The Price of a Punch and a Madwoman’s Love

Lin Mo’s punch landed squarely on Qiu Yue’s nose bridge.

The immense force drove Qiu Yue’s head into the ground like a nail.

As the punch struck, crimson spiritual energy rippled outwards, its sheer impact collapsing the ground, leaving a foot-deep crater.

For a moment, it seemed the punch had gained the upper hand.

Yet, in an instant, Lin Mo’s arm erupted. Countless crimson threads, seemingly appearing from nowhere, had coiled around his entire arm, and with a sudden pull, in that fleeting moment, flesh tore open and scarlet blood splattered in every direction.

His protective spiritual barrier, rendered utterly useless, was directly constricted and shattered, its crisp sound echoing in his ears. A searing pain exploded through his entire wrist, accompanying the shattering noise.

‘Qiu Yue, you actually intend to sever my arm directly!’

‘But if a mere arm can buy your life, Qiu Yue, why wouldn’t I embrace it?’

Qiu Yue harbored hatred, using herself as bait, but how could Lin Mo not feel an equal, burning animosity?

Even if this arm were to be twisted into a mangled mess, the fist that struck Qiu Yue’s face would still claim her head in return!

Though the threads had already pierced his flesh, shredding pulse and muscle, they surprisingly failed to disrupt the flow of Lin Mo’s spiritual energy. On the contrary, it circulated with perfect normalcy.

His hand armor suddenly lost its solidity, blazing ferociously like an inferno. More terrifying still, the biting cold that usually enveloped it vanished, replaced instead by scorching heat.

That melting heat seared Qiu Yue’s cheek, bringing waves of agonizing, scorching pain.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Qiu Yue’s form abruptly blurred. With a wet ‘shlick,’ her entire being dissolved into a pool of blood-red liquid, seeping into the earth and breaking free from Lin Mo’s grasp.

Lin Mo moved to pursue, but then he suddenly noticed something alarming: none of his splattered blood had fallen to the ground. Instead, countless droplets hung suspended in the air, dense and menacing.

An alarm blared in his mind, and danger, in an instant, crawled up his spine.

Abandoning any desire for pursuit, Lin Mo instantly tapped his toe, his body darting backward with extreme speed, swiftly widening the distance between himself and Qiu Yue.

The moment his toe barely touched the ground, his own blood droplets began to explode in rapid succession!

Lin Mo’s figure was engulfed by a sudden, brilliant sea of incandescent lightning.

Outside the secret realm, countless gasps of shock rose in unison, some even instinctively closing their eyes.

On the Xuan Nv Sect’s side, Lin Ruoli’s fingernails dug deeply into her palms, drawing blood unnoticed; Mu Qingli’s breathing nearly ceased; and even under Xian Chengyue’s normally placid expression, her muscles tensed for a fleeting moment.

However, the blinding white light and rampant energy did not last long. A stubborn crimson glow ignited, rapidly expanding.

“Boom!”

No, it wasn’t an explosion; it was more akin to a powerful expulsion. An intense cold materialized into a tangible storm, sweeping outwards from Lin Mo’s center!

It was a colossal shield, woven from intertwining crimson and ice-blue, firmly protecting Lin Mo within its embrace.

Qiu Yue’s figure had just coalesced from the smoke and dust churned up by the explosion elsewhere. Her nose bled profusely, staining half her face crimson, and she forcibly straightened her twisted nose. The pain, rather than diminishing her, seemed to act as a seasoning, making her smile even more vibrant.

“Oh, I felt your anger in your fist,” Qiu Yue said, a smile gracing her lips, much like a child who had finally retrieved a beloved toy. The joy of recovery shone brightly on her face. “You still love me, don’t you?”

Even in this state, she could still deceive herself. Lin Mo couldn’t help but admire the woman’s capacity for self-delusion.

To say he felt no anger towards Qiu Yue was impossible.

She had imprisoned him for ten years, constantly tormenting and belittling his psyche, forcing him to play her cruel games. Lin Mo had long since grown utterly sick of it.

Yet, finally possessing the ability to resist, he knew the anger simmering within him absolutely could not be released.

To Qiu Yue, her love was warped. His anger, his fear, his very resistance—all could be twisted into expressions of his love for her.

Facing this madwoman, the only thing he could do was—silence.

