Chapter 16

The flying boat broke through the thick clouds and shot towards the Bodeng Sect like a silver shuttle. Runes swirled on the boat's body, gleaming with brilliance, completely isolating the biting wind and cold from the outside world. However, it could not dispel the icy silence in Lin Yibai's heart.

She huddled in the corner of the cabin, staring blankly at the clouds speeding by outside. Su Hong spoke softly beside her, but her voice seemed to be separated by a layer of deep water, vague and distant, and not a single word could truly reach her ears.

The only thing that tore at her mind repeatedly was Yan Bujian's last look at her—cold, hateful, and swirling with the poisonous hatred of betrayal. That look was like a red-hot, blunt knife, repeatedly grinding at her heart. Even now, every breath still involved a suffocating pain.

"...Thankfully, Elder Yu was so foresighted that he sent me a message directing me to search that sea area. Otherwise, I really don't know what I would do... Yibai? Yibai, are you listening?"

Su Hong's voice finally penetrated the invisible barrier. Worried, she reached out and gently caressed Lin Yibai's cold cheek with her warm fingertips.

Lin Yibai's eyelashes trembled, and his unfocused pupils slowly moved and fell on Su Hong's face, but there was still no expression on his face. He just muttered unconsciously: "Yu... Elder?"

Seeing her finally react, Su Hong breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, "That's right. Your abduction this time has actually attracted Elder Yu, our sect's only great Spiritualization Stage expert, who has been in seclusion atop the Glazed Tower for nearly a hundred years, contemplating the mysteries of life and death. If your father hadn't personally come forward to plead with him, I'm afraid we wouldn't have been able to persuade him."

These words were like ice water splashed on Lin Yibai's face, causing him to shudder instantly. His mind was suddenly pulled back to reality, and the blood drained from his face in an instant. He cried out in a choked voice, "Elder Yu?! How is this possible?!"

——No one knows better than her!

In the original novel, the legendary ancestor of the Bo Deng Sect, who had reached the God Transformation Stage, had passed away two years earlier! Lin Wuya had kept the news a secret in order to maintain the sect's prestige, fabricating the illusion that he was still in seclusion.

This incident was an important revelation in the later part of the original novel of "The Immortal Falls from the Mountain", and it was also one of the reasons why Lin Wuya went completely crazy - his greatest reliance had disappeared, and whether for the sake of Bo Dengzong or himself, he had to fight to the death.

But now...how come another "Elder Jade" appeared to predict her location?

She suppressed the turmoil in her heart, and with a barely perceptible tremor in her voice, she pressed on, "Aunt, are you saying... Elder Yu has come out of seclusion?"

Su Hong shook her head. "No. It was Elder Yu who sent his divine sense to your father, indicating the search direction, and your father then passed the message to me."

——Lin Wuya!

A chill suddenly ran up Lin Yibai's spine - it was her "father" who was using the name of the long-dead Elder Yu!

But why did he do this? How could he know exactly that she and Yan Bujian were in the lair of the Tengyan Patriarch?

Speaking of Patriarch Teng Yan... a flash of lightning suddenly flashed through her mind at this moment -

Could it be that the "Thunder Letter" that led the demon to Yunni Town was also related to him? !

Countless questions and conspiracies wrapped around her heart like vines, tightening more and more, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

Is it because Lin Wuya is the mastermind behind the plot deviation that has occurred?

But he is just a villain NPC in the original novel, how could he spontaneously deviate from the plot?

She vaguely felt as if she were standing on the edge of a huge whirlpool. An invisible, cold hand firmly pressed against her back, slowly but irresistibly exerting force, pushing her into the bottomless undercurrent of mystery and conspiracy.

Su Hong didn't notice her inner fear, thinking she was just too frightened. She asked gently, "Yibai, what exactly happened then? How did you escape from that old demon? Where is that old demon now, and why is only that lowly slave following you?"

Lin Yibai moved his lips, but no sound came out.

How to escape?

Joining forces to fight the enemy, escaping death... Even if these experiences were told to Su Hong now, would she believe it?

Even if she believed it, what would be the use? Could she explain it to Yan Bujian and clear up his misunderstanding of her?

It's impossible.

Thinking of this, her face paled even further, and she just shook her head mechanically. She wanted to avoid answering Su Hong's question, but in an instant, as if she suddenly remembered something, her face changed. She suddenly grabbed Su Hong's arm and asked anxiously, "Aunt, our original mission... the sacrifice in that fishing village, have you found it?"

According to the "plot," her delay in Yunni Town should have caused the mission to fail, angering Lin Wuya. But now, she was kidnapped mid-journey, the plot had deviated, and she was unsure of the next step.

Upon hearing this, Su Hong's expression froze for a moment, her eyes flickering. She nodded, but her tone was a little vague: "I found it. It's just... the situation is a bit complicated."

"Complicated?" Lin Yibai keenly noticed her abnormality.

"Well," Su Hong looked away and patted the back of her hand, "It's hard to explain this matter in a few words. You will know it naturally when we return to the sect."

