Chapter 276

Bai Ye let out a long breath and said, “Otherwise, how could she become the youngest elder in the history of the Wanjian Sect? I bet Xie Yu never imagined that he had provoked such a cultivation monster.”

Indeed, even without their assistance, Zhou Yimei would still have succeeded. The only uncertainty was whether Xie Yu could survive.

—Even after enduring days of humiliation, despite her weakened body and emaciated form, she ultimately cut down her maddened enemy with her sword.

This is why, when Meng Jue mentioned her in the courtyard, he had that mysterious smile: “You’d never guess it, but that Miss Zhou… is none other than the future Elder Jinghe of the Wanjian Sect.”

Jinghe.

In the present day, there are very few sword cultivators who wield their swords with their left hand, and among them, the most famous is the female cultivator known as “Jinghe” from the Wanjian Sect.

It is said that she appeared suddenly during the great war between the immortals and demons and earned a formidable reputation with her battle achievements.

Dressed in white, she was a woman of unparalleled grace and beauty.

Preferring solitude, she rarely interacted with others.

Like He Zhizhou’s master, she spent most of her time subduing demons in the mountains, and very few disciples had ever seen her true face.

Zhou Yimei truly avenged herself.

While Xie Yu languished in the Demon Refining Tower, suffering countless torments for a lifetime, she made her name known across the land with her sword, proving her own path.

Back then, amidst blazing flames and raging lightning, the female cultivator stood with her sword stained with blood, surrounded by fire and blood, with a killing intent as cold as ice in her eyes—

As Pei Ji’s sword pierced Xie Yu’s heart, Ning Ning suddenly thought:

If only I could have seen that moment with my own eyes.

The sword sank into the bone, and the demon let out a terrifying roar.

Pei Ji’s expression remained indifferent, his dark eyes showing no emotion, only the faint reflection of the raging fire.

The young man standing before him looked stunned, the ferocity in his gaze gradually fading, replaced by a faint clarity.

In those bloodshot eyes, there was excruciating pain, a hint of anger, but also a sense of relief and liberation.

Pei Ji looked into his eyes and slightly opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing.

Then, with a snap—

Just as Ning Ning had guessed, the Xie Yu in the illusion was mortally wounded and died, his obsession shattered, and the illusion of the Futu Realm came to an end.

Everything in this place was an illusion created by his obsession.

What they would face next was the true 62 Floor.

And the Demon Lord Xie Yu, who had been trapped in the Demon Refining Tower for decades.

=====

Ning Ning opened her eyes and was first met with a dark and endless sky.

It was hard to tell if it was dawn or dusk; the light in the sky was dim and indistinct.

As she got up from the ground, she smelled a faint scent of blood.

The true 62 Floor didn’t have the clear blue sky of Chongling, nor the lush and verdant forests.

This place, though it resembled a wilderness, was filled with an overwhelming demonic aura.

The trees were all withered, resembling the remains of prostrate humans.

The ground was covered with gravel and the corpses of demonic beasts, and Ning Ning back ached from the rough terrain.

They had fallen into an illusion before, and now they had likely been scattered across different locations. With her current lack of spiritual energy, this was a very unfavorable situation. If she suddenly encountered something—

Before the thought could fully form, Ning Ning heard a low, beastly growl.

She turned toward the sound.

There was a demonized wild boar three times her size, likely at the Golden Core stage or higher.

For the main leads, a secret realm meant opportunities, treasures, ancient texts, and romance.

For a vicious female supporting character, a secret realm meant injuries, fleeing for her life, getting slapped in the face, and Murphy’s Law.

(T/N: Murphy’s law is an adage or epigram that is typically stated as: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.)

The vicious female supporting character has no halo.

Silently, Ning Ning turned around.

Of the 36 strategies, the best strategy was to run away!

Run!!

=====

Bai Ye walked alone through the mountains, occasionally glancing around.

This damned place was so dark it was practically bursting with colors, filled with the stench of blood and the lingering demonic energy. He didn’t even want to breathe here; all he wanted was to find the real Xie Yu as quickly as possible, deal with him, and leave the 62 Floor.

Just then, a voice he vaguely recognized called out, “Taoist Bai Ye… Taoist Bai Ye!”

The voice was hazy, making him almost suspect it was an illusion created by mountain spirits, but when he looked up, he gasped in shock—

There, embedded in the gray-black cliff, was a large head glowing faintly!

On closer inspection, it wasn’t just a head; it was Yonggui, curled up in a hole in the cliff.

Everyone knew that in the Demon Refining Tower, each person would be randomly transported to any part of the trial grounds.

This “any part” was a rather ambiguous concept—it could mean mountain cliffs or streamside meadows.

As for Yonggui’s current situation…

He had been directly transported into a small hole in the cliff, where he was now stuck.

The hole was barely half the size of a person and was hidden among withered bushes.

The little monk was twisted into a pitiful ball, with only his round, bald head sticking out, struggling to breathe like a sardine in a can.

Seeing Bai Ye’s shocked expression, Yonggui gave a faint chuckle and said, “Cultivating Buddhism is an attitude; it never depends on external things. Today’s dense demonic trees remind me of my master.”

He seemed to grow interested, his eyes drifting off as he continued, “Once upon a time, there was a mountain. On that mountain there was a temple. In that temple, there was an old monk who was truly beautiful. Though the beauty didn’t compete for spring, he heralded its arrival. And when the trees and fields were lush, he smiled among them.”

As he spoke, Yonggui smiled, the curve of his mouth slowly spreading outward.

Paired with his body, which seemed to have been thrown into a washing machine, it gave him an oddly eerie look.

Bai Ye’s face turned ashen, unable to hide the inner turmoil he felt.

Heaven and earth!

As he heard those words, all he could picture was a temple standing in a green forest, a breeze passing through, and suddenly, a wrinkled, bald old man popping his head out like a mole, occasionally grinning.

Spring flowers and wrinkles bloomed together, and his shiny bald head gleamed with radiant light, delicate and beautiful, cleansing Bai Ye’s eyes, mind, and soul in an instant.

Terrifying.

Back when they were making up the story about master and disciple grudge, they should have let Yonggui the monk show one or two of his skills.

That would have scared Xie Yu’s soul out of his body, made him never believe in love again, and led him straight into being a monk.

A very serious question floated to the forefront of Bai Ye’s mind:

What kind of place is Fanyin Temple?

“Oh gods, ‘Though the beauty didn’t compete for spring, he heralded its arrival. He smiled among the trees and fields. ‘ I’ve already got the image in my head.”

Tian Xianzi chuckled, his voice ringing out, “Master Jiru! Your obedient disciple Yonggui mentioned you!”

As he spoke, he turned his head, easily spotting a monk standing among the crowd.

The monk was neither old nor beautiful.

He had sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, a rugged, handsome face, and clear black eyes like pools of water.

A halo of golden light slowly spread from the top of his head, illuminating his bronze skin.

Then Lin Qian’s voice came from the side, “Wow, Master Jiru’s head turned red! Amazing!”

Qu Feiqing also clicked her tongue in amazement, “It turned green in an instant! Master Jiru is truly skilled with the Great Light Mantra; he’s indeed the strongest at Fanyin Temple.”

Another elder from Fanyin Temple added, “The last time we were chanting and were suddenly caught in a nighttime storm, all the lights went out. Fortunately, Senior Brother Jiru used a suspended technique and floated upside down in the middle of the crowd and drew out some light with the Great Light Mantra.”

Jiru laughed heartily, his delicate eyebrows arched in a smile, “You’re too kind, you’re too kind.”