The Possessive Villain Is Too Clingy [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 54

Not long after their departure, Ruan Ning, having regained seventy percent of her demonic power, immediately sensed the oppressive aura of Song Shiqi closing in.

Though the two possessed the Glazed Rainbow Cloud, Song Shiqi’s cultivation was simply too profound. They had barely traveled thirty li into the forest when he intercepted them.

Song Shiqi unleashed his spiritual energy, pressing down on them with such force that they couldn’t stand, instantly tumbling into the dense undergrowth. The Glazed Rainbow Cloud vanished in a puff of smoke.

“You think you can escape my grasp?” Song Shiqi slowly descended to the ground, the corners of his lips curling as he intensified his oppressive aura. “I let you slip through my fingers once, but this time, you won’t get away.”

Ye Zhixia had a sudden idea. She pulled a signal flare from her robes and launched it into the sky.

“Run!” she urgently whispered to Ruan Ning beside her.

Ruan Ning hesitated, unwilling to abandon Ye Zhixia.

Reading her thoughts, Ye Zhixia quickly murmured, “I’m from the Qiyan Sect, he won’t dare harm me. The sect leader will come to my rescue. Go now!”

With that, she summoned a barrier using the Flowing Cloud Ring, blocking some of the oppressive force.

Ruan Ning immediately felt the weight on her shoulders lighten.

Pressing her lips together, she struggled for a moment before finally rising and fleeing into the distance.

Seeing Ruan Ning escape, Song Shiqi turned to pursue her but was blocked by Ye Zhixia, who had forced herself to stand.

“Where did you get this spiritual power?!” Song Shiqi’s eyes widened in shock.

Ye Zhixia had no spiritual power at all, she was relying purely on physical endurance to stand. However, the Qiyan Sect’s spiritual energy imbued in her golden silk armor helped mitigate some of the pressure.

Forcing a smile, Ye Zhixia taunted, “Your spiritual energy seems, impure.”

Song Shiqi burst into laughter. “Don’t try to trick me. I filtered their cultivation essence thoroughly when I absorbed it.”

The wind rustled the leaves, casting shifting shadows as Ye Zhixia and Song Shiqi stood facing each other.

The forest fell silent for a brief moment.

Narrowing her eyes, Ye Zhixia said, “Cultivator Song, absorbing others’ cultivation doesn’t seem like the righteous path.”

Song Shiqi remained unperturbed. “Sirens are potent resources. I intended to refine her, but without a demon core, she’s useless now.”

“Do you know why I’m telling you this?” His eyes curved into a benevolent smile, the picture of a righteous cultivator. “Because the dead keep all secrets!”

In an instant, his smile vanished. He struck toward Ye Zhixia’s heart with terrifying speed, the force of his movement sending leaves swirling into the air.

Ye Zhixia realized immediately, he was aiming to kill.

She steadied herself and met his attack head-on.

With a resounding clang, Song Shiqi’s fist and spiritual energy collided with the Heavenly Diligence Heart Mirror.

The mirror not only provided defense but also reflected a portion of the damage back at the attacker, its power determined by the wearer’s physical strength. And Ye Zhixia’s martial prowess surpassed that of any cultivator on the continent.

Though Ye Zhixia was knocked to the ground, the reflected force was immense, sending Song Shiqi flying backward into a tree.

This was the second heavy blow Song Shiqi had suffered today. The once-invincible warrior’s pride was wounded, and a dark aura began swirling around him.

Pushing himself up from the ground, he rose to his feet.

“I was going to make your death quick and painless, but since you refuse to recognize kindness, don’t blame me for being cruel,” he spat venomously.

“Wait!” Ye Zhixia raised her hand to stall him. “I still want to know, why have you advanced so quickly in your cultivation, while I can’t seem to absorb spiritual energy and convert it into power at all?”

Hearing this, Song Shiqi sneered mockingly. “I’m a genius, how could you possibly compare? As for your lack of progress, of course it’s because you’re a rigid, inflexible fool.”

