novelzi Chapter 32
Chapter 32
Nie Yinzhi was waiting in the midst of the mountain of blades and forest of swords, hoping to catch someone off guard, while Zhu Yan, on the other hand, was wary of Gu Jiang and wanted to wait for the right moment to enter quietly after they left.
The demon lord refused to emerge from the mountain of blades and forest of swords, so the attention of the major sects remained focused on Mount Jiaodu.
The situation had reached a stalemate.
The Cloud Scripture Sect's search for Zhu Yan had become increasingly intense, forcing him to leave Approaching Immortals City and find a new hiding place.
Currently, two of the three grand elders of the Cloud Scripture Sect were already in his grasp. Once he dealt with Yan Yi, the sect would be under his control.
Yan Yi sat cross-legged on a straw mat, meditating. He suddenly woke from his trance without reason, feeling uncomfortable as he rubbed his temples. He had been in seclusion for over a hundred years, staying out of worldly affairs. Now that he had emerged, he was overwhelmed by the numerous responsibilities of running the sect, often being jolted out of meditation by trivial matters.
He got up and walked to the window, looking outside. The sect's protective mountain array had been repaired, and the massive ice-blue sword that served as the array's focal point had disappeared into the array. However, the question of why his ancestor's life-bound sword had been left in this realm continued to trouble him.
If his ancestor had failed to ascend, where would he be now?
Han Jing, his ancestor, was the last person in this realm to ascend. Since then, the spiritual energy in this realm had become thin, making cultivation difficult, and few could reach the level of transcending tribulation and ascending. Reaching the Nascent Soul stage was now considered the peak in the current cultivation world.
Although Yan Yi had not participated in the righteous-demonic war ten years ago, he was well aware of its underlying reasons. Beyond the grand principles, the conflict between the righteous and demonic paths ultimately boiled down to a struggle for cultivation resources.
The Seal of Demons would deplete the demonic energy of demonic cultivators, and the depleted energy would be converted into spiritual energy, merging with the heavens and earth, becoming nourishment for righteous cultivators.
However, the Seal of Demons drained demonic energy far too slowly.
Now that Gu Jiang had emerged, the balance of power between the righteous and demonic paths had drastically shifted. They could hardly face Gu Jiang head-on, and the situation was extremely unfavorable for the righteous path.
If Han Jing, his ancestor, were still stranded in this realm, perhaps he could stand a chance against Gu Jiang. While keeping an eye on the demon lord's movements, Yan Yi also sent people carrying the sword energy of the Xuanpo Sword to search for Han Jing, though they had not yet found any leads.
He had too many worries and his thoughts were in disarray, making it unsuitable for further meditation.
Yan Yi walked around the sect, checking the conditions of each peak. He unintentionally arrived at Pill-Forming Peak, where the mountain had been cut off, leaving a barren landscape. The surrounding vegetation had been swept by the demonic energy of the "Blood Moon Shadow," withering many plants, while those that survived began to grow in grotesque shapes.
These plants seemed to have absorbed the "Blood Moon Shadow," their green color fading into a dark red like blood, starkly out of place in the green mountains and waters.
The Cloud Scripture Sect had cleaned up once, but the new growth still showed the same mutations. Plants were the most adaptable and resilient things, "The wildfires cannot burn them all; the spring winds will make them grow again," and eventually, since the mutated plants did not seem to cause any harm, everyone just let them be.
Starting from the cut surface of Pill-Forming Peak, the intense colors spread outward like ink splashes, becoming lighter as they extended, disappearing after reaching two miles.
Yan Yi noticed a figure standing at the edge of the cut surface of Pill-Forming Peak and was surprised to see it was An Huai. He landed beside him and called out, "An Huai."
An Huai hurriedly bowed, "Grand Elder."
Yan Yi helped him up, "What are you doing here?" Other disciples who came to this place for enlightenment usually stayed at the Meditation Platform in the center.
An Huai's mouth moved, but after looking at Yan Yi, he said nothing.
Yan Yi did not press him. He knew this young man was still grieving the loss of his beloved and had not yet come to terms with the failure to protect the sect's disciples. As a grand elder, he too felt responsible.
