Chapter 50: Heaven's Favored Daughter

At the Skeleton Mountain Market, within the Blood Garment Tower.

Lü Yang had just withdrawn his consciousness from the Myriad Spirits Banner when suddenly, darkness clouded his vision, and his Numinous Terrace dimmed. Frowning slightly, he turned his gaze toward the distant sky.

In the next instant, he had already summoned his escape light and arrived at the edge of the market.

A radiant beam shot across the horizon, trailing flames like chasing lightning, only slowing as it reached the market's entrance. A tall, striking woman stepped forward with an air of heroic grace.

"...So it's a fellow Daoist from the Sword Pavilion."

Having cultivated the Divine Firmament Sword Control True Formula himself, Lü Yang immediately recognized her origins. He cupped his hands in greeting and said, "This one is Lü Yang. May I ask for your name, fellow Daoist?"

"Jade Pivot Yun Miaozhen."

At these words, Lü Yang narrowed his eyes. The names Yun Miaozhen and Yun Miaoqing were so similar that the connection was impossible to ignore.

"Are you here to retrieve your fellow disciple?"

Without hesitation, Lü Yang casually waved his hand, summoning Yun Miaoqing from the Blood Garment Tower and tossing her before Yun Miaozhen.

"Lady Miaoqing has suffered no grievances in the Saint Sect. Though nominally my cauldron, I have never drawn from her essence over the years, so she remains untouched. If you wish to take her back, please do so freely. My cultivation is shallow, so I won't escort you beyond the formation."

In Lü Yang's view, he bore no enmity with the Sword Pavilion.

After all, he had not only preserved Yun Miaoqing's life but also her purity. Given that the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion was a righteous sect leader, it seemed unlikely they would trouble him over this.

Yet he soon realized he was mistaken.

"Miaoqing... is still untouched?"

Yun Miaozhen lowered her beautiful eyes, her gaze resting on Yun Miaoqing. But instead of relief or joy, her expression carried only disdain and resignation.

A moment later, she sighed deeply.

"What a pity! Miaoqing, your tribulation remains unresolved!"

Her words left not only Lü Yang stunned but Yun Miaoqing as well, her face filled with disbelief. "Elder Sister... what do you mean?"

"You are not a true disciple, so you wouldn't understand."

Yun Miaozhen shook her head. "Your fortune is meager, your destiny insufficient by nature, yet you stubbornly sought the path of immortality. Originally, you were to face three calamities and nine tribulations. Failing even one would mean immediate Dao dissipation and death. That is why I pleaded with our master to merge your trials into a single decade-long ordeal."

"That decade-long ordeal was your ten years trapped in the Demon Sect."

"During those ten years, if you endured every humiliation—your lips tasted by countless men—yet remained steadfast in your Dao heart, unwavering in purpose, the tribulation would have been overcome."

"But alas... you remain untouched!"

"An untouched body means unendured suffering. The tribulation remains undiminished—perhaps even intensified!"

At this, Yun Miaozhen turned her gaze to Lü Yang, eyes brimming with killing intent. "This demon ruined your cultivation. Though he feigned kindness, his heart harbored malice. He deserves death!"

"........"

Lü Yang had to admit—he was dumbfounded.

Yun Miaoqing was even more shaken, her lips trembling. "So... the reason I fell into the Demon Sect's hands ten years ago, reduced to a cauldron..."

"Was entirely my design."

Yun Miaozhen nodded. "Without this, you would never have hoped to reach Foundation Establishment. You are my blood sister—naturally, I acted for your sake. This was all for your own good."

Hearing this, Lü Yang was utterly speechless.

Holy fucking hell, the righteous path has lunatics too!

If Lü Yang had once held admiration for the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion, that renowned leader of the righteous path, all such thoughts had now evaporated.

Better to stay in the Saint Sect.

Every disciple here is a gem—I fucking love this place!

"Come, return with me."

Meanwhile, Yun Miaozhen paid no heed to Lü Yang or Yun Miaoqing's expressions. She spoke clearly, "I will find another way for you to overcome this tribulation—"

"No!"

At her sister's urging, Yun Miaoqing instinctively took a step back, her gaze toward her own flesh and blood now filled with the wariness one might reserve for a stranger.

