After Changing Her Fate, the Vicious Female Villain and the Protagonist Got an HE! - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Treachery

Wen Shurong realized she was locked onto by the attack, and there was no way to evade it.

Fortunately, the Shan Hai Zither was equipped for both offense and defense. The moment the sharp arrow closed in, a loud bang sounded in her ear, and the incomparably fierce attack was ultimately neutralized into nothingness.

However, because of this, Wen Shurong’s spiritual power was depleted, forcing her to interrupt her zither performance, and her surrounding defense shattered instantly.

Qin Niyun quickly supported her, preventing her from falling off the city wall.

At this moment, two more pitch-black sharp arrows appeared out of thin air in the void ahead, locking onto the two Senior Sisters separately.

With the zither-flute harmony interrupted and their defenses gone, they were instantly plunged into an extremely dangerous situation.

In this moment of crisis, the Zither Spirit and Flute Spirit materialized from their respective treasures. They jointly cast a spell, and an incomparably solid wall-shaped defense instantly formed.

A short while later, two consecutive loud bangs sounded, and the fiercely aggressive arrows instantly dissipated into dust.

It was also in this instant that a pitch-black lotus flower flashed and disappeared into Wen Shurong’s Dantian in the void ten li behind her.

The incident happened suddenly, and Qin Niyun had no time to stop it.

Seeing her Junior Sister cough up a mouthful of blood, her heart tightened, and she quickly grabbed her right hand to check her pulse.

In the next moment, her expression drastically changed.

In her perception, an extremely powerful force was rapidly condensing in her Junior Sister’s Dantian. The bottleneck of the Early Core Formation Stage was instantly breached, advancing to the Middle Core Formation Stage. A few breaths later, it broke through to the Late Stage, and then ascended to the Great Accomplishment Stage.

Above the Core Formation Stage was the Nascent Soul Stage.

Wen Shurong, affected by the mysterious force, had her cultivation surge again, successfully breaking through the realm.

At the same time, the previously suppressed Ice Soul Cold Poison thoroughly erupted.

In that instant, her whole body was covered in a layer of frost.

Qin Niyun quickly used fire-attribute spiritual power to drive away the cold for her Junior Sister, but the effect was minimal.

To save her Junior Sister’s life, she took out a precious Heart Protection Pill—a treasure for all cultivators—and fed it to her.

Outside the city-protecting grand array, the attacks from the demon race were still continuous.

Fortunately, due to the previous zither-flute harmony, the high-tier demon cultivators had suffered significant casualties from killing each other and were temporarily unable to jointly attack the array. Futian Ancient City was not at risk of being breached for the time being.

In the southwest outside the array, the Green Winged Tiger King was engaged in a fierce battle with Jiu Xuan. The two were temporarily equally matched.

After several breaths, a powerful streak of light suddenly approached rapidly from the extreme distance.

A heaven-enveloping sword aura followed closely, tearing through the sky, and instantly plunged into the Green Winged Tiger King’s body, crushing both its soul and its demon core.

The attacker was precisely Luo Hua, the Sect Leader of the Lingxiao Sect.

She was dressed in a gilded black robe, holding the Chongxiao Sword, and approached on a cloud. Her presence was commanding and disdainful towards the demon hordes.

The demon race attacking the city-protecting grand array, witnessing the death of the Tiger King and seeing the woman standing on the cloud with killing intent, immediately felt the urge to retreat. They scattered and fled in all directions.

On the city wall, Wen Shurong had been unconscious ever since the Ice Soul Cold Poison erupted.

The Heart Protection Pill could only save her life but could not expel the Cold Poison.

Qin Niyun, holding her Junior Sister, felt an agonizing heartache for the first time in her life.

The Zither Spirit remembered that there were a few Heavenly Flame Spiritual Fruits in the Master’s storage bag that could suppress the Cold Poison, and quickly took them out.

However, with Wen Shurong unconscious, while pills could be forced down her throat, the spiritual fruits were too large to be swallowed whole.

Seeing the spiritual fruits, Qin Niyun did not hesitate. She immediately picked one up, chewed it in her mouth, and then lowered her head, slowly feeding it into her Junior Sister’s mouth.

