Category: A Girl Dies Every Day in Her Dream Life

Chapter 34: Parting

“No…”

Su Yiyao wanted to get up and stop Luo Xue, but she couldn’t move.

The Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture had begun to circulate within her body, its spiritual power starting to devour the Ziyang Technique she had previously cultivated, transforming even her spiritual aperture.

At this moment, she could only watch as Luo Xue’s figure gradually receded, walking off the coffin and into the swamp, unable to do anything.

“Ah Chou, why…”

“Why…”

“Didn’t we promise to live well together…”

“…”

Su Yiyao was already in tears, the intense sorrow almost making her faint, but she forced herself to keep watching.

Luo Xue didn’t stop, nor did she speak again.

Because she was afraid that if she spoke a few more words to Su Yiyao, she wouldn’t be able to make up her mind to leave.

However, she couldn’t…

The ferocious beasts outside were gradually approaching the coffin, their greedy gazes barely restrained.

If, in their numerous attempts, the coffin failed to take their lives, Luo Xue and Su Yiyao would face a catastrophe.

Therefore, no matter what, Luo Xue wanted to leave Su Yiyao with a hope of survival.

That was… to kill these beasts, to carve out a path to survival.

But how could Luo Xue, a mere Post-Heaven Realm cultivator, fight against Spirit Condensation Realm, or even Foundation Establishment Realm beasts?

“The owner of the Calamity Poison Body has the most terrifying poison in the world.”

Even Daoist Ziyang couldn’t withstand this poison, couldn’t escape it.

They were getting closer.

The beasts were getting closer.

Luo Xue’s five senses sharpened slightly. She could sense the greedy gazes of the surrounding beasts.

They were driven almost mad by the bloody scent emanating from Luo Xue’s wounds, but they were also wary of the coffin’s aura, only daring to approach tentatively.

However, as Luo Xue moved further away from the coffin, the beasts gradually lost control.

Even if they possessed a sliver of intelligence, it couldn’t completely override their instincts.

Terrifying auras roamed all around, slowly approaching Luo Xue.

Finally, a crocodile-like beast couldn’t resist its desire for flesh and blood any longer. It leaped high, pouncing towards Luo Xue.

It opened its gruesome maw, filled with sharp teeth, and a foul stench instantly assaulted Luo Xue.

This was the smell of death.

But facing the approach of death, Luo Xue smiled.

She turned to look at the coffin, her gaze lingering on the tearful Su Yiyao, her lips moving as if saying something.

She was saying goodbye.

The burns on her face had instantly healed at this moment, and her long, snow-white hair fluttered. Her faint smile was moving.

In the last moment of Luo Xue’s life, she crossed the threshold she was just one step away from.

This was her last moment as Ah Chou, yet it was like a beautiful painting, the final crescendo of her life.

Innate Realm, reshaping the mortal body.

The next moment, life withered.

The crocodile’s pounce finally caused the beasts to lose their patience. In an instant, the pack surged forward, completely engulfing the white-haired girl’s figure.

“Ah Chou!!!”

A heart-wrenching cry, but it couldn’t change what was destined to happen.

Su Yiyao could only watch as her vision turned black, completely losing consciousness.

…

When Su Yiyao woke up again, the surrounding swamp was stained with blood.

Countless beast corpses floated on the swamp, all with gruesome deaths, none spared.

The heavy smell of blood permeated the air, adding to the dangerous and ominous aura of the coffin.

The beasts of the entire swamp didn’t even dare to approach. As soon as they sensed the aura, they fled in terror.

Luo Xue had done it.

With her life, she had cleared the final obstacle for Su Yiyao’s path to survival.

At this point, the conspiracy of Mount Fengyin had come to an end, with only one survivor remaining.

However, Su Yiyao didn’t want this outcome.

After waking up, she searched frantically for Ah Chou’s figure in the swamp.

But no matter what, Su Yiyao couldn’t find even a trace of Ah Chou, not even a little bit.

All that Ah Chou left her was a broken dagger and a supreme Dao technique.

But without Ah Chou, what was the point of a supreme Dao technique?

She searched for days, for an unknown amount of time, until Su Yiyao finally realized that Ah Chou was gone.

From now on, her Ah Chou would no longer be in this world.

“But, Ah Chou…”

“Without you, how can I continue to live…”

Su Yiyao stared blankly at the broken dagger, caressing the broken edge, imagining Ah Chou’s every move, every smile.

Without realizing it, she had placed the broken dagger against her heart.

Should she just follow Ah Chou like this?

But…

Su Yiyao closed her eyes.

“Xiao Yao, you must… live well.”

“Even if Ah Chou is not in this world.”

Ah Chou’s words echoed in her mind.

She couldn’t forget, she dared not forget.

Su Yiyao slowly put down the broken dagger, but her eyes had lost their light.

“Xiao Yao has always been very obedient…”

“As long as it’s Ah Chou’s words, Xiao Yao will listen carefully.”

She would live.

Even if it meant living in despair.

The lonely coffin drifted aimlessly in the boundless swamp until even time seemed to lose meaning.

At some point, a slender figure appeared on the coffin, standing beside Su Yiyao.

The figure bowed slightly and said respectfully,

“Your servant… Liu Lian, has come to bring the young mistress back.”

…

On the former site of Mount Fengyin.

The Yin Breath Poison had completely submerged the entire mountain. Based on Luo Xue’s previous assessment, even the outermost areas had a concentration of 2.

Not long after the conspiracy on Mount Fengyin ended, a group of figures in white robes appeared above the mountain, looking at this hellish landscape from afar, not daring to approach.

“Senior Sister Bai, the tracking sword imprint has been destroyed. That evil cultivator Daoist Ziyang… is probably dead.”

The leading woman, addressed as Senior Sister Bai, wore a plain white robe, very simple.

Although she was beautiful, her perpetually serious and stern expression made her look much older.

Senior Sister Bai looked at the poisonous fog-shrouded Mount Fengyin below, her brows furrowed.

“Daoist Ziyang, at the peak of Foundation Establishment, is actually dead… He was most likely buried under the Yin Poison of Mount Fengyin. After all, this is the burial place of the evil cultivator, True Person Fengyin…”

She paused, then asked again,

“What about the other two evil cultivators?”

“They’re both dead.”

“…Good.”

A flicker of emotion passed through Senior Sister Bai’s eyes.

It was just that she had wasted her time.

If not for the interference from the Demon Abyss with the sect’s tracking sword imprint, they probably wouldn’t have had to chase for several years to resolve this matter.

Just then, Senior Sister Bai frowned, then took out a jade pendant, a communication from the sect.

“Inner disciple Bai Zhanying, after resolving the matter of the evil cultivators, return to the sect immediately.”

“For the once-every-twelve-years Immortal Ascension Gate, you will be fully responsible for the Falling Flower Heaven.”

Bai Zhanying’s usually serious expression finally showed a hint of oddness. “What about Master?”

“She said that you are the Senior Sister of Falling Flower Heaven, and everything is up to you. Then she went into seclusion.”

“Huh?”

“‘The future of Falling Flower Heaven depends entirely on you, little Yingying.’ Those were her exact words.”

“…”

Chapter 33: Each Other

The boundless, foul swamp seemed endless. Days drifted by, and all Luo Xue and Su Yiyao could see was despair.

Fortunately, they still had each other.

At least for now.

During this time, Luo Xue’s five senses were gradually weakening, even fading away.

She had already lost her sense of taste and smell, and her hearing was often muffled.

Even her vision seemed to be covered by a gray fog that she couldn’t dispel.

Her injuries were irreparable, and the harsh environment of the swamp only made them worse.

Moreover, without having reached the Spirit Condensation Realm, she couldn’t abstain from food. Luo Xue could only rely on beast blood and flesh to barely sustain her life.

Although the poison was nothing to the Calamity Poison Body, she still lacked sufficient nutrients to delay her decline.

Even worse, the swamp was teeming with ferocious beasts. Spirit Condensation Realm beasts were everywhere, and there might even be Foundation Establishment Realm beasts lurking nearby.

Su Yiyao was at the Spirit Condensation Realm, but her combat experience was basically zero, and she hadn’t learned any techniques.

Every time she left the coffin to hunt for Luo Xue, she exerted all her strength and sustained many injuries.

Even so, Su Yiyao could only defeat small beasts of the Innate Realm. If she encountered anything stronger, she had to flee back to the safety of the coffin’s aura.

Luo Xue knew her time was near, and she didn’t want Su Yiyao to take risks for her anymore.

She wanted to tell Su Yiyao the whole truth, to let her live well on her own.

But…

But, why couldn’t she say it?

