A Consequence of Opposing the Heroine’s Halo (GL) - Chapter 11

The Dragon-Transformation Mountains in the west of the Eastern Province stretched for tens of thousands of miles. The surrounding peaks pierced the clouds, with countless majestic and strange mountains among them.

Liu Sanye had thought Mount Yuwang was high and large enough until she saw Mount Huajie… The base of the mountain, which she couldn’t see the end of, stood before her like a massive celestial wall, giving her the illusion that she had reached the end of the world.

Because it was so tall, only the foot of Mount Huajie was visible; the mountainside and the summit were completely submerged in the clouds. Looking up, Liu Sanye saw only the azure sky and swirling white clouds, her heart filled with awe.

The group had set out before dawn that morning. Elder Yuan led the way, with Chu Danxue and Jun Yining following closely on their swords. Liu Sanye and Bai Tong brought up the rear on the celestial crane.

Liu Sanye hadn’t spoken to Bai Tong the entire way, but as they approached Mount Huajie, she couldn’t help but blurt out, “This mountain is truly massive.” Her admiration was palpable.

Bai Tong, who had been watching Liu Sanye and trying to find a way to start a conversation the whole time, moved her lips slightly upon hearing this. After hesitating for a long while, she finally replied softly, “It is quite large.”

Liu Sanye was stunned. “You… you can see?”

Bai Tong: “…”

Bai Tong calmly turned her head to the side, pretending she hadn’t heard. For the first time, she felt defeated by her own silliness.

Only then did Liu Sanye realize Bai Tong was acting strangely. Bai Tong used to be cold and indifferent; why was she suddenly talking more? Strange, truly strange. Liu Sanye frowned and thought for a long time but couldn’t figure it out, so she simply dropped the matter.

Just then, they reached the boundary of the Huajie Sect. Elder Yuan, at the front of the line, took out a Huajie Sect Soul Tool and opened an exit in the mountain-protecting array. After the group entered, he sealed the exit behind them.

“Everyone, please follow me.”

With a wave of his sleeve, he transported everyone into a room. Liu Sanye felt as if the yellow sleeve had covered the heavens and earth; everything went black, and her body felt weightless. The next moment, her feet slammed onto the ground, the force of gravity making her head swim.

After a moment, her vision cleared. They were in a secret chamber lined with various crystals.

The multicolored crystals, each about the size of an egg, were placed on slender iron stands arranged in a circle. In the darkness, the crystals flickered like ghostly candlelight.

Driven by curiosity, Liu Sanye walked up to a cyan crystal. An image appeared above it: a massive serpent-like monster with its bloody maw open, lunging toward her. Its pale fangs were stained with crimson blood. Terrified, Liu Sanye stumbled back several steps, bumping right into Elder Yuan behind her.

This second shock startled her again! Elder Yuan asked with a smile, “Scared?”

Liu Sanye nodded, still shaken.

Elder Yuan explained, “Those are crystal projections. The crystal you just saw contains the final moments of a core disciple of my sect, extracted from his eyes after he met with disaster during a trial.”

Liu Sanye nodded in understanding. “I see.”

At that moment, Chu Danxue and Jun Yining were frowning as they observed a red crystal. Elder Yuan stepped forward. “This demon is highly cultivated and meticulous. Among hundreds of victims, we only found this one segment. My cultivation is too low to extract the full image from the victim’s eyes, and the Sect Leader is currently in ‘Death Seclusion,’ so I must ask the two True Persons for help.”

“No need for formalities, Elder. This is our duty.”

Chu Danxue glanced at Jun Yining, who nodded. Together, they formed hand seals and injected spiritual power into the red crystal.

Moments later, the image above the crystal cleared. A woman in red appeared, as beautiful as peach blossoms. Red threads were bound around her body, and she held a golden bell. As she looked back at them, her crimson lips curled into a mocking smile. After that single fragment, the rest of the projection turned to black.

This residual image didn’t seem like a careless mistake; it looked like a deliberate provocation. She was a female demon, wicked to the core.

Jun Yining was furious, and so was Chu Danxue, though she looked puzzled. That bell… she felt she had seen it in a book somewhere.

Liu Sanye glimpsed the woman’s face from behind the others. Bound in red threads, holding a golden bell—this was clearly Jin Lingdang.

Liu Sanye thought the woman was very beautiful. Just as she finished marveling, her peripheral vision caught Bai Tong’s somber, dark expression.

Instantly, Liu Sanye changed her mind: Hmph! This Jin Lingdang is actually quite ugly!

After viewing the demon’s projection and discussing it for a while, Elder Yuan led them out of the secret room to a quiet courtyard on the back mountain. Chu Danxue gave Liu Sanye a few instructions, and the group left in a hurry, looking very anxious.

Knowing their mission was dangerous, Liu Sanye tried to say a few words of encouragement. Unfortunately, before she could finish, they had already vanished. Her outstretched hand froze in mid-air as she suddenly realized her lowly status as a “small fry.”

