Chapter 12: Protection
Luo Jinxiang was pushed so hard that she almost fell head first to the ground. Fortunately, she was able to take a few quick steps and stand firmly in front of Qu Wei Yin.
There was a hint of a smile on Qu Wei Yin’s lips, but it quickly disappeared as she motioned for Luo Jinxiang to step aside.
“You will be the last, watch carefully,” she instructed.
Luo Jinxiang scratched his head and stood behind Qu Wei Yin, not understanding the purpose of her antics.
Next was the shy girl who was now blushing furiously. She seemed unsure what to do with her hands, and it took her a while to summon her spiritual energy.
The crowd held their breath and watched, but after a while, the center of the great hall remained empty.
Seeing this, the girl was disappointed and began to shed tears. Qu Wei Yin’s expression turned impatient, and Chang Siyu waved for the girl to step down.
“Yan Ying, it’s your turn,” Chang Siyu said.
Yan Ying quickly stepped forward, seemingly undaunted. She was also quite talented, and in no time at all, the array took shape and an immense spiritual force was injected, creating a storm in an instant.
The onlookers were thrown off balance, leaving only Qu Wei Yin and Chang Siyu standing. Qu Wei Yin remained unperturbed, not a single hair out of place.
Luo Jinxiang, who was standing behind Qu Wei Yin, also benefited from her protection and only took a few steps back.
“It’s a divine beast, what is it, a bird?” the astonished onlookers shouted. “A peacock, it’s a peacock!”
Yan Ying’s eyes widened, unable to contain her joy. According to legend, of the nine descendants of the phoenix, the peacock is the sixth and most powerful. It can create gusts of wind ten miles away with a single breath. Although it can’t be considered a true divine beast, it’s close enough, and their ability to summon such a creature was a stroke of luck.
Even Chang Siyu was wide-eyed and effusive with praise.
The newly summoned peacock was still a fledgling and soon perched on Yan Ying’s shoulder and fell asleep. She ran back into the crowd with a beaming smile, causing a stir.
“Next,” Qu Wei Yin continued, seemingly unconcerned.
The following summonings were less eventful, mostly consisting of ordinary spirit beasts, but everyone seemed satisfied. However, Lu Fanzhi’s summoning was quite unusual, as she managed to summon a large yellow fat cat.
While the other creatures exuded grandeur, her feline companion flopped to the ground and fell into a deep slumber. Several people had to join forces to carry it to the side, and Luo Jinxiang was left shaking with laughter at the scene.
Just as she was enjoying herself, Qu Wei Yin looked at her and said, “You, it’s your turn.
At the sight of Qu Wei Yin, Luo Jinxiang immediately suppressed her smile and solemnly walked to the center of the main hall.
Whispers began to spread throughout the room as people anticipated her failure, but she paid no attention to them. She focused on the array in front of her.
When the girl was serious, her eyes held a faint gleam, and her profile was breathtaking. Her smile was sweet, and when she wasn’t smiling, she looked cold and distant.
Qu Wei Yin suddenly realized that she was staring at Luo Jinxiang. She quickly looked away and quietly cleared her throat.
Luo Jinxiang skillfully prepared himself and extended his right hand, gradually gathering his spiritual energy in one place before slowly pouring it into the array. She was grateful for her recent cultivation, which was enough to allow her to complete this formation.
As expected, there was no response, and Luo Jinxiang was not disappointed. She began to withdraw her spiritual energy. However, all of a sudden, the previously calm array changed color. Black shadows slowly rose into the air and suddenly expanded, sending everyone nearby flying and causing a flurry of screams.
Qu Wei Yin instinctively released a seal, enveloping all the disciples in a light golden shield. She frowned, intending to help Luo Jinxiang, but then heard her shout, “Don’t move!”
She froze.
At this point, Luo Jinxiang was drenched in sweat as she felt that what she was about to summon was definitely not good. She desperately tried to subdue it, but the thing inside the array was extremely powerful. It struggled violently and tried to break free.
Luo Jinxiang felt like her teeth were about to break as she tried to use every bit of her spiritual energy to suppress the massive and terrifying presence within the array.
However, her spiritual energy was weak, clearly insufficient to deal with such a colossal being, and she was on the verge of fainting as a metallic taste filled her mouth.
Qu Wei Yin stood motionless, coldly observing everything in front of her. However, behind her calm facade, her palms were drenched in sweat.
At this moment, Luo Jinxiang was not paying attention to anything else. She silently chanted incantations, trying to use the seal to prevent the colossal creature from appearing before her, but to no avail. Soon, an enormous head appeared in the center of the hall.
