Unstoppable (1)

Xiao Lanle raised an eyebrow, her face tinged with a hint of resentment as she asked Lin Qianshuang, “Why such a big reaction? Am I that scary?”

Lin Qianshuang quickly waved her hand, her face flushing slightly as she protested, “No, I didn’t mean that!”

Xiao Lanle’s eyelashes dipped slightly as she carefully pulled Lin Qianshuang’s injured palm closer, circulating her true qi to heal the wound. Her gaze then shifted to the diamond ring on the ring finger of Lin Qianshuang’s left hand.

She vaguely recalled the moment Liang Jingxuan had placed this peculiar ring on Senior Sister Lin. For an instant, Lin Qianshuang’s expression turned odd, her eyes fixed on the ring as if entranced.

“Senior sister, do you like the ring that Senior Brother Liang gave you?” Xiao Lanle asked softly.

Following Xiao Lanle’s gaze, Lin Qianshuang only then realized she had forgotten to remove the diamond ring Liang Jingxuan had given her. In the real world, her salary barely covered raising a cat, and the sight of such an extravagant diamond ring was undeniably tempting.

Lin Qianshuang winced slightly as she removed the diamond ring from her index finger and casually flung it into the center of the lake. The water splashed, and the diamond, worth tens of thousands in the real world, sank to the bottom and soon vanished without a trace.

Xiao Lanle watched as Lin Qianshuang’s face contorted in pain, as if stabbed multiple times. Her eyes widened slightly, her expression darkened momentarily, and she fell into deep thought.

During the competition between Penglai Immortal Sect and Lingxiao Sword Sect, Xiao Lanle stood out prominently. After she knocked Liang Jingxuan into the lake, several disciples from Lingxiao Sword Sect stepped forward to challenge her, but they were all defeated with ease, one after another.

Discerning observers had long realized that Xiao Lanle’s sword intent was extraordinary, her comprehension unparalleled. Her cultivation had reached the late stage of Golden Core Condensation, a realm where even ordinary cultivators would halt their progress. At her current pace, it was only a matter of time before she broke through to the Nascent Soul stage. She would shatter her Golden Core, condense her true essence, and form a half-step immortal realm, achieving eternal youth and surpassing all others.

In the cultivation world, extending lifespan by cultivating a Golden Core was a great fortune. Achieving the Nascent Soul stage was even rarer, with only a handful of such individuals existing. Many had perished on the path of Divine Transformation, and female cultivators were even fewer.

For a sect to have a Nascent Soul-stage cultivator as its leader was a blessing. And for the daughter of Xiao Shen, the head of Penglai Immortal Sect, to possess such unparalleled cultivation achievements was a source of great pride for the sect.

Chen Sanxuan, the leader of the Lingxiao Sword Sect, had high hopes for Xiao Lanle and placed a certain value on her. Before his departure, he refined her swordsmanship and bestowed upon her a magic treasure capable of controlling thunder.

In contrast, Xiao Shen, the head of the Penglai Immortal Sect, maintained a solemn expression, his furrowed brows reflecting his growing unease. His gaze toward Xiao Lanle was cold and wary, as if he were looking at something monstrous.

Lin Qianshuang sat in a corner, feeding a drop of blood to the Cold Cicada Zither. The dull strings briefly shimmered with a faint silver light upon contact with the blood. She observed everything with keen eyes, her gaze darting slightly.

Xiao Lanle undoubtedly harbored a secret, and this secret filled Xiao Shen, her father, with apprehension.

And so with the competition over, everyone returned to the Penglai Immortal Sect. During this time, Tianshu City experienced frequent demonic attacks on the mortal towns outside its walls due to the construction of the Beast-Subduing Tower. Before long, Xiao Lanle led a group of disciples down the mountain to gain experience by eliminating demons and subduing monsters. Lin Qianshuang stayed behind, her cultivation still shallow. Additionally, she failed to answer three precepts during a random test by Fairy Jinghua and was confined to the Siguo Cliff for reflection, where she was ordered to focus on her practice.

During her months on the Siguo Cliff, Lin Qianshuang lived a leisurely life. Apart from occasionally capturing minor demons at the base of the cliff to replenish her demonic energy, she dedicated a few hours each day to cultivation. She also explored nearly every corner of the immortal mountain where the Penglai Immortal Sect resided. Behind a waterfall near a spiritual spring, she discovered a cave mentioned in ancient texts, where an ancient horned dragon was said to be imprisoned.

