"Meow~" Accompanied by a cat's meow, the Three-Flower Cat licked Wu Yong's cheek, waking him from a night's sleep.
Wu Yong opened his eyes, and the morning light streamed through the window.
He habitually tried to get up, but found his chest heavy. Looking down, he saw Yu Ruyi lying on him, her long black hair spread out like a waterfall, with a few strands falling on his neck, causing a subtle itch.
Yu Ruyi's not-so-elegant sleeping posture exposed her charms, making Wu Yong's heart skip a beat. He then leaned down and kissed Yu Ruyi's lips, his fingers gently untying her bellyband.
As the bellyband slipped, Yu Ruyi's skin was as smooth as congealed fat. Wu Yong's hand roamed over her body, causing her to tremble slightly. Their breathing gradually quickened, and the temperature in the room slowly rose.
However, just as Wu Yong was about to go further, he suddenly sensed something was wrong. Yu Ruyi's brows were tightly furrowed, and fine beads of sweat seeped from her forehead. A faint black Qi flowed beneath her originally fair skin.
"Oh no, Devilish Qi!" Wu Yong's heart tightened. He quickly propped himself up and laid Yu Ruyi flat on the bed. Her breathing was a bit rapid, her chest heaving violently, and a faint black Qi lingered around her body.
Wu Yong dared not delay. His Yin Yang Eyes instantly activated, his left pupil turning silver and his right pupil turning dark blue. After observing the direction of the Devilish Qi, he pressed on Yu Ruyi's chest and circulated the Five Elements Great Escape: Water Escape:
"My heart is clear as ice, unmoved by the collapse of the sky. Ever-constant, my spirit is tranquil and Qi serene. I draw upon the weak water of heaven and earth, and the power of the heavens to help me subdue the demons!"
A pale blue light shimmered at his fingertips. The weak water, seemingly gentle, weighed a thousand pounds with every drop. As he lightly tapped his fingers, streams of weak water, manipulated by Wu Yong's spiritual power, entered Yu Ruyi's body, suppressing the Devilish Qi within her Meridians.
However, this Devilish Qi was more stubborn than imagined. Wu Yong could feel the black Qi crashing wildly through Yu Ruyi's Meridians, each impact causing Yu Ruyi's body to tremble slightly.
He pulled out two Qi Gathering Pills from his storage ring and swallowed them. Soon, cold sweat seeped from Wu Yong's forehead, and he had no choice but to increase his spiritual power output again.
"Ah~~~"
Just then, Yu Ruyi suddenly let out a painful groan. Wu Yong's heart trembled. The Devilish Qi was heading towards her Dantian, but he dared not pause his hand movements for a moment. Gritting his teeth, he bit his finger directly and drew a Talisman in the air with his blood:
"Heaven and earth reverse, the Five Elements generate each other. With my blood as a guide, help me eradicate the demons. The Heavenly Master commands with urgency!"
Wu Yong bit the tip of his tongue, and a mouthful of vital blood sprayed onto the Talisman. The pale blue weak water instantly surged, transforming into water Dragons that coiled around Yu Ruyi's body.
As the weak water slowly began to seep into Yu Ruyi's body, Wu Yong felt his life force rapidly draining away. Every condensed drop of weak water felt as if it were drawing out his bone marrow.
Yu Ruyi's body began to tremble violently. Black Qi overflowed from her seven orifices but was swallowed one by one by the weak water. Wu Yong's vision began to blur, and the strands of hair hanging from his forehead were turning white one by one.
Finally, just as Wu Yong was almost exhausted, the Devilish Qi in Yu Ruyi's body was completely suppressed. Her breathing gradually stabilized, her brows relaxed, and she fell into a deep sleep.
"This isn't going to work," Wu Yong muttered to himself. After resting for a moment, he fetched a basin of clear water, wiped the sweat from Yu Ruyi's body, and then covered her with a blanket.
Looking at the deeply sleeping Yu Ruyi, he tucked her blanket in, stretched lazily, and prepared to go out of the pavilion to wash up. It was then that he noticed the completely white hair tips on his forehead.
Wu Yong came to the spring by the bamboo forest, cupped a handful of clear water, and splashed it on his face. The cool spring water cleared his mind a bit. He looked at his reflection in the water; his originally black hair had turned mostly white. The Three-Flower Cat beside him paced back and forth restlessly.
"Don't worry, I'm fine." Wu Yong circulated the Five Elements Great Escape, and a green light slowly emerged from his body. His snow-white hair slowly turned black. He picked up the Three-Flower Cat and placed it on his shoulder: "Let's go. Let's see what missions are available today at the Mission Hall. My cheap master has embezzled all the salary. If I don't take on missions, I won't have food to eat."
