As the runic inscriptions gradually lit up, the entire array manor began to glow, as if all the runes had come to life, moving within the light.
A’Ling watched in astonishment. Standing closest to the runes, she alone seemed to feel a faint pulse, like a gentle breath. It wasn’t just the talismans; even the white bone bracelet on her wrist seemed to be breathing, expanding and contracting.
What is happening?
Before she could examine it further, her body was flung backward. A’Ling stared blankly at the hand around her waist, then slowly looked up at Shi Qingqian, who had pulled her from mid-air.
“What’s going on?” A’Ling asked, confused. “Is this normal? Do the talismans light up after being repaired?”
Shi Qingqian’s face was tight with worry. Seeing A’Ling unharmed, she finally relaxed slightly. From below, she had seen it clearly: within the glowing runes, a pair of eyes had appeared. As the runes connected, the shifting light and shadow seemed to cast a languid glance at A’Ling.
“It’s not normal,” Shi Qingqian stated. Though she didn’t know the cause of the current situation, she knew something was very wrong.
The moment they landed, their feet touching the runes drawn with spirit dragon marrow, a thunderous roar shook everyone.
“Wh-what happened?” Zhao Shan looked around frantically. He thought he heard something… like someone crying.
“Look over there!” Gu Jingyang pointed to the last stroke A’Ling had just completed.
Another deafening sound echoed from that rune, and in the next instant, a streak of light, like a lightning bolt, snaked down from the carved groove of the final stroke. The runes on the cave wall seemed to be violently split by this light, tearing and twisting to the sides.
“What’s happening?” Lan Fushang exclaimed, staring in shock at the separating runes. Her heart pounded. If the runes broke, would the barrier fail?
As if confirming her fears, the next moment, the distorted runes, accompanied by ever-louder wails, began to fall like tears from the cave.
Shi Qingqian looked towards the source of the cries, where the extinguished light had been. The area was now scorched black, resembling a deep abyss from afar. Heart-wrenching screams emanated from this dark chasm, dragging long wails as they rushed forward.
“Be careful!”
The moment Shi Qingqian spoke, countless ghostly fiends emerged from the black abyss, densely packed at the entrance, scrambling to break free. Shi Qingqian, who had been fixated on the crack, immediately noticed the anomaly and swiftly formed a hand seal, casting a sealing talisman to temporarily block the fissure.
“Ah, help! What are these ghostly things!” Zhao Shan cried, seeing the multitude of ghostly fiends pressing against the seal, seemingly on the verge of breaking Shi Qingqian’s barrier. He wailed and ran. Xing Yanchu, his legs weak, quickly followed. Everyone knew now that something had gone terribly wrong.
“Quick, let’s get out,” Elder Qi Yu’s eyes flashed with a hint of amusement, but she feigned urgency as she shouted. Gu Jingyang, seeing A’Ling protected by Shi Qingqian, grabbed Lan Fushang and ran. Though she didn’t know what was happening, she knew it was best to leave.
A’Ling heard Elder Qi Yu’s shout and nodded, about to follow everyone out. But she noticed Shi Qingqian wasn’t leaving. She was still looking up at the seal, which was close to breaking.
“What’s wrong?” A’Ling stopped and asked.
Shi Qingqian shook her head. She didn’t know what was happening. It had all come too suddenly and strangely, but her intuition told her something big was about to happen.
Wave after wave of loud noises echoed, and the very stones carved with runes began to shake violently, as if something was pounding behind the walls. They fell from the cave walls, smashing into dust on the ground. A’Ling quickly conjured a protective shield for herself and Shi Qingqian, preventing the falling debris from hitting them. Seeing the cave about to collapse, she pulled Shi Qingqian, “Let’s get out, this cave is collapsing.”
Shi Qingqian snapped back to reality, shielding A’Ling as they rushed out. With every step they took, wind blades rose from the ground around them, creating a colossal vortex that swallowed the pulverized runes. The surging vortex was like a greedy, unrestrained beast, opening its maw and devouring every fallen rune without a trace.
The tragic, sharp wails from the darkness grew closer, as if whispering directly into their ears. It was too late. Shi Qingqian felt the ground beneath them soften into a swamp, threatening to engulf them with the next step. She leaped to the side, scooping A’Ling into her arms and channeling her spiritual energy to teleport them both outside the Dust Spirit Array Manor.
