Chapter 137 Chapter 137 44

Baili Qing also saw the two people who blocked his way.

His face became distorted, but he stopped moving.

He had to stop even if he didn't want to, because he recognized the two people in front of him.

Yu Heyan, a well-known figure in the world of cultivation, whose medicine countless people line up to seek, and the last disciple of a drunkard, about whom he only got accurate information and appearance by chance five years ago. Both of them are difficult for him to deal with.

As for the former, he was afraid that he might accidentally hurt him, and then he would be retaliated by countless people. As for the latter, he knew that Qu Chengjing was a genius in swordsmanship, and he would know that he could not beat him after just one encounter.

And... it seemed that no matter what he did, it was too late, because Yuan Rui in the secret realm was soon possessed by the thing that came out of the flag, and was wailing in pain. He was afraid that he would not be able to hold on for much longer.

So he soon began to think about backing out.

He didn't want to endure the double backlash, but he looked at Ruoruo who was watching the show not too close to him, and then took a deep look at Fan'er in the secret realm reflected by the magic weapon, and he still held the delusion that he could turn back.

Shui Ying looked at his performance and knew that this man was completely unreliable. He didn't take her words to heart at all. All the years she had been with him and everything she had done for him seemed to have become a huge joke.

She was not very sincere towards others, and even her relatives were forgotten by her in a moment. However, as a Taoist partner, she thought she had done a good job. However, the person she had never let down ended up letting her down easily.

Shuiying's eyes were filled with hatred that could not be concealed.

Everyone around saw it, but they all chose to remain silent. Until—the sharp tip of the knife fiercely pierced flesh, then was quickly pulled out and stabbed again.

Baili Qing turned around in disbelief, "Shuiying, you..."

Shui Ying finally released her strength, but still held the dagger tightly in her hand. She angrily said, "Bai Li Qing, you are a cowardly and hypocritical waste!"

"But even so, we are still husband and wife, a pair of Taoist companions, an inseparable whole. So naturally we have to share the same hardships and feelings, hahahaha!"

As she spoke, Shuiying smiled. People like her often lived in ignorance for the first half of their lives. All they used to do was enjoy the incomparable favorable conditions brought to them by their grandmother, and turn a blind eye to the plight of those Dinglu. But she didn't expect that after all the calculations, in the end, she ended up making others pretend to be ignorant and blind, and unable to see her own efforts.

She is not willing to accept this.

The backlash from Yuan Rui's life exchange against Baili Qing alone could not satisfy her. After all, the pain she had to endure as a spellcaster was far beyond Baili Qing's reach.

But she is Yuanrui's mother, and Baili Qing is Yuanrui's father. Why should the backlash they receive be different? Originally, she was willing to be the one who cast the spell and made sacrifices to please her husband, but now, she is unwilling to do so.

But soon the sharp blade in her hand fell to the ground, and she rolled on the ground in pain.

Because of that flag, the pain she was now suffering was far beyond her imagination.

Baili Qing also knelt on the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Everyone then turned their attention to the Yunshui Mirror.

But soon many people closed their eyes silently again.

It was too tragic. Yuan Rui was being eaten away bit by bit under the gaze of all of them. He was even more miserable than the person just now. I don’t know if it was because of the backlash or because the evil ghost in the flag had consciousness, but Yuan Rui was eaten extremely slowly. It was as if they had made an appointment together and slowly tasted Yuan Rui’s flesh and blood.

Bai Kang stood aside with a frown on his face, carefully sensing his surroundings to prevent any other sudden threats. He was surprised and incredulous about Yuan Rui's predicament. Even though he had witnessed so much, he had never imagined that a magic weapon could be so evil.

He felt happy at first because Yuanrui was reaping what he had sown, but he soon realized that something was wrong.

As those evil spirits in the form of souls were devouring Yuan Rui, the black energy on their bodies became increasingly dense. That would have been fine, but he discovered that some of the souls seemed to be struggling.

Perhaps it was because he knew from a young age that he came from the mortal world and often liked to go to the secular world, so he always knew that he was a person who could empathize with others easily, but now this ability of his could actually allow him to feel vague emotions from the thick black air of the evil spirits.