The Zither Spirit and Flute Spirit watched this scene without surprise. In their minds, the two masters were a couple to begin with.

However, in the eyes of others in the city, the sight was unusual.

Of course, their opinions did not matter to them.

On the other side, after slaying the Green Winged Tiger King, Luo Hua passed through the city-protecting grand array with Jiu Xuan and arrived in Futian Ancient City.

The two looked at the city wall, each contemplating the situation.

Jiu Xuan spoke thoughtfully: “Sect Leader, have you considered telling Junior Niece Qin the cure for the Ice Soul Cold Poison?”

Luo Hua glanced at her sideways: “Are you suggesting Junior Niece Qin should cut out her own Golden Core?”

Jiu Xuan shook her head: “No, I mean, tell Junior Niece Qin the method. She has the right to know. As for what choice Junior Niece Qin makes afterward, that is entirely up to her. I will never interfere.”

Luo Hua was silent for a moment, then brought up another matter.

“Junior Sister, do you remember the hexagram divined by Tianji Peak two months ago?”

Jiu Xuan nodded: “Of course, I remember. The hexagram showed that Junior Niece Qin is the Daughter of Heavenly Destiny, and the sect’s prosperity in the next thousand years is closely linked to her. Junior Niece Wen was her destined person, but…”

“But there is an extreme variable affecting Junior Niece Wen. This variable can be called a tribulation. If she can overcome it, the two of them will eventually become a couple. If not, their fate is unpredictable.”

Speaking up to this point, Luo Hua changed her tone: “Before, Junior Niece Wen informed me about the Heaven’s Mandate Jade Scroll. I immediately connected it to that hexagram, but I didn’t expect the so-called variable to be the demon who should have perished under the Dao-Extinguishing Tribulation Lightning ten thousand years ago.”

Jiu Xuan said solemnly: “That fellow’s ultimate goal is to seize the Destiny from Junior Niece Qin to resume cultivating the Immortal Dao and immediately ascend. However, I believe this plot cannot succeed!”

Luo Hua slightly raised an eyebrow: “How so?”

Jiu Xuan explained: “As long as he is in the Xuan Yuan Realm, he will inevitably be perceived by this realm’s Heavenly Dao when undergoing the Ascension Tribulation. You must know that everyone’s Destiny is bestowed by the Heavenly Dao. Even if that fellow successfully seizes Junior Niece Qin’s Destiny, once perceived by the Heavenly Dao, it can be retracted at any time. In the end, he cannot escape facing another Dao-Extinguishing Tribulation and the fate of having his soul scattered.”

Hearing this, Luo Hua nodded in agreement: “What Junior Sister says is indeed reasonable, but there is a prerequisite.”

“What prerequisite?”

“That this person’s future Ascension Tribulation takes place in the Xuan Yuan Realm.”

Jiu Xuan was confused: “Isn’t that an inevitability? That person is originally a cultivator of the Xuan Yuan Realm. If he wants to ascend, it can only take place in the Xuan Yuan Realm. Going to other worlds cannot trigger the lightning tribulation.”

Luo Hua raised her eyes and looked at her: “Does Junior Sister forget something?”

Jiu Xuan was even more perplexed: “What is it?”

“This person once devoured the Canghai Realm’s World Origin Power. In a sense, his own aura has been completely severed from the Xuan Yuan Realm. He might not need to undergo the tribulation in this realm.”

“This is indeed my oversight.” Jiu Xuan’s expression instantly became much more serious. “Sect Leader, what do you suggest we do next?”

Luo Hua said calmly: “Currently, the enemy is hidden, and we are in the open. We can only wait and see for now. Additionally, there is one more thing: I found the stolen Demon Suppression Pagoda on my way to Futian Ancient City.”

“What?”

Jiu Xuan was full of surprise: “According to Tianji Peak’s recent divination, wasn’t the Demon Suppression Pagoda located within Futian Ancient City?”

Luo Hua affirmed: “The one who stole the Demon Suppression Pagoda is the mastermind we were just discussing. The treasure’s location constantly changes with him. About three thousand li away from Futian Ancient City, I encountered this foe and fought him briefly. His current strength is slightly inferior to mine. He didn’t prolong the fight, merely threw out the Demon Suppression Pagoda, and vanished into the void.”

