Ascending to the Clouds Alone

When Lin Su opened his eyes again, it was pitch black all around him.

After catching my breath, I could barely make out that I was in a cave, with water droplets dripping from the cracks in the rocks, making a soft, rustling sound.

He slowly sat up, trying to adjust his eyes to the dim environment.

Three zhang away, a figure sat cross-legged against the stone wall, with his hands on his knees, as if he were regulating his breathing.

The faint light filtering through the cave entrance shone directly on the profile of the figure.

Upon closer inspection, the man was dressed in a gray-blue robe, his face was pale, and his lips were completely bloodless.

Lin Su's heart skipped a beat.

"woke up?"

She's a female butler!

Her voice was much lower than that night, revealing a weakness that was hard to hide.

Lin Su looked around and, seeing no other exit, turned his gaze back to the cave entrance.

The opening was only wide enough for one person to pass through by bending over. There was white light outside, and several clumps of wild grass swayed in the wind.

They were attacked by the river, and now it's already dawn?

"Stop looking," the female butler said slowly. "You can't escape."

Lin Su swallowed hard and asked unwillingly:

"What...what exactly do you want?"

The female deacon, with her eyes still closed, said calmly:

"You're lucky; someone specifically instructed us to spare your life."

Lin Su froze, muttering to himself:

"Spare me alive? I'm afraid it's not that simple."

"Yes, it's definitely not simple."

The female butler's words had a double meaning.

For a Qi Refining stage cultivator to break through a shield with the Qi Phoenix Zither while being bound by a Spirit Locking Talisman, even with certain prerequisites, is something no ordinary person could accomplish.

Is it because of Qi Fengqin, or does he have some other secret?

Furthermore, the information about "Qingfeng" really made them suspicious.

Lin Su was filled with dread. Would he be caught by the Witchcraft Cult and subjected to torture? Their methods of dealing with their internal scum were something even the patrolling guards feared.

Just as he was lost in thought, a noise came from outside the cave.

It was the sound of footsteps, each step carrying a subtle sense of pressure.

"Stay put!"

The female deacon gave a low shout, stood up, and leaped out of the cave.

Lin Su shrank into the shadows, listening carefully to the sounds outside.

The footsteps stopped not far from the cave entrance.

"Oh, Junior Sister Liu Yanran."

A male voice, tinged with laughter, rang out, but it sounded extremely unsettling, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue.

"How come it's you?" Liu Yanran seemed very surprised.

"What, it can't be me?" the man said sinisterly. "Senior Brother Wang He ordered me to come and pick someone up. Is Junior Sister Liu questioning me, or Senior Brother Wang?"

Without waiting for Liu Yanran's response, the man went straight to the point:

Where are they?

"Inside the cave."

"Oh? Thank you for your hard work, Junior Sister Liu. You're injured, yet you're still so dedicated."

The footsteps approached the cave entrance a few steps before suddenly stopping.

"Junior Sister Liu," the person's voice suddenly softened, becoming slow and deliberate, "I heard that your Dao foundation was damaged this time, and you have fallen back to the late stage of Qi Refining?"

Inside and outside the cave, all was silent.

Lin Su was secretly surprised:

The female deacon's cultivation level has dropped to the late stage of Qi Refining? The original corrupting power of that God-Eating Gu is so formidable.

Come to think of it, she had only been slightly affected, yet her eyes and ears were bleeding and her soul was shaken. It's not surprising that she was struck by the full force of the foul energy and her cultivation level plummeted to this point.

The man chuckled softly:

"Back then, Junior Sister Liu was so arrogant. She almost took my life for a few Cold Moon Flowers in the secret realm."

He took two more steps forward.

"What a pity, what a pity. Now you're at the same level as me? Oh, no, I already reached the Foundation Establishment stage last month."

"Junior Sister Liu, Senior Brother Wang ordered me to come and hand over the reins. After that, we will go our separate ways and have nothing to do with each other."

"However..." his voice suddenly turned stern, "to leave a grudge unavenged is not the act of a gentleman!"

Before the words were finished, the sound of magic weapons tearing through the air suddenly arose, followed by the clanging of weapons clashing.

