After Yu Xiao left, Shui Yuan took out a small medicine cauldron and a bunch of precious herbs from her Storage Bag. She then mixed them up until they transformed into some sort of aquamarine medicinal liquid.
Lu Ye acted as her assistant and helped her whenever he could. He might not know much about medicine, but he could do simple stuff like measuring dosages, carrying stuff or literally lending her an extra hand when two weren’t enough.
“When I’m done here, you should return with me to the headquarters and lay low until the danger has passed.”
When Lu Ye did not respond, Shui Yuan abruptly paused her movement and stared at him unblinkingly.
His senior sister was a wonderful woman. During his time at the Crimson Blood Sect, she had doted on him like a caring older sister. Unfortunately, it meant that she was twice as scary when she was angry. Lu Ye could not help but panic a little despite anticipating her disapproval.
“Explain,” she demanded.
Knowing there was no getting out of this, Lu Ye chose his words carefully before starting, “Thousand Demon Ridge is determined to kill me, and I don’t think lying low is going to help me much unless I swear off the Spirit Creek Battlefield completely or hide permanently in my Outpost. However, I’m already an Eighth-Order cultivator. It would be against the rules for me to stay in the Outer Circle for too long.”
“That’s why I’m telling you to come back with me to the headquarters.”
“It’s like this…” Lu Ye moved closer before spilling his entire plan in a small voice.
At first, Shui Yuan was irritated that her junior brother was refusing to listen to her. However, the lines on her face smoothened after she listened to his plan. “So, you’re planning to fake your death?”
“That’s right. By now, news of my condition should’ve spread throughout Thousand Demon Ridge. It is no secret that you and the sect master have come to the Heavenly Derivative Sect either. One might say that you are just in time to collect my poisoned corpse, don’t you agree?”
Shui Yuan frowned a little at his choice of words, but did not make a fuss about it.
“This way, Thousand Demon Ridge would no longer be keeping an eye on me, and I would have the freedom to study the Way of Wards and deepen my attainment.”
“That’s a pretty good idea,” said the sect master while nodding approvingly. He was going to share some of his own ideas when Shui Yuan shut him up with a glare.
Fortunately or not, the great elder of the Heavenly Derivative Sect lacked the sect master’s keen eye. Unaware of Shui Yuan’s displeasure, he echoed in agreement, “If that is your wish, then it is this old man’s pleasure to teach you everything I know. Also, the Hundred Wards Tower is right around the corner. You are welcome to challenge it at any time.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Lu Ye hurriedly nodded in agreement. “So, senior sister…?”
Shui Yuan fell silent for a moment before replying, “I won’t say that it’s a bad plan, but you are aware that your status can be verified through the Battlefield Imprint, right?”
“That’s not a problem. The only ones who have my imprint are Crimson Blood Sect disciples or Legates. I’ll tell them my plan, and they’ll keep the secret.”
“Why are you even consulting me if you’ve already thought of everything?” Shui Yuan huffed.
“I’m glad you approve, senior sister. When the time comes, I would need you and the sect master to put on an act for me.”
Their most talented disciple had perished in the Heavenly Derivative Sect. Logically speaking, Shui Yuan and the sect master would be mournful and vengeful. He did not tell them how to act the part, trusting that they knew better than him.
Not long after they wrapped up the discussion, Yu Xiao returned with the Shui Yuan she had commanded him to prepare. Two hours later, she began treating Zhao Li.
The reason she treated Zhao Li first was because his condition was far more urgent. Ju Jia had been baptized in the Soul Cleansing Pond just like Lu Ye and so possessed a much stronger Divine Soul than Zhao Li. The delay would not affect him much.
The process of the treatment was complicated and not easy to express succinctly. In summary, Shui Yuan continuously concocted all kinds of medicine and poured them into Zhao Li’s mouth. Then, she used some sort of technique to pull out the poison rooted in his Divine Soul.
Zhao Li moaned and shook violently despite the fact he was unconscious. His clothes were so drenched it looked like he just crawled out of a pool.
