Heartbeat

The world beneath the ocean was always mysterious and unfathomable.

Above their heads stretched the blue sea. Schools of fish swam overhead, along with all kinds of strange creatures that only existed in the cultivation world.

The three of them followed the merfolk deeper underwater for the time it took to burn a stick of incense.

The Water-Avoidance Pearl emitted a faint glow; astonishingly, it formed a huge protective barrier around them, keeping them separated from the terrifying ocean all around.

Yan Jue was holding the Water-Avoidance Pearl when she suddenly noticed something and froze. “Junior Sister Jiang, you...”

Jiang Mengchu floated in the water, happily swimming back and forth with the fish schools.

A faint layer of golden true qi floated around her; she moved through the water quickly, looking not the least bit strained.

Jiang Mengchu smiled. “It’s fine, it’s fine. Senior Sister Yan Jue, don’t worry about me.”

Yan Jue: “...”

So this was the Taishang Spirit Physique...

It really did feel like her true qi would never run dry.

Gradually, more and more fish gathered around them.

The water below was even bluer and clearer than it had looked from above.

What appeared before them was a gilded palace.

Not far away, a tiny black dot emerged and swam rapidly toward them.

Hai Ying’s golden hair floated with the current; her skin, exposed in the azure water, was porcelain-white. She was still wearing only the merfolk’s distinctive chest covering, with her bare midriff on display.

Qi Xianqing had already grown used to her appearance and gave her a slight nod.

Tiredness still lingered on Hai Ying’s face. She had spent too long at the sea surface; although the palace physicians had just given her several replenishing spirit pills, it was not the sort of thing she could recover from in a day or two.

In the blink of an eye, Hai Ying swam up to them and bowed gracefully. “Thanks to the two Immortal Lords for saving me this time. My father is already waiting in the palace.”

The moment they entered the great hall, they saw that someone was already seated inside.

The elderly merfolk king sat at the head of the hall, while below him sat a refined young woman.

She wore a blue daoist robe, and a bone flute hung from her waist.

Yan Jue looked at it and felt a faint sense of familiarity.

When the woman saw the two of them enter, she quickly stood and cupped her fists. “Greetings, fellow daoists. I am Jiang Yu of Gentle Breeze Valley.”

Yan Jue hurriedly returned the courtesy. No wonder the bone flute looked so familiar; it was a Gentle Breeze Valley magical implement.

But why would a disciple of Gentle Breeze Valley be here?

The disciple named Jiang Yu hesitated, looking at her. “Senior Brother Mao has caused trouble for all of you. Gentle Breeze Valley offers you our apologies.”

Yan Jue blinked. “Senior Brother Mao?”

The disciple of Gentle Breeze Valley frowned. “Could fellow daoist explain in more detail? I don’t quite understand.”

Jiang Yu from Gentle Breeze Valley said, “The man causing trouble in that fishing village was once a member of my sect.”

“He strayed down the wrong path in his cultivation, practiced a spell to summon ghosts, and severed ties with Gentle Breeze Valley. He ran here on his own. If not for your help this time, I would have had to come in the sect’s name to punish him myself.”

Only after Jiang Yu explained it in detail did Yan Jue understand that Gentle Breeze Valley, one of the Six Immortal Sects, was a faction that was neither wholly righteous nor wholly wicked.

That was because Gentle Breeze Valley specialized in summoning arts.

What they summoned could be righteous things, like heavenly gods or divine beasts.

Or it could be evil things, like demons, ghosts, and monsters.

Decades ago, Gentle Breeze Valley had experienced an internal split; some disciples had secretly cultivated ghost-summoning arts behind the sect’s back.

The black-clad man they had subdued on the shore just now had once belonged to that branch of Gentle Breeze Valley.

Yan Jue couldn’t help but be slightly stunned when she heard that.

No wonder, when they searched the man’s body earlier, they had found a bone flute. So the man had also been a disciple of that branch of Gentle Breeze Valley.

In order to obtain the merfolk’s powerful strength, he had stayed by the edge of Yuxu Sea and exploited human greed to capture merfolk in large numbers, all in order to obtain merfolk pearls and use them to strengthen the merfolk god he had summoned.

In his mind, it was nothing more than a mutually beneficial arrangement: he obtained merfolk pearls, which were immensely helpful in advancing cultivation, while the men of the fishing village got wives who could bear children for them.

