This isn't Senior Sister Qi Nian...
At the same time, the surrounding ghost messengers all knelt down and paid their respects to the aloof beauty:
"Greetings, Little Empress."
Qi Yu was put down by the heavenly soldiers and generals, crashing onto the Bridge of Helplessness with a thud. She coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, her body involuntarily curling into a ball, flickering in and out of existence, on the verge of soul dissipation.
Yet, despite this, Qi Yu still managed to prop herself up with her hands on the ground.
She saw Qi Nian walking over, shielding her behind her, and said to the girl who had been tormenting her:
"You are, after all, the daughter of the High God Liu Yu. How could this lonely soul have offended you? For you, an immortal, to come to the Underworld to torment her?!"
"Tsk, what business is it of yours, a demon?" The girl looked at Qi Nian impatiently: "I have my reasons for tormenting that lonely soul. The demon realm and the divine realm have always kept to themselves. You, a mere Little Empress, had best not meddle."
"This Empress is meddling today." Qi Nian raised her hand and took a few steps forward, standing in front of Qi Yu: "To arbitrarily abuse and kill a lonely soul, let alone that you are the daughter of High God Liu Yu, even if you were High God Liu Yu himself, you would be punished!"
"You!" The girl clutched her silk ribbon, her face a mask of fury.
As the tension escalated.
A heavenly soldier and general launched a sneak attack from behind, a long spear thrusting directly towards Qi Yu's chest.
But in the next moment, the sound of a guqin echoed around them.
Qi Yu suddenly looked up, seeing the guqin and a long whip floating in mid-air, erecting a barrier that repelled the heavenly soldiers and generals.
The surroundings seemed to freeze, everyone's movements halted.
Qi Yu looked at the long whip, steadied her mind, and reached out to grasp it.
Suddenly, the surroundings were bathed in dazzling light.
Qi Yu slowly opened her eyes, and saw the main hall of the Beiyuan Sect once again.
Ming Lou, Si Qing, Yu Zhen, and Li Yu were all looking at her with concern.
"Master, I..." As soon as Qi Yu spoke, she couldn't help but prop herself up with one hand on the ground and violently spat out a mouthful of dark, bloody fluid.
Ming Lou leaned over worriedly, supported her, and asked Li Yu, "Master, what is happening?"
"This is a sign of being injured by inner demons," Li Yu said, holding Qi Yu's arm. "Although the mental trial has passed, I can't figure out why there are inner demons for the moment."
"Eat this," Si Qing suddenly took out a red pill from his storage pouch and put it into Qi Yu's mouth.
Qi Yu's qi sea churned, and she couldn't speak. She patted Si Qing's shoulder to show her gratitude. After her condition stabilized, she stood up and said, "Thank you, Master, Mistress, Senior Brother, Junior Brother. I'm alright..."
"What did you see in the mental trial just now? Is it convenient to tell Master?" Li Yu asked her with concern.
"...Nothing," Qi Yu glanced out the window, seeing junior disciples gathered around, and shook her head slightly, not elaborating: "It was all a jumble of nonsensical images, I don't know what they were about."
"This..." Yu Zhen thought for a moment: "The images dreamed in the mental trial are all things you have experienced. Are you sure none of them are things you've experienced?"
"If I haven't experienced it, can I not dream of it?" Qi Yu asked tentatively.
"Well... in the past, some powerful cultivators said they dreamt of their previous lives, but the mental trial cannot be viewed by others, so we don't know if they were telling the truth or not," Li Yu supported Qi Yu, channeling spiritual energy into her. "Regardless, let's calm your qi sea first. We'll discuss the inner demons once your condition improves."
Qi Yu blinked and nodded, saying nothing more.
Supported by Si Qing back to her room.
Si Qing closed the door, pouring hot water while chatting with concern, "Brother, did you dream of something terrifying?"
His tone was casual, and his eyes weren't focused on Qi Yu, as if it were just gossip between ordinary friends.
"..." Qi Yu was silent, neither nodding nor shaking her head.
Just as Si Qing thought Qi Yu didn't want to answer and was about to shut up, Qi Yu suddenly spoke:
"There were too many people gathered outside the main hall just now, so I didn't dare to say it. Actually, inside the mental trial, I saw the Underworld."
Si Qing's movements paused.
"An iron hook pierced my clavicle," Qi Yu unconsciously raised her hand, trying to touch her back. "I clearly never experienced any of this, yet it felt so painful. Afterward, I seemed to have seen familiar people... and then I don't remember anything else."
Qi Yu could feel the memories brought back from the mental trial rapidly disappearing.
She had almost forgotten everything now.
Thinking of this, Qi Yu looked at Si Qing: "Do you remember what you saw in the mental trial just now?"
"Yes, I saw a scene of parting with the person I love most," Si Qing turned back, speaking softly. "Senior Brother Ming Lou said he saw the scene of his parents' death."
Qi Yu fell silent.
So, she was the only one who couldn't remember?
Why was this happening?
Also, who did she see in the mental trial? Why couldn't she recall it...