“If Junior Sister wants to lord it over like a king, perhaps you could head to Great Power Peak,” Zhan Yujie said with a smile, offering Yan Zhichuan some advice. “Great Power Peak cultivates the path of strength, tempering their physical bodies with external medicines. Most of Medicine Peak’s pills are refined for them. Even if the prices are sky-high, they don’t mind. If you went over there, they’d treat you like royalty.”
Yan Zhichuan shuddered at the thought of being chased around by Great Power Peak’s senior and junior sisters to refine pills for them from dawn till dusk with barely a moment’s rest. Without a second thought, she replied, “No way.” Why wouldn’t she return to Nine Abyss Peak? Her master was either sleeping or sleeping some more—no one managed her there. She was the top dog on the entire peak, and all the spirit beasts bowed their heads when they saw her.
“Is that so?” Zhan Yujie gazed at Yan Zhichuan, her voice gentle. “It seems Junior Sister wants to cultivate with me on Pure Prison Peak.”
Yan Zhichuan froze, taking a good while to process what Zhan Yujie had said. She jerked back abruptly, shaking her head like a rattle drum. “I didn’t! That’s not it!” She’d rather go refine pills at Great Power Peak.
Zhan Yujie let out a soft “Mm,” then took out some Dan Sand and said to herself, “Back in Chunshan Town, Junior Sister lent me this Dan Sand and helped me out. Now it’s time to return it.”
Yan Zhichuan: “…”
On the cliffside of Pure Prison Peak, the mountain winds howled fiercely.
Yan Zhichuan urged Cloudy into motion and turned to flee. But Zhan Yujie was prepared. A clear, resonant sword cry rang out, and endless sword qi surged like tidal waves, blanketing the sky and sealing off Yan Zhichuan’s escape. Unwilling to get slashed, Yan Zhichuan couldn’t force Cloudy through the sword light. It spun helplessly amid the encircling sword qi, its range of movement shrinking smaller and smaller.
Cloudy trembled violently in protest, finally bucking off the reluctant Yan Zhichuan. She lifted a pair of pitiful eyes and stared straight at Zhan Yujie.
But Zhan Yujie had turned to stone-hearted resolve. With a flick of her hand, she released a imprisoned Nascent Soul Demon Creature from Pure Prison Peak. It charged wildly straight at Yan Zhichuan.
Yan Zhichuan: “…”
Petty! She hated Zhan Yujie!
Now at the Golden Core Third Layer, Yan Zhichuan wasn’t as pathetic as before, scrambling like a dog being chased.
She couldn’t waste the system’s energy recklessly, so Yan Zhichuan pulled out the Medicine God Cauldron and whirled it fiercely. Forcing a medical cultivator into battle—Zhan Yujie, she, she, she was too wicked!
Yan Zhichuan vented all her fury on the Demon Cultivator.
The Medicine God Cauldron and her fists rained down on the Demon Creature together.
The Heavenly Dao System tucked in its wings and perched on Cloudy to watch the show. Just as I thought—Yan Zhichuan needs a good thrashing.
Zhan Yujie had finally seen the light and stopped spoiling her.
It was smugly enjoying the spectacle when Little Fat Chirp got pinched by the wings and hoisted up by Zhan Yujie. It flailed its tiny claws powerlessly. Its pitch-black beady eyes turned to Zhan Yujie, a very human-like expression appearing on its fluffy face: “?”
“What is this thing?” Zhan Yujie frowned slightly and set the now-fluffed-up Little Fat Chirp back on Cloudy.
She turned to watch Yan Zhichuan. During normal cultivation, her junior sister never used a sword—Nameless Plainness was just a decoration on her. But in critical moments, she could silently unleash the Sword of Nine Abyss. For a fleeting instant, Zhan Yujie thought it was her own sword qi leaking out unconsciously.
How did Yan Zhichuan cultivate the Sword of Nine Abyss?
No, that didn’t make sense. She hadn’t truly cultivated it at all, right? More like a Sword Talisman? Sealing sword intent into a talisman? But the sword intent matched her own perfectly. Without their master making it, the talisman would have to be drawn by her own hand.
