Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Ning Yin felt utterly hopeless about Yan Hanzhou.
She had tried to reason with him again and again, but not only did he treat her words as if they were nothing, now he was ready to kill at the slightest provocation.
No matter how glorious his past might have been, now he was just a cripple with a broken spiritual root, unable to cultivate.
Instead of trying to survive and raise his cultivation, he was dead set on plotting to strike back against the Golden Core male and female leads.
Where did he get the courage?
Did he think he was the protagonist of some novel, defying fate like a Dragon-Ao Tian?!
Ning Yin began to doubt how Yan Hanzhou had died in his previous life.
Most likely, he was a demonic cultivator who had been killed by the righteous sects—otherwise, why would his head be filled with nothing but violence and killing?
Forget it. Everyone has their own fate.
Ning Yin decided to let go of her savior complex and respect others’ destinies.
Whatever Yan Hanzhou wanted to do, whoever he wanted to kill, once they left the Forbidden Land, it would have nothing to do with her.
Having made up her mind, Ning Yin quietly moved a little further away from Yan Hanzhou.
But when she lowered her head, the Cangming Ring on her hand stood out so conspicuously.
She sighed, and silently went back to her seat.
Seeing Ning Yin’s cautious attempt to distance herself, Yan Hanzhou raised an eyebrow. “Are you trying to draw a clear line between us?”
“Of course!” Ning Yin snapped, “You’re a big villain, and you expect me to side with you? Impossible!”
“But you’re my fiancée. You’re still wearing the ring I gave you. If you want to draw a line between us, I’m afraid it won’t be that easy.”
Ning Yin immediately tried to return the Cangming Ring to him, but no matter how hard she tried, her face flushing red with effort, she couldn’t get the ring off her finger.
“The Cangming Ring has recognized you as its master with your blood. You can’t take it off.”
“I see. So you’re determined to drag me down with you, aren’t you? Let me tell you, we’re walking two different paths. I’ve never had big ambitions. I just want to live a lazy, peaceful life. So don’t expect me to help you in your plan to strike back against the leads. There’s no way I’ll help you go against such a good Senior Sister!”
“I wouldn’t count on you anyway.”
“Just talk properly, no need for personal attacks!” Ning Yin was furious but powerless.
Suddenly, she saw Yan Hanzhou’s eyes narrow sharply. He stood up abruptly, his alert gaze fixed in a certain direction.
Ning Yin fell silent at once.
At the same time, deep in the forest among ancient stones, a towering, ancient altar stood.
A demonic cultivator, his whole body shrouded in surging demonic energy and wrapped in a black cloak, slowly ascended the altar.
As he chanted a string of incantations, a white light burst forth from the center of the altar, and out of thin air appeared a resplendent Neidan.
That Neidan seemed to possess intelligence. Sensing the demonic cultivator’s approach, it suddenly shot into the air.
Shi Yunzhao, hiding behind a giant stone, was holding her breath and watching.
But in the next instant, the Neidan turned into a streak of light and flew straight at her, with a sharp “whoosh”, burrowing into her body without any warning.
“Who’s there?!” The demonic cultivator whirled around, his gaze sinister, instantly locking onto the aura hiding behind the stone.
“Soaring Cloud Sect brat, hand over the Neidan, and perhaps I’ll let you die with an intact corpse!”
No way out.
Shi Yunzhao knew things couldn’t end peacefully today.
Gritting her teeth, she drew her sword to face her enemy. “Demonic fiend, you deserve to be exterminated by all!”
Seeing this, the Liuli Featherfinch that had been following Shi Yunzhao silently fluttered away, flying across the dense forest to land on Yan Hanzhou’s shoulder, chirping urgently.
Seeing Yan Hanzhou’s furrowed brow, Ning Yin felt her heart sink. “What’s wrong?”
“Shi Yunzhao has run into a demon. She’s in danger.”
“A demon?!”
Yan Hanzhou instructed the Liuli Featherfinch to lead the way.
By the time the two of them arrived, the battle between Shi Yunzhao and the demon was already over.