She watched Su Yiyao work so hard for her, getting injured, yet always putting on a smile, showing her best side.

She couldn’t say it.

No matter what, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

…Such days couldn’t last forever.

The coffin, although emanating a powerful aura, the surrounding beasts didn’t just rely on instinct.

Not to mention… the bodies of cultivators were the most delicious delicacy to them.

Therefore, the beasts’ faint intelligence drove them to test the waters again and again, gradually approaching the coffin, encroaching on this seemingly forbidden area.

Soon, they would discover that this coffin, although possessing a powerful aura, couldn’t threaten their lives.

At that time, true despair would arrive.

“Ah Chou! Ah Chou!”

Su Yiyao gently shook the slightly dazed Luo Xue, holding up a beast corpse, easily twice her size, with a look of delight.

“Look, I can kill Spirit Condensation Realm beasts now!”

She puffed out her chest proudly, seemingly expecting praise from Luo Xue.

However, her beautiful face was now stained with foul-smelling blood, and her body was covered in wounds, both old and new.

Most of the wounds on this Spirit Condensation Realm beast’s body were from other beasts’ bites. It seemed that Su Yiyao had snatched this kill from other predators.

She probably said this to give Luo Xue confidence.

In just a short time, Su Yiyao had transformed from an innocent ten-year-old girl into a strong young woman who could survive in this desperate land.

But the price of this transformation… was too heavy.

“Xiao Yao… is very capable.”

Luo Xue smiled faintly and reached out to stroke Su Yiyao’s cheek.

She widened her eyes slightly, trying to see the girl’s appearance clearly.

She wanted to imprint this beautiful face in her heart, but a gray haze always seemed to obscure her vision, making it impossible to see clearly.

“What’s there to regret?”

Su Yiyao blinked, but quickly tore off a piece of flesh from the beast’s corpse and held it up to Luo Xue.

“Never mind that, Ah Chou, eat quickly. You’ll get better soon!”

“Okay.”

Luo Xue nodded and, as usual, was fed small bites of the foul-smelling beast flesh by Su Yiyao.

As if worried about Luo Xue’s condition, Su Yiyao kept talking, trying to distract her.

“I heard there are many fun and delicious things outside. I don’t remember them clearly… but they must be very, very good!”

“Ah Chou, you must hold on. In the future, I’ll make the most delicious food for you every day.”

“Ah Chou… Ah Chou…”

However, in Luo Xue’s ears, these words were intermittent and unclear.

Luo Xue knew that her time was… running out.

And with the little time she had left, what could she do?

What could she leave for Xiao Yao?

“Xiao Yao.”

Luo Xue suddenly spoke.

“Hm?” Su Yiyao paused, “Ah Chou, what… what is it?”

“Do you know, in the depths of Mount Fengyin… what did I obtain?”

Luo Xue struggled to open her eyes, looking faintly at Su Yiyao.

“What…”

Su Yiyao looked into Luo Xue’s eyes, filled with worry.

It was clear she didn’t care what Luo Xue had obtained; she was only concerned about Luo Xue’s condition.

How ironic. So many people dreamed of peerless inheritances, and Daoist Ziyang had spent decades scheming for it, but for these two little girls, it was far less important than each other.

But… alas.

…There was no perfect solution in this world.

“It’s something that can make Xiao Yao very, very powerful, invincible.”

Luo Xue smiled faintly and extended her hands, opening her arms.

“Mmm…”

Su Yiyao moved closer, snuggling into Luo Xue’s embrace.

Her little head rested on Luo Xue’s shoulder, tears glistening in her eyes.

She vaguely knew that Ah Chou wanted to tell her something, just like True Person Fengyin had done.

Was Ah Chou going to disappear too?

No, she didn’t want that…

However, Su Yiyao couldn’t bear to break this rare moment of peace.

This moment was the happiest she had felt in a long time.

Even if it was only for an instant.

Luo Xue held Su Yiyao’s face, looking into her eyes, her smile growing wider.

Finally… she could see clearly.

Dispelling the thick gray fog, how beautiful these eyes were.

Worthy of her entrusting everything.

Luo Xue leaned towards Su Yiyao’s cheek, their foreheads gently touching, their eyes close to each other.

“Now, Xiao Yao, Ah Chou will give everything she has to you.”

The Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture circulated throughout her body. Beautiful True Phoenix Dao patterns appeared on Luo Xue’s body, the purplish-red patterns instantly spreading across her body, up to her cheeks.

Then, these patterns quickly moved towards Su Yiyao.

At the same time, the true Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture appeared in Su Yiyao’s mind. Luo Xue was passing on everything from the purple jade slip to her.

Along with… the True Phoenix blood essence.

The last drop of True Phoenix blood essence in the world.

The True Phoenix blood essence and the Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture naturally circulated within Su Yiyao’s body without any resistance.

…As if she were the destined True Phoenix successor.

But was this… truly what she wanted?

“No…”

Su Yiyao sobbed. She finally realized what Luo Xue was trying to do.

Her Ah Chou was going to disappear.

“Don’t… Ah Chou… don’t…”

But Su Yiyao couldn’t move, watching helplessly as Ah Chou gave her everything.

When it was all over, Luo Xue seemed to have regained some vitality, her face flushing slightly as she stood up unsteadily.

“Xiao Yao, you must… live well.”

“Even if Ah Chou is not in this world.”

Chapter 32: A Pinky Promise

Daoist Ziyang’s actions were indeed despicable, but if his plan had succeeded, no one would have denied that he was the successor to True Person Fengyin’s lineage.

After all, True Person Fengyin was dead, and Daoist Ziyang had obtained her inheritance. Under normal circumstances, he would be considered her successor.

Unfortunately, True Person Fengyin’s last remaining wisp of soul had been awakened by Su Yiyao’s spiritual power, and she had come out to slap Daoist Ziyang in the face.

And just after everything ended, Luo Xue fell into a coma, on the verge of death.

It was True Person Fengyin who used her last bit of strength to maintain this last sliver of life.

However…

“True Person Fengyin has completely dissipated…”

Luo Xue sighed. Although she had only met True Person Fengyin briefly, she wasn’t unfamiliar with her during this period.

Su Yiyao carefully tended to Luo Xue’s injuries. Luo Xue’s heart had been almost pierced, and her left arm was nearly severed, hanging limply.

The poisonous blood flowing from the wounds didn’t seem to affect objects much, but once it touched living beings, it would instantly corrode them. Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn’t withstand it.

Su Yiyao had also received a warning from True Person Fengyin and was extremely careful when bandaging Luo Xue’s wounds.

Even so, her delicate hands were still corroded by the blood, leaving them pitted and scarred.

“Let me do it myself.”

Luo Xue saw this and shook her head at Su Yiyao.

“…Okay.”

Su Yiyao obediently retracted her hands.

Luo Xue picked out the clumsily tied bandages and re-bandaged herself.

Meanwhile, Su Yiyao stood up, took the coffin lid, and clumsily paddled.

“Xiao Yao, how long have I been unconscious?”

Luo Xue asked softly, still feeling very weak.

“Huh? Let me count, one, two…”

Hearing this, Su Yiyao stopped paddling and counted on her fingers.

“About four or five days, I think?”

“Four or five days…”

She had been unconscious for so long?

But it was true, Luo Xue’s injuries had been very serious.

True Person Fengyin, at the cost of her soul dissipating, could probably only barely save her life. Her injuries were still severe.

What’s worse, Luo Xue took a moment to check the panel.

For some reason, she hadn’t received any new survival points, nor had she received any notification of completing a dangerous event.

And now…

Although they had dealt with the crazed Daoist Ziyang, their escape was far from over.

Compared to Daoist Ziyang, the dangers of the swamp were truly deadly.

The surrounding area was a boundless, poisonous swamp, filled with various powerful beasts.

Luo Xue could sense more than a dozen terrifying existences of unknown strength lurking around, eyeing them covetously.

If not for the faint extraordinary aura emanating from the coffin, which deterred them, Luo Xue and Su Yiyao would have become their food the moment they stepped onto the swamp.

And Luo Xue only had five survival points left, not even enough to heal her injuries.

“Gurgle…”

Just then, Luo Xue’s stomach growled inappropriately.

She was only at the peak of the Post-Heaven Realm; she would need to reach at least the Spirit Condensation Realm to be able to abstain from food.

“Ah Chou, are you hungry again?” Su Yiyao’s expression became tense. After hesitating for a while, she continued, “I’m sorry, I saw that Ah Chou was about to die these past few days, so I fed you…”

She lowered her head, her gaze constantly darting towards a corner of the coffin.