There were just too many mysteries.
Yan Zhichuan had no idea Zhan Yujie was probing her origins and background. She only knew she’d been forced to battle Demon Creatures on Pure Prison Peak for three days and three nights.
She was about to ascend to heaven.
If I don’t croak, I’ll curse that wicked Zhan Yujie—
Before she could vent her bellyful of resentment, the half-collapsed Yan Zhichuan felt Zhan Yujie scoop her up.
Her mind went blank. She nuzzled into Zhan Yujie’s embrace, letting out fake “Wuwuwu” whimpers.
“That tired?” Zhan Yujie asked helplessly. She was at Golden Core now.
“Yes.” Yan Zhichuan looked utterly pitiable. Back in the day, I ate and slept, slept and ate, whiling away free time with storybooks. Never this grueling.
And all for whose sake!
Her accusatory gaze roamed Zhan Yujie’s face. Yan Zhichuan wanted to chomp down on that collarbone, but feared her iron-hearted senior sister would toss her out.
Zhan Yujie pondered for a moment, then conceded, “Then… rest for a day.”
Yan Zhichuan: “…Are you even human?” She needed at least three whole seasons.
Zhan Yujie lowered her eyes to Yan Zhichuan.
The inhuman one might be you, Junior Sister.
What if someone finds out? Zhan Yujie’s brows furrowed slightly, a flicker of bewilderment in her eyes.
Demon Cultivators were wicked to the core. Captured ones that couldn’t be killed or had value were imprisoned; useless ones like Yan Zhichuan got their heads chopped off.
But even if Yan Zhichuan counted as a Demon Cultivator, she hadn’t done anything harmful to the orthodox sects. She was fundamentally different from that Sky Nether City crowd.
Could she… be a pure demon?
Yan Zhichuan covered her mouth with a yawn, her head nodding as she drifted off.
Chilly winds blew from all sides. Zhan Yujie’s spiritual power surged around her, forming a transparent barrier that kept out the gale-force winds.
Upon arriving at Nine Abyss Peak, Zhan Yujie spotted her own master emerging from the sect leader’s Dharma Hall.
Her expression was serene and composed, but the glaring footprint on her robe collar drew unavoidable attention.
Zhan Yujie: “…”
She closed her eyes briefly, unwilling to dwell on where that footprint came from. After a moment, she lifted her gaze, clarity returning. She adjusted Yan Zhichuan in her arms and called out, “Master.”
Zhong Zhanxi glanced at Zhan Yujie and Yan Zhichuan, asking casually, “Where from?”
Zhan Yujie: “Pure Prison Peak.”
Zhong Zhanxi gave an “Oh” and lingered outside the Dharma Hall, showing no intent to return to Sword Peak.
Zhan Yujie thought for a moment before asking, “Is there some trouble between Master and the sect leader?”
Zhong Zhanxi looked up. She leisurely brushed the footprint from her robe, thinking, Does Yan Jizhi ignoring me count as trouble?
Zhan Yujie continued, “Places like Yingzhou Island aren’t one-offs. White Jade Capital must have learned several Demon Cultivator hideouts from Li Jing Daoist by now. How should they be handled?”
“We can’t handle everything ourselves at Nine Abyss Sect,” Zhong Zhanxi said. “The other sects have already sent disciples. Don’t worry about it. Stay in the sect and cultivate quietly for now. But cultivation can’t be rushed—balance tension and relaxation.”
Zhan Yujie: “This disciple understands.” She hadn’t left yet, her expression hesitant. Under Zhong Zhanxi’s puzzled gaze, she finally pursed her lips and said, “If the sect discovers a Demon Cultivator, how should it be handled?”
Zhong Zhanxi didn’t hesitate: “Kill without mercy.”
Zhan Yujie: “What if that Demon Cultivator hasn’t harmed anyone?”
Zhong Zhanxi: “Execute on the spot.”
