The Villain Marked the Protagonist's Fiancée (Through the Book) - Chapter 35

Forbidden Zone of the Back Mountain, Azure Cloud Sect.

Fang Zhiluo lay listlessly on her couch, the image of Yun Xiao’s every smile and frown floating before her eyes.

She reached out to touch that face, so close yet untouchable, but before her hand could make contact, the radiant figure vanished.

Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes, her gaze filled with sorrow and regret.

Will she ever forgive me?

“Martial Aunt Fang,” Chu Hui called out, hurrying over. Seeing Fang Zhiluo’s desolate and broken state, she swallowed the words she had come to say.

Fang Zhiluo belatedly snapped out of her reverie, turning her back to Chu Hui, her voice hoarse. “What is it?”

Chu Hui hesitated, then said, “News has arrived from the Heavenly Evolution Sect. The Elders of the Three Great Sects who went there have all agreed to the Heavenly Evolution Sect’s…”

Before she could finish the sentence, Fang Zhiluo had already vanished.

Chu Hui quickly turned and rushed to the main peak, her face etched with worry. “Can Martial Aunt Fang really stop this? Will the situation only worsen?”

Bai Mofeng had instructed her to inform Fang Zhiluo of the council’s decision.

Bai Mofeng stood with his hands clasped behind his back, facing the direction of the Heavenly Evolution Sect. He watched the intermittent flashes of white light in the sky, even from thousands of miles away, it was clear the battle was fierce.

After a long silence, he finally spoke slowly, “If we don’t inform Martial Aunt Fang, her inner turmoil will only deepen. As for whether we can stop them…” He shook his head slightly. “With Immortal Xie Jie’s death, the battle ends.”

Fang Zhiluo, still recovering from severe injuries, had forced herself to teleport to the Heavenly Evolution Sect. Her face was completely drained of color.

She immediately consumed two High-Grade Spirit Herbs and two Medicinal Pills. Feeling slightly better, she soared into the air, stopping several dozen miles from the battlefield. Her voice rang out, “After advancing my cultivation to the Tribulation Transcendence stage, I scoured the sect’s archives. There, I found two Ascension Manuals left by ascended ancestors, which I showed to Grandmaster Wuwei.”

Hearing this, Shangqing immediately turned to Wuwei, his voice frantic, “Why didn’t you mention this sooner?”

Wuwei parried another strike from Yun Xiao’s sword and retorted, “What? Didn’t your ancestors leave such things for you?”

Yuheng, while guarding against Yun Xiao’s attacks, moved closer to Wuwei and asked, “Since Brother Wuwei has read your sect’s manuals, did you gain any insights?”

Wuwei’s expression turned grave. “The Heavenly Origin Realm of today is no longer the Heavenly Origin Realm of old.”

“What do you mean by that? Do you have some clue?” Yuheng pressed.

The Limitless Sect also possessed a Manual, which he had studied for centuries without gaining the slightest insight.

Yun Xiao struck Lu Bo with another sword strike, then casually tossed five Thunderclap Orbs in her hand, smiling. “So it’s about Ascension, huh? Let me guess—this so-called Ascension Manual wouldn’t happen to be provided by Xie Yunfan, would it?”

Lu Bo, a Cultivation Art Practitioner, had already fought Yun Xiao for over a hundred rounds, leaving him with only sixty percent of his Spiritual Energy.

Though Yun Xiao’s strike used only sixty percent of her strength, the Stellar Force enhancement amplified its power beyond his ability to withstand. He was forced to use every technique he knew, yet still suffered a Sword Intent injury to his waist.

If he wasn’t mistaken, Yun Xiao’s strike already hinted at the nascent Sword Domain.

Given time, should Yun Xiao master the Sword Domain, her destructive power would undoubtedly surpass all expectations.

Mu Tian’s expression flickered slightly. He wondered how Yun Xiao knew about this matter, especially since Xie Yunfan had explicitly stated that the Manual had never been shown to a third party.

Yun Xiao noticed Mu Tian’s reaction, her smile deepening with mockery. “You’ve lived for millennia, yet you’ve been completely played by a mere junior. If this Manual were truly useful, how is he still a useless early-stage Tribulation Transcendence cultivator?”

“Oh, even his Tribulation Transcendence Initial Stage cultivation was forcibly boosted. And this is the ‘genius’ the Heavenly Evolution Sect has been so desperately promoting?” Her words struck like pearls, not only reducing Xie Yunfan to utter worthlessness but also trampling the Heavenly Evolution Sect’s reputation underfoot.

