, Qianjun shone resplendently, the purple-gold blade glowing brilliantly. “Give it to me!” Fu Changming ordered, his breathing heavy with excitement. “Let go of the Life and Death Herb first!” Ye Linglong demanded. “You have no choice—give it to me!” Fu Changming shouted angrily, attempting to squeeze the herb to death. “Don't squeeze it! I’ll give it to you!” Ye Linglong hurriedly said, throwing Qianjun over. Bai Liming tried to intervene, but Ye Linglong signaled him to stop. Catching the thrown Qianjun, Fu Changming’s breath quickened, his heart racing as he greedily inspected the artifact. “Now, let go of the Life and Death Herb,” Ye Linglong urged. Reluctant to take his eyes off the blade, Fu Changming sneered, “You have a contract with this divine artifact. When you sever it, that’s when I’ll give you the herb back. As for now, I’ll safeguard it.” With those words, he moved to dig up the herb. “Shameless!” Ye Linglong cursed. At that moment, Qianjun erupted in brilliant light, and the sword spirit Qianjun appeared midair, its likeness to Di Zhang Ling startling Fu Changming. He felt pain in his right shoulder, blood spilling into the air as an arm fell to the ground. The sword spirit, now solid and holding Qianjun, had severed Fu Changming’s hand, which had been vaguely holding the Life and Death Herb. “Aaah!” Fu Changming screamed in agony. In an instant, Long Shuo teleported beside the Life and Death Herb, ready to harvest it immediately. Driven mad by the pain, Fu Changming exploded with power, releasing his cultivation directly. With a wave of his left hand, he unleashed a formidable force, knocking Long Shuo away and striking the herb. With his power no longer suppressed, Fu Changming was forcibly expelled by the spatial forces, disappearing from their sight. As for the Life and Death Herb, it was utterly destroyed.