Moon Spirit’s Inquiry

“What? What do you mean by that? Do you possess some other method?” the disciple from Toad Spirit Pavilion inquired, his eyes still tightly shut.

Despite his words, the Spirit Poison’s attacks grew increasingly rapid. An inexplicable tension suddenly seized his heart.

The moment his anxiety surged, a faint blue aura seeped from his form. Though subtle, Ye Qingyun instantly perceived it—a clear manifestation of fear.

“Hmph! My capabilities extend far beyond what my eyes can perceive, Junior Brother,” Ye Qingyun chuckled softly. “Believe it or not, you are destined to fall to me within a single minute.”

Ye Qingyun’s declaration caused the disciple from the Toad Spirit lineage to furrow his brow. His control over the Spirit Poison instantly intensified, quickening its rhythm, yet it still failed to graze Ye Qingyun.

Moreover, Ye Qingyun continued to taunt his opponent with intermittent remarks.

“Junior Brother, can you not move any faster?” Ye Qingyun teased, a smile playing on his lips. “Your Spirit Control Art is truly unrefined. At such a sluggish pace, how could you possibly strike me? The countdown has already begun; you might want to keep track.”

The moment Ye Qingyun’s words settled, the disciple from Toad Spirit Pavilion became overwhelmingly tense. He found himself silently counting the seconds, a habit mirrored by the spectators below the stage, who also began their own countdowns.

The incessant counting deeply irritated him. Coupled with his persistent failure to overcome Ye Qingyun, his anxiety mounted. Even with his eyes shut, he could sense a towering mountain standing directly before him.

This insurmountable peak suffocated him, stealing his very breath.

“Impossible! She must be bluffing; I refuse to believe it!” The Toad Spirit Pavilion disciple abruptly surged his power, unleashing his true qi. A malevolent glint also suffused the Spirit Poison’s eyes, and its speed instantly doubled.

Yet, even with this amplified speed, his efforts remained utterly fruitless.

“Hehe, only ten seconds remain, Junior Brother,” Ye Qingyun chuckled once more. “Have you kept a good count?”

By now, the disciple from Toad Spirit Pavilion was utterly drenched in sweat, a clear sign of his immense energy depletion.

“Five, four, three, two, one.”

As the crowd below counted down, the moment they collectively roared “one,” the disciple let out a faint, defeated cry of “Impossible!” before collapsing into unconsciousness.

Precisely one minute had elapsed.

Upon witnessing his collapse, Ye Qingyun offered a faint smile. He then leisurely approached him and, as was his custom, retrieved a Cultivation Conversion Pill from his waist pouch.

“Alright, that will be all for today,” Ye Qingyun declared. “Let me tell you, closing your eyes will do you no good.” With that, he departed.

The onlookers exchanged bewildered glances. They had been convinced they’d discovered a foolproof method, yet to their astonishment, it had failed once again.

“Alas! What manner of technique does Senior Sister Ye wield?” the disciples murmured, sighing repeatedly. “It’s utterly bizarre; she can make people faint even when their eyes are closed!”

Yuemei had been closely observing Ye Qingyun, meticulously watching his daily duels.

‘This isn’t a technique of our Five Poisons Sect,’ Yuemei mused, a hint of surprise in her voice. ‘Could it be the power of her eyes?’ She then slowly began to follow Ye Qingyun.

Ye Qingyun gazed at the Cultivation Conversion Pills nestled within his storage bag, his face alight with a joyful smile. In just a few days, he had amassed over a dozen more. However, just as his spirits soared, he suddenly noticed a figure standing before him.

Ye Qingyun swiftly halted his steps, then lifted his gaze. Discovering it was Yuemei, the Protector of the Five Poisons Sect, he quickly concealed his storage bag and, adhering to the sect’s etiquette, offered a respectful bow.

“This disciple greets the Protector,” Ye Qingyun stated, stepping forward to complete his salutation.

Yuemei simply nodded in acknowledgment.

“Hmm, Ye Qingrou,” Yuemei began, her tone direct and devoid of pretense, “what power did you just employ? That is decidedly not a technique of our Five Poisons Sect; we possess no such ability.”

This direct question left Ye Qingyun completely at a loss.

“This…?” Ye Qingyun faltered, uncertain how to proceed.

