"A Misunderstanding"

Yu Ci squinted his eyes, he had no other choice. The tip of a short sword was pressed against his forehead, its dazzling brilliance piercing through the coldness straight into his skull.

He wanted to dodge the blade, but wasn't confident enough. But in the next moment, the short sword was retracted.

"I'm sorry."

A soft, delicate voice lingered in his ear. The female cultivator bowed her head slightly in apology, "There's a Virtuous Measure boundary set up around here. If you harbor any ill-intentions, you wouldn't be able to enter. I was just too nervous."

As the female cultivator explained in a gentle whisper, her head remained lowered, seemingly remorseful about her previous actions. Yu Ci hadn't expected this outcome. Seeing such a character who would rather step back before confronting a situation made him feel both amused and exasperated. However, clearing up the misunderstanding was the best outcome. He let out a sigh of relief and finally managed to look past the veil of her hair to see the female cultivator's face.

"Is that you?"

Upon hearing Yu Ci's call, the female cultivator looked up in surprise, allowing Yu Ci to clearly see her face.

At this moment, a layer of ethereal aura seemed to radiate from her clear and elegant eyes.

The female cultivator's delicate features seemed to exist solely for this ethereal aura. Her slender, curved eyebrows seemed to be coated with Qingyan, accumulating the aura, which then flowed down along her soft facial contours, permeating her skin, as white and smooth as porcelain or jade, tinting her lips, bright and moist. Because she was too ethereal, it made people feel that her beautiful appearance was like the most exquisite and gorgeous porcelain, beautiful to the extreme, but also fragile to the extreme.

In fact, this was the first time Yu Ci had seen the female cultivator's face so clearly, but that feeling was unchanging. He recognized her immediately, this was the delicate female cultivator who had come out from the Mountain Moving Cloud Boat Dock. Yu Ci had even spoken a word to her.

And that night, he also saw the female cultivator injured and later disappeared, not knowing why she ended up here.

It wasn't until this moment that the female cultivator took a close look at him. Speaking of which, Yu Ci's current appearance would make even those who knew him hesitate to recognize him. Due to his clothes being damaged in that space, he was now only covered in animal skins, barefoot and bare-armed, unkempt for several days, with a layer of iron-blue stubble on his chin, his hair casually tied up, looking like a wild man. It was no wonder that the female cultivator instinctively wanted to draw her sword when she first saw him.

The female cultivator was first puzzled, then suddenly realized, "You are the one from the dock..."

Yu Ci smiled, about to formally greet her, when the distant howl of demons echoed, rapidly approaching.

The female cultivator's eyebrows furrowed slightly. Although she didn't say anything, her expression seemed to say, "Not again." At this moment, the fatigue in her eyes was impossible to hide,

A thought flashed through Yu Ci's mind. Through the bird in the sky, he projected the surrounding situation into his eyes:

The place where he and the female cultivator were located was about a thousand feet below the highest peak of the mountain. Extending from the mountain ridge and clinging to the cliff, it expanded to a space of about a mile. The trees were sparse and the terrain was flat, while the terrain on the outer periphery was more complicated.

At the end of this relatively flat area, the vague shadows of Demons flickered. However, they did not approach directly but sought out the tops of trees, cliffs, and other high places, their figures looming above, the light gradually rising in the mist.

Yu Ci could see clearly that what was shimmering there was the Divine Light of the Talisman!

A few whistling sounds rang out, and the green smoke arrows that Yu Ci had encountered before were launched into the sky, crossing nearly two miles before falling overhead.

Even when launched from a high place, the green smoke arrows lost their momentum after flying two miles. The structure of the Talisman began a dangerous transformation, ultimately exploding mid-air, the dense Phosphorus Fire raining down like a shower.

Having witnessed the power of such Phosphorus Fire before, Yu Ci tensed up, ready to take action, when suddenly a clear sound rang in his ears. A layer of Gang Sha spread out, not extensive, but with a serious demeanor, causing the surrounding air to solidify.

Wherever the Gang Sha reached, the Phosphorus Fire in the sky was instantly annihilated.

And it was not just this one. All kinds of charms and spells following the smoke arrow Phosphorus Fire, as long as they touched this layer of Gang Sha, all dissipated. Those that didn't touch could only hit the ground on the outskirts, posing no threat at all.

Yu Ci turned around in surprise. The soft and weak female cultivator still had her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed. She appeared weary and weak, but this move of hers was truly impressive!

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Any Cultivator who could make it to this hellish place, even if they thought with their knees, would know that there were no simple individuals here. However, rationality was one thing, and perception was another. The frail image of the female cultivator left a deep impression on Yu Ci, so much so that seeing her level of cultivation and tactics left him somewhat disoriented.

Additionally, there were some more subtle thoughts.

Therefore, Yu Ci began to draw talismans. Under these circumstances, the most threatening thing he knew was the Five-Thunder Talismans.

His understanding of Five-Thunder Talismans was incomparable to the past. As the series of thunder patterns linked together, the aura of heaven and earth's killing intent flowed in the depths of the mist. Yu Ci was just grasping the mechanism on his side. When the time was ripe, the bird in the sky had already locked onto the target for him. With a slight shift in perspective, the purple thunderfire had already torn through the mist and struck down.

With a thunderous boom, the Demons were torn apart.

The Demon, pierced by the thunderbolt, was charred all over, even its internal organs were roasted. Its screams were drowned out by the ensuing thunder, dying swiftly and cleanly.