After all, she could never have imagined that the harrowing ordeal of being thrown into the Demon Sect a decade ago—an experience that had nearly broken her—had been orchestrated by her own sister. Had she not encountered Lü Yang, preserving both her life and purity, she might have already been drained into medicinal dregs and left to rot in some forgotten corner.

"...Be obedient."

Seeing Yun Miaoqing's resistance, Yun Miaozhen frowned delicately. "You have not cultivated great divine abilities, nor do you understand karma. Naturally, my intentions are difficult for you to grasp."

"...Your intentions?"

Yun Miaoqing retreated another step, her voice laced with bitterness. "Setting me up to be discarded into the Demon Sect, left to be humiliated and exploited—this is your care for me?"

"I acted in accordance with karma, fulfilling Heaven's will. When you achieve immortality in the future, you will thank me."

Yun Miaozhen's tone was indifferent. In her view, her actions were beyond reproach—simply the natural order, the arrangement of destiny and karma.

Seeing Yun Miaoqing still poised to argue, she waved a hand dismissively. A radiant light enveloped Yun Miaoqing, rendering her unconscious before being casually deposited at Yun Miaozhen's side.

"Words fall on deaf ears—I won't waste time debating this now."

With that settled, she turned her attention back to Lü Yang.

"Why does Fellow Daoist Yun gaze at me so?" Lü Yang arched an eyebrow.

Yun Miaozhen's cold eyes locked onto him as she spoke plainly, "You deliberately sabotaged Miaoqing's cultivation. I wish to borrow something from you in recompense."

Lü Yang laughed loudly. "Surely you don't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mean to borrow this fine head of mine?"

His tone dripped with mockery.

Yun Miaozhen nodded slightly, unperturbed. She merely narrowed her phoenix-like eyes, exuding a chilling killing intent. "If you refuse, then do not blame me for eliminating demons to uphold the Dao."

With that, she raised her delicate hand!

In an instant, a pure light illuminated the surrounding ten miles—revealing a crystalline, glass-like magical sword. The blade reflected mountains and rivers across its surface.

"You think I fear you?"

Lü Yang laughed arrogantly before turning and leaping away, transforming into an escape light that vanished into the market. The Hundred Bones True Formation and Sword Formation Diagram activated instantly.

A hidden dragon lurks in the abyss—who dares kill me?

Yun Miaozhen responded with a cold smile. Without hesitation, she summoned her own escape light, soaring upward and crashing straight through the formation, charging into the market!

Instantly, countless eyes from within and outside the market turned toward the commotion.

With Ouyang Haoze's fate as precedent, everyone knew the Blood Garment Tower Master was a ninth-grade formation master. With his formations in place, he was practically invincible.

Under such circumstances, where did Yun Miaozhen find the confidence to storm the market alone?

Almost simultaneously, several figures appeared outside the market—among them Divine Martial Gate Elder Ouyang Feng and Three Rivers Association's Second Senior Brother Luo Wuya.

Yet these two ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠peak Qi Refining cultivators wore grave expressions.

Their gazes were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fixed on another direction—toward the unremarkable middle-aged man who had arrived with Yun Miaozhen.

"'Taiyi Sword' Yun Zhiqiu?"

Luo Wuya's face was solemn, clearly familiar with the man. "Skeleton Mountain lies beyond Jiangnan. The Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion oversteps its bounds."

Yun Zhiqiu chuckled lightly. "The Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion exists only to protect the righteous path—and righteousness knows no borders."

"What arrogance!"

Luo Wuya nearly laughed in disbelief. "You'd best pray your junior sister makes it out alive."

Yun Zhiqiu glanced at Lü Yang and Yun Miaozhen before shaking his head. "In the end, it's still the Demon Sect—only capable of such underhanded tricks."

"But how can crooked paths withstand our righteous divine abilities?"

Before his words faded, Yun Miaozhen inside the market formed a hand seal and pointed. The crystalline sword she had summoned erupted with dazzling radiance.

"That is—!"

At the sight, Luo Wuya and Ouyang Feng seemed to realize something, their expressions shifting dramatically. "The Heaven-Evading Sword?! This woman carries such a treasure?"

In the next instant, sword light engulfed heaven and earth.

Lü Yang activated his formations, yet both the Hundred Bones True Formation and the Heaven-Slashing Blood River Sword Formation Diagram were pierced through as if they didn't exist.

Boom!

When the sword ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠light dissipated, only the two still-active formations remained within the market. The formations stood empty—save for a single crystalline sword hovering high in the sky!