Luo Jinxiao could only think of three words: dare not move.
“Hey, wake up!†she called out, trying to rouse Qu Weiyin, but to no avail.
Qu Weiyin appeared to be enduring immense pain; her arms tightened around Luo Jinxiao, making it almost difficult for her to breathe. Her complexion was as pale as snow, her lips devoid of color, making her look exceedingly frail.
The only words escaping her lips were soft murmurs of pain.
With no other options, Luo Jinxiao wrapped her arms around Qu Weiyin and raised one hand to furrow her brow. She exerted some spiritual energy and slowly channeled it into Qu Weiyin’s body.
Qu Weiyin had abundant spiritual energy, but it was chaotic and erratic, rushing wildly throughout her system. It didn’t seem that she was in the throes of demonic deviation, but Luo Jinxiao had encountered several cultivators who had faced such a fate before and was well aware of the signs.
Yet, Qu Weiyin appeared to be afflicted by some kind of curse.
Could this be the reason for her eventual descent into madness? A chill crept down Luo Jinxiao’s spine, making her wary of pondering further.
In her previous life, she might have been able to help Qu Weiyin, but now, with only her meager skills, she felt utterly powerless.
After hesitating for a moment, Luo Jinxiao considered loosening her grip, thinking it might be best to call for someone to assist.
However, as soon as she loosened her hold, Qu Weiyin tightened her embrace, as if holding onto a lifeline, refusing to let go.
Luo Jinxiao struggled for a while but ultimately gasped in defeat. She stretched her neck to scan the surroundings; this seemed to be a very secluded spot, with a rocky backdrop. The water in the pool was naturally warm, steaming with hot vapor that rose into the air.
Since Qu Weiyin was hiding here alone, she likely didn’t want others to know, so calling for help would be unwise.
Luo Jinxiao vaguely remembered hearing that there was a hot spring on the mountain, one that had existed for a thousand years. The water was said to gather the spiritual essence of heaven and earth, providing excellent aid for cultivation.
This must be the place.
Well, a dead horse should be treated as a live one; she couldn’t just leave Qu Weiyin here. What kind of righteous person would do that? Determined, Luo Jinxiao took a deep breath and bravely lifted Qu Weiyin into her arms.
However, being just a young girl, lifting someone like Qu Weiyin proved to be quite a challenge. She gritted her teeth, moving one step at a time toward the edge of the pool.
But then she stumbled; her hand shook and her foot slipped. With a splash, she inadvertently dropped Qu Weiyin back into the water, sending a cascade of droplets flying.
Luo Jinxiao coughed awkwardly, feeling a pang of guilt.
“Oh, demoness! I truly am saving your life this time. When you wake up, please don’t hold this against me.â€
Standing in the water, she let Qu Weiyin lean against her as she gathered all the spiritual energy in her body and slowly channeled it into her.
Interestingly, although she was unable to accept Qu Weiyin’s energy, her own spiritual energy seemed to have a wonderful healing effect on Qu Weiyin. It flowed together seamlessly, showing no signs of rejection.
Luo Jinxiao felt puzzled but continued her efforts, sending more and more of her spiritual energy into Qu Weiyin. Perhaps due to the warm water, she soon noticed that her spiritual energy didn’t diminish; instead, it felt replenished.
This wasn’t so bad. Maybe she could secretly come here for a soak at night, Luo Jinxiao thought cheerfully.
Time passed without her noticing, and finally, Qu Weiyin stirred. Her head rolled slightly against Luo Jinxiao’s shoulder, as if she were beginning to awaken, though her eyes remained closed.
Seeing her like this made Luo Jinxiao’s previous fear of Qu Weiyin vanish into thin air, replaced instead by a sense of sympathy.
In this moment, Qu Weiyin looked incredibly frail, and Luo Jinxiao had always been a kind-hearted person.
“Does it still hurt?†Luo Jinxiao lowered her voice and asked cautiously.
Qu Weiyin, still in a daze, heard the voice and instinctively prepared to attack, but in reality, she merely lifted her hand slightly.
She felt perplexed. Having lived through countless ages spanning thousands of years, when had she ever heard such a gentle tone?
