Chapter 26: How Can I Bring Myself to Kill You

Description

After the skull-faced Demonic Cultivator was left in an unknown state by Yu Qingyao’s Nine Heavens Thunder-Fire Talisman, the battle became one-sided.

Under the combined efforts of the three, the remaining two Early Golden Core Realm Demonic Cultivators were quickly killed.

“E… Eldest Senior Sister!”

Hurried footsteps broke the dead silence.

Gu Jian, along with two other Piaomiao Sect outer disciples, rushed out from the mist behind them, panting heavily.

They looked somewhat disheveled, their bodies covered in mud and grass, and there was still blood on the giant sword in Gu Jian’s hand—the blood of the remaining two Foundation Establishment Peak Demonic Cultivators.

When Gu Jian saw the scene before him, his entire body froze.

Gu Jian’s Adam’s apple bobbed with difficulty, and the giant sword in his hand dropped to his side with a clang.

His eyes scanned Wu Yan, Yu Qingyao, and Bai Zhiqiu with urgency. Only after confirming that none of them were injured did his heart finally settle.

Once his mind was at ease, Gu Jian belatedly felt a sense of shame over his own powerlessness.

Eldest Senior Sister, Yu Qingyao, and Bai Zhiqiu could easily win a fierce battle against three Golden Core Stage Demonic Cultivators, while he and his two fellow disciples had spent a great deal of effort just to kill those two Foundation Establishment Peak Demonic Cultivators.

Wu Yan turned around, her gaze calmly sweeping over the three of them.

“Clean up the battlefield. Don’t leave any traces.”

Her tone was flat, neither blaming nor comforting, as if she were giving orders for a completely ordinary, trivial matter.

“You did very well to hold off those two Foundation Establishment Stage Demonic Cultivators and prevent them from interfering with the battle. Get moving.”

Gu Jian jerked his head up, looking into Wu Yan’s calm eyes. The shame in his heart transformed into a surge of warmth.

He nodded vigorously, tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, and turned with his junior brothers to deal with the corpses of the Demonic Cultivators.

Wu Yan did not stay in place. She turned around and cast her gaze toward the deep Cold Pool at the back of the battlefield.

Because of the battle just now, the surrounding trees were all broken, but the Cold Pool seemed untouched. The surface of the water was as calm as a mirror.

Wu Yan’s toes lightly tapped the ground, her figure gliding over the water like a weightless feather, landing on a reef in an instant.

Just as her fingertips were about to touch that spirit grass—

“What a nostalgic scent…”

A voice that was somewhat lazy yet carried a bone-chilling coldness sounded in Wu Yan’s ear.

Following that, a highly conspicuous red silhouette materialized beside Wu Yan.

Wu Yan (Inner) was still wearing that blood-red gauze dress, her bare feet floating above the Cold Pool.

She gracefully floated to the side of the Soul Shaping Grass, extending her slender fingers to trace the outline of the leaves without touching them.

Those bewitching red eyes narrowed slightly, flashing with a heart-palpitating light of greed, like an evil ghost that had been sleeping for a thousand years seeing the most delicious sacrifice.

Wu Yan (Inner) licked her red lips with the tip of her tongue. Her tone carried a bit of careless childishness:

“I want it. As long as I swallow its medicinal power, I can stabilize my divine soul. When the time comes, crushing these ants will be as easy as moving a finger. Give it to me, now.”

This was not a request, but a command.

Wu Yan’s brow twitched imperceptibly.

“Go back. There are others here.”

“Heh.”

Wu Yan (Inner) let out a cold laugh, a flash of tyranny appearing in her red eyes. She turned around lightly, her gaze sweeping over Bai Zhiqiu, Yu Qingyao, Gu Jian, and the others on the shore. Her tone was as contemptuous as if she were talking about bothersome insects:

“Then just kill them all.”

She said this with an easy tone, as if discussing what to eat for dinner.

“Shut up.”

A ball of soft spiritual power condensed at Wu Yan’s fingertips. She carefully enveloped the roots of the Soul Shaping Grass and pulled it out by the roots.

Then, with a flick of her wrist, she took out a Cold Jade Box that emitted a chilly aura from her Storage Ring.