Serves those old fogies right for repeatedly obstructing her.

Yun Xiao glanced sideways at Fang Zhiluo, a flicker of confusion crossing her face.

Fang Zhiluo had always considered protecting the Azure Cloud Sect her duty. Now that the Azure Cloud Sect’s Tribulation Transcendence cultivators had taken a stand, Fang Zhiluo should logically support them. Why, then, was she speaking out against them?

Could it be that Fang Zhiluo doesn’t want to be my enemy?

The thought arose, only to be immediately suppressed.

Back then, Fang Zhiluo had refused to annul her engagement with Xie Yunfan, despite knowing he was a deceitful scoundrel, all for the sake of the Azure Cloud Sect. This proved the sect’s paramount importance in Fang Zhiluo’s heart. She would never allow the Azure Cloud Sect to break its word and face public scorn, not even for Yun Xiao.

Dismissing further speculation, Yun Xiao resolved that Fang Zhiluo’s motives were irrelevant.

All that mattered was this: anyone who stood between her and Xie Yunfan’s death would become her enemy.

With that thought, Yun Xiao hurled Thunderclap Orbs at the five Tribulation Transcendence cultivators. Fearing the initial barrage might lack sufficient force, she followed up with ten more.

Without hesitation, she aimed her sword at Xie Yunfan, who was leaning against the stone monument, and struck.

Yun Xiao channeled seventy percent of her power into the strike, infusing it with a wrist-thick bolt of Purple Lightning.

Xie Yunfan knew he couldn’t withstand the blow and hastily summoned a high-grade defensive Magic Artifact.

Yet he had underestimated Yun Xiao’s Sword Intent. The Purple Lightning pierced through the artifact, searing into his body.

Though weakened by the artifact, the lightning proved unbearable for his already injured and weakened state.

The Purple Lightning and sword qi rampaged through his body, inflicting bone-deep agony. Within moments, his forehead was drenched in beads of sweat, his face as pale as paper.

Dissatisfied, Yun Xiao guided Purple Frost toward Xie Yunfan’s Dantian.

By the time Xie Yunfan realized her intent, it was too late. He couldn’t evade the strike and watched helplessly as Purple Frost pierced his Dantian, its overwhelming Sword Intent shattering his core, meridians, and vital acupoints.

Nearby Body Integration and Great Ascension cultivators, witnessing the five Tribulation Transcendence cultivators wounded by the Thunderclap Orbs, grew even more terrified of the weapon’s power. None dared intervene to save Xie Yunfan, instead watching helplessly as Purple Frost withdrew from his Dantian only to plunge mercilessly into his chest.

Mu Tian, seeing Xie Yunfan collapse into a pool of bl00d, erupted in fury. He formed hand seals and launched an attack on Yun Xiao.

Yun Xiao unleashed her Killing Domain. “Shameless old geezer! Go join your companions in hell!”

This time, Lu Bo couldn’t escape and was dragged into the Killing Domain along with Mu Tian.

Yun Xiao turned to face Yuheng, Shangqing, and Wuwei, her smile radiant. “The three of you, care to join them?”

Wuwei spoke first. “Fellow Daoist Yun Xiao’s strength surpasses mine. I concede defeat.”

Shangqing and Yuheng exchanged glances, about to speak when Wan Xuan’s forceful voice rose from below.

“Do the three of you no longer desire the Ascension Manual? You should know better than this junior whether its contents hold any value.”

Yun Xiao cut in. “You dare use something given by Xie Yunfan? If I’m not mistaken, that manual was meant to sustain the Primordial Spirit residing in Xie Yunfan’s Sea of Consciousness. A Primordial Spirit that has been dwelling in a cultivator’s Sea of Consciousness for so long—what do you think its true intentions are?”

Wan Xuan vehemently denied it. “Absolutely not! If such a Primordial Spirit existed, the Cloud Blossom Tribulation Immortal would have noticed it long ago.”

“Is that so? Then let’s test it ourselves. I’ll see if I can pry anything out of his Sea of Consciousness.” As she spoke, Yun Xiao’s gaze returned to Xie Yunfan.

Though Xie Yunfan still clung to life, she had already crippled him.

Her words were meant to force the Primordial Spirit residing in Xie Yunfan’s Sea of Consciousness to reveal itself.

It was no wonder Wan Xuan didn’t believe her. On the surface, given her current cultivation level, there was no way to detect such a presence. If she hadn’t known about this hidden setting from the book and been manipulated by the Primordial Spirit herself, she wouldn’t have believed in the existence of such a well-concealed entity either.

