The Villain Marked the Protagonist's Fiancée (Through the Book) - Chapter 19

Gasping for breath, Yun Xiao landed clumsily.

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of her lips. No wonder she’d felt a flicker of familiarity when she heard A’Luo’s full name. A’Luo was the Eldest Senior Sister of the Azure Cloud Sect, the woman betrothed to Xie Yunfan.

The Azure Cloud Sect disciples all followed A’Luo’s orders. She should have realized it sooner.

Now that the Sect was involved, Fang Zhiluo had no choice but to step forward and refute the accusation. “Fellow Daoist Hua, please be cautious with your words. Martial Uncle Xie merely suspects her; there is no concrete evidence. As for why I haven’t visited him, there were extenuating circumstances that made it impossible at the time.”

Hua Xuan snorted coldly. “If her origins were clear, why would Martial Uncle Xie suspect her in the first place?” She pointed at Fang Zhiluo. “You’re just protecting that damned Jade Flood Dragon.”

Fang Zhiluo’s brow furrowed as she released a wave of spiritual pressure toward Hua Xuan. “Fellow Daoist Hua, you accuse me without proof. Is this how the Heavenly Evolution Sect dispenses justice—blindly?”

Before Hua Xuan could retort, Fang Zhiluo made her own stance clear. “As Martial Uncle Xie’s betrothed, I naturally share his grievances. If that Jade Flood Dragon truly harms people without provocation, I will personally slay it upon encountering it.”

Hua Xuan’s cultivation was slightly lower than Fang Zhiluo’s. Though Fang Zhiluo’s oppressive aura couldn’t physically harm her, it was deeply humiliating. Enraged, she attacked Fang Zhiluo, declaring, “Even fellow disciples are furious at the Jade Flood Dragon’s actions against Martial Uncle Xie. We’ve spontaneously set out to hunt it down, vowing to avenge him!”

Her attack missed. She formed another hand seal, summoning a fiery dragon that lunged at Fang Zhiluo. “You’re unworthy to be his betrothed!” she spat.

Fang Zhiluo countered with a water pillar formed from her own hand seals. When that proved insufficient, she summoned an earthen wall for additional defense.

As the fiery dragon dissipated, Hua Xuan withdrew her attack, her voice icy. “My marriage arrangement with Martial Uncle Xie was decreed by the Sect. If he has any objections, he’s free to voice them to the Sect.” Her gaze sharpened, her words cutting. “You have no right to interfere in this matter.”

Hua Xuan was about to retort when her accompanying disciples quickly intervened. “Martial Aunt Hua, our priority now is to find Junior Martial Ancestor Xie and regroup with him.”

“Just wait,” Hua Xuan snarled. “Martial Uncle Xie will definitely annul his engagement with you.” With that, she led her disciples away.

Even from a distance, Yun Xiao could see Fang Zhiluo’s brow furrow.

Is she worried Xie Yunfan might actually call off the engagement?

At this thought, jealousy and bitterness filled Yun Xiao’s chest.

She envied Xie Yunfan for effortlessly securing A’Luo as his fiancée.

What infuriated her most was that even after exposing Xie Yunfan’s true nature, A’Luo remained determined to marry him.

For a fleeting moment, Yun Xiao considered rushing out to warn A’Luo that Xie Yunfan was nothing more than a conceited womanizer, and that marrying him would only lead to misery.

But the realization that she had no right to say such things silenced her.

She mentally cautioned herself not to lose heart, reminding herself that with persistent effort, even the most fortified walls could be breached.

Pretending she had heard nothing, Yun Xiao leisurely returned to the rest area and generously shared her discovery: “I found a miasma-filled cliff about a hundred miles away. I went down to investigate, and the Spiritual Energy there is even denser than up here, but it’s also incredibly dangerous.”

Fang Zhiluo didn’t make the decision herself but turned to the disciples who had gathered around. “What do you all think?”

Bai Mofeng spoke first: “Danger and opportunity go hand in hand. I want to go and try my luck.”

Chu Hui echoed his sentiment: “I’m going too.”

In the end, the voices urging “go” drowned out those who preferred to stay behind.

Not wanting Bai Luo to blame her later, Fang Zhiluo produced a Sixth-Tier Defensive Formation Plate and handed it to the lead disciple.

The disciple immediately understood Fang Zhiluo’s meaning. After a moment’s hesitation, he accepted the array disk and led away the disciples who, like him, were unwilling to risk the adventure.

Chu Hui’s face twisted with disdain. “We cultivators should charge forward fearlessly! Such timidity will never lead to the Great Dao.”