While they were resisting and struggling, they were also enjoying eating the flesh and blood. They were full of resentment and anger, but there seemed to be a bit of desire mixed in.

Bai Kang didn't know what they were longing for, but it definitely wasn't Yuanrui's flesh and blood.

So he finally started using his spiritual power to try to snatch the flag away.

"No!" Yuan Rui struggled, but the moment he felt the flag slip out of his hand, he still let out an unwilling roar, even louder than the wail he made when he was being bitten just now.

But the next moment, he suddenly found that the pain in his body was much less, and a large part of the ghosts that were gnawing at him slowly returned to the flag.

He still had some strength left to resist, and he quickly endured the pain and took out a treasure that could be used for defense.

When he saw someone breaking into the secret realm and heading straight towards them, he couldn't hold on any longer and fainted.

"Kang'er, are you okay?"

"Are you okay, kid?"

"Are you okay?"

Yu Hechen, Yu Heyan, and Qu Chengjing asked Bai Kang at the same time.

Then the three of them were stunned at the same time, and Yu Hechen spoke again, "Let's take everyone in the secret realm out first."

Qu Chengjing walked up to Bai Kang, took out a box, and motioned him to put the flag in his hand.

Bai Kang had never seen him, nor had he seen another person who looked a bit like Uncle Chen and cared about him. But seeing that Uncle Chen didn't stop him, he knew it wouldn't harm him.

The group then left the secret realm. Except for the people from Qianshan Sect and the sect whose disciple had died, who had grim expressions on their faces, everyone else present was smiling.

Regardless of anything else, at least everyone got out alive, and their sect's treasured genius was saved.

But they soon realized the culprit. As one of the five great sects, hosting a competition was such a hassle. "Well, now it's time for you, the Qianshan Sect, to explain this whole series of events."

Are the people of Qianshan Sect in a miserable state right now? Absolutely. Baili Qing, Shuiying, Yuanrui, and even the other disciples aren't in much better shape, but they all deserve it. They don't deserve any pity at all.

Neither Baili Qing nor Shui Ying spoke at the crowd's questioning. Judging from Shui Ying's current state, she was probably unable to speak. Although she hadn't fainted, just looking at her appearance, it was clear that she probably didn't have the strength to speak. As for Baili Qing, he still lowered his head, seemingly enduring great pain, but many people knew clearly that at his current state—not that serious.

Just as Yu Heyan and Qu Chengjing exchanged glances and were about to speak, they suddenly heard a sigh, "Let me tell you. I can't guarantee that this is the truth, but this is all I know."

The person who stood up was Huo Ling'er. She seemed to have lost her original pride a long time ago, and even had a bit of shame on her face when she spoke.

But she still spoke, telling all the truth she knew and pieced together.

These days she didn't participate in any competitions or do anything else, but was trying to restore the things that she had once been blinded to.

For example, the disdain that Grandpa's own mistress had shown towards the eldest brother behind his back in those years, for example, what she thought was the eldest brother's "pretentiousness" was actually because Grandpa had never intended to marry her to the eldest brother from the beginning. Grandpa had already made a deal with the master and mistress. Grandpa was just guessing, but if he succeeded in the future, Yuanrui would have to marry her, and with her as the go-between, she and Grandpa could both get a lot of benefits.

That's why the people she trusted the most would constantly say bad things about the senior brother in front of her, constantly emphasizing the senior brother's miserable life experience, warning her, and subtly influencing her to hate the senior brother.

She had never been a smart person, nor a determined person, so her mind could be controlled by her grandfather and her master's wife. She was like a sad marionette, cooperating with the performance of all of them, but still being proud and complacent, thinking that she was great.

It was not until her grandfather died and her master's wife felt that she was no longer valuable that she realized that she was just being held high in the void. No matter where she went, she would fall, leaving only her proud head.

She told him everything she knew and what she had found out in the past few days, even exposing her grandfather's disguise. That's right, her grandfather was not the aloof and respected elder. Instead, he was a villain who tried to rob Gua Fenren of his luck and didn't care about other people's lives at all.

