: Gaining Another Talent!!

August 10, 2025, Author: Gu Zhenren

: Gaining Another Talent!!

"Die for me!" The River of Forgetfulness Prefect's face twitched, his murderous intent almost solidifying.

Splash!

Water sprayed everywhere. In the critical moment, Qing Chi hesitated not at all, like a moth diving into the flame, and leaped into the River of Forgetfulness.

The moment she touched the river water, colorful smoke erupted all over Qing Chi's body, like an overturned dye workshop or a shattered glass dream.

Each wisp of colorful smoke rose and transformed, reflecting vivid and warm memories of the past. Yet these vibrant moments of life were swiftly and mercilessly washed away and dissipated by the icy river water.

Unlike Ning Zhuo, Qing Chi had no precious treasure to protect her and was utterly unable to resist the冲刷 of the River of Forgetfulness.

"Qing Chi!" Ning Zhuo witnessed this scene, his heart and mind shaken violently.

"No matter who you are, I must save you!" Qing Chi had completely forgotten Ning Zhuo's identity, but the intense emotions filling her heart, deep as her bones and hot as magma, drove her to risk her life to save him.

She dove with all her might, swimming toward Ning Zhuo.

The Underworld Dragon Shears, pushing a thin layer of ice coffin, rushed toward Ning Zhuo but were blocked by Qing Chi at the last possible moment.

The immense impact force made Qing Chi open her mouth wide, spitting out a mouthful of scalding blood that bloomed into a凄艳 crimson in the cold river water.

As river water poured into her mouth and body, it was as if a floodgate of memories had been opened. Massive amounts of colorful smoke gushed out from her entire body, wildly dispersing.

The ice coffin, pressing against the injured Qing Chi,顺势 crashed into Ning Zhuo.

Propelled fiercely by the power of the Underworld Dragon Shears, the two of them and the coffin raced madly through the depths of the River of Forgetfulness tributary.

Wherever they passed,五彩 smoke and blood were scattered all along the way.

"Damn it." Luo Si's heart sank to the bottom, but he was already immobilized. Only his eyes remained uncovered by the clay on his face, forcing him to watch helplessly as everything slid into the abyss.

"Qing Chi!" Ning Zhuo shouted in his heart. He reached out and pressed hard on Qing Chi's back, sharing the power of my Buddha-Demon Heart Seal with her.

Buddha's light enveloped Qing Chi's body and soul, drastically reducing the memories and emotions being washed away from her, but it couldn't hold!

"Is it because she opened her mouth earlier, and there's still River of Forgetfulness water inside her?" Ning Zhuo was burning with anxiety but had no solution. Maintaining the Buddha-Demon Heart Seal was already taking all his strength. Now, dividing his power to save someone pushed him directly to his limit!

"Heh, struggling before death." The River of Forgetfulness Prefect revealed a ferocious smile,杀气 fully exposed. "Underworld Dragon Shears, pierce through them!"

The Underworld Dragon Shears vibrated violently, their sharp tips piercing through the last layer of thin ice and directly stabbing into Qing Chi's abdomen.

Blood flowed freely!

"Urgh...!" Excruciating pain forced a broken sob from Qing Chi. Instinct for survival made her subconsciously clasp her hands together, gripping the cold,深入体内的 shear blades tightly!

Blood gushed out, seeped through her fingers, and slid down the shears.

Qing Chi only felt pain, but her heart was filled with concern for the person behind her. She只想拼尽自身 to stop this凶器 from harming the person behind her!

Thud.

Under the remote command of the River of Forgetfulness Prefect, the Underworld Dragon Shears cruelly pushed forward again, sinking deeper into Qing Chi's body.

Qing Chi resisted the shears' thrust with all her might, but how could her strength compare to this national treasure?

Ning Zhuo pressed tightly against Qing Chi's back,清晰地 sensing the candle flame of her life rapidly extinguishing!

The ghost girl was using her own life to build a脆弱的防线 for him. She willingly acted as a shield, ready to die for him!

"No, Qing Chi! Wait for me!!" Ning Zhuo's eyes nearly burst, bloodshot, his face contorted with rage. He疯狂压榨 every bit of potential from his dantian, sea of consciousness, and soul, once again activating...

Divine Ability — Thread of Human Life!!

Invisible threads had long connected the two. Through the Thread of Human Life, he transmitted a message.

But Qing Chi showed no reaction at all. Her expression was dazed, her eyes vacant.

Too many memories and emotions had been lost, leaving her unable to respond. She had even forgotten the dire situation she was in, driven solely by the intense love in her heart to desperately protect her beloved behind her at all costs!

Ning Zhuo felt like gritting his teeth to dust.

Unable to get Qing Chi's active cooperation, he hardened his heart and attempted to manipulate her movements via the Thread of Human Life.

At the very least, he needed to change their position; otherwise, Ning Zhuo couldn't even reach the本体 of the Underworld Dragon Shears.

The Underworld Dragon Shears had almost completely broken through the ice coffin, with thirty percent of the blades already buried in Qing Chi's body.

Pushing against Qing Chi, they刺 deeper, swift as a meteor, racing极速 through the River of Forgetfulness tributary.