“What do you mean by that? Please enlighten me, Cultivator Song,” Ye Zhixia feigned deference, cupping her hands in a show of respect.

Song Shiqi snorted disdainfully before raising his hand to gather dark energy in his palm. “Did you really think I wouldn’t notice you’re stalling for time?”

Ye Zhixia’s heart sank. She braced herself to flee.

“Hold it!” The voice of the Cloud Terrace Sage rang out from nearby.

In an instant, Song Shiqi withdrew the dark energy, reverting to his previous image of an upright, immortal-like cultivator.

Watching the Cloud Terrace Sage rush over on a radiant, multicolored cloud, Ye Zhixia exhaled in relief. She marveled inwardly this cloud was clever enough to fetch reinforcements. What a smart little cloud.

“Esteemed fellow cultivator, may I ask what my disciple has done to provoke your anger?” The Cloud Terrace Sage carried herself with the grace of an immortal.

Seeing the sect leader step in to protect her disciple and knowing he was no match for the Cloud Terrace Sage at present, Song Shiqi abandoned his plan to kill Ye Zhixia.

He bowed respectfully. “Greetings, Cloud Terrace Sage. Your disciple has been consorting with sea demons hardly the behavior of a righteous cultivator. I hope you will discipline her properly.”

Then, with a warning glint in his eye, he glanced at Ye Zhixia. “We righteous cultivators possess pure inner energy. Yet this disciple of yours has never been able to channel qi into her body. Could it be that she is not one of us…?”

He even had the audacity to lecture her further. “Today, I shall pretend I never met you. In the future, you would do well to watch your words and actions.”

The Cloud Terrace Sage pulled Ye Zhixia behind her, standing her ground. “I know my own disciple well enough, there’s no need for your concern!”

Song Shiqi smirked coldly. “Very well. I shall take my leave, then.”

Without waiting for a response, he flew off toward the direction of Lin’an City.

As Song Shiqi disappeared into the distance, Ye Zhixia hurried to the Cloud Terrace Sage’s side. “I told Ruan Ning to run ahead, but now I don’t know where she’s gone,” she said anxiously. “Song Shiqi seems able to track the demonic energy on her. She could be in danger alone.”

She looked at the Cloud Terrace Sage with hopeful eyes. “Can you sense her presence?”

Hearing this, the Cloud Terrace Sage realized that Ruan Ning was the escaped sea demon, the target of Ye Zhixia’s mission, and her own daughter, Ningning, in both lifetimes.

Her expression instantly turned grave.

Nodding to Ye Zhixia, she focused her spiritual energy to scan the surrounding area for thousands of miles.

After a moment, she opened her eyes, her face solemn. “Logically speaking, there is no trace of demonic energy anywhere within the range of my detection.”

Ye Zhixia’s heart suddenly eased. “Is it possible that Ruan Ning fled so quickly she’s already beyond tracking?”

But the Cloud Terrace Sage shook her head. “In such a short time, she couldn’t have gone far. Unless…”

She pinched her chin, considering the possibilities.

“Unless what?” Ye Zhixia pressed urgently.

The Cloud Terrace Sage frowned. “Unless she returned to the Qiyan Sect on her own. The sect has a barrier that blocks external detection.”

Ye Zhixia didn’t dwell on it for long before urging Yun Tai Zhenren to take her back to Qiyan Sect for a look.

Holding onto Ye Zhixia’s clothes, Yun Tai Zhenren summoned a cloud and flew toward the sect.

–

As soon as they entered the range of the spiritual mountain, the two saw the main hall of Qiyan Sect brightly lit.

Yun Tai Zhenren sped up and entered the main hall.

The hall was magnificent, adorned primarily in gold, with intricately carved beams and pillars, delicate decorations, and sheer curtains hanging all around.

At that moment, Ruan Ning lay weakly in the center of the hall, surrounded by a group of Qiyan Sect disciples who watched the sea demon on the ground with a mix of fear and concern.

Hearing the commotion, Ruan Ning turned her head toward the entrance.

