With his words, the great hall fell into a momentary silence, and even Chi Xingzhao, who was usually composed and unaffected by emotions, showed a slight change in her expression.
No wonder they had searched for Lu Ran using the traces of dark energy but couldn’t find his body. It turned out that the villain had never died. Back then, for the reputation of the Floating Light Sect and Yunkai, this matter had been suppressed, and from then on, no one in the sect ever mentioned that name again.
Meng Xueting had initially believed that Lu Ran was lucky to escape death, but he hadn’t expected that Yunkai had intentionally shielded him.
Even Chi Xingzhao began to doubt if she had misheard something. She knew Yunkai very well. He might be young, but he was always composed and, most importantly, just and impartial. Sometimes she even found him too cold-hearted and ruthless. After all, he had once ruthlessly crippled the cultivation of his disciple and later executed him in the Demon Realm. Despite the sect’s rules, she still thought he was too cold-blooded.
“I can’t believe it. You spared that villain’s life, yet he doesn’t appreciate it?” Meng Xueting looked at his own nephew with a pale face and felt that his words might have been too harsh. His face turned a grim shade of gray, and he seemed to hesitate about what to say next. Finally, he shook his sleeves and turned to face Gu Yunkai, who was still kneeling on the stone steps. “Now is not the time to investigate this matter.”
“Why are you still kneeling? Get up!”
…
However, even though Meng Xueting had no intention of punishing him, he placed him under house arrest and forbade him from leaving the Cloud Crane Peak.
[Host, in my opinion, just this reason alone might not be enough to make the male lead believe you. It sounds like something hastily made up on the brink of death, and I don’t think I would believe it.]
[If I were to tell him, it would seem like I’m using a favor to manipulate him, which is the lowest level of manipulation, and it wouldn’t be enough to erase the years of resentment he holds against me. There’s nothing more convincing than seeing it with your own eyes. So, I’ll let him witness how much ‘effort’ his master has put into him.]
The system immediately realized that the host was up to something when it heard his tone.
The moonlight, clear and cold, pierced through the clouds and fell upon the snowy mountains. The mountain wind rustled, and the world was draped in white.
Since he had been put under house arrest, Gu Yunkai diligently practiced every day. However, the surging demonic energy from Lu Ran was becoming too intense to suppress. Every other day, he had to experience the sensation of practicing until he almost lost control of his spiritual energy, akin to entering a demonic state.
In the cave, the Mystic Frost Sword, stuck in a crevice in the stone, vibrated incessantly as it responded to its owner’s uncontrolled spiritual energy, emitting a piercing, ear-piercing sound. The released sword energy was so powerful that it shook the entire mountain peak.
As if enduring in the midst of freezing ice for a long time, the person in white was covered in bloodstains due to the uncontrollable sword energy. Finally, with one hand carrying a clear aura, he touched the person’s forehead. In an instant, the surging true essence flowed through him like a clear spring, suppressing the raging spiritual energy within him.
Gu Yunkai opened his eyes, his clothes drenched in cold sweat. He leaned over and spat out a mouthful of black blood, wiped the bloodstains from his lips, and tried to see who was in front of him. However, his vision darkened, and he passed out.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in the main hall of Cloud Crane Peak.
Recalling the dangers of yesterday, Gu Yunkai looked at Sect Master Qinghua, who stood in front of him with a solemn expression, and said, “Thank you, Sect Master, for saving me.”
The old voice of Sect Master Qinghua sounded, “Yunkai, what exactly happened?”
Gu Yunkai lowered his eyes and whispered, “I pushed my cultivation too aggressively and accidentally fell into a demonic state.”
Sect Master Qinghua gazed at Gu Yunkai and said, “You still won’t tell the truth at this point?”
Gu Yunkai’s brows furrowed as he met a pair of deep, benevolent eyes that seemed to have seen through everything, leaving nothing hidden.
He remained silent, then slowly rose from the bed and kneeled heavily before Sect Master Qinghua.
“Yunkai is guilty… I used forbidden techniques against the sect’s rules, and I have failed the Floating Light Sect.”
