"The reason I am still alive today is that after suffering a grievous injury, I coincidentally entered a strange land."
"In the state of a remnant soul, I lived on, neither human nor ghost. Perhaps due to the unique rules of heaven and earth there, I lived for countless years..."
"The reason I am saying this first is that this matter pertains to a time long, long ago. You might think I am talking nonsense."
"At that time, my name was not Shuang Qingqing. But this no longer matters. A name is just a name. You just need to know that I am Shuang Qingqing, and that the person back then was also Shuang Qingqing..."
As Li Yan listened, a look of surprise flickered in his eyes, but he immediately seemed to think of something!
Shuang Qingqing was a true cultivator of the Verdant Continent, a cultivator of the Tianling Clan, a peerless prodigy from an era completely different from that of the yellow-robed middle-aged man.
From a young age, she was nurtured as the most core disciple of the Tianling Clan. Her own talent left many of her generation in awe and shock.
She left them all in the dust, leaving more than ninety percent of the talented individuals of her generation far behind.
She successfully formed her Golden Core at the young age of thirty-five. For a time, her fame was unparalleled.
At that time, her puppet arts were unmatched among her peers in the Tianling Clan, and she even showed signs of surpassing the older generation of experts.
Shuang Qingqing herself had an extremely proud and aloof personality. She looked down upon the many cultivators who wished to become her Dao companion, sometimes even mocking them.
For this, she offended many people, but with her status in the clan, she paid these matters no mind.
She had thought that she could continue to cultivate triumphantly like this, but in the end, a sudden turn of events set her immortal path on a completely different course.
In a certain year, the war between the two realms of the Verdant Continent and the Forsaken Continent broke out. In order to resist the invasion of the Demon Clan, the several super-sects of the Verdant Continent summoned all cultivators.
In a destroyed nest, how can there be any intact eggs? Under the conscription order, all the Spirit Transformation cultivators of the Tianling Clan were dispatched, leaving only two Nascent Soul cultivators to guard their home base.
The most elite core disciples of the clan, like Shuang Qingqing, with Spirit Transformation cultivators fighting, were all allowed to stay in the clan to continue their cultivation, in order to protect the sect's inheritance from being broken.
And so, the war in the front dragged on year after year. Although the Tianling Clan eventually had to dispatch low- and mid-rank cultivators to various battlefields, Shuang Qingqing, due to someone looking out for her, had always stayed safely in the clan.
And so, year after year, the various clans of the Verdant Continent went from being on high alert at the beginning to constantly receiving good news later on, finally seeing the dawn of victory.
And just as the war between the two realms was slowly entering its final stage, something unexpected happened to Shuang Qingqing.
Of the two Nascent Soul cultivators left behind by the Tianling Clan, one was an expert from the lineage of the Third Elder, a Spirit Transformation realm cultivator who had gone out to fight.
The other, a female cultivator at the Initial-stage Nascent Soul, was named Shen Yuhuan, and she was Shuang Qingqing's master, the one who looked out for her the most.
It was precisely because of her that Shuang Qingqing had not been conscripted to the battlefield.
Shen Yuhuan was also stunningly beautiful and graceful. She had a son and a daughter under her, who had also long since started their own families.
But her Dao companion had unfortunately passed away early in his years. After her husband's death, Shen Yuhuan had focused all her heart on cultivation and raising her children.
But because she was too beautiful, she still attracted the secret covetousness and pursuit of many cultivators.
One of them was the other Nascent Soul cultivator left behind in the Tianling Clan at that time—Bai Fengtian. This was also another major branch lineage in the Tianling Clan.
Bai Fengtian was a man of few words and smiles, but in his heart, he had long wanted to possess Shen Yuhuan and enjoy the pleasures of the bed.
But given that the true power holder in the Tianling Clan was the Grand Elder of the Spirit Transformation stage, and not the Spirit Transformation ancestor of their Bai family, after being rejected by Shen Yuhuan several times, Bai Fengtian could only suppress the fire of his desire in his heart.
