Chapter 36 - Unraveling Shadows and Unexpected Guests
Wang Li left the abandoned temple with a strange feeling in his chest. The jade token in his palm was cool to the touch, but its weight felt heavier than it should. Proof of passage, the stranger had called it. Passage to what, exactly?
As he walked back toward the sect, the night wind whispered through the trees, carrying an eerie stillness with it. His instincts were still on high alert—he had survived a deadly encounter, but something told him this was only the beginning.
He had no idea how right he was.
The Sect in Chaos
The moment Wang Li stepped past the sect's outer gates, he knew something was wrong.
Disciples were running around in a frenzy, whispers of an intruder spreading like wildfire.
"Did you hear? Someone broke into the inner sect!"
"I heard they fought Elder Mo to a standstill!"
"The Sect Master is furious!"
Wang Li frowned. An intruder? That wasn't common. The sect's security was tight—only someone truly powerful or truly reckless would attempt such a thing.
Then he saw Lin Ruoyan standing near the training grounds, her arms crossed and her expression sour.
"Let me guess," Wang Li said as he approached. "You're going to tell me this isn't my problem, but somehow I'm going to get dragged into it anyway."
Lin Ruoyan rolled her eyes. "For once, this has nothing to do with you. Though, knowing your luck, that might change."
Wang Li sighed. "Alright, give me the details. Who's the intruder?"
Lin Ruoyan hesitated, then glanced around before lowering her voice.
"A rogue cultivator. At least at the Nascent Soul Realm."
Wang Li stiffened. That's higher than most of the elders.
"And the best part?" Lin Ruoyan continued. "They didn't come to fight. They came to find someone."
Wang Li frowned. "Who?"
Lin Ruoyan gave him a long, measuring look before answering.
"You."
A Dangerous Beauty
Wang Li's mind raced. Why would a Nascent Soul cultivator be looking for me?
Before he could ask more, a powerful aura surged through the sect, and a new voice cut through the noise.
"So you're the one causing all this trouble, Wang Li."
Wang Li turned—and his heart nearly stopped.
A woman stood in the middle of the training grounds, completely unbothered by the chaos around her.
She was breathtaking—tall, elegant, with dark violet hair that cascaded down her back like flowing silk. Her eyes were a shade of deep amethyst, gleaming with amusement.
She wore an intricate battle robe embroidered with silver phoenix patterns, and on her hip rested a blade that pulsed with spiritual energy.
She was no ordinary cultivator.
And she was staring directly at Wang Li.
He swallowed. "I... don't think we've met?"
The woman smirked. "Oh, we have. You just don't remember."
Wang Li's brain scrambled for answers. Who the hell was this woman?
Lin Ruoyan muttered under her breath, "This is getting ridiculous. How many beautiful and terrifying women are going to show up in your life?"
Wang Li ignored her. "Alright, mysterious lady. Mind telling me why you're here?"
The woman took a slow step forward, and suddenly, the pressure in the air changed. Heavy. Suffocating.
Many of the surrounding disciples stumbled back, unable to withstand the sheer force of her presence.
Wang Li gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to step back.
She smiled. "My name is Yue Xiang. And I'm here to collect a debt."
Memories of the Past
Wang Li's breath caught. That name—why did it feel so familiar?
Then, like a dam breaking, memories rushed back into his mind.
Years ago. Before he had entered the sect. Before he had even awakened his spiritual roots.
A small village at the edge of the empire.
A girl with violet eyes standing under the moonlight, practicing her sword forms alone.
"One day, Wang Li, I'll be strong enough to protect you."
His chest tightened. No way. Yue Xiang? The same Yue Xiang?
Back then, she had been just a girl. A childhood friend. A first love that never blossomed.
But the Yue Xiang standing before him now was a storm made flesh.
Powerful. Confident. And looking at him like she was deciding whether to scold him or kill him.
"You..." Wang Li managed to say. "You're alive?"
Yue Xiang's smirk faded. "Barely. And I have you to thank for that."
Lin Ruoyan pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh great, another ex-girlfriend."
Mu Qingling, who had just arrived, looked between them. "Wait, she's an ex?"
Yue Xiang raised an eyebrow. "Ex? Oh no. He ran away before I could even confess."
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Mu Qingling gasped. "Wang Li, you heartless bastard!"
Wang Li groaned. "Can we not do this right now?"
A Debt to Repay
Yue Xiang sighed. "Relax. I'm not here to kill you. If I was, we wouldn't be talking."
Wang Li sighed in relief. "Great, so what do you want?"
Yue Xiang stepped closer until they were face to face.
"I want you to repay the debt you owe me."
Wang Li blinked. "What debt?"
She smiled dangerously. "You'll find out soon enough."
Then, before he could react, she leaned in, her lips barely an inch from his ear.
"Be ready, Wang Li. Because I won't let you run away again."
Then, as quickly as she had appeared, she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving chaos in her wake.
Wang Li stood there, heart pounding, mind racing.
Lin Ruoyan crossed her arms. "So, how does it feel to have yet another powerful woman chasing you?"
Mu Qingling sighed dramatically. "I swear, at this rate, the entire cultivation world is going to be filled with Wang Li's exes."
Wang Li groaned. "I hate my life."
But deep down, he knew...
This was only the beginning.