All eyes were fixed on the screen, particularly on the figures of the Abyssal Antarch and Jiang An.
The onlookers watched intently; the same was true for the five sect representatives seated on the high wing, each wearing a serious expression.
Suddenly, the screen flickered.The image of the Antarch raising his hand to kill Jiang An blurred and vanished, shifting instead to another battlefield where cultivators clashed with spirit beasts.
"What happened?!"
The abrupt change left the audience stunned. Murmurs broke out, voices overlapping in agitation.
The sudden change took everyone off guard.The onlookers began chattering among themselves.
"Change it back!""Switch to the previous scenario!"
Voices rang out from both cultivators and common people in the crowd.
Sun Yu stared at the screen and frowned.What happened? Did the spirit orbs break or something? he muttered under his breath.
But Ye Kaishan's expression was one of surprise.
The moment the screen flickered, I saw a figure in a red dress heading toward Jiang An…
It was blurry and too fast to clearly recognize, but—
I'm sure of it. It shouldn't be my imagination, Ye Kaishan muttered, his thoughts deepening.
"Did you see that figure?" Song Yan's voice echoed in his mind through their soul link.
"Yes… it was fast and hard to make out, but she wore a red dress. She went straight toward them," Ye Kaishan replied, his face calm and serene.
Song Yan glanced at him in surprise.
It's one thing that I can see her… but he can also see her? Even for a Soul Star Realm cultivator, it would be an immense challenge to catch even a glimpse.
And yet… he not only saw her, but also noticed the color of her clothes?
Her eyes lingered on Ye Kaishan as her thoughts deepened.
He is carefree by nature, knowing nothing of cultivation.
He cannot use the natural soul energy present in the environment. Because of that, he cannot cultivate,
so by all means he is not a cultivator. Yet somehow, he can throw punches that slightly overwhelm me. He can use source laws such as space and time without soul energy. How?
Previously, I didn't think much about it, but the fact that he entered my subspace without my knowledge is already a huge question.
It's even stranger that in my previous life before regression, I had never seen or even heard of him.
"Song Yan…
Song Yan… Song Yan!!…"
She snapped out of her thoughts as Ye Kaishan's voice sounded in her ears.
"What were you thinking so deeply about? Are you alright?" he asked with concern.
She looked at him, lips curling into a gentle smile."I'm alright."
Ye Kaishan studied her with doubt for a moment, then turned back to the screen.
Well, I don't know much about him. If he has something to hide, he'll tell me when he's ready. But one thing I am certain of—he is my Dao Companion.
.....
"My name is Xiao Mo, and I am an Inner Sect Elder of the Crimson Abyss Sect.
Your kind is not new to me."
Her crimson robes glowed faintly under the setting sun as she looked at the Abyssal Antarch with open ridicule.
The Antarch's antennae twitched. His voice rumbled with irritation. "What are those eyes?"
The Antarch stared at Xiao Mo, his rage boiling. Those ridiculing eyes looked down on him as though he were nothing. Yet her gaze did not change.
"I asked—what is that look in your eyes?!"
The Antarch lost his patience. With resentment flooding his being, he dashed at Xiao Mo, aiming to take her head. His clawed hand cut through the air, nearing her neck, eyes burning with rage.
Xiao Mo only sighed.
"That is why it's so troublesome to hunt down beasts that escape the sect… Especially failed demon beasts like you."
Her eyes closed briefly as she stepped past him.
The Antarch's body froze mid-strike.
The air carried the stench of blood as countless strands of resentment trailed down. The sorrow in his eyes only deepened with every step Xiao Mo took.
Haa… As I thought, it was really useless to escape that place, the Antarch thought bitterly. Memories flooded him—the hellish ground where agonizing voices rang unceasingly, the crimson sky, the countless Antarchs ground into blood mills, their essence forcefully injected into him.
I truly hate these humans from the very core of my being, he thought as blood streamed from his eyes.
Drip. Drip.
Blood pattered onto the ground as Xiao Mo walked calmly, the Antarch's severed head dangling from her hand. A moment later, his body collapsed lifelessly.
