Shang Can hadn’t known from the start that Yun Duan possessed the legendary Wuxia Immortal Body. This rare and almost mythical constitution was far too unique, and it was only after their master, Wang Yue, scoured countless ancient texts that she confirmed it. To protect Yun Duan, very few people were informed, and for the longest time, even Shang Can was unaware. All she knew was that her junior sister’s aptitude was astoundingly good.
“I’m serious, your junior sister is incredible.” Shang Can often heard such praise for Yun Duan from Chu Ming during their conversations. He took many classes and had seen far more disciples than Shang Can. “I’ve never met anyone who learns that fast—you might get overshadowed.”
“That’s great news,” Shang Can responded, her pride swelling more than if she herself had been praised. “Don’t let our small Yuheng Peak fool you; we’ve all got talent.”
“And what’s more impressive is that she’s hardworking, never skips class, and is loved by the teachers. Any thoughts on that?” Chu Ming teased.
“Well, that’s definitely great news,” Shang Can repeated, without a hint of suspicion. After all, their master Wang Yue was known for her demanding standards when accepting disciples. She wouldn’t have waited twenty years to take Shang Can as her first true disciple, and then only years later accept Yun Duan. Yun Duan’s extraordinary talent was necessary to catch Wang Yue’s eye.
Shang Can only learned the truth two years after Yun Duan entered the sect.
It was during Yun Duan’s first journey down the mountain. Shang Can couldn’t help but worry, so she found an excuse to secretly follow behind the group of Qingyu disciples. And, sure enough, trouble arose.
The group was ambushed. Out of jealousy for Yun Duan’s exceptional talent, some in the group betrayed her, leaving her surrounded by demons and injured.
Shang Can had fought tooth and nail to save Yun Duan from the demon horde. Even though she was still unaware of Yun Duan’s Wuxia Immortal Body at the time, she had a gut feeling that Yun Duan’s blood was somehow attracting the demons, driving them mad.
In the chaos, Shang Can fought with all her might, while clumsily trying to heal Yun Duan with healing spells she wasn’t yet proficient in. Her heart was racing with worry. Once they broke free from the demon tide, she rushed towards Qingyu, her only thought being to get Yun Duan to safety as soon as possible.
“Shijie, blood—” Yun Duan’s trembling voice cut through the chaos, and Shang Can’s heart leapt as she looked down in panic.
Ah, it wasn’t Yun Duan who was bleeding. It was her own injury. That’s fine.
Exhaustion hit her late. Shang Can barely made it to Qingyu’s gates, and it was only when she saw Wang Yue rushing toward them that everything went black and she collapsed.
When she awoke, she learned from Wang Yue about Yun Duan’s unique constitution. Shang Can was filled with both awe and concern. “That’s… that’s too dangerous! Can’t we get her some kind of, I don’t know, armor that makes her invulnerable?”
“There’s no such convenient item,” Wang Yue replied. “And even if there were, it would only make her an even bigger target.”
“But… but…” Shang Can furrowed her brows in frustration. “This is too dangerous. It’s not just demons; even humans—especially humans—would be harder to guard against if they found out. What if someone harbors ill intentions toward her?”
“Then you beat them up,” Wang Yue said succinctly, clapping her on the shoulder—carefully avoiding her wounds, yet still making Shang Can wince.
“With her gifts come great risks. Yun Duan must grow strong enough to protect herself.”
“And you must do the same.” Wang Yue stood, her expression softening with a rare smile. “I had planned to tell you sooner or later. Seems like fate intervened.”
“Now that you know, you’ll have to grow stronger—stronger than her.”
“And protect her. Don’t let her get hurt.”
“And if she ever gets exposed and becomes a target, make sure you’re both strong enough to slap anyone who dares covet her.”
Shang Can had thought then that she would prefer such a situation to never arise. She didn’t have much faith in people, believing that no amount of fighting could ever stop them. So, she silently resolved to protect Yun Duan from ever being hurt again.
But it was useless. All of it was useless.
Standing on the platform now, surrounded by suspicious looks from the cultivators and the greedy, ravenous demons surging toward them, Shang Can tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword. Her ordinary weapon couldn’t withstand her strength; clear indentations of her fingers appeared on the sword’s handle.