Huo Ling'er hated him and loved him at the same time. He was still the towering tree in her heart because she was the child he raised, his granddaughter. Even though there were so many calculations involved, he was still the person who would write on paper that she loved to eat candied haws, loved beauty, and liked jewelry, so he would buy her more things that he looked down upon.

Huo Linger held her head high and straight. "This is everything I know. I was wrong, and so was my grandfather. I admit it all. My grandfather is dead, and I'm the only one left. If my grandfather's repayment is not enough, I'm willing to pay it back. You can do whatever you want to me. The worst that can happen is death. I'm not afraid!"

What Huo Ling'er didn't expect was that after she finished speaking, no one looked at her with contempt, no one shouted at her to kill, but instead they began to have a heated discussion about the "son abandoned by heaven" and the "art of exchanging lives".

Her senior brother was surrounded by a group of people, and she couldn't even see the corner of his clothes.

This should be a good thing, but she inexplicably felt a greater sense of loss and panic.

The only thing that attracted attention to her was probably, "She is the granddaughter of the Qianshan Sect's Great Elder and the second disciple of Baili Qing. Coming from her, it's very likely to be true."

"In that case, Shuiying must not be let off. After all, it was she who came up with the life-changing technique. We should now find out where she got this evil technique from. As for her, I suggest that we deal with her right now. Otherwise, if someone gets greedy and contacts Shuiying privately..." As he spoke, he glanced at everyone, looking very righteous.

"Yes, Baili Qing can't be let off either. After all, he and Shuiying are husband and wife. Even if he wasn't the one who came up with the life-changing technique, after all these years, there's no guarantee he wouldn't know anything about it. Even the other disciples of Qianshan Sect, especially those who have had frequent contact with Shuiying, can't be let off!"

"I think Shuiying must die, but isn't the fate of Bailiqing and the other disciples of Qianshan Sect less serious? We cultivators are always competing with the heavens and the earth. It's not a sin to scheme against others for luck or a breakthrough in cultivation. If Shuiying hadn't used the life-exchanging technique, it wouldn't have come to this... Yuanrui, as the beneficiary, should also be punished. However, when his life was exchanged, he was just a newborn baby. Isn't it a bit cruel to just beat him to death with a stick?"

"But don't forget, Yuanrui is also a person abandoned by heaven. Who knows how many shameful things Baili Qing has done behind his back? Otherwise, how could he give birth to such an evil child? Forsaken by heaven, even heaven despises you. How can you be a good person here? What's more, didn't you see Yuanrui's cruelty in the secret realm just now?"

Before they even figured out the situation, they had already started discussing the fate of Baili Qing, Shui Ying and even the entire Qianshan Sect.

They spoke passionately and excitedly. Those who had no friendship with Qianshan Sect all agreed that everyone in Qianshan Sect should die, while those who had friendship with them felt that it should not be so excessive.

But they all knew in their hearts that what they cared about was not the life or death of Baili Qing and the other people in Qianshan Sect.

But it was the subsequent division of Qianshan Sect’s resources.

This is Qianshan Sect, one of the five major sects. God knows how many good things it can have.

Why were they vying to determine the fate of Baili Qing, Shuiying, and even the entire Qianshan Sect? To put it bluntly, they were afraid that Bai Kang, the real victim, would intervene. Interference would be fine, but if Baili Qing was killed and he himself ascended to the throne as the leader of the Qianshan Sect, they would never agree! With the duck so close to their grasp, they absolutely couldn't let it fly away!

At this time, Yu Heyan stood up, signaled everyone to be quiet, and told them that Shuiying came from Hele Sect.

"He Le Zong?!"

Many people were shocked. They hadn't heard this name for a long time, and when they heard it suddenly, they felt it was a bit unfamiliar.

Many people showed disgusted expressions after hearing the name He Le Zong, but some people frowned calmly and subconsciously took two steps back.

Because they had done business with Helezong, and even couldn't forget Helezong's tripod furnace.

"Shuiying is actually from the Hele Sect. Needless to say, the life-changing technique must have come from the Hele Sect! Why is this Hele Sect so haunted?"

