The Heaven Sealing Lock formed out of the Icy Silkworm had already frozen her meridians into ice. Just the very attempt to move her zhenqi would cause unbearable pain to engulf her body, causing strength to swiftly recede from her body. If she forcefully continued after that, her meridians would swiftly collapse, and the damage that she sustained would really be irrecoverable. In the worst-case scenario, she might even lose her life.
The reason You Ruoxin had planted something so vile in Zhao Ya in the first place was to strip her of her choices. As long as she refused to succumb and awaken her unique constitution, she would be constantly placed in a state of suffering. On the other hand, as long as she chose to submit, she would be able to become a top expert in an instant!
Which the better option was, surely any rational person would be able to tell.
But… this lass would rather take the suffering than choose what would have been better for her and the entire Glacier Plain Court! This had left her feeling extremely enraged. She had intended to lock her up for just a few days to make her change her mind, but she never would have thought that someone would actually break her out.
Who in the world is that person?
Is he so important to you that you would even give up even your life for him?
At this point, You Ruoxin did not pay any attention to the person impersonating Yang shi. She quickly rushed forward to strike down on Zhao Ya with her palm.
“Stop it!”
A powerful surge of energy swiftly covered Zhao Ya’s body, suppressing her flow of zhenqi entirely.
Hong long!
However, Zhao Ya had already resolved herself for death, such that even You Ruoxin found herself unable to suppress her zhenqi. The latter swiftly suffered a rebound, causing blood to trickle down the corner of her lips.
“Are you insane!” You Ruoxin’s head nearly exploded.
She had known this young lady for half a year now, and the latter had always treated her earnestly and respectfully. No matter what she demanded of the young lady, the young lady would always follow her instructions without any hesitation. Just what in the world happened for the young lady to defy her even at the expense of her life?
She raised her head to the sky, and when she saw Zhang Xuan’s true face, she could not help but jolt in astonishment.
“He’s actually this young! Could he be…” You Ruoxin narrowed her eyes as something clutched her heart tightly. “Could he be… Zhang Xuan?”
Over the past half a year, she had managed to understand Zhao Ya’s character, and she knew that the young lady’s teacher was her breaking point. She would allow no harm to come to her teacher, and she would make anyone who dared touch him pay dearly!
Considering the current situation, there was no doubt that the young man was indeed her teacher!
“Scram!”
While You Ruoxin’s mind was wandering, she heard the young lady’s furious shriek exploding in her ears. The next moment, her chest caved in, and a powerful might sent her flying.
She tumbled in the air as fresh blood spurted forth from her lips.
Suppressing the jolted zhenqi, You Ruoxin forcefully stabilized her body as she howled at the young lady from a distance away. “Your meridians will shatter, don’t!”
To use her strength in her current state was no different from suicide!
Pu!
As expected, as soon as the First Elder was sent flying, Zhao Ya seemed to have reached the limits of her body as well. Her face reddened, and blood spewed out from her mouth. Her body trembled weakly, and it seemed as if she would collapse to the ground at any moment.
Yet, she remained firmly standing. She walked over toward Zhang Xuan’s body, placed her palm on his body, and sent her zhenqi into his body to help him recover. Gazing at the young man lying in front of her with gentle eyes, she muttered with a voice filled with worry, “Teacher, nothing can happen to you. I’ll protect you, so you have to be fine…”
“Y-y-you… Do you want to die!” You Ruoxin roared as she rushed forward to stop her, only to be impeded by the powerful bursts of energy that the young lady was emanating.
Finding that she was unable to get close, she could not help but feel even more anxious.
In the first place, the young lady’s act of forcefully using her zhenqi had already caused her meridians to collapse, but despite that, she was still expending her zhenqi to help another. This was tantamount to suicide!
“She’s planning on burning herself dry to save her teacher…” Elder Qu walked to You Ruoxin’s side as he looked at the sight with clenched fists.
He had thought that the other party was the head of the Poison Hall or perhaps even an Otherworldly Demon pretending to be a human. However, contrary to his expectations, the other party was only a weak cultivator putting on a disguise!