Luo Xue followed her gaze and saw several small, hideous-looking beasts struggling.

The beasts’ bodies had been bludgeoned, and foul-smelling blood was slowly flowing out.

“Beast blood?”

Luo Xue asked.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

Su Yiyao was on the verge of tears.

“We ran out of rations, so I had to give Ah Chou this to drink…”

“Xiao Yao.”

Just as Su Yiyao was feeling lost, Luo Xue interrupted her softly.

She looked into Su Yiyao’s eyes and smiled faintly.

“Thank you.”

“Huh?” Su Yiyao was stunned. “But…”

“Thank you, Xiao Yao,” Luo Xue lowered her eyelids. “To survive, it doesn’t matter what I eat… I’ve eaten things far more disgusting than this.”

In the apocalyptic world, survival was the only thing she could do.

Moreover.

Luo Xue discovered that she had completely lost her sense of taste, and even her sense of smell had become extremely weak.

Not only that, but her five senses, which should have been extremely sharp in the Post-Heaven Realm, seemed to be gradually losing their effectiveness.

Luo Xue suddenly had a terrifying thought.

The reason she hadn’t been deemed to have completed the dangerous event was because… she hadn’t completed it.

She hadn’t survived this dangerous event.

True Person Fengyin hadn’t been able to save her life. Her destined death was approaching.

Realizing this, Luo Xue wasn’t afraid, but rather felt a sense of relief.

At least she had escaped the demon’s lair and killed the demon… allowing Xiao Yao to have a chance at survival.

Luo Xue looked at Su Yiyao, her gaze softening, a faint smile on her lips.

Such a good girl, how could fate bear to let her die so young?

“Xiao Yao.”

Luo Xue called out softly again.

“Huh?” Su Yiyao, who was vigorously paddling the coffin, looked up, immediately becoming nervous. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?”

Luo Xue shook her head, struggling to raise her right arm, and gently stroked Su Yiyao’s messy bangs.

“…Live well.”

“Ah Chou…”

Tears welled up in Su Yiyao’s large eyes.

“You’re saying that again, I… I don’t know why, but it makes me very sad…”

“It’s like when True Person Fengyin disappeared, I was sad.”

“No, it’s not right… I’m much, much sadder!”

Luo Xue smiled. Her burns had healed considerably, and her smile revealed a rare hint of delicate beauty.

But in Su Yiyao’s eyes, Ah Chou was the most beautiful and adorable person in the world.

It was her Ah Chou.

“Don’t say that, okay, Ah Chou.” Su Yiyao gently held Luo Xue’s face, pouting slightly in dissatisfaction. “You have to live well too, live well together!”

Luo Xue didn’t answer immediately. She slowly closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she looked up at the sky.

It seemed like a long time since she had seen sunlight. The gray, boundless sky was just like the boundless, poisonous swamp, like a cage from which there was no escape.

“Okay.”

She nodded slightly.

“Let’s make a pinky promise!”

Su Yiyao extended her little hand, hooking her pinky finger in front of Luo Xue.

“Okay, a pinky promise.”

Luo Xue raised her hand and hooked her pinky with Su Yiyao’s.

“Pinky promise, a hundred years, no changing!”

Su Yiyao chanted, pressing her thumb against Luo Xue’s and gently shaking it.

“Ah Chou and Xiao Yao will live well together, forever.”

“Pinky promise, a hundred years, no changing…”

Luo Xue repeated softly, looking at Su Yiyao with a smile in her eyes.

“We… will both live well.”

Chapter 31: A Drop of Blood, A Killing Blow

A phantom of a woman in a purple dress slowly appeared, graceful and beautiful.

But it wasn’t the one Luo Xue had seen in the depths of Mount Fengyin.

It was… True Person Fengyin.

The deceased True Person Fengyin.

True Person Fengyin silently looked at Daoist Ziyang, who had become a skeleton. She saw his Dao technique and the formation runes inscribed on his body.

“To think that someone like this would inherit my lineage…”

True Person Fengyin shook her head in self-deprecation. When she looked at Luo Xue, however, her eyes filled with astonishment.

“How… could it be?”

Then, her voice trembled.

“You, you inherited the true Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture?”

Luo Xue, though weak, could still hear True Person Fengyin’s words and nodded slightly.

“…Junior Sister.”

True Person Fengyin respectfully bowed to Luo Xue, a gesture between peers.

“Junior Sister?!”

Daoist Ziyang trembled violently, his gaze shifting to Luo Xue.

“…Perhaps, I don’t even have the right to call her Junior Sister. Phoenix Venerable only took me in to watch over the inheritance. She never formally accepted me as a disciple.”

True Person Fengyin smiled, a hint of bitterness on her lips.

She had guarded it for who knows how many hundreds of years, yet when she finally died, she still hadn’t seen a successor who could inherit the Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture.

To think that she would have the chance to see one after her death…

“At least I haven’t failed Phoenix Venerable’s instructions.”

True Person Fengyin’s eyes flickered, a hint of nostalgia on her face.

“Master…”

The skeleton knelt down shakily, kowtowing.

But True Person Fengyin just looked at him coldly.

“I never took you as a disciple, and my lineage doesn’t need an inheritor.”

“Because I… am just a gatekeeper.”

Who could have imagined that True Person Fengyin, who had dominated this sacred domain decades ago, was just a gatekeeper for someone else’s inheritance?

The former True Person Fengyin had reached the peak of Core Formation, just a step away from Nascent Soul. Only the Nascent Soul ancestors of the major sects could slightly suppress her, and among rogue cultivators, she was unmatched.

If not for her untimely death, she would have become a powerful figure.

Such a person was just a gatekeeper.

What a shocking piece of news…

Daoist Ziyang was lost, but his gaze quickly turned fierce again.

So what if she was a gatekeeper? He was about to die… He would take everyone down with him!

With his last bit of strength, Daoist Ziyang suddenly attacked, lunging at the severely injured Luo Xue.

His ferocious face showed a final, terrifying smile.

“To have such a talent buried with me, what an honor!”

However, Daoist Ziyang’s smile lasted only for a moment before turning into horror.

“Why… can’t I move?”

Just as he was about to reach Luo Xue, his movements froze, unable to break free.

“With the last of my remaining soul, this is the best I can do.”

True Person Fengyin’s voice rang out again, her phantom growing even fainter.

“Do it.”

Hearing this, the weakened Luo Xue struggled to stand, using her last bit of strength to stab at Daoist Ziyang’s heart.

However…

“Hahaha… a broken dagger, and you think you can kill me!”

Daoist Ziyang burst into laughter. Luo Xue was using the dagger that had been broken earlier.

The broken dagger had pierced his skin and entered his heart, but it couldn’t go any deeper.

Such a wound was nothing to him!

In a little while, even True Person Fengyin’s remnant soul wouldn’t be able to restrain him.

And then… killing two little girls who hadn’t even reached Foundation Establishment would be as easy as breathing.

“Heh,” Luo Xue smiled faintly. “A broken dagger can also kill.”

Drops of purplish-red blood dripped from the broken edge of the dagger.

Indeed… Luo Xue had coated the broken dagger with her own poisonous blood. As the dagger pierced Daoist Ziyang’s heart, the deadly poison also entered his body.

“What!”

Daoist Ziyang’s face was filled with horror. He struggled, trying to kill Luo Xue before the poison extinguished his life force.

“Go on!—Whack!”

Another desperate cry.

The familiar back of the head, the familiar coffin lid.

Su Yiyao had somehow gotten behind him again, and a swing of the coffin lid shattered Daoist Ziyang’s hope of counterattack.

His gaunt body swayed, then he fell backward.

The poisonous blood silently corroded his heart, leaving only his eyes, which could no longer close.

Daoist Ziyang was dead.

“Did… did we win?”

Su Yiyao poked her head out, asking cautiously.

“Yes.”

Luo Xue nodded, then her vision went black, and she collapsed.

“Ah Chou, Ah Chou!”

Su Yiyao’s urgent and anxious voice came from her ears. In her last blurred vision, she saw True Person Fengyin’s complicated gaze.

…

When Luo Xue woke up again, her vision was blurry, filled with the dim, dark sky covered in ominous clouds.

“Ugh…”

Luo Xue tried to sit up, but a soft embrace suddenly held her.

“Ah Chou, don’t move around, your injuries haven’t healed yet!”

“Xiao Yao?”

Luo Xue leaned against the coffin wall, looking up at Su Yiyao.

“Did we escape?”

Luo Xue clutched her head, the intense dizziness making it difficult to focus.

“Yes, True Person Fengyin said that Mount Fengyin was destroyed, and we had to leave quickly.”