How could Yun Duan have gotten hurt? She had been watching her the entire time. How could she let this happen?
Shang Can suddenly felt utterly worthless.
After that incident years ago, she had practiced healing spells thousands upon thousands of times.
But when it truly mattered, she still had to recite the spell several times before getting it right.
As the demon tide swelled, the cultivators snapped out of their daze, shaken by the revelation of Yun Duan’s *Wux
ia Immortal Body*. They quickly returned to the battle lines to fend off the oncoming demons, no one daring to mention what had just transpired. Yet, the atmosphere on the platform had unmistakably changed.
Shang Can had no interest in what schemes the others might be plotting. At this point, the plan to lift the spiritual barrier at the Morning Bell was doomed. She didn’t care about the lives of these people anymore. Her only concern was Yun Duan’s safety. With a cold, unreadable expression, she shielded Yun Duan as they moved toward the center of the platform. But Yun Duan suddenly halted, shaking her head at Shang Can when she looked back.
“…It won’t work,” Yun Duan said softly.
Her voice was calm, almost eerily so, as if she wasn’t fazed at all by the exposure of her dangerous and extraordinary physique. If not for the bright red blood staining her waist, Shang Can might have thought there was nothing out of the ordinary.
Won’t work? What wouldn’t work?
Was she referring to the spiritual barrier that couldn’t be opened, or to the idea of simply hiding? Or was it Shang Can’s plan to use the other cultivators as a shield against the demon horde that was targeting Yun Duan?
Whatever it was, Shang Can didn’t care. None of those were answers she wanted to hear.
“Shang… er, Gong Shang… Shijie?”
It was Wan Shao, who had somehow silently appeared beside her, addressing her with a mixture of caution and concern. Shang Can realized her face must’ve looked terrible, otherwise Wan Shao wouldn’t be speaking so hesitantly. She had likely witnessed what had just unfolded and had come to see if there was anything she could do to help.
Shang Can glanced at her, noting the worry and curiosity in her bright face. With a quiet sigh, Shang Can silently vowed to apologize to Wan Shao later. She had already made up her mind to do something very unbecoming in the eyes of the sect.
Even now, she could feel those prying eyes from all directions, no longer the pure admiration and respect once directed at Yun Duan. Instead, the looks were full of scrutiny, curiosity, and a creeping greed, as if they were sizing up a rare treasure.
It made Shang Can sick.
“Go down,” she said to Wan Shao, her voice firm. Then, without waiting for a response, she grabbed Yun Duan by the wrist and strode toward the center of the platform.
Yun Duan hesitated, a flicker of doubt in her eyes. She furrowed her brows slightly. “Wait—”
“I need to borrow this,” Shang Can interrupted, reaching for the hilt of Wuyou, the sword hanging at Yun Duan’s waist. Her own sword had snapped in several places earlier in her fury, no longer usable. Without waiting for permission, she unsheathed Wuyou with a sharp metallic ring, the blade shining with a cloud-like glow.
As they reached the platform’s center, a demon, apparently spurred on by the sword’s brilliance, launched itself toward Yun Duan from above.
In an instant, a torrent of white sword light surged forward like a waterfall, engulfing the demon completely. When the light faded, not even its remains were left.
“Such a racket. Annoying,” Shang Can muttered with a flash of hostility in her eyes, though her voice was surprisingly soft and gentle, at odds with her appearance and the words she spoke.
With Wuyou firmly in hand, she drove the blade into the center of the platform, her tone still mild as she spoke again.
“All of you—get out.”
The platform fell silent for a moment, and then, centered around Wuyou, a powerful wave of spiritual energy suddenly exploded outward. Aside from Shang Can and Yun Duan, everyone else on the platform was swept off by the force, with no time to react. In an instant, the platform was left empty, with just the two of them remaining.
A chorus of groans and complaints arose from the crowd below, but Shang Can acted as though she didn’t hear them. She lifted her gaze towards the demons, who, now without any obstacles in their way, eagerly rushed at the two of them.
With a light motion, she pulled Wuyou from the ground but quickly sheathed it back into the scabbard at Yun Duan’s waist.
Fine, if what I just did wasn’t enough, then now I’ll do something worthwhile.
