C962 I Won't Let You down

In the Chilly Wind Valley of the Jade Peak Mountain Range, a delicate light green tiger-ear plant flourished in front of a rocky cave, its leaves adorned with droplets of crystal-clear dew. Hidden within one such droplet was the Starfrost Sword, now reduced to a minuscule size, and with it, Jee Ningshuang.

She had suppressed her formidable sword intent and concealed her presence. Choosing the solitude of Chilly Wind Valley amidst the vast expanse of Jade Peak, she sought to collect her scattered thoughts.

"Yu Yuan, Hong Qi..." she whispered, her voice barely audible within the confines of her dewy refuge.

To the world, she was the epitome of aloofness and icy detachment, yet in her solitude, she revealed a vulnerability, a deep melancholy that seemed to anchor her in a past three centuries old, from which she struggled to emerge.

Her mind wrestled with the identities of Yu Yuan and Hong Qi, while also pondering the tales her disciple Chen Qingyan had shared about this very valley—tales of Yu Yuan's repeated rescues and the cold dragon that had been transformed into a sword for Qingyan.

That sword, by rights, belonged to her, and so she had felt justified when Qingyan accepted it. Yet, she couldn't help but reflect on her disciple's budding affection for that enigmatic man...

Her thoughts drifted to the Great Swamp, to the moment she had unleashed her frustration on Yu Yuan, ignorant of his true identity, and she chided herself.

"He must have found it ridiculous. I didn't know who he was, but surely he knew me. He must have realized that any hint of his identity would have stayed my hand!"

"Was he toying with me on purpose? Just like before, taking delight in teasing me? Was he not afraid that, in my ignorance, I might have killed him?"

Ripples of emotion stirred in Jee Ningshuang's heart lake, her lips occasionally curling into a smile, then tightening in a grimace of frustration.

Now that she knew Yu Yuan was Hong Qi from her past life, she could no longer view him as an enemy. Her disciple's affection, his entanglements with Yuan Lianyao and Lau Ying... How had she, who had been so timid in matters of the heart in her previous life, become so entangled in this one?

Jee Ningshuang seethed with a quiet fury.

Then, without warning, a figure appeared in the Chilly Wind Valley, sending a jolt through her heart. As Jee Ningshuang caught sight of the figure, shock gave way to bewilderment.

Su Yan of the Taiyuan Sect approached.

She lacked the credentials to join the grand battle at the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area. During Jiang Xingwen's journey through the Jade Peak mountain range, she had Su Yan descend and remain there to await her return.

Unable to go back to the Silvermoon Empire or her family, and without the strength to fight, Su Yan chose to stay in the relative safety of Jade Peak until the conflict was resolved.

Her thoughts wandered to Chilly Wind Valley, once visited by Yu Yuan and the site of Yu Zhu's rise to fame.

Suddenly, a dewdrop burst, unleashing a concealed sword intent, and before her stood an incredibly beautiful woman.

A frigid starry river formed by the sword intent shimmered like icy diamonds behind the woman.

Su Yan's Celestial Clothing unfurled automatically, radiating splendor like a peacock's tail. She gazed at the woman, taking a closer look, then gasped in astonishment, "You, who are you?"

Why did this woman bear such a striking resemblance to herself?

A tumult of emotions roiled within Su Yan.

Ji Ningshuang felt a similar bewilderment. Observing the Celestial Clothing on Su Yan, she detected an extraordinary scent and with a lift of her brow, she recognized, "The Peacock King's Celestial Feather!"

A thread of her soul's intent transformed into a sword light, piercing into the Celestial Clothing worn by Su Yan.

Within the resplendent feathers, she discovered the residual life force of the Peacock King, marked with her own youthful and radiant image.

Her essence intertwined with the Peacock King's vitality, subtly altering Su Yan's appearance after donning the Celestial Clothing.

"Where did this garment originate?" she inquired gently.

"It was acquired by an elder of my Su family from the Artifact Sect on the Crack Archipelago," Su Yan replied without hesitation, eager to explain. "That elder has passed away. He mentioned the Celestial Clothing was an incomplete masterpiece. He told of someone who provided the spiritual materials to an Artifact Sect Refiner, commissioning a divine garment for a cherished woman."

