THUD!
With a dull impact, Jiang Li slammed into the bottom of the pit. Her back struck a jagged stone edge, sending a surge of white-hot pain through her. Her vision flickered to black. By the time she caught her breath and looked up, she saw Wang Zilong peering over the edge of the trap. A malicious smirk stretched across his face, and his right shoulder was still heavily bandaged—clearly, the injury from the martial arena hadn't fully healed.
"Didn't expect this, did you, Jiang Li?" Wang Zilong's voice dripped with smug mockery. "You got lucky at the arena, but today, this trap was built just for you! Let's see you run this time!"
Behind him stood two lackeys, both outer-hall disciples at the peak of the Cleansing Realm. They clutched short blades coated in Pure Qi, their eyes fixed hungrily on Jiang Li.
Jiang Li's heart sank. She hadn't anticipated that Wang Zilong would be so vengeful as to set an ambush during the trial. The pit was about twenty feet deep with smooth, sheer walls engraved with faint Pure Qi runes. It was a professional setup, designed specifically to suppress her escape.
"What do you want?" Jiang Li leaned against the stone wall and forced herself to stand. The pain in her back made her wince, but she kept her voice steady.
"What do I want?" Wang Zilong squatted at the opening, looking down at her with eyes full of greed. "Hand over whatever treasures you're hiding, and that Saint Beast! Do it quietly, and I might pull you up. Otherwise, stay here and rot. When the monsters arrive, you'll make excellent fodder."
Jiang Li sneered inwardly. As for the Suanni, the little creature was curled into a tight ball on her wrist, suppressed by the runes in the pit, unable to move. She gripped a sharp stone shard, her gaze turning icy. "I have no treasures, and you're never touching the Suanni."
"Stubborn brat!" Wang Zilong's face darkened. He gestured to his men. "Give her a taste of what happens to those who don't listen!"
One lackey immediately funneled his Pure Qi. An arrow of white light shot downward, grazing Jiang Li's arm and slamming into the stone wall with a spray of sparks. The impact triggered the runes in the pit, which flared with a pale light. A wave of invisible pressure crashed over Jiang Li, making every breath a struggle and causing her Turbid Qi to stagnate.
"Last chance! Will you hand it over?"
Jiang Li didn't answer. Her mind raced, searching for an exit. She could feel the Blood Lotus mark on her finger burning—hotter and hotter, as if signaling someone. She knew Cang Yaochen could feel the mark's agitation, but in this vast forest and thick mist, could he reach her in time?
Just as Wang Zilong signaled for a second strike, a familiar, intermittent sha-sha sound drifted through the heavy fog. It was the sound of a broom sweeping over fallen leaves—faint, yet carrying a profound sense of peace.
Jiang Li's eyes snapped open.
When Cang Yaochen appeared at the edge of the pit, the mist parted just enough to reveal him. His servant's robes were matted with mud and dry grass; his ankles were scratched raw by briars, evidence of his desperate rush to find her. He was paler than usual, his lips bloodless, and his body swayed slightly. To get here, he had clearly overexerted his Buddha Qi, causing the Calamity Ash backlash to flare up violently.
"You sickly cripple! You actually dared to follow us!" Wang Zilong's face twisted. The memory of his humiliation at the arena fueled his rage. "You got lucky last time, but let's see you protect her now!"
"Boss, don't waste words on him," a lackey barked. "Let's just break this meddling monk!"
The lackey lunged forward, aiming a Pure Qi-enhanced kick at Cang Yaochen's chest. Cang Yaochen stepped aside, but his movements were sluggish, hampered by the agony of the backlash. He staggered back a few steps, clutching his chest as a violent tremor of coughing seized him. A thin trail of crimson leaked from the corner of his mouth, startlingly bright against his porcelain skin.
"Monk!" Jiang Li cried out, her heart tightening with fear and guilt.
Cang Yaochen waved a hand to signal he was fine. It took a long moment before he could stifle the cough. He looked up at Wang Zilong, his voice raspy but unshakable. "This is a trial ground. To harbor murderous intent and harm the innocent… do you not fear the Sect's laws?"
