Chapter 262: Chapter 262: Danger often lurks beneath a beautiful exterior
“Fairy Ning, how did you get here?” Huo Yunjie asked the newcomer.
At first, he thought another formidable enemy was coming to snatch the Gold-fused Fallen Moon Bead, but to his surprise, the person turned out to be Ning Yujie, who had helped him before.
Initially, Huo Yunjie was suspicious of Ning Yujie.
But on second thought, even if Ning Yujie harbored ill intentions, how much harm could she, a mere Qi Refinement nineth level peak expert, do to them all?
“I was admiring the scenery from the city tower in Haijin City when I noticed many Demi-transformed Demon Beasts leaving the city. After thinking about it, I figured they were probably coming to intercept Brother Huo, so I hurried over.”
Ning Yujie’s hands were hidden in her sleeves as she walked slowly, carrying a faint scent of fragrance that bewildered the mind and made one unconsciously lower their guard.
Upon hearing this, everyone felt somewhat moved.
With only the strength of the Qi Refinement nineth level peak, Ning Yujie dared to come alone, which really was courageous.
“It looks like this lady is truly infatuated, completely captivated by our Second Senior Brother’s handsome appearance. Despite knowing the dangers, she still followed,” Long Tianxing thought to himself.
The next moment, he reverted from his Dragon Transformation Form.
Shi Lei also dispelled his protective shield and defensive spiritual artifacts.
“Huh, all these Demi-transformed Demon Beasts have been slain!”
Ning Yujie said in surprise, covering her lips with delicate hands, “Truly worthy of the renowned disciples of the Misty Sect, very impressive.”
“You flatter me, Fairy,” Huo Yunjie replied with a slight smile.
At that moment, Wang Ping’an sniffed the air and detected a strange and strong fragrance spreading since Ning Yujie’s arrival.
It smelled pleasant, but it muddled the mind.
“This is Soul-Calming Fragrance!”
Wang Ping’an’s expression changed drastically.
Soul-Calming Fragrance was a special kind of incense.
Its raw material was a kind of special spirit tree named “Soul-Suppressing Wood,” which was ground into powder with many medicinal ingredients and refined into a particular kind of spiritual medicine that could blur the consciousness of a cultivator, temporarily cut off their mana, and gradually make them fall into a deep sleep.
Normally, some cultivators who had difficulty sleeping would light a stick of Soul-Calming Fragrance, which would allow them to sleep deeply and quickly recover their exhausted vitality and spirit.
However, in the dangerous wilderness, the appearance of Soul-Calming Fragrance often signified danger.
“Not good… I’m dizzy!”
Wang Ping’an had barely finished speaking when he felt weak all over and fell to the ground.
Long Tianxing realized something was wrong and was about to re-enter his Dragon Transformation Form when he was struck in the chest by Ning Yujie’s palm, causing him to fall to the ground and pass out.
“Are you trying to harm us?”
Huo Yunjie quickly circulated his cultivation level to try to resist the effects of the Soul-Calming Fragrance, only to find his consciousness blurring and his strength unable to be fully utilized.
“Junior Brother, run!”
Shi Lei also felt overwhelmed and shook his head violently only to find his vision blurring and himself collapsing to the ground.
Although he could still open his eyes, he found he couldn’t muster any strength.
Only Huo Yunjie, with the highest cultivation level, was still resisting, but he could only muster a fraction of his power. Overwhelmed by Ning Yujie’s aura, he knelt on one knee, gripping the Cold Light Sword tightly, refusing to fall.
“Giggle, giggle, giggle!”
Ning Yujie let out a strange call, like a hen.
A strong wind blew, peeling away her facial skin, making her appearance eerie.
“Why are you doing this?”
Huo Yunjie couldn’t understand.
Ning Yujie had always seemed simple and kind, like a girl next door, with no harm in her.
But now, she had used the Soul-Calming Fragrance, causing all four of them to collapse.
“Giggle, giggle, giggle…”
Ning Yujie laughed in a girlish manner, wiped her hand across her face, and tore off the human skin mask to reveal a grotesque face full of feathers.
That face… was very ugly.
So ugly it was frightening!
“Damn, that’s hideous!”
Long Tianxing, who had just come to, was so terrified by Ning Yujie’s transformation that he fainted again.
Wang Ping’an was fortunate.
Because he had never woken up.
As long as he did not wake up, he would not have to endure such a terrifying experience.
“So, you are a Demi-transformed Demon Beast! But previously, wearing the human skin mask, you appeared as a gentle and charming Fairy,” Huo Yunjie murmured, trying to employ the power of his cultivation but finding it utterly suppressed with no chance of resistance.
“Otherwise, why do you think any cultivator would be so enthusiastic about you? In the end, I was looking for a good-looking furnace cauldron!”
Ning Yujie cackled with a “heh, heh, heh,” opened her mouth wide, revealing her hideous and sharp fangs, and prepared to drain Huo Yunjie dry.
“Little handsome, you four are all mine, Ning Yujie! Just by draining all of you, I can definitely advance to a lower rank Demon General and have the chance to strike at cultivators with even higher cultivation levels.”
