Ji Rong watched calmly as the blade came slashing toward her, already resigned to her impending demise.
In that fleeting moment, a flash of white light cut across her vision.
A sword suddenly appeared in front of her, intercepting the strike.
Ji Rong lifted her gaze and saw a woman standing before her, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.
The woman had a head full of white hair and held a sword in her hand.
What the hell?
Ji Rong was momentarily stunned. Where did this woman come from? Not only had she never seen her before in Yunxian Cave, but she hadn't even heard her approaching.
The woman stood in front of Ji Rong, her three thousand strands of white hair cascading over her shoulders. Yet, she said nothing.
Her sleeve fluttered as she raised her sword effortlessly and slashed toward Yan Haiyao.
Though Yan Haiyao was blind, he could still sense the overwhelming surge of sword intent coming his way.
It was a sword intent on solitude, as if standing alone atop a thousand peaks.
With a single stroke, the blood mist dissipated, and the very mountains and rivers seemed to tremble.
The white-haired woman stood with her back to Ji Rong, making it impossible to see her face. All Ji Rong could discern was the slight movement of her wrist beneath the sleeve.
In the next instant, the sword in the woman's hand slipped from her grasp.
The blade hovered in midair before splitting into countless sword shadows, converging into a blinding beam of white light that pierced Yan Haiyao's chest.
Ji Rong narrowed her eyes, staring at the sword embedded in his body.
Her heart pounded.
If she wasn't mistaken, that sword was…
Chixiao?
The fierce sword energy surged into Yan Haiyao's heart.
His face aged in an instant, his once dark hair turning white again, and his blue robes soaked in shocking streaks of blood.
His lips twitched into a grin, but as he parted them, blood gushed from between his teeth. A hoarse, broken laugh escaped his throat.
Reaching out, he grasped the hilt of the sword impaling his chest, his fingers brushing over the intricate engravings entwined with crimson flames.
With a soft chuckle, he murmured to the woman, "Funny, isn't it? In the end, I still lost to the Chixiao Sword."
His eyes had been burned to nothing but hollow sockets, yet he seemed to be staring straight at her.
Then, he smiled faintly and added, "Even though you hold Chixiao, I know you are not Chu Changli. So I did not lose to her."
For some reason, although Yan Haiyao was speaking to the white-haired woman, Ji Rong couldn't shake the feeling that his empty gaze was fixed on her instead.
The woman remained silent.
She simply raised her hand and made a grasping motion in the air. In an instant, both Chixiao and Cangming returned to her grasp.
The swords withdrew from Yan Haiyao's body.
Blood sprayed from his chest, vivid and bright, like drifting Changming flowers.
Perched on his high seat, Yan Haiyao looked down at the gathered disciples, his mind drifting a hundred years into the past.
He recalled the day of the Tianyin Sect's disciple initiation ceremony, when he had once sat in that same lofty position, gazing down at three thousand disciples, smiling as he placed the Chongming flower in that woman's hand.
His hand, now withered and pale, lay lifeless in a pool of blood.
Even in his final moments, he remained seated, his expression indifferent as he said to the white-haired woman, "I lost. But I was not wrong."
With that, he toppled from his throne, sinking into a sea of blood, drifting further and further away until he was gone without a trace.
A mighty cultivator, consumed by obsession, had fallen to such a tragic end. Ji Rong couldn't help but sigh.
If you seek death, you'll find it.
Even the strongest couldn't escape this fate.
With Yan Haiyao's demise, the white-haired woman remained silent, still facing away from Ji Rong, holding both swords.
Ji Rong cradled Gu Xueyi in her arms, her mind filled with questions.
This white-haired powerhouse had taken down Yan Haiyao with a single strike. But the strangest part? Ji Rong had never heard of such a formidable figure in the game.
A faint fragrance lingered around the woman. Staring at her back, Ji Rong felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, as if she had seen her before.
Curiosity swirled within her, but maintaining her persona was crucial. She couldn't just latch onto this powerhouse's thigh immediately.
Instead, she clutched Gu Xueyi closer and respectfully said, "Disciple thanks Senior for saving my life."
