IVYSCP - Chapter 52
Chapter 52
"Did you get a clear look at her methods?"
Hearing Pei Si's question, Ling Qingyue shook her head. "The moves she used were a chaotic mix. Techniques from various sword schools, even saber and spear arts. She was very cautious."
The person had probed her while also keeping herself completely hidden.
Ling Qingyue poked Pei Si. "Do you think this black mist might be working with whoever is controlling Liu Qingtang?"
Pei Si said, "Very likely."
How else could it be such a coincidence? The flute sound led her to the East Courtyard, and then trouble broke out here in the West Courtyard.
The intruder's target was Liu Qingtang, yet she had also sent out a wisp of divine sense to test Ling Qingyue.
Ling Qingyue drew in a cold breath.
The person's techniques were mixed and strange yet flowed seamlessly, and she was extremely familiar with the counters to her own sword moves. If she hadn't noticed so quickly and deliberately learned Piaomiao Sect's sword techniques recently to defend, tonight she might very well have been exposed by that black mist.
The person behind Liu Qingtang's situation was very likely someone she had once known.
Familiar faces flickered past. All of them were people she did not want to suspect. Ling Qingyue raised a hand and rubbed her temple.
So many immortal sect cultivators had been trapped, humiliated, and killed. Even their souls after death needed to be suppressed. To that end, they had schemed against Liu Qingtang, stripping her of her sanity. The methods were cruel beyond measure.
What was the intention of the person who resurrected her? Did they deliberately draw her into this game?
Even if they wanted her in the game, shouldn't they treat her a little better? Shoving her into a demon lord's body, what was that about? Not only did she have to act timid and restrained, even crossing a tribulation was a struggle.
Ling Qingyue's head ached from thinking. Just then, the barrier around Water Cloud Dwelling was opened from outside. Nie Wenxiao strode in hurriedly, her expression frantic.
Seeing the two standing in the courtyard, her heart sank. "Something happened?"
Pei Si nodded. She had just notified Nie Wenxiao with her jade token.
Nie Wenxiao's face immediately grew even darker. She had sensed nothing outside the barrier.
"Sect Leader Nie, did you hear a flute sound?"
Nie Wenxiao thought back. There had indeed been flute music not long ago. Since the Seventy-Two Sects were all currently in Piaomiao Sect, and many cultivators among them practiced musical instruments, she had not paid it any mind.
"I did."
"Do you know which direction it came from?"
Nie Wenxiao shook her head. "It seemed to come from every direction at once."
Pei Si's lips curved. It was within her expectations. Just as Ling Qingyue had said, this person was extremely cautious.
"The one behind this has a cultivation level no lower than late Soul Formation. Fortunately, she is not versed in formations. Liu Qingtang only lost control for a short time. I have laid a new formation."
Nie Wenxiao was instantly alarmed. "Late Soul Formation?!"
There were many Soul Formation cultivators currently within Piaomiao Sect's territory, all sect leaders and elders from various families. But those at late Soul Formation could be counted on one hand.
The few people Nie Wenxiao thought of included Wushi Sect's Chi Que and Lingxu Immortal Palace's Ying Ying. In the present Immortal Realm, Shangtianqiong ranked first, followed closely by these two sects.
Her jaw clenched tight, and hatred kindled deep in Nie Wenxiao's eyes. No matter who it was, she would not let a single person who hurt Qingtang go free.
She drew a deep breath, suppressed her emotions, and bowed to the two of them. "Thank you."
"Sect Leader Nie, there's no need for courtesy." Ling Qingyue recalled the events from two days prior and bowed toward Nie Wenxiao as well. "Earlier, when I used Piaomiao Sect's grand formation to trouble Shangtianqiong, I acted recklessly."
She had been truly angry then, angriest at her senior sisters. She hadn't fully considered that she was now a guest at Piaomiao Sect. When she troubled Shangtianqiong, it was Piaomiao Sect troubling Shangtianqiong. She had been in secluded cultivation these past two days and hadn't found the chance to apologize.
Nie Wenxiao smiled. "We already offended them half a month ago. But I am quite curious. Immortal Friend Ah Xi, since you hail from Shangtianqiong, why do you repeatedly act against them?"
Ling Qingyue raised her brows. "I can't stand how domineering and unreasonable they've become nowadays. Is that reason acceptable?"
Nie Wenxiao couldn't help but sigh with admiration. "Immortal Friend, you are full of sincerity and true feeling. You truly live up to being a disciple of Shangtianqiong."
