“I don’t need you to tell me how to do things. If you want, you can take the position of Young Master.”
The bald, sturdy woman opened her mouth, but upon meeting Yun Suxin’s cold gaze, she finally lowered her head and swallowed her words.
“Your Excellency, I leave it to you to decide.”
“Hmph, be mindful of your identity.” Yun Suxin rolled her eyes.
This Elder Liang appeared male but was actually a woman who originally was a wandering cultivator before joining the Spirit Intuition Valley. Her title was that of an Elder, but it was just a nominal position; in other words, she was just a dog kept by the Spirit Intuition Valley.
There were a few more Elders like her in the valley, but they were all in seclusion.
Perhaps because her mother had not appeared for a long time, this Elder Liang had become arrogant, thinking she had the right to speak on behalf of the Young Master.
Did she really think she was qualified?!
The Sword Pavilion was not some great villain.
Previously, when they robbed disciples from the Spirit Intuition Valley, there wasn’t much loss. To the wealthy Spirit Intuition Valley, it was just a small matter. This time, they would teach them a lesson and send them back where they came from.
If they were to offend again, they could deal with them more severely later.
With this thought, Yun Suxin made up her mind.
She gracefully descended from the rooftop of the tavern, walking slowly and calmly toward the suppressed Yue Qianchi. She turned her beautiful eyes and smiled, “Sword Pavilion’s senior sister Yue Qianchi, I heard you came to buy spirit herbs?”
“Yes,” Yue Qianchi said defiantly, “Didn’t your Spirit Intuition Valley welcome any righteous cultivators to buy spirit herbs?”
“That’s correct,” Yun Suxin did not deny it, but sneered, “But I didn’t say the Spirit Intuition Valley welcomed guests like you who broke through the protective sect formation upon arrival.”
Yue Qianchi opened her mouth, speechless.
After all, the flying boat did indeed pierce the illusion array on earth.
She diverted her gaze, blushing slightly, and muttered, “That was just an accident, we were cultivating and didn’t know where the flying boat went…”
“Don’t try to justify yourself. Today, I’ll give you another chance,” Yun Suxin stretched out her hand and summoned a golden lotus, throwing it into the air. The golden lotus rose higher and expanded, “I will drag you to the second layer of the illusion array. If you can break the array, you can naturally buy spirit herbs in the valley. If you can’t break the array within three days, return to your Sword Pavilion, and the flying boat will be compensation.”
As the words fell, the golden lotus in the sky exploded.
A faint golden light enveloped everything around.
A strange fragrance wafted over, and Yue Qianchi and Li Qingran felt dizzy.
When they regained their senses, they found themselves in a deep valley.
The flying boat had vanished, along with the sturdy woman and the Young Master of the Spirit Intuition Valley.
“Damn, we’ve been dragged into the illusion!” Yue Qianchi slapped her thigh, her face darkening.
“Sister, since it’s an illusion, there must be a way out,” Li Qingran pulled Yue Qianchi’s hand and remained optimistic, “Let’s not panic and carefully search for the flaw in the illusion. We will definitely succeed.”
“It’s difficult,” Yue Qianchi shook her head.
“The Spirit Intuition Valley’s illusion has three layers. The first layer is a maze designed to block mortals and monsters from entering the valley and damaging the spirit fields. The flying boat we just destroyed was part of the maze.
The second layer is an illusion array, with complex and confusing shadows, making it hard to distinguish between truth and falsehood. It’s said that even cultivators at the Transformation stage can be trapped for a while. How much more so for us?
And then there’s the third layer, the killing array. Yun Suxin probably hasn’t activated the killing array; otherwise, our heads would have already flown off when we landed.”
Li Qingran couldn’t help but feel worried hearing Yue Qianchi’s words.
Her senior wouldn’t joke about something like this.
Given how powerful the Spirit Intuition Valley’s illusion array was, getting out was indeed unlikely.
But even so, they had to try.
For her master and for herself, how could she give up easily?
