Chapter 29
Mu Xiaoxiao went missing.
From yesterday until now, Xiao He hadn't seen her return and didn't dare to report it to Zhou Yan. He went directly to Wenshi Hall and found Ma Huaizhen.
And yesterday, Mu Xiaoxiao's last meeting before her disappearance was with Qiao Wan.
Qiao Wan's waist token buzzed and when she opened it, there were only eight concise words.
"Come here, your elder martial sister has gone missing."
When Qiao Wan arrived at Wenshi Hall, she saw Ma Huaizhen in a wheelchair, with a sullen face and an impatient expression.
"I haven't told Zhou Yan about this yet. What happened between you and your elder martial sister?" Ma Huaizhen asked.
Qiao Wan was a bit lost. She did see Mu Xiaoxiao yesterday. Mu Xiaoxiao had come to find her, but the conversation mainly revolved around Ma Huaizhen.
Qiao Wan glanced at the gloomy figure in the wheelchair and hesitated to speak.
With a melancholic tone, Ma Huaizhen asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Qiao Wan replied, "I think your involvement might have something to do with my elder martial sister's disappearance."
Ma Huaizhen said, "Tell me." Qiao Wan confessed honestly.
Ma Huaizhen was shocked. And after the shock, he couldn't ask anything about it, so he frowned and waved his hand to chase her away.
Qiao Wan was a little confused.
How could Mu Xiaoxiao disappear out of the blue?
As she walked, she thought. Suddenly, she had a sudden realization. Her heart skipped a beat, and she remembered something.
In the original book "Immortal Ascending Road," there was indeed a plot where Mu Xiaoxiao went missing.
Moreover, this plot was closely related to Qiao Wan; she couldn't escape from it.
Mu Xiaoxiao's disappearance was the most important plot in her return to Kunshan.
Qiao Wan, the supporting role, harbored resentment towards the female lead, Mu Xiaoxiao, after her return. However, due to Zhou Yan and Feng Wangyan, she never had the opportunity to harm Mu Xiaoxiao directly and could only occasionally cause some trouble.
As the saying goes, when you don't explode in anger, you'll become crazy in silence.
Seeing Mu Xiaoxiao's triumphant return, she was showered with countless praises.
Qiao Wan couldn't sit back anymore. She came up with a plan to trick Mu Xiaoxiao into going to the Mudstone Secret Realm in Kunshan.
The Mudstone Secret Realm was a small secret realm that was discovered in Kunshan a few years ago. After a small hill collapsed, a small cave appeared underground. Although the Mudstone Secret Realm was rich in spiritual energy, it was also filled with demonic energy. There were not many plants in the secret realm, but there were many fierce beasts and monsters.
Due to the dense demonic energy and the lack of suitability for disciples to train there, Kunshan sealed off the secret realm and didn't allow disciples to enter easily. The secret realm didn't produce anything valuable, and the input didn't match the output. Even if Kunshan didn't seal it off, not many disciples would be willing to invest their time and energy into it.
Qiao Wan believed that if Mu Xiaoxiao entered the Mudstone Secret Realm alone, she would most likely meet her end there.
But the female lead was the female lead after all; secret realms like this were meant for the main character to find rare treasures, spiritual elixirs, and secret techniques for spirit beasts.
After Mu Xiaoxiao entered, she not only didn't die but also encountered a rare spiritual beast, Snow Rock Fox, and formed a blood contract with it.
The possessive and beautiful Snow Rock Fox became a member of Mu Xiaoxiao's powerful team.
At first, this wasn't a problem, but the problem arose when Mu Xiaoxiao was seriously injured and lost her memory in the Mudstone Secret Realm.
Yes, it was Qiao Wan's doing.
After Mu Xiaoxiao disappeared, Wenshi Hall sent a team to search for her. Qiao Wan was also part of this search team and took the opportunity to attack Mu Xiaoxiao.
This was also the trigger that eventually led to Qiao Wan being kicked out of the sect and manipulated by Pei Chunzheng to be devoured by demons.
