In the afterglow of the setting sun, Mu Ranwu looked at the smiling pretty girl who stood beside the tall and handsome Su Yi Shui, and a familiar mix of envy and hatred, the desire to replace her once again surging within her.
In this life, where exactly did she fall short compared to Xue Ranran! Why did even fools like Wang Suizhi and Qin Xuanjiu, who had been captivated by her, all abandoned her one after the other?
And Xue Ranran was calm and relaxed as she reclaimed everything that had belonged to her!
Thinking of this, Mu Ranwu's nails once again dug deep into her palms…
Meanwhile, within the Five Fiends Formation, the wails and screams of despair continued. Because of their different choices, their encounters were also different.
Yue Sheng counted on his considerable cultivation and a bit of cleverness. He went alone with the people from the Yiren Hall into the West Gate. In hindsight, his odds did not seem good…
Just then, the Feiyun Sect and two elders from the Kongshan sect stumbled out from the East Gate. However, they seemed poisoned, their faces had turned purple-blue.
Seeing this, the disciples from Xishan dared not assist directly by holding them, only hurriedly handing over gourds filled with detoxifying pills and water bags.
After the elders have taken the detoxifying pills and spat out black blood in meditation, they regained their composure enough to explain what had happened. They had entered the Mosquito Mirage Formation. The mosquitoes' stingers were filled with potent venom, and they also suffered a depletion of their cultivation, barely managing to escape.
As for the other formation gates where no one had come out yet, including the renowned Jiuhua Sect, it seemed like they were completely annihilated, with not a single person emerging.
The once prestigious Jiuhua Sect, as the foremost of the Three Great Sects, was now on an unstoppable decline…
At this moment, there was movement at the West Gate as well. A person staggered and fell out.
It was Old Feng, blood streaming from his eyes, seemingly blinded. He crawled and rolled on the ground, wailing in agony. Also stumbling out was Yue Sheng, his right arm severed, likely never to wield a sword with his exquisite skill again.
It turned out they had entered the Mirage Shadow Formation. When Old Feng initially used his Yin-Yang Eyes to inspect, he saw no terrifying creatures inside, so he chose that location.
His eyesight was accurate. Indeed, there were no demonic entities like in the other four formations.
However, what he had never anticipated was that the most terrifying aspect of this formation was the people who entered it.
Upon entering, the formation's qi would enhance everyone's potential to the maximum while also amplifying their greed. As they turned against each other, they could absorb each other's abilities and qi. If they could slaughter everyone inside, the cultivation gained in half a day within the formation could rival that of many experts' lifetimes.
Old Feng's pride, his Yin-Yang Eyes, became the coveted ability of everyone inside.
In short, the Mirage Shadow Formation was adept at confusing the mind, inciting those inside to kill each other. When they lost what was most precious to them, they could leave the formation.
Old Feng lost his eyesight from Yue Sheng's attack, and Yue Sheng was disfigured and lost his right arm due to Old Feng.
But when they came out, the cultivation and qi they had gained inside the formation dissipated like a deflating balloon, leaving them with nothing.
These two men suddenly awoke as if from a dream, unable to comprehend why they had lost their sanity inside the formation and crazily turned against each other. In the end, it was all for naught, like water poured into a bamboo basket, a fruitless endeavor.
Watching her disfigured and disabled junior brother rolling on the ground in pain and tears, Ranran hurriedly joined others in bandaging him.
However, she couldn't muster any sympathy for this junior. If he hadn't been so foolish as to rush into the West Gate, he wouldn't have ended up like this.
Yue Sheng was now clearly unable to continue on their journey. So, Shen Kuo who had a close relationship with him, spoke up, volunteering to stay behind on the mountain to take care of his junior brother until their master returned.
With this arrangement, the only ones to remain uninjured to reach the main gate of Crimson Gate, were the group from Xishan, Mu Ranwu's group, along with a few recovered elders from Kongshan and Feiyun.
Tu Jiuyuan had already been standing at the entrance to "welcome" the guests who had come from afar.
Wei Jiu had kept his promise; anyone who passed through the Evil Formation would be warmly welcomed.
As they entered Crimson Gate, drinks and food were already laid out in the main hall. Wei Jiu, clad in a lavish black robe, sat at the high seat to greet the Xishan group.
