After Faking Her Death and Escaping, the Junior Sister Fell to the Demonic Path - Chapter 116

Upper Realm, the Land of the Abandoned Gods.

The last glimmer of light on the bamboo slip disappeared, and Shangguan Yu and True Immortal Wen Qing stared at the broken communication, remaining silent.

“Senior Sister, will we succeed?”

After a long while, Shangguan Yu finally looked up, asking with a slight hesitation in her voice.

True Immortal Wen Qing did not speak, she just stayed silent, silent, looking up at the distant sandstorm.

The Land of the Abandoned Gods is perpetually covered in yellow sand. She had been here for some time now. Wen Qing looked at her Junior Sister; her Junior Sister was even more capable than she had imagined. Even before Wen Qing arrived here, she had already gathered all the previously ascended people and formed a power belonging to the Profound Heaven Realm.

The Upper Realm was aware of the situation in the Profound Heaven Realm, but no one was willing to intervene.

Why intervene?

Even the true Heavenly Dao had already abandoned that land, so why should they waste any more effort?

The Heavenly Dao of the Profound Heaven Realm had been replaced, the path to ascension was blocked, and the entire Profound Heaven Realm had become a breeding ground for the Demon Race.

It was only after ascending that she learned—

The Profound Heaven Realm had long been abandoned.

“There are thousands of lower realms, why cling to just one Profound Heaven Realm?”

During the time they were active in the Upper Realm, some people had tried to persuade them.

Why not abandon the Profound Heaven Realm and enjoy the nourishment of immortal energy here in the Upper Realm? They could open up a small world of their own in the future, and wouldn’t the number of citizens be up to them?

Some were tempted, but in the end, no one left.

The Profound Heaven Realm was their home.

Even if it was broken, riddled with holes, and looked down upon by the inhabitants of the Upper Realm, it was still their home, their origin.

How could they abandon it?

They simply remained silent, traveling everywhere in the Upper Realm, attempting to find a solution for the Profound Heaven Realm.

“We will succeed.”

——————

“Xiao Ying, try this.”

Feng Ning brought a freshly washed grape to Feng Ying’s mouth.

She had bought it in a human city; it was sweet and sour and very delicious.

Feng Ying obediently put the grape in her mouth, savored it with squinted eyes, and nodded, “It’s delicious.”

Feng Ning smiled, “You only know how to say delicious.”

The mountain stream was clear, and as the sky gradually darkened, the two planned to camp by the stream for the night.

Quickly getting to work, Feng Ning set up a bonfire in just a few movements, then caught a fish from the stream. She gutted it, scraped off the scales in one swift action, cleaned it, and put it on a rack over the fire to roast.

While the fish was roasting, Feng Ning took out two sable furs from her Universe Bracelet. She placed one on the ground for Feng Ying to sit on and draped the other over Feng Ying’s shoulders: “The night dew is heavy. Keep it on, you’re not allowed to take it off.”

Feng Ying asked why she wasn’t wearing one, but Feng Ning just smiled, “I need to meditate and cultivate at night, so I won’t need it.”

She treasured every moment of cultivation now. If it weren’t for having to travel every day, she wished she could spend all twenty-four hours cultivating.

With that, Feng Ning found a stone large enough to sit cross-legged on, climbed up, and began to meditate and inhale the spiritual energy.

She truly wasn’t willing to waste a single moment.

Feng Ying gave her an eye roll but didn’t say much, only turning the fish over the bonfire to keep it from burning.

Since leaving the Sword Sect, the two had traveled eastward. They weren’t moving quickly, stopping and going, not rushing the journey.

Because Feng Ying was weak, they had even stayed in the nearest human city for a period, only deciding to set off again today.

The sky gradually darkened, and the chirping of crickets was constant. Feng Ying stared at the roasting fish on the fire, lost in thought.

During the day in the human city, she had asked a merchant and learned that they were very close to their destination. At most, by tomorrow evening, they would enter the Divine Land of Eastern Victory.

Traveling in this direction, it was indeed like a fairyland. Unlike what cultivators called a fairyland, there wasn’t a single cultivator around here, and even the spiritual energy was sparse.

