Chapter 453 : Endless Disturbances
453: Endless Disturbances
Jiang Mo had become too content to leave. When she first arrived at the lightning pool, she had found its energy violent, the crackling lightning terrifying—it didn't seem like a place for people at all, and she had wanted to turn around and leave immediately. But now she felt that there were too many complicated matters outside, while this lightning pool was undisturbed, with only her and Senior Sister, like a pure land.
Unfortunately, even though Jiang Mo wanted to hide it, Yun Qingyue, who checked her wound daily, immediately discovered that her injury had completely healed. And those stubborn, persistent demonic energies had completely dissipated in the lightning.
Yun Qingyue finally released the worry she had carried for days, and it was time to leave the lightning pool.
She was the first to exit the pool and reach the shore. Her cyan robe traced an arc through the air, and after landing steadily, she extended her hand toward Jiang Mo who remained in the pool: "Let's go, it's time for us to leave this place."
Jiang Mo was still soaking in the lightning pool, reluctant to leave, but she understood she had no reason to stay—the demonic energy had been eliminated, and after adapting to the lightning in the pool, it no longer had any tempering effect on her body. Staying here would only waste time, and Yun Qingyue, who was even more adapted to lightning than her, had already accompanied her for many days and couldn't stay indefinitely.
The little tiger was unwilling, extending her hand halfway but withdrawing it before touching Yun Qingyue's fingertips: "I-I don't have any clothes to wear. My robes can't withstand the lightning."
Yun Qingyue didn't understand the problem and said directly: "You can put them on after coming out." After a pause, she added: "I can turn my back."
True to her word, she turned around, giving Jiang Mo time to dress.
Jiang Mo gazed quietly at her back, feeling inexplicably frustrated. After a moment, she slapped the "water" surface, rose and flew out of the lightning pool, quickly wrapping a robe around herself. By the time she landed, she was fully dressed, and even her loose hair had been tied back neatly.
"Let's go," Jiang Mo mumbled gloomily, walking forward. After a few steps, she turned back and took Yun Qingyue's hand.
Yun Qingyue pressed her lips together in a slight smile, silently tightening her grip on that hand.
...
Leaving the lightning pool was smoother than entering it.
Although Jiang Mo was reluctant to leave, once the decision was made, her steps were naturally not slow. Plus, having walked the path once before, it was now familiar, so in just a moment, the two had passed through the corridor they had come through and reappeared before the stone wall.
"How do we get out?" Jiang Mo scratched her head, having neither token nor knowledge of the incantation needed for the stone wall.
Yun Qingyue was much more direct, simply pulling Jiang Mo forward without stopping. When their toes touched the seemingly solid stone wall, it was as if they touched nothing at all—they passed straight through the wall. After emerging, Jiang Mo was still somewhat dazed, looking back and touching the wall, which was now solid and real behind them.
Clearly, this was a one-way restriction—entering from outside required a token and an incantation, but leaving from inside required nothing.
Jiang Mo's curiosity only lasted briefly before she lost interest in a place she would never visit again. Then she looked into the distance, where she could faintly see the corner of a flying eave of Lingyun Hall at the front of Mount Tianyang.
So Jiang Mo asked: "Where are we going now? To Lingyun Hall or back to Mount Mingxia?"
The words "Mount Mingxia" clearly caused Yun Qingyue to lose focus for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure and answered: "Let's go to Lingyun Hall first, to see what Sect Leader Qingxiao and the others have decided. As for Mount Mingxia..."
She didn't continue, not having decided whether to return there or not.
Jiang Mo noticed this and, having no particular desire to return, said: "That's fine, let's go to Lingyun Hall first. We don't have to return to Mount Mingxia afterward. We were both allocated small spirit peaks before. There aren't many ice spiritual root cultivators in Xuanqing Sect, Ah Yue, so your ice peak is still there. And there's my Purple Cloud Peak, where I've planted many purple cloud flowers—they're beautiful."
With their profound cultivation, they flew through the air as they spoke, and already arrived outside Lingyun Hall.
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Lingyun Hall was the main hall of Mount Tianyang, the Sect Leader's residence, and Xuanqing Sect's council chamber.
Not everyone could come here, but because it was guarded year-round, the area outside Lingyun Hall was never deserted. Yet today was strange—when Jiang Mo and Yun Qingyue arrived outside Lingyun Hall, they didn't see a single person.
"Huh, where is everyone? Not even the disciples who announce visitors," Jiang Mo looked around in surprise.
Yun Qingyue also saw no one. Moreover, as the Sect Leader's residence, this area was always under Sect Leader Qingxiao's divine sense. Now they had arrived, but there were no guarding disciples in sight, and Sect Leader Qingxiao had not given any instructions. It was truly strange. After considering for a moment, she simply sent a voice transmission into the hall requesting an audience.
