The Medicine God Cauldron cracked open a thin slit.
Little Fat Chirp flowed out like a puddle of water, bringing Yan Zhichuan some good news.
That Nascent Soul Third Layer Demon Creature had been cornered. Barring any surprises, the Xuanmen Daoists would slay it soon enough.
Yan Zhichuan nodded upon hearing this and sneaked out of the Medicine God Cauldron like a thief.
Barring surprises? Yeah, right—here comes the surprise.
Sword light soared, gleaming brilliantly before surging explosively. The endless, flowing sword qi morphed into a wall of light dozens of feet tall, crashing down like towering waves with unyielding might toward the Demon Creature. The Sword of Nine Abyss unleashed its momentum—the Suspended River plummeted, sword qi converged from all sides, followed by a vortex of sword flows like a grindstone of life and death.
Just as the Demon Creature seemed doomed, its aura erupted violently, amplifying the power of its strikes. Thick fog billowed out in clumps amid wailing yin winds, colliding with the sword flows in earth-shaking thunder.
Yan Zhichuan had been watching Ruoxu closely. The moment the Demon Creature teetered on death’s edge, Ruoxu moved—casually like adding a stroke of ink, yet something invisible ignited in the void! The power gathered by the Sacrificial Ritual surged into the Demon Creature. Even though they’d severed part of it, the remainder flooding into its body was enough to break free from the endless sword qi bindings! No need to guess—the blood essence of those at the other end of the ritual was draining away nonstop, their souls doomed to scatter to the nine heavens before long!
“Ruoxu Daoist, what are you doing? Why activate the Sacrificial Ritual?!” Yan Zhichuan bellowed.
Zhan Yujie and the White Jade Capital Daoists had been forced back several dozen feet by the Demon Creature’s surging might. Hearing Yan Zhichuan’s shout, they instinctively turned toward Ruoxu.
Ruoxu’s cheeks were pale as she covered her mouth and coughed lightly, feigning utter confusion at Yan Zhichuan’s words.
Most of the White Jade Capital Daoists were merely baffled, but Sui Heng wore a look of half-belief, half-doubt.
“Daoist Yan, are you seeing things?” Ruoxu Daoist asked.
Yan Zhichuan snorted without responding. She stared straight at Zhan Yujie, her eyes brimming with expectation.
“The Sacrificial Ritual has been triggered,” Zhan Yujie said.
Jiang Xuanji wiped the blood from her face. “We’ve cut off most of it. Given this Demon Creature’s cultivation, it won’t push it to the Soul Transformation Realm.” This meant they still had a shot—as long as they moved fast, those in Chunshan Town affected by the ritual could hang on.
“What just happened?” Sui Heng asked.
Zhan Yujie didn’t answer her. Instead, she fixed her gaze on Ruoxu Daoist and said warmly, “Daoist Ruoxu paved the way for us and has already expended much of her vital energy. Leave the Demon Creature to us.” With that, she shook her sword, its light flaring blindingly bright.
“Daoist Zhan, no need to worry. I—” Before “it’s fine” could leave Ruoxu’s lips, Yan Zhichuan yanked her back.
Yan Zhichuan got the hint. She wouldn’t tangle with the Demon Creature, but she’d follow her senior sister’s implication: pin this Ruoxu Daoist down tight and keep her from meddling.
Ruoxu maintained her Xuanmen Daoist facade. Even stumbling from Yan Zhichuan’s pull, she couldn’t lash out or strike back.
Yan Zhichuan dropped her usual haggling act and fished out some spirit pills from her Qiankun Pouch, shoving them forcefully into Ruoxu’s hands.
With the Demon Creature raging, the White Jade Capital Daoists had to keep it pinned to create openings for Zhan Yujie—they could only shove Yan Zhichuan and Ruoxu’s exchange to the back of their minds for now.
Ruoxu’s brows furrowed tight. Yan Zhichuan gripped her like a vice— she couldn’t break free.
How does a mere pill-refining medic have such monstrous strength?
“Scream all you want—no one’s coming to save you,” Yan Zhichuan said, staring at Ruoxu as she slyly slipped a Demon Disguise Pill in among the healing ones.
Senior sister hadn’t said no, so it was fair game. They’d thank her later anyway—the how didn’t matter.
Ruoxu: “……”
Superior-grade pills might not match Dao Pills, but they beat the scattered junk on the market. Ruoxu didn’t overthink it and swallowed them down, then tried to dissuade Yan Zhichuan. “Daoist Yan, the Demon Creature’s aura is growing stronger. We need to lend the others a hand.”
Not enough yet.
Temples, shrines, and statues had been shut down or destroyed, but she’d already shifted the ritual’s core variant to a place no Xuanmen Daoist would suspect. Those ritual elements should scatter like flying petals with the books, into every household, pooling their sacrificial power.
If this group could handle the Demon Creature so easily, how could she seize the chance to make a name for herself in Xuanmen? How could she use it to nurture that artifact?
Ruoxu’s thoughts churned.
She wasn’t a Xuanmen Daoist—she was a mole planted in their midst.
This body wasn’t even her true self.
Luo Guanyin lacked the dao arts to set up the Spring Mountain Festival; she’d pulled the strings everywhere.
It all started when the young master learned of this lingering, half-dead Demon Creature. Originally, it was just a simple Spring Mountain Festival, using lives as blood fodder to revive it. Not to control it, but for her artifact to devour and grow by consuming the Demon Creature.