Fortunately, Bai Tong turned back to wave at her. Her small hand swayed in the sun, the hot light filtering through her fair fingers and casting a translucent red glow. Liu Sanye was moved to tears. Bai Tong is truly a little angel.

Chu Danxue and the others would be away for seven days. In the original book, the Huajie Sect disciples set a “Sure-Kill Array” at Bai Tong’s old home. Jin Lingdang had been a genius since childhood—arrogant and extremely conceited. Even after sensing a trap, she forced her way in to kill Bai Tong. But there is always a higher heaven; the world never lacks geniuses.

After breaking the array, Jin Lingdang was ultimately defeated by Chu Danxue and fled back to the Northern Snowy Plains to cultivate in seclusion. She wouldn’t appear again for hundreds of chapters.

Though Chu Danxue dealt a heavy blow to Jin Lingdang, she didn’t come away unscathed. After all, the setting “demonic cultivators are invincible among the same rank below the Nascent Soul stage” was no joke. This battle nearly cost her her life.

After they left, Liu Sanye stayed in the courtyard. Bored out of her mind, she snuck out for a walk and accidentally discovered a martial arts field.

On the vast field, thousands of Qi Refining disciples surrounded a teaching elder, listening to his lectures. Just like her old school, if a disciple wasn’t paying attention or failed a recitation, the elder would pull them out for “standing punishment.” But this wasn’t ordinary punishment; the elder ruled that no matter the method, their feet must not touch the ground.

Many disciples chose to hover using qi, and it wasn’t long before they were drenched in sweat and begging for mercy. The elder would take the opportunity to lecture them before letting them go.

Liu Sanye had never seen such a sight and watched for a long time. In the original text, the Huajie Sect was just an obscure small sect located west of the Hegui Sect. She wondered how the teaching at the Hegui Sect—the number one sect she was about to join—would compare.

Today was the seventh day. Liu Sanye came to the martial field as usual. The elder wasn’t there today, and the field was much less crowded. Only a few people were sparse-testing spells—some flying in the sky, some burrowing into the ground. It was more exciting and beautiful than any magic show.

Just as she was enjoying the view, a streak of light like a shooting star flashed across the sky. She looked up, froze for a second, and then immediately bolted toward her quiet little courtyard.

When she arrived, she saw Jun Yining holding Chu Danxue, who was covered in blood and unconscious. Elder Yuan was pleading, “True Person, why not treat her here before heading back?”

Jun Yining replied anxiously, “Senior Sister was injured by that demoness’s Blood Soul Bell. It’s a sacred relic of the demon race; I cannot heal it with my abilities. I must return to find my master, the Lord of Green Wood Peak.”

As he spoke, he released a massive Three-Headed Green Bird from his spirit beast bag. The bird’s shadow covered the entire courtyard, and the gale from its wings nearly knocked over the trees. Everyone’s robes fluttered violently.

With a wave of his hand, Jun Yining swept Liu Sanye and Bai Tong onto the bird’s back and flew up after them. “Elder Yuan, rest assured!” Jun Yining transmitted his voice down. “I have reported this to the sect. They will send disciples shortly to help you clear the surrounding demons.”

The bird let out a long cry and carried the four of them away.

The Three-Headed Green Bird was incredibly fast—far beyond what a celestial crane could manage. In less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, they were at the Mount Yuwang teleportation array. The array had been repaired, and a panicked Jun Yining waved them onto the platform.

Liu Sanye was tossed back and forth by Jun Yining until her head was spinning and she saw stars. Before she could react, the array activated. She lost all sense of balance. The world spun, and when she finally landed, her legs gave out and her butt slammed onto the ground with a loud thud.

She rubbed her backside, howling in pain. She glanced over and saw Bai Tong face-down and butt-up—she wasn’t doing any better.

When Jun Yining and the others arrived at the Hegui Sect gate, the guarding disciples saw the array flashing and gathered around. Seeing it was Jun Yining, they were initially delighted, but the joy vanished when they saw the blood-soaked, deeply comatose Chu Danxue.

“Senior Brother Yining, what happened to Eldest Senior Sister?”

“Senior Sister is heavily injured by the demon race. I must take her to Master for treatment. Help me take these two new disciples to Elder Xun in the Outer Sect.”

“Yes, no problem.”

Jun Yining transformed into a streak of green light and sped toward Green Wood Peak. As he left, he sent a final message: “These two were recruited from Loushan Village. Please make sure to tell Elder Xun.”

After he left, that message caused an immediate stir among the disciples.

Loushan Village? Isn’t that the village from Ancestor Hegui’s prophecy? That place has bad feng shui; not a single disciple with a spiritual root has come from there in centuries. To think two of them showed up at once!

This was Liu Sanye’s first time using a teleportation array. She felt as if her blood was rushing randomly through her body—it was miserable. After a while, her head stopped spinning. She opened her eyes to see a group of men and women in black-and-white Daoist robes, staring at her and Bai Tong like predators.

Confused, Liu Sanye looked around. Beyond the massive white curtain of the teleportation array was a paradise of swirling mist and circling cranes.

So, this was… the Hegui Sect?