CH 93

Villainous Master (15)

Upon uttering those words, Song Xu Yi became aware of something amiss.

It’s an extremely dangerous proposition. Given the hostile and treacherous environment of Black Water Pool, where demons and monsters reign supreme, her own capabilities were inadequate. Accompanying Ning Jing Yu would only add to her burdens.

Despite this, Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but worry about Ning Jing Yu’s deteriorating condition. Given her unparalleled strength, she feared for the worst, especially considering the tragic ending Ning Jing Yu had met in the original work, which had to be suspicious.

While others were in the dark about the situation, Song Xu Yi knew more than most. Like Ning Jing Yu, she too suspected that the culprit was targeting her.

The disappearance of all those beautiful women reminded Song Xu Yi of the Demon Lord of the Demon Clan. She had witnessed the madness that had engulfed the Demon Lord while she changed her skin. Upon reflection, the pattern of these women’s disappearances bore a striking resemblance to the Demon Lord’s modus operandi. To add fuel to the fire, the Demon Lord harbored a deep hatred for Ning Jing Yu.

The leakage of demonic energy from Black Water Pool was evidence that the Demon Clan outside had already conspired with the demons inside.

Despite her knowledge of Ning Jing Yu’s strength, Song Xu Yi remained extremely concerned about her current state and the looming danger she faced.

However, if she felt uneasy, there were other ways to express it. She need not accompany Ning Jing Yu to Black Water Pool and add to her burden.

Instinctively, Song Xu Yi felt like pulling back her hand.

Ning Jing Yu was much faster than Song Xu Yi, almost instantaneously grabbing Song Xu Yi’s hand with her own.

After a moment, the two of them let go, and Ning Jing Yu’s lips, which had been tightly pursed, curled slightly upward.

“Okay,” she said softly.

Ning Jing Yu realized that she had misunderstood her disciple. Song Xu Yi was worried about Ning Jing Yu entering the Black Water Pool and shedding tears earlier for a different reason, not because of anything Ning Jing Yu said that upset her.

This realization made Ning Jing Yu feel relieved and happy.

However, not everyone in the group agreed with Ning Jing Yu’s decision. A disciple surnamed Wang furrowed his brow and took Ning Jing Yu aside. They set up a barrier, and Song Xu Yi couldn’t understand what they were saying. She watched as the disciple’s brow furrowed even more tightly, while Ning Jing Yu remained calm and composed.

Finally, the disciple surnamed Wang seemed to relent. He removed the barrier and walked over to stand beside Song Xu Yi. “Xu Yi, the Black Water Pool is full of dangerous monsters. It’s not a game. You have a bright future ahead of you, so you don’t need to follow us inside. If you were to fall inside…”

Ning Jing Yu, standing nearby, interjected and assured her, “Don’t worry, I’ll protect my disciple. Even if it wasn’t for this matter, I would have taken her to the dangerous Blackwater Abyss soon to find a suitable weapon for her…”

?!

The disciple surnamed Wang and Song Xu Yi were both surprised by Ning Jing Yu’s words. While Song Xu Yi had heard Ning Jing Yu speak about finding a weapon for herself before, she didn’t expect Ning Jing Yu to be planning to take her to the perilous Black Water Pool.

The Black Water Pool was a treacherous place that was said to be home to ancient monsters, and no one except Ning Jing Yu had ever come out alive. However, it seemed like Ning Jing Yu was familiar with the place and could come and go as she pleased, as if she were just strolling in her own backyard.

The disciple surnamed Wang’s expression stiffened, and he remained silent before taking his sword and moving aside to discuss the follow-up matters with other disciples.

Disciple Wang had come from the Xuan Shu Sect with the Sect Leader’s token and seemed to be familiar with everything about the sect. He explained everything clearly, arranged for some disciples to guard outside, and even prepared a sound jade slip in advance, handing it to the disciples outside.

In contrast, Ning Jing Yu looked calm and collected, as if she were just taking a leisurely stroll instead of heading towards a life-and-death situation.

