Pain and palpitations struck simultaneously as Yun Cangming realized what had happened.
He stared incredulously into the pair of eyes so close to his.
Jiang Xuezhi’s eyes were unique, he had known that from the first moment he saw her.
Having lived for so long, he had grown accustomed to watching the clouds drift and change, to the constant shifting of faces around him, and to being alone.
His experiences were so vast that it had become difficult for him to develop interest in anyone or anything. His sole unwavering conviction was cultivation and ascension.
He was, in fact, the person closest to ascension in the entire cultivation world.
Those around him often remarked that they never knew when they might bid him farewell for the last time, as it felt as though he could ascend at any moment.
Yun Cangming himself shared this sentiment.
He would not remain in this world much longer, and truthfully, he held no attachment to it.
His time was abundant, and his responsibilities numerous. Beyond cultivation, Tianyong Sect had countless disciples, each recorded and in need of careful guidance. Regardless of status or importance, he never showed favoritism.
As a respected mentor, he believed it was his duty to support them and honor their trust.
This had always been his philosophy.
Jiang Xuezhi was an exception.
He had never encountered anyone like her, and she was a woman, no less.
From the first glance, the moment he met her eyes, he had keenly sensed a wave of unease.
There was no explanation for this inexplicable feeling of crisis.
They were merely passing strangers; after parting, they might never meet again. So why did he feel threatened by her?
At its core, this sense of crisis was a form of fear.
He was actually afraid, there was no shame in admitting it, yet it was somewhat incomprehensible.
Now, everything seemed to have an explanation.
“Outrageous.”
Yun Cangming’s voice was clear and low, like drops from an ancient icy spring striking a jade plate, or the sound of icicles colliding in a silent snowy night.
Every word he spoke carried a faint chill and an undeniable authority. Even a simple reprimand like “outrageous” could make those who heard it feel as if they had been plunged into an ice cellar, their minds sharply awakened.
He abruptly broke free from her, swiftly healing the wound on his lip, while the echo of her hoarse, desire-laden words,”I’ll kill you”, lingered in his ears.
Though her intent was clearly hostile, for some reason, it felt strangely unsettling.
Under the gaze of her eyes, the icy firmness in Yun Cangming’s voice imperceptibly softened with a hint of huskiness.
It was like the first warm stream seeping into the soil as the snow began to melt, brief yet breathtaking.
Jiang Xuezhi slowly regained her senses.
Her willpower was strong, and she disliked being controlled by her instincts and sensitive periods, so she fought hard against them.
Pushed away by Yun Cangming, she fell to the ground, landing on the blanket he had laid out.
The blanket was soft, not made from animal fur but crafted from cloth, with fine stitching and plush padding.
People in the cultivation world often used spiritual beast pelts and enjoyed wearing them to flaunt their elegance.
But Yun Cangming was different.
He used nothing made from living creatures.
Jiang Xuezhi squeezed her eyes shut, struggling to stay conscious.
She was no despicable, shameless criminal. As for that youth who called himself Ling Zhao, since he had intended to kill her with malicious intent, whatever she did to him was not excessive.
Yun Cangming, however, was different.
Realizing that her body was healing and the fatigue and soreness were fading, Jiang Xuezhi knew she had misunderstood him.
Although I knocked her out, it wasn’t to harm her, rather, it was to save her.
Her body was too weak to bear the burden of her rage and power. This remained a fundamental problem.
She needed to improve her cultivation quickly. Reaching the Foundation Establishment stage in just a few days was already considered an unimaginable violation of the rules in the cultivation world, but to Jiang Xuezhi, it still felt too slow.
She had to go even faster.
Jiang Xuezhi slowly rose to her feet, careful not to dirty his rug, though it seemed the bloodstains on her clothes had already soiled it.
“Ah,” she frowned in annoyance and murmured, “I’ll clean it for you.”
As if the extreme offense from earlier had never happened.
Jiang Xuezhi calmly used a purification spell on the rug, cleaning away the bloodstains as though no one else were present.
Her composed and natural demeanor made Yun Cangming seem somewhat petty for still holding a grudge.
It appeared she had regained her rationality now, her mind clearer, her actions more orderly.
So, her previous behavior must still have been influenced by the demon bird’s egg fluid.
Including, but not limited to, her offenses toward him, and…
“That young man you took away is the young master of Sin City.”
Yun Cangming watched her clean the rug, his expression indifferent as he remarked, “Ling Xun, the lord of Sin City, is his father. By provoking him, your future movements in Sin City will likely be anything but peaceful.”
Jiang Xuezhi replied carelessly, “Is my life peaceful now?”
“…”
What to say.
Yun Cangming actually had no rebuttal.
He, too, had been rendered speechless by someone.
After a long pause, the rug was cleaned, folded, and handed back to him. He finally found his voice again.
“Even so, you shouldn’t casually grow intimate with others. Whether man or woman, one should maintain self-discipline. Even if afflicted by a strange poison, you should find a way to cope rather than let it control you.”
