The Substitute Female Supporting Character Sees the Bullet Screen

In all her life, this was the first time she had been confined like this.

Nearly climbing the walls from boredom, the young lady personally cleared away the withered begonia flowers in the courtyard.

What remained were only the most resilient plants, which had mutated strangely under the influence of demonic energy. Nie Yinzhi picked a few black begonias with abundant petals; these flowers had a heavy color and an intense fragrance, unlike the original fresh scent of begonia flowers.

After being warned by Gu Jiang about the mosquito incident, she had restrained herself for a night and a morning, not daring to provoke him again. But now, mischievous thoughts were beginning to stir in her mind once more.

She cut many black begonias and arranged them in several white jade vases throughout the house. She placed the most flourishing blooms in a vase beside Gu Jiang's pillow, then sealed all the windows tight. Covering her nose, which was itching from the fragrance, she happily left and hid far away.

Under multiple layers of barriers, spiritual energy had been depleted within Pill-Forming Peak, causing vegetation to wither away in large patches.

The once-flourishing begonias had all withered, except for the black begonias in the courtyard that had been transformed by Gu Jiang's demonic energy and remained vibrantly beautiful.

This scene of decay was depressing to look at, and Nie Yinzhi's good mood from teasing the demon lord quickly dissipated.

Above, the overlapping barriers cast beautiful lights, and with no demonic energy fluctuations, the demon-sealing inscriptions faded, revealing the hazy image of a sword formation.

Nie Yinzhi spotted a familiar sword light.

This sword formation contained the sword energy of every disciple since the founding of the Cloud Scripture Sect. The first trace of sword energy cultivated by each disciple would be submitted to the sect.

Naturally, hers was among them.

She wanted to take it back.

Nie Yinzhi broke off a begonia branch and sat in the square pavilion by the cliff. Concentrating her mind, she wrapped sword energy around the branch. The branch suddenly suspended in mid-air, and following her finger movements, shot toward Pill-Forming Peak.

The begonia branch entered the sword formation, and that sword intent automatically sought it out, merging with the branch.

Her empty meridians were replenished. The sword intent was passionate, like the first sprout breaking through soil, containing infinite cutting edge of new life, fearless of any force, though somewhat reckless in its arrogance.

Nie Yinzhi gained new insights from her first sword intent, feeling her sword cultivation advancing to a new level, about to breakthrough.

She tried to withdraw the sword energy, but the automatically seeking sword intent contained more than just her own. Nie Yinzhi didn't notice in time, and her consciousness was suddenly pulled into the sword formation.

"Ruyi?" She had used Ruyi for five years and had always wanted to make it her destined sword. She was so familiar with its sword energy that she never thought to guard against it.

Nie Yinzhi suddenly found herself amid dense sword rain, with sword light surrounding her on all sides, sealing off all escape routes.

Ruyi's sword intent carried a faint flute sound. Nie Yinzhi's mind wavered, and two sword energies pierced through her consciousness.

Continuous sword sounds rang out from Pill-Forming Peak, turbid and muffled. In the dark room, Gu Jiang sat up, his nose itching from the thick flower fragrance filling the room, causing him to sneeze several times.

The room was dark and stuffy. He swept open the carved windows with his sleeve, letting daylight stream in to illuminate the mutated begonias scattered throughout the room.

Gu Jiang threw all the black begonias out the window. Demonic energy surged into the courtyard, crushing these overwhelmingly fragrant flower clusters. Extraordinarily, he stepped onto the windowsill and left the room, his figure leaving several afterimages in the air as he landed barefoot on the highest ridge of Pill-Forming Peak.

He glanced down at the person in the distance, picked a begonia leaf he had casually plucked, and brought it to his lips...

Only to have his lips pricked by the fine fuzz on the leaf's edge.

Gu Jiang hissed, rubbed the begonia leaf, and had to make do with it against his lips, since he had only picked this one leaf and was too lazy to get another.

The whistle broke through the flickering demon-sealing inscriptions and penetrated the sword formation.

