"How could this be!"
Discovering that Leng Yanqiu's figure was nowhere to be seen within the stone chamber, Zhu Xia's expression froze in shock, her voice filled with horror. "I clearly locked her in here, how could she now..."
"Ran away?" Gu Qingfeng remarked casually.
"That's impossible! I sealed this stone chamber with the Great Luo Heaven Qiankun Formation. Although Yanqiu has fused with the Bingxuan Heart, she currently cannot wield Bingxuan Power at all. With her abilities, she shouldn't be able to break the formation. Moreover, this Great Luo Heaven Qiankun Formation was laid using my Source of Bing Xuan as the foundation."
Gu Qingfeng walked into the stone chamber, sweeping his gaze over the Great Luo Heaven Qiankun Formation enveloping the room. With just one glance, he could tell the formation had been tampered with—more precisely, it had been rearranged, and just last night at that.
"After you extracted your Source of Bing Xuan, where did you place it?"
"Right here in this bracelet..." Zhu Xia immediately took off the bracelet from her wrist, focusing her eyes on it. Instantly, her face paled with shock, for the bracelet was now completely empty. Her Source of Bing Xuan had long since vanished.
"How could the Source of Bing Xuan... Could it be..." Suddenly, as if realizing something, Zhu Xia's already pale face turned extremely grim. Her weak body instantly collapsed to the ground as she murmured, "I remember now... It's Yanqiu, it must be Yanqiu. She deceived me... She actually deceived me..."
Yesterday, Zhu Xia had noticed Leng Yanqiu's unusual emotional state. Yanqiu had threatened that if forced to undergo Dual Cultivation with Gu Qingfeng again, she would take her own life—and she had indeed acted on it, engaging in self-harm.
Zhu Xia had painstakingly tried to persuade her, even going so far as to use her own Source of Bing Xuan to heal Yanqiu's injuries.
Originally, Zhu Xia had felt deeply guilty inside, feeling she had wronged Leng Yanqiu. Yet she knew this was a heaven-defying great fortune, and she believed Yanqiu would understand in the future. For Yanqiu's future, she had endured the guilt.
Only at this moment did Zhu Xia realize that Leng Yanqiu's self-harm had been nothing but an act—a performance put on for her benefit. Yanqiu had staged a classic 'bitter flesh scheme,' not only deceiving her but also stealing her Source of Bing Xuan.
Upon realizing the truth, the already weakened Zhu Xia simply couldn't withstand such a heavy blow and collapsed to the ground.
Just as Gu Qingfeng was about to step forward to offer a few words of comfort, he suddenly sensed something amiss.
This feeling came from the scroll in his hand.
He opened the scroll. The originally ordinary-looking ink-wash painting had somehow become distorted, appearing particularly dreamlike and ethereal—profoundly mysterious and wonderfully subtle.
Back when he was in the Celestial Realm, Gu Qingfeng had participated in the scramble for this painting. He vaguely remembered it originated from a Buddhist ruin, though he didn't know its significance, as Hongxiu had snatched it away back then.
Gazing at this ethereal ink-wash painting, for some unknown reason, a sense of déjà vu welled up from the depths of his heart.
This feeling was peculiar, wondrous, and even more bizarre.
He had seen this painting twice: once during the scramble in the Celestial Realm, and the second time at the foot of Bingxuan Sect's mountain.
Yet this sense of déjà vu felt connected to neither that glance in the Celestial Realm nor the sight at the mountain's foot.
Hmm?
Gu Qingfeng simply stared, as if immersed within it. The more he looked, the stronger that sense of déjà vu grew, even causing a change in his normally Great Freedom state of mind.
Suddenly, a Buddhist chant echoed in his mind.
"Amitabha."
It was the voice of the old monk residing within the Nirvana Bone Jade.
"Patron Gu, awaken quickly! Your state of mind is undergoing drastic changes."
The old monk's Buddhist chant immediately brought a degree of clarity back to Gu Qingfeng. However, at that very moment—whoosh!—a streak of light flashed by. It was a murky, indistinct human figure. As the figure appeared, it reached out to snatch the scroll.