Su Yiyao quickly replied.

“True Person Fengyin…”

Luo Xue’s mind conjured up the image of the woman in the purple dress, a hint of emotion in her heart.

In her last moments of consciousness, if not for True Person Fengyin’s help, she wouldn’t have been able to kill Daoist Ziyang.

To kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Although she had relied on many external factors, for someone who hadn’t even reached the Innate Realm, let alone a cultivator, it was an astonishing feat.

It could be considered a stroke of extreme luck.

“Where is she?”

Luo Xue came back to her senses and asked.

“…She’s gone.”

A hint of sadness appeared on Su Yiyao’s face.

Luo Xue was silent for a while, then said,

“Tell me… what did she say to you before she left?”

“Huh? How did you know she said something?”

Su Yiyao blinked, then recounted everything True Person Fengyin had told her.

It turned out that True Person Fengyin was just a girl casually taken in by Phoenix Venerable. Because her aptitude was suitable, she was granted a simplified version of the Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture, the version without the True Phoenix blood essence.

Before Phoenix Venerable left, she instructed True Person Fengyin to guard the inheritance she left behind.

Actually, it wasn’t really guarding, just giving True Person Fengyin something to do.

With the methods Phoenix Venerable had set up, it was almost impossible to forcibly take the inheritance.

In the end, True Person Fengyin stayed on Mount Fengyin, building the second courtyard.

Although she ventured out during that time, before her death, she returned to the courtyard to pass away.

However, True Person Fengyin didn’t mention why she had died so young, seemingly not wanting Luo Xue and Su Yiyao to get involved.

After her death, Daoist Ziyang stumbled upon Mount Fengyin by chance and saw its layout.

He seized True Person Fengyin’s inheritance, refined her remains into the Xuanyin Gu Seed, and built the third courtyard.

Finally, Mount Fengyin was renamed Mount Ziyang.

Chapter 30: Foundation Establishment vs. Post-Heaven & Spirit Condensation

Daoist Ziyang wanted to live.

Everything he had done was for the sake of living.

Even if the price of his survival was the sacrifice of countless young lives.

Luo Xue’s destruction of the Xuanyin Puppet Refining Formation had disturbed the source of the Yin Breath Poison in the depths of Mount Fengyin.

A large amount of Yin Breath Poison was released, and Daoist Ziyang was powerless to resist.

His limit was between 0.3 and 0.4, and he had to constantly maintain his protective spiritual power.

Therefore, when he realized this, Daoist Ziyang abandoned his pursuit of Luo Xue, abandoned his decades-long plan, and tried to escape with his life.

But unfortunately…

Daoist Ziyang’s luck was poor. He ran headfirst into the explosion of the outer formation.

This formation, which contained countless efforts of his and was capable of merging the Xuanyin Gu Seed and performing the Heaven-Seizing Evil Art, had instead cut off his path to survival.

The direct explosion severely injured Daoist Ziyang. When he recovered, it was already impossible to escape.

The concentration of Yin Poison reached 0.8, and his flesh and internal organs were eroded by the Yin Breath Poison, leaving only a trace of his soul and his skeleton stumbling out.

His vitality was completely cut off, and Daoist Ziyang was only a step away from death, with only his obsession still driving his will.

Daoist Ziyang fell into a despair he had never experienced before.

And the culprit of all this…

“Hiss… হু… hiss…”

Daoist Ziyang stared intently at Luo Xue, his eerie snake pupils revealing a sinister glare at this moment.

His throat could no longer make a sound, but his aura still brought a heavy pressure on Luo Xue.

No matter what… even at death’s door, Daoist Ziyang was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

In an instant, the skeletal figure vanished.

The next moment, he appeared in front of Luo Xue, his bony claw-like hands reaching out to grab her.

Although Luo Xue had been on high alert, this astonishing speed still caught her off guard, and she hastily raised her short sword to block.

“Clang!”

Though it was just bone, it was sharper than metal. Luo Xue’s short sword snapped in half.

She was forced back several feet, closer to the depths of Mount Fengyin, deliberately keeping her distance from the coffin.

Daoist Ziyang had lost his mind, and his only remaining obsession was to take Luo Xue with him to the grave, so he didn’t try to destroy the only hope of escaping Mount Fengyin. He immediately pressed forward, closing in on Luo Xue.

“This is Foundation Establishment… Even with his spiritual power depleted and on the verge of death, his physical strength is still so powerful.”

Luo Xue held her almost broken arm in pain, but it was useless. She could only switch to holding the sword with her other hand.

But Daoist Ziyang didn’t give her time to rest. In an instant, he appeared before her again.

His bony claw struck again, and Luo Xue, unable to dodge, was directly hit. The flesh of her left arm was torn open like tofu, and purplish-red blood flowed out.

“Ugh!”

Luo Xue fell several meters away, clutching her left arm, the intense pain making her forehead drip with sweat.

But at this moment, Daoist Ziyang’s movements inexplicably paused for a moment.

Luo Xue opened her eyes and saw Daoist Ziyang standing in place, his bony claws making a sizzling sound, as if being corroded.

“…This is, poison?”

Luo Xue looked closely and saw that the bony claws were stained with a purplish-red color. Looking at her own wound, the information that had appeared in the red text resurfaced in her mind.

“The body of the one with the Calamity Poison Body… is the most terrifying poison!”

It was actually a poison that even Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn’t easily touch…

Daoist Ziyang was only momentarily delayed by this unexpected situation. He quickly rushed towards Luo Xue again, his bony claw aimed directly at her heart.

If this claw hit, no matter how poisonous Luo Xue’s body was, she would be unable to escape death.

But at this critical moment, a sharp, childish shout suddenly rang out.

“Take this!—Whack!”

A solid blow.

Daoist Ziyang fell to the ground with a thud.

Luo Xue looked at Daoist Ziyang’s back in surprise, and saw Su Yiyao, looking fierce, holding the coffin lid high.

It was she who had used the coffin lid to ambush Daoist Ziyang from behind.

The material of the coffin lid was indeed strong. It had clashed with the skeletal frame of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and it was Daoist Ziyang’s skull that had caved in slightly.

“Ah Chou, are… are we winning?”

Su Yiyao held the coffin lid, panting heavily.

She worriedly looked at Luo Xue’s arm. Ah Chou was bleeding so much, it must be very painful, right?

“Probably… not yet.”

Luo Xue shook her head. Foundation Establishment cultivators weren’t so easily killed.

As expected, the skeleton, which had fallen for only a short time, stood up again, crookedly.

Its aura hadn’t weakened at all; it had even grown stronger.

Luo Xue saw that in the skeleton’s dantian, an invisible fire seemed to be burning fiercely.

“Self-detonating the spiritual aperture…”

Using the price of severing the future path of cultivation in exchange for a short burst of powerful strength.

This was a life-risking technique that every cultivator above the Spirit Condensation Realm knew, and Daoist Ziyang was no exception.

Although Daoist Ziyang was already at the end of his rope, with no future to speak of.

But by doing this, his already faint life force would enter its final countdown.

However…

Whether Luo Xue and Su Yiyao could survive this countdown was another question.

At this moment, the Daoist Ziyang they faced, although devoid of spiritual energy, had his physical body restored to the peak of Foundation Establishment.

Not even a blink of an eye passed before Luo Xue’s eyes widened. A gray blur flashed past her, and an unprecedentedly intense pain assaulted her heart.

Was she going to die?

Was she… about to die?

Her pierced heart pumped out blood, which now appeared a sickly purplish-red.

“It hurts…”

Luo Xue’s eyelids drooped, her vision turning gray.

Su Yiyao quickly helped the nearly unconscious Luo Xue up, but before she could worry or grieve, Daoist Ziyang’s attack came again.

The gray blur flashed again, but for some reason, it was a fraction slower.

This fraction of a second allowed Su Yiyao to instinctively raise the coffin lid, facing the onrushing gray blur.

“Sizzle…”

Unexpectedly, the coffin lid was unharmed, not pierced by Daoist Ziyang’s bony claw.

Instead, Daoist Ziyang’s bony claw, which had been stained with poisonous blood after piercing Luo Xue’s heart, had become much more fragile.

Now, clashing with the coffin lid, it shattered directly.

Su Yiyao was filled with lingering fear. She held Luo Xue in one arm and the coffin lid in the other, anxious but unsure how to deal with Daoist Ziyang.

Daoist Ziyang didn’t hesitate because of his broken claw. After a brief pause, he attacked again.

This time, it was faster and more ruthless than before.

Su Yiyao’s movement of raising the coffin lid had already been seen through by Daoist Ziyang. He easily bypassed it, his broken claw aiming straight for Su Yiyao’s head.

