After that, Cui Ranqing stopped courting death and instead followed the method on Lin Yu's scroll as she approached the Nine-Bend Soul-Refining Flower.
"The Nine-Bend Soul-Refining Flower will finally be mine!" Even with her temperament, Cui Ranqing could not help feeling a surge of excitement.
The entire Nine-Bend Soul-Refining Flower was a pale blue, said to be the color of the soul.
Notably, beside the Nine-Bend Soul-Refining Flower itself sat a skeleton with its legs crossed.
"This must be that fallen Saint," Cui Ranqing guessed.
Refining a Nine-Bend Soul-Refining Flower could all too easily cause a backlash, and even Saints were not spared. That was likely what had happened to the Saint before her.
Though reduced to bones, the Saint's remains still shimmered with a faint blue light.
This time, Cui Ranqing did not dare approach rashly. Only after carefully and thoroughly reading through the scroll did she dare move forward.
Following Lin Yu's instructions, Cui Ranqing spent a full two hours skirting the dangerous areas. Seeing herself draw ever closer to the Nine-Bend Soul-Refining Flower, she felt a flicker of delight.
Unfortunately, at that very moment, something suddenly changed!
Cui Ranqing had only just stepped out of the Saint-grade formation's range and had yet to touch the skeleton when an eerie light suddenly burst from its bones.
At the same time, a rather aged voice rang out. "You dare steal my spiritual treasure? Die!"
Two balls of ghostly fire suddenly appeared on the skeleton, dimming even the blue light upon it considerably. The skeleton pointed a finger, and a terrifying pressure bore down on Cui Ranqing!
Saint-grade pressure!
For a moment, Cui Ranqing felt as though Mount Tai were crushing down on her head. She struggled to breathe, and in her daze, she could even sense the taste of death.
Not only that, but the spiritual power surging ceaselessly within her suddenly slowed considerably beneath that terrifying pressure. A bitter smile crept onto Cui Ranqing's face. Attaining Sainthood really was no easy matter!
In truth, making it this far was already beyond what she was normally capable of. Without Lin Yu's guidance, never mind standing before the Nine-Bend Soul-Refining Flower-Cui Ranqing might not even have been able to find where it grew!
At this critical moment, Cui Ranqing's first thought was still of her precious daughter, Yu Hongyan.
Fortunately, I entrusted Hongyan to the Hall Master of the Primordial Hall beforehand. He is no ordinary man. With him looking after Hongyan, I can rest easy, Cui Ranqing thought.
And my husband... I never thought that our parting this time would be forever. Cui Ranqing thought of her husband, Yu Hongyan's father, Yu Mingxian.
The couple had often bickered and quarreled in their daily lives, but looking back now, it was all no more than clouds drifting past her eyes...
Watching the skeleton's hand bear down on her, Cui Ranqing closed her eyes as though resigning herself to her fate, memories flashing before her like a revolving lantern.
Who could have imagined that, in the very next second, something unexpected would happen once again!
The scroll Lin Yu had given Cui Ranqing suddenly trembled violently.
"Hum..."
The scroll instantly slipped from Cui Ranqing's hand and floated in midair, sending out invisible ripples.
Then a phantom image appeared above the scroll.
That phantom image was none other than Lin Yu, Hall Master of the Primordial Hall.
"You're nothing but a lingering remnant of will, yet you dare strut around and flaunt your might before me?"
Lin Yu's voice carried through the void, filled with indescribable majesty.
"Get. Lost!" Lin Yu enunciated each word, every one striking the skeleton like a heavy hammer.
Ripples spread with Lin Yu's voice, ultimately shattering the skeleton outright.
Everything before her had happened far too suddenly for Cui Ranqing to react. Only when she felt the gaze of Lin Yu's phantom image fall upon her did she say blankly, "Hall Master, you're here!"
Lin Yu had effortlessly neutralized the attack that had just left her in such dire straits. Just how terrifying was his strength?
Cui Ranqing no longer dared imagine it. She knew only that this was definitely not power an ordinary cultivator could possess.
A Saint... The Hall Master of the Primordial Hall is undoubtedly an existence beyond Saints! Cui Ranqing's heart pounded wildly.
"Thank you for saving me, Hall Master. I, Ranqing, am endlessly grateful!" Cui Ranqing hurriedly added. She had been so shocked just now that she had actually forgotten to thank Lin Yu.
Lin Yu found Cui Ranqing's manner somewhat amusing. Fortunately, he had kept something in reserve when he gave her the scroll earlier. Otherwise, Cui Ranqing might already have become a corpse by now.
"Hurry and break through." Lin Yu left her with those final words before his phantom image dissolved into specks of white light and vanished beside the Nine-Bend Soul-Refining Flower. The entire space fell quiet once more.
Lin Yu's sudden arrival and equally sudden departure left Cui Ranqing somewhat dazed, but she was still deeply grateful to him. After all, had he not helped her at that crucial moment, she would likely have died here and become nourishment for the Nine-Bend Soul-Refining Flower.
Forging ties with a force as powerful as the Primordial Hall brings a hundred benefits and not a single drawback! Cui Ranqing silently resolved that, once she left this place, she would complete Lin Yu's assigned task as soon as possible.
Without the skeleton's protection, the Nine-Bend Soul-Refining Flower looked somewhat fragile. Cui Ranqing plucked the blossom without the slightest tenderness for the delicate flower.
The Nine-Bend Soul-Refining Flower was truly miraculous. Though plucked, the blossom remained in full bloom, its blue light gleaming like jade and lending it an added air of mystery.
Cui Ranqing examined the formation that had previously guarded the Nine-Bend Soul-Refining Flower. This was a Saint-grade formation, and getting through it had been extremely difficult. But looking at it another way, now that she was inside, wasn't this formation a ready-made protective barrier?
There was no telling what strange phenomena of heaven and earth her breakthrough to Sainthood would draw forth. Compared with the outside world, this place might be safer.
Moreover, if any heavenly punishment descended, the formation could help withstand some of it.
With that thought, Cui Ranqing was no longer in a hurry to leave. Holding the Nine-Bend Soul-Refining Flower, she sat down on the ground.
The moment she began circulating her cultivation method, Cui Ranqing felt her spiritual power flow considerably faster. She could even feel the barrier that had faintly constrained her before beginning to loosen!
Meanwhile, on Hongmeng Mountain, Lin Yu watched the projection before him and nodded slightly.
It seemed Cui Ranqing would have no trouble attaining Sainthood. After this ordeal, she would only put even more effort into completing the task he had assigned her!
As for the skeleton's attack, that had actually been within Lin Yu's expectations as well.
The system had already calculated this possibility during its deductions. However, resolving the matter with Cui Ranqing's own abilities would be no easy feat, so Lin Yu had left a phantom image of himself on the scroll in case of need.
And just now, that phantom image had indeed proved useful!