While the cultivators of the Nine Heavens Holy Land and the warriors of the Great Desolation Star Domain fought a desperate battle above the clouds, a furtive figure slipped into the now-abandoned Holy Land.
The figure wore a flowing purple robe, resplendent as an auspicious violet mist rolling in from the east, unmatched in its splendor.
Zi Wuji!
He had not followed Gu Jianxin out to fight. He had merely feinted a charge before doubling back to the Holy Land. Gu Jianxin and the others were fully occupied with the enemy—how could they have noticed his little trick? And though the Holy Land was shielded by Xia Ningshang's protection, preventing outsiders from breaching its defenses, he was technically one of their own, so that seemingly impregnable barrier was as good as nonexistent for him.
He returned to the main hall with ease, muttering curses under his breath, his face twisted with malice and resentment.
Moments ago, he had received a covert order—one that left him torn. Yet if he valued his own life, he had no choice but to go through with it. If he succeeded, not only would his life be spared, but he might even get to taste forbidden fruit. A single stroke, two birds.
He crept cautiously toward the inner hall, suppressing his aura as best he could.
He knew that in the eyes of a Star Lord, his movements could not go undetected—especially at such close range. But that was only if the Star Lord was in good condition, with energy to spare to sense her surroundings.
Lady Xia's condition was anything but good. She grew weaker with each passing day. He had already confirmed this through Gu Jianxin, so despite his unease, he felt some measure of confidence that his mission could succeed.
He passed through the inner hall and soon arrived near a side room. Peering around the corner, he was overcome with delight.
The door to the room was wide open, with not a trace of any protective formation guarding it.
This is truly heaven-sent!
Before his elation could fully settle, a clear, melodious laugh drifted to his ears.
Zi Wuji's shock was so great that he froze on the spot.
He recognized the laughter as Xia Ningshang's voice. It was still weak, to be sure, but clearly not nearly as dire as he had imagined.
What was going on? According to everything he'd heard, she had been bedridden to the point of lacking the strength to even speak—so how was she laughing? And who was she laughing with? In that instant, Zi Wuji considered calling the whole thing off. The order could not be defied, but if his own life was at risk, he needed to think long and hard about whether to carry it through.
A flash of insight struck him, and he recalled the identity of the person speaking with Xia Ningshang.
That little girl of seven or eight! Of everyone who had come in earlier, she was the only one who hadn't left. It had to be her.
Zi Wuji exhaled a quiet breath of relief. A false alarm, then. If it was just the little girl, there was little to worry about. The only remaining question was the true state of Xia Ningshang. She had the strength to laugh—but did she have the strength to harness the power of the stars? If so, he was no match for her.
Just as he wavered, Xia Ningshang's voice carried out: "If you have something to say, come in and say it. Hiding out there… coughing… what are you doing?"
He'd been discovered!
Zi Wuji started in alarm, but quickly regained his composure.
Of course Xia Ningshang would detect him if she wasn't unconscious—he was far too close to her. And judging from her voice, she truly was feeble beyond measure. After a brief internal struggle, he made up his mind. No more hiding. He hurried toward the side room, calling out: "Lady Xia! Something terrible has happened!"
He burst into the room, his face expertly arranged into an expression of urgent distress.
Xia Ningshang's expression shifted. She straightened slightly against the headboard, anxiety coloring her voice: "What happened?!"
Zi Wuji clutched his chest as though wracked with grief: "That Brother Yang, he—he—" He stamped his foot and beat his fists against his thighs, deliberately leaving the sentence hanging.
Even though Xia Ningshang harbored suspicions, she couldn't suppress the pallor that drained her face. A flicker of spiritual sense shot out as her attention shifted to the battlefield above the clouds.
It was in that very instant that Zi Wuji struck. Purple light blazed between both palms as he brought them crashing down over her head. There was a note of feigned reluctance in his voice: "Lady Xia, please don't blame me. I had no choice—I was forced into this. But rest assured, I won't take your life. I only need to—"
The words caught in his throat. His expression froze.
A small figure had suddenly appeared between them. Dark eyes and light eyes stared at him with perfect clarity—utterly devoid of emotion, regarding him the way one might regard a stone or a clump of dirt.
And yet, Zi Wuji felt a sharp, inexplicable pang of dread.
"Get out of the way!" he roared. He had committed to the attack—there was no turning back now. The little girl didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth. He would deal with her first.
A palm struck down toward Liu Yan's head.
The blow connected solidly. Zi Wuji darted past the girl—but then twisted his head in horror, his eyes quivering.
Not a scratch on her!
This porcelain-doll of a little girl had taken his full-powered strike and been completely unaffected. She stood there in perfect stillness, so much as not having budged an inch.
An icy sensation of creeping dread coiled up from the depths of his heart. Had he… perhaps made a grave mistake?
Before he could think it through, a tongue of fire had already coiled around his body, binding him fast.
So when Yang Kai finished dispatching the Great Desolation warriors and returned to this place, the scene that greeted him was Zi Wuji—shackled in a corner, trembling violently. The fire serpent flicked its forked tongue, its appearance vicious and menacing. Though flames roiled across its surface, it radiated no heat whatsoever. Had it been otherwise, Zi Wuji would have been reduced to ashes long ago.
"So it was you," Yang Kai remarked, glancing at him as though he had expected as much.
The Third Elder's earlier words had been vague and incomplete, but a man of Yang Kai's shrewdness needed no further explanation. One sweep of the battlefield, and the meaning behind the Third Elder's warning had become perfectly clear.