Madam Xia collapsed onto the blue brick floor, her hair disheveled and her pearl hairpins falling askew.
Her gold-embroidered phoenix-patterned silk skirt was covered in dust, no longer resembling its former elegant and luxurious appearance.
She used to find Xia Qingdai an eyesore, disgusted by her rudeness and lack of manners, and even secretly resented her for taking everything away from Yuwei. But now she realized that everything in the Xia family should have belonged to Qingdai.
If that heartless midwife hadn't switched the babies, Qingdai would have been a pampered young lady, instead of being forced to live a life of hardship and suffering among the common people, and ultimately... being driven to her death.
"It's all my fault..." Madam Xia trembled as she clutched her chest, tears streaming down her face and soaking her clothes.
She recalled Qingdai's timid appearance when she first returned to the manor, she recalled watching her being harassed by the servants with indifference, and she recalled how Qingdai couldn't even get a bowl of hot soup when she was seriously ill... Every single one of these things has now become a knife that rips out her heart.
Bai Ying stood there, the moonlight casting a long, slender shadow over her.
She said softly, "Qingdai, I've made all those who harmed you pay the price." Her voice was soft, yet chillingly cold. "Including this... Madam Xia, who will forever live in regret."
A night breeze swept by, and petals fluttered down from the trees like a silent snowfall. Madam Xia lay prostrate on the ground, her sobs muffled and broken.
Bai Ying didn't look at Madam Xia, who was slumped on the ground, again. She felt no pity whatsoever, after all, Madam Xia had genuinely wanted to kill Xia Qingdai.
If he hadn't been unrelated to her by blood, he probably would have already lost his life to that deadly poisonous fog.
Madam Xia's current state of utter grief is nothing more than the fruit of her own actions.
Bai Ying walked resolutely deeper into the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, each step resounding with power. The elders of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect around her cast fearful glances, while a few clever ones were already plotting how to curry favor with this newly promoted powerhouse.
An elder with white hair and beard strode forward, bowing with a beaming smile, and said, "Fairy Bai, hidden within the forbidden area of the back mountain of our Ten Thousand Poisons Sect is a sacred cultivation ground with a thousand-year history, which has always been reserved for the sect leader. Anyone fortunate enough to enter will surely see their cultivation advance by leaps and bounds, progressing a thousand miles in a day."
Bai Ying's eyes lit up upon hearing this. Her most pressing need right now was to improve her strength, and she wasn't willing to let go of any opportunity that could help her break through.
Where is that place?
"Please follow me." The elder made a respectful gesture of invitation, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.
Just as Bai Ying was about to follow the elder, True Person Tinglan suddenly appeared and blocked their way.
He said in a deep voice, "Wait! I have wandered the cultivation world for over a hundred years and have never heard of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect having any sacred cultivation ground. This person has ulterior motives; Fairy Bai, you must think carefully!"
The elder's face instantly darkened, and he shouted sternly, "Old man Tinglan! How dare you, an outsider, speak ill of the secrets of my Ten Thousand Poisons Sect?" Then, turning to Bai Ying, his face broke into a fawning smile: "Fairy Bai, please understand, this old Taoist is clearly jealous of your opportunity..."
As he spoke, he raised his right hand, pointed to the sky, and swore: "I swear on my Dao heart that this forbidden area can indeed help cultivators quickly improve their cultivation. If I utter even the slightest falsehood, I am willing to be struck by heavenly lightning!"
A hint of surprise flashed in Bai Ying's eyes. After a moment's thought, she waved her hand and said, "It's alright, I'll go and take a look." Her cultivation had greatly improved, and she had many protective magic treasures, so she wasn't afraid of what tricks the other party might use.
Upon hearing this, the elder of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect glanced smugly at True Person Tinglan, a cold, poisonous glint flashing deep within his turbid eyes.
As he bowed to lead the way, his wide sleeves trembled slightly, and a few wisps of eerie black energy could be vaguely seen moving around in the cuffs.
After passing through numerous restrictions, the group arrived at a hidden cave. Vines entwined the cave entrance, but could not conceal the rich spiritual energy gushing forth from within.
"White Fairy, this is the place." The elder respectfully pointed into the cave.
Bai Ying gazed intently and saw a clear spring flowing gently within the cave. The spiritual energy rising from the water was almost tangible, a hundred times more concentrated than that inside the bronze gate. This was indeed a rare and precious place for cultivation.
Still uneasy, Master Tinglan stepped forward and said, "Fairy Bai, we will protect you here to prevent anyone from causing trouble while you are cultivating."
Bai Ying nodded gratefully. Seeing that the Sword Profound Heaven Sect members had completely surrounded the cave, the Wan Du Sect elder had no choice but to retreat in frustration.
Just as he was out of sight, another elder grabbed his sleeve and angrily berated him in a low voice, "Are you insane? That Bai Ying killed my ancestor, slaughtered my elders, and even the sect leader died at her hands! And you still took her to the forbidden area! Do you know how precious the spring water in the forbidden area is? That spiritual spring... that spiritual spring is made with the most precious ten-thousand-year-old spiritual herbs as a guide, and is formed from the yin energy of the Nine Netherworld veins over a thousand years! Every drop of spring water contains the life cultivation of a Nascent Soul cultivator! Only the sect leader can enjoy it! How could you take her there?"
Elder Yuan gave a sinister smile, a venomous glint in his eyes: "What do you know? That forbidden area... is it so easy to enter?" He flicked his sleeve, and a wisp of black energy disappeared into the ground like a living creature.
"That spiritual spring does indeed aid cultivation; the sect leader has been in seclusion there for many years." He lowered his voice, his withered fingers forming hand seals within his sleeve, "but the spring water contains a thousand-year-old bone-corroding power. It must be combined with our sect's secret cultivation method, and only one drop can be refined each day. If one were to soak in it rashly..."
He made a melting gesture, his lips twisting into a ferocious grin: "It won't be long before she melts inside, completely eroded! She thinks she can absorb the spiritual energy from this forbidden spring? Let me tell you, she can't absorb a single drop; she'll be completely absorbed by the spring."
He had just injected a wisp of black energy into that cave.
This wisp of black energy was able to bind Bai Ying's feet when she entered the spiritual spring, dragging her in forcefully.
Even if Bai Ying noticed the abnormality of the spring at this point, it was too late; she couldn't get out.
Let him die in there...
The sound of a gurgling spring came from a distant cave, and Bai Ying's figure was already swallowed up by the misty spiritual energy. A maniacal joy appeared on the elder's wrinkled face, and his withered fingers clenched tightly.
"You killed my ancestor! You slaughtered my fellow disciples! And now you want to control my Ten Thousand Poisons Sect?"
He hissed like a venomous snake, "Want to make rapid progress in your cultivation? I'll send you to meet the King of Hell right now!"
Suddenly, a splashing sound came from inside the cave, and the elder's cloudy eyes lit up instantly.
He trembled as he pulled a bronze mirror from his robes. The mirror reflected Bai Ying's figure stepping into the spiritual spring. The moment the spring water touched the hem of her snow-white dress, it turned an eerie dark green.
"Melt...melt quickly..." He nervously bit his nails, and his reflection in the mirror was gradually shrouded in surging black mist.
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