Just as the claw was about to touch Su Yiyao, a deep sigh suddenly sounded.

“…Stop.”

The next moment, Daoist Ziyang’s now-extinguished spiritual intelligence, for some reason, rekindled slightly.

His hollow eyes stared blankly, and a trembling voice came from his hoarse throat.

“Mas… ter…”

Chapter 29: The Inevitable Battle

Luo Xue’s plan was simple.

She wanted to use the detonation of the Xuanyin Puppet Refining Formation to catch Daoist Ziyang off guard, and while he was busy dealing with the Yin Breath Poison, she would take Su Yiyao and flee to the depths.

Ultimately, she hoped to find a way to leave Mount Fengyin in the innermost courtyard.

Her earlier questioning had confirmed that Daoist Ziyang had never ventured deep into Mount Fengyin and was unaware of the secrets within.

In other words, Daoist Ziyang was relying solely on his cultivation to resist the Yin Breath Poison, and his cultivation wasn’t enough to withstand the poison in the depths of Mount Fengyin.

At this point, things became very simple.

But before Luo Xue could push the coffin deeper, she noticed something was wrong.

“The concentration of Yin Breath Poison around here… why is it still increasing?”

Using the concentration within the Xuanyin Puppet Refining Formation as a baseline, the initial concentration outside was 0.1. After Luo Xue detonated the formation, it rose to around 0.3.

She had expected it to stabilize around 0.5, as even in the depths of Mount Fengyin, the concentration was only between 1 and 1.2.

But now, the concentration of Yin Breath Poison had exceeded 0.5 and showed no signs of stopping.

“You wretched girl! By doing this, you’ve completely disrupted the cycle of Yin Poison on Mount Fengyin. How… how dare you!”

Daoist Ziyang roared hysterically. His protective spiritual energy was already struggling to withstand the 0.5 concentration of Yin Breath Poison.

Spots of decay appeared on his body, and his face was riddled with holes, looking terrifying.

“Madman… You’re the madman! By doing this, you’re planning to kill everyone here!”

At this moment, fear appeared in Daoist Ziyang’s eyes.

He no longer pursued Luo Xue but stumbled and ran frantically outwards.

Everything Daoist Ziyang had done, the grand scheme he had laid out, was for the sake of survival.

When his life was threatened, he abandoned everything without hesitation, trying to escape this disaster.

But at that moment, the surging Yin Breath Poison also disrupted the unstable formation used to refine the Xuanyin Gu Seed, and a heaven-shaking explosion erupted.

Luo Xue looked up, seeing countless fragments of the courtyard thrown high into the air, the ground trembling for a long time.

This explosion also affected the depths of Mount Fengyin, causing an even more intense surge of Yin Breath Poison, leaving no place untouched.

“Damn it!”

Luo Xue was startled. She hadn’t expected this outcome.

She seemed to have… made a huge mess.

If they stayed any longer, the concentration would likely reach 1 or higher.

Luo Xue knew her limit was around 1.5. Any higher, and she would instantly turn into a dried corpse.

Adding points to poison resistance wasn’t omnipotent. Reaching a concentration of 1.5 was akin to bathing in Yin Poison, a constant, all-encompassing, inescapable bath.

She had to change her plan.

There was no way… they could continue deeper into Mount Fengyin now.

“Escape Mount Fengyin immediately!”

Luo Xue made a swift decision, pushing the coffin and running towards the sea as fast as she could, following the route she had memorized.

The illusion that had enveloped Mount Fengyin was now almost completely eroded by the Yin Breath Poison, revealing a terrifying corner of the mountain.

The residual fluctuations from the explosion of the refining formation hadn’t ended. Unstable formation fragments appeared from time to time, detonating under the catalysis of the Yin Breath Poison.

Not many, but enough to make Luo Xue’s escape extremely difficult.

She also saw the dismembered limbs of Huang Xinya and Yu Yiling.

The two girls, barely past childhood, died with their eyes wide open, their expressions filled with confusion and fear, just like Li Zining before them.

They had already died before the formation exploded, but the explosion had denied them a complete corpse.

Mount Fengyin now resembled the apocalypse.

“And I haven’t even reached the Innate Realm…”

Luo Xue was suffering.

Although she was constantly coughing up blood, she didn’t stop running.

Su Yiyao, inside the coffin, was worried and tried to lift the lid to check on the situation, but Luo Xue stopped her.

“Xiao Yao, wait a bit. With the current concentration of Yin Poison, you might be in danger…”

Luo Xue’s voice was weak. She wasn’t afraid of the Yin Poison.

But the shockwaves from the explosions and extreme exhaustion were taking their toll.

Fortunately, Luo Xue’s willpower was strong. After an unknown amount of time, she finally reached the shore.

The illusion of Mount Fengyin had already been destroyed. One step forward was the foul swamp filled with poisonous creatures and terrifying beasts.

The encroaching swamp had submerged the small raft that Luo Xue had spent so much effort building.

The entire raft was pitted and corroded by the swamp water. One could imagine the horrific outcome if Luo Xue had risked leaving on the raft.

However, Luo Xue no longer needed the raft.

She had the coffin.

This coffin, which had been soaked in a concentration of 1 Yin Breath Poison for an unknown number of years without being destroyed, was definitely made of top-quality material. A mere foul swamp was nothing to it.

“Xiao Yao… come out.”

Luo Xue slumped beside the coffin. Xiao Yao quickly emerged and helped her up.

“Ah Chou, you…”

Su Yiyao was at a loss, but Luo Xue waved her hand and said,

“I’m fine, just tired.”

And injured by the aftershocks of the explosions.

Luo Xue briefly sensed her surroundings. The concentration of Yin Poison was around 0.2, which Su Yiyao’s constitution could still withstand.

However, the concentration was still rising.

And… the previously escaped Daoist Ziyang was still nowhere to be seen.

“Let’s go, get on the coffin.”

Luo Xue composed herself and looked at her remaining survival points.

“Only 20 points left…”

Luo Xue didn’t hesitate and used them to improve her survival status.

But this time, it didn’t cost 10 points, but 15.

Because Luo Xue’s cultivation had increased, the cost of improvement had also increased.

“…Is this considered a scam?”

Luo Xue muttered weakly.

Scam or not, the survival points had to be spent.

They couldn’t afford to delay any longer. Luo Xue and Su Yiyao immediately pushed the coffin into the swamp and planned to use the coffin lid as a paddle.

But before they could get on the coffin, a terrifying aura came from behind.

“Daoist Ziyang…”

Luo Xue’s heart tightened, and she looked back.

In the Yin Poison-filled Mount Fengyin, a gaunt figure stumbled towards them.

Soon, Daoist Ziyang appeared.

But… he had become a skeleton.

Dry skin clung tightly to his bones, his beating heart pushing his ribs apart, and his eye sockets were pitch black.

There was no trace of spiritual power on him. All his Foundation Establishment cultivation had been eroded by the Yin Breath Poison, leaving only a withered, dying body.

The skeleton locked its aura onto Luo Xue, stumbling towards her with a single-minded determination.

“It’s you… it’s all you…”

A hoarse voice, barely recognizable, came from his throat, filled with deep-seated hatred.

“Why… did you have to ruin my grand plan…”

“Why!!!”

Luo Xue knew that if she didn’t deal with Daoist Ziyang, they wouldn’t be able to escape.

Moreover, if Daoist Ziyang deliberately damaged the coffin, it would be a real dead end.

“…There’s an inevitable battle.”

Luo Xue sighed, took out her short sword, and stepped off the coffin.

Chapter 28: Boom!

Daoist Ziyang had obtained True Person Fengyin’s inheritance by chance. In addition to the incomplete Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture, this inheritance also included True Person Fengyin’s own legacy.

Among them were… formations.

The problem was that all of True Person Fengyin’s formations were derived from the Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture.

This meant that Luo Xue, who had now obtained the complete inheritance, had a thorough understanding of all the formations that Daoist Ziyang had inherited.

Luo Xue carefully observed the operation of the formation runes and cross-referenced them with the contents of the purple jade slip.

She could then identify the formation’s weak points and even manipulate it.

The formation currently beneath Su Yiyao and the others was used to merge with the Xuanyin Gu Seed. It had consumed a lot of Daoist Ziyang’s effort and contained an astonishing amount of power.

However, this formation wasn’t a killing formation. All this power was used to assist the merging process.

…But it still contained a very powerful energy.

Luo Xue leaned down slightly, and with a breath, she injected the spiritual power transformed by the Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture into the formation.

Immediately, the surrounding formation runes became agitated, flickering wildly, entering an unstable state.

