Chapter 22: Core Formation (Part 2) Part 2

She probably asked this because she remembered the incident at Spring Crossing where Yun Jinxue had been outmatched and fled in disarray.

That was indeed an embarrassing memory she’d rather forget. But Yun Jinxue couldn’t very well say, “That thing was just too freakishly powerful”—it would sound like an incompetent excuse.

But for this creature here, she truly was confident.

Because the original work described Elder Yan He’s exact process of exterminating it. She just had to follow the script.

Yan Guixing furrowed her brows. “A demonic creature like this is naturally no match for Senior Sister. Why would you say such a thing?”

Yun Jinxue broke into a sweat. She quickly stopped them. “Alright, alright, no arguing. Let’s just go to the street and buy some wine.”

The mention of buying wine did pique curiosity. Yan Guixing asked, “Why?”

Yun Jinxue said, “You’ll find out in a moment.”

The three entered the main street. Lanterns were sparsely hung, unable to light the way, but luckily, all three had good eyesight—it didn’t hinder their progress.

The street’s condition was just as Yun Jinxue had observed from the sword—desolate and quiet, no shops open.

But Yun Jinxue wasn’t worried. The original book mentioned a wine shop at the end of the street; it should still be open now.

Sure enough, after reaching the end of the long street and turning a corner, they saw a drooping wine banner.

The shop wasn’t large. Two wine vats sat on a table at the entrance, the strong scent of alcohol seeming to flavor the very air around it.

The shopkeeper wore a leather cap and a thick gray padded jacket, reclining on a deck chair and gazing at the sky.

He probably hadn’t expected customers at this hour. Pressing down his hat, he looked carefully before scrambling up.

“Three beauties, here to buy some wine?”

Yun Jinxue glanced at the price sign hanging on the wall and opened her coin purse. “One catty of wine, thank you.”

“Right away!”

The shopkeeper was deft. While filling a gourd with wine, his gaze repeatedly swept over them, sizing them up.

After sealing the gourd’s mouth, he handed it over and asked hesitantly, “Pardon me… are you cultivators?”

Yun Jinxue accepted the wine gourd. “Yes.”

The shopkeeper’s eyes widened. “Are you here to help get rid of the demon?”

Yun Jinxue nodded.

The shopkeeper instantly perked up, first clapping in excitement, but quickly cooling back down into a worried frown.

“Six immortals have already come, all from famous great sects, and now they’re all unaccounted for. You can see how tough that demonic creature really is.”

“A delicate lady like yourself, and with two young girls—how are you supposed to handle it?”

This was a more traditional mortal, completely ignorant about cultivators, only able to guess based on experience.

For ordinary folk, the burlier and stronger, the more powerful. But an immortal’s strength had nothing to do with outward appearance—only with spiritual energy reserves and application.

If a cultivator were to observe her, despite her elegant and slender frame, none would consider her a weak woman.

Though he underestimated her, it was concern born of goodwill. So Yun Jinxue simply said, “I have my own methods. Thank you for your concern.”

Just as she was about to leave, she remembered something and asked, “Do you have any food for sale, shopkeeper?”

The shopkeeper said, “No, but I have two glutinous rice cakes my wife made. Will those do?”

Yun Jinxue smiled gently. “Sell them to us.”

The smile of a fairy, bathed in the clear moonlight gracing her features, seemed to brighten this small shop.

The shopkeeper let out an “Aiyo” and flusteredly said, “Take them, just take them, no charge!”

Thanking the shopkeeper and giving the rice cakes to the two children, Yun Jinxue headed toward the outskirts of town.

The demonic creature’s haunt was Bent Wing Ridge outside Pingyao Town—a section of the most important road linking north and south through Qianzhou. It was named for its smooth, sweeping arc, shaped like a bird’s wing.

For many years, this place had been safe, with no problems.

But not long ago, a nighttime traveler discovered a dilapidated temple hidden in the tall, dense crown daisy thickets by the roadside. From the torn paper windows, lamplight seeped out.

This obviously sinister place—no one dared enter. If someone accidentally came across it, they’d speed up until it was out of sight.

But travel was harsh, and not all wayfarers could endure until the next rest stop. The weather often didn’t cooperate, and though ruined, the temple could still shelter from wind and rain. So, of course, some chose to spend the night in that broken temple.

At first, the disappearances that claimed people in that temple weren’t known outside, since any danger was possible while traveling, and it wasn’t initially suspected.

But then, one day, a young man in tattered rags, covered in wounds and utterly disheveled, stumbled and crawled into Pingyao.

He was scared out of his wits, trembling like a sieve, and it took him a long time to calm down enough to say he was a survivor who had narrowly escaped that temple.

It was only then that the temple drew everyone’s attention.

Because the local sects in Qianzhou hadn’t developed well, the officials of Pingyao sent someone to Central Prefecture to file a commission with the Divine Zenith Sect.

Within Divine Zenith Sect, the person who ranked the missions thought this demonic creature was simply an old temple that had attained a spirit. Its method of catching people was unsophisticated—just waiting for people to enter. So as long as precautions were taken, warning everyone not to go in, and then destroying it from the outside, the matter would be simple. It was casually classified as Yellow-Rank, and outer disciples were dispatched.

No one ever imagined six disciples would go missing here.