The moment A’Ling opened her eyes, she looked for Gu Jingyang and the others. Seeing Gu Jingyang and Lan Fushang had escaped safely, she breathed a sigh of relief and scanned for others. Zhao Shan and Xing Yanchu, who had fled earlier, were also safe.
“Where is Elder Qi Yu?” A’Ling anxiously looked around. Everyone was out, but Elder Qi Yu was nowhere to be seen.
“Over there!” Gu Jingyang pointed towards the violently shaking Dust Spirit Array Manor. A’Ling looked up, her pupils widening to their absolute limit, her heart leaping into her throat. “Quick, run!”
The doors of the Dust Spirit Array Manor slowly closed amidst the violent tremors. The entire mountainside shook fiercely. A’Ling and the others quickly took to the air on their swords. A’Ling had wanted to rescue Elder Qi Yu, but thankfully, Elder Qi Yu managed to rise into the air on her sword at the last moment.
As they flew into the sky, the group gazed at the terrifying scene below, speechless for a long time. Below them, originating from the Dust Spirit Array Manor, cracks spread out for dozens of miles, some narrow enough for an arm to fit through, others several yards wide. A black wind raged, shaking the Dust Spirit Array Manor. The once majestic mountain instantly collapsed into a pile of dust. The hazy, yellow dust spread like fog, congealing in the air, and A’Ling and the others quickly lost sight of the scene below. All they could hear were the booming sounds that drowned out the shrill crane cries.
In the gusts of demonic wind, heavy clouds surged in, completely obscuring the previously clear and dazzling sun. It was daytime, yet it instantly turned dark, as if it were just before dawn.
“What’s going on?” Lan Fushang looked at Gu Jingyang in astonishment. Had the Dust Spirit Array Manor really collapsed? How could this be? Was this a dream?
Gu Jingyang also looked at the scene below in shock. The majestic mountain was gone, replaced by dust-filled air. How could this be? It was all so strange. Just a moment ago, they were happily completing the talisman repair mission, and now the entire array manor had collapsed. Was it their fault? But they had only engraved the runes according to the original design. If there was a problem with the runes, how could the array manor have existed for over a thousand years?
Gu Jingyang led Lan Fushang to Shi Qingqian and A’Ling. “Qingqian, do you know what happened?”
Shi Qingqian’s expression was stern. She led everyone higher, to a point where they could see the entire Pi Lingyun Valley. She looked into the distance at the other two array manors. The Burning Spirit and Silent Spirit array manors were still glowing with magical light, appearing completely normal. Only their Dust Spirit Array Manor had collapsed. Of the three pronged formation, one corner was missing, leaving only a solitary amber light streaking across the Heaven’s Gate Suppressing Evil Barrier.
The formation is damaged. Gu Jingyang thought to herself. This is troublesome. Something big is going to happen. Before she could warn everyone, a sky-shattering, piercing wail echoed from the depths of Pi Lingyun Valley. It gave them no time to react. Countless ghostly fiends burst through the broken corner of the Heaven’s Gate Suppressing Evil Barrier, their long wails surging forth.
“Everyone be careful, the ghostly fiends have escaped!” Gu Jingyang immediately channeled her spiritual energy, casting a talisman to repel the ferocious ghostly fiends lunging at them. Ghostly fiends had no physical bodies, existing only as souls. The more vicious the fiend, the clearer its soul. However, generally, souls feared sunlight and rarely appeared during the day. As Gu Jingyang battled the ghostly fiends, she glanced up at the sun, obscured by heavy dark clouds. Their luck was truly terrible.
The pervasive wailing completely drowned out the crane cries lingering in the sky above Mystic Crane Mountain. The constantly escaping ghostly fiends, dense as a swarm of locusts, rapidly sought out the direction of the crane cries.
“Not good, we can’t let these ghostly fiends escape Mystic Crane Mountain!” Gu Jingyang roared, casting wave after wave of talismans to block their escape.
“What’s going on? Where is the array manor here? What happened?” Gong Shuangyu and Yun Jingying had just received news from Shi Qingqian that the Dust Spirit Array Manor’s magic had been repaired. As they were about to lead their people back to the cave to report, they heard a sudden, ear-splitting roar. It was more soul-stirring than the crane cries that echoed through the mountains. The two, along with their disciples, rushed to investigate. From afar, they saw that something had gone wrong. The three-pronged formation was missing a corner, and ghostly fiends had escaped from Pi Lingyun Valley! How could such a huge oversight happen? What had occurred? No one could answer her questions; everyone was clueless as to how it had all happened.
