Chapter 301

Chapter 301: Is Master Ling Xiao About to Fall into Devilization?

The only one who treated her more normally was Wen Xuan, who looked after her more than the others. But even he mostly just handled her three meals and cooked medicinal dishes with spirit plants.

Compared to the other three, that was already very good. So later, Shen Sang Ruo stuck to Wen Xuan, and for everything she liked to run to Wen Xuan’s cave.

Because of this, Shen Sang Ruo stayed on Thunder-Scale Peak for a whole year with almost no progress.

Shen Dao Chen was very displeased, but Master Ling Xiao felt there was no need to rush. She was still young.

Shen Sang Ruo also wanted to train well, but every time her Senior Brothers led her off track.

She had never felt such warmth from fellow disciples and could not refuse their requests, so she agreed and only practiced in bits of spare time.

Looking back now, she had been dazzled by them then.

Later, when she reached Qi Refining Fifth Layer at age twelve, she went to visit Master Ling Xiao and asked him to teach her a technique.

Master Ling Xiao thought her cultivation was too low and would insult his technique. He would wait until she reached Golden Core to pass it on.

In his free time, he would give her pointers, but most of the time, she was left to grow on her own.

Trapped in the Heart Devil, Master Ling Xiao thought: [If I had taught her with care from the day she entered my tutelage, how high would she have climbed by now? She would be even more dazzling than she is today, and it would be as my disciple.]

[Then our bond as Master and disciple might be deeper, and she would not have turned away for a single technique to worship Immortal Lord Chang Li instead.]

The scenes kept flashing.

After years together, Master Ling Xiao had accepted this lively child who greeted him with a respectful “Master.” He did not have much time to teach her, but when it came to Spirit Stones and treasures, he always thought of her share. She was never missing anything.

That year, in a Secret Realm, he found a Night-Luminescent Pearl. Thinking the little Miss would like it, he gave it to her.

He still remembered how she was happy for days after she received the Night-Luminescent Pearl. She held it tight and would not let go, even hugging it as she slept.

From then on, Shen Sang Ruo became braver and truly grew close to him. She even dared to joke with him.

Master Ling Xiao also thought that maybe he did not need to be so strict. No matter what, she was his disciple. Her cultivation would not be poor. After a while, he would pass on the Profound Fire True Dragon Art to her.

Just then, Bai Mu Mu was found and brought back.

Master Ling Xiao had to put off passing on the technique and turned his attention to Bai Mu Mu.

Whatever Shen Sang Ruo had or had not had, he gave Bai Mu Mu double.

Then he felt more and more that Bai Mu Mu was pitiful and that he owed her. In the end, it became what everyone later saw.

His one harsh act toward Shen Sang Ruo was when he misunderstood her and locked her in the Confinement Chamber.

He did not want to believe it was her, so right when the incident happened he sent people to seek the Mirror of Past Events.

But when he saw Bai Mu Mu’s weak look, he forgot everything else, and anger rushed straight to his head.

Thinking back now, maybe it was that moment of impulse that hurt Shen Sang Ruo’s heart.

So later, she left so decisively. She even used a Fire-Scale Vine to trade for leaving Thunder-Scale Peak and took the initiative to end their bond of Master and disciple.

It was also that day that he learned she had suffered so many wrongs on Thunder-Scale Peak.

In the past, when he thought of this, he only felt uncomfortable. But now the Heart-Devil Tribulation magnified all his feelings.

Master Ling Xiao’s heart suddenly ached, a drilling pain so sharp he could hardly breathe. He whispered: “Sang Ruo, Master was wrong. Master should not have ignored you or let you suffer so much.”

He pleaded: “Sang Ruo, come back. This time, Master will teach you the technique personally and will not let anyone hurt you again.”

He added darkly: “Everyone who hurt you deserves to die.”

Master Ling Xiao snapped his eyes open. They were blood red. Flames roared around him, and black mist threaded the fire. In the flashes of the Heavenly Lightning Tribulation, the scene looked especially chilling.

The Heart-Devil Tribulation also stirred the evil in his heart and led him toward madness.

He vowed in a low, cold voice: “Feng He Yun, Wen Xuan, Lu Shi Qing, and Luo Chu all hurt you, did they not? As long as you come back, I will kill them all.”

He tempted her image again: “Okay?”

He offered further: “Or if you want to kill them yourself, I will bring them before you and let you deal with them as you wish, how about that?”

He scoffed: “I do not need these disciples anyway. Keeping them on Thunder-Scale Peak only dirties my eyes and yours.”

He singled one out: “Lu Shi Qing set a Seven Emotions Gu on you. What he did was the most vicious. We will start with him, how about it?”

He swore: “I will never let them go.”

He paused, then said grimly: “And Bai Mu Mu…”

A flicker of struggle crossed his eyes, but it vanished quickly. The obsession and evil thought stirred by the Heart-Devil Tribulation finally outweighed his feelings for Bai Mu Mu. He snarled: “It is all her fault. If not for her, I would already have passed the technique to you.”

He promised the vision: “I would not have ignored you. You would not have left Thunder-Scale Peak to worship another Master.”

He judged coldly: “She deserves to die.”

He coaxed cruelly: “You hate her too, do you not? Anyone you hate should not exist. As your Master, I will kill them for you.”

His mind held only slaughter now. Reason was being eaten away. The black mist in the flames grew thicker and thicker.

He raged: “And Shen Dao Chen, he does not deserve to be your father.”

He accused: “He cut off your bond as father and daughter, drove you out of Flying Cloud Sect, and pushed you into another sect with his own hands, cutting off your way back. He deserves to die.”

He declared: “Even if he is my Senior Brother, I will kill him and avenge you.”

He damned the rest: “People of Flying Cloud Sect all cursed you, did they not? The whole Flying Cloud Sect should die.”

He roared: “Immortal Lord Chang Li, die.”

He seethed: “He dared steal my disciple and trick you into worshiping him.”

He demanded: “If not for him, why would you refuse to return and recognize me as Master again? Who is he to do that?”

He condemned: “He ruined our bond of Master and disciple. He should die. Die, die.”

Master Ling Xiao stood on the edge of losing control. The platform’s temperature shot up. The flames spread into a sea of fire.

His Spiritual Power poured out like it would never run dry. Even without reason, the power he unleashed at full, even at more than full strength, could still block each Heavenly Lightning Tribulation.

But the Elders serving as Dharma Protectors were not doing well. They had to endure both the lightning and the heat from his flames. Many were already close to their limit.

Someone cried out: “Such heavy killing intent! It is over. With Master Ling Xiao like this, is he really about to fall into Devilization?”

Shen Dao Chen’s face turned as dark as ink. It seemed only he had heard all the things Master Ling Xiao just said.

He thought with a chill: [He even wants to kill Bai Mu Mu, and me?]

He forced himself to let it go: [Forget it. He is under the Heart Devil. I will not hold it against him now.]

The urgent task was to find a way to call Master Ling Xiao’s mind back. Otherwise, the whole Flying Cloud Sect was finished.