Chapter 70

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Chapter 70: Vast Ancient Realm

The azure sky stretched endlessly above, with a silver moon hanging high. Nearby, the wind stirred the trees, causing golden leaves to twirl gracefully down to land on a figure illuminated by a blend of blue and crimson.

“Chirp, chirp.” A small beast with a shiny black body and a single horn on its head made a low sound, noticing that the person below didn’t respond. Tilting its head in contemplation, it leaped down from the figure’s head to her shoulder, then stepped down to approach the nearby black figure.

In the next moment, the black figure abruptly stirred, moving away from that spot. With a “splash,” a heavy object fell into the water.

The little beast, chirping, climbed up the dangling right hand of the person, stepping on her chest as it passed by.

As a result, a brilliant light erupted from her chest, and a star-shaped spiritual artifact flew up, circling the figure. The visible wounds gradually healed, leaving only the crimson stains as proof that it was not an illusion.

The little beast returned to its previous soft spot on her head, feeling a bit drowsy.

Ming He woke up to the sound of the little beast chirping above her.

As her consciousness returned, the first thing she heard was the familiar chirping. She propped herself up, sat up, and gently patted the little beast on her head for comfort, then lowered her gaze to inspect herself, realizing that the severe wound that had almost pierced her body had vanished, replaced by her intact form.

Her chest felt slightly warm; was it the effect of the Star Lock?

She murmured to herself, glancing around, noticing that the blood-soaked Qin Chu Yi lay beside her, unconscious. Besides her, there was nothing else.

But she remembered that the black-clothed masked man had been following close behind before she fell unconscious.

Ming He felt puzzled, getting up to support Qin Chu Yi. She noticed her lips were pale, and her stunning face showed no trace of blood, looking lifeless—it was startling to behold. There was still some blood trickling from the wound near her chest, soaking into her white clothes; it was a very serious injury.

“Senior Sister Qin,” Ming He called softly, but silence answered her, with the surroundings eerily quiet. Even the little beast above stopped making sounds, leaving only her own breaths in the stillness.

Ming He sat in silence behind Qin Chu Yi, placing her hands on her back and channeling spiritual energy continuously into her. However, it didn’t seem to have a significant effect.

Her injuries were too severe, but she didn’t have the Star Lock.

The Star Lock.

Ming He’s eyes brightened as she seemed to remember something, closing her eyes to recall the incantation for activating the power of the stars. A glimmer of golden light appeared in her palm. She focused and guided the light into Qin Chu Yi’s chest until some color returned to her face.

“Phew…”

Ming He let out a long breath, her face slightly pale. She wasn’t proficient in controlling the Star Lock, and the star power she could transfer to Qin Chu Yi was limited. Moreover, Qin Chu Yi’s injuries were far worse than Bai Mengjiao’s at the time. Thus, she had only temporarily stabilized Qin Chu Yi’s situation to prevent life-threatening danger.

The injuries were stabilized, but external wounds still needed to be treated.

Ming He took out a bottle of pills from her storage ring that replenished spiritual energy and nurtured life. She had found these in the storage rings of other cultivators during the Tian Cang Secret Realm Trial. The mystic-grade pills were sufficient for cultivators below the Wind Master realm.

However, Qin Chu Yi was above the Wind Master realm and might recover more slowly.

Ming He gently pried open Qin Chu Yi’s lips and placed a pill inside. As she gazed at her closed eyes and exquisitely defined features, she felt momentarily dazed. This was Qin Chu Yi! The lofty Young Master from a noble clan, who had saved her with her life!

She still remembered the shock and complexity of her feelings in that moment; she had thought she would be the one to suffer the piercing wound.

It seemed she owed her a great deal now.

Ming He sighed and propped Qin Chu Yi up in her arms, noticing that her brows were relaxed—as if she did not feel any pain while unconscious.

Her gaze lowered to the blood-soaked white clothing, with the bright red stain on her chest particularly striking. Ming He knew that in the high skies, Qin Chu Yi had been injured while using her sword to save her from the black-clothed man.

After a series of battles, the wound was still spreading. If left untreated, it would be impossible for the cultivator’s own spiritual power to heal it.

She decided to treat it first, especially since Qin Chu Yi was still unconscious.

Ming He looked down, her eyes sharp, and reached out to tear open the already tattered white garment, revealing the dark inner clothing beneath. Underneath were skin as white as snow, but the left shoulder had a deep, unseeable knife wound near the heart. The red and white colors intertwined, forming an alarming scar.