It was unforgivable.

And because the merfolk lived underwater year-round and rarely had contact with the immortal sects on land, they had not known that this person had once been a disciple of Gentle Breeze Valley. Seeing their clansmen dwindle in number, the old king had grown increasingly worried, and could only strictly forbid his people from approaching the shore.

He had tried contacting the dragon clan closest to him, but the messages sent there had repeatedly gone unanswered.

As for why this disciple of Gentle Breeze Valley named Jiang Yu had come here, it was because Gentle Breeze Valley itself had received the news, and she had been sent here to deal with the man.

They were still talking when a tremor suddenly shook the earth and thunder boomed in their ears.

A red-faced merfolk rushed in and said in panic, “Your Highness, I report that tonight, for some reason, the winds and waves were especially violent, and they... they actually flooded that fishing village!”

The old merfolk king frowned slightly.

The male merfolk: “The village chief and the villagers are seeking help in the mountains. They’re asking the merfolk clan to help them through this crisis... They say, they say there are still many descendants of our clan in the village; if the village is flooded, those people will inevitably be left homeless...”

The merfolk clan and the human race had been on good terms for generations, and this fishing village was right beside Yuxu Sea.

If a great wave struck, the merfolk clan should go to their aid.

But now, the old merfolk did not wish to help.

Those men of the fishing village had committed too much evil; sooner or later they would have to pay it back.

After a long silence, Qi Xianqing seemed to think of something. She stepped forward and took something out from her chest.

Yan Jue was slightly startled.

What Qi Xianqing took out was a crystal bottle; it was the thing they had just found on the Gentle Breeze Valley black-clad man. The bottle was filled with merfolk pearls.

Qi Xianqing: “Your Highness, this is something we found on the Gentle Breeze Valley disciple just now. It must belong to the merfolk clan.”

The old merfolk king froze and took the crystal bottle Qi Xianqing handed over.

“...”

When the old merfolk king saw what was inside, his face immediately flushed red with anger. “These are indeed my clansmen’s merfolk pearls; that bastard!”

Yan Jue looked at it and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Qi Xianqing really was worthy of being an immortal lord from a righteous immortal sect; even things she had picked up from someone else’s corpse would not be privately kept, but would be properly returned to the merfolk.

And they had come here this time precisely to seek the precious merfolk pearls.

The old merfolk king handed the crystal bottle full of merfolk pearls to a nearby maid and shook his head. Then he slowly swam down, cupped his fists toward Qi Xianqing, and said, “The Immortal Lord’s loyalty and righteousness are truly admirable. This old one would also like to ask the Immortal Lord for one more favor...”

Earlier at the sea surface, the old merfolk had already mentioned the matter of asking for help, so Qi Xianqing followed his lead. “Please speak.”

When righteous immortal sects walked among the mortal world, they represented the face of their respective sects.

Immortal sects already took it as their honor to slay demons and defend the Dao, so they seldom refused when asked for help.

“Outside our merfolk imperial palace there is a deep valley. A strange serpent is lurking there.”

“That strange serpent causes trouble again and again, bringing endless suffering to my clansmen. In recent years, God knows how many merfolk have died at its hands. Its methods are extremely brutal and bloody; we simply have no way to deal with it...”

“I wonder if the two Immortal Lords could help us remove this evil?”

“If the Immortal Lords are willing to help, I would be endlessly grateful!”

As he spoke, the old merfolk grew agitated and even flicked his huge fish tail as if he were about to kneel.

The merfolk lived in the water and had very little contact with the righteous immortal sects in the world.

When they encountered problems, the only ones they could seek help from were the dragon clan.

But sea dragons had always been arrogant; how could they take the pleas of tiny merfolk seriously? If they were in a good mood, they might help a little; if not, they would not even bother to respond.

Qi Xianqing: “May I ask what this strange serpent looks like, Your Highness?”

At Five Dragons Mountain, Qi Xianqing had read a great many books. She could identify most beasts in the world; as long as the old merfolk described the serpent’s appearance, she should be able to tell roughly what it was.

The old merfolk mumbled, “That strange serpent looks no different from an ordinary snake, except that its body is much larger, and it has two heads. It likes to eat people. We call it... Feiyi.”

After hearing that, Qi Xianqing already had a plan.

