CH 91

Villainous Master (13)

Song Xu Yi could sense that the other person was using a trick, even though they were standing close together.

But before she could do anything, a burst of spiritual force threw her to the side and into the arms of someone else.

As she pulled down her blindfold, the scene was silent.

In front of her was Ning Jing Yu’s beautiful jawline, with her lips pursed together in a red line.

Ning Jing Yu followed the direction of Song Xu Yi’s gaze and looked towards Zhao Wuyou, who was curled up in a corner and crying out in pain. Zhao Lin was crouching next to her, with an anxious expression, stuffing pills into Zhao Wuyou’s mouth.

“Is everyone just going to stand there?” Zhao Lin could no longer maintain her composure and shouted at the disciples of the Xun Sect, “Why don’t you go get a medical practitioner? If my daughter’s spirit root is broken, you all will have to be buried with her!”

This outburst was like a stone thrown into water, and the silence was finally broken by countless whispers.

What had happened?

Ning Jing Yu didn’t seem to have any intention of explaining, and Song Xu Yi, who was at the center of the conversation, was unclear about the situation. Fortunately, a member of the Xuan Shu Sect handed Song Xu Yi a retention stone.

As Song Xu Yi watched the previous match replayed on the retention stone, she couldn’t believe what she saw.

The moment Zhao Wuyou pulled out a concealed weapon, Ning Jing Yu appeared on the stage in a blur, using her spiritual energy to push Song Xu Yi out of harm’s way. With lightning-fast reflexes, Ning Jing Yu caught the needles and retaliated with a palm strike that sent them flying back towards Zhao Wuyou, stabbing her in the back.

It all happened so quickly that Song Xu Yi could hardly keep up.

She looked across the stand at Zhao Wuyou, who was now howling in pain and turning paler by the second. A chill ran down Song Xu Yi’s spine as she realized that the needles must have been coated with something deadly.

Compared to Zhao Wuyou, Song Xu Yi’s own spiritual energy was weak, and she had no elixirs to sustain her life. If Ning Jing Yu hadn’t been there to save her, Song Xu Yi would have surely died on the spot.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, Song Xu Yi felt a deep respect for Ning Jing Yu that surpassed any other relationship.

Although Ning Jing Yu appeared nonchalant, she had been carefully observing Song Xu Yi’s every move. When she noticed the look of admiration and appreciation on Song Xu Yi’s face, Ning Jing Yu’s expression softened.

She was highly attuned to the emotions of others and knew that her actions had drawn the attention of the audience.

Ning Jing Yu gently lowered her head and rested her hand on Song Xu Yi’s head, speaking in a soft voice that resonated throughout the martial stage due to the special formation effect.

“As my only disciple in this life, I will do everything in my power to protect you.”

Song Xu Yi was a one-of-a-kind talent, with a unique ability to command even the most stubborn of animals. Her skills were unmatched by anyone else in the world.

The tournament had come to an abrupt halt after Zhao Wuyou sustained a serious injury. The host sects were deeply concerned about the fallout from the incident, given that the two largest sects in the cultivation world were involved and the interests at stake were significant.

In the aftermath, people began to realize the true extent of Ning Jing Yu’s formidable strength and reputation as the world’s number one swordmaster. As they envied her only disciple, it became clear that the incident was a turning point for many.

After three days of intense discussions, the host sects finally decided how to handle the matter. Although Zhao Lin demanded severe punishment for Song Xu Yi, it was evident that Zhao Wuyou had violated the competition rules by using a concealed weapon. Moreover, it was not Song Xu Yi who had caused his injury. As such, it was deemed difficult to punish Song Xu Yi harshly.

Despite her remarkable skills, Song Xu Yi had violated tournament rules by having an outside helper during the match. To appease an agitated Zhao Lin, the host sects convened and decided to nullify Song Xu Yi’s victory.

Upon hearing the decision, Song Xu Yi accepted it graciously. Winning had never been her primary goal; rather, she had entered the competition solely to represent her sect. Moreover, with Ning Jing Yu’s assistance in the match, the outcome didn’t concern her as much.

However, Ning Jing Yu’s laughter was cold and cutting as she swept Song Xu Yi away with a flourish of her sleeves.

What surprised everyone was that the most talked-about event of the Immortal Sect Competition turned out to be the Foundation Establishment competition, which was the lowest level of cultivation.

The results of the Foundation Establishment competition were announced a day later: Ning Wuyou had suffered an injury, and Song Xu Yi was disqualified from the competition. As a result, the winner had to be chosen from the third or fourth winners.

Song Xu Yi’s opponent in the following match forfeited out of decency, citing that it would be unfair to compete with someone whose soul was injured. As a result, the winner was the young man whose soul had been harmed by Zhao Wuyou’s mirror.

Despite having to spend several years in seclusion to heal his wounds, the young man was now the champion of the Foundation Establishment group, which granted him entry into the secret realm and the chance to obtain a divine weapon as further compensation.

On the day the Immortal Sect Competition concluded, Song Xu Yi encountered Zhao Wuyou once more. The once-arrogant woman now sat atop a sedan chair, her face pallid and her eyes menacing, reminiscent of a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, as she glared at Ning Jing Yu and the other disciples.

