The First Wave Interception

Gu Yang paused his footsteps but did not turn his head.

"Is there anything else, miss?"

Su Wanyin opened her mouth but did not know what to say.

Beg him for an escort?

No, it was too dangerous.

Having just escaped a wolf's den, how could she easily trust this tiger of unknown origins?

But if she let him just walk away, in her current state, let alone returning to her sect, she wouldn't even be able to walk out of this ruined temple.

Any random wild beast could chew her clean to the bone.

Just as she hesitated and struggled.

Swish!

The sound of something piercing the air rang out.

Su Wanyin instinctively wanted to dodge, but found her body completely unresponsive.

Smack.

A slightly cool porcelain bottle landed precisely in her bosom, catching perfectly between her snowy cleavage.

"Inside the bottle is a Rank Two 'Clear Essence Pill'. Although it cannot cure the cultivation backlash in your body, it is enough to suppress it for a little while."

"The rain won't stop anytime soon. Take care of yourself, miss."

Gu Yang's voice drifted through the curtain of rain, carrying a reassuring sense of detachment.

As his words faded.

The gray figure did not linger for even a moment. Taking a step forward, his form melted into the pitch-black rainy night like a phantom, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Inside the ruined temple, Su Wanyin was once again left all alone.

Su Wanyin stared blankly at the pitch-black curtain of rain outside the temple doors.

Freezing tendrils of rain drifted in, striking her burning cheeks.

With trembling hands, she picked up the porcelain bottle from her bosom.

The bottle still carried the residual warmth of the man's fingertips. It wasn't hot, but through her soaked clothes, the warmth seeped all the way into her heart.

Uncorking the bottle.

A crisp, medicinal fragrance wafted out. It was indeed a top-grade Clear Essence Pill, completely untampered with.

"He really... left?"

Su Wanyin tilted her head back and swallowed the "Clear Essence Pill" that still carried his body heat.

The pill melted instantly in her mouth. A crisp medicinal efficacy, like an icy spring, slid down her throat and instantly rushed into her burning dantian.

"Mmh..."

The evil fire in her body was forcibly suppressed, clashing madly with the icy medicinal power within her meridians. Cold sweat once again soaked through her already wet red dress, perfectly outlining her graceful curves.

Half an incense stick of time later.

Su Wanyin slowly opened her eyes.

A trace of clarity finally returned to her previously hazy peach-blossom eyes. Although her face remained as pale as paper, the evil fire had been temporarily suppressed.

"It really... wasn't poisoned."

She looked at the empty porcelain bottle in her hand, her fingertips gently rubbing the rim, her expression complex.

In this deceitful cultivation world, especially within the demonic sects, all gifts were secretly marked with a price.

But that man.

That man with an ordinary face and eyes like a dry well, had he really just tossed her a valuable bottle of pills and walked away?

"Helping out against injustice?"

The corners of Su Wanyin's mouth curled into a self-deprecating smile as she propped herself up from the ground, standing up unsteadily.

"In this world, there is no such thing as kindness without a reason."

"He's either after my body, or... he's after something even bigger."

She took a deep breath, circulating the sliver of spiritual energy she had just recovered to evaporate the moisture on her body.

Although she didn't know who that man really was, she could not stay here for long.

The commotion from the earlier fight would soon attract more vultures.

With a flip of her wrist, a pink formation flag, as thin as a cicada's wing, appeared at her fingertips.

"Detonate."

With a low shout, the corpses, bloodstains, and lingering auras inside the ruined temple were instantly devoured completely by a burst of pink spiritual fire.

Having done all this, she took one last look at the rain curtain where the man had vanished. With a flash, her figure disappeared into the pitch-black jungle.

...

...

Deep in the jungle, a hundred zhang away.

Within the canopy of a towering ancient tree.

Gu Yang was like a gecko that had completely concealed its aura, quietly clinging to the rough trunk.

The 'Dead Wood Breath Concealment Art' was pushed to its limits, making his entire being seem to merge with the dead old tree.

His gaze pierced through layers of branches and leaves, always locked onto the stumbling red figure.

"Good vigilance. She even knew to destroy the corpses and erase the traces."

Gu Yang nodded inwardly.

Anyway, the intelligence indicated that she would gift the 'Maiden's Exquisite Heart' to whoever safely escorted her back to her sect.

Whether he stayed by her side or not wasn't important.

Staying by her side would only heighten her guard.

Besides, if he accidentally showed a flaw and exposed his identity, it would be bad.

...

The rain had not stopped, and the night was as thick as ink.

Lightning occasionally tore through the sky, illuminating the stumbling, beautiful red figure in the jungle. Like a sorrowful and gorgeous streak of blood, she fled wretchedly through the vast world.

A hundred zhang away, Gu Yang's body was like dead wood, devoid of any aura, trailing behind her at a moderate distance. He was in no rush to reveal himself.

Right now, Su Wanyin was like a frightened lone wolf; any rustle of the wind or grass would provoke a desperate fight to the death from her.

"Midnight has arrived."

Gu Yang's mind stirred, and several lines of a faint blue light screen immediately appeared on his retinas.

[Daily Intelligence refreshing...]

[Blue Intelligence: Deep within the 'Withered Bone Cavern' five miles ahead, a Rank Two mid-stage demonic beast is entrenched—the Black Fiend Python.

This python possesses a thin flood dragon bloodline. It is currently undergoing its third molting and is in an extremely weakened state, unable to move, with less than a tenth of its demonic power remaining.

Core Weakness: The 'Molting Blood Fragrance' it emits is about to break through the cavern's natural seal. In fifteen minutes, its natural enemy, the 'Golden-Winged Thunder Eagle', will follow the scent and arrive.

At this moment, it fears exposing its position more than anything else. Once disturbed, it will definitely launch a desperate counterattack. [Click to view coordinates]]

...

[Green Intelligence: The Righteous Path Alliance's Qingxu Trio (Mid-stage Foundation Establishment) are currently holding a 'Tracking Compass' to lock onto Su Wanyin's position. The three excel at the 'Three Talents Absolute Killing Formation', and their combined attack can trap and kill a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

They are currently only ten miles away from this location and are estimated to catch up in half an hour.]

...

[Green Intelligence: The Heavenly Sword Sect inner disciple Ye Guhong's elder brother, Ye Guxiao (Late-stage Foundation Establishment), under the banner of avenging his brother Ye Guhong, intends to chop Su Wanyin into a human stick and bring her back to the Heavenly Sword Sect's Sword Mound to suffer the punishment of ten thousand swords piercing her heart day and night as a tribute to his deceased brother. In reality, he covets the Earth-grade Foundation Establishment spiritual object inside Su Wanyin's body, the 'Maiden's Exquisite Heart'.]

...

[White Intelligence: Su Wanyin is currently fleeing at top speed.

While suppressing her injuries, she is repeatedly recalling that 'ordinary-looking' middle-aged male cultivator from earlier in her mind.

Not only does she disbelieve your kindness, but she also suspects that you are some old monster who enjoys playing with people's hearts, labeling you as 'extremely dangerous' and 'harboring grand designs'.]

...

Gu Yang looked at the final psychological profile of Su Wanyin on the light screen, and the corners of his mouth curled into an amused smile.

"An old monster? Harboring grand designs?"

He shook his head gently, rainwater dripping down the edge of his bamboo hat.

Although this woman was in desperate straits, her brain wasn't broken yet.

In the cultivation world, the grave grass of those who trusted others too easily was already three zhang high.