Deep within the canyon, the mist gradually thinned, replaced by a suffocating silence.
The space here seemed to have been forcibly distorted by some immense power.
The rock walls on both sides spiraled upward in an eerie fashion, stretching toward the sky and converging at the top, leaving only a sliver of dim daylight.
At the very end of the canyon, an ancient altar built from black basalt stood quietly in the void.
Countless shattered runes floated around the altar, emitting an ancient and desolate aura.
The altar was already empty, and Yu Qingyao lay unconscious on the narrow path not far from it.
***
A quarter of an hour ago.
Relying on the memories of her past life and her powerful soul, Yu Qingyao had remained conscious the moment she stepped into the Illusion Array.
She stumbled all the way, precisely avoiding every Killing Array and trap, reaching this altar ahead of everyone else.
She was half-kneeling in the center of the altar, her entire body soaked in cold sweat.
Floating before her was a dusty, unremarkable jade slip.
It did not emit any world-shaking treasure light; it even looked somewhat dilapidated, like a piece of worthless stone one might find anywhere.
Yet, surrounding this “worthless stone” was a storm that could change the very color of the heavens and earth.
The Soul Governance Art.
Yu Qingyao’s hand trembled as she reached out.
The moment her fingertips touched the edge of the jade slip, a searing pain, like molten iron being poured into her brain, instantly exploded!
“Ngh—!!”
Yu Qingyao bit her lip hard, refusing to let a single sound escape, even as blood flowed down the corner of her mouth.
Countless ancient characters, obscure incantations, and even a lingering trace of the will of an ancient powerhouse frantically washed through her Sea of Consciousness.
It was a supreme secret technique regarding how to temper the soul and exchange a burning soul for matchless power.
But amidst the intense pain, Yu Qingyao’s eyes were frighteningly bright.
Although she had obtained the Soul Governance Art in her previous life, she had burned her soul in the final battle, causing the Soul Governance Art in her memory to become fragmented.
In this life, after reclaiming the Soul Governance Art, she did not need to read and memorize it too carefully; a rough glance was enough for her to recall the entire cultivation method.
As she continued to read, she could clearly feel her soul undergoing a transformation.
Her Divine Sense was currently surging at a terrifying speed, showing signs of breaking through to the late Nascent Soul Stage.
Ultimately, however, this surge in soul strength stopped at the perfection of the mid-Nascent Soul Stage.
It wasn’t because she didn’t want to go further, but because her current body at the Foundation Establishment Stage, even after her deliberate training, still could not carry a more powerful soul.
Nonetheless, she had finally secured this trump card.
Finally, the last wisp of gray light sank into her brow.
The floating jade slip lost its supporting power and turned into powder with a “crack,” dissipating into the air.
It was over.
Yu Qingyao collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath, her heart pounding wildly.
She had it. This blade, capable of killing Wu Yan (Inner) and changing her fate, was finally in her grasp.
“Wu Yan (Inner)…”
Yu Qingyao lifted her head and looked toward the direction she had come from, her gaze incredibly complex.
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps came from the mist.
Yu Qingyao’s heart tightened, and the panic of having just obtained a heavy treasure surged within her.
She quickly adjusted her breathing and then curled up on the small path near the altar, faking unconsciousness.
Wu Yan (Yan) led Bai Zhiqiu, Gu Jian, and the others, cutting through the remaining illusions all the way until they finally arrived before the altar.
“Qingyao!”
Wu Yan (Yan) immediately spotted the small, huddled figure in the corner.
Without the slightest hesitation, her body flashed as she rushed to Yu Qingyao’s side, squatting down and grabbing her shoulders with both hands.
“Are you injured?”
Although Wu Yan (Yan)’s voice remained cold, her speaking speed was noticeably faster than usual.
She quickly checked Yu Qingyao’s body, from her pulse to her spiritual energy fluctuations. Only after confirming there were no external injuries did she breathe a small sigh of relief.
Yu Qingyao looked up with an expression of lingering terror and confusion.
“Senior… Senior Sister?”
Her voice trembled as if she had just woken from a nightmare. “I… how did I end up here? Just now, there were so many strange sounds…”
Wu Yan (Yan) was not good at social interactions, nor was she particularly skilled at comforting people.
Therefore, all she could do was stiffly explain to Yu Qingyao that it had merely been an Illusionary Realm.
This scene appeared harmonious, but in the eyes of Bai Zhiqiu, it carried a different meaning.
Holding her Lopan, Bai Zhiqiu’s gaze bypassed the embracing sisters and landed on the pile of jade slip powder that had just dissipated in the center of the altar.
As the Chief Disciple of the Tianyan Sect, she was extremely sensitive to fluctuations in spiritual energy.
There had clearly been an incredibly powerful and ancient inheritance aura here just moments ago, but now, it was gone.
Bai Zhiqiu narrowed her eyes, her gaze lingering for a moment on Yu Qingyao’s hand, which seemed weak but was actually trembling slightly.
“Tch, this Junior Sister is quite the actress.”
Bai Zhiqiu saw through it clearly, but she took one look at Wu Yan (Yan) clumsily comforting her sister and let a playful smile curl her lips, ultimately saying nothing.
She merely tucked her Lopan away silently and then took the abacus from her back into her hands, making the beads clack loudly as she toyed with them.
However, just because Bai Zhiqiu didn’t say anything didn’t mean no one else saw it.
“So stinky! It reeks!!”
A sharp and disgusted voice exploded in Wu Yan (Yan)’s ear and above the altar.
Wu Yan (Inner) had floated out at some unknown point.
She didn’t care about Yu Qingyao like Wu Yan (Yan) did; instead, like a cat that had smelled fish, she circled Yu Qingyao frantically.
