ISWI Chapter 195-196 (Patreon)

Chapter 195: Has the Little Demoness Been Refining?

Upon returning to Green Cloud Sect, Ye Chen planned to calmly wait for Master to finish her seclusion. In Divine Will City, Ye Chen left a communication jade talisman with Sun Ruoxin. This was a critical hit item, capable of transmitting messages over long distances. If any high-grade Golden Core treasures appeared in Divine Will City, Sun Ruoxin would be able to notify him immediately.

As for Lu Jing, she harbored no jealousy toward the two women handling matters. Instead, she secretly rejoiced. She absolutely loved the life where she didn't need to think about anything, with only her young master in her eyes. This kind of life made her feel blissful and at ease. The most important thing was, finally, no one bothered her to come down quickly in the evenings.

Knowing that Ye Chen preferred meals over consuming fasting pills, Lu Jing made it a point to cook every day. She even went to the restaurants in Green Cloud City to hire a chef to teach her, just to ensure Ye Chen enjoyed his meals more.

For Lu Jing, this life was already the dream she had longed for. Back when she lived in Silver Moon Market, her biggest dream had been to reach the ninth level of Qi Refining, master talisman-making techniques, find a Foundation Establishment companion, and live a stable life.

Now, her life had far exceeded those expectations. She had even reached Foundation Establishment herself. And her young master, now at the peak of Foundation Establishment, was on the verge of breaking through to Golden Core.

This made Lu Jing treasure her current life more than ever. Whether during the day or night, she was full of energy, doing her best to ensure Ye Chen had the best experience. However, this blissful life didn't last long for Lu Jing.

An elder from the External Affairs Hall came knocking: "Fellow Daoist Ye, there's been an issue at the remains of the Boundless Demon Sect. The Master of Magic Peak and six elders have been missing for half a month. We suspect something may have happened to them. Your Master is in seclusion, and the other Peak Masters are also occupied.

Currently, the only available Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivator in the sect is you. I would like to ask for your help in investigating what happened and finding out the truth. Fellow Daoist Ye, you don't need to take any risks, just figure out what happened and send the message back to the sect."

The elder from the External Affairs Hall was here to issue a task. However, they were unusually polite. After all, Ye Chen had taken first place in the Divine Will Assembly, and his strength was undeniably profound. Not to mention, Gu Yunyun had officially entered seclusion.

With her talent and abilities, her chances of successfully breaking through during this seclusion were very high, and she was likely to form a top-tier Golden Core. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was already the next sect leader, with her position and strength. So, regardless of her status or power, she needed to show sufficient respect to Ye Chen.

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen nodded. As a member of Green Cloud Sect, one always had duties to fulfill. Since Master would likely be in seclusion for some time, and he would be waiting in Green Cloud Sect anyway, he might as well go and check out the ruins. After all, it was the remains of the Boundless Demon Sect. Perhaps, with some luck, he might find the top-tier spirit materials he needed.

Ye Chen didn't hesitate. After saying a word to Lu Jing, he departed, leaving her reluctant gaze behind as he floated toward Middle Mountain.

...

A day later, when Ye Chen arrived at the ruins, his brow furrowed slightly. The blood-red hue of the ruins had deepened compared to when he had been there last.

Ye Chen felt that ruins connected to demonic paths always carried an ominous aura. Perhaps a great boss was about to revive.

The Magic Peak Master and the others had gone to the depths of the ruins. So, Ye Chen didn't linger around the outskirts and headed straight into the depths. But the further he flew in, the more tightly he furrowed his brow.

Ye Chen sensed the aura of a Golden Core cultivator. He activated his Heavy Pupil for a clearer view. It wasn't just one Golden Core cultivator—there were two. One was fleeing, and the other was in pursuit, both flying deeper into the ruins.