Lin Qianshuang stood before the damp, moss-covered stones of the cave, which bore an eight-trigrams starburst engraving, perfectly matching the mark on the hilt of the Star-Plucking Sword. She gently traced the starlight engraving on the stone. She was certain Xiao Lanle must have been here; otherwise, there would be no trace of blood in the engraving. The cave’s opening required the pure bloodline of a Xiao family descendant, which was why Liang Jingxuan had brought Xiao Lanle into the perilous Jiaolong Cave in the original text. In this copy, the relationship between the male protagonist and Xiao Lanle had also deepened, and they had lingered in the cave, entwined in each other’s arms for a long time. If not for Chen Shangqing’s betrayal…

“Sister Lin, have you come out of Siguo Cliff?” The voice behind her interrupted Lin Qianshuang’s thoughts. Xiao Lanle walked to her side, and Lin wasn’t surprised by her arrival. Xiao Lanle held the Star-Plucking Sword, pressing its blade into the engraving.

After several days apart, Xiao Lanle’s once bright and lively eyes had become much calmer and colder. She had abandoned her previous pink attire, now wearing a magnificent black silk brocade robe adorned with intricate patterns. A beautifully embroidered belt cinched at her slender waist, and her posture was as tall and straight as a pine tree. An air of quiet authority emanated from her, commanding without a trace of anger.

For a moment, Lin Qianshuang felt the person before her was almost unrecognizable, and the aura surrounding Xiao Lanle even made her feel faintly threatened.

“Junior sister, have you just returned from your training?”

“Uh-huh.”

Lin Qianshuang suddenly felt that her appearance here seemed illogical and quickly explained, “I was bored at the Siguo Cliff, so I came out to take a look and ended up here after wandering around.”

Xiao Lanle hummed again, seemingly indifferent to Lin Qianshuang’s response. Her slender fingers twisted the engraving, but the stone door didn’t make a clicking sound. Instead, it swayed gently and opened inward.

Lin Qianshuang stared at the open stone door. She already suspected that someone must have used a method to enter first, but a look of confusion still appeared on her face. “What’s going on?” she muttered. “This stone door doesn’t seem to have been opened with the Star-Plucking Sword. It looks like someone has broken in.”

A few strands of demonic energy slipped out from under her sleeve, and in an instant, she grasped the movements of the people inside the cave.

Lin Qianshuang withdrew her demonic energy and said to Xiao Lanle, “This person is still inside.”

Xiao Lanle tossed the Star-Plucking Sword to the ground, where it transformed into a withered yellow banana leaf.

“Senior Brother Liang is truly clever,” Xiao Lanle remarked. “He actually stole the Star-Plucking Sword right under my nose.”

Her beautiful eyes flickered with turmoil, and her elegant face showed a hint of anger. The Star-Plucking Sword could open the stone door, but she had never been able to break the restrictions inside. How did Liang Jingxuan manage to do it? It was clear he didn’t possess the bloodline of the Xiao family’s descendants.

She stepped through the stone door, blocking Lin Qianshuang, and said, “Senior sister, wait for me outside. It’s very dangerous here.”

“This is a forbidden area,” Lin Qianshuang replied. “If someone trespasses, I can’t just stand by and do nothing.”

Would she let Liang Jingxuan and Xiao Lanle share a moment of deep emotional connection alone? Not a chance.

Lin Qianshuang immediately pulled Xiao Lanle’s hand back and said with a serious expression, “Junior, you should wait here for me. If something happens to you inside, I’ll never forgive myself.”

Xiao Lanle’s fierce expression softened, replaced by a hint of shyness on her cheeks. She looked pure and gentle, with no trace of aggression. However, her body pressed Lin Qianshuang against the stone door. Her fingertips traced Lin’s lips, then hooked under her chin. She exhaled warmly, saying very closely, “Senior sister, it moves me deeply when you speak so seriously about me.”

Lin Qianshuang felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. When she regained her senses, Xiao Lanle gently pressed her forehead against Lin’s. She gazed into Lin’s eyes, pressed her wrist aside, and said in a delicate yet resentful tone, “I haven’t seen you for a few months, senior sister. I miss you so much. When I was in the human world, I sent you a message through a carrier pigeon. Why didn’t you reply? Were you cultivating and didn’t receive it?”

“A message? Do such things even exist?” Lin Qianshuang looked confused. She had stayed at Siguo Cliff for so long without ever seeing a carrier pigeon.

Xiao Lanle pinched Lin Qianshuang’s delicate wrist, her eyes showing slight pain as she pouted and said, “Senior sister, you’ve gained weight. We’ve been apart for so long. Are you enjoying yourself without me?”

Lin Qianshuang forced a stiff smile. Honestly, her life had been quite comfortable, especially after shedding so many troubles. She pinched her cheeks and noticed they had indeed become noticeably rounder.

Inside the stone door, the heavy sound of falling water echoed, followed by the harsh, piercing scrapes of chains against the ground, and then a long, furious roar of a beast.