"What..." Lin Yue finally came back to her senses as she wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. She felt the sweetness of the blood in her throat before realising what had just happened.

"..." In that instant, her mind almost stopped working. Her body turned cold, and the only sense of warmth that she felt came from her heart, which was continuously strengthening her body.

"I..." Lin Yue looked at the three dried corpses on the ground before turning around and wanting to throw up all the blood that she had gulped down. But no matter how hard she tried, nothing happened.

Even though she drank the blood of three women, she didn't feel bloated or full. On the contrary, she felt like she was still hungry for more.

For a while, Lin Yue couldn't believe herself. She couldn't believe that she would drink the blood of another human.

She might have killed a lot of people before, but feeding on them is where she drew the line.

She wasn't cannibalistic.

In the cultivation world, using fellow humans as resources was an act so vile that once discovered, you would be hunted down.

The corpse of the red-clothed woman on the Ironhead Bull was the best example of it.

It was something that only those maniac cultivators who have given up their humanity do.

But now...

"Hiss..." Lin Yue took a deep breath as her eyes darted around nervously, wondering if someone saw her. After making sure there wasn't another person in the vicinity, she just buried the three bodies and, after making sure that she didn't leave a clue, left the place.

She didn't want to waste too much time in this place. God knows what kind of trouble might arrive later.

But during the entire time, her mind was working at a rapid pace, feeling the changes in her body. And in the next few moments, with the sound of something shattering, she felt another Vein inside her body expanding at a rapid pace as she finally managed to step into the 3rd Vein Expansion realm. And with that, she knew why such a bizarre thing had happened out of nowhere.

"Crimson Heart." Muttering to herself, she clutched her chest. Earlier, she spent a good while trying to search the Crimson Heart. She wanted to use it for herself, and if she couldn't, then she was going to exchange it with the Heavenly Sword Sect for more resources.

But who would have thought that the thing she was looking for everywhere would be inside her body? She didn't dare to utter a single word about it to anyone else. God knows what the Sword Sect would do to her if they found out that she had it inside her body.

At that time, getting dismembered would be the least of her worries.

With a worried face, she just made her way towards her destination

It wasn't until Lin Yue's figure left the scene that the figure of a woman appeared out of thin air, standing directly at Lin Yue's previous position.

It was hard to see her appearance and figure because of the White mask and long, loose white robe she was wearing, but if Lin Yue were here, she would have definitely recognised her at a glance.

This woman was the one who rescued her, Xiao Ruolan and Yang Ze from the Duality Sect. This woman was the one who captured Cang Yue and threw her into the prison... This woman was one of the Grand Elders of the Sword Sect.

And at the moment, she wasn't alone.

Accompanying her was the figure of Sword Sect's leader, Jian Yu, who was quietly gazing in the direction of Lin Yue's departure.

It wasn't until a few more moments had passed that the masked woman asked in a soft voice.

"Are we really doing the right thing?"

"....." Jian Yu didn't give an immediate reply but stood in silence for a long time. She then waved her hand, and with that, the ground beneath her trembled before the three dried corpses were pulled out.

She then waved her hand once more, and in the next instant, a blazing fire enveloped the three dried corpses, completely reducing them to ashes. And then she waved her hand one last time, and with it, a gust of wind dispersed the ash everywhere.

"Why?" After finishing all that, Jian Yu turned to look at the masked woman before asking in a flat tone.

"Do you still have any doubts?"

"I don't know." The white masked woman simply shrugged in response before speaking further.

"You have been planning for so long, why would you choose these two women out of nowhere?" Her voice had a hint of confusion, as if she couldn't understand Jian Yu's decision.

"Tell me... Is this what you really want?"

"Is this why you asked me to rescue these two women from the Duality Sect?"

The masked woman's questions were met with a brief silence before Jian Yu opened her mouth to speak.

"In a sense... yes." Her gaze looked in the distance where Lin Yue's figure disappeared before speaking further.

"I don't have that long to live, and I am afraid that even as my successor, you might not be able to stop the destruction of the Azure Dragon Continent."

"Again with that prophecy." The masked woman shook her head. "Are you sure it's not just another fairy tale?"

Jian Yue didn't get angry but just let out a soft smile.

"Twenty Thousand Years." She spoke those words with great pride.

"For twenty thousand years, our lineage has protected this continent. We have always maintained a balance of power. We have always maintained peace."

"I remember having this same conversation with the previous Guardian. Except I was standing where you currently are."

"And I will repeat the thing that the previous Guardian told me..."

"The prophecy is not a fairy tale. It is bound to happen sooner or later."

Speaking till here, Jian Yu paused for a long time before asking in a soft voice.

"Do you remember the first thing I told you all those years ago?"

The masked woman thought for a moment before replying in a grave tone.

"Yes, I do..."

"The day someone manages to step into the Heaven Realm is the day when the start of the end would begin."

"Mmmm..." Jian Yu just gave a simple nod before exhaling a mouthful of air.

"We don't know who the Heavenly Demon is or how to find it."

"The only thing we know is that the Heavenly Demon is a crafty and insidious being that can not be trusted."

"Its sole purpose is to plunder the world it arrives in."

"Everything it says... everything it shows... everything is mere pretence."

"It might appear weak, it might act feeble, but deep inside, it hides all that ugly darkness."