Sect Master Qinghua sighed deeply. Originally, he had thought that Yunlai wouldn’t commit such actions, given his personality. However, seeing Yunkai’s response, all doubts had been dispelled.
“The day that villain confronted me in battle, I sensed that he wasn’t an ordinary demon but a descendant of the ancient demon race. Being not of our kind, his intentions must be different… These words are indeed true.”
“Do you realize the consequences of this forbidden technique? If it were an ordinary demon, it would be one thing, but this is an ancient demon. You truly don’t understand the gravity of the situation.”
“When your senior brother passed down the Mystic Frost Sword to you, it was to entrust you with his legacy – to eliminate demons and uphold the right path. My cultivation has stagnated for a thousand years, and with my time nearing its end, I had high hopes for you. But you’ve truly disappointed me…”
Gu Yunkai’s face turned pale, and his eyes were filled with self-blame. “Yunkai is unworthy of the teachings of Senior Uncle and Sect Leader.”
Sect Master Qinghua gazed at his disciple, his heart filled with myriad regrets. Back when he saw this disciple’s cold and aloof disposition, he thought that cultivating alone on Cloud Crane Peak might make him too lonely. So, during the disciple selection assembly, he assigned the exceptional talent, Lu Ran, to him, hoping it would add some liveliness to Cloud Crane Peak.
However, he never expected that this would lead to such a fateful entanglement.
“It’s water under the bridge, and saying more won’t change anything.”
Gu Yunkai bowed his head decisively and spoke resolutely, “Sect Master, this is entirely Yunkai’s fault. If not for my arrogance and stubbornness, he wouldn’t have ended up like this. If he can truly repent, may I please beg you to spare his life?”
Sect Master Qinghua’s face shifted from pale to white. He took a step back, completely astonished that, at this moment, his disciple was still pleading for that villain. It felt like an attack on his heart, and he almost lost his temper right then and there.
“I can’t believe your judgment…” Sect Master Qinghua said the words but immediately felt that something was wrong. He quickly changed the topic, “That villain is extremely malevolent and murderous now. If we don’t eliminate him, he’ll be a continuous threat to the cultivation world. Your major mistake a hundred years ago has already been made, and now you don’t think about how to make amends, but instead want to make the same mistake again?”
Gu Yunkai pressed his lips together, his face pale and devoid of color.
“You should stay here at Cloud Crane Peak, reflect on your actions, and focus on healing. You don’t need to get involved in that villain’s affairs anymore.”
…
Deep in the verdant valleys, a layer of rain had graced Cloud Crane Peak the previous night. Subtle wisps of mist hung overhead, veiling the sprawling myriad of tens of thousands of mountain stairs, which vanished into the deep and cloudy heavens.
Two young men, clad in the attire of Cloud Crane disciples, ascended the stairs while discussing the recent events.
“I saw it with my own eyes,” one of them recounted. “The Peak Master offered ‘Mystic Frost’ as a sign of apology to Lord Meng, but Lord Meng flew into a rage. That’s why Peak Master is now confined on Cloud Crane Peak.”
The other sighed and replied, “The internal affairs of Cloud Crane Peak seem to be quite intricate. There may be undisclosed circumstances. Nevertheless, the situation is undeniably worrisome.”
As they talked, they continued their ascent along the mountain stairs. The mountain air was exceptionally fresh after the rain, and Cloud Crane Peak had seemingly returned to its peaceful state, unbeknownst to the two young men that it had undergone a significant transformation.
The other disciple chimed in, “I agree, it does seem suspicious. It’s hard to believe that we didn’t even see Peak Master at such an important gathering yesterday. The various lords and the Sect Master have been quite serious these past few days. But I heard that Peak Master suffered severe injuries, and the Sect Master spent the entire night two nights ago healing him. I wonder who could have harmed Peak Master with his high cultivation.”
“I’m curious about that as well…”
Within the Cloud Crane’s main hall,
Even though Gu Yunkai did not venture outside, he was well aware of what had transpired in recent days. Lu Ran, a young man who had been confined for a hundred years, was now eagerly seeking revenge on society.