Li Qingran clenched her fists and stood up.
She wanted her master to live long and well.
She also wanted to meet her master, not just see a projection.
That was her master, whom she could touch and feel warmth from.
She had to gather all the spirit herbs needed for the Hundred Herb Detoxifying Pill.
Seeing Li Qingran’s resolute expression as she walked deeper into the valley, Yue Qianchi also stood up and followed, “Let’s go, let’s go. Who knows, maybe a blind cat might bump into a dead rat.”
Although she said this, she wasn’t optimistic.
Since the Spirit Intuition Valley’s protective formation was considered one of the wonders of the Cangyun Realm, it was far more than just disorienting people.
…
“Young Master, if they can break the array, should we really let them off?”
Elder Liang swallowed hard, looking at the spirit crystals in the core of the flying boat.
Those were spirit crystals, each of which could sustain her cultivation for at least two months.
If she could get her hands on them…
She looked eagerly at Yun Suxin.
But Yun Suxin only stared at the two figures staggering forward in the illusion, her narrow eyes slightly narrowed, “I keep my word. If they truly break this heart demon illusion array, what’s wrong with letting them buy spirit herbs?”
Breaking the array was incredibly difficult.
This illusion array contained her mother’s lifelong knowledge.
…
[Your electronic girlfriend ‘Li Qingran’ has entered the second layer of the Spirit Intuition Valley illusion, where her inner fears will be triggered…]
[Your teammate ‘Yue Qianchi’ has entered the second layer of the Spirit Intuition Valley illusion, where her inner fears will be triggered…]
[Voice transmission function is disabled. Charge 88￥ to forcibly enable!]
Two prompts popped up on the phone.
Chen Huaian turned over under the dawn’s light, muttering “Qingran baby” and continued sleeping.
…
The valley was deep, and the further they went, the colder it became.
Li Qingran initially thought she would reach a dead end, but she couldn’t see any end.
“Li Qingran, Li Qingran!”
A voice echoed in her ear.
Li Qingran raised her head and looked in the direction of the sound, where a figure gradually solidified.
“Li Qingran, you disrespect your seniors, rebel against the sect, what crime do you deserve?!”
Ah, a man in green robes, with a hypocritical demeanor, was Qingxuan Daoist.
“I am innocent,” she glanced at Qingxuan Daoist, brushing past him.
“Li Qingran, didn’t you say you would always follow behind Senior Brother? What are you doing now?!”
Another figure appeared. Li Qingran glanced at Lu Changtian and merely sneered.
“Li Qingran, why did you stab your junior sister?”
“Li Qingran, after giving you so many medicinal pills, give them back!”
“Li Qingran! You traitor!”
“Li Qingran…”
More people blocked Li Qingran’s path.
They mocked, cursed, and roared.
But she ignored them and continued moving forward.
In her eyes, there was a beam of moonlight, and within it stood a figure in white robes, hands clasped behind his back, with a sword hanging from his waist.
That was her master.
Under the moon, a peerless swordsman—Chen Huaian.
Countless figures appeared and disappeared.
She walked determinedly, step by step.
Until she saw two pairs of boots stained with blood.
Those were boots worn by soldiers on the battlefield.
“Ran’er, are you doing well? Have you been bullied in the sect? Oh… Don’t seek revenge for us… Your parents only hope you live happily and well…”
Li Qingran paused, pursed her lips, and looked at the elderly couple with white hair supporting each other, tears streaming down her face.
“Dad… Mom…”
“Qingran, unfilial…”
To mortals, cultivators were merely chess pieces.
Wars between countries were just power struggles among sects.
Cultivators casually moved pieces on the chessboard, and countless lives were lost on the battlefield.
A cultivator’s anger could cause drought and famine across thousands of miles.
Ha, a country was just a toy, and could be destroyed in an instant with mere words.
Now, she was just a grasshopper jumping out of the chessboard, ready to be crushed at any moment.
