A momentary, deathly silence descended upon the entire battlefield.
Qu Chen was giving his all to parry a heavy blow from Jiang Yifan when he caught a glimpse of that fleeing silver light out of the corner of his eye. It was as if he had been struck by lightning; his movements suddenly stiffened!
"Ju... Junior Sister?!" he cried out, his voice thick with disbelief and the stinging pain of betrayal. Though he knew that her current choice would preserve their points to the greatest extent, seeing it actually happen still made his heart ache.
She just... ran away by herself?
This momentary lapse in concentration was undoubtedly a fatal flaw!
"Cch!"
Jiang Yifan's attack showed no mercy. Taking advantage of the opening, he precisely struck and disarmed Qu Chen of the heavy sword that was already wavering in his grip!
Ling Suxin's lotus lamp light cords swiftly coiled around him, instantly binding him tight. With his spiritual energy sealed, he completely lost the ability to resist.
The battle ended abruptly in a way that defied everyone's expectations.
However, the victorious members of the Five Elements Dao Sect and the Hehuan Sect did not have much joy on their faces. Instead, they all looked somewhat bewildered and strange.
Li Nanzhu stood in place, still holding the flag she had just snatched from Cang Dongqing. Watching the direction in which Cang Dongqing had vanished, her brows furrowed tightly as a strong sense of unreality surged in her heart.
"She just... ran?"
"Just like that... she sold out her teammate and fled by herself?"
This wasn't right!
In her understanding—or rather, based on her inherent impression of the heroine Cang Dongqing from the original story's plot—this situation shouldn't be like this!
According to the script, as the heroine of fortune who was deeply favored by her sect and possessed her own halo, shouldn't Cang Dongqing be gritting her teeth right now, unleashing some hidden potential or trump card to fight alongside Qu Chen, performing a touching scene of deep sect camaraderie and never-ending loyalty?
Even if they were eventually defeated, it should have been Qu Chen desperately covering her, or the two of them working together to find a chance to break through. Even if they were eliminated together, it would have seemed tragic yet righteous.
How could it be... so realistic, one could even say cold-blooded? Using her teammate to draw fire while she used a precious escape talisman to save her own life?
This move... was too decisive, wasn't it?
It was so decisive that it was a bit... difficult to adjust to.
Li Nanzhu subconsciously rubbed her chin, her eyes flickering.
Was there some misunderstanding regarding the heroine's halo? Or was Cang Dongqing actually far more... pragmatic at her core than she appeared? Or perhaps, more self-interested?
"Could the original plot have lied to me? Or is the real Cang Dongqing simply like this?"
Thoughts spun rapidly in Li Nanzhu's mind. Although she had known for a long time that Cang Dongqing was not a noble and pure heroine in the truest sense, she had always maintained her facade well until now.
Yet now, in the face of absolute interest and a crisis of survival, did sect fellowship and the heroine's halo matter less than her own safety and points?
If that was the case... then this heroine was quite interesting.
A version of her like this was actually more real, and also more difficult to deal with.
"Junior Sister, what are you dazing for?" Duan Xianxing's voice interrupted Li Nanzhu's thoughts.
He walked over, looking in the direction Cang Dongqing had disappeared, and clicked his tongue. "Tsk tsk, I didn't expect it. Truly didn't expect it. That Junior Sister Cang runs quite fast! Qu Chen's heart must be freezing cold right about now."
Feng Qingping also put away her array flags and walked over, her tone carrying a hint of amusement.
"A high-grade escape talisman is worth a fortune. It seems Lingxiao Immortal Venerable is truly generous toward this disciple of his. However... fleeing in the face of battle and abandoning a companion—if word of this gets out, it won't be good for her reputation."
Jiang Yifan was more direct. He walked up to the deathly pale Qu Chen and said coldly, "It seems the junior sister you protected was not worth your efforts."
Hearing this, Qu Chen's body trembled violently. The blood drained from his face and his lips quivered, yet he could not say a single word.
His eyes were filled with pain, disappointment, and an unspeakable humiliation.
All his previous defense and admiration for Cang Dongqing seemed to have become a joke at this moment.
However, after several breaths of silence, he suddenly raised his head. Though his face remained pale, his eyes forced a flicker of cold, hard light, and he retorted in a hoarse but exceptionally clear voice:
"Jiang Yifan, stop trying to drive a wedge between us!"
He took a deep breath, as if trying to convince others, but even more so as if trying to convince himself. "What was wrong with my junior sister's choice? In that situation, if she didn't run, was she supposed to stay and be wiped out along with us!"
"She was carrying the flags and points we worked so hard to get! If she had fallen here as well, wouldn't we have been completely annihilated, with all our efforts going to waste? By fleeing alone, she at least preserved her share of the points! This... this was the most rational choice, the one most beneficial to the sect!"
His words were powerful and resonant, carrying a kind of almost paranoid calmness, attempting to cloak Cang Dongqing's actions in the mantle of considering the bigger picture.
However, his slightly trembling fingertips and the pain he couldn't hide in the depths of his eyes exposed the true turmoil in his heart.
Li Nanzhu listened quietly and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
"As I thought..."
Watching Qu Chen's forced composure only further confirmed her guess.
Cang Dongqing's actions might have been 'logical' in a cold calculation of pros and cons, but in terms of human sentiment and morality—especially toward a companion who trusted and protected her—it was undoubtedly a heavy blow.
Feng Qingping also shook her head slightly, her tone carrying a hint of pity. "Fellow Daoist Qu, there is no point in deceiving yourself. Choosing self-preservation in a desperate situation is beyond reproach, but using a companion as a sacrificial pawn to survive alone... no matter how many high-sounding reasons you use to polish it, the essence remains unchanged. Do you truly have no grudge in your heart?"
Although Ling Suxin did not speak, the meaning in her eyes was already clear.
Jiang Yifan was even more direct; he didn't care to argue this meaningless topic with Qu Chen further.
He ignored Qu Chen's complex and unspeakable expression and efficiently took his secret realm jade pendant and storage bag, performing the final harvest.
"Dispose of him. It's not suitable to stay here for long," Jiang Yifan signaled to Li Nanzhu.
Li Nanzhu nodded and walked up to Qu Chen.
Qu Chen closed his eyes, as if unwilling to face any of it anymore.
Looking at him like this, the last bit of bewilderment Li Nanzhu felt from Cang Dongqing's escape was completely replaced by a cold realization.
It seemed the real Cang Dongqing was intelligent, decisive, and possessed great fortune and resources, but she was also... self-interested and realistic. At critical moments, she would make the choice most beneficial to herself, even if it meant sacrificing others.
Such an opponent was actually more terrifying, because she lacked moral baggage and would act even more unscrupulously.
"Senior Brother Qu, in the struggle of the secret realm, everyone follows their fate. Once you're out, think on it well," Li Nanzhu said faintly, and then she crushed Qu Chen's jade pendant without hesitation.
In a flash of light, Qu Chen—his mind heavily wounded and filled with frustration, disappointment, and that unspeakable pain—was teleported out of the secret realm.
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