Inside the formation, Nie Yinzhi heard only a ghost-like sharp whistle that seemed to nearly pierce her eardrums. The whistle varied in length and pitch, sometimes shrill, sometimes muted, forming no proper tune. It was so unpleasant it made one's hair stand on end and brain churn—if used to help a child urinate, it would surely traumatize them forever.

The mind-disturbing flute music in the sword formation was disrupted by this completely unreasonable sharp whistle, causing the melody to go off-key.

Nie Yinzhi's foggy consciousness suddenly cleared. Without any hesitation, she recklessly charged forward following Ruyi's sword energy.

Ruyi's sword energy seemed frightened by her behavior and quickly retreated behind the sky full of sword light.

At Cloud Scripture Sect's Mingxia Peak.

This was the peak closest to Pill-Forming Peak, where a high platform had been built. On the white stone platform hung a miniature of Pill-Forming Peak, above which were five different colored barriers—the formation's hub.

Among the seven major sects leading the cultivation world, each had sent their prominent cultivators to Cloud Scripture Sect, gathering here to guard the barrier.

The sword formation howled, and a slender sword shot out from the illusory formation, returning to someone's hand.

Ruyi's sword handle was soft, wrapped in silken cloth, with a trace of sweet fragrance permeating its sword energy.

Xiao Ling felt dizzy—this sword had indeed changed.

The incoming sword energy forced her to step back twice, her clothes fluttering with several cuts torn into them. Even the white gauze covering her eyes was split, floating away with a cut lock of hair in the sword wind.

Xiao Ling hurriedly covered her eyes with her hand. Her eyes had been corrupted by miasma, leaving the skin around them like tree bark, hideously ugly. Even though she couldn't see, her weakened spiritual sense could feel countless gazes falling upon her.

These gazes made her heart burn like fire.

Someone caught her waist from behind, preventing her from falling off the high platform.

A face veil was promptly placed over her face, easing her anxiety. Jing Chongshan's voice came from behind, "Are you hurt?"

Xiao Ling turned toward the voice, smiling gratefully, "I'm fine."

As Ruyi sword left the formation, the piercing whistle transmitted from within, completely drowning out the flute sound. The sound waves rippled out visibly, breaking through the sword formation. Everyone on the high platform simultaneously flew backward, descending from the platform.

The sound waves, carrying bone-chilling sword intent, sliced off the corner of the front hall's eaves.

Chang Xunchun, the young master of Sunken Sound Pavilion, groaned in pain as blood dripped down, staining his white jade flute red.

Hearing his heavy breathing, Xiao Ling quickly stepped forward, saying apologetically, "Young Master Chang, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to abandon you..."

"It's nothing, just a minor wound. Miss Xiao, you were forced by circumstances." Chang Xunchun wiped the blood from his lips and turned to look at the sliced eaves, which were smoothly cut through with sword intent. "It seems Gu Jiang has also studied music."

With the sword formation broken, the three Supreme Elders of Cloud Scripture Sect had all suffered varying degrees of injury and looked displeased.

Nie Yinzhi and Gu Jiang were bound by a symbiotic curse, making Nie Yinzhi the demon lord's only weakness. This surprise attack was meant to be a quick solution, aiming to kill Nie Yinzhi in one strike, but unexpectedly alerted the demon lord.

The three elders had indirectly clashed with him and were already at a disadvantage. It would be difficult to find such an opportunity again.

Everyone remained vigilant, observing the sealing barrier situation on Pill-Forming Peak.

After the sword formation's turbulence settled, only the demon-sealing inscriptions continued to flash, eventually returning to calm.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"It seems the demon lord cannot break through Wuliang Sect's demon-sealing cauldron for now."

A Buddhist cultivator from Wuliang Sect pressed his palms together and chanted a Buddhist phrase: "Unlike the Ten Thousand Demons Cave which seals many demons, Gu Jiang is just one person. As long as we keep him locked inside, the demon-sealing inscriptions will eventually drain his demonic energy."

With the sword formation damaged, they needed to lay down another barrier. The various sects gathered to discuss this.

