Chapter 36

Despite Yan Zhichuan displaying sufficient “swordsmanship prowess,” Zhan Yujie instinctively overlooked this and didn’t regard her as a Sword Cultivator.

She trusted her earlier judgment: Yan Zhichuan was simply a cultivator without any talent for the sword. As for that “Sword of Nine Abyss,” it was probably a protective measure left to her by the sect master—something like a Sword Talisman? But how did that talisman resemble her swordsmanship? Perhaps the sect master had entrusted the matter to her master, and her master, believing Yan Zhichuan couldn’t wield the Cave Heaven’s sword intent, had sealed her own Golden Core-level Sword of Nine Abyss within it at an opportune moment?

As the demonic qi receded, the Daoists let out a collective sigh of relief. They had no desire to linger in the underground palace any longer. Youying glanced at her fellow sect members and said, “Let’s go take a look,” before heading off with the other cultivators skilled in artifact forging and formations to study the spatial array, searching for the way out.

Yan Zhichuan wanted to join the excitement. As she stepped forward, she muttered, “That was it? All that hardship in the stories is just exaggeration, huh?”

The Heavenly Dao System: “…” Not simple. Without Yan Zhichuan’s Demon Seed identity, that coffin wouldn’t have opened so easily. It held back its frustration—unable to speak, it could only chirp “Tweet tweet.”

But as Yan Zhichuan passed by Zhan Yujie’s side, a hand pressed down on her shoulder. She turned back, blinking at Zhan Yujie in confusion.

“The Medicine God Cauldron,” Zhan Yujie said, lowering her gaze.

“How’s that lump doing?” Fuyu Sha asked as well.

They had all seen Yan Zhichuan collect the writhing flesh from the coffin into her Medicine God Cauldron. It was a spirit treasure, but if Yan Zhichuan lacked sufficient magical power to support it, that flesh could still mutate.

Yan Zhichuan slapped her forehead with an “Oh!” and said uncertainly, “Probably refining it by now?” She only had two pill recipes that used demon creature materials and hadn’t decided what to make with that lump yet.

Zhan Yujie’s brows furrowed tightly, her ominous premonition growing stronger. Without a second thought, she said, “Once the array is unlocked, I’ll leave the Three Ways River with Junior Sister first.” Personal training could wait until after the major crisis.

Fuyu Sha nodded. “Good.” She preferred pure, exhilarating slaughter over pondering.

Half a day later, Youying, Jiang Xuanji, and the others found a flaw in the array. A Taiji-like pattern appeared on a previously flawless wall. With everyone pushing the black-and-white orbs together, the mechanism activated amid rumbling sounds. The stone wall parted to both sides, revealing another passageway ahead.

Having suffered losses before, the Daoists proceeded with utmost caution, weapons at the ready. This time, they encountered no zombie-like horrors. After walking for a while, they entered a familiar cave. Another incense stick’s worth of time later, the group finally emerged into the daylight.

Zhan Yujie had already discussed it with Fuyu Sha. After cupping her hands to her fellow Daoists, she urged Yan Zhichuan to activate the Scoring Jade Slip and teleport out.

Yan Zhichuan complied obediently. She opened her mouth as if to speak but said nothing in the end, following Zhan Yujie out quietly.

Outside the Three Ways River.

The Chongxu Sect Daoists had already left the trial grounds before the underground palace emerged. Some bore traces of demonic qi, horrifying Jin Posha, who guarded outside the Chongxu Cave Heaven. She frantically tried to extract the qi with her magic, but it seemed embedded in their marrow, relentlessly eroding them. Even the Soul Transformation Realm healers from the Miracle Hand Sect whom they’d summoned were powerless.

At that moment, the Daoist who had received the Clear Heart Subdue Demon Pill from Zhan Yujie resorted to a desperate measure and took out the medicine.

If her elders had a solution, she wouldn’t have needed it—but the situation was far worse than imagined.

The emerging Daoists didn’t dare hide anything, recounting the events in the Three Ways River one by one. Jin Posha listened in fury and embarrassment.

