In the cold wind of the valley, the sword qi constantly shuttled through the valley. Song Weizhi and Wei Zhao had to use their spiritual qi to protect themselves, allowing them to navigate through the canyon.
"Mistress, why are we here?" Although Wei Zhao didn't know what Song Weizhi was up to, she jumped down with her.
"Here to help Xia Xia retrieve some things," Song Weizhi said, and when she mentioned her little girl, her eyes showed a rare tenderness.
Due to the soul fragment within her spiritual consciousness, Song Weizhi could sense the soul fragments here. Soon, she locked onto the location of the soul fragment. The item was placed in the center of the valley, where the sword qi was most intense.
They were currently standing at the outermost part of the valley, where the sword qi was already biting cold. The walls of the valley had been eroded by sword qi over the years, forming numerous gullies. Song Weizhi instructed Wei Zhao to wait here while she, carrying the demonic sword, headed towards the center of the canyon. The closer she got, the stronger the sword qi became. It was no wonder the system hadn't informed her earlier. Even if she had known, with her previous cultivation, she might have been shredded by the sword qi by the time she reached the center of the valley.
Without thinking much, Song Weizhi hastened her steps towards the center of the valley. She bypassed the swords thrust into the valley and finally arrived at the central area. However, before she found Xia Xia's soul fragment, she noticed a person chained to a circular platform. The person's body had no unharmed skin; some wounds had scabbed, while others were still oozing fresh blood. The clavicle was pierced by an iron chain, revealing two black and deep holes.
The person seemed to be a woman. Song Weizhi approached, leaned towards the person's nose, and detected a faint breath. Although weak, the person was still breathing.
Who would be imprisoned in such a place? Song Weizhi didn't know, but she had a feeling that this person, like herself, had been kept in such a harsh environment. Most likely, she was a good person. However, Song Weizhi was uncertain. She took out some spirit medicine from her storage bag, fed a few pills to the person, and then used her spiritual qi to protect her. This was to prevent the person from being harmed by the thousands of sword qi. She also infused some spiritual qi into the person's body, and signs of awakening appeared.
The person didn't open her eyes, and with a pale face, she said, "Zhou Yeran, if you want to kill me, just do it quickly. No need to torture me like this. Even if you don't kill me, I won't last much longer. I can't hold on much longer. Finally, I can be free."
Song Weizhi explained, "Senior, I'm not Zhou Yeran."
The woman turned her head and opened her eyes, and Song Weizhi saw her face. The woman had a clear and cold complexion, and even the paleness couldn't conceal her naturally beautiful appearance. She seemed somewhat surprised to see someone in such a place and reminded with difficulty, "Young lady, this Sword Tomb is not a good place. Quickly leave before your spiritual qi is depleted."
"Thanks for the reminder, Senior. I came here to find something. Senior, why are you here?" Song Weizhi asked.
"Heh, blame it on my poor judgment. Young lady, are you a demonic cultivator?" The woman asked, noticing the black aura emanating from the sword Song Weizhi held.
"It's not like that. However, being one or not doesn't matter much. There are kind-hearted people among demonic cultivators, and there are hypocrites among the righteous sects. As long as one lives with integrity, what does it matter whether they are a demonic cultivator?" Song Weizhi replied.
"Well, I'm too narrow-minded. Young lady, I, a dying person, have one thing to ask. Can you give me a quick death? I have been injured by the sword qi in this Sword Tomb for many years. I rely on the medicine that beast Zhou Yeran provides to sustain my life. He doesn't want me to die so easily, wanting me to endure the taste of being cut into pieces and pierced by arrows every day in this valley. If you can kill me, you would be doing me a great favor. My life has been too exhausting," the woman said in a weak voice.
"Indeed, Zhou Yeran is not a good person. However, Senior, I can't bring myself to kill you. Perhaps things haven't reached that point yet. Maybe there's still a chance for a turn of events?" Song Weizhi persuaded.
"What chance do I have? Young lady, to be honest, my three souls and seven spirits have suffered severe injuries in this Sword Tomb for many years. They've been shattered a lot. Now, only one soul and one spirit are barely supporting me. I won't last much longer, and death for me is just a matter of sooner or later, no difference," the woman said truthfully.
Song Weizhi knew that the woman was telling the truth; her end was near, with only a few days left to live. "Senior, there must be someone you want to see. We can find a way. I can rescue you, and there must be a way for you to meet them."
When talking about the person she wanted to see, tears seemed to drop from the corners of the woman's eyes. After a long time, she spoke, "How can I have the face to meet her? Forget it. If I can secretly take a look at her, I can rest assured. But I'm afraid I'll trouble you, young lady."
Song Weizhi saw that the woman still had a desire to live, immediately smiled and said, "What's the trouble in this? It's just that the injury on your scapula is quite deep. When I take that thing out, it might hurt a bit."
