Yang Miaozhen wanted to die with dignity as a cultivator, while Dai Mengfan only wanted to live. An extra year was an extra year. An extra day was an extra day.
As a result, when Li Qingshan unleashed the Ox Demon Transformation and she sensed the aura of death loom over the city like a cloud, she continued to search for a chance at survival.
And her chance of survival was Yang Miaozhen.
Yang Miaozhen was well aware that this was all due to Li Qingshan, whether it was being treated as an honoured guest or being reduced to a prisoner, or even being worshipped as a saviour by Dai Mengfan. She wholeheartedly wanted to walk her own path of cultivation, yet she was never able to leave his shadow.
She sighed gently. “Fellow Dai, he and I have cut ties a long time ago! Right now, I can’t even protect myself, so how can I save you?”
“Please don’t let anger get the best of you, junior sister. Qingshan has always been a person who treasures his ties. He definitely won’t turn his back on you!” Dai Mengfan sighed. “You must still be resenting me, but you may not know back then that everything I did was out of coercion from the spirit reverend. I was forced to assume the position of first senior sister. Sigh, you were just too stubborn too. If you were willing to pretend and draw a clear line between you and Qingshan, would I really not take good care of you?”
As soon as she said that, Dai Mengfan suddenly felt a chill right down to her bones. She immediately understood that the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance was watching her.
The Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance only needed the slightest thought to make her follow Pi Yangqiu’s footsteps.
They were only inches away, but Yang Miaozhen failed to sense it at all. She only discovered that Dai Mengfan had become even paler than before, like she was a statue carved from a flawless piece of white jade, which only made her dark eyes and eyebrows become even more prominent. Even as a woman, she could not help but be enchanted by such beauty.
Yang Miaozhen was about to speak when a great, deafening boom suddenly rang out from outside the opening. Even the prison that was thirty metres deep shook violently, causing many loose rocks to fall.
Afterwards, there were booms after booms. Each sound seemed to explode in Dai Mengfan’s heart, making her make a decision immediately.
With a wave of her left hand, she blocked the falling rocks for Yang Miaozhen. She channelled spiritual qi into Yang Miaozhen with her right hand, helping her unlock the seal on her cultivation.
Then she removed her sumeru ring and placed it in Yang Miaozhen’s hand, closing her fingers forcefully and gazing deeply into her eyes.
“Junior sister, I only want you to speak up for me, just once! Regardless of the end result, I’ll never forget your kindness!”
At that moment, a dark shadow appeared behind Dai Mengfan. Cracks immediately crawled across the prison walls, like it was unable to contain his existence and about to rupture.
“Stop hiding, first senior sister,” Li Qingshan said as he raised his fist.
He had learned about Dai Mengfan’s various heinous acts after becoming first senior sister from Pi Yangqiu, so of course, he would not show her any mercy.
Dai Mengfan was particularly alert too. She hid behind Yang Miaozhen the moment Li Qingshan appeared.
Yang Miaozhen widened her eyes and gazed at Li Qingshan who suddenly appeared. His appearance had changed drastically, but it definitely could not be wrong. For a moment, she was overcome with a multitude of emotions, actually unable to think of anything to say.
Li Qingshan saw Yang Miaozhen as well, which made him smile. His punch froze in the air. He looked past Yang Miaozhen, at Dai Mengfan’s face again, and mocked her. “What, first senior sister, you’re even trying to coerce me?”
“Qingshan, if you want to kill me, I definitely won’t resist, much less touch a hair on junior sister Miaozhen!”
At that critical moment, Dai Mengfan actually emerged from behind Yang Miaozhen slowly. She said with utmost sincerity, “Please give me a chance!”
“What chance!”
“All of the mistakes I made in the past were because of the spirit reverend’s coercion. I want to be a demonfolk now!”
“You’re not afraid of the spirit reverend anymore?”
“I am, but I’m more afraid of you.”
“You sure are honest.”
Li Qingshan could not help but smile, and his murderousness faded slightly. He came up with a plan with a single thought.
