118. Baili's Resolve Wavers Again

Baili Qingyan’s sudden, decisive strike took the entire group by surprise. The disciples of the Myriad Demon Palace had expected their bluster to intimidate Xie Wuji and his companions into begging for mercy, not to be met by a charging Baili Qingyan who launched an attack the moment she appeared.

One of Baili Qingyan’s spirit beasts was a beautiful snake, and as she moved, one of her arms suddenly lost its bones, lengthening and softening like a serpent’s body to wrap tightly around a disciple’s throat.

As the disciple was hoisted into the air, he kicked his legs and shrieked, "Let me go! Let me go! Are you trying to incite a war? The Myriad Demon Palace belongs to the Kingdom Above the Clouds, just as the Danxia Sect does. You... are you trying to trigger an internal conflict?!"

"If I kill all of you, no one will ever know," Baili Qingyan replied, her arm tightening until the disciple could no longer draw breath.

Seeing the grim fate of their comrade, the other Myriad Demon Palace disciples rushed forward to intervene. Suddenly, from the sleeve of Baili Qingyan’s other arm, thousands of vines erupted like whips, lashing out and sending the attackers flying.

Xue Fen gasped, "Good heavens, a dual spirit beast user! Who exactly is this girl? Could she be Dongmen Jianhao of the Danxia Sect?"

"She... she isn't," Xie Wuji said, wiping sweat from his brow, equally baffled as to why Baili Yan’er had suddenly gone into a frenzy.

But soon, a jolt went through Xie Wuji, and he stood as if petrified. A dual spirit beast user? Among the disciples of the Danxia Sect, there were only two such individuals: Dongmen Jianhao and Baili Qingyan. This person before him had to be Baili Yan’er—but how could she possess dual spirit beasts?

He knew that dual spirit beasts were a privilege reserved for those at the third-grade Golden Core stage or higher. He himself possessed two, though his Fire Ape was merely a facade to mask his true Phoenix spirit. Yet, the power Baili Yan’er was displaying far exceeded what a standard Golden Core practitioner should be capable of. Xie Wuji drew a sharp breath, staring in utter disbelief.

Just then, the remaining Myriad Demon Palace disciples attempted to fight back, but Baili Qingyan’s prowess was peerless. As they struggled, the vines subdued them and pierced into their necks like straws, tapping directly into their spinal marrow. Massive surges of spiritual energy were drained into Baili Qingyan’s body. This gruesome method of combat left even Xie Wuji wide-eyed.

"Run! This person is a dual spirit beast user; we are no match for her! Let the fools from the Myriad Demon Palace die; we have bright futures ahead—there is no reason to throw our lives away here!" Two members of the Remnant Moon Sect turned to flee.

Xie Wuji would not allow them to escape. "Li Dazui, you take the one on the left, I’ll take the one on the right!"

"Understood!" Li Dazui leaped forward.

Xie Wuji quickly mounted his Blazing Spirit Chicken. Engulfed in flames, he and the bird charged toward the other Remnant Moon disciple. Mid-air, Xie Wuji vaulted off the mount, shouting, "Aerial Mountain-Crushing Strike!"

He descended like a meteorite, his shoulder slamming violently into the disciple. He had improvised the move, realizing that falling from above would harness momentum to amplify the power of his Mountain-Crushing Strike. The disciple, caught completely off guard, was crushed to death instantly. Though the victim was also a Golden Core practitioner—and one who had held that rank far longer than Xie Wuji—he was dispatched in a single blow, leaving everyone present stunned.

In the distance, Li Dazui grabbed the head of the other Remnant Moon disciple, swinging him like a sandbag before smashing him into a massive boulder. The stone shattered, and the disciple perished on the spot.

The battle ended as quickly as it had begun. Xie Wuji looked at Baili Qingyan, who stood amidst the corpses. Her expression was indifferent as she said, "Xie Wuji, you understand now, don't you..."

"I understand," Xie Wuji replied.

Baili Qingyan offered a bitter smile, looking up at the clouds. "If you understand, then..."

"But why go to such lengths?" Xie Wuji asked, sighing helplessly.

"What?" Baili Qingyan was bewildered, having no idea what Xie Wuji was implying.

Xie Wuji walked over and said, "Yan’er, you’ve suffered. So, you have an incompetent brother. Compared to him, you are actually the stronger one. The Baili Qingyan everyone praises is actually you, Baili Yan’er, and the Baili Yan’er everyone ignores is actually the real Baili Qingyan. You two swapped identities because your sibling bond is so deep."

Baili Qingyan was rendered speechless. She had assumed that by revealing her dual spirit beast ability, her true identity would be exposed. She had intended to confess to Xie Wuji to be rid of the charade, but she hadn't expected his imagination to be so wild, concocting a narrative that perfectly justified her situation.

"Did I guess right? Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Since we are friends, I will keep your secret. I’ll take this to my grave," Xie Wuji said solemnly.

"Good... that’s good. Then, I suppose I should thank you," Baili Qingyan replied, at a loss for words.

Xie Wuji gazed toward the north with a look of profound weariness, shaking his head.

"What’s wrong with you?" Baili asked.

"I’m moved by my own brilliance. I took one look at this complex situation, grasped the entire truth, and understood it so clearly. Wouldn't you say I'm impressive?"

"Impressive. Truly impressive," Baili Qingyan thought to herself, *What else can I say? I might as well say what he wants to hear.*

"It’s unexpected, though. Even though the Myriad Demon Palace and the Danxia Sect belong to the same sect, they operate as separate entities," Mudan remarked.

"Competition can be a form of healthy progress, but their methods are clearly dishonorable. If these were ordinary disciples, they would have been harmed by now," Baili Qingyan said.

"Since you’ve been pretending to be your brother for so long, you must be able to see who is right and who is wrong within the sect, right?" Xie Wuji asked.

Baili Qingyan paused, then smiled bitterly. "Do I have a choice?"

"What do you mean, no choice? I know you and your brother were saved by the Grand Elder, Ding Desheng. But ask yourself: how much have you done for him? How many people have you killed? How many small factions have you destroyed? If it’s about repaying a debt, you’ve paid it back ten times over. But what about you? Do you really intend to go on like this forever?"

A flicker of anger crossed Baili Qingyan’s brow. "I would prefer you not ask about my master."

"Ha, I have a big mouth; once I start talking, I can't stop. I still think you should live for yourself. Everyone saw how Ding Desheng abandoned his own brother, Ding Xuanming. And you don't even share blood with him. If the day comes when he decides to discard you, do you think he’ll hesitate?"

The words struck like a poisoned arrow, piercing straight to Baili Qingyan’s heart. She trembled and fell into silence. Ding Xuanming had been her uncle; the brothers had been inseparable and shared a blood bond that allowed them to communicate telepathically. Yet, on the day of the incident, Ding Desheng had slaughtered his own brother without the slightest hesitation.

Baili Qingyan had watched it all clearly—the sorrow, helplessness, and rage reflected in Ding Xuanming’s eyes. But Ding Desheng had killed him regardless, because with Ding Xuanming dead, he could easily shift the blame for all his own crimes onto his brother, allowing himself to remain above suspicion.