In the present day, where the Divine Realm had become a mere legend, the True Immortal Realm was the highest cultivation level in the Cangwang Realm. The demon territory had been relatively peaceful these past few years, likely because all three Demon Lords were unable to even touch the threshold of the True Immortal Realm.
With a True Immortal residing in the Dongzhao Region, they could only act like scared turtles for the time being. Now, however, the demon territory had also produced a True Immortal. The situation in the Cangwang Realm had suddenly become very delicate.
It wasn’t surprising that a Demon Lord would instigate a war, but what was strange was that the one who quietly reached the True Immortal Realm was the Myriad Souls Demon Lord. Previously, his strength was the lowest among the three Demon Lords. How could he have advanced several levels in just ten years?
Yun Heng meticulously searched through all of Elder Zhu’s belongings and finally found a clue.
The Myriad Souls Demon Lord had likely obtained some fortuitous encounter that could help someone increase their cultivation level. Elder Zhu had been trapped in the Earth Immortal Realm for far too long. After failing to break through to Golden Immortal several times, he developed inner demons. It was at this moment that the Myriad Souls Demon Lord threw out a temptation he couldn’t refuse, and so he took the bait.
Ultimately, greed bred disaster. What good could come from making a deal with a demon? From the very beginning, the Myriad Souls Demon Lord had no intention of fulfilling his promise. Once the demon achieved his goal, the useless tool could simply disappear.
After the traitor’s death, Yun Heng became extremely busy. The Cangwang Realm had enjoyed peace for tens of thousands of years, and people had gradually let down their guard. Therefore, no one knew the extent to which the five domains had been infiltrated by the Demon Lords. Now, not only did Yun Heng have to discuss matters concerning the demon territory with other sects, but she also had to investigate within her own sect. Since that day, Wen Qiwu and Yun Heng had met significantly less often.
Unexpectedly, her birthday fell right in the middle of the busiest period. Wen Qiwu told Lu Qiaoyi that perhaps they should just skip her birthday this year.
However, Lu Qiaoyi immediately rejected the idea without a second thought, saying, “In previous years, either your senior sister was in seclusion, or you were. I never found a chance to celebrate your birthday. This year, I must make up for it.”
“It’s just a celebration among our own people; it’s not a complicated matter. Leave it to me. In the future… there might not be such good opportunities.” Lu Qiaoyi looked down to check Wen Qiwu’s physical condition, and Wen Qiwu couldn’t see her expression. “Very good, your recovery is going well. The effects of the Spirit Condensing Flower are better than I imagined. We can increase the dosage next time.”
“There might not be such good opportunities in the future?” Wen Qiwu looked at her, confused.
“You probably don’t know yet, but your senior sister is about to attempt the late stage of the True Immortal Realm. She’ll likely go into seclusion again once your body has recovered, which will probably be for another hundred years or so,” Lu Qiaoyi explained.
Is that so…
Wen Qiwu felt a pang of sadness. It was her own illness that had delayed her senior sister’s cultivation speed.
After re-adjusting the proportions of the medicinal formula, Lu Qiaoyi, uncharacteristically, packed up her medicine chest and prepared to leave.
“Is Elder also very busy?” Wen Qiwu asked, putting down the medicine bowl.
The medicine today seemed to have a slightly acrid, pungent taste. Perhaps Elder Lu had added some strange new ingredients. Preoccupied with her thoughts, she didn’t pay much attention.
“It’s all because of that traitorous situation. No one knows if Elder Zhu was an isolated case. Today, several elders argued in the main hall all morning. In the end, your senior sister decided to thoroughly investigate the sect. Especially elders at the Earth Immortal Realm and above, they will all have to undergo a test of conscience and body refinement.”
Lu Qiaoyi was the elder closest and most familiar to them, besides their master, and had watched them grow up. Yun Heng and Wen Qiwu naturally trusted her, but the necessary procedures still had to be followed.
As they were talking, the jade pendant hanging from Lu Qiaoyi’s waist flashed twice. She looked down and said indignantly, “I know, I know! Didn’t I say I had something to do and would be late? Why are you rushing me?”
“You should hurry and go, Elder. Don’t be late,” Wen Qiwu said, standing up to see Lu Qiaoyi out.
Lu Qiaoyi didn’t want to keep others waiting for her, so she picked up her medicine chest and headed towards Mount Wendao.
After seeing Lu Qiaoyi off, Wen Qiwu’s residence became quiet again, with only the sound of Qing Tuan hopping around in its birdcage.
Wen Qiwu added some spiritual grains and chopped spiritual fruits to the cage. Qing Tuan was quite picky; it wouldn’t eat fruits that weren’t cut.
“Qing Tuan, you need to cultivate diligently too,” Wen Qiwu gently stroked its head while the little fellow was eating.
Wen Qiwu knew that this little creature could understand her words, but it just didn’t like to pay attention to her when she nagged.
She had encountered this little creature when she was three years old. At that time, Qing Tuan had already reached the Soul Observation stage. Now, she herself had reached the Void Refining stage, but this little fellow was still in the Soul Observation stage. If it didn’t cultivate harder, its lifespan would be nearing its end.
“Chirp, chirp, chirp!” Little Qing Tuan suddenly let out a series of chirps in bird language.
Wen Qiwu and Qing Tuan stared at each other.
She couldn’t understand bird language.
Qing Tuan became angry, puffing up into a white, slightly greenish bird ball, and then turned its tail towards Wen Qiwu.
“…Why are you angry again?” Wen Qiwu poked it. She had a feeling this little ball might be angry because she couldn’t understand it, but she was human, how could she possibly understand what it was saying?
“Qing Tuan, the Demon Lord’s spies have infiltrated the sect, and the demon territory might be starting a war. It won’t be safe outside afterwards, and you love to fly out and play. If your strength isn’t enough, it will be very dangerous…” As Wen Qiwu spoke, she suddenly felt her consciousness growing hazy.
The bird ball, which had its back to her, realized that the sound behind it had stopped. It immediately turned around, its dark, beady eyes reflecting Wen Qiwu’s figure as she slumped onto the table.
“Chirp!” Qing Tuan immediately hopped to the side of the cage closest to Wen Qiwu.
“Creak…”
Her room door suddenly opened, and a figure walked in against the light.
Qing Tuan spread its wings, its dark eyes glinting with a dangerous light. The runes that Yun Heng had personally carved onto the cage began to fluctuate.
Only when the figure approached and the bird ball saw the person’s face did it retract its wings, and the fluctuations on the cage returned to normal.
When Wen Qiwu woke up, it was already dark. She wasn’t slumped over the table but lying on her bed. As her condition gradually worsened, she had become accustomed to sometimes falling into an uncontrollable sleep. However, today’s situation seemed a bit strange.
Her stomach felt nauseous, and her head was swimming with dizziness.
“Are you feeling unwell?” The candlelight by the bed was dim, illuminating Yun Heng’s figure. When she returned, her junior sister was already asleep, but there were still things to do today. If Ah Que didn’t wake up soon, she would have to wake her up.
“Senior Sister?” Wen Qiwu looked at the person beside her with hazy eyes. Due to her discomfort, she appeared even more fragile.
Yun Heng gently stroked her forehead, and a slightly cool power relieved the dizziness.
“I might have slept for a bit too long; my head is a little dizzy,” Wen Qiwu nestled against her senior sister’s hand.
Yun Heng felt the warmth in her palm, and the irritation that had arisen from all the troublesome matters seemed to be swept away.
“Qiwu, today is the day for your medicinal bath. Can you walk by yourself? Do you want Senior Sister to carry you?”
“I can do it myself.” Since she had grown up, she hadn’t proactively asked her senior sister to carry her. The shy Wen Qiwu immediately sat up, though her body swayed a little as she got out of bed, looking rather concerning.
Yun Heng realized her junior sister was trying to be brave, so she directly picked her up.
Her body suddenly lifted off the ground, and Wen Qiwu’s eyes widened as she instinctively wrapped her arms around her senior sister’s neck.
This action was somewhat intimate, and Wen Qiwu’s face flushed slightly.
“S-Senior Sister, I can walk by myself.” Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s hum.
“You can’t even stand steadily, and you still want to be stubborn?” Her senior sister’s tone was unyieldingly firm. Wen Qiwu buried her face in her embrace. Although she sounded awkward, Wen Aque’s heart was exceptionally delighted.
Yun Heng had a large bathing pool built for Wen Qiwu. The medical immortal poured various carefully prepared spiritual medicines into the water, specifically for tempering Wen Qiwu’s body.
Wen Qiwu was carried by her senior sister to the edge of the bathing pool. The heat from the pool wafted towards her, and her face, which hadn’t cooled down during the journey, seemed to get even hotter.
“I’ll be right outside. If you need anything, remember to call me.” Yun Heng repeatedly instructed before leaving. Her junior sister’s physical condition today was truly concerning.
Sometimes, her senior sister was too cautious. She was a Void Refining cultivator, not a three-year-old child. Wen Qiwu smiled as she removed her outer robe, leaving only her undergarment.
However, Wen Qiwu didn’t expect the dizziness to return once her senior sister’s spiritual energy was gone. She seemed to have stepped on some water, then slipped and fell into the bathing pool.
Just as her head was about to hit the edge of the pool, a force at the crucial moment pulled Wen Qiwu aside.
“Plop!” Water splashed into the pool.
Wen Qiwu awkwardly pushed herself up. She was completely soaked, her thin undergarment clinging to her body, outlining her graceful and slender figure.
The water in the pool was continuously heated, and the rising mist obscured the view.
However, the hazy mist couldn’t block an immortal’s sight. The polite immortal silently averted her gaze.
When Wen Qiwu opened her eyes and saw her senior sister beneath her, her expression was slightly stunned, and she momentarily forgot to get up.
Her senior sister was also soaked through, her clothes clinging to her skin as fair as jade. As her senior sister sat up, droplets of water slid down her neck into the depths of her collar.
Like a moonlit immortal falling into the water, the mundane water seemed to have stripped away a bit of her ethereal immortal aura, instead evoking an indescribable hint of charm.
Yun Heng breathed shallowly, her chest rising and falling with each breath. Her lips, glistening with water, appeared even more rosy. Wen Qiwu’s gaze trembled uncontrollably, and a craving, along with certain dark thoughts, took root in her heart, breaking through the soil.
She wanted to kiss her senior sister; she wanted to keep her senior sister confined to her side, unseen by anyone.
When Wen Qiwu’s reason returned, she realized she was already almost close enough to touch her senior sister!
She recoiled in fright, the movement too large. Wen Qiwu almost fell into the pool again. Yun Heng quickly pulled her back, and this time, Wen Qiwu directly crashed into her senior sister’s embrace.
She didn’t hurt herself, because where she landed was very soft.
Good chapter