Shang Can exhaled a slow, heavy breath. Facing the oncoming demon tide, she calmly closed her eyes.
Her mind stirred, rippling like waves on a sea, and soon, something hidden beneath the surface began to rise. It radiated heat and light, blazing with brilliance.
It was a ball of golden flames.
“Fall.”
Shang Can softly uttered the word.
As soon as the word left her lips, the temperature around them skyrocketed, and countless bright golden flames, carrying with them the power to destroy everything in their path, tore through the sky and crashed heavily to the ground. Though her eyes remained closed, the scene was vividly reflected in her mind.
At the same time, the cries of demons and the gasps of cultivators filled the air, and the scent of burning filled her nose. It was the smell of life draining away—powerful and merciless.
“…Heavenly Fire.”
The familiar yet strange voice came from behind her. Shang Can’s long eyelashes trembled as she silently curled her lips into a faint smile, before letting it fade away.
When she opened her eyes, the meteors of fire raining down from the sky had ceased. The spiritual barrier that had tormented them for so long was shattered by the overwhelming force, and before her lay the demon tide, writhing in the flames. The fire, like red lotus blossoms, danced around them, staining half the sky red, making even the sun appear dim. Accompanied by the piercing howls of the demons breaking through the clouds, the once serene immortal sect now resembled a hellish abyss.
Shang Can blinked as if nothing was out of the ordinary, and the flames obediently shrank and disappeared, leaving behind only charred corpses of demons and scorched earth.
In just a moment, the demon tide had been mostly wiped out by the heavenly fire.
She glanced around—she had controlled it well enough, not harming any of the cultivators caught in the chaos. However, the once scenic immortal sect had taken significant damage, now looking quite desolate.
“Let’s go.”
Shang Can glanced sideways at the people below the platform. Wan Shao sighed and stepped out from among the cultivators, who were still in shock from the earlier onslaught. Her expression was complicated, but she said nothing and silently moved to stand beside Shang Can.
…After returning to the Netherworld, Shang Can thought, she would have to apologize to Wan Shao properly. This trip had been a total loss—not only had they gained nothing, but they had also gotten into a messy situation.
Now, even escaping had become a grand spectacle, and Shang Can wasn’t sure if they could actually get away.
Before she could turn to leave, she heard the sound of Wuyou being unsheathed. She sighed softly and slowly turned back around.
There were no harsh words, no sword aura—only an impossibly beautiful woman standing there, quietly looking at her, holding a sword.
The scene was so familiar it was almost maddening, but now the positions were reversed, and the words that followed were filled with an unfamiliar coldness.
“Yun Zhongjun doesn’t want to let me go, huh?”
Shang Can’s lips curled into a playful smile, her voice as warm as a spring breeze, but Yun Duan’s arms tensed, as if bracing herself for a deadly strike.
“Can-er.”
For once, Yun Duan’s usually cold voice carried a trace of hesitation. She stared directly at Shang Can, her eyes filled with emotions too complicated for even Shang Can to decipher.
“…You are Can-er.”
“I am.”
Without wasting any words, Shang Can nodded firmly, tilting her head slightly.
“But if I told you—the one who’s been stirring up trouble in Yan Yang recently and leading this demon attack on the Immortal Sect isn’t me, would you believe it?”
“…”
Yun Duan’s gaze flickered, as if recalling the night they ventured to the outskirts of Yan Yang together. Her tense shoulders relaxed slightly.
In the blink of an eye, flames erupted in front of Yun Duan. She raised her sword, cutting through the fire, which dispersed lightly, like smoke. It was merely a distraction, without any real force behind it.
Shang Can and Wan Shao had already used the opportunity to rise into the air, carried by the wind. Behind Shang Can, golden wings of fire formed. From midair, she looked down at Yun Duan, her lips moving silently.
Take care.
Without looking back again, Shang Can disappeared into the sky in the blink of an eye.
Yun Duan stood still for a moment, her expression cold. Then, she mounted her sword and chased after them, followed closely by Chu Ming.
The remaining cultivators exchanged bewildered glances, unsure whether they should first celebrate their narrow survival or rush to spread the news:
“Biluo Huanquang attacked the Immortal Sect—Shang Can has appeared! The evidence is undeniable!”
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