At the summit of Kurong Peak, silence reigned, and the atmosphere was terrifyingly heavy.
The translucent light curtain that had been floating in mid-air was now emitting a low humming sound, followed by violent flickering.
The Elders leading each sect’s delegation began to shift restlessly in their seats.
“Buzz—!”
With a sudden ripple, several disheveled figures came stumbling out.
“Demonic Cultivators! There are Demonic Cultivators inside!”
A disciple from a small sect, wearing a gray Daoist robe, let out a shrill scream the moment he hit the ground.
He was covered in blood, his left arm was missing, and his face was twisted in terror.
“Help!”
As soon as these words were spoken, an uproar broke out among the crowd.
Before anyone could react, several figures shrouded in black chi rushed out from the light curtain, clearly intending to take advantage of the chaos to blend into the crowd and escape.
“Hmph! Thinking of running?”
An Elder with a fiery temper snorted coldly, and the pressure of the Nascent Soul Stage erupted with a roar.
“Stay right there for this old man!”
A large hand manifested from spiritual energy descended from the sky, slamming those Demonic Cultivators who were trying to flee directly into the ground.
“Speak! Who sent you in there!”
Seeing no hope of escape, the Demonic Cultivators did not hesitate. Their jaws snapped shut as they crushed the poison sacs hidden between their teeth.
In an instant, the Demonic Cultivators perished.
“Bastards!” The Elder’s beard twitched in anger. “These demonic brats sure move fast!”
“Elder Xia.”
The leading Elder of the Taiqing Sect—a white-haired old man with a long beard—frowned and looked toward Xia Lingshuang, who sat in the primary seat. “What is going on? How did so many Demonic Cultivators infiltrate the Cangwu Secret Realm?”
She raised her eyes slightly, her gaze sweeping across everyone present as she spoke in a detached tone:
“Elder Wang, I already sent out a transmission before the Secret Realm opened. The Spirit Chi fluctuations of the Cangwu Secret Realm were abnormal this time, and I feared there would be variables. Whether it is our Piaomiao Sect or your own sects, it is possible that Demonic Cultivator spies have infiltrated them.” She paused, her voice turning a few degrees colder: “In this world, there is no place of absolute safety. Fortuitous Opportunity and risk coexist; this is something you all understood long ago.”
The Elders looked at each other and could only sigh, saying no more. Indeed, most sects had been infiltrated by Demonic Cultivators to some extent, and pointing fingers at this moment was meaningless.
Time passed minute by minute.
The fluctuations of the light curtain became increasingly violent, and the space was on the verge of collapsing.
Disciples continued to emerge one after another; some were overjoyed with their rich harvests, while others were weeping over lost limbs.
However, what made the Elders of the Tianyan Sect and Taiqing Sect anxious was that not a single one of their core disciples had come out!
“What’s happening? Where is that girl Zhiqiu?” The Tianyan Sect Elder paced in circles, frantic. “If something happens to her, this old man doesn’t need to go back!”
Elder Wang of the Taiqing Sect also looked grave: “Wenyuan hasn’t come out either. With his personality, he wouldn’t be clinging to treasures at the final moment.”
Although Xia Lingshuang’s face remained calm, she was also feeling a faint sense of unease.
Just as everyone’s anxiety reached its peak.
“They’re out! Someone’s coming out!”
The light curtain twisted, and three people rushed out carrying several wounded individuals.
Leading them was Gu Jian of the Piaomiao Sect.
But his current appearance was wretched; he was covered in wounds, and he carried an unconscious person on his back. Behind him, two other Piaomiao Sect disciples were each supporting two more wounded people.
“Wenyuan!”
The Taiqing Sect Elder recognized the person on Gu Jian’s back at a glance. His expression changed drastically as he blurred across the distance to stand before Gu Jian.
“What happened?! Who injured Wenyuan like this?!”
Watching his sect’s exceptionally talented Chief Disciple, a Heaven’s Favorite who had never tasted defeat, lying unconscious and on the brink of death, the Taiqing Sect Elder felt his heart bleed.
Gu Jian handed Xie Wenyuan over to the Taiqing Sect Elder. He didn’t even stop to wipe the blood from his face before he turned and fell to his knees with a thud before Xia Lingshuang, his eyes bloodshot:
“Elder Xia! Please, quickly save the Eldest Senior Sister and Senior Sister!”
