The inner disciple quickly pulled Yan Luo, saying, "If that’s the case, we need to leave immediately."
If that Sword Cultivator got out, they might come after them.
Yan Luo, though eager to watch the drama unfold, chose to heed the inner disciple’s advice for the sake of her own life, and they flew off on their swords.
Near the well, the dust began to clear.
Qing Xu clutched his chest, struggling to stand, and caught sight of a dainty figure.
The cold wind blew once again, revealing the figure’s form and face to the crowd.
She was dressed in red, though her clothing was somewhat tattered. However, it was still clear that it was a wedding dress!
Her hair was somewhat disheveled, but her graceful features remained unmistakable.
What was even stranger was the iron chains wrapped around her hands and feet, clinking loudly as she moved.
At first, Qing Xu thought she might be a ghost bride, but when he saw her tear off the iron chains with her bare hands, his heart skipped a beat.
How could the Ancestral Master seal a living person beneath the well?!
"What year is it now?" The woman glanced over the crowd, fixing her gaze on Qing Xu.
"It... it’s the tenth year of Emperor Mu Wu..." Qing Xu stammered, his voice trembling.
It wasn’t just fear that shook him, but the sheer intensity of the woman’s presence. She felt neither fully human nor fully ghost.
The woman tilted her head slightly, asking again, "Is it no longer the reign of the Great Zhou?"
Qing Xu swallowed hard. "The Great Zhou... was a dynasty from over a thousand years ago. It’s long gone."
"A thousand years?" The woman raised an eyebrow before throwing her head back in laughter. "Senior Brother! You sealed me for so long, keeping me from seeing the light of day for a millennium, my cultivation withered!"
Her laughter was sharp, and the snow on the mountains shook loose, collapsing around them.
Qing Xu and the others were shaken to their cores, their internal organs ruptured, and blood streamed from their orifices in unbearable pain.
"Dragon Spring!" The woman abruptly halted her laughter and shouted.
The ground trembled once again.
A long sword shot out from the bottom of the well.
It circled around her a few times, confirming her identity, then unsheathed itself, its blade humming in excitement.
Suddenly, black mist emanated from the sword.
The woman reached out, gripping the hilt.
Her eyes turned blood-red, and her face exuded malevolence.
Qing Xu finally understood why the Ancestral Master had gone to such lengths to seal this woman beneath the well.
She was a Demon Cultivator!
"Senior Brother, where are you?" The woman, now fully enveloped in black mist, called out as if the entire mountain had sunk into a nightmarish darkness.
"You’re Senior Brother..." Qing Xu began to ask if her Senior Brother was the Ancestral Master, but before he could finish, a cold light flashed.
Qing Xu’s head was severed in one swift stroke.
Blood gushed from his neck, and his body collapsed to the ground.
The Dragon Spring Sword, now engulfed in malevolent energy, consumed the souls of those it killed, feeding off them to grow stronger.
Qing Xu’s earlier plea to the heavens had come true.
"Master!" The young disciples were both furious and terrified.
Though they mourned, none dared to face the mad woman.
The woman looked up at the sky, murmuring, "Senior Brother, I’ve killed and destroyed souls with demonic arts. Why won’t you appear?"
Perhaps he was so disappointed in her that he refused to show himself?
She hesitated, then decided to suppress the Dragon Spring Sword’s evil aura and dissipate the black mist.
Her eyes returned to normal.
"Then I’ll just kill, without destroying souls," she mused. "That way, you might come see me, won’t you?"
Seven or eight young disciples trembled in fear, too scared to move.
One brave disciple, unwilling to sit idly by, drew out a Body-Freezing Talisman and shouted, "By the powers of Heaven and Earth, freeze!"
Shouting made the talisman more powerful.
But the woman didn’t even raise her sword. With a mere flick of her spiritual energy, the Body-Freezing Talisman halted in midair before igniting and burning away.
"Your talisman skills are too weak," the woman commented, pausing suddenly. "Why is there no more spiritual energy?"
She surveyed the surroundings and noticed there was hardly any spiritual energy left.
What had happened over the past thousand years?
The woman turned to the brave disciple. "You’ve got some courage. Tell me what’s going on."
Their gazes locked, and the young disciple, shivering with cold, stammered, "According... according to ancient records, the Immortal Sect closed its gates a thousand years ago. Since then, this place has become the Human World, with almost no spiritual energy left."
The woman stood frozen for a moment before muttering, "Senior Brother, no wonder you haven’t answered me. You abandoned me and returned to the Limitless Palace."
The disciple quickly said, "Miss, your grudge with your Senior Brother has nothing to do with us! You’ve already killed our master, please spare us!"
"My name is Xuan Yinyue, but people call me the Firewood Cutter," Xuan Yinyue suddenly declared.
"Ah?" The disciple froze, thinking she was asking for a formal greeting.
But she continued, "Before I kill, I always state my name so you know who to seek vengeance against."
With that, Xuan Yinyue raised her sword.
A cold gleam flashed.
The heads of the seven or eight disciples fell in unison.
Xuan Yinyue watched as their souls drifted into the air, satisfied.
She sheathed her sword.
Just as she was about to leave, a burst of golden light, accompanied by runes, exploded in midair.
Xuan Yinyue raised an eyebrow, deciding to wait for a moment.
As the golden light faded, a young boy dressed in Daoist robes landed.
His face was delicate, but as he took in the horrific scene before him, his face turned pale, and his steps faltered.
Before heading to the capital, he had woven a red cord from a strand of Qing Xu’s hair.
Just moments ago, the red cord had snapped.
Disregarding Nanli’s warnings, Zhi Mi used the Transfer Talisman to return to Xuanyue Temple.
But he hadn’t expected...
"Master! I’m too late!" Zhi Mi recognized Qing Xu’s body and rushed to it.
Blood stained his robes as tears welled up in his eyes.
Why did the others still have their souls, but not his master?!
Xuan Yinyue coldly regarded him. "You’re not late, because I haven’t left yet."
Unaware of his impending death, Zhi Mi glared at her. "Who are you?! Why have you slaughtered everyone at Xuanyue Temple?!"
Xuan Yinyue narrowed her eyes. "Xuanyue Temple?"
Why did that name sound familiar?
Zhi Mi, heartbroken, demanded, "Did you take my master’s soul?! Give it back to me!"
He wiped away his tears and stood tall.
Xuan Yinyue replied, "No, his soul has been destroyed. He will never reincarnate."
"You..." Zhi Mi was furious and quickly summoned a Heaven Thunder Talisman, shouting, "I will destroy you, you heartless monster!"
Dark clouds gathered, and thunder roared.
Xuan Yinyue glanced up and smiled lightly. "Now that’s a decent talisman."
But as the lightning descended, she calmly unsheathed her sword and blocked the heavenly bolt.
With a resounding crash, the wind howled, uprooting trees and hurling them to the ground.
Xuan Yinyue’s power was overwhelming, scattering the souls of the other disciples.
As for Zhi Mi, with his mortal body, there was no way he could resist.
Even though he had called down the heavenly thunder, the force of Xuan Yinyue’s defense caused the violent winds to slice through him, damaging his internal organs!