Mistaken Era – Chapter 13
Startled by the Senior Martial Brother’s shout, A Yi fumbled to take out talismans for exorcising demons as he charged towards Cui Xiaoxiao with the Senior Brother.
Cui Xiaoxiao had been holding her breath and concentrating her focus, growing increasingly skilled at controlling the water flows. Just as she was immersed in this state, the Senior Brother’s shout gave her a start.
As a result, not a single drop of the water she was controlling was wasted – it all fell straight down from midair, splashing onto the two martial brothers’ faces and bodies, instantly drenching them.
Shaking her numb arms, Xiaoxiao smiled apologetically at her martial brothers: “Oops, my bad, but weren’t you two skipping your morning wash anyway? This works too…”
After repeatedly confirming that Xiaoxiao had not been demonized, but had simply realized the secret of water control during last night’s meditation, Ji Wuqi’s eyes remained wide like bronze bells.
“Impossible! You were clearly asleep last night, how could your cultivation have increased so much?”
The Second Martial Sister Jiang Nanmu also stared wide-eyed. When she learned that Xiaoxiao had controlled the water without using talismans, simply reciting incantations, her eyes almost popped out.
It must be understood that Talisman Sect cultivators channeled their powers through talismans as a medium, like a mountain climber using a bamboo staff – it made the climb twice as easy.
This was because their spiritual power was insufficient and required external props, which was also why other major sects and palaces looked down on talisman cultivators. Those who refined talismans were innately lacking and unsuitable for true cultivation.
It was like a physical weakling with inconvenient legs insisting on struggling up a mountain while leaning on crutches. They could only circle around the midpoint at best.
It was precisely because of this innate limitation that sects like the Talisman Sect could rarely produce supremely talented cultivators capable of awing the world.
In the past few hundred years of the various Talisman Sect branches, there were almost no examples of cultivators at the highest levels who could control the five elements without using talismans.
After all, transcending the limitation of talismans required immense innate talent and cultivation accumulation. Since they had grown accustomed to using the “talisman crutch”, few were willing to discard it and learn to walk anew.
Yet now, their Lingshan Talisman Sect’s Cui Xiaoxiao…had actually achieved this! Just how much higher was her innate talent than theirs?
When Jiang Nanmu said Xiaoxiao hadn’t used a water-controlling talisman, Ji Wuqi refused to believe it.
Xiaoxiao didn’t bother explaining, simply extending two slender fingers to draw a slender stream from the creek, shamelessly splashing it onto the Senior Martial Brother’s swarthy face before saying, “Well? Do you believe me now?”
Ji Wuqi wiped his dripping face, utterly speechless.
In the cultivation world, apart from the righteous-evil divide, talent and attainment overrode everything!
No matter how much Ji Wuqi had previously looked down on Cui Xiaoxiao, she had now proven with her own ability that among all the sect’s disciples, her talent was the highest! The master had not misjudged her.
Of course, Cui Xiaoxiao understood the reason for her sudden cultivation increase, but could not explain it too clearly to her martial siblings. Otherwise, the Senior Martial Brother would definitely think she had demonized.
As they continued traveling, Xiaoxiao pondered that initially, the demon pearl inside her probably wanted to control her like it had the White family’s wife, provoking her inner resentment to make her demonize and fall under its sway.
But who knew that her extremely yin-natured blood would come into play in that critical moment, repelling the demon. Now she and the demon pearl had reached a delicate balance – as long as this balance wasn’t disrupted, she should be fine for the time being.
However, the Blood Demon had mentioned that she was the second person able to break free of the demon pearl’s control upon realizing it could no longer manipulate her.
Cui Xiaoxiao grew curious – who was the first person to break the demon pearl’s hold?
Little did Xiaoxiao know that the scene of her controlling the water flows was being accurately presented before Qin Lingxiao’s eyes as well.
By now, Qin Lingxiao had returned to the Nine Mystic Sword Mountain, but before leaving, he had already dispatched disciples to monitor and trail Cui Xiaoxiao.
Beside the cold pool on Sword Mountain, he utilized his Divine Vision technique, borrowing the eyes of the secretly monitoring Sword Sect disciples to clearly see what Cui Xiaoxiao was currently doing.
…She actually had such divine abilities! He recalled from their previous meeting that her dantian’s qi was still empty, so how had she reached this level in such a short time?
Could it be…she had used the demon pearl to elevate her cultivation? Wasn’t this treading the same path as the Demon Lord Wei Huo?
Qin Lingxiao opened his eyes in fury and leapt to his feet, only to find that his junior martial sister Ling Zhishan had entered the inner hall at some point and was now standing before him.
“Lingxiao…your forehead…” Ling Zhishan had just noticed that the lotus imprint on Qin Lingxiao’s brow was gradually turning black. She quickly closed the distance between them.
Qin Lingxiao raised a hand to cover the mark on his forehead, then calmly asked Ling Zhishan: “Have you found any leads on the demon pearl ‘Wrath’?”
Ling Zhishan knew he was unwilling to explain, so she suppressed her worry and replied, “I’ve located it. Wrath has possessed a ferocious tiger on Maoshan, constantly raging and devouring passersby. I’m about to take disciples to subdue that demonic tiger and extract the demon pearl…I’ve heard you previously met that Cui Xiaoxiao alone. May I ask what it was about?”
Qin Lingxiao was also unwilling to answer this – after all, he had proposed marriage only to be rejected by the little hen of a sect leader. There was nothing to boast about.
He closed his eyes again and said flatly, “I still need to cultivate further. If you have nothing else, you may go.”
