29. Undercurrents are surging.
The face hidden in the soft moonlight shattered all gentleness and obedience, becoming instead sharper and more intimidating, breathtaking. A ferocious beast seemed to lurk in its eyes, and a torrent of emotions seemed poised to burst forth.
In an instant, all was silent. The sky seemed no longer obscured by clouds, and the stars shone brightly. Chu Qing seemed to hear her own heartbeat.
thump, thump, thump
It tapped against that fragile shell again and again.
Yin Li is still the same Yin Li; he has never changed and remains a little disciple who longs to be cared for.
She lowered her eyes, a bitter feeling rising in her heart. After a long silence, she finally said, "It's getting late, let's rest."
"Um"
Ling Xueluo seemed to have just recovered from a dazed state. After agreeing to Chu Qing's suggestion, she saw that the two of them had closed their eyes before she dared to look at Yin Li.
I've always felt that my senior brother has been acting strangely ever since Crescent Moon Town...
I can't quite put my finger on it, but something just doesn't feel right.
After staring at it for a while without finding anything, Ling Xueluo gave up, closed her eyes to conserve her energy, and prepared for tomorrow.
The next morning, Chu Qing woke up from the cold. She always had to maintain a low level of cultivation in front of others, so she was much more afraid of the cold than before.
"Chu Qing, put this coat on first. Hmm—my senior brother and I aren't too afraid of the cold, so don't hurt yourself."
"Okay, thank you, Senior Sister Ling."
Chu Qing did not refuse the other party's kindness. She reached out and took the cloak, neatly unfolded it and put it on. Before leaving, she tied a not-so-delicate bow at the ties.
Seeing this, Yin Li, who was not far away, suddenly narrowed his eyes, as if he had thought of something, but he did not speak. He only slightly curled his lips, and a look of understanding appeared in his eyes.
The group seemed to be wandering aimlessly through the forest, but Chu Qing could sense that Yin Li was following the guidance of the Xuanbing Spirit Orb to find the Huowu Spirit Orb. She needed to quickly find an opportunity to release her spiritual power to cut off the three's tracks in order to prevent Ye Lang from finding them.
Ling Xueluo, standing to the side, didn't have many questions either. She simply followed behind her senior brother, wary of any potential dangers around them.
As they walked, they came to a small hill. The trial grounds were all in the mountains, and the surrounding environment was not exactly the same, but it was quite similar. They stood by a rock and rested for a while.
"Snowfall, wait for me here. I'll go scout ahead, or—"
"I don't want to wait for you here; it would be a waste of such a great time and opportunity!"
"Senior brother, I'm not the same little kid who was afraid of everything anymore. As long as I don't run into Ye Lang, everything will be fine, right?"
Ling Xueluo finally voiced her thoughts after enduring so much. From the very beginning of the trial, Yin Li had always protected her from behind, and she hadn't had a chance to show her skills. The trial was supposed to be about improving her strength!
Besides, Green Mountain Peak has clear rules that disciples cannot kill each other. They also have brocade pouches, so what are they afraid of? Senior brother is just overthinking things!
So long-winded! So long-winded! So long-winded!
Seeing this, Yin Li frowned, seemingly unable to argue with the other party, and finally could only sigh helplessly: "Alright then, junior sister, please be careful."
"Hmph, just you wait, I'll prove it to you, to my master!"
"Senior brother, see you off the field!"
The moment he turned around, Yin Li swiftly channeled a sword aura to protect Ling Xueluo behind him. This did not escape Chu Qing's notice; she knew that the male lead was about to make a move.
Therefore, he used reverse psychology to deliberately make the female lead leave.
"Fellow Daoist Chu Qing, I'm sorry to have made you laugh." The words were polite, but the other party didn't seem to have much of a polite expression. Chu Qing nodded indifferently and said, "It's alright. It's just that my spiritual power is weak, and Xue Luo is impatient. Can I still continue to follow behind you, Senior Brother?"
After saying that, Yin Li paused, then pursed her lips knowingly: "Of course, but I can't guarantee your safety."
"It's alright. I came here to learn. As long as you don't mind, that's fine."
How could your disciple possibly despise you?
Yin Li pondered these words over and over, but ultimately swallowed them back down, shook her head, and walked on.
Master, do you know how terrible your acting is? It's just that—
The lust surging in the boy's eyes revealed a hint of humanity.
The two walked one after the other for nearly an hour and a half, until they returned to the same rock.
Lost?
Chu Qing frowned, but she couldn't use her powerful spiritual energy to clear a path.
From now on, the plot will get back on track. As long as Yin Li gets the Fire Dance Spirit Orb, it will be the moment for her to activate the divine artifact.
Stopping again beside the rock, the boy closed his eyes, placed his hands over his head, and explored the surroundings.
The Mystic Ice Spirit Orb was sensed here just now, so the Fire Dance Spirit Orb must be hidden nearby, or rather, hidden in another place unknown to anyone, requiring a certain medium to enter.
What could it be?
Suddenly, a dent in the area covered by her palm moved slightly. Yin Li pressed down on it, but there was no reaction.
That shouldn't be the case.
He tried to sense the area with his spiritual power again, but it still had no effect. So he turned around to see if his master was still in the same spot.
But who's behind him?
Within sight, there was not a single living creature.
What strange place has he entered again?
It's a pity there's no master here.
Sigh, let's finish this quickly then.
The boy held the Qingfeng Sword in his hand. The pure white bead in the hilt was no longer as dim as before. The bright white light illuminated the surrounding path. Yin Li followed the guidance without expression.
