Lei Xiuyuan pondered for a long moment before suddenly asking, "That person attacked out of nowhere? Did he say anything to you?"
Ye Ye gasped for breath for quite some time before recounting the entire incident in detail.
He and Baili Changyue had left half a month earlier than Lei Xiuyuan's group, mainly because Changyue couldn't wait any longer for news of Baili Gelin. The two of them planned to scout the situation at the Eastern Sea first. However, in a peripheral town of the East Sea Myriad Immortals Assembly, they encountered Zhen Yunzi.
Years had passed, and they were no longer the children they once were. Their appearances had changed, so presumably Zhen Yunzi didn't recognize them. But Ye Ye and Changyue didn't dare linger and had to retreat to the vicinity of Yangxi City. With Zhen Yunzi lurking around the East Sea Myriad Immortals Assembly, they worried about Gelin's safety and were reluctant to leave. They tried sending messages to their companions, but none of them were at their respective sects, making it impossible to deliver the letters. Just as they were discussing whether to return to Lu Gongzhen first or stay where they were, the masked man suddenly appeared.
"That man wore a bronze mask, obscuring his face, but his eyes were extremely bright and kept staring at Changyue," Ye Ye said with rare coldness in his expression. "We could both sense intense spiritual energy fluctuations from him, far surpassing ours—it seemed like he had broken through the fourth bottleneck."
Given the man's profound cultivation, they wanted to avoid trouble and were about to retreat when the man suddenly threw out an Ice Mirror. Caught off guard, Ye Ye was instantly frozen in place, completely immobilized. Baili Changyue immediately turned back to rescue him. Seeing her return, the man withdrew the Ice Mirror and let Ye Ye go.
The following month was like a nightmare. Just when they thought they had escaped, the man would find them again within days, freezing Ye Ye with the Ice Mirror before laughing and letting them go. The last time, Baili Changyue finally couldn't take it anymore and coldly confronted him: "If you want to kill or torture us, just do it! Humiliating others like this is truly disgusting!"
The man chuckled twice, his voice unexpectedly refined and gentle, sounding quite young: "Originally, I told myself that if this boy could successfully escape my Ice Mirror even once, I'd let you two lovebirds go. What a pity. Little sister, with such grace and beauty, why waste your time with this useless thing? The world has always paired beauties with heroes. A beauty like you with a bear like him is truly a travesty."
At this point, Ye Ye's face finally showed pain and regret. He whispered, "I was no match for him and couldn't escape the Ice Mirror's restraints. After three days of humiliation, Changyue wanted to kill herself, but the man suddenly seized her and took her away. I chased them for miles but couldn't hold on and collapsed on a cliff."
This incident was the greatest humiliation of his life. Before he could finish speaking, he let out a long sigh, turned away, and a tear slowly rolled down from his tightly shut eyes.
Baili Gelin couldn't bear to listen any longer. She abruptly stood up—it was her fault! Not keeping in touch with them this year had led to her sister and Ye Ye suffering such misfortune! She suddenly raised her hand and viciously yanked at the Nine-Headed Bird pendant around her neck, tearing her hand and neck until they were bloody, but the pendant wouldn't come off.
Li Fei, horrified, grabbed her, first casting a Healing Net before urgently pressing her hands down. "Don't act rashly! Once Ye Ye recovers a bit, we'll go after them together! We'll definitely catch up!"Baili Gelin's eyes were red, but her face was deathly pale. She trembled as she spoke, "You don't understand... It's not that I don't want to... I just... I shouldn't have..."
Li Fei, seeing her extreme agitation and fearing she might act impulsively, immediately hugged her tightly, patting her back to soothe her. "It's alright, it's alright! Calm down! Everyone's here!"
Ji Tongzhou's face was ashen. As a fellow man, he naturally understood the agony in Ye Ye's heart at this moment—no words of comfort would help. He sighed inwardly and silently crouched down, channeling Wood Elemental Spiritual Energy into Ye Ye's body.
Lei Xiuyuan suddenly spoke, "The Yin-Yang Tribulation Mirror is extremely formidable. We must carefully discuss our tactics."
"The Yin-Yang Tribulation Mirror?" Ji Tongzhou's expression darkened. "You know what that ice mirror is?! You know that person?"
Lei Xiuyuan replied calmly, "That person is Qin Yangling, a direct disciple of No Moon Court's Elder Zheng Xu. He has been cultivating at No Moon Court for over fifty years—his cultivation is not to be underestimated. By chance, I once fought him."
He explained the characteristics of the Yin-Yang Tribulation Mirror in detail. Now that Qin Yangling had broken through the fourth bottleneck, the mirror's range and power would undoubtedly reach new heights. Frankly, even if they chased after him, their chances of winning were slim—the mirror clearly thrived the more enemies there were.
"Ji Tongzhou, you're responsible for unleashing a major attack within one breath, preventing the mirror's surface from forming. Baili Gelin, you'll keep watch for Qin Yangling secretly placing ice mirrors elsewhere and assist Ji Tongzhou in shattering them. As long as we force Qin Yangling away from the mirror's range, I'll close in and capture him alive."
Ji Tongzhou paused. "Within one breath?"
Lei Xiuyuan asked expressionlessly, "Can you not do it?"
Ji Tongzhou shot him a glance. When it came to strategizing, Lei Xiuyuan had always been more adept than any of them since childhood. With the gravity of the situation at hand, he didn’t want to argue. He merely said coldly, "Leave it to me."
