Chapter 62

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Chapter 62: A Life-and-Death Escape

“Look, another cultivator is being chased by Shadow!”

“How tragic. I wonder how she managed to provoke that demon?”

“Her footwork is quick, but what good will that do?”

Under the gloomy skies of the secret realm, Ming He flipped through the treetops, her toes lightly touching down on the edge of a cliff. As she moved, her blue robes fluttered, creating a sound that sliced through the air, drawing whispers and ridicule from fellow cultivators along the way. However, when they saw the red-clothed cultivator with a curved knife hot on her heels, their laughter faded, and they dared not approach.

Shadow? Is that the name of the red-clothed cultivator?

As Ming He dashed forward for her life, she guessed while panting, feeling her inner spiritual energy nearly depleted. Yet, the cultivator behind her still clung to her trail. If she hadn’t continuously changed her route with her Phantom Steps, she might have already been caught.

Unfortunately, it soon seemed unavoidable as she reached a dead end.

Ming He stood before the hanging cliff, gasping for breath as she glanced at the roaring waters below that threatened to swallow her whole, giving a bitter smile, though it didn’t catch her by surprise.

Being chased by the red-clothed cultivator along the way, she occasionally felt the sharp knife energy slicing past her, making her heart race as she focused solely on escaping. In this life-and-death situation, she had been frantically choosing her path, where the terrain was most treacherous, so it was only natural for her to end up at a dead end.

Jump off the cliff? They say you won’t die even if you leap from a cliff in the secret realm.

Ming He recalled the somewhat accepted trope in the original storyline, but the bottom of the cliff was the Xuan Ming Deep Water, the same water that lay beneath the waterfall, known to corrode a cultivator’s spiritual energy. There was also the possibility that she might not sink; what good would that do?

“Hand over the golden tokens.” The red-clothed cultivator known as Shadow leaped over the wooden bridge in the middle of the cliff and stood before her, holding his curved knife with a calm expression. “I don’t want your storage ring; just give me the two golden tokens.”

“I don’t have golden tokens,” Ming He replied sincerely, matching his dark, cold gaze. “We didn’t obtain any golden tokens at that waterfall.”

“Impossible.” Shadow’s voice turned icy, laced with lethal intent. “Yin San swore he saw you holding them.”

“And you just said those two golden tokens are with you.” He shifted his stance, revealing his hidden murderous intent. “If you don’t hand over the tokens, you’ll die!”

“Then let’s fight.” Ming He watched the determination in his eyes and felt her heart sink. After all, that young man had sworn to it. Explaining now seemed futile, and she felt she had very little chance to win his trust.

After all, she herself would find it hard to believe.

Yin San? Ming He scoffed quietly, storing that name in her mind. If she couldn’t escape, then he should be the one to perish.

She shouted softly, adopting the Unsheathing Style as she pointed her sword at Shadow’s heart, her peripheral vision scanning the surroundings for an escape route. She hadn’t truly expected to defeat Shadow.

“Then I’ll kill you and look elsewhere,” Shadow rasped as he stepped forward and swung his knife, blocking the only path away from the cliff.

“Clang!”

The sound of blades clashing mingled with the rush of water below. Ming He skillfully used her Phantom Steps to evade the blade of Shadow’s curved knife and countered with a Flickering Light, the same sword technique she had used when catching the black cat, signifying light.

Deep down, she felt this sword technique might counter Shadow’s dark knife techniques, as her sword energy suppressed his knife energy at that moment.

Unfortunately, her cultivation level was a hard limit.

Shadow snorted coldly, reversing the knife to face Ming He, then he effortlessly deflected her sword, narrowing her range of attack. He raised his right foot without mercy and kicked her down to the ground.

“Puff!” Ming He spat out blood, feeling her spiritual energy thrown into chaos, as a cold aura suppressed her powers—likely from Shadow’s knife energy.

Struggling to rise with her sword, she saw Shadow approach her step by step, placing his knife tip against her heart. “Hand over the golden tokens.”

“I don’t want to kill anyone right now,” the red-clothed cultivator said as he held his knife.

“I only have a silver token; do you want it?” Ming He tilted her head to spit out the blood welling up in her chest, her voice weak and airy.

If she gave the silver token to Shadow, she could still search for others; preserving her life was the most important thing.

“I said, I only want the golden tokens,” Shadow’s voice carried a sharp edge of anger. “It seems you all love to bargain.”

For a moment, his tone dipped into something darker, as if lost in thought, and then his entire aura shifted. No longer the subdued, unremarkable presence from before, it exploded into a raw, unrestrained madness, a cultivation unleashed without care or concealment.

“Kill, kill them all. Everyone must die!” Ming He watched in horror as his eyes flooded with blood-red intensity, his red attire seeming to darken into black. His gaze burned with a murderous intent so profound it felt as though he sought to annihilate the very world.

Has he… fallen into madness?

Ming He’s heart pounded as she mustered every ounce of strength to sidestep just as he raised his curved knife. A deafening crash followed, and the ground where she had stood moments ago caved into a deep crater, the air above it thick with corrosive murderous intent that withered the surrounding grass.

