Its gaze soon locked onto Yun Jinghe, she had slain the most of its offspring, and now her movements were restrained.
Yun Jinghe grabbed the red threads binding her, preparing to tear them apart with spiritual energy, but her peripheral vision caught Shi Ying’s actions, igniting her fury anew.
“Shi Ying, dare to run again and see what happens!”
“Only a fool wouldn’t run,” Shi Ying muttered under her breath. The way Yun Jinghe looked at her was terrifying, as if she wanted to devour her, of course she’d seize any chance to escape.
“Chongxue!” Yun Jinghe’s temple pulsed as she summoned her spiritual sword by name.
The silver sword embedded in the tree trunk responded with a resonant hum, its slender, razor-sharp blade turning translucent as pale blue spiritual energy enveloped it, resembling blue flames dancing along the steel from afar.
Yun Jinghe raised her bloodied arm and stretched her hand toward the sword.
The blade shuddered violently before wrenching free from the tree trunk, the black serpent pierced through its vitals dropping lifelessly to the ground.
The spiritual sword returned to Yun Jinghe’s grasp, its tip slicing through the air and leaving behind an aura of pure, icy clarity.
The crimson threads restraining Yun Jinghe shattered inch by inch from the bottom up. The spiritual power that had been suppressed within her broke free, and in an instant, a violent gale erupted around her.
With a light flick of her longsword, layers of sword shadows emerged, the blade’s energy carrying a fierce wind force that shot straight toward the giant serpent.
The moment they collided, the serpent was forced back several inches by the sword’s energy, leaving an extremely deep gash on its tough scales.
In pain, the serpent thrashed its massive tail, attempting to crush Yun Jinghe against the ground.
But Yun Jinghe’s gaze remained fixed on the figure about to flee into the distance. She abruptly raised her head, locking eyes with the serpent, her stare icy and piercing.
“Get lost!”
A blinding sword light surged upward. This strike was like frost and snow, the overflowing spiritual power clashing violently with the serpent, creating a massive shockwave that roared outward like a tidal wave.
The towering trees around them trembled slightly before letting out a sharp crack, soon tilting precariously and collapsing.
The serpent let out a pained hiss, its thick tail nearly severed in two. A large pool of blood seeped into the ground. Without hesitation, it turned its head and fled deep into the forest.
Yun Jinghe had no time to pursue it, she had another target to catch.
In the few moments she had spent dealing with the serpent, Shi Ying had already sprinted far ahead.
Overexerting her not-yet-fully-recovered spiritual power made her spiritual meridians throb uncomfortably, but she didn’t pause for even a second before giving chase.
She knew that if she hesitated even slightly, Shi Ying might slip through her fingers again.
She couldn’t allow that to happen.
As Yun Jinghe passed the black snake lying on the ground, she didn’t notice how, after she left, its body twitched faintly. Then, a small, colorful snake beside it suddenly revived, slithering away with the agility of a loach, heading in the direction the giant serpent had fled.
Since her birth, Shi Ying had rarely been in such a wretched state of flight. The wound on her leg had grown numb, and her ears were filled with the sound of her own ragged breathing and the rustling of grass and leaves brushing past her.
Apart from the initial loud noise, the surroundings had grown eerily quiet.
Shi Ying was too afraid to look back, terrified of seeing that white-clad figure.
But in the end, her curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn’t resist stealing a glance behind her.
The moment she turned her head, she saw the very figure she had been fleeing from closing in on her.
Before she could react, Yun Jinghe grabbed her and slammed her against a nearby tree trunk.
The impact was so forceful that the tree shuddered, its leaves trembling and scattering a few to the ground.
Yun Jinghe raised a hand to grip Shi Ying’s chin, forcing her to meet her blazing, furious gaze.
“Yingying, you’ve been very disobedient.”
Shi Ying was startled by the look in her eyes, feeling as though the Yun Jinghe before her had become somewhat unfamiliar. Her back pressed against the rough bark, the discomfort sharp.
She reached up to slap at Yun Jinghe’s hand, frowning. “You’re hurting me.”
At her words, Yun Jinghe loosened her grip slightly. Seeing Shi Ying exhale in relief, the corner of her lips curled into a faint smile.
Her sleeve slipped slightly from the height difference, revealing the red string tied around her wrist, a little trinket Shi Ying had playfully fastened there in a moment of boredom.