Seeing Yun Xiao’s unwavering conviction, Wan Xuan hesitated.

Even if such a Primordial Spirit truly existed within Xie Yunfan’s Sea of Consciousness, it was a matter for the Heavenly Evolution Sect to handle internally. They couldn’t allow external complications to arise.

“You’ve gone too far!” he roared. “All Peak Lord Elders of the Heavenly Evolution Sect, heed my command! Launch a full-scale assault on this beast! We will not rest until this creature—”

Yun Xiao hurled a Thunderclap Orb at Wan Xuan with brutal force. “You’re the beast! Your entire family are beasts! You can’t expect ivory from a dog’s mouth, you worthless cur! I’m feeling generous today, so I’ll teach you how to behave like proper humans!”

Before her words could even finish, she began raining Thunderclap Orbs down on the crowd below.

In an instant, the plaza erupted into chaos, a cacophony of screams and curses filling the air.

Watching this, Yuheng and Shangqing felt a chill run down their spines. The crowd below consisted of the Heavenly Evolution Sect’s pillars of strength, yet Yun Xiao’s Thunderclap Orbs were slaughtering them indiscriminately, leaving a trail of death and carnage.

While the portion of the Manual Mu Tian had shown them did differ from the Manual preserved by their own sects, if Yun Xiao’s claim was true—that the Manual was the work of a Primordial Spirit residing within Xie Yunfan’s Sea of Consciousness—then the latter half of the Manual’s contents became highly questionable.

Realizing this, Shangqing abandoned all pretense of dignity and cleared his throat. “Little Friend Yun Xiao, we were deceived by that old fox Wuwei. Had we known he was deceiving us, we would never have become involved.”

He added hastily, “It was a moment of madness. I ignored our Sect Leader’s warnings and offended you, Little Friend.”

Yuheng quickly followed suit. “The Limitless Sect has always valued harmony above all else. I deeply regret my momentary lapse in judgment.”

Yun Xiao saw through their words instantly. They were trying to distance their families and sects from the consequences.

Fang Zhiluo stepped forward to explain. “With the Kaiyang Sect and Limitless Sect expressing their positions, the Azure Cloud Sect had no choice but to follow suit.”

Yun Xiao didn’t even glance at Fang Zhiluo. “The Four Great Sects have always claimed to be united in purpose,” she sneered. “Why are you now splitting ranks? Your hypocrisy is so blatant, it’s embarrassing even for me.”

Shangqing and Yuheng felt a surge of shame and anger, but for the sake of their families and sects, they forced themselves to endure it.

Fang Zhiluo and Wuwei remained impassive, as if Yun Xiao’s scathing remarks hadn’t been directed at them at all.

Yun Xiao waved her hand dismissively. “Enough. I’m not going to bite back just because a dog bit me. If you’re leaving, hurry up and go.”

Though injured, she knew the three who had attacked her were in no better shape. She considered it a fair exchange.

The three immediately teleported away, vanishing from Yun Xiao’s sight.

Below, Wan Xuan was covered in dust and grime from the Thunderclap Orb’s blast, his Magic Robe torn to shreds. He was wounded from head to toe.

Seeing the bodies of several fellow disciples blown apart and the rest injured like him, his eyes burned with fury. He lunged forward, determined to fight Yun Xiao to the death.

“Sect Leader, the Jade Flood Dragon’s power is extraordinary. The four Supreme Elders are still trapped in her Killing Domain. Now is not the time for a direct confrontation.”

Wan Xuan finally heeded the warning. After a moment’s deliberation, he glared up at Yun Xiao and said through gritted teeth, “Release the four Supreme Elders, and I’ll give you the man.”

Yun Xiao ignored Wan Xuan. She leaped down and grabbed Xie Yunfan by the collar. “Too late.”

When she had thrown the Thunderclap Orb, she had deliberately avoided Xie Yunfan, keeping her Divine Sense locked on him the entire time to prevent his Primordial Spirit from escaping.

With the remaining members of the Heavenly Evolution Sect posing no threat, she had no reason to listen to Wan Xuan’s barking.

Sensing fierce resistance from within the Killing Domain, a hot, metallic taste rose in her throat.

You can’t lose momentum in a fight. She forced herself to swallow the bl00d, grabbed Xie Yunfan, and teleported away.

Fang Zhiluo noticed Yun Xiao’s pale complexion and followed her.

