144: Chapter 144 Reunion

Outside the mountain gate of the Moonshadow Sect.

Yu Linglong stepped through the air barefoot, her Flowing Golden Shark-Silk Yarn dancing slightly in the wind. She gazed at the majestic mountain gate shrouded in rosy light, her brow furrowing slightly as her fingertips unconsciously rubbed the warm jade bracelet on her wrist.

This jade bracelet was originally a pair with her Junior Sister's, named the "Concentric Bracelet." It was a secret treasure of the Linglong Blessed Land, containing a wisp of each other's life-source aura, allowing them to sense each other's location.

However, the aura of her Junior Sister's bracelet seemed to be obscured and interfered with by some powerful force, only allowing her to lock onto a general range in the southeast of Cangwu, unable to sense it precisely.

"Junior Sister's aura... is indeed here."

She whispered, but there was not a hint of joy in her charming peach-blossom eyes; instead, a trace of gloom flashed through them. "Establishing an all-female Sect, the Moonshadow Sect, here in the Qing State? That does seem like her character... but why is the Sect Master a man named Ling Hao? And only at the Soul Transformation Realm? No—"

She recalled the massive Scarlet Tree Shadow she had seen before arriving in the Qing State, and the heroic feat she heard about upon arrival—that Ling Hao had destroyed it.

"If he really was the one who destroyed that tree shadow, his cultivation must be at least at the Void Tempering Realm... even Junior Sister, with her Body Integration cultivation, couldn't do it."

"And where did Junior Sister get so many divine artifacts to suppress erosion qi and space? It couldn't be—"

"Forget it, I'll know once I see Junior Sister."

With many doubts lingering in her heart, Yu Linglong stopped overthinking and took a step forward, intending to enter the mountain gate of the Moonshadow Sect.

Buzz!

A gentle force pushed her away lightly as the mountain gate Formation shimmered with light, barring her entry.

"A Protective Sect Array?"

Yu Linglong narrowed her beautiful eyes, a flicker of surprise passing through them. This Formation could actually block her path at the ninth level of Body Integration; although she hadn't used her full strength, it was still no small matter.

"Who goes there?!"

A figure as cold as frost suddenly appeared before Yu Linglong.

An ice-blue gauzy dress outlined her curvaceous figure, and the cinnabar teardrop mole at the corner of her left eye was particularly striking in the morning light—it was Yu Lingshuang.

The moment her cold eyes saw the visitor, a flicker of disbelief flashed through them. She then raised her left hand, revealing a jade bracelet on her fair wrist that was identical in style to the one on Yu Linglong's wrist! At this moment, the bracelet was emitting a faint but clear resonant glow!

"Senior... Sister?"

Yu Lingshuang's voice trembled slightly. Deep within those ice-cold eyes that were always calm, a massive wave surged, though it was suppressed by her strong self-control.

"Junior Sister! You are indeed here. You certainly made me search long and hard."

Seeing her, a genuine smile blossomed on Yu Linglong's charming face. She stepped forward and tightly hugged her long-lost Junior Sister.

The immense joy of reuniting after a long separation temporarily dispelled her doubts.

After a brief hug, as Yu Linglong's palm unconsciously brushed against Yu Lingshuang's arm, her keen perception suddenly stalled.

She discovered that her Junior Sister's internal aura was unusual... Junior Sister possessed the Cold Dragon Physique, and her Spiritual Qi should be pure and cold! Although she didn't know why this coldness had become much stronger, the important thing was that it was mixed with a trace of... someone else's masculine and fiery aura?!

Yu Linglong's charming smile froze on her face, her gaze suddenly becoming sharp as a knife. She abruptly grabbed Yu Lingshuang's wrist and forcefully rolled up the wide ice-blue gauze sleeve.

On the fair wrist, the skin was as lustrous as snow, but that speck of crimson cinnabar—the Gecko Mark symbolizing purity—could no longer be found!

Ten thousand years of ice instantly gathered in the depths of Yu Linglong's eyes! That bad premonition had come true!

She released her hand and took half a step back. Her voice was no longer lazy, leaving only coldness:

"Yu Lingshuang, my dear Junior Sister, have you fallen so low? You established an all-female Sect, yet you've handed yourself over to a man along with the entire Sect?"

Yu Lingshuang was stunned for a moment but quickly reacted.

"Senior Sister, things are not as you imagine."

"Oh?"

Yu Linglong's peach-blossom eyes tilted slightly, her voice carrying a hint of icy mockery.

