When a Yandere Cannon Fodder Meets a Dark, Twisted Villain - Chapter 24

Half an hour later, following the orders of the Sect Master, Shi Yining led nine junior sisters from the sect onto a flying boat, heading toward the Nine-Layer Abyss.

After a long while, standing on the deck of the spirit boat, Yu Chang seemed to sense something and asked softly, “Senior Sister, is something on your mind?”

Shi Yining reflexively denied it: “No…”

Yu Chang didn’t believe her. “If it’s inconvenient to say, I won’t pry. It’s just that this journey is relatively dangerous. If you remain like this once we reach the Nine-Layer Abyss, accidents could easily happen.”

Shi Yining looked at the young girl beside her and gave a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Junior Sister. I know what I’m doing; I won’t let it affect the mission.”

Yu Chang’s guess was correct; she did indeed have something on her mind.

Just moments ago, Jiang Liuyue—who had been staying by her side—suddenly vanished. There had been no omen, and she hadn’t even said goodbye…

She didn’t know if she would ever see her again. Without realizing it, she had already grown accustomed to her presence.

Seeing that they were about to arrive at their destination, Shi Yining suppressed her chaotic thoughts and focused on observing the surrounding terrain.

Located at the intersection of the three major sects’ territories, the Nine-Layer Abyss was perpetually shrouded in mist. Steep cliffs were everywhere, and the area for dozens of miles was uninhabited, save for the occasional appearance of demonic beasts.

As the spirit boat flew over the Nine-Layer Abyss, Shi Yining spotted the teams from the Yuehua and Qishan sects.

Among the crowd, there was a figure she knew all too well.

The moment she saw Shu Mo, her mind flickered for an instant, as if she were seeing the recently vanished Jiang Liuyue.

Coming back to her senses, Shi Yining gave a self-mocking smile. She thought to herself that whether in her past life or this one, the people she liked were surprisingly similar…

Before long, the spirit boat descended into an open space, and Shi Yining led her junior sisters to join the cultivators of the other two sects.

From the moment she appeared, Shu Mo’s gaze remained fixed on her, never wavering.

Shi Yining sensed it. Thinking about how Jiang Liuyue had once been jealous of this person’s natal magic treasure, a wave of inexplicable awkwardness rose in her heart.

I should find a suitable time later to return the treasure…

Since they were investigating a demonic threat, it was best not to have too many people; those sent were the elite of the three sects.

The Yuehua Sect was led by Shu Mo with nine people in total, while the Qishan Sect was led by Zhao Mingfang with ten.

After exchanging greetings, Shi Yining was the first to speak: “Based on current information, the source of the demonic threat is unknown. Do you all think it’s better to split up or investigate together?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhao Mingfang said without hesitation, “Together, of course. I brought the Demon-Reflecting Mirror, which can scan a five-mile radius. If we find anything, we can strike immediately. If we split up, our strength will be scattered. If the enemy is powerful, we’ll be in danger.”

Shi Yining nodded and turned her gaze to the elegant woman standing nearby. “What does Fellow Daoist Mo think?”

Shu Mo smiled, her eyes containing a hint of warmth. “I will stay with Fellow Daoist Shi.”

Her words carried a subtle determination—the implication being that no matter what Shi Yining chose, she would follow.

At this moment, she felt remarkably like Jiang Liuyue.

The thought surfaced in Shi Yining’s mind but was quickly suppressed. To distract herself, she remarked casually, “I don’t see Fellow Daoist Kong today.”

The smile on Shu Mo’s face suddenly vanished. She gave her a deep look. “Junior Sister Kong committed an error and has been sentenced to the sect’s forbidden grounds; she cannot leave. Why? Does Fellow Daoist Shi wish to see her?”

For some reason, Shi Yining detected a trace of anger in those words.

It was strange—she had only asked a casual question. What was there to be angry about?

“My apologies, Fellow Daoist Mo. I was merely curious and meant nothing by it.”

Shu Mo gave a noncommittal “hmpf” and did not speak again.

The atmosphere gradually became strained.

Zhao Mingfang seemed to sense something. She walked to Shi Yining’s side and affectionately took her arm.

“Fellow Daoist Shi, the Demon-Reflecting Mirror is a spiritual treasure. I can’t activate it alone; it requires two people to cast the spell together. Would you be willing to help me?”

Shi Yining was about to agree when Shu Mo spoke up first: “The Demon-Reflecting Mirror is the Qishan Sect’s ultimate treasure and is never lent out. Only those of your sect are familiar with it. You have so many junior sisters with you, why ask Fellow Daoist Shi for help?”

Zhao Mingfang raised an eyebrow. “Activating the treasure only requires sufficient spiritual power; familiarity isn’t necessary. Fellow Daoist Shi’s spiritual power is much deeper than my sisters’. With her help, success is guaranteed.”

Seeing the tension rising between the two, Shi Yining immediately intervened: “I agree. Investigating the demonic threat should be done sooner rather than later. Let’s move quickly.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Mingfang beamed with joy. With a wave of her sleeve, an ancient bronze mirror manifested before her.

Activating the treasure didn’t take long—in less than a hundred breaths, a streak of golden light flashed from the mirror’s surface and rapidly spread to the surroundings.

A moment later, Shi Yining withdrew her spiritual power. She caught Shu Mo’s gaze, which was filled with an unreadable emotion.

Somehow, she felt a pang of guilt and was the first to look away.

She wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but the surroundings seemed to have suddenly turned much colder…

In a daze, Shi Yining thought of Jiang Liuyue again.

She wondered where she was now… would she ever return?

Furthermore, in her past life, there had never been news of a demonic threat in the Nine-Layer Abyss. Had her rebirth caused certain events to change?