Yesterday, when Mu Xiaoxiao came to find her, she asked about the Mudstone Secret Realm.
There were so many secret realms in this world, and she couldn't remember the small Mudstone Secret Realm mentioned in the book. But she told Mu Xiaoxiao the location of the Mudstone Secret Realm.
Qiao Wan squatted down and silently hugged her head.
Damn it, these past few days, she had been so focused on cultivating with Gan Nan and Ciji that she completely forgot that this was a world from a book.
She had a premonition that the climax was approaching.
Qiao Wan sat patiently outside the entrance of Wenshi Hall for about half a joss stick’s time, when a disciple called her in and Ma Huaizhen approached her. The matter of Mu Xiaoxiao’s disappearance had to be kept secret from Zhou Yan for now, and the same went for Feng Wangyan. Otherwise, it would surely disturb their peace.
Lu Pihan couldn’t go either. His body wouldn’t be able to handle the demonic energy in Mudstone Secret Realm. He didn’t want to delay his training for Mu Xiaoxiao. Plus, the Annual Cultivation Conference was coming up soon, and he had to represent Kunshan.
But Mu Xiaoxiao was Zhou Yan’s disciple, a disciple of Kunshan, and they couldn’t just let her be missing. Wenshi Hall had to take responsibility and take action.
Thinking about this, Ma Huaizhen got angry and silently raised his left hand to hit the wheelchair. But then he remembered that he had lost his left hand already, which made him even more frustrated.
When Qiao Wan arrived at Wenshi Hall, there were already quite a few people gathered there. Not only her, but Pei Chunzheng and Xiao Boyang were also there, along with some other disciples who often ran missions for Wenshi Hall. They were all familiar faces.
As soon as Qiao Wan entered Wenshi Hall, she met the gaze of Pei Chunzheng. The young man’s eyes fell on the dragon scale at the corner of her eye and then moved away.
Ma Huaizhen asked, "Is everyone here?"
"Yuan Liu and the others haven’t arrived yet," answered one disciple named Cheng Li.
Shortly after, a group of big men arrived at the entrance of Wenshi Hall. Their heavy footsteps seemed like they had just returned from the battlefield, carrying a bloody and fierce aura that made them look quite intimidating.
They were the "Dark Division" of Wenshi Hall.
Qiao Wan glanced at the leader of the group, a blade cultivator carrying a large sword. He had a square face, a scarred face, and half of his lips were torn, making him look like a bloody knife. He seemed somewhat familiar to her, but she couldn’t recall where she had seen him before.
Ma Huaizhen wasted no time and quickly briefed them on the situation. Yuan Liu would lead the team into Mudstone Secret Realm. Mu Xiaoxiao had entered yesterday but went missing today, and Xiao He was the one who discovered it. With her injuries still healing and lingering toxins, she could be in danger.
Yuan Liu scanned the people inside Wenshi Hall and asked Ma Huaizhen, "Hall Master, can I check their cultivation levels before we go in?"
"Go ahead," replied Ma Huaizhen.
Following Ma Huaizhen’s order, Yuan Liu gave his command, and the members of the Dark Division began to check the cultivation levels of the others.
Yuan Liu walked around with his large sword, and as he passed by Qiao Wan, he suddenly turned back and looked at her closely. Qiao Wan stared back without any expression.
She was a slender girl with a fair complexion, without a single scar. She appeared to have grown up in a privileged environment.
Yuan Liu frowned.
This person seemed strangely familiar, and he had a bad feeling about her.
He couldn’t quite remember where he had seen her before, but for some reason, she annoyed him.
"You," said Yuan Liu, "come over here and spar with me. If you can withstand my attacks for ten moves, then you can join us."
Qiao Wan promptly stepped forward and said, "Sure, please teach me, senior."
She maintained a confident attitude, her dark eyes showing no signs of fear or hesitation.
Yuan Liu, on the other hand, was surprised.
He definitely had seen this person somewhere before!!
Unable to figure it out, Yuan Liu swiftly drew his big knife from his back, bringing a gust of bloodthirstiness with it.