However, after three consecutive transmissions, there was still no response from within the hall.
Jiang Mo peeked through the open doors into the hall, seeing it completely empty without a single figure. She turned her head toward Yun Qingyue and said: "Ah Yue, there doesn't seem to be anyone in the hall. Has the Sect Leader gone out?"
Unlike Jiang Mo, Yun Qingyue wasn't peering around, but after receiving no reply to her transmissions, she could only say: "Perhaps."
Although she said "perhaps," she couldn't help but feel doubtful—the Sect Leader's position was very important, with the entire sect dependent on his coordination. Therefore, Sect Leader Qingxiao rarely left Xuanqing Sect, and seldom even left Lingyun Hall. Now, with the outside world in turmoil, Sect Leader Qingxiao should be here coordinating the big picture—how could he be absent so easily?
Despite their doubts, since no one was there, they didn't plan to wait. The little tiger enthusiastically invited her beloved to visit her mountain peak, to see the home she had prepared for her.
Yun Qingyue was somewhat tempted, but ultimately declined: "That's not urgent. Let's return to Mount Mingxia first."
Not having seen the Sect Leader, Yun Qingyue planned to visit her master. First, she wanted to know the results of their discussion; second, since she had decided to be with Jiang Mo, she needed to tell her master... actually, she had planned to tell her master before taking action.
Seeing her serious expression, Jiang Mo was about to agree when suddenly a earth-shattering boom came from the distance. She instinctively turned to look and saw, amidst the swirling clouds, a towering mountain peak suddenly shifting sideways. Accompanied by thunderous rumbling, the suddenly moving mountain peak made one question if they were seeing things!
"Th-th-this... how is the mountain moving?" Jiang Mo pointed into the distance, her face showing astonishment.
Yun Qingyue had already looked over, and hearing this, her gaze sharpened as she said: "Someone is fighting and has sliced off the mountaintop."
Jiang Mo was again surprised, and looking more carefully, she finally saw that above the moving mountain peak, two figures were clashing back and forth. However, they were too far away, and with the shocking sight of the moving mountain, those two small figures had been overlooked by her.
But to move mountains and fill seas with a wave of the hand—those two people's cultivation was clearly not low. Jiang Mo was just wondering who would dare to cause such a disturbance within Xuanqing Sect when she saw the shifting mountain suddenly suffer some kind of heavy blow. The originally intact mountaintop suddenly shattered into countless small pieces, bursting apart with a "crash" into small rocks.
"Whew, that's quite a commotion. Surely it can't be sect elders sparring?" Jiang Mo's tiger eyes widened as she sucked in a cold breath.
Yun Qingyue's expression had already become very serious. She grabbed Jiang Mo's hand and flew toward the two combatants: "Let's go see what's happening." Right now they had only sliced off a mountaintop, but if those two were allowed to continue fighting, who knew what might happen?
Both considered Xuanqing Sect their home and naturally couldn't allow people to cause trouble within it. Although they were curious why such a disturbance within the sect hadn't been stopped by the Sect Leader and the peak masters and elders, now was not the time to investigate that. They planned to first go and stop the fighters, then discuss the rest.
Fusion stage cultivators fly very quickly. Although it had looked far away, it took only a few breaths to arrive. Then Jiang Mo and Yun Qingyue were surprised to discover that they knew both parties in the fight.
One was Peak Master Qingyuan, and the other was a sword cultivator elder from Mount Mingxia.
That elder from Mount Mingxia was also a female cultivator, with late Spirit Division cultivation. With the combat boost of a sword cultivator, she could barely reach early Fusion stage strength. She was very powerful, ranking among the strongest in the sect, but no matter how strong she was, she couldn't compare to a peak master. After all, Peak Master Qingyuan was a veteran Fusion stage cultivator, with a realm even higher than Jiang Mo and Yun Qingyue's.
Regardless of why they were fighting, with such a clear difference in strength, it should have been a one-sided situation. Even if the elder could hold out against Peak Master Qingyuan for a while, she should certainly be in a sorry state.
But what was the scene now?
The two were actually fighting evenly matched! And if you added in Peak Master Qingyuan's concern for the sect situation, making him hesitant, he was even at a slight disadvantage in this battle... Inevitably, while the elder could wave her hand and level a mountaintop, Peak Master Qingyuan had to worry about whether there were disciples on that mountaintop and had to try to protect them.
Jiang Mo and Yun Qingyue were both shocked by this, but the scene before them gave them a strangely familiar feeling. They exchanged a glance, and the same name simultaneously appeared in their minds—Huiqian!