If he had known that the other party was that weak, he never would have launched such a powerful attack.
…
In his semi-conscious state, Zhang Xuan could vaguely feel Zhao Ya pumping her strength into his body. Shocked, he was jolted awake. He opened his eyes and saw the pale-faced Zhao Ya looking down on him with a satisfied smile on her lips.
“Teacher, you have finally awakened. I’m… relieved…” After saying those words, her drooping eyelids finally shut as she fell to the ground.
She had always stood tall and valiant, but at that moment, she appeared so frail and helpless.
“Zhao Ya!” Understanding what was going on, Zhang Xuan screamed in horror.
He hurriedly got up and placed his palm on her hands.
Hong long!
Without any reservation, he furiously drove all of the Heaven’s Path zhenqi that he could muster into her body.
But the moment his zhenqi entered her body, his body stiffened as if someone had poured a pail of cold water over him.
The young lady’s previously frozen meridians had all shattered into nothingness. In other words, even if she could be treated, she would remain a cripple for life!
She would no longer be a cultivator anymore.
“Nooo!” Zhang Xuan roared.
She had spent her entire life cultivating, taking a step at a time toward the top. If she really became a cripple, her reason for living would be completely destroyed. There was no way that she would be able to accept such an outcome.
Without Zhao Ya’s zhenqi forcing them back anymore, You Ruoxin stepped forward, and upon seeing the state Zhao Ya was in, she shouted furiously, “Let go of Zhao Ya!”
“You… You are the culprit… The entire Glacier Plain Court is the culprit!”
Hugging the young lady’s body tightly in his embrace, Zhang Xuan slowly got to his feet as he stared at You Ruoxin and Elder Qu with crimson eyes filled with hatred.
The reason he had sent Zhao Ya to the Glacier Plain Court was so that she could awaken her unique bloodline swiftly and come to be independent. If he had known that the Glacier Plain Court would treat his beloved student in such a manner, resorting to such callous means to force her to do something against her will, he never would have agreed to it, even at the expense of his life!
When he first saw Zhao Ya’s frozen meridians and the suffering that she was in, he should have just toughened his heart and taught the Glacier Plain Court a lesson. It was his hesitation that had led to this tragedy.
“I have always said that if anything happened to my student, I would eradicate the Glacier Plain Court,” Zhang Xuan said with an utterly cold voice, almost as if a demon that had walked out of the depths of hell.
Back then, when Liu Xuan took Zhao Ya away, he had said that if he ever found that Zhao Ya had suffered any grievances due to them, he would eradicate the entire Glacier Plain Court.
Since you view Zhao Ya as nothing more than a tool to further your Glacier Plain Court, not hesitating in the least to put her through great suffering so as to achieve your own goals, what else do I have to hesitate over?
Seeing the deranged state that the young man before him was in, Elder Qu howled out a threat. “You are Zhang Xuan, right? As a talented master teacher who has successfully overcome the Tower of Master Teachers, you have a bright future ahead of you. You’d better not act recklessly. Since the Master Teacher Pavilion is able to bestow you with prestige and honor, it’s also able to take it away and turn you into a sinner wanted throughout the Master Teacher Continent…”
He had a rough idea about the situation concerning Zhao Ya, and since You Ruoxin was able to figure out the identity of the young man, there was no reason he would not be able to do so.
Zhang Xuan was indeed tremendously talented; master teachers of his caliber were rarely seen even in the entire history of the Sanctum of Sages. Was he really going to give up on the bright future ahead of him just like that?
“Master teacher? Hah! Hahaha! Well said, Qu Buping! A master teacher should follow rules, isn’t that so? Very well then! Today, I am not a master teacher but her teacher! I’m going to redress her grievances and avenge her!”
Zhang Xuan grabbed the master teacher robe on him and ripped it apart as he sneered maniacally.
All along, he had tried his best to remain in line due to the many rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion, but from that day… that would not be the case anymore!
Regardless of what happened, he would avenge Zhao Ya!