"You just take it easy. I've tasted the pain of being pierced by ten thousand arrows every day. I'm already used to it."
Song Weizhi felt a bit reluctant in her heart. This woman had been imprisoned in such a ghostly place for nearly twenty years. Zhou Yeran was indeed a complete madman. Song Weizhi lifted the demonic sword and cut off the iron chains around the woman one by one. When it came to the scapula, Song Weizhi intentionally used spiritual qi to protect the wound on the woman's shoulder. Only then did she use the demonic sword to cut open the wound and remove the iron chain. Surprisingly, the woman didn't make a sound.
Seeing Song Weizhi taking so long, Wei Zhao became extremely anxious and decided to use her spiritual qi to run into the center of the valley to check.
When Song Weizhi saw that it was Wei Zhao, she handed the woman over to Wei Zhao to carry. Wei Zhao was still a bit confused and asked, "Who is this?"
"Another Senior harmed by Zhou Yeran. You just protect the Senior and go up together. The sword qi here is too strong. You wait for me up there." Song Weizhi briefly instructed.
After the two left, Song Weizhi circled the circular platform. She sensed that the soul fragment should be inside the circular platform. Without hesitation, she raised the demonic sword, gathered enough spiritual qi, and slashed. The circular platform shattered into pieces. Underneath, at a gap, there was indeed a yellow light. Delighted at finding another fragment for Xia Xia, Song Weizhi collected the yellow strand into her soul. Then, she rode the sword and left.
The woman's injuries were somewhat serious. Song Weizhi instructed Wei Zhao to buy some spirit medicine for external injuries. She used spiritual qi to change the woman into clean clothes and carried her to the inn.
However, when Song Weizhi and the woman entered the inn, a red-clothed woman emitting a black aura appeared from behind a big tree in the distance. It was Song Zhixia.
Song Zhixia's expression was somewhat dim. She knew that her Senior sister was good to her and wouldn't develop feelings for someone else so quickly. However, seeing her Senior sister carrying another woman, Song Zhixia still felt a faint sourness in her heart. Moreover, with her current appearance falling into demonic cultivation, how could she face her Senior sister? After a few moments, Song Zhixia disappeared behind the big tree.
Song Weizhi fed a few more spirit medicines to the woman and Wei Zhao brought back the medicine for external injuries. Song Weizhi applied the medicine to the woman's injuries, stopping the bleeding on her shoulder. Then she let the woman rest. After the woman recovered a bit, she planned to take her to meet the person she wanted to see.
During this time, Song Weizhi once again rode her sword to the Sword Sect. She intended to chat with Li Qingyuan and settle the matter of her limbs being broken in the past.
Song Weizhi was not polite. She pushed open Li Qingyuan's door with a palm. Li Qingyuan's voice inside sounded displeased, "Who doesn't understand the rules?"
With a sneer, Song Weizhi entered Li Qingyuan's room, found a chair, and sat down. "What? Don't recognize me?"
Li Qingyuan came out and was already scared stiff. He had heard the commotion of disciples outside, but he didn't pay attention. "You, you, aren't you dead already that day?"
"Yeah, I'm not supposed to die. You and these beasts are still alive and well. How could I go first?" Song Weizhi said, raising her hand to Li Qingyuan. However, where could he catch it? The gap in strength between the two was like a chasm. Song Weizhi's palm struck Li Qingyuan to the ground. Several meridians had already been shattered by Song Weizhi's shock.
Song Weizhi knocked her demonic sword on the ground and asked softly, "Hey, how did you torture me back then? It seems like you broke all the bones in my body. Well, well, rest assured, I will return the favor tenfold or a hundredfold."
Li Qingyuan was scared, drenched in cold sweat, and even tears flowed from his eyes. "Senior Sister Song, I beg you to spare me. I had no choice. It was, it was Zhou Yeran who forced me to do this. Spare me, spare me, Senior Sister Song, I will be your ox or horse."
Song Weizhi sneered, "Be my ox or horse? Are you even qualified?" As she spoke, she lightly pointed her finger in the void. Li Qingyuan's body made a series of crackling sounds as if every bone in his body was being slowly crushed. And indeed, that was the case.
Li Qingyuan's room was filled with his howls and the sound of bones shattering. When the disciples rushed in upon hearing the news and saw that it was Song Weizhi, they immediately turned and ran, afraid of being caught by Song Weizhi.
"Save me, save me." Li Qingyuan howled desperately.
"Noisy." After Song Weizhi shattered Li Qingyuan's bones, she even snapped all the tendons in his hands and feet. However, Li Qingyuan, unable to bear the torture, fainted.
"Boring. Is this not enough?" Song Weizhi coldly snorted. She directly let her demonic sword absorb Li Qingyuan's three souls and seven spirits. After a few moments, Li Qingyuan turned into ashes.