Chapter 87: The Boss's Mind is Like a Needle at the Bottom of the Sea
The group narrowly escaped the distorted portal and staggered to the shore of the lake where they had first entered the ruins.
Outside, chaos reigned. Disciples from various sects had not left; instead, a fierce battle broke out over the remaining spiritual herbs and ores on the outskirts of the ruins.
Shouts and the sounds of magical artifacts clashing were incessant.
Hua Nongying's face was as pale as a ghost, and her breathing was extremely unstable, yet she still appeared like a madwoman, locked in combat with several disciples of the Tianyan Sect, her eyes filled with resentment and unwillingness.
Before they could catch their breath, a figure, like a mad dog, recklessly broke through the chaotic battle, ignoring the remaining fluctuations in the void, and rushed straight at Fang Li, who had just regained her footing!
Yun Miaomiao's soul was severely injured, her face was as pale as paper, bloodstains remained at the corner of her mouth, and her eyes were bloodshot, burning with an almost insane obsession and resentment, fixed on Fang Li.
"Fang Li! You shameless thief! Quickly hand over the sacred artifact and supreme inheritance of my Tianyin Sect, the 'Tianyin Origin Dao Chapter'!"
Her outstretched fingers trembled violently with excitement, and her voice echoed throughout the chaotic lakeside:
"You are but a mere talisman cultivator, crude and uncouth, ignorant of music. What right do you have to defile such a sacred artifact of the Great Dao?! This is a thousand-year-old treasure of our sect. What you have obtained is nothing but theft! Utterly shameless!"
Before she finished speaking, disregarding the backlash from her severe injuries, she forcefully activated the remaining pressure of her nascent soul, mixed with overwhelming resentment, transforming it into an invisible yet sharp and piercing sonic blade that stabbed directly at Fang Li's soul!
Not only did she want to seize the treasure, but she also intended to severely injure her in public and even destroy her cultivation foundation!
This sudden attack plunged the chaotic lakeside into an instant silence!
All fighting stopped abruptly, and all eyes focused on them in horror!
Fang Li was locked onto by the sonic pressure containing endless malice. She felt as if her soul was being pricked by needles. Her breath caught in her throat, her face turned deathly pale, and she almost lost her balance!
"Yun Miaomiao! How dare you!!"
A thunderous roar exploded! Master Qingxuan stepped out of the void and instantly stood in front of Fang Li! His usual playful old man's laughter vanished, his beard and hair stood on end, and the runic light around him surged like a raging tide. He also released the pressure of the Nascent Soul stage without reservation, causing the surrounding void to hum!
"Theft? Shamelessness? I think you've lost your mind!!" He pointed at Yun Miaomiao, his words sharp as knives, showing no mercy.
"Sacred objects possess spirits and choose their own masters! Bie Heqin has been dormant in the secret realm for a thousand years, why doesn't it recognize you? Why does it resist you? Instead, it draws close to my disciple and is revived by her spiritual power! You, who call yourself the 'legitimate successor,' are unworthy!!"
"The 'Original Dao Chapter of Heavenly Sound' is a legacy of the Great Dao, not the private property of your Heavenly Sound Sect! It actively chose my disciple as its master, which means it recognizes her Dao foundation and destiny! What are you to presume to claim 'qualification'? The recognition of the Great Dao is qualification!"
"You forced your way through the barrier and suffered the backlash, which is entirely your own fault! Now, instead of reflecting on your mistakes, you're attacking my disciple like a mad dog, utterly disgracing the Heavenly Sound Sect! I think it's time to change your title of 'Heavenly Sound Elder'!"
Qingxuan's angry rebuke was like a storm, and combined with his oppressive aura, it completely crushed Yun Miaomiao's already precarious momentum! Her body swayed violently, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes became even more crazed, but she was choked speechless for a moment, feeling utterly ashamed and indignant!
Just as her eyes were bloodshot and she was using her last bit of strength to try to argue or even fight back.
