After My Thoughts Were Read, My Master Led Me to Change My Fate - Chapter 45

It… it was true. Although he disliked the Cloud Ascent Sect, their current mission seemed innocent. Why had he come here when summoned?

More importantly, why did he have absolutely no memory of the past?

Fairy Ran ignored him and continued, “This matter must be discussed starting from many years ago. I wonder if everyone still remembers the Lotus Sect, the evil cult that our sect invited you all to eliminate together? They used a dark drug to stimulate people’s greed for cultivation, forcing them to squeeze their lifespans to cultivate, while their actual cultivation base was transferred away by a formation.”

When dealing with that sect initially, she hadn’t yet thought of inviting everyone. It was Cen Ran who suggested that all sects, great and small, should be informed and involved. The chess piece she had set down then had now become a crucial aid for her to continue advancing her plan.

The many sect elders standing here were all aware of that incident, and they fell into an even deeper silence.

Suddenly, someone refuted, “Wasn’t that a trick of the Demon Race? Are you implying that the Demon Race is to blame for this?”

“Not at all,” Ran Fanyin said, neither hurried nor flustered. “That formation could drastically enhance itself by devouring the Demon Race, but not by devouring the Human Race. If it were a Demon Race scheme, why would they leave such a disadvantageous setting for themselves? Where is the Heaven-Nurturing Sect? You took Yin Xi and have investigated for so long; surely you haven’t failed to find even this out?”

The sect that was called out braced itself and responded, “What Fairy Ran says is correct. Both the formation and the cultivation method were created by the Human Race. It is a Human Race cultivation method and indeed has little relation to the Demon Race.”

“I thought you would continue to shy away and remain silent, just as you abandoned the Medicine Sect overnight back then.” Ran Fanyin chuckled wryly, her sarcasm continuing without pause. Seeing the old man’s face flush red, she ignored him and continued, “We were already suspicious at that time. A subsequent series of investigations revealed the existence of this Poison of Avarice, which had already been administered to everyone by a few individuals with ulterior motives.”

“But there is no need for alarm. The exotic fragrance you are currently smelling is the result of many years of research by our sect together with the Medicine Sect. It can suppress the toxins in your bodies…”

“Only suppress it?!” A timid person shrieked hysterically.

Another fiercely yanked him back. “Do you believe everything she says? This is all just her side of the story!”

“One side of the story?” Ran Fanyin intercepted the statement. “Do you all remember the great fire in the Northern Territory a thousand years ago that forced the Demon Race to retreat without harming a single person or object? That is the method for completely eradicating the toxin.”

“Are you talking about the Heaven-Slaying Formation and the long-lost Earth-Trapping Formation?”

“The Heaven-Slaying Formation is guarded by me. As for the Earth-Trapping Formation, my apologies, but just a few hours ago, we located the Earth-Trapping Formation, which is precisely where that great fire in the Northern Territory began.”

The tone of this sentence was particularly loud, but the crowd, caught in quiet panic, did not notice the difference. Furthermore, they failed to notice that not far behind them, a figure had gradually emerged, her gaze fixed intently on the leisurely woman standing in the sky and the sword tassel on the sword at her side.

“Found it! Found it!” Half of her face was distorted with excitement as she spoke.

The other half remained calm, her eyes serene, as if she were quietly waiting for Ran Fanyin to continue.

The woman did not disappoint her expectations, smiling slightly and saying, “Aside from relying on the formation, there is one other way to detoxify. Please watch.”

This was the purpose of Ran Fanyin bringing Jiang Mang along.

Yet, when she held the small porcelain bottle, her hand was still trembling slightly. It took her two tries before she successfully uncorked it, and in the corner away from the crowd’s gaze, her hand was desperately clutching her skirt.

The resolution of this matter was inevitably tied to Ning Songwu, even if she was unwilling to admit it.

As the cap of the porcelain bottle was opened, a drop of blood fell onto Jiang Mang’s brow. Her serene expression flickered for a moment, then settled again, and the drop of blood gradually disappeared. Before long, to the astonishment of the crowd, a warm white spiritual energy was forcefully pulled from Jiang Mang’s dantian, drawing out the dark golden liquid, thus providing a footnote to today’s statement. The spiritual energy then tightly wrapped around it, slowly digesting and devouring it inch by inch.