The white-haired woman remained silent, holding her swords, showing no intention of turning around.
Ji Rong couldn't take it anymore. If she didn't cling to this golden opportunity now, when would she?
She opened her mouth, just about to ask, "May I ask, Senior, who you are?"
But before she could finish, the woman's sleeve flicked slightly.
And then, she vanished.
Just like that?
Not only was she gone, but she had even left behind the Cangming Sword.
With a loud clang, the legendary blade fell to the ground not far away.
Ji Rong was dumbfounded.
Cangming Sword was one of the five legendary swords in the game. And this powerhouse had just left it behind, as if it was nothing?
Also, wasn't the Chixiao Sword stolen by Bai Yushuang? How had it ended up in this woman's hands?
Everything had happened too quickly, too impossibly.
As Ji Rong's thoughts ran wild, an electronic voice suddenly chimed in her mind.
[Ding! Timed mission activated. Player must collect the Cangming Sword before the disciples regain consciousness.]
Ji Rong: "?"
That massive sword, where was she supposed to hide it once the disciples woke up? Stealing it would be impossible!
[Player, do not worry. Upon collecting the Cangming Sword, the system will automatically provide a storage space.]
Ji Rong was astonished. Was this really happening?
She lowered her gaze to the unconscious Gu Xueyi in her arms and the collapsed Wu Yan on the ground. There was no need to weigh the pros and cons.
She was taking that sword.
Without hesitation, she pulled her hand away and gently placed the person in her arms on the ground. Then, she leaped forward, soaring toward the Cangming Sword.
A mere heroine and a pet, how could they possibly stand in the way of her looting?
Just as Ji Rong's fingers touched the Cangming Sword, the blade suddenly transformed into a streak of white light and flew into the blood jade bracelet on her wrist.
Stunned, she watched as the sword turned into a surge of waves, etching itself along the bracelet's edge. Aside from the addition of a few intricate patterns, the bracelet remained nearly identical to before.
At the same time, a surge of true energy coursed through her dantian, washing over her meridians, refining her spiritual power to an even purer state.
[Beep! Congratulations, player, on successfully collecting the divine sword "Cangming." Achievement points +100.]
[The "Shop" function has been unlocked. You may now exchange achievement points for items.]
The shop had unlocked?
Ji Rong glanced at the bracelet on her wrist and curiously asked, "Oh? What items are available?"
[Based on your current achievement points, the shop offers: "Meng Ruo's Memories," "Mei He's Memories," "Gu Baiyi's Memories," the divine-grade musical score "Brocade Zither," and the divine-grade elixir "Great Rejuvenation Pill."]
Well, well.
The shop even sold people's memories? That sounded rather interesting.
Without hesitation, Ji Rong made her decision. "I'll take the Great Rejuvenation Pill."
Hmph. What use were memories? A breakthrough elixir was far more practical.
[A friendly reminder: The Great Rejuvenation Pill is only effective for cultivators below the Riding the Wind realm. Price: 100 achievement points per pill.]
[However, achievement points are extremely rare. A divine sword grants 100 points, while advancing a realm only grants 30 points. Please consider carefully.]
Ji Rong calculated, advancing a realm earned 30 points, meaning buying the pill for 100 points was essentially spending only 70 points for a breakthrough. A total win.
Just as she was about to redeem one, the "Thousand Changes" illusion shattered, and the disciples began to wake up.
They looked around in horror, exclaiming, "Where are we…? How did we get here? And where is Elder Yan?"
Ji Rong scoffed internally. Still calling him 'Elder Yan'? That so-called elder was kind enough not to crush your heads like watermelons.
At that moment, Yun Ying and Lan Cen also regained consciousness.
Lan Cen stood atop a high platform, staring at the boundless sea of blood below. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and called out, "Everyone, do not panic. Please listen to me."
The disciples turned toward the platform, where Lan Cen stood in her azure robes, appearing almost ethereal.
Her gaze held sorrow as she spoke softly, "There is no need to be afraid. That grand hall was an illusion created by Elder Yan. We… were all deceived by him."