"It won't show off, it won't fight for petty profits. And when the time is ripe... it will show its true face."

"It is like a poison. The more it stays in this world, the more harm it will bring."

The white masked woman just stood in silence for a long time.

"Can't we just perform a divination?"

"Heh." Jian Yu just let out a soft chuckle full of mockery.

"Not to mention that divination takes the life force of the one performing it. Even if you somehow manage to perform a divination, you won't be able to find it."

"Why?" The masked woman was truly confused.

"Because..." Jian Yu's voice paused for a moment before she exhaled a mouthful of air.

"Because heavenly demons are blessed."

"Yes..." With a bitter laugh, she continued speaking. "Ironic, isn't it?"

"The very thing that seeks to destroy this world is blessed by the world."

"And this is why..."

"This is why we need as many allies as possible."

The masked woman seemed to think of something as her eyes widened in disbelief while she gazed at Jian Yu.

"Is this why you chose to side with Yun Ning?"

"Mmm..." Jian Yu didn't refute the claim.

"She came to me a long time ago, sharing her opportunity with me."

"She had a way to step into the Heaven Realm, but for that, she needed my help."

"And thus..." Speaking till here, Jian Yu paused for a moment.

"Thus, I decided to help her."

"I wanted her to be on our side when we face the Heavenly Demon."

Listening to Jian Yu, the masked woman simply raised an eyebrow as her face was filled with doubts. Though it wasn't visible under the mask, one could clearly feel it.

"I don't understand." She shook her gently, thinking about everything that Jian Yu had just said.

"Since you knew that the prophecy would start once someone achieved the Heaven Realm, why didn't you stop her?"

This was what confused her the most.

"If you had explained it to her, then we wouldn't be where we are now."

"Unless..." Speaking till here, her breathing paused for a moment, and her eyes widened in disbelief as she took a step back in shock while looking at Jian Yu.

"Unless you wanted it to happen."

"Heh." Jian Yu simply let out a soft chuckle.

"Like I said..."

"Twenty Thousand Years..."

"We have been carrying this burden for twenty thousand years. Always worrying about what might happen in the future."

"I simply wanted it all to be over."

The masked woman simply narrowed her eyes before speaking in a doubtful voice.

"Or you wanted your name to be etched forever in the annals of history."

"Jian Yu... The person who saved the Azure Dragon Continent from destruction."

She didn't think that Jian Yu did it out of the goodness of her heart. Since the woman knew about the prophecy and still decided to jump-start it... It might have some underlying meanings. Something that she didn't know about. But she was certain about one thing... She didn't do it out of the goodness of her heart or because of the fact that she wanted it all to be over.

"Whatever you think." Jian Yu just shrugged in response, but it was impossible to see what she was thinking by just looking at her face.

"So, you decided to help Yun Ning reach the Heaven Step, and once she successfully reached this realm, you decided to perform a little play to forge the alliance."

Speaking till here, the white masked woman paused for a moment before asking again.

"But since you already have her help, why are you forcing these two young women through this?"

"You are pushing them into the abyss."

"One has Crimson Heart inside her, while the other is just a fish on the chopping block. The next time she enters that sword trial, she wouldn't be the same."

"What is the need for these two? Why not choose someone else?"

Hearing one question after another, Jian Yu just let out a soft chuckle.

"Heh." With a small laugh, she took a deep breath as her face turned incomparably serious before she began to speak.

"Compatibility and lack of time."

Her answer was something that the white masked woman wasn't expecting.

"This Lin Yue is a perfect candidate for the Crimson Heart."

"She just lost her adoptive sister and was kicked out of the Family."

"These things, combined with her humiliation in the Duality Sect... She desperately seeks strength."

"For us, she is the perfect choice."

"Besides..." A smile crept across Jian Yu's face. "Didn't you see just how well she did?"

"What about the other woman?" The masked woman asked again.

"Cang Yue?" Jian Yu clicked her tongue in wonder. "Because of the Nine Yin body, she is a perfect candidate for the Sword trial."

"I see." The white masked woman nodded in understanding before asking again.

"Aren't you afraid that these two women will one day know the truth and come after you? Aren't you afraid that these two will join the Heavenly Demon's side?"

"Hehehehehehe." Jian Yue let out a roaring laughter as if she had heard the biggest joke.

"Yun Ning is bound by an oath. So, she can not go against me."

"That Cang Yue... When she goes into the Sword Trial next time, she wouldn't even be herself."

"And as for Lin Yue..."

"I have put a Blight Worm in the Crimson Heart."

"She will always be under my control."

Speaking till here, she took a long pause before muttering to herself.

"Why do you think I arranged these three useless morons of the Duality Sect here?"

"We are out of time, and the only thing we can do now is to force them to become as strong as possible."

"I am going to make sure that she has plenty of food to gobble up and become as strong as fast as possible."

"I don't know when the Heavenly Demon is going to strike or how, but I need these two women ready."

The white masked woman gazed deeply at Jian Yu for a long time before asking her last question.

"It isn't just about letting them get strong and then fight against the Heavenly Demon, is it?"

"You must have some other plans for these two women."

Jian Yu didn't reply but turned around to look at the White masked woman with a smile. With every passing second, the smile on her face only grew wider while the corner of her mouth began to drool... as if she was thinking about something delicious.....

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