The combined strike from four Tribulation Transcendence cultivators had shaken Yun Xiao’s Divine Soul, leaving her swaying precariously, as if she might collapse at any moment.

Forcing herself to endure the pain that felt like a thousand needles piercing her body, she arrived in one breath at the Broken Cliff where she had fallen five hundred years ago. She opened the Killing Domain and released the four trapped cultivators.

Earlier, when passing by this place, she had deliberately descended to search for the entrance to the Small World but found nothing.

However, the miasma at the cliff’s bottom was now even denser than before. The four cultivators, all bearing varying degrees of injuries, would certainly suffer greatly from being thrown off the cliff.

Without lingering, Yun Xiao tossed a top-grade spirit herb into her mouth and swallowed several Spring Return Pills. She tore through the Void and arrived on a remote island.

Quickly extending her Divine Sense, she confirmed that only a few Tenth-Rank Demonic Beasts were nearby. She tossed Xie Yunfan onto the ground, placed a restriction on his body to prevent his Primordial Spirit from escaping, and immediately sat cross-legged to refine the top-grade spirit herb.

Fang Zhiluo, tracking Yun Xiao’s aura, arrived a full day later.

Yun Xiao’s eyes snapped open, and she snarled, “Get lost!”

Even injured, Fang Zhiluo remained a Tribulation Transcendence cultivator. Yun Xiao wouldn’t tolerate such a significant threat before her.

Fang Zhiluo froze, stammering, “I was just worried about you.”

Yun Xiao didn’t believe her and drove her away again. “I don’t need you. Get out!”

She had indeed repaid Fang Zhiluo for the sword strike and palm strike, but that didn’t mean she would forgive her.

Fang Zhiluo was reluctant to leave, but when she saw the undisguised disgust and impatience on Yun Xiao’s face, she finally turned away.

Tears welled in her eyes as she clutched her chest, which burned like it had been branded with hot iron, and fled in a panic.

Still uneasy, Yun Xiao extended her Divine Sense and discovered Fang Zhiluo on a small island three hundred miles away.

Her brow furrowed in suspicion. What was Fang Zhiluo planning?

When she noticed Fang Zhiluo’s occasional trembling shoulders, Yun Xiao’s hand unconsciously tightened into a fist on her lap.

A moment later, she regained her composure. Activating an Eighth-Tier defensive array, she placed a Storage Pouch containing Thunderclap Orbs beside her before swallowing a top-grade spirit herb to continue healing.

With her current cultivation level, refining a top-grade spirit herb required only a few hours.

After refining six top-grade spirit herbs, her injuries had healed eighty percent.

The remaining twenty percent were wounds to her Divine Soul, which couldn’t be repaired quickly. She had to rely on Soul Nourishing Pills to nurture them.

Yun Xiao waved her hand, releasing the restriction she had placed on Xie Yunfan.

Clutching a Thunderclap Orb, she called out sharply, “Come out. I know you’re still here.”

Xie Yunfan was already gasping for breath, his life force fading. Even without her intervention, he wouldn’t survive another ten days.

When no answer came, she smiled, though it was more of a sneer. “Tell me,” she said, “if I tossed this Thunderclap Orb into his mouth, would you end up as ash, just like him?”

Old Qiu’s figure materialized beside Xie Yunfan, his voice dripping with temptation. “Let me go, and I’ll reveal the Ascension Method to you.”

Yun Xiao’s heart sank. So the Heavenly Origin Realm really was in trouble.

Maintaining a calm facade, she shrugged indifferently. “Tribulation Transcendence cultivators can live for five thousand years. By my calculations, I still have over four thousand years left.” The unspoken implication was clear: she wasn’t in any rush to ascend.

Old Qiu remained unhurried, coaxing her gently. “You’re young, true, and have time to waste. But are you content with that? If you still can’t ascend after four thousand years, all your efforts will be for naught, and you’ll die with regret.”

Yun Xiaotao’s peach-blossom eyes narrowed meaningfully. “So it’s you who’s blocking Ascension in the Heavenly Origin Realm,” she said, “or perhaps you’re the cause of it all.”

“Hahaha! He lost to you without shame,” Old Qiu said, his gaze fixed on Yun Xiao, his voice brimming with confidence. “So, what do you say? Will you cooperate with me?”

Yun Xiao shifted her stance, her interest lukewarm. “Tell me more.”

“Let me reside in your Sea of Consciousness, and I’ll grant you the Ascension Method. Together, we’ll ascend to the Upper Realm.”