Once the Demon-Reflecting Mirror was active, Zhao Mingfang led the way. The mirror soon began to show signs of movement, disrupting the melancholy rising in Shi Yining’s heart.

Looking at the dense cluster of black spots on the precious mirror, her heart skipped a beat, and a premonition of extreme dread surfaced in her mind.

“What is this…”

Zhao Mingfang’s expression grew significantly more solemn. “The information we received earlier was incorrect. The enemy is vast in number and excels at concealment; they are invisible to the naked eye. I suggest we immediately set up a Demon-Expelling Array to guard against sneak attacks.”

While she was speaking, Shu Mo had already taken out the Vajra Demon-Subduing Array plate, casting a spell to control its descent onto the clearing.

At the same time, Shi Yining acted immediately. A wisp of spiritual light flowed from her fingertips as she traced patterns in the void. In mere moments, a high-level defensive restriction was established, covering a radius of a hundred feet.

From the bottom of the Nine-Layer Abyss, a demonic roar that directly attacked the divine sense erupted without warning. The demonic creatures hidden in the shadows revealed themselves all at once, swarming forward to attack the cultivators.

The Demon-Subduing Array activated instantly.

Inside the array, Shi Yining took out the mysterious black silk ribbon and handed it back to Shu Mo without hesitation.

“A natal treasure affects a cultivator’s combat power and is of paramount importance. Given the current emergency, Fellow Daoist Mo should take it back.”

At this critical juncture, Shu Mo didn’t say much; she simply nodded and took it. The moment the ribbon touched her hand, it instantly transformed back into a sharp sword.

A fierce battle against the demonic creatures commenced.

Due to the massive scale of the disturbance, the Sect Masters of the three sects quickly received the news and dispatched reinforcements. No one knew that a world-shaking change was occurring at the bottom of the Nine-Layer Abyss.

The ground suddenly shook violently for several breaths before cracking open like a spider web. A giant claw condensed from demonic energy thrust out from deep beneath the earth.

“Watch out!”

Shi Yining quickly shouted a warning. She triggered a secret technique that transformed into a massive golden leaf, instantly saving several comrades who were about to fall into the abyss and carrying them through the air onto the spirit boat.

“Thank you, Big Senior Sister / Fellow Daoist Shi, for saving us!”

Those who had survived the brush with death paused for a moment to recover before quickly rejoining the fray.

Nearby, Shu Mo was wielding her sword against the demonic claw, while Zhao Mingfang performed a fire-based secret art, sending a deluge of flames plunging into the abyss. Yu Chang flew high into the sky, using lightning arts to continuously strike the swarming monsters.

Just as the reinforcements from the three sects were about to arrive, a sudden mutation occurred.

The sky split open without warning, and another demonic claw reached out from the rift, lunging toward Yu Chang with lightning speed.

“Junior Sister, watch out!”

Shi Yining called out again. In that moment, her actions outpaced her thoughts. She performed a teleportation technique, arriving at Yu Chang’s position and pulling her away.

However, the demonic claw was faster. Seeing that they were about to be caught, Shi Yining used the technique again to send her junior sister alone back into the safety of the spirit boat.

In her past life, Yu Chang had guarded a city for her, fought the demon race to the end, and died a martyr. In this life, she would never allow such a tragedy to repeat itself. She owed her junior sister a life; perhaps now was the time to repay it.

Danger was inches away. At the absolute final second, a sword glow that seemed to span the heavens and earth slashed through the firmament, burying itself into the sun-blotting demonic claw.

Suddenly, her waist was pulled tight. Shi Yining instinctively looked up and saw that all-too-familiar black-clad figure.

Shu Mo had saved her.

Just as she was about to say thank you, another change occurred. A black hole vortex rapidly emerged from where the demonic claw had dissipated, creating a massive suction force.

Because she had used her secret techniques in succession, Shi Yining’s spiritual power was depleted, leaving her with less than ten percent of her strength. Seeing that they were both about to be sucked in, she immediately reached out to push the person holding her.

“Don’t worry about me, go!”

Shu Mo did not respond; she only tightened her embrace.

Shi Yining said urgently, “If you don’t let go, neither of us will escape! Your path to immortality is limitless, Fellow Daoist Mo—there’s no need to die with me!”

As soon as the words left her mouth, her vision went dark. Shu Mo, brookly no argument, pressed her into her chest.

“Mmph…”

Shi Yining was forced against a soft embrace, a chillingly fresh fragrance continuously reaching her nose. At this moment, her mind went blank, and the fear of the unknown in her heart vanished.

A sense of bashful annoyance began to surface, and she tried to struggle, but her body was held fast in an iron grip. A roar suddenly sounded in her ears, followed by a dizzying sensation.

The two women, locked in an embrace, were both sucked into the vortex…

The expected pain did not come, but Shi Yining heard a muffled groan inches away.

Shu Mo was injured.

She had been protecting her just now…

Why? They were practically strangers—why would she risk her life like this? She wasn’t worth it. If Shu Mo knew that she had almost ruined her in her previous life, she would surely regret saving her…

Tears blurred her vision, sliding down her cheeks drop by drop and wetting both their robes.

After a long time, their feet finally touched solid ground. The restraint around her gradually loosened. Shi Yining immediately turned the situation around to hold Shu Mo and took out a healing pill.

Just as she was about to feed it to her, the person in her arms went limp and fell unconscious.

Her heart, already heavy with guilt and unease, leaped into her throat. In her frantic state, Shi Yining did not hesitate; she quickly placed the pill between her own lips and passed it to Shu Mo mouth-to-mouth…

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