Chapter 186

Chapter 186: Three Feet of Ice Does Not Form in a Day
As the match between Heavenly Sword Sect and Tai Bai Academy came to an end, the top sixteen teams of the Sect Competition were finally decided.

Among these sixteen teams, twelve belonged to the group known in the Cultivation World as the “One Sect, Two Schools, Four Clans”, the Seven Great Top Sects. This once again proved the strength of the Seven Great Sects.

The ranking matches would be held three days later, giving the participants some time to rest and adjust.

Yu Zhao returned to the Five Elements Dao Sect’s quarters together with Zhou Jin Yue, Zhang Jun, and the others. After receiving another round of encouragement from Sect Master Ji Yuan, she went back to her room. She had just sat cross legged when a moderate knock sounded at the door.

She swept out her Divine Sense, and impatience flashed in her eyes.

[Why is it him again.]

Fang Cheng Lang had been knocking outside for a long time without getting a response, and his gaze turned a little dark.

He had seen Yu Zhao enter the room with his own eyes, so there was no way it was empty.

Was Yu Zhao feeling guilty, or did she just not want to see him?

He said in a low voice: “Little Six, I know you are in the room. I have something very important to talk to you about.”

He spoke in a deep voice, but only silence answered him.

He took a deep breath and went on: “This is about Yao Wuji.”

The door suddenly swung open.

Fang Cheng Lang gave a bitter smile and said: “You really do care about her.”

Yu Zhao frowned slightly and asked: “What do you want to do?”

“What do I want to do?” Fang Cheng Lang’s emotions suddenly grew agitated. He said: “She made A’Jue suffer so much. He is still sick in bed even now. Since she dares to appear, she should bear the same pain A’Jue did!”

Yu Zhao’s heart sank.

She had been careless about this.

Back then, when Yao Wu Jipoisoned Fang Cheng Lang and Cui Jue, they had formed a life and death grudge. She should have reminded Yao Wu Jito avoid them. Missing the Cultivation World Grand Tournament was better than letting Fang Cheng Lang take revenge.

“What are you thinking? Are you planning to help her escape?”

Seeing Yu Zhao’s eyes flicker, Fang Cheng Lang grew even more indignant.

He said: “Little Six! A’Jue is your Senior Brother! Have you forgotten how he treated you back then? Are you really going to abandon him for an outsider now? Can you live up to him? To me? To Lone Moon Peak that raised you?”

As Fang Cheng Lang spoke, grief welled up. His eyes grew wet with tears.

He had always thought that no matter how much Yu Zhao changed, deep down she was still that kind and gentle Junior Sister. But she was so cold now, so cruel, as if she had been turned heartless by the cultivation technique she practiced.

Yu Zhao looked at him and asked calmly: “Fang Cheng Lang, do you believe in karma?”

Compared to the almost crazed Fang Cheng Lang, Yu Zhao’s reaction was far too calm, as if she was only talking about the weather.

“Karma? You mean A’Jue ended up like this because of karma?” Fang Cheng Lang laughed in anger and said: “Yes, A’Jue admits that he sometimes ignored you, and he admits that he wrongly blamed you for what happened in the Herb Garden. But does that mean he deserves the pain of poison eating into his lungs? Yu Zhao, do you not think you are being far too extreme when you say that about him?”

Yu Zhao said softly: “Fang Cheng Lang, you can stand here and speak so boldly only because you are not me. You do not know what I have been through.”

He shook his head and said: “You are wrong. You grew up on Lone Moon Peak. I know everything you have been through!”

Fang Cheng Lang’s hands trembled.

He said: “Even if we cared more about Junior Sister than about you, is that enough for you to cut off everything we had together? Do not forget, it was Master who brought you back to Lone Moon Peak and kept you from wandering homeless. I was the one who kept you by my side and took care of you, teaching you to read and cultivate. Zi Yu polished a bamboo flute for you. A Ming played with you and got into trouble with you. A’Jue refined pills for you. A Ye even saved your life. Is all that kindness still not enough to make up for those few years of neglect?”