"When Yun Ying and I first entered Yunxian Cave, we too fell under Elder Yan's enchantment. But because I am a disciple of the Tianyin Division, he merely placed us under a Nightmare Art rather than outright killing us."
A long silence followed her words.
After a moment, a disciple from Silver Feather Pavilion shouted, "Why should we believe you? Elder Yan's whereabouts are unknown. Who's to say you aren't conspiring with Meng Ruo to slander him?"
Ji Rong was speechless. These NPCs had nearly been slaughtered by Yan Haiyao, yet they were still defending him? Were they mentally ill?
Yun Ying, standing beside Lan Cen, wanted to defend her.
Clearing her throat, she said, "I can vouch for Senior Sister Lan. I saw it myself, Elder Yan's cultivation of the Nightmare Art caused him to lose control. He has already succumbed to madness."
The disciple remained unconvinced, still arguing, "And who are you? An unknown disciple speaking nonsense to tarnish Elder Yan's name."
Yun Ying's face paled in frustration. As an outer disciple of Wanjian Sect, she held little authority, making her words easy to dismiss.
Ji Rong, meanwhile, was casually stroking the unconscious Wu Yan's fur. She had planned to sit back and enjoy the show but hadn't expected these fools to pick on her Junior Sister.
A protective instinct flared within her, she couldn't just stand by.
Meanwhile, Lan Cen's anger boiled over at the Silver Feather disciple's words. Just as she was about to reprimand him, a figure emerged from the crowd.
Ji Rong, draped in bloodstained silk, cradled a snow-white fox in her arms. Though her delicate features were smeared with blood, her noble bearing remained unshaken.
She raised her wounded left hand, her voice cold and distant. "Does this sword wound on my hand serve as proof that Yan Haiyao has fallen into madness?"
The crowd stared at her mangled wrist. Though the bleeding had been stopped, the wound remained raw and gruesome.
Many disciples hesitated, beginning to believe her words. But among them were Yan Haiyao's devout followers, itching to argue further.
[Beep! Detected Gu Xueyi's favorability at -899. Triggering a random event.]
Ji Rong was dumbfounded. Never mind Gu Xueyi's favorability, what kind of event could a score of -899 even trigger?
[Dear player, Gu Xueyi's initial favorability toward you was -999. -899 is already an improvement!]
Ji Rong: "…"
Just as the disciple prepared to continue arguing, a figure suddenly appeared beside Ji Rong.
The woman's robes were soaked in blood, her original colors indistinguishable.
She held a sword in one hand, her crimson eyes carrying a smile that sent chills down the spines of those who saw her. A palpable aura of bloodlust surrounded her.
Gu Baiyi's wounds had just been mended by the phoenix totem, her soul still weak. For now, Gu Xueyi remained in control of her body.
With a chilling smile, Gu Xueyi spoke slowly to the disciple, "Since you admire Elder Yan so much, why didn't you follow him to his death?"
The disciple froze, then shouted in anger, "Which sect do you belong to? Such insolence! Were you raised without discipline?"
Ji Rong watched the reckless NPC with a mix of pity and admiration.
Little brother, isn't living nice?
To provoke the bloodthirsty Gu Xueyi, were they tired of breathing?
As expected, Gu Xueyi's smile deepened. Lifting her sword with lazy ease, her murderous intent became unmistakable.
At that moment, a loud crash echoed from the left side of Yunxian Cave.
The sound drew everyone's attention as they turned to look.
A massive rock shattered, sending golden light scattering like fragments of sunlight, illuminating the disciples' eyes.
Above the blood sea, golden brilliance surged.
From the dazzling light, a sword engraved with crane wings shot forth from the rubble.
Ji Rong stood frozen, suppressing the waves of emotion in her heart, gazing upward at the sword.
Atop the blade stood two figures.
One had long black hair cascading like a waterfall, holding a jade flute, Tianyin Division's leader, Meng Ruo.
The other, dressed in fluttering white robes, stood atop the returning crane sword, smiling as they addressed the disciple, "And which young friend here wishes to discipline Mei's disciple? Please, state your name."