C252 It Was as If They Were Father and Daughter
After Ann Jieshan transformed into a blood cloud, it didn't surge out toward the valley's exterior.
Instead, the blood cloud aimlessly selected a cave leading deep underground and darted inside.
The swirling miasma and smoke once again settled into silence at Yu Yuan's dismissive "never mind."
Chilly Wind Valley remained shrouded in dense fog and toxic clouds.
Shi Yuxuan, along with the cultivators from the Heavenly Medicine Sect and the Profound Sky Continent, still found it impossible to penetrate the valley.
Anytime someone proposed a forceful entry into Chilly Wind Valley, Shi Yuxuan would intercept them.
His only question was: "Do you possess the cultivation of a Yang God?"
Following his query, those clamoring to enter would quiet down as if doused with icy water.
Realizing the magnitude of the valley's troubles, Shi Yuxuan conceded that he couldn't conceal them any longer. He revealed that the valley imprisoned numerous Poison Masters from the history of the Medicine God Sect.
He also informed them about the "Ghosts Poisoning Array" constructed within the valley with the assistance of the Medicine God Sect—an array capable of deterring any cultivator below the Yang God level.
Rumors circulated of a mysterious Yin Qi Gangwind within Chilly Wind Valley, a wind that blew intermittently, its origins unknown.
Those aware of the Gangwind's ferocity spoke of its danger and terror, amplifying the fear surrounding the valley.
Consequently, those gathered outside the valley dared not venture deeper.
They could only wait passively and in silence, hoping for a change to emerge from within the valley.
...
Deep within the cavern, in the dragon's lair, Chen Qingyan clutched her snakeskin scabbard as a verdant flame ascended from within her, purifying and refining the rapier forged from dragon bone.
Ann Jieshan, with Wu Xiting and the Heaven Palace Seal in tow, had already departed the cave.
Yu Yuan had deduced Ann Jieshan's route, surmising that after his prolonged subterranean activities, he must have located an exceedingly concealed passageway—a special tunnel of his own making for a discreet escape.
With Ann Jieshan gone, Mei Qiurong deceased, and the Heaven Palace Seal lost, the Profound Sky Sect faced an undeniable and severe setback.
Wu Xiting, harboring deceitful intentions, failed to take the gaunt little girl with him when he left Chilly Wind Valley. Having been pierced by Chen Qingyan's blade, the chilling force within him was destined to erupt continuously, with the sinister Yin wind seeping into his soul.
His spirit, now fragmented, faced Ann Jieshan—an entity the Profound Sky Sect struggled to vanquish, transformed into a being no longer human.
Even Yu Yuan couldn't fully comprehend this entity.
Yet, he was certain that with Ann Jieshan's protection, Wu Xiting, the rising star in whom the Blood God Cult had invested great expectations, was unlikely to perish.
He wouldn't die, but he was bound to suffer greatly.
"Hu! Hu! Hu!"
As Ann Jieshan departed, Loong Tianxiao's soul, diminished to a spectral serpent, began to show signs of life once more.
He wriggled slightly, eyes wide with a mix of greed and fear, gazing at Chen Qingyan.
Gradually, he grew a bit in size as the residual force Ann Jieshan had imposed upon his soul rapidly dissipated with Ann Jieshan's increasing distance.
Once Loong Tianxiao regained the ability to speak, his first words were, "Yu Yuan, is that sword in the girl's hand crafted by the Frost Dragon?"
Yu Yuan gave him a sidelong glance and huffed, "Haven't I warned you against venturing into Chilly Wind Valley?"
Loong Tianxiao, taken aback, nodded sorrowfully. "You did warn me, but who could have imagined that such a seemingly insignificant Chilly Wind Valley would be teeming with formidable creatures? The Profound Sky Sect, Primordial Yang Sect, Blood God Cult—these mighty factions renowned across the Heavenly Source and Quietus Continents—why would they concern themselves with Chilly Wind Valley?"
As he spoke, he stole a covert glance at the slender girl.
The girl remained steadfastly by Yu Yuan's side, her head tilted back, her eyes blinking, a glimmer of emerald dancing within them as she studied Yu Yuan with insatiable curiosity.
"And you, you little rascal, just what kind of anomaly are you..."
Loong Tianxiao grumbled to himself.
"Loong Tianxiao, Elder Loong!" Yu Yuan called out sharply.
"Present!" Loong Tianxiao responded promptly.
"You've sustained serious injuries, and your endeavors in the Jade Peak Mountain Range were hardly fruitful. If you wish to seek vengeance in the future, I can show you a clear path. Would you be interested in hearing it?" Yu Yuan offered earnestly.
"What clear path are you referring to?" Loong Tianxiao inquired, his demeanor regaining composure and taking on a notably serious air.
"Her!" Yu Yuan gestured towards Chen Qingyan.
Loong Tianxiao glanced at her, initially bewildered, and asked with confusion, "What do you mean?"
"Devote yourself to serving her as your master," Yu Yuan suggested earnestly, eyes narrowed. "If you can relinquish the glory of your past and shed your pride and self-respect, becoming her humble servant, I believe you can reclaim all that you've lost. Trust me, Senior Loong, I have no intention of leading you astray."
"Her?" Loong Tianxiao gazed at Chen Qingyan, momentarily lost in thought. "I would willingly serve her master, but her?"
"At the height of your powers, you were indeed worthy of serving her master. But are you unaware of your current state?" Yu Yuan said with a sneer. "Your physical form is destroyed, leaving only a remnant of your soul clinging to existence. How could you possibly serve her master now?"