With a scan of his Heavy Pupil, Ye Chen could tell that both were in the early stages of Golden Core. This made Ye Chen breathe a sigh of relief. Although he had never fought a Golden Core cultivator before, with his Heavenly Spiritual Root and Heavy Pupil, dealing with an early-stage Golden Core shouldn't be a problem.

Moreover, he had prepared so many trump cards, and his Six Arts were all at second-tier perfection. If it really came down to it and he couldn't handle them, running away would also be an option. One of the auras, however, felt particularly familiar.

The little demoness, Su Yuxuan.

Su Yuxuan had already broken through to Golden Core?

That was really fast.

But was she being chased? Could it be that she truly had an enemy with her master? Did she immediately betray her master as soon as she broke through?

That would be worse than what he had done! But, it seemed that Su Yuxuan hadn't fought back—she was the one being chased.

Ye Chen ventured deeper into the ruins, determined to uncover what had happened. He wanted to see if the disappearance of the Magic Peak Master and the elders was connected to Su Yuxuan.

As he delved further into the ruins, the bloodthirsty aura grew denser. Most importantly, Ye Chen hadn't encountered a single cultivator along the way. This was highly unusual.

Growing more cautious, Ye Chen concealed his aura and continued toward the depths. He was likely reaching the core area of the Boundless Demon Sect now. The surrounding buildings were almost entirely blood-red.

As he approached the Sky City, at the center of a massive square, Ye Chen spotted an elderly woman, her face filled with excitement as she guarded a large alchemy furnace. She was constantly tossing strange and unusual herbs into the furnace.

With just a glance at her appearance, Ye Chen immediately recognized her identity. The Sect Master of the Misty Sect. Had the little demoness, Su Yuxuan, already been refined by her master?

With that thought, Ye Chen furrowed his brow. Although Su Yuxuan's multiplier was already insignificant, he had worked hard for a long time to win her favor. If she had been refined like this, Ye Chen couldn't help but feel displeased. It wasn't about his pride. Besides, Su Yuxuan had immediately turned against her master once she broke through. The tragic backstory she once spoke of might very well be true. Her parents were dead, there was a younger brother at home, her soul had been refined, and her body had unknowingly entered the demonic path. She truly was a pitiful person!

Ye Chen did not act rashly but surveyed his surroundings. Soon, he spotted the figures of the Magic Peak Master and the others. It wasn't just them—Ye Chen saw at least three to four hundred cultivators. They were trapped inside a formation, their cultivation sealed, looking utterly miserable. Fear was clearly written on their faces.

Among them, a middle-aged man dressed in the Misty Sect elder's robes cried out in terror, "Sect Master, please, spare me. I've shed blood for the sect, I've dedicated my whole life to it. I beg you, Sect Master, let me go, and I'll go outside and bring back more cultivators for you."

Upon hearing this, the old woman in the center of the large square, who had been focused on refining something, picked up what appeared to be an eyeball with her dry, claw-like hands and tossed it into the alchemy furnace. She then sighed and spoke, "I don't want this. I had more time to prepare before. But who would have thought, that little brat, Su Yuxuan, would have such great fortune and suddenly form her Golden Core?

"And she even has a bunch of messy tricks that injured me. If I hadn't taken precautions early, planting a Heart Devouring Talisman when she was still a mortal, I might not have been able to defeat this little girl. Now the Heart Devouring Talisman is activated, her heart's in trouble, and once I possess her body, I'll need you all to replenish my blood essence…

"This all happened so suddenly, I didn't have time to prepare elsewhere. Look, just for the spirit liquid needed for possession, I've had to spend over half a month refining it on the spot. So, if you want to blame someone, blame Su Yuxuan, don't blame me. But my dear disciple, you broke through so quickly, that's truly wonderful! Jie jie jie…"

The old woman seemed to have thought of something that pleased her. Her hoarse, dry voice, like the sound of dry wood rubbing together, echoed throughout the ruins.

Chapter 196: I Don't Want You to Die!