"It's troublesome… What can I even do? The sect was the one who made you. It's their responsibility.
"Xiao Mo's serene expression did not waver as she tossed the head aside.
But then, she paused. Her gaze shifted to Jiang An.
"I must thank this ant. If not for his hunting mission, I wouldn't have met a genius like her—one who aligns with our sect."
A faint smile touched her lips. She looked at the ground where Jiang Mu and Bai Ling's group lay wounded.
"Sigh… Let's heal them first. If not for them—and her brother becoming the key to awaken her bloodline—she would have died."
Opening her hand, she revealed a small porcelain bottle filled with red liquid. One by one, she let a single drop fall onto each of them.
Before naked eyes, the blood surged in riotous energy, their slashed flesh and pierced abdomens knitting together in an instant.
"Hmm… this task is done," she murmured, her gaze satisfied.
"Umm…"
Jiang An moved her hands as she slowly regained consciousness.Her eyelids flickered before she finally opened her eyes.
Her mind was clouded with confusion. She tried to stand, but her arms and legs gave out, as though all life had been drained from them. Her throat was unbearably dry.
"So, you finally woke up."
A sudden voice came from behind. Jiang An instinctively turned her head.
Xiao Mo stood there, behind Jiang An, watching her.
"W-Who are you?" Jiang An asked with hesitation.
"Me?
My name is Xiao Mo." She placed her hand gently on Jiang An's head.
Slowly, Jiang An's eyes began to clear, the haze of confusion lifting from her gaze.
"What… what happened to me?" Jiang An muttered as she checked her injuries, only to find them already healed. Her expression turned strange.
"You… you are…"
"Oh? Do I have to say my name again?" Xiao Mo looked at her with faint amusement.
"N-No, I mean—" Jiang An stammered.
"I am an elder of the Crimson Abyss Sect," Xiao Mo said, clearing her confusion.
"An elder?"
Jiang An's eyes widened. Did she heal me? But the trial isn't over yet… She probed Xiao Mo cautiously. Because of the veil covering her face, she couldn't make out her features.
"Wait—my brother!"
The thought struck her suddenly. She struggled to rise, her legs weak and trembling, barely able to support her weight.
"You don't have to worry. Your brother is fine," Xiao Mo reassured her after seeing the panic flash across her face.
Jiang An turned and saw Jiang Mu lying on the blood-soaked ground. She staggered forward and knelt, gathering him into her arms. His abdominal wound was fully healed, leaving only torn clothing. "His breathing was steady, and his heartbeat was normal."
Her gaze drifted briefly toward the headless corpse of the Abyssal Antarch. Yet in her eyes, there was no hatred, no rage, no resentment—only a deep, relieved joy that her brother was still alive.
Xiao Mo quietly approached but did not intrude, standing silently behind them.
after brief moment later
"You…"
Jiang An's lips parted.
"You're not from Mistveil Town, nor from any of the sects that came here." Her voice was firm, yet questioning.
"You're right. I'm not from here," Xiao Mo replied, a faint smile hidden beneath her veil.
"I don't know where you came from," Jiang An said, gently laying her brother back down.
"But by the looks of it… you must be the one who defeated the Antarch and healed my brother."
Thud!
Jiang An fell to her knees, her forehead touching the ground with a heavy sound.
"I don't know how to repay this kindness," she said in one breath, her voice trembling with sincerity. "But I will never forget it."
Xiao Mo looked at Jiang An, her gaze softening as her smile grew gentler the longer she watched her.
"Not only her talent, but her character as well… truly dazzling," Xiao Mo thought, a faint smile curving beneath the veil.
"I don't want your gratitude," Xiao Mo said as she turned, walking away slowly.
Jiang An lifted her head. The setting sun cast its final golden light upon Xiao Mo, her crimson coat billowing like an illusory river of blood.
Xiao Mo glanced back at her, eyes deep as if they could pierce through one's soul. Her lips parted, and her voice rang clear.
"Jiang An—be my disciple!"