Eighteen years ago, the sect master had been gravely wounded guarding the Profound Heaven Immortal Barrier and had remained in seclusion ever since. They prided themselves on slaying demons and upholding righteousness, yet Chongxu Sect had been infiltrated by Demon Cultivators—who knew to what extent?

The Three Ways River Ruins were dire; even Clear Heart Pills couldn’t purge this demonic qi. Concerned for her disciples, one elder considered evacuating everyone, but the Daoists couldn’t reach consensus.

After all, they’d opened the Three Ways River precisely to temper this generation of cultivators. Halting at the first insurmountable danger defeated the purpose.

Moreover, the inner healers had produced the corresponding Clear Heart Subdue Demon Pills—perhaps things weren’t that bad.

It was at this juncture that Zhan Yujie and Yan Zhichuan emerged from the Three Ways River Ruins.

Miao Tianyin had been lounging in her chair, idly toying with her dice. Sensing a familiar aura, her brows snapped together. She shot forward like a gust of wind, pulling Zhan Yujie and Yan Zhichuan over. After scanning them top to bottom and confirming they were unharmed without a trace of demonic erosion, she finally relaxed.

Miao Tianyin crossed her arms and huffed lightly. “Why’d you come out?”

Zhan Yujie replied gravely, “There’s a Demon Palace beneath the Three Ways River Ruins—likely a contingency left by the Demon Sovereign—which has spawned a mass of flesh.” Seeing Daoists from other sects gather, she omitted Yan Zhichuan’s involvement, only mentioning the Demon Palace and the Demon Sect’s schemes. At the end, she cupped her hands. “We have not failed our mission. The demonic qi has been purged, and we’ve retrieved what seems to be the Demon Sovereign’s regenerated remains.”

Murmurs of shock rippled through the crowd. Demon Palace, Demon Sovereign, Sky Nether City Demon Clan, sect traitors… Any one was enough to weigh heavily on their hearts.

Miao Tianyin’s expression shifted. “Where’s that thing?” A Golden Core cultivator might not handle a Demon Sovereign’s contingency. But—Miao Tianyin subtly glanced at Yan Zhichuan, suppressing her inner worries.

Yan Zhichuan went “Here,” producing the Medicine God Cauldron. Enlarged, it stood shorter than a person tall. Its body bore depictions of sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, flora, and fauna—myriad beasts and beings, vivid and dynamic, encompassing all forms. Yan Zhichuan channeled a spell, slightly lifting the lid. As soon as the rim appeared, golden winds and fierce flames hissed, brilliant rays dazzling the eyes. Threads of black silk glowing red whirled like lightning wheels, poised to burst forth.

Miao Tianyin slapped the lid shut.

She said solemnly, “The Three Ways River duel ends here. Evacuate everyone—we need to re-investigate the underground palace.”

Now aware of the Demon Clan’s underground palace, the once-hesitant Daoists had no further doubts and voiced agreement.

Once the sect elders dispersed, Zhan Yujie pursed her lips. “Earlier, a Demon Cultivator tried to possess Junior Sister.”

A Demon Cultivator possession? Miao Tianyin paused, waving it off casually. “I checked just now—no issue.”

Zhan Yujie relaxed briefly, then remembered something else. Lowering her voice, “Junior Sister also took demon creature material to refine pills.”

Refining spirit pills with demon creature? Was that reasonable?

Zhan Yujie wouldn’t mention the Demon Disguise Pills to outsiders, but to her own elder, she hid nothing, recounting how Yan Zhichuan had fed Demon Pills to others.

Miao Tianyin’s brows furrowed slightly, latching onto the key point. “List? What list?”

Zhan Yujie blanked. “The must-kill Demon Cultivator list from the sect master—doesn’t Fu Shi know?”

Miao Tianyin: “…” She didn’t, and she doubted Yan Jizhi did either.

Seeing Miao Tianyin’s expression, Zhan Yujie’s heart sank. She turned and caught Yan Zhichuan’s feigned righteous indignation laced with guilt. Bewilderment, confusion, shock—like crashing waves—overwhelmed her. So the list was fake? Were the ones we eliminated even Demon Cultivators? Did we wrong anyone?