"Then there's a reason why Yuan Rui is forsaken by heaven. It's no wonder that the remnants of the Hele Sect are also forsaken by heaven!"

"This... Shuiying just sounded so pitiful, but who else would be hurt if not her? She deserves it!"

As for Baili Qing, no one tried to excuse him anymore. Some people tried to excuse him just now because they wanted to save Baili Qing's life. Even if they couldn't save his life, they could at least do a favor to the disciples left behind by Qianshan Sect. Maybe if Qianshan Sect failed, they could allocate more resources to them. But now, Shui Ying was from Hele Sect. What if Baili Qing was cleared of all charges and turned into a poor deceived person? He would still be the leader of Qianshan Sect, and Qianshan Sect would still exist. This was not what they wanted to see.

Baili Qing naturally heard those words as well. He was trying hard to regulate his spiritual power and suppress the backlash, but suddenly he lost his temper and suddenly spat out another mouthful of blood.

But he could no longer care about it. Even though he had suspected a few days ago that he had found the wrong person, and the person he was supposed to bring back was Miss Ruoruo, not Shuiying, but when he learned that Shuiying was from the Hele Sect, his blood boiled and he wanted to tear this vicious woman to pieces.

"Haha, so you were trying to exchange your life with Miss Mudan back then? If it weren't for you...if it weren't for you, I..."

Shuiying was lying on the ground when she heard his voice. She didn't even have the strength to raise the corners of her mouth, but the sarcasm in her eyes could not be concealed.

She knew what he wanted to say, which was simply that if she hadn't tried to trade her life for Mudan's, she would have been in his arms by now. Hahaha, ridiculous, even now, this man was still blaming her. Other people's blame was fine, but his blame only made Shuiying want to die with him.

"If you say it wasn't me, I'd also say it wasn't you!" She gritted her teeth, the veins on her forehead, fingers, and any exposed skin visible at a glance. "If it wasn't you, if my original father, a person of great luck, had met me and taken me away, I wouldn't have given birth to this person abandoned by heaven! I wouldn't have come to this point today!"

*

Suddenly, a voice, not loud but clear enough for them to hear, came, "Everyone, can you please make way?"

It was the woman who had been sitting in the seat belonging to the Yuding Sect and watching the show.

When she walked in, they seemed to smell a faint fragrance in the air.

Tempting yet completely unpleasant.

Ruoruo originally planned to push through the crowd and walk to Bai Kang, but before she could get close to those people, Ji Ling had already pushed them eight feet away, and Yu Hechen and Qu Chengjing followed closely behind, making everyone evacuate and stay away from Ruoruo.

But even so, there were still quite a lot of people surrounding Bai Kang, which formed a sharp contrast with Yuan Rui who was lying on the other side with no one paying attention to him, or even looking at him.

There are not many fools who can make it this far. Even if the disciples who come here are not familiar with the ways of the world, the sect leader must understand them.

Bai Kang is a living person of great luck, and his performance in the competition from beginning to end was top-notch. Although we still don’t know how he can become a person of great luck, it is better to make friends with him as early as possible.

The four words "a person with great luck" are absolutely extraordinary, and can even be said to represent the beginning or end of an era.

So for a moment, even if someone with higher status and cultivation than them asked them to give way, they were unwilling to do so. But they were soon slapped in the face by the person in question.

"Please move aside, I have something else to do."

Bai Kang naturally wanted to take credit from his mother.

During this period, he kept trying to flatten the corners of his mouth, but he couldn't do it. His score was first. Although he didn't know whether the original reward would be issued after so many things happened, he was first!

"Mom, why did you come here so suddenly? There are so many people here. Just ask someone to call me."

Ruo Ruo: "I'm not an old lady who is in her seventies or eighties and can't move. I won't break if someone touches me. You don't need to worry."

As soon as Ruoruo said this, without waiting for Bai Kang to say anything, several men panicked.

Ji Ling: "Ruoruo is certainly not an old lady. You can go wherever you want. Kang'er and I will accompany you."

Yu Hechen wanted to speak, but he interrupted her first.

As for Yu Heyan and Qu Chengjing, both of them are quiet people and their reactions are far less quick than Ji Ling's.

