After Faking Her Death and Escaping, the Junior Sister Fell to the Demonic Path - Chapter 5

Real Person Wen Qing left in a hurry and returned beaming with joy.

Bidding farewell to her Senior Sister, Real Person Wen Qing rushed back to Hidden Snow Peak with the Thousand-Year Cold Lotus without delay.

However, acquiring the Thousand-Year Cold Lotus was only the first step. It still needed to be refined in a medicine cauldron to create a liquid elixir that could be consumed.

After all, Zhou Zhixue was just a child in the Foundation Establishment stage, and Shangguan Yu had repeatedly warned that the medicine was extremely potent and must be refined until it was gentle enough to ingest. Otherwise, even a Nascent Soul cultivator, if they consumed it unrefined, would likely explode and die the next second.

Thus, even when Real Person Wen Qing saw Qin Qingyi use a demon core to make Zhou Zhixue fall unconscious, she said little, only advising, “Do not let others discover this,” before hurriedly plunging back into the apothecary room.

Qin Qingyi simply shrugged. What else could she do? As long as Zhou Zhixue was awake, she would ceaselessly crash into the barrier like she was tireless, enough to drive her mad with the noise.

After five whole days of this frantic effort, Real Person Wen Qing finally emerged from the apothecary room.

Qin Qingyi withdrew her demonic energy. Real Person Wen Qing stepped forward, supporting the still unconscious Zhou Zhixue. With her spiritual energy guiding the liquid elixir, she fed it into the child’s mouth.

This wasn’t the end of it. The Thousand-Year Cold Lotus possessed extremely high efficacy. To simply swallow it whole would be too great a waste of a heaven and earth spirit treasure. If it wasn’t properly refined and absorbed, it would be a pity to waste it.

If absorbed well, it might allow one to leap from the Mid-Foundation Establishment stage straight into the Golden Core stage.

However, before she could set up a protective array, Zhou Zhixue was already clutching her stomach, rolling on the floor and crying out in pain. Soon after, she was drenched in cold sweat, her face as pale as gold foil.

Above, dark clouds rapidly gathered. In an instant, Hidden Snow Peak was filled with rolling thunder and flashing lightning. The terrifying Tribulation Lightning was clearly about to strike.

“How can there be thunder clouds?!” Qin Qingyi exclaimed in surprise.

“It’s the Thousand-Year Cold Lotus. Precious heaven and earth spirit treasures often trigger a protective tribulation lightning when being refined,” Real Person Wen Qing said, her brow deeply furrowed.

This was big trouble. She hadn’t known the Thousand-Year Cold Lotus her Senior Sister gave her possessed such power. It seemed this lotus was at least five thousand years old, if not ten thousand. A spirit treasure of only one or two thousand years would not induce a Heavenly Tribulation.

On the ground, Zhou Zhixue was still rolling and clutching her stomach. Seeing this, Qin Qingyi grew anxious and tried to pick her up to check what was wrong. But Real Person Wen Qing was faster. She grabbed Zhou Zhixue by the back collar, lifting her like a little chick, and with a flick of her other sleeve, she also swept up Qin Qingyi.

“To the peak! We must avoid the people of the Sword Sect.”

They absolutely had to avoid the various peaks of the Sword Sect. The Sword Sect had numerous disciples, and if this accidental tribulation lightning injured any of them, the loss would be far too great.

Real Person Wen Qing was incredibly fast. Scooping up the two, she shot upward from her residence halfway up the mountain, heading straight for the peak.

The peak was sparsely populated and suitable for setting up a lightning diversion array to prevent the tribulation lightning from striking elsewhere. It would also save her from being questioned by her Senior Sister later. Her Senior Sister, as the Sect Leader, had it hard enough; she shouldn’t add to her troubles. Real Person Wen Qing thought, her speed never slowing.

“Master, can you please put me down?” Qin Qingyi struggled, having swallowed a bellyful of cold wind.

“She’s undergoing the tribulation, not me! Why are you taking me along?”

Qin Qingyi roared, inevitably eating another mouthful of cold wind.

