Before Ling Luo could say anything, Song Yuan Yuan sprang up like a carp flipping out of the water and angrily shouted: “I think you’re the one who doesn’t understand the rules! I worked hard and defeated it with my abilities, and now you want to come and take advantage? Pah! This is simply—”
The rest of his words were swallowed back when he saw the people entering the valley.
Hall Master Fan smiled amiably at his little disciple.
Song Yuan Yuan instantly cowered, hurriedly stood up straight, straightened his back, and respectfully said: “Master.”
In his heart, he felt a thousand regrets. Why did he have to speak so quickly with that loose mouth of his? Couldn’t he have waited until he saw clearly before speaking?
Accompanying Hall Master Fan was the Elder in charge of the Saha Realm, Ling Luo’s Second Senior Brother Yu Xiu, and Mu Ya, who had triggered the Chaotic Myriad of Demons.
Ling Luo met Mu Ya’s cold gaze and realized that the female voice earlier had been hers. She laughed inwardly, pushed Yue Liang Ze away, and turned to hold a sword against the throat of the still-living great crow demon.
“Stop!” Mu Ya commanded coldly. The long sword embedded in the mountain wall immediately returned to her hand.
This was her divine weapon, named Wang Shu.
The long sword emitted a gentle, luminous light. Elegant and slender, yet carrying a sharp sword aura.
When Sect Leader Mu learned his wife was pregnant, he searched throughout the world to find this divine weapon for his beloved daughter.
Mu Ya had been accompanied by it since childhood, and the divine weapon, even without the use of spiritual power, would respond to its master’s call.
“The demon that manifests from the Chaotic Myriad of Demons belongs to the one who triggered it and can only be killed by them. Don’t you know that?” Mu Ya said while thrusting her sword toward Ling Luo.
Ling Luo held up her dagger to block, exchanging moves with her. Mu Ya’s eyes flashed slightly as she slashed, breaking Ling Luo’s dagger. The fierce wind from the blade’s path cut several strands of black hair at Ling Luo’s temple.
This stroke could be considered revenge for the broken sword at the Three Trials Hall.
Seeing Ling Luo’s dagger broken, Mu Ya didn’t stop her sword techniques, striking again. But just as she was about to strike Ling Luo, there was a crisp sound as a red folding fan blocked the attack.
Mu Ya was slightly surprised to see the Ying Xi fan in Ling Luo’s hand.
This high-grade weapon was given to her by Yun Shou Xi.
But Ling Luo had only entered the sect two days ago, and the Third Sect Leader had already given her a high-grade weapon.
He was pampering this disciple excessively.
Ling Luo swiftly opened the Ying Xi fan, half-concealing her face, revealing only a pair of mocking, smiling eyes: “I just joined the sect, so I truly didn’t know. Now that this great crow demon has been subdued and is completely helpless, is Senior Sister suggesting she wants to take advantage of the junior brothers and sisters?”
Common Fei and Song Yuan Yuan exchanged glances, giving Ling Luo a mental thumbs-up. You dare to speak your mind!
“Who told you to interfere?” Mu Ya’s aura sank, saying angrily, “A mere great crow demon—I alone could have easily taken it down! Instead, you break the rules, attack and injure it without permission, and then accuse me of wanting to take advantage? I think it’s you who coveted this great crow demon!”
After hearing this, Song Yuan Yuan and Common Fei lowered their heads in shame.
She was right. We did covet the divine weapon that would drop from the great crow demon.
One hundred and sixty million—who wouldn’t covet that?
The long sword and folding fan collided, even creating slight sparks.
Ling Luo disdainfully said: “What’s there to covet about a mere great crow demon? We were working on the mountain wall when it suddenly appeared and attacked people. Senior Sister, you were nowhere to be seen for so long—are you saying we’re not allowed to defend ourselves against this demon that’s attacking us?”
Mu Ya didn’t believe her at all: “The valley has a formation. Even if you fall from the mountain wall, nothing will happen to you!”
“Senior Sister, it was the great crow demon that was attacking us. How would the valley’s formation protect us from having our necks bitten off by the great crow demon?” Ling Luo mocked. “Are we supposed to just run for our lives from the great crow demon without fighting back, waiting for you to come?”