Hidden from sight, Ye Chen observed from a distance. When he activated his Heavy Pupil, everything about the old woman became clear to him. The old woman appeared to be younger than the Sect Master of Green Cloud Sect. However, her vitality was severely depleted. She seemed like she could only live for another ten or so years at most.

This wasn't uncommon. Many demonic cultivation techniques were designed for rapid results, using venomous and ruthless methods that yielded great power. But they all came at the cost of one's lifespan.

Often, cultivators had no choice but to use them in order to break through. This wasn't exclusive to the demonic path. Many lone cultivators, too, had to use techniques or spirit materials with severe side effects to break through. But this often led to many consequences.

For example, their lifespans wouldn't match up to their peers, and they would enter a period of decline much earlier than normal. The old woman before him was likely one of these cases.

From her words, Ye Chen roughly understood what was happening. The old woman was attempting to possess someone's body. No wonder, back in the Foundation Establishment secret realm, the disciple of the former sect leader had warned Su Yuxuan to be cautious of her master before he died.

In the cultivation world, body possession was actually a very difficult feat. That's why it was so rare. There were many restrictions.

For example, a person with a low spiritual root couldn't possess someone with a higher spiritual root. And if the roots were different, they had to be of the same attribute. If they didn't match, forcing the possession would result in an immediate explosion.

Furthermore, depending on the type of spiritual root, different spirit liquids had to be used, making it a very tedious process. Moreover, the person being possessed couldn't be dead. If the soul struggle didn't succeed, the possessor might die instantly. Even if possession was successful, it came with severe aftereffects. It would be incredibly difficult to continue normal cultivation afterward.

That's why, unless absolutely necessary, no cultivator would choose body possession. The fact that this old woman was attempting to possess someone meant that Su Yuxuan was still alive.

Ye Chen activated his Heavy Pupil and scanned the surroundings. As for the Magic Peak Master and the others, they wouldn't die before the old woman succeeded in her possession, so there was no rush to rescue them.

Soon, Ye Chen spotted who he had been looking for, not far from the large square, atop a tall pavilion.

Su Yuxuan!

Su Yuxuan had indeed broken through to the Golden Core stage, but her aura was completely depleted. She sat on the railing of the pavilion, her little feet swinging back and forth, staring blankly into the distance, as if lost in thought. Her once plump and rosy lips now looked pale. She seemed almost pitiful, no longer carrying the mischievous, lively aura she once had. It seemed like she had been severely beaten by her master.

Ye Chen floated up to the pavilion, and Su Yuxuan, who had been absent-minded, immediately noticed.

When she saw Ye Chen, her eyes widened, and she looked extremely anxious. "What are you doing here? Quick, leave! Old Monster Wang has set up formations all around this area. If he finds you, you won't be able to leave."

Meanwhile, the old woman, still refining the elixir in the distance, raised an eyebrow. Her gaze seemed to cut through the hall and directly land on Ye Chen.

"Huh, there's a little rat hiding here, and I didn't even notice. I'll deal with you after I finish refining this medicine."

With that, the old woman returned to her work. A late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was nothing. With a flick of her hand, she could crush him! No need to worry.

Su Yuxuan's face darkened when she heard this. "Old Monster Wang is a top-tier second-grade formation master, and the formations he set up are extremely powerful. If you have a top-tier break-seal talisman, you should try it now. Once she finishes refining the medicine, you really won't be able to run."

Ye Chen waved his hand. "I came here after receiving a task to investigate the disappearance of some elders. I happened to forget my break-seal talisman this time. By the way, what's going on here? The famous little demoness is looking so miserable this time?"

Ye Chen was truly unbothered. If he needed to escape, as a second-tier formation master, he could easily do so. Besides, why run?

Su Yuxuan wasn't in the mood to chat. She didn't want Ye Chen to die here. But hearing that Ye Chen didn't have a break-seal talisman, Su Yuxuan's face darkened. She looked ahead and spoke, "I broke through to Golden Core a while ago and had planned to hide here for a while longer.

