Rewinding to a moment earlier...
At that time, Shang Shuyi only felt a faint warmth on her right hand holding the bow as a slender, powerful hand covered the fingers drawing the string.
A stream of pure and wondrous spiritual energy surged quietly into her meridians. It did not forcibly take over; instead, in a manner beyond her comprehension, it deftly guided the boundless spiritual energy she had already gathered upon the arrow!
Under the meticulous control of this external force, the jade-green arrow loosed from the string underwent an inconceivable shift in trajectory. It traced a lethal arc that defied common sense, unerringly zeroing in on Feng Zimo, who believed his ploy had succeeded!
Bending and Straightening at Will!
This was a profound state that could only be attained when one cultivated the Return to Origin Bow Technique to an exceedingly advanced level, reaching a degree of spiritual energy control as natural as moving one's own limbs!
She only knew that years ago, when Su Yi stormed the Return to Origin Sect, he had merely glanced a few times at the Return to Origin disciples performing it.
‘How could he... have an understanding of this technique even greater than mine?!’
A tempest raged within Shang Shuyi's heart as she watched Su Yi's back gradually overlap with the figure of him storming the mountain years ago.
‘Young Manor Lord Su remains as magnificent as ever.’ At this moment, just like back then, her heart stirred slightly.
However, she knew what mattered most. The battlefield allowed no time for deep reflection. Feng Zimo's miserable wails and the violent fluctuations of demonic qi signaled that the prime opportunity for a counterattack had arrived!
Shang Shuyi's gaze hardened. Retracting the hand Su Yi had released, she formed a sword-finger and slashed it toward the sky. Her clear voice rang across the withered wood with unquestionable resolve:
“Return to Origin Sect disciples, hear my command! Form the Azure Wood Spirit-Binding Formation and capture the demon!”
Hearing this, the Return to Origin Sect disciples who had long been lying in ambush moved instantly upon the order!
“Understood!”
In an instant, azure figures shot forth like ghosts from hiding places in all directions, their speed astonishing.
They did not charge in chaotic disarray; instead, their feet traced profound footwork as their hands channeled hand seals. Pure Yi Wood spiritual energy, resembling threads of azure silk, instantly wove into an inescapable net that blanketed a vast expanse!
Seeing the sky full of azure spiritual threads weaving into an inescapable net that descended over his head and sealed off all his escape routes, Feng Zimo felt his heart turn completely cold.
“Return to Origin Sect! You've been hiding in the shadows this entire time?!”
He cried out in shock and fury, the realization instantly dawning upon him. “Curse you, Su Yi! Feigning weakness and pretending to falter were all to lure me straight into the trap!”
Intense regret and indignation surged in his heart, but even more so was the shocked suspicion over his companion's whereabouts.
While desperately pushing his remaining demonic qi to resist the closing Azure Wood spirit-binding power, he whipped his head around and snarled hoarsely toward the direction where Su Yi had fought Deng Nie earlier: “Su Yi! Where is Deng Nie?! Did that bastard see the Return to Origin Sect people long ago and flee first?!”
Yet what answered him was the unmasked sneer on Su Yi's face.
“Flee? Are you underestimating the bond between you two, or are you underestimating my methods? Before me, how could he have the means to flee?”
Before his voice had even faded, Su Yi raised a hand as if nonchalantly, making an empty grasping and pulling gesture toward the withered wood behind him to the flank.
A dark figure was yanked violently from the woods by an invisible force like a tattered sack, crashing heavily onto the ground not far before Feng Zimo.
At this moment, where was there even half the ferocious arrogance Deng Nie had displayed with his beast soul earlier?
His clothes were torn to shreds, covered in sword wounds so deep bone was visible, blood staining him almost entirely crimson.
The ferocious phantom of the black panther had long since dispersed without a trace. His limbs were twisted at unnatural angles, the tendons and meridians of his hands and feet clearly severed entirely!
What made one's scalp tingle even more was that his mouth appeared forcibly torn open and stuffed full of shattered blade fragments, leaving him unable to utter even a single whimper of agony.
Hiss—!
The rogue cultivators present couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath of cold air.
“Young... Young Manor Lord Su... in such a short time, actually... actually crippled an enemy commander alive?”
A rogue cultivator's voice trembled, barely able to form a complete sentence.
A demonic sect commander at the peak of Qi Condensation possessed formidable strength. Even if outmatched, reasonably speaking, holding out for a while or even finding an opportunity to break away shouldn't have been impossible.
Shang Shuyi was equally shaken to her core. The commanders should have been roughly matched in power. In such a short span, it would be difficult to even exhaust one's spiritual energy, yet Su Yi had completely crippled his foe—and by the looks of it, Su Yi appeared completely unfazed.
The battle had to have been completely one-sided!
“Junior Sister Shang.”
Su Yi's calm voice pulled Shang Shuyi from her shock.
“Present!” Shang Shuyi straightened her back almost reflexively and answered crisply, her voice a pitch higher than usual, laced with a nervousness she hadn't even realized herself.
Seeing her somewhat tense posture, Su Yi showed a gentle smile and praised, “You did very well. As expected, you really are the most suitable person to accompany me.”
At those words, Shang Shuyi was taken aback, not expecting him to say such a thing.
