The main hall was not large, only about twice the width of a typical family's main room. The blue bricks on the ground were pitted and cracked in several places, with thin weeds sprouting from the cracks.
In the center stands a Guanyin, made of clay. Over time, most of the gold paint has peeled off, revealing the grayish-white clay underneath.
Ye Qiubai glanced around and frowned.
It seems that Jiang Chan has been cultivating in seclusion here all these years since the fall of the Sunset Dynasty.
That girl mentioned you to me.
After Jiang Chan left, the old abbess looked at Ye Qiubai and slowly said, "I haven't given her a Dharma name yet. I can see that she hasn't completely severed her ties with the world, and the karma between you and her is not yet resolved."
Hearing this, Ye Qiubai scanned the old nun again, making sure there were no traces of cultivation on her, before asking, "Is she... doing well?"
"Your karmic ties haven't been severed, yet you're here shaving your head and practicing asceticism. What do you think?"
Ye Qiubai remained silent.
The old abbess stepped forward, her eyes, though surrounded by wrinkles, were unusually bright and clear. She stared at Ye Qiubai and said, word by word, "She's a good child; she shouldn't spend her life here. If you no longer have feelings for her, then help her sever this bond. If you still have some, then take her away."
Ye Qiubai cupped his hands in a respectful greeting to the old abbot, then turned and left the main hall.
Watching Ye Qiubai's retreating figure, the old abbess sighed, took out a rusty hairpin from her pocket, and gently stroked it.
"Which child here isn't troubled by love?"
This nunnery now looks like a prison...
--
--
Stepping out of the main hall, Jiang Chan sat on the stone steps outside the door, gazing blankly at the sky.
Ye Qiubai walked over and sat down as well, but kept a little distance from Jiang Chan.
Why didn't you just tell me then?
After a long silence, Ye Qiubai finally asked.
Jiang Chan smiled. "Don't feel guilty. If I told you, the Jiang Lineage would be wiped out because of me."
In other words, this was also to protect Ye Qiubai.
At that time, the power of the Sunset Dynasty was far greater than that of the Ye Lineage and Jiang Lineage. Ye Qiubai had lost all his talents, and once he learned of this, he would definitely rescue Jiang Chan, thus forging a blood feud with the Sunset Dynasty... At that point, he wouldn't even have a chance to grow up again.
For a powerful force to crush a cultivator who hasn't even fully matured, that's too easy... There aren't that many stories of chosen ones destined for greatness.
Ye Qiubai nodded. "Leave here. I will help you restore your cultivation."
Jiang Chan was taken aback, then lowered her head and smiled, "Even here, I've heard about your deeds over the years. You must have become incredibly powerful... That's wonderful."
The last two words seemed to tremble slightly in his voice.
Jiang Chan turned her head away, took a deep breath, and said, "If we leave here to recover our cultivation, where can we go?"
Ye Qiubai thought for a moment and said, "You can go back to the Jiang Lineage, join the Hidden Dao Academy, or travel around and see different scenery."
There are many options, but none of them include Ye Qiubai.
Jiang Chan's eyes dimmed, but she shook her head with a smile. "No need. I'm tired of the outside world. At least I can find some peace and quiet here."
Ye Qiubai clenched his fist.
At this moment, Jiang Chan turned around, looked at Ye Qiubai's slightly gloomy face, reached out and gently touched Ye Qiubai's cheek, and smiled, "Go on, I'll burn incense and pray to Buddha here for your safety."
After saying that, Jiang Chan got up, turned around, and went into the house.
Ye Qiubai lowered his brows and stared at the cracked stone slab, his aura beginning to swirl around him.
Suddenly, Sword Qi shot into the sky!
A sharp whistling sound echoed throughout the nunnery.
Ye Qiubai spat out a mouthful of blood, his vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground.
Hearing the commotion, the nuns in the nunnery were startled and tried to rush forward to investigate, but the Sword Qi was too sharp and rampant in this space, making it impossible to get close easily!
Jiang Chan returned hurriedly and rushed towards Ye Qiubai.
"Don't go there, it's dangerous!"
The nuns around shouted a reminder.
But Jiang Chan ignored it all and charged into the raging Sword Qi.
This violent Sword Qi now doesn't distinguish between friend and foe. Soon, fine bloodstains appeared on Jiang Chan's face and arms.
Just as a Sword Qi was about to strike Jiang Chan's brow.
Clang!
With a clang of metal clashing, the Sword Qi was blocked by a golden barrier that suddenly appeared around Jiang Chan.
If it weren't for this golden barrier, Jiang Chan would probably have been annihilated, both in body and soul.
Jiang Chan seemed to have no time to even acknowledge the golden barrier. She rushed to Ye Qiubai's side, knelt down, placed his head on her lap, and anxiously called out, " Qiubai! Qiubai!"
"This situation... seems like a backlash during a breakthrough in enlightenment?" The old abbess appeared beside Jiang Chan at some point.
At this moment, she held a string of Buddhist prayer beads in her hand, and the golden barrier seemed to be emanating from these beads.
Jiang Chan, her face streaked with tears, wiped them away and said, "How could that be, Master? He didn't show any signs of enlightenment or breakthrough just now!"
The old abbot shook his head. "It seems someone deliberately used an illusion to send him here. Otherwise, given his Sword Dao level, how could his Qi Refining Third Level?"
Furthermore, this also explains why he suddenly learned the truth and why he suddenly found this place.
Hearing this, Jiang Chan was also stunned.
She was once the little princess of the Jiang Lineage, and was considered one of the most talented people in Heavenly Origin City.
Naturally, he understood what the old abbess said.
Yes, that explains everything.
"Master, what do we do now?" Jiang Chan asked anxiously.
For a moment, they even forgot to ask the old abbess, who had no cultivation, why she possessed a treasure capable of blocking this Sword Qi, and why she had such a profound understanding of cultivation.
The old abbot squatted down, sighed, and said, "There is a way, but you'll need to pay a price."
Jiang Chan immediately replied, "I'm willing to do anything!"
The old abbess looked at Jiang Chan with pity, touched her face, and said, "Was it worth it?"
"It's worth it." Without any hesitation, Jiang Chan nodded emphatically.
"Foolish child..." The old abbot took out a scroll, which, when unfolded, revealed a formation!
The formation completely enveloped the three of them.
The Sword Qi was also isolated by the formation.
Those outside couldn't see what was happening inside at all; they could only watch anxiously from the outside.
--
--
Meanwhile, in Yang Dao White Pool.
Ning Chenxin and Hong Ying also successfully comprehended the technique one after another.
Seeing Ye Qiubai surrounded by a violent Dao of Yang, covered in blood, and with his aura extremely unstable, the two were startled.
" Senior Brother Qu, what happened?!" Ning Chenxin asked hurriedly.
Qu Lü's face was grim. He said, " His State of Mind is completely in chaos. This happened just when he was about to succeed in his enlightenment. Now, the only thing we can do is pull him out of his comprehension and save his life."