Chapter 231: Chapter 231: A Complete Falling Out

When the white light dissipated, she was surprised to find herself in a new room.

Song Wanning thought for a moment and figured it out.

This was a Trial Tower, popular during the Ancient Times and created for the purpose of training a sect’s disciples.

So, what had just happened was the first trial, which she must have passed.

Trial Towers from the Ancient Times came in all shapes and sizes, but they all shared a common characteristic: they would set up different trials based on a person’s Spirit Root, innate talent, personal belongings, and so on.

It was as if each trial was custom-made for the individual.

And for the most part, passing a trial came with a reward.

Song Wanning raised an eyebrow. ’Where’s my reward?’

The moment the thought crossed her mind, a glowing orb of light descended before her.

She reached out and took it. The orb shattered instantly, and a flame radiating a fiery attribute rushed toward her face.

This was the Wuyou Dan Fire, ranked in the top five on the Pill Fire List.

It was no match for the Divine Nether Profound Fire.

She tossed the Wuyou Dan Fire directly toward the mouth of her Divine Nether Profound Fire.

The Divine Nether Profound Fire opened wide and swallowed it in one gulp, looking somewhat listless and lacking in energy.

Ever since emerging from the dragon meridian, it had been utterly captivated. Song Wanning knew it was still thinking about the rich fire attribute of the meridian...

But the dragon meridian was still dormant, so just thinking about it was useless.

After she collected her reward, the room before her suddenly changed.

A long river appeared before her eyes.

Before she could get a clear look at the scene within the river, countless fish transformed into weapons and attacked her.

A new round of trials had begun.

A smirk touched Song Wanning’s lips. This was a perfect opportunity to improve her strength, and she had no intention of missing it.

With a wave of her Longsword, a dozen or so weapons materialized around her. In that instant, they all radiated the might of the Divinity Transformation Stage.

As she made her move, all the weapons charged toward the school of fish.

Wherever they collided, the fish all dissolved into Spiritual Energy.

Song Wanning understood. It seemed the purpose of this trial was to consolidate the skills she had learned in the previous one.

Unfortunately, her comprehension was still shallow. The weapons would only last for a single breath before dissipating. She was still a long way from achieving the same effect as the spear.

With this in mind, her heart grew calm, and she fully immersed herself in the learning trial.

...

「Desert of the North」

Bai Yang had finally escaped death. With a determined expression, he climbed out of the massive crater.

The aura around him had already reached the Early Stage Golden Core, and there were faint signs that he was on the verge of another breakthrough.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and immediately took out a Communication Talisman to contact Song Wanning.

Unfortunately, even after a long time, there was no reply.

Bai Yang’s heart sank. He lowered his gaze in disappointment, the light in his eyes dimming.

He had been out training for so long, yet his Master had only contacted him once to inform him of Lu Nanfeng’s death. She hadn’t reached out to him since.

It seemed she didn’t care about him at all.

This had never happened before.

Bai Yang’s mood soured. After breaking through to the Golden Core, his first thought was to share the good news with his Master, but...

He took out an Elixir Pill and swallowed it to heal his injuries, all while thinking about how Ye Chuxue had murdered Lu Nanfeng.

It still felt like a dream to him. He decided to head to the nearest city first to find out the latest news.

However, when he learned the full details of what had happened, he was completely stunned and speechless for a long time.

Not only had Ye Chuxue killed Lu Nanfeng, but she had even gotten together with Gu Qingyuan...

’How is that possible?’

’Doesn’t Ye Chuxue like me?’

Even if they had a falling-out before, it shouldn’t have led to her getting mixed up with Gu Qingyuan.

’How could she do this?’

Bai Yang’s face flushed red as he sent a Communication Talisman to Ye Chuxue.

He needed to hear the answer from Ye Chuxue herself.

Meanwhile, Ye Chuxue and Gu Qingyuan had been hiding in Wanshou Mountain for many days. The Demon Cultivators were relentlessly persistent, having chased them all the way to Wanshou Mountain just for some bounty money.

She had no idea how large a bounty the Demon Clan had offered to make these people come after them in wave after wave.

Ye Chuxue was a complete mess. Her once beautiful face now looked much older from constantly frowning with worry.

Gu Qingyuan looked a little better than her, but he was the one who protected Ye Chuxue every time they encountered danger. His internal injuries hadn’t healed; in fact, they were getting worse.

At first, their emotions would often get the better of them, and they would break into heated arguments at a moment’s notice.

Now, however, none of that initial passion remained, only the exhaustion of being on the run.

Gu Qingyuan, in particular, had lived a smooth and easy life until now. This period was the most difficult time he had ever faced.

This made him involuntarily think of Song Wanning.

His Junior Martial Sister’s Cultivation was about the same as his. When they faced danger, she never hid behind him but fought by his side.

Even if he was injured, she had all sorts of Elixir Pills that he could take as he pleased. When had he ever been in such a pathetic state?

But the thought was fleeting.

Gu Qingyuan frowned, a flash of guilt crossing his mind. ’How could I think that?’

’Chuxue gave herself to me. I have to take responsibility.’

Just as he was about to speak, Bai Yang’s message arrived.

Ye Chuxue stared at the long-unseen Communication Talisman, her expression clearly stunned for a moment.

For some reason, she subconsciously felt an urge to avoid it, not daring to accept the call.

Beside her, Gu Qingyuan’s face instantly darkened. He grew tense in a heartbeat, his eyes fixed on Ye Chuxue’s expression, trying to see if she still had lingering feelings for Bai Yang.

Ye Chuxue felt his intense gaze and a sense of guilt welled up inside her. But after a moment’s thought, she steeled herself and opened the Communication Talisman.

Hearing his familiar voice felt like listening to something from a lifetime ago.

But his words were filled with questions and hatred, sending a chill through her heart.

"Ye Chuxue, you were the one who killed Second Martial Brother, weren’t you?"

"Just because he stumbled upon your affair, you had to kill him to silence him? Have you forgotten how he treated you? Why are you so heartless?"

"I’ll ask you one last time. Is what’s going on between you and Gu Qingyuan real? He forced you, didn’t he?"

In the message, Bai Yang’s words were somewhat incoherent. He refused to believe that Ye Chuxue’s affections had shifted, that she could have fallen for her own master.

He felt betrayed and hated her for killing Lu Nanfeng. All sorts of complex emotions intertwined, leaving only endless resentment.

Ye Chuxue’s heart grew cold with each questioning word.

At first, she had even thought that Bai Yang might be worried for her safety, concerned about her situation...

Reality was like a harsh slap across her face.

Her expression turned vicious as she immediately replied, "He got what he deserved! He’s dead, so what? What can you do about it?"

"Bai Yang, what right do you have to question me? I’ll tell you what, my only regret is not killing you along with him!"

As the angry words left her mouth, the color on Gu Qingyuan’s face gradually softened, and he pulled Ye Chuxue into his arms.

Ye Chuxue’s eyes instantly reddened, and she hugged Gu Qingyuan tightly. ’From now on,’ she thought, ’I really only have Master.’

On the other side, the moment Bai Yang received her reply, the killing intent radiating from his body could no longer be concealed.

’So all the rumors were true!’

’How dare she?!!!’