Yan Zhichuan still used a Dao Pill to buy a stalk of Cold Life Grass at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.
She followed Zhan Yujie, a far cry from her “skulking around furtively like a guilty dog” in the Darkwater Forest.
Zhan Yujie flew forward on her sword without a care, leaving ground pursuers in the dust—but the Demon Creatures in the sky roared as they lunged at them, coming perilously close.
The diving Demon Creatures met their end under Zhan Yujie’s blade, split from head to tail with blood spraying everywhere. Yan Zhichuan summoned Cloudy and busied herself plucking feathers and collecting demon blood.
Her actions were out in the open, quickly drawing Zhan Yujie’s suspicion.
“Junior Sister Yan, what are you collecting them for?”
After slaying a Demon Creature, its demonic energy would flow into the Scoring Jade Slip one carried, so there was no need to tally numbers from the corpses. To orthodox sect cultivators, Demon Creatures held no value worth collecting.
Yan Zhichuan said, “It’s useful.”
Zhan Yujie frowned but asked no more.
She soon understood what Yan Zhichuan meant by “useful.” She tossed a pile of herbs together with the Demon Creatures into the Medicine God Cauldron. Unlike her sword practice, which was all show and no substance, her alchemy flowed smoothly, filling the air with a rich pill fragrance.
What Yan Zhichuan refined from the Demon Creatures was Demon Explosion Pills. Fearing the scent would attract hordes from all directions, the moment the nine superior-grade pills emerged, she whisked them into a jade vial.
“What did you refine?” Zhan Yujie asked, puzzled.
She knew nothing of alchemy, but she’d visited the Medicine Peak plenty of times and had never heard of any fellow disciple using Demon Creatures in pills. These things were corrupted by demonic energy inside and out—surely the resulting pills were deadly poison?
What exactly had Wu Jiang taught her that day on the Medicine Peak?
Yan Zhichuan shrank back a little and mumbled, “A kind of martial pill.”
But the demon version.
Zhan Yujie raised a brow but said nothing more. With perfect composure, she struck out with her sword to fell an approaching black speck, then said, “Junior Sister, don’t you know the Sword of Nine Abyss? This Three Ways River is full of life-or-death predicaments—perfect for tempering yourself.”
Yan Zhichuan: “…Xiao Tian?”
Heavenly Dao System: “I need to build up energy first. Can’t just use it whenever.”
Yan Zhichuan didn’t want to fight either. She slowly lay down, feigning weakness. “I used up all my spiritual power refining those pills earlier.”
Zhan Yujie said good-naturedly, “Then rest well, Junior Sister.”
She doesn’t mind me being a burden. My senior sister really is a kind soul. How could she ever fall to the demons? Yan Zhichuan thought with a sigh.
The Heavenly Dao System stayed silent.
It was starting to doubt itself now.
Yan Zhichuan was clearly the biggest demon here.
Had binding to her been the right call? Was it supposed to drag her back to the righteous path every moment? But no matter how it looked, she didn’t seem capable of world-ending destruction.
Yan Zhichuan lounged for a bit but couldn’t bring herself to keep lying there.
Once her spiritual power recovered somewhat, she began refining Spirit-Concentrating Pills and Clear Heart Pills.
Spirit-Concentrating Pills boosted the efficiency of absorbing Dan Sand, while Clear Heart Pills cleared the mind and expelled demonic thoughts.
Some sects specialized in one path and lacked their own alchemists, so they sought out healers from the Miracle Hand Sect for collaboration.
Even the strongest-willed couldn’t claim immunity to demonic thoughts in places thick with demonic energy.
“It’s not a Dao Pill,” Zhan Yujie said, taking a Clear Heart Pill and glancing at it.
Yan Zhichuan blinked. Wasn’t it because I acted like I despised those ‘pill cakes’ before? She asked, “Does Senior Sister want Dao Pills?” Pills did have side effects, but as long as they weren’t overused, a full great heavenly circulation would expel the impurities. Superior-grade Clear Heart Pills wouldn’t cause issues.
Zhan Yujie added, “Whatever you can manage is fine, Junior Sister.”
Dao Pills were extinct on the Nine Summers Continent—even Cave Heaven True Persons couldn’t refine them at will, let alone Golden Core cultivators.
Yan Zhichuan said “Oh” and refined another batch.
When the nine pills flew out, they had fused into a lump.
Yan Zhichuan was used to their quirks and packed the lump into a jade box, handing it to Zhan Yujie.
She pursed her lips. “Couldn’t form proper pills.”
They were fine when I practiced in the Silent Land. But out here…
Must be the feng shui messing with my skills.
Zhan Yujie smiled faintly. “That’s already impressive.”
No one seeing that lump would believe it was a Dao Pill—it was perfect cover.
Night fell, dark and starless.
Traveling at midnight was never safe.
Zhan Yujie led Yan Zhichuan to rest in an underground cavern.
Zhan Yujie sat in meditation to regulate her breathing.
Yan Zhichuan didn’t slack off. She seized the time to dive into the Silent Land and study refining the Myriad Poisons Pill.
She’d already bought the Cold Life Grass—if she couldn’t make a perfect batch, it’d be a huge loss.
“Xiao Tian, you want Dao Pills, right? The ones from Demon Pills should count too, yeah?” Yan Zhichuan negotiated with the system.
Spiritual herbs cost money, but Demon Creatures were everywhere. Refining took effort and spiritual power, but both recovered—basically free profit. She could churn out a bunch of Dao Pills, trade them to the system for Cold Life Grass seeds, and keep it going forever.