A fierce battle erupted instantly.

Lin Su slowly moved to the cave entrance, pressed himself against the stone wall, and looked out.

Liu Yanran and that person were already locked in combat.

The long sword in the man's hand gleamed coldly, surrounded by purple aura.

Liu Yanran's soft sword moved like a serpent's tongue, mostly defending and rarely attacking. Clearly, after her cultivation level plummeted, her spiritual energy was depleted, leaving her utterly powerless to fight head-on.

Seeing the two men's abilities, Lin Su knew that he was no match for them at the moment. Why not take advantage of their distraction and quietly slip away?

Now is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

He had just cautiously poked half his body out.

"call out!"

A sharp sword aura pierced through the air and slammed into the rock wall beside him, sending shards of rock flying everywhere.

"Go back!"

Without turning his head, the man forced Liu Yanran back with a single sword strike, his tone cold and piercing:

"If you dare to make another move, I'll pierce your head with my next sword."

Lin Su felt a chill run down his spine and quickly retreated back to the cave entrance, anxiously searching for a way to escape.

The two fought for more than ten rounds, but Liu Yanran was running out of breath, her body was unsteady, and her swordsmanship became increasingly chaotic.

Seizing the opportunity, the man leaped forward and stabbed Liu Yanran in the shoulder. The powerful blow knocked her to the ground.

"Junior Sister Liu, you're far too slow," the man said, his tone full of smugness.

"You..." Liu Yanran clutched her bleeding shoulder, her voice trembling, "When did you forge this mid-grade magic weapon?"

"It was specially crafted to kill you." A fierce glint flashed in the man's eyes. "Back when we were hunting demonic beasts, you lured that person to abandon you and chase after my sworn brother, which led to his tragic death."

"Senior Brother Duan, what happened back then was unavoidable. A few days ago, I personally killed the person who murdered your sworn brother."

"Among everyone in the Witchcraft Hall, you are the most eloquent in your defense. That's what the former hall master said when he expelled you!"

"Everything I said is true. During the fight, I was attacked by that person's secret technique and my body was invaded by the foul power of the alien God-Eating Gu."

"The alien God-Eating Gu? That belongs to my sworn brother! Among all the younger generation of disciples in the entire Witchcraft Hall, only he can control it."

"Indeed. I avenged your brother's death, but I was poisoned and my cultivation plummeted. I also suffered a blow from your deceased brother. Now that I'm in your hands, I'm willing to give you something to make up for what I owed you back then. What do you say?"

"Tell me, I want to see what can be worth my sworn brother's life!"

"It is a jade pendant made from those few Cold Moon Flowers from the past. My right shoulder is injured like this, and I can't raise my hand easily. Come forward and take it yourself. You'll know its value once you see it."

The man looked wary, holding his long sword horizontally in front of his chest, and said cautiously:

"Liu Yanran, you are vicious and treacherous. If I get close to you, do you think you'll let me go so easily?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yanran struggled to tuck the soft device into her waistband, clearly displaying her exhaustion.

"With life and death at stake, what is the point of a mere reputation? If I were to perish here today, what use would this little bit of dignity be?"

The man glanced coldly at the soft sword that was sheathed at Liu Yanran's waist, and seeing her powerless appearance, his suspicions gradually disappeared.

A light, mocking smile played on his lips as he took two steps forward and reached directly into Liu Yanran's ample bosom.

The next instant, his brows furrowed sharply, and his body suddenly froze, unable to move.

"Senior Brother Duan, did you touch it?" Liu Yanran chuckled.

Was that man bewitched?!

This time, however, the poison took effect much faster, and within a few breaths, he collapsed to the ground, his body convulsing violently.

"You...you actually..."

Before he could finish his fragmented words, the man was completely lifeless.

Liu Yanran kicked him away, her tone indifferent:

"You never learn. Have you forgotten who is the most skilled at controlling the Corrosive Gu in the Witchcraft Hall?"

Lin Su, hiding at the cave entrance, felt a chill run down his spine.

This woman is incredibly cunning and ruthless. Falling into her hands would be worse than death!