Yet, the humans living here were safe, happy, and prosperous. Along the way, their faces showed expressions of happiness and contentment. They didn’t know what cultivators were or what cultivation was; they only knew that their daily lives were good.

Moreover, there were no traces of the Demon Race here.

It was like a sanctuary away from the world.

Having been here for a long time, one might truly forget that they were once a cultivator.

Feng Ying was deep in thought, completely unaware that, at this very moment, the surrounding cricket chirps had stopped.

Not only the crickets, but all the other insect sounds and bird calls had almost completely vanished.

The surroundings became exceptionally quiet.

Except for the constant babbling of the stream.

Feng Ying finally realized, belatedly, that something was wrong.

She looked at where Feng Ning was meditating, opened her mouth to call her over, but found that her throat seemed to be choked by something; she couldn’t utter a single word.

Her body, too, was frozen.

Feng Ying opened her mouth to shout, but no sound came out. Her body was as if nailed to the spot, and no matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t move a fraction.

The bonfire flickered constantly, casting her silhouette onto the dense forest behind her, swaying and distorting the dark gray shadow into grotesque shapes.

Just as her eyes were about to burst, Feng Ying finally saw it.

What was slowly spreading from her neck was Demonic Qi!

And that Demonic Qi had already emerged from behind her and was heading towards Feng Ning.

The Demonic Qi silently crept along the ground, like a tentacle slithering towards where Feng Ning was meditating, its target clear.

In an instant, Feng Ying understood that the target of this Demonic Qi was Feng Ning from the very beginning.

No! It couldn’t be!!

Feng Ying wanted to stop it, but her feet were nailed to the spot, making it impossible for her to move.

The more she tried to speak, the more the Demonic Qi choking her throat tightened, making her unable to breathe. Her eyes gradually turned bloodshot, and small red blood spots began to appear on her face.

Seeing the Demonic Qi getting closer and closer to Feng Ning, Feng Ying was almost frantic, but she was trapped in place, only able to watch helplessly.

Until she saw the fish still roasting on the bonfire.

Feng Ying endured the suffocating pain in her neck, gathering all her spiritual power in her fingertips.

Absolutely… no room for error!

Spiritual power shot out, accurately hitting the roasted fish.

“Plop—”

The roasted fish fell into the bonfire, splashing a burst of sparks. Some carbon particles even landed on the back of Feng Ying’s hand, immediately scalding several blisters.

But she couldn’t worry about herself; her eyes were fixed on Feng Ning.

Finally, Feng Ning opened her eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

Hearing the commotion, Feng Ning stopped her breathing exercise and intended to see what had happened.

But the moment she opened her eyes, a sudden change occurred!

The Demonic Qi seemed to realize it was about to be exposed, and it frantically sped up, surrounding Feng Ning.

Overwhelming Demonic Qi instantly polluted the entire area. The grass and trees instantly withered and died, turning into a desolate gray.

“Be careful—!!!”

Feng Ying’s heart-wrenching shout echoed from behind.

Feng Ning’s pupils contracted sharply, clearly not having anticipated this sight.

The Demonic Qi instantly pressed down. Fortunately, Feng Ning reacted quickly enough. Her spiritual power shot out rapidly, pushing her away from the spot, allowing her to evade the Demonic Qi’s attack.

The next moment, the large rock she had been sitting on was hit by the Demonic Qi, instantly shattering into pieces and turning into dust.

The Demonic Qi immediately became enraged and, as if to punish, immediately attacked Feng Ying for spoiling its plans.

The Demonic Qi around Feng Ying’s neck instantly tightened, seeming to want to strangle her completely.

Feng Ning naturally wouldn’t allow it. In the next moment, she reacted, rushing forward with her sword and engaging the Demonic Qi in a fight.

“Let her go!”

Seeing Feng Ying about to lose her life, though she didn’t know where this Demonic Qi came from, Feng Ning knew that if she couldn’t resolve it, neither she nor Feng Ying would be safe.

With this thought, Feng Ning’s fighting style became reckless, willing to take injuries herself to sever the Demonic Qi’s hold on Feng Ying.

After a few rounds of fighting, the Demonic Qi finally released Feng Ying.