The tributary looped in a circle, allowing the three individuals, the coffin, and the shears to cycle infinitely.

Ning Zhuo, pressed against Qing Chi's back,全力维持 the Buddha-Demon Heart Seal, could only muster minimal power to attempt adjustments.

He was the arrowhead, at the very front. The impact of the water flow brought immense pressure, making Ning Zhuo feel as if a mountain were pressing on him. Every tiny movement was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

He tried several times, but his strength was always insufficient,难以调动 the divine ability.

One of Luo Si's eyes was already covered by clay.

Qing Chi's body grew colder; she had lost too much blood. The severe injuries disrupted the balance within her, allowing death energy to spread,压倒生机.

The ghost girl's life was like a candle in the wind, ready to go out at any moment.

"No, Qing Chi, hold on a little longer, wait for me, wait for me!" Ning Zhuo's eyes reddened, his expression fierce, but he failed again. For a moment, a巨大无力感 nearly overwhelmed him.

"Xiao Ma, Xiao Ma!" Qing Chi's expression was numb, her lips moving, emitting whispers as faint as mosquitoes yet feeling heart-wrenching. Each utterance caused more precious memory fragments to peel away from the depths of her soul, turning into colorful smoke and dissipating.

Ning Zhuo, behind her, hurriedly reminded, "Don't speak! We're in the River of Forgetfulness!"

But Qing Chi seemed not to hear, or perhaps was reminding herself not to forget: "Xiao Ma, Xiao Ma..."

Her calls grew weaker and more ethereal, as if from a distant horizon. Her eyes began to roll back, her consciousness彻底 sinking into chaotic darkness.

At the final moment of her life, an indescribable power suddenly erupted from her残破 body!

It was her talent.

Azure Flame!

Azure flames burst from within her, rapidly igniting her entire person.

Her blood, stained with the azure flame, also whooshed into blazing fire.

The azure flames could actually exist in the River of Forgetfulness water, not extinguishing but burning even fiercer!

Ning Zhuo, pressed tightly against her back, was also covered in the azure flames. His face and form seemed to melt, his disguise消散, reverting to his original appearance!

Luo Si, with only one eye left, saw this and his pupils abruptly contracted. The巨大疑团 that had long plagued his heart was suddenly resolved.

He finally understood the misunderstanding, realized that his lord was merely impersonating someone else—this was why the fishing technique hadn't worked before!

The person Qing Chi was risking her life to save wasn't the "Xiao Ma" she yearned for in her dreams at all!

From the beginning, this was a注定徒劳, a misplaced affection, a tragedy.

Just like Yun Xiao wanting to win back Yue Yi, only leaving behind the Ferry of Forgetfulness and an empty returning boat.

"General Qing..." Even Luo Si couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh in his heart.

Whoosh!

The azure flames blazed, burning fiercely throughout the entire River of Forgetfulness tributary.

The Underworld Dragon Shears, pushing against Qing Chi, raced极速, having circled countless times unknown. The River of Forgetfulness tributary was already filled with Qing Chi's blood.

Her blood was burning fiercely!

This was the final cry of her life!

"Xiao Ma, Xiao Ma, Xiao..." Her voice quickly weakened until she ceased calling.

She had already forgotten the name carved into her heart.

But the love in her heart still surged澎湃, driving her to protect the person behind her at all costs,不顾一切!

As if in response, the azure flames flowed over the Underworld Dragon Shears, imprinting them with斑斓 traces of blood.

The River of Forgetfulness Prefect was shocked!

"What, what kind of fire is this?"

The water of the River of Forgetfulness couldn't extinguish it; it burned freely within the water.

What puzzled and terrified him even more was that his connection with the Underworld Dragon Shears was rapidly diminishing—the shears were being forcibly blood-refined by Qing Chi!

The azure flames rose, scorching the Thread of Human Life.

Snap.

A faint sound seemed to be heard as the divine ability Thread of Human Life was burned away.

Pfft!

"Divine ability broken?!" Ning Zhuo's heart狂震, suffering a backlash, he directly spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Damn it!!!"

This was the first time he had endured the backlash of a failed divine ability, and the force was so狂暴. Caught off guard, Ning Zhuo's body and soul were severely injured, his three seas震荡, immediately gravely wounded. Instantly swallowed by darkness, he直接昏死过去.

Without him maintaining the Buddha-Demon Heart Seal, the precious seal became water without a source. The Buddha's light quickly dimmed.

Once the Buddha's light shield collapsed, Ning Zhuo,置身河水中, would also be冲刷,势必 losing all his memories and emotions.

Don't forget, he had fallen into the water with his physical body.

Once time was up, he would必死无疑!

However, even though昏死过去, one of his hands still死死 clasped the skull of the Heavenly Ghost.

Under the scorching of the azure flames, the skull不可思议地 began to melt.

The Heavenly Ghost skull gradually melted into a pool of deep blue liquid,深邃 like the night sky.

This liquid was absorbed by Ning Zhuo's palm,渗透 into his body, passing through his muscles and bones until it钻入 his divine sea.

Talent — True Self!

