After My Rebirth, I Ended Up Happily Ever After with the Saintess - Chapter 61

The brilliant battle record from the Black Wind Mountain Range mission added a glorious stroke to the legendary resume of “Ice Specter” Ye Li. Her prestige within the sect reached a new height, and some disciples even began to privately compare her to the established true disciples. The generous mission contribution points allowed her to exchange for a wealth of cultivation resources, and the small courtyard on Yundan Peak was once again shrouded by an array formation, as she entered an intense state of closed-door cultivation.

However, a towering tree attracts the wind. Beneath the dazzling light, the lurking shadows grew increasingly restless. The sect’s rules could restrain overt actions, but they could not prevent the hidden filth beneath the surface.

The primary goal of this closed-door cultivation was for Ye Li to charge the Mid-Condensation Pulse Realm and further familiarize herself with the second form of the Ice Soul Sealing Heaven Finger, “Spirit Sealing.” With the support of the Ice Heart Snow Lotus and a large quantity of Condensation Pulse Pills, her cultivation advanced rapidly. The ice-crystal, star-river-like spiritual vein in her Dantian grew ever more magnificent and solid, drawing closer to the barrier of the Mid-Realm.

On this particular night, the moon was dark, the wind was fierce, and the stars and moon were obscured by dark clouds. Xuan Yun Sect’s peaks were submerged in silence. Ye Li was sitting cross-legged on a cushion in the quiet room, her consciousness immersed in her body, guiding the surging extreme-cold spiritual power to repeatedly assault the bottleneck of the Mid-Condensation Pulse Realm. The clear light radiating from the Samsara Mirror fragment nourished her divine soul, giving her meticulous control over her spiritual power.

It was in this moment of utter silence that a faint, almost imperceptible fluctuation suddenly emanated from the isolation array formation placed by Hermit Muyun outside the courtyard! This fluctuation was not a forced assault; it was more like a highly sophisticated infiltration, attempting to quietly sneak in without alarming the array!

The moment the fluctuation arrived, Ye Li’s tightly closed eyes snapped open! A cold light flashed in her pupils, like a bolt of lightning in the dark night! In her previous life, she had gone through countless life-and-death assassinations, and her perception of danger had long been integrated into her instincts! Although this fluctuation was well-concealed, it carried a chilling killing intent, certainly not a benevolent visit!

“They’ve come!” she sneered inwardly. She did not panic, but rather had a sense of calm, as if saying, “Finally.” Her cultivation instantly stabilized from the deep practice state, and her divine sense spread out like mercury pouring onto the ground. At the same time, her body had vanished from the cushion like a phantom, concealed in the shadows of the quiet room.

The Universe Traceless Steps was not only a movement technique but also a top-tier concealment body technique!

The moment Ye Li’s figure disappeared, the window of the quiet room quietly opened as if gently brushed by the wind, and a blurry black figure slid in as if weightless. The black figure was entirely shrouded in night-time attire, revealing only a pair of emotionless eyes. Its aura was suppressed to the extreme; had Ye Li not been alerted in advance, it would have been nearly impossible to detect its presence.

After entering the quiet room, the black figure sharply scanned the empty cushion, a hint of surprise flashing in its eyes, but it did not hesitate. A short, pitch-black, non-reflective stiletto appeared in its hand, and with a movement of its body, it intended to lunge toward the bedroom. Its movements were swift and silent, clearly that of an experienced assassin!

However, the moment it took a step, an extreme coldness abruptly struck from the rear-side!

Ye Li had struck! Like a ghost hunting in the dark night, she seized the assassin’s moment of hesitation caused by the missing target. The Profound Ice Sword screamed as it tore through the air, piercing straight for the assassin’s back! Before the sword arrived, the concentrated extreme coldness had already sent a chill down the assassin’s spine!

The assassin was greatly alarmed. It had absolutely not anticipated that the target would not only be prepared but also counterattack so fiercely and swiftly! In haste, it displayed astonishing adaptability, forcibly twisting its body like a boneless snake, narrowly avoiding the vital spot of the heart, while simultaneously using its stiletto to block in a reverse motion!

“Clang—!”

The Profound Ice Sword and the black stiletto collided, emitting a piercing metallic clang! Sparks flew everywhere!

The assassin only felt an irresistible force mixed with bone-chilling coldness transmitted from the stiletto. Its entire arm instantly went numb, its blood and Qi surged, and it couldn’t help but let out a muffled groan, staggering backward. Its eyes were filled with shock! Was this truly the power of the Early-Condensation Pulse Realm?!

