Chronicles of Heaven's Chosen - Chapter 49

System 250 fell silent.

【…】

“What’s wrong?” Xue Jin keenly sensed the change in Yuan Yao’s mood.

Coming back to herself, Yuan Yao made up an excuse. “I just remembered something that makes me furious!”

“What?”

“Third Senior Brother stole one of my eggs before.”

Xue Jin paused. “…Then steal one of his pills.”

“Third Senior Brother’s pills are terribly bitter.” Yuan Yao shook her head instinctively.

Xue Jin said nothing, but he felt the same way.

Cang Li had a gift for alchemy, yet for some reason, every pill he refined carried a bitter taste.

Unless it was absolutely necessary, none of his fellow disciples would take his pills.

Xue Jin continued walking with Yuan Yao on his back.

“Fourth Senior Brother, what realm are you in now?” Yuan Yao asked.

Xue Jin had been concealing his strength for some time. To the outside world, he kept his cultivation suppressed at the middle stage of the Golden Core Realm. Since Yuan Yao had asked, however, he gave her the truth.

“Early Nascent Soul Realm.”

“That’s amazing.” Yuan Yao was surprised. Then she asked glumly, “Fourth Senior Brother, how long do you think it will take me to reach your current realm?”

“Five years, if you cultivate seriously,” Xue Jin said.

“Five years?”

There were more than three hundred days in a year. Five years meant more than eighteen hundred days.

Yuan Yao suddenly realized that once she had won over all one hundred million targets, wouldn’t she have a lifespan of one hundred million days? Converted into years, that was more than two hundred and seventy thousand.

She could live that long?!

Even an immortal might not live for so many years.

The more Yuan Yao thought, the more exhausted she became. Her head drooped, and she fell sound asleep on Xue Jin’s back.

Xue Jin glanced slightly over his shoulder at her, then looked ahead once more.

Time passed bit by bit.

Seven or eight minutes later, a massive vortex abruptly appeared above the Wuduan Secret Realm.

Half asleep, Yuan Yao heard the wind howling around her and the distant voices of many people.

Then both her body and consciousness seemed to plunge downward.

She forced her eyes open. The first thing she saw was Fourth Senior Brother’s smooth pink-white hair. Looking past his profile, she saw a gigantic black vortex.

Other people were caught within it as well.

System 250 began announcing targets in her sea of consciousness once more.

【Target so-and-so…】

Yuan Yao woke considerably at once. A voice called from behind her.

“Yaoyao!”

She turned and saw Eldest Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, Youngest Senior Brother, and… Lu Xiangxiang.

【Target Song Yan’s Awakening Value is 20. Target Cang Li’s Awakening Value is 16. Target Ying Wuji’s Awakening Value is 8.】

At that moment, Lu Xiangxiang was staring at the youth carrying Yuan Yao.

She pursed her lips, then shifted her gaze to Yuan Yao’s colorless face. The girl looked pale and haggard.

Cang Li and the others naturally noticed as well, and their expressions changed.

Before anyone could act, the black vortex swept them all away and deposited them in the silver-white Wuduan Forest.

The moment they found their footing, they searched for Yuan Yao and Xue Jin.

Spotting them, they hurried over.

Cang Li took Yuan Yao’s hand and immediately checked her pulse.

His face changed as soon as he felt it. “How did you suffer such severe internal injuries?”

“I couldn’t beat them.” As Yuan Yao spoke, she patted Xue Jin’s shoulder to tell him to put her down.

He lowered her to the ground.

Song Yan’s expression was grave as he reached out to support her by the shoulders.

“Who did this to you?” Cang Li demanded, both heartbroken and furious when he saw her cracked lips.

At that moment, Dongfang Xiu, Man Yue, and Fu Qianli were transported out as well. The instant they landed, they sensed danger.

Before Dongfang Xiu could react, a blast of sword qi came straight at him. His expression changed. Unable to dodge in time, he took the strike across his shoulder.

Blood sprayed through the air!

His head snapped up. The pink-haired youth was already charging toward him, sword raised for another brutal slash. He clearly intended to kill Dongfang Xiu!

Yuan Yao did not need to answer. Song Yan, Cang Li, and Ying Wuji understood at once.

“Xue Jin!” Dongfang Xiu growled darkly. He drew his heavy sword and met the youth’s attack.

The cultivators who had just emerged from the secret realm froze at the sight.

They quickly retreated to avoid being caught in the battle.

“So it was Dongfang Xiu of the Taisui Sect,” Cang Li said coldly. “He actually used his age and strength to bully someone younger and weaker! Eldest Senior Brother, Ying Wuji—go teach him a lesson!”

“Wait!” Yuan Yao hurriedly protested. “He wasn’t trying to kill me. He only slashed me once!”

An enraged female voice suddenly rang out.

“Who slashed you?!”

Everyone turned toward the speaker.

The newcomer wore the uniform of the Xiaoyao Sect. She was tall and had a black forehead band embroidered with a phoenix pattern. Her face was oval and bare of makeup, her features heroic, and her beauty so striking it seemed almost aggressive.

“Second Senior Sister!” Yuan Yao’s eyes lit up.

Xiao Lingwei flashed to Yuan Yao’s side and caught her wrist. The moment she checked her pulse, her expression turned glacial.

She first swept a cold glance over Song Yan and the others.

Cang Li shrank back.

“Second Senior Sister, I’m fine.” Yuan Yao caught Xiao Lingwei’s hand in return.

She knew her Second Senior Sister’s temper ran hot. If Xiao Lingwei attacked, Dongfang Xiu might not survive.

“He slashed you?” Xiao Lingwei looked at her with pained eyes.

Yuan Yao nodded.

“Then I’ll only whip him three times!”

Xiao Lingwei gently pushed Yuan Yao’s hand away, moved in a blur, and drew a Jointed Bone Whip from her waist.

“Jin, stand down.”

At Xiao Lingwei’s appearance, Xue Jin sheathed his sword.

Dongfang Xiu had already taken several cuts during their clash. The moment he saw Xiao Lingwei, his expression changed, and fear flashed through his eyes.

“Who gave you the nerve to hurt my Little Junior Sister?”

Xiao Lingwei stepped forward. The mighty pressure of a middle-stage Nascent Soul cultivator erupted from her, making the trees all around them crack and burst as violent winds swept through the forest.

Little Junior Sister had only ever been injured once before—when her left foot tripped over her right and she fell hard enough to split her head open.

Now she was gravely wounded.

Xiao Lingwei’s fury ignited in an instant. She raised the Jointed Bone Whip and lashed it at Dongfang Xiu!

His expression changed drastically. He hurriedly lifted his heavy sword to block.

But the next instant—

Both he and his sword were sent flying.

Before he could rise, the second lash struck.

Crack!

His skin split, leaving mangled flesh and streaming blood.

The third lash followed!

Crack!

Bones broke, and he coughed blood without end.

Dongfang Xiu was utterly incapable of fighting back!

Shock seized the onlookers. They stared fearfully at Xiao Lingwei and instinctively retreated several more steps.

The disciples of the Taisui Sect did not dare move.

At last, Man Yue stepped forward and cupped her hands to Xiao Lingwei.

“Fellow Daoist Xiao, we were at fault first. Now that you have vented your anger, can we consider the matter settled?”