If he punched down right now, he could definitely kill Dai Mengfan. However, while she claimed that she would not resist, she would definitely do so desperately when the time arrived, which would cost him another bead or two.
“Alright then, I’ll give you an opportunity. Attack the Pavilion of Heavenly Tomes with me!”
If the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance could not allow a traitor like her to exist and would suppress her like how he suppressed Pi Yangqiu, that would be equivalent to giving him one more chance to strike at full strength.
Li Qingshan suddenly understood Dai Mengfan’s plan. The reason why the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance would rather give him the chance to strike at full strength and still crush Pi Yangqiu to death was to stop the direct disciples from dispersing, which would prevent them from wearing him down.
But now, only Dai Mengfan remained, and she behaved like she had completely given up on resisting. If the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance crushed her to death as well, not only would he get nothing out of it, but he would even give him a chance to strike at full strength for nothing.
Of course, if it were Li Qingshan instead, he would rather give the opponent an advantage and still butcher this traitor first! However, the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance had always been known for his rational thought. He probably would not be so impulsive.
What a genius!
Li Qingshan could not help but sigh inside. She was able to view the overall situation with such clarity despite such stress and still make a decision like that with the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance’s pressure.
“I refuse!”
Dai Mengfan turned down Li Qingshan’s request firmly. She would be insane if she decided to attack the Pavilion of Heavenly Tomes with Li Qingshan. That was basically giving the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance a reason to kill her.
Li Qingshan’s face sank. Dai Mengfan explained in a hurry, “I have to stay here and protect junior sister Miaozhen!” Then she tugged Yang Miaozhen’s sleeve, giving her a pleading gaze.
Despite the situation, Yang Miaozhen only said with difficulty, “Senior sister Dai has been quite nice to me…”
“Alright then!”
Li Qingshan decided to do this for Yang Miaozhen’s sake. After all, she was his woman, and she had even been imprisoned because of him.
At the same time, Dai Mengfan’s cultivation had already reached the peak of Yang Soul. She had a very good chance at undergoing the sixth heavenly tribulation and becoming a Human Immortal, and she was very talented at administration. She could be regarded as a special kind of genius among cultivators, so it was a pity for her to die here.
Even if he insisted on killing her, it was a waste of strength, so he was better off saving this energy to destroy the formation.
Hold on. When he thought like that, perhaps even his own thoughts were a part of her plan.
It was commonly said that those who did not plan for the overall situation would not even succeed with minor plans. Even chess pieces could understand the thoughts of the chess players and make their own decisions.
Li Qingshan left as quickly as he came, vanishing from the underground prison in the blink of an eye.
After a moment of silence, a new round of explosions began from the direction of the Pavilion of Heavenly Tomes.
I’m alive!
Dai Mengfan eased up inside and let out a great sigh of relief. She basically wanted to cry from joy. Only now did she realise that her clothes were soaked from cold sweat.
Not only had she managed to survive under Li Qingshan’s fist, but even the bone-chilling coldness had vanished. The Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance no longer paid any attention to her. Of course, she had technically bought some time for the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance as well.
Her hand suddenly turned cold. Yang Miaozhen shoved the sumeru ring back into her hand and said indifferently with her head lowered, “I don’t want things that aren’t mine.” She did feel slightly disappointed inside. Li Qingshan did not even spare her a second glance.
What a great child! Dai Mengfan was very touched, finding Yang Miaozhen more and more pleasing to the eye.
If it were not for Yang Miaozhen, she probably would not even get the opportunity to speak. Even if she had a multitude of plans, she would not be able to break out of the situation. If Li Qingshan bothered with some chatter with every single direct disciple, just how much time would he have to waste? He depleted a tremendous amount of spiritual qi with each passing second to fend off the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance’s suppression.
“Miaozhen, would you like to take me on as your master? I can give you regular guidance on your cultivation, and I’m in charge of all of the cultivation methods and resources!”
Yang Miaozhen was quite interested in that.
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