Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 251 - 249: The Curse of Never Attaining Pure Love

After Qing Yueqiu spoke, the ruins fell silent. The only sound was the howling of the wind, stirring up dust and sand.

A moment later, Ji Shenyun's voice—cold, noble, and majestic—appeared in Qing Yueqiu's Sea of Consciousness. There was no trace of the panic and pleading she had feigned earlier.

"Junior... you are more exceptional than I imagined. For the first time, I feel the desire to take a disciple. Are you willing to take me as your master? In your era, the Mahayana realm is the pinnacle. The providence of this entire age cannot even produce a single Transcendent."

"I shall grant you a supreme ancient legacy, one that can make you the first Transcendent of this world."

Faced with Ji Shenyun's immense temptation, Qing Yueqiu answered without a moment's hesitation. "I will not take a second master in this life."

After Qing Yueqiu spoke, Ji Shenyun's voice fell silent. She seemed to have never imagined that someone would actually refuse to become her True Disciple.

'This junior... Does she have any idea what kind of opportunity she's just missed?'

During Ji Shenyun's brief silence, Qing Yueqiu was extending her Divine Sense, scanning the scene outside the ruined hall.

She discovered that the Undead wandering the area were, for some reason, converging on her location.

This was why Qing Yueqiu had not left immediately. Although she temporarily possessed world-shaking power, it was all borrowed from Ji Shenyun. She had no idea when the Empress might reclaim it.

She hadn't dropped the facade with Ji Shenyun yet because she wanted to use this Divine Power to find a safe route to the outside while she still possessed it.

The moment she found a suitable path, she would flee!

'She had figured it out now. Her love for her master was something she had to win with her own two hands. Relying on external forces was just asking for trouble. There was no point in scheming against a ten-thousand-year-old Fox Spirit like Ji Shenyun. That old vixen would never genuinely help her as she claimed!'

'This trip to Ji Shenyun's domain had allowed the Luminous Shadow Sword to feast on the Asura Empress's True Essence. She could feel the Sword Spirit within on the verge of reawakening. What's more, her own bloodline had been purified. All in all, the trip had been worth it!'

Qing Yueqiu's subtle actions did not escape Ji Shenyun's notice. Seeing that the junior intended to leave, a hint of panic crept into her icy tone.

"Wait! Don't you want to conquer that man anymore? If you miss this opportunity, you will never have another chance!"

"All those lonely, cold nights, when you can only find pitiful, humbling release by your own hand... are you not sick of it? Don't you hate yourself for being so powerless?"

"Don't you want to become a complete woman?!"

Ji Shenyun's words made Qing Yueqiu's eyes flash with crimson light. A terrifying killing intent crackled like thunder, almost taking physical form. "My past is not for an old vixen like you to pry into!"

A torrent of Spiritual Qi shook the very air. Qing Yueqiu took a single step, transforming into a streak of crimson lightning as she shot away.

'A path... I found it!'

"Just one more step! I was just one step away! Why does the Celestial Dao's providence never side with me?!"

Ji Shenyun's voice suddenly turned shrill, like the unified roar of a hundred million wraiths, shaking the very stars in the sky until they flickered and died.

"You treacherous little whelp! Did you really think my boons could be taken so easily? Get back here!"

As she shot outwards, Qing Yueqiu suddenly felt the True Essence from Ji Shenyun go berserk within her. Blood streamed from her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, and the Treasure Talismans covering her body began to spontaneously combust and shatter.

"Your power? You really think I'd covet it? Having something that isn't from my master forced inside my body... It's made me feel sick for a long time! Now, take it back!"

Qing Yueqiu activated a Forbidden Technique and began to purge the foreign True Essence from her body. As she did, her hair, once a startling blood-red like satin, gradually faded to a dazzling silver.

A writhing, scarlet mass of qi appeared in the young woman's palm. It contained Divine Power potent enough to make a Void Refining Realm Great Power drool with envy, yet Qing Yueqiu saw it as nothing but filth, preparing to cast it aside without a second thought.