But the following gaze and firm movements revealed everything.

"Kang'er, come here and go somewhere with me."

Ji Ling and the others subconsciously wanted to follow, but were stopped by Ruo Ruo. They could only open their mouths to express their grievances, "Ruo Ruo... I can't bear to leave you."

Yu Hechen seemed more obedient, but his movements also revealed his worry. "Miss Ruoruo, take Kang'er and go back early."

Qu Chengjing and Yu Heyan hadn't had time to talk to Ruoruo since they met her. They wanted to say something after hearing what Ruoruo said, but they all chose to keep silent.

They should respect Ruoruo's choice. She is not a child. She has her own privacy and things she wants to do. When she doesn't need them, all they can do is wait.

Ruo Ruo watched their movements, thought for a moment, and suddenly said, "If you want to follow me, then come along."

Of course, these words were not only spoken to Ji Ling and the other three, but also to everyone present.

…

Ruoruo brought Bai Kang to the top of a mountain.

Everyone who followed was very surprised. They didn't expect that there was such a place in the world of cultivation.

"Go, Kang'er, do you see that floating thing? Go and smash it."

Originally, Ruoruo planned to let Bai Kang go his own way, but a piece of news from 439 made her change her mind.

Tiandao took the initiative to ask them to break down the isolation barrier in advance and replace Tiandao.

It was born in the vast world of cultivation, but neither its own growth rate nor its innate character could handle this responsibility. This was not a good thing for this world, nor was it necessarily comfortable for it.

Bai Kang listens to his mother very much. Although he doesn't understand why his mother wants him to do this, she will never harm him. Moreover, his mother took him to travel around looking for treasures some time ago. Even if his mother didn't say it explicitly, he could vaguely guess something.

Regardless of whether it was what he guessed or not, he was willing to listen to his mother.

But what his mother asked him to do seemed to be more troublesome than he had imagined.

The round bead was not easy to destroy, even though he had used all his skills, including the magic weapon his mother had prepared for him in advance.

"Are you willing to lend a hand to Kang'er?"

Ruo Ruo turned around and looked at the person following behind her.

"nature."

If Ruoruo hadn't said nothing, they would have wanted to go up and help.

"But if this bead is destroyed, it means that the world of cultivation and the secular world will be connected. Spiritual energy will slowly spread throughout the secular world. From then on, the boundary between mortals and cultivators will no longer be so clear. The loss of spiritual energy in the world of cultivation may also affect your cultivation."

Ji Ling smiled, unconcerned. "Whatever Ruoruo wants to do, let alone something like this, even if it means making the world an enemy, I'm happy to do it. But if others aren't happy about it, I can do it myself."

As he said that, he flew to Bai Kang without hesitation.

Yu Hechen and Qu Chengjing followed closely behind.

Yu and Yan were worried about Ruoruo being here alone and wanted to stay, but Ruoruo pushed them away.

Instead, the people who had shamelessly followed behind changed their expressions. "No, what do you mean by that? Don't be impulsive!"

However, among the group that followed, Ji Ling had the highest cultivation level, followed by Qu Chengjing. The two ignored their orders and went ahead with their actions. They wanted to stop them but didn't dare. They watched helplessly, feeling miserable. If they didn't stop this today, they would be the sinners of the entire cultivation world tomorrow.

"No, you absolutely cannot act rashly. I would rather risk my life than let you do whatever you want! The spiritual power in the world of cultivation is becoming increasingly thin. If you continue to act recklessly like this, how will our future generations cultivate?" An old man stepped forward and spoke first.

Everyone followed suit.

Some of them were really worried about the future of the cultivation world, while others were just worried about their own future cultivation. However, they had all made up their minds that they would never let the woman in front of them succeed.

"Come back quickly, are you going to listen to everything this woman says? Didn't you hear what she said? You can't do this!"

Qu Chengjing looked down at the anxious faces of those people and finally said, "Perhaps there is no construction without destruction?"

But it was obvious that this group of people would not listen.

Ruo Ruo didn't go to help. After all, she had almost no cultivation. She just stood in front of the group and said, "Please don't worry, everyone. I don't know why you are stopping us."