She spoke cautiously, moved carefully, hoping one day to become a bird, at least then she wouldn’t be trampled on so easily.
But even naive hopes existed outside the Immortal Path.
Only after entering the Immortal Path did she realize the true meaning of despair.
Above the inner sect were the outer sects, above the outer sects were the direct disciples, above the direct disciples were the elders, the sect masters, and the sects. Above the sects were the holy lands, beyond the holy lands was the void, and beyond the void was ascension. Each step was a chasm, filled with corpses and rivers of blood.
The grand path of heaven, she was merely an ant!
But…
She looked at the figure standing with his hands clasped behind his back.
With her master by her side, even if the path ahead was filled with fire and brimstone, she still had the courage to climb, to resolve her parents’ grudge.
The light and shadow changed, strong winds swept the ground, and snowflakes flew everywhere.
“Li Qingran, this sovereign doesn’t have much time left, I couldn’t wait for your detoxifying pill…”
“This sovereign doesn’t blame you, only the heartless heavens and the dangerous beasts.”
“Teacher, I really can’t bear to part with you…”
That figure in white lay in a pool of blood, surrounded by numerous beasts feasting, flesh flying everywhere.
Amidst the horrifying sounds of chewing, the light in his eyes dimmed, and his breath faded.
Li Qingran looked at the figure in the blood, her chest tightened, and a sharp pain pierced her heart.
“No, Master, no…”
“Get away! Get away! You’re not allowed to eat my master!”
“Ahh! Get away! Kill you! Kill—!”
Her eyes red, she held her sword and staggered forward.
Forward.
No matter what she did, she couldn’t reach that figure.
She could only watch as the beast devoured him.
She watched as his soul dissipated into the world.
She knelt there, staring blankly.
The beasts gradually left, revealing the fragmented body.
Finally, she could touch it.
But the hand that had transmitted energy and healed her was ice-cold.
“Master…”
“Master, look at Qingran, Qingran has come to save you…”
She rubbed that hand frantically, then gently pressed it against her warm cheek, as if trying to make it warm again.
But it remained cold, colder than her heart.
She rubbed it for a long time until her body was covered in blood.
It couldn’t be warmed anymore.
So many words to say.
So many words unsaid.
So many words, already unspoken.
Her life was always under the snow.
Her master had held an umbrella for her, under which were sunrises, stars, seas, and the beauty of the world.
“But in the end…”
“Will you take away my last bit of everything?”
She had no master anymore.
Never again…
The wind cut like knives, and the falling snow stung like needles.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry… Father, Mother… I’m sorry, Master, I…”
“I’m too weak, I’m a waste…”
“It’s all because I’m too weak… Haha, hahaha! So, father, mother, everyone who loves me will die! Only by becoming strong… Only by being strong enough!”
Amidst her wild laughter, hot tears rolled down.
Crashing into the snow, the sword blade trembled.
Li Qingran looked up at the sky.
Her icy gaze seemed to pierce through the dark sky, reaching higher.
Her fingers gripping the plain string sword handle turned pale.
She slowly stood up.
A murderous intent soared into the sky!
…
Above the Spirit Intuition Valley, dark clouds swirled, and lightning flashed.
Yun Suxin, sipping tea in the pavilion, suddenly changed color, her heart trembling as she looked at the gathering heavenly wrath in the thunderclouds.
“Who dares to challenge the heavens with such fury in the thunderclouds?”
“If someone wants to defy the heavens, let’s hope it doesn’t affect the Spirit Intuition Valley…”
Yun Suxin didn’t dare stay in the pavilion and quickly returned to her room to avoid being struck by lightning.
Inside the illusion array.
Li Qingran drew her sword and pointed it skyward.
“I, Li Qingran, will use this sword to…”
Just as the final word was about to escape her lips,
A majestic voice echoed in her mind.
[Wake up!!!]
Boom—!
Like a thousand bells ringing together!
Li Qingran’s mind went blank, her eyes regaining clarity.