After an unknown amount of time, a white mist suddenly appeared before him, constantly approaching him.
This mist—is a mirage from a year ago!
A year ago, he had no ability to discern the formation, but things are different now. This time, no matter what it is, he will not panic.
Yin Li walked forward, always on the defensive, when suddenly, it seemed as if someone appeared in front of her.
The man was dressed in a disciple's robe, seemingly ordinary, but the cold expression on his face made him unmistakable—it was his master!
But he wasn't his master.
It was just a trick the illusion used to confuse him.
"Chu Qing? What are you doing here?"
'Chu Qing' seemed surprised by the other party's arrival and said, "I didn't know either, I was here in the blink of an eye."
"Let's go and see."
"Um."
And so, the two met up in this strange way. Yin Li was in front and Chu Qing was behind. Before long, they arrived at a pool of water. The trees around them were crisp and clear, and there was no trace of autumn.
Time in the illusion is different from reality, but the most important thing now is to find a master.
As for this "First Clear Day," it merely imitated its master's appearance, but its spiritual power was truly weak. It's hard to tell whether this illusion was clever or foolish.
"Wait here for me, I'm going to check things out ahead."
“Okay.” Chu Qing agreed, but she still secretly gathered spiritual power in her hands, preparing to launch a sneak attack from behind.
Yin Li seemed oblivious to the other person's movements and continued walking forward. Suddenly, the person behind him stood up, picked up his sword, and thrust it towards Yin Li's heart.
clang!
In a flash, Yin Li parried and knocked her down with the Qingfeng Sword. Just as he was about to use a move to force her back, a more familiar sword suddenly appeared from the side.
Blood View
Yes... Master!
The imposter 'Chu Qing' was blasted away by the overwhelming sword energy. "Go!"
Yin Li had just come to her senses when Chu Qing pulled her away from this place of trouble.
Master saved him once again.
The chilling sword aura still lingered around. Half of the person's face was hidden in the shadows, while the other half, illuminated by the sunlight, revealed their originally delicate and slender eyebrows.
With upturned corners of her eyes and pupils like a thin mist, she seemed both worried and lively.
Chu Qing originally intended to conceal her identity and watch the other party successfully obtain the Fire Dance Spirit Orb, but she still sensed an even stronger opponent in the illusion just now.
Besides Wen Ruyu and Ye Lang, there could be no one else.
Therefore, it's best for her to restore her identity to avoid running into them again and causing a lot of trouble.
Chu Qing thought to herself that she wasn't trying to protect the male lead; at this point, she shouldn't interfere too much in his path.
Yes, so she's just here to stop the villains.
Chu Qing led Yin Li quickly. It was almost dusk, and the orange sunset painted the clouds on the horizon. She searched left and right, but still couldn't find a good hiding place.
We have no other choice but to find another cave.
"Master, cough cough, we can go there to take shelter first."
Following the boy's finger, there was clearly another cave halfway up the mountain. The entrance was covered by weeds, making it difficult to find without careful searching.
It's a good place to take refuge.
In short, there's never a problem listening to the male lead.
"Okay," Chu Qing continued on her way, and only when the sun was about to set did she lead him inside.
The two gathered some branches around the cave entrance, placed them in the center of the entrance, and then she used her spiritual power to light a fire.
After a long journey and the exhaustion from the long time spent in front of the illusion, Yin Li was clearly exhausted and sat down by the fire.
Chu Qing paused for a moment, then sat down as well, though a wide river separated the two of them.
"Why is Master here?" After another light cough, Yin Li felt a pain in his arm and realized that he had been careless and had been injured without knowing when.
This was the first time Chu Qing had ever been unsure how to answer her disciple's seemingly ordinary question.
Of course, it's to protect you.
A voice suddenly echoed in her mind, and she realized with a start that this little brat seemed to be becoming more and more important to her.
"I have my reasons, I have things to do. Why did you wander into this illusion again? Are you tired of living?" Chu Qing, trying to hide her true feelings, rebuked him fiercely, "Yin Li, didn't I say that trials are dangerous, and it's not necessary to—"
"Master, this disciple knows, this disciple knows everything." Yin Li leaned forward and moved closer to Chu Qing, shortening the distance between them.
Sensing that faint, familiar scent, he almost couldn't suppress the surging emotions within him: "Master, isn't your disciple perfectly fine?"
He smiled gently, his eyes seemingly filled with stars, and in the firelight, all eyes were drawn to him.
The moon had climbed into the night sky sometime earlier, as round as a jade plate, and its silvery-white halo spilled down.
"Hmm, this won't happen again." Chu Qing looked at him coldly, her words seemingly chilled to the bone: "I have things to do after leaving the secret realm, so you—"
"Is Master going to abandon his disciple?"
One careless move, and Yin Li seized the opportunity to grab her sleeve.
!!
"How dare you!" Chu Qing tried to pull the piece of fabric that was being held by those fingers, somewhat exasperated and embarrassed, she said, "The trial is a competition between disciples. Someone of my status is bound to be criticized. Yin Li, how could you become like this—"
"master."
The conversation was interrupted once again. The young man stood up and took another step forward. He half-closed his eyes, and his tall figure completely shrouded Chu Qing in shadow.
The face hidden in the dim moonlight shattered all gentleness and obedience, becoming even more sharp, intimidating, and breathtaking. A ferocious beast seemed to lurk in its eyes, and a torrent of emotions seemed about to break free of its shackles, drowning the person opposite it.
[Author's Note]
I had a blast writing this... Next chapter: confession. Yeah, that's it. Not a confession, just that leg-hugging thing in the synopsis, hahahahahaha!!!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com