Chapter 779 - 700: Reaching the Peak 99
The only thing to be cautious about when repairing the other party’s Spirit Mansion is that this method severely tests Tan Shuangshuang’s ability to control Spiritual Power. If Tan Shuangshuang isn’t careful and inputs too much Spiritual Energy, she could end up killing instead of saving.
However, given Tan Shuangshuang’s current ability to control over two thousand Thousand Silk Wrapping Avatars, coupled with her strong Divine Sense and mastery over Spiritual Power, there’s no need to worry about this. Furthermore, by doing this, Tan Shuangshuang may passively learn about the other party’s Cultivation Technique.
If it were someone else with a questionable Heart Technique treating this woman, not only would it cost nothing—since it’s just a trivial effort—but they could glimpse the other’s Cultivation Technique. In fact, it could be said Tan Shuangshuang himself is the one benefiting, although Tan Shuangshuang, having the Thousand Silk Entanglement Cultivation Technique, wouldn’t covet the other’s technique at all.
As Sha Qionghua regained consciousness, she only felt warmth surrounding her. A slight movement of her fingers stirred warm water sounds. She opened her eyes with difficulty and found herself soaking in a hot spring.
Perhaps calling it a hot spring isn’t quite accurate. The water she soaked in was warm and pleasant without any of the scalding sensation typical of hot springs. Furthermore, there was abundant Spiritual Energy encircling her body, which, with each breath, entered her giving her depleted Spiritual Power replenishment. Though sparse, it was gentle enough.
Fragrance floated around her, and brilliant blue petals fell onto the water’s surface beside her. Looking up, she saw branches intertwined, blooming with breathtaking Four Seasons Plum flowers, trapping Sha Qionghua in awe for quite a while.
Memories were fragmented; Sha Qionghua remembered she had just escaped that Demon Cave and fainted within the Blood Mist Desert. With her injury condition at that time, she should have been doomed to die. How could she not be dead?
Every move brought widespread soreness throughout her body. Sha Qionghua tried to move her limbs but lacked strength, unable to stand, barely allowing herself to sit up from the water to observe her surroundings.
Surveying around, it was easy for Sha Qionghua to ascertain she was inside a Flying Artifact because she recognized the scenery outside the Protective Shield—all too familiar Blood Mist Desert she frequented.
Sha Qionghua inspected her own Spirit Mansion, finding that it had recovered mostly from its original near-collapse state. Though Spiritual Power was still sparse, it could circulate within her damaged Spirit Mansion along the path of her Cultivation Technique, bit by bit repairing her damaged Spirit Mansion.
Sha Qionghua was certain she had been rescued. To be honest, Sha Qionghua was surprised. Having lived long in Blood Mist Desert, she’d seen the darkness of human nature—the adventurers robbing and killing each other, bullying the weak yet rarely choosing to save others.
Sha Qionghua’s desperate escape was never reliant on anyone saving her; she simply didn’t want to die in such a filthy place. She never expected to be rescued, yet she was indeed saved, filling Sha Qionghua with gratitude toward her savior.
While contemplating, she saw a beautiful woman with an imposing presence walking toward her. Seeing Sha Qionghua awake, she exhibited no surprise, casually sitting on a bench beside the manmade hot spring, asking blandly, "You’re awake, how are you feeling?"
That woman was naturally Tan Shuangshuang. Among their party of three humans and two tigers, she was the only female, thus the task of stripping her down for a warm soak naturally fell to Tan Shuangshuang.
Sha Qionghua recognized Tan Shuangshuang at once—the very person from whom she’d borrowed food and water, deepening her gratitude, "I’m alright now, thanks to the food and water you gave me before. You saved my life this time; I truly don’t know how to thank you."
"It’s just a trivial effort, besides the food and water you paid for with Spirit Stones beforehand. Saving you this time didn’t cost much effort either." Tan Shuangshuang wasn’t one to seek recompense for kindness. As she says, saving lives required minimal effort without any ulterior motives.
Tan Shuangshuang’s straightforward attitude endeared her more to Sha Qionghua, who couldn’t help expressing boundless gratitude, then began recounting her experiences.
Sha Qionghua came from a very ordinary background, just an ordinary family’s daughter. Sadly, she possessed the most extraordinary physique—a natural allure.
This physique is nothing short of a nightmare for women. Those with natural allure are destined not to have good ends.
They either wind up as playthings, passed among men until aging and fading allure result in unbearable outcomes, or become targets for those drawn in by their captivations, leading to madness and degradation.
Today, natural allure has become a curse for its bearers: either killed early in an effort to cut off its sources—dubbed purging the calamity—or kept captive by others with ill intentions.
Sha Qionghua, unfortunately, faced captivity. Spotted by a female Evil Cultivator, the latter wanted to cultivate Sha Qionghua into an irresistible object of desire to subsequently devastate Righteous Cultivators—manipulating Sha Qionghua to cause conflicts among them.
The female Evil Cultivator was ruthlessly determined, so she slaughtered Sha Qionghua’s entire family, brought eight-year-old Sha Qionghua along, sealing her memories with daily indoctrination, attempting to mold her into a puppet with unwavering obedience.
However, the female Evil Cultivator was unaware that, despite the detrimental consequences of natural allure, it had the distinct advantage of tripling Divine Sense growth during cultivation—spiritual power directly affecting mental capacity.
Sha Qionghua, initially brainwashed by the female Evil Cultivator, sincerely believed she was her kin. Though inherently kind and opposed to seductive and chaotic acts taught, Sha Qionghua only disagreed inwardly, planning deceit while never doubting the female Evil Cultivator’s role was her enemy.
Upon turning eighteen and surpassing the Samurai rank, Sha Qionghua was tasked by the female Evil Cultivator to engage with a preselected Righteous person. Her breakthrough enhanced Divine Sense growth allowing her to break the seal imposed by the Evil Cultivator, remember the massacre memories, flipping kin into foes—almost driving Sha Qionghua mad.
After frantic realization, Sha Qionghua resolved to avenge her family. She vividly remembers the loving protection from her parents, brother, grandparents during the massacre, all oblivious to her being the disaster source.
Sha Qionghua harbored deep hatred for the female Evil Cultivator but knew her cultivation was insufficient to fight back, prompting an escape in search of powerful cultivation methods.
Fortune indeed favored Sha Qionghua, leading her to accidentally discover an ancient Secret Realm where she obtained an ancient Cultivation Technique researched by a Great Power for his naturally alluring daughter.