The self-detonation of a Saint Realm genius carried no small threat. Several young geniuses from the Thunder Sound Sect and the Giant Kun Sect who had been standing near Jiang Chen were caught in the blast, sent tumbling, and left in sorry shape—all nursing serious wounds. One among them had been gravely injured and lay gasping for breath.
This unexpected turn of events only soured Gong Wuji's mood further.
He waved his hand and barked, "After them!"
Jiang Chen and Huang'er rode their escape lights and continuously layered Space Escape Talismans, covering two or three thousand li before finally halting in a remote, desolate stretch of terrain.
It wasn't that Jiang Chen had run out of Space Escape Talismans—he had simply sensed that something was wrong with Miss Huang'er.
Jiang Chen's spiritual perception was extraordinarily keen. He detected that the Hundred-Lives Shared Heart Curse within Huang'er seemed to be on the verge of breaking free from its suppression.
He immediately stopped, summoned the Ice Fire Demon Lotus, and plunged straight underground several hundred zhang deep. Finding a secluded nook near the earth's core, he carved out a space large enough for two, then helped Huang'er sit on the ground.
"Miss Huang'er, sit quietly. I'll chant the Brahma Sound Soul-Crossing Mantra for you several times."
Jiang Chen knew that Huang'er must have overexerted her spiritual sense, triggering the backlash of the Hundred-Lives Shared Heart Curse. He had treated it before, but that had only addressed the symptoms, not the root cause.
The Hundred-Lives Shared Heart Curse could be suppressed for decades—even over a century—provided one did not overexert their spiritual sense.
Once spiritual sense was pushed too far, it would reawaken the curse's venomous resentment within, making it far harder to suppress again.
Seeing Huang'er drifting toward unconsciousness, her entire body trembling without cease, Jiang Chen recognized the signs of the curse flaring.
He settled his mind and began chanting, over and over, without pause.
With each recitation of the Brahma Sound Soul-Crossing Mantra, the tremors in Huang'er's body gradually eased.
Jiang Chen didn't dare stop. Though his throat was parched, he kept chanting—for a full twenty-four hours, an entire day and night—before Huang'er's body finally stirred and she regained a sliver of consciousness.
"Young Master Jiang, Huang'er has caused you trouble again." Her voice was faint, tinged with guilt.
Jiang Chen smiled ruefully. "If anyone has caused trouble, it's me who's caused it for you."
Huang'er managed a weak smile. "Then let's stop being polite with each other."
Jiang Chen nodded quickly. "Right, right. Rest first, and I'll chant the mantra for you again."
"You've been chanting for so long—you must be exhausted. Take a break. I'm feeling a bit better now."
Jiang Chen probed with his spiritual sense and confirmed that the curse had been temporarily suppressed—but only temporarily.
Huang'er's overuse of her spiritual sense had clearly reawakened the curse's malevolent energy.
"Miss Huang'er, the Brahma Sound Soul-Crossing Mantra isn't as effective as the Celestial Marvelous Sound. If you have the strength, you should play a few rounds of the Celestial Marvelous Sound first."
Huang'er struggled gently to sit up. Jiang Chen quickly reached out to steady her, too concerned in the moment to observe any propriety between men and women.
His palms held her upright, and he was struck by her form—a figure of ethereal, fairy-like beauty, neither too thin nor too full.
Huang'er softly drew out her guqin. Though her body was frail, she summoned her strength and played with care.
Watching her like this, Jiang Chen felt a pang in his heart. He knew that if not for him, Huang'er would never have had to endure such torment.
For a moment, his feelings were a tangled mess.
"Young Master Jiang, do you know anything about music?" Huang'er seemed to read the guilt in his heart and spoke to ease his mind.
Jiang Chen paused. He thought of his past life—aside from martial arts, he had been a master of virtually everything. Music was no exception; his attainments had been extraordinary.
But in this life, he had little leisure to devote to such things.
For some reason, around other people, there were matters Jiang Chen found difficult to discuss openly. Yet with Huang'er, he felt an inexplicable openness. Looking into her sincere eyes, it was as though they could tolerate no filth or falsehood in the world.
Moreover, Huang'er treated people with such genuine warmth, her aura as pure as a mountain spring, that Jiang Chen felt lying to her would be a sin.
He scratched his head and answered honestly: "I know a little about music, though I'm afraid my skill is far below yours, Miss Huang'er."
Huang'er smiled gently, her clear eyes resting on Jiang Chen. Then, as if by magic, a xiao appeared in her hand.
"Young Master Jiang, may Huang'er have the honor of hearing you play a piece?"
Her lively eyes held a hint of playful mischief, revealing her cheerful, spirited side.
Jiang Chen laughed helplessly and took the xiao, steeling himself.
This xiao was much the same as the one from his past life. He handled it for a moment, tested the notes, and quickly recaptured the feel he had once known.
"Then please don't judge me too harshly."
Jiang Chen was not one for false modesty. He began to play—and the piece he chose was the Celestial Marvelous Sound.
At first, his playing was a little rough. But soon he was drawn into the melody's ethereal realm, and the xiao's otherworldly, far-reaching quality was brought out to its fullest.
By the middle and latter sections, Huang'er's expression had shifted from surprise to deep concentration.
When the final note faded, the profound astonishment in Huang'er's luminous eyes lingered long before it finally subsided.