Training the Villain to Become a Big Sister Obsessed - Chapter 55

No, absolutely not. She could not let them all die here.

Mu Fu’an had only one thought: these people could not be left here because of her life.

Within the encirclement of the Red-Winged Ants (Hongchi Yi), the longer time passed, the harder it would be to escape. The spiritual energy absorbed would be converted into their strength.

Mu Fu’an’s heartbeat was as rapid as a thunderclap. She tightly gripped the talisman pouch in her hand. The surrounding Red-Winged Ants continuously buzzed, and every ant exuded a ferocious aura, making the air thick, heavy, and increasingly suffocating.

Her spiritual power was constantly being drained; the strength within her body gradually leaked away. Every breath felt like a portion of her vitality was being extracted.

“We can’t wait any longer!”

A resistance and resolve never before seen flashed in Mu Fu’an’s eyes—at least, not the kind she had shown when facing Mu Liu.

Mu Fu’an closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She sensed the remaining spiritual power within her, like a faint candlelight, ready to extinguish at any moment.

She murmured softly, swiftly forming hand seals. A Confinement Talisman (Jingu Fu) appeared rapidly in her palm. The talisman emitted a golden light that instantly expanded into a circle of light, attempting to trap the continuously approaching Red-Winged Ants.

However, the effect of the Confinement Talisman was far weaker than she had imagined. The edge of the light circle was swiftly suppressed by the swarm and gradually consumed.

This completely extinguished the small flame of hope that had just ignited in Mu Fu’an’s heart. Helplessness and self-blame wrapped around her deeply.

She was going to harm them all. Although she didn’t know what had summoned this swarm of Red-Winged Ants, Mu Fu’an took all the blame onto herself.

“Why did you come here?”

Mu Fu’an looked up and met the woman’s gentle features, and the panic in her heart immediately dissipated somewhat.

Mu Fu’an answered truthfully without much thought: “Mu Liu sent me to find the Heart-Burning Grass (Fen Xin Cao) for materials.”

Mu Liu—the person who always bullied her.

Lan Shanjun nodded, leaning her upper body slightly towards Mu Fu’an’s direction, and subtly sniffed the scent on her.

Mu Fu’an dared not move, but her eyes looked towards Cang Wu beside Lan Shanjun.

She had seen how this person beat Mu Liu, and she knew how much this person cared for their Senior Sister.

“Zhao Chen,” Lan Shanjun called out.

Zhao Chen leaned closer upon hearing the call.

Lan Shanjun softly said: “Is there another scent on her, one that is a bit bitter?”

Zhao Chen reached out a hand, her fingers subtly moving to wave the air near Mu Fu’an towards her nose. Beneath the scent of burnt talisman ash, there was a nearly imperceptible herbal fragrance.

“Yes,” Zhao Chen confirmed. “It is **Bodhi Vine (Pu Ti Teng) made from the Bodhi Tree that grows alongside it.”

Bodhi Vine.

Lan Shanjun looked at Mu Fu’an with an inquiring gaze.

Mu Fu’an quickly waved her hands and shook her head: “I don’t know about Bodhi Vine, and… I don’t know why my body smells like that…”

Wait—!

A scene from that morning suddenly flashed in Mu Fu’an’s mind, and she understood something.

“I know!”

Mu Fu’an’s voice suddenly became louder. She bit her lower lip tightly, her eyes suppressing years of accumulated anger.

She had been bullied enough on a daily basis; did [Mu Liu] really intend to let her die here?

Observing her expression, Lan Shanjun guessed and asked: “Was it Mu Liu?”

“Yes,” Mu Fu’an took a deep breath, her voice trembling. “This robe of spiritual power  is actually hers—an old garment of hers. She said fetching the Heart-Burning Grass was dangerous and told me to be on guard.”

At that time, Mu Fu’an hadn’t believed that Mu Liu was caring for her. When Mu Liu tossed the robe to her, her expression was scornful, as if the garment she threw was no different from a bone stripped clean of flesh casually tossed to a stray dog.

But even a damaged spiritual robe was infinitely better than Mu Fu’an’s own, and the formation on it was indeed still operational.

It was just that Mu Fu’an hadn’t expected Mu Liu would use this method to take revenge.

