Both Chu Chang and Chu Ze sprayed blood simultaneously.
Chu Chang was greatly alarmed. Someone had entered the Cold Cliff and destroyed the spirit-dispelling formation.
Not good.
Chu Chang immediately flew towards the forbidden area. Today, Chu Ze had to die.
"Sect Master Chu, have we not met since long ago."
Just then, a ghostly figure blocked Chu Chang's path.
"Lord Demon Master?"
Upon seeing the person, Chu Chang was startled. He immediately set up a barrier and bowed to the newcomer.
"Hmph, Sect Master Chu indeed has a forgetful nature." The ghost snorted, filled with displeasure.
"Lord Demon Master, I, Chu, have never forgotten the agreement with you. It's just that the Xuanxin Sect has been too busy with trivial matters lately, so..." Chu Chang secretly cursed why this devil had come to their sect. Wasn't he afraid of being discovered?
"Sect Master Chu, when you asked for my help back then, you didn't have so many excuses." The ghost's body slowly drifted towards Chu Chang, his demonic eyes radiating a faint glow, as if capable of snatching souls at any moment.
Chu Chang's heart tightened. Demons were the most unreasonable creatures. While worrying about the forbidden area, he quickly brainstormed countermeasures.
"Lord Demon Master, please give me a little more time. I will definitely deliver the item."
"Three days. If I don't see the item, you know the consequences." With that, the ghost disappeared from Chu Chang's sight.
Chu Chang was furious. A mere demon dared to threaten him.
As he was about to continue towards the forbidden area, an anomaly occurred in his cave mansion. Chu Chang was even more alarmed. After a moment of hesitation, he sped towards his cave mansion.
Meanwhile, Chu Lingwei led Chu Ze out of the Cold Cliff. They sat on the illusionary gauze ribbon and rendezvoused with the illusionary cat, quickly retreating towards the back mountain.
Along the way, Chu Ze's heart was in his throat. After all, his daughter was only at the Spirit Wheel realm, and there was always a risk of being discovered.
Fortunately, their escape was very smooth, and they did not encounter a single Xuanxin Sect disciple.
Chu Ze felt a pang of doubt. He glanced sideways at his daughter, seeing no unusual expression on her face, and remained silent.
"Finally, we're out."
Stepping out of the Xuanxin Sect, Chu Lingwei's heart relaxed. She led Chu Ze towards the Xuanxin Sect's market.
"Father, please rest here first."
Upon returning to the inn, Chu Lingwei arranged for Chu Ze to stay in her room. She set up a barrier around the room to allow him to rest.
His body was already severely damaged and he could not use any spiritual energy. Being tortured by Chu Chang in the dungeon, rest was the best form of healing.
"Alright."
Chu Lingwei watched as Chu Ze lay down on the bed. She instructed the illusionary cat to guard her father and then went out to the backyard.
She knew clearly that if her master had not intervened, she would not have been able to rescue her father so smoothly.
"Disciple thanks Master for your help."
Chu Lingwei went into the courtyard and indeed saw Bei Chenfeng and the senior disciple sitting in the courtyard drinking tea.
"How is your father?" Bei Chenfeng asked without denial.
"His life is saved." Chu Lingwei recalled her father's appearance that night, and a coldness gradually surfaced in her eyes. If she had not ventured into the Xuanxin Sect tonight, she would never have seen Chu Ze again.
Bei Chenfeng nodded and stood up. "It's late, go back and rest."
The night wind began to pick up. Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.
Xuanxin Sect.
Cold Cliff.
Chu Chang looked at the destroyed spirit-dispelling formation, his face so dark it could drip ice.
"This..."
The two elders guarding the forbidden area saw the empty dungeon and their expressions changed. They had not detected any disturbance, so how had the person disappeared right under their noses?
"Xiu Ling Academy."
Chu Chang snorted coldly. Apart from Bei Chenfeng, who could appear and disappear without a trace before someone in the Hua Tian realm?
"Sect Master, what should we do?"
Chu Lingwei not only returned alive but was also a direct disciple of the Dean of Xiu Ling Academy. They could not afford to offend such a person.
If Chu Ze was rescued by them, then...
"Hmph, I am the Sect Master of Xuanxin Sect now." Chu Chang exuded ferocity. Even if Chu Ze returned alive, he was a cripple. Who would let him be the Sect Master?
The two elders exchanged glances. They both had a bad premonition.
...
Bei Chenfeng took Chu Ze's pulse and injected a stream of spiritual energy into his body. Soon, the spiritual energy flowed out from all parts of Chu Ze's body.
Chu Ze's body was like a bag full of holes, unable to contain any more spiritual energy.
"Dean Bei, there's no need to trouble yourself. I am already a cripple." Chu Ze shook his head. He knew his body's condition better than anyone.
He had been imprisoned in the Cold Cliff for ten years, and the spirit-dispelling formation had long since destroyed his body.
Chu Lingwei looked at Chu Ze lying on the bed. His current appearance was like that of a forty or fifty-year-old man, his face full of wrinkles and his eyes clouded. Every time she stood before Chu Ze, Chu Lingwei felt unbearable heartache.
"Sect Master Chu, it is not without hope." Bei Chenfeng stood up. "Sect Master Chu only needs to nourish his body with spirit water, and one day, he will surely recover."
Chu Lingwei looked at her master and pursed her lips. All the spirit herbs and elixirs in her spatial ring were for cultivators. Now that Chu Ze's body could not store spiritual energy, those elixirs were useless to him.
"Thank you, Dean Bei."
Chu Ze was different from others. He was actually very fortunate to see his daughter before his death. He truly had no regrets.
Bei Chenfeng nodded and left the room to them, father and daughter.
"Weiwei, during the ten years I was away, you..." Chu Ze's eyes reddened. He knew that Chu Chang would not have treated Lingwei kindly.
"They did not mistreat me for the first half of the year. After half a year, they expelled me from the sect, imprisoned me, and... Su Xianrou extracted my blood and transferred it to her daughter..."
"What did you say?" Chu Ze exclaimed and stood up, "She extracted your blood?"
"Yes, they said my blood seemed to be..."
"Weiwei."
Chu Ze interrupted his daughter and collapsed onto the ground, clutching his head. He was filled with regret, "It's all my fault, Weiwei. You were so young. Why did I leave you?"
"Father, this has nothing to do with you." Chu Lingwei sighed softly. Who would have thought that her own kin would harm her?
Chu Ze shook his head, immediately stood up, and grabbed Chu Lingwei's arm. "Weiwei, remember, you must never tell anyone about your blood, understand?"
"What's the matter with my blood?"
Chu Lingwei's heart stirred. Chu Ze knew that she possessed sacred blood.
"It's your mother." Chu Ze's hand trembled as he held Chu Lingwei's. "She was different, so you..."
"Where is my mother?"
Chu Lingwei could not find any information about her mother in her memories.
"I don't know either." Chu Ze's eyes were filled with longing. His Dao companion had left that year and never returned. "She said she would be back soon."