After Being Certified by the Immortal Lord on the Path of Ruthlessness - Chapter 12

The lily-of-the-valley blade landed at her feet, but Ye Qingge’s expression remained unchanged. She merely lifted her cold gaze.

A shard of ice shot straight into Ling Lan’s palm.

Ling Lan winced in pain, her brows furrowing tightly, yet her arms around Jiang Mianhao did not loosen. Crimson beads of blood dripped from the back of her hand onto Jiang Mianhao’s palm.

Carefully, Ling Lan wiped the blood away. When she looked up again, anger had already ignited in her eyes. “Does the Immortal Lord intend to take her by force?”

In response to her question, Ye Qingge let out a cold laugh and replied indifferently, “She was mine to begin with. Why would I need to take her by force?”

Her words were like a feather, light and drifting, yet they landed on the flames of Ling Lan’s fury, instantly igniting them completely.

Ling Lan shifted Jiang Mianhao into Mi Xiu’s arms and stood up. As she rose, a burst of pink light erupted from her fingertips, slashing straight toward Ye Qingge.

“Ling Lan—!” Mi Xiu cried out sharply, quickly steadying Jiang Mianhao as she slumped forward.

Ye Qingge’s expression remained indifferent. She didn’t even lift a hand.

A silver-white rope materialized, binding Ling Lan’s wrist and forcibly repelling the pink light back at her.

Ling Lan coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

“Immortal Lord!” Mi Xiu could no longer focus on Jiang Mianhao. She rushed forward, shielding Ling Lan behind her, and pleaded, “You helped us attain human form. We owe you a debt of gratitude. How could Ling Lan truly strike at you?”

“If you truly care for Mian Mian, you shouldn’t have hurt Ling Lan!”

“And right now, what matters most is tending to Mian Mian’s injuries! She’s already unconscious!” Mi Xiu stared at Ye Qingge, her voice trembling with suppressed sobs as she spoke each word deliberately.

Beneath her forced composure was a barely perceptible quiver, and the palms hidden in her sleeves were slick with sweat.

Ling Lan looked at the person shielding her, then back at Ye Qingge standing opposite them, and said coldly, “I won’t hand Mianhao over to you not unless you kill me first.”

“Lanlan, don’t!”

Mi Xiu turned and covered Ling Lan’s mouth, then faced Ye Qingge again. “Lanlan cares too much for Mianhao. They grew up together like sisters. Please, Immortal Lord, don’t take her angry words to heart.”

“Save Mian Mian!” Mi Xiu’s eyes welled with tears as she gazed pitifully at Ye Qingge.

The melodramatic scene unfolding before her held no interest for Ye Qingge.

With a flick of her sleeve, she turned and walked away without another word.

Seeing her leave, Ling Lan exhaled in relief. She reached up and tore away the spiritual bindings around her wrist.

“Let’s go back,” Mi Xiu said softly, tugging at Ling Lan’s sleeve.

Ling Lan gave a faint hum of agreement and strode toward Jiang Mianhao, who had been left behind, intending to pick her up.

But the moment she approached.

A barrier of spiritual energy suddenly enveloped Jiang Mianhao’s body, lifting her into the air just as it had when they arrived. The barrier shot forward, carrying her away.

Realizing what was happening, Ling Lan immediately reached out, ignoring the untreated wound on her hand.

The barrier was transparent and impossibly smooth. Ling Lan’s fingers couldn’t gain any purchase.

The moment her fingertips brushed against it, an overwhelming force repelled her. The ice shard embedded in the back of her hand flared with pain, sending a bone-deep chill through her.

Ling Lan was thrown back several steps by the spiritual energy. Watching the barrier fly away, she scrambled to her feet and lunged after it.

Boom—

A blinding silver light flashed. Ling Lan was hurled backward, crashing heavily onto the ground.

Clutching her chest, she vomited another mouthful of blood.

Mi Xiu, standing beside her, froze mid-reach. Staring at the silver glow shimmering around the barrier, she understood.

This was Ye Qingge’s warning.

If Ling Lan insisted on interfering today, the only outcome would be her death. A thousand years of cultivation, extinguished in an instant.

While Mi Xiu was momentarily stunned, Lily of the Valley on the ground struggled to rise again, preparing to continue her assault on the spiritual barrier.

“Lily of the Valley!” Mi Xiu exclaimed in alarm, immediately wrapping her arms around the charging figure’s waist to stop her.

