Are There Only Demonesses Left in the Cultivation Realm?

Qiu Yuehan’s perception was far clearer.

Killing intent.

A monstrous killing intent surged forth.

Qiu Yuehan could hardly bear this will, born from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. Her face turned pale, and she was on the verge of fainting.

’Is the Daoist Sect Master going to kill Junior Sister!? Or is he going to kill me along with her?!’

Jiang Jiayi sneered. "What are you so angry about? You’re not actually thinking of killing your master’s wife and your junior sister, are you?"

The killing intent vanished like smoke.

The Daoist Sect Master’s gentle voice drifted over. "Of course not. In fact, I’ll take good care of them."

Qiu Yuehan found she could move again. The next moment, she was pushed out of the tent.

Jiang Jiayi wasn’t the least bit surprised.

Having known him for years, she had long since figured out his personality. She had guessed he wouldn’t be pleased to suddenly have a junior sister—and a master’s wife, for that matter.

So, it was only natural that she would be the one to look after Qiu Yuehan and Xia Lianxue.

The Daoist Sect Master’s voice came from behind the gauze curtain. "In a few days, take this little junior sister of mine to the Spirit Race. As for our master’s wife, you’ll look after her for me. I have to suppress demons and have no time to pay my respects."

The Spirit Race was a mystical race, similar to the Human Race. Legend had it that their ancestors lived on a giant tree.

Jiang Jiayi’s lips curled into a smirk. "You’re quite the busy man, then. But if I’m the one paying respects to our master’s wife, who exactly is the Chang’an Sect Master’s disciple? You, or me? Heh, I wonder who it was back then that goaded me into this..."

Her words were cut short. "If you think you can take that title, then by all means, try!"

A gust of pure qi swept over, carrying the two of them down the mountain.

Jiang Jiayi didn’t resist, merely shielding Qiu Yuehan.

Qiu Yuehan’s lips trembled, her cool face filled with confusion. "Why..."

"You want to ask why he has such an attitude toward the Chang’an Sect Master?"

"Yes."

"You’ll find out in the future. Remember, don’t say what shouldn’t be said."

Qiu Yuehan now understood Jiang Jiayi’s plan perfectly.

The wielder of the Innate Sword Body had made her decision: even if the Daoist Sect Master had already guessed that the Chang’an Daoist was likely not dead, she wouldn’t reveal Lu Changyuan’s existence. After all, the Daoist Sect Master had a habit of deceiving himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Xia Lianxue couldn’t enter a state of meditation at all.

She paced anxiously around the courtyard.

The Tribulation Thunder had already disappeared.

’But how is he? Is he okay?’

The Little Fairy bit her lip, worry practically overflowing from her picturesque, shapely brows.

She was exceptionally beautiful. Her tall, slender figure, combined with the gentleness that flowed from her every move, was like a pool of soft spring water. Having just shed the last of her girlish immaturity, she was now like a poplar blossom in full bloom—elegant, yet alluring to the bone.

When Jiang Jiayi arrived, she saw Xia Lianxue cupping her cheeks, gazing at the scene beyond Celestial Mountain.

A sight that seemed to soften time and quiet the ages.

"Come with me to the Celestial Pool to heal."

Xia Lianxue turned her head, the heartbroken look in her eyes was agonizing to see.

She wanted to know Lu Changyuan’s condition, but leaving Celestial Mountain would only render his efforts pointless. Thus, she could only suffer through this living torment.

Jiang Jiayi sighed. "He’s fine. At least he’s not dead. For him, as long as he isn’t dead, it’s no different from being at his peak."

Brother Lu had said it before.

In this world, there is nothing more important than life and death.

’But who really knows if Brother Lu is alive or dead?’

Xia Lianxue’s thoughts ran wild, and a tremor ran through her heart.

"He’s definitely not dead. Your senior sister... I suppose you can call her that. The Demon Pattern on her body is still there. If he were dead, the Demon Pattern would have disappeared."

"Demon Pattern? What Demon Pattern?"

Xia Lianxue looked up blankly. "Senior Sister has a Demon Pattern on her?"

This was the first time Xia Lianxue had ever heard of this.

Jiang Jiayi frowned. "You didn’t know? He placed a Demon Pattern on your senior sister. Her life is now... In short, this pattern reflects his condition. If he dies, the Demon Pattern will disappear."