Hearing this, Jiu Xuan, combining it with the events that had just occurred, immediately understood.

“It seems that this person stole the Demon Suppression Pagoda not for the treasure itself, but to lure Junior Niece Wen and Junior Niece Qin to Futian Ancient City. The reason he engaged in battle with the Sect Leader was to prevent the Sect Leader from arriving at the battlefield early and saving Junior Niece Wen.”

Luo Hua nodded in agreement: “That much can be confirmed now. I had previously suppressed the Cold Poison in Junior Niece Wen’s body. Without this incident, she would have been safe for at least three years. Now that the Cold Poison has thoroughly erupted, I can no longer cure her. Her fate from now on depends on her own destiny.”

Jiu Xuan hesitated: “Then the cure…”

Luo Hua sighed softly: “With the Heart Protection Pill, Junior Niece Wen is not in immediate mortal danger. Cutting out one’s own Golden Core is too cruel. Those words should not come from our mouths. Let nature take its course. Junior Niece Qin affects the sect’s future Destiny. I do not wish for anything to happen to her.”

…

On the city wall, Qin Niyun had by now fed all the Heavenly Flame Spiritual Fruits to Wen Shurong.

However, in her sensing, there was no sign of the Ice Soul Cold Poison on her Junior Sister’s body diminishing.

She was consumed by anxiety. She questioned the Zither Spirit and Flute Spirit but received no useful answers.

Watching the demon race retreat, she felt no joy, only holding the girl in her arms, remaining on the city wall for a long time.

…

Night fell. Luo Hua arrived at the city wall. Disregarding Qin Niyun’s objection, she carried the unconscious girl in green away, temporarily settling her in the City Lord’s Mansion.

Qin Niyun followed, wanting to enter the room to care for her, but Luo Hua blocked her outside.

“Junior Niece Qin, you are emotionally unstable now. You should calm down by yourself first.”

Qin Niyun did not listen to her words and tried to force her way in, but Luo Hua locked her directly into a meditation room.

The Zither Spirit and Flute Spirit maintained a consistent silence, choosing not to intervene, and quietly guarded Wen Shurong’s side.

At zǐshí (midnight), an entirely black, liquid-like object quietly slipped into the meditation room.

Qin Niyun, whose expression had been dull, sensed the abnormality and immediately became alert.

A moment later, an extremely hoarse voice reached her ear.

“Qin Niyun, do you want to save your Junior Sister?”

“Who are you?”

“Don’t worry about who I am. I’m just here to tell you that the Golden Core condensed by the Heavenly Phoenix Spirit Body is the antidote for the Ice Soul Cold Poison.”

“Your Excellency won’t even reveal your identity. Why should I believe you?”

“Heh heh, this matter is no secret. Luo Hua, Jiu Xuan, the spirits of those two Innate Treasures, and even Wen Shurong herself know it clearly. Only you have been kept in the dark. If you don’t believe me, you can find them and ask once you leave this place!”

Having said this, the liquid object immediately slipped out of the meditation room and disappeared without a trace.

Qin Niyun crouched down, leaning against the wall. Influenced by what she had just heard, she began recalling some past details.

In the Ancient Yuan Secret Realm, her Junior Sister’s Cold Poison had worsened once.

At that time, she had asked if there truly was no cure for the Ice Soul Cold Poison, but she received no answer.

Thinking back carefully, the Zither Spirit of the Shan Hai Zither seemed to want to say something then but was stopped by her Junior Sister’s look.

It turned out that there had been clues all along.

Putting aside the past details, intuition also told Qin Niyun that what the unknown creature that had just appeared said was true.

The Heavenly Phoenix Spirit Body—she was the only one in the world who possessed it.

If she wanted to save her Junior Sister, she could only cut out her own Golden Core.

If she did so, her Dantian would be destroyed, and she would become a cripple, unable to continue cultivating.

Did she have the courage to do that?

Qin Niyun leaned against the wall, pondering for a long time. Her slightly bewildered eyes gradually became determined…

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