Chu Ge's spirit contracted, his first attempt at the Heaven-Shattering Earth-Striking Technique abruptly halted.
He opened his eyes, looking at Qiu Wuji, who was protecting him.
Qiu Wuji's smile hadn't even faded when, seeing Chu Ge open his eyes, his face hardened: "Did I tell you to stop? You dare to make decisions about your cultivation on your own?"
Chu Ge said helplessly, "My head is spinning, this is too mentally taxing."
Qiu Wuji paused, realizing that his soul sea was indeed almost depleted.
His spiritual world was far too vast, ridiculously vast. Although his spiritual power was high, it wasn't sufficient to match.
This was probably the main reason he couldn't truly enter the world.
Chu Ge also realized this, looking up at Qiu Wuji with a slight smile: "This Heaven-Shattering Earth-Striking Technique is a good thing. Now I can at least provide you with some simple support."
Qiu Wuji rolled his eyes: "Your abilities..." He swallowed the rest of his sentence. His abilities were truly detrimental to that world. When he tried to correct his "inappropriate speech," he genuinely felt powerless against it.
If his "Descending Strike" were a power of world correction, it would probably be invincible.
Qiu Wuji paused, then changed her tone: "Anyway, following the plot of the book, I'm not in any danger. Why would I need your offering? Go, go, go rest." Chu Ge smiled, not arguing with her. They had discussed this topic once before. Qiu Wuji wouldn't underestimate her opponent; her blood tempering and purification in Cloud Ridge Mountain showed that she took battle more seriously than anyone else.
There was no need to persuade her, she simply said, "You should rest too. I'm not sleeping here now, I'm returning to the world in the book." Qiu Wuji pursed her lips, remaining silent.
Chu Ge said softly, "I know you like the peace and tranquility here. Theoretically, you can multitask with almost no impact, but tomorrow's battle is crucial. I'll be uneasy if it's even slightly affected. You should return early, focus your mind and spirit, calm your nerves, and fully prepare for battle… then I'll have nothing to worry about."
Qiu Wuji said, "You didn't need to worry anyway."
Chu Ge couldn't help but reach out and stroke her temple: "How could I not want you to go back? I felt like I'd lost my soul when you were gone for half a day… But… be good, don't make me worry."
"Hey, don't always talk to me like a daughter!" Qiu Wuji glared at him angrily, but ultimately didn't brush away his groping hand.
The two stared at each other silently for a moment. Qiu Wuji's eyes finally hardened and turned murderous, taking on the look of the real person from the book.
That was also the look Chu Ge had given her when he first saw her, as if she could kill at any moment.
It had been such a long, long time since they last met. The adorable Qiu Wuji and the Sect Master Qiu Wuji seemed like two completely different people, yet at this moment, their paths crossed again.
"I'm going back," she said calmly, turning around. "Take good care of yourself in your cultivation; don't slack off."
Chu Ge hummed in agreement.
Qiu Wuji walked out of the room, pausing slightly. "Grind the soybeans yourself tomorrow morning. Remember to eat the pears in the fridge; they'll spoil if left too long. If you're eating alone, eat less fried chicken, but you can eat more beef noodles." She then went into her room, wrapped herself in the blanket, and disappeared.
Chu Ge stood silently for a long time, biting her lower lip, before suddenly letting out a long sigh.
...The grand finale of *Chu Tian Wu Ji*, built up over the entire volume, arrived.
The battle of water and fire between Qiu Wuji and Yan Qianlie practically represented the pinnacle of righteous and demonic forces across the Nine Provinces. The chain reaction it triggered—the movements of all parties, their respective schemes, the rise and fall of power, and the shifting landscape—lasted for an entire volume of three to four hundred thousand words, finally culminating in the decisive chapter today.
In the hearts of the book's readers, this is reminiscent of "The Forbidden City" and "The Full Moon Over the River," generating unparalleled anticipation.
Early this morning, fans were already refreshing the app to see when Duan Xiaoge would update.
Although Duan Xiaoge was criticized for faking illness to pursue women a few days ago, his performance has been quite good since then. He usually releases the first chapter around 10 AM, sometimes even earlier, around 9 AM.
Then, two more chapters in the afternoon, totaling tens of thousands of words… He generally doesn't update in the evening, leading everyone to speculate that he's "paying his dues."