One could only imagine how much worse his suffering would be if he was conscious.
The treatment did not finish until four hours later. Yu Xiao and Bai Qian looked at their disciple with great concern. The young man was still alive, but his aura had weakened considerably. As Shui Yuan had told them earlier, the treatment wasn’t kind to the patient’s health. He would’ve died without Lu Ye’s Soul Cleansing Water.
“I’m not at Divine Ocean Realm yet, so there are certain methods that I am unable to employ without considerable risks. There might be some residue in his Divine Soul. Whether he will wake up is all up to him now.”
Yu Xiao said gratefully, “Thank you, Sister Shui Yuan.”
He knew that Shui Yuan had given her all. She was only a Ninth-Order Real Lake Realm Master, and yet she was capable of treating an affliction that affects the Divine Soul. No ordinary medicine cultivator could’ve done what she did.
Shui Yuan rested for half a day before moving onto Ju Jia.
To her surprise, treating Ju Jia turned out to be much easier than Zhao Li. Not only that, what had tormented Zhao Li greatly even in his unconscious state hadn’t affected the body tempering cultivator in the slightest. It was almost as if he had fallen asleep.
Even better, the big guy actually started snoring when the treatment was over. It was such an unexpected reaction that Shui Yuan started doubting her own skill and inspected him all over again. She relaxed only after she confirmed that she hadn’t missed anything.
It was then Shui Yuan recalled Lu Ye’s comment about Ju Jia and realized that the big fellow really was as special as he claimed.
She took a moment to catch a breather before returning to Lu Ye’s side. She then attempted to hand him the jade bottle containing the Soul Cleansing Water.
She had used only a total of five droplets to treat Ju Jia and Zhao Li. The treasure was extremely precious, so Shui Yuan had saved them as much as possible.
However, Lu Ye pushed it back and said, “You can keep it, senior sister. I have more.”
Shui Yuan caught his wrist and deposited the jade bottle firmly in his palm. “This treasure is more precious than you think. When you’ve reached Real Lake Realm, consume it bit by bit to realize its effects. A strong Divine Soul will make ascending to Divine Ocean Realm so much—”
Suddenly, Shui Yuan’s words became lodged in her throat. It was because she saw Lu Ye grabbing a couple more jade bottles from his Storage Bag.
“How…”
“I told you I have more, so just treat it as my gift to you and the sect master and keep it, Sister Shui Yuan. Don’t hesitate to come back to me if it’s not enough.”
For a moment, Shui Yuan could not say anything. She had gone through many highs and lows in life, but never had she seen this much Soul Cleansing Water. Lu Ye had told her that his reward came from the Lost City of Xianyuan, but since when did the city have this much Soul Cleansing Water? For that matter, how was it that everyone else who had gotten some walked away from the Lost City of Xianyuan with just a few drops of Soul Cleansing Water, while her junior brother had walked away with several bottles of the treasure?
“In that case… I happily accept your gift.”
After she had calmed herself, Shui Yuan turned toward Yu Xiao and started walking toward the sect master. “Let us begin, Sect Master Yu.”
“?” Yu Xiao looked at her in confusion. He did not understand what she was talking about.
Suddenly, Shui Yuan’s pupils turned a shade of purple. At the same time, she spoke in a tone cold enough to rival the wind of the Nine Nethers, “My junior brother visited the Heavenly Derivative Sect as a guest, but now he is dead by an assassin’s hands. What do you have to say for yourself, Sect Master Yu?”
Now Yu Xiao was completely confused. He glanced at the perfectly lively Lu Ye standing behind her and started, “Er, I’m not sure I understand, Sister Shui Yuan. Your junior brother is right—”
“Is that your answer? Very well!” The petite woman suddenly began growing in size. In just a matter of seconds, she had become much taller, bustier, and more mature. Her hair reached all the way down to her waist, and her loose robes were now straining against her curves. Killing intent erupted from the woman as she summoned a war scythe into her hands.