“You’re back,” she murmured before collapsing to the floor.

Ye Zhixia had assumed Ruan Ning would flee far from Lin’an City, never expecting her to return to Qiyan Sect.

It seemed she hadn’t trusted the signal flare and had come to the sect for reinforcements instead.

Ye Zhixia quickly stepped forward and picked Ruan Ning up.

Though Ruan Ning was in her sea demon form, she was only the size of a human now.

The moment Ye Zhixia touched her, Ruan Ning’s bluish skin rapidly regained its color.

At Yun Tai Zhenren’s command, the disciples withdrew, while Ye Zhixia carried Ruan Ning to the elder’s private quarters.

As soon as Ruan Ning was placed on the bed, her hazy eyes fluttered open.

Seeing Yun Tai Zhenren standing at the foot of the bed and Ye Zhixia crouched beside her, both wearing concerned expressions, she felt a sense of security.

But then, to her surprise, she realized her body was changing again.

She attempted to use her demonic power and effortlessly shifted back into human form.

“How…?” She stared at her hands as the webbing receded, leaving them soft and fair, her eyes filled with confusion.

Ye Zhixia exchanged a glance with Yun Tai Zhenren before turning back to Ruan Ning. “What happened to you?”

Instead of answering, Ruan Ning pushed aside the silk quilt, sat on the edge of the bed, crossed her legs, and closed her eyes, entering her spiritual sea.

Ye Zhixia stood up and waited patiently with Yun Tai Zhenren.

After a few breaths, Ruan Ning slowly opened her eyes.

First, she bashfully thanked Yun Tai Zhenren.

“Zhenren, thank you for saving me earlier, but… I really missed home.” Her voice grew quieter. “It’s not that I disliked life within the barrier.”

Then, her expression turned puzzled again.

Yun Tai Zhenren smiled but said nothing.

Ye Zhixia spoke up, “Didn’t you say your demonic power had recovered? How did you end up so exhausted just from returning to Qiyan Sect?”

Only then did Ruan Ning recount everything in detail.

After Ye Zhixia told her to leave, she had rushed straight to Qiyan Sect without looking back.

At first, she flew swiftly, but within a few miles, she suddenly felt her demonic power waning. By the time she reached the sect, she no longer had enough strength left to maintain her human form.

Exhausted from the journey, she had ultimately collapsed in the main hall.

Hearing this, Ye Zhixia shot Yun Tai Zhenren a pleading look. The elder raised his hands in surrender. “This has nothing to do with me.”

Ye Zhixia frowned. “I was asking if Zhenren had any ideas?”

Yun Tai Zhenren hastily lowered his hands. “None.”

After a moment of thought, Ye Zhixia pressed further, “Then do you have any way to help Ruan Ning recover her cultivation?”

Elder Yun Tai continued shaking his head, “No. Back then, I threw her into the sea once, but she couldn’t return at all, so I had to bring her back.”

Ruan Ning interjected at this point, “But for some reason, my cultivation is now recovering. Just now, when I entered my sea of consciousness, it was expanding again.”

Hearing that her cultivation was recovering, Ye Zhixia’s expression visibly relaxed.

Elder Yun Tai was utterly puzzled, “Why did your cultivation vanish in the first place? After I brought you back, I placed you within the barrier, intending to nurture you before sending you away. Yet over the years, your cultivation didn’t increase, it actually declined. Could it be that the spiritual mountains of my Qiyan Sect weren’t nourishing enough for you?”

Ye Zhixia suddenly recalled Song Shiqi mentioning that Ruan Ning had no inner core.

He pressed Ruan Ning, asking if the fluctuations in her cultivation were related to this.

Upon hearing that Ruan Ning had no inner core, Elder Yun Tai grew agitated first, “Humans can reform their inner cores if lost, but a demon’s core is one and only. How could you lose yours just by coming ashore to play?”

Ruan Ning stared blankly, her lips trembling as she said pitifully, “I used it to save someone…”

Elder Yun Tai and Ye Zhixia asked in unison, “Who did you save?”

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