Bai Mofeng disagreed, his voice low and serious. “Those who attain immortality are few and far between. When life is at stake, everything else is but fleeting clouds.”

Chu Hui flushed crimson with anger. “Then they shouldn’t have come to the Ancient Secret Realm in the first place! They’re just wasting valuable slots.”

Fang Zhiluo rebuked her sharply. “Enough! The Secret Realm Tokens were earned through their own efforts. Each person has their own path to walk; others have no right to interfere.”

Noticing Yun Xiao’s distracted demeanor, Fang Zhiluo sent her a telepathic message: Are you worried?

Yun Xiao startled, lifting her head vaguely. “Just thinking about something,” she mumbled.

She had been trying to recall the plot details surrounding Fang Zhiluo. No matter how hard she tried, she could only remember that Fang Zhiluo was Xie Yunfan’s betrothed.

Whether Fang Zhiluo had actually married Xie Yunfan or ascended with him remained a mystery to her.

Turning to face Fang Zhiluo, she tentatively asked, “Do you really want to marry Xie Yunfan?”

Fang Zhiluo stopped, her expression unreadable. “This matter concerns the alliance between the Azure Cloud Sect and the Heavenly Evolution Sect.”

Yun Xiao lowered her lashes to conceal the disappointment and self-mockery in her eyes. “If the Heavenly Evolution Sect wants to renege on the alliance, a marriage won’t change anything,” she retorted bitterly. “Besides, with tens of thousands of members in both sects, how does it fall to you to shoulder the burden of their harmony?”

Fang Zhiluo gazed ahead, her voice firm. “As the Azure Cloud Sect’s Eldest Senior Sister, I must prioritize the sect’s interests.”

Master was right, Yun Xiao thought. If she hadn’t taken me in, I’d be nothing but bones by now.

She couldn’t repay Master’s kindness in raising and nurturing her.

She couldn’t repay the sect’s resources she had consumed over the years.

Yun Xiao’s shoulders trembled slightly, her fists clenched tightly within her sleeves. The sliver of light in the sky was once again swallowed by dark clouds. Can I truly win A’Luo’s heart?

Even if she miraculously succeeded, would A’Luo abandon her heavy responsibilities, break off her engagement with Xie Yunfan, and stand against the Heavenly Evolution Sect?

Whether it was to settle the karma of possessing the original body or because of Xie Yunfan’s deep-seated hostility toward her, a life-or-death battle between them was inevitable.

If she won, she would become an enemy of the Heavenly Evolution Sect.

If she lost…

No, she couldn’t lose. She still needed to ascend to immortality, tear through the Void, and return to the modern world to see her mother.

Her mother had once said, “Love isn’t everything in life. To find it is a blessing, but to lose it simply means it wasn’t meant to be. If you meet someone you want to spend your life with, don’t be afraid. Give it your all and leave no regrets.”

Yes, love wasn’t everything. As long as she gave it her all, even if the outcome wasn’t what she hoped for, at least she would have tried.

Not like now, retreating halfway through because of obstacles. How could she know the answer if she didn’t reach the end?

Her spiritual altar trembled, and the surrounding Spiritual Energy surged toward Yun Xiao in a frenzy.

Sensing the anomaly, Fang Zhiluo whirled around, her eyes widening in astonishment. After more than a year, Yun Xiao had achieved Sudden Enlightenment again.

Regaining her composure, Fang Zhiluo immediately threw out a Defensive Formation Plate and transmitted a message to the disciples: “Find a place to meditate. How much you gain depends entirely on your comprehension.”

Chu Hui and Bai Mofeng reacted fastest, choosing spots closest to Yun Xiao to meditate.

The other disciples quickly followed suit.

In the blink of an eye, Yun Xiao was surrounded by the Azure Cloud Sect disciples. Yet, immersed in a chaotic haze, she remained completely unaware of her surroundings.

She had forgotten who she was and why she was here, idly reaching out to grasp the colorful mist swirling within the clouds.

As the mist in her hands grew, her sense of accomplishment deepened.

Whether because she had taken too much or for some other reason, the colorful mist vanished from the clouds, and the clouds that had enveloped her scattered.

Weightless, she snapped her eyes open, only to find herself surrounded by Azure Cloud Sect disciples sitting in meditation. Confusion washed over her.

What’s happening?

Knowing the Secret Realm was fraught with danger, Fang Zhiluo had remained vigilant, never entering deep meditation. She immediately sensed Yun Xiao’s Sudden Enlightenment had ended.