“You will guard the Dharma for me, Master,” Real Person Wen Qing’s voice reached Qin Qingyi’s ears on the cold wind.

“Master, are you joking?! Do I look like someone who can guard the Dharma for you?!”

Qin Qingyi was incredulous.

Qin Qingyi wailed loudly.

But it was too late to say anything, because the next moment, she was swept along to the very tip of Hidden Snow Peak, the coldest spot on the entire mountain. There was no cold-repelling array set up by Real Person Wen Qing here, making Qin Qingyi shiver uncontrollably.

“Master, I think you should send a message to Senior Martial Aunt Sect Leader,” Qin Qingyi, huddled and shivering, stubbornly tried to persuade her Master to abandon the unrealistic fantasy of having her guard the Dharma.

“There’s no time. The thunder clouds came too fast. I estimate the lightning will strike in less than fifteen minutes,” Real Person Wen Qing said. Holding Zhou Zhixue with one hand, she used her other hand to wield her sword, carving an array pattern into the ground.

The array was quickly completed. Real Person Wen Qing hastily settled Zhou Zhixue, whose face was turning blue from the violent surge of spiritual energy within her, into the array. She quickly instructed Qin Qingyi: “I must smooth out her meridians. This spiritual energy is too overbearing. If I don’t smooth it out quickly, she will likely explode and perish.”

“You stand guard outside the array. If the commotion gets too big, then go and invite the Elders from the other peaks.”

With that, she sat cross-legged and began to mobilize her spiritual energy to smooth out the chaotic and rampant spiritual energy in Zhou Zhixue’s body.

Qin Qingyi watched her Master’s solemn expression, knowing it was serious business now. She no longer wavered, earnestly responding, “Disciple will abide by Master’s instruction.”

Real Person Wen Qing said nothing further. On this sheer cliff edge at the peak, where the chilling wind howled upward, she applied several layers of concealment and protection arrays. Only then did she place Zhou Zhixue inside, using her sword as a guide to clear her spiritual channels.

Qin Qingyi watched from outside the array. After a good while, she finally remembered to cast a Cold Repulsion Spell on herself. Once her body temperature returned to normal, she found a branch on a nearby plum tree, transformed back into her original form, and climbed onto it.

Master said to only call the Elders if the commotion got too big, so it probably wouldn’t be a major issue for the time being.

Qin Qingyi, who believed she understood her Master perfectly, yawned and settled down on the tree branch to sleep.

Until…

Several purple lightning bolts, as thick as rice bowls, struck and shattered the Sword Sect’s Mountain Protection Array.

“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!!!”

“All hands on deck! Prepare for battle!!!”

The Elder of the Discipline Hall, completely oblivious to what was happening on the Hidden Snow Peak cliff, rushed to the breach in the Sword Sect’s Mountain Protection Array. Wielding a communication jade tablet, he poured spiritual energy into it and broadcast a notification to all main peaks of the Sword Sect.

The Mountain Protection Array had been shattered! This was a severe enemy attack, unprecedented in the Sword Sect for a hundred years!!!

Consequently, while the disciples of the various peaks looked on, confused, all the Elders of the Sword Sect who were at the Celestial Being Stage or above gathered atop the Mountain Protection Array, drawing their swords, ready for a rigorous defense.

But there was no movement outside the Mountain Protection Array.

Oh, there was some movement—a sparrow flew past the crowd and gradually flew away.

The surroundings were silent.

“This is what you call an enemy attack?”

Many Elders, having searched a hundred li around the Sword Sect without finding any external enemies, turned their dissatisfied gazes toward the Discipline Hall Elder who had initially broadcast the message.

The Discipline Hall Elder, at this moment, was practically dripping cold sweat.

Could he have misjudged?

But the Mountain Protection Array had undeniably shattered.

However, before he could speak, another purple lightning bolt struck, and, as luck would have it, landed squarely on him.

It struck him so completely by surprise that he was charred both outside and in.

