After Faking Her Death and Fleeing, the Emotionless Daoist Master Regretted It - Chapter 28

Chapter 28: The Sect Master’s Words – Eve of the Combat Trial

Inside the spatial artifact, the sun set and the moon rose, synchronized with the outside world.

Ling Yunyue stood with her hands clasped behind her back in front of the purple bamboo forest, looking at the girl occasionally teasing the little Phoenix, her eyes holding an ambiguous expression.

“The night is deep. It is time for me to return. The combat trial will be held at Yanwu Peak tomorrow at the Chen hour (7-9 AM). At the first quarter of the Mao hour (5:15 AM), a spiritual crane will come to Yanwu Peak to bring Lingqing over. Lingqing should prepare early.”

The slightly cool voice reached her ear. The girl paused, then quickly replied with a respectful “Yes.”

Being inside the space, the non-space master couldn’t move freely. Su Lingqing slowly walked forward and gently took Shizun’s long, jade-like hand.

A warm sensation came from her palm. She forcibly suppressed the sudden, inexpressible emotions surging in her heart and led Shizun outside the space.

As for the little Phoenix, it was temporarily forgotten, left alone in the space, feeling downcast…

The little fox Ruozhu, originally listlessly lying on the ground, instantly jumped up when she saw her Master emerge, immediately becoming lively and energetic.

She wanted to get close to her Master, but seeing the cold woman beside her Master, she knew this idea couldn’t be realized for the time being. She could only silently pray in her heart, hoping the other party would leave quickly…

Su Lingqing walked out of the cave dwelling, watching Shizun transform into a streak of light and fly towards the horizon, her gaze lingering for a long time.

A sudden weight settled in her arms. Looking down, she saw that it was Ruozhu who had pounced on her.

The little fox seized the opportunity, and as soon as the cold woman left, she immediately jumped into her sweet-smelling, soft Master’s embrace.

The aura of the Bing Que Sword left on the girl only targeted cultivators and did not affect spiritual beasts. Otherwise, Ruozhu would not have had the opportunity to approach her Master from the very beginning.

Su Lingqing stroked the little fox’s soft fur. Her original thoughts were interrupted. Thinking that Xiwu hadn’t come out yet, she simply took Ruozhu with her into the spatial artifact.

Rich spiritual energy rushed at them. The little fox shook its fluffy tail, its pair of beautiful fox eyes looking around. It slowly noticed the pitch-black little Phoenix staying by the spiritual spring well.

Facing those black, beady eyes, a sense of submission rose uncontrollably in her heart.

Ruozhu was startled and quickly averted her gaze.

“Master, what is the origin of that pitch-black fellow? Why does it look so terrifying?”

Hearing the thought transmission in her sea of consciousness, Su Lingqing was slightly taken aback.

Although Xiwu‘s appearance had been altered by Shizun, making her far less beautiful than her true form, she was hardly associated with the word “terrifying.” Why did the little fox…

“Master, why aren’t you speaking? Did Ruozhu ask something she shouldn’t have…”

Another thought transmission from the little fox came through her sea of consciousness. This time, it carried a hint of caution.

Su Lingqing instantly recovered: “Her name is Xiwu. She just hatched.”

Due to Shizun’s warning, she did not reveal the little Phoenix’s identity.

By now, she vaguely understood. The little fox saying Xiwu was terrifying was likely due to the natural bloodline suppression of a divine beast over spiritual and demonic beasts.

Ruozhu was momentarily in disbelief after hearing her Master’s words.

“That was clearly a red egg. How did a pitch-black fellow hatch from it? Master, did you already take her as a spiritual pet?”

Su Lingqing lightly coughed and transmitted: “Do not judge a beast by its appearance. Xiwu did not acknowledge me as its master, but she will stay by my side.”

The little fox let out a sigh of sorrow, nestled in its Master’s arms, secretly shedding tears.

Thinking of having to spend nights and days with that terrifying fellow, she felt her fox life was filled with darkness.

