Chapter 10: My Savior
Yun Ling’s face paled. She flashed before Mingyan, seized him by the throat, and lifted him into the air. “You dare poison me? Do you know I can easily kill you even without using spiritual energy?!”
“Of course I know. I’m just a small Gathering Stream cultivator…” Mingyan, held aloft, showed no fear, even smiling brazenly. “I know Celestial Sister can crush me like an ant, but… if you do, there will be no antidote. You’ll die if you use spiritual energy, but without it, are you sure you can leave Dragon Ridge? There are four or five Divine Gate Realm beasts nearby, not to mention the demon king. Think carefully, Celestial one! Keep me alive, and I can lead you out and give you the antidote… What’s your choice?”
Yun Ling didn’t dare use her spiritual energy. She couldn’t believe a Gathering Stream cultivator dared speak to her so boldly. She couldn’t dismiss the possibility of poison. Thinking back, Mingyan offering his wrist seemed deliberate, as if he wanted her to touch his blood.
Countless poisons existed in this world. Could this boy be a poison human, his blood itself toxic? Yun Ling couldn’t risk it. As he said, she could easily kill him, but without the antidote, escaping Dragon Ridge without spiritual energy would be incredibly dangerous…
“A Gathering Stream cultivator dares boast such things?” Yun Ling narrowed her eyes, observing Mingyan’s face turning purple from lack of air.
“I’m the one who brought Huang Feiyan here, Celestial one. What do you think?” Mingyan gasped, struggling to breathe in Yun Ling’s tight grip, but maintaining his composure. He couldn’t show weakness.
“You… you’re in league with Huang Feiyan! You’re a Rain Terrace Blessed Land disciple too!” Yun Ling’s expression changed again. “You tricked me!”
Mingyan could no longer speak, his eyes rolling back. Yun Ling frowned, then finally released him.
Mingyan collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.
“Don’t think Huang Feiyan can save you! Even without spiritual energy, I can easily kill her in her current state.” Yun Ling glared at him coldly.
Mingyan slowly sat up, taking deep breaths, then sneered. “Did you really think I was helping Huang Feiyan?”
Yun Ling frowned, then looked up sharply, sensing a surge of spiritual energy flowing towards the cave. Her expression changed, and she looked back at Mingyan. “What do you mean?”
“That woman brought this disaster upon Rain Terrace Blessed Land… I want her dead…” Mingyan gritted his teeth. “She even wanted to take me back for alchemy… Neither of you are any good!”
Yun Ling’s eyes flickered. The spiritual energy flowing into the cave intensified. This was puzzling. Huang Feiyan was poisoned; absorbing this much energy shouldn’t help her. Was she making a last-ditch effort?
“That woman is far more cautious than you. It’s a pity I couldn’t poison her…” Mingyan sneered. “But she’s already poisoned. Even if you hadn’t come, she would have died soon…”
Yun Ling felt something was amiss…
“Give me the antidote, and I’ll forget this ever happened. I’ll also overlook Rain Terrace Blessed Land harboring Huang Feiyan. Let’s end this.” Yun Ling couldn’t imagine how Huang Feiyan could purge the Yin toxin. Although Mingyan’s blood contained strong Yang energy, if it was truly poisonous, it would be useless…
She frowned, suddenly realizing something. If Mingyan’s blood was poisonous, why would Huang Feiyan want to capture him for alchemy? Did she have a way to process it?
Or was the poison a lie?
Yun Ling’s eyebrow twitched. This Gathering Stream cultivator was nothing but an ant before her. She could easily kill him. If he hadn’t poisoned her, would he dare be so insolent?
Few people possessed such audacity… Yun Ling hesitated, unsure whether to test his claim. If he was telling the truth, using her spiritual energy could be fatal… But what if… he was lying… She narrowed her eyes.
“Do you think I’m a fool, or do you think you are? Let me tell you, I don’t have the antidote on me, but I know how to make it. As for letting me and Rain Terrace Blessed Land go… Heh, as soon as I cure you, you’ll probably kill me and then take revenge on my fellow disciples…” Mingyan sneered.
“If I’m going to die, I’ll kill you first!” Yun Ling, frustrated by his defiance, snorted.
“You can kill me now. Go ahead.” Mingyan not only showed no fear but even taunted her. Yun Ling’s brow furrowed as she tightened her grip on his throat, glaring at him. “You think I wouldn’t dare?”
“I said… go ahead and crush me.” Mingyan tried to sneer, but the pain and lack of oxygen made it impossible. He felt lightheaded, his ears ringing, and a suffocating sensation in his nose.
“Will you give me the antidote or not?!” Yun Ling increased her grip, feeling him on the verge of death.
Mingyan couldn’t speak, but he didn’t struggle, seemingly accepting his fate. Yun Ling wanted to kill him, but the thought of being trapped in Dragon Ridge without the antidote stopped her. After a moment of hesitation, she released him. She then leaped onto the cliff face and landed at the cave entrance. Huang Feiyan was still meditating inside. She decided to kill her first and then deal with Mingyan and the poison.