When he had set up the Five Fiends Formation earlier, he sat atop Red Flame Mountain, watching the tumultuous formations below with a leisurely swish of his wine cup, biding his time.
The fact that the people from Xishan chose the seemingly most dangerous north gate greatly surprised Wei Jiu. Anyone with a bit of sense could see the peril of the north gate. Unfortunately, Xue Ranran had foolishly followed Su Yi Shui into danger, and Wei Jiu wondered if they would safely make it out.
Thinking of the letter the brat had sent him with just one "get lost" written in it, Wei Jiu seethed with anger every time he recalled it.
The girl had rejected him repeatedly, not knowing her place. It served her right to suffer a bit! Otherwise, she wouldn't know how lenient he had been with her.
Although Wei jiu felt his hatred slaked when he thought that Xue Ranran could die gruesomely in the formation, seeing them emerge alive still made him breathe a sigh of relief for her.
Even though she did not have him in her heart, if she had died in the formation, it would have been still somewhat regrettable for Wei Jiu. If she were to die… she should die by his hand!
Wei Jiu didn't realize at all how twisted his thoughts had become, just chuckling darkly as he eyed Xue Ranran who seemed to have become even more beautiful .
Ranran hadn't expected *a grand feast after the harrowing Five Fiends Formation. She wondered about the meaning behind Wei Jiu's hospitality.
*鸿门宴 不怀好意,居心不良的邀宴,比喻想要加害客人的宴会
Wei Jiu lazily said, "We had some unpleasantness with Xishan due to the Spirit Spring incident before. However, with the influx of Netherworld creatures and chaos in the world, my Crimson Gate sect naturally can't stay out of it. While the rumors of the Tempering Flame being on Red Flame Mountain are rife, I've never seen it for myself. The Five Fiends Formation earlier was also a test of your strength; otherwise, if anyone and everyone could enter my gates, wouldn't that be too chaotic?"
The elders of Feiyun Sect had mostly purged the mosquito poison completely by now. Hearing Wei Jiu's words and remembering their disciples lost in the formation, they gritted their teeth in anger and asked in a hard voice, "So, does Excellency Wei mean that you agree to let us take the Tempering Flame?"
Wei Jiu's face, usually soft and gentle, now bore a sly smile. "I agree, but the premise is that after finding the Tempering Flame, you must have the ability to take it away!"
He had hidden meanings in his words, leisurely assessing everyone present but showing clear intentions of a temporary ceasefire.
The people who arrived here originally thought they would have to do another fierce battle with the Crimson Gate people, but they didn't expect Wei Jiu to be so accommodating. For a moment, they were somewhat skeptical, unsure of what schemes this demonic leader had in mind.
However, Wei Jiu courteously arranged rooms for them and allowed them to search for the Tempering Flame on the hottest back mountain of Red Flame Mountain the following day.
But the people going up the mountain clearly didn't want to stay at the main hall of Crimson Gate. Instead, they directly went to camp at the back mountain. Although it was hotter there, without the shelter of the courtyard walls, they could watch out for each other for any ambushes from the Crimson Gate people with a few people in formation.
After these guests have dispersed, Tu Jiuyuan quietly asked, "Your Excellency, are you really letting them search everywhere on Red Flame Mountain? The Netherworld creatures causing chaos in the world have nothing to do with us?"
Wei Jiu snorted coldly, "Elder Tu, what do you think about the temperature on the mountain this year?"
Tu Jiuyuan thought for a moment and replied, "Compared to the year before, it seems much hotter…"
Wei Jiu narrowed his eyes, "Although my Crimson Gate belongs to fire, my disciples are not barbecued meat. If Red Flame Mountain continues to rise in temperature like this, my Crimson Gate will have to abandon its century-old foundation and rare martial sanctum. If I'm not mistaken, it must be the Tempering Flame causing the continuous rise in temperature on Red Flame Mountain. So, it's best if they can help me find this thing. When the time comes, I'll take it for myself, and the world will have to rely on us, Crimson Gate, for peace…"
Tu Jiuyuan understood Wei Jiu's hidden agenda of the praying mantis catching cicadas, with the oriole lurking behind.