Baili Gelin finally regained her composure, wiping away her tears and nodding. "I understand. I'll do my best."
Li Fei bit her lip. Sometimes, she also wanted to unleash some offensive Immortal Techniques, but having played the support role since childhood, it had become second nature. She had to conserve her spiritual energy and focus for the wounded, so she swallowed back the impulse.
After lying still for a while, Ye Ye's spiritual energy gradually recovered. Burning with impatience, he ignored his severely depleted vitality, dressed, and left immediately. Having known Ye Ye for so long, none of them had ever seen such a dark, furious, and suppressed expression on his face. For a moment, they were at a loss for words to comfort him.
Watching him soar away, Baili Gelin shook her head and murmured, "When we first met Ye Ye, this was the face he wore—only Sister could rein him in. Let's go, Li Fei. Later, don’t let Ye Ye charge forward. Help restrain him."
She tied Baili Changyue's hair to the dragonfly demon, which immediately flapped its wings and flew ahead. Then, she pulled out Talisman Paper, and in an instant, a dense swarm of tiny green monsters poured out like a thick fog, enveloping everyone. The spiritual energy fluctuations were instantly concealed—far more practical than the Invisibility Spell.Li Fei had been silently anxious all along. She vividly remembered the tragic state Le Cailing was in when she was forced by Qin Yangling. To this day, Le Cailing still carried deep psychological scars—she would immediately flee at the sight of any male disciple, even those younger than her. Li Fei couldn’t even imagine what might happen to Chang Yue if she fell into Qin Yangling’s hands. That man might have once relied on his status to sweet-talk and wear people down with persistence, but after being publicly humiliated by Lei Xiuyuan—defeated by a Tickle Spell, then escorted out of No Moon Court by Zheng Xu Zhang Lao to avoid further confrontation with Lei Xiuyuan—his pride had undoubtedly twisted into something far more sinister. Who knew what unspeakable horrors he might commit?
No matter how severe the physical injuries, they could eventually heal. But psychological wounds lingered far longer. Everyone was already worried and anxious; she didn’t want to add to their distress by voicing these thoughts. So she kept pacing restlessly atop the Horn of the Rhinoceros.
The dragonfly demon had flown all night, weaving an erratic path that initially seemed headed toward the East Sea Myriad Immortals Assembly before veering away. At dawn, it stopped before a cave entrance, circling in the air but refusing to enter.
A cave? Lei Xiuyuan immediately understood. Enclosed spaces with narrow terrain made it easier for the Calamity Mirror to restrict movement—but by the same token, Qin Yangling himself would also be more vulnerable to close-quarters combat. Choosing to hide here meant he was prepared for that risk.
Ye Ye was the first to charge forward, but the others quickly restrained him. Even the usually composed Ye Ye could be alarmingly impulsive when provoked. Li Fei swiftly cast Earthen Guardian on everyone, and under the protection of the little green Monsters, they advanced silently into the cave. Halfway in, a voice suddenly echoed from within—Qin Yangling’s.
"I prefer women who react a little." His tone was amused, laced with smug confidence and careless mockery. "A wooden doll like you is hardly appealing."
No response came. Then came the sudden sound of fabric tearing—yet still, silence. Qin Yangling sighed. "Glaring at me like that really kills the mood. Where are those friends of yours? And that little Jiang girl... Hah, never mind. Not a single sound—like a corpse. You’re utterly repulsive. Give me something to work with."
A dull thud followed, like the snap of bone. Baili Changyue let out a muffled groan, but no matter how he verbally abused her afterward, she stubbornly refused to utter another word.
Li Fei felt her hair stand on end. What had he just said? The little Jiang girl?! He knew they were coming?! He knew Lei Xiuyuan was acquainted with Ye Ye and the others? How? Did Chang Yue tell him? Unlikely—Chang Yue would never betray them. Had he known all along?
Lei Xiuyuan’s expression darkened. Suddenly, Baili Changyue spoke, her voice hoarse and strained: "Be careful—he’s hiding something on him!"
The moment those words left her lips, everyone’s faces paled. Chang Yue’s hearing was extraordinarily sharp—she must have detected their heartbeats even before Qin Yangling noticed their presence.Ji Tongzhou's black flames suddenly flared out around him, as if something in the air was exploding and shaking violently. In an instant, the deafening sound of explosions filled the entire narrow cave, accompanied by the continuous shattering of Ice Mirrors. The group rushed inside and saw the deepest part of the cramped cave littered with broken shards of Ice Mirrors. Qin Yangling, wearing a bronze mask, held Chang Yue in his grasp while standing atop a jade-green flute, hovering midair. On either side of him, conch-like Mystical Treasures emitted pale blue water barriers. Despite Ji Tongzhou's overwhelming mountain-fire tremors shaking the entire cave violently, Qin Yangling seemed entirely unaffected.
"Sis!" Baili Gelin screamed in horror. Baili Changyue's clothes were torn and tattered, her arms and legs broken, as if she had already lost consciousness.
Baili Gelin threw out a Talisman Paper, from which a petite Oriole Demon fluttered out. Its tiny iron-hook claws gripped the cave wall tightly. Though small in size, the demon's shrill cries were piercingly loud, echoing repeatedly through the cave and mingling with the explosive tremors of the mountain fire. Rocks continuously crumbled from the cave walls.
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