Perhaps wanting to hear it again, or perhaps her heart had softened in that moment, she ultimately chose not to unleash her strike.
At that moment, a loud bird call echoed in the distance. Luo Jinxiao suddenly remembered the time and hastily stepped forward to push Qu Weiyin onto the bank. “Demoness, you’re fine now. I’ll take my leave first!†After saying this, she turned to leave but ran a few steps before her conscience pricked at her. Turning back, she picked up the scattered garments nearby and gently covered Qu Weiyin with them.
Qu Weiyin had a superb figure—slender yet voluptuous. Her legs were long and straight, and her exposed skin was pale and smooth; describing her as beautiful as jade would not be an exaggeration. Her waist could be grasped with a single hand, and a snow-white silk sash was loosely tied around her. As she looked further up…
Luo Jinxiao suddenly felt a heat rising in her cheeks. She quickly rubbed her face and lowered her head, not daring to look further.
As a righteous person, one ought not to look upon what is improper.
With her eyes cast down, Luo Jinxiao took a couple of steps forward, pulling the garments up a little higher before turning to leave.
This left Qu Weiyin alone by the pool, the white mist rising from the water swirling in harmony with the clouds above, moving slowly and gracefully.
After a gentle cough, Qu Weiyin opened her eyes. Her jade-like fingers brushed against the fabric draped over her shoulder. Still feeling a bit dazed, she lazily sat up.
When she practiced here, she had always forbidden anyone from entering. Yet earlier, that little waste had barged in and stumbled upon her secret.
But the one who helped her… could it have been her?
Qu Weiyin stared at her own palm, her eyes narrowing slightly. Suddenly, a flame burst forth from her hand, the fierce fire blazing intensely, and her gaze became particularly frightening.
At the halfway point of the mountain, the Forging Immortal Platform awaited.
Luo Jinxiao stood amidst the bustling crowd, looking up at a figure on the platform. The man was tall and upright, with sword-like brows and starry eyes, exuding the clear and handsome demeanor of a cultivator. However, upon closer inspection, Luo Jinxiao couldn’t help but scoff.
Wasn’t this the same man who, along with Qu Chengfeng, had barged into her room that day?
“Today’s disciples must pass through three trials to be accepted into the Wuhui Sect!†the man proclaimed loudly. The moment he said this, the crowd below erupted in commotion.
“Why must there be trials? Do you mean to say I still can’t enter the Wuhui Sect?†a tall young man asked, his displeasure evident.
“Don’t complain, young man. I’ve been cultivating for eighty years, and this is the only chance I have. If I fail, I’ll just have to go home and bury myself,†an elderly voice chimed in from behind Luo Jinxiao.
At that, she almost burst out laughing.
“You’re laughing at others, but you should worry more about yourself,†someone pushed through next to her, their tone dripping with disdain.
Luo Jinxiao turned to see it was the girl who had mocked her earlier, along with Luo Mei—the one who had fallen off the bird because of her actions.
“What’s there to worry about?†Luo Jinxiao replied with a smile, seemingly unbothered.
She wasn’t reliant on entering the Wuhui Sect to cultivate; after all, finding a good master meant she could cultivate much faster than in other sects—so why not?
“You have no celestial vein; how will you pass the trials?†The girl stepped directly in front of her, laughing loudly and mockingly. “I advise you to withdraw early and leave some face for your Luo family!â€
A surge of impatience rose within Luo Jinxiao as she wondered what grudge her previous self had held against this girl that made her so intolerable.
“First trial,†the man declared loudly.
A few disciples dressed in white descended from the Forging Immortal Platform. These were all third-stage disciples, lined up to await the testing of the crowd’s celestial veins.
The girl shot a provocative glance at Luo Jinxiao before stepping forward first. She casually stood before one of the disciples, crossing her arms and saying, “Let’s go.â€
The disciple extended two fingers and chanted a soft incantation. A fine, thread-like white light extended from his fingertips to the girl’s glabella. Soon, he announced loudly, “Foundation Establishment, Phase Three.â€
The crowd behind them gasped in admiration. Though it was only the Foundation Establishment stage, for a girl of her age to reach Phase Three was quite impressive.