After regaining his senses, Gu Qingfeng, setting aside the confusion in his heart, changed expression and swiftly grabbed the attacking figure.
Boom!
An immensely powerful force shot through. Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but grunt. His expression turned grave and furious, his eyes widening sharply. From within his deep, dark pupils erupted a sky-filling killing intent.
The opposing figure seemed to sense Gu Qingfeng's killing intent and dared not delay. With another whoosh, it instantly vanished. Just as the figure disappeared, Gu Qingfeng also vanished from sight. In the span of a single breath, he had already pursued it into the void above.
Perhaps knowing it couldn't shake him off, the figure stood atop the clouds like a swaying mass of murky light. Within the radiance, one could vaguely make out a blurred silhouette that seemed to be a woman.
Above the clouds, fierce astral winds howled, tearing at everything.
Here.
Gu Qingfeng stood poised in the void, his white robes flapping violently in the astral winds, his black long hair dancing wildly. On his handsome face, his expression was filled with grave fury. Within his deep, dark eyes flickered boundless killing intent.
"An Imperial Edict of Original Sin."
Gu Qingfeng could tell the other party was an Imperial Edict bearer—and an Imperial Edict he had no desire to provoke, wishing only to stay far away from.
What was Original Sin?
Gu Qingfeng did not know.
Nor did he wish to know.
He only knew this thing called Original Sin was ancient and terrifying—ancient beyond the heavens and the earth, terrifying enough to make even those old demons of the Nine Nethers pale at the mention of it. Legend had it that even the Lord of the Heavenly Dao, Old Man Heaven himself, held Original Sin in wary respect.
"Give me the painting, please?"
The bearer of the Imperial Edict of Original Sin spoke, her voice very soft.
"Is it yours?"
Gu Qingfeng asked.
The bearer of the Imperial Edict of Original Sin replied, "No."
"Then why should I give it to you?"
"This painting will bring you trouble."
"Even an Imperial Edict like you, tainted by Original Sin, has come knocking at my door," Gu Qingfeng sneered coldly. "Do I lack trouble already?"
"It's different."
"How is it different?"
The bearer of the Imperial Edict of Original Sin did not respond, merely gazing at Gu Qingfeng.
...
At the foot of Bingxuan Sect's mountain.
Originally, with Gu Qingfeng and the Bingxuan Ancestor's departure, it meant the spectacle had come to an end.
Yet no one had left. Absolutely no one.
The leaders of the various sects, families, and guilds had not left. The Bingxuan Sect elders led by Elder Yu Hua had not left. Tian Xiangyue and Wen Yansheng had not left. Jingtao Gongzi had not left. Even Luo Wenzhenghao, who had been scared into wetting his pants, had not left. Even Shui Yunruo had not left.
They had originally intended to leave.
After all, they had been beaten by Gu Qingfeng—some injured, some crippled, some having wet their pants—thoroughly disgraced.
They had planned to return, gather reinforcements, and reclaim their lost face.
However, with the appearance of a few individuals, not only did they change their minds, but the foot of Bingxuan Sect's mountain also became exceptionally lively.
The newcomers weren't many.
Only twenty or thirty.
Standing at the forefront was a woman.
A woman dressed in luxurious, feather-white robes.
The woman was quite beautiful, and today she was adorned with particular nobility and grace. Her hair was styled high up, held by a jade-green hairpin. Around her neck hung a cyan Mysterious Moon necklace. Her ears were adorned with Frost Purple Chime earrings. The rings on her ten fingers were so numerous they dazzled the eye. All the jewelry she wore emitted faint, shimmering light, within which resided various profound mysteries. Clearly, they were all priceless spiritual treasures.
As she appeared, her beautiful face carried an exceptionally haughty expression. Feeling the stares of the crowd, a trace of contempt flashed in her eyes—as if looking down on them, as if the leaders of the various sects, families, and guilds of the surrounding region were no better than pigs or dogs in her sight.
This was a cold, arrogant woman.
A willful, spoiled woman.
An utterly overbearing woman.
And nearly everyone present recognized her.
It was none other than the newly appointed Sect Head of Bingxuan Sect, Leng Yanqiu.