“Get lost,” the system cut off her fantasy mercilessly.
As a fragment of heavenly will come to the Human World to stop Zhan Yujie from falling to demons, it had its principles. How could it accept Demon Pills?
The next day.
Yan Zhichuan jolted awake to the sound of the earth shaking.
Sand and pebbles rained down with a rustle, like a yellow waterfall.
Her ears rang with thunderous rumbles, mingled with the furious roars of what sounded like a thousand armies charging.
Yan Zhichuan dodged too slowly and got smacked by a rock.
She rubbed her head and frantically searched for Zhan Yujie. An earthquake? Hiding underground was suicide! How could Zhan Yujie just sit there?
Zhan Yujie remained utterly calm.
She yanked the flailing Yan Zhichuan back. “It’s a beast tide from the Chaos Wasteland.” The cavern wasn’t fragile enough to collapse yet. Venturing out now meant certain death under the stampede.
Yan Zhichuan blinked. “Why a beast tide?”
Her first thought went to their companions—had some Miracle Hand Sect cultivator used drugs to drive off the Demon Creatures?
Zhan Yujie stayed calm. “Maybe Demon Cultivators.”
Yan Zhichuan’s heart pounded to the booming rhythm, jumping to her throat. But seeing Zhan Yujie’s unflappable poise calmed her down.
Still, she prepared defenses, enlarging the Medicine God Cauldron. If disaster struck, she’d dive right in.
It was a spiritual treasure, after all—not useless.
But the thunderous roar of the stampede didn’t fade by noon.
Yan Zhichuan stared blankly, unable to sleep or focus on cultivation amid the din.
She sat cross-legged, chin in hands, gazing at Zhan Yujie in serene meditation.
With Zhan Yujie ignoring her, Yan Zhichuan unabashedly traced her senior sister’s features with her eyes.
Xiao Tian, if Senior Sister falls to demons, will her hair turn white, demonic patterns like vines creep across her face? Black-red rings around her eyes, lips like flames? Oh, and a wardrobe change—dull black robes? Hunched over with a cane?
Heavenly Dao System: “…What kind of novels have you been reading?”
Zhan Yujie suddenly opened her eyes.
Her gaze was piercing and cold, like snow and moonlight.
Yan Zhichuan was caught red-handed but felt no guilt. She flashed a brilliant smile and winked at Zhan Yujie before reluctantly looking away.
Zhan Yujie: “…”
Something odd about that look from her junior sister—but wisely, she didn’t ask.
Better not to know what wild thoughts brewed in that head.
She rose and headed for the cave mouth.
Yan Zhichuan startled and scurried over in two strides instead of three, grabbing Zhan Yujie’s sleeve. “The beast tide hasn’t passed— are we going out?”
Zhan Yujie narrowed her eyes. “Someone’s calling for help.”
Yan Zhichuan paused. “I didn’t hear anything.”
She shook off stray thoughts and perked her ears—and sure enough, caught the cries.
“But we can’t get out anyway, right?” Yan Zhichuan didn’t let go of Zhan Yujie. Risking their lives to save someone didn’t seem worth it.
Their master and Fu Shi wanted them back alive—not everyone.
“The cries aren’t weak, so that cultivator must have some protective means. The voice is drawing nearer—they’ll find this cavern eventually. I’m just pointing them in the right direction,” Zhan Yujie said.
They’d also need to guard the entrance for a tactical advantage.
In a life-or-death pinch, you couldn’t trust non-sectmates at your back. She wasn’t sure if the newcomer was friend or foe.
What if demonic thoughts had already taken hold?
Zhan Yujie kept those concerns from Yan Zhichuan, not wanting to scare her.
Yan Zhichuan released her grip and trailed like a little tail.
Senior Sister really is a good person, she thought with admiration.
And the Heavenly Dao System deserves another scolding.
Zhan Yujie cradled her sword at the cave mouth, shrouded by stone forest.
With a surge of sword light, the blade hummed ceaselessly.
The crying cultivator darted through the stone forest, her pursuing beast tide scattering. Only small Demon Creatures zipped back and forth now.
After spotting the cavern, she didn’t rush in—instead, she wheeled around and battered the chasing Demon Creatures. When her spiritual power nearly ran dry, she popped a spirit pill and bolted straight for the cave.
“Many thanks, fellow Daoist. Might I ask which sect you’re from?” She halted at the glint of icy sword light, pressing her palms together at her chest. “This humble Daoist is Jiang Cizhu of Cihang Studio.”
Zhan Yujie replied evenly, “Zhan Yujie of Nine Abyss Sect.”
Yan Zhichuan chimed in eagerly, “And Yan Zhichuan.” Her smile was warm and enthusiastic.
The Heavenly Dao System scan says ‘good’ alignment—no demonic fall.
Hearing Nine Abyss Sect, Jiang Cizhu relaxed. Even if everyone in the Three Ways River succumbed to demonic thoughts eventually, Nine Abyss Sect would hold out till the end.
She wouldn’t have risked entering with rogue cultivators.
She wiped sweat from her brow and followed Zhan Yujie and Yan Zhichuan inside. “When I entered the Three Ways River, I got separated from my sectmates and headed for the central riverbank. Darkwater Forest was safe enough, but here… a beast tide.”
Golden Core Demon Creatures had territorial instincts—they shouldn’t bunch up like this. The scale suggested every Demon Creature in the Chaos Wasteland had gathered.
“Something’s off,” Jiang Cizhu judged. Meeting Zhan Yujie’s steady gaze, she added, “Those Demon Cultivators who sneaked in?”