“I’ll give you the golden tokens!” Ming He shouted, scrambling to her feet, desperate to buy time—time to steady her grip on her sword, time to catch her breath.

But Shadow’s response was swift and merciless. His curved knife arced toward her head, his blood-red eyes devoid of any humanity. He had become the Killing Machine she had only heard of in whispers.

What kind of monster is this?

Ming He’s steps faltered, her body twisting to evade, but the blade still grazed her left shoulder, the pain so sharp it stole her voice.

Liu Yun Sword Art, Flickering Light, Unsheathing Style, Nebula Sword Art—Ming He unleashed every sword technique she had ever mastered, weaving them with the sword intent of heaven and earth and her first stage sword intent. Yet, against Shadow’s frenzied, murderous onslaught, her efforts shattered like glass.

With a resounding crack, her only remaining sword snapped in two.

Shadow’s blade hovered above her, death mere inches away.

“Congeal!” Ming He dropped to her knees, her entire focus funneling into her soul as she whispered the incantation Bai Mengjiao had taught her.

“Travel the void, sever the flow with the soul; gather the strange, disperse the mist…” Each word of the spell left her lips with precision, her soul power condensing into a sharp, needle-like spike. Just as Shadow’s knife descended, the spike pierced through the void, striking his Sea of Souls. The momentary pause it caused was enough. Ming He bit her lip hard, the pain jolting her awake as she leaped backward, tumbling over the cliff edge.

The splash of the Xuan Ming Deep Water was icy and corrosive, its power gnawing at her flesh. Ming He channeled her spiritual energy to resist, letting the current carry her away.

For Shadow, his blood-red eyes blazing with madness, had jumped in after her. His murderous intent was no longer about the golden tokens—it was about her death.

What kind of creature is this? How did I end up facing such a monster?

Ming He’s eyes hardened as Shadow closed in. Summoning the sword intent of heaven and earth, she hurled her broken sword at him, buying herself a fleeting moment. Then, gritting her teeth, she dove deeper into the Xuan Ming Deep Water, her spiritual energy flaring around her.

If Shadow caught her, death was certain. Her only hope was to surrender to the currents and pray for survival.

The water cut like blades, drawing blood from her body. The crushing weight of the depths pressed in, but Ming He pushed forward, her spiritual energy clashing against the corrosive forces of the Xuan Ming Deep Water and the chilling knife energy Shadow had unleashed. Blood seeped from her wounds as she fought to stay conscious.

Her vision blurred, but in her final moments of awareness, she glimpsed Shadow still floating above, his murderous aura radiating like a storm. He could no longer reach her.

At last, she was free.

Ming He exhaled, her gaze drifting to the dark, endless sky reflected on the water’s surface. She closed her eyes, surrendering to fate, hoping against hope that she might wake again.

With her last breath of consciousness, she gathered the remnants of her spiritual energy, focusing it around her heart to protect her vital organs. Then, darkness claimed her.

Beneath the water, the star-shaped pattern on her chest flickered faintly, responding to the wisp of spiritual energy. The Star Lock materialized, circling her before transforming into a radiant star that enveloped her completely.

…

When Ming He regained consciousness, it felt as though centuries had passed. She tried to open her eyes, but her body refused to obey.

Pain—sharp, unrelenting, and all-encompassing—engulfed her. For a moment, she wished she could remain unconscious forever.

Then she realized she was lying in a warm, damp place, shallow waves lapping gently against her body.

Something moved nearby, occasionally stepping on her arm or brushing her face with something soft, leaving a ticklish sensation in its wake.

“Chirp, chirp.” After what felt like an eternity, a soft, muffled sound reached her ears. Then, something fuzzy pried her mouth open and unceremoniously shoved a fruit inside.

How am I supposed to eat like this? Ming He screamed silently in her mind.

Unfortunately, the creature outside that seemed intent on waking her up didn’t understand her predicament at all. It continued to stuff fruit into her mouth, one after another.

Ming He… Ming He felt her breathing grow labored. She wanted to stop the unknown creature’s actions, but she found herself unable to make a sound.

So, she hadn’t died under Shadow’s blade, nor had she perished in the Xuan Ming Deep Water, but now she was going to choke on fruit? Ming He felt a pang of despair.

Fortunately, after stuffing her for a while and realizing the fruit wasn’t disappearing, the creature seemed to guess she couldn’t swallow anymore. “Chirp, chirp,” it cried in disappointment, pulling all the fruit out before stuffing another one in.

Ming He… Ming He was too exhausted to protest. She struggled to move her fingers and then noticed a sudden sweetness in her mouth—this spirit fruit melted instantly upon contact.

Not long after the spirit fruit entered her, she felt a gentle energy flow into her body, slowly repairing her injuries along her meridians. It was warm and soothing, like the revitalizing breath of spring nurturing all living things.

For a while, Ming He could still sense the unknown creature moving about, occasionally stepping on her shoulder or hopping onto her face, as if playing.

After what felt like an eternity, Ming He finally opened her eyes and realized she had regained control of her body.

She slowly sat up and grabbed the creature that had just been on her face. Holding it up, she saw it was a small, entirely black beast, no larger than her fist.