"However, that individual failed to deliver the remaining materials and subsequently perished."

"The refiner, left without the necessary materials, could not complete the garment. Thus, the Artifact Sect eventually sold the unfinished Celestial Clothing, which my family's elder purchased at a modest price."

"I waited until I had advanced to the Penetrating Stage before I began to decipher the Matrix Diagram that concealed the true form of the Celestial Clothing," I explained, revealing its true nature for the first time.

"..."

For reasons unknown, Su Yan felt compelled to be completely transparent with the woman before her, who bore a striking resemblance to herself, and she disclosed every detail about the Celestial Clothing without reservation.

Ji Ningshuang listened in silence as Su Yan spoke, never once interrupting.

Once Su Yan had finished, Ji Ningshuang had pieced together the story. "So, the divine feathers he obtained from the Peacock King were intended for crafting a divine robe for me. Its creation was left unfinished due to his disappearance. He infused the divine feathers with his memories and image of me, which ultimately altered my appearance."

"He remained true to me."

Taking a deep breath, Ji Ningshuang nodded at Su Yan and said, "Cherish this robe well. What's your name, and do you train with the Taiyuan Sect?"

The Celestial Clothing Su Yan wore had already clued Ji Ningshuang into her sect affiliation.

"My master is Jiang Xingwen of the Taiyuan Sect," Su Yan responded with composure.

"Jiang Xingwen?" Ji Ningshuang's lips curled in a wry smile as she shook her head, her expression a mix of emotions. After a brief pause, she added, "I am Ji Ningshuang of the Sword Sect. Should you face any troubles your master cannot resolve, seek me out at the Sword Sect."

With those parting words, she vanished without a trace.

"Ji Ningshuang, the Great Sword Immortal Ji Ningshuang!" Su Yan stood in awe, staring at the spot where Ji Ningshuang had disappeared, finally realizing the stature of the Sword Sect powerhouse she had been conversing with.

...

In the forbidden area, the afflicted non-human warriors, struck by the Soul Plague, began to stir back to consciousness following the Ice Concubine's intervention.

Yet, the ground was still littered with dozens of lifeless bodies.

Sansom of the Banshee Clan and Mia of the Dark Elfkind, both leaders with Ninth Level bloodlines, appeared exhausted and forlorn, their eyes reflecting a mix of sorrow and lingering fear.

The Poison of Plague unleashed by the Devil Envoy was insidiously peculiar, capable of infecting and corroding the soul itself.

In a short span, many of their kin had perished. Without the frigid powers of the Nether Abyss to counteract it, the thought of the Soul Poison spreading unchecked was a horrifying prospect.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The Raven Lord, alongside two formidable demons from the Demon Palace and the Devil Envoy from the Devil Palace, continued their fierce battle. Both sides were riddled with wounds and drenched in their own blood.

The Devil Envoy fell silent for a moment before bowing her head in a soft sigh. The Poison of Plague she had stealthily disseminated was now being drawn back to her through her secret arts, returning from all directions.

She had no control over whom the Poison of Plague would attack, but she could release and retract it at will. It would either indiscriminately afflict everyone or be completely reabsorbed into her body.

Invisible to the naked eye and undetectable even to the soul, the countless toxins swiftly made their way back into her system.

The Raven Lord, the two Yang God Stage cultivators from the Devil Palace, and the great demons all regained their mental clarity.

"You handle her," Yu Yuan directed with a nod toward the Ice Concubine hovering in the sky. He then cast a glance at the Raven Lord and, after a brief hesitation, added, "Spare the Raven Lord. He has another purpose for me."

His words were tantamount to a death sentence for the remaining great demons of the Demon Palace and the intruders from the Primordial Yang Sect.

Boom!

In that instant, Tang Zheng's fiery divine form shattered, breaking apart into a cascade of flame that scattered in every direction.

The Mountain Lord from the Primordial Yang Sect, a cultivator at the Unrestrained Stage, appeared to have met his end.

The Grey Wolf King, lying defeated on the ground, howled in agony as the Poison of Plague withdrew. Suffering from grave injuries, another assault would likely ensure his demise within the forbidden land.

"Yu Yuan, let me in!"

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