“Young Manor Lord Su overpraises me. Without your assistance, Shuyi would not have been able to overcome him,” she said modestly, treating such commonplace remarks as mere polite pleasantries.
Seeing this, Su Yi waved his hand, his tone casual yet resolute. “No need to be overly humble. If it were that cold-faced, gloomy girl or that reckless boy in your place, they could never have achieved what you did.”
“Employing people requires considering their temperament. Ling Qingyu is brisk and ruthless; she would never go out of her way to protect rogue cultivators. Shi Yan is a reckless brute who'd just be itching to overwhelm the enemy with numbers.”
Su Yi's tone sounded like an elder's as he channeled several streams of spiritual energy to soothe and heal the wounds Feng Zimo had sliced across Shang Shuyi.
“Perhaps Ling Qingyu could have captured the opponent, but the rogue cultivators would surely have suffered grievous casualties. Shi Yan might have kept the rogue cultivators safe, but the enemy commanders would have seen the unfavorable odds and fled immediately.”
“For this journey, it truly had to be you.” Su Yi produced a wooden box of ointment and handed it over.
“Demonic qi contamination can be troublesome. Apply this to your wounds first.”
Yet Shang Shuyi merely stood there blankly without taking it. Her heart was touched. She had thought Su Yi was merely offering polite praise, never imagining his choice of companion had actually been so thoroughly considered.
Generic compliments could at best win a smile, but well-reasoned, sharp analysis struck straight to the heart.
Ever since rising to prominence, all she had heard were platitudes and courteous remarks; she hadn't heard such an insightful critique in a very long time.
“Senior Brother Su, I...” Shang Shuyi parted her lips, wanting to say something, but was interrupted by a disciple beside them.
“Senior Sister, this medicinal pill will protect you from being plagued by demonic qi.”
Hearing that, Su Yi's hand holding the ointment froze. He suddenly realized—right, she was a core disciple of the Return to Origin Sect!
Glancing at Shang Shuyi, who looked hesitant to speak, he felt somewhat awkward. ‘It's all Gongsun Lin's fault. I've gotten so used to handing things out to juniors that she probably doesn't even know how to politely refuse.’
However, just as he was about to withdraw his hand, Shang Shuyi acted as if she hadn't seen the disciple beside her, taking the ointment from his hand with a gentle, graceful smile.
“Thank you, Young Manor Lord Su.”
...
After departing that place, the disciple following behind Shang Shuyi felt somewhat perplexed. Senior Sister was acting unusual today—and besides, who took ointment only to gaze at it instead of using it?
“Senior Sister, aren't you going to apply the ointment?” the disciple asked worriedly.
“No need. I possess a Wood Heavenly Spirit Root; demonic qi of this degree cannot taint me.” Shang Shuyi caressed the wooden box containing the ointment, her eyes curved in a smile.
‘Smooth and gentle as jade—it must be of exquisite quality. Who would have thought Young Manor Lord Su values me so much as well,’ Shang Shuyi thought.
The young girl from back then, who had watched the youth storm the mountain and couldn't even catch up to his silhouette, had finally caught his eye and even received a one-of-a-kind spiritual ointment.
Shang Shuyi held the wooden box to her chest, the corners of her lips curling upward involuntarily.
“Hey, Young Manor Lord Su is distributing demon-dispelling ointment! Did you get one?”
The grating voice froze her smile. She turned to look.
Not far away, a disciple clad in Divine Might Manor uniform was carrying a massive crate of ointment, asking and handing them out to everyone he encountered.
Looking at that familiar wooden box, Shang Shuyi froze.
‘It's completely identical... No way.’ A sliver of lingering hope still remained in her heart.
Yet as she walked past and saw someone else open their ointment, that identical spiritual resonance was undeniably the exact same!
“Damn, Young Manor Lord Su is truly rolling in wealth! An ointment of this quality, handed out one jar per person!” several disciples marveled.
Hearing this, Shang Shuyi's heart sank completely. As if doused with a bucket of cold water, she abruptly cooled down. Rubbing the corners of her eyes, she murmured under her breath, ‘So that's how it is... Shang Shuyi, you've really had enough. Young Manor Lord Su treats everyone equally after all. To think I actually harbored such an absurd feeling just now.’
‘It doesn't matter. It's not like he gave anyone special treatment anyway. Everyone is treated the same.’
Letting out a soft breath, Shang Shuyi prepared to leave, only to hear another voice from behind.
“Senior Sister Zhao Qian, Young Manor Lord Su said you must take this demon-dispelling ointment, and as for this Demon-Cleansing Spirit-Nourishing Pill, I must personally watch you swallow it! Both are top-grade items, so please don't decline!”
Thud.
With a soft thud, the disciple behind Shang Shuyi abruptly bumped into her back. Rubbing his forehead, the disciple asked in bewilderment, “Senior Sister, what's wrong?”
“It's nothing. Only... go investigate something for me.”
“Investigate what?” the disciple asked, puzzled.
“Divine Might Manor... Zhao Qian.”
As she spoke, Shang Shuyi turned her head. Her originally pure, gentle smile was now somewhat eerie and chilling.
The disciple couldn't help but gulp.
‘Merciful heavens, has Senior Sister been corrupted by demonic qi?!’
Rate on N.U.
