With unstable breath, Yun Xiao landed awkwardly.
A bitter smile tugged at her lips. No wonder. No wonder hearing A’Luo’s full name sounded somewhat familiar. A’Luo was the Senior Disciple Sister of the Azure Cloud Sect engaged to Xie Yunfan.
All those Azure Cloud Sect disciples listened to A’Luo’s commands; she should have realized it sooner.
Since the matter involved the sect, Fang Zhiluo had to step forward to refute: “Daoist Friend Hua, be careful with your words. Martial Uncle Xie merely suspected, but has no concrete evidence. As for not visiting Martial Uncle Xie, there was a reason for the circumstances, and it was inconvenient to go at the time.”
Hua Xuan sneered again: “If her background were clear, why would Martial Uncle Xie suspect her?” She raised her hand and pointed at Fang Zhiluo, “You are simply protecting that damned Azure Dragon.”
Fang Zhiluo’s brow furrowed slightly. She released her pressure toward Hua Xuan: “Daoist Friend Hua, you condemn me without proof. Is this how your Celestial Derivation Sect distinguishes right from wrong?”
Without waiting for Hua Xuan to reply, she stated her own stance: “As Martial Uncle Xie’s fiancée, I should naturally share his enmity. If that Azure Dragon truly injured him without cause, should I encounter it, I will definitely kill it.”
Hua Xuan’s cultivation was a minor stage lower than Fang Zhiluo’s. Although Fang Zhiluo’s pressure could not cause her actual harm, it was deeply humiliating. Angrily, she launched an attack at Fang Zhiluo: “Even fellow disciples are angered by what that Azure Dragon did to Junior Martial Ancestor Xie, voluntarily seeking out the Azure Dragon, vowing to avenge Junior Martial Ancestor Xie!”
Her attack missed. She immediately formed a seal with both hands, and a fire dragon swooped toward Fang Zhiluo. She shouted furiously, “You are unworthy to be his fiancée!”
Fang Zhiluo formed a seal with both hands to summon a water column to counter, and seeing that it could not suppress the attack, she summoned a wall of earth.
As the fire dragon faded, she retracted her hand and said coldly: “**The marriage arrangement between Martial Uncle Xie and me was decided by our sects. If Martial Uncle Xie has any dissatisfaction, he can inform the sect. **”
Her gaze sharpened, and her words were cutting: “You are not qualified to point fingers at this marriage.”
Hua Xuan was about to erupt again, but her accompanying disciples immediately advised: “Martial Aunt Hua, the priority right now is finding and uniting with Junior Martial Ancestor Xie.”
“You just wait! Junior Martial Ancestor Xie will definitely annul the engagement with you!” With that, Hua Xuan led her fellow disciples away.
Even from a good distance, Yun Xiao still saw Fang Zhiluo’s tightly furrowed brow.
Was she worried that Xie Yunfan would actually annul the engagement?
At this thought, jealousy and sourness filled her chest.
She was jealous that Xie Yunfan had effortlessly gained A’Luo as his fiancée.
What angered her was that even though she had exposed Xie Yunfan’s true colors, A’Luo still insisted on the marriage with him.
For a moment, Yun Xiao wanted to rush out and tell A’Luo that Xie Yunfan was an arrogant womanizer and she wouldn’t be happy marrying him.
Yet, realizing she had no standing to say such a thing, she quickly resigned herself.
She warned herself not to lose heart. As long as she swung her hoe diligently, there was no wall she couldn’t tear down.
Yun Xiao pretended she hadn’t heard anything. She leisurely returned to the rest spot and generously shared: “I found a cliff shrouded in miasma about a hundred miles away. I went down to look, and the spiritual energy is denser down there, but it’s also fraught with danger.”
Fang Zhiluo did not make the decision alone but looked at the surrounding disciples: “What do you all think?”
Bai Mofeng spoke first: “Danger and opportunity coexist. I want to try it.”
Chu Hui agreed: “I want to go too.”
Finally, the voices of those saying “go” outweighed those saying “don’t go.”
Fang Zhiluo did not want to be blamed later. She took out a Grade-Six Defensive Formation Plate and handed it to the leading disciple.
That disciple immediately understood Fang Zhiluo’s intention. He hesitated but accepted it, leading away the disciples who, like him, did not want to take the risk.
Chu Hui looked disgusted: “As cultivators, we should advance bravely. Being so timid and hesitant, it will be difficult to achieve the Great Dao.”
