Chapter 31 The Disguise Falls Off: Even While Wearing a Disguise, the Senior Brother Still Protects His Junior Sister...
Ignoring her own wounds, Shi Liuying rushed to Chi Yang's side as fast as she could.
She first tugged at Chi Yang's hand and looked at her questioningly.
Chi Yang shook his head stiffly.
The cold touch traveled from Chi Yang's fingertips to Shi Liuying's palm, and Shi Liuying could clearly see the panic in her eyes.
Shi Liuying's heart sank suddenly.
Why did the interference capability fail again?
With Elder Chongcang here, her control over the power within her body gradually increased. Where exactly did the problem lie?
Shi Liuying gradually tightened her grip on Chi Yang's hand.
What can we do to save her...?
"Oh? So you're the one who instigated my sister to leave me?" His deep blue eyes were like whirlpools, as unfathomable as the ocean.
He looked at Shi Liuying and Chi Yang's clasped hands, a dangerous smile playing on his lips.
Chi Yang reacted as if she had been burned, abruptly shaking off Shi Liuying's hand, her movement so fast that it even stirred up a breeze.
She swallowed hard, her throat dry. Without making a sound, she moved her feet and used her body to completely block Shi Liuying, protecting her behind her not-so-broad back.
At the same time, she hid her free left hand behind her back and quickly gestured to Chong Cang, who was not far away.
Take her away!
Chi Yang doesn't have eyes on the back of her head, so she doesn't know if Chong Cang understood her hint.
But one thing she was certain of was that it was over; everything was out of her control.
Xuan Yuan grabbed his free left hand.
Xuan Yuan's hands were unimaginably cold, colder than hers, like the hands of a dead man, sending chills down one's spine.
The cold touch instantly reminded her of the distance and fear she felt when she first met Xuan Yuan, when her affection level was zero.
His deep purple eyes stared intently at her, their depths revealing an undercurrent she couldn't decipher.
But Cang Po had no intention of letting Shi Liuying go, and was even angered by Chi Yang's small, protective gesture.
He chuckled softly, a sound that was melodious yet carried a chilling undercurrent. The water chain binding Chi Yang's ankle tightened instantly, like a venomous snake suddenly constricting its prey.
"Ah!" Caught off guard, Chi Yang cried out in pain, staggered, and was about to fall to the ground in a sorry state.
The expected pain did not come; instead, her waist was wrapped around by two arms at the same time.
One left and one right.
On one side was Xuan Yuan's cold and resolute arm, and on the other side was Cang Po's seemingly gentle but actually unbreakable arm.
Caught between two undeniable gazes, Chi Yang felt like the pitiful layer inside an Oreo cookie.
Even if we take a step back and say that the three of them couldn't become OooOo or LeoOo, could they?
Either of these positions would have made it easier for her to escape, instead of leaving her like a dead fish on a chopping board, without even a chance to jump around.
"Let me introduce you." Xuan Yuan's icy voice carried a barely suppressed rage.
Chi Yang felt utterly dejected, like a secretary who had gotten the position of president's assistant with an inflated resume, only to be dragged to a top-level international negotiation on her very first day.
Her mind went blank. She mechanically stretched out a hand and pointed at Cang Po: "This is the current patriarch of the Merfolk, Cang Po."
Then he extended his other hand: "This is the current Demon Lord of the Demon Clan, Xuan Yuan."
Seeing that the two of them hadn't moved yet, Chi Yang licked his dry lips and added dryly, "You can shake hands now."
This ill-timed remark made the surrounding air even more tense.
Cang Po didn't even glance at Xuan Yuan. His face quickly approached Chi Yang, and when he saw the panic in her eyes, he smiled wickedly: "Sister, are you so afraid of me? But I like you the most, sister."
His sharp, merman-like fingernails scratched across Chi Yang's face; with just a little pressure, they could pierce through it completely: "But I feel like my sister doesn't really like me."