Upon hearing this, Loong Tianxiao looked down, sighing with a tinge of bitterness. "Indeed, I am no longer worthy."
"She is the direct disciple of that individual," Yu Yuan stated gravely, taking a deep breath. "Though she is a direct disciple, their future relationship may well be both mentor and comrade."
"What?" Loong Tianxiao exclaimed, taken aback.
"At your age, you're as clueless as a dog!" Yu Yuan chided him without mincing words. "You share the Nagas' bloodline. Can't you feel the might of the Frost Flood Dragon? Are you blind to her boundless potential?"
Loong Tianxiao, still perplexed, responded, "All I know is that the sword came from the Cold Dragon."
He believed that it was Chen Qingyan's master who had stealthily orchestrated everything, slaying the Cold Dragon lurking in the Nether Abyss.
The essence and lifeblood of the Cold Dragon were transformed into the snakeskin scabbard Chen Qingyan wielded, while its bones lay entombed here. But why was the dragon's corpse found in the Dragon Cave?
"Do you really think the Cold Dragon is dead?" Yu Yuan probed further.
"Isn't it?" Loong Tianxiao replied, looking at him with a puzzled expression.
"A sword forged from a deceased Cold Dragon, and yet a mere swing of it severely wounded Wu Xiting?" Yu Yuan scoffed. "Wu Xiting, the Blood God Cult's covertly nurtured elite, is at the Middle Period of the Soul Wandering Stage! What is Chen Qingyan's level of cultivation that she could inflict such damage on a powerhouse with a single stroke?"
Loong Tianxiao was thunderstruck by the revelation. "The Cold Dragon has been soul-separated all this time, not dead?"
Yu Yuan gave a slight nod in confirmation.
"So, the Cold Dragon chose to part with its soul! After her arrival, it transformed into a sword for her use?" Loong Tianxiao pondered, recalling the emerald flame that spontaneously emerged in Chen Qingyan's body. "That chilling power within the emerald flame, it originates from the deepest, darkest depths of the Cold Abyss!"
Yu Yuan remained silent.
A light of wild excitement burst forth from Loong Tianxiao's eyes, as if a great epiphany had struck him, and he burst into hearty laughter.
"You should stay here in the Dragon Cave to watch over her," Yu Yuan suggested with a wry smile. "Though 'watching over' isn't quite right—it's more like waiting. Her instincts, along with that sword, will protect her. And you, you're simply too weak to be her guardian."
"You... what about you?" Loong Tianxiao asked, his face etched with bewilderment.
"We're leaving," Yu Yuan responded.
"The two of you?"
Loong Tianxiao gazed in astonishment at the frail, dark little girl. "Both of you?"
Yu Yuan smiled and nodded affirmatively.
The petite girl's face was adorned with a gentle, sweet smile.
"Yu Yuan, what's really happening with you? How should I explain your situation to lass Chen?" Loong Tianxiao pressed for answers.
"Just tell her nothing. Say that Ann Jieshan, with Wu Xiting and the Heaven Palace Seal in tow, should head to the Quietus Continent." With that, Yu Yuan made his way out of the cave.
The little girl followed closely behind him.
Loong Tianxiao watched, dumbfounded, as the enigmatic pair departed from the most fearsome cave in the deep valley.
He watched their figures fade into the distance, a complex and curious feeling welling up inside him—they seemed just like father and daughter.
Shaking his head vigorously, he scoffed at the absurd notion that had crossed his mind.
"That little girl, an ancient non-human being, would have a lifespan of centuries, even in the guise of a young human girl. She would outlive Yu Yuan by far. The idea of them as father and daughter is preposterous."
A bittersweet smile played across Loong Tianxiao's face.
Seven days later, the thick miasma that had shrouded Chilly Wind Valley cleared on its own. From outside the valley, as the smoke thinned, onlookers could see the colorful clouds of smoke seeping into the ground and disappearing into the rock wall caves, their destinations unknown.
Beyond the bright yellow barrier of the Ghost Poisoning Array, Shi Yuxuan and the rest of the group could not spot any signs of life within the valley.
Hours passed, and even the uncontrollable Ghost Poisoning Array, which had baffled Shi Yuxuan, faltered and ceased to function due to the toxic miasma. At last, Chilly Wind Valley lay open and unguarded.
Shi Yuxuan, leading the charge, entered the valley first, darting through it like a shadow.
Alchemists and cultivators from the Medicine Sect, along with others from the Profound Sky Continent, scoured the area for any trace or clue. But the vast Chilly Wind Valley yielded nothing but corpses and skeletal remains, devoid of any survivors.
Mei Qiurong, Chen Qingyan, Yu Yuan, and Kuan Xianyun had all vanished without a trace. Whether they had perished, becoming one with the bones on the ground, or escaped through some concealed passage out of Chilly Wind Valley or even beyond the Jade Peak, remained a mystery.
With a heavy sigh, Shi Yuxuan flew into a cave, descending into an underground cell. Before long, he emerged back into the valley.
"Sect Master?" someone inquired.
"All the imprisoned Poisoners have been reduced to nothing but dry bones; they're completely dead," Shi Yuxuan announced gravely to all those gathered. "There's no poison left down there, nor anywhere else. Feel free to search on your own and see if our Medicine Sect has inadvertently harbored any malevolent entities."
Prompted by his words, the crowd dispersed, each individual employing their secret arts or extending their spiritual senses to detect any lurking Yin Gods.
Despite their efforts, by the end of the day, they had come up empty-handed in Chilly Wind Valley.
The enigmatic battle that had taken place there remained an impenetrable enigma, haunting everyone involved.