An even more supreme and icy pressure descended silently!
The remaining nascent soul pressure and vicious sound waves of Yun Miaomiao were as insignificant as dust in the face of this pressure, and they disappeared without a trace without even causing a ripple!
She herself felt as if she had been struck by an invisible, immense hammer!
With a "thud," her knees slammed heavily to the ground, cracking the earth! Her bones creaked under the strain, unable to even lift her head, forced to prostrate herself in the most humiliating posture! Her soul felt as if it had been pierced by a million ice needles; the excruciating pain almost made her faint instantly, leaving only an instinctive trembling!
Ye Wuyang's figure had appeared silently in front of Fang Li without anyone noticing.
With his back to everyone, he stood tall and straight like a lone pine tree in the snow, his gaze fixed on Fang Li's slightly pale face.
He didn't even glance at Yun Miaomiao, who was lying on the ground in a disheveled state, like a lump of mud. He simply spoke to Fang Li in a calm tone.
The voice, though not loud, resonated clearly deep within the souls of everyone on the lakeside, carrying an undeniable tone:
"She is qualified."
Four words.
Concise yet profoundly weighty!
Like a divine decree, it completely negated all of Yun Miaomiao's accusations, insults, and resentment!
Then, he lightly flicked his sleeve.
A gentle force instantly swept up all the disciples of the Tianyan Sect, transforming them into a dazzling sword light that soared into the sky and disappeared into the secret realm.
It came suddenly and left even faster.
All that remained was the deathly silence of the lakeside and Yun Miaomiao, who lay limp on the ground, her face ashen and her body trembling violently.
Qingxuan's angry rebuke was like a knife cutting into her heart, and Ye Wuyang's oppressive aura was like the sky collapsing. Those four words completely shattered her last bit of pride and faith.
Her eyes were vacant and unfocused, and she mumbled unconsciously, repeating herself as if possessed:
"She's qualified...she's qualified...then what am I...what am I..."
Her faith has completely collapsed, her mind has been severely damaged, and she is on the verge of madness.
It took the elders and disciples from various sects a long time to recover from the terrifying pressure.
Jin Buhuan shook his head and clicked his tongue, his back soaked with sweat. Bai Lufang frowned, finally letting out a helpless sigh. Hua Qianmei covered her mouth and giggled, but a deep sense of apprehension flashed in her eyes. The other disciples were even more silent, looking in the direction where Tianyan Sect had left, their eyes filled with unprecedented awe.
The sword light pierced through the sea of clouds, reaching the flying boat.
Amidst the sword light, Fang Li looked at Ye Wuyang's tall and straight back, so close yet seemingly able to shield her from all the storms of the world. Her heart was still pounding wildly, but an indescribable sense of security instantly filled her chest.
"Immortal Venerable...so handsome! Ahhh! I feel so safe! That 'qualified' line just now was so cool!" Her eyes sparkled, almost popping out of their sockets.
"Host! Wipe your drool! Mind your image! Image! The Immortal Venerable is still here!" The system screamed in her mind, covering its face. "But... that face-slapping just now was clean and efficient! Full marks for class! This system gives it a hundred points!"
The atmosphere on the airship was oppressive and somber.
Having experienced a series of fierce battles in the secret realm, everyone was still shaken and silently adjusted their breathing, digesting the enormous impact of the past few days.
Ye Wuyang stood with his hands behind his back at the forefront of the flying boat. His back was tall and straight, as indifferent as ten thousand years of ice. However, his aura was more profound and unpredictable than ever before, as if it contained an endless storm.
But his divine sense, over and over again, silently swept across the space behind him as Fang Li was munching on a spiritual fruit to replenish his strength.
His divine sense was extremely gentle, carrying an indescribable caution and certainty, repeatedly sensing that familiar origin deep within her soul that only he could perceive, which was slowly awakening.
My heart was already churning with turbulent emotions.
