Chapter 2680: Mutually Injured

It would be disastrous if everyone in the academy and perhaps even the capital went on a rampage, so Zu An took out his Violet-Gold Alms and lightly knocked on the bowl. A calming reverberation echoed through the academy, calming the fervent minds of the crowd.

The crowd widened their eyes in astonishment. They were all thinking,

What got over me? I wanted to charge over as if I had lost my mind. No wonder she’s known as a demoness. Just looking at her made me lose control of myself.

The older students silently circulated their ki to calm themselves while instructing their juniors to close their eyes and not look anymore.

Zu An breathed a sigh of relief. The Violet-Gold Alms protected one’s soul from beguilement and damage. Yun Jianyue’s desire energy likely fell under the field of beguilement.

It was fortunate Yun Jianyue hadn't actively channeled that power, and the desire energy was divided across many individuals over a huge area, so its effect on each individual was limited. Thanks to that, the Violet-Gold Alms easily shook them out of their daze. Otherwise, they would have been in trouble.

Yun Jianyue was startled by the chaos, but she proceeded to laugh coyly afterward. That seduced quite a few people in the crowd yet again, so Zu An had to raise the frequency of his knocking on the Violet-Gold Alms to dispel the effects.

Qiu Honglei was perplexed.

While master is skilled in the art of seduction, she doesn’t like to resort to that, which is why she usually puts on a fierce appearance. Yet she's now embracing the character of a temptress. Is it because Ah Zu opened her horizons, or is it the influence of the Deity of Desires?

Yan Xuehen frowned too. “Demoness, you have changed.”

“Aren’t you the same too? Your sword isn’t as emotionless as before. Did you recently meet someone you fancy?” Yun Jianyue chuckled coyly.

The spectators didn’t think much of it; they thought this was just a way for the demoness to shake Fairy Yan’s mind.

But Yan Xuehen felt conscience-stricken. Her expression turned cold, and she thrust her blade toward the blood moon. A resounding buzz echoed from her sword as blue frost rippled into her surroundings. Everything in the vicinity froze, and ice crystals reminiscent of diamonds dangled in midair.

“Why are you in such a rush?” Yun Jianyue chuckled, though her eyes narrowed ferociously.

The blood moon behind her suddenly flowed like a fluid, gushing forth and devouring the ice crystals in its way. The malevolent blood sea and the frigid ice crystals clashed and eroded each other. A thick fog broke out into the surroundings. It felt as if hell had manifested on earth.

Many spectators turned pale in fright. Their earlier lewd thoughts had vanished without a trace.

Zu An laughed.

So, fear can dispel lust.

He wondered whether to bring Yun Jianyue to the Netherworld to see the different hells. It could help her achieve a breakthrough in her Corpse Mountain Blood Sea domain. But on the other hand, that could affect her ‘desire’ dao cultivation.

Yan Xuehen’s reckless attack put her at a disadvantage in this clash. Her skirt was nicked, revealing her fair legs.

The crowd trembled in excitement. It was just her thighs, but the demure Sect Master Yan had never revealed them before.

Black streaks appeared on Zu An’s face.

I feel like I’m the one losing even though they're the ones fighting.

He could only console himself with the thought that the ladies in his previous world were dressed far more scantily than this.

The two women in the sky didn’t have the leisure to think about such things. They continued clashing inside the fog.

Yan Xuehen lived up to her reputation as the strongest expert of the Dao Gate. She knew she had slipped up and opted to maintain a defensive posture to slowly regain her momentum.

A while later, Yun Jianyue fully fused with the blood moon. All the moonlight and blood light converged together to form a single line. It pierced through the thick fog and locked onto Yan Xuehen, leaving her no room to escape.

Yan Xuehen’s expression tightened. As she became one with her sword, her Flying Snow Sword buzzed louder than ever. A beautiful blue hue reminiscent of ten-thousand-year-old ice glowed around her. Whatever the blue hue touched froze over.

The clash between the blades produced a sound that couldn’t be fully described with words. It resembled the call of a phoenix, or the clash between two stars.

Everyone’s hearts shuddered. This sight inexplicably deepened their understanding of the sword and the saber.

Time seemed to stop at this moment. There was no earth-shaking explosion; just the intersection and destruction of their energies and laws. The mountain range was split in two. One half turned into an ice field, whereas the other was dominated by the blood moon and sea.

The two women harrumphed before retreating a hundred meters away. Trails of blood seeped from the corners of their lips.

Yun Jianyue’s hair and clothes were coated in white frost. Even her breath immediately froze into ice crystals.

Yan Xuehen’s face and body turned red. A blood moon vaguely manifested on her body.

Alarmed, Zu An quickly stepped in between them and declared, “Let’s end this fight here. There’s no point continuing the fight, as your abilities are comparable to each other. At this rate, it’ll only end in mutual destruction.” His voice was firm and left no room for negotiation.

The crowd wasn’t surprised, as Zu An was unquestionably the strongest expert in the world. Most cultivator ranking boards didn’t include his name, as it was meaningless to do so. The gap between the first and the second place was too huge. Thus, his verdict was credible.

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue were both on close terms with Zu An, and they themselves knew that he was speaking the truth, so they clasped their fists and took their leave.

It was only when Zu An lifted the barrier that the crowd realized that there was a clear boundary within the mountain range. On one side were red trees and flowers, and molten flowing earth resembling the blood moon. On the other side was a pristine ice field. The vibrant mountain peaks had turned barren as a result of the fight.

Zu An turned to the crowd and said, “I believe most of you have gained something from witnessing the fight, but calm down and slowly unravel what you have learned. I’d recommend you go into seclusion to ponder hard. You may go now.”

With a wave of his hand, the desolate mountain peaks became verdant once more.

The crowd was awed. They bowed to him before taking their leave. As they left, they couldn’t help but discuss the battle and Zu An’s miraculous restoration of the mountain peaks.

Zu An quickly returned to the courtyard and first made his way into Yun Jianyue’s room. Qiu Honglei was so anxious that she was on the verge of crying, whereas Yun Yuqing was helping Yun Jianyue channel her ki to heal her injuries.

“You’re severely injured...” Zu An wanted to help her, but Yun Jianyue stopped him with a look.

“Don’t reveal our relationship. I have Yuqing and Honglei here to aid me, but the ice sculpture is alone. You should help her instead,” Yun Jianyue secretly relayed a message to him via her ki.

Zu An was taken aback. “Do you mean it?”

“Of course! Now that Chuyan isn’t with her, she’s alone. What do you expect her to do alone?” Yun Jianyue quickly replied. “As much as I want to defeat the ice sculpture, I don’t intend to take advantage of her weakness.”

“But you’re severely injured. Yuqing’s ki might not be enough.” Zu An was still worried.

“Manman is over there. Call her over to help me. The two of them should be enough to treat my injuries,” Yun Jianyue said.

Zu An agreed. Yun Yuqing and Pei Mianman weren't strong enough individually, but if they combined their strength, they could handle it. Besides, Yan Xuehen needed help as well, so Zu An told Yun Jianyue to take care before rushing to the neighboring room.

Yun Jianyue and Qiu Honglei exchanged expectant looks.