Yun Fei watched the interaction between the master and disciple, unable to help but feel moved by the depth of their bond.
However, seeing Jiang Jiang’s hand resting on Mu Lingxi’s head and the sweet smile on Mu Lingxi’s face left a particularly bitter taste in her mouth.
For the first time, Yun Fei felt like an outsider.
‘Mu Lingxi… when has she ever smiled at me like that?’
Yun Fei couldn’t help but ask herself the question, and the answer was painfully obvious — never.
“Ugh — what am I even thinking! Out of sight, out of mind. Honestly, this is nauseatingly sweet!”
Yun Fei turned her head away, but she didn’t realize that her hands had already clenched into fists.
“Alright, Lingxi, go and practice over there for a bit. You’ve been a little slack lately. I need to have a word with her.”
Jiang Jiang’s gaze lingered for a moment on Yun Fei’s subconscious movement, a faint, indiscernible depth flickering in her eyes.
“Um… alright.”
Hearing Jiang Jiang’s dismissal, Mu Lingxi wiped the expression from her face.
As she passed by Yun Fei, she whispered, “Don’t worry, Master doesn’t mean any harm… uh… probably?”
As she spoke, Mu Lingxi stole a glance toward Jiang Jiang, and her confidence suddenly wavered.
Yun Fei’s heart, which had just begun to relax, was instantly unsettled by the questioning tone in the latter half of Mu Lingxi’s sentence.
She stared at Mu Lingxi in disbelief.
Although she didn’t speak, the look in her eyes that screamed ‘What do you mean by “probably,” hey?!’ was clearly conveyed.
Mu Lingxi, however, only wore a helpless expression.
She shrugged her shoulders and quickly ran off, leaving Yun Fei alone to face her master.
“My, my… you youngsters certainly are lively. Unlike an old-timer like me, who has long since parted ways with such a self.”
Jiang Jiang gazed in the direction Mu Lingxi had run, shaking her head gently.
She walked toward Yun Fei, step by step, finally stopping three steps away.
She let out a sigh that sounded like something only a weary old man would utter.
Hearing this, Yun Fei quickly offered a flattering smile.
“Whatever do you mean, Sect Master! Although I cannot see your face, I am certain that despite the passage of time, your beauty remains peerless, and you wouldn’t lose to any of us youngsters!”
“Oho! You’ve got quite the silver tongue, little one!”
“Hehe, you flatter me, Senior.”
Yun Fei cupped her fists and bowed to Jiang Jiang according to the etiquette of the Profane Realm.
Her tone was humble and polite, entirely unlike her usual arrogant and overbearing self.
This was common sense.
When facing a powerhouse of this caliber in the Profane Realm, one had to maintain a low profile.
If she accidentally said the wrong thing and provoked her, she likely wouldn’t enjoy the consequences, given how petty people from the Profane Realm could be.
“Let’s skip the small talk. I came out of seclusion unexpectedly this time because something involving you occurred. I hurried over to see you, but I have to return to my meditation afterward.”
Jiang Jiang adjusted her mask and continued.
“You’ve likely guessed some of this already. I sensed an anomaly in the branded Secret Realm on Lingxi’s hand. After speaking with the school, I learned that you were the one sucked into the Secret Realm. What I want to tell you is this: do not be in a hurry to seek answers regarding the things inside that realm. This is a word of advice, as well as a warning.”
Yun Fei frowned upon hearing this.
“Why?”
Yun Fei had obtained information regarding the Void from that place, especially regarding the figure known as the Void Lord mentioned by that madman.
Faced with the threat of a formidable enemy like the Void, it was virtually impossible for her to stop investigating.
“Do you know of the Prophecy your father left behind?”
“A Prophecy? I heard about it from Mother, but she didn’t tell me the contents. I only know that a Prophecy exists.”
“Phew… I cannot reveal too much to you either, but I must stop you from continuing your investigation at this stage.”
As she spoke, she extended her right hand.
A nearly transparent barrier of Spiritual Power enveloped the two of them.
Sound-Isolating Spiritual Shield!
Yun Fei’s expression turned solemn, and she immediately sharpened her ears for Jiang Jiang’s next words.
‘A Prophecy… how intriguing.’
“To put it simply, you are a key figure in the Prophecy. The fact that you were drawn into the Secret Realm and learned certain information ahead of time is actually a situation that falls outside the predicted outcome of the Prophecy. Those of us who know the contents do not wish for any unexpected variables to arise. Do you understand?”
Yun Fei was stunned for a moment, then nodded blankly.
There was no other choice; the information provided was too sparse.
“I know you don’t fully understand right now, but you simply need to follow my instructions. This is because the final outcome of the Prophecy is what we all hope to see, and the thing we fear most is a variable. The terror of the Void is far more frightening than what we see now. Even now, most information regarding the Void is kept secret from the majority of people in the Profane Realm, which is not a primary disaster zone. That includes Lingxi.”
“You are the Young Lord of the Demon Race. The Demon Realm is a primary disaster zone for the Void invasion, so you should have seen at least a little of it.”
Yun Fei certainly agreed with that.
The white expanse on the front lines of the Demon Realm’s anti-erosion efforts and the Void’s nature of being able to corrode all things were truly contrary to common sense.
Moreover, in the Ice Field Secret Realm, she had witnessed Void Creatures capable of splitting and recombining, something she had never even heard of.
If such monsters appeared in the later stages of the Void invasion, the loss of military power for the Demon Realm would increase several times over!
