The name ‘Duankong Sect’ entered Meng Qi’s ears, instantly alerting her. Her left hand, hanging by her side, slowly clenched, and a few profound-grade spirit stones appeared silently in her palm. The spirit stones were smooth and warm, their presence calming as she gently caressed them.
Ji Wujiong also raised his hand slightly and squinted his eyes, his gaze turning icy.
From the main seat, Yan Shunbei cast a faint glance at the two of them, but his gaze quickly passed over Meng Qi and focused on what was behind her. The doors behind them swung open once more, and the sound of footsteps filled the hall. Even without turning around, Meng Qi could feel a sudden, indescribable aura rising in the hall. It wasn’t sharp or overpowering, yet impossible to ignore.
The footsteps drew closer with a steady and calm pace, giving the impression that the newcomers were unhurried. Still, Meng Qi did not turn around. The footsteps belonged to two people. Meng Qi’s long lashes trembled softly as she lightly lowered her gaze, shielding her eyes from view.
Next to her, Ji Wujiong’s left hand moved subtly. Three of his fingers slightly bent in a circular movement, causing the sleeves of his black robe to sway gently. The hem of the sleeve brushed over the back of Meng Qi’s hand, and a small, cool object was slipped into her palm. It felt hard but smooth and round, like a small pearl. As she held it, she could sense a surging power from the vast sea, as if the tides were ebbing and flowing within it.
A mermaid pearl? Meng Qi’s gaze flickered as she tightened her grip. This item was also a type of natural treasure; extremely rare and possessed a mystical quality. It took at least a hundred years for a mermaid pearl to form, and only those over a thousand years old had any real use. Inside a mermaid pearl was the essence of the tides and waves of the sea. When placed in a room, it would release a continuous sea-like aura, aiding in the recovery of severe injuries. If a mermaid pearl were thrown out and shattered using spiritual aura, it could release a powerful surge of seawater in an instant, attacking the enemies and buying the user some time to escape.
Duankong Sect was the number one sword sect in the Western Realm. With its sect leader personally present, Ji Wujiong might not be confident in ensuring their safe retreat. That’s why he had given her the mermaid pearl. In critical moments, sometimes even gaining just a brief moment could mean a difference between life and death.
Meng Qi’s eyelashes quivered slightly, and she held the round pearl in her palm even tighter. She had seen this mermaid pearl in Ji Wujiong’s hand many times before. It was a 3,000-year-old mermaid pearl, which was extremely rare, and he had used this same pearl to ease her pain and injuries following her tribulation.
In the short time Meng Qi was lost in thought, the footsteps behind her had already reached her side. The sweeping sleeves of a green robe brushed past her, and the two Duankong Sect cultivators strolled by without sparing her a glance.
—It was as if they hadn’t noticed her presence at all, instead heading directly for Yan Shunbei.
Meng Qi raised her gaze and looked at their backs. The leader of the duo possessed pitch-black hair crowned with a matching headpiece. He had an imposing height, clad in a loose dark blue robe cinched firmly by an azure belt. Viewed from behind, the man with billowing sleeves seemed to cut a dashing figure. The oppressive aura that had briefly unsettled her upon their arrival had now completely dissipated, and there was not even a trace of sword aura emanating from him. At this moment, except for his exceptionally tall build, he looked no different from any ordinary middle-aged man.
This person should be… the new sect leader of the Duankong Sect, correct? Meng Qi’s keen eyes never left the newcomers’ figures. Previously, Su Junmo had mentioned that the Duankong Sect hadn’t appointed a new sect leader in ten years. Certainly, it was unexpected that a successor to be chosen so promptly. There must be something extraordinary about this man.
Trailing behind the blue-robed man was a young male cultivator in a crimson disciple uniform. From Meng Qi’s angle, she could see his side profile; his brows were sharp, his nose was straight, and his features were well-defined, as if they had been carved by a sword. From top to bottom, he looked meticulously neat and tidy. Furthermore, unlike the man in the blue robe, this young man hadn’t yet fully mastered his sword aura — when he passed Meng Qi just now, an unrestrained surge of sword aura emanated from him.
Meng Qi squinted her eyes and exerted a little more force in her fingers, gripping the mermaid pearl even tighter. Just this young man alone was definitely not someone she could contend with. Moreover, there was also the Duankong Sect Leader, whose depth of cultivation she couldn’t even fathom.
“Brother Yan, how have you been?” The newcomer was indeed Ling Ji. He greeted Yan Shunbei with a brief cusp of his hands, and his tone sounded quite familiar with the other party. “It’s been three years since we last met, Brother Yan. Your cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds. It seems you’ve about to reach the Comprehending Perfection’s fifth realm.”
Meng Qi glanced to the side and exchanged a look with Ji Wujiong. She slowly took a step back and cast her gaze towards the window on the left side of the hall. With the Duankong Sect’s pursuit of her causing quite a stir throughout the Three Thousand Worlds, Meng Qi had considered how to handle encounters with Duankong disciples. Initially, with Ji Wujiong by her side, she wasn’t too worried, but she never expected that the first person they would encounter would be Duankong’s new sect leader.
She had always been self-aware of her own ability. As a medical cultivator, she couldn’t even win against sword cultivators of the same cultivation level, so there was no way she could survive facing these two. This sect leader of Duankong Sect could see Yan Shunbei’s exact level — his own cultivation base shouldn’t be weaker than the other party, or might even be higher.
Meng Qi took a shallow breath and slowly retreated one step backward. Qiao Ran, who stood behind Ling Ji, suddenly turned his head and cast a quick glance in her direction. With his handsome features and a crimson robe that accentuated his tall and upright figure, his clear eyes curiously swept over Meng Qi’s face, showing no signs of hostility.
“Go!” Ji Wujiong’s voice suddenly rang out. His right hand pressed against his chest, and a slender black saber appeared instantly in his hand. He then quickly stepped forward, blocking Meng Qi behind him as he sternly whispered, “Go first!”
Meng Qi hesitated for a moment, then rushed toward the window she had noted earlier.
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This is this week’s late updates. Sorry for the waiting >_<
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