Seeing Yun Xiao’s bewildered expression, Fang Zhiluo sent a telepathic message to explain, “You’ve entered Sudden Enlightenment again. Five days have passed since it began.”

Yun Xiao’s eyes widened. Sudden Enlightenment? Oh no, my cultivation!

Wait, have I advanced to Divine Transformation, or not?

“There’s no Heavenly Dao within the Secret Realm. Only by enduring the Lightning Tribulation can you truly become a Divine Transformation Cultivator.”

Then what was the point of suppressing my cultivation earlier?

Yun Xiao retreated into herself, vowing to never slack off again. She needed to cram cultivation knowledge and stop relying on her own limited understanding.

The Azure Cloud Sect disciples gradually awakened, each having gained something—either an advancement in cultivation or a stabilization of their current level.

Even Fang Zhiluo, who had been multitasking, had gained something. She had finally grasped her own Dao.

In the Heavenly Origin Realm, cultivators could only comprehend their Dao after advancing to the Divine Transformation stage.

Now, thanks to Yun Xiao’s influence, Fang Zhiluo had touched upon her Dao before reaching that stage—a truly remarkable achievement.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Fang Zhiluo called out, “We’ve wasted five days already. Let’s move!”

Perhaps due to her Sudden Enlightenment, Yun Xiao had shed her anxiety and returned to her usual composure.

Two hours later, the group of ten arrived at the Broken Cliff.

Fang Zhiluo leaned over the edge and peered down. As Yun Xiao had described, miasma swirled within the chasm, obscuring the bottom.

Withdrawing her gaze, she issued an order: “All disciples, take your Antidote Pills and prepare to descend.”

Antidote Pills, Spring Return Pills, and Spirit Replenishing Pills were standard provisions, and each disciple carried their own supply.

However, Yun Xiao was an exception. She raised a hand to touch her nose, about to summon her Alchemy Furnace for on-the-spot pill refinement, when Fang Zhiluo tossed her a bottle of Antidote Pills.

Yun Xiao caught it, poured out a pill, and swallowed it. Taking the initiative, she declared, “I’ll scout ahead. You cover the rear.”

With a Quasi-Transformation God cultivator leading the way, the safety of the entire group would be better assured. Fang Zhiluo nodded in agreement. “Very well.”

Yun Xiao was the first to leap off the Broken Cliff. Before she even landed, she sensed a Demonic Beast ambushing her from the right.

With a single strike, she instantly killed the creature.

Extending her Divine Sense across a ten-mile radius, she then rooted out a hidden observer lurking within the miasma.

This Demonic Beast had a higher cultivation level than the first, requiring eight or nine exchanges before she finally slew it.

She transmitted a message to Fang Zhiluo: “The obstacles are cleared. You can come down now.”

Fang Zhiluo landed, scanning the surroundings with a grave expression. “Demonic Beasts can easily conceal themselves within the miasma,” she warned. “We must remain vigilant at all times.”

“Understood!” the disciples replied.

Unfortunately, some disciples failed to heed the warning. One careless individual was dragged into the miasma by a Phantom Beast.

“Junior Brother!” Chu Hui cried out, attempting to chase after him, but Fang Zhiluo stopped her.

Receiving Fang Zhiluo’s silent signal, Yun Xiao stepped forward. “I’ll go rescue him,” she declared.

With that, she activated the Light Body Technique and darted after the Phantom Beast.

Her reasons were twofold: first, she didn’t want Fang Zhiluo to risk entering the dangerous miasma; second, she wasn’t particularly concerned about the Azure Cloud Sect disciples.

In a fleeting moment, she thought she saw her mother, smiling and waving at her. As she rushed forward, she immediately sensed something was wrong. Her mother couldn’t possibly be here.

This was an Illusion Realm.

Raising her sword, she slashed forcefully at the illusion before her.

Her mother’s face instantly shattered, replaced by a dense forest.

The miasma here was much thinner than outside, and the visibility was far greater. Yun Xiao quickly spotted traces of the Phantom Beast.

As soon as she noticed the surrounding environment shifting, she decisively drew her sword and dispelled the illusion.

This pattern repeated until the Phantom Beast, its tricks exhausted, abandoned its prey and fled.

Yun Xiao slapped the male cultivator’s face, and he grinned foolishly at her.

He was trapped in an Illusion Realm.

Staring in the direction the Phantom Beast had fled, Yun Xiao found herself torn. Ultimately, she found a safe place to settle the male cultivator, activated a Sixth-Tier Defensive Formation, and resumed her pursuit.

Her intuition told her that following the Phantom Beast might lead to a pleasant surprise.