Chi Yang tried to force a reassuring smile, but only managed an expression worse than crying: "How could this be..."
Xuan Yuan's voice cut in abruptly, carrying an undeniable declaration: "Of course, Yang Yang's favorite is me."
Chi Yang was internally devastated. The scene was already chaotic enough; could they please stop making things worse?
Today, we should have left the Demon Lord in the sect to cultivate immortality properly, instead of bringing him out to increase the game's difficulty!
Cang Po still didn't take Xuan Yuan seriously, and even considered this supreme being of the Demon Realm as an opponent.
He continued speaking to Chi Yang, pinching her chin: "I know, my sister doesn't like him either."
Chi Yang: "..." This is practically a death trap question; no matter how you answer it, it could trigger an even bigger minefield.
Since Cang Po appeared, his gaze finally shifted elsewhere for the first time.
He looked behind Chi Yang, at the figure carefully protected by her and the silver-haired demon cultivator.
"Why don't you come out? Let me see what my sister's favorite person looks like. Is she prettier than me?"
The mermaid's voice was melodious and innocent, carrying a kind of naive curiosity, but behind this innocence was an undisguised scrutiny and cold malice.
Chi Yang's unease grew wildly like weeds.
This whole drama seems to be getting weirder and weirder. It doesn't look like a love triangle between Cangpo and Xuanyuan, but rather like... Cangpo is unilaterally targeting Xiaoliuying!
Isn't Cang Po an NPC controlled by the script? Why isn't he following the script? In the script, Xiao Liuying never appeared at all.
Shi Liuying neither looked at Cang Po nor answered his question.
She knew that before finding a way to completely resolve the danger at hand, any words or actions could escalate the conflict and bring even greater danger to her senior sister, Chi Yang.
At this moment, silence and observation are more important than impulsiveness.
She took a step back without making a sound, trying to create distance and look for an opening, or at least not become a burden to Senior Sister Chi Yang.
This subtle movement did not escape Cang Po's eyes.
He scoffed, his tone dripping with mockery: "The woman you love most is right in my arms, aren't you going to take her back?"
He even deliberately lifted a corner of Chi Yang's skirt, as if displaying his possession, blatantly showing Shi Liuying his control over Chi Yang. His gaze seemed to say: Look carefully, to whom does she truly belong?
Under his gaze, Shi Liuying retreated again and again, her steps steady, but her eyes remained sharp, like a hunter assessing his opponent.
Just when Cang Po thought she was going to cowardly withdraw from the "battle" he had unilaterally declared, and a sarcastic smile appeared on his face, Shi Liuying made a move that surprised everyone.
She turned around abruptly and, with lightning speed, reached her hand into the still-hot alchemy furnace next to her!
The scorching heat hit her face, but she didn't even flinch.
She quickly said to the expressionless, seemingly dazed alchemist Ao Hao, "I'm very sorry, I will definitely make it up to you later!"
Then, to everyone's astonishment, she unhesitatingly took out the Nine-Turn Lotus Pill that had just been successfully refined and was radiating astonishing energy fluctuations, swallowed it whole without even chewing it.
Because the pill was bigger than her throat, she even stretched her neck to swallow it, revealing lines of effort on her fair neck, like Tom the cat who had choked on a piece of bread.
It has a touch of comicality, yet it also reveals a resolute determination to burn one's bridges.
"Little Firefly!" Chi Yang exclaimed in shock, her heart leaping into her throat. She hadn't expected Shi Liuying to resort to such an extreme method!
Chong Cang's attempt to stop her only stopped at the step of grasping Shi Liuying's wrist. Feeling the immense medicinal power surging through her pulse, he knew it was too late.
The smile on Cang Po's face vanished without a trace. For the first time, an emotion called "astonishment" appeared in those deep blue eyes, which was then replaced by something deeper and darker: "You actually love her."
