Chapter 12: Yue Qingying
Mingyan and Huang Feiyan stepped out of the cottage, and Mingyan paused, stunned.
He lived near the mountainside, in a secluded area surrounded by dense vegetation. But now, looking up, he saw clear blue skies and white clouds. The floating islands were gone. What had happened?
“Sect Leader Xia used the mountain protection formation to fight against the Rotating Core Realm cultivator for a long time, but eventually, the first layer of the formation was broken. In his anger, that cultivator sliced off half of Rain Terrace Mountain… If Holy Master Yue Ying hadn’t arrived in time, the entire mountain might have been destroyed.” Huang Feiyan sighed. “Repairing it will be difficult. The locations of Blessed Lands are naturally formed… This is all my fault. I’ll find a way to fix it.”
Mingyan lowered his head, sighing softly. This was the best outcome. At least everyone was safe, and there might be a way to remedy the situation.
In just two or three days, his life had been turned upside down. He had encountered things he could never have imagined before.
As they walked down the mountain, Mingyan asked, “What happened to that Rotating Core Realm cultivator?”
“Holy Master Yue Ying sealed his cultivation. By the way, about Yun Ling… how do you want to deal with her?” Huang Feiyan asked, looking at him sideways.
Mingyan glanced at her, then quickly looked away. He hadn’t noticed before, but Huang Feiyan wasn’t just “beautiful.” The word didn’t do her justice. Her features and aura were far superior to Yun Ling’s. He found her quite appealing.
He couldn’t look too long, or he might develop unrealistic thoughts.
“It’s up to you, Celestial Sister. You don’t need to ask for my opinion.”
“I think your opinion is important. Yun Ling endangered Rain Terrace Blessed Land and nearly killed you while pursuing me… You have more right than I do to decide her fate.” Huang Feiyan shook her head. “Tell me what you think.”
“If we kill her, it might bring more trouble to Rain Terrace Blessed Land. We can’t afford to offend those people.” Mingyan sighed. It was frustrating. They could kill him without consequence, but he couldn’t do the same to them.
“Consequences? If I’m asking you, you don’t need to worry about the consequences.” Huang Feiyan chuckled. “I haven’t even settled the score with the Yun family yet. Yun Ling broke the rules of fair competition by pursuing me like this and even employing a Rotating Core Realm cultivator to try and kill me… Strictly speaking, she brought this upon herself. Even if the Yun family is angered by her death, they can’t do anything about it. As for whether they’ll target you… I’ll speak to my mother and make a deal with Holy Master Yue Ying for the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sacred Land to protect you… So, whatever you decide, you don’t need to consider the consequences.”
Mingyan thought for a moment, then shook his head. “This isn’t a decision I can make alone. I need to ask the Sect Leader… What do you think, Celestial Sister?”
“I respect your decision.” Huang Feiyan didn’t really want to kill Yun Ling. Firstly, neither Yun Ling nor the Rotating Core Realm cultivator had actually killed anyone. Secondly, she believed that keeping Yun Ling alive for a potential exchange would be more beneficial to Rain Terrace Blessed Land than killing her for revenge.
But she didn’t voice her thoughts. She didn’t want to influence Mingyan’s decision. If she expressed her preference, he would likely consider her feelings and change his mind. For her, either outcome was acceptable, and she wasn’t afraid of retaliation.
“Let’s put this aside for now. I’ll ask the Sect Leader when he wakes up.”
As they descended, Mingyan noticed the significant decrease in spiritual energy. With half the mountain gone, the cultivation environment was far worse than before… The flow of spiritual energy in the air was noticeably weaker and slower.
He hoped these matters could be resolved smoothly…
At the foot of the mountain, Mingyan saw an unfamiliar woman in white. She wore a simple white dress, her hair tied up, her face veiled. Although she stood not far away, her figure seemed slightly blurred, flickering in and out of focus.
“Qingying.” Huang Feiyan smiled and introduced her. “This is Yue Qingying, the Holy Maiden of the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sacred Land, as I mentioned before. She’s also a dear friend of mine. Qingying, I haven’t introduced you to him properly. This is Mingyan, a disciple of Rain Terrace Blessed Land.”
Yue Qingying… What a beautiful name. Mingyan smiled and bowed. “Thank you for saving me, Celestial Sister.”
“You’re quite the charmer, calling everyone ‘Celestial Sister,’ aren’t you?” Huang Feiyan teased, hearing him address Yue Qingying that way.