But as the Spirit Transformation cultivators of the Tianling Clan led a host of clansmen to fight outside continuously, the affairs within the clan were gradually handed over to Shen Yuhuan and Bai Fengtian for joint management.
At the beginning, because the Grand Elder's lingering authority was still present, Bai Fengtian felt as if a pair of eyes were staring at him in everything he did, so he was well-behaved.
But as time went on, that sense of oppression slowly disappeared. Knowing that his words in this clan were almost law, and only Shen Yuhuan could contend with him, his actions began to become more and more unrestrained. For a time, the members of the Bai clan also became arrogant because of him, often getting into conflicts with the clansmen of other branch lineages.
But every time, Bai Fengtian would favor the disciples of his own branch lineage.
This matter, of course, reached Shen Yuhuan's ears, and she got into a dispute with Bai Fengtian, and said that if any more disciples from the Bai branch lineage caused trouble, she would personally take them down.
At this time, Bai Fengtian already had a sense of being in power. Seeing the beautiful, angry look of the woman he had longed for for so long, the primal desire that had been suppressed for a long time rushed out from the bottom of his heart again.
He suddenly had the urge to press this woman under him, whip her thoroughly, completely conquer her, and make her submit to him.
However, Bai Fengtian knew that in the Tianling Clan, one could not truly measure a person's strength by their realm.
Although he was a Mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator and Shen Yuhuan was only at the Initial-stage Nascent Soul, that was because Shen Yuhuan had put most of her energy into puppet arts and had not focused on cultivation.
Bai Fengtian's puppet arts were several notches worse than Shen Yuhuan's. If the two of them really fought, Bai Fengtian was not confident he could defeat the other party. It was even possible that Shen Yuhuan could counter-kill him.
Under such circumstances, he quickly softened on the surface and at the same time, strictly ordered the Bai branch lineage to restrain their behavior. Everything seemed to be in accordance with Shen Yuhuan's suggestion.
This point made Shen Yuhuan, who was already immersed in cultivation, unable to pursue the matter further, and she also let it go.
In her view, as they were both of the Tianling Clan, as long as the relationship between the different lineages was handled well, it would be fine. The Tianling Clan was, after all, a single entity and could not possibly fall apart.
She never would have thought that Bai Fengtian would dare to act against her in secret. And so, for a time, the Tianling Clan became peaceful again.
And under this peace, no one had noticed that a pair of eyes were secretly scanning the entire clan every day.
He was like a poisonous snake, always waiting for the best opportunity to strike a fatal blow.
One day, Shuang Qingqing came to her master's cave residence as usual. Everything was so peaceful, just like before.
Although Shen Yuhuan had long had a son and a daughter, who had also long become the "ancestors" of a family, it was rare for children among cultivators to come and pay their respects to their parents every day.
Everyone would be busy with their own cultivation, and as their cultivation level increased, some family affections would only slowly settle into the bottom of their hearts and would not be easily expressed like mortals.
And Shen Yuhuan had only taken Shuang Qingqing as her disciple. Whenever Shuang Qingqing had free time, she would come to find this master to ask for advice.
Shen Yuhuan's appearance had always been maintained at the age of her twenties. When the two of them were close in private, they both felt more like sisters. They would even talk about some private matters in their spare time.
Shen Yuhuan's character was outwardly gentle, but inwardly tenacious and strong.
She was also very doting on her only disciple, Shuang Qingqing, on a daily basis. So sometimes, when the two of them talked too late, she would let Shuang Qingqing stay in her cave residence, and even give her a secret chamber to cultivate in.
This time was no exception. After Shuang Qingqing had listened to her master's lecture on the Dharma, she felt some long-lost insights. A short while later, she directly entered a secret chamber and sat down cross-legged to cultivate and comprehend in peace.
And Shuang Qingqing in the secret chamber did not know that Bai Fengtian had come to the door not long after.
Bai Fengtian held a jade slip in his hand. This jade slip was just sent back from the Grand Elder and the others in the front.