Yun Jinxue walked into Bent Wing Ridge. The road was dusty and uneven, even somewhat hard on the feet. In the far night, undulating mountains were visible, sketched like simple strokes on deep blue paper.

On both sides of the road, crown daisies grew waist-high, weeds thick as a dense barrier.

When the wind blew, it was like ghostly shadows flickering, rustling everywhere. But there was no sign of any temple.

Yun Jinxue uncorked the wine gourd, poured a small handful into her palm, dipped a finger of her other hand into it, and evenly flicked the droplets onto the three of them.

“Demonic creatures always judge their targets. If there are many people, or if they sense someone very powerful, they’ll hide and not come out.”

“And those who are dead drunk, reeking of booze and practically defenseless—those are their favorites. So, by sprinkling some wine on ourselves and suppressing our spiritual power, we can lure the creature into showing itself.”

Confirming the strong scent of wine was on them, Yun Jinxue spread her fingers, letting the remaining liquid leak through, and took out a handkerchief to wipe.

Her slender, pale fingers, wet with the wine, gleamed like fine jade.

“Drunken people tend to stagger and aren’t fast. We’ll walk slowly in a bit—no rush.”

The three advanced into the darkness ahead. Yun Jinxue carefully observed both sides of the road, gripping Bright Star, ready to act at any moment.

She kept her ears tuned to the footsteps behind her, confirming all three were together, terrified of losing someone again halfway through.

They walked for a while like this. The air gradually grew more humid, mosquitoes flying low, the wind distinctly colder.

Yun Jinxue looked up at the sky. “It’s going to rain soon.”

This was good news. Worsening weather meant travelers would also need shelter. The temple would seize the opportunity, appearing after the rain.

Yun Jinxue decided to wait for the rain. She relaxed her vigilance and instead asked, “Would you two like to guess why that temple can eat people?”

After thinking earnestly, Yan Guixing said, “Has that temple cultivated into a spirit?”

Yun Jinxue said, “Does Guixing think that non-living things can also cultivate?”

Yan Guixing said uncertainly, “They can’t?”

Yun Jinxue ruffled her hair and smiled. “They can. A temple is formed by bricks and tiles, all taken from nature, so it also has the chance to cultivate.”

“And once it has spiritual power, once it has life, it craves even more to live and more spiritual power. So, devouring flesh and blood becomes the best way to supplement itself.”

“By the same logic, the houses we live in, the tools we use—it’s the same. But the probability of them succeeding is extremely, extremely low; it’s basically not possible.”

“Guixing is very diligent and has a great thirst for knowledge. That’s very good.”

Her forehead fringe was mussed by her Senior Sister. Listening to that gentle voice, Yan Guixing hung her head, her ears turning slightly red.

Jiang Yanyu glanced over, rubbing her wrist. “So that temple is quite formidable?”

Yun Jinxue said, “If the temple truly cultivated into a demon, from a lifeless state to one of awareness, that would indeed be formidable. But the one causing trouble here—I’m more inclined to think another demon is residing inside the temple.”

The original book was quite clear. It wasn’t the temple becoming a demon. It was the sacred statue enshrined within the temple that hid a century-old fish demon.

When the clay statue was first molded, no one thought much of it. They dug clay from a dried-up riverbed, never realizing a fish had been mixed in.

That fish was truly tenacious. Not only did it not die, but it gradually cultivated into a demonic creature.

When the temple was still in use, worshippers often came to pray. They probably never knew they were praying to a fish.

Jiang Yanyu asked, “Besides demons, is it possible a ghost is living in the temple?”

Yun Jinxue said, “If it were a ghost, it could mean someone met a violent death in the temple. That could also produce this effect, but it would be hard for six disciples to disappear. Probably not.”

Ghosts couldn’t eat people, and most were very weak—at most coming out to drift around, providing material for scholars’ tales of the strange and supernatural.

For a ghost to kill people, it would have to be a very old, very formidable old ghost.

“Oh~ so that’s how it is,” Jiang Yanyu said, as if casually. “What if it’s a devil being?”

Hearing those two words from her mouth made Yun Jinxue’s heart give a violent thump.

It took a long moment before she formulated a reply. “If a devil being acted, the casualties would definitely be massive. It wouldn’t be hiding in such a small temple.”

Jiang Yanyu smiled. “Is that so? Interesting. I’m very curious about devil beings. Could Senior Sister tell me more?”

If possible, Yun Jinxue did not want to mention too much about this in front of her. Because under normal circumstances, a devil being’s power came from its self-awareness.

Simply put, from whether it possessed consciousness, whether it understood what it was.

This little thing—after the Senior Sister sold her to Mad Red Hall, six years of torture, barely recognizable as human—it was only then that she gradually became aware of her uniqueness and subsequently unleashed her power.

Although she knew the point when this little one would realize she was a natural calamity was far off,

Yun Jinxue felt panic just hearing those two words from her mouth!

Because once she became a devil, her own tribulation would arrive.

Suppressing her agitated thoughts, Yun Jinxue said, “Most devil beings are existences we cannot understand. Research on devils, even now, is still at a very rudimentary stage.”

Jiang Yanyu nodded, asking with keen interest, “I’m still somewhat curious…”

“What does Senior Sister think? That devil cultivator hailed as the Head of Heavenly Calamity, known as Thousand-Mile Icebound… what kind of existence must she be?”