Chapter 45 The Master's Chastity Crisis (?)
The golden light appeared and disappeared intermittently, like a thread guiding his steps. Ya Feiyu felt like a fish foolishly following a fishing hook, thinking he could gain something, only to be met with a miserable fate. A single wrong decision could plunge him into hell in an instant, but more than that, he cared about the truth he could gain through his adventure.
Death? He'd already died once, so what was there for him to fear?
He followed the light and stepped into the narrow passage. He didn't know how long he had walked. When he looked back, he belatedly realized that he seemed to have gone a long way. The cave was much deeper than he had imagined. Without the golden light, it would be pure black all around, swallowing up all light and color, so dark that he couldn't see his hand in front of his face.
Even if someone else were accompanied by several powerful figures, they might not dare to venture deep into this place. Looking across the world, only Ya Feiyu has such courage so far.
Just then, golden light flowed through his fingers and stopped moving. Ya Feiyu paused slightly, precisely because it was so dark around him that he could see the scene before him—countless golden specks of light on the wall, densely distributed like a swarm of fireflies, but even more dazzling. Initially somewhat scattered, the further he went in, the denser the specks became, until their combined light was enough to illuminate the space before him.
Following the golden light, we passed through an extremely narrow passage, and the scene before us sent shivers down our spines.
This was an extremely open space, the only passage being the cave entrance through which Ya Feiyu had entered. It was exceptionally narrow and difficult to find; without the golden light as a guide, it would likely be impossible to locate. The space seemed to have been deliberately carved out by human hands, with smooth walls devoid of any unevenness. In the center of the space was a huge golden cocoon-like object, but it was not a cocoon in the traditional sense.
A thick vein runs along the golden pupa, connecting the ceiling to the floor and enveloping the translucent pupa within. The pupa is translucent, and inside it lives not an insect or a magical beast, but a person, a living, breathing human.
A woman.
Ya Feiyu instinctively summoned his sword, but the space seemed to sense his killing intent. The seemingly harmless veins suddenly twitched, causing the heavens and earth to tremble. Thick, deep green vines surged up, grabbing his ankles and then coiling around his thighs. Several more vines descended from the sky, binding his wrists with such force that it seemed they wouldn't be satisfied until they crushed his bones. Ya Feiyu's fingertips trembled slightly, and he lost his grip on the sword. Danqing fell to the ground, turning into golden light and disappearing.
These vines were somewhat strange; they appeared to be just ordinary, thick vines, yet they had the function of restricting spiritual power. Ya Feiyu had been using spiritual power to suppress the Blood Jade Demon Pearl within her body all along, but now that her spiritual power was shackled and she couldn't use it at all, the Blood Jade Demon Pearl began to stir again. Ya Feiyu gritted her teeth and suppressed her inner demons with her willpower.
It only restricts spiritual power, but not demonic energy...
He was even more alert, but unfortunately he couldn't use his spiritual power now, so realizing the danger was useless.
It was too late to turn back. Even though he had already sheathed his sword, the thick vine showed no sign of retracting.
Just then, the person inside the golden cocoon seemed to move. The woman's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes—they were silver eyes, with clean ear feathers, and a pair of folded wings behind her, their feathers pure white. Intricate patterns adorned her brows, shimmering with a faint blue light.
"Ugh...?!" A sharp pain suddenly shot through my temple, as if I had been pierced by a sword in that instant.
"Hmm...?" The woman saw his reaction and uttered a confused syllable. She raised her hand and waved it, and the veins that wrapped around the golden cocoon obediently dispersed. She took a step forward, and the translucent golden cocoon could no longer hold her. When she arrived in a more spacious place, she spread her pure white wings, which almost covered the sky and the sun, creating an inexplicable sense of oppression.
“I can’t read your mind.” The woman’s cold face slowly approached, grabbing Ya Feiyu’s chin from above and forcing him to take the lead. When she caught sight of those silver eyes, her gaze faltered slightly: “…Silver eyes.”
Although she didn't know what this woman wanted to do to her, she didn't seem to have much malice. Thinking this, Ya Feiyu calmed down for the time being, only keeping her eyes warily fixed on her.
"In this era, are there still members of the Tianyu Clan alive?"
She seemed to be talking to herself; her voice wasn't loud, but it reached Ya Feiyu's ears clearly. The latter was taken aback, then said, "No, I am not a member of the Tianyu clan."
"How could you not be?" the woman scoffed. "You have silver eyes and the same forehead markings as me. I can't read your mind, so how could you not be a member of the Skyfeather Clan?"
