At this moment, in the Outer Sect dormitories, Xi Miaoyi—the last remaining spy of the Devil Sect—had already packed her bags. She couldn’t stand to stay in this Yin Yang Immortal Sect for even one more second.
“The squad of several hundred that the Sect Master assigned to me… wiped out overnight. I can’t return to the sect. Am I truly destined to be nothing but a Rogue Cultivator…”
She recalled her glory days in the Devil Sect, hailed as a prodigy who could rival the Devil Sect Holy Son. She’d even been entrusted with the critical mission of infiltrating the Yin Yang Immortal Sect, one of the Ten Great Immortal Sects. But everything changed because of that Guest Elder’s appearance.
“Damn it, why am I the unlucky one?! I should have just obediently absorbed resources within the sect and taken things slowly. Why did I have to try and claim credit?!”
As she grumbled, Xi Miaoyi glanced at the Bronze Seal in her hand. This seal, proof of her undercover identity, was now tossed carelessly against the bedpost. She’d become a commander without an army overnight; what use was keeping this thing?
“That loli claimed to be the Right Protector, and in the end, she still got captured. Probably a fake too…”
Xi Miaoyi quickly finished packing her simple luggage. She peeked out the window, scanning the surroundings. Seeing no patrolling disciples, she cautiously opened her door.
“Still, that loli called that Elder ‘Shizun’… If she’s real, that’s impressive infiltration…”
Xi Miaoyi still couldn’t figure out the truth behind Meng Li’s words. She had no proof the girl was real, but also no proof she was fake. She could only operate under a tentative assumption of truth for now.
After all, in the Devil Sect—where strength was everything—the most popular trope was face-slapping. You could mock countless people, but if you messed up even once, you’d probably find yourself refined into someone else’s banner.
【Spirit Art: Secret Concealment】
“Thankfully, it seems my cover isn’t completely blown yet. I’ll flee before they catch on…”
The aura around Xi Miaoyi’s body grew fainter and less noticeable. From her pack, she pulled out the sect-leaving mission scroll she’d prepared long ago. Her plan was to leave the sect under the guise of completing a mission, then fake her death and escape completely.
“The plan’s simple, but it should still work…”
Clutching the mission scroll, Xi Miaoyi resolutely stepped out the door. The thought of leaving behind these days of constant fear made her heart beat wildly with excitement. So much so, that while in stealth, she failed to notice the figure directly in her path.
“Ouch!”
“Ah! That hurt!”
Thus, in the somewhat dim corridor, two figures collided. Although Xi Miaoyi didn’t fall, she still stumbled back two steps. The smaller figure, however, landed directly on her backside.
“Seriously! You saw someone was coming, why did you keep walking?!”
“You’re blaming me first?! The hallway is so dark, why didn’t you pay attention—how did I…!! Wait…”
Faced with the other party preemptively placing blame, Xi Miaoyi, with her excellent Devil Sect upbringing, was already prepared for verbal retaliation and physical disposal. She’d planned to just leave, thinking she might as well handle one more Outer Sect Disciple.
But the moment she started speaking, Xi Miaoyi finally realized something was wrong. That petite figure, that voice… they were somewhat familiar. Despite the dim light, Xi Miaoyi recognized her instantly.
“It’s! It’s you!!”
“Huh?”
Meng Li had also slowly picked herself up from the ground. Hearing the other’s shocked tone, she whipped around, her gaze landing on a young girl she was all too familiar with. Xi Miaoyi’s face was equally full of shock.
Xi Miaoyi had been fully prepared to make her escape, but at this most critical moment, she’d run into one of the people she least wanted to see—a loli whose identity she couldn’t figure out at all. Despite her harmless appearance, such people were often the most dangerous.
“Insolent! You dare not bow upon seeing this Protector?!”
Meng Li suddenly remembered the role she was playing before the other. Quickly adjusting her tone, she issued a warning with an air of authority. But Xi Miaoyi now harbored only a shred of belief and a mountain of doubt.
“Stop pretending! I’ve already seen through you. You were just knocked down by me. How could a Protector be this weak?!”
Though her tone was questioning, Xi Miaoyi didn’t make a direct move. Hearing the challenge, Meng Li was internally startled, but her exterior remained unflappable.
“Foolish! The most important part of infiltration is hiding your strength. Otherwise, my immense power would have been exposed long ago.”
“…!”
Meng Li bluffed with a reason she didn’t even believe herself. Unsurprisingly, the shred of belief in Xi Miaoyi’s eyes was now replaced by total disbelief. The other’s hand had even moved behind her back, as if ready to draw a weapon.
“That excuse isn’t convincing at all. So, if you’d kindly just…”
Xi Miaoyi’s words trailed off as her grip tightened on the dagger behind her back. She’d been vexed over the other’s identity long enough. If this girl was just a mere disciple, she was fully confident she could slit her throat in seconds.
“If you want to pull out that dagger of yours, feel free to try…”
“Hm?”
Just as Xi Miaoyi was wondering what could possibly protect the other girl, Meng Li closed her eyes tightly, then slowly opened them, a cruel glint flashing within. Startled by the sudden shift, Xi Miaoyi hesitated, but still maintained her ready stance.
“Have you forgotten our Soul Refining Sect’s Heart-Devouring Mother-Child Method~”
“How do you know that name?! That’s something even—!”
“Even Inner Sect disciples might not know about it. So what? Do I still need to explain my identity to you again~”
“Impossible, you must be lying! You tricked me once before—watch me!”
Xi Miaoyi looked utterly defiant, as if facing death itself, yet she was still terrified inside. Because if what the other said was true, she was certainly doomed.
The Soul Refining Sect, a sect that used the sheer number of its members as a cultivation resource. Upon reaching a certain age, every sect member cultivated the child-fragment of this art. To prevent betrayal, the Sect Master and higher-ups cultivated the mother-fragment, allowing them to control the life and death of anyone with the child-fragment within a 100-meter radius.
“If you want to gamble, feel free to attack me and see. After all, I just need to move a finger, while you’ll be gambling with your very life~”
“You must have just heard about it from somewhere! There’s no way—!”
“Three~”
“!?!”
“Two~”
Faced with the countdown, no matter how skeptical Xi Miaoyi was, she completely panicked. She threw herself to the ground on all fours, looking utterly submissive. All traces of her earlier arrogance were gone.
“This young woman was overly suspicious and has offended Your Excellency! Please spare this young woman, Your Excellency!!”
“Now you’re calling yourself ‘this young woman,’ when just moments ago you wouldn’t even deign to say ‘Disciple’~”
“Please spare this young woman, and this young woman will change anything you ask!?”
“If I didn’t have urgent matters to attend to upon my return this time, otherwise… heh heh.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Meng Li walked leisurely past her, pushing open the door directly behind Xi Miaoyi and striding inside. The moment the door clicked shut, Xi Miaoyi collapsed like a deflated ball, slumping to the floor.
“Ah, I was just one step away from escaping completely! Why did she have to come back now?!”
Xi Miaoyi could only scream in her heart. Meanwhile, inside, Meng Li was also leaning heavily against the door, too scared to even breathe loudly. That look in the other’s eyes earlier—she’d truly meant to kill. After that entire performance, Meng Li’s legs felt like jelly.
“I just came back to sleep! How did I run into her?!”
While both girls were inwardly marveling at their own close calls, a third party was hidden in the shadows, observing their actions. Ling Qingyue wiped her longsword clean, concealed in the darkness, yet unseen by anyone.
“It seems my good disciple came back not to elope with her little lover…”
……………
…
