Nan Songzi's eyes widened, the female cultivator before him still bore the same delicate and charming face, yet her demeanor and aura were utterly unfamiliar. He forcefully suppressed his turbulent emotions, clutching his lower abdomen, his eyes nearly bulging out:
"You're not Tao Rong!"
"Tao Rong? Are you referring to her?"
The voice of the purple-robed female cultivator had changed, just like her laughter, slightly nasal, deep and pleasing to the ear. Upon closer listening, it seemed to carry the clang of metal, quite unique.
She extended her hand with a smile, giving it a shake. The surrounding air suddenly rippled, and then a blood-stained head appeared in her hand, swaying slightly. The face on the head, though heavily distorted by fear, was identical to hers.
The sight of the purple-robed woman holding a severed head was so bizarre and shocking that it left everyone by the lake stunned.
Soon, Murong Qingyan turned her face away, letting out a very low sigh.
Nan Songzi's eyes were about to pop out. He was a ruthless character himself, but he had never made a habit of carrying around the heads of his slain enemies.
Who on earth was this woman?
That was what he thought and what he asked. But the purple-robed female cultivator merely pointed at him with her sharp chin:
"A lecherous worm like you deserves to know?"
It wasn't until this moment that Nan Songzi realized that the wound on his lower abdomen was lethal.
When he realized this, he went mad. His surging emotions rushed to his brain, threatening to blow his head apart. Yet externally, he could only let out a heart-wrenching laughter. Not only that, his body was shaking uncontrollably, every muscle, bone, and piece of flesh was out of his control, and he had to dance around to relieve this impulse.
As a cultivator, he had similar experiences before: "Am I going mad? How could I go mad?"
At first, Nan Songzi thought there was a problem with his evil cultivation, but he quickly denied it. He had already felt that the problem was not with him, but with the "Great Hole True Symbol" he had swallowed. It was radiating waves of heat, spreading throughout his body. From his mouth and nose, a fragrant scent was emanating, extremely enchanting.
"What is this, what is this..."
The purple-robed female cultivator glanced at him and chuckled softly: "Don't worry, this time it's not Soul Departure Incense, but the purest A Dream to Return!"
Her low voice flowed in the air, and the metallic timbre within became even clearer, like a saw blade, stuck in Nan Songzi's throat, choking him to silence.
Nan Songzi was not a fool. He now understood that this woman must have been hiding nearby all along, possibly since the first time he fled and met Tao Rong. During the time he had a moment of realization and returned, this woman had killed Tao Rong, changed her appearance, and played a trick with Murong Qingyan, deceiving him thoroughly.
Thinking back, the female cultivator's action of rubbing the talisman on her hand and face after snatching it, wasn't it the best explanation?
Nan Songzi was panting heavily, he understood a lot, but there was one thing he could never understand: where did this woman get A Dream to Return from? Even Murong Qingyan couldn't get it, how could she have it?
"'A Dream to Return' harvested from the East Sea is not an exclusive specialty of Flying Soul City."
The speaker was Murong Qingyan, a female cultivator who had been silent for a long time. She slowly stepped forward, clearing up Nan Songzi's confusion and crushing his last glimmer of hope.
In his buzzing ears, a deadly name echoed:
"East Sea Rakshasa Sect!"
Murong Qingyan stated, "I should let you know that this person is the Law Envoy of the East Sea Rakshasa Sect."
The purple-robed female cultivator interrupted her, "Presently, I am merely the master of a branch sect."
Without waiting for Murong Qingyan to introduce her, she turned to Nan Songzi and smiled, "Remember clearly, my Taoist name is Red Yin. If you wish to seek revenge in your next life, don't forget!"
Rakshasa Sect!
Nan Songzi, a member of the Jade Purification Alliance, of course knew that the Rakshasa Sect was a major sect located in the East Sea, neighboring the Jade Purification Alliance. Although it may not match the grandeur of the Jade Purification Alliance, with its hundreds of combined sects, the Rakshasa Sect was known for its mysterious and bizarre techniques. Their worshipped God Lord was rumored to possess boundless divine powers, often manifesting miracles and displaying divine abilities. Even the most prominent figures in this world would have to give way to him.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Therefore, even if Flying Soul City was a notable sect and had the Jade Purification Alliance as its backing, it could only share half of the East Sea with the Rakshasa Sect, maintaining a non-aggression pact. It was not surprising that such a large sect, dominating the East Sea, would possess some of the "A Dream to Return."
Thinking of this, Nan Songzi burst into laughter, his last flicker of hope extinguished.
There's a saying, 'you reap what you sow.' How did a great situation turn out like this? 'A Dream to Return' was indeed a rare, domineering poison fragrance in this world, known for igniting inner fire and damaging the Divine Soul. However, if he had continued to use his Senluo True Sha to counter it, he might not have been completely helpless.
Wasn't it because he was blinded by the Great Hole True Symbol, eager to seize the talisman and make a contribution, that he used an imperfect demonic method, and then swallowed the treasure talisman he had cleverly acquired? The external and internal forces collided, causing the Heart Demon's Evil Energy to spiral out of control, triggering a backlash from the evil technique. The source of the poison fragrance was locked in his stomach, making it impossible to cleanse!
Look at the expression of the woman opposite him. Even they probably didn't expect this outcome!