He spoke in a low voice, his tone ambiguous and difficult to decipher.
This kind of unwavering, even risky, sentiment to protect the other person has never truly existed in his relationship with Chi Yang.
Shi Liuying ignored everyone's reactions, swallowed the pill, and sat cross-legged without saying a word.
The originally calm spiritual energy around her surged out like a lake surface thrown with a boulder, slowly rotating around her and gradually forming a small vortex of spiritual energy.
Her expression was focused and undistracted, as if the whole world consisted only of herself and the surging power within her, like sitting alone in the eye of a tornado, oblivious to the noise and dangers of the outside world.
"She's thinking..."
"She wants to break through to the next level right now!!"
"This isn't just a casual breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage; it's a breakthrough to the Golden Core stage!"
"Where did this genius come from?"
"To be so audacious and arrogant, breaking through without any protection."
No protectors?
Shi Liuying heard the sounds outside, her tightly closed eyelashes trembled slightly, and her lips curled up slightly.
It does not exist.
As long as they are by her side, as long as she is a disciple of the Myriad Manifestations Sect, she will never be without protectors.
"Genius? You failed to break through to the Golden Core stage and suffered a severe loss of cultivation. Let's see who still calls you a genius!"
Some malicious individuals wanted to take advantage of Shi Liuying's breakthrough and the lack of protection to launch a sneak attack on her.
Having failed her tribulation and suffered severe injuries, her path to genius is coming to an end.
In the world of cultivation, there are geniuses, and naturally there are mediocre villains.
Suddenly, a figure in the audience sprang up and unleashed a full-force attack on Shi Liuying, who was sitting cross-legged.
If this attack lands, at best the breakthrough will fail and the meridians will be damaged; at worst, one's cultivation will be completely destroyed or even one will die on the spot.
A soaring fox howl echoed through the sky, carrying the pressure of ancient bloodlines.
The man who suddenly attacked hadn't even gotten within ten feet of Shi Liuying when he was bitten in half at the waist by a huge fox phantom, blood gushing out, and he died on the spot.
The next moment, Chong Cang's silver-gray figure descended from the sky like a ghost, landing precisely in front of Shi Liuying.
He remained expressionless, but his sharp fox-like eyes swept across the entire area, carrying undisguised killing intent and warning. His powerful aura instantly enveloped the surroundings, silencing those with ill intentions.
"Dharma form, it is dharma form!"
"He's actually a demon cultivator with a Dharma form!"
"My God, what have I seen in a mere competition for disciples of the Pill Sect?"
"This must be due to ancient bloodlines in its lineage."
"No wonder that genius dared to break through on the spot; he had such a strong backing."
"With such a bright future, how can you still sleep?"
"Now nothing will bother her."
Cang Po sneered: "No one's bothering you? I doubt it."
He pinched Chi Yang's cheeks, forcing her head towards Shi Liuying, his voice still carrying that chilling innocence: "Isn't she your favorite, sister?"
Before Chi Yang could answer, the smile on his face vanished instantly, leaving only pure coldness and killing intent: "Then you can watch her die with your own eyes."
Before he finished speaking, a dark blue trident phantom, compressed from the ultimate water elemental force, suddenly materialized in Cang Po's hand.
Ancient divine runes entwined the halberd, radiating a terrifying aura of the sea god, its tip pointing directly at Shi Liuying's heart!
The power contained in this strike caused Chong Cang's Dharma form to freeze, and the entire arena seemed to be frozen in place.
"Little Firefly!" Chi Yang's heart almost stopped beating.
Just as the halberd of death was about to pierce Shi Liuying's body—
High in the sky, the figure that had been silently hovering, dressed in a black Taoist robe, moved.
He didn't make a grand entrance, nor did he attract much attention. He simply took a seemingly casual step, and his figure seemed to merge into space. In the next instant, he stood firmly in front of Shi Liuying like a towering mountain.
His movements were fluid and natural, as if he were always meant to stand there.