Bai Mofeng disagreed, saying gravely: “Those who achieve the Dao and ascend to immortality are few and far between. With life on the line, everything else is fleeting.”
Chu Hui’s face turned red with anger: “Then they shouldn’t have come to the Ancient Secret Realm, occupying a spot for nothing.”
Fang Zhiluo spoke up to chastise her: “Don’t talk nonsense. They earned their tokens for the Secret Realm through their own efforts. Everyone has their own path to walk, and outsiders do not need to interfere.”
Glancing at Yun Xiao, who seemed preoccupied, she sent a voice transmission: “Are you worried about something?”
Yun Xiao looked up distractedly and said vaguely: “Just thinking about something.”
She had been trying to recall the plot concerning Fang Zhiluo, but no matter how hard she tried, she could only recall that Fang Zhiluo was Xie Yunfan’s fiancée.
Whether Fang Zhiluo actually married Xie Yunfan, or whether she ascended with him, she did not know.
Turning to face Fang Zhiluo, she probed: “Must you marry Xie Yunfan?”
Fang Zhiluo stopped in her tracks and said with an unreadable expression: “This matter concerns the alliance between the Azure Cloud Sect and the Celestial Derivation Sect.”
Yun Xiao used her lowered lashes to conceal the disappointment and self-mockery in her eyes. She said unwillingly: “If the Celestial Derivation Sect intends to break the alliance, marriage won’t change anything. Besides, with tens of thousands of people in two sects, why must you be the one to shoulder the harmony between them?”
Fang Zhiluo looked straight ahead, her tone resolute: “As the Senior Disciple Sister of the Azure Cloud Sect, prioritizing the sect’s interests is my duty.”
Master was right; if he hadn’t taken me back to the Azure Cloud Sect, I would have already become a pile of bones. The kindness of Master’s care and upbringing must be repaid. The sect resources I have used over the years must be repaid.
Yun Xiao’s shoulders trembled slightly, and the hands clenched into fists within her sleeves shook faintly. The sky, where only a sliver of light could be seen, was once again covered by dark clouds. Could she truly capture A’Luo’s heart?
Even if she managed to, would A’Luo abandon the heavy responsibilities on her shoulders, annul the engagement with Xie Yunfan, and stand opposite the Celestial Derivation Sect?
Whether it was to resolve the karma of taking over the original body or because Xie Yunfan harbored deep hostility toward her, she and Xie Yunfan were destined for a battle of life and death.
If she won, she would be an enemy of the Celestial Derivation Sect.
If she lost…
No, she could not lose. She still had to ascend to immortality, tear through the void, and return to modern times to see her mother.
Her mother had said that love was not everything in life. Gaining it was a blessing; losing it simply meant there was no affinity. But if you meet someone you want to spend your life with, you must not be afraid. Be bold, strive with all your might, and do not leave regrets in your life.
That’s right, love is not everything. As long as I give it my all, even if the result is not what I hoped for, at least I tried.
Rather than retreating halfway due to layers of obstacles, if you don’t go to the end, who will know the answer?
Her Spiritual Platform trembled, and the surrounding spiritual energy surged wildly toward Yun Xiao.
Sensing the anomaly, Fang Zhiluo suddenly turned around, her eyes wide with surprise. After more than a year, Yun Xiao had comprehended the Dao again.
Coming back to her senses, she immediately threw out a Defensive Formation Plate and sent a voice transmission to the disciples: “Find a place to meditate. How much you gain depends entirely on your own comprehension.”
Chu Hui and Bai Mofeng reacted the fastest, choosing the nearest spots to Yun Xiao to meditate.
The rest of the disciples followed suit.
In the blink of an eye, Yun Xiao was completely surrounded by Azure Cloud Sect disciples. Yun Xiao, who was in a state of chaos, was completely unaware.
She forgot who she was and why she was there. Idly, she reached out to grab the colorful mist mixed in with the clouds.
Seeing the colorful mist in her hands grow, she felt an increasing sense of accomplishment.
Perhaps the cloud resented her taking too much, or for some other reason, the colorful mist vanished, and the clouds heavily enveloping her scattered.
Feeling her body lose gravity, she suddenly opened her eyes, seeing the Azure Cloud Sect disciples sitting cross-legged around her, looking utterly confused.
What happened?
The Secret Realm was full of hidden dangers, so Fang Zhiluo dared not enter deep meditation, remaining vigilant. She was the first to realize that Yun Xiao had finished her comprehension.