Shi Yunzhao’s clothes were soaked in blood.
A long, demonic sword, brimming with evil energy, was pierced through her chest. The area was a mess—ancient trees toppled, deep sword scars everywhere on the trunks.
It was the first time Ning Yin had seen such a scene.
Her face instantly turned pale, her legs went weak, and she rushed forward to check on Shi Yunzhao, but Yan Hanzhou pulled her back protectively.
After scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes to confirm there was no danger, he nodded slightly at Ning Yin.
Ning Yin could hardly wait to rush to Shi Yunzhao’s side.
Seeing Shi Yunzhao covered in blood, she didn’t even know where to put her hands, her voice trembling, “Senior Sister, Senior Sister, are you alright?”
Yan Hanzhou bent down and placed his hand on Shi Yunzhao’s pulse, holding his breath and focusing.
After a moment, his brows furrowed deeply, and his serious expression made Ning Yin’s heart leap into her throat.
“How is she?”
Yan Hanzhou withdrew his hand, his voice low. “She’s not dead, but the Demonic Sword in her chest is letting its evil energy invade her meridians. If the sword isn’t removed, she’ll definitely die.”
“Then what are you waiting for? Pull the sword out and save her!”
Yan Hanzhou frowned, his sharp gaze fixed on the unconscious Shi Yunzhao. As if unsure, he placed his hand on her wrist again.
Ning Yin grew anxious. “What’s wrong?”
Yan Hanzhou looked up, speaking slowly and clearly. “There’s a Thousand-Year Demonic Beast Inner Core inside her. She hasn’t refined it yet.”
Ning Yin didn’t react at first. “A Neidan? So what?”
“I remember you said Shi Yunzhao went into seclusion to cultivate after leaving the Forbidden Land, and broke through to Golden Core in less than three days.”
In the novel, after falling off the cliff, Shi Yunzhao obtained the Lingxiao Immortal Lord’s legacy.
When she returned to Soaring Cloud Sect, she broke through to the Golden Core stage in less than three days of seclusion, even breaking the Lingxiao Immortal Lord’s record of reaching Golden Core in seven days.
“But what does that have to do with the Neidan?”
“As long as she refines the Inner Core, her cultivation will soar. Another step forward, and breaking through to Golden Core will be just around the corner.” Yan Hanzhou gazed at her intently.
“Heaven’s will cannot be defied.”
Hearing the meaning in Yan Hanzhou’s words, Ning Yin couldn’t help but shiver.
“You mean… everything she lost will come back in another form, and all things in the world will continue forward according to Heaven’s will?”
Yan Hanzhou remained silent.
The smell of blood in the air pulled Ning Yin back to reality.
Looking at Shi Yunzhao’s increasingly pale face, Ning Yin’s voice trembled. “I know what you’re thinking, but Senior Sister was gravely injured by the demon for our sake. We can’t just stand by and watch her die! If you won’t pull out the sword, I will!”
Yan Hanzhou said quietly, “Think it through. If you save her today, maybe one day in the future, you’ll die by her sword.”
Staring at the Demonic Sword shrouded in evil energy, Ning Yin made up her mind. “Maybe someday I’ll die by her sword, but right now, all I know is that if I don’t save her, I’ll regret it. As for the future, that’s for the future. I can’t think that far ahead.”
With that, she took a deep breath. Even though her hands were shaking, she forced herself to stay calm. The moment she gripped the hilt of the Demonic Sword, evil energy crawled up her hands like vines.
“Ah!” Ning Yin cried out in pain as a burning agony shot through her hands. She jerked her hands away as if shocked by electricity, staring in horror at her quickly blackening palms. “Hiss—what’s with this sword…”
But the next instant, she realized something.
Recalling the two incantations Yan Hanzhou had taught her, Ning Yin gritted her teeth and grabbed the hilt again.
Soon, a faint flow of spiritual power trickled from her palm.
The surging evil energy withdrew slightly, only to surge forth again, wrapping around Ning Yin’s hands like a living thing, spreading rapidly.