But when Luo Guanyin learned of the plan, she wanted to use Chunshan Town’s mortals as leverage to trade for Li Jing Daoist from Xuanmen’s clutches. It was near impossible, and she’d resisted at first, but Luo Guanyin swayed the young master into making her alter the plan—using the “slaying the Demon Creature” pretext to infiltrate Xuanmen. Her artifact would be nurtured, and she’d earn their trust by “resolving” the threat.
A hastily revised scheme was bound to have flaws. Some things she couldn’t handle alone; she needed her true body to descend.
Now, something had gone wrong somewhere.
Nine Abyss’s Zhan Yujie was stronger than expected, and the Demon Creature weaker than imagined.
“Thanks for the pills, I—” Ruoxu looked up at Yan Zhichuan.
Yan Zhichuan had no idea what raced through Ruoxu’s mind. Seeing her swallow the Demon Disguise Pill, she abruptly let go and shoved her forward.
“Daoist Ruoxu, saving Chunshan Town is all on you now.” Yan Zhichuan winked.
Ruoxu: “……”
Is she insane? As the sect master’s disciple with no reputation, she must be a total tag-along burden.
Ruoxu’s thoughts wandered for a split second. But with no one holding her back, she had to steer things toward her desired outcome. She swept her hand, her iron brush tracing with rainbow momentum. But in that instant, mutation struck—the surging mana carried roiling demonic qi, rivaling the Demon Creature’s own aura! Caught off guard, Ruoxu tried to pull back, but it was too late.
Why demonic qi on me? This shell wasn’t seized or pill-disguised—it’s a painted avatar! Shockwaves crashed through Ruoxu’s mind; she couldn’t fathom the cause.
The White Jade Capital Daoists’ faces twisted in horror, initial goodwill turning to enmity. Demonic qi on Ruoxu—she was a Demon Cultivator! How had she fooled a Cave Heaven True Person? She’d painted the path to Chunshan Town—what was her goal? What anomaly would this spawn? Questions piled up, but before they could process, years of ingrained instinct kicked in: relentless assaults hammered toward Ruoxu.
Zhan Yujie subtly glanced at the grinning Yan Zhichuan, knowing her quirky junior sister was behind it. If Nine Abyss’s Fu Shis were here, she’d expose her without mercy. But with outsiders only, she’d cover for her troublesome junior.
Seeing the tide turn, Ruoxu decided in a flash. She slipped the White Jade Capital Daoists’ onslaught and darted behind the Demon Creature, picking her side. Xuanmen had seen through her—so she’d trap them all here! Then “slay” the Demon Creature and “save” Chunshan Town to infiltrate Xuanmen.
She’d modified the Chunshan Town ritual herself, so she controlled its timing. Earlier, she’d nudged it to boost the Demon Creature for her big moment. Now, her hidden ferocity erupted—she’d force its cultivation to Soul Transformation Realm, beyond what Zhan Yujie and the rest could handle!
As for Chunshan Town’s mortals—
Even cultivators might fall; half dying wouldn’t draw Xuanmen Grotto-Heavens’ ire.
Ink splashed wildly, forming an arcane symbol in midair.
Alarm bells rang in the White Jade Capital Daoists’ minds, faces taut.
Sui Heng gritted her teeth, full of regret. I should’ve trusted my gut!
Only Zhan Yujie remained unruffled, eyes locked on the Demon Creature.
“Junior sister, draw your sword!” Zhan Yujie commanded.
Yan Zhichuan went “Oh” and let Nameless Plainness fall into her palm.
After advancing to Nascent Soul, Zhan Yujie had mastered the Sword of Nine Abyss’s seventh layer.
Yan Zhichuan had likewise “borrowed” that sword momentum.
The Sword of Nine Abyss was a water-aspect art, endless as flowing rivers, the root of all things. The great kun rotated, sword cries howling. Sword qi converged from every direction, instantly swirling like inverted raging waves, churning the ambient gales into chaos. Wild winds and pounding rain scattered like a thousand rays of light. The Demon Creature wailed shrilly but couldn’t break the interminable sword net—it was lacerated in moments.
Ruoxu sneered at first, then frowned, panic and confusion rising.
Impossible! The ritual should’ve boosted its cultivation—why no change?
The variants weren’t hidden in temples or shrines; destroying those shouldn’t impact it this much.
“Looking for this?” Yan Zhichuan tilted her head and scattered the storybooks from her Qiankun Pouch.
Ruoxu’s face drained of color. She snatched one, brushing her fingertip—pages flipped wildly. It was her ritual vessel, the book! But the title page bearing her name seal was gone—that was the key!
How?!
Sword qi intensified, the White Jade Capital Daoists’ attacks growing fiercer.
Ruoxu’s pathfinding had genuinely drained her vital energy. This avatar was merely Golden Core level, weakened further—without the Demon Creature’s aid, how could she face these Xuanmen Daoists?
Treasures and flying swords clashed in a blaze of escalating light. Ruoxu acted decisively, tapping her brow. Her form warped, human aura fading as her silhouette thinned like an ink-drawn dummy! In less than a breath, ink splattered—a rift tore open in the sky. Ruoxu hooked upward, and the rift unfurled like a scroll.
Asura Scroll Unfurls!
Infiltration was off the table. Ruoxu reverted to her original goal.
Even if this avatar perished, she’d drag the Demon Creature and these Xuanmen Daoists into the painting to nurture her artifact!