With a snap.

The box was closed, completely sealing the spirit grass and cutting off Wu Yan (Inner)’s greedy gaze, which had almost become physical.

“Wu Yan!”

Wu Yan (Inner)’s voice instantly turned cold, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze.

She floated in front of Wu Yan, her beautiful face drawing close, her red eyes burning with rage:

“You dare to defy me? That’s my thing! Do you believe that I could take back this body right now and turn this place into a land of death?!”

Wu Yan looked at her expressionlessly and said indifferently, “You can’t. In your current state, you can’t even open this Cold Jade Box.”

“You—you! Don’t expect me to help you deal with those stinking insects next time!”

“Mhm.”

Having said that, she no longer paid attention to Wu Yan (Inner), who was shaking with anger. She flew back and landed on the shore.

At this moment, Bai Zhiqiu was leaning against a withered willow tree. The compass in her hand had been replaced by the abacus she always carried on her back. Her shrewd, peach-blossom eyes were staring with great interest at the jade box in Wu Yan’s hand.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. A thousand-year-old Soul Shaping Grass.”

Bai Zhiqiu flicked the abacus beads, making crisp clicking sounds, and said with a smile, “Taoist Wu, if this thing were put outside, it would be enough to make even Soul Transformation powerhouses fight over it. This is a supreme treasure for repairing the divine soul and enhancing Divine Sense. Your luck is truly enviable.”

“It is thanks to Miss Bai. If Miss Bai hadn’t led the way, we would likely have missed this Soul Shaping Grass.”

Yu Qingyao, standing to the side, did not speak, but her gaze was also locked onto that jade box.

She understood the value of this item better than anyone.

In her previous life, when she was practicing the Soul Governance Art, she nearly suffered from Chi Deviation because her soul strength was insufficient.

If she had the help of this Soul Shaping Grass, her soul power would have a qualitative leap, and her plan for revenge could be moved forward significantly.

Revenge…

Yu Qingyao felt a bit lost. Was the current Wu Yan really the Wu Yan she wanted to take revenge on?

Just as she was staring blankly at the box, a slender, jade-like hand holding the jade box that emitted a biting chill was handed to her without any warning.

Yu Qingyao was stunned.

She subconsciously looked up and met a pair of bottomless ink-black eyes.

Wu Yan’s expression was still cold, without a trace of reluctance or hesitation.

“Take it.” Wu Yan said succinctly.

“For me?” Yu Qingyao was a bit dazed, her voice changing pitch. “Senior Sister, this is the Soul Shaping Grass, you—”

“I need to be on guard against the surroundings. It’s inconvenient to carry this.”

Wu Yan’s tone was matter-of-fact, as if she weren’t handing over a priceless treasure but rather a slightly heavy stone. “Keep it safe in your Storage Ring. Once we leave the Secret Realm and return to the sect, we will discuss how to distribute it with Miss Bai.”

Holding the cold jade box, Yu Qingyao felt completely dazed.

She just gave it to me?

Wu Yan hadn’t even hesitated; she just casually tossed it to her for safekeeping?

No greed, no calculation, she didn’t even look at it a second time.

Floating in the air, Wu Yan (Inner) exploded when she saw this scene.

She shifted in front of Yu Qingyao, her exquisite face appearing somewhat distorted due to anger.

She reached out a translucent hand and gripped Wu Yan’s neck tightly—though she couldn’t touch her at all, the gloomy killing intent caused the surrounding temperature to plummet.

“Little Wu Yan, you’d rather give this treasure to that brat Yu Qingyao than keep it for yourself?!”

Wu Yan automatically filtered out the noise in her ear and raised an eyebrow at the still-dazed Yu Qingyao. “What are you staring for? Put it away and don’t lose it.”

Yu Qingyao snapped out of it, only feeling that the box in her hand was incredibly heavy.

She looked at Wu Yan’s cold face, and that awkward emotion welled up in her heart again.

You’re clearly my enemy, so why do you trust me so much?

Do you have any idea how important this thing is to me?

Do you know that with just a thought, I could keep it for myself?

Acting like this… how can I bring myself to kill you in the future?