Yun Cangming had clearly witnessed everything Jiang Xuezhi had done to Ling Zhao. His tone was calm, as if offering casual advice like a mentor. But the look in his eyes was far from light, instead, it carried a weight that could suppress all noise, clearly indicating he cared deeply.
So, he saw it all. He didn’t intervene at the time, only voicing disapproval now.
When it came to the only Omega she had ever marked, even if only temporarily, Jiang Xuezhi always felt a certain sentiment.
She possessed an extraordinary patience toward Yun Cangming.
“Mmm,” she responded patiently, hurriedly adding, “I understand. If it bothers you, I’ll be more careful next time.”
“…”
What did she mean by “if it bothers him”?
Of course, it didn’t bother him, what did it have to do with him?
He was merely offering well-intentioned advice. How did it turn into…
Yun Cangming felt something was off, but he had no prior experience with such situations and couldn’t quite pinpoint what was wrong.
In any case, the atmosphere had grown somewhat strange. This wasn’t a scenario he enjoyed or excelled in, it was better to change the subject quickly.
Yun Cangming immediately shifted the topic: “You have over a hundred different toxins in your body, involving influences from the cultivation world, the demon realm, and even the monster realm. Cleansing them won’t happen overnight. Until the toxins are completely removed, your cultivation and advancement will be affected. The person who poisoned you is siphoning your power.”
This was an issue he had noticed the first time he saw her.
How could anyone go to such lengths to poison a mere Qi Refining disciple of the Xuantian Sect, a reputable orthodox sect?
Could it be that they foresaw her future cultivation advancing by leaps and bounds, allowing her to escape their control?
In the cultivation world, only the Shen Clan of Tianxuan Continent was capable of such foresight.
Could it be that a descendant of the Shen Clan had poisoned her?
Yun Cangming had almost pieced together the truth, but he had no intention of pressing Jiang Xuezhi to reveal anything. In his view, this was someone else’s private matter, a closely guarded secret. If she had wanted to speak of it, she would have done so long ago. If she chose not to, there was no reason to force her.
He had no desire to pry into her affairs, but he felt compelled to offer a word of caution.
“You should act within your means and avoid recklessly pursuing quick gains. There’s no harm in waiting until the hundred poisons in your body are resolved before advancing further.”
With that, he considered his words sufficient. After so many delays and unexpected events, it was long past time for him to depart.
In the end, they were merely passing strangers, neither master and disciple nor comrades. Going this far had already stretched the limits of his principles.
Just as Yun Cangming finished speaking and turned to leave, Jiang Xuezhi casually laid everything out before him.
“Detoxifying slowly, one poison at a time, how many years would it take to truly break free? By then, Xie Wangwu’s backlash would have long since killed me.”
She uttered the name of the Profound Heaven Sect’s sect master as smoothly as if discussing the weather: “He poisoned me, subjected me to repeated backlash, and even when I built my foundation, he didn’t forget to hunt me down across the realm. He sent his disciples and bounty hunters to kill me. Do you really think I have the luxury of waiting to detoxify before advancing?”
“The entire Profound Heaven Sect, the cultivation world, and even the demon realm and the City of Sin, all are now my enemies. Since I can’t hide, I might as well face them head-on. It doesn’t matter to me.” Jiang Xuezhi stretched leisurely as she spoke with unshakable composure. “As long as I keep attacking, I’ll never be cornered.”
“The Profound Heaven Sect chose me as a sacrificial puppet to take the fall for someone else. When the truth came to light, they tried to silence me. They must have long prepared countermeasures to avoid exposure.” Jiang Xuezhi straightened herself and turned her gaze back to Yun Cangming.
His dark hair was not fully tied up; a few strands fell beside his neck, accentuating his cold, jade-like complexion.
She was not one to explain herself, always believing that the wise would not be deceived, while fools wouldn’t understand even if things were laid out plainly.
But…
He was different.
Her eyes flickered almost imperceptibly to the lingering red mark on his neck, the temporary mark she had left.
It was hard to believe that, even though her body had changed, the mark had still taken effect.
For a moment, Jiang Xuezhi’s breath hitched, and that glance caused Yun Cangming’s expression to shift subtly.
His healing arts were exceptional, effective on others, even more so on himself.
The bite on his lip had healed almost instantly, as if nothing had happened, but the mark on his neck remained.
He didn’t know what she had done, but no matter how many times he tried to erase the red mark, it refused to fade.
Even Yun Cangming, who had never involved himself in matters of intimacy, sensed that this mark carried an overly ambiguous implication.
It was almost like…
A deeply imprinted kiss.
The atmosphere, which had just begun to ease, plummeted once more. Jiang Xuezhi’s mania, stirred by her sensitive period, began to surge. Yun Cangming seemed to sense something and subtly took a step back.
Watching him retreat, Jiang Xuezhi pressed her lips together.
Was he serious?
Though she didn’t mind and had never been interested in such matters, finding them troublesome and a waste of time, his retreating step felt like a genuine rejection.
Being disliked, especially after marking an Omega for the first time, struck a blow to Jiang Xuezhi’s pride.
