Mo Lanyi could no longer endure such humiliation, especially since the glory and attention that should have belonged to her had all been stolen by Ji Wushuang.
"Immortal Grandfather, I want her dead!"
The old ghost immortal sighed in exasperation. "This is within the sect. With your current strength, any rash action will immediately give others an excuse to target you."
"I don't care! I must kill her!"
Sensing the surging hatred in Mo Lanyi's heart, the old ghost immortal understood that her malice towards Ji Wushuang had almost taken tangible form.
If Ji Wushuang wasn't killed, it might shatter Mo Lanyi's Dao heart.
"Let's see if she leaves the sect. If she does, we can make our move."
It was unclear whether Ji Wushuang had somehow heard Mo Lanyi's inner thoughts, but she actually descended from the sect on an immortal crane.
The distance from the Hall of Teachings to the sect's foot was long. Most disciples either used the teleportation arrays or rode the sect's shuttle green birds. These small green birds required only a single spiritual herb or ten spirit pearls per ride, making them incredibly affordable.
Yet Ji Wushuang stood out. The ethereal white crane she rode soared gracefully into the sky, its plumage shimmering like clouds and mist, leaving the newly initiated disciples dumbfounded.
"My goodness..."
"That immortal crane must have been gifted to her by the sect leader, right?"
"Honestly, even though Sect Leader An dotes on her so much, I can't bring myself to feel jealous."
"Exactly..."
And why indeed could they not feel jealous?
With such exceptional talent, once her spiritual root problem was resolved, she was destined to become a pillar of the sect.
Mo Lanyi shot a cold glance at the crowd, stepped into the teleportation array, and left the sect, pursuing Ji Wushuang.
Ji Wushuang, of course, knew the old ghost was tailing her using a secret technique. She wandered leisurely through a cultivation town at the mountain's base, then used the town's teleportation array to reach the edge of the Green Sea.
The Green Sea wasn't an actual sea but a boundless and lush primeval forest.
Its name came from the fact that, regardless of the season, it remained verdant and sprawling like an ocean, endlessly vast and impenetrable.
Moreover, the Green Sea was the center of power on the entire continent.
Every sect, big or small, had teleportation arrays within this region.
As Ji Wushuang ventured deeper into the Green Sea, Mo Lanyi couldn't help but laugh gleefully. "Immortal Grandfather, this is truly a heaven-sent opportunity!"
The old ghost immortal felt uneasy at how smoothly things were progressing, especially as Ji Wushuang moved deliberately toward the Green Sea's inner perimeter, almost as though she were seeking out isolation.
But considering Ji Wushuang's reputation as an utterly useless cultivator, what could there be to fear? He brushed off his concerns.
Mo Lanyi trailed her for half a day, ensuring no one was within a hundred-mile radius. She donned a face mask of nullifying presence and summoned a pitch-black longbow—
The Soul-Destroying Bow!
A quasi-immortal weapon!
Its arrows could obliterate one's soul!
The fact that Mo Lanyi was using such a formidable weapon against Ji Wushuang showed just how deep her hatred ran—deep enough to want her utterly annihilated.
Of course, Mo Lanyi lacked the strength to draw a quasi-immortal weapon.
The one truly pulling the bowstring was the old ghost immortal.
This one shot would cost him ten to fifteen days of recovery, but there was no other choice. Ji Wushuang had become a knot in Mo Lanyi's heart—a knot that had to be untangled through death, thorough and complete!
The bowstring stretched taut.
Fully drawn.
*Zheng!*
As the arrow tore through the air, an eerie scene unfolded—Ji Wushuang vanished!
Mo Lanyi held her breath, frantically scanning her surroundings.
Where was she?
Where had she gone?!
"Are you looking for me?"
The crisp, cool voice came from behind, sending shivers down Mo Lanyi's spine. She turned, only to face Ji Wushuang, who struck with a tree branch as her sword—
That "sword" pierced through Mo Lanyi's defensive robe with ease, stabbing straight into her heart.
Blood sprayed forth as thunderous, furious roars erupted from the heavens above.
It was as though the skies were raging: *You dare to kill my Child of Fate?!*
Ji Wushuang looked indifferently at the sky. At some point, an oppressive expanse of dark clouds had blotted out the world, like a massive prison.
She showed no panic, her tone light and airy. "One who kills will always be killed. Your Child of Fate has been trying to kill me every day. Should I just sit there and let it happen? What am I, a fool?"