This kind of evasive attitude only made Lin Yibai's anxiety grow wildly.

What happened after she was abducted?

*

The flying boat driven by Su Hong with all his strength was extremely fast. Within three hours, the mist-shrouded mountain gate of the Bo Deng Sect came into view.

The flying boat slowly landed on the vast white marble platform of the main peak. As soon as the boat stabilized, Su Hong's hand flashed with red light, releasing the unconscious and dying Yan Bujian.

The law enforcement disciple who had been waiting for a long time immediately stepped forward with an expressionless face and quickly locked the boy's hands and feet with new, thicker and cold shackles.

The sound of metal collision was particularly harsh on the empty platform. Lin Yibai subconsciously took a step forward, wanting to take another look at his situation from a distance.

However, a disciple appeared silently in front of her, blocking her way and respectfully but unquestionably conveying the order: "Young Sect Master, the Sect Master has ordered that you proceed to the main hall of the Glazed Pagoda immediately."

Lin Yibai's heart sank suddenly.

——Lin Wuya was so anxious that he summoned her without waiting for her to recover?

It just so happened that she also wanted to see what changes had happened to the leader of the Boyeng Sect in this world!

She took one last look at Yan Bujian's back as he was being dragged away. Her nails dug deep into her palms, leaving a few blood marks. After taking a deep breath, she forced herself to turn around and walk towards the dark tower in the distance behind her, which looked like a dormant giant beast.

......

Glazed Tower.

The candlelight in the main hall was dim and blue, the curtains were drawn low, and there was still only a heavy and depressing darkness.

Lin Wuya sat upright on the high platform. The black mist surrounding him seemed thicker than usual, and the dark red deep in his eyes looked even more eerie under the dim light.

"Father." Lin Yibai walked to the foot of the platform, bowed according to etiquette, and his voice was dry.

Lin Wuya's gaze fell on her, without any joy in his eyes for seeing his daughter Wu Yu return. Instead, it was like a cold tentacle, carefully sweeping over the scars on her neck, her torn clothes, and her pale face that was still filled with fear.

"I'm glad you came back safely." He finally slowly retracted his cold gaze and said calmly, "...But I'm very curious, Yibai, how did you escape from the clutches of Patriarch Tengyan?"

Lin Yibai lowered her head and tried her best to steady her voice, making it sound full of luck and fear: "Father, in a moment of desperation, I remembered what you taught me in my early years: most wood cultivators are born with a fear of insects. I happened to be carrying the insect-controlling bone flute you gave me... When the old demon was about to kill me, I took the risk and blew the bone flute - I didn't expect that it would accidentally trigger the myriad insects in the demon slave's body. The insect poison drilled into the old demon's body and attacked him, allowing me to escape in the chaos!

After she finished speaking, her eyes were already tearful, and she looked at the man in the hall with extreme grievance.

The hall fell into a dead silence, with only the occasional crackling of the blue candlelight.

Lin Wuya's fingers tapped lightly on the black armrest from time to time. He did not respond, nor did he step down from the throne as usual to gently comfort his daughter, who had been spoiled since childhood.

He just cast his deep gaze on her, and his thoughts could be seen flowing slowly in his eyes.

This idiot... could actually remember the words he casually mentioned many years ago at that moment, and use the bone flute to trigger the backlash of the Ten Thousand Insects?

Is this really his willful and simple-minded daughter?

After the "egg" implants, it will definitely not die in the tsunami, so this mission will definitely not fail. His purpose this time, in addition to bringing back the "egg", is another one -

That was the cultivation level that allowed Yan Bujian to devour the vine nightmare.

The Myriad Insect Attractor planted by Lin Yibai in his body had already been tampered with by him. As long as Teng Yan didn't attack him, it would automatically awaken and attack the foolish old demon. As expected, the old demon, also trapped in his cultivation and unable to make any progress, couldn't help but attack the sword bone, thus giving away his entire six hundred years of cultivation.

After learning that Lin Yibai had been kidnapped, he felt nothing in his heart. Such a fool who did such evil things should be dead.

But now, not only did she not die, but she accidentally facilitated the completion of the plan.

Maybe... she is not completely useless for the subsequent move?

Thinking of this, his gaze towards Lin Yibai became somewhat complicated——

But it was only for a moment, and the next moment, his eyes became cold and cruel again.

What a pity, even if she managed to accomplish something by chance this time, it wouldn't change anything.

The "egg" has already implanted at this time. Although the human body can still be used as a sacrifice, the bloodline has changed and the effectiveness has been greatly reduced. It is probably difficult to achieve the "opening of the mountain" effect he originally expected.

Now that Lin Yibai has returned safely, although it is unexpected, it can be regarded as an "unexpected surprise" for him.

——Because her extremely Yin and mysterious body is flowing with the uncontaminated blood of origin!

Only by sacrificing her can the effect be maximized, and only then will it be most likely to promote his long-planned plan and help him break through the damn shackles of heaven in one fell swoop!

So his daughter...will eventually serve as the most perfect sacrifice in this life!