"Vivian, you're awake."
Chu Lingwei opened her eyes again, two days later.
"Senior Brother, I am alright now."
Chu Lingwei offered Leng Xingzhi a grateful smile. When she was recuperating, many powerful cultivators had come to check on her, but it was Senior Brother who led them elsewhere.
"Vivian, from now on, you must never put yourself in danger again."
"Senior Brother, when did you arrive?"
Hearing her Senior Brother's words, Chu Lingwei pursed her lips. This was not something she could achieve just by wishing it; it was Mu Shuyang who had set a trap for her and lured her here.
"When you met with Mu Shuyang." Leng Xingzhi smiled and reached out, ruffling Chu Lingwei's hair. He had arrived long before, watching her fight Mu Shuyang.
"Senior Brother, you were here the whole time?" Chu Lingwei was surprised. She hadn't sensed him at all, and she believed Mu Shuyang probably hadn't discovered his presence either.
"Yes, I was here the whole time."
Leng Xingzhi wanted to see how much ability Vivian could display when facing a life-threatening danger.
"So, Senior Brother was here all along." Chu Lingwei's heart warmed. Having someone constantly protecting her from behind felt wonderful.
However, the next words from her Senior Brother made her expression darken.
"Vivian, your combat skills still need much polishing."
"Senior Brother, Mu Shuyang is an old monster who has been cultivating for who knows how many years. It's already amazing that I didn't die under his hands," Chu Lingwei retorted with displeasure. If her movements had been a little faster, she might have been able to capture him.
Leng Xingzhi chuckled softly, finding Vivian's self-awareness so clear.
"Did I say something wrong?" Chu Lingwei was a person with good self-awareness. She crossed her arms and looked at her Senior Brother.
"Indeed, Senior Brother was wrong. Vivian is very formidable." Leng Xingzhi's voice was filled with indulgence, as if saying whatever you say is right.
Chu Lingwei pouted, feeling that her Senior Brother was deliberately provoking her.
Seeing Vivian bickering with Senior Brother, the two little beasts wisely remained silent, hiding to the side.
"Senior Brother, were you held back by the Leng family?" Chu Lingwei recalled that her Senior Brother had not appeared at the town on time, and asked uncertainly.
"No." Leng Xingzhi shook his head.
"Then..." Chu Lingwei pressed.
Leng Xingzhi did not answer immediately. Seeing the concern in Vivian's eyes, he stepped forward and leaned close to her ear, whispering, "It's a good thing, really. I found a great place where I can break the shackles within my body."
"Really?" Chu Lingwei was pleasantly surprised. If this were true, then it was truly good news.
"Mmm."
Leng Xingzhi nodded with a smile, not telling Chu Lingwei that to break the eighty shackles within him, he had searched almost every corner of the Xuantian Continent.
This sudden appearance of a secret realm was not necessarily a good thing for the Xuantian Continent.
"Then when will you go?" Chu Lingwei was already getting impatient. She wanted to help her Senior Brother break free from the shackles in his body as soon as possible.
"No rush, I need to make some preparations." Every time a shackle was broken, his body would receive immense power. He had to prepare his body in advance to fully accept this power.
"Senior Brother, I will help you break the shackles in your body. You will be free." Chu Lingwei took her Senior Brother's hand, knowing that being trapped by eighty shackles must have been extremely difficult.
No one wished to be bound.
"Alright, we'll do it together."
Leng Xingzhi's gaze was fixed on the beloved woman before him. Being together with her day and night, he would be willing even if there were more shackles.
Ice Extreme Cliff.
"Mu Shuyang, what on earth happened to you?"
Mei Ji supported Mu Shuyang, unable to understand who could have injured him so severely, with his meridians completely severed.
"I'm alright," Mu Shuyang closed his eyes, leaning on Mei Ji, letting the pain in his body tear at his body and mind.
"Mu Shuyang, hurry and recuperate. Are you trying to die?" Mei Ji kept stuffing pills into Mu Shuyang's mouth. Her pills were not of high enough grade to heal him completely, only treating external injuries.
"Don't worry, I won't die."
Mu Shuyang closed his eyes, his mind replaying the scenes of his fight with Chu Lingwei.
Chu Lingwei was only a cultivator in the Huatian Realm, yet she could suppress him. Moreover, the terrifying power that erupted from her spiritual energy made his heart tremble.
Mu Shuyang clenched his fists tightly. If he had known this would happen, he should have killed Chu Lingwei at Ice Extreme Cliff back then.
"Mu Shuyang, tell me, who injured you like this?" To inflict such serious injuries on Mu Shuyang, it must have been a Grandmaster realm powerhouse from some sect.
Mei Ji couldn't understand why Mu Shuyang would provoke such people.
"Chu Lingwei."
Mu Shuyang uttered a name softly.
"Chu Lingwei?" Mei Ji didn't react immediately. After a moment of stunned silence, she understood and was shocked. "What did you say? You're saying Chu Lingwei injured you to this extent?"
How could that be?
No matter how strong Chu Lingwei was, she couldn't possibly defeat such a formidable Mu Shuyang, who could single-handedly resist eight Ghost Kings.
Mei Ji didn't believe it.
Before Mu Shuyang could reply, a surge of spiritual energy struck him, sending him crashing heavily against the ice wall behind him, and then falling to the ground.
"Mu Shuyang."
Mei Ji was horrified. This was Mu Shuyang's cave dwelling, and someone had managed to intrude.
"Who? Come out."
Leng Xingzhi walked into the ice cave, swept a cold glance over Mei Ji, then moved past her. He used his spiritual power to grab Mu Shuyang, his eyes filled with a chilling intent that seemed to solidify. Mu Shuyang's body seemed to be undergoing a slow torture, with blood oozing from every inch of his flesh.
"You dared to harm Vivian, do you know what your fate will be?"
"Leng Xingzhi?" Mu Shuyang was even more shocked at this moment.
Facing Leng Xingzhi, the top disciple of the Spiritual Cultivation Academy, he felt as if he had no chance to fight back. How was this possible?
This feeling was incomparable to his fight with Chu Lingwei.
In his fight with Chu Lingwei, he had confidence in killing her. But facing Leng Xingzhi, he couldn't even muster the strength to raise a hand. At this moment, Mu Shuyang felt like an ant facing an elephant.
And he was that ant.
How could this be?
How could Leng Xingzhi possess such terrifying power?
"A spirit beast dares to lay a hand on Vivian?" Leng Xingzhi let out a faint, cold smile. His spiritual energy slowly tightened, and Mu Shuyang's soul seemed to develop cracks, being gradually shattered.
"Leng Xingzhi, don't." Mei Ji saw this and tried to intervene, but she was repelled by a mysterious force.
"Leng Xingzhi, please, don't kill him." Mei Ji felt death approaching. She didn't want the man before her to die, not at all.
"Mu Shuyang, why did you harbor murderous intent towards her?" Leng Xingzhi paid no heed to Mei Ji's plea, his gaze piercing into Mu Shuyang's eyes, soul-capturing and spirit-shattering.