While the power emanating from his eyes bore a strong resemblance to the techniques of the Snake Spirit lineage, allowing for a potential deception, Yuemei’s profound cultivation would undoubtedly expose any falsehood.

“Unwilling to speak?” Yuemei scoffed. “Hmph! Follow me.” Observing Ye Qingyun’s hesitation, Yuemei understood his reluctance. Without another word, she turned and leisurely strode towards the main hall of the Five Poisons Sect.

Though Ye Qingyun harbored no desire to follow, he understood the adage: when under another’s roof, one must bow their head. His current abilities were sufficient to intimidate fellow junior disciples, but against a more seasoned practitioner, their effectiveness would be questionable.

The efficacy of these emotion-manipulating techniques was directly tied to his own inherent power. The higher the cultivation of the target, the more challenging it became to exert influence over them.

Thus, Ye Qingyun followed, entering the main hall of the Five Poisons Sect. Inside, Ziling was currently deep in discussion with Liu Ningxue, both of whom were perpetually occupied with sect affairs.

“Hmm? Yuemei, why have you brought an outer disciple here?” Ziling inquired, her gaze drifting suspiciously towards the entrance before settling firmly on Ye Qingyun.

Yuemei simply let out a light chuckle.

“Ah, her,” Yuemei began, settling into a seat beside Ziling. “She’s the one with the special bloodline I spoke of. This girl has acquired some mysterious technique, but she refuses to disclose it, so I brought her along.”

While Ziling was aware of such a disciple within the sect, she had never personally met her. Given her exalted status, there was simply no necessity to interact directly with an outer disciple. Even a talented one, if their potential remained unrealized, was merely an ant—not a true genius, and certainly not worthy of her focused attention.

“Oh, so it’s her,” Ziling mused, seemingly grasping Yuemei’s implication. “Do you suspect her bloodline has been activated?”

Liu Ningxue remained silent, seated to the side. Though she held the title of Sect Master, in truth, she was merely a puppet installed by the Five Poisons Sect, possessing no right to speak in Ziling’s presence.

“Precisely my point,” Yuemei affirmed, her gaze fixed on Ye Qingyun with a wicked smile. “But this girl refuses to tell me, so I’m contemplating whether to employ some special means to uncover what secrets she harbors in her mind.”

That sinister smile sent an involuntary shiver down Ye Qingyun’s spine.

“Greetings, Sect Master, Grand Elder,” Ye Qingyun hastily uttered, immediately dropping to his knees.

Before sect elders, there was no need for pretense; proper respect and understanding were paramount.

“Oh, I see,” Ziling remarked, her gaze piercing Ye Qingyun. “Little girl, I advise you to simply speak the truth. In the demonic path, clinging to secrets without the requisite strength is a path to ruin. Do not presume that your talent alone will shield you from our actions. Consider carefully whether you wish to divulge the matter of your bloodline to us.”

Under Ziling’s intense gaze, a shiver of dread ran through Ye Qingyun. The woman before him radiated an overwhelming, terrifying presence, one that felt utterly insurmountable.

A significant problem now presented itself: Ye Qingyun was utterly clueless about any “bloodline” matters. He had never heard of a special bloodline, nor did his abilities originate from one.

After a moment of thought, he realized his only recourse was to present the power of his Seven Emotions and Six Desires Art as a bloodline ability, hoping to deceive them.

“Very well, this disciple is willing to speak on this matter,” Ye Qingyun conceded, having no other choice but to yield.

Upon seeing Ye Qingyun’s compliance, the three women finally broke into smiles.

“Speak, then. Rest assured, we will not divulge this to anyone else,” Yuemei stated, propping her chin on her hands as she intently watched Ye Qingyun.

Ye Qingyun swiftly gathered his thoughts, and a moment later, he began.

“It is thus,” Ye Qingyun stated solemnly. “Not long ago, during a breakthrough in my internal cultivation, I discovered an ability to perceive auras invisible to ordinary people. These auras manifest in seven distinct colors, and I am capable of manipulating them to influence others’ emotions.”

His explanation was flawless, devoid of any suspicious details or logical inconsistencies.

“Oh, such a phenomenon exists?” Yuemei mused, a hint of curiosity in her tone. “Do you, by chance, know what each of these colors represents?”