"The key is in the pouch."
Ji Shengyao discovered that Wang Li couldn't even control the nearby golden lock sacred seal, which clearly indicated she didn't have a shred of spiritual power at the moment.
If that was the case, did it mean she also couldn't control the contract within her own body? After Ji Shengyao unlocked the handcuffs and put them on Wang Li, would Wang Li also be unable to use any spiritual power, leaving her completely at Ji Shengyao's mercy for revenge?
If she took Wang Li back to the Sect, would her Master and the Sect Master punish Wang Li too harshly? But letting her go halfway would be letting her off too easily... What was wrong with her? Why was she constantly considering Wang Li's feelings!
But why, even now, did her Immaculate Heart not harbor the slightest bit of hatred towards Wang Li? How could she be so useless?
What if Wang Li was tricking her? But if she let this opportunity slip, it would likely become nearly impossible to escape again, let alone turn the tables and imprison Wang Li instead.
If Wang Li was deceiving her and she got captured again, at worst she could just humble herself a little. Wang Li probably wouldn't actually whip her a thousand times, right...
After unlocking the handcuffs, she slowly took Wang Li's hand and fastened the cuffs onto Wang Li's wrist.
Letting out a sigh of relief and with the pride of a Saintess, she said, "Hehuan Demoness, now you can't cause any trouble, can you? If you follow me obediently, I might be happy enough to let you go. Otherwise, who knows what kind of terrifying punishment awaits you at the Sect."
"Are you sure?" Wang Li curled her lips slightly at that moment, a smile that could enchant hundreds blooming on her face. "Ji Shengyao, have you ever seen a variety show? Do you know magic tricks? Let me demonstrate one for you."
Wang Li raised her handcuffed hands in front of Ji Shengyao. A surge of spiritual power flowed from her hands onto the cuffs, followed by a *click*. The handcuffs on her wrists opened effortlessly.
Ji Shengyao was first shocked, then realized this demoness had been deliberately toying with her all along. "You... you could use spiritual power... You tricked me!"
"Once I deal with them, I'll come back to settle with you!"
Wang Li's spiritual power surged, golden light swirling around her. With a *boom*, the golden light exploded. The next moment, the chains shattered into pieces and the Formation crumbled with a thunderous crash.
The golden lock sacred seal lost all its luster and fell to the ground.
Watching the incredulous looks on the Zhen Sect Disciples' faces, she summoned her silver sword. The blade instantly turned radiant gold. As she released her grip, the silver sword seemed infused with a Soul, gaining life.
Like a meteor with a golden tail, it shot straight towards the Zhen Sect Disciples!
These Zhen Sect Disciples would later become part of the male lead Lin Fan's entourage in the middle and Late Stages. The male lead slaughtered innocents indiscriminately, and they aided and abetted him. Their deaths were no loss.
She was very patient when it came to disciplining the female lead, but for these dispensable extras, if she could finish them with one move, she wouldn't bother thinking of a second.
The Golden Sword traced elegant arcs in mid-air, piercing through their chests one after another, bursting out clouds of blood mist.
The strongest among them, the Senior Brother, using a divine movement talisman, flashed behind Wang Li, intending a sneak attack. He raised his spiritual sword high, aiming for a one-hit kill.
But it was as if Wang Li had eyes on her back. She whirled around and swung her sword. The silver sword, still in its scabbard, struck the Senior Brother's chest with immense force. *Crack!* Bones shattered. The Senior Brother was sent flying in a C-shape. The blow was so heavy it nearly knocked his Soul out of his body.
Turning back, he seemed to see his own body; he had become a transparent Soul. A moment later, he crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a large spray of snow.
After all, he was only the Senior Brother of one peak among the younger generation. His strength hadn't reached the Golden Core stage yet, offering no resistance whatsoever.
Lin Fan, pierced by the Golden Sword, vomited large mouthfuls of blood. "Master, save me."
"Sigh... Considering you helped restore my Divine Sense, this Master can take over your body at the cost of injuring my own Divine Soul. Only then can I help you escape alive."