She collapsed on the ground, gasping for air.

But before she could be happy, the Demonic Qi circled back towards the two of them.

Feng Ning pulled Feng Ying up from the ground: “Hide behind me!”

She held her sword, shielding Feng Ying, and kept a wary eye on the Demonic Qi before them.

Feng Ying looked at her, “I can help you.”

At this moment, it was just the two of them. It was no longer like in the Sword Sect, where people could help them everywhere. If she chose to hide behind Feng Ning now, Feng Ning alone probably wouldn’t be able to hold out for long.

Feng Ning also understood this. She paused only for a moment, then took out a sword from her Universe Pouch and handed it to Feng Ying, smiling, “Okay, then we’ll face it together.”

The two held their swords, back to back, facing the Demonic Qi that had completely surrounded them without fear.

“Xiao Ying, we will definitely get out.”

“When we get out, we’ll go into seclusion in the Divine Land of Eastern Victory that Master mentioned. No one will be able to find us then.”

Feng Ning spoke in a low voice, tightening her grip on her sword.

Feng Ying softly replied with an “Mhm.”

But the unease in her heart grew stronger.

Could it be that the predetermined fate truly could not be avoided?

She looked deeply at Feng Ning, a profound meaning in her gaze that Feng Ning could not decipher.

The Demonic Qi shrieked and immediately pounced on the two, completely engulfing them.

Within the Demonic Qi, Feng Ning constantly fended off the claws attacking from all directions, and Feng Ying did the same. Their backs were tightly pressed together, warding off all the surrounding attacks.

The two cooperated seamlessly. Seeing that it couldn’t injure them, the Demonic Qi grew enraged, and its attacks became more and more frequent.

Moreover, the Demonic Qi contained not only physical attacks but also a demonic sound that was almost piercing their eardrums. Sound after sound, it constantly shook their souls, causing them to feel dizzy several times.

However, even with their flawless cooperation, there would eventually be moments of negligence.

“Hiss—”

Perhaps in a momentary daze, Feng Ying’s sword-wielding hand was struck, and a deep wound, visible to the bone, immediately appeared on her arm.

“Are you alright?” Feng Ning asked anxiously.

But at this moment, she couldn’t afford to be distracted. She could only desperately block the attack in front of her and pass the healing medicine from her robe to Feng Ying behind her.

Feng Ying took it and swallowed it. The wound on her arm healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

She gripped the sword in her hand again and replied, “I’m fine.”

The attacks within the Demonic Qi became increasingly frequent, even accompanied by enticements, aiming directly at Feng Ning.

Join me, join me, and you will possess the most powerful force in this world…

You are me, I am you, we are one…

Feng Ning cursed back angrily: “Get lost! You damned filthy thing!!!”

“Once I destroy you, this world will be at peace!”

Although she didn’t know how this Demonic Qi had followed them, it didn’t lessen her hatred for it.

The feeling of powerlessness from being manipulated by Demonic Qi before fueled Feng Ning’s rage. She wished she could immediately nail the Demonic Qi to the ground.

But no matter how she slashed and cut, she couldn’t harm the Demonic Qi in the slightest, and her own spiritual energy was almost completely depleted.

Although Feng Ying was also resisting, the unease in her heart intensified.

This strong sense of unease reached its peak when a demonic claw pierced through Feng Ning’s abdomen.

Feng Ning looked down at the demonic claw that had pierced her from behind to the front, and she froze for a moment.

The next moment, she spat out a large mouthful of blood.

Her clothes were instantly stained red. The sword in her hand could no longer be held, and it clanged as it fell to the ground.

The demonic claw was immediately withdrawn. Feng Ning softly fell to the ground, kneeling on her knees, her head lowered.

“Feng Ning!!!”

Feng Ying’s eyes were bloodshot. She desperately resisted the attack of the demonic claws and rushed to Feng Ning’s side.

Only when she got close did she see Feng Ning’s injuries. The demonic claw had pierced through Feng Ning’s abdomen, leaving a huge bloody hole.

Feng Ying’s eyes instantly turned red. She knelt on the ground, using her trembling hand to lift Feng Ning’s head.

