In the dense forest of Moyun Ridge, Yu Weiwei held a longsword, gazing at a fallen斑斓巨虎 (colorful tiger) before her. A faint smile crossed her frosty, beautiful face.
She swung her sword to extract the tiger's demon core, held it in her palm for a moment, then stored it in her backpack. As she prepared to move on, a subtle rustle sounded behind her.
"Who's there?" Yu Weiwei whirled, but the forest was shrouded in darkness,死寂 beneath the absent moonlight.
"It's me." Zhang Ling emerged from the shadows, smiling faintly. "Niece Yu, your vigilance is commendable."
"Elder Zhang!" Yu Weiwei eyed him in surprise, frowning. "Shouldn't you be in the camp below? Why are you here?"
"Hehe." Zhang Ling shook his head, approaching her. "It's all because of Jiang Xuan. If the Grand Elder hadn't ordered me to watch over him, I'd want nothing to do with his affairs."
"Senior Brother Jiang's affairs?" Yu Weiwei murmured. "Is he still set on targeting those two Sky Dominance disciples?"
Zhang Ling smiled. "Indeed, and..."
"And what?" Yu Weiwei looked at him puzzled.
"He's also set his sights on you. He begged me to capture you." Zhang Ling grinned triumphantly, suddenly unleashing the powerful aura of a Myriad Manifestations warrior. Like chains, it bound Yu Weiwei, immobilizing her.
"Elder Zhang, attacking a fellow disciple is unpardonable! What are you doing?" Yu Weiwei paled, staring at him in horror.
Zhang Ling chuckled. "Niece Yu, blame your Ice Heart Jade Bone—it's the perfect cauldron for cultivation. Do you know why the Grand Elder personally selected you to join Jiang Xuan in this trial?"
Yu Weiwei's heart turned cold. "The Grand Elder sent me here to set me up?"
"Precisely. With my help, Jiang Xuan can dual-cultivate with you, absorb your Ice Heart Jade Bone, and use your yin energy to reach Myriad Manifestations. It's all part of the Grand Elder's plan." Zhang Ling nodded. "So blame the Grand Elder and Jiang Xuan—this is their doing."
"Disgraceful!" The thought of her purity being defiled by Jiang Xuan filled her with despair.
"But I've reconsidered. I can't just hand you over to Jiang Xuan." Zhang Ling's gaze lingered on her, greedy.
"Elder Zhang, spare me today, and I'll forget this ever happened. Back at the sect, I'll tell my master—even if the Grand Elder opposes you, you needn't fear." Yu Weiwei saw a glimmer of hope and pleaded.
"Hehe! Ice Heart Jade Bone is too rare. Why give you to Jiang Xuan? I'd rather refine your bone myself. After draining your energy, I'll kill you—no one will know if you died by my hand or to a powerful monster." Zhang Ling's madness grew, his grin turning feral. "My cultivation will soar, and even the Grand Elder won't dare oppose me. Yu Weiwei, save yourself—help me achieve greatness!"
Yu Weiwei stared at Zhang Ling in shock. His usual儒雅 (refined) demeanor hid such darkness! She even forgot her life hung in the balance.
"Interesting. Truly interesting." A voice suddenly came from behind Zhang Ling.
Yu Weiwei's eyes lit up—if someone was watching, perhaps Zhang Ling would hesitate. Killing a fellow disciple was unforgivable; if word reached Profound Heaven, Zhang Ling would die! She prayed the person would stay hidden, giving her a chance to live.
Zhang Ling looked toward the voice. "Skulking in the shadows? Show yourself, coward!"
Lin Yu stepped from the trees. After killing Jiang Xuan, he'd been returning to camp when he stumbled upon this drama.
"It's you?" Zhang Ling exhaled in relief at the sight of Lin Yu. A mere Xiantian failure—he could crush him with a glance or a surge of pressure.
Yu Weiwei's face fell in despair. Not only had Lin Yu appeared, but he'd stepped out openly—wasn't that suicide?
"Indeed, it's me." Lin Yu smiled, shaking his head. "The mighty Profound Heaven Immortal Sect harbors nothing but scoundrels. Disciples are despicable, elders are shameless—it truly starts from the top."
"Insolent! How dare you judge Profound Heaven?" Zhang Ling's face darkened. "Lad, you chose the path to hell. Now that you've seen this, you die!"
As he spoke, thecoercion of a Myriad Manifestations expert surged toward Lin Yu like a tidal wave—one thought, and this Xiantian failure would be crushed to blood mist.
"Go! Flee! He's trapping me—he can't chase you. Run now!" Yu Weiwei shouted urgently. Only if Lin Yu escaped could she survive.
But Lin Yu stood motionless, as if frozen by Zhang Ling's Coercion.
Zhang Ling sneered. Trash was trash—too scared to run. He deserved to die!
Yet Lin Yu didn't burst into blood. Instead, he stood like a reef, the Coercion crashing against him like waves, dissipating at his side.
"Eh?" Zhang Ling frowned, eyeing Lin Yu suspiciously.
Yu Weiwei had expected Lin Yu's death, but he'd effortlessly blocked thecoercion. Did that mean his strength far surpassed hers?
"No wonder you intervened. Everyone was wrong—they thought you a Xiantian failure, but your strength is remarkable." Zhang Ling nodded, convinced he'd seen through Lin Yu. "But you're still foolish to meddle in Myriad Manifestations affairs. If you'd fled, I couldn't have stopped you. Now... I must kill you, or I'll be on the run!"
With that, he drew his sword and glanced deeply at Yu Weiwei.