Chapter 84

Chapter 84: Just How Much Blood Did You Drink?

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“I need to go to the fifth floor!”

Su Wanqing rushed into the Scripture Pavilion like a gust of wind, her gaze urgently locking onto Shu Mo, her tone filled with undeniable anxiety.

“The fifth floor?”

Shu Mo was initially startled upon hearing this, then patiently explained.

“That requires Golden Core cultivation to enter, and the rule is you can only borrow one manual per year. You…”

Halfway through her words, she suddenly began carefully examining Su Wanqing’s aura, a trace of surprise flashing in her eyes.

This was immediately replaced by deep shock, because Su Wanqing clearly possessed the aura of the Golden Core stage.

She clearly remembered that Su Wanqing wasn’t even twenty years old yet!

A Golden Core cultivator under twenty… such talent hadn’t appeared in the entire cultivation world for hundreds of years.

“I’ve indeed reached the Golden Core stage. If you don’t believe me, look.”

Su Wanqing impatiently began to circulate her spiritual energy, about to reveal her cultivation level, but Shu Mo quickly raised her hand to stop her:

“I understand, no need to demonstrate. There are many disciples here, and rashly revealing Golden Core aura might frighten them.”

With that, she gently waved her wrist, and a gentle blue light flowed from her palm like water, sweeping over Su Wanqing’s entire body.

“Alright, now you can go to the fifth floor.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Su Wanqing shot out like an arrow released from a bow, her figure flashing as she headed straight for the fifth floor.

Behind her, only Shu Mo remained standing in place, her face full of confusion:

“What on earth has happened to this child to make her so urgent?”

In her impression, Su Wanqing had always been cool and aloof, with a temperament like the snow lotus atop an eternally frozen mountain peak, naturally carrying an air of distant indifference.

But she had never seen Su Wanqing lose composure like this before.

“Who was that?”

Disciples along the way only felt a gust of wind rush past them, and when they instinctively turned to look, there was already no trace of anyone.

That speeding figure was indeed Su Wanqing. The speed of a Golden Core cultivator was far beyond what ordinary disciples could capture with their naked eyes.

In just a moment, she had arrived at the entrance to the fifth floor.

At the entrance hung a strange blue light barrier, flowing with a faint luminescence.

This barrier acted like a loyal guard, blocking all disciples who lacked permission from entering.

This was because the fifth floor contained secret manuals that all required Golden Core cultivation to practice.

If Foundation Establishment or Qi Refining disciples forcibly attempted to cultivate these techniques prematurely, at best it would damage their meridians, at worst they would directly suffer qi deviation and face eternal damnation.

Su Wanqing took a deep breath and stepped into the blue light barrier.

The barrier seemed to sense the Golden Core aura within her body. Not only did it offer no resistance, but like welcoming its master, it slowly parted to both sides, creating a passage for her.

Just like that, she smoothly entered the fifth floor.

Inside the fifth floor, there were extremely few people reading.

After all, Golden Core stage cultivators in the Qinglan Sect were already capable of serving as lower-ranking Elders.

Such cultivation was something most disciples could not easily achieve.

And these Golden Core cultivators, as the core backbone of the Qinglan Sect, had many sect affairs and troublesome matters that required their attention on a daily basis, naturally leaving them with little free time to come to the Scripture Pavilion to read.

“Where is it?”

Su Wanqing’s gaze swept across row after row of bookshelves at lightning speed.

Before long, she found 《The Heartless Curse》 that Qingyao had mentioned.

She carefully took down the manual and gently opened to the first page, where a line of ancient script met her eyes:

“The Heartless Curse is not about severing emotions, but controlling them. After reciting this incantation, the more agitated one’s emotions become, the calmer one will be.”

However, at the very bottom of the first page, there was also a line of small text that had almost merged with the paper itself:

“After learning this technique, do not lose yourself, or you will lose all emotions.”

Although Su Wanqing temporarily didn’t understand what “losing yourself” in this small text specifically meant.

But she clearly knew in her heart that this book would definitely be of great help to her current situation.

“This book is obviously no good book. Don’t learn it. In life, wouldn’t it be delightful to act according to your true desires and impulses?”

Just then, a ghostly voice suddenly echoed in her mind, carrying several traces of temptation and allure.

“Shut up!”

Su Wanqing didn’t hesitate to sternly interrupt.

If her Clear Heart Mantra were still effective at this moment, she would immediately recite the incantation to completely dispel this annoying voice.

“I think you’re also stupid.”