*Boom!!!*
Scarlet lightning tore through the void, hurtling directly at Ji Wushuang's head.
Ji Wushuang wasn't about to stick around. She bolted immediately, tossing out treasures given by her junior disciples to protect herself. Though Ji Wushuang lacked a spiritual bone and was technically a mortal, she understood survival better than anyone else.
For a mortal facing divine retribution, the punishment involved "Nine Bolts of Lightning," the lowest grade of scarlet thunder.
In other words, if she endured nine strikes, the tribulation would end.
Without the treasures her juniors had given her, no ordinary mortal could have survived even the weakest tribulation.
Let alone this scarlet thunder, so dark it seemed to carry a personal grudge.
The heavenly lightning pursued Ji Wushuang relentlessly!
She tossed out her treasures like they were worthless.
Bright flashes and loud crashes filled the sky.
If the Heavenly Dao had a face, it would have been fuming with anger.
How could this little thief have so many life-saving artifacts?!
The Dao, however, was cunning. It hid the eighth bolt within the seventh, striking both at once. The attack left Ji Wushuang singed, her hair curled, her body smoking, and her face pitch black.
Just as the Heavenly Dao thought it had finally rid itself of this troublesome thief, Ji Wushuang suddenly sat up with a scolding curse: "You underhanded cheat!"
*Rumble!*
The Heavenly Dao wanted to curse right back.
How was she still alive?!
Only one bolt remained!
The Dao was determined to annihilate her!
*Boom—*
The ninth bolt fell, scarlet lightning tinged with a trace of violet.
Violet lightning was the purest and strongest form, carrying the laws of the cosmos itself. It was a power to bridge heaven and earth, a final attempt to crush Ji Wushuang completely.
When Ji Wushuang saw the streak of violet, her eyes sparkled. A bold idea flashed through her mind.
She narrowed her eyes, picked up a tree branch, and, instead of retreating, stepped forward. With a sweeping strike—
Sword intent burst forth!
It shattered the thunderbolt with overwhelming force, obliterating everything in its path.
It tore through the forest, cleaved rivers, and split mountains.
*Rumble!*
A deep sword mark, dozens of meters wide, scarred the earth, its hum echoing endlessly.
To those untrained in the sword, merely looking at it caused excruciating pain.
To true swordsmen, it was awe-inspiring, enough to make them kneel in reverence.
For this—
Was the sword of a supreme master!
A sword nearing sainthood!
But as the sword fell, Ji Wushuang's skin cracked, blood pouring from her wounds like springs. She became a figure of crimson, her makeshift sword reduced to dust.
She didn't stop to inspect her injuries. Like a predator, she leapt into the air, snatching the wisp of violet lightning.
"Got you!"
Ji Wushuang grinned, stuffing the lightning into her mouth.
*Gulp.*
Heavenly Dao: "???"
Ji Wushuang: "Hmm... it doesn't taste very good."
Heavenly Dao: "!!!"
You just devoured my violet lightning—and you dare to complain about the taste?!
Ji Wushuang tilted her head, smiling. "The nine bolts are done. You can't punish me anymore."
The Dao fell silent, realizing its mistake.
The storm dispersed, and Ji Wushuang finally sighed in relief.
"Just using a bit of sword intent left me in this state. My body really is too weak."
The statement was absurd.
Ji Wushuang had consumed countless rare treasures and been tempered with the primordial essence stolen from the Divine Tomb.
While technically mortal, her body rivaled those of Nascent Soul cultivators.
Without such a foundation, her own sword intent would have destroyed her before the lightning did.
Closing her eyes, she felt the Heavenly Dao's violet energy within her. A radiant smile spread across her charred face. With this, she could finally rebuild her sword bones without rejection.
Indeed, from the beginning, all Ji Wushuang ever wanted was to forge new sword bones!
She cared nothing for Dao bones, celestial bones, or elemental bones—only the sword mattered.
Ji Wushuang was in a remarkably good mood. She had initially intended to go check on Mo Lanyi's body to confirm that she was truly dead, but when she looked up, she saw that the surroundings had already been reduced to a desolate silence, struck by heavenly lightning. The place was bare, not even a stone left behind, let alone a body.
The only thing left in the vast, deathly silence was the awe-inspiring sword mark of Ji Wushuang's sword intent.
Perhaps Mo Lanyi had already turned to dust in the heavens?
It made sense. After all, Ji Wushuang had pierced her heart with a single sword strike. If she could survive that, it could only mean that the Heavenly Dao was not only biased but also incredibly foolish. :)