"It really is her... After countless reincarnations, she has finally returned... Although her spiritual awareness is not fully awakened, her Chaotic Dao Foundation is already established... So that's how it is. That Chaotic Dao Foundation should be here, protecting her true spirit from obscurity, allowing her to walk the path again..." After searching for ten thousand years and making countless calculations, it has been confirmed at this moment. Beneath the frozen lake of her heart, there is an almost surging turmoil.
His gaze swept casually over the jade hairpin in her hair and the scorched-tail zither she held carefully in her arms, and a wave of reminiscence and tenderness welled up in the depths of his eyes, which he could not suppress for a moment.
"My beloved Ah Li has finally... returned."
Fang Li was completely unaware of the turbulent inner world unfolding within the immortal lord in front of her.
She was munching on a spiritual fruit, lying on her personal recliner, legs crossed, her little feet swinging back and forth as she gazed at the sea of clouds beyond the flying boat, seemingly in a very good mood. But inwardly, she was whispering to the system:
"Master, the Immortal Venerable seems to be in a bad mood? His aura is so cold it could freeze someone to death... Is it because we amassed too much wealth and were too conspicuous in the secret realm, and he thinks we've embarrassed him?"
The system cautiously spoke up: [Perhaps… The big boss's thoughts are as deep as the sea, host, don't guess wildly! (Very quietly) But… host, I think I just caught the Immortal Venerable's gaze lingering on your hairpin and zither for an extra 0.01 seconds? Are those two treasures too eye-catching?]
Standing at the bow of the boat, Ye Wuyang clearly caught Fang Li's mutterings of "getting too much" and "shameful," and his indifferent lips twitched slightly.
"...How could I be such a shallow person as to feel ashamed because my disciple has obtained an opportunity? This little money-grubber's brain..." A feeling of helplessness and indulgence quietly spread.
Upon hearing the overly direct and even somewhat vulgar phrase "too much," Shen Yunzhou subconsciously frowned, feeling that it was inappropriate for a cultivator and lacked elegance. However, when he caught a glimpse of her contented expression and lively eyes as she munched on the spiritual fruit, his disapproval vanished, and he found her instead... inexplicably vibrant and adorable.
Xie Chen paused in his hand, which was waving a jade fan, and a barely perceptible smile flashed in his eyes.
"Junior sister, that's a rather unique and quite vivid way of putting it."
Upon hearing the word "fishing," Ji Qianqiu nodded emphatically, finding the word incredibly apt! In the secret realm, isn't it all about using your own skills to "fish" for treasures? His junior sister's summary was spot on!
Most of the other disciples remained silent, afraid to utter a sound, quietly healing their wounds or reliving the previous thrills.
Master Qingxuan looked thoughtfully at Ye Wuyang's back, his eyes filled with complex emotions. He seemed to vaguely sense that his senior brother's aura today was subtly different from usual, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why.
The flying boat silently traversed through layers of clouds and mountains, and finally the majestic gate of the Tianyan Sect appeared at the edge of the horizon.
The flying boat slowly came to a stop at the mountain gate square.
Ye Wuyang did not look back, nor did he offer any summary or instructions regarding the trip to the secret realm, as if he had simply completed a routine transportation. The moment the flying boat came to a stop, his figure vanished as if merging into the void, disappearing directly in the direction of the Forgotten Dust Palace.
However, in the instant before his figure completely disappeared, he seemed to glance unintentionally in the direction where Fang Li was.
That look was fleeting, yet indescribably complex. It contained concern, scrutiny, a hidden tenderness, and a hint of… an ineffable ripple of wistfulness and anticipation.
With just one glance, it vanished without a trace.
Fang Li happened to look up and meet that gaze. She froze for a moment, and even stopped eating the fruit.
"Master... did the Immortal Venerable glare at me just now?" she asked uncertainly, "because of my unseemly eating?"
System: [“…Host, could you perhaps elevate your focus a little? I think that look…contains a lot of information! But I can't analyze it! In short, the big boss's thoughts are like a needle at the bottom of the sea!”]
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