That voice showed no anger at all, instead taking on several traces of disdain.

“Since you know she has that kind of physique, why not treat her as cultivation material? Why torment yourself by suppressing your desires like this?”

In its view, Su Wanqing’s behavior was simply asking for trouble.

In this cultivation world where the strong prey upon the weak, being able to follow one’s desires to improve cultivation was inherently a good thing. How could anyone be willing to give that up?

Even if this approach was somewhat like demonic cultivation, it was only targeting Lin Muyu alone, and couldn’t really be considered true demonic cultivation.

Moreover, could she really stay away from Lin Muyu now?

Su Wanqing no longer paid attention to the voice’s interference in her mind, quickly finishing reading 《The Heartless Curse》.

Then she took the book to register with Shu Mo and headed straight back to Qingyao’s pharmacy.

As for Ye Fan’s matter, she could only bring it up after Lin Muyu woke up.

Negotiation was impossible. Even if her reputation was ruined, she would make Ye Fan pay the price he deserved.

After all, although most of this incident was her fault, the main catalyst was still Ye Fan!

“Senior Sister Qingyao, is this the right book?”

Upon returning to the pharmacy, Su Wanqing held up 《The Heartless Curse》 and said to Qingyao with some excitement.

Qingyao took the manual and carefully examined it, slowly nodding and reminding her with a rather serious tone:

“This is it. You must be careful when cultivating it, and pay close attention to your own condition.”

Getting Qingyao’s confirmation, Su Wanqing hurriedly put the book away carefully.

Right now, the most important thing was still to check on Lin Muyu’s condition.

She carefully shifted her gaze to the bed, looking at that girl with a pale, bloodless face who appeared particularly pitiful.

Her voice couldn’t help but carry several traces of barely noticeable trembling:

“Senior Sister, how… how is she?”

“Her…”

Qingyao sighed softly.

“Fortunately, she has an extremely pure Wood Spirit Root that can heal itself, otherwise, given the degree of her blood loss, she probably would have already…”

Speaking to this point, Qingyao stopped and didn’t continue.

“Blood loss?”

Su Wanqing keenly caught this crucial information.

This wasn’t the first time they had done such things, and there had never been blood loss before. What exactly happened this time?

“You burned your blood before, didn’t you?”

Qingyao looked at the trace of blood-red that was faintly visible between Su Wanqing’s brows, her eyes full of uncertainty.

This was clearly the mark of having burned blood, yet Su Wanqing not only hadn’t fallen in cultivation level because of it, but had even broken through to the Golden Core stage.

This really defied common sense.

Although Lin Muyu’s Wood Spirit Root blood did indeed have healing effects, it absolutely had no effect on improving cultivation.

“Mm… could it be?”

Su Wanqing suddenly looked toward Lin Muyu on the bed, her eyes instantly filled with deep heartache and self-blame.

“That’s right.”

Qingyao followed her gaze and softly explained.

“Did you notice that wound on her hand that hasn’t completely healed yet? She must have fed you her blood.”

However, Qingyao was also somewhat puzzled in her heart about just how much blood Su Wanqing had drunk to cause Lin Muyu’s wound, which should have been able to heal easily, to still not be recovered even now.

“I’m sorry…”

Su Wanqing seemed to vaguely understand something, a strong sense of guilt welling up in her heart, her voice as low as a mosquito’s buzz.

“It’s fine. With Senior Sister here, she’ll be alright.”

Seeing her in such a state, Qingyao offered gentle comfort.

“You should go back and rest properly for a day first, get your energy back, and come again tomorrow.”

“Senior Sister, I don’t want to leave. I want to stay with her…”

Su Wanqing shook her head, gently sitting down beside Lin Muyu’s bed, her gaze fixed unblinkingly on her pale little face.

She prayed silently in her heart, hoping so much that Lin Muyu would wake up immediately, even if just to say a single word to her.

From the first time she met Lin Muyu, she had been continuously hurting her.

At that time, she was just an ordinary person without the strength to even tie up a chicken.

Su Wanqing had thought that she could properly compensate her in the future, that she could take responsibility.

But now, she couldn’t even keep her promises to her, so how could she talk about taking responsibility…

“Sigh.”

Qingyao watched this scene beside her, helplessly shaking her head and murmuring to herself:

“I should have reported this situation to Venerable Xinlian from the beginning. If we had made plans early, perhaps this whole mess wouldn’t have happened.”

But previously, faced with Su Wanqing’s pleading, she had still been soft-hearted…