Zhan Yujie gripped her sword.

Yan Zhichuan quietly backed away.

I am doomed, she thought, neck stiff in utter breakdown.

How old is Zhan Yujie? Why is she still tattling?!

Miao Tianyin lowered her gaze to the self-doubting Zhan Yujie, shot Yan Zhichuan a glare, and rubbed her brow. “No list exists, but Little Chuan’s judgments won’t be wrong.”

Backed by Miao Tianyin, Yan Zhichuan’s slumped shoulders straightened. She turned the tables with a grievance. “Exactly! Senior Sister, how could you doubt me?”

Miao Tianyin smiled. Her dice spun once—thwack—striking Yan Zhichuan’s head.

“Ow!” Yan Zhichuan clutched her head, eyes watering as she tearfully apologized to Zhan Yujie. “Sorry, Senior Sister. I know I was wrong.”

Zhan Yujie’s gloom eased somewhat.

Miao Tianyin put it mildly: “Little Chuan is… a bit special.”

Zhan Yujie nodded.

She knew—her junior sister had something wrong with her head, which was why she’d been confined to Nine Abyss Peak before, not allowed out.

But why let her trial now?

Setting that aside, her junior sister’s contributions were immense. Without the Clear Heart Subdue Demon Pills, many fellow Daoists would have been corrupted.

Her methods were twisted and unorthodox, but her heart was good.

Zhan Yujie convinced herself quickly.

Meanwhile, the sect elders evacuated the Three Ways River survivors.

Some hadn’t entered the underground palace, but that didn’t mean luck. Demon Shadows lurked outside; Clear Heart Pills were useless. Those with insufficient cultivation couldn’t hold out, fully demonized.

As for the survivors hanging on, before they could exhale, the Miracle Hand Sect elder declared, “Can’t root it out.”

This demonic qi was bizarre—neither vast magic nor medicine could cure it fully. The Miracle Hand Sect was confident in developing something better than Clear Heart Pills.

But it would take time.

“Fellow Daoist Yan?” At the Miracle Hand Sect area, Jie Tianxuan emerged from the chaos. Spotting Yan Zhichuan trailing Zhan Yujie like a little tail, she latched on like a lifeline. “Any more Clear Heart Subdue Demon Pills?”

Yan Zhichuan nodded and generously produced the rest.

The Miracle Hand Sect elder noticed Jie Tianxuan’s actions, eyes narrowing.

She’d heard Chongxu Sect mention “Clear Heart Subdue Demon Pills” and was curious, but their deathly dejected mood had deterred questions. Now seeing the pills in the box, her heart raced.

The lump looked awful, but it emanated Dao patterns and rhythms?

Jie Tianxuan caught her elder’s burning gaze. “Fellow Daoist Yan refined these as medicinal cakes using cooking techniques—superior to high-grade pills. Fu Shi, aren’t our sect’s pill-refining methods outdated?”

Miracle Hand Sect elder: “…” After a long pause, she lowered her gaze to Jie Tianxuan. “What did you just say?”

Jie Tianxuan shook her head vigorously—no courage for a second challenge. She handed over the pill recipe Yan Zhichuan had given her.

The elder glanced at it, gaze fixing on “Subdue Demon Spirit Grass.”

A herb extinct from the Nine Summers Continent.

Named for “subduing demons,” essential in many such ancient recipes.

But it was gone; those recipes became useless scraps. Healers had settled for inferior substitutes.

Subdue Demon Spirit Grass… Clear Heart Subdue Demon Pills…

The elder stared fixedly at Yan Zhichuan but said nothing. Suddenly, her vision blurred—a rapidly spinning die brought faint thunderous winds, a clear warning from Miao Tianyin.

The elder ignored the temperamental Miao Tianyin, producing her Heaven-Penetrating Treasure Mirror and yanking out Fang Zhiyi, the Nine Abyss Sect Medicine Peak master from the blacklist.

“Does your Nine Abyss Sect have ancient seeds of Subdue Demon Spirit Grass? And a way to cultivate them?”

Fang Zhiyi: “?”