“…What did you do?!”

Daoist Ziyang was both shocked and furious. He needed this formation to carry out the final step of the Heaven-Seizing Evil Art!

He immediately rushed forward, only to find that the fluctuations of his own spiritual power made the formation even more unstable, the flickering intensifying as if it would explode at any moment.

“No!”

Daoist Ziyang quickly retreated, suppressing his spiritual power, his face filled with uncertainty.

“Although I haven’t reached the Spirit Condensation Realm, not even the Innate Realm, the spiritual power transformed by the inheritance I’ve learned is much purer than yours, so I can disrupt the balance of this formation.”

Luo Xue kindly explained, but she didn’t dare to directly detonate it.

Such powerful energy, being caught in the explosion would be fatal.

Seeing that Daoist Ziyang was now wary, Luo Xue gently lifted Su Yiyao.

The delicate girl was as light as a feather. Su Yiyao didn’t resist and rested peacefully on Luo Xue’s shoulder.

“Let’s go.”

Luo Xue smiled faintly and was about to leave.

“Hmph, you think you can escape?”

Daoist Ziyang quickly calmed down, his gaze sinister.

“Without using spiritual power, I can still capture you!”

What Luo Xue said was true, and he had already felt it.

A little girl who hadn’t even reached the Innate Realm had purer spiritual power than a Foundation Establishment cultivator. The inheritance she had obtained was likely even greater than True Person Fengyin’s.

Perhaps, compared to Su Yiyao, Luo Xue’s cauldron… was even more powerful.

Daoist Ziyang took off his robe, and the formation runes inscribed on his body lit up and began to operate.

Although the battle had almost completely destroyed them, after a period of nurturing and repair, these formations could barely function, albeit with greatly reduced power.

But it was enough to deal with Su Yiyao and Luo Xue.

“…So that’s how it is.”

Luo Xue looked at the formation runes on Daoist Ziyang’s body, her expression turning strange.

“Quite… a crude imitation.”

After cultivating the Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture, natural Dao patterns would appear on the body, outlining a True Phoenix diagram.

Whether in combat or cultivation, there would be a multiple-fold increase in effectiveness.

Clearly, the formation runes inscribed on Daoist Ziyang’s body were imitating the True Phoenix Dao patterns.

However, this was likely True Person Fengyin’s work. Even if it was crude, it was beyond Daoist Ziyang’s ability.

Last time, when dealing with Zhang San and Li Si’s Spirit Locking Formation, Daoist Ziyang had used this formation, no longer relying on his spiritual aperture but relying on the formation to circulate spiritual power.

Now, all his spiritual power fluctuations were hidden, and he easily stepped into the unstable formation’s range, approaching Luo Xue and Su Yiyao.

“Run!”

Luo Xue didn’t waste any more words and immediately ran towards the depths of Mount Fengyin.

She couldn’t handle Daoist Ziyang. He was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator; no matter how useless his cultivation technique, it was beyond the ability of a Post-Heaven Realm cultivator to resist.

As for the depths… there was still a formation there.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Daoist Ziyang sneered and immediately sped up.

He didn’t dare to use too many techniques, fearing that the fluctuations of his spiritual power would destabilize the formation, so he could only rely on his physical speed to chase Luo Xue, which was slightly slower.

However, Foundation Establishment was still Foundation Establishment. Soon, Daoist Ziyang caught up with Luo Xue and Su Yiyao.

Now, it was Su Yiyao who was carrying Luo Xue and running. The strength of the Spirit Condensation Realm was much more useful than the Post-Heaven Realm.

“Ah Chou, run… run here, then what?”

Su Yiyao, following Luo Xue’s instructions, gasped for breath as she arrived at this place.

The surroundings were pitch black, and a gloomy mist hung in the air, faintly chilling.

With Su Yiyao’s constitution, which hadn’t maximized her poison resistance, reaching this point was already her limit.

The Xuanyin Body could indeed transform Yin Breath Poison into spiritual power, but there was a limit.

The untransformed portion beyond the limit was still a deadly poison to the Xuanyin Body.

“It’s enough.”

Luo Xue rubbed Su Yiyao’s hair and motioned for her to put her down.

Then she looked at the approaching Daoist Ziyang and gently patted the formation beside her.

Daoist Ziyang hadn’t yet shown his trademark sneer when his expression turned to one of horror.

“This is… the Xuanyin Puppet Refining Formation? What do you want to do!”

“Didn’t you already know?”

Luo Xue didn’t hesitate and immediately injected her spiritual power. The Xuanyin Puppet Refining Formation also became unstable.

“You!”

Daoist Ziyang didn’t have time to think and immediately rushed forward, trying to capture Luo Xue and stop her from being coerced.

But…

Luo Xue didn’t stop injecting spiritual power.

The formation runes of the Xuanyin Puppet Refining Formation flashed wildly and exploded.

The violent Yin Breath Poison scattered, instantly filling the surrounding air.

Luo Xue looked at Su Yiyao, who was dizzy from the impact of the rich Yin Breath Poison, and pushed a coffin from the side—it was the coffin from the main room of the innermost courtyard on Mount Fengyin, the one the illusory figure of Phoenix Venerable had been sitting on.

“Xiao Yao, go inside and hide for a bit. It will be over soon.”

Luo Xue whispered. Su Yiyao nodded obediently and then hid inside the coffin.

“Do you know what you’re doing?!”

At this moment, Daoist Ziyang roared. He was struggling to stabilize his protective spiritual power, preventing the raging Yin Breath Poison from corroding him.

Daoist Ziyang wasn’t a Xuanyin Body; Yin Breath Poison was a deadly poison to him.

“Of course… I know.” Luo Xue looked at Daoist Ziyang playfully. “The function of this formation is to guide and condense Yin Breath Poison. Detonating it won’t cause an explosion, it will only cause more Yin Breath Poison to gather here.”

“Hmph, you’re afraid of Yin Breath Poison, but I’m not.”

“Xiao Yao has the coffin to protect her, so she’s not afraid either.”

Chapter 27: Borrowing the Formation

“Ah Chou…”

Seeing Ah Chou again, Su Yiyao’s tired face lit up with joy, but worry quickly followed.

“Your hair… why is it all white…”

“Ah, this… It’s nothing, it looks pretty white too.”

Luo Xue carefully brushed her snow-white bangs, thankfully not pulling out any more hair.

Su Yiyao stared blankly at Luo Xue for a moment, then suddenly burst into tears.

“Wuwuwu… Ah Chou, is Xiao Yao very stupid… I was tricked by the bad guy…”

“No, you’re not stupid, you’re only ten years old.” Luo Xue gently hugged Su Yiyao, comforting her. “Being able to do all this at ten years old is already very impressive.”

Indeed, the experiences of this period were so bizarre that they often overlooked the girls’ ages.

They were only ten years old.

In the mortal world, they would just be starting school.

But now… they were facing a life-or-death crisis.

“Ah Chou… right… hehe…”

Daoist Ziyang’s low voice rang out, hoarse from excessive retching.

“Don’t talk yet, you stink.”

Luo Xue shielded Su Yiyao behind her, her words sharp.

“Very well, very well… I’m even more interested in you now…”

Daoist Ziyang’s anger turned into a sinister smile, his expression dark.

He could sense that Luo Xue had entered the path of cultivation and was even close to the Innate Realm.

This was enough to show that this little girl had been deliberately pretending these past few months, feigning a lack of cultivation aptitude.

Her scheming mind was far beyond her apparent age.

But was it useful?

Even at the Innate Realm, so what? His Foundation Establishment cultivation was enough for Daoist Ziyang to ignore all of Luo Xue’s tricks and schemes.

“I’ve changed my mind. I won’t refine you into a Yin Puppet.” Daoist Ziyang sneered. “I… will kill you directly.”

“Aren’t you curious why I could leave the Puppet Refining Formation?” Luo Xue suddenly smiled. “Or why my cultivation has almost reached the Innate Realm in just a few days?”

“Curious, but now… I’ll let you take these secrets to your grave!”

Daoist Ziyang didn’t waste any more words. He began forming hand seals, a sinister aura condensing around him.

He had kept Luo Xue alive before because of the secrets she held.

But now, Daoist Ziyang was afraid. He feared that if Luo Xue continued to live, she would interfere with his long-planned scheme.

“But what if I told you that this place isn’t called Mount Ziyang, but… Mount Fengyin?” Luo Xue blinked, a hint of amusement in her eyes. “And that True Person Fengyin isn’t your master, am I right?”

“What!”

Daoist Ziyang’s heart trembled, and his hand seals faltered.

