Chapter 286

Ning Ning cursed inwardly.

Not far away, Pei Ji was almost entirely engulfed by thick black energy, as if he were trapped inside a sealed cocoon.

The sword energy and demonic energy were both rebounding on him, and the pain must have been excruciating, making it obvious that he was at a disadvantage in his struggle with the black dragon.

Ning Ning steeled herself and, without looking back, flew forward directly toward where the spiritual herb was located.

She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but as she moved, she heard a scornful, almost triumphant snort in her mind.

She couldn’t help but curse again.

“Pei Ji is in trouble! That idiot—doesn’t he know there’s something wrong with the demonic energy in his body? And yet he’s still stubbornly standing in front… Like this, he’ll definitely fall into inner demons and be trapped by the demonic energy!”

Lin Qian was so anxious she was practically jumping up and down, disbelief evident in her eyes.

“Ning Ning—why is she running toward the spiritual herb?”

She couldn’t believe that Ning Ning would just leave Pei Ji behind and focus solely on the herb.

But the reality seemed to be exactly that.

In the mystic mirror, the girl’s figure moved swiftly, and in no time, she reached the vicinity of the Lingshu spiritual herb.

Ning Ning lowered her eyelashes and looked at the unassuming sprout with two leaves in front of her.

Meanwhile, the battle raged on in the distance, and by the time Meng Jue and the others arrived, Pei Ji was already shrouded in a dense demonic energy.

An energy even stronger than that of the black dragon.

Who knows what Pei Ji was thinking when he saw her rushing toward the spiritual herb.

The senior brothers were overwhelmed by the black dragon and couldn’t spare any attention to save Pei Ji; she was out of spiritual energy and naturally couldn’t help him either.

At this thought, Ning Ning’s eyes dimmed.

No, that’s not right.

How could she be helpless?

The solution was right in front of her, wasn’t it?

“Hey.”

She curled her lips into a faint smile and asked softly in her mind, “Don’t you think it’s strange why I ran over here without hesitation?”

The voice in her head didn’t respond.

Ning Ning let out a barely audible laugh, took a deep breath, and felt the tremble in her fingertips.

She was trembling unconsciously, but her hands didn’t stop moving.

In the silent void, she plucked one of the leaves from the Lingshu spiritual herb.

Then she put it into her mouth.

The icy cold sensation quickly spread across her tongue.

Ning Ning frowned as the freezing pain pierced through her, and when she swallowed the entire leaf, she felt a sharp pain course through her entire body.

Finally, the system’s usually emotionless voice showed a trace of panic:

[You’re insane!”]

“She’s insane?!”

Outside the Mystic mirror, someone suddenly realized and exclaimed, “She’s trying to quickly enhance her cultivation by consuming the Lingshu spiritual herb to break through the demonic energy surrounding Pei Ji!”

Lin Qian was horrified.

“What is she doing? Directly consuming a sacred-grade spiritual herb—doesn’t she know that it’s a deadly taboo? This is madness!”

Next to her, Qu Feiqing also frowned deeply, her gaze fixed on the Mystic Mirror.

The Lingshu spiritual herb is a rare and precious, sacred-grade spiritual herb with unimaginable spiritual energy.

Although its effects are enormous, the stronger the spiritual energy, the heavier the burden it places on the body, often requiring it to be tempered into pills to balance the effects.

By swallowing it directly, the overwhelming spiritual energy would surge through all her meridians at once…

Such a powerful impact—Ning Ning, who was only at the Golden Core stage, might not be able to withstand it.

If she couldn’t get through this, at best, her cultivation would be severely damaged, and her core would be shattered; at worst, she could die, never to open her eyes again.

“She’s risking her life to save Pei Ji!”

Seeing Ning Ning suddenly cough up a mouthful of blood in the Mystic Mirror, He Xiaochen was sweating profusely.

He never imagined that such a seemingly gentle and fragile girl would have such desperate courage.

Panicked, he looked toward Elder Tianxian and urged urgently:

“This won’t do! Isn’t this suicide? Elder Tian Xianzi, we should pull them out of the Demon Refining Tower immediately!”

Elder Tian Xianzi, usually the most protective of his disciples, only frowned slightly at He Xiaochen’s words and did not respond as expected.

“She’s in her weakest state right now. Any external interference would only throw her mind into chaos.”

He stared at Ning Ning without blinking, dark clouds swirling in his eyes, revealing a rare and heavy concern.

“All we can do is wait here for the outcome.”

“Then I’ll go into the Demon Refining Tower myself!”

Lin Qian was frantic.

“We promised before the Ten Method Conference that we would do everything we could to ensure the safety of each disciple. Now that things are different, I—”

She hadn’t finished speaking when she was caught off guard by Ji Yunkai’s smirking gaze, and the rest of her words stuck in her throat.

“Don’t worry.”

The pale-faced Ji Yunkai leaned lazily against the back of his chair, a fleeting glimmer of expectation flashing in his eyes.

“Taking the Lingshu spiritual herb like that is dangerous, but between life and death, there’s always a sliver of hope—don’t you think?”

Lin Qian was taken aback.

“Precisely because it’s her, we’re all the more worried.”

Qu Feiqing sighed deeply.

“When you get old, you can’t stand to see the separation of life and death, or people risking their lives… Now, seeing her so desperate, it feels like watching my own daughter suffer. My heart is in knots.”

“Look, quickly!”

He Xiaochen’s voice suddenly rose, tinged with a bit of surprise.

“Ning Ning’s sword is drawn!”

Inside the Demon Refining Tower, the demonic energy surged and spread like never before, solidifying into tangible shadows, like ghosts climbing up from the abyss, blocking out the sky.

The long cry of the ferocious beast and the whistling wind mixed together; dry branches rattled in the wind, and amidst the chaos, a bright white light flashed.

The Xinghen Sword in Ning Ning’s hand exuded a biting cold aura.

She barely managed to steady herself, forcing her eyes open, willing herself not to pass out.

Her heart pounded at an unbelievable speed, each beat hitting her chest like a heavy stone, bringing unbearable pain that spread through every corner of her body.

Her head throbbed.

The pain was excruciating, as if a knife were slicing through her brain, making her want to split her head open, thinking it might bring some relief.

The worst of all was the pain in her meridians.