She stood, cupped her fists slightly, and smiled. “Your Highness, rest assured.”

Jiang Yu of Gentle Breeze Valley immediately stood up as well and stepped forward. “I would like to go with the Immortal Lord to slay the demon.”

The merfolk king: “This old one is willing to send five of my clan’s generals to accompany the Immortal Lord in slaying the demon.”

Qi Xianqing nodded and walked straight out of the great hall.

Yan Jue followed behind her. Just as they left the palace gates, she suddenly saw a female merfolk over there secretly wiping away tears.

Yan Jue had just been about to look away when the merfolk woman suddenly looked over. Yan Jue had nowhere to hide her gaze and could only stand awkwardly in place.

The merfolk woman quickly wiped her tears dry and swam over, bowing deeply to Yan Jue. “May I ask if you are an Immortal Lord of Five Dragons Sect?”

“That’s right,” Yan Jue said hesitantly. “Why are you crying?”

If Yan Jue remembered correctly, this merfolk woman was one of the several merfolk they had rescued from the fishing village earlier.

The merfolk woman sniffled hard. “The Immortal Lord probably doesn’t remember. On the evening of the day before yesterday, the Immortal Lord stayed at my home.”

Yan Jue froze.

She remembered that the day before yesterday, when they had just arrived at the fishing village, they had indeed stayed temporarily at a man’s home. However, the man had been scheming against them, so they had run into the mountains.

So the merfolk woman that man had imprisoned in his backyard was this one.

The merfolk woman covered her mouth in front of Yan Jue and began crying again. “I returned to the sea alone, and I can’t bear to part with my child.”

“I heard that the fishing village was struck by a tsunami. I don’t know whether they are safe or not...”

...

Yan Jue stood there listening to the merfolk woman cry her heart out for a while before slowly walking away.

The scene beneath the sea was completely different from how it looked from above. All around was clear, azure water, with fish schools swimming in orderly patterns overhead. Looking around, aside from the merfolk palace, the seabed was dotted with giant seashells that seemed to be used as dwellings.

Qi Xianqing stood not far away with her hands behind her back, gazing into the distance. No one knew what she was thinking.

Yan Jue stood beside Qi Xianqing and asked, “Does Senior Sister know what cultivation level the strange serpent Feiyi the merfolk king just mentioned is at?”

Yan Jue had lived on Five Dragons Mountain for a long time. Although she had read many books, in many areas she still could not compare to Qi Xianqing.

Qi Xianqing: “The strange serpent Feiyi is recorded in many books.”

“Some say it lives in the deep sea, while others say it lives in remote mountain forests.”

“The cultivation level of an adult Feiyi is roughly equivalent to the Fifth Realm. With just the two of us and the Gentle Breeze Valley daoist friend, we can barely handle it.”

Feiyi was a snake, and belonged to the category of beasts.

Qi Xianqing said this because beasts have very little potential for advancement.

The reason a cultivator’s spirit beast could continuously advance was because the master provided it with treasures of heaven and earth.

But human cultivators did not need heavenly treasures to advance before the Nascent Soul stage, while beasts always needed such things to assist their cultivation no matter when it was. This showed just how difficult their advancement was.

As a general rule, whatever cultivation level a beast had at birth would at most increase by one minor realm when it became an adult; there would not be much change.

If the Feiyi the old merfolk described truly was the kind of serpent monster recorded in books, then the two of them, plus Jiang Yu from Gentle Breeze Valley, could definitely handle it.

More importantly...

Yan Jue felt that Qi Xianqing should probably already be at the peak of the Fusion Realm. With Qi Xianqing’s ability, it was entirely possible for her to kill across realms.

-

Qi Xianqing and Yan Jue rested briefly in the imperial palace before setting out with Jiang Yu of Gentle Breeze Valley to slay the demon.

Yan Jue was a little sleepy; perhaps because the fox demon’s physiological period had been acting up all along, she actually felt somewhat cold as she walked beneath the sea.

Then suddenly, weight settled on her shoulder.

Yan Jue blinked and turned to look; she saw that Qi Xianqing had somehow produced a soft jade-green silk cape, which she gently draped over her shoulders.

Qi Xianqing: “I just happened to bring it out. If you’re cold, put it on.”

Yan Jue looked at Qi Xianqing, and it felt as though someone had gently pinched her heart. She couldn’t help but be moved.

Qi Xianqing really was just as thoughtful as she had imagined.

The two of them fell silent for a moment when they suddenly heard footsteps from over there.

Jiang Yu had spotted the two of them standing side by side from far away and could hardly believe her eyes. After approaching, she froze for a moment before hurriedly cupping her fists and asking, “May I ask if you are the Lord Meng Heng of Five Dragons Sect?”

Qi Xianqing: “Mm.”

Jiang Yu was momentarily dazed.

They said Lord Meng Heng was uninterested in beauty, a cultivator of pure and desireless temperament; so why was she looking at the person beside her with such a gentle gaze?

And just now, she had sensed that the auras emitted by the magical implements behind the two of them were astonishingly compatible.

The sword behind this person and the sword behind Lord Meng Heng were actually a matched pair!

Could it be... this was Lord Meng Heng’s dao companion?

Looking at the two of them, Jiang Yu could no longer suppress her gossiping heart. Even while walking with them, her eyes kept darting over to study them.

Yan Jue: “...”

The three of them quickly arrived at the sea valley the old merfolk had mentioned.

The light overhead instantly turned dim.

Ahead was a stretch of total darkness; nothing could be seen.

It was enough to make one wonder whether some eerie face would suddenly emerge from the darkness at any moment.

Yan Jue took one look and felt a chill run down her spine.

The valley in the seabed was somewhat steep. Qi Xianqing turned back to Yan Jue. “Be careful.”

So careful; if one didn’t know better, they’d think his wife was pregnant. Jiang Yu couldn’t help but grumble inwardly.

Qi Xianqing held out a hand toward Yan Jue.

Yan Jue’s scalp tingled. What on earth are you doing? Didn’t you see there’s someone else watching? She absolutely did not want to hold Qi Xianqing’s hand. Her foot slipped, and she hurriedly placed her hand in Qi Xianqing’s.

“...”

In the darkness, Qi Xianqing’s lips curved very slightly.

The merfolk soldiers nearby saw it and couldn’t help but tease, “You two... are you dao companions?”

Yan Jue: “? No!”

Qi Xianqing smiled, but said nothing.

In the dark, both of their ears were already burning red.

The light around them grew darker and darker, and the ground beneath their feet became harder and harder; gradually, they could no longer make out the path ahead.

Qi Xianqing’s expression turned solemn as she took out the Spirit-Transforming Pearl from her chest.

In an instant, dazzling light pierced through the darkness; the glow gradually extended to a distance of ten paces.

Yan Jue looked up and could see jagged rocks overhead, with strange creatures faintly weaving among them.

Jiang Yu frowned. “I heard this strange serpent moves about unpredictably. How are we supposed to lure it out?”

Qi Xianqing slowly rolled up her sleeves and drew the long sword from her back. Seeing her ice-cold profile, Jiang Yu couldn’t help but widen her eyes in shock.

A flash of blue-green sword light flickered as it sliced across the girl’s jade-like, glistening arm.

Blood dripped down slowly, gradually blending into the seawater around them.

Jiang Yu clearly had never seen anyone cut themselves with such a blank expression, and bleed so much at that. For a moment, she did not know what to say.

Yan Jue was already used to this kind of scene; frowning, she stared into the distance.

One breath... two breaths... three breaths...

Qi Xianqing took out a handkerchief and, expressionlessly, bound the wound on her arm.

The distant sea valley was deep and quiet, silent to the point of being eerie.

Then suddenly, a change erupted.

A distant and beautiful female voice sounded in everyone’s minds at once.

Several cries of the cuckoo... and now the flowers have withered... (1)

Yan Jue’s vision suddenly went black, followed by an intense sense of disorientation.

The ethereal singing seemed to echo through the lonely, silent valley, like the songs of a siren from stories Yan Jue had once read. The lingering melody struck the heart one note at a time, seducing a person’s pulse.

In an instant, pain shot through her arm.

Yan Jue abruptly lifted her eyes and met Qi Xianqing’s gaze, cold as ice. Her hand was being held tightly in Qi Xianqing’s; the skin had already been pinched black and blue by her grip.

The heart is like a net of double silk... within it lie thousands upon thousands of knots... (2)

In that instant, the merfolk beside them all suddenly broke into blissful smiles and actually swam rapidly toward the sound.

