Chapter 330 : Impure Thoughts
After Jiang Mo left, though Yun Qingyue remained standing in place, she wasn't idle. While examining the immediate vicinity, she also kept part of her attention on the ribbon around her wrist—this was no ordinary ribbon, but something she had acquired during her travels over the years. Tied around both their wrists, it could not only extend indefinitely but also served as a warning system.
In other words, if Jiang Mo encountered any danger after leaving, Yun Qingyue would sense it.
Initially, everything seemed fine—the ribbon behaved normally, merely extending continuously. Seeing this, Yun Qingyue felt reassured and took the opportunity to investigate her surroundings, discovering only black stones and a few ancient bones.
The bones were human, though severely corroded. When Yun Qingyue tentatively touched them, they didn't even crumble but directly disintegrated into dust! Cultivators refined their essence internally and their muscles and bones externally—those with accomplished cultivation, even after death, would leave bones as white as jade and as hard as steel. Who knew when this person had died or how long they had remained in this underground chamber to reach such a state?
Yun Qingyue grew somewhat doubtful, keeping an eye on the ribbon's changes while continuing her exploration. She wanted to determine whether the skeletal remains belonged to someone who had come alone or with companions.
However, before Yun Qingyue could discover anything else, she felt a slight warmth from the ribbon around her wrist—an omen that the person on the other end was in danger!
Yun Qingyue's heart immediately sank. No longer concerned with skeletal remains, she immediately flew upward, following the direction of the extending ribbon. But she could never have imagined what "danger" Jiang Mo was encountering, nor would she have the chance to find out. The underground space was incredibly deep, and Jiang Mo had been flying upward for an unknown time—it was nearly impossible for her to reach and assist in such a short period.
Fortunately, Jiang Mo was unharmed. Halfway through her flight, Yun Qingyue felt the ribbon's temperature decrease, indicating the other had escaped danger. Yun Qingyue sighed in relief, but having already flown to mid-air with nowhere to go, she decided to continue ascending to meet her.
Yun Qingyue's speed was considerable. After flying a bit longer, she sensed the ribbon around her wrist had grown quite short.
As the ribbon's owner, she naturally had a keen awareness of it. Thus, even though everything beyond her immediate vicinity remained pitch black, she could sense Jiang Mo's presence nearby. Without much thought, she approached, but just as she drew close, she felt a fierce gust of wind rushing toward her.
Yun Qingyue hadn't expected to be attacked and was caught off guard, but years of training in the outside world had honed her abilities. Before her mind even registered what was happening, her body had already swiftly evaded. Even so, with the other's superior cultivation, though Yun Qingyue avoided injury, her magical robe couldn't escape unscathed—the defensive formation on it shattered upon impact.
She retreated two steps, heart still racing, and tentatively called out: "Jiang Mo?!"
Meanwhile, Jiang Mo, still unsure how to face her Senior Sister, had been dawdling on her return journey. While her mind remained in chaos, she suddenly saw her Senior Sister again?
Time after time—didn't those demonic energies have any other tricks? Did they only know how to repeat the same deception?!
Jiang Mo hadn't expected Yun Qingyue to fly up searching for her. Having already been deceived once, seeing this scenario again only filled her with embarrassed rage. Therefore, she gave the other no chance to "bewitch" her, immediately attacking upon approach in the darkness. Though her initial strike missed, the energy from her fingertips, like sharp claws, tore through the other's clothing.
The magical robe on Yun Qingyue wasn't particularly high-grade, but it contained basic defensive and dust-repellent formations. When these formations broke, spiritual energy naturally leaked out—a highly noticeable occurrence in a dry well filled with demonic energy, especially since such effects couldn't be mimicked by demonic energy illusions.
In an instant, Jiang Mo stood with raised claws, completely stunned.
Receiving no response, and with Jiang Mo vanishing into the darkness after her unsuccessful attack, Yun Qingyue neither knew where the other was hiding, nor what expression she wore, much less Jiang Mo's current panic.
She felt somewhat concerned, for demonic energy permeated this place, constantly eroding their minds... Yun Qingyue naturally trusted Jiang Mo, but if she had been influenced by demonic energy, that was another matter entirely.
Thus, in this dark silence, Yun Qingyue maintained extreme vigilance.
She summoned her spiritual sword, her body slightly tensed, completely alert while her gaze quickly swept to the ribbon on her wrist. The ribbon remained intact, one end wrapped around her wrist, the other extending diagonally forward. Following its direction, though her eyes met only darkness, her gaze seemed to penetrate the void to the person at the other end...
Yun Qingyue considered that, after so much time had passed without another attack, the other clearly hadn't completely lost her reason. Uncertain whether approaching rashly would be wise, she hesitated, calling out once more: "Jiang Mo?"
Moments later, someone slowly emerged from the darkness—who else but Jiang Mo, reluctantly facing her?
༻༺❀༻✧⋆｡°✩☽༓☾✩°｡⋆✧༺❀༻༺
Another misunderstanding, but fortunately, there was more alarm than danger.
