"Xu Yi, you should know who Nalan Yan is?"
"I do. I've met her once."
Xu Yi still remembered the day she first entered Kunlun Academy and saw Wan Yanxue competing against Nalan Yan on the same stage.
However, Nalan Yan had been in seclusion for her injuries ever since, and Xu Yi had not seen her again.
Yu Chun Dao suddenly bringing up Nalan Yan, was it also related to Wan Yanxue?
Xu Yi recalled the rumors she had heard and blinked rapidly.
"We originally didn't intend to disclose what happened that day, but at this point, there's no need to conceal it. The whole incident started with the spar on the day you first entered the academy..."
With the explanations from Yu Chun Dao and Liu Yin Xiao, Xu Yi finally understood what had happened on the day Wan Yanxue defected.
Wan Yanxue was pitiable, but a pitiable person certainly had detestable traits.
Every effect has a cause.
The matter was instigated by Wan Yanxue, and she ultimately suffered the consequences.
However, if one thought about it, Wan Yanxue should also hate Nalan Yan. What did it have to do with her? It was inexplicable.
"Nalan Yan learned that Wan Yanxue had become active on the Jiuzhou Continent. Three months ago, she broke through to the Combined Body stage and left Kunlun. She is likely searching for Wan Yanxue's whereabouts now," Yu Chun Dao said.
Xu Yi's eyes lit up. Nalan Yan's actions perfectly aligned with her wishes.
"Do you think you'll be able to rest easy once Nalan Yan finds Wan Yanxue?" Liu Yin Xiao snorted, revealing a hint of displeasure.
Xu Yi was bewildered.
"Wasn't that the case?"
"Wan Yanxue has issues. Nalan Yan not only won't gain an advantage against her but might even be used by her."
Yu Chun Dao stepped in to clarify for Xu Yi.
"Did you discover something?"
Xu Yi noticed the grave and cautious expressions of Liu Yin Xiao and Yu Chun Dao when they mentioned Wan Yanxue, and her body instinctively leaned forward.
"You should tell her," Yu Chun Dao said, looking at Liu Yin Xiao.
Liu Yin Xiao replied, "Wan Yanxue's rapid advancement from the Nascent Soul stage to the Tribulation stage within a mere hundred years is highly suspicious. Coupled with the Saintess Sect she established and the crystal orb that can absorb a cultivator's vital essence, all signs point to something unusual. Therefore, we suspect she might be connected to the demon race."
Just as she suspected.
Xu Yi was not surprised. Instead, she felt a sense of satisfaction as her guess was confirmed.
"To be honest, the five major sects also suspect the Saintess Sect of harboring ill intentions, but they lack evidence. That's why Bear Zhuang Zhuang and I appeared there."
"Wan Yanxue's current disappearance could very well be linked to the demon race again. Our original plan was to lure the snake out of its hole, but Nalan Yan's actions are causing the situation to deviate from our control. We sought you out to get more clues about Wan Yanxue, but it seems to have been of no use."
Yu Chun Dao's words caused Xu Yi to fall into thought.
Now, not only the five major sects suspected Wan Yanxue, but Kunlun Academy was also involved. This greatly increased the possibility of Wan Yanxue colluding with the demon race. However, without evidence, it was all speculation.
"I don't think Nalan Yan going to find Wan Yanxue is a bad move," Xu Yi suddenly said.
"Oh? What's your opinion?" Yu Chun Dao asked, frowning, seemingly not expecting Xu Yi to say that.
Xu Yi smiled faintly. "If we do nothing, Wan Yanxue will have more time to prepare against us. But Nalan Yan's presence will force Wan Yanxue to remain vigilant and cautious. In her haste, there might be opportunities for us."
Xu Yi's words successfully convinced Liu Yin Xiao and Yu Chun Dao.
At this point, there were no better options available to them.
"I'm just a little worried about Nalan Yan," Yu Chun Dao sighed softly.
"Madam, Nalan Yan has the support of the Nalan family and possesses the Nine Revolutions Golden Body. She won't be in any serious trouble easily," Liu Yin Xiao said gently, holding Yu Chun Dao's hand.
Seeing the increasingly intimate atmosphere between the two, Xu Yi shivered and took her leave.
Just as her feet were about to step out of the door, she stopped and turned back. "Teacher Yu, Teacher Liu, I wish to see the Dean. Is there any chance of that?"
"The Dean's whereabouts have been erratic lately. Even we don't know where he has gone," Yu Chun Dao replied seriously, withdrawing her hand from Liu Yin Xiao's.
Xu Yi did not get the answer she wanted and could only leave dejectedly to continue her unfinished conversation with Yu Xiao Yu.
...
At the bottom of the blood pool.
Wan Yanxue sat cross-legged, holding a blood-red sword sheath.
Small bubbles would occasionally emerge around her.
Upon closer inspection, one could see that her pores were silently absorbing the blood in the pool.
As her fair, jade-like body absorbed too much blood, a faint redness appeared.
After an unknown period, she slowly opened her eyes, which were filled with a scarlet bloodthirsty glint.
"The power of the blood pool is starting to weaken," Wan Yanxue frowned slightly.
She had inadvertently discovered that the blood pool in the Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect's secret realm could help cultivators improve their cultivation. At that time, she had just left Kunlun Academy and didn't know where to go. With a "success or death" mindset, she plunged into the blood pool. She had gambled and won. Her frail body quickly grew stronger due to the hidden power within the blood pool, and her spiritual energy surged.
Wan Yanxue felt an unprecedented sense of power and became addicted to it. Of course, there was no free lunch in the world, and she had paid a price for it. However, in her opinion, the trade was worthwhile. As long as it allowed her to avenge her enemies, she was willing to give up her life and soul.
Wan Yanxue thought of Xu Yi, who had escaped her grasp last time, and knitted her brows.
"I'm still not strong enough. Otherwise, Xu Yi wouldn't have escaped." She needed more power.
Wan Yanxue looked down at the sword sheath in her hand. She had found this sheath in the pool. At that time, a voice told her that by finding the sheath's original body, she would gain infinite divine power. Wan Yanxue, still possessing some reason, did not succumb to the temptation and merely placed the sheath where she could easily see it.
But this time, she decided to try the method she had heard.
After a moment, with a resolute look, she infused spiritual energy into the sheath.
Instantly, huge waves stirred at the bottom of the pool. The blood surged, splashing onto Wan Yanxue's face and limbs. She could hear the crisp cracking sounds of her bones colliding within her body. Yet, she remained motionless like a stone, her palm tightly gripping the sheath.
A few breaths later, an intense craving surged from within Wan Yanxue. Her eyes turned blood-red, and she looked eastward, her face showing a hint of fanaticism.
"It's over there!"
Without hesitation, holding the sheath, she leaped out of the blood pool and sped towards the east.
After about fifteen minutes, she found what she was looking for on the desolate land. A dull, gray longsword stuck in the ground.
Wan Yanxue bit her lower lip and eagerly reached out to touch it.