Yu Zhao did not actually want to think about the past.

That part of her life brought her only pain and darkness. It had no value and no meaning.

Yet Fang Cheng Lang and the others insisted on appearing before her again and again, trying to bind her with past affection. They had no idea that in their previous life they had long since squandered all that kindness.

Take Cui Jue, for example.

In her previous life, was the only thing he fed her with his own hands that one Bone-Eroding Pill?

He clearly knew that after being locked in the Black Prison she was extremely afraid of the dark. Even so, he still tricked her into taking a pill that sealed all five senses.

As he watched her stumble in fear, groping about and crying bitterly, did he not remember their past feelings for even a moment?

Yes, Ye Cong Xin had made a deal with the Evil Fiend and had many Demonic Arts that were impossible to guard against. She might even have had ways to confuse people’s hearts.

But if some people could hold on to their hearts and refuse to give in to her, why did Fang Cheng Lang, Cui Jue, and the others become accomplices who helped her do evil?

[Admit it. They never cared that much about you. In their hearts, you hardly mattered at all.]

Yu Zhao told herself this in her heart.

She had already seen through the truth. It was laughable that Fang Cheng Lang and the others were still trapped in the lie they had woven for themselves.

She said calmly: “Fang Cheng Lang, three feet of ice do not form in a day. There is no need for you to argue with me. I will tell you one last time. From the moment I left Lone Moon Peak, there has been nothing between us. I do not owe you, and I do not owe anyone from Lone Moon Peak.”

After Yu Zhao finished speaking, she turned to leave.

Fang Cheng Lang drew his sword and blocked her path.

Word by word, his voice like blood and tears, he asked: “You are going to look for Yao Wuji, aren’t you!”

“Yes.”

Yu Zhao did not hesitate at all.

Fang Cheng Lang let out a bitter laugh and said: “As long as I am here today, you can forget about leaving!”

Yu Zhao looked at him and said: “You cannot stop me.”

Before she refined her Life-bound Dharma Artifact, Fang Cheng Lang might have been able to match her. But now she no longer saw Fang Cheng Lang as an opponent.

The figure she once had to look up to had been left far behind by her.

She no longer needed to chase after anyone.

She was strong on her own.

He lowered his voice and said: “If I cannot, someone else can.”

A bad feeling rose in Yu Zhao’s heart at once.

The Soul Force in her body suddenly burst out. She planned to use her Illusory Realm to trap Fang Cheng Lang.

But Fang Cheng Lang moved first and crushed the Jade Pendant hidden in his palm.

A mighty pressure invaded the space around Yu Zhao from all directions, and her body instantly lost all control.

“What is it?”

Master Qing Yan’s voice sounded by their ears.

With a thud, Fang Cheng Lang fell to his knees and said: “Master, please stand up for Fourth Junior Brother.”

As his words fell, the scene in front of Yu Zhao twisted.

When her sight cleared, she was already standing in Master Qing Yan’s room.

On the surface, Yu Zhao looked calm, but inside she quickly thought of ways to break out of this.

Yet the more she thought, the more hopeless she felt.

In front of Master Qing Yan, who always had the final say and acted so overbearing, no argument could change his mind.

Fang Cheng Lang said respectfully: “Master, at the Cultivation World Grand Tournament I saw the demon girl who poisoned Fourth Junior Brother. She is Yao Wuji, the one who entered the top twenty of the Individual Competition.”

Since Fang Cheng Lang had already summoned Master Qing Yan, he did not plan to hide anything and directly gave Yao Wuji’s name.

Master Qing Yan’s cold gaze swept toward Yu Zhao, and suspicion and disgust flashed in his eyes.

Anyone with eyes could see that Yu Zhao was very close to Yao Wu Jiand that their relationship was far from ordinary.

He suspected that Fang Cheng Lang and Cui Jue being poisoned was actually Yu Zhao’s doing from behind the scenes.

Her heart was as vicious as a snake or a scorpion, beyond saving.