Xia Lingshuang stood up abruptly, her icy aura instantly becoming sharp and piercing: “Where are Wu Yan and Qingyao? Where are they?”
“Still inside,” Gu Jian choked out. “We encountered a Nascent Soul Stage Demonic Ape in the core region!”
A Nascent Soul Stage beast?!
In a Secret Realm that restricted entry to those below the Golden Core Stage, how could a Nascent Soul Stage monster appear?
That was simply like a wolf entering a flock of sheep—it was a slaughter!
Gu Jian suppressed his grief and spoke rapidly: “The Demonic Ape’s strength was terrifying. The fellow Daoists from the Taiqing Sect were almost completely wiped out. The Eldest Senior Sister stayed behind alone to hold back that Demonic Ape and buy us time to escape! Junior Sister Yu and Fellow Daoist Bai also stayed behind to help.”
“Ridiculous!”
Xia Lingshuang’s heart contracted violently, and an indescribable panic surged within her.
Facing a Nascent Soul Stage Demonic Ape alone just to cover for her fellow disciples…
Would that demoness actually do such a thing?
“It’s over, it’s all over.” Upon hearing that Bai Zhiqiu had also stayed behind, the Tianyan Sect Elder’s vision went black, and he nearly fainted.
“I knew I shouldn’t have let Zhiqiu go in! If I had known, I wouldn’t have listened to the Sect Master. Who knew the Great Harvest the Sect Master divined for Zhiqiu this time would be a Nascent Soul Stage Demonic Ape! This is a death sentence!”
Everyone watched the light curtain that was about to close, their hearts climbing into their throats.
The Nascent Soul Stage…
That was a realm even some of the Outer Sect Elders present had not reached.
No matter how brilliant and talented a few Golden Core Stage juniors were, how could they possibly survive?
The light curtain let out a massive boom as if it couldn’t take the pressure anymore, and then it began to shrink rapidly, clearly on the verge of closing.
“It’s too late,” someone sighed.
At that moment of despair.
“Swoosh—!”
A golden streak of light, like the dawn breaking through the dark night, forcibly burst out from that closing gap!
It was a flying sword.
Lying on the flying sword were the unconscious Yu Qingyao and Bai Zhiqiu.
And behind the flying sword, a figure followed closely, holding a person covered in blood in her arms.
“They’re out!”
The flying sword landed.
The Tianyan Sect Elder lunged toward Bai Zhiqiu. After checking her, he found that his girl had only fainted from spiritual energy exhaustion and suffered some superficial wounds. He let out a long breath of relief and sat on the ground: “You scared this old man to death, scared me to death…”
On the other side.
Ji Xuerou landed in the center of the plaza, holding Wu Yan.
Her gold-trimmed palace dress was still unstained by dust, but Wu Yan in her arms looked as if she had been fished out of a pool of blood.
Her snow-white Daoist robe had long lost its original color, her left arm hung limply, and her aura was so weak it could barely be felt.
Xia Lingshuang first quickly checked Yu Qingyao, who was lying on the flying sword.
“Soul damage…”
Xia Lingshuang’s brow furrowed tightly. Although Yu Qingyao’s spiritual energy was depleted, the most serious issue was the shock to her soul, clearly caused by forcibly using some soul secret technique that exceeded her own limits.
After confirming Yu Qingyao was not in immediate mortal danger, she turned her head, her gaze falling upon Wu Yan in Ji Xuerou’s arms.
In that instant, this normally ice-cold Sect Master of the Piaomiao Sect showed a flicker of an imperceptible tremor in her eyes.
She thought of Gu Jian’s words just now.
“The Eldest Senior Sister faced the Demonic Ape alone to save us.”
Xia Lingshuang took a deep breath and reached out toward Ji Xuerou, her tone slightly softer than usual:
“Many thanks to the Saintess of the Lingxiao Sect for your assistance. Hand her over to me.”
However.
Ji Xuerou did not move.
She maintained her posture of holding Wu Yan, her eyes—clear and transparent like glazed pupils—were lowered, quietly watching the unconscious person in her arms.
Her inner heart was not at peace.
Just now, in the final battle of the Secret Realm, when Wu Yan struck out with that magnificent sword strike, she had clearly seen a red-clothed demonic shadow overlapping behind Wu Yan.
Reason told her that was the mark of a Demonic Cultivator, a heresy not tolerated by the Righteous Path.