Yes, revenge—revenge because she failed to stop Cang Wu that day, revenge because her dignity had been completely stripped away in front of her.

“May I have a piece of the spiritual robe?” Zhao Chen asked her.

Mu Fu’an nodded, trying to tear off a piece from the cuff, but her strength was insufficient.

A streak of sword light flashed across her periphery. Mu Fu’an stared blankly at a perfectly flat piece of sleeve.

After handing the sleeve to Zhao Chen, Mu Fu’an quietly glanced towards Lan Shanjun.

The young man’s long sword had not yet been sheathed. She was turned sideways, her tightly drawn lips mirroring the sharpness of the sword in her hand.

That sword strike just now seemed like a casual swing.

Mu Fu’an lowered her gaze and silently offered a word of thanks in her heart.

Zhao Chen carefully sniffed the sleeve: “The robe does have the scent of Bodhi Vine, but it should be quite old.”

“The Bodhi Tree is born from nurturing by Heaven and Earth’s spiritual energy, and the Bodhi Vine that survives attached to the Bodhi Tree is also the best material for refining medicine. The rare quality of Bodhi Vine is this—it cannot be separated from the Bodhi Tree; separated, it will surely die. A withered Bodhi Vine is like common weeds.”

“It seems these Red-Winged Ants want the Bodhi Vine,” Zhao Chen frowned slightly. “But the scent of Bodhi Vine on this spiritual robe has lingered for at least five years. How could it attract so many Red-Winged Ants?”

“Let’s stop worrying about the tree and the vine for now. We’ll discuss it after we get out,” Xiao Jiu shouted from the front. “The longer we stay, the more disadvantageous it is for us.”

The moving red threads wrapped tighter and tighter. Xiao Jiu gritted her teeth, gripping her Limitless Staff tightly, spinning the golden staff a few times in her hand.

Spiritual power erupted, and the faint outline of a massive tiger head appeared behind Xiao Jiu.

“Open for me!!!”

Accompanied by a tiger’s roar, the Limitless Staff was unstoppable; it actually broke open a gap in the barrier stacked by thousands of Red-Winged Ants.

Xiao Jiu’s eyes lit up.

Unfortunately, the gap only existed for an instant before it was seamlessly mended by the ants following behind.

The moment the gap began to close, a melodious, vibrating whistle sounded. The healing speed, invisible to the naked eye, suddenly slowed down.

Mo Huaisheng lowered her short flute and exchanged a look with Xiao Jiu; both shared the same thought.

“We definitely can’t stay trapped inside,” Mo Huaisheng’s gaze swept over everyone. “Someone needs to get out.”

Xiao Jiu leaned on the Limitless Staff, sweat already on her forehead. She panted: “Decide quickly! In a moment, I might not even be able to land one strike.”

Zhao Chen curved her lips: “I will stay here.”

She was an Elixir Cultivator (Dan Xiu); even if she went out, she wouldn’t be much help.

Mu Fu’an slowly raised her hand: “I… I will stay too.”

She caused the incident; she should stay.

Ling Guang followed closely: “Then I will too…”

“Ling Guang and Qingcheng must leave,” Zhao Chen interrupted her. “You two are perfectly in sync; the combination of Mechanical Arts and Formations will maximize your effectiveness.”

Song Qingcheng reached out to hold Ling Guang’s hand, agreeing with her words: “What Zhao Chen said is right.”

Two people remained.

Cang Wu pursed her lips and turned to look at Lan Shanjun.

Lan Shanjun didn’t overthink it and decided quickly: “I will stay. Cang Wu, your swordsmanship comes directly from Master’s teachings; going out with Ling Guang and the others gives you a greater chance.”

Anticipating Cang Wu’s disagreement, Lan Shanjun preemptively grabbed her arm and shook her head.

“Time is tight. I possess the power of wind manipulation; I can send them out faster.”

“Alright, let’s begin.”

Xiao Jiu and Mo Huaisheng moved together. Zhao Chen had already given them both a Primal Spirit Pill (Yuan Ling Dan).

This time, the whistle was driven by surging spiritual power; the swarm of Red-Winged Ants rioted on a large scale before slowly calming down.

Now is the moment!

