Forcing the Aloof Master to Madness - Chapter 52.2

This was a gamble Shen Lezhi was completely unsure of, but losing was irrelevant.

She was determined to find Wang Xi. With the unique sensation of the Linglong Heart in her body, she believed she would find the other party sooner or later, even if it meant a much more perilous journey for herself.

Fortunately, she won the gamble.

Feng Nianzhen arrived on the wind. The moment she saw the two of them, she instantly unleashed a gust of powerful wind that struck them both. Shen Lezhi felt pain throughout her internal organs and collapsed onto the ground, unable to support herself.

Senior Sister Yunsha was in no better state. She clutched her chest from the impact, and cold sweat instantly beaded on her forehead.

“Master…” Senior Sister Yunsha weakly called out.

“So you still know I’m your Master? Not only do you disobey what I say, but you also help her threaten me?!” Feng Nianzhen was furious. Her beautiful eyes, usually lazy, were now brimming with anger.

Senior Sister Yunsha couldn’t endure the immense rage and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Shen Lezhi watched in alarm. She stood up to help Senior Sister Yunsha, but the enraged Feng Nianzhen struck her with a palm.

“What, do you think I wouldn’t dare hit you just because you’re Ji Yue’s disciple?” Feng Nianzhen’s palm wind was fierce. Shen Lezhi couldn’t block it at all, but she wouldn’t surrender even when facing Wang Xi, let alone someone else.

The small white sword materialized in her hand. Shen Lezhi used all her strength to cleave towards the oncoming gust of wind. Although she was still no match for it, she didn’t fall to the ground again.

Her expression was severe and solemn. Though she knew threatening Feng Nianzhen this way was indeed too much, she had no other choice.

After Shen Lezhi blocked the move, Feng Nianzhen was startled. It wasn’t because she thought Shen Lezhi was very powerful. The palm wind she struck out was not intended to truly kill the two younger disciples; she hadn’t used much power at all.

She was just so angry that she couldn’t help but strike to teach them a lesson.

But she really hadn’t expected Shen Lezhi to resist with her sword. Watching Shen Lezhi take the strike and then leap in front of Yunsha, adopting a defensive posture, determined to oppose Feng Nianzhen.

Feng Nianzhen felt a blockage in her throat, unable to vent her frustration or suppress it, nearly giving herself internal injuries.

What kind of unfortunate disciple did Ji Yue cultivate?!

“Alright, alright.” Feng Nianzhen was absolutely furious with the two of them.

Since she couldn’t actually kill them, she had to endure the anger herself.

“She went to the Jadefrost Sect’s forbidden area,” Feng Nianzhen said sourly. She knew Shen Lezhi’s purpose. Since they had pushed her this far, and seeing that this person wasn’t the type to back down, she was too lazy to keep hiding it.

However, she added, “There are many people guarding that place now. How will you get in? And what will you do once you’re inside? With your cultivation, what can you accomplish? Will you end up making her protect you, becoming a burden to her?”

Feng Nianzhen’s words were hurtful but entirely factual. Even Senior Sister Yunsha, who had brought her here, felt the same way.

Shen Lezhi, however, was fearless and met Feng Nianzhen’s gaze, sincerely and resolutely. “Can’t the half-heart in my body help her? If she has a complete Linglong Heart, can anyone still deal with her?”

According to all the information Shen Lezhi knew, both from the original book and since arriving here, Wang Xi with a complete Linglong Heart was the world’s foremost figure, unmatched by anyone.

When she said this, both Feng Nianzhen and Senior Sister Yunsha looked at her in shock. Feng Nianzhen was even more horrified: “Do you know that without the Linglong Heart, you will die?”

Shen Lezhi merely smiled. “She was willing to carve out this half of the Linglong Heart to save me. Why can’t I return the heart to her for her life?”

She spoke so lightly, as if life and death were as simple as this one sentence to her.

But her eyes were sincere and fearless, meeting the scorching daylight above, making it impossible not to believe her.

Feng Nianzhen finally calmed her emotions. She frowned, examining Shen Lezhi, and ultimately sighed.

These two, master and disciple, were both exhausting.

They, the cultivators, sought heavenly secrets and cultivated their own bodies. Some even used every means necessary just to advance their cultivation one step further.

All for the sake of ascending to immortality, achieving eternal life, and escaping the suffering of the cycle of life and death.

How could some people in this world disregard all of that?

But Feng Nianzhen did care about these things. She repaid Wang Xi’s life-saving grace by doing her best, only willing to help if it didn’t endanger her own life.