Before the other Demons could react, another thunderbolt pierced through the mist. This time the location was a large diagonal, four miles away from the previous target. Amid the thunderous noise, the Demon struck by the thunderbolt sprung up several feet high, then fell heavily, apparently lifeless.

The activation of Five-Thunder Talismans was "what you see is what you get". The attack distance was extremely long, and with the help of the bird in the sky for positioning, no matter how hidden the Demons were, they could not escape a strike of the thunderbolt.

Seeing the continuous kills, Yu Ci let out a chuckle, intending to launch another attack. However, very quickly, he had a thought and stopped this idea.

From the perspective of the great bird, it noticed that the Demons seemed taken aback by his ability to attack from a distance with his Talisman, their reactions somewhat muddled, at least different from before. The current situation was peculiar, and to disrupt it without a clear understanding would not be a wise choice.

Therefore, he drew another Five-Thunder Talismans, and fortified it nine times with the Qi Leading Method. He did not activate it, but stored it in the azure light of the Divine Bronze Mirror. Everything was done with ease and without consuming too much time.

Only then did he turn his attention to the female cultivator. At this moment, she was also observing him, a hint of curiosity on her serene and beautiful face. Their gazes met, and the female cultivator lowered her eyelashes. Yu Ci gave her a smile, pointing towards the distant field strewn with the corpses of Demons, and asked:

"What's going on here?"

"I was trapped by them."

The female cultivator responded softly, "I had a battle with them here, killing one of the Demons' leaders. Since then, they have stopped their aggressive attacks, but have continuously harassed me."

Yu Ci hastily interrupted her, "Wait a moment, could you start from the beginning? After you left the dock, how did you end up here?"

The female cultivator's Cultivation Level was clearly superior to his, but perhaps due to her overly delicate demeanor, Yu Ci found it hard to exhibit any emotions of awe. The female cultivator didn't seem to mind; since their first meeting, Yu Ci had never seen her display any signs of anger.

"Not long after leaving the dock, I encountered Rakshasa Ghost King's discarded Ghost Beasts. It was very violent, recklessly emitting Illusionary Power, causing chaos. I tried to stop it but failed, instead, I discovered a group of Demons pursuing the Ghost Beasts."

The female cultivator spoke succinctly, omitting the details of her injuries that Yu Ci was aware of. However, Yu Ci understood her.

When the female cultivator failed to stop the Ghost Beasts, she aimed to eliminate the Demons instead. Unexpectedly, she ended up being surrounded by more than a hundred Demons after a long chase. Despite several attempts to break through, all ended in failure.

Although she couldn't break out, the Demons, having lost a formidable leader, were unwilling to attack aggressively. They set up a Formation setup around the perimeter, limiting her movements and using the tactic of attrition to drain her energy, which had been going on for over ten days.

"The Demons have set up a Demon Soul Silk Net here. It's woven from Demon Soul Silk, even finer than spider silk, and it's spread above and below. It doesn't have much power itself, but it's extremely sensitive and adept at transmitting amplified force. Once touched, the controller can immediately react and intercept through the net. I've tried several times, but I haven't been able to break through."

The female cultivator shook her head gently, her eyes heavy with fatigue. However, beyond this, she was remarkably calm and composed.

Upon seeing this, Yu Ci finally confirmed that this female cultivator was far from the frail and delicate creature she appeared to be. Single-handedly pursuing demons, enduring for ten days under the onslaught of over a hundred demons, it wasn't just about her cultivation level. Her courage, her tenacity, even the bravest men might not measure up to her.

Yu Ci thought that the female cultivator seemed so delicate due to her graceful demeanor. But upon closer observation, he noticed that beneath the apparent fragility, there was tranquility, restraint, and peace, akin to a well-bred lady. Her delicate demeanor did not hint at cowardice; her every move was elegant and appropriate, suggesting a remarkable background.

It was then that Yu Ci remembered he hadn't asked about the female cultivator's Sect. He chuckled and said, "I am Yu Ci, an outer disciple of the Lichen Sect, cultivating at the Still Heart Temple."

"Lichen Sect, Still Heart Temple?"

The female cultivator's eyes widened, "How do you address Brother Yu Zhou?"

"Eh?"

Yu Ci inwardly cursed his luck but had no choice but to answer, "Taoist Yu is my senior. May I ask your name?"

A faint smile blossomed on the female cultivator's lips. She seemed extremely pleased, but realizing her lapse, she quickly lowered her gaze and softly said:

"Four Clarity Sect, Gan Shi Zhen."

Of course, Yu Ci knew about the Four Clarity Sect. It was one of the few major Sects under the governance of the Jade Purification Alliance in the northern Cultivation World. The relationship between the Lichen Sect and Four Clarity Sect had always been good, and the cultivators from both sects shared deep bonds. Meeting a fellow cultivator here was certainly a good thing, but now Yu Ci had to face a question:

"I wonder, um, your relationship with Taoist Yu is..."

"When I first started cultivating, Brother Yu helped me a lot. We are both teachers and friends, and we address each other as siblings."

Gan Shi Zhen was a clever girl. Seeing Yu Ci's expression, how could she not understand his thoughts? However, she was also somewhat playful at the moment and emphasized her point.

Yu Ci sighed inwardly, but there was nothing he could do. He stood up, bowed, and said:

"So it's Master Gan. Disciple Yu Ci has met you."

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