She was almost pressed against Yu Qingyao’s body, her pert nose twitching incessantly, her face twisted in extreme loathing.
“I was wondering why there was a scent of tea; it turns out it was my dear Junior Sister~”
“Little Wu Yan (Yan), our dear Junior Sister really has some tricks. She acts all terrified while she’s probably taken all the treasures in this place for herself in secret. If you ask me, you should expose her right now and make her hand over all the good stuff!”
The hand Wu Yan (Yan) was using to comfort Yu Qingyao paused slightly.
Naturally, with her Divine Sense strength, she knew the moment she saw Yu Qingyao that she was faking her state.
But seeing Yu Qingyao’s weakened appearance, she still couldn’t help but worry about her.
Perhaps this was what they called being blinded by concern.
“Since Qingyao obtained it, then it is Qingyao’s Fortuitous Opportunity. I have no right to interfere.”
“You! You’re biased! You’re taking an outsider’s side!”
Wu Yan (Inner) was so angry her face puffed up like a bun. She floated in front of Wu Yan (Yan), reaching out with both hands to pinch Wu Yan (Yan)’s cheeks, cursing through gritted teeth:
“You’ll regret this! I can feel a very dangerous aura on that girl! She’ll definitely use that to deal with you in the future! When you get attacked by her then, don’t expect me to save you!”
After her rant, Wu Yan (Inner) huffily floated to the top of a stone pillar on the altar and sat down, her back to everyone and her arms crossed.
Though she claimed not to care, hearing Wu Yan (Inner) say that Yu Qingyao would surely use it against her in the future caused a flash of disappointment to inevitably cross Wu Yan (Yan)’s ink-colored eyes.
But it didn’t matter. As long as she didn’t follow the script of Wu Yan (Inner)’s previous life and treated her Master, Junior Sister, and the others in the sect well…
Wu Yan (Yan) believed that their swords would not be pointed at her.
Wu Yan (Yan) sighed helplessly in her heart and helped Yu Qingyao stand up.
“Since everyone is fine, we shouldn’t stay here long.”
Wu Yan (Yan) scanned the surroundings. “Although this is the core of the Illusion Array, other dangers may be hidden here. Miss Bai, can you still find the way?”
Bai Zhiqiu shrugged, hiding that “I-know-but-won’t-tell” smile deep in her eyes. “Of course. Although this place put my Lopan through the wringer, now that the array is broken, the Life Gate has revealed itself.”
She pointed to a winding path behind the altar. “Go that way, and we should be able to get out of this cursed canyon.”
***
The group set out again.
After this ordeal, the atmosphere within the team became somewhat subtle.
Although Gu Jian and the other two disciples had woken from the Illusionary Realm, their spirits were still a bit withered, making them exceptionally silent.
They simply followed closely behind Wu Yan (Yan), as if only looking at her back could make them feel safe.
Although Yu Qingyao appeared calm on the surface, her gaze remained somewhat drifted. Occasionally, when she looked at Wu Yan (Yan), strange emotions would flicker in her eyes.
As for Bai Zhiqiu…
This Little Divine Diviner of the Tianyan Sect was currently acting like a curious child, sticking close to Wu Yan (Yan) and beginning a full-scale “investigation.”
“Friend Wu, in the Illusionary Realm just now… what was the name of that sword strike?” Bai Zhiqiu blinked her large eyes, ignoring Yu Qingyao’s murderous gaze as she leaned in toward Wu Yan (Yan).
“What Illusionary Realm? Miss Bai, I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Wu Yan (Yan) said calmly.
“Oh~” Bai Zhiqiu let out a meaningful exclamation, then pulled a Communication Jade Plate from her robes.
She stared at Wu Yan (Yan) with a beaming smile. “Friend Wu, we can be considered friends who’ve shared life and death now, right? Once we’re out of the Secret Realm, can you leave me a way to contact you? If there’s business in the future, or if someone bullies you, just find me! Although the Tianyan Sect isn’t good at fighting, we’re very fast at calling for backup!”
Just then, Yu Qingyao coldly interjected:
“Friend Bai.” She moved unobtrusively between the two. “My Senior Sister is quite busy and has no time to do business with you. Also, people of the Piaomiao Sect can protect themselves; we don’t need outsiders to worry about us.”
“Oh my, why is Junior Sister Yu being so distant?” Bai Zhiqiu teased her intentionally. “More friends mean more paths. Besides, I don’t see Friend Wu being averse to me. Isn’t that right, Sister Wu?”
The way she called her “Sister Wu” was incredibly sweet and cloying.
In terms of actual age, Wu Yan (Yan) was actually two years younger than Bai Zhiqiu; Wu Yan (Yan) was only nineteen this year, while Bai Zhiqiu was nearly twenty-one.
The exchange between Bai Zhiqiu and Yu Qingyao was always like this. Stuck in the middle, Wu Yan (Yan) felt her ears beginning to ache.
Moreover, the noise around her wasn’t limited to just that.
“Hmph! Vixen! That fortune-teller is a total vixen! Little Wu Yan (Yan), look at her fawning face! she’s after your secrets! No, she’s after your body! No, she’s after my body! If you ask me, we should dig her heart out and see if it’s black!”
The sulking Wu Yan (Inner) floated above Wu Yan (Yan)’s head, her voice reaching Wu Yan (Yan)’s ears without missing a single word.
“And that little white-eyed wolf! She’s infuriating me! Once I take back control of the body, the first thing I’ll do is poison those two to death!”
Wu Yan (Yan) was helpless but didn’t know how to resolve the situation, so she could only quicken her pace.
“Walk faster. There’s movement up ahead.”