Ya Feiyu frowned as he looked at her. He had lived two lives as a human, and from childhood to adulthood, he had firmly believed that he was human, not some Tianyu clan member. How could his self-identity from two lifetimes be so easily changed? Besides, these were just various minor pieces of evidence that proved nothing. If she thought she could sway him with just a few words, she was truly underestimating him. Ya Feiyu's voice turned slightly cold. He didn't hide his displeasure and said, word by word, "It's just a coincidence."
"Is that so? Heh..." The woman, however, stopped being aggressive. She waved her hand, signaling the thick vine to put him down. With his limbs regaining their flexibility, Ya Feiyu dodged away, maintaining a safe distance from the woman of unknown origin. Seeing this, the latter couldn't help but laugh, "Indeed, your behavior doesn't seem like that of a true demon."
She conjured a small stool out of thin air, sat in mid-air, and said flippantly, "The spiritual energy on your body is too strong. I don't like it."
"You're a Tribulation Transcending stage expert?"
Ya Feiyu was displeased, but he had no intention of confronting this woman of unknown origin, so he simply nodded upon hearing her words.
The woman's nose twitched slightly, and her expression momentarily blankened as she exclaimed, "Ah... the spiritual energy in this world is so depleted?"
Does this mean...?
Ya Feiyu's eyes darkened, but his expression remained unchanged. He murmured two words: "Senior..."
The woman smiled and said, "Not bad, very clever."
"Who exactly are you?" Ya Feiyu's eyes were like ice. "Why are you here? And what is your connection with the Tianyu Clan?"
"Shh-"
The woman put her index finger to her lips, a playful smile curving her lips. From Ya Feiyu's perspective, she was quite wicked. "Women should maintain a certain level of mystery, right? Asking everything makes you seem a bit clueless, Peak Master Tianxue."
How did she find out her own identity?!
Ya Feiyu stared wide-eyed at her, but the woman approached him silently, lightly touching his forehead with her index finger. The pale blue mark appeared uncontrollably. The woman's smile deepened, and her other hand gripped his shoulder. He wondered who this person was, that she could control his every move so easily, leaving Ya Feiyu with almost no way to retaliate.
"Shh, little bird," she whispered, "take a nap."
The moment the words left his mouth, his sharp silver eyes truly lost their focus. Ya Feiyu tried to resist, but to no avail.
He fell backward, landing in the thick vines that had somehow appeared, tightly wrapped by the vines, like a python constricting its prey. But upon closer inspection, however, there was no murderous intent or hostility; it was an act of protection.
"Poor little bird." She frowned slightly, looking with pity at the unconscious Ya Feiyu nestled in the center of the thick vines. "Your spiritual veins are so stagnant, your inner demons have entered your body, and you even have a demonic pearl inside you. You really are stubborn..."
"I don't usually save people, but I'll help you out since you're a little bird."
She seemed to be in a good mood, waving her fingers to create a silvery-white barrier around herself, enveloping the two of them.
...
Within the imperial palace, far away on the horizon.
The demonic energy finally spread, and disease ravaged the entire prosperous sea city overnight.
The city suffered heavy casualties, and the once bustling main city was transformed into a desolate wasteland. Only within the heavily guarded imperial palace did life still exist.
However, the situation is not optimistic.
Lloyd had been in a state of exhaustion for some time, and had not been able to get a good night's sleep for several months. His hair was now gray. Viner was the young prince and was not yet proficient in handling government affairs. Even though he had many deputies who were willing to help him and Viner shared some of the official duties, there were still so many things to do that they were almost overwhelming him.
“Father,” Viner stood beside him, “it’s late, you should go to sleep.”
“No,” Lloyd said firmly in his aged voice, “I can’t sleep.”
"If I fall asleep, then this city should close its eyes as well."
Venerer frowned slightly, silently watching him, her long eyelashes drooping. Everyone had been exhausted and desperate lately, yet no one had dared utter a single complaint. His father had worked two consecutive all-nighters; it was clear to anyone with eyes that he was at his limit, on the verge of collapse. If Lloyd, this pillar of strength, fell, then the Ocean Palace would truly crumble.
Therefore, Lloyd dared not rest.
It's a vicious cycle.
He tried to persuade him for two days, but to no avail. Knowing Lloyd's stubborn nature, Venere remained silent for a long time before turning and leaving.
In many situations, once Lloyd sets his mind to something, no one can sway his will. He couldn't persuade his father, so he could only try to find a solution as quickly as possible, otherwise...
If Father falls ill, who else but him can take over the Sea Palace...?
Thinking of this, his azure eyes welled up with tears, and his eyes reddened slightly. His father had let slip to him that Ya Feiyu and Ye Chi seemed to have a way, but…
Do these two people really have that much ability?
Whether it was Lloyd, him, or Ye Chi and Ya Feiyu, they all knew perfectly well that—
The withering of the golden lotus tree is irreversible and cannot be changed.
This is inevitable.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