Song Xu Yi met her gaze briefly before turning away calmly, while Ning Jing Yu didn’t even acknowledge her presence.

As Song Xu Yi glanced back, she found that the Xun Sect’s group had vanished without a trace. Most spectators had left the venue after the end of the Immortal Sect Competition, and only a handful of inquisitive onlookers remained to witness the winners’ emergence from the secret realm with their divine weapons.

To Song Xu Yi’s surprise, Ning Jing Yu had stayed behind and watched attentively as each Foundation Establishment Group winner emerged from the secret realm with their prize.

After the last winner stepped out, Ning Jing Yu turned to Song Xu Yi and said, “I owe you a weapon for not letting you win this time.”

Before Song Xu Yi could respond, Ning Jing Yu continued speaking.

“Wait until the day you successfully condense your Golden Dan,” said Ning Jing Yu, her eyes lowered as she looked at Song Xu Yi. She noticed the slight dishevelment of Song Xu Yi’s hair under the setting sun, and felt an inexplicable anticipation for her disciple’s future appearance at the Golden Dan stage. Ning Jing Yu couldn’t help but rub the top of Song Xu Yi’s soft hair once more before continuing, “I will take you to a place where you can find divine weapons that are ten times better than these!”

Upon returning to the Xuan Shu Sect, Song Xu Yi immediately noticed that the Sect Leader’s complexion had become haggard. It was clear that she was aware of what had transpired in the competition. Although the Sect Leader wished to compensate Song Xu Yi for a weapon, Ning Jing Yu refused, claiming that she had already made other arrangements. She then took Song Xu Yi back to Fallen Cloud Peak.

From that point on, time seemed to pass slowly once again, with no discernible differences from before.

Ning Jing Yu had noticed that Song Xu Yi had become increasingly attached to her lately. She would often catch her gazing at her with a look that made her cheeks flush, and she had even started to create strange and peculiar dishes to please her. Song Xu Yi had also bought her books about communication…

Despite all of this, Ning Jing Yu was content with their life together. She felt a deep sense of peace and happiness whenever she was with Song Xu Yi. Even the dull and mundane world around them seemed brighter and more enjoyable.

Time flew by, and before she knew it, Song Xu Yi was on the cusp of advancing to the Golden Dan stage. It was then that she realized that she had been living in the Xuan Shu Sect for over ten years!

As per Xuan Shu Sect’s rules, anyone who successfully builds a foundation within ten years can leave the mountain for cultivation.

Leaving the mountain means entering the world, and the sect believes in intervening only when necessary, working for the welfare of the people.

In the last two years, the number of demonic activities has increased inexplicably, and the sect has been tasked with more missions to eliminate them.

Despite being out of touch with the system for ten years, Song Xu Yi has not forgotten her mission. With the recent surge in demonic activity, which echoes the original plot outline, she feels compelled to act. Hence, she plans to use her mission to go down to the Song family and investigate the situation.

Ning Jing Yu had chosen not to descend from the mountain.

Concerned that her old wounds from battling the Demon Lord might have resurfaced, Song Xu Yi had urged her to enter seclusion, promising to wait until her return.

Ning Jing Yu reluctantly agreed, but just before disappearing behind closed doors, she coughed and mentioned casually that she would only be gone for half a month.

Song Xu Yi noted the timeline, but had already planned to return to the mountain as soon as possible. She had noticed that Ning Jing Yu had been preoccupied with gardening and cooking lately, and rarely went into seclusion, making this extended period of seclusion a cause for concern.

Song Xu Yi departed from the mountain and found a mission close to the Song family. During her journey, she arranged to meet with two other traveling disciples nearby the mission before returning to the Song family.

Upon her arrival, she discovered that the Song family had strictly followed her instructions and that the female protagonist, Song Xi, had grown into a young lady. Song Xu Yi ensured her family had additional self-protection tools, spent one night at home, and then departed to the agreed meeting place with the other disciples.

Their destination was a distant town where several young girls had mysteriously vanished without a trace. The Xuan Shu Sect spies suspected that demons were responsible, and they contacted the sect to request a response.

Upon arriving at the town, Song Xu Yi encountered a stern-faced disciple who looked at her intently before speaking in a soft voice, “Zhao Wuyou is also present and has brought along several cultivators with exceptionally high cultivation levels.”

Song Xu Yi was taken aback.

Despite having secluded herself on Fallen Cloud Peak for several years, Song Xu Yi had still managed to hear snippets of news about Zhao Wuyou. For instance, after her spiritual root was damaged, her daoist heart had also been compromised. She had then resorted to unorthodox cultivation methods and become an insatiable predator of women, even resorting to forcefully abducting mortal women. Zhao Wuyou had become a menace to the entire world of immortal cultivation.

However, despite Zhao Wuyou’s heinous deeds, she remained unscathed in the immortal world thanks to the protection of Zhao Lin.

In search of a woman who had escaped from the Xun Sect and fled to the nearby area, Zhao Wuyou arrived in the town where Song Xu Yi was. Knowing the danger of a possible encounter with Zhao Wuyou, Song Xu Yi followed the advice of the disciples she met and hid while they dealt with the demon haunting.

However, things took an unexpected turn when Zhao Wuyou suddenly vanished, and the bodies of the two disciples who had been with Song Xu Yi were discovered at the scene…