Because Shen Yuhuan was engrossed in cultivation, most of the clan's affairs were still handled by Bai Fengtian. Only when it came to major matters would Shen Yuhuan be notified.
This time, after receiving the returned jade slip and seeing its contents, Bai Fengtian's eyes lit up. This was an excellent opportunity.
So he took the jade slip and came to the door. But at this time, Bai Fengtian also did not know that Shuang Qingqing was also in Shen Yuhuan's cave residence.
Even if he wanted to monitor the entire clan, he would not dare to place his divine sense here at Shen Yuhuan's. Apart from the high probability of exposing his intentions, it would only arouse Shen Yuhuan's vigilance.
After Shen Yuhuan's divine sense scanned Bai Fengtian outside the cave residence, she felt helpless.
Even if she didn't want to see the other party, given the Grand Elder's instructions before he left, she couldn't really ignore the clan's affairs.
So, just as before, she invited Bai Fengtian into the main hall of the cave residence.
After Bai Fengtian came in, he was truly humble and polite. He first recounted the news sent back from the battlefield, and then casually handed the jade slip to Shen Yuhuan for her to see, so that the other party could confirm that what he said was not false.
After Shen Yuhuan took the jade slip, she immersed her divine sense into it. The content was indeed as the other party had said.
She then began to discuss with Bai Fengtian item by item. And for Shuang Qingqing, who was still meditating with her eyes closed in a secret chamber at this time, she still did not know that someone had arrived.
And at a certain moment, she heard Shen Yuhuan's shocked and angry voice.
"Bai Fengtian, what are you trying to do? How dare you poison the jade slip!"
Then, Shen Yuhuan's urgent voice sounded in Shuang Qingqing's mind.
"Flee this place quickly, and at the same time, notify Tongguan and Tongye. You all leave the Tianling Clan quickly and go to the battlefield to find the Grand Elder. Bai Fengtian intends to harm me!"
The voice transmission was extremely fast. Shuang Qingqing, who was awakened, was still a little dazed at this moment. Shuang Tongguan and Shuang Tongye were the master's eldest son and second daughter.
And after a slight daze, she immediately released her divine sense. The secret chamber she was in had a formation that could spy on the main hall.
This was also because Shen Yuhuan treated Shuang Qingqing like a sister. Many restrictions were open to her. It was also for this reason that Shuang Qingqing's life was saved this time, allowing her to leave on her own.
To her horror, Shuang Qingqing's divine sense discovered that at this time in the main hall, Shen Yuhuan's aura was rapidly declining. Leaning against the stone chair, she was staring fixedly at a man who was walking over with a lewd smile.
And that man was none other than Bai Fengtian from the clan. As he walked, he was actually unbuttoning his clothes, revealing his disgusting body, his face full of evil.
"Shen Yuhuan, do you still have any of your past purity today? I'll make you beg for more soon."
"You haven't tasted the joy of rain and dew for many years. I'll let you ascend to the immortal realm together again. Perhaps after this time, you will never be able to leave me..."
That man, who was usually majestic, Shuang Qingqing couldn't believe she was hearing him say one shameless sentence after another.
Bai Fengtian had already planned to use a dual cultivation method he had obtained to directly plant his seed of love in Shen Yuhuan's divine soul, so that after this time, the other party would be devoted to him.
And just as Shuang Qingqing was horrified and didn't know what to do, Shen Yuhuan's voice sounded in Shuang Qingqing's mind again, but that voice was getting weaker and weaker.
"Quick... quickly prepare the 'Purple-Winged Ice Phoenix.' I only have the strength for one strike. You must take the opportunity to escape from this place. Noti... notify Tongguan and... and Tongye."
"Do... don't send me a voice transmission. He... he will discover you... you, quick!"
Shuang Qingqing was jolted. She immediately woke up from her daze. She had already seen Bai Fengtian walk up to Shen Yuhuan.
He just stretched out his palm and gently swiped. The clothes on Shen Yuhuan's body shattered inch by inch.
A pair of dazzling, snow-white jade rabbits had already jumped out. Instantly, the cave was filled with an infinite spring scene!