She paused, then added another sentence. "I mean Shangtianqiong from a hundred years ago."
A hundred years ago in the Immortal Realm, the Hundred Immortal Sects stood together against the Demon Race, united in heart and purpose, full of blood and tears, yet they lived with far greater abandon. Not like now...
On this point, Ling Qingyue felt it most keenly.
"I will go check on Qingtang." As Nie Wenxiao spoke, she seemed to remember something and added, "Today the Hidden Moon Lord informed all the sects. The Ancient Yao Forest Realm will open at Crouching Dragon Valley in seven days."
Crouching Dragon Valley. Legend said it was the resting place of the ancient yao Torch Dragon, a land of extreme cold where ordinary robes could not withstand the wind, snow, and bitter freeze.
The timeline had been pushed back a few days from the Yue family's earlier divination, but it suited Ling Qingyue's needs perfectly. It gave her enough time to prepare.
"I cannot break through in Piaomiao Sect," Ling Qingyue said to Pei Si.
Pei Si nodded, understanding her meaning.
Piaomiao Sect was currently crowded and full of watching eyes. Ling Qingyue's lightning tribulation was extraordinary and would undoubtedly draw spectators. When the heavenly lightning struck, her demonic markings would also be forced into view.
Ling Qingyue knew full well that if she went to break through her cultivation barrier, Pei Si would absolutely go with her. If they both left, and the person behind this came again...
"Then what about Water Cloud Dwelling?"
Pei Si's eyes held a smile. Even at a time like this, Ling Qingyue was still thinking of others.
"I will have Sect Leader Nie invite Chi Que and Ying Ying to gather at Water Cloud Dwelling. One, to probe them. Two, to use their hands to protect Liu Qingtang."
When Pei Si finished, Ling Qingyue gave a soft hiss, then leaned close to her face with a light laugh. "I used to say people like you who study formations have too many tricks up your sleeves. I wasn't wrong."
Compared to the other suspicious figures among the Seventy-Two Sects, Chi Que and Ying Ying were the least likely suspects. Inviting them over, even if one of them harbored ill intent, she wouldn't dare act rashly. If both were innocent, all the better. Together with Nie Wenxiao, even if the one behind this had Soul Formation cultivation, she wouldn't dare make a reckless move.
Pei Si looked at her smiling, crescent-moon eyes and recalled how Ling Qingyue used to talk like this about Yue Shouming and Yu Liuli, her expression then one of gritting-teeth fury.
"Then do you like it?" Pei Si deliberately leaned closer.
The distance between them suddenly shrank, the tips of their noses touching.
Ling Qingyue's eyes fluttered faster. She turned her head aside and said quietly, "I do."
Looking at the ear before her, flushed bright red, Pei Si leaned over and gently caught the earlobe between her lips, giving it a little bite.
Then she mouthed silently, "Liar."
Ling Qingyue only felt hot breath spilling behind her ear, followed by a slight ache and itch that brought a tingling numbness. For no reason, her legs went weak, and she had to reach out and grab hold of Pei Si.
"Wh-what did you bite me for?!" Ling Qingyue's other hand flew up to cover her ear. It was scorching to the touch. She didn't need to look to know her ear had gone thoroughly red.
Pei Si smiled at her and used the same words she'd said just moments ago to answer. "Because I like you."
Ling Qingyue looked into her smiling eyes, and the words at the tip of her tongue, "I'm going to bite you too," were completely forgotten.
This seemed to be the first time Pei Si had ever said she liked her. Even if she was talking about her ear.
Ling Qingyue came back to her senses. She stepped back and put on a serious face. "I'm about to break through. You can't do this. It will... it will disturb my heart and mind."
Pei Si was startled for a moment, then laughed again. This time, the laughter came out audibly.
Ling Qingyue grew flustered and ashamed by her laughter and directly reached out to clamp a hand over her mouth. "Stop laughing!"
The sound of laughter disappeared, but those eyes were still laughing, looking at Ling Qingyue with soft, tender amusement piling up.
Ling Qingyue only then realized how much she truly loved Pei Si's smile. Fine shards of light floated in her eyes, and her pale pupils reflected Ling Qingyue's own figure.
Looking at her, Ling Qingyue couldn't help but rise on her tiptoes and kiss Pei Si's eyes.
After the kiss, she looked at Pei Si's eyes and said softly, "I do love it."
