Upon hearing these words, Lu Ning was completely bewildered.
‘What on earth does this woman want?’
‘Could she…’ Lu Ning didn’t dare think further, feeling that her future was nothing but pitch black.
She had originally thought that by disguising herself as a plain, cold sword cultivator, she would no longer attract the attention of these women.
But now it seemed she had been far too naive.
“Alright, let’s get back to business.”
Hua Lingyue seemed to realize her behavior was a bit abrupt.
She cleared her throat twice, sat up straight again, and regained that innocent, pure smile on her face.
“Miss Lu Fan, I am asking you one last time.”
“Who exactly are you? What is your purpose for coming to my Hundred Flowers Valley?”
“I… I really am just a rogue cultivator who wants to give up the sword for medicine.”
Lu Ning knew the other party wouldn’t believe anything she said now, but she could only brace herself and persist with her story.
Her current strength was only at the Foundation Establishment stage; if she admitted to being the Sect Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect, no one would likely believe her anyway.
Moreover, once she admitted it, the consequences would be even more terrifying.
“Still being stubborn?”
Seeing Lu Ning’s “won’t shed a tear until she sees the coffin” attitude, Hua Lingyue shook her head helplessly.
“It seems you won’t tell the truth until I show you what I’m capable of.”
As she spoke, she suddenly leaned in, pulling Lu Ning tightly into her embrace.
The soft sensation and the faint, grassy fragrance of the young girl’s body instantly enveloped Lu Ning.
Lu Ning’s body stiffened, and her mind went completely blank.
‘What… What is going on?’
‘Why is she getting physical without a word of warning?’
“Don’t move,” Hua Lingyue’s voice whispered in her ear.
“I just want to feel the aura on your body more clearly.”
Lu Ning could feel Hua Lingyue’s body pressed tightly against hers.
The warm breath and steady heartbeat were transmitted clearly.
Hua Lingyue closed her eyes, her pretty face showing an expression of intense focus.
At that moment, her one-in-10,000 Hundred Herb Body was pushed to its limit.
She could clearly “smell” the various complex and powerful auras emanating from Lu Ning’s body.
First was a domineering, peerless, and terrifying demonic qi that seemed intent on swallowing heaven and earth.
Although this demonic qi was weak, its essence was so high that it made Hua Lingyue’s heart skip a beat.
[Heavenly Demon Power…]
Hua Lingyue murmured to herself.
Immediately after, she felt a completely different power.
It was an aura of extreme cold, as if it came from the depths of the Nine Netherworlds, capable of freezing a person’s soul solid.
[Lunar Power…]
Hua Lingyue’s brows furrowed slightly.
She was all too familiar with this power.
Not long ago, the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Demon Sect, Gu Qinghuan, had personally come to Hundred Flowers Valley for the Nine Yang Blood-Melting Flower.
At that time, as the Eldest Senior Sister of Hundred Flowers Valley, she had naturally been the first to go out and “welcome” her.
As a result, she hadn’t even withstood a single strike before being frozen into an ice sculpture by that terrifying Lunar Power, nearly dying on the spot.
If her master, Su Yuexi, hadn’t intervened in time, she would probably be a corpse by now.
Because of this, her impression of this Lunar Power was incredibly deep.
‘How can one person possess both Heavenly Demon Power and Lunar Power, two completely opposite forces, at the same time?’
Hua Lingyue’s heart was filled with doubt.
However, before she could figure it out, she sensed a third aura of power from Lu Ning’s body.
It was the noble aura of the Phoenix Divine Fire.
Though also weak, its dominance and purity were not a bit inferior to the first two powers.
“Divine Phoenix Power…”
Hua Lingyue’s body trembled violently.
Her lively, large eyes widened instantly, filled with disbelief.
Heavenly Demon Power!
Lunar Power!
Divine Phoenix Power!
To think these three auras would appear on a single person at the same time!
How was this possible?
Hua Lingyue released Lu Ning and retreated several steps.
She looked at the “Lu Fan” who was still slumped on the ground with a dazed expression, and for the first time, her pretty face took on an incredibly solemn look.
Her gaze swept back and forth over Lu Ning as if trying to see through her entire being.
In her mind, countless clues and pieces of information were frantically connecting.
Heavenly Demon Power… In all the world, only that Sect Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect, Lu Ning, who overawed the Northern Territory and struck fear into the hearts of countless righteous cultivators, possessed it.