And the Five Fiends Formation he set up was also to sift out usable talents while also weakening the strength of the righteous path. Even if they found the Tempering Flame, they would be outnumbered and unable to prevent Crimson Gate from taking advantage.
By that time, Crimson Gate could reap the benefits.
However, it greatly surprised Tu Jiuyuan that the West Mountain faction only had one disciple who got injured and the others managed to ascend the mountain unscathed.
Thinking of Xue Ranran, Tu Jiuyuan touched the wound that had not yet healed in her chest, feeling a complex mix of emotions.
She was an orphan, adopted by Crimson Gate since childhood, with her hands already stained with countless kills. In spite of her ruthless nature, she never liked owing anything to anyone, especially not favors or debts of gratitude.
Back in the Netherworld, if it wasn't for Xue Ranran's help, she would have died there, never to be reincarnated.
This debt of gratitude had to be repaid at some point. Thinking of this, Tu Jiuyuan left the hall, called a servant, and ordered them to prepare more ice water to be sent to the West Mountain group on the back mountain. It would seem too out of the ordinary if she only gave it to Xue Ranran, possibly arousing unnecessary suspicion from Wei Jiu, so Tu Jiuyuan decided to extend her hospitality to all, sending everyone ice water to cool down with.
Tu Jiuyuan sighed. Red Flame Mountain was indeed too hot, and that delicate-looking girl must be finding the scorching heat unbearable right now…
Xue Ranran was indeed feeling very hot, envying her fellow disciples who could go shirtless.
By the time they reached the back mountain, she had already removed her outer robe, leaving only a thin shirt. Even so, she earnestly considered if she was able to remove another layer.
However, after a while, she felt a refreshing chill. Turning her head, she saw that Su Yi Shui had sat next to her at some point and had quite naturally created a spiritual shield with his true qi, keeping the waves of scorching heat outside.
He still wore his long robes and crown, looking neat and composed, not a single bead of sweat on his forehead.
Ranran didn't dare to casually use her true qi now, certainly not to indulge in such extravagance. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled gratefully at her master.
Seeing the glistening sweat on Ranran's fair skin, her thin shirt soaked through, accentuating her slender figure, Su Yi Shui suddenly felt flustered.
Feeling the temperature inside the spiritual shield rise, making her sweat slightly again, she couldn't help but say, "Shifu, you should retract the shield. The temperature inside is not much different from the outside…"
Reminded by Ranran, Su Yi Shui reluctantly moved his gaze away from her sweaty face and focused on channeling his true qi again, and so the temperature inside the shield suddenly dropped significantly again.
Before long, several buckets of ice water with ice were delivered by Crimson Gate's servants.
Wei Jiu was one who knew how to enjoy life. He used a spiritual shield to create an ice cave, so even if Red Flame Mountain was scorching hot, there was still cold water to drink.
Qiu Xier didn't know that this was Tu Jiuyuan repaying Xue Ranran's life-saving favor and specially ordered the ice water. She thought it was Wei Jiu being attentive to Xue Ranran once again.
Back then, Wei Jiu had sent so many things to West Mountain! So Qiu Xier stared blankly at Xue Ranran and asked, "I thought Wei Jiu had given up on you. Why is he sending ice water to bother you again? You shouldn't drink the water he sent!"
Su Yi Shui turned his head slightly and asked Xue Ranran, "That Wei Jiu pestered you?"
Ranran thought about it and felt that Wei Jiu wasn't really pestering her. That Demon Lord cared about his dignity a lot; after bumping into walls too many times, he wouldn't deliberately seek to be snubbed again.
So she asked the servant who brought the water who had ordered it.
The servant replied, "Elder Tu said that all guests are treated equally, so we prepared some ice water to cool you down."
Sure enough, soon after, the disciples from Kongshan and Feiyun, as well as Mu Ranwu's group, all received ice water, treating everyone equally.
Ranran didn't ask any further. However, she couldn't help but think of Tu Jiuyuan.
When Ranran was about to leave the main hall, she murmured that having ice water would be nice, and Tu Jiuyuan had glanced at her then… If that was the case, Tu Jiuyuan was also a person of character…
After Su Yishui finished asking his question and waited for a while, but did not get a response from Ranran, he noticed that she had started daydreaming, with a faint smile on her lips.
