Chapter 582: This Woman Absolutely Cannot Be Allowed to Remain!

"..."

Hearing her master's words, Tushan Jingci found herself, for a moment, at a loss for words.

She truly could not understand where her master's confidence came from, that she believed she could make use of that mysterious woman of unknown origin.

Based on Tushan Jingci's own quiet investigation and observation over the years.

This woman was very likely from the distant ancient era, a remnant soul of some great power from that time.

And the vast formation array set up within the Tushan clan's lands was, moreover, obscure and mysterious beyond ordinary understanding.

Through repeated deliberation, Tushan Jingci had come to feel, more and more, that this formation array was very likely a sacrificial array.

A colossal altar using the earth itself as its diagram, the heavens as its platform, and the entire fortune of the Tushan clan as its offering!

"Master, with my own talent and effort, I may well be able to attempt a breakthrough into that legendary, long-lost third realm in the future as well. Why must we place all our hope in a woman of unknown origin?" Tushan Jingci continued to argue.

"And moreover, Master..."

Her voice grew ever more urgent.

"What exactly is this sacrificial array meant to sacrifice? I truly cannot understand what manner of being this world would need to offer up, to drive a formation array of such colossal scale!"

"These matters are not yours to concern yourself with."

Tushan Meng waved a hand, her expression indifferent, clearly no longer willing to explain further to her own disciple.

"Enough. You've only just emerged from seclusion. Stabilizing your cultivation level is your most pressing concern now. Go on, then."

"Master, this woman absolutely cannot be allowed to remain!" Tushan Jingci took a step forward, the sharp edge in her eyes entirely undisguised.

"I have told you, this master has everything well in hand. Go!" Tushan Meng's tone carried a note of impatience, clearly unwilling to dwell on this topic any further.

"Understood, Master."

She answered in a low voice, a cold, murderous glint flickering quietly through her eyes, then gave a respectful bow and turned to leave without looking back.

...

That night.

Tushan Jingci stood alone atop Moon Spring Peak, where she resided.

The night wind stirred her robes and her hair.

Her willow-shaped brows drew tightly together, a lingering shadow filling the depths of her eyes.

She took a step forward, heading straight for the peak where Yuan resided.

Since her own master was unwilling to act then, she would act herself!

Before long, Tushan Jingci arrived at the peak where Yuan resided.

"Now who could this be, ah, it's the Holy Woman." Yuan, who had been gazing at the stars in her courtyard, drew her attention back, the corners of her mouth curving into a smile. "I wonder what brings the Holy Woman here so late at night. To what do I owe the honor?"

But before Yuan could even react, the eight snow-white tails behind Tushan Jingci had already lashed out violently toward her.

In the blink of an eye, Yuan's courtyard was smashed into a heap of ruins, dust filling the air.

Yuan floated slowly up into the air, looking at Tushan Jingci with an expression somewhere between amusement and seriousness, her tone carrying a note of casual teasing, “I wonder what's gotten into the Holy Woman tonight? Everything was fine, so why come looking for trouble with me?"

"I've simply come to kill you." Tushan Jingci said coldly, holding nothing back.

She took a step forward.

Beneath her feet, ripples visible to the naked eye spread outward, like a stone cast into a still lake.

In an instant, a mirror-white expanse of water spread outward from her in every direction, entirely surrounding Yuan within it.

Fox after fox, condensed from that mirrored water, leapt out from the water's surface, baring their teeth, lunging madly at Yuan.

Yuan, unhurried, flicked her fingers gently, weaving an incantation, and points of lustrous, glowing light gathered around her.

Those points of light moved like invisible needles, threading through the air, precisely piercing and shattering each water-mirror fox in turn, reducing them to scattered splashes upon the ground.

"Go!"

Tushan Jingci gave a low shout, and behind her, ring after ring of dense water-swords suddenly materialized, their edges stern and sharp, a cold, chilling light glinting off their blades.

In an instant, countless water-swords rained down like a torrential downpour, blanketing the sky, plunging fiercely toward Yuan.

However, a twisted, barrier-like space rippled into being around Yuan, blocking all those dense water-swords entirely, allowing not a single one through.

"Hmph!" Tushan Jingci let out a cold snort, a chilling glint suddenly flashing in her eyes.

She transformed abruptly into her true form, her eight long tails binding tightly around the illusory bright moon at the center of her domain, then swinging it around with tremendous force, hurling it straight at Yuan.

"Jingci, stop!" Tushan Meng's voice suddenly rang out within Tushan Jingci's domain.

The next moment, Tushan Meng's figure had already appeared before Yuan.

She reached out a slender finger, tapping it gently.

That bright moon instantly shattered into countless fragments of light, scattering away on the wind like fireflies. Tushan Jingci's "Moonlight Illusion" dissolved along with it.

Tushan Jingci returned to her human form, gazing coldly at her own master, speaking word by word, “Master, this woman harbors ill intent. She must die!"

"Jingci, I've already told you." Tushan Meng let out a sigh, shaking her head gently. "Between Senior Yuan and myself, it is simply a matter of each of us taking what we need from the other."

"Each taking what you need?" Tushan Jingci gave a cold laugh, her voice full of scorn. "From what I can see, she's simply using the entire Tushan clan as a mere pawn!"

Seeing that her own master truly trusted this woman of unknown origin to such a degree, Tushan Jingci said no more.

Her form flickered, suddenly splitting into a hundred illusory doubles, indistinguishable from the real, converging on Yuan from every direction at once.

"Ah... this child of mine..." Tushan Meng shook her head, her tone full of helplessness.

She then bit into her own fingertip, a bead of crimson blood welling up.

Using her blood as ink, she wrote, stroke by stroke, in the air, the character "imprison”.

Once that character took form, it suddenly blazed with a blinding light, descending upon Tushan Jingci like an invisible cage.

In an instant, Tushan Jingci's countless dancing illusions were all bound tightly by strands of bloody light, rendered utterly unable to move.

As the illusions dissolved one by one, in the end only Tushan Jingci's true body remained, bound tightly by a rope of blood-red light.

Tushan Meng then flicked a single drop of blood onto the space between Tushan Jingci's brows, and Tushan Jingci promptly lost consciousness.

"Hongxia, take the Holy Woman away." Tushan Meng turned her head slightly, speaking into the shadows. "Confine her to that courtyard atop Moon Spirit Peak. She is not to set foot outside it without my permission."

"Yes, Grand Elder." Tushan Hongxia, who had appeared from the shadows at some point, bowed respectfully, then stepped forward, gently gathering Tushan Jingci into her arms, and flew off.

"This Holy Woman of yours certainly has quite the temper."

Yuan stood where she was, her expression calm, her tone betraying no particular emotion.

"Please forgive her, Senior." Tushan Meng turned and bowed slightly to Yuan in apology. "Jingci is still young and does not understand the full picture. I will teach her properly going forward."

"Never mind it." Yuan waved a hand gently, seeming entirely unconcerned by this small incident.

She raised her eyes, asking evenly, "I wonder, Grand Elder, how are matters proceeding on your end?"

"Nearly complete." Tushan Meng stood with her hands folded behind her back, gazing out at the distant night, her tone steady. "The letter to the Human Alliance has already been sent. I expect the Human Alliance will not refuse. What remains now depends on you, Senior."

"Rest assured."

Yuan turned, giving a casual wave of her sleeve, and the courtyard that Tushan Jingci had smashed into ruins instantly returned to its original state, as though nothing at all had happened.

She walked step by step into the room, her cold, clear voice drifting softly through the night:

"This one shall grant you the demon race's territory, and throw in the Ten Thousand Laws Realm besides."