"If I’m not here, where else would I be?"
Chen Yi asked in confusion, his hand resting on the knife hilt, as if guarding against sothing.
Yin Weiyin’s expression was puzzled, then her gaze lowered, seemingly deep in thought.
"What are you thinking about?" Chen Yi asked.
"Nothing, really."
Yin Weiyin shook her head. The Scripture Pavilion’s architecture was odd, and encountering Chen Yi around a corner didn’t seem that strange.
"This place is complicated. I suspect there’s sothing foul here, probably on the top floor."
Yin Weiyin explained.
"Alright then, let’s go together."
Chen Yi once again extended the invitation.
After a mont of hesitation, Yin Weiyin nodded in agreent.
The two of them advanced through the pitch-black corridor, Chen Yi leading the way with Yin Weiyin following closely behind, then slowly climbing the stairs.
Thick layers of spider webs clung everywhere. Yin Weiyin noticed the stairs beneath her feet were dotted with breaks, but no repairs had been made. The Scripture Pavilion, being a sacred place, wouldn’t normally fall into such disrepair.
Unless the Joyful Sect had long regarded the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion—and even the entire pavilion—as taboo, dreading it and avoiding it at all costs.
But what could be hidden within this Scripture Pavilion to cause an entire sect to behave this way?
The mist on the third floor grew heavier and thicker. Yin Weiyin observed Chen Yi slowing down ahead of her.
Soon after, footsteps could be heard.
"Soone’s here."
Chen Yi spoke cautiously, gripping his knife tightly as he moved forward.
Watching him, Yin Weiyin felt an inexplicable unease.
Shadows seed to shift in the corners ahead; waves of invisible pressure enveloped them. Yin Weiyin turned back to see streaks of what appeared to be blood seeping from the walls of the corridor, and the books seed to tremble slightly.
Tap-tap.
Yin Weiyin listened carefully and realized there were two sets of footsteps...
Footsteps were coming from behind them as well!
Yin Weiyin’s breathing quickened; sothing seed to be lurking in the darkness.
She stopped in her tracks, staring intently at the rear, faintly discerning a figure—soone was approaching, getting closer and closer.
Yin Weiyin turned her head to look at Chen Yi, who was still moving forward cautiously, completely unaware of the sound behind him.
When they rounded the corner, she saw Chen Yi frozen in place ahead.
Chen Yi stared ahead in astonishnt and exclaid:
"Why is it you, Yin Weiyin?"
At the sa mont, Yin Weiyin didn’t turn her head, for she had seen...
The silhouette of another figure stepping out from the darkness behind her—Chen Yi!
The figure spoke in an almost identical voice:
"Why is it you, Yin Weiyin?"
The female crown hesitated for a mont, instinctively taking a step back, then turned to look at the Chen Yi in front of her, only to find another Yin Weiyin standing before him!
Two Chen Yis, two Yin Weiyins...
Yin Weiyin froze in place, a chill running down her spine.
"Which one is real?!"
Chen Yi maintained his grip on the knife, his face filled with confusion, glancing back and forth.
Accidentally locking eyes with Yin Weiyin, the female crown suddenly noticed sothing unusual. Her previously rigid body gradually relaxed.
Sothing’s off... It’s been wrong all along...
The figures seed to be observing each other, but Yin Weiyin had already figured it out.
She raised her Peach Wood Sword, uttering an incantation, taking bold steps, and suddenly turned to strike with her sword!
The blade pierced the figure of the Chen Yi ahead, but there was no sensation of flesh and blood.
The figure crumbled like paper upon contact with the blade, scattering into fragnts.
"Yin Weiyin, it’s really you!"
The Chen Yi from behind shouted and raised his knife, preparing to attack the other "Yin Weiyin."
"No need to keep up the act."
The female crown said coldly,
"You’re all fake."
As her words fell, the female crown abruptly threw the Peach Wood Sword. With her energy flowing, it transford into a Flying Sword of unparalleled sharpness, swiftly slicing through the other "Chen Yi."