Could it be that Wei Jiu's small attentions and consideration had moved the young girl's heart and made her think of him so easily?
Thinking of Mu Ranwu in the past life, who had also seemed easily seduced, Su Yi Shui's heart sank, an unfamiliar sour feeling rising gradually in him.
He suddenly remembered that Ranran had mentioned she had someone in her heart, and it was a narrow-minded man with a bad character.
Back then, Su Yi Shui was still thinking, could there really be such an annoying man in the world?
But now, he had an epiphany. Could it be… that the man this girl said that everyone thought was bad… is the demonic cultivator Wei Jiu?
At this moment, he wasn't thinking about whether Ranran would betray them on the battlefield but rather felt a stifling sensation rising within him. No matter how he suppressed it, it couldn't be suppressed—after all, she was also his disciple in this life. How could she be so naive and inexperienced? Just anyone could enchant her so completely!
"…That Wei Jiu might be rather good-looking, but he lacks the demeanor of a man. You've not seen too many men, don't be deceived by mere sweet words."
Thinking of this, Su Yi Shui who rarely put on the airs of a master, now lectured his disciple in a stern manner.
Ranran didn't understand why Wei Jiu was suddenly mentioned. She didn't dare to drink the iced water, she just moved it closer to fan herself and cool down. But she couldn't agree with her Shifu's sudden comment. She didn't think she had seen too few men, so she replied in a small voice, "Who said I've seen few men? At least you look more handsome than Wei Jiu…"
Su Yi Shui usually hated it when others commented on his appearance, but when this young girl earnestly said with widened eyes, that he looked more handsome than Wei Jiu, he suddenly felt very pleased.
So the temperature inside the spiritual shield turned icy cold again, and there was no need for that bucket of iced water!
The next day, before the sun had risen, the temperature on Red Flame Mountain had dropped slightly, and everyone discussed taking advantage of this to search for the Tempering Flame.
Great battles by Dun Tian had raged here before, and the rugged rocks bore traces of the fierce fights from that time.
For example, the only river valley on Red Flame Mountain seemed to have been created by a massive spiritual force.
As everyone began their search, Wei Jiu also appeared. He stood at the edge of a cliff, silently watching the expressionless guards around Mu Ranwu for a while before suddenly speaking, "She's even gotten involved with the Fan Tian Sect. Dim-witted yet wants to play with eagles… not afraid of being pecked in the eyes by the eagles, interesting!"
At that moment, he saw Xue Ranran standing beside Su Yi Shui. Xue Ranran seemed to be saying something, but the man beside her remained unsmiling, and it seemed that she was being given the cold shoulder.
Seeing Ranran feeling ill at ease, Wei Jiu, after so many days, finally felt a rare sense of satisfaction. So, it was not in vain that he had cooperated with the Fan Tian Sect back then, exchanging the ancient text for Elder Jiu.
The Soul-Cleansing Talisman was truly marvelous!
Wei Jiu decided to add fuel to the fire and make Xue Ranran's days in Xishan more unbearable. So he instructed an attendant to hold a large umbrella and he gracefully descended from the cliff, standing in front of Su Yi Shui with a smiling expression.
"Why, are you still letting this girl stay by your side? I seem to remember you hated her so much in her past life?"
Xue Ranran suddenly raised her head, immediately understanding what Wei Jiu was getting at.
Just now, she just had a fight with Shifu. She had clearly urged him not to replenish true qi for her again. But last night, while she was asleep, Su Yi Shui had still transferred a considerable amount of true qi to her.
After this morning's meditation, when he, who had always been strong and vigorous, got up, his legs unexpectedly gave out, causing Ranran's heart to ache when she saw this.
So she had just solemnly "warned" her Shifu that if he transferred qi again, she wouldn't hesitate to leave without a word, seeking a corner to die alone.
Su Yi Shui's face also turned cold as he said sullenly, "Xue Ranran, you've grown quite audacious, daring to threaten me? You have the aura of my golden core on you; even if you hide in a dung heap, I can still drag you out!"
So the master and disciple coldly ignored each other, and did not speak to each other.
Just then, Wei Jiu, dressed in black robes like a crow, suddenly descended from the sky, chattering endlessly.
Before he could speak any further, Ranran had already rushed in front of Su Yi Shui, and said warily, "Lord Wei, please step aside. Your presence here is making my compass unstable."