The crowd fell into complete silence.

Anything Ran Fanyin said could be refuted, but when she demonstrably displayed this process before everyone, any rebuttal seemed pale and powerless.

The attitude of the various forces gathered outside the mountain gate underwent a dramatic change, nearly falling to their knees to beg for shelter and treatment. However, a segment of the people, who still believed they were putting on an act, watched everyone else as if enjoying a show.

Just then, Ran Fanyin felt her heart seize and pound heavily. A Cold Lotus swiftly bloomed before her, actually blocking an attack that had been launched from an unknown direction.

The attack came too fast; even she hadn’t reacted. If not for this white lotus, she would likely be in the same state as the kitten curled up in Qin Siyue’s arms right now.

Even stranger, the Cold Lotus quickly turned black, and the next moment, it dissipated into a sky full of ice mist.

Then, the silver-haired girl brought two fingers together like a sword, slowly landing beside her. She smiled faintly. “I apologize, Master, but this one command your disciple truly cannot obey.”

“Master, we will all be safe.”

Ran Fanyin didn’t even look at her, taking a step forward. She endured the sharp pain in her heart, forcing her face to remain rosy, and continued, “Since I’ve said this much, I might as well say more. For example, the true mastermind behind this matter is the Heaven’s Endowment Immortal Sect…”

Another Cold Lotus bloomed, once again intercepting the attack that no one else could detect.

Ning Songwu didn’t follow up immediately. She stood half a foot behind Ran Fanyin, carefully manipulating the spiritual energy of heaven and earth instead of her own spiritual power, trying her best not to let spiritual energy flow through her own blood vessels, thus calling forth wave after wave of protective sword intent to shield the person who was declaring war against the figure behind the scenes.

At the same time, she separated a thread of spiritual energy and sent it downward, finding He Lan Mianmian, who had fallen unconscious. After a careful check, she exclaimed inwardly: [This… Elder He Lan’s bloodline is so unique; it actually prevented the Source Poison from spreading.]

Ran Fanyin’s legs weakened, and she nearly swayed. She fiercely bit her lower lip to prevent her suddenly heavier breathing from drawing more attention or opportunistic attacks.

She had been afraid that Mianmian’s previous state was due to the effects of the Poison of Avarice, but the situation was critical, and she truly didn’t have time to be distracted and deal with it. She had to let Qin Siyue suppress it while she handled the greater number of people.

If anything happened to He Lan, she would never be able to forgive herself.

It was only when she heard a sound in Ning Songwu’s mind that indicated relief that she finally exhaled, realizing belatedly that she was drenched in cold sweat.

Ran Fanyin slowly exhaled and drew her long sword. She would no longer be roundabout or evasive. The Warm Sun Sword forcibly cleaved an area of spiritual qi in the air, appearing sharp under the sunlight. Then, she said in a deep voice, “Venerable Wuyan, I have said all I have to say. Are you still unwilling to come out and offer an explanation to your junior? Or does this mean that everything your junior has said is correct?”

This time, she clearly saw the source of the attack. Without waiting for Ning Songwu to drain herself again to summon sword intent, she wielded the Warm Sun Sword to cut down, severing the attack halfway. Following this, spiritual energy emanated from the sword qi, enveloped the dispersing dark mist, and she collected it.

Having reached this point, this seemingly impatient move inexplicably added a great deal of credibility to her previous words. Even the sects utterly at odds with the Cloud Ascent Sect lost their foundation for rebuttal.

After all, this strike truly carried the spiritual power of Venerable Wuyan; none of them could mistake it.

This meant that Venerable Wuyan, who had publicly announced she was in secluded cultivation, had not only failed to enter seclusion but had also accompanied them here, hiding in the shadows for so long, and was now breaking cover…

This chain of logic was so perfect that many of the flaws were filled in by the crowd’s own conjecture, leaving the people, who were already a bit dazed even when supposedly sober, speechless.

Seeing this, the person who had been concealed in the shadows for a long time no longer hid. She stepped onto the sky. The clothes casually draped over her body flapped in the strong wind, swirling elegantly along with her long hair scattered behind her head.