Seeing the dire situation, the other "Yin Weiyin" tried to flee, but the female crown quickly drew a Thunder Talisman, lightning sparking from her fingertips.
The arcane lightning exploded forth, obliterating the other "Yin Weiyin," leaving behind fragnts of paper in the air.
As it turned out, they were all paper constructs – all but her.
With the fall of the three paper figures, the bookshelves on either side suddenly began to tremble. Torn pieces of paper danced in the mist in front of her, swirling together to once again form "Chen Yi."
"Chen Yi" sneered, his raspy voice asking:
"How did you figure it out?"
It had appeared with the chilling clarity of human fear, portraying its roles with uncanny precision!
Yin Weiyin glanced at it coldly, mocking it internally. What use would it be? As if it could truly fool her?
The mont each version of Chen Yi appeared to her, she felt no trace of fear—that was proof they were false.
If it were real, how could she not react?
Though the monster played its role well, it embodied ignorance in her Heart Lake. A single look would inspire fear—would she need to explain how?
Her Taoist robes billowed in the wind, ethereal and serene, as the female crown answered indifferently, "Heaven has its own plans."
The monster’s expression stiffened, seemingly readying an attack.
"This Scripture has been hidden for eons, and you manifest as paper constructs—perhaps you are nothing more than a bookworm spirit," the female crown deduced aloud.
Bookworm spirits devour books, leading Yin Weiyin to draw this conclusion.
The "Chen Yi" before her let out a sinister laugh, retreating swiftly into the darkness.
"Demon, where do you think you’re going?!"
The female crown charged forward with her sword.
The bookshelves on both sides shuddered as gale-like winds swept through the Scripture Pavilion. Pages flew out from the books, transforming into paper figures.
A multitude of "Chen Yis" appeared to block her path, yet Yin Weiyin’s eyes glead sharply as she struck relentlessly with her blade.
The bookworm spirit may have thought it could delay or stop her this way.
But it had no idea that Yin Weiyin charged without hesitation, growing swifter with every step!
Watching the "Chen Yis" disintegrate under her sword, turning to dust, she felt an indescribable joy—relief!
After enduring humiliation all these days, the emotions suppressed deep within her seed to pour out with each strike of the blade.
They were all false, all illusions!
Yin Weiyin pressed on, her sword destroying one "Chen Yi" after another.
An overwhelming sense of satisfaction coursed through her!
The staircase quaked wildly as countless "Chen Yis" turned to dust under Yin Weiyin’s hand. Initially, she paused to examine each one; before long, she lunged without a second thought.
Each strike was deliberate, and not a single blow was wasted or spared.
He had stolen her Dao partner, shattered her Longevity Bridge, defiled her, and proclaid that she could never ascend... The myriad suppressions weighed her down until she could scarcely breathe.
"You say I cannot ascend? You may savor your immortal wine and revel, unseen by others. Do you presu I lack destiny or a path?"
Another strike fell, and watching the "Chen Yi" disintegrate, the Taihua Divine Lady retorted coldly:
"I will ascend; can you stop ?"
Dao Cheng fears not Dan Tijun’s wrath; marrow thrives in defiance of cold stone altars!
The female crown wielded her Peach Wood Sword boldly, rounding another corner, where a shadow erged.
Another "Chen Yi."
Her eyes burned with murderous intent. What is there for a cultivator to fear? She beca as a sword clearing the path and lunged forward!
"You dare block my ascension?!"
Crack.
The sword tip halted re inches away.
Two fingers had caught the blade. Yin Weiyin froze, staring in shock at the figure ahead.
The Chen Yi before her had cold, piercing eyes. In his hand, he gripped a young girl, staring at the scene with fear and confusion.
Infinite Heavenly Venerable damn it, had she struck the real one?!
She seed... utterly dood!
Their eyes t, and her body trembled. She could tell this was the real Chen Yi,
for this ti,
she was truly afraid of him.
The female crown’s lips quivered, her legs turned weak, and she could only whisper:
"I won’t ascend anymore..."
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