523: Chapter 523 Heading to the Northern Frontier

"Buzz—!"

The dragon phoenix jade pendant suddenly erupted with an extremely dazzling cyan-gold brilliance!

A beam of spiritual light, ten times—no, a hundred times more powerful than before, soared into the sky, forcibly shattering the Third Master's spiritual pressure!

From within the jade pendant, the clear cry of a phoenix faintly echoed, resounding through the hall and piercing the clouds!

Immediately after, an incredibly sturdy gold-cyan barrier instantly enveloped Wan Xiangyu, protecting her tightly within.

At the same time, a terrifying pressure that seemed to come from ancient times, looking down upon all living beings, spread out from the jade pendant!

The Third Master's face changed drastically, filled with utter horror. He stumbled back several steps, staring at the jade pendant with eyes full of extreme fear:

"This... this is... a Telepathic Magic Treasure? It even has the Divine Soul pressure of a powerful Cultivator's brand sealed within it!!"

He could clearly feel that hidden within the jade pendant was an aura far exceeding his imagination, terrifying to the extreme.

Just a trace of its residual might made him feel as if he were standing before an abyss; even his Soul was trembling!

Wan Xiangyu looked at the radiantly glowing jade pendant on her chest, her eyes warming slightly and her nose tingling with emotion.

Only at this moment did she truly understand why Situ Jun had repeatedly urged her to keep this jade pendant with her at all times.

It turned out he had long ago left her a life-saving protective talisman.

With the barrier protecting her, Wan Xiangyu no longer felt the slightest bit of fear.

She slowly raised her head, her gaze calm yet firm as she swept it over the pale, shivering Third Master and the opportunistic, cold, and selfish Steward Wang.

Her voice was cold and clear, carrying an unprecedented resolve as every word resounded throughout the Wang family hall.

"From this day forward, I, Wan Xiangyu, sever all ties with the Wang family. We are no longer related."

"Black Tiger Gang, I, Wan Xiangyu, will remember today's humiliation."

As her voice fell,

The spiritual light around her body suddenly surged, and the cyan-gold flowing light emitted by the dragon phoenix jade pendant surrounded her.

She didn't spare another glance at the people in the hall. With a leap, she transformed into a brilliant streak of cyan-gold light, crashed through the roof, and sped toward the horizon.

She left behind only a hall full of people who were terrified to death, their faces ashen like dead embers,

And a terrifying fluctuation of spiritual energy that was gradually dissipating in the air, yet was enough for them to remember for a lifetime.

...

Wan Xiangyu traveled swiftly, not daring to stop for a moment until she was completely away from that suffocating residence, only then slowly descending.

Beneath her feet was the Official Road overgrown with wild grass, and all around was the vast twilight. The evening wind kicked up dust and blew the messy strands of hair by her temples.

Standing alone in the wilderness, looking at the unfamiliar paths in all directions, her heart felt momentarily lost.

The world was so vast, yet she didn't know where to go.

She could no longer stay in Qingshan Town; the Black Tiger Gang had suffered such a great loss and would definitely not let the matter rest.

As for the Wang family, that heartless place, she didn't want to step foot back there even for a second.

Although she had a Qi Refining cultivation, she was alone and without anyone to rely on. In this chaotic world, where could she go?

In her state of aimlessness, a figure burst into her mind without warning.

Clad in black robes like ink, with a tall and straight posture.

It was Situ Jun.

The entanglement of that night, the way he endured the pain while poisoned, the burning and powerful strength during Dual Cultivation, and before they parted, how he solemnly pressed that dragon phoenix jade pendant into her hand, his eyes serious as he told her to keep it close to her body...

Scene after scene flashed rapidly through her mind.

The jade pendant on her chest still held a lingering warmth. If not for this jade pendant, she would have already fallen into the hands of the Black Tiger Gang today, and her fate would have been unimaginable.

It turned out that from beginning to end, the one truly protecting her was not the Wang family, nor that so-called marital affection, but this man with whom she had only had a brief encounter, yet who always kept her safety in his heart.

Wan Xiangyu raised her hand and gently pressed the warm jade pendant against her chest. The confusion in her eyes gradually dissipated, replaced by a burning longing.

She raised her head and looked toward the north.

Northern Frontier City.

That man was in Northern Frontier City.

Previously trapped by her status as the Wang family's matriarch, and bound by worldly etiquette and that bit of ridiculous guilt, she hadn't dared to think about it, let alone go there.

But now, she had been divorced and had severed all ties with the Wang family; there were no longer any shackles.

She was free.

"Situ Jun..."

Wan Xiangyu softly whispered the name, and her originally aching and panicked heart actually settled down at this moment.

At the thought of the passion in the secret room that night, her cheeks couldn't help but flush, and a ripple of tenderness rose in her heart.

She wasn't homeless; she was simply going to find someone truly worth rushing toward.

No matter how far Northern Frontier City was or how dangerous the journey, what did it matter?

It was better than staying in Qingshan Town, trapped in that filthy residence, being trampled upon and barely surviving.

Wan Xiangyu took a deep breath, the last trace of confusion in her eyes completely vanishing as a faint light shone within them.

