78: Chapter 78 The Non-existent "Dao Injury," Nangong Xue Collapses and Goes Mad

"Ugh..."

Fairy Ziyun let out a pained groan, her body slumping down from the cold jade bed as her aura withered away at a pace visible to the naked eye.

The spiritual energy within her body seemed to be tightly trapped by an invisible shackle, becoming chaotic and messy.

It crashed wildly through her Meridians, bringing waves of tearing pain.

The originally majestic and pure power of the saint pill had now transformed into the most lethal poison, frantically eroding her internal organs and grinding away her life force.

How could this be?

The Medicinal Pill... the Medicinal Pill is poisonous!

Fairy Ziyun's mind buzzed as an unacceptable thought surfaced.

How could this happen?

How could the Medicinal Pill be poisonous?

Was it Elder Wang?

Or someone else involved in the Alchemy?

No, it's impossible.

Those people were loyal to her; there was no possibility of betrayal.

The medicinal ingredients?

Even more impossible; she had personally inspected every single ingredient.

One possible suspect after another flashed through Fairy Ziyun's mind, only to be ruled out one by one.

Finally, a figure she was most reluctant and afraid to consider appeared before her eyes.

Enduring the intense pain, she struggled to lift her head.

Her gaze pierced through the permeating black mist, looking in disbelief at the figure slowly standing up in the corner of the secret chamber.

Her Disciple, Nangong Xue.

"Xue'er..." Fairy Ziyun's voice became incredibly hoarse from shock and heartache. "Wh... why?"

She couldn't understand.

She had treated her like her own daughter, teaching her everything she knew and even preparing to hand over the entire Heavenly Sovereign Alliance to her. Why would she strike such a lethal blow against her?

Facing her Revered Master's heartbroken questioning, Nangong Xue did not evade or offer excuses.

She walked up to Fairy Ziyun and fell to her knees with a thud.

Two lines of clear tears slid down her beautiful cheeks.

"Revered Master! This Disciple is unfilial! This Disciple deserves ten thousand deaths!"

She wailed as she kowtowed heavily, sobbing out her grievances.

"But... this Disciple was forced into a corner! Revered Master, I have been struck by a strange poison, leaving an incurable dao injury upon my Divine Soul! Without the nine aperture exquisite elixir, within three months, my Dao foundation will collapse, and I will suffer Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering!"

"This Disciple doesn't want to die... I really don't want to die! I beg you, Revered Master... please grant the saint pill to this Disciple! Save my life!"

Nangong Xue cried heart-wrenchingly, her expression sincere and pained, as if she were the one about to die and suffering the greatest injustice in the world.

These words left the already shaken Fairy Ziyun completely stunned.

A dao injury?

When did Xue'er suffer a dao injury?

Why didn't I know?

"You... what nonsense are you talking!"

Enduring the churning pain within her, Fairy Ziyun separated a wisp of Divine Sense and forcibly probed into Nangong Xue's body.

She wanted to check for herself if something had truly gone wrong with her Disciple.

However, the result of the investigation left Fairy Ziyun stunned on the spot.

Her Meridians were strong, far surpassing others of the same rank!

Her Dantian was stable, and her spiritual energy was pure!

Her Divine Soul was intact, without the slightest bit of damage!

Let alone a dao injury, Nangong Xue's current state was as healthy as could be!

"You..."

Fairy Ziyun withdrew her Divine Thought, looking at Nangong Xue with a gaze full of absurdity and confusion.

"Xue'er, have you gone mad? You aren't sick at all! There is nothing wrong with your body!"

Hearing her Revered Master say she wasn't sick, the grief on Nangong Xue's face instantly froze.

The next second, she snapped her head up, her eyes that were once full of pleading now burning with the flames of madness.

"I'm not sick?"

"No! Impossible!"

Nangong Xue screamed instantly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

That pain which had tortured her for so long resonated from the depths of her Soul once again, reminding her of the existence of that "dao injury".

How could she not be sick?!

Revered Master was lying to her!

It must be so!

Suddenly, a terrifying thought abruptly took root and sprouted in Nangong Xue's heart.

Revered Master... she never intended to save me at all!

From the very beginning, she had no intention of giving me the saint pill!

Everything she said was a lie!

She just wanted to use me to help her refine the Medicinal Pill so she could achieve a Breakthrough herself!

She doesn't care about my life or death at all!

This strange thought, like a wildfire across the plains, instantly incinerated the last shred of reason and filial affection for her Revered Master in Nangong Xue's heart.

The pleading and guilt in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a bone-chilling resentment.

"Revered Master, I respected and loved you, viewing you as my own mother, but you... why would you treat me like this?"

Nangong Xue slowly stood up from the ground, tear stains still fresh on her face, yet her expression became incredibly hideous.

"I just want to live, what did I do wrong? You clearly could have saved me, yet you stood by and watched me die! You even made up excuses, saying I wasn't sick!"

"Since you are so heartless, then don't blame this Disciple for being... unfilial!"

The hidden dagger was revealed!

Seeing her Disciple looking like a completely different person, like a vengeful spirit, Fairy Ziyun's heart shook violently, a chill rushing from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head.

She finally understood.

Xue'er... hadn't gone mad.

She had fallen to the demonic path!

"You... you wicked Disciple!"

Fairy Ziyun trembled with rage, attempting to circulate her spiritual energy to execute this Rebellious Disciple who had betrayed her Revered Master and ancestors.

However, the toxins in her body had already penetrated her very marrow; she couldn't condense her spiritual energy at all.

"Wicked Disciple?"

Nangong Xue let out a burst of neurotic sneering.

"Revered Master, you forced my hand! Since you wouldn't save me, then this Disciple... can only take it myself!"

No trace of respect for her Revered Master remained on her face, only a beast-like, primal instinct to plunder for survival and power!

"The saint pill is mine! No one can take it away!"

Nangong Xue roared like a maniac.

At that moment, an incredibly eerie incantation abruptly exploded in her mind!

The voice was full of seduction and malice, as if an ancient devil were whispering in her ear, tempting her to fall into the bottomless abyss.

Her lips began to buzz and move rapidly out of control.

A series of obscure, tongue-twisting syllables filled with gloom and evil spilled from her mouth.

That was not the language of the Human Race at all!

It was an ancient magic spell from the Nine Nether Abyss capable of controlling the Soul!