Hearing this, the two were startled. They turned and dodged to either side with utmost speed, but they were ultimately a step too late. The two were trapped in a large magic barrier. Looking closely, they were surrounded by a circular barrier of light, and under the Qilin’s control, they were lifted into the air.
Looking at the Qilin again, its form had shrunk considerably, but it looked even more majestic. Apart from some dust on it, it was completely a high-rank Qilin, extremely powerful as in the legends.
Damn it! The two sighed inwardly. This was actually a high-rank Qilin! Ordinary Qilin mostly only have one form, similar to the one they had just seen, completely enveloped in flames. But high-rank Qilin could transform into a form more beautiful and majestic than ordinary Qilin. At this time, the Qilin’s strength would also increase manifold.
They could barely handle an ordinary Qilin. Encountering a high-rank Qilin, they wouldn’t even have a chance to escape.
But now, it seemed the Qilin had no intention of harming them; otherwise, they wouldn’t still be unharmed. So the two simply stopped dwelling on it. They would first see where this high-rank Qilin was taking them.
The Qilin carried them straight towards the center of Lianhen Mountain. During the journey, not a single demonic beast appeared. Presumably, they had all been scared away by the Qilin’s aura.
And on the way, they also discovered that the little Qilin that had disappeared in the explosion was now sitting on the large Qilin’s back, making faces at them relentlessly.
Lin Wuxi sweatdropped. It seems this unexpected disaster was caused by this little Qilin. She just didn’t understand why it had captured her and Senior Sister Yu Huang. The large Qilin probably didn’t know they were the ones who had injured this young Qilin. Otherwise, it definitely wouldn’t have shown any mercy.
The Qilin was extremely fast. In less than two hours, they entered the center of Lianhen Mountain. Sensing several extremely powerful auras in the mountain forest, Lin Wuxi glanced at the Qilin ahead. If it just leaves us here, it will be difficult for Senior Sister and me to get out.
Yu Huang looked at Lin Wuxi, her ink-black eyes darting around. Suddenly, she said to Lin Wuxi, “Wuxi, Junior Sister, I used up a lot of spiritual energy fighting the Qilin just now. Now I don’t have a shred of spiritual power left. Later, who knows where this Qilin will take us. Senior Sister might not be able to protect you anymore.” As she spoke, she lowered her head, looking quite dejected.
Seeing her Senior Sister like this, Lin Wuxi felt a pang in her heart. Senior Sister had unleashed such a powerful attack not long ago. Even for someone as exceptionally talented as her, her cultivation realm was what it was; the total amount of her spiritual energy was limited. Exceeding her limits would naturally leave her weak.
Thinking that her Senior Sister had used such a draining spell to save her, and that with the help of the Purple Lotus, her own depleted spiritual energy had already recovered by nearly half, so no matter what, she had to protect her Senior Sister well.
“Don’t worry, Senior Sister. I will definitely protect you.” Lin Wuxi pursed her lips, her gaze exceptionally firm.
Looking at her earnest Junior Sister, Yu Huang felt a sweet warmth in her heart. She hugged Lin Wuxi and kissed her cheek. “Senior Sister knows. Then from now on, Senior Sister will let you protect her.”
Touching the spot on her cheek where Yu Huang had just kissed her, Lin Wuxi was a little stunned. Then her whole face quickly flushed red. She lowered her head, not daring to look at her Senior Sister.
Yu Huang leaned closer to Lin Wuxi with a puzzled look and touched Lin Wuxi’s forehead. “Junior Sister, what’s wrong? You couldn’t be having a fever, could you? But no, how could a cultivator get a fever?”
Seeing her Senior Sister’s face getting closer and closer, as if about to press her forehead against hers to check her temperature, Lin Wuxi couldn’t sit still any longer. She shot up to her feet and stammered nervously, “Se-Senior Sister, I’m fine.” As she spoke, she even turned around to hide her flustered expression.
