Chapter 154: First Use

Grand Dao Sect.

“Big Sister Bai... Master Bai, you’re finally awake!”

With a soft groan, Bai Qiulan stirred. Chu Ling, overjoyed, hurried to her side.

Bai Qiulan slowly opened her eyes, a haze of confusion still lingering within them.

Her memories remained at the moment when Lu Ye returned the Supreme Yin Marrow Parasite to her—after that, ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) there had been nothing but endless pain.

Here, there was only Chu Ling. Shangguan Huanling and Sun Ruowei were elsewhere, caring for Yue Hongling.

Yue Hongling had shown true affection toward Bai Qiulan. Even while suffering tremendous agony, she had drawn away most of Bai Qiulan’s rampaging Chaotic Yin Poison.

Tribulation Crossing Realm...

Even after waking, Bai Qiulan remained at the Tribulation Crossing Realm. Previously, the Supreme Yin Marrow Parasite had devoured her cultivation wildly, dragging her realm down—yet when it detonated the yin power, it forcibly raised her realm again.

The recovery of a Tribulation Crossing Realm cultivator like Bai Qiulan was swift.

The very first thing she thought of was what she had experienced during the agony.

“Ling’er, why is my Chaotic Yin Poison gone? Who did it?” Bai Qiulan asked urgently.

Chu Ling did not hide anything and explained honestly.

“It was Hongling. She used the Scripture of Ultimate Yin for Virgin Maidens to draw out your Chaotic Yin Poison. She’s still unconscious, but Master doesn’t need to worry—this technique is a top-grade secret art. It can fully neutralize the Chaotic Yin Poison. She’s slowly recovering,” Chu Ling said.

Bai Qiulan immediately rose.

“I’m going to see Hongling!”

“Master, slowly—”

The two entered Yue Hongling’s room, and before they even stepped inside, a bone-piercing chill engulfed them.

Seeing Yue Hongling lying stiff on the bed, her face pale and twisted with pain, Bai Qiulan’s tears immediately began to fall.

“Hongling, how could you be so foolish... I already told you, you must never use the Scripture of Ultimate Yin for Virgin Maidens! Why did you still use it? This technique harms you just as much as it harms me!”

Crying, Bai Qiulan rushed to Yue Hongling’s side, reaching out to grasp her hand.

But... her hand?

“Where are Hongling’s hands?!”

Bai Qiulan nearly went mad, shouting aloud.

Shangguan Huanling held up two frozen-solid hands. “Big Sister Bai, here they are...”

“Why are her hands severed?! Who cut them off?” Bai Qiulan’s eyes blazed with fury.

“I did. There was no choice. At the time, Hongling tried to stop using the Scripture of Ultimate Yin for Virgin Maidens, but her hands were frozen solid and couldn’t move. The only way to stop the technique was to cut them off. It was the only option,” Chu Ling explained.

Bai Qiulan’s tears fell like strings of pearls, one after another.

She took Yue Hongling’s hands—the cold pierced straight into her bones.

She touched Yue Hongling’s body. It was even colder.

“From this day forward, Yue Hongling is absolutely forbidden from using the Scripture of Ultimate Yin for Virgin Maidens! Even if I die, she is not allowed! You must all help me watch over her—understand?” Bai Qiulan said harshly.

The others could only nod in agreement.

“Hongling... why are you so foolish... So foolish... It’s not worth it... This is my physique. This is my fate...”

...

One month later.

Yue Hongling finally recovered to normal, and her severed hands had been reattached.

Her cultivation had even skyrocketed, due to absorbing the corrupted Supreme Yin Power.

She had reached the Sixth Layer of the Nascent Soul Realm.

“Ah, Master, stop worrying already. See? I’m completely fine now. Not even the slightest side effect! In fact, I benefited from the ordeal—shot straight up three small realms! Even my true essence became purer. This is really a good thing!” Yue Hongling said sweetly.

Bai Qiulan, however, continued nagging.

“Next time the Chaotic Yin Poison acts up, you are absolutely forbidden from using the Scripture of Ultimate Yin for Virgin Maidens again. Did you destroy that technique? Don’t you dare let Chu Ling or Shangguan Huanling learn it!”

“Don’t worry, I already destroyed it!”

Bai Qiulan sighed deeply. “To have a disciple like you... truly is this master’s greatest blessing.”

“Oh, Master...”

“Right, Master, what about Senior Brother? We haven’t heard anything about him for a long time,” Yue Hongling asked.

“He’s in seclusion. After wiping out the Eternal Teachings Sect and the Yin-Yang Law Sect, he entered closed-door cultivation. I heard that the Yin-Yang Law Sect tried to surrender, but he slaughtered them all anyway,” Bai Qiulan said.

Yue Hongling paused in silence.

“He really is far more ruthless than in his past life. Sometimes, I even wonder... was his body taken over? How could a person change so much?”

“Maybe... it’s because we hurt him too deeply...”

At the mention of Lu Ye, the atmosphere between the two turned heavy.

“Isn’t he close to undergoing tribulation and ascending?” Yue Hongling asked.

“He already reached the Tribulation Crossing Realm earlier. At his pace, I’m afraid he’ll ascend within two years, at the latest.”

Yue Hongling panicked.

“That’s too fast! Senior Brother’s cultivation is rising too fast—at this rate, he’ll ascend to the Second Heaven soon! Once that happens, we won’t even be able to see his shadow anymore! Master, what do we do?!” Yue Hongling asked anxiously.

Bai Qiulan didn’t have any good solution either.

“This can’t happen. I won’t allow it. Call Chu Ling—right now! We have to come up with a plan!”

“Okay!”

Surprisingly, Bai Qiulan didn’t object.

Watching Yue Hongling’s figure as she hurried off, Bai Qiulan suddenly furrowed her brow and bit her lip lightly. She suppressed the chill welling up from within.

A sigh escaped her lips.

Hongling had helped suppress her Chaotic Yin Poison—morally, she’d done nothing wrong. But if she could endure it this time... what about next time?

And the time after that?

And the one after that?

Chaotic Yin Poison wasn’t something that flared up just once. It was permanent. Long-term.

Without the Supreme Yin Marrow Parasite, Bai Qiulan could’ve rapidly advanced her cultivation to slow the rate of flare-ups.

But now, the parasite resided inside her. It devoured the purest Chaotic Supreme Yin Power, leaving her with only low-quality residual energy.

Rapid breakthrough was now difficult.

And so, a thought emerged in her heart.

This Scripture of Ultimate Yin for Virgin Maidens—it couldn’t be interrupted by the user. If she could find some wicked and ruthless demonic cultivators to practice it instead...

Then Yue Hongling wouldn’t have to absorb it anymore.

And in doing so, she would be ridding the world of evil. A public service.

Once the idea took root, it spread like wildfire.

If Bai Qiulan were to act on it, the technique was still in Yue Hongling’s hands. She hadn’t figured out how to broach the topic with her without being too direct.

Soon, the four women gathered.

They held a meeting.

Yue Hongling even gave it a name:

Operation Win-Him-Back: Pre-War Strategy Meeting!

Participants: Bai Qiulan, Shangguan Huanling, Chu Ling, and Yue Hongling.

Unfortunately, one was missing—Vermilion Bird!