Her pair of phoenix eyes held no warmth, looking straight ahead as if at mere chunks of ice. The horsetail whisk in her hand rested casually on her elbow, remaining completely steady despite her walking.

The aura and presence cultivated over a thousand years by a person who had reached the Tribulation Transcendence stage a thousand years ago caused almost everyone present to instinctively retreat.

She walked casually on the clouds until she was only three zhang away from Ran Fanyin. She turned the whisk, performed a solemn bow, and after straightening up, said in a calm tone, “Fellow Daoist is remarkably clever, but Fellow Daoist is ultimately mistaken.”

Ning Songwu walked forward at that moment, standing beside Ran Fanyin. Even though the woman was still angry with her, she reached out and firmly grasped the hand that was now nearly devoid of warmth, transferring spiritual energy.

The other person, though she did not return the grip, did not pull away either, allowing her hand to be held.

Ran Fanyin chuckled and said, “I would be honored to hear your correction, Venerable.”

[Master is the best person to me, bar none.]

[I must work harder. I must change this ending.]

[Master, you are the moon in the sky, and I will be the person who guards the moon every night. That will be enough.]

[What? Master… what does she mean…]

[!!!!]

[Wuwuwu, Heavens, just kill me…]

[How embarrassing!!!]

[If Master gets hurt while treating me, I will be so guilty. I… I would climb mountains of knives and descend into seas of fire…]

[Does it sound like it’s… improving?] Ning Songwu pinched the edge of her skirt, her lips pursed. Her solemn expression softened slightly.

[If I take a slight injury, I can help Master heal. I…]

The earth suddenly shook for a moment. The sect-protecting barrier rippled with continuous waves of energy, and volleys of spiritual energy attacks were immediately sent up.

Ning Songwu was startled in her heart. How could this be? They weren’t even given a chance to speak; they were immediately attacked?

But then the ripples gradually subsided, seemingly having been suppressed. //

She dared not hesitate any longer and was about to rush out of the sect gate. A flash of spiritual light passed before her, and Ran Fanyin stood not far away, her face clouded with anger. She coldly scoffed, “You come with me first.”

Outside the Cloud Ascent Sect—

“What are you doing?!” The Sect Master of a minor sect looked at his own Elder in shock. Their team had just taken their positions, and this person immediately struck at the Cloud Ascent Sect. It wasn’t just them; people from other sects also made moves.

But so what!

They had agreed only to make a token appearance and not to fight!

They were only small, weak sects; surviving was already difficult. They didn’t want to get involved in the struggles between these major sects. Besides, anyone with eyes could see that the Heaven’s Endowment Immortal Sect was the number one sect on the surface, but the Cloud Ascent Sect, quietly holding the Sword Immortal’s legacy, the Heaven-Slaying Grand Array, and many prodigies, was also a future star. They could afford to offend neither. Setting off this time was the ultimate desperation, as the Heaven’s Endowment Immortal Sect had repeatedly asked them to join in demanding the surrender of the “traitor.” How dare they refuse? But it had been agreed before setting out that it was just a token appearance. Why did they follow the crowd and start fighting here?!

The Elder was stunned for a moment and said, “Didn’t you just order an attack?”

The Sect Master was nearly collapsing. “When did I give an order! You are forbidden to strike again! Stand back!”

This scene was not limited to just this one sect. Curses and rebukes rose and then gradually ceased in almost every small sect. Then, the leaders of each sect stood outside the Cloud Ascent Sect with their followers, staring blankly at the disciples standing ready within the sect-protecting array, as if…

They had just come here to stand. When they waited outside the Demon Palace, Ran Fanyin subtly rubbed her waist.

She should have agreed to that kid’s one-hour suggestion. At least it wouldn’t have been so rushed. In the half hour they took, that kid was perhaps too impatient, too eager to see the brilliant light bloom in her hands.

Too rushed.

This was not good.

Ran Fanyin sighed imperceptibly. The little girl had been arranged to wait for her nearby, her eyes filled with nothing but worry. Even her current thoughts were filled with anxiety and sorrow.