Seeing Yun Xiao’s puzzled look, she immediately sent a voice transmission to explain: “You entered comprehension again. Five days have passed since you began.”
Yun Xiao’s eyes widened. Comprehension? Oh no, my cultivation.
Huh, did I advance to Soul Transformation, or not?
“There is no Heavenly Dao in the Secret Realm. You are only a true Soul Transformation cultivator after undergoing the thunder tribulation.”
Then what was all my effort to suppress my cultivation for?
Yun Xiao felt closed off. She swore she could not be lazy anymore. She had to urgently study cultivation knowledge and could not afford to work in isolation.
The Azure Cloud Sect disciples woke up one after another. Everyone had gained something, either by advancing their cultivation or solidifying it.
Even Fang Zhiluo, who was multitasking, had gained something: she had touched upon her own Dao.
Cultivators in the Sky Origin Realm could only comprehend their Dao after advancing to Soul Transformation.
Now, thanks to Yun Xiao’s auspiciousness, she had touched upon her Dao before reaching Soul Transformation. Her gain was considerable.
Stopping her thoughts, Fang Zhiluo announced loudly: “Five days have been delayed. Let’s go!”
Perhaps due to the experience of comprehension, Yun Xiao was no longer worried about gains and losses and returned to her normal state.
The group of ten arrived at the cliff two hours later.
Fang Zhiluo leaned over to observe. It was exactly as Yun Xiao had said; miasma was swirling within the cliff, obscuring the bottom.
Withdrawing her gaze, she commanded: “All disciples, heed my order. Take the detoxification pills and prepare to descend the cliff.”
Detoxification Pills, Rejuvenation Pills, and Spiritual Replenishing Pills were standard medicines, and every disciple had prepared some.
But this did not include Yun Xiao. She raised her hand and rubbed her nose, just about to take out her pill furnace to refine a pill on the spot, when Fang Zhiluo tossed her a bottle of detoxification pills.
She caught it, poured out a pill, and took it, proactively taking responsibility: “I’ll scout ahead; you cover the rear.”
With a quasi-Soul Transformation cultivator leading the way, the safety of all the disciples was better assured. Fang Zhiluo nodded readily: “Good.”
Yun Xiao was the first to leap down the cliff. Before she landed, she suddenly felt a demon beast attacking her from the right.
She only struck once, and the demon beast died instantly.
Releasing her spiritual sense to perceive a radius of ten miles, she then pulled out a lurker from the miasma.
This demon beast was more powerful than the last one. It took her eight or nine exchanges to kill it.
She sent a voice transmission to Fang Zhiluo: “Obstacles cleared. Come down.”
Fang Zhiluo landed, looking around with a solemn expression: “Demon beasts can easily hide in the miasma. We must never relax our vigilance.”
“Understood!”
Unfortunately, one disciple failed to take the warning seriously and was carelessly dragged into the miasma by an Illusion Beast.
“Junior Brother!” Chu Hui cried out, wanting to chase after him, but Fang Zhiluo stopped her.
Receiving Fang Zhiluo’s look, Yun Xiao preemptively said: “I’ll go save him.”
With that, she used the Lightness Art to chase after them.
Firstly, she didn’t want Fang Zhiluo to venture into danger; secondly, she wasn’t good at looking after the group of Azure Cloud Sect disciples.
In a daze, she seemed to see her mother. Her mother was smiling and beckoning to her. As she ran halfway, she suddenly realized something was wrong: Her mother couldn’t possibly be here.
This is an illusion.
She raised the sword in her hand and slashed forcefully ahead.
Her mother’s face immediately split apart, replaced by a dense forest.
The miasma here was much thinner than outside, and the visible range was wider. Soon, Yun Xiao discovered traces of the Illusion Beast.
Whenever she noticed the surrounding scene change, she decisively raised her sword to break the illusion.
Repeating this process, the Illusion Beast ran out of tricks and abandoned the person, fleeing hastily.
Yun Xiao raised her hand and slapped the male cultivator’s face. The male cultivator grinned foolishly at her.
He’s trapped in the illusion.
Gazing in the direction the Illusion Beast fled, Yun Xiao faced a dilemma. In the end, she found a safe place to settle the male cultivator, activated the Grade-Six Defensive Formation, and chased after the beast again.
A gut feeling told her that following the Illusion Beast might lead to a surprise.