Seeing the evil energy reach her wrists, Ning Yin bit down hard, forcing herself to channel her meager spiritual power through her meridians.
The evil energy retreated bit by bit, withdrawing from the hilt up the blade. Black and white energy tangled on the sword, locked in fierce struggle.
Watching the unconscious Shi Yunzhao, Yan Hanzhou knew he didn’t need to do anything else.
With Ning Yin’s current cultivation, she couldn’t possibly expel the evil energy. When the time came, Shi Yunzhao would surely die.
But—
“Senior Sister, hang in there, we’ll save you soon!” Sweat beaded on Ning Yin’s forehead.
A wisp of soul force slowly flowed from Yan Hanzhou’s palm, quietly merging with Ning Yin’s spiritual power. Instantly, the evil energy recoiled as if it had met its nemesis, surging back into the Demonic Sword like a retreating tide.
A pitch-black, ancient sword with a deep, shadowy blade was revealed before them.
Yan Hanzhou slowly withdrew the wisp of soul force.
Just that sliver had nearly drained all his energy; his face turned as pale as paper, his throat bobbing as the strong taste of blood filled his mouth and nose.
He forced himself to suppress the turbulence in his soul, his voice low and trembling almost imperceptibly. “Now!”
Ning Yin gripped the hilt tightly, not daring to move.
Counting down in her heart—three, two, one—she clenched her teeth, twisted her wrist, and yanked the Demonic Sword out of Shi Yunzhao’s body, tossing it aside.
Blood gushed from the wound as Ning Yin frantically tried to staunch the bleeding.
The Demonic Sword, thrown to the ground, suddenly surged with evil energy.
Yan Hanzhou’s eyes darkened, and he stamped on the blade. The sword, trying to escape, was suppressed by the force of his soul, quivering under his foot.
Yan Hanzhou’s gaze swept over the runes engraved on the blade.
They looked familiar.
He picked up the sword, intending to examine it more closely, but was interrupted by a sudden rush of footsteps.
Si Heyu led a group of disciples flying in on their swords. Seeing the chaotic scene before them, all their faces showed shock.
“……”
Ning Yin looked down at her blood-soaked hands, at Shi Yunzhao lying gravely injured and unconscious beside her, and at Yan Hanzhou standing nearby still holding the Demonic Sword.
No matter how she looked at it, the scene seemed all wrong.
“Ning Yin? Yan Hanzhou? What are you doing here? What happened to Senior Sister?” A disciple rushed over, roughly shoving Ning Yin away from Shi Yunzhao’s side, and shouted anxiously to Si Heyu, “Senior Brother! Senior Sister is hurt!”
Si Heyu’s face darkened. He strode forward and checked Shi Yunzhao’s pulse.
Before Si Heyu could speak, another disciple glared at Ning Yin and questioned harshly, “Why aren’t you two at Reflection Cliff reflecting on your actions? Why are you here? Did you—”
Of course.
Everything a villain does is wrong.
This damned stereotype.
Ning Yin reflexively explained, “We accidentally fell from Reflection Cliff and somehow ended up in the Forbidden Land. We ran into Senior Sister, and she was hurt saving us—”
The disciples were indignant.
“Fell from Reflection Cliff? Nonsense!”
“Senior Sister’s serious injury must have something to do with you two!”
“Yan Hanzhou, where did you get that Demonic Sword? Did you hurt Senior Sister?!”
Everyone was shouting, chattering noisily!
“Shut up!” Ning Yin clenched her fists, unable to bear it anymore.
She strode forward, snatched the Demonic Sword from Yan Hanzhou’s hand, and threw it to the ground.
She spoke each word clearly and forcefully, “I’ll say this only once, listen up! We accidentally fell from Reflection Cliff into the Forbidden Land, ran into Senior Sister on the way, and she was injured by a demon while scouting ahead and looking for the Transference Array for us. Instead of wasting time blaming us, you should hurry and take Senior Sister back to Soaring Cloud Sect for treatment. Once she wakes up, the truth will come out!”
Si Heyu glanced at the two of them and said in a deep voice, “Take her away first!”