The other Elders, who hadn’t been standing directly at the breach of the Mountain Protection Array, were fortunately spared. The Elders who were originally aggressive and ready to question the Discipline Hall Elder now looked upon their colleague’s disheveled state with expressions of sympathy and mostly retreated two steps.

Only the Discipline Hall Elder remained frozen in place. After a moment, he opened his mouth and spat out a puff of black smoke:

“Which son of a bitch is suffering Heaven’s Wrath!!!”

On the sheer cliff of Hidden Snow Peak, Qin Qingyi’s fur stood on end from the several bolts of lightning that had struck.

After narrowly avoiding having her tail completely scorched yet again, she finally recalled Real Person Wen Qing’s instructions. She scrambled to pull out her communication jade tablet and contacted the Sect Leader.

“Senior Martial Aunt, Senior Martial Aunt! Help, help! My Master is about to blow up Hidden Snow Peak!”

The other side fell silent for a moment before Shangguan Yu’s gentle voice came through the jade tablet.

“Qingyi, are you saying this lightning was caused by your Master?”

For some reason, Qin Qingyi felt that the Sect Leader’s voice sounded very low, as if she were deliberately enunciating every word clearly.

“Yes, Senior Martial Aunt. My Master said if the commotion got too big, I should quickly notify you so you wouldn’t be caught unprepared.”

Simultaneously, atop the Sword Sect’s Mountain Protection Array, a line of Elders stared intently at the communication jade tablet in Shangguan Yu’s hand, which was still emitting sound. Their expressions grew increasingly grim.

Some “victims” were so furious they were ready to rush to Hidden Snow Peak with their swords to vent their anger, only to be held back by those beside them.

“Oh, right, Senior Martial Aunt, I forgot to tell you—” another voice came from the other end of the jade tablet.

Shangguan Yu lightly coughed, signaling the crowd to be quiet.

“This lightning was drawn down by my Master to temper and clear the meridians of my Junior Sister. You all should keep your distance so you don’t get struck. I was right next to my Master and nearly got hit several times.”

The voice on the other end of the jade tablet carried a tone of lingering fear. Upon hearing the key point in the message, Shangguan Yu couldn’t help but frown slightly. “My Junior Sister is far too impatient.”

She murmured, just as another lightning bolt struck. Qin Qingyi dodged quickly and didn’t hear what Shangguan Yu had said.

Just as she was about to ask, Shangguan Yu spoke again: “Qingyi, protect your Master well. You don’t need to worry about things on my end. You must take good care of yourself.”

An “ay, ay” was heard from the other side. Shangguan Yu looked up at the sight of several more purple lightning bolts striking and sighed.

She had been practicing her swordplay peacefully in the bamboo forest behind Executing Sword Peak when she received the communication from the Discipline Hall that the Sword Sect’s Mountain Protection Array had been breached. That’s why she had rushed up to see what was happening.

Who would have thought this was the commotion caused by her good Junior Sister? If so, it was likely because of that child…

To cause such a massive disturbance just a few days after arriving at the Sword Sect—could she truly live a low-profile life in the future?

Shangguan Yu thought of the child’s complicated background. She wondered if the child would be able to accept reality once she woke up…

The Elders behind her were still awaiting her command. Shangguan Yu collected her thoughts and turned to comfort the Elders:

“Everyone, it’s nothing serious. It’s just a little commotion created on Hidden Snow Peak. There’s no need to worry.”

“As for…” Shangguan Yu looked at the sole victim of the incident with an apologetic gaze, “Elder Yan has suffered. Once this matter concludes, I will certainly have my Junior Sister apologize to you personally.”

Her words were humble. Although Elder Yan was twice her age, he couldn’t refuse her face at this moment. He could only grumble sullenly, “Then she has to take my mission list.”

The feeling of being struck by lightning was terrible, and it had also made him lose face in front of his colleagues. If Ji Wenqing didn’t take his mission list, he would absolutely not forgive her!

Shangguan Yu chuckled, “She certainly will.”

“Since that is the case, I must trouble all of you to join me in repairing the Mountain Protection Array.”