To prevent the ghostly fiends from escaping, Gong Shuangyu and Yun Jingying joined the fight with their people. A’Ling agreed with Gu Jingyang’s words. If these ghostly fiends escaped, what would happen to the mortals who couldn’t use magic and had no means of self-protection?
“Little Wandering!” A’Ling summoned Little Wandering, only then realizing that her wrist had been burning hot since just now. It was the white bone bracelet. What is happening? This white bone bracelet had never reacted since she received it. Gu Jingyang had even asked the Abode Master to examine it, but nothing was found, as if it were just an ornament. How could it suddenly react in such a situation?
A’Ling whipped a patch of ghostly fiends attacking her. She had many, many questions, but now was not the time to ask them. More and more ghostly fiends poured out of Pi Lingyun Valley, and their small group was gradually struggling to cope. Shi Qingqian trapped a section of ghostly fiends with her sword formation and then glanced at the Heaven’s Gate Suppressing Evil Barrier below. Just like when she first arrived, the cracks she had seen then had now become openings for the ghostly fiends to escape. They had to seal these cracks first. Sealing them one by one was too slow. The only way to provide immediate relief was to cover them with a ‘net.’
Shi Qingqian looked back at A’Ling. Seeing that she was struggling a bit but handling the ghostly fiends without too much trouble, and that the others were in a similar situation. However, the continuous stream of ghostly fiends was simply too overwhelming, making everyone increasingly disheveled. Shi Qingqian withdrew her gaze, cut through the obstructing ghostly fiends with her sword, and flew to Gu Jingyang’s side. She explained her plan, and Gu Jingyang immediately agreed. The two then went to find Gong Shuangyu.
When Gong Shuangyu heard that they needed the combined strength of three people to re-establish the barrier, she hesitated. She was a sword cultivator, not particularly strong in magic. Moreover, the Heaven’s Gate Suppressing Evil Barrier had been set up by Saint Venerable Dao Rong. For it to fail like this, she doubted the capabilities of the three of them. Seeing her hesitation, Shi Qingqian thought of finding another Abode Master. Currently, those with cultivation levels above Nascent Soul were only the three Abode Masters, Elder Qi Yu, Gu Jingyang, and A’Ling. Gu Jingyang was the strongest in magic among them, besides herself, making her an obvious choice. Among the remaining people, Shi Qingqian didn’t trust Elder Qi Yu; her intuition told her that Elder Qi Yu was somehow involved. As for A’Ling, Shi Qingqian recalled the scene in the Dust Spirit Array Manor earlier. The opening eyes had focused on A’Ling. If she hadn’t known that A’Ling would absolutely not abandon everything here and escape alone, she would have sent A’Ling back to the cave first.
“There’s no time. We need to seal these openings quickly,” Gu Jingyang urged. “Abode Master Gong, we only need to temporarily seal this barrier to prevent the ghostly fiends from escaping. We can report it to the Peak Master when we return, and they will handle it.”
Despite her hesitation, Gong Shuangyu agreed. She didn’t want the ghostly fiends to escape and cause harm to the world. Shi Qingqian, seeing that both had agreed, immediately arranged for Gong Shuangyu to return to her Burning Spirit Array manor and Gu Jingyang to go to the Silent Spirit Array manor. She would return to the site of the Dust Spirit Array Manor. Gu Jingyang, seeing Shi Qingqian choose the most dangerous location, cautioned her to be careful. Shi Qingqian nodded and, seeing that it would take some time for the two to reach their designated locations, turned to find A’Ling.
The sky grew increasingly dark, mixing with the shrill wails. The vast world seemed to have instantly transformed into hell. In the gray haze, Shi Qingqian accurately found the flashing purple-gold light. She cleaved through the obstructing ghostly fiends and quickly flew to A’Ling’s side. Seeing A’Ling whipping away groups of them and appearing unharmed, Shi Qingqian relaxed slightly. A’Ling, seeing Shi Qingqian approach, gave a powerful whip to clear the surrounding ghostly fiends and flew to Shi Qingqian’s side.
“What’s wrong?” The two quickly spoke while fending off the encroaching ghostly fiends. Hearing that Shi Qingqian and the others were going to re-establish the barrier, A’Ling asked, “Do you need my help?” Although she wasn’t as powerful as Gu Jingyang, she had diligently cultivated over the years and practiced the magic taught by Heng Qingyi alongside Gu Jingyang.