Blood was seeping out of the wound, and after hesitating for a moment, Ming He tore open more of the clothing. Given how dirty it was, it should be discarded; she figured Qin Chu Yi would not mind.

She retrieved the Moon Crescent Dagger and pried open the blade embedded in the wound beneath her left shoulder. The clang of metal echoed as the blade flew out, carving a graceful arc through the air before landing with a crisp clink on the ground.

Ming He ignored it, her focus drawn to the black blood oozing from the wound. The blade was poisoned.

Her heart sank, and a sense of helplessness washed over her. It dawned on her that the black-clothed men were from the Black Wind Alliance, a group of traitors to the human race, dedicated to hunting down its most gifted members. Poisoning their blades was entirely in character.

Yet, she too had been struck by the blade. Why was she unharmed?

Ming He glanced down, inspecting herself. Aside from her blue clothes being soiled and torn, everything else seemed normal. There was no wound, let alone any trace of poison.

But she had already transferred her spiritual energy and Star Power to Qin Chu Yi. What more could she do? She didn’t understand the Star Lock, nor did she know how to wield it.

Defeated, Ming He lowered her head.

“Chirp, chirp.” The little beast called out, leaping from her head to perch on her shoulder.

Ming He shifted her gaze to see the tiny creature, no larger than a fist, wobbling on her shoulder, gesturing animatedly as if imparting wisdom.

“Chirp, chirp, chirp!” A series of sharp, insistent chirps filled her ears. Ming He blinked in surprise, realizing she could understand the little beast.

“You’re saying… to draw out the poison?” she asked, frozen in place, unsure.

“Chirp.” The little beast nodded, exuding an air of seasoned authority as it hopped back onto her head.

Ming He paused, considering the creature’s suggestion. It might indeed be the solution—the most primitive one. Her Star Power had already been transferred to Qin Chu Yi to protect her heart, so she wasn’t in immediate danger.

But if too much time passed, the poison could still reach her heart.

If spiritual energy couldn’t expel the poison from Qin Chu Yi, then the little beast’s method was the only option she could think of. With the Star Lock protecting her, the blade’s poison couldn’t harm her.

But… but there was the matter of propriety between women.

Ming He wrestled with the dilemma.

“Hiss.”

Qin Chu Yi let out a faint murmur, her face pale and her brows furrowed in pain. Her limp right hand clenched into a fist, as if gripped by some unseen torment.

Ming He quickly placed a pill in her mouth, noticing how cold her face felt. Qin Chu Yi’s complexion shifted between pale and flushed, her body cool to the touch—like holding a block of ice.

It seemed Qin Chu Yi already harbored another poison within her.

Ming He’s breath hitched. She pressed her hand against Qin Chu Yi’s back, channeling all the Star Power she could muster to protect her heart meridian. Her expression hardened with resolve.

In times of urgency, propriety could be set aside. Besides, they were both women. Qin Chu Yi likely wouldn’t mind.

Ming He bent down and used the Moon Crescent Dagger to cut away the blackened flesh around the wound. Dark red blood gushed out, and Ming He crushed a spirit herb, applying it to dilute the poison. She wiped away the surface grime with a clean cloth and leaned in to begin drawing out the poison.

“Ming He.” A faint voice whispered in her ear.

Ming He straightened to find Qin Chu Yi’s eyes open, though her face remained pale. Her usually cold eyes now reflected Ming He’s image, her pride still evident but softened by vulnerability.

“Sister Qin, how are you?” Ming He asked, gently touching her forehead. Qin Chu Yi blinked, her clear eyes locking onto Ming He’s. For a moment, she seemed dazed, then she realized her body felt cold, and she was lying in Ming He’s arms.

“What are you doing?” she murmured, her voice tinged with confusion.

“Senior Sister, the blades of those black-clothed men were poisoned,” Ming He explained, adjusting her hold to shield Qin Chu Yi from the wind. “We need to draw out the poison.”

She leaned down again, resuming her task. Before she could expel the poisoned blood, a surge of energy coursed through her meridians. As it reached her heart, the Star Lock vibrated faintly, and the poison that had entered her body dissipated into nothingness.

Qin Chu Yi leaned against Ming He, her eyes opening to the sight of Ming He’s lowered head, her dark hair gently swaying. Above her, a small black beast perched, staring back at her with curious eyes.

A faint numbness spread from the wound beneath her left shoulder. Ming He had mentioned something about drawing out the poison… Qin Chu Yi shook her foggy head, finally understanding what Ming He meant. Her cheeks flushed, and her body felt weak, leaving her no choice but to lean into Ming He’s embrace, her clothes half undone.