She no longer hesitated. Discerning the direction, she tapped her toes and once again activated her spiritual energy, transforming into a graceful streak of cyan-gold light and resolutely speeding toward the north.

...

Twilight descended, and the wind in the wilderness grew sharp.

Wan Xiangyu traveled swiftly on the wind, her cyan-gold spiritual light carving a slender yet determined trail through the gloom.

The dragon phoenix jade pendant rested warm against her heart. That faint warmth flowed slowly through her Meridians, not only stabilizing her restless spiritual energy but also acting like a silent guide, pointing straight to the north.

She didn't dare to stop.

The Black Tiger Gang had suffered such a loss and the Third Master's face had been disgraced; they would surely set a dragnet around Qingshan Town.

As for the Wang family, Steward Wang was still shaken and would only go with the flow, pushing all the blame onto her head.

She no longer had the slightest attachment to this place.

It wasn't until the moon reached the middle of the sky that she found a hidden mountain stream to land.

Due to the excessive use of spiritual energy and the previous injury from the Foundation Establishment pressure, Wan Xiangyu's chest felt slightly tight, and beads of sweat broke out on her forehead.

She found a clean blue stone to sit on, pressed the jade pendant with her fingertips, and closed her eyes to regulate her breathing.

The cyan-gold spiritual light flowed slowly through her body, and wherever it passed, the stagnation and dull pain completely vanished.

After a long time, Wan Xiangyu finished her meditation and opened her eyes.

She gently stroked the exquisite phoenix pattern on the jade pendant, her fingertips rubbing it over and over as her thoughts drifted.

Situ Jun.

This name was like a seed that had quietly taken root when she was in a desperate situation.

In the secret room, he had protected her despite being heavily poisoned; when their Spiritual Veins merged, that burning and overbearing spiritual energy provided a sense of security she had never felt in her life; and when they parted, he had pressed this jade pendant into her hand with a solemn tone that brooked no refusal.

At that time, she had only thought of it as a gift from an old acquaintance, something to remember him by.

It wasn't until today, when the jade pendant erupted with Divine Might and repelled a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, that she truly understood—it wasn't an ordinary ornament.

It was a way out he had left for her, a life, an unspoken protection.

"Situ Jun... just what kind of person are you?"

She murmured softly, her heart filled with both dependence and a bit of bewildered awe.

Someone who could casually produce a Telepathic Magic Treasure with a sealed Divine Soul pressure was definitely no ordinary Cultivator.

Yet in front of her, he never showed the slightest arrogance, only restrained concern and controlled tenderness.

At this thought, her cheeks grew slightly hot.

The scenes of that night's passion uncontrollably burst into her mind—his low breathing, his burning palms, his eyes that were serious to the point of being almost devout... it made her heart skip a beat.

When she was a married woman, she had been reserved and observant of etiquette, her heart full of guilt and restraint.

Now, she was a free woman.

Having severed ties with the Wang family, she was no longer bound by etiquette or moral shackles.

She wanted to see him, to ask him, and to personally say to him—

Thank you for not failing me.

Wan Xiangyu took a deep breath, suppressed the chaotic emotions in her heart, and stood up again.

The moonlight fell on her cool features, which now lacked the restraint and grievance of the Wang family courtyard and gained the resolve and lightness of a bird escaping its cage.

"Northern Frontier City."

She looked up into the depths of the endless night, in the direction where he was.

...

Over the next few days, she traveled as fast as possible, wanting to leave the Western Frontier Region as soon as possible.

With the dragon phoenix jade pendant on her person, ordinary Yao Beasts and Loose Cultivators on the road didn't dare to approach her at all.

Occasionally, when she encountered a few blind bandits, she would manifest Ice Needles from her fingertips and easily deal with them.

With a cultivation at the Fourth Level of Qi Refining, plus the secret enhancement of the Telepathic Magic Treasure, she had few rivals in this remote Western Frontier area.

This afternoon, she reached a ruined temple to take shelter from the rain.

The continuous drizzle pattered down, soaking the temple doors and forcing travelers to take a rare moment to stop.

Wan Xiangyu pulled her lapels tight and sat in a corner, closing her eyes to rest.

After days of rushing, even with a decent cultivation, she couldn't help but feel exhausted. In a daze, sleepiness washed over her, and she actually fell into a light sleep against the stone wall.

In her dream, she returned to that secret room.

The man in black robes stood by the window, his back lonely yet straight.

He slowly turned around. His face was still blurred, but those eyes were as deep as the night and so gentle they could drown a person.

"Xiangyu."

He called her name softly, stepping closer.

His palm was warm as he held her hand, firmly pressing that dragon phoenix jade pendant against her heart.

"Remember, no matter what happens, do not lose it."

"No matter where you are or what danger you encounter..."

His voice was low, carrying a trace of imperceptible hoarseness.

"I will come to find you."

As his voice fell, the rain suddenly stopped.

Wan Xiangyu snapped her eyes open, her heart pounding wildly.

Outside the temple, the rain had stopped at some point, and sunlight pierced through the clouds, scattering broken gold across the ground.

She raised her hand to her chest. The jade pendant was still warm, as if that person's temperature had never left.

"Situ Jun..."

She whispered his name, the longing in her eyes growing even stronger.