Song Zhixia, regardless of her injuries, curled up and crawled to the cave entrance. Seeing the dark clouds covering the sky, a faint smile appeared on her lips. Rather than being consumed endlessly by those entities day and night, she preferred a quick death from the thunder tribulation. However, thinking of Song Weizhi, even if her flesh and blood were bitten to pieces, Song Zhixia, who hadn't shed a tear, inexplicably had tears welling up in her eyes.
In this half-human, half-ghost appearance, she didn't want her Senior Sister to see her like this. Song Zhixia quietly closed her eyes, awaiting the descent of the thunder tribulation.
Before long, the black clouds pressed lower, but Song Zhixia was not afraid. She even felt it was a kind of liberation for herself. The only thing she couldn't let go of was her Senior Sister. Her biggest regret was that her Senior Sister hadn't taken her. Song Zhixia's eyes welled up with a few drops of tears. She hadn't cried in a long time. The tears slid down her cheeks as she quietly closed her eyes.
At this moment, the thunder tribulation in the sky continued to strike towards Song Zhixia. The power varied greatly each time, but Song Zhixia, who had been bitten by those entities day and night, had become accustomed to the pain. Soon, she smelled the scent of her flesh burning. Not only was she struck, but the cave behind her also collapsed under the thunder tribulation.
Song Zhixia thought that a few more strikes everything would end. At this point, her body was blackened, and blood and flesh splattered on the ground. Song Zhixia's consciousness gradually dissipated, and she fainted. However, the thunder tribulation showed no mercy. It continued to strike, and parts of her already blackened body were directly reduced to ashes.
After an unknown period, the black clouds in the sky gradually dissipated. The Blood Demon Cliff slowly returned to its usual state. However, the place where Song Zhixia was struck had become a massive deep pit. Her body had been struck many times, and while her head and the flesh on her body had turned into charcoal, her divine consciousness and dantian were still intact.
Soon, the evil spirits that had been eating away at Song Zhixia's body drifted over.
"D-Did the heavens make a mistake? I just roughly counted. This thunder tribulation struck at least thirty times. How is that possible?"
"Could it be that this girl did something wrong? Thirty strikes of thunder tribulation is unheard of; I've never seen it even when I was alive."
"What should we do? The food we had in our hands flew away. Why not check if there's still some vitality left? Maybe feeding her some pills will revive her."
"That makes sense."
Several non-corporeal evil spirits approached Song Zhixia's body. Song Zhixia's face had turned into charcoal, but surprisingly, there was a faint sign of life. A few evil spirits stuffed pills into Song Zhixia's mouth, which was already showing bare bones. Song Zhixia's originally blackened body gradually began to grow flesh.
"Oops, that was close. We almost missed out on a good meal."
"That's right, fortunately, we took a look. Otherwise, it would have been a pity."
In the water prison of the Cold Mountain Sword Sect, Wei Zhao remained submerged in the icy water. When she was thrown in, heavily injured, and unconscious, she nearly drowned.
Her storage bag had long been looted, and without healing pills, she could only endure it. She endured the biting coldness in the water prison, knowing that she couldn't die until the safety of her Mistress was confirmed.
During this one month, Zhou Qingxue had indeed been locked up by Zhou Yeran. Zhou Qingxue had questioned Yao Xintong many times about the meaning behind Zhou Yeran's actions and what it meant to do the impossible for the strong. However, Yao Xintong remained silent.
Within this month, Zhou Chengwen also became silent. In his memory, his father had always been kind to him and his sister. Until now, he believed that his father's actions were probably due to some misunderstanding with Song Weizhi and the others.
As the month came to an end, Zhou Qingxue rushed into the main hall without any regard for Zhou Yeran's ongoing discussions with other elders, shouting, "Father, where are Song Weizhi and the others? What did you do to them?"
Fearing for his younger sister, Zhou Chengwen had been following Zhou Qingxue closely and entered the main hall as well.
Upon seeing Zhou Qingxue and Zhou Chengwen barging in, Zhou Yeran's face darkened. He said, "It seems that locking you up for a month didn't teach you any lessons. You want to see Song Weizhi, right? Good, I'll take you to see her." Zhou Yeran agreed, but a cold smile appeared on his lips. He believed that Yao Xintong had corrupted both of his children.
After exchanging a few words with the Head Elder, Zhou Yeran led Zhou Qingxue, Zhou Chengwen, and a dozen disciples toward the cultivation room.
Zhou Qingxue rarely visited this area. Her Nascent Soul cultivation had just started to adapt here. However, when Zhou Yeran had someone open the stairs leading to the lower platform, she began feeling uncomfortable. The further down she went, the more uncomfortable she became. Until she saw the endless magma below, Zhou Qingxue's heart sank.
Having seen no sign of Song Weizhi throughout the journey, Zhou Qingxue's father brought her here, indicating an endless expanse of magma. So, Song Weizhi?
Zhou Qingxue took a few steps back, her eyes turning red as she looked at Zhou Yeran. "So, what about Song Weizhi?"