“No, you just need to protect yourself,” Shi Qingqian said, casting a deep glance at A’Ling before turning away. A’Ling quickly called out to her retreating back, “You too, protect yourself.”
After Shi Qingqian, Gu Jingyang, and Gong Shuangyu, the three top fighters, departed, A’Ling and the others gradually became more strained. They had already expended too much spiritual energy earlier, and they discovered that the ghostly fiends emerging from behind were even more powerful. A’Ling and the others even encountered several very tricky and powerful ghostly fiends.
“Ah!” Xing Yanchu was once again injured by a powerful ghostly fiend. This time, his shoulder blade was directly pierced, and the pain almost made him fall from his sword. As he clutched his shoulder and managed to regain his footing, the ghostly fiend returned, as if unappeased by its earlier obstruction, intent on piercing Xing Yanchu through and through. Xing Yanchu retreated steadily, and then the ghostly fiend pierced his leg bone again. This time, he could no longer maintain his balance and fell straight down.
“Help! Save me!” His face pale, he covered his still profusely bleeding shoulder and shouted with all his might. The wind whistled past his ears, and the feeling of weightlessness seized his heart. He could barely manage to shout. He didn’t want to die here. The Crane Gate had finally reopened, and he wanted to go home.
As he neared the ground, Xing Yanchu, in despair, was about to close his eyes when his falling body suddenly stopped. Looking at the cracked ground right before him, Xing Yanchu felt a surge of joy after immense panic. He was saved! He turned his head in surprise.
Lan Fushang, amidst the chaos, heard the cries and narrowly dodged the frantically moving ghostly fiends. She managed to catch Xing Yanchu before he hit the ground. She quickly took to her sword again, avoiding the ferocious ghostly fiends, and applied healing magic to Xing Yanchu. Perhaps overwhelmed by having to manage both, she failed to notice that the fierce ghostly fiend that had attacked Xing Yanchu was attacking again.
“No, no, don’t come closer!” Xing Yanchu roared, trying to escape, but the ghostly fiend was already upon him. It was too late. With a sudden palm strike, he pushed Lan Fushang, who was healing his wound, towards the ghostly fiend.
“Be careful!” A’Ling had also heard the cries and, seeing Lan Fushang go to save someone, had helped deal with the surrounding ghostly fiends. After clearing a patch, she looked back, wanting Lan Fushang to follow her, only to discover that Xing Yanchu had used Lan Fushang as a human shield. It was too late. A’Ling rushed forward with all her might, only managing to catch Lan Fushang after her chest was pierced.
“Fushang, hold on! I’ll take you to Elder Qi Yu!” A’Ling looked at Lan Fushang’s chest, which had a gaping hole, blood gushing out. Her hands trembled as she infused her true qi to protect Lan Fushang’s heart meridian. Fortunately, the heart meridian was unharmed; there was still hope.
“I, I’m fine… Be, be careful…” Lan Fushang endured the intense pain, swallowed a pill, and wanted A’Ling to put her down. She didn’t want to be a burden to A’Ling.
“Help! Save me!” Xing Yanchu dodged the previous attack, but he was already injured, and his scent of blood drew the pursuing ghostly fiends. A’Ling looked at the ghostly fiend that had injured Lan Fushang and the treacherous wretch who had pushed Lan Fushang away, her anger erupting. She quickly took her on her sword and handed her over to Elder Qi Yu. Holding Little Wandering, she charged towards Xing Yanchu, whipping him towards the ghostly fiend that was also rushing over. Just as Xing Yanchu had done to Lan Fushang.
“Ah!” Xing Yanchu’s other intact leg was instantly pierced with a hole. However, this did nothing to quell A’Ling’s rage. Just a moment ago, it was so close, so close to Lan Fushang dying before her eyes! She tightly gripped Little Wandering, the purple-gold light flashing. A’Ling’s anger, amidst the cacophony of cries, seemed to be fueled by oil, exploding outwards! A’Ling forcefully swung her whip forward, sending the ghostly fiends surrounding her flying, then whipped another around Xing Yanchu’s neck. Just as she was about to fling Xing Yanchu from Lan Fushang’s sword, she suddenly shivered, her vision darkening. This feeling… it’s not good, A’Ling thought. It’s over. I’ve been possessed. Before she lost consciousness, A’Ling heard another crane cry echoing. Unlike the previous brief, high-pitched cries, this one was exceptionally long and melodious. The Crane Gate had opened.