Slender fingers trailed downward slightly, the index finger tilting Shi Ying’s chin up while the rest rested casually along the curve of her neck.
The pad of the thumb brushed over pristine skin, sensing the faint pulse beneath.
Yun Jinghe seemed almost reluctant to let go, gently stroking that patch of skin, her half-lowered lashes veiling an abyss of unfathomable depth.
She slowly lifted her eyelids a fraction, the corners of her eyes curving upward, a fleeting glimmer passing through her gaze.
Shi Ying instinctively sensed danger and began to struggle fiercely. “If you have something to say, let me go first. I don’t like this.”
But Yun Jinghe stepped forward, wedging her leg between Shi Ying’s thighs to immobilize her.
Leaning in close, her moist eyes fixed intently on Shi Ying, her gaze carrying the weight of a decision made.
“You!” Shi Ying’s unfinished words were cut off.
The moment their lips met, Yun Jinghe’s hand on Shi Ying’s neck slid downward, as if gripping her throat.
Her fingers gradually tightened, a pale blue light emanating from her palm as translucent runes rose around them.
“Mmm!” Feeling the strange sensation at her neck, Shi Ying’s eyes flew open wide. She tried to push Yun Jinghe away, but her body was pinned firmly against the tree trunk, her lips sealed by the kiss, leaving her unable to speak, only muffled sounds escaped.
Yun Jinghe calmly traced intricate sigils onto Shi Ying’s neck, her focus no less than when she had first practiced her cultivation techniques.
The Demon-Sealing Curse was an ancient incantation once used by beast-tamers to subdue certain creatures. But due to its backlash and the rarity of those who could withstand it, it had gradually faded into obscurity.
Yun Jinghe had learned of it decades ago when she saved a beast-tamer during her travels, who had passed it on as repayment.
After what felt like an eternity, she finally stopped the inscription, pressing a finger to the back of Shi Ying’s neck, causing her to slowly close her eyes and fall unconscious.
Yun Jinghe wrapped an arm around her shoulders, steadying herself against a wave of discomfort before bending to scoop her up, one arm beneath her knees.
She needed to regulate her qi immediately and find a temporary shelter.
After walking for a long time, Yun Jinghe finally found a suitable cave halfway up the mountain.
This mountain bordered the tail end of a spiritual vein, so the ambient energy was relatively abundant though this also meant many awakened creatures lurked here, making it perilous.
Though the cave was dim and chilly, it was at least clean and safe.
Clad in bloodstained white robes, Yun Jinghe sat rigidly at the edge of the stone bed, sword in hand, eyes tightly shut, brows slightly furrowed.
Ever since Shi Ying had stabbed her that day, the surge of unstable spiritual energy had triggered severe backlash.
Her recovery had been intermittent, never fully complete.
She had suppressed her spiritual power to avoid a repeat, yet today she had still used it.
She planned to meditate briefly before leaving with Shi Ying.
Just as she managed to suppress the waves of pain within her body, a strange ache flared in her chest brief but sudden.
She opened her eyes, pressing a hand to her heart, her expression inscrutable.
Then, a faint whimper echoed in the cave. She immediately withdrew her hand into her sleeve and turned to look at the figure lying on the stone bed behind her.
Shi Ying’s fine, scattered strands of hair at her forehead were slightly disheveled. Her usually lively eyes were now closed, with dense, long lashes resting upon them, making her appear less vibrant and radiant than usual.
The wound on her calf had already been briefly treated by Yun Jinghe and didn’t seem to be anything serious.
Yun Jinghe leaned over her, gently smoothing the faint crease between her brows.
He wondered if she, as a dream demon, ever dreamed and if he existed in those dreams.
Yet after a moment, he chuckled softly to himself. It didn’t matter if he didn’t. As long as, from now on, her eyes held only him, that would be enough.
Shi Ying jolted awake from the endless falling illusion, her eyes snapping open only to be met with Yun Jinghe’s coldly beautiful face.
She found this shock no less terrifying than the endless descent in the illusion.
Yun Jinghe’s eyelids lowered slightly, his pale, thin lips pressed together. His cool fingertips brushed lightly over the intricate demon-sealing curse on Shi Ying’s neck, a faint blue glow shimmering along his touch.
“Still planning to run?”
His tone, deceptively gentle, carried an undercurrent of icy menace.