It appeared that Ning Jing Yu had no other relatives or friends besides the people from the Xuan Shu Sect. Even if she wanted to say goodbye, she wouldn’t be able to find anyone.

Looking at Ning Jing Yu’s thin profile, Song Xu Yi felt a pang of sadness and approached her, saying softly, “Master, if I become a burden to you, please leave me behind. Don’t risk your life to save me because of your sense of duty. Your life is much more important than mine to this world…”

Before Song Xu Yi could finish her sentence, Ning Jing Yu reassured her, “You won’t be a burden. Besides, your life is also extremely important to me.” Ning Jing Yu always appreciated Song Xu Yi’s words, particularly when they showed concern, but she couldn’t help interrupting her at this moment.

“Don’t worry too much,” Ning Jing Yu looked into Song Xu Yi’s eyes and saw her own reflection. She lowered her long eyelashes and continued, “This is just a small matter. You have to trust me. I won’t die, and neither will you. Everything will be okay.”

After the disciple surnamed Wang had made arrangements, the three of them entered the Black Water Pool from the center of the lake. As soon as they touched the lake’s surface, the water began to boil, and strange totems appeared and disappeared in the water. The entire lake glowed with a golden light, and then a massive vortex formed in the center of the lake.

This is the Black Water Pool protective array that is said to have exhausted the blood of countless ancestors.

As they approached the vortex, Song Xu Yi felt an inexplicable sense of anticipation emanating from the array. Before she could react, a tremendous suction force pulled the three of them into the Black Water Pool.

They were caught in a whirlwind of spiritual energy currents, and Song Xu Yi was tossed around and left looking disheveled. Finally, she fell into someone’s arms.

Ning Jing Yu’s embrace was slightly cold, and her figure appeared thin and weak, but the spiritual energy flow seemed to avoid her side consciously, creating a vacuum layer around her.

Shortly after, the trio reached the ground.

Song Xu Yi’s face turned red.

Despite being accustomed to looking at Ning Jing Yu’s incredibly beautiful face for years, seeing it from a distance and being held in her arms felt different. Though she knew it was inappropriate, Song Xu Yi’s heart raced uncontrollably, and she feared that Ning Jing Yu would notice her pounding heart.

Lost in her shyness, Song Xu Yi failed to notice the slight blush on Ning Jing Yu’s ears.

Before them lay an impenetrable valley, its entrance marked by large, red characters that read “Forbidden Zone of the Black Water Pool.”

This is where demons and monsters are held captive within the Black Water Pool.

The sky was gloomy, giving it a somber, blood-red hue. The mountain was entirely composed of black stones, which appeared to consume all light, and mournful cries occasionally echoed from deep within the valley, creating an incredibly eerie atmosphere.

At the entrance of the valley lay a piece of clothing stained with blood.

Upon seeing it, the disciple surnamed Wang’s pupils shrank, and his face turned instantly pale. “This is a piece of Zeng Li’s clothing,” he exclaimed, before hurrying into the valley.

Despite not having a close relationship with Zeng Li, Song Xu Yi was able to enter Xuan Shu Sect with her help, prompting her to quicken her pace.

Initially, Song Xu Yi did not sense anything unusual, but as they proceeded further into the valley, she felt a peculiar force that seemed to repress her cultivation. The more they advanced, the more intense this sensation grew.

The canyon was deep and filled with sorrowful cries, yet the three of them did not encounter any demons. It was as though someone had cleared a path for them, awaiting their arrival.

Despite the absence of demons, the demonic energy intensified as they progressed, causing Song Xu Yi increasing discomfort.

Song Xu Yi was uncertain whether she was imagining things, but Ning Jing Yu appeared to be in better health than she had been outside.

Gritting her teeth, Song Xu Yi trailed behind Ning Jing Yu, and with each passing moment, she perspired profusely, feeling weighed down with each step.

The demonic energy gradually corroded their willpower, and a dizzying sensation infiltrated her mind. However, Song Xu Yi remained resolute, with one thought in her heart – she could not become a burden to Ning Jing Yu.

