Chapter 174 At the very beginning, you were a cultivator, one of the same kind.
The night sky was studded with stars, and in the vast wilderness, only the two people remained, tightly embracing each other.
The commotion, doubts, insults, and pursuit of just fifteen minutes ago stand in stark contrast to the tranquility here. Ji Mingran looked around again, released Yu Tianxing's neck, and stared down at the blood-soaked patch of his robe at the waist, asking, "Where are we?"
One moment, she suddenly became a wanted criminal of the Heavenly Rank in the spiritual cultivation world, pursued by several Mahayana Realm cultivators. The next moment, Yu Tianxing suddenly appeared, dispelling the evil-repelling array that Boss Jiang had cast on her, repelling the various Taoist techniques that were relentlessly pursuing her, and bringing her to this place.
No one knows what method Yu Tianxing used, but he not only took her away from the encirclement of Mahayana cultivators, but also cut off their pursuit. The latter have not been able to find their whereabouts to this day.
Thinking about it carefully, Yu Tianxing was, after all, the target of the previous Heavenly Rank Wanted Order, and had been besieged for many years. His ability to evade was naturally much stronger than that of ordinary people.
It only took them a blink of an eye to get here from the sect's realm. The wound in her waist and abdomen that she had stabbed was still bleeding, but Yu Tianxing didn't care, and neither did she.
Ji Mingran did not loosen his grip on the cane and longsword. His expression was wary, and his clear eyes were fixed on Yu Tianxing. He asked again, "You know?"
"I saw everything that the communication jade tablet you left me played in sync with me." Yu Tianxing's arms around her body remained tight. "Whether it's the Realm of All Beings or the Trial of the Inner Demon, I've said it before, as long as it's you, it doesn't matter."
Ji Mingran took it as a way of controlling her. "No, you don't know." She pushed hard, but the arms holding her were like iron clamps, impossible to shake. With each push, those iron arms tightened their grip.
Ji Mingran had no choice but to give up, raising his head and saying indifferently, "I have never told you about my background."
The cane and longsword he gripped tightly shrank to the size of a dagger and were pressed against Yu Tianxing's throat.
"Yu Tianxing, maybe I really am the parasitic evil you despise so much."
His handsome, godlike face was inches away from hers. They were so close that she could feel Yu Tianxing's warm breath on her neck, and she could see her own face in his eyes.
Ji Mingran stared at him without blinking, determined not to miss a single change in emotion on his face or in his eyes.
She knew that Yu Tianxing didn't care about her past, nor did he care whether she came from another world or was a monster.
But he was concerned about those parasitic mutants, those monsters or demons that, in his eyes, could erode the souls of others and possess their bodies.
Cleansing away these evil spirits is Yu Tianxing's obsession. He has persisted for many years, preferring to be misunderstood rather than let any of them go unpunished.
And what about her? Although she didn't come into this world voluntarily, and she herself didn't even understand how it happened, objectively speaking, she did occupy another person's body.
Just like the mutated species that eroded Yu Tianxing's parents and fellow disciples.
It's understandable if Yu Tianxing doesn't let him off the hook.
Ji Mingran didn't know why Yu Tianxing brought her here. Perhaps he didn't know the hidden reason, or perhaps he wanted to end his own life. But based on their friendship, he brought her to a peaceful place so that she could rest in peace.
She never realized the need to tell others about her origins. In the spiritual world, there are also cultivators from various smaller worlds, but not everyone tells them where they come from. After all, what's so special about that? Where you come from has nothing to do with what you're doing right now.
But if anyone asked, she would answer truthfully, since it was nothing to mention. She just never imagined that what she considered insignificant was, in everyone's eyes, a serious problem.
In Yu Tianxing's eyes, this would be an even bigger problem. They viewed her origins as an issue, which would become her predicament. And when faced with a predicament, she only ever sought to solve it.
There is a solution to every problem; if suffering wants to solve her, she will solve suffering first. If spiritual practitioners want to take her life, she will strike first and eliminate those who want her life.
This includes the cultivators she knows, her fellow disciples from the Dingsheng Sect, and even Yu Tianxing...
Thinking of this, and recalling her companions' astonishment, her fellow disciples' exclamations, and Boss Jiang's pursuit... Ji Mingran's fingertips turned white. Although she had seen the inner demon trial before, this time, she felt a tightness in her chest, making it difficult for her to breathe.
Three hundred years into the apocalypse, she searched and learned for a long time, and she firmly believed that one day she would find her kind and become a part of human society again.
Finally, her opportunity arrived. She tirelessly applied what she learned and enthusiastically researched new things, but in the end, she couldn't be accepted as one of her own.
She cheered and rushed towards the humans, only to be kicked out by them.
She was seen as an anomaly; in the eyes of cultivators, she was a demon, a mutated species that they loathed.
Or perhaps... Ji Mingran's eyes showed confusion. Unbeknownst to her, she had truly been infected by the mutated species and become one of them.
It's just that she insisted on finding humans, so she naturally assumed that she was still human.
After all, before coming to this world, she had indeed not seen a human being for a very, very long time.