But soon, his face flushed red, and he roared furiously,

“Nonsense, you… how dare you slander the bond between my Master and me!”

“Did you know that deep within this Mount Fengyin, there is another courtyard?” Luo Xue asked again.

“Another one?”

Daoist Ziyang was truly stunned this time. With his cultivation, he couldn’t venture into the depths of Mount Fengyin, so he naturally didn’t know.

“In the innermost courtyard, I saw the inscription ‘Mount Fengyin’ hanging in the main house.” Luo Xue continued, “But the signature wasn’t True Person Fengyin, but… Phoenix Venerable.”

Before leaving the innermost courtyard, Luo Xue had briefly examined the main house. After all, she had never been to this place before, not even the main house of the outer courtyard.

That was how she saw the inscription and the signature that wasn’t True Person Fengyin.

Later, when Luo Xue reached the second courtyard, she checked the same location in the main house.

The inscription “Mount Fengyin” remained the same, but the signature had become… True Person Fengyin.

Clearly, the second courtyard was built by True Person Fengyin, imitating the innermost courtyard, and the third courtyard was built by Daoist Ziyang, imitating the second.

This was why there were three identical courtyards.

Many rogue cultivators used the title “True Person,” but the title “Venerable” wasn’t used lightly.

Moreover, Luo Xue had seen from the panel that the person who set up the formation was a Soul Transformation ancestor, further confirming that it was indeed Phoenix Venerable who left the inheritance, not True Person Fengyin.

As for why True Person Fengyin wasn’t Daoist Ziyang’s master…

Luo Xue was the most complete inheritor of the Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture, even more complete than the deceased True Person Fengyin.

She knew very well that even without the True Phoenix blood essence part, the Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture could only be cultivated by women.

In that case, why would True Person Fengyin take a male disciple?

The only explanation was that Daoist Ziyang had only obtained the inheritance left behind by True Person Fengyin.

Putting it all together, True Person Fengyin obtained Phoenix Venerable’s inheritance but, due to aptitude or other reasons, didn’t receive the most crucial part. Upon her death, she could only leave behind an incomplete inheritance.

Daoist Ziyang obtained the incomplete inheritance and mistakenly believed it to be the true Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture.

So he took the deceased True Person Fengyin as his master and even refined her remains into the Xuanyin Gu Seed.

There was one more point: the simplified Ziyang Technique that allowed men to cultivate. This thing was even more incomplete than the incomplete inheritance…

Otherwise, how could a supreme Dao technique become a useless technique that couldn’t even break through to Foundation Establishment without the True Phoenix blood essence?

These were just speculations, but seeing Daoist Ziyang’s fluctuating expression, Luo Xue was seven points certain.

“So, the inheritance you obtained is just an inheritance of an inheritance, and because of your misunderstanding, it was modified into a useless technique.”

Luo Xue’s words were merciless, each one like a sharp blade piercing Daoist Ziyang’s heart.

“Hehehehe…”

After a moment of silence, Daoist Ziyang let out a strange laugh, a hint of madness appearing in his eyes.

“Yes, but even if you’re right… I may not be able to grasp the true meaning of the Dao technique, but I am still at Foundation Establishment. Those below Foundation Establishment are still ants!”

His greedy gaze fell on Su Yiyao. “No matter what, my plan is about to succeed…”

“Kill you, refine her, and I will be the true successor of the Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture!”

So what if the inheritance was incomplete? For Daoist Ziyang, who had been at the Foundation Establishment stage for many years, Su Yiyao, who had no combat experience, and Luo Xue, who hadn’t even reached the Innate Realm, were powerless ants.

He could crush them with a flick of his hand.

But was that really the case?

“Besides, this formation of yours seems quite useful.”

Luo Xue looked down at the floating formation runes, smiling faintly.

“How about lending it to me?”

Chapter 26: Eat Shit!

The Xuanyin Gu Seed was about to complete its fusion, and Daoist Ziyang’s face was filled with uncontainable joy.

He had planned for over a decade, expending countless effort, to finally figure out how to cultivate the supreme Dao technique, the Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture, with a male body.

He had also spent considerable energy perfecting this plan.

However, due to his inability to find a suitable cauldron for the Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture, it had been delayed until now.

But none of that mattered anymore; the hope of success was right before his eyes.

As she gradually merged with the Xuanyin Gu Seed, Su Yiyao’s cultivation was also increasing simultaneously.

She completed Mind Strengthening in an instant, her sea of consciousness expanding, finally reaching the last step of the Innate Realm: Spirit Refining.

Transforming the free-flowing spiritual energy between heaven and earth into her internal spiritual power.

Daoist Ziyang was prepared for this. He immediately scattered countless Yin Poison pills around the formation.

In an instant, Yin Breath Poison flooded the formation.

…Along with Yu Yiling and Huang Xinya, who had fallen unconscious.

Such a high concentration of Yin Poison was naturally beyond their cultivation level to withstand.

Soon, the two were awakened by the bone-chilling Yin energy surging within their bodies, their faces turning blue and purple, writhing in agony.

They saw Daoist Ziyang not far away and struggled to crawl towards him, moaning softly,

“Master… Master…”

“Save me…”

“It hurts…”

Daoist Ziyang ignored them completely, all his attention focused on Su Yiyao in the center of the formation.

This Spirit Refining step mainly depended on the speed of refining spiritual energy. The faster the refining, the faster the completion.

Once a spiritual aperture capable of storing spiritual power was opened in the sea of consciousness, one would officially enter the Spirit Condensation Realm, becoming a true cultivator.

In other words, the speed of Spirit Refining not only depended on talent but also required a blessed land with rich spiritual energy.

Su Yiyao’s constitution was special; she could use Yin Breath Poison instead of spiritual energy for cultivation. Daoist Ziyang’s actions were creating a blessed land specifically for her.

Soon, through introspection of her soul, Su Yiyao saw a vortex slowly forming above her sea of consciousness.

The bottomless vortex absorbed the spiritual power converted from the Yin Breath Poison in her body at an almost violent speed.

This… was her spiritual aperture.

“Such terrifying talent!”

Daoist Ziyang was dumbfounded. What limited Su Yiyao’s Spirit Refining speed wasn’t her talent, but the environment.

Within the formation filled with Yin Breath Poison, Su Yiyao completed Spirit Refining and formed her spiritual aperture in mere moments.

Daoist Ziyang, on the other hand, had spent a full ten years to overcome this stage.

However, thinking that such terrifying talent would belong to him from now on, Daoist Ziyang couldn’t help but laugh.

So what if her cultivation speed was terrifying? So what if her talent was exceptional?

She was only at the Spirit Condensation Realm now, while he, although injured, was a genuine Foundation Establishment cultivator.

A major realm difference wasn’t something that could be easily overcome with just talent.

Moreover, Daoist Ziyang had also been cautious.

He had only taught them cultivation methods, not a single combat technique.

The current Su Yiyao was just a vase with a high cultivation level but no practical combat ability.

“The seed has finally bloomed…”

Daoist Ziyang narrowed his eyes and walked towards Su Yiyao step by step.

Su Yiyao opened her eyes. Now, she also understood that Daoist Ziyang was finally going to make his move.

But…

“Where’s Ah Chou?”

Su Yiyao bit her lip and asked in a low voice.

She had just completed her breakthrough using Yin Breath Poison, and her body was slightly weakened due to the unfamiliarity.

“I didn’t lie to you, she’s not dead.”

Daoist Ziyang laughed, a sinister glint in his eyes.

“However, she has been refined into a Yin Puppet by me—Have you seen those maids? That’s right, your Ah Chou… is now just like them!”

“What!”

Su Yiyao was shocked. She knew about the maids, but Ah Chou had said… the maids were actually already dead.

“No, even more miserable than those maids. At least the maids are dead, they died quickly.”

Daoist Ziyang paced slowly around Su Yiyao.

“But that Ah Chou… tsk tsk, she’s indeed not dead, but her soul is trapped in the abyss of Yin Poison, forever unable to be reborn.”

“You…”

Su Yiyao’s face contorted in rage. She waved her hand, summoning her spiritual power, attempting to break out of the formation and fight Daoist Ziyang to the death.

However, Daoist Ziyang was well-prepared.

He didn’t even move, just flicked a few strands of spiritual power, and Su Yiyao’s body went limp.

“The Xuanyin Gu Seed was meant to be used by me.” Daoist Ziyang smiled faintly. “And your body, as a cauldron… I’m very satisfied. I’ll gladly accept it.”

As his voice fell, Su Yiyao, for some reason, raised her hands and suddenly grabbed her own neck.

…It was Daoist Ziyang’s spiritual power controlling Su Yiyao’s hands.