Under Yan Yi's understanding gaze, An Huai's eyes reddened. He had thought about many things. The Medical Hall was located in a secluded part of the Cloud Scripture Sect, far from Pill-Forming Peak, making it one of the safest places on that day.
Before Pill-Forming Peak was breached, Bai Ying had gone to the Medical Hall with Xiao Ling. After treatment, Jing Chongshan said Bai Ying had gone into seclusion. If she had truly gone into seclusion, she would have escaped the disaster. But she hadn't. Either Jing Chongshan had lied, or...
Bai Ying had wanted to come find him before going into seclusion, and then, she was caught in the demonic energy.
He instinctively avoided this thought.
An Huai clenched his teeth: "Grand Elder, I don't know the situation of the other fellow disciples who were harmed, but I believe Bai Ying did not die from the demonic energy of the 'Blood Moon Shadow.' She..."
Yan Yi patiently waited for him to continue, but after a while, seeing that An Huai had nothing more to say, he placed a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry, the sect will continue to investigate this matter."
An Huai nodded silently. He would not give up either.
After leaving Pill-Forming Peak, An Huai went to Bright Sky Peak once more. That day, he had almost continuously watched Xiao Ling's spiritual platform memories.
Human memories were a strange thing, hiding some traces while magnifying others. The more one cared about something, the clearer it became. When Jing Chongshan called Bai Ying to stay, Xiao Ling's stiff reaction made him think she knew something.
Just now, facing Yan Yi, he had hesitated and ultimately did not mention this. Even if he had spoken out, without other evidence, it might have been dismissed as mere conjecture.
Moreover, Xiao Ling had suddenly been taken in by Elder Ye Jing, which clearly indicated that the grand elders believed her to be innocent.
He understood that if Xiao Ling had known something, she would have already disguised it well. Even the elders had been fooled by her, so even if he came every day, it would be futile.
As soon as An Huai arrived at Bright Sky Peak, Xiao Ling sensed him. She was currently in the underground of Bright Sky Peak, in a rough cave carved out by sword energy.
The cave walls, marked with sword scars, were covered with layers of restrictions. A tiny spiritual vein had been diverted from the main spiritual vein of the Cloud Scripture Sect to this place. The spiritual flow resembled a thin vine, supporting five fist-sized fragments of the secret realm.
This was what Sang Wumian had left her.
Sang Wumian's cultivation had reached the Nascent Soul stage, the peak of the current cultivation world, and he could no longer progress. He had been searching for a way to break through.
The spiritual energy in the current cultivation world was far inferior to what it had been in the past. As the spiritual energy waned, many caves, blessed lands, secret realms, and fairy treasure lands from a thousand years ago had collapsed and closed due to lack of support, scattering and disappearing into the world.
These secret realm fragments were what Sang Wumian had painstakingly collected, hoping to find an opportunity for a breakthrough. Until Nie Yinzhi summoned the demon ancestor, he had barely been able to resist under Gu Jiang's power. On the verge of death, he had given these fragments hidden here to her.
【Maybe like Sang Wumian, using that Silkworm Spirit Curse. After all, people who sleep in the same bed can't be too different, haha.】
【Unbelievable, Sang Wumian actually hid five secret realm fragments under Bright Sky Peak. Those realms look pretty amazing! His motives for sealing Bright Sky Peak were definitely impure. He was just using Xiao Ling as an excuse to hide his treasures. What a scumbag!】
【I opened the comments expecting to scream with everyone, but all you guys are discussing the plot seriously?】
Well... I'm used to it, I've screamed so much I'm numb. I even hope they'll give us some angst.
Back at the cliff outside the sword forest, Nie Yinzhi immediately slipped out of his embrace and started studying the little jiao. The jiao twisted and turned under Honghu's claws, and the two sword spirits played like a chicken catching a worm.
Gu Jiang watched for a while before returning to the curtain.
Since they had to stay a few more days, Nie Yinzhi set up the curtain again, but she didn't spend much time inside. Even the drapery barely carried her scent.
Gu Jiang lay on the soft couch for a while, unable to calm down no matter how he turned. His deep sleep was meant to alleviate the pressure of heavenly might, but without peace of mind, lying down was useless.
He sat up, rubbed his temples, and slowly finished all the pastries and fruits on the tea table.