The Flying Crane Clear Platform, after the Ice Crane Immortal awakened and the Crane Gate opened, was first met not by cultivators coming for the inner sect assessment, but by numerous ordinary-looking mortals. They came from all over the mortal realm, having waited at the Crane Gate for the Ice Crane Immortal’s awakening, seeking help from Mystic Crane Mountain. The disciples at the assessment area saw the number of supplicants increasing, far exceeding the cultivators coming for the assessment. The leading sword cultivator disciple quickly ordered someone to send word to the cave. The disciple sent to deliver the message hadn’t even left the Flying Crane Clear Platform when he was sent flying by something that suddenly rushed out. If not for the assessment disciples immediately protecting the crystal test orb, it might also have been affected by the immense force. Everyone looked up. The sudden black mass that appeared was, in fact, ghostly fiends.
“No, it’s not good!” The sword cultivator disciple in charge of the assessment immediately pulled out the “Xihe Suppressing Heaven Alarm Bell Talisman” from his bosom and channeled his spiritual energy, throwing it into the sky. Alarm bells instantly rang throughout Mystic Crane Mountain. And in Pi Lingyun Valley, even more piercing than the alarm bells were Xing Yanchu’s screams. His neck was bound by A’Ling’s whip, and every time she whipped towards an approaching ghostly fiend, he was flung out. The whip was used like a meteor hammer by A’Ling, and Xing Yanchu was the hammerhead.
“Help! A’Ling, are you crazy? Let me down!” But no matter how much he yelled, A’Ling seemed not to hear. “Ah!” Another wound appeared on his body. Xing Yanchu cried out in agony, “Help!” Lan Fushang, ever since A’Ling bound Xing Yanchu, had wanted to stop her. She knew A’Ling was angry because of her, but if this continued, and Xing Yanchu met with misfortune, A’Ling would be blamed for harming a fellow disciple.
“Elder Qi Yu, quickly tell A’Ling to stop,” Lan Fushang grabbed Elder Qi Yu’s hand, who was treating her wounds, hoping she would stop A’Ling first. But Elder Qi Yu acted as if she hadn’t seen, pried Lan Fushang’s hand away, and continued treating her wounds without a word. Lan Fushang looked down. The wound on her chest had stopped bleeding, and Elder Qi Yu was slowly healing it. No, I can’t wait. She had to stop A’Ling. She couldn’t let A’Ling be seen by everyone, harming a fellow disciple in full view. Lan Fushang pushed away Elder Qi Yu’s hand, gritted her teeth, clutched her painful chest, and stood up. Riding her sword, she wobbled towards A’Ling.
“A’Ling, quickly stop!” Lan Fushang ignored her own safety, gritted her teeth, leaped onto A’Ling’s sword, and grabbed A’Ling’s hand. Fortunately, most of the surrounding ghostly fiends had been cleared by now, and no new ones were emerging, otherwise Lan Fushang wouldn’t dare to grab A’Ling like this. As she was about to explain to A’Ling what would happen if this continued, she saw that A’Ling’s eyes were filled with rage, and her entire aura exuded a fierce, malevolent aura. A’Ling saw it was her and said nothing, her eyes showing only anger, nothing else. Something is wrong. This isn’t A’Ling. In her shock, Lan Fushang smelled the fragrance of a “Quiexie Flower.” This flower was often used to attract ghostly fiends. Why did A’Ling have it on her? Not good, A’Ling has been possessed! Moreover, A’Ling’s wrist, which she was holding, was astonishingly hot. Looking down, a ring of black mist encircled her wrist. What is this?
“Demonic energy! It’s a demon! A’Ling is a demon!” Xing Yanchu, because Lan Fushang’s pulling had stopped A’Ling, was suspended in mid-air by his neck. He could only grip the whip with his hands to avoid being hanged to death. He finally stabilized his swaying body and saw the black mist on A’Ling’s wrist. So A’Ling really is a demon! He hadn’t wrongly accused her back then! Xing Yanchu tightly gripped the whip around his neck and shouted to Zhao Shan and the others, “Quick, save me! A’Ling is a demon, she’s going to kill someone!”
