Saved Her Life—Then Took Her Will

He saw others flying towards the nail, trying to intercept it, only to be knocked away.
He saw others take action—

This flash of sudden understanding passed through his mind, and he understood what was happening.
At the moment the nail was launched, he had already been struck.
This was the work of at least a Nascent Soul grand cultivator.
And not one who had just entered the Nascent Soul stage.
This iron nail was a secret treasure.

Her might pressed down on the entire sect gate.
Almost instantly, several demonic sect cultivators spontaneously exploded.

True Master Dao Sword couldn’t help but frown.
The lotus conjured earlier by Jade Lotus fell into her hand.
“Since you have already chosen your respective peaks, proceed to them.
Each peak will conduct its own assessment independently.”
As a mid-Nascent Soul powerhouse, she naturally had this authority.
“I have detected the aura of an old demonic fiend.
I shall inform the Sect Leader.
I will pursue that old fiend.”

The space before her shattered inch by inch, and she stepped into it.

The travel methods of Nascent Soul grand cultivators differed greatly from those of lesser cultivators.

Qi Xiao and Li Wangyan brought Jade Lotus True Dharma to Li Wangyan’s cave abode.

The next step was to toss this person into the Mystic Maiden Mirror for “treatment.”

“Junior Brother, what kind of demonic sect methods is this?
So intense?”

“Senior Sister is indeed intelligent.
So, which one does Senior Sister think it is?”
“I’m more inclined to believe the demonic sect that acted initially is trying to silence potential leaks.”
Qi Xiao gave her verdict.
“No matter how powerful our Heavenly Dao Sect is, it’s unlikely to be simultaneously targeted by three demonic sects.
That would be too perverse.”
Her reasoning was simple.
“Fifty disciples who gave false evidence against you have already been erased.
Erasing True Master Prison Law and his disciple wouldn’t seem strange.
But if someone needs to erase traces… then an even worse possibility emerges.”

Even Li Wangyan fell silent.
If someone needed to erase traces related to True Master Prison Law and his disciple, it could only mean there was a mole within the sect more powerful than True Master Prison Law.
But True Master Prison Law was Nascent Soul stage!
Even if only early-stage… those more powerful than him—you could count them on your fingers.
Among those people… existed a demonic sect mole?
That was too terrifying.
Even Li Wangyan couldn’t easily draw that conclusion.

“Regardless, save him first.”

At this moment, Qi Xiao finally saw, for the first time, the magical treasure called the Mystic Maiden Mirror in her junior brother’s hands.
It truly was a book, or rather, an album.
She watched as her junior brother flipped open the front pages.
On them were images of her master and herself.
For a moment, she felt somewhat uneasy.

Then, her junior brother began forming hand seals.
The process was very complex, though Qi Xiao memorized it all.
A beam of light erupted from the Mystic Maiden Mirror, falling upon Jade Lotus True Dharma.
The nail abruptly fell away, as if losing all support.
A young girl was reborn before her very eyes.

The process looked silky smooth, flowing—yet the scene was utterly incredible.
Qi Xiao thought to herself that this was probably how she had been transformed into a young girl, though she hadn’t had the slightest perception of it.

“Senior Sister.
Perhaps you should take this nail to the Heaven’s Artifacts Peak first and entrust them to investigate.
This thing is a secret treasure.
I don’t understand why a demonic sect would use a secret treasure capable of pinning an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator against a late Golden Core.

For example, regarding the content of our conversation just now?
No thoughts?
“…I don’t know.”
“Even when someone tried to kill you, you still say you don’t know?
Senior Sister, you really are a loyal dog!”

Li Wangyan’s words were very intense.
Yet Jade Lotus simply maintained her silence.
She still seemed unwilling to reveal anything.

“Is Senior Sister thinking I have no way to deal with you?”
“No.
I know you have ways.
But… I genuinely know nothing.”
She looked into Li Wangyan’s eyes; she seemed very serious.
“I know my master might have some secrets, but I don’t know what those secrets are.
I also don’t understand why I was attacked with a Nascent Soul-level secret treasure!”
She suddenly became somewhat agitated.
“Do you know what I thought when I saw that nail coming at me?
I thought of the moment I first stepped into the immortal sect.
I thought of those newly entered disciples.
Could they take me as a lesson, to hold a greater sense of reverence toward cultivation?
I thought about just dying like that…”
“What more do you want to know from me?!
Do you need me to cut open my heart for you to see, to open up my divine sense for you to recklessly inspect?
Then go ahead!”

As she spoke, tears actually welled in the corners of her eyes.
This Jade Lotus True Dharma, famed for being as gentle as jade, seemed to have lost all her composure under the threat of death, no longer able to maintain her inner peace.

“Do you not think this is what you deserve, Senior Sister Jade Lotus?
Back then, your master crippled my cultivation.
Today, facing death, isn’t that karmic retribution?”

“So what if I colluded with demons?
Did I bring any harm to the sect’s interests?”
After saying this, Li Wangyan suddenly laughed.
“Look at me, Senior Sister Jade Lotus.
I still haven’t moved on from the past, getting agitated again.
I really shouldn’t.”
He laughed wantonly.
“Arguing about the past with you is meaningless.
The only thing you need to know is this, Senior Sister Jade Lotus: you need to cooperate with my actions to investigate True Master Prison Law’s secrets.”
“Don’t be absurd!
Master showed me immense kindness!
How could I possibly—”

Li Wangyan placed a finger on the young girl’s warm, soft lips.
He simply said, “Don’t speak in such absolutes, Senior Sister.
Some actions would lower my evaluation, make me seem like a person of low character.
I don’t wish for that.”
“What do you mean?”
“For example, I now order you to stand up, Senior Sister.”
“My body!”

In that instant, Jade Lotus True Dharma finally understood what Li Wangyan meant.
Her body began moving beyond her control, standing up from the bed.
The ill-fitting clothes, due to her transformation into a woman, fell from her body at that moment.
But she had no time to care about that.

“You!
You used such despicable methods while saving someone?!
Are you even fit to be called a man?”
“Oh?
Senior Sister questions me?
Do you want to put it to the test?”
“…”

Li Wangyan casually sat on a nearby stone stool, sizing up Jade Lotus True Dharma.
“Truly, there are no wrong nicknames, only wrong names.
Senior Sister, you really are as gentle as jade… making one want to hold you in the palm of their hand and play with you properly.”
Jade Lotus True Dharma couldn’t help but retreat.

“You can only cooperate with me, Senior Sister.
Within my Mystic Maiden Mirror, you cannot even die if you wish.
From your own perspective, you might not want to investigate your master.
But unfortunately, you have no power to refuse.
You can only obey me.
This is not under your control.
You will watch yourself little by little betray your master, then push him into the abyss.”
“You… are a demon among demons!”
“You flatter me, Senior Sister.
After all, I am one who colluded with demons.
I know a few demonic sect methods.
What do you think, Senior Sister?”