Lin Wuxi didn’t know what was wrong with her. Why did she act so strangely whenever Senior Sister got close? It was perfectly normal for two women to share some intimate gestures. Never mind the cultivation world at large, even within their own Wanhen Sect, weren’t there many close female friends who were very affectionate with each other? None of them reacted as strongly as she did.
Lin Wuxi thought it might be because she didn’t have many friends. Her closest relationship was with her grandmother, but due to the significant age difference, her grandmother never joked around or acted so familiarly with her. That was why she felt unaccustomed to such interactions.
I can’t be like this anymore. Otherwise, Senior Sister would be so hurt if she found out. Lin Wuxi told herself firmly.
While Lin Wuxi was racking her brains, Yu Huang was also staring at Lin Wuxi thoughtfully. The corner of her lips curved into a strange arc, and it was unclear what she was thinking.
“Get ready,” the Qilin, which had been silent, warned. It suddenly accelerated and dived towards an extremely ordinary mountain peak ahead. The sudden acceleration made Yu Huang lose her footing. She swayed and fell against Lin Wuxi. Seeing the mountain peak rapidly approaching before her eyes, Yu Huang cried out “Ah!” Her pretty face turned pale with fright. She grabbed Lin Wuxi’s sleeve, buried her head in Lin Wuxi’s neck, and her body trembled.
Seeing her Senior Sister’s terrified expression, Lin Wuxi’s heart softened. She put her arm around Yu Huang’s shoulder and repeatedly comforted her: “Senior Sister, it’s okay. Senior Qilin must have a reason for doing this. Maybe what’s ahead is just an illusion array.”
Hearing Lin Wuxi’s comfort, Yu Huang seemed to feel a little better. She wasn’t trembling as much, but she remained buried in Lin Wuxi’s neck, not letting go.
Junior Sister’s scent is so nice, thought Yu Huang, who was trembling with fear.
Naturally, the Qilin didn’t crash into the mountain peak ahead. After passing through the mountain peak, the scenery before them changed instantly. It was no longer a mountain forest with towering trees, but a vast plain filled with rich spiritual energy, ancient trees reaching for the sky. On the plain, there were also uniquely designed, distinctively styled wooden houses, lush green meadows, and quite a few Qilin scattered about in twos and threes.
The Qilin brought the two to land in front of one of the wooden houses and released the barrier around Lin Wuxi and Yu Huang. It then took the little Qilin into the house.
Only then did Yu Huang realize she was still hugging Lin Wuxi. She quickly let go, smiled embarrassedly at Lin Wuxi, and said, “Sorry, Junior Sister. I lost my composure a bit just now. But thank you.”
Lin Wuxi waved her hand. “Senior Sister, you don’t need to apologize. You’ve helped me so much. Now that I have a chance to repay you, Wuxi is more than willing.”
More than willing, huh?
Yu Huang smiled even more happily. She took Lin Wuxi’s hand and said to her, “We’ve traveled a long way, Senior Sister is a bit tired too. Why don’t we find a place to rest first?”
“Okay,” Lin Wuxi nodded. Then she turned to the Qilins that had gathered around them when they landed and said, “Seniors, this junior is Lin Wuxi of the Wanhen Sect. I don’t know why we were brought here by that Senior Qilin earlier. Both of us have consumed a great deal of spiritual energy and urgently need a place to rest and recuperate. I wonder if Seniors could inform us of one?”
The Qilin closest to Lin Wuxi mechanically lifted a paw, pointing to an ordinary wooden house in the distance.
“Thank you, Senior.” After thanking it, Lin Wuxi led Yu Huang towards the small house to recuperate, leaving behind a group of Qilin staring blankly.
“Aren’t they afraid of us?” one of the Qilin finally couldn’t help asking.
“Or shouldn’t they show any emotion like adoration, awe, despair, or surprise?” The ignored Qilin felt that something was off.
“What’s the relationship between those two?” a gossipy Qilin asked.
“Is it Senior Sister?” an innocent Qilin answered.
The gossipy Qilin looked at the innocent Qilin with disdain. “You’re the only one who would believe that.”