With Wu Yan heavily injured and unconscious, this was the perfect opportunity for her to “eliminate the demon and uphold the Dao.”
But then.
She remembered Wu Yan’s resolute back as she faced the enemy.
Could that kind of will, intended to protect companions, truly belong to a demon?
Just who was she?
Ji Xuerou’s gaze became extremely deep and inquisitive.
She did not hand her over immediately.
Under the guise of adjusting her posture, her slender fingers seemingly unintentionally brushed against Wu Yan’s pulse.
A faint, pure strand of light-attribute spiritual energy followed her fingertip into Wu Yan’s body.
She was checking if Wu Yan’s body contained Demonic Chi.
“Saintess Ji?”
Xia Lingshuang’s voice rang out again, tinged with confusion and urgency. “Saintess Ji?”
The Lingxiao Sect Elder also cast a questioning glance.
Ji Xuerou’s finger trembled slightly.
Strange.
Aside from extreme soul weakness and severe damage to her meridians, she couldn’t detect even a single trace of Demonic Chi.
That power seemed to have vanished into thin air, or perhaps it had never existed at all.
Is it hidden too deeply? Or did I see it wrong?
“Saintess Ji, thank you for saving my disciple.” Xia Lingshuang’s voice grew heavier, now carrying the authority of a high-ranking leader. “I must take her back to heal her injuries.”
Only then did Ji Xuerou snap out of her daze as if waking from a dream.
She looked up, her Glazed Pupils returning to their usual cold and indifferent state, as if the hesitation just now was merely an illusion.
She nodded slightly and gently handed Wu Yan over to Xia Lingshuang. “She was injured like this to save everyone; she deserves the best treatment.”
Xia Lingshuang took Wu Yan.
“Naturally.”
The moment she touched her, her expression changed abruptly.
“This is—”
She felt Wu Yan’s nearly shattered soul origin.
Compared to Yu Qingyao’s slight soul damage, Wu Yan’s soul was like a ruin after being scorched by a massive fire.
Xia Lingshuang’s hands trembled involuntarily. She no longer paid any attention to the pleasantries of the people around her. She directly pulled out a pill radiating thick vitality and pushed it into Wu Yan’s mouth, then used a strand of pure spiritual energy to protect Wu Yan’s heart.
“My apologies, I am taking my disciples back for treatment. If there are other matters, we shall discuss them later.”
Xia Lingshuang coldly spat out these words and, holding Wu Yan while bringing along the unconscious Yu Qingyao and Gu Jian’s group, she turned into a streak of light and flew toward Zhuqu Peak without looking back.
Left behind, Ji Xuerou watched the receding streak of light, her fingers lightly stroking the hilt of her sword.
“We will meet again.”
***
The clamor of the outside world was shut out.
But deep within Wu Yan’s Sea of Consciousness, it was a scene like the end of the world.
The once calm Sea of Consciousness was now nearly dried up.
The sky was covered in cracks, and gray-white ash was everywhere.
In the very center of the Sea of Consciousness, a faint white light orb was flickering and teetering.
Beside the light orb, a slightly illusory red-clothed figure sat cross-legged.
She was using her own soul origin to carefully wrap Wu Yan’s shattered soul, as if repairing a piece of broken porcelain.
“Blockhead!”
Wu Yan (Inner) cursed under her breath as she channeled her power:
“Lunatic!”
“Who told you to be a hero? Who told you to protect me too? Do you think I care about your protection?”
“Think you can become an idiot and have me take care of you? Don’t even think about it!”
Although she cursed fiercely, her movements were incredibly gentle.
Seeing the light orb stabilize slightly, a flicker of relief finally passed through her seductive red eyes.
“Hmph, consider this your debt to me. Once your body belongs to me in the future, I’ll make sure you suffer some hardships!”
Wu Yan (Inner) grew tired of cursing, her body swaying, clearly having reached her limit.
She glanced toward the sky above the Sea of Consciousness, the passage connecting to the outside senses.
She remembered that woman with the Glazed Pupils and that feeling of being peered at for an instant.
Wu Yan (Inner)’s gaze became grave and dangerous.
In this life, that woman is still just as sharp. I only gave Little Wu Yan a tiny bit of help, and even that was sensed as something being off.
She leaned close to Wu Yan’s sleeping soul and whispered into its ear:
“Hey, Little Wu Yan, wake up quickly.”
“We might be in trouble.”