Wei Jiu naturally understood that she wanted to silence him. The feeling of finally having the little girl in his control was too enjoyable!
He then lowered his voice deliberately and raised his eyebrows, saying, "What? Is it your compass that's unstable, or is it your heart that's too scared to move? Oh right, you still don't know how much your master hated Mu Qingge back then! He really wished for an arrow to pierce her heart… Ah, damn it… Su, you actually sneak attacked!"
Wei Jiu didn't know that his deliberate intimidation of Xue Ranran, as seen by the person who was under the soul-cleansing talisman effect, had appeared like a ruffian harassing a beautiful respectable lady.
Wei Jiu was actually so arrogant, that he would shamelessly tease his disciple right in front of him.
Su Yi Shui had never taken Wei Jiu seriously, so he raised his hand and launched a thunderous attack at Wei Jiu.
Wei Jiu was a bit arrogant on his own turf, and they had just agreed to a truce yesterday. He didn't expect Su Yi Shui to turn hostile so quickly and he narrowly missed being struck by the lightning.
"Stay away from my disciple, or don't blame me for being rude!" After retracting the thunderbolt attack, Su Yi Shui warned him lightly.
Ranran saw the twisted smile of anger on Wei Jiu's face and thought to herself, "This is bad, it looks like this lunatic won't keep his mouth shut now…"
Sure enough, Wei Jiu sneered and decided to stir up a big hornet's nest for the master and disciple from Xishan, saying, "What disciple? Have you been brainwashed by the Soul-Cleansing Talisman? She's undoubtedly your Master! Haven't you discovered, that Xue Ranran is actually the reincarnation of Mu Qingge?!"
His words were like a thunderbolt, causing everyone present to look at him in astonishment.
At first, Mu Ranwu was a bit confused about what was happening, but when Wei Jiu mentioned the "Soul-Cleansing Talisman," she suddenly realized what he was up to.
So Su Yi Shui had been ambushed by Wei Jiu, who erased his memories of affection for her sister… Of course she knew how much Su Yi Shui used to hate her sister. If Su Yi Shui had returned to his former self, it would be quite… interesting!
So, even though Wei Jiu had just revealed the secret that Mu Ranwu had been desperately hiding, Mu Ranwu was feeling extremely ecstatic. The people she had brought were all from the Fan Tian Sect, with none of those foolish loyal disciples, so it didn't matter if she admitted to this.
When she saw that Su Yi Shui seemed to not believe Wei Jiu's words, she calmly said, "Big sister, why haven't you told Yi Shui the truth? You're the reincarnation of Mu Qingge, but in order to stay by Su Yi Shui's side, you exchanged identities with me and pretended to be an inexperienced young girl… Your obsessive dedication is truly admirable, even to me, your sister!"
Ranran knew that Mu Ranwu was talking nonsense, but her choice of words was deliberately aimed at provoking Su Yi Shui's raw nerves .
Su Yi Shui had always hated Mu Qingge's *persistent pursuit of him in the past, when she forced him to become her disciple and also teased him from time to time.
*死缠烂打 persistent pursuit/harassment
If Su Yi Shui misunderstood and thought that Ranran was pretending to be Mu Ranwu to continue pursuing him… then given Su Yi Shui's current ferocious nature, he would definitely tear her apart and dip her in sauce…
But now was not the time to desperately shout, "Please listen to my explanation" so Ranran decided not to waste time on useless things. She simply and clearly channeled a message to Su Yi Shui, whose eyes were gradually turning red as he stared at her, "There are urgent matters at hand. It doesn't matter who I am. Right now, we need to find the Tempering Flame and Elder Jiu. Once you regain your memories, I will leave it to your discretion on how to deal with me…"
Su Yi Shui was actually waiting for this girl to explain herself. As long as she was willing to give an explanation, no matter how absurd her words were, he was willing to believe her for now.
But he didn't expect that this girl would readily agree with Wei Jiu's nonsense. She said she would leave it to his discretion? This was indirectly admitting that she… was the reincarnation of Mu Qingge!
Just the thought that he had actually fallen for this female demoness, even without the possession of the Spirit Spring, was enough to make the eyes of the once demon's son turn red.