He had already flown a hundred miles away from the gathering place, leaving the scene far behind in the blink of an eye.
Everyone in the hall quickly scanned the distant area with their divine sense. What they found left them stunned. Ji Yan, a cultivator at the Nascent Soul mid-stage, was bleeding from all seven of his orifices. His face was pale, his body trembling, and he looked like he was on the very edge of death, barely able to hold on.
It had all happened from just one single palm strike.
"Fellow Daoist Wu, you..." one of the leaders started to say, his voice trailing off in shock.
"He should learn to mind his own mouth," Wu Qin replied without any emotion in his tone. He had no interest in starting a war with the Yin Yang Sect right now, so he kept his words calm and steady. "This seat will send one Protector and two Hall Masters to lead some people to take part."
If there really turned out to be a great opportunity at the event, he would not hold back or be polite about claiming his share. After all, his Wuji Palace was not a wealthy place. It lacked the deep resources that the bigger sects enjoyed, and every bit of gain mattered.
Everyone stood there in silence, still processing what had just happened, as they watched Wu Qin turn into a streak of black light. He shot off into the sky and vanished from sight in moments.
"This... Fellow Daoist Ji only mentioned Fairy Qingyue once. Why did he react like that?" someone whispered, clearly confused by the sudden outburst.
It was as if someone had stepped right on a cat's tail, causing such an explosive and wild reaction out of nowhere.
"Could it be... that he actually likes Fairy Qingyue?" another person suggested in a low voice, testing the idea among the group.
"Forget it. Who doesn't know that Wu Qin is completely heartless?" a third voice answered with a short laugh. "It is far more likely that he wants to destroy the flower in a ruthless way and kill the fairy. How could someone like him possibly have any real feelings for her?"
"True," came the quick agreement from several others around the hall.
"Could the Lingyun Sect be keeping Fairy Qingyue locked up because they feel she attracts too much attention? Maybe they are protecting her in this way?" one cultivator asked, rubbing his chin as he thought it over.
"It is not impossible," another replied with a small nod.
"I have seen countless people in my time and no shortage of beautiful women. But when I first laid eyes on Xiao Qingyue, she was truly breathtaking. I did not expect such a gorgeous, heavenly, and cold-tempered woman to exist in this world."
"How many young geniuses and heroes have been captivated by her beauty, loving her without any return? She is truly a femme fatale!"
"Heh, in the end, she is but a bag of bones," an older man added with a dismissive wave of his hand.
"Old Devil Fang, stop pretending to be a monk without any desires here," someone teased him right away. "Last time you saw the Holy Maiden of the Yin Yang Sect, you were almost drooling all over yourself."
"Cough, cough, that is not true at all," Old Devil Fang replied quickly, clearing his throat. "I am the same kind of person as Palace Master Wu, viewing beauties as nothing but bones. Do not slander me like that."
The Sect Master of the Blood Sea Sect narrowed his eyes slightly as he sat there. He had invited Wu Qin for this talk mainly because the man had not shown his face for more than ten years. He wanted to see for himself if the younger cultivator's strength had dropped at all.
The foundation of Wuji Palace was simply too shallow. It relied entirely on Wu Qin alone to hold everything together and keep the sect standing.
But if he ever reached the Void Refining stage, Wuji Palace would truly become the fifth great demonic sect in the region. There would be no stopping its rise then.
He was the youngest Soul Transformation cultivator in the entire Southern Border, and he might very well become the youngest Void Refinement cultivator as well. On top of that, his combat power sat at its absolute peak right now.
Terrifying indeed.
Six days later.
Bright Moon Peak.
Inside a quiet courtyard.
Xiao Qingyue woke up with a start from a nightmare, sitting up straight in bed. A trace of fear still lingered in her eyes as she looked around the dim room.
After a long while, she finally calmed down and regained her senses.
"My situation... how is it any different from a nightmare?" she thought to herself, her voice barely a whisper.
She stepped outside the cave dwelling and triggered the restriction formation, carefully checking to make sure he was not inside anywhere.
"He has not returned yet?" Xiao Qingyue breathed a deep sigh of relief, feeling very fortunate in that moment.
It would be best if that devil simply died somewhere outside and never came back at all.
Xiao Qingyue looked around the courtyard carefully. It was basically the same as her old residence back in the Lingyun Sect. The layout felt identical, the furnishings sat in the exact same places, and every brick and tile seemed copied down to the smallest detail.
Even the flowers and plants growing in the garden matched perfectly, as if someone had moved the entire place here piece by piece.
There was also a tall five-story pavilion standing quietly in the back.
These were all part of the special bridal chamber that Wu Qin had built just for her.
But she refused to live here with any comfort in her heart.
She wanted to remind herself at every moment that she was still trapped in a cage, still living in a personal hell.
She walked over to the main peak's hall for a short while, taking slow steps as she looked around.
She did not find the devil anywhere.
Xiao Qingyue breathed another sigh of relief without meaning to. "I do not know what they are planning," she said softly to herself. "It would be wonderful if he suddenly dropped dead somewhere outside."
Wait a moment. Since he was not here right now, did that mean she might have a real chance to escape?
This could be the only chance she would ever get.
No, that devil was too sinister, too cunning, and far too calculating. How could he ever let her slip away so easily?
Xiao Qingyue hesitated, standing still in the empty hall. If she tried to escape and got caught, the punishment waiting for her would likely be even worse than what she had faced last time.
Inhumane torture.
More than a hundred lashes.
She let out a long sigh and turned back toward her cave dwelling, her shoulders slumped and her steps heavy with dejection.
