A sudden change erupted.
*Boom!*
The cliff wall split open, revealing a stone door-like crevice, from which a surging force poured out.
“Get back!”
Ye Qiu shouted to warn Master Longbrow. At that moment, a green light shot out from the crevice, crashing into his chest.
It happened too fast.
Ye Qiu had no time to react, flying backward with the green light.
*Clang!*
He crashed a hundred meters away, smashing into the ground, pain wracking his body. A surge of blood rose to his throat, nearly spilling out.
Only then did he see the green light was a woman in a green dress.
She looked about eighteen, her demeanor innocent, skin fair and smooth, eyes bright and almond-shaped, her delicate beauty reminiscent of a refined江南 maiden, stirring an instinctive urge to protect her.
Yet, her face was deathly pale.
Nestled in Ye Qiu’s arms, her faint fragrance was intoxicating, stirring his senses.
Even having seen many stunning beauties, Ye Qiu couldn’t help but feel a ripple in his heart.
Questions swirled in his mind.
*Who is this woman?*
*Why did she come out of the cliff?*
The woman looked up, a faint blush on her pale face, her lips parting softly, “Young Master—”
Before she could finish, she coughed up a mouthful of blood, staining Ye Qiu’s clothes.
“Are you okay?”
Ye Qiu’s expression shifted. He quickly grabbed her wrist to check her pulse, instantly sensing her chaotic internal energy and severe internal injuries.
“Young Master, I…”
“Don’t speak.”
Ye Qiu channeled a thread of true qi into her body, then took a leaf from the Golden Sacred Tree and placed it in her mouth.
“Eat this. It’ll help your injuries,” he said.
Gratitude flickered in her eyes as she swallowed the leaf.
A moment later, shock flashed in her gaze. She hadn’t expected such a miraculous item in the mortal world.
Then, she stole a glance at Ye Qiu. *Is this what mortal men are like?*
*So handsome!*
Ye Qiu, focused on her pulse, didn’t notice her look. Soon, he too was shocked.
Though the leaf stabilised her chaotic energy, her injuries barely improved.
This was a first for Ye Qiu. Whenever he’d been injured, a leaf from the Golden Sacred Tree healed him instantly, no matter how severe. Yet, it had minimal effect on her.
“Thank you, Young Master,” her voice, clear as an oriole, interrupted his thoughts.
“No need for thanks. I didn’t help much,” Ye Qiu said. “Who are you? How did you get so badly hurt?”
“I…” She suddenly noticed he was still holding her wrist. Her cheeks flushed, her long lashes fluttering in shy embarrassment.
“I’m a doctor. Checking your pulse is normal. Don’t misunderstand,” Ye Qiu said, releasing her wrist and helping her stand.
For some reason, when he let go, she felt a faint sense of loss.
“You still haven’t told me how you got hurt,” Ye Qiu pressed.
“I…” Her face paled as if recalling something, and she turned to the crevice in the cliff, exclaiming, “Oh no, the Palace Master is in danger!”
Ye Qiu frowned, “What Palace Master?”
“It’s… ugh, you’re from the mortal world. You wouldn’t understand,” she said, hurrying toward the cliff.
Ye Qiu’s eyes flickered. *Is this woman from the cultivation world?*
*Does this cliff lead to the cultivation world?*
His father’s last known location was this cliff. Had he gone to the cultivation world?
With this thought, Ye Qiu rushed toward the cliff.
But as he neared, a torrent of force surged from the crevice. A purple shadow shot out, crashing into him, sending him flying again.
*Clang!*
This time, he flew five hundred meters, slamming into the ground.
*Crack—*
His shoulder blade snapped.
Pain tore through him, his body feeling like it was falling apart. Then, a soft, moist sensation touched his lips, accompanied by a strange fragrance.
Ye Qiu instinctively licked his lips.
*Slap!*
A slap stung his face.
Stars danced in his vision, nearly dazed by the blow. Looking up, he saw the purple shadow was another woman, and the softness he’d felt was her lips.
“Lecher, let go of me!”
Her voice was cold, like unmelting ice.
Ye Qiu caught sight of her face and was stunned by her beauty.
She looked in her mid-twenties, older than the green-dressed woman, with a graceful figure, slender waist, and an otherworldly face. A flame mark adorned her forehead, making her seem like a fairy fallen to earth, far surpassing the green-dressed woman in beauty.
Stunning!
Ye Qiu marveled inwardly.
Beyond her looks, she carried an aura—how to describe it?
A queen!
Dominant and aloof, her lofty demeanor demanded reverence, untouchable by profane thoughts.
“Let go!” she snapped again.
When angry, her eyes seemed to flicker with flames, adding a unique charm.
Only then did Ye Qiu realise his hands were on her waist. Even through her purple dress, he could feel the astonishing smoothness beneath his palms.
He let go.
The woman stood, then struck at him with a palm, her aura overwhelming.
Ye Qiu, startled, rolled across the ground to dodge.
*Boom!*
Her palm struck the ground, blasting a deep crater.
A chill ran through Ye Qiu. If he hadn’t dodged, that strike would’ve crippled him.
*So powerful. Her cultivation is at least King Realm!*
Amazed but unafraid, Ye Qiu stood, glaring at her coldly, “Why are you so unreasonable?”
“You’re the one who crashed into me and sent me flying. Why attack me?”
“You injured me with that collision, and you don’t even apologise. I’ve never met a woman like you.”
“Utterly unreasonable!”
Her face grew colder, her icy eyes fixed on him, “Who’re you calling unreasonable?”
“You. Got a problem with that? Keep it to yourself,” Ye Qiu shot back.
“A mere mortal dares speak to me like this? Courting death!”
She raised her palm, a red flame igniting in it.
The flame’s appearance sent a wave of danger through Ye Qiu. As he prepared to summon his Qiankun Cauldron, the woman suddenly coughed up blood and collapsed limply to the ground…