She could feel the turbulent spiritual energy surging within Lily of the Valley. Ye Qingge had struck without holding back, and Lily of the Valley had already exhausted her strength when replenishing Mi Xiu earlier. Now, her uncontrolled spiritual energy was spilling out uncontrollably.

If this continued, Lily of the Valley would likely be drained to death.

The spiritual barrier eventually shrank into a flicker of light before vanishing completely into the long night.

Overwhelmed by frustration, Lily of the Valley tried to say something, but darkness overtook her vision, and she fainted.

Mi Xiu lifted Lily of the Valley in her arms, her gaze falling on the back of her hand.

The wound pierced by the ice blade was covered in blood, with dark red clots congealing around it.

Mi Xiu’s eyes darkened.

The night stretched endlessly, the air tinged with the faint scent of blood.

……

……

Inside the banyan tree hollow, a light flickered to life as a spiritual orb gently carried the unconscious figure onto the bed.

Ye Qingge looked at the lifeless form on the bed—pale face, colorless lips, and a few dark red bloodstains on the dress.

Just moments ago, from the heavens, this same person had been full of vitality.

Irritation crept into Ye Qingge’s thoughts. After finally achieving human form, she had managed to reduce herself to this state.

At this rate, who knew how long the delay would be? Ye Qingge tapped the table lightly, and the spiritual orb shattered instantly, its energy flowing entirely into the unconscious figure on the bed.

To have damaged her internal energy so severely on the very first day of transformation. Ye Qingge raised her fingertips slightly, conjuring another spiritual barrier to envelop the girl. As her fingers lowered, the barrier shattered once more.

After repeating this process several times, the girl’s complexion finally regained a hint of color.

Outside, Mi Xiu’s voice could be heard, stumbling and collapsing at the doorway.

Ye Qingge heard the footsteps pause at the door, hesitating for a long while before finally fading away.

Meanwhile, the girl on the bed softly spoke.

“Lujiu, I’ve successfully transformed,” Jiang Mianhao murmured weakly, her voice barely above a whisper. “Thank you.”

Her words were faint, tinged with the frailty of illness.

Ye Qingge ignored her gratitude, pressing her fingertips against Jiang Mianhao’s wrist as a steady stream of spiritual energy flowed through.

Jiang Mianhao sat up slightly, watching the figure before her.

The soft glow of the candlelight framed Ye Qingge like a painting. Her silver-white hair cascading over her shoulders, held back only by a simple peachwood hairpin.

Surrounded by the brown wooden walls, Ye Qingge in her white robes looked ethereal, like an immortal from a legend, leaving Jiang Mianhao with a sense of unreality.

As she watched Ye Qingge channeling spiritual energy into her, Jiang Mianhao whispered, “Lujiu, you really don’t need to waste your energy on me.”

Now that she had successfully transformed, Lujiu had technically fulfilled her duty.

Yet, not only had Lujiu not left, but she was also expending her own spiritual energy to heal her far beyond what was expected.

Ye Qingge paid no heed to her words. The small room was silent except for the occasional crackle of the kerosene lamp.

Jiang Mianhao felt undeserving, lowering her head to avoid meeting Ye Qingge’s gaze, afraid that the longing in her eyes might taint this celestial being.

“You’ve helped me so much. I don’t know how to repay you,” Jiang Mianhao murmured, her expression downcast. She had no idea how many millennia of cultivation it would take to reach Lujiu’s level.

She had once thought they would journey together for a long time at least a thousand years.

But now, she had already achieved human form.

The green wine had also fulfilled its due responsibility.

Jiang Mianhao felt an inexplicable sense of loss in her heart.

Though this celestial being before her spoke little and always acted in silence, the more she did so, the more Jiang Mianhao felt indebted to her.

“It’s simple,” Ye Qingge said in a calm tone.

Jiang Mianhao let out a puzzled hum and looked up at the celestial being who was tending to her wounds.

Long, frost-like lashes half-lowered, the hazy candlelight softening her features. Every contour wrapped in the glow appeared gentle yet concealed a sharp, icy edge.

And the unapproachable chill between her brows.

Jiang Mianhao couldn’t help but stare, mesmerized, not daring to blink for fear the person before her might vanish the next second.

Then, the celestial under the lamplight murmured softly, “Just love me in the future, that’s all.”