Yun Xiao couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “I’m sorry,” she said, “but this pie you’re offering isn’t big enough. I’m still hungry.”

Seizing her chance, Yun Xiao struck out at Old Qiu.

Old Qiu, as if anticipating the attack, dodged it with ease, taunting, “You’re indeed strong, but you can’t defeat me.”

Yun Xiao’s patience snapped. She hurled a Thunderclap Orb at him.

Sensing Old Qiu’s attempt to flee, she immediately launched a Divine Soul attack.

Having only recently begun cultivating her Divine Sense, Yun Xiao quickly realized after a few exchanges that she was no match for Old Qiu.

Hearing the commotion, Fang Zhiluo rushed over. Seeing the flashes of light in mid-air and Yun Xiao’s strained expression, he immediately understood that Yun Xiao was locked in a Divine Soul battle with the luminous orb.

“A’Xiao!” he called out instantly.

Yun Xiao understood Fang Zhiluo’s unspoken plea. After a moment’s hesitation, she retreated.

Fang Zhiluo activated the Soul-Locking Formation Disk, trapping the luminous orb no matter how violently it struggled.

He moved to Yun Xiao’s side and asked, “Is that the Primordial Spirit hiding in Xie Yunfan’s Sea of Consciousness?”

Yun Xiao nodded lightly, glancing at Xie Yunfan’s shattered remains. She immediately extended her Divine Sense, searching the surrounding five hundred li, but found no trace of Xie Yunfan’s Divine Soul.

Earlier, before engaging Old Qiu in Divine Sense combat, she hadn’t detected Xie Yunfan’s Divine Soul fleeing.

After another thorough search yielded nothing, she approached the Formation Plate and glared at Old Qiu. “Did you devour his Divine Soul?”

Though framed as a question, her tone was unwavering.

Old Qiu laughed with unrestrained arrogance. “To merge with me is his destiny.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Fang Zhiluo’s eyes. The Primordial Spirit had silently devoured Xie Yunfan’s Divine Soul.

If this Primordial Spirit escapes, the Heavenly Origin Realm will be in grave danger.

Even though Xie Yunfan had been crippled by Yun Xiao, his Divine Soul still belonged to a Tribulation Transcendence cultivator.

Yun Xiao probed her Inner Space with her Divine Sense, searching for a magical artifact capable of imprisoning the Primordial Spirit. Finally, she discovered a Soul Bottle tucked away in a corner.

This artifact, which she had found in a Small World, was of an unknown grade, but she was certain it surpassed Top-Grade.

She aimed the Soul Bottle’s mouth at Old Qiu and activated it with Spiritual Energy.

Old Qiu stared at the Soul Bottle in Yun Xiao’s hand, his voice trembling with disbelief. “A Soul-Locking Bottle? How do you possess a Soul-Locking Bottle?”

Yun Xiao sealed the bottle with a stopper, picked it up, and shook it gently, humming softly. “Stay put inside!”

“Let me out!” Old Qiu pleaded urgently. “If you release me, I’ll tell you the Ascension Method!”

This High-Grade Magic Treasure could dissolve the Primordial Spirits of cultivators below the Profound Immortal Realm.

Cultivators only condense their Primordial Spirits upon reaching the Celestial Immortal Realm. Old Qiu’s Primordial Spirit had yet to reach that stage. Within three months, the Soul-Locking Bottle would completely dissolve it.

“Looks like this bottle is quite a treasure after all,” Yun Xiao mused. As a precaution, she cast a sealing spell on the Soul-Locking Bottle before tossing it into her Storage Pouch, too impatient to listen to Old Qiu’s rambling.

Her cheerful expression infected Fang Zhiluo, whose lips involuntarily curved upward.

Yun Xiao stepped sideways, widening the distance between them. “What’s your real motive for following me?” she demanded. “Don’t even try to say you’re worried about me. I won’t believe it.”

Fang Zhiluo lowered her gaze, her downcast eyes concealing a flicker of sadness. “I truly am worried about you,” she murmured.

Five hundred years ago, if Fang Zhiluo hadn’t killed her, Yun Xiao would have been overjoyed to hear those words.

Now, however, Yun Xiao found it laughable. She stepped forward, scoffing coldly. “I’m the Heavenly Evolution Sect’s declared enemy. Aren’t you afraid they’ll retaliate against your Azure Cloud Sect for associating with me? Can your sect withstand the wrath of their four Tribulation Transcendence elders?”