“Feng Ning, look at me, look at me, okay?”

She tried to wipe the blood from Feng Ning’s face, but she forgot that she herself was covered in wounds. The fresh blood on her hands smeared more and more, covering half of Feng Ning’s face in crimson.

Large tears welled up in her eyes, and she choked out, “Feng Ning, look at me, look at me!”

Feng Ning obediently opened her eyes. She looked at the inconsolable Feng Ying before her, and slightly curved the corner of her lips: “Xiao Ying, don’t cry.”

“Crying… doesn’t look good.”

She gasped, her gaze extremely gentle as she looked at Feng Ying.

Feng Ying frantically wiped the tears from her face: “I won’t cry, I won’t cry.”

The blood smeared onto her face, staining it.

Feng Ning looked at her tenderly. The pain in her abdomen made her cough heavily. Blood continuously gushed from her mouth, falling to the ground and blossoming into large pools of blood.

Vivid, yet mournful.

She tried to raise her hand to brush away the bloodstains on Feng Ying’s face. Knowing what she wanted to do, Feng Ying took her hand and pressed it against her own face.

The fingertips of that hand were already beginning to grow cold. This sensation caused Feng Ying to panic extremely. She could only hold Feng Ning’s hand, haphazardly channeling spiritual energy into Feng Ning’s body, constantly asking, as if asking Feng Ning, but more like asking herself: “Feng Ning, you won’t die, right?”

“I could save you before, I can definitely save you now.”

“Feng Ning, I won’t let you die.”

But the spiritual energy she channeled was like a stone sinking into the sea. Feng Ning’s dantian (core) had been completely shattered the moment her abdomen was pierced. No matter how much spiritual energy she poured in, it would be of no use.

Realizing this, Feng Ying burst into sobs.

“Why? Why?!”

“I’ve helped you avoid it so many times, why can’t we avoid it this time?!”

“Why won’t it let her go?!”

“Why couldn’t it be someone else? Why does it have to be her?!”

She was like a desperate, wounded beast, constantly roaring at the surroundings.

“Xiao Ying,” Feng Ning breathed heavily, bringing Feng Ying’s almost out-of-control sanity back.

“It’s okay.” She looked into Feng Ying’s eyes, gentle and helpless: “I accepted it a long time ago, it’s okay.”

In fact, she had accepted it a long time ago. She had accepted her destiny a long, long time ago.

It was okay, she could accept it.

However, Feng Ying frantically shook her head, her eyes bloodshot: “It’s my fault, I failed to save you. I shouldn’t have let you leave the Sword Sect. If we were at the Sword Sect, this wouldn’t have happened. I harmed you, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

She continuously apologized to Feng Ning.

But the next moment, her head was gently supported by Feng Ning.

“Xiao Ying, listen to me.”

Feng Ying froze, looking at Feng Ning.

“I should be the one saying sorry.”

Blood continuously gushed from the corners of Feng Ning’s lips. She looked at Feng Ying before her, her voice weak:

“I’m sorry for letting you save me time and time again.”

“I’m sorry for constantly making you worry. If it weren’t for me, you would have been free a long time ago.”

“I’m sorry, I promised you we’d go to that place together. It seems, it seems… I have to break my word…”

Feng Ning’s voice gradually weakened, and the light in her eyes slowly faded.

Her hand heavily dropped.

“Sorry…”

Feng Ying cried uncontrollably.

The Demonic Qi gradually dispersed, the bonfire went out, and the light of dawn appeared on the horizon.

Feng Ying held Feng Ning’s gradually cooling body, motionless for a long time.

One day.

Two days.

Three days.

…

For five days straight, Feng Ying remained motionless. She held Feng Ning’s body, seemingly turning into a stone statue.

It wasn’t until the dawn of the sixth day that she finally moved.

First, she went to the stream and got a basin of water, then carefully wiped the blood from Feng Ning’s face and changed her into a clean set of clothes.

All the while, she did not utter a single word.

Not until she had also cleaned herself up did Feng Ying look at the mess around them.

Everything should end now.

She looked at the Demonic Qi that had stopped at the edge of the dense forest since Feng Ning’s death and had not moved for days.

“Let’s make a deal.”