However, if he was expected to just wait for death, he wouldn't!
Once determined, Nan Songzi let out a muffled roar. His body, which had already grown a size larger, swelled again. His eyes lost their whites, turning completely into a blood-like red.
The two female cultivators noticed something was amiss. The purple-robed female cultivator threw the short sword that had just sliced open Nan Songzi's lower abdomen. It transformed into a sharp gleam, aiming straight for Nan Songzi's head.
Nan Songzi raised his left arm to block. With a hissing sound, the sword cut through flesh and bone, nearly severing his entire upper arm. But it was only nearly. A mist of blood sprayed out, and the short sword was lodged in the wound, humming and trembling, yet unable to move.
Completely ignoring his injuries, Nan Songzi's eyes widened. The figures on the lake surface were imprinted one by one in his eyes and etched into his Divine Soul. Then he chuckled, and in the midst of his laughter, the two female cultivators retreated simultaneously.
With a muffled "thump", Nan Songzi's flesh body exploded into a cloud of debris. Blood mist, flesh, and bone splattered in all directions, staining the surrounding red mist a deeper shade. That was not all, the faint shadows that were previously fluttering in the red mist swarmed out from the blood and flesh, carrying a heavy Heart Demon's Evil Energy, and launched an assault on everyone on the lake surface.
Murong Qingyan said nothing, turning to fly towards Meng Wei and Yu Ci on the other side. The purple-robed female cultivator snorted, her fingers drawing several lines in front of her. The faint shadows that rushed up suddenly lost their target, circling around in confusion, and eventually began to attack and devour each other, creating a chaotic scene.
However, with this delay, a dull rainbow light formed from the red mist in the sky and swept towards the southern horizon.
"A spirit leaving the body?"
The purple-robed female cultivator sneered, "Does he really think that without a physical body, he can't be tainted by 'A Dream to Return'?"
Ignoring her mockery, Murong Qingyan protected Meng Wei and Yu Ci before the shadowy figures could attack. Without Nan Songzi's control, these malicious entities were fierce but not too difficult to deal with, and were quickly eliminated.
Meng Wei had just been hit by the "God Slaying Sting" and was severely injured, but it didn't show on the surface. Seeing Murong Qingyan's protection, she whispered her thanks, but didn't make a big deal out of it. In her heart, helping each other as friends was a matter of course, nothing to be surprised about.
Murong Qingyan nodded at her, her gaze shifting to the other side where Yu Ci was still only poking his head out, staring blankly at the figure in the purple robe.
He had been staring at this back for a long time, unable to find any resemblance to his memories.
But what did she just call herself?
Red Yin?
Murong Qingyan didn't think much of it, assuming that the young man was still recovering from the situation. She reached out her hand with a smile, "Are you alright, junior brother?"
Yu Ci was still somewhat dazed. He reached out his hand for her to pull him out of the water, instinctively casting a Godspeed Talisman on himself. With the buoyancy provided by the talisman, he stood on the water surface.
"What a smooth Talisman."
Murong Qingyan lightly praised, releasing her grip. It was then that Yu Ci noticed the lingering soft touch on his hand. He paused, but then heard Meng Wei whisper:
"Over at Nan Songzi's."
"If he thinks that by abandoning his physical body, he can escape the power of the medicine 'A Dream to Return', then he is destined for despair."
Murong Qingyan stated indifferently, saying no more. It appeared that her mood was not particularly good.
However, very quickly, a smile appeared on her unrivaled, radiant face. "Come, Sister Meng, let me introduce you to a friend. After all, you two are now neighbors."
"There's no need for introductions! You must be Meng Wei of the Flawless Sword from the Lichen Sect's Discipline Department. I've long admired your name."
The voice of the purple-clothed female cultivator crossed the lake, resounding like a bell. "I am Red Yin, a master from the Xuan Yin Sect of the Unscalable City, taking refuge under your sect's governance. I look forward to relying on your support in the future. I pay my respects in advance."
Despite her words, the female cultivator who stepped onto the water appeared indifferent, even aloof. There was no sign of her depending on anyone else.
On the other hand, Meng Wei, who was always respectful and courteous, also appeared somewhat detached. She simply maintained the necessary etiquette and said, "Master Red Yin."
Upon seeing the two women's attitudes, Murong Qingyan felt a bit puzzled. However, she quickly understood and lightly tapped her forehead. "I was inconsiderate. Your two sects have had some discord in recent years!"
When a woman of unparalleled beauty like her made the gesture of tapping her forehead, it was surprisingly charming. The slightly annoyed and helpless emotions were conveyed very appropriately. Even Yu Ci, whose mind was filled with heavy thoughts, glanced over and secretly praised her ability to lighten the mood.
However, his attention soon returned.
He saw the light around the purple-clothed female cultivator who was strolling towards them, twisting in an unusual way. People's vision blurred, and the image of the purple-clothed female cultivator faded. From it emerged a taller, more striking woman with phoenix eyes and long eyebrows. Yet, her aura was identical to that of the purple-clothed female cultivator.
"Rakshasa Illusion Technique, truly lives up to its reputation."
This was Murong Qingyan's praise, a point that even Meng Wei had to admit.
Yu Ci, however, pursed his lips tightly, with only one thought in his mind:
Long time no see, Red Yin Immortal!
***************
I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e