"Old Monster Wang also has a blood spiritual root. Over the years, he's been cultivating disciples with the sole purpose of possessing them. However, his luck has always been bad. Now, he doesn't have much time left.

"If I didn't return to the sect, he would surely come to the ruins to find me, and I could ambush him. But Old Monster Wang was prepared. He placed a Heart Devouring Talisman on me when I was still a mortal, hiding it so deeply that I never noticed. The result was that the Heart Devouring Talisman activated, and I wasn't a match for him.

After Old Monster Wang confirmed I wasn't much of a threat anymore, he started capturing people, setting up formations, refining medicine, and preparing to possess me once the Heart Devouring Talisman completely exploded."

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen finally understood everything. The Magic Peak Master and the others had fallen victim to an unwarranted disaster; they were merely collateral damage.

As for the Heart Devouring Talisman, Ye Chen was familiar with it. Once activated, the talisman would continuously consume the heart of the person it was cast on. While devouring the heart, it would also drain the cultivator's spiritual power, and the effects would worsen as the devouring progressed.

Eventually, the victim would lose all ability to resist. Even for a Golden Core cultivator, the heart was vital. Once completely consumed, the person would last no more than ten minutes before dying.

Moreover, the Heart Devouring Talisman could only be removed if the caster actively relieve it; otherwise, it was nearly impossible to undo. No wonder Su Yuxuan hadn't fled. It seemed there was no point in running.

However, Ye Chen was the kind of person who preferred mutual loss over single loss. If someone wanted to possess Ye Chen's body, he'd rather self-destruct than let them have their way.

As if she had guessed what Ye Chen was thinking, Su Yuxuan, her full lips now particularly pale, let out a bitter laugh. "My brother's soul is still in her hands. If I die first, she will undoubtedly scatter my brother's soul. Then, my brother will never have a chance to reincarnate."

In the cultivation world, many immortals had sworn that there was indeed a Netherworld. Thus, cultivators believed in the concept of reincarnation without a doubt.

Ye Chen frowned slightly.

So, she's one of those "brother-savers"? There were actually quite a few female cultivators like this in the cultivation world. They would form dao partnerships with someone, but their hearts would remain more focused on their family. If they had a younger brother, they would gladly pour resources into nurturing him.

The problem was, the husband of such a female cultivator would never be willing to support this. This was likely one of the reasons why most cultivators nowadays weren't keen on marrying female cultivators in the first place.

Su Yuxuan lowered her head, as if speaking to herself: "When I was still a mortal, I had parents, an older brother, and a younger brother. My parents and brother treated me badly. When I grew up and became beautiful, they only cared about marrying me off for money.

"So, after carefully selecting, they chose a fool from a wealthy family. It's said that this fool liked to torture people and had killed many women. But they paid the most money. My family just saw me as a commodity, never caring whether I would die the day after my wedding.

"It was only my younger brother, who, upon hearing about it, cried and hugged me every day. At just eight years old, one night, he stole the savings my parents had hidden, packed a bag, and tried to run away with me. He was beaten so badly by my brother that he couldn't get out of bed for half a month. So, on the day of my wedding, when Old Monster Wang came to take me as his disciple…

"Actually, I was the one who killed my parents and brother, one stab at a time. But I hid my brother away. In the end, he was still found. Old Monster Wang threatened me with my brother's soul. Before she died, if I didn't break through to Golden Core, she would make my brother's soul scatter!

"Then I began to cultivate with all my might, willing to pay any price, just to break through quickly and find an opportunity to save my brother's soul. My brother and you are the only two people in this world who made me feel warmth.

"Old Monster Wang had already sworn an oath to the heavens, promising me that once she took over my body, she would release my brother's soul. My wish was almost fulfilled. But why did you have to come at this moment? Although you've always bullied me, you're just as bad as Old Monster Wang! But truly, I don't want you to die…"

At the end of her words, Su Yuxuan finally lifted her head. Tears streamed down her pale face…