The vine spirit was startled. It stared wide-eyed at the soul sword piercing Feng Qishi's body, then at the green light in its own hand. Swallowing hard, it dejectedly lowered its hand.
Feng Qishi was stunned. He looked down at the soul sword directly thrust into his chest and asked in a hoarse voice, "Why are you doing this?" He met Mu Anxiao's eyes in disbelief.
Mu Anxiao looked at Feng Qishi's incorporeal form, gasping for breath. "I can't control myself," she said, her hand gripping the soul sword starting to tremble inexplicably.
The wolf demon: "This sword..." He looked astonished at the soul sword still lodged in Feng Qishi's phantom body and quickly exclaimed, "Pull it out quickly! That soul sword is absorbing his spiritual energy!"
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao's eyes widened. She gripped her right hand with her left, stepped back, and pulled with all her might. The moment she yanked the soul sword from Feng Qishi's body, he let out a grunt and knelt on the ground.
However, Mu Anxiao couldn't let go. The soul sword, completely out of her control, lunged towards Feng Qishi again. Mu Anxiao tightly held her grip on the soul sword, using all her strength and stepping backward, she shouted, "Shen Fengzi, what's going on?"
Feng Qishi clutched his chest, looking up at Mu Anxiao, who was being swayed by the soul sword. An old gentleman's voice reached his ears, "Let Mu Anxiao stay there alone. You take those two fellows and come back."
Upon hearing this, Feng Qishi's eyes widened. Enduring the unexpected pain in his chest, he mentally asked, "Master, why?"
The future, Heavenly Realm.
The old gentleman stood in the center of the Immortal Hall, looking down at Feng Qishi's figure through the clouds. He explained, "The soul sword wants to kill you. If you don't leave, it will drain your spiritual energy, and then you will die. Furthermore, it will implicate Mu Anxiao. You two cannot be together at this time."
Feng Qishi thought, "Master, what about Mu Shazi?"
"She has her master," the old gentleman said, glancing at Zhang Yan, who stepped forward and looked down at them.
Zhang Yan: "Come back. I will save her."
From the moment Mu Anxiao used demonic arts, Zhang Yan had locked onto her. Thus, the instant Mu Anxiao summoned the soul sword, Zhang Yan had already sensed it.
Of course, he had intended to turn a blind eye and settle matters with Mu Anxiao upon her return. Who would have thought... the soul sword would encounter such a situation.
There was no choice. He could only cooperate with the old gentleman.
Listening to Zhang Yan, Feng Qishi closed his eyes and looked up at Mu Anxiao, who was still struggling with the soul sword. "Mu Shazi, take good care of yourself."
"What did you say? If you leave, what will I do?" Mu Anxiao asked.
"I'm sorry, I can no longer protect you." With that, Feng Qishi raised his trembling hand and swiftly pointed at the wolf demon and Lin Yan. The three of them vanished.
The vine spirit cultivated demonic arts, and the demonic aura on the soul sword was clearly superior to his. Therefore, at this moment, he dared not move. "Mu Anxiao, this is a soul sword from the demonic realm."
Mu Anxiao: "Shut up." She was angry that Feng Qishi had abandoned her.
"You are an immortal, cultivating demonic arts," the vine spirit chuckled. "If you go back, you'll be finished." Saying this, he transformed into a chain and flew into Mu Mansion.
Instantly.
The soul sword ceased its struggle and quieted down.
Mu Anxiao was left alone. At this moment, she felt a sense of betrayal, a feeling that caused her to develop an aversion towards Feng Qishi.
"Shen Fengzi, you just wait."
"Disciple, that's not right of you."
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao was startled. She looked left and right and asked, "Master, is that you?"
Zhang Yan: "It's me. Feng Qishi and the soul sword cannot come into contact. If he hadn't left, he would have died."
"What?" Mu Anxiao exclaimed, looking down at the soul sword in her hand, her brow furrowing.
Zhang Yan: "Some things, I'll explain when you return. You must capture the vine spirit."
"The vine spirit..." Mu Anxiao's brow furrowed. "Why?"
"Because only by following him can you return," Zhang Yan said earnestly.
"Why..."
"Now is not the time for your ten thousand questions. He went towards the woodshed, hurry."
"..." Mu Anxiao was rendered speechless by Zhang Yan's words. She asked, "Master, are you angry?"
Over the past decade, whenever Mu Anxiao made a mistake, Zhang Yan would become impatient with her, and only after she asked about the situation would he reveal the true reason.
Now, she sensed that Zhang Yan must know about her use of demonic arts. Her asking this was just a way to save face.
Zhang Yan: "You heard it."
"Yes, I know... it was wrong of me to use demonic arts. But. I had no choice, Master. I'm sorry."
Mu Anxiao repented.
Zhang Yan understood that Mu Anxiao was very perceptive and could discern things from his words.
Therefore, he no longer beat around the bush. "I'll settle accounts with you when I get back. Go find the vine spirit."
As expected, he was angry.
Hearing Zhang Yan say this, Mu Anxiao couldn't help but feel afraid. She feared that Zhang Yan might expel her in anger. She feared that because of this matter, she would be demoted to a mortal and become an old woman overnight.
In short, all sorts of worries assailed her, and she dared not move.
Zhang Yan: "You're scared." He looked at Mu Anxiao's appearance on the screen and chuckled.
Mu Anxiao still gripped the soul sword tightly and said, "Master, are you going to expel me?"
"Expel you," Zhang Yan sneered. "You are such a good prospect, I would never give up on you. I'll talk to you when you get back, but the prerequisite is that you must return alive."
"I will definitely return alive, Master. I want to ask you a question."
"Speak."
"What will happen to me if I don't return with the vine spirit?" Mu Anxiao asked, worried that the vine spirit might renege.
"I will find a way, but you must do your best to capture the vine spirit. In this way," Zhang Yan said sternly, "you might be able to atone for your mistakes."
"Atone for mistakes."
"Yes," Zhang Yan said seriously. "He is the number one criminal demon in the underworld. If you capture him using demonic arts, it will be your capability. Fortunately, you might even get an immortal post."
"Really?"
"Your master is counting on your ability."
"Yes, Master." Mu Anxiao became excited as if she had been injected with chicken blood.
"Go."
"Okay." Mu Anxiao nodded, retracted the soul sword, stepped back a few paces, took a running start, vaulted over the high wall, and entered.
Zhang Yan looked at Mu Anxiao's agile movements and sighed, then turned to the old gentleman. "What are you looking at me for?"
The old gentleman: "You didn't think of this plan when you went down, did you?"
"No, I just thought of it."
"Just now..." The old gentleman chuckled. "You are truly cunning."
"What did you say?" Zhang Yan glared at the old gentleman and looked down at Mu Anxiao, who had stealthily entered Mu Mansion in her true form. He said, "It seems the soul sword still wants to return to Shen Yan's hand."