Ming He straightened slightly, relief washing over her as she saw the wound begin to bleed red. She took out a Xuan Class Hemostatic Pill, crushed it, and sprinkled it over the injury. Then, she frowned at the torn and bloodied garment she had removed.

It was too ruined to wear again.

“Senior Sister Qin, do you have any spare clothes in your storage ring?” Ming He asked, her mind racing as she tried to figure out how to remove Qin Chu Yi’s clothes without aggravating her wound.

When no reply came after a long pause, Ming He glanced up, puzzled, only to meet Qin Chu Yi’s flustered gaze. Her usually cool eyes now held a mix of embarrassment and pride, and her pale face had turned a deep crimson, softening her usual severity and lending her a delicate charm.

Ming He froze for a moment, belatedly realizing that Qin Chu Yi might be… shy. As she noticed the blush on Qin Chu Yi’s face, her own ears began to warm.

Her thoughts drifted to the time Qin Chu Yi had spoken of “paying a price” outside the outer sect of Liu Yun Sect, and how contracts between women in the cultivation world were not uncommon.

Qin Chu Yi lowered her gaze, her expression unreadable, before murmuring softly, “My inner spiritual energy is stagnant right now. I can’t access my storage ring.”

“Oh,” Ming He nodded stiffly, carefully removing the blood-stained garment. She retrieved a clean set of blue clothes from her own storage ring and draped them over Qin Chu Yi. As her trembling hand brushed against Qin Chu Yi’s back, it felt cold and smooth, like polished jade. Ming He averted her eyes, too embarrassed to look, and quickly adjusted the collar, noticing Qin Chu Yi’s slight shiver.

She pressed a hand to Qin Chu Yi’s forehead, confirming that the poison had been fully expelled. “Senior Sister, you’ve saved me once again,” Ming He said with a soft smile.

“And you saved me,” Qin Chu Yi replied, her long lashes fluttering faintly.

Ming He paused, recalling how she had blocked the black-clothed masked man’s dagger outside the Stone Forest. A quiet laugh escaped her, and her face brightened with a smile. “Then we’ve saved each other. It’s mutual survival.” In a way, they had faced death together and, thankfully, both survived.

“Hmm,” Qin Chu Yi murmured, lowering her head. The air grew still.

After a moment, Qin Chu Yi seemed to regain some strength and shifted away from Ming He’s embrace, leaning against a nearby tree trunk. Her eyes still held a trace of lingering shyness and confusion; she had never been this close to anyone before.

Feeling awkward, Ming He adjusted Qin Chu Yi’s position to make her more comfortable, then changed into a clean outer robe. The silence stretched, and Ming He finally broke it. “Earlier, I heard you mention the Vast Ancient Realm. What is it?”

She had learned much from the library during her time at Liu Yun Sect, but the Vast Ancient Realm was beyond her knowledge.

“The Vast Ancient Realm is a legend of the Tianwu Continent,” Qin Chu Yi replied, her expression returning to its usual calm as she looked up. “It’s an independent world that drifts within the Tianwu Continent. No one knows when or where it will appear.”

“But when it does, it’s an opportunity,” she continued, her eyes gleaming. “It’s said to hold countless treasures, secret techniques, and heavenly materials and earthly treasures. Those who enter are like holding a key to a treasure trove—how much they gain depends on their own abilities.”

“It appears randomly. The last time it was seen was over a century ago,” Qin Chu Yi added, her voice tinged with excitement. “As for why it appears or who controls it, no one knows.”

“So, no one is behind it?” Ming He asked, puzzled.

“I don’t know,” Qin Chu Yi shook her head. “It’s as mysterious as the Star Lock.”

Ming He’s expression shifted. She knew the Star Lock’s mystery well—mystery meant danger, and danger meant power. Power was what she sought above all else.

“Then let’s see how mysterious it is,” Ming He said, her eyes alight with the same determination as Qin Chu Yi’s. They both sought strength, and in that, they were kindred spirits.

“Ding! Welcome Trial Participant One, Trial Participant Two, Trial Participant Three, and Trial Participant Four to the Vast Ancient Realm. The first level of the Ancient Realm Trial begins now: Cause and Effect of the Mortal World.”

An ethereal voice, ancient and resonant, echoed across the sky. In an instant, Ming He felt Qin Chu Yi’s figure blur before her eyes. It was as if she had stepped into a new place, yet somehow, it felt as though she hadn’t moved at all.