wrist
At the same time, inside a small tent on the west side of the camp.
Meng Yao was practicing calligraphy. This was his daily homework, given to him by Xie Linyang, who said it was the basic mental cultivation formula of the Lan Clan, and that he should copy it a hundred times to calm his mind and cultivate his character.
The pen tip hovers over the paper, a drop of ink about to fall.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my chest.
It wasn't the wound that hurt; it was something deeper inside, as if something was being gripped and torn apart. His hand trembled, and ink dripped onto the rice paper, spreading into a blotchy stain.
The soul-binding pact is throbbing.
The feeling was strange, as if a thread was tied deep within his soul, and now that thread was being pulled hard, causing him to tremble.
It's a more complex feeling, a mix of anxiety, panic, and a sense of vulnerability on the verge of breaking down.
These feelings did not belong to him, yet they were clearly transmitted through the Soul Binding Pact.
It is Master.
Meng Yao suddenly stood up, knocking over the inkstone and spilling ink all over the floor. Without bothering to clean it up, he rushed out of the tent and looked towards the cave behind him.
The night was deep, and the mountain where the cave was located was shrouded in darkness, with nothing visible. But the throbbing of the Soul-Binding Pact grew stronger and stronger, as if a hand was clenching his heart tighter and tighter.
Something happened.
He practically ran; his left arm injury hadn't fully healed, and the running aggravated the wound, causing him to sweat profusely from the pain.
But he couldn't care less. The disciple on night watch saw him and tried to stop him: "Young Master Meng, you can't stay in the secluded cultivation place, Guest Elder Xie—"
"Get out of the way!" For the first time, Meng Yao lost his gentle demeanor, his voice filled with a panic he himself was unaware of. "Something has happened to Master!"
The disciple was taken aback, but Meng Yao had already swept past him and was rushing towards the cave.
Along the way, he encountered two patrol teams, but he brushed them off by saying he was "on urgent orders from Minister Xie." No one dared to actually stop him; everyone knew he was Xie Linyang's personal disciple, and even though his position was now precarious, no one wanted to offend him.
The triple barrier outside the cave had indeed malfunctioned. The first defensive barrier was broken, with fragments of spiritual energy scattering in the air like tiny starlight. The second soundproof barrier was teetering on the brink of collapse, with intense light and violent fluctuations of spiritual energy seeping through its cracks.
The third layer is the strongest protective barrier, and its surface is currently rippled with abnormal crimson waves, as if it were being burned from the inside.
Without hesitation, Meng Yao bit his fingertip and used his blood as a guide to quickly draw a boundary-breaking talisman in the air. He had learned this from a rare ancient book and originally just wanted to learn more, but he never expected it to come in handy now.
The runes were imprinted on the barrier, causing the crimson ripples to vibrate violently and crack open. Meng Yao squeezed in sideways, and the crack quickly closed behind him.
The sight inside the cave made him gasp for breath.
The stone bed and table had been reduced to dust, and the luminous pearl was shattered on the ground. The central spirit-gathering array had completely collapsed, and the runes inscribed on the ground had been melted by the high temperature, leaving charred marks. The air was filled with a scorching heat and a faint smell of blood.
And Xie Linyang...
She knelt in the center of the array's ruins, her body enveloped in an unstable crimson-gold aura. Her long hair was disheveled, with a few strands clinging to her cheeks and neck with sweat. The collar of her blue outer robe was slightly torn, revealing her fair collarbone and a small patch of skin.
His skin was now covered with spiderweb-like crimson-gold patterns, as if something was flowing and burning beneath his skin.
What was most chilling were her eyes. Her once clear and bright eyes were now unfocused and lifeless, yet two golden flames danced deep within her pupils. She stared at her hands; the crimson at her fingertips had spread to her palms, as if burning embers were buried beneath her skin.
"Master..." Meng Yao approached cautiously.
Xie Linyang suddenly raised his head, his burning golden eyes locking onto him.
There was no familiar chill or wariness, only a chaotic, beast-like hostility.
"Who..." Her voice was hoarse, each word burning hot, "Get out..."
"Master, it's me, Meng Yao." He stopped and softened his voice. "You've suffered a qi deviation. Let me help you—"
Before he could finish speaking, a crimson-gold spiritual energy blade came hurtling towards him!
Meng Yao dodged awkwardly to the side, the spiritual energy blade grazing his shoulder and leaving a deep scorch mark on the stone wall. His heart sank; his master had truly lost his mind, and his attack was utterly merciless.