From the other side of the high platform came a Supreme Elder's voice, speaking coldly: "Xiao Ling, thank you for your effort. You may go rest now."

Xiao Ling bit her lip, almost unable to breathe under that indifferent tone. She bowed, "Yes."

Jing Chongshan frowned, and though dissatisfied with the Supreme Elder's attitude, he dared not act rashly. As a medical cultivator, he was only here to look after Xiao Ling, so naturally left with her.

He maintained a thread of spiritual energy as he supported Xiao Ling away from the high platform, walking toward the rear hall of Bright Sky Peak.

Jing Chongshan noticed her low spirits and consoled her, "All you needed to do was lure Nie Yinzhi into the sword formation. You've accomplished that task, and you did it well."

Xiao Ling silently shook her head.

She knew the three Supreme Elders were displeased with her.

She had retreated too quickly just now, showing too much weakness. Even with the flute's assistance and the countless sword lights of the Cloud Scripture Sect backing her, she had fled in panic at Nie Yinzhi's first counterattack.

But how could they understand? Her soul had been wounded by Nie Yinzhi before, and now her cultivation was far inferior to her opponent's. Even the Ruyi sword in her hand still held lingering attachment to her rival. If she had retreated any later, the attacking sword energy might have done more than just tear her clothes.

They had never intended to protect her at all.

When Xiao Ling had invaded Nie Yinzhi's spirit platform, she had seen the incantation connecting her physical body and soul. The moment she awoke, despite her headache, she had drawn the pattern and had it sent to the Supreme Elders.

If she hadn't still been somewhat useful, they would have likely left her to rot in some corner.

Yet they still blamed her, holding her accountable for this entire catastrophe.

But was she really at fault? Had she wanted her beloved sect and master, whom she held so dear in her heart, to abandon their search for her after her disappearance and instead seek out someone who resembled her as a replacement? Was it her wish to have her core extracted and eyes taken?

She had never shown malice toward this person who had replaced her, and her invasion of the other's spirit platform had been coerced by her master's spiritual force.

Everything Nie Yinzhi had now was because of her, yet this was how she was treated in return.

Xiao Ling's body still seemed to retain the excruciating pain of being torn apart by spiders. Her soul had suffered severe damage, and now she was thoroughly broken, inside and out.

It felt as though she had been in constant pain, from falling through the void rift into the desolate abyss, being slowly corroded by toxic miasma. Why was she always the one covered in wounds?

She had thought that returning to the Cloud Scripture Sect would end all her suffering. Her master had promised to heal her at any cost, to restore her to a healthy body. She had believed she could return to how things were before.

But now she realized nothing could go back to the way it was.

Xiao Ling's chest tightened, and she turned her head to spit out a mouthful of blood.

"Lingling." Jing Chongshan called out softly, reaching to take her pulse, intending to help circulate her spiritual energy.

Aliali: 67467efbc4f3f33ac45e4cd7

Xiao Ling waved him off, "Uncle Jing, don't bother. Don't waste your spiritual energy."

"How can you say such things?" Jing Chongshan scolded. Seeing the young woman he had watched grow up now so lifeless, his heart ached beyond words. Without further discussion, he bent down to carry her, striding quickly through the corridor. "Rest assured, I will find a way to heal you and restore you to your former self."

Sang Wumian had once said the same words to her.

Thinking of him now, Xiao Ling no longer felt the stabbing pain in her heart.

When she had been struggling in the abyss, she had thought of him constantly, willing to endure the toxic miasma, abandon Zhuyan, and leave its protection to emerge from the desolate depths.

But this accumulated yearning had begun to wear away the moment she learned of Nie Yinzhi's existence.

Sang Wumian wasn't worth keeping in her heart anymore, and neither was the Cloud Scripture Sect, the place she had once considered her home.

Xiao Ling forced a faint smile. Though she didn't really believe it, she still considered his feelings and nodded, "Thank you, Uncle."

Jing Chongshan softened his tone, "Then you must cooperate well with your uncle's treatment. Don't give up on yourself."

Xiao Ling nodded, "I understand."