"Laws?" Wang Zilong laughed, his eyes full of disdain. "In this forest, I am the law! Today, I'm not just killing that curse-bringer; I'm ruining you too!"
He gathered his full strength, his palms glowing with a blinding white light. He hurled a massive sphere of Pure Qi toward Jiang Li in the pit. He knew Cang Yaochen would protect her; he was deliberately forcing the monk to exhaust his remaining strength so he could finish him off easily.
Cang Yaochen's eyes narrowed. Without hesitation, he swung his sleeve to meet the oncoming blast. Though he looked fragile, a faint golden light shimmered at the point of contact.
"Break," he whispered.
The golden light surged along his sleeve. With a sharp hiss, the massive sphere of Pure Qi disintegrated into nothingness as if it had met its natural predator.
Simultaneously, Cang Yaochen's body convulsed. He spat out a mouthful of blood that splattered onto the dark soil. He was clearly at his limit. His body swayed, and he nearly collapsed, only managing to stay upright through sheer willpower.
"Monk!" Jiang Li's eyes reddened. A sharp pain twisted in her chest as she watched him suffer for her sake. She could no longer stay still. Channeling every drop of her remaining Turbid Qi, she began to claw her way up the sheer walls of the pit.
"You think you're going somewhere?" Wang Zilong snarled, reaching down to shove her back.
Suddenly, Cang Yaochen looked up. Despite his pallor and fading breath, his eyes flashed with a lethal sharpness. "Your opponent is me."
He snatched up a fallen bamboo pole and charged. His movements weren't fast, but every step was resolute. As he swung the pole, faint traces of gold light forced Wang Zilong and his lackeys to retreat. Wang Zilong was shaken—he hadn't expected the monk to still possess such combat prowess even while coughing blood.
In that opening, Jiang Li finally vaulted out of the pit. She swung her arm, slamming a wave of Turbid Qi into Wang Zilong's back. Caught off guard while focusing on the monk, Wang Zilong grunted in pain, his defense faltering.
Cang Yaochen seized the moment. With a swift upward thrust of his bamboo pole, a bolt of golden light struck Wang Zilong's Life-Wheel. Wang Zilong let out a choked cry and went limp, his Pure Qi spiraling into chaos. He collapsed, unable to rise. His two followers, terrified by the sudden reversal, didn't dare stay a second longer. They turned and vanished into the depths of the forest.
With the threat gone, Cang Yaochen finally collapsed. He fell to his knees, coughing uncontrollably as blood stained the grass beneath him. Jiang Li rushed to his side, her hands hovering over him, terrified that even a touch might hurt him. "Monk! Talk to me! How bad is it?"
It took a while for his breathing to settle. He looked up at her, his face as white as paper, yet he managed a small, weak smile. "I am alright, Li'er. Are you… are you hurt?"
"I'm fine! But look at you!" Jiang Li's voice cracked. She fumbled for the pouch of Bitter-Thorn powder, wanting to stop the bleeding but not knowing where to apply it.
"It is nothing… just the backlash," Cang Yaochen said softly, gently catching her hand. He shook his head. "We must leave this place. Find somewhere safe. The Abyssal Mirror fragment…"
"Forget the fragment!" Jiang Li interrupted, her voice fierce with resolve. "It's my fault for being so weak. I will get stronger—I won't be a burden to you anymore!"
Cang Yaochen saw the tears shimmering in her eyes and the raw worry on her face. A gentle warmth spread through his chest. He struggled to his feet, refusing to stay down. "We have come this far. It would be a waste to stop. I can still walk. I will go with you to get the fragment."
He stood tall, though his frame was still swaying. He straightened his back and reached out a hand to her, smiling through the exhaustion. "Let us go, Li'er. I am with you."
Jiang Li looked at his pale, determined face and his cold, steady hand. Her heart felt full, a strange mixture of warmth and ache. She wiped her eyes, gripped his hand tightly, and nodded. "Fine. We do it together."