Su Lingqing, however, was somewhat relieved that Ruozhu couldn’t speak human language for the time being and all communication was via thought transmission. Otherwise, if the little Phoenix heard it, a feud might start.

In fact, Xiwu had sensed something amiss and was fluttering her wings, flying towards her.

The little Phoenix was very unhappy.

Earlier, her Sister left her in the space and departed with that cold Fairy Lingxiao. Now that she was back, she should have been happy, but another spiritual beast appeared by her Sister’s side…

She noticed the little fox nestled in her Sister’s arms looking at her with a mix of disdain and fear.

She really wanted to beat up this smelly fox but was worried that her Sister would get angry and ignore her.

To stay by her Sister’s side, Xiwu chose to ignore the annoying fox. She flew to her Sister’s shoulder and landed quietly.

Su Lingqing thought about tomorrow’s combat trial. Although it was a competition between fellow disciples and no one would intentionally kill, danger still existed. She did not plan to bring them along.

“Tomorrow morning, after the Mao hour, I have to leave for a while. If you don’t want to stay in the spatial artifact, you can remain on Xuantian Peak.”

As her voice fell, the little Phoenix’s divine thought quickly came from her sea of consciousness: “Where is Sister going? Xiwu is going too.”

The little fox’s voice immediately followed: “Sister just came back, and now you’re leaving again. Can you take Ruozhu along this time, okay?”

Su Lingqing steeled her heart and refused the requests of the two beasts.

“I have important matters to attend to this trip. It would be inconvenient to bring you along.”

The little Phoenix’s black, beady eyes rolled. She transmitted: “Then when Sister leaves, take Xiwu out of the space. Xiwu wants to see the outside world.”

Ruozhu, whose favorite foods were all outside, also expressed her desire to leave the space.

Su Lingqing happily agreed, thinking that Xuantian Peak was vast, and the time she would be away was enough for them to play to their hearts’ content on the peak.

The night passed quickly. As dawn gradually broke, Su Lingqing went to the dining hall, quickly finished her breakfast, and when she returned to her cave dwelling, she saw a spirited spiritual crane waiting outside.

She was a little curious. Although Shizun had mentioned a spiritual crane would come before she left, without anyone guiding it, she didn’t know how the spiritual crane found this place.

This confusion did not last long. a clear female voice reached her ear, instantly disrupting her thoughts.

“Before the trial begins, there is still the drawing of lots. There’s not much time, Fairy Su. Please hurry. Little Crane will take Fairy to Yanwu Peak. Being late will be considered automatic forfeiture.”

Hearing this, Su Lingqing’s actions preceded her thoughts. She quickened her pace to the spiritual crane. After settling on its back, the spiritual crane instantly spread its wings and carried her flying into the distance.

It was only now that the girl’s thoughts gradually returned, and her curiosity grew stronger.

The voice just now was not a thought transmission. This spiritual crane could speak directly.

Regardless of whether they were spiritual or demonic beasts, they generally needed to cultivate to the Fourth Tier to speak human language. But in her perception, this spiritual crane was only at the First Tier.

She wanted to ask but hesitated at the edge of her lips.

Unusual spiritual beasts likely had secrets of their own. Asking abruptly might put them in a difficult position.

Just as Su Lingqing was about to give up, the spiritual crane spoke up on its own, answering the doubts in her heart.

“Little Crane has consumed the Bone Transformation Pill, dissolving the horizontal bone in my throat, which is why I can speak human language. It’s not just me; all my kin at Yanwu Peak are the same. This is to facilitate communication with the Fairies.”

“Does this Bone Transformation Pill have any side effects?”

“Of course, it does. Spiritual beasts normally have to reach the Fourth Tier to transform and truly speak human language. What we do is going against the will of Heaven. The process of dissolving the horizontal bone after taking the pill is extremely painful. If one can’t endure it, they will die on the spot.”

