After running for about half an hour, the meager magical energy she had accumulated over the past few days was completely exhausted from aiding her sprint.
In the darkness, Yun Qingxue stopped and began gasping for breath. After a few heavy breaths, she straightened up and looked around. The surroundings were desolate and pitch-black, with only the occasional chirp of insects breaking the silence.
“It should be safe now,” she murmured to herself, switching from running to walking as she moved forward slowly.
“Hiss~” In the darkness, Adai rubbed against Yun Qingxue’s wrist, reminding her that it was still by her side.
Yun Qingxue smiled. The sense of desolation that had just risen in her heart was dispelled by Adai’s comforting gesture.
The night was still long. Since there were no pursuers behind her, she decided to find a relatively safe spot to rest and continue her journey at dawn.
But just then, a sharp shout exploded from behind her: “Demon, where do you think you’re escaping to?!”
Yun Qingxue turned to look and saw a dark figure swiftly flying toward her. In the pitch-black night, she couldn’t make out the person’s face, but she could sense hostility from their aura.
Someone was actually chasing her!
Realizing this, Yun Qingxue immediately resumed running for her life. As she fled, she cursed the pursuer in her heart.
*I haven’t harmed anyone, and it was Hua Yin who destroyed the city gate—why are you chasing me, damn it!*
But thinking of Hua Yin, she wondered how he was faring. For a brief moment, worry for him flickered in her heart. But it was just a fleeting thought—Hua Yin’s magic was likely strong, so his situation was probably far better than hers!
“Demon! Surrender now!” the pursuer shouted again.
*Demon your sister! You’re the demon, your whole family are demons!* Yun Qingxue mentally retorted, but she didn’t dare slow her pace. Despite her desperate sprinting, the pursuer was closing in.
A faint floral fragrance suddenly permeated the air. The scent was light and pleasant—so pleasant that Yun Qingxue nearly forgot she was running.
The endless darkness ahead seemed to transform into a massive movie screen, projecting scenes from her past: her days in the orphanage, the painful memory of being betrayed by Zhou Dao…
The first time she met Qian Dai, that fierce yet loyal girl who had given her life to save her…
Tears wet Yun Qingxue’s cheeks, and her pace slowed.
“Ah!” A sharp pain suddenly shot through her wrist, snapping her wandering mind back to reality. The darkness ahead returned.
“Hiss~” Adai flicked its tongue against her wrist, and behind her, the sounds of a fight erupted.
But she couldn’t afford to dwell on it—she had to keep running.
*Out here in the wilderness, maybe the pursuer ran into another spirit or monster!*
Yet…
After a few steps, an overwhelming unease gripped her. Against her better judgment, she stopped and turned around.
Behind her, two figures clashed fiercely in midair. The collision of their magic illuminated the dark night.
Yun Qingxue squinted against the bright light but still recognized one of the figures—Hua Yin! The same Hua Yin who had insisted they part ways and owe each other nothing!
As if under a spell, she stood frozen, watching the battle above.
“Run!” Hua Yin shouted at her during a brief lull in the fight.
“Not without you!” Yun Qingxue shouted back without hesitation.
Just then, several figures arrived on flying swords in the distance.
“Grand State Preceptor!” one of them exclaimed upon recognizing the other combatant, bowing respectfully.
“Capture that demon on the ground—dead or alive!” Chen Qing coldly ordered while still locked in battle with Hua Yin.
The cultivators immediately obeyed, launching a coordinated attack on Yun Qingxue, the only figure standing on the ground.
Seeing this, Hua Yin feinted a move, disengaging from Chen Qing and darting in front of Yun Qingxue.
As the cultivators attacked, Hua Yin summoned countless dark green vines to shield them.
The swords struck the vines, slicing through them effortlessly. Black liquid sprayed from the severed vines, thick as ink.
“Fall back!” Chen Qing shouted, sensing danger—but it was too late.
The black liquid had already splashed onto the attacking cultivators. In an instant, they turned on Chen Qing, their swords now aimed at him.
“You—” Chen Qing’s expression darkened.
Though he could easily defeat these cultivators, fighting them meant battling his own allies—this wasn’t about victory, but fratricide.
Blades of light slashed toward him. The once-respectful cultivators, now tainted by the black liquid, attacked with lethal intent, treating him as an enemy.
“Hiss~”
Amid the chaos, Yun Qingxue noticed Adai growing excited on her wrist.
“Let’s go!”
Hua Yin seized the moment, grabbing Yun Qingxue’s hand and pulling her into the darkness. Adai took the opportunity to slither onto Hua Yin’s wrist, rubbing its head affectionately against his arm.
Too focused on escaping, Yun Qingxue didn’t notice Adai’s movement. Hua Yin felt the snake but ignored it—right now, running was all that mattered.
“*Soul Shackle!*”
Chen Qing’s voice boomed through the night. The attacking cultivators froze as if paralyzed.
Hua Yin sensed the shift and released Yun Qingxue’s hand. “Go!”
But Yun Qingxue stopped. “Not without you!”
Hua Yin shoved her forward. She stumbled but regained her balance, turning back to look at him.
By then, Hua Yin was already locked in combat with Chen Qing again. Without sparing her another glance, he said coldly, “You’ll only hold me back. *Go!*”
Yun Qingxue hesitated, recalling the cultivators’ earlier attack.
“Be careful,” she murmured before turning and vanishing into the night.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage