In almost an instant, Xiao Qingxuan reacted.
Knowing she could not escape the control of a Dao Integration Realm Dao Venerable, she immediately flung one of her Spirit Swords, which she had nurtured for a long time, backhandedly into the distance.
Fortunately, Ming Mengmeng’s attention was entirely on her, paying no mind to the Spirit Sword flying away.
The moment her face touched Ming Mengmeng’s lower abdomen, Xiao Qingxuan activated a divine ability of Heavenly Sword Peak.
Heavenly Sword Transformation.
In the next instant, she swapped places with that Spirit Sword.
Crack—
The incredibly sturdy Earth-Rank weapon was instantly crushed into scrap metal by Ming Mengmeng’s immense strength, and even Xiao Qingxuan, who had escaped by swapping, spat out a mouthful of blood.
Although this weapon wasn’t her Lifebound Spirit Sword, she had nurtured it for a long time, and it had formed a karmic connection with her.
Now that it was violently destroyed, Xiao Qingxuan suffered a backlash.
In the distance, Ming Mengmeng panted heavily. The fragments of the Spirit Sword were swept into her uncontrolled True Qi and instantly turned into dream-like dust, dispersing between heaven and earth.
Perhaps due to the increased distance from Xiao Qingxuan, Ming Mengmeng’s breathing gradually steadied, as if she had suppressed the impulse of desire.
“Little brat, if you don’t want to die, remember to warn me before you make a move…”
Ming Mengmeng’s voice was low, her crimson eyes flickering. The Dao Rhythm around her swept like a gale, and she seemed like a suppressed volcano that could erupt at any moment.
“Sorry.”
Xiao Qingxuan wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. Trading an Earth-Rank Spirit Sword for her life was absolutely worth it.
Not only that, she had incidentally confirmed that her idea was correct.
The Sword Qi of the Emotionless Sword Dao was like a key: it could turn the Sword Slave Mark into an aphrodisiac, making the Sword Slave desperately crave Sword Qi, and it could also fundamentally resolve the issues of the Sword Slave Mark.
She had a solution.
She stood up, gazed at Ming Mengmeng, the Sect Master of Illusion God Sect, from afar, and slowly spoke:
“Sect Master Ming, I can refine a Sword Qi Seed of the Emotionless Sword Dao for you to help you erase the Sword Mark.”
Ming Mengmeng was momentarily stunned, then nodded.
This operation would essentially put the key to the Emotionless Sword Dao into her own hands.
That way, whenever she was ready, she could unlock the shackles that bound her.
Confirming the deal was struck, Xiao Qingxuan slowly walked out of the hall, planning to find a quiet place to refine the Sword Qi Seed.
“Wait.”
Ming Mengmeng called out lightly from behind.
Xiao Qingxuan stopped and turned back to look at Ming Mengmeng atop the grand hall.
“Little girl, you’re not angry because of the illusion realm I ‘customized’ for you, are you?”
Ming Mengmeng looked at Xiao Qingxuan with a grin, a hint of teasing in her tone, but there was a subtle heaviness in her heart.
Her illusion realms were built from the most sensitive parts of others’ hearts—like tearing open someone’s wound to look, sprinkling salt on it, and then sewing it back up.
Such behavior naturally made Ming Mengmeng countless enemies outside, and even Illusion God Sect was seen as a sect that walked the line between righteous and evil.
Even so, Ming Mengmeng didn’t care about others’ opinions. In her view, the anger of ordinary men was nothing more than getting angry for anger’s sake—there was no need to consider the thoughts of such people.
But Xiao Qingxuan was different.
Xiao Qingxuan was the Direct Disciple of that Feng Linyi, and within the illusion realm specially and thoughtfully prepared for her, she had managed to retain a sliver of clarity at the end, breaking the situation and counter-killing—possessing an exceptionally terrifying mental fortitude.
Ming Mengmeng had seen countless people’s memories and constructed countless illusion realms.
In her view, being enraged by the illusion’s content and crazily striking back wasn’t frightening; what was frightening was the ‘calmness’ beneath the madness.
Moreover, as a Dao Integration Realm Dao Venerable, she naturally knew the importance of a Sword Qi Seed—it required a Sword Cultivator of the Emotionless Sword Dao lineage to extract it from their own Dao Foundation.
Xiao Qingxuan was at the pivotal point of breaking through from Half-Step Spirit Transformation to the Spirit Transformation Stage. Wasting her own Dao Foundation at this time might very likely consume her immortal path potential.
Even if she still managed to break through to the Spirit Transformation Stage, she might very well stop there in the future, making no further progress.
Yet, even at such a great cost, she sought to recover the memories of her little lover. That green-haired young girl must be an extremely important existence to Xiao Qingxuan.
And such an important existence being used as a tool for counter-killing—Xiao Qingxuan couldn’t possibly be without some resentment.
Ming Mengmeng quietly watched Xiao Qingxuan, a trace of wariness gradually rising in her eyes.
Right now, she truly wasn’t afraid of Xiao Qingxuan, but in the future, it was hard to say.
Given time, if Xiao Qingxuan also attained the position of Dao Venerable, remembered today’s grudge, and joined forces with that bastard Feng Linyi to come to Illusion God Sect and violate her, what would she do?
She wasn’t too afraid of that bastard Feng Linyi, but if another Dao Venerable joined, Illusion God Sect wouldn’t be able to withstand it.
After a moment of silence, a flash of sword light passed through Xiao Qingxuan’s eyes, and she slowly said:
“I did not get angry.”
On the other side.
Ye Luqing awoke from her slumber.
Seeing the system’s notification, it startled her early in the morning.
“Oh my, Corruption Value 102%?!”
“Who provoked her again?”
Ye Luqing couldn’t help but gasp. In her previous life, there weren’t many times when provoking Xiao Qingxuan would instantly raise the Corruption Value by 10%.
“Senior Sister, I’m coming in~”
Ye Luqing hurriedly got out of bed. The night before, after equipping the Magnetic Charm title, Ying Qianqian’s gaze toward her had turned odd, and they almost triggered the ‘Junior Sister’s Forbidden Massage’ storyline.
She had firmly refused this junior sister’s request to stay the night.
If a massage was that stimulating, what would ‘spending the night’ together lead to?
On one hand, she hadn’t learned any Dual Cultivation techniques yet; if word got out in Profound Firmament Upper Sect that she was pinned down by a junior sister, she’d lose face badly.
On the other hand, considering Xiao Qingxuan—if she came back to find her home stolen, Ye Luqing might as well start planning a third life.
She sat up straight and watched Ying Qianqian enter her room.
Unexpectedly, the little junior sister who had wanted to massage her entire body last night was very well-behaved today.
Ye Luqing’s eyes lit up. Could it be that the system’s hateful title had lost its effect?
But the next moment, she saw another person walk in through the door.
“Senior Sister Ye, this is Elder Xue from Cauldron Peak.”
That made sense—so it was because there was an outsider present.
Behind Ying Qianqian was a kindly-looking middle-aged woman, around her forties, with pupils flashing a blue-green light like the azure sky.
In just a glance, Ye Luqing could sense the other’s powerful Spiritual Power, as well as something indescribable yet profoundly mysterious.
It was the Power of Heaven and Earth of a Spirit Transformation Heavenly Lord.
Originally, Ye Luqing had been at the Late Nascent Soul Stage, not far from the Spirit Transformation Stage.
Though her cultivation had now fallen, the stature she once had at that level remained. That was one reason she had been able to defeat Pei Ruyi the night before.
Having experienced controlling Primordial Spirit, she was more adept with Spiritual Power.
“Greetings, Elder Xue.” Ye Luqing bowed.
“Hehe, no need to stand on ceremony.”
Elder Xue smiled amiably, her eyes scrutinizing Ye Luqing from head to toe.
After observing for a moment, the light in her eyes brightened somewhat.
“Not bad, not only a genius of the Formation Arts lineage, but also a good seedling for pill refining.”
Seeing the growing approval in Elder Xue’s eyes, Ye Luqing merely chuckled awkwardly.
She knew she had no talent in pill refining; the reason the other felt this way was probably due to the Magnetic Charm title taking effect.
According to the title’s effect, charm wasn’t just about simple appearance and aura.
For instance, if Elder Xue’s ideal type was a talented youth, then in her eyes, Ye Luqing with the title equipped appeared to have greater pill refining talent than before.
“If you ever want any pills in the future, there’s no need to go to Myriad Affairs Peak to exchange contribution points. You can come directly to Cauldron Peak to find me; I’ll only charge the cost of raw materials.”
Elder Xue found Ye Luqing more and more pleasing to the eye, as if looking at her own Direct Disciple.
Ye Luqing hurriedly expressed her thanks. Pills refined by a Spirit Transformation stage alchemist were not the common goods that could be exchanged for contribution points at Myriad Affairs Peak.
It seemed the system’s gifted title was somewhat useful after all.
Without further pleasantries, Elder Xue placed her hand on Ye Luqing’s pulse, using divine sense and pill energy to simultaneously examine her condition.