Let's fight first, perhaps fighting will help me remember.
Yuan Liu raised his knife and said, "Out of respect for our shared martial arts brotherhood, I'll let you make the first move."
Qiao Wan asked, "Really?"
Yuan Liu sneered, "Would I lie to you?"
Qiao Wan made the first move.
Without hesitating, she launched an aggressive attack on Yuan Liu.
She rolled up her sleeve, revealing a solid forearm.
Yuan Liu raised an eyebrow, momentarily surprised.
Huh, I didn't expect her to look a bit slim, but when she rolled up her sleeves, there was actually some flesh there.
She and Yuan Liu assumed fighting stances, and both Wenshi Hall and Pei Chunzheng were surprised to see how they started fighting.
Qiao Wan had only recently learned iron sand palm from Ciji, but she hadn't yet used it in actual combat. This time, she wanted to try it out first.
Unlike most people's first moves, which are meant to test the opponent's strength, Qiao Wan didn't hold back with Yuan Liu. She used the subtle footwork of the Miao Wei step and immediately aimed for the man's waist.
Xiao Boyang's eye twitched.
He had the feeling that the fight she had with Ciji under Changhong Cliff had triggered something extraordinary within Qiao Wan's body.
Yuan Liu also didn't expect her to be so fierce and ruthless. He leaned back and raised his big knife to block.
"Bang——"
The knife edge met the palm with a dull sound.
This strike missed, and Qiao Wan quickly leaped back, changing direction to aim her attack at the man's lower body.
Just one move, and the pace on the field had become so intense that it was almost suffocating.
Yuan Liu swung his big knife with a commanding presence, the sharp knife wind mixed with a hint of bloodthirstiness, forming an impenetrable net of blades that made it difficult for anyone to approach.
Pei Chunzheng couldn't help but furrow his brow.
Qiao Wan's cultivation had improved considerably.
As the young girl moved and dodged, her ponytail swayed behind her head, her expression calm.
He still remembered what kind of aptitude Qiao Wan had.
Although Yuan Liu wasn't enough of a challenge for her, his blade net was quite formidable. Within ten moves, it would not be easy to find a flaw and break through his defense.
But why did he care about her?
Pei Chunzheng furrowed his brow, as that strange feeling overwhelmed him once again. He forcefully gripped his sword, pursed his lips, and averted his gaze, no longer looking at her.
In the arena, Qiao Wan could clearly feel the difficulties posed by the blade net, even more so than the onlookers.
It was already the sixth move.
Yuan Liu shouted loudly, wielding his big knife. With a strong swing, his arms turned, and wherever the knife edge passed, it enveloped him securely, like a cocoon.
Yuan Liu glanced at her and kindly reminded her, "This is already the sixth move, you have to be quick."
Qiao Wan also glanced at him and made up her mind.
Since I can't find any loopholes, I won't look for them.
In the next second, Qiao Wan made a surprising move that shocked everyone present.
She directly rushed forward.
She plunged straight into the net of knives!
Ma Huaizhen raised an eyebrow.
Xiao Boyang felt uneasy.
Pei Chunzheng was attracted by the noise and glanced at the scene, his brow furrowing.
Is Qiao Wan rushing to get attacked?
Startled by Qiao Wan's sudden action, Yuan Liu unconsciously slowed down his knife movements.
Seizing this opportunity, Qiao Wan advanced, taking a deep breath and gathering the spiritual energy from all over her body to her veins and muscles, creating a simple Vajra shield for herself.
When she broke through the net of knives and approached Yuan Liu, Qiao Wan concentrated the spiritual energy from her limbs into her hands, gathering it together and using the "Iron Sand Palm" technique.
She couldn't sustain the armor covering her whole body for a long time as it consumed her energy too quickly, so she had to focus the energy only on her hands.
Since the energy gathered in her hands was abundant, her palms became harder.
Crack!
When the blade cut her skin, it trembled and made a metallic sound.
Yuan Liu was stunned. "Body cultivation?"
Qiao Wan replied, "Not really."