"Master, wake up!" he tried to rouse her. "I am Meng Yao, your disciple!"
His response was an even more intense attack. The irrational Xie Linyang was like a trapped beast, viewing everyone who approached him as a threat.
Crimson-gold spiritual energy crisscrossed within the cave, each strike carrying scorching yang energy that would injure anyone who touched it.
Meng Yao dodged left and right, tearing open the wound on his left arm, blood seeping through the fabric. But he couldn't care less about bandaging it; his mind raced. He had to subdue his master, otherwise she would be completely devoured by the Yang Sha power, either losing all her meridians and becoming a cripple, or... exploding and dying.
How can he subdue her? His master's power is clearly stronger than usual; he has no chance of winning in a head-on confrontation, and he can't hurt her...
Distracted for a moment, another blade of spiritual energy grazed his side, tearing his clothes and causing a burning pain on his skin. Meng Yao groaned, but his eyes grew even more determined.
She couldn't retreat... Of the entire alliance, he was the only one who could get close to her master at this moment, because of the Soul Binding Contract and the Life-Giving Technique, because he was her disciple, and because perhaps... she still retained a trace of her awareness of him in her subconscious.
Instead of dodging, he charged forward to meet the next attack!
A crimson-gold spiritual energy blade slashed straight at her face. At the last moment, Meng Yao turned her head to avoid a vital spot, allowing the force to strike her left shoulder, the location of an old wound.
A sharp pain exploded within him, his vision went black, and he almost collapsed to his knees.
But taking this opportunity, he lunged at Xie Linyang and grabbed her wrist tightly with his uninjured right hand!
"Master! Wake up!" he roared, trying to channel his spiritual energy into her body to help her regulate the chaotic power.
The moment their hands touched, Meng Yao trembled all over.
It was too hot… Master's skin was as hot as a branding iron, and the crimson-gold patterns beneath it seemed to writhe like living things, transmitting the terrifying heat. His palms were instantly burned, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air.
But what shocked him even more was the feeling of touching her: her slender wrist, her warm skin, and the torrent of spiritual energy pounding wildly in her pulse, on the verge of collapse.
Xie Linyang's wrist was gripped, and her muddled consciousness seemed to clear for a moment. She looked at the person in front of her, that pale and anxious face, those eyes that were always gentle but were now filled with panic...
Meng Yao?
The name surfaced in the chaotic sea of consciousness, bringing with it a series of fragmented images... the mung bean soup served at the inn... his back as he lunged at the puppet in the star trail corridor... his cautious whispers in the camp...
And...the bloody future hidden in the photo grass.
Father murder, brother murder, wife murder, son murder...
Demon! Monster! Lord Lianfang!
Her chaotic thoughts roughly pieced these fragments together, arriving at a conclusion that chilled her to the bone—danger.
This person is dangerous. He will kill many people, he will...
“Let go…” she said hoarsely, and began to struggle.
"Master, don't move, your disciple is helping you—" Meng Yao's words came to an abrupt halt.
Because Xie Linyang suddenly lowered her head and bit the hand that was holding her wrist hard!
It wasn't a warning bite; it was a ferocious, beast-like tearing.
Teeth pierced through flesh and embedded themselves deep in joints, warm blood gushing out, mingling with her burning breath, spreading a rusty, sweet scent between the two.
Meng Yao convulsed in pain, yet dared not let go. He watched helplessly as his master bit his hand, her burning golden eyes devoid of reason, filled only with primal urge to attack. She was forcing him to release her grip in the most primal way, like a trapped beast tearing at its shackles.
"Master..." His voice trembled, whether from pain or something else, "Wake up... I am Meng Yao... I won't hurt you..."
Xie Linyang wouldn't listen. The power of Yang Sha surged through her body, burning all her reason to ashes. She only knew that this person was binding her, that this dangerous person was approaching her, and that she had to make him let go, she had to…
She bit down harder, her teeth almost embedding into the bone. Meng Yao's blood flowed down the corner of her mouth, dripping onto her clothes and spreading dark red stains.
The excruciating pain made Meng Yao's vision go black, but he still didn't let go. Not only that, he wrapped his injured left arm around her waist, holding her tightly in his arms. It was an extremely dangerous position; if she looked up, she could bite his throat off.
But he had to control her... he had to.
“Master…I’m sorry…” he whispered in her ear, his voice broken, “This disciple…has offended you.”
He channeled all his spiritual power, disregarding the limits of his meridians, and forcefully poured his power into her body, using his meager strength to suppress the raging torrent of yang energy.