Before other male cultivators, the normally aloof and untouchable Palace Head Ling Zhishan of Liangyi Palace was as cold as an ice lotus. But before her senior martial brother Qin Lingxiao, she was as obedient as a white rabbit.
She could tell Qin Lingxiao’s mood was poor, and that it seemed to be because of Cui Xiaoxiao.
Just what bewitching power did that deviant woman from a lesser sect possess to affect her martial brother’s emotions like this?
Knowing she couldn’t get any answers, she could only look at Qin Lingxiao’s handsome face with a mixture of love and hate before turning to leave the main hall.
To enter Qin Lingxiao’s heart, she needed the ability to support him.
For now, the most crucial thing was obtaining the demon pearl “Wrath”. As for that Cui Xiaoxiao, if an opportunity arose, Ling Zhishan did want to properly meet her…
As for the Talisman Sect cultivators, they were unaware they were being monitored by Sword Sect disciples.
Finally, on this day, they reached the area below Laoshan’s Fengchi Pool.
Upon entering Laoshan’s vicinity, the surrounding vegetation gradually thinned until there were virtually no large trees.
Further up the mountain, the entire peak was as barren as a wasteland, covered in yellow earth. Yet on one slope stood many stone slabs resembling tombstones and ruined walls.
With her keen eyesight, Cui Xiaoxiao could tell those steles were once inscribed with words, but had become almost indecipherable from damage and the ravages of time.
The Second Senior Martial Sister frequently heard the master speak of the previous sect leader’s experiences, so she was well-versed in the history behind these mountain steles.
“The master said these are virtue steles carved from dragon bones by the Four Great Sects. But two hundred years ago, they were shattered by Wei Huo’s lashing whips. I never imagined even shattered remnants would remain after so long!”
Cui Xiaoxiao had also read about this incident in the secret manuals, describing how it occurred before the Demon Lord Wei Huo was pursued by the Four Great Sects and fell into the Soul-Devouring Snake Pit.
His path to demonization began in that eerie valley on Laoshan Mountain.
It seemed that two hundred years ago, this area within a hundred li of Laoshan was still lush and verdant. But after Wei Huo became demonized, slaughtered the Four Sects, and attempted to open the Gate to the Underworld hidden on Laoshan, incurring the wrath of the gods, there was a great battle on the mountain. The areas scorched by divine fire remained barren of any vegetation.
The Second Senior Martial Sister loved reading about the famous legends of the various sects, so she eagerly recounted this tale to her junior martial sister, the cultivation novice.
At first, Cui Xiaoxiao smiled and listened as they climbed the mountain. But as they proceeded, her expression slightly changed as a twinge of pain shot from her chest, rapidly spreading through her entire body.
These past few days, Xiaoxiao had been getting along peacefully with the demon pearl, thinking her extremely yin-natured bloodline had suppressed it.
But now she realized she had celebrated too soon.
Right here on the slope beside the shattered steles at the foot of Laoshan Mountain, the malice of the demon pearl inside Xiaoxiao’s body finally began to act up.
Just as Qin Lingxiao had described, when the malice flared up, every pore of Cui Xiaoxiao’s body felt like it was pierced by a thousand arrows. The excruciating pain caused her to collapse writhing on the ground.
Her three martial siblings tried to lift her onto a nearby boulder, but as soon as their hands touched Xiaoxiao’s body, she cried out in agony again. Even the friction of her clothes was unbearably painful. Beads of sweat soaked her temples as disheveled strands of hair clung to her cheeks.
Seeing her in this state, Jiang Nanmu was nearly in tears as she asked in a hushed voice, “What should we do?”
Ji Wuqi held exorcising talismans, unsure whether to use them or not.
Though he had frequently mocked and belittled the junior sect leader, seeing the seventeen-year-old girl’s face drained of color from the pain, he too was at a loss for how to respond.
Finally, Ji Wuqi clenched the talisman papers into a ball and angrily flung them aside in resignation.
Just as they were all helpless, several Nine Mystic Sword Sect disciples arrived floating on swords, as if having timed their appearance.
The senior Sword Sect disciple Jiang Zheng scanned Cui Xiaoxiao’s writhing form with disdain. After getting an eyeful of the pathetic spectacle, he slowly spoke: “Our sect master foresaw the junior sect leader’s current predicament, so he ordered us to come receive her to meet him. In all the world, only our sect master can save you now, Junior Sect Leader. Please come with us!”
Upon hearing this, the Second Senior Martial Sister Jiang Nanmu was about to help the Sword Sect disciples lift Cui Xiaoxiao.
However, the wretchedly struggling Xiaoxiao had her hands clenched tightly in the dirt. Raising her head with tousled hair framing one exquisite eye, the red birth mark under it seemed on the verge of bleeding, lending her gaze a ferocious glint.
“…Thank the Sect Master Qin for his kindness, but this girl has no fortune to receive such goodwill. I appreciate the thought!”
Cui Xiaoxiao knew that Qin Lingxiao had deliberately timed this “invitation” when she would be suffering under the demonic malice’s torment.
He had calculated that in this state of shameless agony, she would be forced to beg for his assistance. But the more Qin Lingxiao tried to deliberately manipulate her, the less Xiaoxiao wanted to oblige him.
Having grown up fending for herself on the streets, if she didn’t have a stubborn streak, wouldn’t even stray dogs come bully her?
Beneath Cui Xiaoxiao’s genteel demeanor lurked a vicious determination that wouldn’t even spare her own life when she got serious!