“No, it’s not! A’Ling isn’t a demon, she’s possessed by a ghostly fiend!” Lan Fushang exclaimed loudly, defending A’Ling. Xing Yanchu, having witnessed it firsthand, shouted, “Look quickly! A’Ling’s demonic energy is leaking, right on her wrist!” After saying this, a flash of light passed through Xing Yanchu’s mind. He connected the dots and felt he had discovered the truth. “I know! It’s A’Ling! It’s A’Ling’s fault that the ghostly fiends were released! It happened after she finished the last stroke of the talisman! She’s a demon, she released the ghostly fiends!” he shouted to the surrounding people. Earlier, there were too many ghostly fiends, and everyone was struggling to cope. Some people noticed Xing Yanchu’s situation but had no energy to save him. Now that the ghostly fiends were gradually being cleared, they happened to hear Xing Yanchu’s words, and everyone looked at A’Ling. Despite Lan Fushang’s obstruction, many people saw the demonic energy swirling on A’Ling’s wrist.
“No, it’s possession! A’Ling is possessed by a ghostly fiend!” Lan Fushang anxiously shouted to everyone, covering A’Ling’s wrist with her hands, trying to hide the demonic energy. But demonic energy was like mist; she had no way to conceal it properly. Lan Fushang’s eyes turned red with urgency, her forehead covered in cold sweat. The wound that had just stopped bleeding began to ooze blood again. Clutching her chest, she wanted to say more, when suddenly a figure flashed before her. Before she could see who it was clearly, she heard a voice say, “Don’t move.” Lan Fushang turned her head to see Gu Jingyang, who had arrived beside her at some point, and the figure that had just flashed was Shi Qingqian. Gu Jingyang applied a blood-stopping talisman to Lan Fushang’s chest, channeling spiritual energy to stop the bleeding. Upon arriving, Shi Qingqian immediately pulled A’Ling’s hand away and covered A’Ling’s wrist. After Shi Qingqian and Gu Jingyang re-established the temporary barrier to seal the fissure, they hurried back. As they approached, they heard Xing Yanchu talking about A’Ling’s demonic energy.
“It’s good that you’re here, A’Ling she—” Before Xing Yanchu could finish saying that A’Ling was a demon, Shi Qingqian sent a sword qi that sent him flying, instantly darkening his vision and knocking him unconscious!
“Shi Qingqian, what are you doing!” Gong Shuangyu, who arrived at the same time, caught him and handed him to a nearby disciple. She had heard everything just now, and moreover, she had seen it! Although Shi Qingqian and Gu Jingyang had acted quickly, Gong Shuangyu had seen the black demonic energy seeping from A’Ling’s wrist before the two acted. She had lost a high-grade medicinal pill because she suspected A’Ling was a demon back then. She hadn’t expected this person to actually be a demon. She was probably a very powerful demon, otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to hide her demonic energy so well back then. It was probably A’Ling, this demonic lass, who caused this incident. She had wondered how the array manor set up by Saint Venerable Dao Rong could collapse for no reason. It turned out it was all the work of this little demon!
Shi Qingqian completely ignored Gong Shuangyu. After throwing Xing Yanchu out, she immediately drew out the ghostly fiend possessing A’Ling. She looked at the coalesced soul pearl, which was orange. This was a ghostly fiend missing its “wrathful spirit.” Once this ghostly fiend was drawn out, the anger on A’Ling’s face gradually faded. Shi Qingqian, who had been holding A’Ling’s hand, probed A’Ling’s body and found no demonic energy. She had not fallen into demonic ways; the exposed demonic energy was only on her wrist. She silently guided the demonic energy from A’Ling’s wrist into her palm, condensing it into a pearl. What’s going on? Shi Qingqian’s eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment. A’Ling’s demonic energy was special, and the exposed demonic energy was indeed similar to A’Ling’s, but it wasn’t emanating from A’Ling. Had someone obtained A’Ling’s demonic energy beforehand and released it now? She also had A’Ling’s demonic energy within her. Besides her, who else could have it? As she did this, Gu Jingyang watched clearly. She silently moved her body to block their clasped hands. Lan Fushang did the same. The two exchanged a glance and silently stood in front of A’Ling.
“It’s not A’Ling,” Shi Qingqian temporarily contained the demonic energy. Seeing that there was no abnormality, she looked up at Gong Shuangyu. “She has no demonic energy in her body; she was just possessed by a ghostly fiend just now.” Her tone was not one of explanation but a firm declaration of the result.