But suddenly, Ning Jing Yu halted in front of her, and when Song Xu Yi regained her senses, she found herself on Ning Jing Yu’s back, biting her lip tightly.

Feeling embarrassed, Song Xu Yi was ashamed of being carried by someone else, as it made her feel like a child. She instinctively struggled to get down from Ning Jing Yu’s back but was stopped by a gentle tap on her arm.

“Don’t be silly!” Ning Jing Yu said.

After that, Song Xu Yi dared not move anymore and buried her face on Ning Jing Yu’s back, avoiding the gaze of the disciple surnamed Wang who was walking beside her. She consoled herself, thinking that in the eyes of Ning Jing Yu, who was several thousand years old, she was nothing but a child.

Despite trying to calm down, Song Xu Yi’s heart remained uneasy. To distract herself, she focused on observing the surrounding scenery. The sky above the Black Water Pool was always a bloody gray color, and the wind was so cold that it seemed to penetrate to the bone. The oppressive atmosphere and ancient desolation weighed heavily on her heart, making her lose track of time.

As she clung tightly to Ning Jing Yu’s thin back, Song Xu Yi wondered what kind of feelings Ning Jing Yu experienced when he was a child and entered the Black Water Pool alone.

The three of them continued walking deeper into the pool, and after an unknown amount of time, they heard the sound of fighting coming from ahead.

The three of them exchanged a glance and hurried towards Zeng Li, who was surrounded by several monsters.

Zeng Li was in a terrible state. Her body was covered in wounds, bleeding profusely, and it was difficult to distinguish whether the blood was from the monsters or herself. Her face was as white as paper, and she seemed to be on the brink of death, like a swaying blade of grass in the wind that could snap at any moment.

To make matters worse, it seemed that Zeng Li’s inner core had been shattered…

For a cultivator, a shattered inner core not only leads to a significant decrease in cultivation level but also greatly shortens their lifespan.

Watching Zeng Li’s pitiful condition, the disciple surnamed Wang was almost beside himself with anger. He immediately drew his sword and rushed forward…

Song Xu Yi was surprised by the disciple surnamed Wang’s powerful abilities. With his assistance, the tide of the battle quickly turned and several monsters fled deep into the canyon in a panic…

The disciple surnamed Wang caught Zeng Li just as she was about to collapse.

In that instant, Song Xu Yi noticed that Zeng Li’s eyes had taken on a strange expression, one that was both sorrowful and mocking. She struggled to break free from the disciple surnamed Wang’s embrace but was held tightly by him.

“Li Li,” Song Xu Yi heard the disciple surnamed Wang’s voice tremble, filled with pain. His voice seemed to have changed in that moment, and Song Xu Yi felt that it sounded incredibly familiar.

However, before Song Xu Yi could thoroughly contemplate the situation, a dense fog of blood suddenly emerged before them. The monsters, who were fleeing, gazed straight ahead with wild eyes and charged towards Ning Jing Yu as if they were insane.

Ning Jing Yu had originally intended to confront them head-on, but with Song Xu Yi on her back, she hesitated for a moment and flew to the side of the mountain.

Yet, this action played directly into the enemy’s hands.

The mountain suddenly emitted a tremendous suction force, revealing a black cave. A strong demonic energy emanated from where Ning Jing Yu touched the mountain. Ning Jing Yu was stunned for a moment, her throat moved, and then she was completely sucked into the mountain–

Song Xu Yi instinctively wrapped her arms around Ning Jing Yu’s waist, and before plummeting into the cave, Song Xu Yi heard a woman’s extremely pleased laughter–

“Ning Jing Yu, seventy demons of the Black Water Pool have gathered here. Even if you have extraordinary abilities, you cannot come out alive from inside!”

The laughter was piercing, unmistakably the laughter of the Demon Lord of the Demon Clan that Song Xu Yi had heard before!

All of this was indeed aimed at Ning Jing Yu.

Song Xu Yi’s heart sank, and she instinctively turned her head to look back.

Two people stood on the high cliff.

One person was the Demon Lord, and the other…

Before Song Xu Yi could discern the other person’s identity, everything before her spun around.