The Phoenix embraced the Sun

The bonds I crave

He was shocked and excited.

They had always been taught that darkness damages body and spirit. However, what they saw with their own eyes threw the young man into turmoil. Dark energy swirled around them, it's shapeless hands were reaching out to Wei Ying's pale face, gently stroking her cheek as if asking her to wake up. Jiang Fengmian, still holding the girl in his arms, pressed her tighter against his chest, not allowing the darkness to completely envelop the defenceless body. However, the darkness didn't harm Wei Ying. She somehow parenthetically cared for her, and didn't even try to influence Jiang Fengmian, as if he didn't exist.

Lan Qiren on the other hand, greatly concerned about the girl's fainting state, played the Cleansing Song to chase away the dark qi. He was certain that it was the reason Wei Ying couldn't come to her senses and was now like an emotionless puppet. The fact that she was exhausted from fighting the dark creatures and using dark energy against them was the only way out, the young man somehow ignored. A powerful surge of dark energy knocked Wei Ying off balance - he had seen it with his own eyes. And it was enough to draw appropriate conclusions.

Wei family needs to stop with their practice of the dark arts.

Throughout the history of the cultivators who had followed the right path, everyone had dealt with the plague to the best of their abilities. And no dark energy was needed for them to do their duty.

But as soon as one assassin got involved in the "game" and the world changed dramatically. What had once been taboo, was no longer so. Yet few were capable of following the demonic path. The inept and greedy no matter how hard they tried, could not subdue the dark energy, and then they themselves suffered from it.

The Wei family, on the other hand, had flatly refused to train cultivators, knowing full well their intentions. Only a few had the privilege of learning their knowledge. As it turned out, their disciples remained in Yiling Wei forever, sworn to be faithful helpers of the main branch of the family.

No matter how much the Lans resisted the teachings of the Wei Clan, they were not successful. They had to put up with it. But they did leave a legacy to their heirs: if the dark arts were to get out of control, they were to be eradicated immediately, and they were to ensure that the dark arts were once again outlawed.

Oh, how Lan Qiren was ready to fulfill the will of his ancestors even now. However, there was nothing he could do. Going against Wei Yang meant signing his own death sentence. If he had to choose between destroying the dark cultivators or defending his home, the young man would choose the last without hesitation. His home, his family, was more important than heretics like the Weis.

Still, he could not hold a grudge against the girl. He seriously thought that she was simply unlucky to be born in a clan like this, and at such a young age to experience the full negative power of dark energy.

So his play became more insistent.

The disciples had arrived in the Cloud Recesses by the following morning, just in time for the first lecture. The guards greeted them with bows and questions as to why they had brought the disciples of the Wei sect with them. Lan Qiren answered briefly, trying not to explode with emotion, and told them to call his brother.

It was probably a good thing that Wei Ying was unconscious. Otherwise, the girl would not have forgiven them for the pandemonium of curious young men who wished to see with their own eyes the dark cultivator about whom word had been spreading lately. Some had a look of mild disappointment on their faces, for the girl was not yet of marriageable age. And some were not afraid to say they were willing to wait a little longer.

The healer, seeing such an inappropriate display, chased the young men away. Lan Qiren and Jiang Fengmian remained as witnesses and told the old man what had happened.