Zhihuan
The man in black looked at her like this, paused, and suddenly raised his hand, and a very faint cold white light condensed at his fingertips.
Yunxiu felt a pulling sensation that originated from the same power in his body, and the pendant on his chest began to heat up again.
Yunxiu subconsciously pressed her neck. The cold jade pendant pressed against her skin, giving her a subtle burning sensation. The strange power in her body began to surge, flowing along her blood vessels to her fingertips, as if trying to break free from her control and approach the light from the black-clothed man's fingertips.
She clenched her fists and suppressed it forcefully:
"I don't understand this kind of power. I can't refute anything you say. But I don't believe you either. You say it's divine power, and I say it's my own immortal power."
After saying this, Yunxiu himself was stunned for a moment.
Yunxiu's own immortal power indeed came from Yaoxi Mountain. In other words, it was the same source as all beings born from Yaoxi Mountain. Logically, then, this power should only resonate with those who also possessed the immortal power of Yaoxi Mountain.
How could I...
"Your own immortal power? Is it the immortal power of Yaoxi Mountain? Immortal power and spiritual power are not the same thing. It is much weaker than the power of the ancient gods. Can't you tell the difference?"
The other party did not give up. The light at the fingertip was like a fishhook, gradually attracting the power to churn and rage.
"Why do you think the spiritual veins of Yaoxi Mountain are more abundant than those of other places? That's the divine blood of an ancient god scattered throughout the earth! You rely on his divine blood to transform, and rely on his divine power to cultivate, yet you can't even remember his name, and instead think of yourselves as immortals who can save the world—if this isn't stealing, what is it?"
He took a step forward, and the moonlight just reflected half of his face:
"Your master didn't tell you, did he? He's lived for thousands of years and witnessed the sacrifices of the ancient gods. He knows the roots of Yaoxi Mountain better than anyone else. But what did he do?"
It was like a blunt knife, slowly cutting through Yunxiu's thoughts. But she still gritted her teeth, refusing to let go.
"I don't believe you."
Her master had mentioned the Ancient God, but never his name. When her brothers and sisters returned from the mountain, they would only talk about interesting stories from the human world or stories of how they had saved the people, but never about building a shrine for the Ancient God. She had always believed that the Ancient God was just a distant legend.
Just as her mind wandered, the black-robed figure suddenly moved. His movements were as swift as a shadow, giving Yunxiu barely time to react before his fingertips pressed against her brow. A chilling force seeped through her brow, instantly entangling the surging power within her.
"What are you doing!" Yunxiu snapped back to her senses and swung her sword to block, but the black-robed man's other hand held her wrist tightly. His palm was piercingly cold, and the force was so strong that it hurt. The sword fell to the ground with a clang, making a sharp sound in the silent room.
"I just want you to see the truth." The voice of the man in black clothes sounded close to her ear, with a hint of strange temptation.
"As long as I stimulate the divine energy within you, you will be able to remember some things—and then you will naturally know the truth."
Yunxiu slashed with his sword, briefly breaking free from the restraints.
However, the divine power within him seemed to have been stimulated and awakened, and began to surge wildly. The dull pain in his chest returned, more intense than ever before.
Some fragmented images actually flashed before Yunxiu's eyes:
The red magma devoured the earth, and a huge figure stood in front of all living beings. The divine body gradually turned into mountains and rivers.
A small white bird pecked at a glowing bead at the foot of a mountain. The moment the bead merged with the bird's body, tiny fragments of light filled the sky...
Yunxiu suddenly closed her eyes, trying to dispel these images, but the power seemed to have its own will and kept attacking her consciousness.
"This isn't my memory... You're using an illusion on me!"
"Whether it's an illusion or not, you know it in your heart."
The man in black watched coldly.
"Why do you think you were the last living being to take shape in Yaoxi Mountain? Why has no other 'fairy' been born in Yaoxi Mountain since you?"