The colossal beast finally saw the light of day and began to shake its head excitedly. Unwilling to be restrained, it suddenly roared, releasing a foul breath accompanied by a fierce gust of wind, causing Luo Jinxiang to stagger.
She struggled to open her eyes and dimly saw the head, which was several times larger than her arm, with a terrifying appearance – fiery eyes, golden fur with strange markings.
For a moment, Luo Jinxiang couldn’t tell what it was. Suddenly, panicked voices erupted around her, signaling that the beast was struggling to break free of its restraints. It stood up, its massive body towering above them, resembling a ferocious tiger, exuding an imposing and terrifying presence.
With a swoosh, the Kayden spread its red wings and waved them in the air, causing Luo Jinxiang to take a few steps back.
“What is it? It looks like a tiger, but why does it have wings?” someone asked with a trembling voice.
Luo Jinxiang didn’t need others to answer, she was terrified by its appearance.
It was indeed an ancient wild beast, a Qiongqi!
However, this Qiongqi was still young. According to the ancient texts, the Qiongqi resembled a tiger, had wings, and was known for its man-eating tendencies, making it a creature that needed to be exterminated.
If Luo Jinxiang remembered correctly, in her previous life, after Qu Wei Yin became the Demon Lord, she often used an extremely ferocious Qiongqi as her mount.
Before she could think about it, the creature, growing impatient, began to increase the intensity of its beating, seemingly trying to break free from Luo Jinxiang’s restraints and wreak havoc in the grand hall. Overwhelmed, she was thrown off balance.
Suddenly, the Qiongqi let out a piercing howl and exhaled a breath, causing Luo Jinxiang’s heart to tremble. She quickly turned her head to avoid it.
Qu Wei Yin, who had been standing still all this time, suddenly sprang into action. In an instant, her figure appeared next to Luo Jinxiang, her quick movement almost unnoticeable. Without a moment’s hesitation, she pulled Luo Jinxiang behind her, and in an instant, Qu Wei Yin’s majestic spiritual power flooded the entire Great Hall. A burst of golden light erupted from her palm and tightly enveloped the beast, much to the consternation of the Qiongqi. Fury flickered in its crimson eyes, blazing like fire.
“It’s going to get angry. Chang Siyu, take everyone away!” Qu Wei Yin turned her head to the side and spoke sharply.
Chang Siyu, who had been standing there stunned, suddenly sprang into action. He quickly rushed through the hall and led the disciples, who had no idea what to do, out of the hall.
After calming down the disciples, Chang Siyu, still worried about Qu Wei Yin, decided to return. However, as he entered the hall, the Qiongqi hit him with a wing, sending him crashing into the wall and knocking him unconscious.
“Stay no longer! Get out of here! Do you want to stand here and wait for death?” Qu Wei Yin’s hand blocked Luo Jinxiang’s face, while the other hand restrained Qiongqi, her angry words echoing in the hall.
The hall was filled with gusts of wind and blinding light, making Qu Wei Yin’s profile a blur. Her hair floated in the air, resembling golden strands of silk, as if she were an exiled immortal.
Luo Jinxiang paused, followed her instructions, and stepped aside.
Qu Wei Yin no longer looked at her as she stood alone in the middle of the hall. Her robe fluttered in the wind, her slender figure exuding feminine grace and beauty. Her lips were tightly pressed together, and her phoenix eyes were fixed on the fierce beast in front of her. She was both strikingly beautiful and lonely.
Luo Jinxiang took a few steps away, but inexplicably turned around and dodged a powerful gust of wind from the Qiongqi’s flapping wings.
Although the Qiongqi was still young, it was an ancient, ferocious beast, and Qu Wei Yin was not the demon lord of her previous life and could not fully control it. Filled with killing intent, she summoned the Crescent Moon Star Sword with a raise of her right hand, causing it to manifest in the air. The sheath opened and a reddish light instantly suppressed the Qiongqi.
“Empty calm, all things unite,” Qu Wei Yin’s eyes were resolute and illuminated by the light as she muttered softly, attempting to subdue the Qiongqi by force.
The Qiongqi, realizing that Qu Wei Yin was no easy opponent, suddenly turned around and charged straight at Luo Jinxiang, intending to bite off her head.
Before Luo Jinxiang could react, she felt a soft arm close in and encircle her waist from behind. Then she was pulled into a soft, fragrant embrace, safely protected. A surge of emotion tightened her chest; her cheeks blushed slightly.
And Qu Wei Yin, who had reappeared beside her, instinctively protected her, whispering “useless” in a threatening tone.
Luo Jinxiang never expected Qu Wei Yin to save her. In a daze, she suddenly noticed a trickle of blood from Qu Wei Yin’s lips, leaving a streak of blood near her mouth.
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