Finally, unable to resist, he got up from the couch and lifted the curtain. "Nie Yinzhi."
Nie Yinzhi turned her head at the sound. Seeing Gu Jiang with one hand holding the curtain, half of his face in shadow, his expression seemed shrouded in gloom. She immediately stood up, puzzled. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell again?"
Gu Jiang didn't answer but instead asked, "Are you going to meditate and cultivate later?"
"Um... yes." Nie Yinzhi nodded. She had planned to enter a meditative state. The place was rich in spiritual energy, and there was nothing else to do, so it was a good time to focus on cultivation. She intended to meditate at night and practice spells during the day. She believed she could master both swordsmanship and magic without issue.
It would also help her avoid too much contact with him.
Gu Jiang's expression darkened further. "You're working so hard. Do you think I can't defeat Zhu Yan?"
"Of course not, you're invincible." Nie Yinzhi immediately replied.
Gu Jiang wasn't fooled. "Then why are you working day and night? Afraid I can't protect you?"
Nie Yinzhi was full of question marks. Was it wrong to be diligent in cultivation? The demon lord was clearly just picking a fight! "I can't always rely on you."
Gu Jiang pondered for a moment and chuckled. "That's true." He didn't say anything more, letting his hand drop and turning to walk inside. The curtain fell back, gradually obscuring his figure.
Nie Yinzhi stood there for a moment, then looked down at Honghu holding the jiao spirit. She recalled it into her sword and quickly followed, slipping into the curtain. "What's wrong with you? Can't sleep?"
Gu Jiang didn't respond, his back to her.
Nie Yinzhi sat on the edge of the bed. In the past, she would have just fed Gu Jiang some blood to soothe him, but now she couldn't do that. The blood accumulated in his body had become a potentially lethal poison.
"Should I play the harp for you? I only know how to play the Konghou," Nie Yinzhi said, taking off her shoes and socks, preparing to sit on the couch and retrieve the crescent-shaped silver Konghou from the study on Pill-Forming Peak.
Gu Jiang turned around, hooking his arm around her waist and pressing her down onto the couch, pulling her into his embrace. "Not in the mood right now."
Nie Yinzhi struggled to turn her head to look at him, but he tightened his grip on her waist, making it hard for her to move. "Gu... Gu Jiang..."
"Don't move." Gu Jiang said in a restrained tone. "Your flesh is too tempting for a demon. I might not be able to resist."
Nie Yinzhi fell silent for a moment. "......My hairpins are still in, they're poking me."
At her words, Gu Jiang loosened his hold on her. Nie Yinzhi sat up from his embrace, watched by his unwavering gaze as she removed her hairpins, loosened her hair, and took off her outer robe. She obediently climbed back into his arms and lay down beside him.
Only then did Gu Jiang seem satisfied, pulling her close and closing his eyes.
The arm draped over her waist was cool, and his body temperature hadn't changed, so he should be fine.
Nie Yinzhi turned her head to look at Gu Jiang. The person beside her had already closed his eyes. So, after all that commotion, the demon just wanted her to accompany him in sleeping?
【Gu Jiang: The resentful husband left behind by his wife who is too busy with work】
【Balancing career and family is so hard for us women (dog face)】
【You're not doing a good job as villains if you're interfering with Yinzhi's efforts to cultivate and unite the world of cultivation. The demon doesn't understand Yinzhi's hard work at all; he's not being a good husband.】
【All you do is cultivate, cultivate, cultivate! Nie Yinzhi, how long has it been since you last cuddled with Gu Jiang? Tell me!】
【Why are you avoiding him?】
【Just say "honey, come give me a hug" directly. All that fancy stuff made me think you were about to start hurting each other.】
【To be honest, when the demon sadly lowered the curtain, I felt sorry for him for a second.】
【Nie Yinzhi shouldn't have gone to comfort him. Sob, sob, is it just me who wants to see the demon get hurt?】
【Feng Tu has already become numb】
Gu Jiang: Are you going to meditate and cultivate again later? Are you working so hard because you think I can't beat Zhu Yan? What are you trying to prove by working day and night? Are you afraid I can't protect you?
Yinzhi: Speak human language.
Gu Jiang: Just stay and sleep with me.