Chapter 37: The Transformation of Attack and Defense
"Bang!"
A flash of light appeared, and the barrier shattered with a sound.
The feeling of being restrained on Song Li instantly disappeared. She clutched her aching chest, looked up, and tried to see who had made the move.
There stood a tall figure, exuding a powerful aura, who locked onto the three men in black without any hesitation.
The man in black was terrified and trembled, completely losing his previous arrogant demeanor.
He said, "Don't hurt my son, could it be...?"
As Song Li looked at that figure, she suddenly understood something, and her vision went black.
"Li'er!"
Qingxuzi broke the barrier and was about to cripple the three thieves when he sensed Song Li's aura weakening. He hurriedly flashed forward and caught her as she fell backward.
Song Li slowly closed her eyes. Before losing consciousness, only one thought remained in her mind.
This embrace is so warm.
Qingxuzi channeled a wisp of spiritual energy into his daughter, and after examining her condition, his expression suddenly darkened: "Damn it, all her internal organs have been shattered."
Qingxuzi fed the pill to his daughter, his cold gaze falling on the three men in black. His overwhelming killing intent sent chills down everyone's spine.
The men in black were captured without any resistance, bound by a spiritual energy chain that sealed their cultivation. Their faces showed despair.
They thought capturing Song Li would be a piece of cake, but unexpectedly, a Cheng Yaojin appeared out of nowhere, and they became the other party's prey instead.
Qingxuzi pressed his hand on their heads, making the three of them shiver from the cold. Only when a sharp pain shot through their minds did they belatedly exclaim in horror, "Soul-Searching Technique?!"
Qingxuzi remained expressionless and continued to perform the Soul Searching Technique.
Suddenly, the spell triggered the restrictions in his mind.
This is... a self-destruct seal?!
Qingxuzi's pupils contracted, and he teleported away with Song Li. Just as they left, the bodies of the three men in black suddenly exploded, and blood and flesh flew everywhere.
"Fellow Daoist, you really don't hold back when you strike. Fortunately, my subordinates are loyal and willing to make sacrifices for me. Otherwise, if you had discovered anything, things would have been very bad."
A ghostly voice echoed softly.
Qingxuzi stared into the void and said calmly, "Those who don't even dare to show their true form are not qualified to speak with me."
The air was silent for a moment.
"Since you have so sincerely invited me out, I will do you the honor."
As the words fell, the space suddenly rippled, and a shadow appeared in mid-air.
This person had an old face, flames flickering on his head and shoulders, wore a dark red robe, and had a sinister smile on his face; he did not look like a kind person.
Qingxuzi narrowed his eyes slightly: "The Three Yin Demon."
"It's a pleasant surprise that you recognize me, fellow Daoist. However, you will have to leave your life here today, as well as that little girl behind you." A fierce glint flashed in the eyes of the Three Yin Demon.
Qingxuzi calmly said, "You think you can take my life by yourself? Why don't you call out your helpers and I'll take care of you all together."
The Three Yin Demon stared at him intently, then sneered, "Fellow Daoist, you have quite the nerve. Let me see if you have the ability! Heavenly Puppet, come out!"
The space fluctuated again, and a hundred-foot-tall ape-shaped puppet appeared, its weight comparable to a small mountain. Its appearance caused the ground to tremble.
A figure stood atop the puppet's head; it was none other than the Heavenly Puppet mentioned by the Three Yin Demons.
"Three Yin, a mere provocation, and you can't even see through it. No wonder the master never lets you take on any major responsibilities." Master Tiankui crossed his arms, a contemptuous smile on his face.
The Three Yin Demon gave him a sinister look: "Is that so? If you were valued by the master, you wouldn't be partnering with me. What's the use of talking nonsense? The important thing is to hurry up and capture this person and report back."
"Do you need to tell me?"
Master Tiankui's eyes darkened, and he sneered.
Seeing their verbal sparring, Qingxuzi said leisurely, "You two don't take me seriously. Aren't you afraid of being caught off guard and suffering a setback?"
The three flames on the Three Yin Demon's body flared high, assuming an attack stance. Hearing Qing Xuzi's words, he couldn't help but smile: "Did you think you could escape our pursuit?"
Before setting off, he and Tiankui used the Soul Transfer Technique on their subordinates, which allowed them to be instantly teleported to their location as a backup plan.