Mo Huaisheng gave Xiao Jiu a look.

Xiao Jiu let out a soft, cold laugh, her eyes showing defiance and challenge towards the predicament before them.

“Here I come!”

The strike, gathering all spiritual power, faintly revealed the power to split heaven and earth. The spiritual form of a White Tiger stood behind Xiao Jiu, and its roar was deafening.

Just like before, the swarm of Red-Winged Ants was split open, creating a gap.

Song Qingcheng saw this and immediately activated the formation beneath the feet of the three of them. A gentle breeze softly encircled their bodies.

Struggle flickered in Cang Wu’s eyes; she wanted to advance and retreat with her Senior Sister, but under the current circumstances, among this group, only her swordsmanship could contend with the Red-Winged Ants besides Xiao Jiu’s.

“Senior Sister, wait for me.”

Saying these final words, three streams of light rapidly passed through the narrow gap and disappeared.

The gap had not yet completely closed.

Mu Fu’an suddenly felt a force supporting her. She looked up in surprise.

Lan Shanjun held the wind in her palm: “Your Talisman Arts are cultivated quite well; you must go help them.”

Mu Fu’an was an anomaly in Thousand Poisons Valley; aside from her, the sole Talisman Cultivator, all other Senior and Junior Sisters were Medical Cultivators. She had learned her Talisman Arts without a teacher, relying solely on an old book and diligent study to the point of forgetting to eat or sleep.

This was the first time someone had said her Talisman Arts were cultivated quite well.

Mu Fu’an relaxed her body and allowed the force, soft as a spring breeze, to send her out at the last moment.

Seeing Mu Fu’an emerge, the three outside said nothing.

Cang Wu narrowed her eyes, her wrist moving slightly.

“Wait,” Song Qingcheng’s voice stopped her raised hand.

Cang Wu showed an unpleasant expression.

“I have seen you use Water, Fire, and Wood spirit roots before; the Wood root should be the strongest among them, but it is not suitable right now.” Song Qingcheng extended her palm; the compass in her hand jumped and spun according to her fingertip movements. Golden formations surrounded Cang Wu’s sides and the sword blade, one after another.

“These formations can enhance Fire Arts.”

Cang Wu’s peripheral vision flickered. Beside her, Mu Fu’an handed over a talisman.

“This is a Shadow Talisman (Yingzi Fu). While it cannot completely imitate your sword moves and momentum, it will be about seventy to eighty percent accurate.”

Cang Wu did not refuse. She wrapped the talisman around her blade; the bright yellow talisman immediately adhered to the snow-white blade, coating it in a layer of golden light.

Ling Guang closed her eyes, and her spiritual robe instantly ignited. From the fervent flame, a Four-Tailed Vermilion Bird (Si Wei Zhuque) cried out and rushed forth.

Its fiery-red wings spread wide, its gaze fiercely fixed on the swarm of Red-Winged Ants before them.

Song Qingcheng rapidly laid down formations, both maximizing the offensive power of Ling Guang and Cang Wu while also ensuring that neither of them would be injured in a single strike.

Mu Fu’an was also diligently drawing talismans.

On a treetop not far away—

“Since you’re out, just leave,” Ming Yu sneered sarcastically. “A bunch of fools.”

“Do you think they are fools?” Xie Qingshuang asked softly, watching the distance.

Ming Yu pulled at the corner of her lip: “Of course.”

Xie Qingshuang turned her gaze to her: “If I were inside, would you stay for me?”

Ming Yu sneered and turned her head: “Of course—!”

Of course not.

The last two words got stuck as she saw Xie Qingshuang’s eyes, unable to leave her mouth.

As their eyes met, Ming Yu frowned, turned her head away in annoyance, and said impatiently: “What’s with all these ‘what ifs’?”

Xie Qingshuang’s expression softened, carrying a good mood and a hint of a smile.

The Vermilion Bird shrieked high, and waves of heat spread out.

Xie Qingshuang suddenly stopped, and so did Ming Yu.

Their pupils reflected the same scene.

Behind that scarlet Four-Tailed Vermilion Bird, there was a Fire Dragon exuding endless pressure and power.

Someone murmured softly:

“Azure Dragon (Qing Long)?”