This child, they were in the Demon Realm now. The person who should be worried is clearly herself.

The communicating demon walked out, cupped his hands, and said, “Fairy, the Venerable requests your presence inside.”

Feng Hua did not wait for her in the main seat. Instead, she had a table set up in the hall, sitting cross-legged on one side. She silently placed two cups of warm tea in front of her. Upon seeing her arrival, she did not stand up to greet her, but waited until she sat down and went straight to the point. “I know the Fairy’s intent.”

Ran Fanyin smiled indifferently, raised her hand to take a shallow sip of the tea first, and then said softly, “Does the Demon Lord allowing me inside mean you agree?”

Feng Hua nodded slightly and said, “This matter requires careful long-term planning. However, the Fairy did not kill a single soldier or servant of my Demon Race when she came here to rescue someone many years ago, and for the past few years, the disciples stationed outside our palace have also blocked many troubles for the Demon Palace. I believe we can sit down and discuss this.”

“I did not come here today intending to engage in careful long-term planning.”

She naturally understood. If Ran Fanyin still wanted long-term planning, she would have continued as usual. The Cloud Ascent Sect disciples stationed outside the Demon Palace seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement with the Demon Race, neither side interfering with the other, each quietly doing their own thing. The disciples seemed to have only one purpose there.

Not to monitor the Demon Palace, but to monitor the Human Race individuals attempting to approach.

Ran Fanyin’s arrangement, admittedly, did save her a lot of trouble. At the very least, she didn’t have to worry about repeatedly dealing with Immortal Sect members who kept trying to persuade the Demon Race to attack again. After all, she would not fall for the same trick twice, and after losing Lin Yuxue as a leverage, she had no confidence in counteracting Venerable Wuyan.

Thinking of this, Feng Hua took a light sip of the warm tea, pondered for a moment, and was about to speak when the woman slowly said, “However, I have never liked forcing people. If you truly are unwilling, I only have one request.”

She truly did not quite understand. What was New World…?

Was this person in front of her insane, both internally and externally?

Inside the Cloud Ascent Sect, Cen Ran, standing with her hands behind her back, lightly raised an eyebrow.

She had anticipated this kind of situation early on. A thousand years ago, the Cloud Ascent Sect was also a small sect that dared not disobey the orders of the major sects. They, too, were forced to participate in the battle that surrounded the Myriad Spirit Valley but stood there just as they were now, even secretly rescuing many of the Myriad Spirit Valley people. Therefore, the moment those sects spontaneously attacked just now had genuinely startled her.

Nevertheless, as the Sect Master, she still had to say a few diplomatic words to maintain her image.

She took a step out of the void, her sword fingers pressed to her chest. The Yellow Dragon gradually materialized behind her, radiating a faint, profound pressure.

“To all those who have traveled a long way, if you wish to be friends with the Cloud Ascent Sect, you are welcome to visit the largest restaurant in Chenshui Town after this battle. This Sect Master will certainly do her utmost to entertain you all. But if you wish to be enemies with our sect—”

Cen Ran paused, then said word by word, “The Cloud Ascent Sect is not lacking in the strength for a fight.”

Almost instantly, there was a synchronized soft scoff. The leaders of several sects had just responded with a word of agreement when they were stabbed through the abdomen by a sword from the person behind them. This included the Sect Master who had just reprimanded his Elder.

She stared in disbelief at the long sword piercing her body, turned her head to look, and saw the person behind her with empty eyes. The attacker ruthlessly pulled out the long sword, pushing her to fall to the ground, letting her blood splatter the barrier’s shield. Then, he slightly raised his hand, and blood drops slid down the sword and onto his hand.

The队伍 fell silent for a moment, then completely descended into chaos.

Cen Ran’s pupils contracted slightly. This development was entirely unexpected.

She hastily commanded everyone to prepare for battle. The Yellow Dragon behind her became even more vivid. She shouted loudly, “If you do not wish to be enemies with the Cloud Ascent Sect, retreat immediately!”

The response to her was the sight of those who still retained a shred of clarity fleeing backward, and the simultaneous, earth-shaking roar of the remaining people: “Kill!”

Inside and outside the barrier, the battle instantly erupted.