Unexpectedly, Song Li had a powerful backer. If it weren't for his foresight, this mission would have ended in failure, and the master would have punished him.
Thinking of the adult's methods, a look of fear flashed in the eyes of the Three Yin Demon.
Qingxuzi said calmly, "Whether I can escape or not is not something I can just talk about. Besides, I never thought about escaping. I was just thinking about how to kill the two of you. I put my mind to it for a moment."
The smile on the Three Yin Demon's lips vanished: "Heavenly Puppet, haven't you always wanted to create a Nascent Soul stage puppet? This person is an excellent candidate for the task. What do you think?"
Master Tiankui was also displeased. He listened to what the Three Yin Demon said, looked Qingxuzi up and down, and nodded, saying, "He's barely passable, just a bit old."
Qingxuzi listened to their brutal conversation, but his face remained calm: "It seems there are only the two of you. Then please come with me."
"How arrogant!"
The Three Yin Demon's expression hardened, and three flames emanating yin energy shot out, aiming directly at Qingxuzi's face.
Tianku Zhenren raised his hands, controlling the ape-shaped puppet beneath his feet to grab at Qingxuzi, the sound of it tearing through the air echoing loudly.
Just as their attacks were about to land on Qingxuzi, four powerful auras appeared in the space, each occupying a position and forming an encirclement.
Seeing the ugly expressions on their faces, Qingxuzi asked in return, "Now, do you still think I'm being presumptuous?"
The Three Yin Demon and the Heavenly Puppet Master's expressions changed drastically. Without thinking, they withdrew their attacks and flew away in two different directions, riding their escape lights.
Elder Kui Tu roared, "Stop right there!"
Having said that, he pursued the Three Yin Demon with overwhelming force, and a burst of spiritual light and powerful aftershocks spread out, clearly indicating that he had already engaged in combat with the opponent.
Lady Hongyan summoned a fire python, which entangled the ape-shaped puppet of Tiankui Zhenren. Meng Zonghan and Zeng Xuangan launched continuous attacks, effortlessly hindering the puppet's escape.
After a moment, the space returned to silence.
Elder Kui Tu threw the three Yin Demons, who looked like a dead dog, to the ground, clapped his hands, and said with a hint of disdain, "This guy isn't very effective. I just stretched him out for a bit, and he gave up."
Madam Hongyan kicked Tiankui Zhenren in a fit of anger and praised, "Senior Brother Wei's bravery is as strong as ever. It took the three of us to capture him alive. He almost escaped."
The true form of the Heavenly Puppet Master was hidden in the chest of the ape-shaped puppet. As for the humanoid body, it was just a puppet he had created.
If she hadn't been constantly watching the puppet's movements, the outcome would have been uncertain.
"How is my niece, Song Li?"
Zeng Xuangan looked at Song Li's face and was surprised. She and Cen Xiaoyun looked so alike. It was unbelievable that two completely unrelated people could look so alike.
Qingxuzi said in a deep voice, "Li'er's internal organs are shattered, and her condition has stabilized for the time being. We still need to go back and have the Medical Sage examine her. There may be restrictions on these two people, so we cannot use the Soul Searching Technique on them in ordinary times, lest we lose our clues."
Madam Hongyan and the others nodded.
Her gaze fell on Song Li, and she felt a sense of relief. Fortunately, they arrived in time; just a hair's breadth away from losing her senior brother's daughter.
Before an incense stick could burn, they arrived at the Nanling Mountains, only to find the Minshan Snake Cave burned to the ground, and Song Li's men were nowhere to be seen.
At that moment, the sect leader's face was incredibly gloomy. If it weren't for Senior Brother Zeng's ability to track auras, the sect leader would probably have gone berserk on the spot.
Thinking of this, Madam Hongyan sighed. She had no children in her life and would not have any in the future. If he were still alive, he might be able to have a child with her.
Unfortunately, he had already disappeared during that calamity.
Although she refused to admit that he had fallen, how could he not come looking for her if he were alive? Lady Hongyan recalled the bits and pieces of her life with her Daoist partner and shook her head in disappointment.
She had a vague feeling that he might never come back.
However, we must see the person alive or dead.
As long as she didn't see his body, she could maintain this optimistic hope.