BOOM! The closed door of the hall was shattered, and Yu Xiao flew out of it with a look of utter shock on his face. He thought he was dead when Shui Yuan had launched her attack!
It was only now he realized that the famous medicine cultivator of the Crimson Blood Sect wasn’t just versed in the art of healing. Her combat strength was just as formidable!
A sorrowful cry resounded throughout the entire Heavenly Derivative Sect, “Give me back my junior brother!”
On that day, Shui Yuan, Keeper of Seal of the Crimson Blood Sect had turned the Heavenly Derivative Sect upside down because her junior brother, Lu Ye was poisoned to death by Thousand Demon Ridge. Not only had she fought five Real Lake Realm champions to a standstill, the shockwaves of that battle had destroyed dozens of buildings and injured many disciples.
Thankfully, Tang Yifeng, Sect Master of the Crimson Blood Sect was a sensible man. He managed to stop her before she could cause anymore damage.
That was just the beginning of Shui Yuan’s revenge though. Furious and brimming with vengeance, the woman actually teleported into the Spirit Creek Battlefield through the Heavenly Derivative Sect’s Divine Opportunity Column.
As the Heavenly Derivative Sect’s Outpost had been occupied, a lot of Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators were still camping in the area and acting as an eyesore to all Grand Sky Coalition cultivators. They were all celebrating and basking in their recent victory.
That was why they were caught completely off guard when Shui Yuan appeared out of nowhere with her ridiculously huge war scythe. Naturally, there wasn’t a single person in the Outpost who was a match for her!
While enduring the Judgment of the Heavens, Shui Yuan slayed dozens of Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators and chilled the hearts of every soul present. Not a single person dared to stop her when she finally ceased her madness and retreated.
Naturally, the world was shocked when the news was spread. The second time! This was the second time the Crimson Blood Sect’s Keeper of Seal had invaded the Spirit Creek Battlefield and thrown herself into a senseless slaughter!
If the first time she invaded the Spirit Creek Battlefield was justifiable because Thousand Demon Ridge was the one who broke the rules first, then what about this time? Sure, the method in which they killed Lu Ye was scummy and despicable, but it hadn’t violated the rules. They were enemies after all. No tactic was too much as long as it was within the rules.
So why did she do it? Because her junior brother was killed? It was completely unreasonable to put it mildly. Lu Yi Ye had killed plenty of people himself. If everyone were to emulate her example and go on a killing spree every time one of their disciples was dead, then the Spirit Creek Battlefield would surely fall into chaos. No low level cultivator would be safe anymore.
For a time, a mountain of accusations and abuses were flung in the direction of Shui Yuan. That was all they did though. Shui Yuan dared to invade the Spirit Creek Battlefield because she could neutralize the Punishment of the Heavens via a special method, but the champions of Thousand Demon Ridge could not boast the same thing. They would most likely be dead if they tried to emulate her example.
Moreover, the amount of damage she did was ultimately insignificant. Women were emotional beings, and in her fury Shui Yuan had chosen one of the worst ways to retaliate against Thousand Demon Ridge. The death of just dozens of Spirit Creek Realm cultivators just wasn’t a big deal.
The Sect Master of the Crimson Blood Sect though, now that was a completely different story. If the rumors were to be trusted, the old bastard had made a beeline for the province bordering Wuzhou, Lei Zhou and gone on a rampage.
The good news was that Thousand Demon Ridge was prepared for this. Several Divine Ocean Realm cultivators showed up just in time to repel Tang Yifeng and prevent him from dealing any significant damage to their sects in Lei Zhou.
They were able to stop him in time not because they could predict the future, but because there was a precedent. During the aftermath of the Battle of Goldentip, Tang Yifeng had invaded Yun Zhou and destroyed three Thousand Demon Ridge sects singlehandedly, dealing them a massive blow.
Since then, everyone in Thousand Demon Ridge knew that the Crimson Blood Sect was stupidly overprotective over their young. Naturally, they were prepared for their retaliation for poisoning Lu Ye.
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