Its fluffy body, short legs, tiny paws, and small tail gave it an endearing appearance. A fiery red mark adorned its forehead, and a single horn jutted out from the top of its head. Now held in her hands, it squirmed and glared at her, its round, glossy black eyes darting to Ming He before letting out a pitiful cry.

“Chirp, chirp,” the little beast called out, its fluffy face wearing a distinctly human-like expression of grievance.

“Did you save me?” Ming He murmured, glancing around. When she looked up, she saw the dark sky of the secret realm. She was still in the Tian Cang Secret Realm.

This place was a cave, seemingly an underground open-air cavern. All around her were flowers, greenery, and spirit fruit scattered among the weeds. She was sitting in a shallow pool filled with what appeared to be… Yuan Zhen spirit liquid?

She dipped a finger into the pool and brought a drop to her eyes, confirming the extraordinary nature of the liquid. Ground-level Yuan Zhen spirit liquid—a priceless treasure for cultivation and healing, akin to a divine elixir capable of reviving the dead.

However, only a shallow ring of liquid remained, along with faint traces around the pool’s edge, likely all absorbed by her. After falling into the Xuan Ming Deep Water, her injuries had nearly healed.

Beside the pool lay a golden token.

Ming He picked it up and compared it to the one she had obtained earlier. They were identical—the golden token Shadow had been so desperate to obtain, the one Yu Wen Xi had said contained the most dragon energy and of which only three existed.

She chuckled softly, tucking the token away. Standing up, she carried the little beast and walked around the cave. At the back, she found a stream that connected to the Xuan Ming Deep Water below the cliff.

Traces of moisture, blood, and drag marks led from the stream into the cave. “Did you drag me into the pool?”

Ming He lifted the little beast, incredulous. It seemed so small and fragile—how could it have managed to pull her?

“Chirp, chirp!” the fluffy creature protested, its voice tinged with pride and self-satisfaction, as if demanding to be released.

Clearly, it had been the one to save her.

Ming He returned to the pool’s edge and sat down, staring at the scattered bright red fruits in silence. She quietly released the little beast from her grasp.

“Chirp, chirp,” the creature chirped, sticking out its tongue at Ming He before scampering off.

Ming He sat cross-legged, focusing her spiritual energy. She realized her injuries had indeed healed, and she felt on the verge of breaking through to the Sixth Level of the Xuan Wei realm.

Was it because of the Yuan Zhen spirit liquid and that spirit fruit?

Ming He pondered as she steadied her breath, channeling the Star Technique. Starlight seeped from within her, enveloping her as the Star Lock transformed into a star-shaped spiritual artifact at her heart, resonating softly.

After her brush with death, she effortlessly broke through to the Second Level of the Star Technique. Spiritual energy gathered from outside the cave, and the barrier of the Sixth Level of the Xuan Wei realm shattered with ease.

Yet Ming He’s cultivation was far from complete.

“Chirp, chirp.” A soft chirp came from the pool. The little beast, having run off earlier, called out again when Ming He ignored it. Unable to resist the allure of the starlight, it approached her once more. It climbed up her leg, onto her body, used her arm as a ladder to reach her shoulder, and finally leaped lightly to perch atop her head.

“Phew.”

Ming He exhaled deeply, ending her practice. She plucked the little beast from her head, noticing it lay lazily, unmoving, its glossy black eyes half-closed. After being removed, it shot her a sideways glance, its expression clearly saying, “Don’t disturb me.”

Ming He: “…”

Was it drawn to the starlight of her cultivation technique? Ming He smiled thoughtfully. “Little one, would you like to come with me and see the outside world?”

She began coaxing it gently, “If you stay by my side, you can sleep under the starlight every day.”

The little beast… The little beast’s expression was almost human in its conflict. It gazed longingly at the cave before nodding vigorously. “Chirp, chirp.”

Plan successful.

Ming He felt a surge of excitement. A beast that could understand human speech was no ordinary creature. Moreover, this little one looked extraordinary, appearing in the Tian Cang Secret Realm. She had certainly gained something invaluable.

Perhaps it was a treasure-seeking beast, she speculated.

Even if it turned out to be nothing special, at least it had saved her life. And besides, it was so fluffy!

Ming He grabbed the little beast, ruffling its short black fur-covered back, savoring the sensation with her eyes half-closed. Fluffiness was her weakness.

“Then let’s go,” she said. First, she would settle a score.

Ming He smiled brightly. She hadn’t died. Shadow had likely been swept away by the Xuan Ming Deep Water, and Yu Wen Xi was probably safe.

Her cultivation had advanced, and she had found the token. Naturally, it was time to settle some debts.

In the main hall of the Domain Lord’s mansion in the Eastern Region, a young man with white robes and white hair opened his eyes, his expression one of mild surprise. “The little one has actually decided to leave the secret realm. Interesting.” He wondered which cultivator had the skill to lure it out!

As long as it was a cultivator from the Eastern Region, they stood to gain greatly. It would be even better if they could bring it to the Domain Lord’s mansion.

Quietly, he began to formulate a plan.