One merfolk... two merfolk...

Before long, everyone started singing, joyfully swimming that way as they sang.

Yan Jue’s pupils contracted sharply. She reached out and grabbed the arm of the merfolk beside her, but to her surprise, the merfolk’s body was so slippery that it slipped straight from her fingers.

Qi Xianqing’s expression was cold. In the sea, many of her abilities could not be fully unleashed. With a sudden leap through the air, she barely managed to use Instant Thousand Miles, and in the blink of an eye she reached a frenzied male merfolk.

Qi Xianqing seized the merfolk’s arm and, bending slightly at the waist, hurled him behind her. The singing was still continuing. The merfolk suddenly let out a shrill scream; his eyes were blood-red with madness, and he loudly chanted an incantation. Several sharp water blades instantly condensed before them—

The blade-like streams of water came slashing in with tremendous force; blood burst from the merfolk’s nostrils and eyes. In an instant, three deep wounds appeared on Qi Xianqing’s pale arm. The water blades clung to the skin as if they were about to seep inside, and Qi Xianqing’s grip loosened. The merfolk then swam rapidly toward the other side.

Jiang Yu’s terrified voice rang out from over there. “Look!”

Suddenly, the water ripples around them began to surge violently.

Something was approaching in the darkness!

A blue-black figure flashed through the water; wherever it passed, there was only blood. The merfolk that had just gone mad were all swallowed whole in its belly.

The blue-black figure drew nearer and nearer, a merfolk still clamped in its mouth; the merfolk’s screams were endless, while the large tail exposed outside flailed wildly.

Crack...

Even the fish tail was swallowed into its belly.

Only then did Yan Jue clearly see the monster’s form.

In the darkness, it actually had two ferocious snake heads. The snake mouths opened wide, revealing vicious fangs; venom dripped slowly from the teeth, glowing with a faint green light.

Then suddenly, that purple venom shot out and rushed straight toward Qi Xianqing.

Yan Jue’s pupils contracted. She suddenly saw a golden flash light up before Qi Xianqing.

All of the venom was blocked back in front of Qi Xianqing.

A heart-protecting mirror.

Jiang Yu retreated sharply and took out the bone flute at her waist, blowing into it.

In an instant, a clear flute note rang through the water. Above Jiang Yu, spiritual power suddenly exploded.

Something appeared overhead!

It was an elderly man in daoist robes, with sinister golden light glowing in his eyes as he looked calmly down at everything around him.

Summoning arts.

Greedy Wolf Star Lord!

Gentle Breeze Valley had always been adept at summoning. They could summon ancient beasts and immortals alike; though only a trace of those beings’ remnant will could be called down, the power was boundless.

The serpent monster lunged forward; its huge tail slammed into the rocks, and in an instant the mountain shattered as countless fragments rolled down.

BOOM!!

Qi Xianqing raised her right hand, and an azure protective barrier instantly rose above the three of them, catching the falling stones.

Jiang Yu silently recited an incantation. Above her, Greedy Wolf Star Lord swept out his right hand, and a streak of floating light appeared around them, slamming fiercely toward the serpent monster.

The serpent monster opened its blood-soaked maw and charged straight at Qi Xianqing.

There was no doubt that its target was Qi Xianqing alone.

Sword in hand, Qi Xianqing flashed sideways with Zhuying and slashed directly into the serpent’s body. Blue light burst forth; the serpent monster writhed in pain and, turning back, lunged toward Qi Xianqing again. Qi Xianqing’s expression was cold, and her right hand swept out violently.

Zhuying instantly expanded in midair until it was as tall as three people. With both hands forming seals, Qi Xianqing brought the sword down in the water with a thunderous boom; in an instant, she blew apart one of the serpent monster’s heads!

Blood dyed the ocean red.

“Ah...”

At the same time, the other serpent head had already opened its mouth and was lunging at Qi Xianqing.

Qi Xianqing made a one-handed gesture, and Zhuying immediately flew back, slamming heavily into the gap between the serpent’s jaws.

A gurgling sound came from the serpent’s throat; for a moment, it could not even close its mouth.

Qi Xianqing’s eyes flicked toward Yan Jue. Understanding immediately, Yan Jue raised the immortal sword Drifting Ice. At this moment Drifting Ice was trembling violently, the soft sword body straightening in the air. Yan Jue formed a hand seal with both hands, and it shot out like a meteor.

