Chapter 103

Chapter 103: Night in the Abandoned Temple

Mu Ning Zhu complained irritably, “These despicable villains! Are they forcing me to shave my head?”

Yun Xi instinctively touched her own hair, relieved that the demonic cultivators had only left their tracking mark on the sole of her shoe, not her hair. Still, she quickly suggested, “Senior Sister Mu, now isn’t the time to worry about your hair. I remember the pill store sells Hair Growth Pills. Why don’t you buy the medicine first and then shave your head? We mustn’t let the demonic cultivators follow us. My bluffing trick can fool them once, but if we use it again and again, they’ll see through it for sure.”

Yun Xi wasn’t exaggerating. Previously, the demonic cultivators hadn’t actually seen the boss hidden within the formation. Under her sudden Nascent Soul pressure, they were caught off guard and three were killed. But one had escaped. If that survivor returned to investigate, they would quickly discover Yun Xi and the others were just four little shrimps. Then, the demonic cultivators would surely seek revenge—after all, Yun Xi’s group had ruined their plan.

Mu Ning Zhu sighed and reluctantly agreed with Yun Xi’s reasoning. She rose immediately, saying, “I’ll head to the city’s pill shop now. You don’t have to follow me.”

“Yes, Senior Sister Mu,” Yun Xi agreed readily. She didn’t intend to go anyway; Mu Ning Zhu was far more experienced, and she could handle this herself.

When the group reconvened that evening, Mu Ning Zhu’s hair was tied into a high ponytail, barely preserving her dignity.

Yun Xi released Dian Dian again to check everyone once more. After confirming that no suspicious marks remained, they finally relaxed.

But Mu Ning Zhu wasn’t taking chances. She warned the others carefully, “Although we’ve removed the tracking mark, Yun Xi and I have seen that escaped demonic cultivator’s face. For safety’s sake, we’ll depart early tomorrow morning and speed up our return. We can’t let those demonic cultivators catch our trail again.”

“Yes, Senior Sister Mu!” the three chorused.

Those demonic cultivators specialized in kidnapping cultivators as cultivation furnaces. With their current strength, Yun Xi and her companions had no chance against them. Thus, running was their wisest strategy.

That night, Yun Xi spent the first half drawing talismans, the second half refining her body, and only managed to sleep an hour before dawn. Even so, she rose feeling fully refreshed and joined her companions to resume their journey back to the sect.

Thanks to Dian Dian’s powerful nose, they successfully erased the demonic cultivator’s mark. When those villains later arrived, seeking confirmation of their identities, they had already vanished, narrowly escaping danger.

Yet, years later, when Yun Xi openly returned to Emerald Jade City as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, she encountered these very same kidnappers again.

Returning to the present, after traveling for an entire day, the group finally found an abandoned temple to rest for the night.

Yun Xi eyed the temple, half-collapsed and gloomy, reluctant to enter. From what she’d learned, such places often led to trouble—rarely of a pleasant kind.

Mu Ning Zhu noticed her hesitating and called out, “Junior Sister Wei, what’s wrong? Why aren’t you coming inside?”

Rubbing her nose, Yun Xi awkwardly explained, “Senior Sister Mu, I have a bad feeling about this temple. Should we find somewhere else?”

The other three stared at her blankly. Qin Tong Shuang covered her smile and teased gently, “Don’t be scared, Yun Xi. It’s just an old temple. Although Buddhist cultivators are few in Lofty Cosmos Realm, they do exist. And they’re usually peaceful—not as frightening as you imagine.”

Yun Xi inwardly sighed; that wasn’t exactly what she’d meant. But since changing their resting place now seemed impossible, she resigned herself and entered, deliberately sitting closer to Zhang Yan.

Qin Tong Shuang blinked curiously, whispering, “Yun Xi, why aren’t you sitting by me?”

“Senior Brother Zhang has strong Yang energy. It’s safer beside him,” Yun Xi replied solemnly.

Mu Ning Zhu struggled not to laugh, gently explaining to her inexperienced junior sister, “There may be ghost cultivators in Lofty Cosmos Realm, but unless their cultivation is exceptionally high, they won’t dare provoke human cultivators. Any random artifact we carry can injure the spirit body they painstakingly cultivated. Your worries are unfounded.”

In fact, Yun Xi had read about ghost cultivators in the sect’s archives. While she knew about their soul cultivation, reading about them was different from meeting one face-to-face, especially since she wasn’t originally from this world. Still, she smiled and nodded obediently to Mu Ning Zhu’s reassurance.

Not long after they set up their isolation formation inside, a torrential downpour began. Moments later, a man wearing a bamboo hat entered the temple.

Clearly a cultivator, his dark-blue robes remained completely dry despite the storm, proof of an active Rain-Avoidance Art.

The male cultivator surveyed the interior briefly, failing to detect the hidden formation. Assuming he was alone, he cautiously sat near the temple’s entrance, clearly intending to wait out the rain and depart at first light.

Yun Xi’s group had no intention of greeting the stranger. Outside the sect, caution was paramount.

Observing him discreetly, Yun Xi thought the male cultivator looked refined and scholarly, reminding her of ancient exam-taking scholars. Touching her chin thoughtfully, she privately mused that typically, at times like these, a beautiful female ghost would appear, leading to a tragic romance.

As if on cue, lightning flashed outside, and immediately after, a red-robed figure rushed into the temple through the heavy rain.

The noise immediately drew attention. Yun Xi peered closely and saw a drenched young woman in crimson robes.

Noticing the male cultivator, the red-robed woman gave a somewhat embarrassed bow before quickly performing a Dust-Cleansing Art. Though her robes dried instantly, they still clung to her graceful curves, clearly outlining her body and causing the man to steal several extra glances.

The woman explained awkwardly, “Fellow Daoist, this young woman got separated from her teammates and sought shelter here. I apologize for disturbing you.”

The male cultivator calmly withdrew his gaze and replied politely, “No matter. I only arrived moments earlier for the same reason.” With that, he resumed his meditation.

The woman chose the opposite side of the entrance, took out a meditation cushion, and also settled down to meditate.

Yun Xi glanced back and forth suspiciously, convinced that something dramatic was about to happen.

Qin Tong Shuang, noticing Yun Xi’s odd behavior, whispered curiously, “What are you looking at, Yun Xi? Do you see something wrong with those two?”

In a worldly tone, Yun Xi replied knowingly, “With a man and woman alone together at night, something usually happens.”

“What exactly?” Qin Tong Shuang’s eyes widened innocently.

“Well, I’m not really sure—”

Before she could finish, a moan echoed loudly in everyone’s ears.

“See! There it is!” Yun Xi declared excitedly.

All four immediately turned toward the red-robed woman, who was flushed and emitting a faint pink mist.

“Hold your breath!” Mu Ning Zhu urgently commanded, quickly reinforcing the barrier to prevent the mist from entering.

Unfortunately, the male cultivator wasn’t so lucky. Sitting closer, he’d already inhaled the mysterious pink smoke. His eyes snapped open, rapidly filling with blood.