The little tree spirit was still sleeping inside. Shen Yue wondered if it would find its way to her after waking up.
Shen Yue did not sense any presence throughout the night.
She returned to the study and did not see the man's figure. She searched in other places but did not find him, wondering where he had gone to play.
She waited in the study, holding a book but unable to concentrate. For some reason, her heart was beating a little fast.
Rong Hua did not return all night.
Shen Yue couldn't help but feel anxious. After all, Rong Hua's mind was not quite right; it would be bad if something happened to him.
Putting down the book in her hand, Shen Yue was about to go out when a disciple rushed in.
He cupped his hands in a salute and said urgently, "Immortal Venerable, it's not good. A demon has broken into Xin Qing Hall. His magic power is extremely high, and he has injured several of our disciples."
Shen Yue's heart skipped a beat. The plot always arrived so unexpectedly.
She showed no outward emotion, remaining as cold and indifferent as ever. She walked out first to see.
Peach blossoms drifted down, and the breeze lifted them, carrying the pale pink petals far away.
She saw a tall figure surrounded by disciples of Qing Yun Sect.
However, they dared not get too close, forming a large circle. As the man took a step, they followed his movement.
The man wore the same white robes as them, but they were embroidered with silver lotuses, indicating his extraordinary status.
His face was known to everyone in Qing Yun Sect.
This person was the sole disciple under Immortal Venerable Xi Yu.
Rong Hua.
But at this moment, he was emanating dark demonic energy. The man's eyes were clear as crystal, even carrying a hint of simple-mindedness, yet no one dared to let down their guard; everyone was on high alert.
The man seemed not to notice those people. He held a dirty potted plant in his arms. When he saw the white figure, his dim eyes instantly lit up. He quickened his pace and walked to Shen Yue's side. His robe was blown by the wind, and the smile on his face was bright and brilliant.
From a distance of one meter, the man held out the potted plant as if presenting a treasure, his voice filled with undisguised joy and simple-mindedness, "Master, I found it. Please don't be angry, okay?"
Shen Yue took the potted plant and handed it to a disciple beside her.
The man, exuding thick demonic energy, smiled even more brightly. He walked over with small steps, wanting to embrace the white figure, but a figure suddenly rushed forward and blocked Shen Yue.
Jiang Ling held his sword, his eyes sharp and filled with killing intent, "Do not come any closer!"
The expression on Rong Hua's face froze, then slowly disappeared. His originally pure eyes showed ferocity like a malevolent spirit, and a glint of ferocious red light flashed in their depths.
He said word by word, with deep malice, "It's you again..."
At that instant, immense pressure washed over them. Jiang Ling felt himself locked in place by an irresistible killing intent, forcing him to watch helplessly as a ball of black mist, appearing to move slowly but actually extremely fast, lunged towards his forehead.
Just then, a surging spiritual energy met it at an even faster speed.
With two muffled thuds, the black mist, which had almost pierced Jiang Ling's forehead, was scattered and turned into smoke, disappearing.
But it wasn't over. Another ball of black mist followed, attacking Jiang Ling in a sinister and extremely strange manner before he could react.
βIt missed.
The latter had already been instantly pulled to the side.
The two had not even made a move, but the residual power of their burgeoning magic clearly indicated the force contained in each attack.
"Master..."
Rong Hua's eyes regained their clarity. He looked at his hands with panic and confusion, as if disbelieving that he had almost harmed his master just now.
"I..." Rong Hua wanted to explain something, but his throat was dry. He could only shake his head in a wronged and regretful manner, crying out helplessly, "Master... Master..."
Shen Yue seemed indifferent, but the fingers of her hand, hanging by her side, slowly tightened. As she took a step forward, a deep voice sounded.
"Demon God, we have been waiting for you."
The next second, several elders, as if prepared, spread out to set up a formation. Shen Yue was pushed back five meters by a force.
Golden talismans circled above Rong Hua's head. Following them, the formation's patterns became clearer. The formation rose from beneath his feet, and countless scriptures bound him tightly like iron chains.
The golden patterns were like flames, and the places they bound felt like scorching fire, as if his bones were being chopped one by one and burned in the fire.
He looked at the white figure outside the formation, his eyes teary, his face pale with pain. Like a child seeking comfort, he cried out.
"Master... Master, save me..."
"I hurt so much..."
Large tears streamed down, and in the end, he was almost sobbing uncontrollably, his eyes fixed obsessively and stubbornly on the white figure. He spread his arms, as if asking for a hug.
"Master, hug me."
Shen Yue couldn't help but take a step forward. Xuan Cheng immediately grabbed her wrist, exasperated, "Are you crazy? Do you still want to protect him even now? Do you know what you've done? Harboring a demon is a capital offense!"
Now, all Shen Yue could hear was the man's childish and pained, tearful cries. He said he was in pain, he said he wanted a hug.
For some reason, her icy expression flickered with confusion. It was Xuan Cheng who held her hand tightly and kept calling her name that brought her back.
"Don't do this to him."
Her eyebrows were calm, her face as pure and white as jade, like a white magnolia on a branch in the moonlight, exuding a chilling light.
Xuan Cheng's expression turned grim. He said through gritted teeth, "What? Do you still want to shield him even now? Xi Yu, how can you do this to the common people? How can you do this to Qing Yun Sect?"
Shen Yue lowered her head, appearing somewhat stunned. When she looked up again, she had regained her usual cold and self-possessed demeanor. There was no expression on her face, only the chill of the afterglow.
She said coldly, "Rong Hua is my disciple. If he is to be punished, I will punish him. If he is to be killed, I will kill him."
After saying this, she ignored Xuan Cheng's displeased expression and flew forward to break the formation. The golden light was intensely bright for a moment, then instantly dimmed.
The elders looked at her with disbelief.
Rong Hua, freed from the restraint, immediately stopped crying. Tears still streaked his face. Without regard for the pain, his previously suffering expression turned to one of joy. He haphazardly wiped his tears and ran towards the white figure like a fledgling bird.
He was full of anticipation, with a hint of shyness.