Lunar Power… The cultivation technique used by the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Demon Sect, Gu Qinghuan, was the Lunar Manual.
Not long ago, she had come to Hundred Flowers Valley specifically for the Nine Yang Blood-Melting Flower, which could harmonize Yin and Yang.
Divine Phoenix Power… This corresponded to the cultivation techniques of the Great Desolate Royal Family.
And just recently, Princess Ji Linglong had personally led a group to attack the Heavenly Demon Sect and take that heavily injured demon back to the palace.
Connecting these seemingly unrelated clues, a terrifying and singular truth emerged in Hua Lingyue’s mind.
She looked at Lu Ning, her voice trembling slightly.
“In all the world, the person for whom the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Demon Sect, Gu Qinghuan, would stop at nothing to find spiritual medicine to heal…”
“The person whom the Princess of the Great Desolate Empire, Ji Linglong, would travel thousands of miles to kidnap…”
“The person who could simultaneously carry the Heavenly Demon Power, Lunar Power, and Divine Phoenix Power — these three supreme forces…”
“After ruling out all other possibilities, no matter how I think about it, there seems to be only one person.”
Hua Lingyue’s gaze locked onto Lu Ning’s face as she spoke word by word: “That is the person who, not long ago outside the Heavenly Capital City, severely injured a peak Mahayana expert in a single move…”
“The Sect Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect, Lu Ning.”
Hearing this logical analysis, Lu Ning’s heart sank.
This girl, who seemed careless and eccentric, actually possessed such a meticulous mind.
But Lu Ning still wanted to make one last effort.
“Fairy, I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
A bewildered and innocent expression appeared on Lu Ning’s face.
“I’m just a rogue cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage. How could I possibly be that great demon you’re talking about?”
“Is that so?”
Seeing Lu Ning still being stubborn, Hua Lingyue suddenly laughed.
“If you’re just an ordinary Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator, then how do you explain the rich aroma of top-tier medicinal herbs on your body?”
“Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus, Nine-Revolution Jade Dew, Phoenix Nirvana Heart…”
With every herb name Hua Lingyue spoke, Lu Ning’s heart sank further.
These were all the heavenly treasures Ji Linglong had used to treat her injuries.
She had thought she had absorbed all the medicinal power, but she didn’t expect some of the scent to remain on her.
“Any one of these sacred medicines is enough for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to undergo a complete transformation and see a massive boost in cultivation.”
“But what about you?”
Hua Lingyue’s gaze swept over Lu Ning.
“Your foundation is still weak, and your aura is unstable. This proves that the power of these sacred medicines wasn’t absorbed by you at all, but was used to fill a much larger hole. An ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator doesn’t have such a massive hole that needs filling.”
“But if…” A meaningful curve touched the corner of Hua Lingyue’s mouth.
“If it’s a peerless expert whose cultivation fell from the Mahayana stage, whose meridians are all severed, and whose dantian is shattered… then I’m afraid even these sacred medicines wouldn’t be enough for a full recovery, right?”
Lu Ning fell completely silent.
This woman’s powers of observation and analysis were terrifyingly sharp.
“It seems I guessed correctly.”
Seeing Lu Ning’s silent admission, the smile on Hua Lingyue’s face grew even more brilliant.
All the doubts in her heart were answered at this moment.
She finally understood why she had felt this “Lu Fan” was different from the first moment they met.
It was an attraction stemming from the depths of the soul.
“However…” Hua Lingyue’s gaze fell once more on Lu Ning’s plain face, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.
“There is still one thing I don’t understand. Rumor has it that the Sect Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect possesses peerless beauty and elegance, captivating countless fairies and holy maidens. But this look of yours…”
Hua Lingyue pinched her chin and walked in a circle around Lu Ning.
“It seems to be quite a bit short of the word ‘peerless’ from the rumors.”
As she spoke, she reached out and gently stroked that face, which appeared somewhat bland due to the disguise.
“So, I’m guessing… your current appearance isn’t your true self either, is it?”
As her voice fell, a sliver of emerald-green light suddenly emerged from Hua Lingyue’s fingertip.
That light carried a strange dissolving power as it slowly pointed toward Lu Ning’s face.
“Let me see what kind of world-toppling beauty is hidden beneath this mask.”