Xia Lianxue’s eyes widened. The Little Fairy asked urgently, "Where is Senior Sister?"

"At the Celestial Pool. I was just about to take you there to heal."

"Take me there, quickly!"

Jiang Jiayi said no more, immediately wrapping Xia Lianxue in her power and heading straight for the Celestial Pool in the back mountains.

It was a wide Cold Pool. The swirling cold air had frosted the surrounding bamboo forest, but strangely, the bamboo here remained lush and green.

Only two people were qualified to use this Cold Pool. The Daoist Sect Master usually rested on the mountain peak, so Jiang Jiayi was typically the only one who came here.

Jiang Jiayi disabled the restrictive barrier outside the bamboo forest and led Xia Lianxue to the edge of the Cold Pool.

In the faint white mist, a body that seemed a masterpiece of creation itself was seated by the pool, dipping its feet in the water.

Looking closer, one could see a pair of smooth, delicate, and adorably small feet. Ten pink, rounded toes were as fair as pearls. Faint blue veins traced the high, elegant arch of her instep. A jade-green bracelet on her ankle added a touch of emerald to her feet, creating an intensely ascetic look.

"Senior Sister!"

Xia Lianxue cried out, then transformed into a streak of light and plunged into the Cold Pool, sending up waves.

Qiu Yuehan was lost in thought and had no idea Xia Lianxue would suddenly rush in. Caught completely off guard, she was knocked into the pool by Xia Lianxue.

"Let me see your shoulder, Senior Sister."

How could Qiu Yuehan possibly resist Xia Lianxue? In a flash, her clothes were stripped away, exposing her fair, rounded shoulder to the air.

A red Demon Pattern came into Xia Lianxue’s view.

At this moment, the terrifying Demon Pattern actually looked quite beautiful in the Little Fairy’s eyes.

’As long as he’s alive, everything is fine.’

"Junior Sister, what are you doing!"

Only then did Qiu Yuehan belatedly realize what was happening.

’It’s over.’

’It’s all over!’

’First, I had to deal with the Daoist Sect Master, and now my junior sister has found out.’

Qiu Yuehan felt that no matter how cold the water in the Cold Pool was, it couldn’t compare to the chill in her body. Her earlobes were completely red, her head was spinning, and her pink toes dug deep marks into the ground.

"Junior Sister... you first, let me go first."

But Xia Lianxue was relentless. She was channeling her Time Dao to inspect Qiu Yuehan’s Demon Pattern, trying to unravel Lu Changyuan’s fate thread by thread.

She found nothing.

Qiu Yuehan gritted her teeth. A crimson blush spread across her icy, fairy-like face. Shame mingled with a jumble of other feelings; she felt a little like killing someone.

Only then did Xia Lianxue release her grip, letting out a sigh of relief.

’As long as he’s alive, everything is fine.’

"Senior Sister... I was rude."

The Little Fairy only now realized how rash she had been. She had roughly pushed aside her senior sister’s white robes, leaving behind faint fingerprints on her jade-like shoulder, which was dotted with a cherry-pink blush.

Watching the two of them tussle, Jiang Jiayi was momentarily dazed, as if reminded of many years ago when she and the Daoist Sect Master were still disciples.

’It’s been too long.’

’I’ll explain to them later not to reveal Lu Changyuan’s existence.’

So, she shed her outer robe, leaving only a simple, crimson-red dudou, and submerged her graceful figure into the pool’s water.

"Alright, both of you get in the Cold Pool and recover from your injuries. This pool has absorbed the spirit of Celestial Mountain and is extremely beneficial for cultivation."

Jiang Jiayi looked at the falling leaves in the bamboo forest, then gently touched her own shoulder. There had once been a Demon Pattern there, too.

"Senior Sister, I always knew your relationship with him wasn’t simple, but I never knew it was *this* kind of relationship."

Qiu Yuehan’s heart, which had just begun to settle, leaped back into her throat.

She choked out, "It was an accident... an accident."

Xia Lianxue let out a soft laugh, her emotion unreadable. "That day in the room, what were you two planning to do?"

Qiu Yuehan felt she shouldn’t have come to the Cold Pool today at all.

She was too thin-skinned for this kind of interrogation.

"Discussing the Dao. Yes, discussing the Dao."

’Why are you asking me? Can’t you control your own man? For all you know, he’s probably lying in some other little demon’s bed right now!’