It smashed viciously into the serpent monster.

The serpent let out a deafening roar and began swimming frantically, seemingly trying to escape.

Drifting Ice was still lodged in its back, radiating a dazzling ice-blue light. Yan Jue leapt up and rode astride the snake’s back.

The huge serpent monster, like a dragon in flight, shot toward the distant abyss.

Zhuying was still stuffed in its mouth, making the whole thing look rather ridiculous. Qi Xianqing watched the serpent monster’s figure gradually disappear, and her expression grew more severe.

With the Water-Avoidance Pearl on her person, Qi Xianqing could only barely use Instant Thousand Miles. Her body turned into a strange afterimage in the air as she seized the serpent’s tail.

The dark green giant snake shook its massive head, and in the next instant vanished without a trace.

-

Yan Jue rode on the snake’s back. Without the Water-Avoidance Pearl protecting her, she could only barely burst forth her true qi to shield herself.

Golden true qi wrapped around her body, layer upon layer.

One of the serpent monster’s heads had already been blown apart by Qi Xianqing, while the other still had Zhuying stuck in its mouth, making it impossible to close its jaws.

It was practically dragging its injuries forward. At first its speed was especially fast, but later it grew slower and slower.

It was already struggling at the edge of death.

When Yan Jue was riding on the snake’s back, Qi Xianqing was also on its tail.

The icy seawater cut across her face like blades. Qi Xianqing’s brows were locked tightly together, her expression as cold as frost and snow, while in her mind she kept replaying the scene from earlier.

Those people who had been alive and standing right before her had all been killed by the demon in a single instant.

At the thought of that, the hand hanging by Qi Xianqing’s side clenched into a fist so tightly that her nails were nearly digging into her flesh.

When she was very young, she often went down the mountain with her senior brothers and sisters to train, and had seen many bloody scenes of demons slaughtering humans. Each time she encountered one, her hatred for demons grew deeper by another degree.

And those two tiger demons who had brought the entire Qi family to utter ruin were even more the reason Qi Xianqing had been jolted awake from countless nightmares in the dead of night, drenched in cold sweat.

The giant snake swam more and more slowly. Perhaps it wanted a desperate final struggle; it opened its mouth and was still singing those melodious, beautiful songs... But to Qi Xianqing’s ears, every note was as harsh as a thunderclap, making her head ache unbearably.

In an instant, her loathing for evil and demonkind reached its peak.

Zhuying flew back. Qi Xianqing’s wrist, gripping the serpent’s tail, suddenly went weak; Zhuying flashed with blue light and, like thunder, smashed toward the giant serpent’s vital point.

The massive body of the serpent shook violently, then let out a deafening shriek and began falling rapidly downward.

...

The fierce current brushed across her face. Yan Jue concentrated her sea of consciousness, closed her eyes, and spread out her Divine Sense to explore the surrounding region.

This was the deepest part of the sea valley; the light was very dim.

Everywhere were mountains of merfolk bones. Some bones were well preserved; others consisted of nothing but skulls.

No wonder Yan Jue had smelled such a strong stench of blood when she first saw this serpent monster earlier.

The lives on this serpent monster’s back numbered in the tens of thousands.

The serpent monster plunged straight toward the ground. Yan Jue kicked off hard with her right foot, turned over in midair, and retreated swiftly backward.

At the same time, she saw Qi Xianqing’s figure at the serpent’s tail.

As the serpent hit the ground, countless clouds of dust rose into the air. Qi Xianqing’s body was as nimble as a flying swallow; she climbed straight to the serpent monster’s dantian area, then reached out with her right hand. Zhuying flew back, and Qi Xianqing gripped it tightly before slashing downward.

The serpent monster was instantly ripped open from belly to throat.

Yan Jue stood dazedly in place and watched as Qi Xianqing, expression cold, cut something out from the belly of that strange serpent.

A round pearl of pale gold.

A demon core.

Those two words flashed through Yan Jue’s mind at once.

Qi Xianqing held the demon core, her brows tightly furrowed; the pearl glowing with faint golden light was almost about to be crushed in her hand.

Yan Jue blinked, somehow feeling that the pressure around this person was very low.