Facing the trident that contained the power of the gods, he simply calmly pointed his fingers together like a sword, his fingertips exhaling the black and white energy that had been condensed to the extreme, and pointed with perfect precision at the tip of the trident that was radiating an aura of destruction!
"boom--!"
The two forces intertwined, and a violent impact exploded instantly around the two of them, with visible ripples spreading outwards.
The power of the explosion lasted only a moment before it was completely blocked by the barrier set up by the black-robed elder with hand seals, without affecting the area behind him in the slightest.
A hint of surprise flashed across Cang Po's face, which then turned into a deeper sinister look: "An ant dares to obstruct a god?"
His body was surrounded by shimmering water, and his attacks were like a continuous tide, each strike containing the immeasurable weight of the ocean, as if the entire weight of the ocean was pressing down on the black-robed elder alone.
Fine, spiderweb-like cracks began to appear on the black-robed elder's barrier, emitting a creaking sound as it struggled to bear the weight.
But he stood tall and firm like a pine tree, firmly rooted in place, protecting Shi Liuying behind him without retreating even half a step.
He pointed his sword at Cang Po, and the sword energy clashed wildly with Cang Po's power. Each clash erupted with dazzling light and a muffled roar.
However, Cang Po's power seemed unfathomable. With each collision, the black-robed elder felt an even stronger, almost systemic, suppressive force return, causing his blood to surge and his meridians to ache.
This power carries an irresistible force, much like the "system" within him that has haunted him for hundreds of years like a persistent, intractable disease.
Over the past century, he has tried countless times to defy the system, break through the system, and kill the system.
But the system is always something like the laws of nature, unfathomable and unchangeable.
His resistance gradually subsided after repeated failures.
He began to accept the system, accepting those illogical tasks and unjustified upgrades.
He accepted that he was someone who needed to burn his life force to cultivate, that he would be accompanied by countless dangers in the secret realm, and that he planned to just torment himself like this, meaninglessly ending his remaining life.
But then a figure appeared.
Her eyes shone with fervent light; she possessed an extreme passion for cultivation; she was sincere and kind, ambitious and hardworking.
Jun Lintian couldn't help but turn around and glance at the figure in cyan, his gaze deep.
Within his protective shield, she broke through steadily, her expression calm, guiding the immense medicinal power within her body to steadily challenge the barrier of her realm.
She so desperately craved power, so desperately wanted to become an immortal. The flame burning in those eyes was something he had long since lost.
No one could bear to see her hopes dashed.
He is too.
Even if it meant confronting the system head-on, sacrificing his own foundation and burning his life force, he wanted to buy his junior sister the most time to break through.
Jun Lintian's eyes became incredibly sharp and resolute.
He stopped focusing solely on defense and began to use exquisite sword techniques to guide and deflect Cang Po's attacks.
Even at the cost of serious injury, he used his own body and sword intent to withstand several heavy blows that he could not completely avoid, just to completely isolate that destructive power from her and prevent her from being disturbed in the slightest.
"puff--"
A metallic taste rose in his throat, and the bright red blood finally spilled out from his tightly pursed lips, quickly soaking his black Taoist robe and staining the collar of his moon-white garment.
Jun Lintian's hand holding the sword trembled slightly, and blood stained the hilt, but his feet remained motionless as if welded to the ground.
Cang Po grinned maliciously, his attacks becoming even more ferocious: "Let's see how long you can hold out!"
Just as Jun Lintian felt that the systemic suppressive force was about to crush his will—
"Crack!"
A clear cracking sound rang out, and the protective barrier he had set up shattered completely.
At the very instant the barrier shattered!
Shi Liuying's surging spiritual power erupted like a volcanic eruption, pouring into Cang Po's body.
Cang Po felt that the power that had gradually accumulated in his body during the battle was being rapidly withdrawn and dissipated, as if it were being interfered with by some higher-level rule.