Before he could finish speaking, Qiao Wan reached out and firmly grabbed the blade, pulling it forcefully!
He remembered now!! The audacious momentum of rushing forward fearlessly, daring to be chopped, no wonder it looked familiar!
Yuan Liu was stunned!
It was that night's affair!!
"Are you the one from the affair last time?" Yuan Liu blurted out.
An affair?!
What kind of affair?
Qiao Wan having an affair?
The disciples of Wenshi Hall were speechless.
Did they hear some explosive news?
Having been pulled by Qiao Wan during his daze, Yuan Liu stumbled forward, almost losing his grip on the knife handle.
He quickly gripped it firmly with his other hand, pulled it back slightly, and avoided the embarrassing situation of having his knife snatched away.
As a result, the tense scene of intersecting knives suddenly changed.
It turned into a lively tug-of-war game.
Yuan Liu: ...... = =
The man couldn't help but show a pained expression.
Damn, this girl is really strong.
Qiao Wan's face turned red as she pulled back with all her might.
Yuan Liu's face also turned red as he pulled back with all his might.
They went back and forth, unable to determine a winner.
Xiao Boyang: ......
Pei Chunzheng: ......
Everyone present: ......
Ma Huaizhen chuckled when he saw this, leisurely leaning back on his wheelchair, casually watching.
Qiao Wan gritted her teeth, her veins bulging on her forearm.
Yuan Liu pulled with all his strength but couldn't pull it back. He started to doubt his life choices.
The members of the undercover team were also stunned.
What happened to the sword cultivator they were expecting?
What happened to the slim and delicate flower who relied on her family background to enter the inner sect?
Who is this muscular cultivator with well-defined arm muscles in front of them?
Qiao Wan, was a disciple of the inner sect, he wondered if all inner sect disciples were glamorous and fancy, always flaunting their magical weapons and looking like ethereal beings.
But the girl in front of him seemed even more reckless than the outer sect disciples. Did she get lost?
"Come on, big guy! Don't exert so much effort, can't even beat a girl!"
Yuan Liu's face turned red with anger as he clenched his teeth and spat, "I know!! Who do you guys think you are?!"
Crack--
A faint sound suddenly rang out.
Qiao Wan's expression changed.
She couldn't hold on any longer.
If they continued to stalemate, she would collapse.
Her spiritual power was too weak, and the protective armor on her hand was getting weaker and weaker. It would break soon if they dragged this on.
The two of them, one holding the hilt and the other holding the blade, fought fiercely with their legs.
Yuan Liu was astonished by the girl's deceptive appearance of politeness and innocence. Whenever she lifted her leg, damn it, she aimed right between his legs.
Yuan Liu was on guard with his hand while occasionally gripping his groin tightly, feeling miserable.
But she could still make one final effort.
As Qiao Wan thought this, she made up her mind and gathered all her spiritual power into the soles of her feet.
As the spiritual power rushed towards her feet, the spiritual power in her hand suddenly drained, and the blade immediately plunged deep into her palm.
At the same time, Qiao Wan kicked her leg with all her might!
She kicked the man in the waist.
Yuan Liu was mostly focused on Qiao Wan's hand, busy dealing with her. He didn't expect her sudden change of move and couldn't react in time, being kicked away by her.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Qiao Wan grasped the blade and pulled with all her strength!
With the sound of flesh being torn apart, Qiao Wan forcefully pulled the large blade from Yuan Liu's hand!!
Yuan Liu stepped back, regaining his balance. When he wanted to snatch it back, it was already too late.
The girl's hands were covered in blood, tightly gripping the blade.
Yuan Liu stood there dumbfounded.
Qiao Wan threw the blade to the ground, imitating Ma Huaizhen's smirk and said, "Are you still coming?"
The fight with Ciji finally made her understand.
She didn't care about the plot, the fist was the only truth.
She still wanted to eat grilled chicken wings. If she didn't toughen up, how could she fight these troublesome guys and carve a path of blood in the plot?
She didn't want to be a supporting character in a book, she just wanted to be Qiao Wan, to be herself.