In the end, Qi Xianqing reached a conclusion. “This is the demon core of a Fifth Realm mid-stage beast.”

Yan Jue came to stand beside Qi Xianqing and nodded lightly.

She had once read many books in the Library Pavilion and knew that demon cores were excellent materials for cultivation advancement.

Because a demon core contained all the cultivation of a beast.

Yan Jue met Qi Xianqing’s unreadable gaze and nodded. “A demon core is excellent material for advancing cultivation.”

Qi Xianqing was slightly stunned; she hadn’t expected Yan Jue to say something like that.

Qi Xianqing was already at the peak of the Fusion Realm. She only needed one step to cross into the Heart Stirring Realm of the Fifth Realm.

This serpent monster had lived in the deep sea for many years, and the spiritual energy in its demon core was so abundant it was practically overflowing. It had also harmed countless people; by all rights, if one were to take its demon core, Qi Xianqing should never have had any psychological burden at all.

Yan Jue lowered her eyes. “If Senior Sister needs to break through, I can guard the way for you again.”

Qi Xianqing’s brows furrowed even more.

Yan Jue was indeed conflicted in her heart. She remembered that not long ago, she had just sworn she would never guard the way for Qi Xianqing again, but now she still couldn’t help it...

Maybe there was always one person who could keep making her break the promises she once made.

She was finished... could she have fallen for this ice-faced woman?

Although Yan Jue was a fox demon, she was not really a demon by nature, and she looked at matters like demon cores very lightly...

Although the way Qi Xianqing had disemboweled the serpent was, as always, bloody and brutal.

If they broke through in the imperial palace, there would be too many eyes around and it would be dangerous; this sea valley had no other creatures, so it was clearly very suitable.

Qi Xianqing fell into thought, but Yan Jue’s clear voice interrupted her: “If Senior Sister wants to break through, then hurry up. If we delay any longer, the others will be coming.”

Qi Xianqing’s expression quickly turned cold. What exactly was she hesitating about? It was only a demon that had committed countless evils; stripping its demon bones and taking its demon core—how many times had she not done this before?

Rather than saying she was hesitating over whether to seize the demon core, it was more accurate to say she was considering Yan Jue’s feelings.

Qi Xianqing lowered her eyes; no emotion could be read in them. “Then I’ll trouble Junior Sister Yan to protect the law for me.”

Yan Jue sat down cross-legged one step ahead of her and formed her hand seals.

Qi Xianqing looked at her deeply, then also sat down.

The breakthrough began.

Their Divine Sense floated in the air and gradually fused together.

A faint radiance began to drift in the sky; it seemed as though the ice-blue light and the blue-green light were slowly blending together.

Threads of spiritual power rippled out from around Qi Xianqing. Yan Jue closed her eyes and could feel true qi moving through Qi Xianqing’s limbs and bones...

With her eyes closed, Yan Jue could see a glimmer of light rising and falling within Qi Xianqing’s sea of qi.

This was an extremely dangerous moment. Yan Jue felt a vast current of lightning wildly surging around them, gradually invading her limbs and bones.

She could even hear the sound of wind and thunder within Qi Xianqing’s sea of qi.

No one knew how long had passed when Qi Xianqing’s breathing beside her gradually became disordered and rapid.

Qi Xianqing was now striking at the Great Perfection of the Fusion Realm.

This was not a normal advancement at all.

In this dark and sunless abyss, Yan Jue was Qi Xianqing’s only guide.

Yan Jue’s brows were tightly furrowed, sweat beading densely on her forehead. The electric currents surging from Qi Xianqing’s body were almost burning her; the pain made her clench her teeth.

Qi Xianqing suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood mist; her pale face tinted with a thin flush, and fine beads of cold sweat rose on her forehead.

Yan Jue could sense the clouds and light within Qi Xianqing’s sea of qi beginning to fluctuate slightly.

Qi Xianqing was trying again and again to break through the sea of qi.

With her eyes tightly shut, Qi Xianqing seemed to be sinking into the darkness.

It was very cold around her, so cold that her whole body began to tremble.

Then suddenly, something warm spread into her palm.

Qi Xianqing paused slightly.

Yan Jue reached out and held Qi Xianqing’s hand.

In an instant, a warm stream of spiritual energy penetrated straight into her heart, causing Qi Xianqing’s entire body to tremble violently. She suddenly realized that at this moment, she was not the only one here.