"Qing Yueqiu! This is my final ultimatum! Come back and help me escape, and I will pretend this incident never occurred. My previous guarantees will still stand!"

Ji Shenyun's voice, a mixture of threat and desperation, echoed in her Sea of Consciousness.

Faintly, visions once again filled Qing Yueqiu's mind: scenes of her and her master laughing together, embracing, sharing passionate kisses. She even saw an image of herself holding an adorable baby, with her master at her side, making her smile.

This was the beautiful future Ji Shenyun had painted for her, but Qing Yueqiu... was done swallowing her empty promises.

"How I live my life with him is for me to decide! I don't need some old hag like you telling me what to do!"

Qing Yueqiu threw the True Essence aside and turned to leave.

The young woman's resolute turn snapped Ji Shenyun's final thread of hope.

Ji Shenyun's voice twisted into a demented shriek, like a cry from the Abyss that threatened to drag the entire world to the brink of collapse.

"You shameless little brat! You depraved hussy, harboring disgusting, incestuous feelings for your own master! I will not forgive you!"

"I curse you! I curse you to never obtain true, pure love!"

"From this moment on, whenever you draw near to your beloved, a murderous urge will fester in your heart! The higher your Cultivation, the deeper the urge to kill! The more you love him, the more you will suffer! I curse you to find no release for all eternity!"

"BWAHAHAHA! As I suffer in the Ice and Fire Hell, so shall you, you little hussy, suffer in the mortal realm! Savor the bitter taste of this cold loneliness!"

A streak of light suddenly peeled away from the scarlet True Essence that Qing Yueqiu had discarded, shooting toward her.

Sensing the danger, Qing Yueqiu threw out several Magical Treasures and countless Treasure Talismans. But to the scarlet streak of light, they were all as fragile as thin paper.

Layer after layer of her defenses were pierced with ease. With nowhere left to retreat, Qing Yueqiu could only watch helplessly as the light flew toward her.

"Master, no—"

...

...

"Master, stop spacing out! How long are you going to stare at Senior Sister's house?"

"Why don't you just go inside and have a look? Maybe you'll find some of Senior Sister's unwashed stockings or panties... Ouch!"

Yu Xiaoyan hadn't even finished her saucy remark before Pei Yuhang rapped her sharply on the head.

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting, you little rascal?"

"I'm Yueqiu's master. How could I do something so perverted? Besides, someone as tidy as your senior sister would never be like you, you unhygienic girl, hoarding unwashed stockings."

As Pei Yuhang spoke, his ears turned slightly red. He recalled the moment before Qing Yueqiu left when she had used "changing clothes" as an excuse to, in reality, entice him with the magnificent sight of her naked form...

'Yueqiu always dresses so primly and properly. I never realized her figure had... ripened so fully. No, this is all Yu Xiaoyan's fault! She's corrupting my thoughts again!'

Annoyed at himself, Pei Yuhang rapped Yu Xiaoyan on the head again.

"Master, what did you hit me for again?!"

"Besides, who says I don't wash my stockings? I'm very hygienic, you know! You can have a taste if you don't believe me."

Pei Yuhang raised his fist with a look of disgust, which was finally enough to scare Yu Xiaoyan into running off.

He was about to go help his senior martial sister with her cultivation, but before he left, he glanced one last time at the tightly shut door of his first disciple's home.

"Why do I have such a bad feeling? I hope nothing's actually happened to Yueqiu... No, that's unlikely. She's much stronger now than I was at her age."

Pei Yuhang thought back on the tenacious young woman he had raised, and a smile unconsciously touched his lips.

But his worry soon returned, and he muttered, "I'll go ask Elder Liu. I'll have him keep an eye out for when Yueqiu leaves the Secret Realm, check if she's injured, and make sure she gets the best treatment if she is."

"Worst case, I'll just have to spend some more time with Shang Miaoyan to pull a few strings."