Those people became even more furious, not even bothering to think about whether their words might offend anyone. "What you said, you yourself said that once the bead is broken, the spiritual energy of the cultivation world will flow into the secular world. Wouldn't that make it even more difficult for us in the cultivation world to cultivate? How can we just stand here and watch you do something that harms others and does not benefit yourself?"

Ruo Ruo: "Do you think life in the secular world is difficult nowadays?"

The old man in front suddenly fell silent, and it was the person following him who spoke up, "How is it difficult for them? They eat and sleep, sleep and eat, there is no danger at all. Life is much more comfortable than in the world of cultivation."

"Then why don't you go to the secular world and become a mortal? Why do some of you want to bring your family members from the secular world to the edge of the cultivation world?"

Many people fell silent, but some still spoke with confidence, "Humph, people in the secular world have their own way of living, and people in the cultivation world have their own way of living. What's wrong with us not interfering with each other?"

Ruo Ruo: "Well, I think you are right."

"Can you make them stop?" someone said with anticipation.

Ruo Ruo shook her head, indicating she hadn't finished. "Then why do some of you insist on going to the secular world to plunder other people's resources? You don't have to deny it. Since I dare to say this, I naturally know what's going on. The secular world has its own way of life, and the cultivation world has its own way of life. There's nothing wrong with that. But have you really been there and seen what the secular world looks like now? If you had, you wouldn't be able to say such things."

Ruoruo took out her precious mirror and waved her hand to show them the current appearance of the secular world.

"This, Elder Sun, is this your disciple?" Someone looked at everything shown in the mirror and suddenly pointed at a person who was drinking and having fun and spoke.

Elder Sun, who was called, glared at the person who spoke and said nothing.

But after a while, he pointed at the other person in the mirror and turned to the person who had spoken, "How dare you say that to me? Is that person in the mirror your grandson? I've seen him before. You don't think I don't remember him, do you?"

Their world of cultivation does indeed tacitly agree that cultivators should not interfere in the affairs of the secular world without authorization, and should not use their cultivation to do evil in the secular world, but in the final analysis, this is just an unwritten rule.

When they cannot compete with others for resources in the world of cultivation, they will easily place their hopes and sights on the secular world.

In such a large secular world with so many people, you can always find undiscovered treasures.

At the beginning, they might have done it secretly, but as the number of people increased, and everyone from the world of cultivation had greed far beyond that of ordinary people, they would not be able to care so much.

Ruo Ruo: "Now the secular world is in ruins."

"But they will give birth, and they will give birth endlessly. It's just a few deaths. Even if we don't intervene, the secular world is bound to have many conflicts and deaths. In this world, everyone has their own destiny. How can we do something so unnatural just because we feel pity for them?"

"Everyone has their own destiny?" Ruo Ruo coldly glanced at the group of people in front of her, and finally her eyes stopped at the person who said this. "If that's the case, then if you die here today, will that be your destiny?"

"Don't go too far and act recklessly just because you have Elder Ji and others by your side."

Ruo Ruo shook her head, ignored his words, and did not continue chatting with them. She looked up at the people who were going to destroy the beads, and waited quietly.

The first to lose their temper were the two people who were exposed for having their juniors interfering in the secular world. They looked at each other and approached Ruoruo silently.

Originally, they wanted to hold the woman hostage to stop the people who were damaging the beads, but they didn't expect that they couldn't even get close to the woman.

"how so?"

Suddenly, the old man who was walking in the front spoke up, "I...will also go and lend a hand."

As for the problems in the secular world, some of them have never really noticed them, some have vested interests, and some, like him, have worried about them.

He once felt compassion for the suffering of ordinary people in the secular world, but he was just an ordinary cultivator with good talent. He could not change these things, nor did he have the time to change them. The most he could do was punish two people who went to the secular world to cause trouble. Even so, he still had to take into account the background of those people.

Gradually he got used to it, became indifferent, and accepted it.

But now, being questioned, he remembered that he had sincerely felt back then, "This is truly unfair to too many ordinary people. This can't go on. Sooner or later, there will be a big mess."