"Deal!"
The next moment, Lin Fan's complexion gradually recovered. He transformed from a youth's vigor to an aged demeanor. Standing on the frozen river by the roadside, his hands constantly shifted through seals, his legs filled with spiritual power, ready to burst forth and vanish in an instant.
But unexpectedly, as he turned, a silver sword still in its scabbard was already smashing towards the crown of his head. He could only raise both hands high, silently reciting an incantation. A golden seal instantly condensed above his head.
Yet the very next second, he felt an unprecedented pressure, as if mountains and rivers had gathered together to form a sword, bearing down upon his head.
"Disciple, your Master has done his best. Life and death are fated, wealth and honor lie with heaven. What happens next depends on your own fortune! If you survive, remember your Master's words: don't provoke this Hehuan Demoness so easily again."
As soon as the words fell, the seal instantly shattered into pieces. The frozen river beneath his feet cracked, and finally, with a *crash*, the ice surface completely fractured. He was directly smashed into the icy river water by the sword.
Ice fragments scattered everywhere, yet Wang Li stood steadily upon the flowing waters of the frozen river.
In the blink of an eye, everything was settled. Wang Li returned to the roadside under the tree. Ji Shengyao, still handcuffed, hung her head, staring at the withered, yellow grass swaying in the drifting wind and snow before her, lost in her own world.
Seeing Wang Li return, she even wore a hint of a smile. "You... you're back!"
"Don't think smiling at me will make everything okay. You actually dared to think about turning the tables and becoming my Master..."
Wang Li hooked a finger under her chin, forcing her to look up. "Considering you waited for me obediently, as long as you promise to call me 'Master' from now on instead of 'demoness,' I might choose not to punish you."
"Demoness, demoness! You... you're really wishful thinking." Ji Shengyao had initially considered softening a little, but the demoness's words infuriated her instantly.
Wang Li, however, didn't mind. "Or, you could choose to call me 'Master' three times. If you say it nicely and satisfy me, I might consider letting go of the unpleasantness between us just now."
"Two words for you... dream on!"
Wang Li took out a waist token inscribed with the characters "Tianchi" from her waist. This was the identity token of a Tianchi Holy Land Disciple, also used in the cultivation world for long-distance communication. She had taken it when she first bound Ji Shengyao.
She held the token up to Ji Shengyao and noticed a line of small golden characters on it: "Senior Sister, I miss you. When are you coming back? Should I come find you instead? We're trapped in the trial grounds and can't return to the Sect. Besides fighting Vicious Beasts, all we do is Cultivate. It's so boring."
Wang Li picked up the token and read the words aloud one by one. Immediately, a line of small golden characters clearly appeared on the token: "Junior Sister, come find me. I'm at Yuan Mountain River."
"Stop! I'll call you Master..." Ji Shengyao hurriedly stopped her. After all, her Junior Sister's Cultivation hadn't reached the Golden Core stage either. If she sneaked over and fell into this demoness's hands, the consequences were unthinkable.
At this moment, her resentment and anger were surprisingly not as overwhelming as she'd imagined. Instead, she felt more shyness and humiliation.
She asked herself unwillingly, was the demoness's method of discipline too superb, or was she just too easy to discipline? Could it be that she was truly born to be someone else's Cauldron?
She took a deep breath, mentally prepared herself, lowered her head as if about to bury it in her ample, robust chest, and said, "Mas... ter."
"Hmm... But there's no feeling in it, and the voice is too soft. Say it again."
"Master~!"
Ji Shengyao blurted it out, even with a hint of coquettish charm in her voice. Hearing herself shamelessly calling someone else 'Master,' a wave of shame washed over her. Her cheeks burned hotly, and she hurriedly covered her face with her hands.
With a mix of shame and anger, she said, "Demoness! Are you satisfied now?!"
"Satisfied? No, no, no. There's a special program waiting for you tonight. I want you to take off this white robe and dance a sexy dance for me!"
"Dream on! Demoness, just get lost already!"