“I don’t like to get my hands dirty, so I’ll have to trouble you to do it yourself.” Daoist Ziyang watched with a smile. “It’s a pity the Yin Puppet isn’t complete yet. Otherwise, having your good sister do it would be even more interesting.”

The Xuanyin Gu Seed had already fused with Su Yiyao. Next, Daoist Ziyang only needed to kill Su Yiyao, then use the Heaven-Seizing Evil Art to refine the Xuanyin Gu Seed within her body into his Natal Magical Treasure, and his grand plan would be complete.

From then on, there would be no place in the immortal or demon realms he couldn’t set foot in!

Thinking of this, Daoist Ziyang couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Hahahahaha… Mmmmph…”

“Laugh, laugh all you want, eat shit!”

Just then, a familiar, childish voice suddenly rang out.

Followed by a large lump of foul-smelling matter being shoved into Daoist Ziyang’s mouth, causing him to choke.

“It’s… you?” Daoist Ziyang’s eyes widened, his words muffled. “You… how… how dare you…”

Seeing Luo Xue’s appearance, Daoist Ziyang felt anger, but more than that, confusion.

How could a mere mortal escape the Xuanyin Puppet Refining Formation?

But he still immediately dug out the filth from his mouth, retching repeatedly.

This taste was unbearable…

“Guess?”

Luo Xue clapped her hands, wiping them on her clothes before helping Su Yiyao, who was almost suffocating, to sit up.

It wasn’t actually excrement, just some mud she had dug up in the depths of Mount Ziyang.

But this mud had been eroded by Yin Poison for years, and combined with the fermented remains of dead animals, the smell was indeed potent.

Moreover, the active formation had masked Luo Xue’s aura, which was why Daoist Ziyang hadn’t noticed her approach.

After helping Su Yiyao up, Luo Xue briefly sensed her condition and was instantly shocked.

“Whoa, Xiao Yao, how did you reach Spirit Condensation?”

Luo Xue could vaguely sense within the Innate Realm, but Su Yiyao’s aura now was unfathomable… it could only be Spirit Condensation.

Chapter 25: Yin Puppet and Cauldron

Watching the three little girls enter the formation one by one, Daoist Ziyang was overjoyed, even ecstatic.

He could finally confirm that Su Yiyao was a once-in-a-million genius.

Even in top immortal sects, she would be treated as a true disciple.

A true disciple of a top immortal sect was almost guaranteed to become a Soul Transformation expert in the future!

Not long after stepping into the Innate Realm, within just a few days, she had completed Soul Cultivation and entered the early stage of Body Forging.

Less than half a month later, she had already reached the Mind Strengthening stage, only one stage away from the true immortal Spirit Condensation Realm: Spirit Refining.

Daoist Ziyang had no doubt that if he had given Su Yiyao the complete Ziyang Technique he had modified, instead of the incomplete Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture…

Perhaps soon, Su Yiyao would have reached Spirit Condensation, transcending mortality and embarking on the immortal path.

“If I give her some time to grow, half a jiazi… no, perhaps not even half a jiazi, I might not even be qualified to be her opponent…”

Daoist Ziyang’s eyes were fixed on Su Yiyao, who was frowning within the formation, his gaze burning with intensity.

“But from now on, everything about her belongs to me!”

Daoist Ziyang knew very well that his deadline was approaching.

If he couldn’t break through from Foundation Establishment to Core Formation by then, he would face inevitable destruction.

Therefore, Daoist Ziyang couldn’t wait for Su Yiyao to reach the peak of the Innate Realm and decided to activate the formation again.

Coincidentally, the other two little girls, in their relentless pursuit, had also reached the Innate Realm in the past few days, so he decided to let all three attempt to merge with the Xuanyin Gu Seed.

Using the same rhetoric he had used with Li Zining, Daoist Ziyang brought the three of them to the inner courtyard.

And this place had already been prepared with a refining formation.

Yu Yiling and Huang Xinya, needless to say, believed everything Daoist Ziyang said.

Moreover, they were determined not to be left behind by Su Yiyao, and they didn’t want to fall behind Li Zining, who had already become an official disciple.

Su Yiyao was more cautious, but she didn’t know the purpose of these formations. After much hesitation, she still entered.

Now, the refining formation was complete.

Once one of the three successfully merged with the Xuanyin Gu Seed, Daoist Ziyang could instantly activate the Heaven-Seizing Evil Art through the Gu Seed, refining them into a cauldron.

From then on, he would possess the aptitude of a peerless genius and a supreme Dao technique.

Not to mention resolving his past grudges, he would also become a formidable rogue cultivator in the world of immortals and demons.

Thinking about his future, Daoist Ziyang became increasingly excited, his gaze towards the girls growing more sinister.

Now, he no longer needed to wear a mask.

“It will be over soon…”

It was very close. Daoist Ziyang could feel that those days were very close to him.

He laughed, a chilling laughter that sent shivers down one’s spine.

Yu Yiling and Huang Xinya looked at their suddenly deranged master and became afraid.

But in the next second, they no longer had the capacity to feel fear.

As the formation activated, their Ziyang Techniques were forcibly circulated.

And the surrounding Yin Breath Poison gradually converged with the circulation of the Ziyang Technique.

Su Yiyao was no exception. The Ziyang Technique was derived from the Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture, but it had been greatly simplified and could only allow one to break through to the Spirit Condensation Realm.

Daoist Ziyang carefully took out the Xuanyin Gu Seed and placed it at the core of the formation.

Instantly, all three girls groaned.

Painful expressions appeared on Yu Yiling and Huang Xinya’s faces as they experienced what Li Zining had gone through.

Su Yiyao was slightly better off, but not by much.

She tried her best to open her eyes, but she couldn’t, her whole body feeling like it was submerged in an icy cellar.

The surrounding Yin Breath Poison, passing through the Xuanyin Gu Seed, transformed into an unknown power that enveloped them, bringing endless pain.

Finally, Yu Yiling and Huang Xinya couldn’t hold on any longer and collapsed on the ground, twitching slightly.

Daoist Ziyang glanced at them, disdain flashing in his eyes.

“As expected, they failed, just like Li Zining… Two pieces of trash.”

No longer needing to pretend, Daoist Ziyang completely revealed his true nature, his words no longer gentle.

This icy coldness was even more chilling to Yu Yiling and Huang Xinya than the formation itself.

They opened their eyes, looking helplessly at Daoist Ziyang.

“Master… it hurts…”

“Trash.”

Daoist Ziyang said coldly.

Just like Li Zining, their trust had been misplaced.

Only Su Yiyao…

She finally adapted to the formation and opened her eyes, taking in everything.

Daoist Ziyang looked at her, anticipating the expression on this peerless genius’s face when she learned of this despairing truth.

After suppressing his true nature for so long, Daoist Ziyang had developed a twisted mentality, and he was particularly eager to witness this moment.

But his expectations were dashed.

Su Yiyao’s expression remained as calm as ever, even indifferent, her gaze towards him equally placid.

As if… she had already known all of this.

“Where’s Ah Chou?”

Su Yiyao asked in a deep voice, despite the immense pain caused by the formation and the dizziness from merging with the Xuanyin Gu Seed.

She still asked the question that had been weighing on her mind.

Ah Chou… couldn’t die!

If Ah Chou died…

Su Yiyao stared intently at Daoist Ziyang, her gaze as if trying to pierce through him.

For some reason, a trace of fear suddenly arose in Daoist Ziyang’s heart.

Unlike the illusion created by Luo Xue, Daoist Ziyang knew very well that the Su Yiyao he faced was a true genius, just not yet fully grown.

With a little more growth, she would become an existence he, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, could never match.

His fear stemmed from this possibility.

But now… she hadn’t grown yet.

Daoist Ziyang suppressed his fear and laughed.

“She’s in a… place, yes, I put her in a safe place.”

“Really?”

Su Yiyao’s gaze softened, and the speed of her merging with the Xuanyin Gu Seed increased slightly.

Seeing this, Daoist Ziyang immediately realized that there might be a special connection between the two.

His eyes darted around, and he put on his gentle mask again.

“As long as you obediently complete the formation, I will naturally… return her to you.”

Before Su Yiyao could question him, Daoist Ziyang immediately swore an oath to heaven.

“I, Daoist Ziyang, swear on my immortal path, I will not deceive you!”

An immortal’s oath had power; breaking it was equivalent to facing a heavenly tribulation.

However… Daoist Ziyang wasn’t lying.

“A Yin Puppet and a cauldron, quite a fitting pair.”

Thinking of this, Daoist Ziyang’s smile widened.