"Because the ancient god's divine essence, which was scattered throughout his spiritual veins, is only a tiny bit left, and it happened to be swallowed by a little bird like you. You are the final container of his divine power and his only hope for revival!"
At that moment, a very soft "thump" sound suddenly emanated from outside the window, like a stone hitting the window paper. The black-robed figure paused, his eyes sharpening instantly. He raised his hand and swung a cold white blade of light out the window. With a single "crack," the sycamore branch outside the window was severed in half, and the fallen leaves pattered to the ground.
"Who?" The man in black shouted in a low voice, and with a flash of his body, he was already at the window. He opened the curtain and looked out - the courtyard was empty under the moonlight, with only the rustling sound of leaves in the wind, and not even a single person in sight.
Yunxiu took the opportunity to pick up his sword and took two steps back, staring at him warily. The "thump" sound just now was very light, but it carried a familiar spiritual energy fluctuation.
The man in black frowned, as if sensing the surrounding atmosphere.
Yunxiu held his breath and began to listen. However, the aura was already very faint, and it would be undetectable unless someone was very familiar with it.
Sure enough, after a moment, the black-robed man turned around and his gaze fell on Yunxiu again:
"It seems like someone doesn't want us to have a good conversation."
He raised his hand, and the cold white light on his fingertips gradually dissipated: "But it doesn't matter, sooner or later you will understand that what I said is true."
"What is your purpose?" Yunxiu froze in place, his heart still beating wildly, and the turmoil in his body gradually subsided.
"I want you to recognize the truth." The black-robed man turned around, "You and I are one. You shouldn't be associated with these scum. Sooner or later, you will give up on them and return to me."
"You're dreaming." Yunxiu replied immediately, decisively and forcefully.
The black-clothed man didn't get angry, but laughed: "I've done a lot of that."
As soon as he finished speaking, the man in black pushed the door open and walked out. His figure instantly merged into the darkness of the courtyard, leaving only a faint wave that quickly dissipated in the wind.
Yunxiu walked to the window, opened the curtains and looked out. The courtyard was still empty, with only the severed sycamore branch lying on the ground, proving that the attack just now was not an illusion.
Suddenly, there was a sound of very light and sluggish footsteps in the courtyard, as if someone was dragging a heavy body.
Yunxiu clenched his sword, his eyes instantly locked onto the source of the sound - under the moonlight, a green figure was holding onto the wall, walking out from the corner with difficulty. His robe was covered in mud and dark red blood stains. The cloth strip on his left arm was cut off, revealing a wound deep enough to see the bone. Blood was still dripping down his arm, forming a string of tiny blood beads on the bluestone slabs.
It’s Wu Yi!
Yunxiu's heart tightened. It was indeed him! She ignored everything else and rushed over, reaching out to firmly support Wu Yi's shaky body.
"Brother Wu Yi! How did you get injured like this?"
Wu Yi leaned against her, his face indeed as pale as paper, but still smiling:
"Xiao You... I'm fine... just... cough..."
Before he could finish his words, he suddenly started coughing violently, his chest heaving violently, and a mouthful of dark red blood flowed out from the corner of his mouth and dripped onto the hem of Yunxiu's clothes, scalding her fingertips and making them numb.
She helped Wu Yi sit down at the table, then turned around and searched for the medicine in the cloth bag.
But when she turned around with the clean cloth in her hand, she saw Wu Yi reaching out to touch something in his arms, his fingertips trembling, and he couldn't even smooth out the wrinkles on the cloth.
"Brother, don't move!" Yunxiu quickly grasped his hand, but he gently pushed it away. Wu Yi took a breath and finally pulled out a blood-stained wooden plaque from his bosom. It was engraved with the Qinglan Sect's unique flowing cloud pattern, and the edges were still stained with fresh bamboo shavings.
"This is..." Yunxiu recognized it as a pass for Qinglan Sect disciples—perhaps that's why the black-robed man avoided it. That was a massive sect with more disciples than ants. Even the black-robed man was afraid of crowds.