Zhan Yujie: “…” No need to ask further. Once a Daoist fell to demonhood, their temperament differed from human cultivators. Once demonic thoughts took root, they became mere dogs for the Demon Clan, unable to escape control. Demon Cultivators had no self left—they had to harm others. The Demon Clan’s stance might vary, but if Junior Sister Yan was a Demon Cultivator, she’d be like those fallen Daoists by now. Yet she was so innocently naive. Could it be—a pure demon body?
Zhan Yujie’s thoughts churned, a chill of shock rippling through her heart.
Zhong Zhanxi eyed Zhan Yujie’s shifting expressions and was about to ask when a sleepy murmur from Yan Zhichuan interrupted.
—Senior Sister, can’t I bite?
Zhong Zhanxi: “?” She shot Zhan Yujie a complicated look before turning and heading into the Dharma Hall.
Earlier, Yan Jizhi kicked me out for nothing. Now there’s something going on!
Zhan Yujie took a deep breath.
Gazing at the dead-to-the-world Yan Zhichuan, she felt like she was holding a hot potato.
Neither keeping nor tossing it worked.
With heavy steps, she carried Yan Zhichuan back to her quarters on Nine Abyss Peak. Unable to resist, she straightened up the disastrous “mountain of books.”
So many messy storybooks—what junk, polluting her junior sister’s mind.
She nearly set them all ablaze with one fire spell, but thought of Yan Zhichuan’s teary-eyed wretch face and held back.
She endured and endured, then flicked her sleeve and stormed out.
Yan Zhichuan slept on the stone bed until the next day, waking refreshed.
No ghostly wails or sword knocks at the door.
Seeing the neatly arranged furnishings all around, she knew Zhan Yujie had been there.
“Xiao Tian.” Yan Zhichuan stretched lazily and called to the Heavenly Dao System, asking as usual about Zhan Yujie’s status.
The Heavenly Dao System was slacking off completely too. The key fate line in her trajectory that would lead to demonic fall had been diverted, but what came after… how should it know? Fate branched endlessly; only when it settled could the true path be known.
Yan Zhichuan’s mind blanked out listening to the system prattle about fate changes. Only when the chirping stopped did she ask, “No follow-up tasks means no rewards for me?”
Heavenly Dao System: “…” It replied listlessly, “What more do you want?”
Wasn’t having a Myriad Treasures Pavilion for instant rare herb exchanges enough?
Since the system asked, Yan Zhichuan boldly declared, “I want to ascend to the heavens in one step.”
The Heavenly Dao System huffed indignantly: “Get lost.”
Yan Zhichuan asked again, “Has my ‘Heavenly Dao’ arrived yet?” It was the reward for resolving the “Ruoxu” matter.
Heavenly Dao System: “Yes.”
Yan Zhichuan eyed it suspiciously: “Why don’t I feel anything?”
Heavenly Dao System: “…” The Heavenly Dao contained heavenly powers but couldn’t be used directly—it just granted immunity to heavenly punishments. What was there to feel? “If you don’t believe me, go test it in Great Power Peak’s Myriad Thunder Pool.”
Yan Zhichuan: “No thanks.” She’d reluctantly trust the system this once.
After some idle chatter, Yan Zhichuan packed up the Medicine God Cauldron and herbs, preparing to head out.
The Heavenly Dao System stuck close: “Where to.”
Yan Zhichuan: “Great Power Peak.” If she didn’t have enough resources, should she stick around to get dragged to Pure Prison Peak for suffering? She wasn’t that dumb!
By the time Zhan Yujie arrived at Nine Abyss Peak, there was no trace of Yan Zhichuan anywhere.
Zhan Yujie sent a message via the Heaven-Penetrating Treasure Mirror, but got no reply for a long time.
Her brows furrowed slightly; she felt a bit irritated.
“Senior Sister Wu, is Junior Sister Yan at Medicine Peak?” Zhan Yujie messaged Wu Jiang.
“No.” Wu Jiang asked back, “Isn’t it always her looking for you or you for her? What’s up with you two?”
Zhan Yujie: “Sword practice.”
Wu Jiang: “In that case… Junior Sister Yan’s probably dodging you. She’s a grown-up; won’t get lost in Nine Abyss Sect.”