Zhou Yeran sneered, glancing towards the magma. "That traitor refused to surrender the soul fragment, so I had to throw her down. I'm afraid she's long melted into nothing. Now, do you have any more questions?"
"You can't do this! Song Weizhi and the others are innocent. You're a murderer, a murderer!" Tears rolled down Zhou Qingxue's cheeks as she shouted at Zhou Yeran.
Zhou Chengwen shook his head in disbelief. His father, whom he regarded as an example, suddenly changed. "Father, it's not like this. You can't do this."
"Heh, the world doesn't judge a person solely based on right or wrong. Survival of the fittest. If you want to blame someone, blame them for being too weak. It's their fault for dying. Both of you will have to shoulder the entire sect in the future. Why are you still so naive, just like when you were kids? You both disappoint me greatly." Zhou Yeran shook his head, indifferent.
"No, it's you who disappointed us." Zhou Qingxue felt jealous of Song Weizhi at times, thinking that Wei Zhao always prioritized Song Weizhi. However, this jealousy was only momentary; she never wished any harm to Song Weizhi.
Thinking of this, Zhou Qingxue hurriedly asked, "What about Wei Zhao? Did you…?" As she spoke, Zhou Qingxue collapsed on the ground. She couldn't bear to imagine if Wei Zhao had turned into ashes. What would she do then?
"She's not dead. I had her imprisoned in the water dungeon. She wants to be with you? Then she must obey me. How could she confront me for the sake of an outsider like Song Weizhi? I've let her reflect in there." Zhou Yeran spoke indifferently, still considering the feelings of his daughter, not going for the kill with Wei Zhao.
Zhou Qingxue breathed a sigh of relief but was still sorrowful. "And what about Song Zhixia? Was she taken away?"
Zhou Yeran showed no intention of hiding anything. He wanted his naive daughter to face reality sooner. "Song Zhixia was taken away by the Third Prince. It's said that the Third Prince wanted to cultivate with her, but she refused. She has already been thrown down the Blood Demon Cliff and probably fallen into the demonic path, bones turned to dust."
Zhou Qingxue looked at Zhou Yeran in disbelief, unable to fathom that such malicious words had come from her father's mouth. To add insult to injury, Song Weizhi and the others were innocent. "You make me sick."
After speaking, Zhou Qingxue ran away swiftly. As soon as she left the area, she immediately rode her sword to the water dungeon. Seeing Zhou Qingxue coming, the disciples of the water dungeon let her pass. Zhou Yeran had briefed them on Wei Zhao's situation, and Zhou Qingxue could visit but not release her.
She stumbled her way to the lowest level of the water dungeon, a dark and damp place. The water level in the dungeon was up to the shoulders, and Zhou Qingxue scanned the area but couldn't find any trace of Wei Zhao. Anxiously, she asked one of the guarding disciples, "Where is Wei Zhao?"
The disciples, accustomed to the current situation, didn't find it strange. One of them replied, "Senior Sister Zhou, Wei Zhao is seriously injured. Sometimes she faints while standing, and when she wakes up or chokes on water, she manages to crawl up and stand on her own. She won't die."
Zhou Qingxue, with red eyes, stared at the disciple and demanded, "Quickly open the cell door. I need to go in and save her."
"This, the Sect Master said, Senior Sister, you can only visit. You can't take her out," the disciple hesitated to say.
"I said open the door. If you don't, don't blame me for taking action." Zhou Qingxue said, already gripping her sword.
The guards exchanged glances and decided to open the cell door for Zhou Qingxue. If she truly resorted to violence, injuring them would be pointless for everyone.
Zhou Qingxue leaped into the water dungeon, the icy water causing discomfort even for her uninjured body. Considering Wei Zhao's condition after the severe injuries, the situation would be worse. In a hurry, Zhou Qingxue dived under the water surface, quickly finding Wei Zhao lying in a corner. She approached, lifting Wei Zhao, who felt ice-cold. If they stayed in this environment, she probably wouldn't last a few more days.
Using her spiritual qi, Zhou Qingxue knocked open Wei Zhao's teeth and fed her a few spiritual medicines. However, the medicine wouldn't take effect instantly; her injuries needed time to heal.
Carrying Wei Zhao horizontally, Zhou Qingxue was about to leave the water dungeon when Zhou Yeran, accompanied by his disciples, arrived.
"Qingxue, what are you doing? Put her down," Zhou Yeran looked coldly at his daughter.
Zhou Qingxue shook her head. "Where she is, I am. I want to take her for treatment."
"Heh, do you think I'm afraid of your threats? You want to stay with her, right? Fine, I'll grant your wish." Zhou Yeran coldly set up a barrier outside the water dungeon. This barrier could only be broken by someone with the same level of cultivation as him, making it impossible for anyone else to enter the water dungeon.
"Father, please don't. She's my sister. I beg you to let her go." Zhou Chengwen stood in front of Zhou Yeran, pleading.
"She has been too spoiled. This is a good opportunity for her to realize that her current state is all thanks to me. When she understands her mistake, I'll release her. Until then, she stays in there." Zhou Yeran snorted, bypassing the stunned Zhou Chengwen and leaving.