A brilliant azure light erupted from within Ning Zhuo's body.

The azure flames still burned, but couldn't block this冲霄 blue light.

Simultaneously, the Underworld Dragon Shears, now covered in blood refinement patterns, completely changed ownership, severing all connection with the River of Forgetfulness Prefect. The shears transformed into a stream of light and主动投身, merging into Qing Chi's body.

Pfft—!!!

At that moment, the River of Forgetfulness Prefect猛地仰头, violently spurting a mouthful of blood.

Blood溅五尺!

His hair崩断 inch by inch, his aura weakened to the bottom, as if his backbone had been pulled out. He直挺挺地仰面倒下,当场昏死过去.

Luo Si's vision gradually became covered by yellow earth.

In the last faint glimmer of light, he vaguely saw a youth in white clothes, holding the ghost girl in his arms, walking out from the tributary. Behind the youth, the背景 was the River of Forgetfulness tributary, continuously burned by the azure flames, nearly dried up.

Luo Si felt as if he too had sunk into the River of Forgetfulness.

"Wake up, wake up quickly!" His强硬意识 constantly urged himself. He felt like a grain of sand at the river bottom, struggling bit by bit,艰难地, to float upward.

"Hah... hah..." He finally managed to emit faint, gasping sounds,艰难地 opening his eyes.

His eyelids felt as heavy as if welded shut. His narrow视野 was blurry,一片阴沉.

Clack... clack...

Clear, forceful, and带有冷硬节奏 hoofbeats striking the ground reached his ears. Mixed with them was the sound of turning cart wheels.

"Luo Si is awake!"

"Lord Ning Zhuo, Luo Si is awake!!"

Luo Si then heard someone shout this.

Soon, a white figure闯入 his视野, and his upper body was扶起.

The white figure cast a spell on Luo Si, clearing his vision and accelerating the recovery of his bodily sensations. A warm current flowed through his entire body, transforming into his strength.

He first slowly turned his head, shifting his gaze to observe his surroundings.

He was now lying on a简陋机关板车, with two large wooden wheels spinning疯狂. In front of the cart, two Black Blood Paper Horses pulled it galloping.

On his abdomen rested an octagonal palace lantern—the Crossroads Lantern.

It was by relying on it to regulate and manage earth energy that Luo Si was gradually freed from the heavy clay封印.

Ning Zhuo smiled: "It's good you're awake. You can circulate your magic power on your own now to speed up recovery. I'll lend you this lantern for now; it will be very useful for expelling the earth energy from your body."

"Young Master." Luo Si艰难吐声, his throat terribly dry. After模糊地 uttering two words, he lacked the strength to say more.

Ning Zhuo nodded: "I know what you want to ask."

He transmitted his thoughts via divine sense, telling Luo Si what had happened after he lost consciousness.

The azure flames had actually melted the Heavenly Ghost skull, allowing Ning Zhuo to absorb this acquired talent.

The talent True Self enabled Ning Zhuo to always remember himself,正好克制 the effects of the River of Forgetfulness water.

Ning Zhuo no longer needed to全力支持 the Buddha-Demon Heart Seal; even任由 the River of Forgetfulness tributary冲刷, he remained安然无恙.

Thus, he gained the power to escape the River of Forgetfulness.

Qing Chi had also意外地 refined the Underworld Dragon Shears and lost consciousness.

Ning Zhuo then brought Qing Chi out of the River of Forgetfulness tributary to rescue Luo Si.

He暂时无法 help Luo Si escape his predicament but did his best to protect Luo Si's life.

Then, Ning Zhuo hastily cleaned up the battlefield, fearing the River of Forgetfulness Prefect would personally lead troops to arrive. He took Luo Si and left the altar battlefield.

After descending to the ground, he, in his true appearance, summoned the Qing-Jiao Army, informed them of his real identity and the general battle situation, omitting the part about absorbing the talent.

Upon learning of their victory and the disruption of the River of Forgetfulness Prefect's century-long plan, the Qing-Jiao Army's morale soared, and they cheered.

Jiao Ma's biological father, however, felt endless regret. He had long guessed that his son was impersonated by someone else.

Ning Zhuo's主动坦白 surprised and puzzled the Jiao family. Qing Chi's昏迷 state also worried the Qing family.

Jiao Ma's father主动站出来, immediately expressing support for Ning Zhuo. His choice很快得到 the entire Qing-Jiao Army's support.

Ning Zhuo then led the Qing-Jiao Army, heading一路 toward the agreed rendezvous point.

Upon arriving here, Ning Zhuo did not find the Buddhist Physician · Meng Yaoyin or Sun Lingtong, but Luo Si was already able to walk.

Here, he found a飞信 delivered by the Buddhist Physician · Meng Yaoyin. The letter told Ning Zhuo that if she did not arrive for a long time, he should lead the army to the Water Burial Valley.

Seeing the letter, Luo Si immediately felt a sense of foreboding.

The Ashen Bone Elder had shown him great kindness; he always wanted to repay him.

Ning Zhuo and Luo Si, bringing the still unconscious Qing Chi, hurriedly马不停蹄 toward the Water Burial Valley.

(End of )