Chapter 12

The Nine Flame Pearl, imbued with the aura of fire, stood steadily above the pool, its scorching heat casting a decadent glow over the palace.

Phoenixes belong to the element of fire, and the Nine-Flame Pearl, a treasure of Mount Fuxi, is the best healing elixir for her.

In the outer hall, separated by a screen, Li Ziqing cast a barrier around Feng Yingning to prevent her from being disturbed by the outside world while she was healing with the Nine Flame Pearl.

"thump."

The sound of someone falling into the water came from the pool.

Upon hearing this, Li Ziqing was slightly surprised and asked, "Is there something you need?"

There was no response from the pool behind the screen.

There were even some strange sounds, like the soft sobbing of a newborn spirit pet, which was quite endearing.

The aloof immortal stood outside the hall, his expression unreadable, unaware of what was happening inside.

He called Feng Yingning's name again, but received no response.

Li Ziqing suddenly felt uneasy and with a flick of his robe, he removed the barrier he had just erected.

They strode quickly into the inner hall.

But the shocking scene that followed made him stop in his tracks, standing by the pool.

The young woman in the pool was completely naked, with her back to him.

With slender shoulders and a graceful waist, she moved with the lightness of a swallow.

Her skin was as smooth as ice and her bones as white as jade; she was in no way inferior to the sacred Snow Lotus.

At this moment, she was curled up, enduring some kind of pain. Even so, she still suppressed her voice, only letting out a terrified cry like a small animal when she could no longer bear it.

The old scars on the back, instead of ruining the overall aesthetic, added an inexplicable sense of brokenness.

It's heartbreaking.

"Feng Yingning".

Li Ziqing wanted to leave, but seeing that something seemed wrong with her, she had no choice but to suppress the brokenness in her eyes.

He barely managed to regain his composure and tried his best to control his gaze.

The adorable little animal stiffened slightly upon hearing the man's voice.

She seemed to be holding back tears as she slowly turned her head.

Her phoenix eyes were red and still moist, and her face was absolutely stunning.

Her delicate lips had been bitten so badly that a small wound had appeared, and blood was seeping out.

Her blood-red lips added a lot of color to her face, instantly bringing this painting of a beautiful woman to life.

"Master..."

Li Ziqing did not step forward, but glanced at her lightly.

"If I'm alright, I'll proceed as follows..."

Before she could finish speaking, the woman in the pool let out a sound of extreme pain.

An abnormal red color appeared on her body.

"It's too dark..."

"Get away..."

Yingning seemed to be in great pain and was delirious, only remembering to shout some strange words.

Seeing this, Li Ziqing knew that something must have gone wrong. No longer caring about the rules between men and women, he hurriedly walked to the pool and stretched out his well-defined hand to check Ying Ning's body.

He had barely touched her when a force pulled him into the pool.

Li Ziqing sensed that something was wrong with her. Just as he was about to touch her fair wrist, he immediately felt how hot the woman beside him was.

Having never been in contact with a woman before, he was momentarily at a loss for what to do with his hands.

Her body was soft and supple, and her dark hair was wet, with a few strands even falling onto Li Ziqing's wrist.

It's a little itchy...

"Master... why haven't you found me yet..." the woman beside him said inexplicably.

She reached out and gripped his sleeve tightly, feeling very uneasy.

Before Li Ziqing could grasp the meaning behind Ying Ning's words, the woman, her voice trembling with tears, spoke again:

"It's so dark inside the den of demons..."

"There is no light, no sun, and no one else."

Yingning seemed to be trapped in a terrible memory, the helpless person clutching the cold man's shirt, trying to draw some warmth from it.

Was she thinking about what happened when she fell into the abyss?

As if in response to Li Ziqing's question, the woman trapped in a nightmare muttered to herself:

"Master...when will you find me...?"

"The monsters in the Demon Cave seem endless. I killed fifty-two yesterday and fifty-nine today."

"But I'm injured too, look, I'm bleeding..."

She released one hand, her fingertips resting on her shoulder.

Li Ziqing's gaze slid down and saw a gruesome bite mark there.

Although it has healed, the severity of the injury is still evident.

If she had bitten any deeper, her shoulder would have been ruined.

Seeing her now, resembling a young animal, her once bright and dazzling phoenix eyes now only held deep unease and fear.

Li Ziqing's eyes softened, and she gently comforted her:

"Don't be afraid anymore, you've left the den of demons."

Yingning's trembling subsided considerably upon hearing the familiar, gentle male voice.

She gripped his robes again, as if testing him:

"Really... have I really left the den of demons?"

"yes."

"Was it my master who came to save me?"

"......"

Li Ziqing felt a strange pang in his heart, and for a moment, he didn't know how to start the conversation.

She actually came back on her own...

"Actually, it wasn't me..." he started to say.

The woman in his arms suddenly seemed to lose her strength and almost fell into the pool. Li Ziqing immediately pulled her into his arms.

Li Ziqing, who had always been indifferent to worldly affairs for thousands of years, froze at this moment.

"Master... thank you..."

*

“Master, Li Ziqing has been meditating all night.” 67’s voice appeared in his mind.

Yingning was on her way to the sect competition.

Last night, after Li Ziqing "fainted" from the pain, he stood there for a long time before taking off his outer robe and gently draping it over Feng Yingning's body.

After that, for some unknown reason, he did not leave the pool.

Instead, he remained immersed in the pool, never putting down the unconscious woman in his arms.

He even personally used the Nine Flame Pearl to help Ying Ning heal her injuries.

After the treatment was finished, he carefully carried Yingning out and placed her on the soft bed.

The man with the elegant and refined appearance sat quietly to the side for a long time, his gaze never leaving the woman on the bed.

They left Qiyang Palace at midnight.

“Li Ziqing lacks the capacity for emotions and desires. To get him to fall in love, we’ll probably need to add fuel to the fire,” Yingning said.

67 nodded, agreeing with her point of view, and then obediently said, "Master, good luck in today's competition."

*

Before long, Ying Ning arrived at the arena for the sect's grand competition.

Today is the final battle of magic, and only four disciples from each sect remain.

Tianyin Sect, Xi Liuyun.

Sword Sect, Feng Yingning.

Lingdong Cave, Jiang Jiuruo.

The Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect is free from worry.

The final is a head-to-head competition, with the winners then vying for first place.

Yingning drew the Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect, Wuchou.

Xi Liuyun of Tianyin Sect faced off against Jiang Jiuruo of Lingdong.