Yan Jue was accompanying her.

...

About an hour later.

Yan Jue slowly opened her eyes and exhaled; seeing that the same cloud-and-rosy-light phenomenon she had seen last time outside Frozen Peach Haven had appeared above Qi Xianqing’s head, she finally let out a breath of relief.

The spiritual power in Qi Xianqing’s body gradually stabilized, and a new force began to rise within her sea of qi.

This power was very restrained, not outwardly revealed, but whenever Yan Jue accidentally brushed against it, her scalp would tingle.

Qi Xianqing had finally broken through.

Yan Jue did not dare probe Qi Xianqing’s body any further and immediately withdrew her own Divine Sense. She swayed involuntarily and nearly blacked out.

Because she was already familiar with Qi Xianqing’s thunder spiritual root, her whole body ached terribly, but not so badly that she would fall over like last time.

The sea valley was quiet.

Qi Xianqing slowly stood up, calming her uneven breathing.

“Thank you.”

The benefits the Immortal Spirit Physique brought to a cultivator were unparalleled by nature. Above the Fusion Realm, breakthroughs were extremely difficult.

Some cultivators even needed to attempt a breakthrough several times before succeeding.

But Qi Xianqing had succeeded in just one try. Yan Jue knew very clearly how rare that was.

The higher one’s cultivation, the richer the fragrance belonging to the Immortal Spirit Physique became. Yan Jue stared at Qi Xianqing and couldn’t help but swallow lightly.

The surroundings were quiet, so the sound of swallowing was especially noticeable.

Qi Xianqing was standing right behind her, and Yan Jue’s heart couldn’t help but thump. She didn’t know whether Qi Xianqing had heard it or not.

Qi Xianqing’s brow twitched slightly, but she simply walked straight to the serpent’s corpse and drew Zhuying from her immortal sword, stripping off the snake scales.

“These scales can be used to make clothes for the little wild boar.”

The little wild boar had often made a fuss on Five Dragons Mountain, demanding clothes of its own.

Qi Xianqing had never said anything, but she had kept it in mind.

Yan Jue understood what Qi Xianqing meant, and her heart warmed without her realizing it.

Qi Xianqing turned back to look at Yan Jue. There were still beads of sweat from the breakthrough on her forehead, and her fair cheeks were still flushed with a warm peach color; her dark peach blossom eyes were clear and alluring. “These Feiyi scales have the property of ‘hundred transformations.’ As long as you wear them, they can constantly become whatever form you want, and the material is incomparably tough. For Zhu He, this is excellent material for advancing cultivation.”

Yan Jue nodded and smiled. “If Zhu He gets this piece of clothing, she’ll definitely be very happy.”

Qi Xianqing looked up at the dimness overhead and let out a deep breath.

She was now in the early Heart Stirring Realm, and it gave her a completely different feeling from before; her sea of qi seemed to be roaring with a whirlwind, and every breath carried formless strength.

All thanks to Yan Jue.

Actually, if a cultivator wanted someone to help guard the way during a breakthrough, that person had to be someone the cultivator trusted extremely deeply.

Because during her breakthrough just now, Yan Jue had clearly had many chances to directly crush her sea of qi.

While Qi Xianqing was distracted, Yan Jue was standing in front of the giant serpent, looking it over from left to right.

She knew that, like all creatures in this world, a snake like this Feiyi was full of treasures from head to tail: the scales were treasure, the demon core was treasure, and then there was...

Yan Jue looked at the serpent, and a thought suddenly struck her. She reached into the snake’s mouth and forcefully pulled out one of its snow-white fangs.

After pulling out the fang, Yan Jue came back to herself in satisfaction, only to catch Qi Xianqing looking at her thoughtfully.

Yan Jue: “...What are you doing?”

Qi Xianqing looked at Yan Jue. “Nothing.”

She turned away with a cold face.

Yan Jue: “...”!

TL Note:

Feiyi (肥遗) = a mythic two-headed serpent from Chinese lore.

“Several cries of the cuckoo... and now the flowers have withered...” / “The heart is like a net of double silk... within it lie thousands upon thousands of knots” (数声鶗鴂……又报芳菲歇 / 心似双丝网……中有千千结): I assume it's from some classical poem, I'm not familiar.