"Then how is it? Could it be that the grand Sect Master of Linglong Blessed Land was tricked into losing her virginity and then compromised, even handing over the Sect's foundation? That doesn't seem like your style."

"Tricked into losing her virginity? Handing it over?"

A clear and calm voice rang out. Ling Hao's figure appeared beside Yu Lingshuang, naturally reaching out to rest his hand lightly on her tense shoulder. His gaze swept over Yu Linglong, lingering slightly on her bare, exquisite jade feet with a hint of appreciation, before looking up and speaking indifferently:

"The Moonshadow Sect was mine to begin with. Where does this talk of handing it over come from?"

These flat words and the gaze lingering on her feet caused a surge of icy anger to flare up in Yu Linglong's heart! A charming smile appeared on her face, but the cold light in her eyes grew even more intense:

"Hehe... The Moonshadow Sect is yours? Interesting. Then let me gauge whether you have the weight to protect this foundation!"

Before her voice finished, she lightly raised her delicate hand!

"Lotus at Every Step: Golden Blade!"

Several pieces of brilliant golden light peeled away from the lotus shadows blooming in the void beneath her feet, instantly condensing into lotus-petal blades with incomparably sharp edges. They tore through the air, heading straight for Ling Hao's vital points. The Gengjin killing intent was piercingly cold!

"Senior Sister, don't!"

Yu Lingshuang gave a cold shout as her icy spiritual power erupted. Her ice-blue wide sleeves fluttered, and she instantly summoned the Guanghan Palace Lantern.

"Ice Soul Radiant Domain!"

A soft, cold radiance spread like spilled mercury, instantly enveloping the deadly golden lotuses! An extreme chill permeated the air. As the sharp petals entered the domain, their speed slowed visibly, and the Gengjin brilliance flowing on the petals was covered in ice crystals, freezing them completely in mid-air.

Yu Linglong's pupils contracted suddenly!

"Void Tempering power?!" She gasped in a low voice, her beautiful face full of disbelief. Her Junior Sister's Realm was clearly only at the sixth level of Body Integration when she fled; how had she broken through to the Void Refinement Stage now?!

"Senior Sister, listen to me..."

Yu Lingshuang stepped in front of Ling Hao, anxious to explain.

Yu Linglong ignored her, her cold gaze bypassing Yu Lingshuang to lock onto Ling Hao. Her voice betrayed no emotion:

"It seems Sect Master Ling has extraordinary methods to make my Junior Sister protect you so. Hiding behind a woman is no skill. Do you dare to take three moves from me? If you do, I will... no longer interfere in your matters!"

She needed a way out, and more importantly, she needed to personally verify this man's background.

Ling Hao heard this, and a very faint curve appeared at the corner of his mouth. He gave a reassuring pat to the hand resting on Yu Lingshuang's shoulder. "Since when do the matters between Ling Shuang and me require someone else's decision?"

"Is that so?"

Yu Linglong's eyes turned cold, and she was about to activate the lotus petals again.

Ling Hao, however, had already casually raised his other hand and lightly flicked his sleeve toward the golden lotus petals still struggling in the ice domain.

"Disperse."

A force of Dao principles spread out. The light of the lotus petals, which contained the Gengjin path of slaughter, instantly dimmed, their sharpness vanishing. Along with the ice crystals covering them, they silently disintegrated into tiny specks of dust.

Yu Linglong's whole body shook violently. Her Golden Blade lotus petals had been wiped away so effortlessly by the opponent?!

This was definitely not Soul Transformation, nor was it a method a normal Void Tempering cultivator could possess!

Before she could react, Ling Hao looked at her calmly and spoke softly:

"Kunyuan, Suppress!"

Word becomes Law!

An immense and boundless gravity descended. Yu Linglong felt as if the entire earth had flipped over and crushed down on her; the space around her instantly became viscous, rendering her unable to move. The spiritual power surging within her was almost completely restricted, and she couldn't even lift a finger.

Her proud ninth-level Body Integration cultivation seemed so tiny and powerless before this gravity Law.

She struggled to move her eyes, looking at Ling Hao with a completely different gaze. Her voice was dry and hoarse:

"Void Tempering? No... you... what on earth are you..."

The rumors of the Scarlet Tree Shadow thundered in her mind.

Ling Hao ignored her shock. His gaze swept over the several Sect auras in the distance that had been alerted and were peering in, and he said indifferently:

"The mountain gate is no place for conversation. Let's talk inside."

With that, he waved his sleeve, and a gentle force swept up the restricted Yu Linglong and the nearby Yu Lingshuang. The three figures vanished instantly and reappeared within the Sect Main Hall in the next moment.