“Pass.†After the announcement, the disciple turned his gaze toward Luo Jinxiao, who was still standing behind.
“Pass.†After the announcement, the disciple turned his gaze toward Luo Jinxiao, who was still standing behind.
“Don’t look at her. She’s a waste with no celestial vein; whatever they test won’t amount to anything,†the girl said maliciously, sneering at Luo Jinxiao.
Luo Jinxiao had always been disinclined to engage with people like this; regardless of any grudges, it wouldn’t hinder her path.
“Those below Foundation Establishment will not pass,†a male voice called out from behind. Luo Jinxiao turned to see a pair of malicious eyes staring back at her.
It was the man in white.
“Senior Brother Cheng Siyu,†the surrounding disciples greeted him respectfully upon his arrival.
Cheng Siyu—so this was Cheng Siyu, Luo Jinxiao thought as she surveyed him, a hint of melancholy filling her heart.
If one were to project him two thousand years into the future, he would indeed be a tragic figure. As a leading master of the martial world, he had harbored an unrequited love for the demoness Qu Weiyin for a thousand years, his hair turning silver in the pursuit of meeting his beloved just once.
Ultimately, during the war between the immortal and demon realms, he had betrayed the righteous path and assisted the demons, only to be wiped out by the combined might of the orthodox sects.
From this perspective, his hostility toward her was not entirely unwarranted, especially since she had almost been married to Qu Weiyin, Luo Jinxiao mused.
“You, I will test,†Cheng Siyu said in a deep voice, pushing the other disciples aside as he stood before Luo Jinxiao. He didn’t retract the oppressive aura surrounding him, intentionally trying to suppress her.
Luo Jinxiao felt a sudden tightness in her chest but gritted her teeth and stood her ground, calmly responding, “Please.â€
Cheng Siyu’s fingers moved, and his spiritual energy surged into Luo Jinxiao’s mind. She closed her eyes and allowed him to proceed with the test.
In her previous life, she remembered, she had already reached the Golden Core stage at this moment. However, this time her celestial veins felt quite different, making it difficult to predict her current strength.
Time passed slowly, and the crowd around them had rotated several times, yet Cheng Siyu still hadn’t withdrawn his hand. His brows knitted tighter, as if he were encountering some kind of problem.
More and more people gathered around, murmuring and creating a noisy buzz.
After what felt like an eternity, Cheng Siyu finally pulled his hand away, sweat dripping from his brow. His face showed shock and confusion as he muttered, “How can this be…â€
“Senior Brother Siyu, does she have no celestial vein? If so, why not just kick her out?†the girl who had taunted Luo Jinxiao earlier could no longer hold her tongue.
“Who is making a commotion here?â€
A cold voice rang out, startling Cheng Siyu. He quickly turned to see the owner of the voice, his gaze igniting with intensity. Just as he was about to say something, the newcomer strode past him, approaching Luo Jinxiao with steady steps.
People parted ways as she walked by.
“Junior Uncle Qu,†the disciples quickly bowed in greeting.
The newcomer was Qu Weiyin. She had changed into a clean, bright red outfit, her garments billowing as she approached briskly, a crescent moon sword gripped in her hand.
She cast a frowning glance at Cheng Siyu and raised her hand gently. Immediately, Luo Jinxiao felt a significant lightness throughout her body.
Without looking at Luo Jinxiao, Qu Weiyin’s expression remained cold. “What happened?â€
“Back to you, Junior Uncle Qu, she… she has a celestial vein, but the rank cannot be determined,†Cheng Siyu replied cautiously.
“Oh?†Qu Weiyin raised an eyebrow slightly, stepping forward to close the distance between herself and Luo Jinxiao. A soft fragrance enveloped Luo Jinxiao in an instant.
Uncharacteristically, Luo Jinxiao gulped nervously, unable to help but take a step back.
“Don’t move,†Qu Weiyin said coldly, reaching out to grasp the back of Luo Jinxiao’s neck, preventing her from retreating.
“If you don’t stay still, I’ll kill you,†Qu Weiyin whispered, her voice low and threatening. Then, unexpectedly, she leaned in, and their foreheads gently touched.
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