Wu Yong rose on his Flying Sword, a verdant sword light arcing through the morning mist. The Flying Sword beneath his feet trembled slightly, carrying him from Yunhai Peak as he leaped down and weaved through the clouds.
What Wu Yong didn't notice was that on the roof of the pavilion, three Nascent Soul Yu Ruyi looked at the strands of white hair in Wu Yong's ponytail with worried expressions.
The Three-Flower Cat on his shoulder lay lazily, its tail gently swaying, occasionally letting out a lazy "Meow" to remind Wu Yong not to fly too fast.
The wind whistled past his ears, but Wu Yong's thoughts drifted back to that night many years ago.
At that time, Youzhou City happened to be invaded by the Demon Race. Yu Ruyi was on a escort mission to Youzhou City, but unexpectedly, she directly encountered the Demon Race when she was leaving.
Outside the city, twenty Void Refining Realm Demon Generals were shrouded in black mist like specters, their Killing Intent soaring to the sky.
Yu Ruyi was alone, holding the Bishui Sword, her white robes like snow. She faced the Demon Race battle generals without fear. That night, her sword light was like a rainbow, each strike carrying a biting chill, as if to cut down all the Devilish Qi between heaven and earth.
In that battle, Yu Ruyi slew eleven Demon Generals, and countless souls perished under her sword.
However, the Demon Race's Devilish Qi was like a persistent gangrene, eventually invading her body. When she delivered her last strike, the Demon Generals scattered and fled, and she, due to the Devilish Qi entering her body, fainted in the wilderness outside Youzhou City.
Wu Yong was still a teenager then, secretly crawling out of a dog hole in Youzhou City, wanting to see the Cultivators' battle. Unexpectedly, he stumbled upon the unconscious Yu Ruyi.
At that time, her white robes were stained red with blood, her face was ashen, and her breathing was so faint it was almost imperceptible. Wu Yong dared not delay and immediately carried her back home.
Coincidentally, Wu Yong's mother said she had served as a physician in the army. It took her three days and three nights to barely revive Yu Ruyi, but there was nothing she could do about the Devilish Qi in her body. During this time, Wu Yong stayed by Yu Ruyi's bedside, taking care of her.
After Yu Ruyi woke up, she learned that Wu Yong had saved her. Grateful in her heart, and after sensing that Wu Yong possessed the rare Five Elements Body, she accepted Wu Yong as her Disciple, brought him to Budao Sect, and taught him the outer Sect Cultivation Technique, Qinglian Swordplay, and the inner Sect Cultivation Technique, Five Elements Great Escape.
From then on, Wu Yong's life trajectory completely changed.
"Meow~~" The Three-Flower Cat's meow pulled Wu Yong back from his memories. "Master, you're getting distracted again while on your Flying Sword." Wu Yong looked down at the little fella on his shoulder, gently patted its head, and chuckled, "Don't worry, we'll be there soon."
Ahead, the Budao Peak's Mission Hall was already faintly visible. The majestic hall stood on the mountain peak, shrouded in clouds and mist. Wu Yong quickened the speed of his Flying Sword. With a flash of sword light, he landed steadily on the square in front of the hall.
The square was bustling with people. The Disciples of Budao Sect were either flying on their Flying Swords or walking and chatting, making it very lively. Wu Yong put away his Flying Sword, tidied his robes, and stepped towards the Mission Hall's steps. On the steps, many Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters were looking for teammates.
"Seeking a Fellow Daoist skilled in breaking Formations."
Su Chen from Qingyun Peak held up a mission scroll and shouted: "A Nascent Soul Realm Cultivator's deceased Cultivator's remains have been discovered. We need the assistance of a Fellow Daoist proficient in Formations. We are currently missing a Formation Master or a Fellow Daoist skilled in breaking Formations. This is a rare Opportunity, don't miss it!"
"Seeking three Cultivators above the Golden Core Realm to eliminate demons."
Lin Wanqing from Dongting Peak held up a mission scroll: "A third-tier Golden Spine Bee swarm has been discovered in Nether Valley . We currently need three Cultivators above the Golden Core Stage. Those skilled in swordsmanship or lightning Spells will be prioritized. The royal jelly obtained will be divided equally!"
"Escort a batch of medicinal materials to Wanyao Valley, two spots left!"
Jiang Mengli from Nine Heavens Peak cupped her hands like a megaphone and shouted towards the square: "Because this batch of medicinal materials can be made into Hehuan Powder, it is suspected that evil Cultivators might be targeting it. We are currently missing two Fellow Daoists skilled in defensive Spells to accompany us. Each person gets fifty Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and Sect contribution points are no less than twenty. This is a rare Opportunity!"