Qiu Yue craved a response. She needed him to look at her, believing that no matter the gaze, no matter the emotion, it meant he loved her.

Only utter indifference—no, not even indifference, but rather, absolute, vacant silence.

Lin Mo simply gazed at the madwoman who had terrified him for over a decade, watching her quietly, as if she were a stranger of no consequence.

Qiu Yue’s lips parted and closed, yet no sound emerged.

She trembled, the smugness on her face receding like a tide. She stumbled forward, as if her soul had been lost, reaching out to touch her own cheek.

The moment Qiu Yue’s touch landed, a surge of revulsion, indignation, and fury ignited within Lin Mo, like dry kindling catching fire with a single spark.

All these emotions churned within him, like roaring waves crashing violently against his heart.

As the Bright Jade Profound Yin Art circulated, the chilling cold froze the emotions in his heart. What ultimately reflected on Lin Mo’s face were only calm eyes, fixed upon Qiu Yue before him.

“You… you… what’s wrong with you?” Qiu Yue’s voice trembled.

“Your… your love for me… where did it go?” Her eyes widened, as if threatening to burst from their sockets. “I… I… I… I can’t see it… You—you can’t do this to me! You… you are mine… You—”

Lin Mo casually brushed Qiu Yue’s hand away, as lightly as one might flick dust. “How could I ever like someone so utterly pathetic in strength?”

At these words, Qiu Yue’s hair writhed wildly like venomous snakes, her azure locks finally reverting to their original hue. Her veins pulsed, hunting across her skin as if unleashed.

A smile, at last, returned to Qiu Yue’s face.

“Boom—!”

A terrifying aura, far surpassing anything before, erupted fiercely!

The surrounding air seemed to cry out under the unbearable pressure, as if struck by a colossal hammer!

The cracked, scorched earth sank inch by inch!

Her entire head of azure hair whipped wildly without a breeze, like countless enraged vipers. The hunting veins, congealed from the blood of her fellow disciples, writhed and coiled uncontrollably, emitting a nauseating, putrid stench!

Though heavily suppressed by the secret realm’s rules, the berserk power of her late Foundation Establishment peak cultivation now unleashed itself without reservation, surging towards Lin Mo like a tangible, overwhelming tidal wave.

Outside the secret realm, no one could comprehend Lin Mo’s actions!

‘Why would he invigorate her further?!’

“What in the world is Lin Wan’er doing?!” someone wailed.

‘Her spirit was already flagging, her fighting intent largely dissipated.’

“The Xuan Nv Sect doesn’t know…”

“Hmph,” someone from the Qiu family scoffed.

Even the Empress couldn’t help but sigh, pressing a hand to her forehead, “This Lin Wan’er, in the end, is simply too arrogant!”

In that moment, everyone saw him unfavorably, deeming him arrogant.

Yet, only two individuals—those who had lived with Lin Mo for many years—truly understood his intentions.

Especially Yang Qingxuan, who had lived with the Qiu family for a decade, immediately grasped Lin Mo’s true objective.

‘He intended to—utterly shatter Qiu Yue’s self-esteem, dealing her a devastating blow both physically and mentally!’

‘But upon what grounds?’

Suddenly! A tremendous ‘humming’ sound resonated!

The very air shrieked under the unbearable strain!

However, this was not caused by the suffocating pressure of Qiu Yue’s ferocious outburst!

Instead, crimson cold flames abruptly ignited!

Wherever they passed, temperature was instantly stripped away!

Ethereal blue frost spread like a plague, madly engulfing and freezing everything in its path!

His aura soared, climbing higher and higher!

A terrifying, profound pressure, vast as an abyss, erupted violently from within him!

The shockwave swept outwards, the earth cracking inch by inch, proving in no way inferior to Qiu Yue in her frenzied state!

His ink-black hair billowed against the raging wind, its strands visibly shedding their dark hue at an astonishing speed, transforming in an instant into a dazzling, frosty white!

Only the tips of his hair flickered with ominous crimson flame marks.

Tear—!

He violently tore the cumbersome hem of his robe, the tattered fabric fluttering to the ground like dying butterflies.

His body sank, and his arms carved out abstruse trajectories, an ancient, vast Tai Chi starting stance powerfully taking form!

Lin Mo’s surging aura abruptly receded, instantly settling into a state of profound calm and restraint.