“I understand… but you said ‘at this stage’… is it linked to my strength?
If so, when can I start looking into it?”
“…The Xinghe Realm. That is the minimum requirement.”
Jiang Jiang remained silent for a moment.
Looking at Yun Fei’s resolute expression, she slowly spat out those few words.
“The Xinghe Realm… I understand.”
“You don’t need to be in too much of a hurry. Just follow your natural cultivation progress.”
“…I know. But I’m not sure if you’re aware of the situation in the Demon Realm. After what you just said, I’m a little worried about the state of the front lines…”
Whenever Yun Fei thought about those splitting Void Creatures appearing on the front lines and causing massive casualties, she couldn’t keep her heart calm.
At that moment, Jiang Jiang extended a finger and lightly tapped Yun Fei’s forehead.
A cool sensation spread through her body, instantly dispelling her anxiety.
“Better now? Have you calmed down?”
“I… yes, I’ve calmed down.”
Yun Fei’s eyes went vacant for a moment before she immediately returned to normal.
“There is one more thing. Not long ago, your mother found me in a towering rage. She questioned my ‘wicked heart’ for planting an Ancient Ice-Eroding Curse inside you. But I know nothing about this matter. Can you show it to me?”
At this point, Jiang Jiang couldn’t help but rub her forehead, looking as though she had suffered a completely undeserved calamity.
Yun Fei’s eyes widened.
She hadn’t expected Mother to take action so quickly.
This hurried attempt to seek revenge on her behalf actually made her heart feel a little warm.
‘Ah… is a mother’s love truly this great? I’m so moved.’
However, if Jiang Jiang wasn’t lying, where did this Corroding Ice Curse come from?
She remembered that almost at the same time she was tricked into consuming the Yin Essence of Heaven and Earth and turned into a girl, the Corroding Ice Curse had appeared on her body.
If it wasn’t the mastermind Jiang Jiang, who else could it be?
Things had already reached this point; thinking more wouldn’t solve anything.
She could only hope Jiang Jiang could see something.
Thus, Yun Fei channeled her Demonic Power to her back.
Simultaneously, a complex pattern lit up on her back, and the sigil began to radiate an extreme, bone-chilling cold.
“This… this is the Corroding Ice Curse?! Although the pattern looks correct, this icy aura… why does it make even me feel a sense of dread?”
Jiang Jiang’s eyes widened in disbelief.
She carefully examined the mark showing through the clothing, her face filled with shock.
“Sect Master? Did… did you find anything?”
Yun Fei gritted her teeth tightly.
Fine beads of sweat broke out on her forehead.
Her Demonic Power was being consumed rapidly, completely unlike when she had activated it out of curiosity before.
‘Was it because of Istana?’
It seemed like she had fainted from pain previously because Istana had burrowed into the Corroding Ice Curse.
“…Withdraw it. I don’t understand the origins of this either. The technique used to carve this curse is very unfamiliar… yet it bears a faint shadow of a common tattoo master’s style. I will have to investigate this further.”
Hearing this, Yun Fei quickly withdrew her Demonic Power, and the pattern of the Corroding Ice Curse slowly faded.
The consumption of Demonic Power was truly massive.
It was as if the Corroding Ice Curse had turned into a starving child, frantically devouring her power.
It was truly terrifying!
It would be better not to try that easily next time!
Yun Fei let out a heavy breath, settling the restless Demonic Power within her.
‘So even someone with the knowledge of the Evergreen Sect Master doesn’t know its origin? It seems this is going to be problematic.’
However, with Istana residing inside it, there shouldn’t be too much of a problem… provided, of course, that Istana bore her no ill will and intended to protect her.
“Whew… alright, that’s enough for now. I need to get back to my seclusion. Forcing my way out took quite a toll. I need to recover quickly! That’s all. See you later!”
“Oh! Right! Treat my disciple better in the future. If you make her sad, I’ll give you what for!”
With that, Jiang Jiang’s figure vanished.
She hadn’t even bothered to say goodbye to her own disciple!
Yun Fei let out a cold sneer in her heart.
‘The bond between master and disciple is only so-so!’
But… what did she mean by that last sentence?
Was she not good to Mu Lingxi?
How was that possible?
She had been beaten up by Mu Lingxi several times and hadn’t even had the chance to… no, she hadn’t even fought back!
‘Tell her to be nicer to me! My only strength is my sharp tongue!’
Yun Fei groaned inwardly, cursing Jiang Jiang for so openly favoring her own disciple.
“Yun Fei, is everything finished? Then let’s head back.”
Seeing the Sound-Isolating Spiritual Shield disappear, Mu Lingxi quickly ran over to talk to Yun Fei.
Yun Fei glanced at her, a mischievous grin flashing across her face.
“Mu Lingxi, your master left without even saying a word to you. Aren’t you sad?”
Mu Lingxi was stunned for a moment, then she shrugged her shoulders and smiled.
“What’s there to be sad about? That’s just how the old lady is. But as for you, this is the Profane Realm — keep those wicked thoughts of yours in check! Let’s go. Get on the sword; we’re going back.”
***
Meanwhile, in the frozen soil of the distant North Sea Abyss, a pair of hands wrapped in bandages burst through the earth.
A humanoid creature crawled out.
After standing tall, he looked toward the south.
If Yun Fei had seen him, she would have been shocked to discover that this man was Skanloven, the madman from the Secret Realm!
“Hehehe… Istana… I will find you!”
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