Meng Qi nearly jumped up, “Your injury!” She reached out and grabbed Yan Xuan’s arm, “There might be a way now.”
“Eh?” Only Sikong Xing looked bewildered, “Lotus? What lotus?”
“The voice said it’s called Karmic Fire Red Lotus,” Yan Xuan answered. He subconsciously pulled his hood higher, his eyes meeting Meng Qi’s, as if trying to discern if she was telling the truth.
“Karmic Fire Red Lotus… what’s that?” Sikong Xing looked puzzledly between Meng Qi and Yan Xuan, “I didn’t get one…”
“Hmm…” Meng Qi didn’t know how to explain, “You need to meet certain conditions to get it.”
“Is that so?” Sikong Xing blinked and nodded, “I understand. So Meng Qiqi, does this mean he will get better?”
“Well…” Meng Qi thought deeply. So far, it was just her speculation. Karmic fire tempered a cultivator’s Dao heart, which resided within their inner core. For her, the karmic fire had the effect of purifying her golden core, but for someone like Yan Xuan, whose core was damaged, the fire might also repair it.
A thought struck Meng Qi, and the bamboo slip given to her by Lin Yan suddenly quivered in her spiritual sea. She sent a strand of spiritual consciousness inward and quickly reviewed the bamboo slip, “Maybe it’s worth a try.” After a while, Meng Qi finally said, “But you’re a Void Comprehending cultivator, so we should wait until my medical cultivation reaches at least the fifth rank.”
“I’ve waited two years, no rush,” Yan Xuan said calmly; a light smile on his lips. He seemed about to say more when his expression suddenly sharpened. He leaped up, shielding Meng Qi and Sikong Xing, “Be careful!”
Meng Qi looked up and saw five tall young male cultivators walking shoulder to shoulder towards them.
“I was initially believing that Martial Uncle would be fair this time, not giving preferential treatment to his son. It turns out he was secretly sending you in, after all.” The cultivator in the middle said. He wore a dark brown robe with a small crescent moon embroidered on the left chest, the symbol of a Jingyuetian member. Looking at Yan Xuan, he slowly said: “Wasting a spot just to let his worthless son into the Ten Absolutes Mountain, our Sect Leader really is selflessly impartial!”
Meng Qi and Sikong Xing’s expressions darkened. Everyone knew that once you left the Ten Absolutes Mountain, all memories of what happened there would be lost. This was also why Yan Shunbei hesitated so much before deciding to send Yan Xuan in, even knowing that entering the mountain could potentially heal his son’s damaged core.
The two girls swiftly exchanged glances, both ready for action. The multiple battles they experienced together had reduced the necessity for explicit communication. Meng Qi’s hand was already on the storage bag on her waist, and Sikong Xing, understanding Meng Qi’s intentions from her slight movement, was also ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice.
Even though they were still shielded behind Yan Xuan, both were prepared to engage in combat at any moment.
“Ha—” the rude Jingyuetian disciple sneered, “So, our junior brother Yan is waiting for women to protect him now?”
Under the hood, Yan Xuan’s face turned ashen. Once the well-known genius of the Jingyuetian and a rare talent in his generation, he had his pride from his early fame, but he had endured countless humiliations for the past two years. He knew he couldn’t say anything, and he understood his father kept silent to protect him. But being the once proud genius, now looked down upon and stepped on by those who were once far beneath him, gave him an indescribable bitterness—something that no one could relate to unless they had experienced it themselves.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew from nowhere and lifted Yan Xuan’s cloak. The hood that concealed his face fell back, revealing his handsome and chiseled features.
“Senior Brother Shi.” Yan Xuan’s expression calmed.
“Sorry, but I cannot afford this,” the man called Senior Brother Shi sneered, “After all, junior brother is the hope of our sect. We are all just stepping stones for you, how dare I be addressed as a senior brother by you?!” His tone was acidic and resentful, showing long-held grievances against Yan Xuan. Then, he suddenly turned and shouted loudly, “Everyone, come and see! The once genius of the Jingyuetian, Yan Xuan, is also here. Don’t you all want to see him?”
His voice was loud, carrying far across the open, sparse grassland. Everyone who could make it here was an elite from various major sects, many of whom had heard of Yan Xuan’s genius. Of course, many also knew about his fall from grace in the past two years, and how he had long lost the luster of the genius he once was.
“…” Meng Qi couldn’t believe it. How could someone be like this?! Even if there’s no friendship between him and Yan Xuan, this was beyond mere dislike of a fellow sect member; it was almost like a vendetta.
“What’s with you?!” Meng Qi was only thinking this in her heart, but Sikong Xing directly shouted out, “You… do you know… he…”
Meng Qi’s heart stirred, and she suddenly took a step forward. These people could use the rules of Ten Absolutes Mountain to humiliate and bully Yan Xuan, but so could they. Yan Shunbei didn’t announce the truth behind his son’s injuries to the world, and very few people knew about it even within the Jingyuetian. This was all for Yan Xuan’s own safety. However, they were now at Ten Absolutes Mountain. After leaving this place, no one would remember what happened, so there would be no problem if they revealed the truth.
“My fellow Daoists…” Senior Brother Shi cupped his hands and said loudly, “You all must know that my junior brother, Yan Xuan, was once a genius. But later, he returned to the sect tainted with devil aura, and from then on, his cultivation began to decline rapidly…”
He deliberately paused here, waiting for more people to gather around before continuing, “Our Sect Leader, also my martial uncle, is the father of my junior brother Yan Xuan. Both he and Yan Xuan himself refused to tell anyone exactly what happened, but there are no walls in the world that don’t let the wind through. It’s obvious that Yan Xuan got entangled with a female devil cultivator, causing himself infected by devil aura. As a result, his Dao heart becomes unstable, and it’s no wonder that he ends up in his current state.” Senior Brother Shi’s tone was resentful, and his speculation was absurd. He glared at Yan Xuan with gloomy eyes and continued, “Junior Sister Wu admires you, but you’d rather mingle with a female cultivator from the devil race than care for her, leading to your current plight. You’re arrogant and brought this on yourself. You deserve it!”
Meng Qi was startled.
“Hey!” Sikong Xing was furious, especially after noticing that Yan Xuan was clenching his hand so tightly that his veins almost burst out. She shouted loudly: “What are you talking about, huh?! You don’t know anything…”
“Hah!” Senior Brother Shi sneered, “Why couldn’t I know? Fellow Daoist, you shouldn’t be deceived by his face. He’s now nothing. Why bother defending him?”
Meng Qi roughly figured it out: there certainly was a personal grudge between this Senior Brother Shi and Yan Xuan, and from the way the former mentioned ‘Junior Sister Wu,’ it seemed the grudge was related to her as well.
At this time, the cultivators who hadn’t started the next trial had almost all gathered around them. Meng Qi looked around and immediately saw Chu Tianfeng and Qin Xiumo. Behind Qin Xiumo, Li Che was also smiling at her. Meng Qi’s heart settled slightly, knowing that even if they started fighting later, she wouldn’t have to worry too much. Senior Brother Shi had four companions, and they had the same number on their side.
“My fellow Daoists,” Senior Brother Shi wasn’t finished.
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