Even if it was only a temporary mark, it was a rare gesture for her.
And yet, she had been rejected.
Her expression instantly turned extremely unpleasant, and her gaze immediately shifted away from Yun Cangming.
Seeing her reaction, Yun Cangming unconsciously stepped back toward her, a move that even he found baffling.
But Jiang Xuezhi had already turned her head away and didn’t notice that he had returned.
Her tone was irritable, almost harsh: “As I said before, you know my name and can find me anytime. Since you haven’t taken action against me, you must understand that I’m not the criminal the Xuantian Sect claims I am. I won’t explain further. If there’s ever anything I can help you with in the future, feel free to seek me out, I won’t refuse. I will repay what I owe you.”
“That’s all.”
She summoned Pojun, but the weapon shied away at the sight of Yun Cangming, likely because it clashed with the cold aura of Zhaohan he carried.
Only when she was about to leave did Po Jun finally return to her.
Grasping Po Jun, Jiang Xuezhi walked away without looking back.
When she was unwanted, she would never linger, she knew her place all too well.
In an instant, Yun Cangming could no longer see her figure.
He hadn’t left yet, but she had already gone.
It had been like this several times.
He had grown accustomed to watching her retreating back and was now certain she harbored no deeper schemes against him.
Such a person could never be the kind of villain the Xuantian Sect made her out to be.
She clearly knew who he was and must have realized he had the means to cure her poison, resolve all her troubles, and even help her enter Tianyong Immortal Manor. Yet, she had asked for nothing.
Without hesitation or the slightest attachment, she had soberly and lightly walked away.
Yun Cangming couldn’t help but lower his gaze, staring at the tips of his boots for a long while.
He couldn’t quite describe the feeling in his heart, but this outcome was the most natural course of events.
As it should be.
He should leave as well.
A sudden itch stirred at the red mark on his neck. Yun Cangming pressed a hand to it, and his figure dissolved into light, vanishing.
Not long after, an imperial decree descended into the secret realm. The Tianyong disciples looked up to receive the order, and though puzzled, they complied.
“Withdraw.”
The head disciple organized the retreat. The other cultivators, who had waited for so long only to witness this scene, wore grim expressions.
Withdraw? Just like that? So, was it truly a Tianyong expert who had protected Jiang Xuezhi?
How could a traitor of the Xuantian Sect attract the attention of a Tianyong powerhouse and gain their protection? Were her strange powers connected to Tianyong, or… was Tianyong also interested in her?
Now, Jiang Xuezhi was no longer just a criminal or a seductress. She represented not only the three spiritual veins of the Xuantian Sect but also a monumental turning point in the path of cultivation.
No one could resist the allure of achieving Foundation Establishment in three days and standing alone against countless foes. Tianyong’s involvement only made them more covetous.
Though they harbored their own thoughts, none dared show it openly. Watching the Tianyong disciples depart one by one, they had no means to stop them. After all, the once-in-thirty-years Tianyong Immortal Manor disciple recruitment was approaching. Influential figures from the upper and lower three continents were already planning to send their own people in. There would be plenty of opportunities to investigate Jiang Xuezhi then.
Just as they thought this, they realized they might have guessed wrong again.
If Tianyong truly wanted Jiang Xuezhi, she would have been taken away and would never reappear.
But guess what?
She appeared again!
It was utterly absurd!
This woman was truly extraordinary, she had reappeared, still alone and unaided!
But this time was different. She didn’t appear directly before a group of people. Instead, she waited until they had scattered to re-explore the secret realm and picked them off one by one.
Adhering to the principle of not leaving empty-handed, they hadn’t forgotten their mission in the secret realm, and neither had Jiang Xue Zhi.
The demon bird was the first checkpoint. Because of her presence, the progression of the secret realm had stalled at this stage, and no one had truly advanced to the next level.
Jiang Xue Zhi had done the math in her head: one point for killing one bird, so to reach ten million points, she’d have to kill ten million birds.
If she did it alone, who knew how long it would take? But if ten people or a hundred people were doing it, that would be a different story.
How many people had entered the secret realm? At least three hundred. The quick-handed ones had already killed tens of thousands of birds.
Excellent. Now, all she had to do was throw these people out and have their points counted as hers.
Jiang Xue Zhi appeared before a disciple of the Joyful Union Sect.
The female cultivator had a graceful figure and an alluring charm. When she saw Jiang Xue Zhi, her cheeks flushed red, and she seemed hesitant to speak.
Jiang Xue Zhi stretched out her hand and said bluntly, “You should know who I am. Give me your demon bird tally, and I’ll let you go. If you don’t, I’ll just take it by force and throw you out. The choice is yours.”
“You’re still young. You’d better decide quickly, or I’ll have to decide for you.”
When Ling Zhao finally found her, he overheard her saying the exact same words to someone else that she had once said to him.
His heart clenched, and he was so furious he felt his nose might twist in anger.
He had gone to great lengths, ignoring his subordinates’ objections, risking danger to search for her for hours, worrying himself sick over her, and what was the result?
She was here flirting with someone else???