Ning Yujie mumbled to herself.
She licked her lips and suddenly lunged toward Huo Yunjie’s neck with her mouth wide open.
Clang!
A semi-transparent shield appeared, which Ning Yujie bit into and was instantly sent flying back, several of her teeth shattering and blood flowing profusely from her mouth.
“A defense shield?”
Ning Yujie’s eyes widened as she stared at the identity token in Huo Yunjie’s hand, which had the three characters “Misty Sect” protruding on the front.
“So, it’s a sect identity token with its own shield. As expected of the Misty Sect, the depth of its foundation is truly remarkable!”
Ning Yujie squinted her eyes, growling angrily.
“Hmph, monster, you’re still too green to eat us!” Long Tianxing too had woken up. Although unable to use any of his cultivation level, he could still take out his identity token from the storage ring and activate the shield.
Shi Lei also had his identity token in hand.
Three shields firmly protected the four disciples.
As for Wang Ping’an, he lay there like a dead pig, completely immobilized.
“I refuse to believe that these defense shields can withstand this fairy’s attacks!” Ning Yujie roared, transforming into her true form.
She became a black chicken with a wingspan of five meters, its eyes brimming with cruelty. Its sharp talons continuously scratched at the shield, but they couldn’t make a dent.
“Die!” Long Tianxing shouted.
The three disciples activated their identity tokens simultaneously, unleashing a barrage of sword beams. Although not very powerful, they caused Ning Yujie to be pushed back repeatedly, losing a heap of black feathers on the ground.
“Damn it!”
Ning Yujie was furious.
She retreated to a distance and spewed out blazing flames, intending to burn the four Misty Sect disciples alive.
“Hang in there, Senior Sister Mo Ying will be here soon!” Long Tianxing gripped his identity token tightly.
He had already sent a message to Mo Ying, Gong Qingqiu, and others.
Of those, Gong Qingqiu was shopping in Beacon Fire City, the Sect Leader’s whereabouts were unknown, and only Mo Ying was on Misty Peak. She was now making her way here with all her might.
“If she has to run hundreds of miles, I’m afraid Sister Mo can only come to collect our corpses.” Huo Yunjie said helplessly.
Who would have imagined that Ning Yujie, looking so quiet and beautiful, was a fire-spewing, disguise-capable black chicken?
“The Old Sect Leader was right; beneath a beautiful exterior, there might not always be beauty — it could conceal many dangers. Beauty is for appreciating from afar, never to be trifled with!” Shi Lei sighed deeply.
Atop Misty Peak.
The disciples heard the message coming from their identity tokens, and they felt nervous yet helpless, thinking it was such a time for the eldest brother to be preaching life lessons.
“Well said, under a beautiful exterior often lurks terrible danger!”
A booming and clear young man’s voice emerged.
Not only Ning Yujie and a few others heard it, but Gong Qingqiu, Mo Ying, and Yan Ruyu, who were all constantly holding their identity tokens, heard it loud and clear as well.
“Who?”
Ning Yujie continued spewing fire but her rooster eyes were darting around. Finally, she spotted a handsome young man in white clothes and flowing long hair standing in mid-air.
He was gently fanning himself with a paper fan, looking quite at ease.
“Element Gathering Realm!”
Feeling the newcomer’s cultivation level, Ning Yujie’s face darkened. “I am Ning Yujie, a direct disciple of the Feihua Sect’s Sect Master. May I ask for the senior’s esteemed name.”
“I am Young Master Misty,”
the newcomer replied casually, waving his fan with a slight smile on his lips.
“So it’s Senior Misty. I am handling some matters, so I request that you please show some leniency and abstain from getting involved. Otherwise, my master will be displeased upon learning of this,” Ning Yujie warned while still spewing fire towards Young Master Misty.
“Today, this young master must intervene!”
Young Master Misty abruptly closed his fan, forming a sword with his finger, and slashed downward from above.
To the naked eye, a dazzling sword light streaked across the sky, and the large black chicken that Ning Yujie had transformed into was only able to flutter its wings before being cleaved in two.
“Actual Sword Qi emitted from the hand, slicing a Demi-transformed Demon Beast in half with a single strike, how powerful!”
Huo Yunjie and the others were greatly shocked.
Not just them, even Mo Ying, rushing over, and Gong Qingqiu, far away in Beacon Fire City, all discerned through the sounds transmitted by the identity tokens that Ning Yujie had been vanquished by the mysterious Young Master Misty.
And it was settled with casually emitted Sword Qi!
“This person must be an extremely superior swordsman, his strength around the third layer of the Element Gathering Realm,” Mo Ying said gravely as she hurried on her way.
“Mo Ying, keep on with the rescue mission, I’m on my way,” Gong Qingqiu communicated with Mo Ying through the identity token and set off immediately from Beacon Fire City.
With Ning Yujie’s death, the blazing flames disappeared.
Huo Yunjie and his group miraculously escaped death.
They looked up at the self-proclaimed Young Master Misty, the handsome youth. They saw him quietly looking over with a faint smile on his face.