This "paying his dues" has also garnered much envy and jealousy, because the woman in the photo is incredibly beautiful. Everyone admires her cosplay of Qiu Wuji, but it's a bit awkward to tease her in the group chat—she's his sister-in-law.
"Short-skinned Ge has done all sorts of bad things, stealing away such a beautiful female fan. If he doesn't deliver a spectacular showdown, we're all after him!" Panda said in the group chat.
Actually, Panda was a little uneasy.
Ever since seeing that photo, he felt that Chu Da and the operations manager Qiu Qiu in the photo looked remarkably like Sanwa and Liuwa.
Because he and Wan Zijun had both seen Sanwa and Liuwa wearing the same clothes… It's normal for one person to wear the same clothes, but for two to wear the same clothes is a bit strange. Moreover, their body types match; if you photoshopped masks onto their faces, they would be unmistakably Sanwa and Liuwa.
Panda remembered punching Chu Da online once, and the recoil made his hand hurt. Was it because of Sanwa's invulnerability? Right, he had also determined that Chu Da was from Nanjiang.
After talking with Wan Zijun, the answer became even clearer. Wan Zijun had seen the woman in the photo; he had tried to flirt with her by writing a message, and was kicked by a high heel, leaving him unable to move. This showed that she was at least a more powerful ability user than Wan Zijun.
Everything matches up! The operations manager who cosplays Qiuqiu is most likely the Sixth Calabash Brother, and the short, clumsy guy everyone criticizes is the loyal Third Calabash Brother.
They even found the reason why Panda was inexplicably blocked last time: "Serves you right for being the Calabash Brother's grandpa!"
Panda and Wan Zijun think this world is truly magical.
"You fatso, if Chu Da really is Sanwa, what are you going to do about it?" Wan Zijun privately messaged Panda. "Sanwa's got no loyalty whatsoever. If you dare bully him, I'll beat you up."
"I'll offer him my chrysanthemum, and he'll blow me dry."
"Damn it, male ketones, get lost!"
"Really? Putting aside the Sanwa thing, these chapters today are too important. I'm also worried that Chu Da won't write them well, wasting all this build-up." As one of the operations officers, Panda thought even more deeply than Wan Zijun: "It's perfect timing. Recently, thanks to those photos, he's become a minor internet celebrity, attracting a lot of casual readers. If we can create a climax right now, it will have a snowball effect on the book's performance and reputation, which is very meaningful."
"Don't worry about Chu Da's... level of skill."
That's true, Wan Zijun couldn't help but feel a little worried about Panda's words.
Such an important chapter, wouldn't Chu Da mess it up?
At this moment, Chu Ge didn't care about messing things up at all; in fact, the book itself didn't exist in his mind anymore.
Fingers seemed to dance unconsciously, objectively recreating the scene of that world in the document, while eyes, peering through the screen, clearly saw countless green peaks and a vast crowd gathered beneath the midnight moonlight, amidst layers of mist.
After a long period of open and covert struggle, the righteous and demonic factions had reached a stalemate, each occupying half of the mountain, yet showing no intention of fighting; the atmosphere was silent and solemn.
All eyes were fixed on the central main peak, on the two opposing mountain paths to the north and south, where two figures slowly ascended.
Qiu Wuji and Yan Qianlie, without prior arrangement, did not use any flying artifacts or spells, but simply walked slowly upwards from the foot of the mountain.
From the moon being obscured by the mountaintop to its gradual revelation, the peak reached its end, and the crowds on the surrounding side peaks looked down upon them like ants.
Their duel would signify the balance of power between the righteous and demonic factions of the Nine Provinces Immortal Path, and would also declare whose hegemony would be determined from this moment on.
The two reached the summit almost simultaneously, facing each other across the distance, both smiling.
Yan Qianlie tossed a wine jar from afar: "A gathering of a hundred ghosts, offered to Sect Leader Qiu as a drink." Qiu Wuji caught it casually, smiling slightly: "With the sky high and the sea vast, in this clear autumn sky, what ghosts could there be!" He broke the seal, tilted his head back, took a large gulp, and then casually smashed it on the ground.
Under the moonlight, ripples of wine vapor spread outwards, like the endless autumn waters, washing away all demonic influences.
"Even if there were, they would be shattered in an instant. What's there to speak of?"