“Nonsense!” Mu Ya’s anger surged at her words. She no longer held back, determined to teach her a good lesson. But she saw Ling Luo cease engaging with her and instead turn to attack the great crow demon.
The great crow demon was severely injured now. It needed a final fatal strike to complete the Heaven-Devouring Tower trial and receive the reward.
Mu Ya saw through her intention and once again intervened, trying to kill the great crow demon herself.
“Why—why are they fighting?” Elder Wang, who was in charge of the Saha Realm, looked at the situation with confusion. “Do these two have some grudge?”
Hall Master Fan nodded.
Elder Wang’s eyes widened: “Impressive, daring to provoke the young lady. What’s that girl’s background?”
Hall Master Fan said: “The Third Sect Leader’s newly accepted disciple.”
“Oh my, is she the one who said she likes to eat morning dew today?” Elder Wang slapped his thigh and looked toward Yu Xiu. “Look at how sensible your junior sister is. She just arrived today and already knows to share with all of Tian Ji, while you’ve been here for so many years without saying a word!”
Yu Xiu: “…”
You old man probably don’t know why my junior sister was punished and sent here, do you?
“Both of you stop,” Hall Master Fan sat cross-legged on his velvet rug, with a cup of tea beside him. He looked at the two in front of him and said, “According to the rules, this great crow demon belongs to Mu Ya. But since the great crow demon appeared here and injured you, your response is understandable. Let’s consider the merit and fault as offsetting each other.”
He said: “The punishment of cleaning the Saha Realm is revoked.”
The divine weapon and high-grade weapon collided, both unyielding, creating waves of light and shadow.
Hearing this, Ling Luo retreated to create distance and stopped fighting.
Mu Ya slashed off the great crow demon’s head with one stroke. Blood splattered on the mountain wall. With a miserable, shrill cry, the great crow demon dissolved into fireflies and disappeared.
After the black feathered blades vanished, what remained was a golden flower.
Mu Ya’s expression turned unpleasant.
Ling Luo, however, felt satisfied.
What a black face.
No divine weapon had dropped, only a medicinal ingredient.
Thinking about it, it made sense. In the eight-thousand-floor Heaven-Devouring Tower, how could a Chaotic Myriad of Demons triggered at just three or four hundred floors drop a divine weapon?
Not everyone could be so lucky.
Everyone present had come for the divine weapon. Seeing that only a medicinal ingredient had dropped, and hearing Hall Master Fan cancel the punishment, they felt this was not a loss and said in unison: “Congratulations, Senior Sister.”
Though it was congratulations, to Mu Ya’s ears it sounded like mockery.
She gripped Wang Shu tightly, unable to endure any longer. She turned and pointed her sword at Ling Luo, but was blocked by Yu Xiu.
“Since the punishment in the Saha Realm has been lifted, I’ll take Ling Luo back to Qing Shi Fang to see Master,” Yu Xiu’s expression was gentle, showing no sharp edges, only wishing to peacefully resolve the conflict between the two.
“Senior Brother Yu, this junior sister is not as fragile and in need of protection as you think!” Mu Ya said fiercely. “You heard what she said just now. She implied that this whole thing was my fault. Wasn’t she the one who injured the great crow demon first and then tried to kill it for the reward right in front of me?”
Yu Xiu’s expression showed slight helplessness: “The great crow demon attacked first…”
Mu Ya said sharply: “So what? You saw her trying to kill the great crow demon afterward!”
As she persisted, Ling Luo smiled with narrowed eyes and said: “I thought Senior Sister was trying to take advantage, which is why I was upset and wanted to kill the great crow demon. Now I see that I misunderstood. Ling Luo apologizes to Senior Sister here.”
She bowed her head with her hands cupped, appearing proper and obedient.
Seeing this, Mu Ya instantly recalled how, after Ling Luo had broken her sword at the Three Trials Hall a few days ago, she had also acted this way—being obediently sweet while saying “Senior Sister was being lenient,” making her feel even more humiliated!
Common Fei and Song Yuan Yuan mentally applauded Ling Luo, exclaiming their admiration.
Able to bend and stretch, she adapted quite quickly.