This was tantamount to a mantis trying to stop a chariot. The Yang Sha power felt the external provocation and launched an even more frantic counterattack. Xie Lin Yang trembled violently and tightened his grip on her. Meng Yao could almost hear the groans coming from her own bones.
Worse still, this close fit caused certain things that had been suppressed by reason to begin to spiral out of control.
Her body was burning hot, as if she were melting. His arms were around her waist, and he could feel her slender yet strong waist beneath the fabric, and her slight spasms and trembling from the pain.
Her long hair cascaded down his neck, carrying a faint, familiar herbal scent mixed with the smell of blood, creating an eerie yet alluring aura.
Her lips were still biting his hand, warm and moist, with a sweet, rusty smell of blood. With each breath, her warm, moist breath sprayed onto his skin.
Meng Yao's breathing began to become erratic.
He lowered his eyes to examine his master at this moment, his eyes dark and unfathomable, his fingers unconsciously rubbing together, burning not only his fingers, but also his burning heart.
This shouldn't be... This is blasphemy! Master is suffering, struggling on the edge of life and death, and he actually...
But his body wouldn't obey him... The warmth in her arms, the scent lingering around his nose, and the frantic throbbing of her pulse in his palm... all of this was stimulating the deepest, most secret desires in his heart.
Even if she hates him and abandons him, he never gets angry with her. He wants to give her everything he has, and he would be happy even if she devours his bloodline and eats him whole.
Meng Yao felt he must be crazy, and yes, he was crazy to begin with.
He wanted to hold her tighter, to kiss away the blood from the corner of her mouth, to take all her pain with his own body, and to make her burning eyes reflect only his image...
Once the thought took hold, it spread like wildfire, unstoppable. His arms tightened unconsciously, pulling her closer to him. His chin rested on the top of her head, and he could feel the warmth beneath her long, disheveled hair.
"Master..." he murmured unconsciously, his voice so low and hoarse, "Master..."
Xie Linyang seemed to sense something; even in the chaos, her animal instincts made her perceive danger.
It wasn't a threat of power, but a different kind of danger that was more ambiguous and made her more uneasy.
She released her grip on his hand, raised her head, and looked directly at him with her burning golden eyes.
Those eyes still lacked reason, but there was something else...confusion, vigilance, and a hint of...fear?
Is she afraid of him?
This realization was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the delusions that had just ignited in Meng Yao's heart. He looked at her bloodstained lips, at his own distorted expression reflected in her eyes... It was desire, possessiveness, and a darkness that even he himself loathed.
What is he doing? His master is suffering, on the verge of life and death, and he is actually thinking about such filthy things?
"I'm sorry..." He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his eyes were clear again. "I'm sorry, Master."
Without further hesitation, he activated the Soul Binding Contract.
A deeper connection, through the thread binding their souls, allowed him to probe his consciousness into her chaotic sea of awareness. This was dangerous; if her counterattack was too strong, it might tear his very being apart.
But he had no other choice.
In the instant her consciousness sank, Meng Yao saw fire.
The towering golden flames burned everything; it was the projection of Yang Sha power in the sea of consciousness—violent, chaotic, and destructive.
In the center of the flames, he saw his master, not the irrational body outside, but her true divine consciousness, curled up in a small ball, surrounded and scorched by the flames.
"Master!" His consciousness rushed over, trying to pull her out of the sea of fire.
Xie Linyang raised her head and looked at him. Her eyes were empty, as if all her memories and emotions had been burned away, leaving only the most instinctive pain.
"It hurts..." she said, her voice so soft it was almost a whisper.
Meng Yao's heart was gripped tightly. He reached out and, ignoring the excruciating pain of the flames burning his consciousness, pulled her into his arms.
"Don't worry, your disciple is here," he said softly, enveloping her with his weak divine sense. "Your disciple will take you out."
The flames raged towards them, each scorching pain bringing real, soul-deep agony. Meng Yao gritted her teeth, protecting her consciousness in her arms, and walked out step by step.
With each step he took, the flames grew stronger, and his consciousness began to become transparent, its edges starting to dissipate. This was a sign of damage to his divine sense. If this continued, he might be lost here forever, or his soul might be scattered.
But he didn't stop.
Finally, just before his consciousness was about to completely dissipate, he carried her out of the sea of fire.
In the real world, Meng Yao suddenly opened his eyes and spat out a mouthful of blood. The damage to his divine consciousness backfired on his physical body; his vision blurred, and he almost fainted.
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