Failing to kill the enemy in one blow, Ye Li did not stop. Her figure followed like a shadow, executing the Universe Traceless Steps to instantly close the distance. Her left hand was pointed like a sword, and the Ice Soul Sealing Heaven Finger—Ice Scar!—aimed directly for the assassin’s throat!

The finger-wind was sharp and fast as lightning!

The assassin’s soul was terrified. It desperately circulated its spiritual power, rapidly retreating, while also opening its mouth to spew out a cloud of foul, black smoke, attempting to obstruct vision and corrode the finger attack!

However, Ye Li scorned such underhanded tricks. Cold energy erupted from her fingertip, instantly freezing and dispersing the black smoke! The speed of the finger attack did not diminish!

Seeing the finger-wind about to strike its throat, a mix of despair and madness flashed in the assassin’s eyes. It violently crushed a talisman hidden in its sleeve!

“Buzz!”

A yellowish-brown light shield instantly enveloped it! This was a life-saving Profound-grade Mid-rank defensive talisman!

“Puff!”

The Ice Scar finger-strike landed on the light shield, emitting a muffled sound. The shield violently fluctuated, showing cracks, but did not immediately shatter! The sealing power of the finger attack was also significantly weakened.

Taking advantage of this momentary respite, the assassin did not hesitate, turning to flee toward the window! The mission had failed, and saving its life was paramount!

“Trying to run?” Ye Li’s eyes turned cold. If she let this assassin escape, the trouble would be endless!

She held nothing back. Spiritual power surged within her body, and the nascent second form of the Ice Soul Sealing Heaven Finger, “Spirit Sealing,” was forcefully pointed out! This finger strike no longer contained mere coldness, but a strange power to interfere with and suppress the circulation of spiritual power!

A finger strike pointed through the air toward the assassin’s back!

The assassin, who was fleeing at full speed, suddenly felt its surrounding spiritual power stagnate, as if sinking into a swamp, and its speed plummeted! It was horrified. What kind of strange technique was this?!

It was this moment of stagnation! Ye Li’s figure had already appeared behind it like a ghost. The Profound Ice Sword, carrying a resolute killing intent, pierced through its protective spiritual light and its back!

“Ugh…” The assassin’s body suddenly stiffened. It looked down in disbelief at the frost-covered sword tip protruding from its chest. The life in its eyes rapidly dissipated.

Ye Li expressionlessly withdrew her long sword. The assassin’s body fell limply to the ground. The blood had not yet flowed out before it was frozen by the cold energy.

From the assassin’s infiltration to its counter-killing, the entire process took only a brief ten-plus breaths, astonishingly fast!

Ye Li quickly searched the assassin’s corpse. Apart from the black stiletto of decent quality and a few ordinary talismans, she only found a black token, neither gold nor wood, without any markings, and an empty poison bottle. The opponent had clearly come prepared, and their identity information was processed extremely cleanly.

“A professional assassin organization…” Ye Li’s eyes were icy cold. This was definitely not the level that those jealous disciples within the sect could hire. Was it an enemy of the Ye family? Or a force she had made enemies with in the secret realm? For example… the Black Fiend Valley she had repelled outside the cave? Or… the Heaven Fiend Sect?

She couldn’t be sure, but the sense of crisis surged. With the failure of this assassination, the other party would certainly not give up.

She immediately used the Dark Pavilion Token to issue a highest-level warning to Lin Feng: “Assassination attempt, assassin killed, identity unknown. Thoroughly investigate all suspicious personnel entering and exiting the sect recently, especially clues related to Black Fiend Valley, Heaven Fiend Sect, or old grudges of the Ye family. All members of the Dark Pavilion are to immediately raise the level of alert.”

After sending the message, Ye Li dealt with the assassin’s corpse and all traces, and re-fortified the courtyard’s array formation. She stood in the courtyard, looking up at the dark night sky, her heart filled with killing intent.

Passive defense was never her style. Since someone had put a knife in front of her, she would follow the handle and drag out the mastermind!

“No matter who you are, since you chose to act, be prepared to be uprooted.”

She returned to the quiet room and did not allow the assassination to affect her state of mind. Instead, she immersed herself in cultivation with greater focus. Strength was the foundation for dealing with all crises. Only by becoming stronger could she crush all conspiracies and schemes!

Meanwhile, in the shadows of Xuan Yun Sect, a silent investigation quietly unfolded following Ye Li’s command. Upon receiving the message, Lin Feng immediately activated all of the Dark Pavilion’s intelligence channels. Sun Xiaohou, like the most sensitive hound, began frantically collecting every possible clue related to the assassination. A secret war had begun.

And in a distant, dark hall, a soul lamp representing a mission quietly extinguished, drawing the attention of the attendant on duty…