The girl in moon-white daoist robes stained with blood stood in the courtyard, her eyes empty.
Her figure appeared exceptionally thin and fragile.
Staring at the corpse that, just a few breaths ago, had still been laughing and talking with her, Si Youyou remained silent.
The sound of footsteps came from the side.
The young man in deep blue-green daoist robes smiled as he slowly approached Si Youyou's direction.
"Well, True Person Qiu?"
Xiao Bo'an said with a smile:
"You must be in great pain now, I imagine. But it's alright, this is just a nightmare. As long as you, True Person Qiu, are willing to wake up, then everything will be over, won't it?"
What answered him was the sharp sound of wind.
Yet, the smile at the corner of Xiao Bo'an's mouth didn't waver in the slightest. He merely shifted his body slightly, his movement as effortless as a light brushstroke, easily dodging Si Youyou's palm strike filled with hatred and resolve.
Immediately after, Si Youyou's figure flickered again, her form blurring in the air as if it were an illusion.
Activating Xun Wind Step once more, Si Youyou continued to launch a swift, dazzling, and fierce assault towards Xiao Bo'an, like a butterfly flitting through flowers.
Xiao Bo'an dodged repeatedly, appearing perfectly at ease, but soon revealed an opening that made it difficult to continue evading.
Thousand Clouds Transformation!
Following that, Si Youyou pressed her attack towards Xiao Bo'an, completely sealing off his retreat path.
This was the combat method Mr. You had taught her back then.
With no room left to dodge, the corner of Xiao Bo'an's mouth quirked up slightly again.
There was no earth-shattering commotion, only a vast, oceanic surge of majestic true qi that erupted without warning, centered on Xiao Bo'an.
Like an invisible giant wave crashing against the shore, it instantly sent Si Youyou flying.
Si Youyou stabilized her posture mid-air and landed at a spot over five zhang away from Xiao Bo'an.
The true qi in her meridians and Martial Spring was in turmoil, preventing her from launching another attack for a short while.
"Why waste your effort, True Person Qiu?"
Xiao Bo'an said with a laugh:
"If True Person Qiu wishes to take this Xiao's insignificant life, this Xiao harbors no complaints... But if you intend to strike at me with your Qi Sea Realm cultivation, I'm afraid you're still far from capable."
After speaking, Xiao Bo'an bowed respectfully once more towards Si Youyou's direction and said:
"I beseech Pure Dust True Person to Ascend to Immortality!"
Si Youyou activated Xun Wind Step again, closing in on Xiao Bo'an.
The result was merely being sent flying once more by his true qi.
Xiao Bo'an's current cultivation realm was the mid-stage of the Passable God Realm.
Although he was never skilled in killing arts, bullying a little girl at the mid-stage Qi Sea Realm was still more than enough for him.
Yet Si Youyou still refused to give up. This child's temper had always been stubborn since she was little.
Until she saw the two figures that appeared from behind Xiao Bo'an.
Like walking corpses, their eyes empty, devoid of any spark, they walked step by step towards Si Youyou.
They were precisely the two mountain-guarding disciples who had been standing at the main gate of the North Pass Sect not long ago.
Si Youyou knew what was about to happen.
She watched as those two mountain-guarding disciples stood before Xiao Bo'an, then, right in front of Si Youyou, raised their hands, each pressing against their own heads.
*Crack!*
*Snap!*
Two crisp sounds of bone breaking rang out almost simultaneously. These two mountain-guarding disciples very cleanly and efficiently twisted their own necks. Their heads tilted to the side at a rather grotesque angle, and their bodies, as if all skeletal support had been pulled out, went limp and collapsed onto the ground.
They had already lost their vitality.
"......"
Si Youyou remained silent, just standing in place.
She did not continue to launch any more overambitious assaults towards Xiao Bo'an.
Xiao Bo'an, smiling and dressed in deep blue-green daoist robes, merely bowed to Si Youyou again:
"I beseech Pure Dust True Person to Ascend to Immortality!"
He repeated it.
"Aren't you afraid I'll kill you after Ascending to Immortality?"
Si Youyou's voice was very soft, yet it was still carried by the wind into Xiao Bo'an's ears, perfectly clear.
Even though she had never met these two young North Pass Sect disciples who died before her until today, she knew very well these two people died because of her.
"That would be a matter for after you, True Person Qiu, have Ascended to Immortality, wouldn't it?"
Xiao Bo'an said with a laugh:
"Rather, compared to witnessing the thunderous methods you'll employ after returning to the Immortal Ascension Realm, I'm more curious about why you would use my Mirage Palace's secret transmission technique, Thousand Clouds Transformation."
"What if I don't Ascend to Immortality?"
Si Youyou ignored Xiao Bo'an's question and continued.
"You, True Person Qiu, clearly understand what will continue to happen, don't you?"
Xiao Bo'an merely smiled as he uttered the threatening words.
The sound of footsteps rang out again.
Another North Pass Sect disciple, expression vacant, steps stiff, entered this courtyard that already held three corpses. He walked to the side of Lü Han's still-warm corpse, stepping directly into the pool of his not-yet-fully-congealed blood.
Then he bent down and picked up the cold, long sword from Lü Han's dead hand.
He straightened up, his movements stiff yet steady, and placed that gleaming, cold blade steadily across his own neck. The icy metal pressed tightly against his skin, leaving a white mark.
"Every half-stick of incense time, I will kill one North Pass Sect cultivator, until you, True Person Qiu, return to the Immortal Ascension Realm. How about that?"
"......"
There were no other choices.
Although this young girl of only sixteen had told Chen Yan over and over again that even if she cultivated to the Passable God Realm, she would absolutely still be Si Youyou, and not some Qiu Siruo.
But Youyou knew very well, that was all just her own wishful thinking.
If she were truly confident, she wouldn't have remained stuck at the mid-stage Qi Sea Realm, slacking off and giving up on cultivation.
Youyou didn't want to disappear. She didn't want to be replaced by someone who only existed in legends.
But...
"Don't kill them."
Si Youyou's voice trembled slightly:
"I will cultivate seriously, so don't kill them."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Bo'an merely continued to stand there, motionless, watching the girl in blood-stained, moon-white daoist robes before him.
"No."
That was Xiao Bo'an's reply.
The North Pass Sect disciple standing beside Lü Han's corpse suddenly exerted force. His neck was instantly sliced open by the blade in his hand, blood gushing forth, and then he heavily collapsed onto the ground.
"Every half-stick of incense time, I will kill one North Pass Sect cultivator, until you, True Person Qiu, return to the Immortal Ascension Realm."
Xiao Bo'an said with a smile.
"Then, I will kill you, in the most cruel way possible."
Si Youyou said coldly.
"This Xiao's life is at your disposal whenever you wish to take it, True Person Qiu."
The smile still hung on Xiao Bo'an's face, and then he bowed towards Si Youyou's direction.