Yue Qingying’s veiled face hid her expression, but the slight curve of her eyes suggested she was smiling. “I should be thanking you for saving my dear friend.”
Not only was her name beautiful, but her voice was also melodious and gentle, calming the heart.
Although her veil seemed thin, it was opaque. However, judging by her eyes and skin, she must be beautiful. It seemed celestial beings flocked together.
Mingyan didn’t like staring, so he quickly looked away.
But Yue Qingying observed him. Huang Feiyan’s high regard for him suggested he possessed something extraordinary. She didn’t believe Huang Feiyan would be interested in an ordinary Gathering Stream cultivator. It wasn’t a matter of looking down on others, but when surrounded by geniuses and prodigies, one naturally noticed the difference between them and ordinary individuals. Even if Huang Feiyan didn’t despise them, it would be difficult to find common ground.
Therefore, Mingyan must have something special to warrant Huang Feiyan’s attention.
However, for now, besides his handsome appearance and pleasant aura, she couldn’t discern anything particularly remarkable… Yue Qingying wouldn’t underestimate him, but she rarely took interest in others. Finding nothing noteworthy, she looked away.
It was nearing evening. Mingyan didn’t know how long he had been unconscious, but it must have been a while. He looked around, but didn’t see his fellow disciples. However, since Huang Feiyan and Yue Qingying were waiting patiently, he didn’t ask.
As dusk deepened, he finally saw a cluster of small black dots in the distance, gradually resolving into his fellow disciples and elders.
“Elder Qi!” Mingyan waved excitedly. It seemed they were safe, which was a relief.
Most of the disciples were still unaware of what had transpired, only knowing that the Blessed Land had offended someone powerful and that they had to flee. This sudden return journey confused them further.
Seeing Mingyan unharmed, Elder Qi Zhen sighed in relief and led the disciples back to the foot of Rain Terrace Mountain. She looked up at the halved mountain. “Mingyan, are the Sect Leader… and the other elders alright?”
“Don’t worry, Elder Qi. The other elders only suffered minor injuries. The Sect Leader… he’s more seriously injured and still unconscious.” Mingyan shook his head, then looked at the young disciples behind Qi Zhen, sighing softly. “I’m glad everyone is safe.”
Some of the young disciples couldn’t help but ask, “Junior Brother Mingyan, what happened?”
“Let the Sect Leader explain when he wakes up. Everyone, go back to the mountain and rest.” Mingyan shook his head. With Xia Yanming unconscious, it was fortunate Elder Qi Zhen was there to maintain order. She didn’t press further. When she was stopped and told they could return, she knew that whatever had happened had been resolved.
The person who stopped them was Holy Master Yue Ying of the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sacred Land, the most powerful cultivation sacred ground in the region… Rain Terrace Blessed Land had a connection to the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sacred Land. Their founding ancestor seemed to have originated from there.
Although this was ancient history, and the ancestor had long since passed away, Rain Terrace Blessed Land was considered a distant, unacknowledged branch. They even kept portraits of past Holy Masters. Xia Yanming had expressed his admiration for the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sacred Land and had planned to send Mingyan there for cultivation. However, due to the lack of communication between the two sects, he had decided to wait until Mingyan reached the Yin Tomb Realm. He hadn’t anticipated these events.
Qi Zhen led the disciples back up the mountain. Mingyan intended to visit Sect Leader Xia, who should be resting in the Hall of Affairs at the foot of the mountain. According to Huang Feiyan, besides the drop in cultivation, his injuries weren’t life-threatening, so Mingyan wasn’t overly worried.
Suddenly, Yue Qingying, who had been silent, bowed slightly. “Master.”
“Holy Master.” Huang Feiyan also bowed immediately. Mingyan, surprised, noticed another person standing before them. He hurriedly bowed as well. “Holy Master…”
“Rise.” A cool, female voice spoke. Although she stood right before him, Mingyan couldn’t see her clearly. He had felt a similar sensation when he first saw Yue Qingying, but this was far more pronounced with Holy Master Yue Ying…
She was right there, yet he couldn’t see her true form. Her figure was hazy, like the moon reflected in water. It was a strange sensation…
“Huang Feiyan, your mother will arrive tomorrow. If you need anything, let me know.” Holy Master Yue Ying’s tone was indifferent, but her words conveyed concern for Huang Feiyan, who seemed accustomed to her manner of speaking. “I understand. Thank you for coming, Holy Master, and for saving everyone from Rain Terrace Blessed Land…”
Holy Master Yue Ying didn’t speak further and vanished completely.
Leave a Reply