Su Lingqing’s eyebrows furrowed upon hearing this: “If that’s the case, why would you…”

“Fairy, you may not know. The benefits at Yanwu Peak are very generous. We have plenty to eat and drink on the peak. We are usually quite free, with little to do, and we receive beast pills monthly that can increase our strength. We only get busy during major sect competitions or large-scale trials for slots, like the one now.

This life is much better than the days outside, where we didn’t know where the next meal was coming from and had to constantly guard against predators. Therefore, we are all voluntary. No one forces us.”

Hearing this, the girl’s tightly knitted eyebrows relaxed somewhat.

The spiritual crane’s speed was very fast. In less than half a cup of tea, it brought her to Yanwu Peak.

As the venue for large-scale sect combat trials, Yanwu Peak was the most unique of the nine hundred and ninety-nine peaks. The mountain was cut halfway, with a vast, giant plaza paved with dark green jade stone.

Three thousand arenas stood upon it. In the central area, a nine-story pavilion was surrounded by circulating radiance, forming rings of transparent light screens.

Su Lingqing saw her name on the flowing light screen, followed by the number ninety-nine.

Just as she was guessing the meaning of the number, a gentle voice reached her ear.

“The number after the name represents the registration sequence. A total of twenty thousand people are participating in this slot selection.”

Su Lingqing turned around and saw that the speaker wore a green cloud-smoke dress, with misty hair piled high like clouds.

She first bowed in courtesy and replied with a smile: “Thank you for informing me, Senior Sister. May I ask your name?”

“Chi Wanyun, from Beast Taming Peak.”

“Senior Sister Chi is already at the Foundation Establishment stage. I presume you are not here to participate in the selection?”

“A Junior Sister on the peak signed up. I also came to watch the excitement.”

Chi Wanyun’s eyes held a smile, but what she said was not the whole truth.

She was here precisely for Su Lingqing. She wanted to see what kind of person the girl was through close contact.

A few days ago, Senior Sister Xu returned to Beast Taming Peak late at night. Since then, she often mentioned this girl’s name inadvertently.

Senior Sister Xu had held considerable animosity towards Su Lingqing for becoming a disciple of Venerable Lingxiao. But now, not only was the hostility completely gone, but she was also constantly thinking about her.

Perhaps this description was a bit exaggerated, but Senior Sister Xu truly harbored other feelings for the girl in front of her.

Senior Sister Xu was also supposed to come and observe today’s slot selection, but just before leaving, she received a voice message from her mother, the Peak Master, and was therefore unable to attend…

At this moment, large clusters of auspicious clouds encircled the sky above Yanwu Peak.

Upon the auspicious clouds, the elders of various peaks gathered in groups of twos and threes, gazing at the disciples below, chatting constantly.

Sect Master Rong Jiangzhu stood beside her Junior Sister Ling Yunyue, her deep gaze passing through the clouds to the bright-eyed, beautiful, and refined girl below.

After a short while, she let out a slight gasp of surprise: “The Innate Fiend Body? Quite rare to see. No wonder Junior Sister Ling took her as a disciple.”

Ling Yunyue looked up at the woman and said faintly: “I took Lingqing as a disciple not because of her physique.”

Rong Jiangzhu was slightly skeptical: “Is that so? Junior Sister has been cultivating the ruthless path. Others may not know the specifics of this path, but I once heard our Martial Aunt say that to cultivate this path to Great Accomplishment, one must first find someone who is utterly devoted to you, who is willing to give their life for you, and whom you do not reject being close to. Finally, you must personally kill them to sever all emotions and achieve the Dao.”

She paused at this point, looking at her Junior Sister’s flawless but utterly indifferent face, and continued:

“Everyone says the Innate Fiend Body is inauspicious and avoids them, but they don’t know that such people have two lives. Even if Junior Sister uses her to prove the Dao in the future…”

Her words were coldly interrupted by Ling Yunyue.

“Senior Sister, let’s not mention this again. I never believed that there is only one way to achieve the Dao through the ruthless path. Lingqing is my disciple. No matter what, I will never harm her!”