Chapter 34
Yu Tai’s expression did not change. “He’s dead,” she said coldly.
Jiang Yibai’s face stiffened.
They had all seen Yu Tai bring the demon beast back to her room. By the time she emerged, it had vanished, clearly stored inside the demon-beast pouch.
Wen Shu looked at Jiang Yibai in disapproval. “Senior Brother.”
The demon beasts had already caused trouble between him and Junior Sister. What was he doing now? She only had two demon beasts. One had contracted Black Plague poison, and now he wanted to use the other as bait.
Wen Shu was beginning to wonder whether their eldest Senior Brother truly liked Junior Sister.
Who treated someone they liked this way?
Because of Jiang Yibai’s inexplicable question, the Qingshan Sword Sect disciples became even more cautious when speaking to Yu Tai, afraid of upsetting her.
Cultivators from several more sects gradually joined the discussion. Yu Tai had already stopped the ship. Until they settled on a concrete plan, she had no desire to venture deeper and provoke even stronger lightning.
The lightning rod artifact would indeed be tremendously useful in these circumstances. Once they had accounted for every other detail, the choice of “bait” made everyone fall silent.
No one wanted to accept such a dangerous role. Everyone preferred to be among those who escaped beneath its protection.
“I’ll do it.”
A clear, forceful voice broke the silence.
Everyone sighed inwardly in relief when someone volunteered, but when they looked up, they discovered that the person who had rescued them from the awkward situation was none other than Yu Tai, the owner of the ship that sheltered them.
“No!” Jiang Yibai rejected the idea without hesitation.
“Junior Sister, you only recently reached Foundation Establishment. This is too dangerous. You aren’t suited for it.” Realizing that his tone was too harsh, Jiang Yibai lowered his voice and softened it.
The people around them wore complicated expressions.
Was he serious?
Someone capable of controlling such a massive ship and wielding spiritual power with such precision had only recently reached Foundation Establishment?
They realized they needed to reassess the Qingshan Sword Sect’s infamous ornamental vase.
“Senior Brother is right. But if I don’t go, is there another candidate?” Yu Tai countered. Her tone was not aggressive, yet everyone’s heart tightened.
The air turned awkward.
Of course there was no one.
No one wanted to undertake a thankless task that could kill them with the slightest mistake.
Cultivators cherished their lives more than anyone.
“I’ll go.” Jiang Yibai took a deep breath.
Yu Tai raised an eyebrow. “Surely not, Senior Brother. You’re the pillar of the Qingshan Sword Sect!” she protested with perfect insincerity.
Inside, she thought, *Oh-ho. Just as I expected.*
The other Qingshan Sword Sect disciples paled and tried to dissuade him.
“There is no need for further discussion. As the leading sect of the Middle Realm, the Qingshan Sword Sect naturally bears a duty to shoulder the greatest responsibility in a crisis.”
His words were magnificent. Any sect elder who heard them would surely have praised him.
Unfortunately, everyone present knew perfectly well why he was doing this.
Was it not all for his precious Junior Sister?
Yu Tai lowered her eyes to conceal her smile.
She believed Jiang Yibai would soon become famous throughout the Middle Realm as the ultimate simp.
Once the plan was settled, everyone quickly began preparing.
But while some chose to abandon ship and risk everything beside Yu Tai, others remained convinced the vessel would survive and decided to do nothing.
Surprisingly, despite their awkward position, the Yunshan Sect disciples resolutely chose Yu Tai’s side.
She gave the leading Yunshan Sect cultivator another look.
She had to admit that although their character and morals were lacking, he was at least intelligent.
The instant Yu Tai flew from the ship, she cast one final glance at those who had stayed behind. Though they tried hard to hide it, the disdain in their expressions betrayed what they truly thought of Yu Tai and the others for taking such a reckless risk.
Without the ship’s barrier protecting her, Yu Tai finally understood why that man had been so terrified that he would rather wait for death than venture outside again.
A faint scent of blood permeated the frigid air. Purple qi filled the sky amid deafening thunder, and the unpredictable bolts might strike anywhere in the next instant.
They could hit you or the companion beside you.
Yu Tai’s breathing quickened, excitement glinting in her eyes.
How thrilling…
The moment they appeared in the sky, several thick bolts of heavenly lightning materialized overhead. Jiang Yibai immediately poured spiritual qi into the lightning rod in his hand.
Ordinary lightning rods generally diverted a lightning strike. This artifact, reputedly capable of withstanding lightning from Tribulation Transcendence, was different: it absorbed the deadly lightning.
Its drawback was that someone had to hold it while it worked.
Vicious bolts struck toward Jiang Yibai one after another. Though the lightning rod drew every strike away, the powerful shock waves alone were more than an ordinary person could withstand.
Jiang Yibai circulated all his spiritual qi to protect his body and clenched his teeth. His gaze followed the young woman not far away, her robes fluttering. Even from behind, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
The thought that he was enduring this terrifying lightning in place of Junior Sister filled him with happiness…
Yu Tai, flying toward the fissure at full speed, suddenly felt a chill.
But something else immediately seized her attention.
A tremendous crash erupted in the distance.
Yu Tai looked back just in time to witness the final moment.
Under a bolt even thicker than those before it, the magnificent ship could no longer bear the strain and finally completed its mission.
The instant lightning shattered the ship’s barrier, the people aboard had no time to react. Before they could flee, the lightning that had been kept outside descended like an enraged cat that had been toyed with, delivering a final blow to the filthy little mice.
There were no pleas or screams. The people aboard died before they knew what was happening.
That was the cultivation world-
One wrong step, and there was no possibility of redemption.
Bishui Secret Realm collapsed the instant Yu Tai escaped.
The world began melting like an unfinished oil painting, so uncanny that it made one’s scalp crawl.
There was no telling how many people had died inside Bishui Secret Realm.
But none of that had anything to do with Yu Tai now.
She was out.
Yu Tai had barely drawn one breath of fresh air when every nerve in her body snapped taut. Without time to think, she flashed to the side.
In the next instant, a whip cracked beside her with boundless hatred and split open the ground.
Yu Tai raised her head to see who had attacked, but during that tiny movement, the vicious whip tore through the air again and struck her back. Caught unprepared, she had no time to shield herself with spiritual qi and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Pain swept through her body. Her back burned as every nerve throbbed in agony.
Who was it?