Gong Shuangyu sneered, “Do you think that by knocking Xing Yanchu unconscious, no one will question you? So many pairs of eyes saw it just now. What, are you going to kill us all to silence us?” Shi Qingqian’s aura began to change, and the temperature in her eyes gradually dropped. Gong Shuangyu suddenly shivered. She felt Shi Qingqian’s gaze as if she really intended to kill them. No, this won’t do. With such a major accident in Pi Lingyun Valley, the cave would inevitably investigate afterwards. Currently, A’Ling was highly suspicious. Taking her back would provide an explanation. She immediately summoned her magic artifact and said to those beside her, “Be careful, Shi Qingqian might have also been bewitched by that demonic woman. The collapse of the Dust Spirit Array Manor this time must have been deliberate. The most likely culprit is this demonic lass A’Ling. This matter is of great importance. Regardless of life or death, we must bring her back to the cave!” Everyone nodded in unison, summoning their magic treasures or drawing their swords, their blades pointed directly at A’Ling. The ghostly fiend attacks earlier had been terrifying. Now that they knew the source was deliberate, everyone was furious.
Shi Qingqian glanced at the person in her embrace. Ever since she had drawn out the possessing ghostly fiend, she had been channeling spiritual energy into A’Ling. Why was she still not awake after so long? Gu Jingyang also noticed something was wrong. Without A’Ling waking up, they wouldn’t know what was truly going on. But she was certain of one thing: A’Ling was definitely not the one who released the ghostly fiends! She stepped forward, blocking A’Ling, “Before the matter is clarified, you intend to attack a fellow disciple, Abode Master Gong. Are you planning personal revenge?”
“What nonsense are you talking about? Revenge for what?” Gong Shuangyu frowned. Gu Jingyang let out a cold snort, raising an eyebrow in a mocking expression. “Naturally, for the last time when you falsely accused A’Ling of being a demon, but no demonic energy was detected. What happened? Just the loss of one good medicinal pill, and you’re so bent on twisting right and wrong, demanding an innocent life?” As if not fueling her anger enough, she added sarcastically, “I didn’t realize you were so short of things, Abode Master Gong. If it’s for a medicinal pill, then how about this? Whatever you want, I’ll repay A’Ling tenfold.”
Gong Shuangyu saw Gu Jingyang openly mocking and slandering her, her veins bulging with anger. “Nonsense! Do I lack a medicinal pill?! Get out of the way, or I’ll kill you too!” Gu Jingyang coldly sneered, “So Abode Master Gong intends to kill!” Gong Shuangyu’s face instantly darkened. She had fallen into a trap, a provocation. But even if the other party knew, what of it? She wanted to take A’Ling back to appease the public anger. The alarm bells just now meant that the ghostly fiends who escaped from here were causing trouble. And today was the day the Crane Gate opened. It was possible that these ghostly fiends had even escaped Mystic Crane Mountain. Who knew how much trouble they would cause. For the reputation of Mystic Crane Mountain, shifting the blame to A’Ling, to demons, was the best way to handle it. Gong Shuangyu turned and said to those beside her, “Gu Jingyang has been getting close to A’Ling, perhaps she is also a spy for the demon realm in our Mystic Crane Mountain. The release of the ghostly fiends this time is most likely their plot. If these people are unwilling to cooperate and return to the cave for trial, then for the peace of the world, we must resolutely eliminate them for the sake of the three realms!” “Yes!” Everyone nodded in unison. Some of them had seen A’Ling’s abnormality earlier, while others had not. But it no longer mattered. With such a major incident, it was likely that demons had infiltrated Mystic Crane Mountain, and A’Ling was the prime suspect, naturally needing to be taken back for trial. If she insisted on not going, it would mean she was guilty.
Gu Jingyang saw that Gong Shuangyu had completely dropped her pretense. She tightened her Moonfall Sword and turned to ask Shi Qingqian, “How is A’Ling? Can she return to the cave?” She didn’t know why A’Ling had demonic energy on her, but she believed A’Ling was absolutely not the one who released the ghostly fiends. She asked if A’Ling could return to the cave, implicitly asking if Shi Qingqian was confident that A’Ling wouldn’t show demonic energy upon returning. Last time, Qingqian had performed the test. This time, it was unlikely they would let Qingqian test her, and the worst part was that A’Ling was still unconscious. If demonic energy was detected, it would be over, without even a chance to defend herself.
Shi Qingqian’s brows were furrowed, and her clasped hand with A’Ling continued to channel spiritual energy into her. Her gaze coldly swept over the people facing them with drawn swords. “She cannot return.”
