Due to the soul - searching, Shen Qing's physical reaction was half a beat slower.
By the time she reacted and tried to dodge, Elder Hengling's sword qi was already almost in front of her.
Shen Qing's pupils dilated. Her eyes reflected the cold sword qi of Elder Hengling, and she watched helplessly as it rapidly approached.
"Shen Qing!!"
Hong Chaoyang was the first to react. Defying Elder Honghua's pressure, she rushed towards Shen Qing. Seeing that it was too late, she used the teleportation talisman in her hand and blocked in front of Shen Qing just as the sword qi was about to hit.
BOOM!!!!!
A series of deafening roars echoed. The entire Law - Enforcement Hall trembled a few times, and instantly filled with white smoke.
The disciples only felt the pressure on their bodies ease, and they could move freely.
They stood on tiptoe and anxiously looked into the hall, eager to know what had happened.
But before the smoke had dispersed, a sweet and coppery smell of blood reached the disciples' noses. The unclear scene in front of them, combined with the smell of blood, made their hearts clench.
The Law - Enforcement Hall had a barrier set up to prevent others from peeping, as it often used special means to interrogate and punish delinquent disciples.
This also meant that the disciples couldn't use their spiritual sense to detect the situation inside the hall.
"Ah!! Shen Qing!!"
As the smoke gradually dissipated, the disciples only heard a shrill scream from inside the hall. The scream gave them goosebumps.
Hong Chaoyang had originally been determined to sacrifice herself to block in front of Shen Qing. At that critical moment of life and death, she didn't even have time to think about why she would go to such lengths for Shen Qing, whom she had only known for a short time.
When she regained a bit of her senses, she was already standing beside Shen Qing.
But just as Hong Chaoyang gritted her teeth, waiting for the excruciating pain to hit her body, she only felt herself being hugged and spun around. Then she heard two muffled grunts.
"St... stupid..."
The voice of Shen Qing, suppressing the pain, reached Hong Chaoyang's ears. Then her hands touched some warm liquid.
As the smoke gradually dissipated, Shen Qing's blood - less face appeared in front of Hong Chaoyang. But the blood oozing from Shen Qing's lips was so bright red and eye - catching that it was extremely dazzling to Hong Chaoyang.
So, Hong Chaoyang let out that scream.
When the smoke completely dissipated, the disciples finally saw the situation in the hall clearly, and their hearts were filled with shock.
Several pillars in the Law - Enforcement Hall had been deeply scratched by the sword qi. Elder Honghua, Elder Hongdie, and Elder Zhushi had left their seats. All three of them were holding their natal magical tools and blocking in front of Hong Chaoyang and Shen Qing.
Hong Chaoyang was standing there in a daze. Shen Qing, who had originally been holding her, opened and closed her lips, said a few words, and then slumped to the ground.
After Shen Qing fell, everyone noticed that her back was already stained red with blood. Two deep, bone - visible wounds were horribly exposed on her back.
"Hengling!!! How dare you be so presumptuous!!!"
Elder Honghua waved his natal magical tool, the Nine - River Floating Dust Mirror, in anger. Two chains emerged from the mirror and tightly bound Elder Hengling and Lin Yibai.
There was madness in Elder Hengling's eyes. He shouted, "I've been presumptuous many times. What can you do to me!!! Uncle - Master! Don't you forget what you promised before Master passed away. If you break your oath, your meridians will be severed, and your path to immortality will be destroyed!!!"
Elder Honghua was extremely angry but helpless.
His chest kept rising and falling. He could only try to relieve the pent - up anger in his heart by breathing deeply.
Back then, before Elder Honghua's junior sister, Fairy Qingyao, passed away, she earnestly pleaded with Elder Honghua to take good care of her direct disciple, Hengling.
To reassure Fairy Qingyao, Elder Honghua swore an oath in front of her. Unless the Qingyun Sword Sect was destroyed or his lifespan came to an end, he would never abandon Hengling, let alone harm his life.
Over the years, out of consideration for Fairy Qingyao, Elder Honghua had taken extra care of Elder Hengling.
Now, even though Elder Hengling was so presumptuous in the Law - Enforcement Hall, Elder Honghua couldn't punish him severely.
"Master, Shen Qing is about to die!"
At the moment when Shen Qing saved Hong Chaoyang, the last trace of dissatisfaction that Elder Hongdie had towards Shen Qing disappeared. In her heart, Shen Qing was like half of her daughter.
Seeing Shen Qing's breathing weaken, Elder Hongdie felt extremely anxious.
She hesitated for a moment, then took out a top - grade soul - reviving pill from her storage bag and stuffed it into Shen Qing's mouth.
Elder Honghua also took out a supreme - grade Water - Cloud Soul - Stabilizing Pill from his storage bag and threw it to Elder Hongdie.
"Let Shen Qing take this pill. Just now, you all heard that Shen Qing's only request was to dissolve the master - disciple relationship with Elder Hengling."
Elder Honghua looked at Shen Qing, who was unconscious but still had an uneasy look between her eyebrows. Gritting his teeth, he continued, "Zhushi, use your three - soul spiritual essence to stabilize Shen Qing's vitality. Hongdie, wake Shen Qing up and let her offer her heart - blood. I'm going to dissolve the master - disciple relationship between Shen Qing and Hengling!"
"Master! Are you crazy? Shen Qing is in such a state. How can she offer her heart - blood!"
Elder Hongdie was so shocked that her heart skipped a beat. Her beautiful eyes were filled with disapproval.
"When one becomes a disciple, blood is used as a contract. To dissolve the contract, only heart - blood can be used as a guide. This is what Shen Qing wants to do most. Just do it!"
Elder Hengling's mouth tasted bitter, but he still looked nonchalant: "Uncle - Master, Shen Qing has been hit by two of my sword qi. If she offers her heart - blood again, she may not survive."
"I don't necessarily want Shen Qing to die. As Shen Qing's master, I do have feelings for her. As long as Shen Qing can guarantee that she won't be an enemy of Xiaobai in the future, I'll still consider her my disciple."
When Elder Hengling learned that Shen Qing's only request before fainting was to sever the master - disciple relationship with him, although he was reluctant to admit it, he was really panicked, as if something precious had been lost by him forever.
Even when his beloved Xiaobai was crying in pain beside him, he didn't even want to pay attention.
Shen Qing was the disciple he had chosen, and it was also for him that Shen Qing had come to the Qingyun Sword Sect.
He admitted that he had ignored Shen Qing a lot because of Xiaobai before. In the future, he wouldn't do so anymore. When the time came and he helped Xiaobai obtain the half - body spiritual bone on Shen Qing, he would definitely treat Shen Qing well, even if Shen Qing would become a useless person after losing the spiritual bone.
Elder Honghua snorted coldly: "Do you still want to be her master? You have to ask Shen Qing if she still wants to be your disciple."
"Shen Qing, answer for yourself!"
Elder Honghua stepped aside, allowing Elder Hengling to see Shen Qing lying on the ground clearly.
Shen Qing, who had originally fainted, had regained consciousness after being fed several supreme - grade pills.
With great difficulty, Shen Qing propped herself up. Under everyone's gaze, she said word by word, "Disciple Shen Qing only wishes to dissolve the master - disciple relationship with Elder Hengling. From now on, I'll only respect the elder as a senior."
Just this short sentence had exhausted all of Shen Qing's strength.