Yun Ling struck out with a palm towards Huang Feiyan’s forehead, aiming for a fatal blow. However, Huang Feiyan suddenly opened her eyes and met her attack with a palm of her own. Without spiritual energy, Yun Ling’s physical strength was no match for Huang Feiyan, who had recovered significantly. Yun Ling gasped, sent flying out of the cave, landing heavily beside the unconscious Mingyan.
She quickly scrambled to her feet, looking up to see Huang Feiyan standing at the cave entrance, glaring at her. Then she looked at the unconscious Mingyan beside her, her teeth gritted. “You killed him!”
“You…！ How is this possible?! How did you recover your strength?!” Yun Ling’s face paled. She could sense that although Huang Feiyan wasn’t at her peak, she had recovered most of her strength, no longer weakened by the Yin toxin.
Huang Feiyan didn’t waste words. She flashed forward, a feathered sword appearing in her hand. She swung at Yun Ling, who quickly retreated. Even though Huang Feiyan wasn’t fully recovered, Yun Ling, without spiritual energy, was at a disadvantage. She leaped back to create distance, but Huang Feiyan, empowered by spiritual energy, was faster! After her sword missed, she grabbed Yun Ling’s ankle mid-leap and yanked her down, crashing her into the ground with such force that a crater formed!
Not satisfied, Huang Feiyan thrust her sword downwards, intending to pin Yun Ling to the ground. However, sensing death approaching, Yun Ling, disregarding the “poison,” was forced to use her spiritual energy. A bronze bell emerged from her Qi Sea, enveloping her protectively. Huang Feiyan’s sword struck the bell, producing a deafening “dong” that reverberated through the forest. The bell flew back a short distance, unscathed, its surface incredibly hard. Yun Ling appeared beneath it, glaring at the unconscious Mingyan, realizing she had been tricked. There was no poison! She had used her spiritual energy without any consequences!
Huang Feiyan glared at Yun Ling, the fiery mark on her forehead blazing like a red lotus. The surrounding spiritual energy shimmered with a crimson glow. The feathers on her sword hilt also glowed brightly. She raised her sword and struck again. Distracted, Yun Ling barely managed to raise the bronze bell in defense just as the sword energy reached her. Another deafening “dong” resounded! A small crack appeared on the indestructible bell, and Yun Ling coughed up blood… The bell was her life-bound weapon. If it was damaged, she would suffer severe backlash.
The sword energy that bypassed the bell sliced through the trees behind Yun Ling, sending them crashing to the ground in a cloud of dust.
In terms of raw power, Yun Ling was no match for Huang Feiyan. The Huang family were descendants of the ancient Phoenix God Clan. Their techniques were unmatched in offensive power. Among their generation, they were renowned for their offensive and regenerative abilities, and Huang Feiyan was the most outstanding among them. Although she and Yun Ling were of similar cultivation and considered rivals, Yun Ling rarely engaged her in direct combat.
However, Huang Feiyan was clearly not at her peak. Yun Ling wiped the blood from her lips, observing Huang Feiyan, who seemed slightly weakened after that powerful strike. She still had a chance. She formed hand seals, and the bronze bell glowed faintly, ancient runes appearing on its surface. A night sky-like phenomenon manifested behind her. Huang Feiyan, who had been about to press her attack, paused, her expression turning strange.
Despite it being daytime, a night sky appeared behind Yun Ling, dark and cloudy, the moon obscured.
As Yun Ling focused on her spell, a sudden chill ran down her spine. She turned just as a white streak of light, like lightning, descended upon her. A woman in white, her face veiled, kicked her in the face. Yun Ling had no time to react and was sent flying. Before she could get up, the woman in white appeared before her again, like a human lightning bolt, and stomped on her face. With a “boom,” Yun Ling’s face was driven into the ground. She coughed up blood and lost consciousness, the bronze bell disappearing in a flash of light.
“Qing Ying!” Huang Feiyan lowered her sword, sighing in relief.
“Are you alright?” The woman in white lifted her foot from Yun Ling’s unconscious face and turned to Huang Feiyan. Although her face was hidden, her voice was gentle, a stark contrast to her lightning-fast movements.
“I’m fine…” Huang Feiyan sheathed her sword and rushed to Mingyan’s side, lifting him up and checking his breathing. She sighed in relief. “He’s alright.”
“Who is he?” The woman in white approached, looking at Mingyan curiously. She had never seen him before.
“My… savior…” Huang Feiyan smiled brightly, looking at the unconscious Mingyan. “If it weren’t for him… you might not have found me…”
The woman in white looked at Mingyan, sensing his Gathering Stream Realm cultivation. Her eyes flickered. “My master is also here. She informed your mother. Let’s return to Rain Terrace Blessed Land. My master should have resolved the situation.”
“By the way, are the people from Rain Terrace Blessed Land alright?” Huang Feiyan asked, suddenly remembering.
“I’m not sure. My master only told me your approximate location, so I came directly here. But with my master’s strength, they should be safe.” The woman in white shook her head, seemingly confident in her master’s abilities.
“Yes… with Holy Master Yue Ying’s power, they’ll be fine…” Huang Feiyan looked down at Mingyan, then lifted him onto her back. “Let’s go back to Rain Terrace Blessed Land.”
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