C237 The Waiting of Three Hundred Years
In the subterranean chambers of Chilly Wind Valley, the Medicine Sect's history was marked by the incarceration of notorious Poisoners. They were spared execution because, prior to delving into the forbidden arts of poison, these individuals were esteemed alchemists who had significantly contributed to the sect. Even when they later turned to study toxic arts, the sect chose not to exterminate them but to confine them, allowing them to live out their twilight years in peace—a gesture of gratitude for their past services.
The Ghost Poisoning Array's presence, coupled with the sect's decree declaring Chilly Wind Valley off-limits, ensured no outsiders trespassed. Within the sect itself, few were privy to the valley's secrets, unaware that it once housed Poisoners who had enraged the denizens of the Profound Sky Continent.
Yu Yuan, however, the former leader of the Medicine God Sect in his past life, was well-acquainted with these truths. During his visits to the Jade Peak, he had deliberately sought out Chilly Wind Valley multiple times. It was under his direction that the Ghost Poisoning Array was stealthily erected by the combined efforts of the Medicine God Sect and the Medicine Sect. Even the sinister Yin Wind Storm was a result of his machinations.
Thus, when it came to knowledge of Chilly Wind Valley, Yu Yuan surpassed even the current Medicine Sect master, Shi Yuxuan. Standing at the cave's mouth, he peered down, his soul consciousness extending into the depths below.
It was unclear whether his heightened perception was a result of his meditation on the Soul Forging Technique or his profound connection to the Soul Transformation Pool, but within the valley, his senses sharpened. He discerned that the underground cells no longer held any living souls—the Poisoners of yore had been reduced to mummified remains, their life force completely drained.
The subtle scent of blood wafted up from the depths, stirring a strange sense of familiarity within him. He abruptly turned to Mei Qiurong, who clutched a yellow gourd amidst a protective storm of lightning that kept the Chilly Wind at bay. "A member of the Profound Sky Sect, wielding the Heaven Palace Seal, has emerged in the Jade Peak..." he murmured to himself before once again casting his gaze toward the cavernous opening.
"Clang!"
Deep within the swirling miasma clouds, a dazzling white light burst forth, radiant as a rainbow.
The palace, once a manifestation of the Heaven Palace Seal, stood majestic and solemn until, with a thunderous crash, it plummeted to the earth.
The unyielding ground shattered, sending rocks flying as the palace, meant to hover in the void, came crashing down. Mei Qiurong's lips split, and blood sprayed forth.
"Go!"
She directed her yellow gourd at the approaching Yin God.
"Crack!"
Streaks of green lightning transformed into blades of divine light, severing the invisible threads of emotion entwined around Mei Qiurong.
The melancholy that had clung to Mei Qiurong's Yin God, like a gossamer veil, was stripped away.
At last, Mei Qiurong's Yin God could settle smoothly into her physical form.
As the Yin God merged with her, Mei Qiurong's demeanor steadied. She produced a dark red pellet and swallowed it, declaring, "The Medicine Sect harbors vile creatures within Chilly Wind Valley. Hidden there too is a treacherous Chilly Wind. It seems the Profound Sky Continent has enjoyed peace for too long, and now they've begun to engage in nefarious deeds!"
"Hu! Hu! Hu! Hu!"
Suddenly, the miasma clouds in the sky began to converge.
All eyes, including Yu Yuan's, were fixed on the spectacle above.
The first to materialize in the Chilly Wind Valley sky were segments of crystalline bones.
These bones, carved from gems of varied hues, shone with a brilliance that was both mesmerizing and surreal.
The segments of bones unfolded like a peacock's tail, resplendent and colorful.
The divine glow that captivated all came from those colorful, crystal-clear bones.
The vibrant miasma clouds were drawn to these bones, revealing a truth to all who witnessed: within the beauty of these bones lurked a deadly poison.
The most exquisite was also the most lethal.
Amidst the fan-like display of bones, a diminutive, gaunt girl with a flat nose and pointed face emerged quietly.
The girl was dark and small, with piercing green eyes that cast a chilling light, striking fear into the hearts of onlookers.
She was no more than ten, her torso encased in a shell as clear as crystal.
In comparison to the stunning, peacock-like crystalline bones, she seemed somewhat less beautiful, almost as if she didn't quite belong with the fan-shaped jade bones arrayed behind her.
Suspended in midair, her emerald eyes were pools of indifference.
Her gaze swept over the human cultivators in the valley below—Loong Tianxiao, Guan Xianyun, and Mei Qiurong. Each one shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny.
Mei Qiurong, who had been exuding confidence while clutching her yellow gourd, now appeared unsettled by her stare, her aura of superiority fading.
With a huff, Mei Qiurong reached into the void with her free hand. The palace that had settled on the ground swiftly contracted into the Heaven Palace Seal and obediently soared into her palm.
"I didn't venture into Chilly Wind Valley because of you," Mei Qiurong declared, her voice cool as she regarded the diminutive and unattractive girl. "I bear a great responsibility for my sect. My journey to Jade Peak was to seek something else entirely. It just so happened that he was here, lurking in the subterranean cells."
The little girl remained silent, her hesitation lingering before she finally turned her gaze to Yu Yuan.
In a fleeting moment, her cold, green eyes flickered with a myriad of peculiar emotions—grief, indignation, longing, and a deep-seated resentment.
A single glance laid bare a tumult of complex feelings, yet towards the others, her expression was sheer detachment.
Yu Yuan met her gaze, his eyes brimming with a bitter helplessness. The emotions he deciphered from her look filled him with profound guilt.
She had been waiting for him all this time, seeing him as a father figure.
But her wait had stretched over three hundred years with no word from him.
She felt abandoned...
For over three centuries, she had been confined to the swamp's depths by the array, never seeing the sun, yearning just to glimpse the sky.
She longed for him to come, to rescue her, to lift her from the swamp's clutches and take her away.
Yet time and again, only disappointment and regret met her.
For hundreds of years, whenever a soul passed by, she clung to hope, thinking it might be him. But each time, it was not to be...
At last, she abandoned all anticipation, desire, and the fantasy of relying on anything beyond herself.
She ceased to wait.
Embracing the peculiarities of her own bloodline, she sought her own path to freedom beneath the swamp, determined to find an answer and leave.
Why was she created, promised a life in the swamp, only to be left waiting indefinitely?
Resentment took root in her heart.
With a single glance, Yu Yuan understood her thoughts, sensing the intricate shifts in her mood that had accumulated over three hundred years.
A tide of regret and helplessness welled up within him; he longed to offer an explanation.
His delay was not out of reluctance, but a mishap in reincarnation.
Bitterness tinged the corners of Yu Yuan's mouth as he realized that this diminutive, gaunt figure had grown in unexpected ways, evolving into a high-level being that defied his own belief.
"Chi!"
Abruptly, the blood of the deceased Jin Fann and the Thunder Temple's Great Elder, slain by Mei Qiurong, began to seep out in a miraculous fashion.
It streamed towards a nearby cave leading underground.
Beneath Chilly Wind Valley, something was drawing in their blood.
Yu Yuan's gaze met hers, only to be abruptly severed by the unforeseen event.
"I'm here for him!" Mei Qiurong declared icily, "Don't think you can wreak havoc within the Profound Sky Sect and leave the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area unscathed! Ann Jieshan, no matter where you're hiding, the moment you're discovered by the Profound Sky Sect, your fate is sealed!"
"Ann Jieshan!" Loong Tianxiao exclaimed in surprise.
Taking a deep breath, Yu Yuan called out, "Senior Ann, isn't it time for you to reveal yourself?"