Caught off guard, he was struck head-on by the spiritual energy mixed with the aura of a breakthrough. He groaned and staggered backward, falling to the ground.
Shi Liuying was enveloped in dazzling golden light, and she had achieved the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm!
Feeling the immense power and expanded consciousness within her body, Shi Liuying slowly opened her eyes, which shone even brighter than before.
Jun Lintian, who had been on edge the whole time, finally showed a hint of exhaustion on his face, but a proud smile on his lips.
“Little Firefly!” Chi Yang’s eyes reddened.
If it weren't for her, Xiao Liuying wouldn't have forced her way through under such dangerous circumstances.
Shi Liuying took a deep breath, suppressing the surging spiritual power within her due to her recent breakthrough, and walked step by step closer to Cang Po: "If you want to destroy anything that Senior Sister Chi Yang likes, then your heart is too narrow, and your love is too cheap."
Cang Po grabbed Chi Yang's hand forcefully, stood up awkwardly, and said in an angry and stubborn tone, "So what?"
"She provokes me, she's mine, and she must belong to me forever and ever!"
"Not only her love, but her person, her body, her feelings, everything about her, is all under my name, she belongs to me!"
“Just like a dog obeys its master, Chi Yang can only obey me.” Cang Po tightened the water chain in his hand, forcing Chi Yang’s legs out and revealing his ankles, which were already bruised from being strangled.
Chi Yang looked embarrassed and tried to pull her leg back, but she was bound and unable to move.
Shi Liuying keenly caught the key lines, and a rare mischievous smile appeared on her lips.
"Oh, just like a dog obeys its master, you can only obey Chi Yang."
Cang Po seemed to have heard something absurd and funny. He even picked at his ear with interest: "What are you talking about?"
But soon, he stopped laughing.
The moment Shi Liuying finished speaking, Cang Po was horrified to discover that the azure water chain, which was originally condensed by his power and completely under his control, seemed to have had its permissions forcibly altered by some invisible force.
Cang Po watched helplessly as the water chain slipped from Chi Yang's ankle and floated into her hand.
At the same time, he felt a tightness around his neck!
"Well!"
A powerful sense of restraint instantly gripped his throat!
Cang Po looked down in disbelief, only to see that the water chain, which should have been under his control, was now, at the other end, like an exquisite blue collar, tightly wrapped around his slender neck, slightly tightened, radiating a cold, imprisoning light.
He is now being led around by Chi Yang like a dog.
Chi Yang was also stunned, looking at the cool and slippery water chain that had suddenly appeared in her hand.
Then, following the chain, he looked at the other end at the merman prince, whose beautiful face was filled with humiliation and anger, his neck bound. He was completely bewildered.
So, she somehow... inadvertently acquired a seafood mount?
There's an absurd feeling, like Patrick Star is being led around by a rope around his neck.
The system interference power around Shi Liuying returned, and she felt slightly relieved. She smiled and said to Cang Po, "You must remember this well, you shouldn't have offended Senior Sister Chi Yang..."
However, before she could finish speaking, she caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye that the tall figure in the black Taoist robe seemed to have lost all support, swayed slightly, and then, like a kite with a broken string, fell helplessly downwards!
As he fell, his wide black Taoist robe billowed wildly in the wind.
In the dim light, Shi Liuying caught a glimpse of a breathtaking and moving color.
As the black Taoist robe billowed, a glimpse of its pale white hem flashed by. There it was—the familiar flowing cloud pattern embroidered with dark red thread…
In an instant, all her doubts were answered. Why did the guardian elder lend a helping hand? Why did that protective posture feel strangely familiar and reassuring to her?
Shi Liuying's heart was struck hard. She lunged forward and caught the figure that was about to fall: "Senior Brother!"
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Author's Note: Random red envelopes will be dropping in the comments section! [pat on the head] I want to read more comments to get more daily power! [please][please]
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