Back on the ground, Jiang Mo hung her head like a cat that had misbehaved, slowly reciting her prepared explanation: "Senior Sister, I didn't mean to, nor was my mind bewitched by demonic energy. It's just that those energies are cunning. Earlier, when I flew to mid-air, I—I saw demonic energy take your form and nearly fell victim. Later, when I saw you, I thought it was another demonic deception, so I—I..."
Yun Qingyue wasn't inclined to dwell on it; hearing Jiang Mo's explanation was sufficient. However, learning that demonic energy had assumed her form, and considering this person's defenselessness toward her, she felt somewhat concerned.
She scrutinized Jiang Mo, and though she saw no signs of injury, still asked: "Are you alright?"
Jiang Mo immediately looked up and answered: "I'm fine." Then, carefully observing the other's expression: "Senior Sister, you're not angry with me anymore, are you?"
Yun Qingyue hadn't actually been angry. Their shared experiences had given her complete trust in Jiang Mo. Even when attacked, she hadn't believed it was Jiang Mo's true intention, only assuming she had been bewitched. The reality wasn't far from this, and now that everything was clear and she hadn't been injured, she naturally forgave her magnanimously: "It's nothing. I wasn't harmed."
Hearing this, Jiang Mo didn't relax but rather cast cautious glances at Yun Qingyue's form—though she had dodged quickly and avoided injury, her magical robe had suffered. Not only were its formations destroyed, but several conspicuous tears now adorned the front of her garment.
It looked somewhat disheveled, making Jiang Mo, already harboring impure thoughts, unable to look directly at her.
Yun Qingyue hadn't been particularly concerned about a piece of clothing, but after this reunion, she keenly noticed the change in Jiang Mo—even without her perceptive nature, anyone facing Jiang Mo's evasive manner would notice her difference.
Everyone has their privacy, and Jiang Mo's glossing over her earlier encounter indicated she didn't want to discuss it. With Yun Qingyue's considerate nature, she normally wouldn't have pressed further. But Jiang Mo's increasingly abnormal behavior, particularly her concern about the damaged clothing, made her unable to ignore these changes... She directed her suspicious gaze plainly toward Jiang Mo, making her increasingly guilty.
Finally, unable to withstand that questioning look, the guilty party cleared her throat and spoke: "Senior—Senior Sister, your clothes are torn. Demonic energy is everywhere here, and though the formations on your robe have limited effectiveness, they're still better than nothing."
The words were tactful, but Yun Qingyue understood their meaning—she was being advised to change her clothing.
Yun Qingyue's expression became slightly peculiar. In the past, not knowing Jiang Mo's feelings might have been one thing, but after experiencing what had happened with Master—no, what had happened with both their mothers—she was now eighty percent certain of Jiang Mo's feelings toward her. In such circumstances, hearing Jiang Mo's advice, anyone would think more deeply, especially since the clothing had been damaged by her in the first place.
Fortunately, having raised the little tiger cub with her own hands, though Yun Qingyue experienced a momentary oddness, her rationality quickly returned, understanding the other's good intentions. However, regardless of how deserted their surroundings might be, she wasn't about to undress casually.
The two seemed to share the same thought, as Jiang Mo almost simultaneously suggested: "Senior Sister, why don't you change in my divine space?"
Jiang Mo's Innate Space was certainly still usable, though earlier, rather than falling into the dry well, the two had more accurately been dragged into it. At that time, they had been entangled with considerable demonic energy, and though the White Tiger's Innate Space had expanded significantly, it remained fundamentally fragile. Unless absolutely necessary, she didn't want to contaminate her space with demonic energy, lest the spiritual energy generated by the spirit veins within become unstable.
Now, both their conditions were actually better than when they had first been dragged into the well, so entering was possible at any time. However, neither had such intentions—their most urgent task was finding an exit. What if Tan Xin had already sealed the well?!
Both Jiang Mo and Yun Qingyue were clear-headed about this matter. Regardless of what had transpired above, Tan Xin would eventually seal and contain the dry well. Even with the two of them trapped inside, even with Qingyu and Sect Leader Zhu buying time above, Tan Xin would at most wait a few more days—he would never abandon the containment for the sake of two people. Nor were they shameless enough to consider their lives more valuable than the countless living beings in the cultivation world.
Time was not particularly abundant for them, and there was no need to dwell excessively on trivial matters.
Yun Qingyue agreed to Jiang Mo's suggestion, and without further ado, Jiang Mo sent her into the space while remaining outside herself. This wasn't entirely to avoid suspicion—as soon as Yun Qingyue entered the space, Jiang Mo hastily fanned her face with her hand.
Fortunately, this underground chamber was pitch black, and fortunately, the light from her Senior Sister's ice flame was a deep blue; otherwise, the blush spreading across her cheeks and ears would have been impossible to hide from her Senior Sister's eyes. Now, with her Senior Sister absent, she needed to quickly compose herself. Wanting to hide her experience was one thing, but this certainly wasn't the place for romantic overtures.
Jiang Mo tried her best to forget what had happened earlier, but the more she tried, the more vividly those scenes etched themselves in her mind. This left her feeling powerless, but before she could descend into self-deprecation, her Senior Sister had already changed and emerged.