Is it over just like that?
This is way too fast!
All the disciples of Yungu Sect were frozen in shock.
Zhao Lingyi's face twisted in painful struggle, frozen in the air, his neck slowly burning.
He quickly lifted the wide sleeve of his robe, turning his head to wipe away tears threatening to fall. Silently chanting a calming mantra in his heart, he forced down the heat on his face and turned, revealing a composed, modest, and calm demeanor.
"This young lady, thank you for saving Junior Sister Li Qingting. I am Zhao Lingyi, a disciple of Yungu Sect. If you ever need any help in the future, you can come to Yungu Sect to find me. This is my identity jade token. As long as you bring this token to Yungu Sect, everyone there will receive you warmly."
"Sniffle sniffle—" Li Qingting's sniffing broke the momentary calm.
Her eyes were wet, her cheeks flushed, and she looked at Zhao Lingyi with admiration.
No wonder he was Senior Brother, she thought. Even now, he could remain so composed and calm!
Recalling the death-and-life performance he had just staged in front of the young lady and their fellow disciples, she couldn't help but cover her face with both hands.
How embarrassing!
Yao Ranran casually glanced at Zhao Lingyi's vibrating long sword and blood-red hands, then smiled lightly. "It's nothing, just a small favor."
Her heart whispered something different. She took the jade token—maybe this could even earn some money!
Li Qingting hastily wiped her tears and stepped forward. "I still don't know how to address you. May I ask where you come from, young lady?"
Yao Ranran looked at them and answered, "I come from Gu Ling Mountain, my name is Yao Ranran."
"So the young lady from the dream world is really Yao Ranran. From now on, I get to live with Fairy Yao Ranran!" Tang Xiangyin's eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled brightly.
"Yao Ranran from Gu Ling Mountain?" Li Qingting looked confusedly at Zhao Lingyi, clearly asking if he had heard of this place.
Zhao Lingyi silently shook his head. His hand gripping the long sword was still red and hot. He had not yet recovered from the earlier embarrassment.
Yao Ranran ignored them and turned her gaze toward the great locust tree.
Following her eyes, Tang Xiangyin asked, "Fairy Ranran, is there something wrong with this tree?"
Yao Ranran studied the tree for a moment, then drew her Demon Staff and swung it. The locust tree split cleanly in half, and a female corpse in red clothing fell with a thud.
The woman's eyes were tightly closed. Her pale face was shockingly identical to Tang Xiangyin's!
"Miss Tang?!" the disciples of Yungu Sect exclaimed.
Tang Xiangyin walked over in confusion. "My corpse… how could it be here?"
"Miss Tang, did you enter the path of ghost cultivation?" Yao Ranran asked curiously.
Earlier, she had only used the Ancient Appraisal Mirror to check the strength of the Mirror Fairy, but she noticed something strange with this locust tree. Upon splitting it, there was indeed something hidden inside.
She had not expected it to be Tang Xiangyin's corpse.
Tang Xiangyin crouched and frowned at her own body. "Not right… haha, so you were hiding here!!"
Suddenly overjoyed, she slapped her corpse several times, making its cheeks swell and lips part slightly.
No one expected Tang Xiangyin to act this crazily. They hesitated to stop her until a glow shot out from the corpse's mouth, and a childlike voice came from within the light:
"You have won. You can leave this place. I will leave too. Your time is short. Go quickly!"
Tang Xiangyin placed her hands on her hips, annoyed. "Have you been asleep all these years? Do you know I was almost killed by that Mirror Princess?"
The light paused midair, a faint voice barely above a whisper. "Protected by secret realm rules, it could not harm you… Hurry, the secret realm is collapsing!"
"Come back! Where are you going?" Tang Xiangyin tried to grab it, but it passed through the high walls and vanished.
"What is that?" Yao Ranran asked the question everyone was thinking.
Tang Xiangyin held Yao Ranran's hand. "Fairy Ranran, that is the Spirit of the Fixed Mirror. It was playing hide-and-seek with us. Whoever finds it first gains freedom, not bound by the rules of the secret realm, and can leave here successfully."
"And the corpse…" Yao Ranran still felt something was off. That treatment of her own body was too extreme!
Tang Xiangyin lightly glanced at the corpse, a faint trace of melancholy flickering in her brow. "That's fine. I'm not going to live anyway. This body is useless now."
Before Yao Ranran could respond, she continued, "The Spirit of the Fixed Mirror has gone. Its master must have appeared. We cannot linger here. Once the Spirit follows the new master, this secret realm will collapse completely."
"The secret realm is collapsing?!" the disciples of Yun Gu Sect panicked, hastily lifting the fallen Yun Hui.
Zhao Lingyi protected Li Qingting, saying, "Fairy Ranran, we must leave quickly!"
Yao Ranran's eyes narrowed slightly. "You go first. My path is different, no need to wait for me."
With that, she took Tang Xiangyin and swiftly left the backyard.
…
"Wuwuwu, where are you, boss?" Xiao Rong wandered alone in the thick white fog, unable to distinguish north from south, aimlessly walking.
Suddenly, a cool breeze blew, and he saw Yao Ranran.
"Boss—" Xiao Rong ran over, hugging her leg. "Wuwuwu, I missed you so much! I won't act alone anymore. If you are a maid, I'll be a maid. If you are a lady, I'll be your servant!"
Yao Ranran looked down slightly at the little tree spirit on her leg, her eyes flashing with a ruthless glint. She suddenly grabbed Xiao Rong's head and lifted the little rascal into the air.
Kicking and flailing, Xiao Rong laughed foolishly. "Boss, what are you doing?"
Yao Ranran's lips twisted into a cruel smile, her eyes cold. "I'm going to kill you!"
"It hurts! Boss, it really hurts!"
Yao Ranran tightened her grip, her other hand clamping his neck.
Xiao Rong's face turned purple as he struggled more fiercely.
"Bo…ss…"
His breathing became labored. Unable to resist, he sent out several tree vines, striking Yao Ranran aside and gaining a moment to breathe.
"Boss, are you okay?" Xiao Rong gasped, rushing to her side.
Before his hand could touch her, Yao Ranran dissolved into white light in front of him, vanishing instantly.
Xiao Rong froze in disbelief, then his lips quivered as he shouted hoarsely, "Boss! You didn't just die like that, did you?!"
He had only lightly hit her, how could this happen!?
Tears blurred his vision as he tried to grab her ashes. Suddenly, his sobbing stopped. His small face froze in shock. "Not right, the boss had one hundred thousand spirit stones. Why is there nothing here?"