"I couldn't sleep at night, thinking about my brother's injury and the children in the mountains. I wanted to ask the leader of Qinglan Sect...but..."
He paused, "But as soon as we reached the bamboo forest at the foot of the mountain, we turned around and saw the man walking towards the inn where we were staying."
Yunxiu's fingertips clenched the cloth tightly, and his fingertips turned white. "Did he hurt you?"
"Yeah." Wu Yi nodded, moved his injured arm, and took a deep breath.
"It's nothing serious. A Qinglan Sect patrol disciple happened to be passing by, so he didn't catch up. The patrol disciple brought me to the sect master. The sect master examined my injuries and said that they were caused by the divine power of the black-robed man. He also told me... that man's name was Zhi Huan."
"Zhi Huan..."
She remembered what Zhihuan had just said, "You and I are one," and her fingertips unconsciously stroked the pendant around her neck.
Wu Yi pulled out a small porcelain bottle from his bosom, which was engraved with the Qinglan Sect's seal, and handed it to Yunxiu:
"The Sect Master also said that he knew that our Yaoxi Mountain was attacked by Zhi Huan and was worried about the safety of the inn. He specifically asked me to tell you that he invites us to stay in the guesthouse on the Qinglan Sect Master Peak until the martial arts competition is over. He will give us the best medicine for our injuries and send disciples to guard us."
Wu Yi looked at Yun Xiu and said, "Someone will come to pick you up tomorrow morning."
Yunxiu took the porcelain bottle, opened it and smelled it - it was indeed a good medicine, and its efficacy was several times better than ordinary wound medicine.
"Okay, we'll leave tomorrow morning."
Wu Yi was still looking at her, but Yun Xiu picked up the medicine and poured it on Wu Yi:
"You're being so arrogant! Why didn't you run away when you saw the black-robed man? Even the eldest brother was injured like that. Do you think your chances of winning are any better than your brain?"
Wu Yi looked like he hadn't even applied the medicine properly in Qinglan Sect, but he rushed down the mountain in a hurry.
Wu Yi cried out in pain and dodged, while smiling and begging for mercy: "That's not certain, maybe I can really beat him."
Yunxiu glared at him, and Wu Yi accepted it all. The two of them were silent for a few seconds, and Wu Yi's smile faded a little. He only said:
"With so many lives lost in my family...I can't bear it."
Yunxiu didn't continue the topic.
"Did the Sect Master say anything else to you?" Yunxiu asked softly while wrapping the cloth strips.
The Qinglan Sect leader's sudden enthusiasm might not only be due to his concern for their safety, but he might also have other motives.
Wu Yi thought about it and shook his head:
"He didn't say much, just told us to be careful of Zhi Huan. He also mentioned that a 'divine meteorite' would be on display at the tournament, and that it seemed to be related to the remains of an ancient god. He told us not to get close, fearing that Zhi Huan would come after the stone."
"The divine meteorite..." Yunxiu's hand paused, and Zhihuan's words just now suddenly flashed through his mind: "You will understand the truth sooner or later" - could this stone be the key to the "truth" that Zhihuan mentioned?
She didn't ask any more questions, but simply quickened the pace of bandaging. By the time she had finished treating Wu Yi's wound and helped him lie down on the bed, the sky outside the window had already turned pale. Wu Yi fell asleep quickly, but his breathing was still a little rapid, obviously exhausted and in pain.
Yunxiu stood by the window, with more and more doubts in his heart.
Zhi Huan's identity, the secret of the divine meteorite, the invitation from the leader of Qinglan Sect, and the power in his body that originated from Zhi Huan's divine power... the clues were tangled in his mind like a tangled thread.
She closed the door gently and walked into the courtyard. The morning breeze, carrying the fragrance of grass and trees, blew away the chill of the night.
The main peak of Qinglan Sect in the distance was looming in the morning light, and the glazed tiles on the top of the peak were shining coldly, like a dormant giant beast.
The sun gradually rose, and golden light filled the courtyard.
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