A warm, moist feeling welled up in the corner of his eye. Ji Mingran blinked, the heat still sliding down his face.
Did you use too much spiritual power to evade the powerful being and chase him, causing blood to flow from your seven orifices?
But why is it only the eyes that are bleeding?
Ji Mingran tried to force a smile, but the heavy feeling in her heart seemed to have reached her face as well. The muscles around her mouth were too tense to move, and she finally gave up.
She could choose to hide it, but there was no need.
She spoke to Yu Tianxing again, saying, "I'll tell you frankly, I do come from the apocalypse. I died there and then opened my eyes to find myself here. This is not my original body."
The hoarse voice was light and ethereal, dissipating into the wind the moment it was uttered.
Conversely, the dagger pressed against Yu Tianxing's throat was both ruthless and heavy.
If she were to explain that she had no intention of harming anyone, this action would completely contradict herself. A confrontation would only make those who already harbor suspicions more wary, but only in this way could she avoid losing the initiative should Yu Tianxing make a move.
Blood seeped from the tip of the dagger as it slowly pierced the soft neck.
Ji Mingran's eyelashes drooped.
The person who moved was not her.
A tall shadow fell upon her, and Yu Tianxing's dark eyes were very close to hers, his thick eyelashes almost overlapping hers.
The tightly gripped dagger plunged deep into her throat, but Yu Tianxing seemed oblivious to the pain, continuing to lower his head and move closer to her until their foreheads touched.
His lips touched hers, cool and gentle, as if soothing a stressed, baring beast. Yu Tianxing's voice was soft: "I know, I knew it a long time ago."
Ji Mingran's heart skipped a beat, her eyelashes fluttered up, intertwining with the thick, long lashes close to hers. She even forgot to move her head back, and pressed her lips to Yu Tianxing's, asking, "When?"
The icy touch faded, and Yu Tianxing looked directly into her eyes, "At the very beginning, right at the very start."
Did he know from the beginning?
Ji Mingran felt as if he had been struck by lightning; his mind seemed to explode, buzzing loudly.
How could he have known from the beginning? If he had known from the beginning, why would he have agreed to be her partner? Even if he didn't have the memories of the past in the small world, why would he still be willing to associate with her after returning to the spiritual cultivation world?
Even after reliving the memories of the Soul Devouring Array, he was still willing to transfer spiritual power to her to help her break the array.
Warm blood flowed and meandered along the dagger, seeping into the palm through the fingers. The heat brought by the blood seemed to be gradually transmitted from the palm to the heart, which felt like it had fallen into an ice cave, and spread to the cold and numb limbs.
The heaviness in his heart eased a little, but Ji Mingran didn't let go and said, "You're lying to me."
The hand that was tightly wrapped around her loosened, and the Hidden Life Sword appeared, its blade pointing upwards. With a gentle slash, the night sky above was torn open, like a real curtain. The torn curtain fell heavily to both sides, revealing another world hidden behind it.
The courtyard is deep and secluded, with green walls and gray tiles, a scene of idyllic beauty.
Every corner of the high-walled courtyard exudes understated luxury. The shimmering light originates from the spiritual pearls embedded in the eaves, the winding corridors are adorned with shimmering jade, and the carved windows are curtained with celestial silk…
As Yu Tianxing explained the ingredients to her in detail, he led her to various corners of the courtyard. Then, he pushed open a wooden door with a pattern of green mountains and clear waters outlined in gold thread.
Ji Mingran glanced around and saw that the room was full of clothes and jewelry, all neatly arranged.
"Each piece is made with a base of spirit gold thread, which can be used as a magic robe to enhance the cultivator's spiritual power perception and improve defense. Ordinary magic weapons cannot harm you."
Yu Tianxing smiled and said to her.
Ji Mingran murmured, "Yu Tianxing..."
She recognized every single material used to build this building. During the time Yu Tianxing was besieged by the spiritual cultivation world, the daily shopping lists he insisted on sending her were actually for this very purpose.
Ji Mingran stared at him intently: "What exactly are you thinking? You and I should be irreconcilable enemies, how can we be together?"
Yu Tianxing said softly, "Do you remember? In Minghua County, on the eve of crossing the Heavenly Gate, I told you that if you stayed, you could have whatever you wanted. On the day we left the Soul Devouring Array, on the day we met on the coast of Dongchu, you said you would stay by my side, so I kept my promise."
"I will build you the strongest shelter and create the toughest robes, so you will never be hurt again."
Ji Mingran's voice was muffled: "You're coming to kill me, this is just a delaying tactic of yours, you've always been roundabout." She had to be firm; this was a sugar-coated bullet from the enemy, and she absolutely could not accept it.
"Mingran." Yu Tianxing finally released his hands from her waist, cupped her face in his hands, and reflected her face in his dark pupils: "You are not, you are not those things."
Ji Mingran glared at him angrily, as if he were her enemy, her gaze so intense it made her eyes swell and ache: "No, I am. I will kill you first!"
With his slender fingertips gently wiping away the tears that had slid down his clear eyes, Yu Tianxing said clearly, "Mingran, you are a cultivator, you are one of us."
"You will no longer be alone."
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