Lady Hongyan gazed in the direction of Yongding City for a long time.
...
Wendao Sect, the dungeon.
Cen Xiaoyun was locked in this awful place for three days, but it felt like she had lived through three whole years, her eyes staring blankly at the iron bars in front of her.
Since being interrogated by the Enforcement Hall on the first day, she hadn't seen anyone for the next two days. It was as if she was the only person left in this world, and the silence was terrifying.
What exactly do they want?
Cen Xiaoyun sat on the ground, hugged her knees, buried her head in her hands, and countless terrifying thoughts filled her mind, making her extremely distressed.
Suddenly, footsteps reached my ears.
Cen Xiaoyun suddenly raised her head. The voice was very soft, but she heard it clearly. Someone had come, and it was one person.
What is this person here for? To kill her?
Cen Xiaoyun felt her heart pounding so hard it was about to jump out of her throat. She stared blankly at the corridor outside the prison, a sense of panic rising within her.
The moment the person stopped outside the railing and their eyes met, the sense of panic reached its peak.
“Sister Song…Sister Song Li?” Cen Xiaoyun’s voice trembled.
Song Li looked at her, remaining silent.
The memory of being pushed into the snake pit that day felt like yesterday. She thought she hated Cen Xiaoyun so much that after learning of her whereabouts, she disregarded her injuries and rushed to send her on her way.
But now her heart was very calm; she knew that what she needed was an answer.
A hoarse voice echoed through the dungeon, reverberating: "Cen Xiaoyun, why did you betray me?"
Cen Xiaoyun's eyes widened as she stared at Song Li in disbelief. It turned out that what she had seen was not an illusion; the other party was actually alive and had crawled out of the snakes unharmed.
Why is she always so lucky!
The fear in my heart faded, replaced by intense jealousy.
"Sister Song Li, you used to call me Xiao Yun, why are you being so distant with me?"
Cen Xiaoyun murmured something, then looked at Song Li's disgusted expression and laughed self-deprecatingly, "But you probably don't care anymore. You ask me why? The world is bustling, all for profit; the world is in turmoil, all for gain. Don't you understand?"
"If your mother hadn't been a Nascent Soul cultivator, if you didn't have the cultivation aptitude of a fire-attribute heavenly spiritual root, but were like me, do you think you could have reached your current cultivation level?"
A surge of anger ignited in Song Li's eyes: "You've always thought that, haven't you?"
Cen Xiaoyun readily admitted, "Yes, what's wrong with that? Cultivating immortality is about striving—striving against heaven, earth, and people. If I hadn't used my cunning to get close to you and Aunt Wen back then, I wouldn't even be at the Foundation Establishment stage now..."
"You are not allowed to mention my mother's name!" Song Li suddenly interrupted her, saying coldly, "Since you are willing to consider everything from the past as something you fought for, then let me tell you, the consequence of losing the competition is one word: death!"
Cen Xiaoyun's words were stuck in her throat.
She saw murderous intent on Song Li's face, so real it sent chills down her spine.
Cen Xiaoyun was used to Song Li's kind attitude, and was momentarily stunned by Song Li's sudden treatment.
Yes, since she had been indifferent to Song Li falling into the snake pit and watched her die, how could she expect Song Li to speak to her kindly?
If that's really the case, wouldn't that be despicable?
In an instant, Cen Xiaoyun's anger dissipated, and she collapsed to the ground. She raised her small face, her eyes filled with tears: "Sister Song Li, I didn't mean to. Please forgive me. I was just bewitched. She pushed you down with my hand. I didn't mean to kill you, sister."
Song Li sneered repeatedly and cursed, "Yes, you really didn't want me to die. You just conspired with outsiders to deceive me, attract the Ten Thousand Snakes to deplete my spiritual power, and steal my storage bag!"
"Cen Xiaoyun, you think you're pitiful, but in my eyes, you're a thousand times more despicable than that person! I won't let you get away with this! And I won't let Yin Pipa get away with this either!"
After saying that, she turned and left, the fluttering hem of her skirt drawing sharp lines.
"Sister, I was really wrong. Please give me another chance. Sister, I was bewitched. I'll do anything as long as you can forgive me!"
Cen Xiaoyun's shouts echoed in the dungeon.
In the end, Song Li didn't turn her head back, leaving her alone in the prison crying in despair.
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