“Why don’t we follow them and see?” a Qilin suggested.
“Are you kidding? We are Qilins! Qilins! How could we do such a thing?” The Qilin who spoke was met with intense disdain from the other Qilins.
Inside the wooden cabin, Lin Wuxi said seriously to Yu Huang, “Senior Sister Yu Huang, your hand. Let me see your injuries.”
“That’s not necessary, right? I just overused my spiritual energy. I’ll be fine after some rest.”
Lin Wuxi looked at Yu Huang, her expression more serious than ever before.
In the end, Yu Huang relented to Lin Wuxi’s persistence and obediently extended her hand for Lin Wuxi to examine.
Holding Yu Huang’s hand, Lin Wuxi had just sent her spiritual energy in when she paled in shock. Senior Sister was a Core Formation cultivator; her spiritual energy should be as vast as a river. But now, her wide meridians were completely empty, without even a trace of spiritual energy. Even if she had overused her spiritual energy, it absolutely wouldn’t be like this.
Lin Wuxi forced herself to calm down and then checked Yu Huang’s elixir field. But in the end, her elixir field was as empty as her meridians. The vast spiritual energy was now nowhere to be found.
Lin Wuxi absentmindedly let go of her hand. Even if I’ve read so many ancient texts, miscellaneous records, and cultivation classics, what use is it? I can’t think of any explanation for this situation.
Senior Sister, Senior Sister. Just thinking that her immensely talented Senior Sister had suddenly lost all her spiritual energy, Lin Wuxi’s tears couldn’t stop flowing. She couldn’t imagine how Senior Sister would bear all this.
Lin Wuxi, with tear-blurred eyes, looked up at Yu Huang and stammered, “Senior Sister, can you… can you gather the spiritual energy between heaven and earth again?” Naively, she still held a sliver of hope.
“Silly girl.” Looking at Lin Wuxi, Yu Huang felt a pang in her heart. She dotingly patted Lin Wuxi’s head and comforted her, “I’m fine. If Master could persevere for so long against the invasion of inner demons, how could I be defeated by such a small thing?”
Lin Wuxi looked into Yu Huang’s eyes. She could perceive the underlying hesitation and weakness, yet Senior Sister’s eyes were still as firm and noble as when she first saw them. Lin Wuxi smiled through her tears, secretly laughing at herself. How could Senior Sister be so easily defeated? Even I could probably endure something like this.
Such a small setback, how could Senior Sister possibly care about it?
Seeing Lin Wuxi had finally understood, Yu Huang pinched Lin Wuxi’s cheek and said, feigning anger, “How dare you underestimate your Senior Sister? See how I punish you.”
“Ah, Senior Sister!”
The two inside the room began to research methods to restore her spiritual energy amidst laughter and playful shouts, while the Qilins outside fell into a deep silence.
How could this be? Even though we only met briefly, we Qilins knew how talented that woman named Yu Huang was. But for her spiritual energy to suddenly disappear, it probably means she can no longer cultivate. Who could withstand such a blow?
Hearing the joyful laughter from the room again, the Qilins’ eyes grew a little moist. They must be forcing themselves to smile. In reality, their hearts must be riddled with a thousand wounds by now. It must be like that.
The Qilins, lost in their dramatic assumptions, even moved themselves to tears. Amidst their tear-blurred vision, one Qilin asked, “She couldn’t have been injured by Senior Brother, could she?”
Yes! Thinking of this possibility, the Qilins nodded gravely. When Senior Brother brought those two, he clearly looked like a high-rank Qilin. He must have just gone through a battle. In the fight, the powerful high-rank Qilin must have accidentally injured a human cultivator, causing the pitiful human cultivator to suffer severe injuries and become unable to store spiritual energy anymore. Yes, it must be like that!
That’s too much! The Qilins were instantly filled with righteous indignation. Using his superior strength and cultivation realm to bully two weak human cultivators like this, it’s really unacceptable! Thinking this, the Qilins looked at each other, feeling they must seek justice for these two human cultivators from the clan leader.