“I can take you to the forbidden area entrance. You have to figure out how to get in yourself. I don’t want to be seen as a thorn in their side, so I won’t openly help you.” Feng Nianzhen said this because she had already been suspected by the Sect Master when she last helped Wang Xi with her protective array.

Though she didn’t know what deep-seated hatred existed between the Sect Master and Wang Xi, as she said, she only wanted to pursue the path to immortality and didn’t want to get involved in these disputes.

The Sect Master did suspect her but didn’t seem to pay too much attention, so Feng Nianzhen was even more reluctant to get further involved.

Shen Lezhi nodded upon hearing this, but then suddenly added, “What about when the moon is dark and the wind is high?”

Feng Nianzhen was so angry she almost swore.

Ji Yue, you better come back alive and keep an eye on your wretched disciple!

In the end, Feng Nianzhen did help her when the moon was dark and the wind was high, because Shen Lezhi pulled out a Concealment Grass. This was a gift from Senior Sister Xin Lan when Shen Lezhi was still at Youfang Academy. To thank her for the strange flower Shen Lezhi gave her, she presented her with the Concealment Grass along with its spirit-gathering pot.

Concealment Grass is a material used to make Concealment Charms. When Feng Nianzhen applied the Concealment Charm, it could completely hide her aura. As long as she didn’t use her innate spiritual techniques, it would be impossible for others to directly know her identity.

Feng Nianzhen was utterly speechless, but she still made the Concealment Charm and applied it to herself and Shen Lezhi.

Deep in the night, Feng Nianzhen took Shen Lezhi to the Jadefrost Sect’s forbidden area. Initially, their approach to the forbidden area was smooth.

But just as they reached the entrance of the forbidden area, the enemies suddenly found them, as if they knew their exact location.

“I’ve observed that they can’t enter the forbidden area, which is why they are heavily guarding this place. You must enter at all costs!” Feng Nianzhen immediately activated her spiritual power, clearing a path for Shen Lezhi.

Shen Lezhi no longer hid cautiously. She rapidly circulated her spiritual power and rushed towards the forbidden area.

However, Feng Nianzhen was unwilling to expose herself and did not use spiritual talismans or formations. Dealing with these people was very strenuous, and Shen Lezhi had already sustained several injuries.

But Shen Lezhi didn’t dare to stop. Since she had decided to brave this lion’s den, she was already determined to face the possibility of death.

She felt the throbbing of the Linglong Heart inside her. She didn’t know if it was because her body was overheating and excited from mobilizing all her spiritual power, or if it was the thrill of getting closer to Wang Xi.

She employed every method she had, used all her strength, and with Feng Nianzhen’s assistance, amidst the flashing blades and swords, she rushed into the forbidden area.

It was dark and lightless inside the forbidden area. Her whole body was covered in blood, and her limbs and torso had sustained injuries of varying degrees.

But fortunately, she was only injured; her life was still intact.

Shen Lezhi coughed violently while smiling helplessly to comfort herself.

She rested for a long time. She was truly exhausted of spiritual power, and everything before her eyes was dark. She lay on the ground, feeling too weak to move.

Until the excited and frantic voice of Crying Soul Thread came: “Master, Master! This spiritual power, it’s Auntie Hua, it’s Auntie Hua’s spiritual power!”

It kept shouting in Shen Lezhi’s mind. Shen Lezhi could only open her eyes, and then she remembered who the Crying Soul Thread’s Auntie Hua was.

Shen Lezhi hadn’t expected to find an unexpected bonus in this forbidden area, so she stood up and walked in the direction guided by the Crying Soul Thread.

She was injured, so she walked for a long time, only stopping when she finally saw a faint blue light.

And amidst the countless faint blue lights was a tall, slender figure—the person Shen Lezhi had desperately sought.

Her long hair was like ink-dyed silk, and she stood sideways, her robes fluttering, positioned in the cold, faint light, which highlighted her as an aloof immortal from beyond the mortal world.

Shen Lezhi didn’t know what was happening to her. Her eyes suddenly felt sore, and a涩 feeling welled up in her throat.

She wanted to call out to Wang Xi, but her throat suddenly choked up, and she couldn’t utter a single word.

She had tried so hard to walk here, pursuing desperately, her body’s pain still not gone, all just to see Wang Xi.

Now, she finally saw that person of ice and snow for real.

Not the spiritual consciousness attached to the small white sword, but the real, living person.

Shen Lezhi could no longer restrain herself. She rushed forward and threw herself into Wang Xi’s arms. She finally smelled the cold fragrance on Wang Xi. Her hot tears surged like a tide, falling profusely yet silently.

Her vision was blurred, and her heart was incessantly trembling.