Over the past century, not only had his cultivation grown significantly, but his resentment towards the various major sects, with himself as the representative, had also grown exponentially.
Apart from the Floating Light Sect, many of the major sects in the cultivation world had been provoked by him and his people. His hatred had reached an all-time high. Ye Lingya, as Lu Ran’s top henchwoman and number one fangirl, was ruthless and cunning. She excelled at using schemes. She hardly needed to act herself, just releasing a few pieces of information regarding spiritual veins. Several sects turned against themselves under her manipulation, causing severe internal conflicts.
However, the most feared aspect of the entire Purple Cloud Realm remained the three golden stamens that had blossomed in the Refining Pool overnight.
Various sects speculated on the identity of this person, and no one knew where the news had originated. Rumors circulated throughout the entire Floating Light Sect. There was a powerful and dreaded cultivator, long thought to have perished a hundred years ago, who had actually survived: Lu Ran.
Despite never having seen the body of this “traitor.”
System 2333 noticed that even on the Cloud Crane, their host was very dedicated to performing this dire state, even though it had already blocked his pain sensation.
[Host, the male lead is currently suffering severe backlash and might not make it through.]
But Chu Yan hadn’t forgotten the terrifying strength of Lu Ran, who could easily cut through the void. Perhaps he was in the Demon Realm one moment and could appear before him the next.
In fact, there was no need to perform, as the condition of Gu Yunkai’s body right now was already in a terrible state. Being consumed by the ancient demon’s demonic energy, if he hadn’t suppressed his cultivation, the dantian of an ordinary cultivator would have likely shattered long ago.
But this was precisely the right time for Lu Ran to arrive. If he had delayed any longer, Chu Yan felt like the external injuries caused by his own sword energy might have started to heal on their own.
[He’s really coming, Host. I detected the aura of the male lead.]
Chu Yan immediately cooperated by displaying a pained and patient expression. He then stiffly raised his head, as if he had sensed something.
In that moment, he saw the lightning-fast crack slowly closing, and a familiar figure stood right in front of him. As Gu Yunkai lifted his head, his gaze met Lu Ran’s pitch-black eyes. Lu Ran had a high nose bridge, and apart from his skin color, only the cuffs and collar of his clothing were a bit white. In the faint shadow, his eyes looked cold and sharp.
During this reunion, it seemed that he had undergone some changes compared to their previous meetings.
Or rather, the hostility in his demeanor couldn’t be hidden anymore.
Lu Ran’s gaze first settled on Gu Yunkai’s face and then shifted to the obvious wound on his body. The hostility in his eyes seemed to dissipate to some extent. After a long silence, he spoke softly, “Master.”
Risking the backlash from his condition to come here, he lived up to his role as the male protagonist. It was evident that he didn’t regard the Floating Light Sect highly.
“I’ve come here today because I have some questions for Master. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything to you.”
Gu Yunkai’s eyes were unfocused at this moment, but he still struggled to maintain some clarity.
Lu Ran looked at Gu Yunkai for a long time and finally spoke with an inexplicable tone, “Master, when did you find out about my identity? And why did you use such a forbidden technique against me?”
Gu Yunkai looked at Lu Ran with disbelief, seemingly surprised by his question.
However, Lu Ran smiled faintly and said, “It seems it’s true. Under the backlash of the demonic energy, your spiritual energy is also uncontrollable.”
Although he looked quite bad himself, the demonic energy backlash should affect him even more severely. However, for some reason, Gu Yunkai felt that Lu Ran was in a rather good mood.
“Master, since you already knew I was a natural-born demon and had ancient demon bloodline in my body, why didn’t you just hand me over to the Sect Master for disposal?”
Author’s note: Well, that’s how melodramatic stories go. Let’s take the boxed lunch first and resolve the misunderstandings later! But in cultivation novels, even when characters die, they can still come back to life!
Chu Yan: I have my reasons, but I won’t say them now. I’ll let someone else explain after I’m dead! It’ll drive you crazy!
Lu Ran: ‘crying so loudly!’
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