Lingshan City.
Jianbao Pavilion.
"Come in."
A woman stepped into the private box as soon as she heard the voice. She carried a tray in her hands, and on it sat various fresh fruits arranged neatly.
Wu Qin glanced sideways and saw a young girl who looked about fifteen or sixteen years old walking in behind her.
Her features were delicate and fine, like something out of a painting. Her skin was as white and smooth as fresh snow. Her long hair was tied up in a simple gourd-style bun and held in place by an elegant green jade hairpin.
She wore a peacock-green jacket and skirt that showed off her slender and graceful figure. She truly was a masterpiece of nature.
"Guest," the girl said politely as she set the tray down on the table. She turned to leave right away.
"Xia Ruoqian?"
The girl's beautiful eyes widened in surprise. "You know me?"
She looked at Wu Qin more carefully now. His face was smooth like polished jade, his posture straight and strong, and his whole presence carried an indescribable sense of pressure that made it hard to breathe easily.
Wu Qin had noticed her long ago. After all, she was Xiao Yue Liang's only remaining relative now.
She was the orphan of Xiao Qingyue's elder sister, the girl whom Xiao Qingyue had raised like her own child since she was little.
They were essentially like mother and daughter.
[Name]: Xia Ruoqian
[Providence]: 600 (Possesses opportunities, but destined for calamities; fated for a rough life and a violent death)
[Spiritual Root]: Wood, Earth, and Fire triple-attribute mid-grade spiritual roots
[Realm]: Eighth level of Qi Refinement
[Physique]: Primordial Spirit Physique — Not yet awakened. Outstanding cultivation talent, closer to the laws of heaven and earth, can mobilize world spiritual energy to help others replenish their own. Naturally compatible with the Great Dao, a physique close to immortality. Combat power is average, with no special divine abilities or phenomena.
An unexpected surprise. She actually had a special physique.
A healer?
Wu Qin kept his voice steady as he spoke. "I have a deep friendship with Xiao Qingyue."
Xia Ruoqian's face lit up with surprise. "Auntie?"
"Yes. Why are you working here as a server?"
Xia Ruoqian answered him honestly, her eyes looking down at the floor for a moment. "I am an outer disciple of the Lingyun Sect. I want to earn more spirit stones so I can use them for my Foundation Establishment."
"Did your auntie not leave any resources for you?"
Xia Ruoqian gave a bitter smile and did not say anything more.
Ever since Xiao Qingyue had been locked up at Siguo Cliff two years ago, she had never seen her auntie again.
The monthly stipend for outer disciples was already small, and she was always being targeted by the outer sect elders. Shen Rumeng and a few of Xiao Qingyue's former junior brothers made her life especially hard.
She could have been an inner disciple by now, but because of all this targeting, her days in the sect had become very difficult.
Wu Qin asked again in a calm tone, "How many spirit stones do you get here each month?"
"Two hundred low-grade ones."
"Sit."
Xia Ruoqian looked startled for a second, but she sat down beside him, feeling uneasy the whole time.
He was a VIP here, after all, and he could request the presence of a server if he wanted.
The auction had already started in the main hall below.
"The first item: three bottles of high-grade Marrow Cleansing Pills, thirty pills in total. Starting price is three hundred mid-grade spirit stones, with each bid increase no less than ten."
Marrow Cleansing Pills were very useful for Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment cultivators. The moment they appeared, a lively bidding war broke out right away. After six rounds of offers, the price had climbed all the way to five hundred and thirty mid-grade spirit stones.
Wu Qin turned to her and asked, "You have not taken Marrow Cleansing Pills before?"
"Ah... Senior, I have taken two low-grade ones."
"Make a bid."
Xia Ruoqian's heart started racing fast. She wondered if this senior was truly her auntie's friend or maybe even a secret suitor.
Was he going to buy the pills and give them to her?
It would not feel right to accept such a big gift without having done anything to earn it, would it?
But she really wanted them more than anything.
Only by working hard to cultivate and grow stronger could she one day rescue her auntie and avenge her mother.
"Five hundred and fifty," Xia Ruoqian called out, her voice steady even though her hands were shaking a little.
The entire hall fell quiet for a moment.
A bid coming straight from a VIP box showed a clear determination to win. Most people knew there was no point in fighting it.
"Five hundred and seventy," a man sitting in the front row called out without hesitation.
Xia Ruoqian pursed her lips and looked down at the man. His luxurious spiritual clothing must have cost at least eight hundred mid-grade spirit stones. He was clearly a noble son from a powerful family.
"It is him..."
"Who is he?" Wu Qin asked quietly.
"Song An, the young master of the Song Family, a cultivation family here in Lingshan City. His uncle is a deacon of the Lingyun Sect."
"Continue."
Xia Ruoqian had no choice but to bid again.
Song An raised the price to six hundred without even thinking twice.
Xia Ruoqian stopped and said softly, "Senior, the price is already too high. Six hundred can definitely buy better things elsewhere..."
Wu Qin smiled gently. This girl was still trying to save money for him even now.
"Then forget it."
He was not foolish. There was no reason to waste spirit stones on something like this.
"The fifteenth item: one third-rank Green Scale Fruit, a specialty of the Rakshasa Forest. Consuming it can recover injuries and strengthen the physical body. Starting bid is six hundred mid-grade spirit stones."
This fruit was quite rare, and many people in the hall showed real interest. In no time at all, the bidding pushed the price up to eight hundred and fifty.
Xia Ruoqian called out, "Nine hundred."
Song An raised his eyebrows and answered right away, "I bid one thousand!"