Pei Si's lashes trembled. She reached out and held Ling Qingyue tightly, murmuring low, "Keep loving me. Always."
Ling Qingyue gave a generous promise. "I will love you always and always and always."
Pei Si hummed lightly and raised a hand to smooth the little braid Ling Qingyue wore at the back of her head.
Afterward, Pei Si sent word to Nie Wenxiao, telling her about the plan to invite Chi Que and Ying Ying. Nie Wenxiao agreed without much hesitation and wished them a smooth breakthrough in seclusion.
Ling Qingyue and Pei Si left Piaomiao Sect that very night. The barrier rippled with a wave of water, then vanished without a trace, silent and soundless.
In a tower atop a distant mountain peak, Cui Heng looked across at Yue Shouming. Her tone lacked the sharp, piercing edge she used with others during the day. It was almost gentle. "Did the Hidden Moon Lord call me here so late just to play chess?"
A chessboard sat before the two of them, displaying an endgame situation.
Yue Shouming had already removed the enchanted artifact from her eyes. Those eyes were dim and lusterless, their gaze unable to land on anything solid, yet she was still concentrating fully, "looking" at the chess game before her.
"There's no one else here. Why is Xiao Heng still so distant?" Yue Shouming held a faint smile at the corner of her mouth. "Come help me look."
Cui Heng said nothing more and lowered her eyes to the board.
Black and white interlocked. The white pieces attacked ferociously, every move a deliberate plot. The black pieces, at first glance, seemed calm and still, yet were full of hidden traps.
Yue Shouming held the black pieces.
Cui Heng took one look and said, "Black has no chance of victory. The losing outcome is set."
Yue Shouming's expression didn't change. Her face still held that airy, light smile. "But I feel black still has strength to fight."
Cui Heng lifted her eyes to look at her, her gaze complicated. She seemed to want to speak, but in the end said nothing.
She took a white piece from the side and placed it down. The situation shifted dramatically. Black's forces were scattered beyond recovery.
There was no longer any point in continuing this game.
"It's late. You should rest."
Cui Heng rose and left.
Yue Shouming sat quietly. The black piece danced between her fingertips a few times before finally being set down in one corner.
She stood. The woman standing nearby stepped forward and handed her a hand warmer.
"Aunt Su, who won?" Yue Shouming's voice was airy and light.
The one addressed as Aunt Su didn't even glance at the chessboard. She replied in a low voice, "Black."
Yue Shouming lifted the corner of her lips. Her icy palm was warmed slightly by the hand warmer.
Aunt Su watched her stand by the window, the strands of hair at her cheek lifted by the wind. A clear moon hung in the sky, but in Yue Shouming's eyes, it was all darkness.
A flicker of heartache passed through Aunt Su's eyes. She stepped forward and helped gather her heavy cloak around her. "Family Head, take care of yourself."
Yue Shouming sighed softly and moved away from the window.
The next day, people from the Seventy-Two Sects arrived at Piaomiao Sect one after another. Suddenly, a muffled thunderclap made everyone raise their heads and gaze into the distance.
Ominous tribulation clouds, dense and black, pressed directly down upon a mountain peak in the distance. Even here at Piaomiao Sect, the effects could be felt as the wind began to rise.
"Who's breaking through and crossing tribulation over there? The way those thunder clouds are gathering, I'm afraid it's a Soul Formation Lightning Tribulation."
"Look carefully. There are only nine bolts of heavenly lightning in the sky. It's clearly a Core Formation Lightning Tribulation."
"It seems... it actually is."
"But has anyone ever seen a Core Formation Lightning Tribulation like this before?"
"...No."
Amid the flurry of discussion, Yue Shouming asked the Cui Heng beside her, "What's happening?"
Cui Heng narrowed her eyes. "Someone is breaking through and crossing tribulation. I can't tell the cultivation level."
There were only nine bolts of heavenly lightning, but each one matched the power of a Nascent Soul Lightning Tribulation.
Yue Shouming was puzzled. "Can't tell the cultivation level?"
At Water Cloud Dwelling, four people sat around a table. Nie Wenxiao, Shen Qi, Chi Que, and Ying Ying.
They had naturally also seen this unusual lightning tribulation.
Shen Qi grabbed Nie Wenxiao's hand, her smile dangerous. "Sect Leader Nie, is this what you call a Core Formation Lightning Tribulation?"
Nie Wenxiao: "..."
Help.
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