Violet-Gold Thunder Bamboo!
Across the entire Spirit Domain Continent, it was a priceless treasure capable of sparking wars between sects—something that even sacred lands would covet!
Fine golden arcs of lightning flowed around the roots of the Violet-Gold Thunder Bamboo. From time to time, tiny flashes of lightning leaped between its leaves, crackling softly.
Ye Wushuang hurriedly stored the Violet-Gold Thunder Bamboo in his system space.
Its aura was far too astonishing. If it were exposed, powerful cultivators might very well flatten the entire Bronze Mountain.
Having done all this, Ye Wushuang swiftly left the underground palace.
The next day.
Liu Ruyan arrived at the underground palace beneath Bronze Mountain, filled with anticipation.
When she finally reached the innermost stone chamber after great difficulty, Liu Ruyan fell silent for a long time.
“Master.”
“Hm? Someone is deliberately targeting you. And this isn’t the first time.”
At her words, the Canglan Spirit Venerable let out a sigh.
After obtaining the Violet-Gold Thunder Bamboo, Ye Wushuang had noticed changes on Lin Langtian’s status panel.
Over the past half month, Lin Langtian’s rate of progress had been absurdly fast.
Although he had lost the opportunity to repair his Dao injury with essence blood, he was, after all, the reincarnation of the Heavenly Demon Emperor. The foundations from his past life remained.
Relying on his former cultivation experience and understanding of the laws of the Heavenly Dao, he had forcibly advanced his cultivation through his own efforts to the middle stage of the Profound Passage Realm.
Moreover, ever since Ye Wushuang had slain an Innate Great Demon with a single sword strike in the Myriad Beast Mystic Realm, Lin Langtian seemed to have sensed something as well.
After all, judging by the timeline, the effects of the Sexual Orientation Conversion Talisman had completely worn off two days ago.
Once Lin Langtian returned to normal, the first thing he did was seek out Liu Ruyan and attempt to mend their relationship.
The two began interacting again within the Profound Heaven Sect. Since they both harbored hostility toward Ye Wushuang, they instead formed a subtle sense of alliance.
This was precisely the situation Ye Wushuang least wanted to see.
Lin Langtian and Liu Ruyan—one the reincarnation of the Heavenly Demon Emperor, the other the Heaven-Mandated Empress. If they joined forces, the consequences would be unthinkable.
What was more, Lin Langtian’s latest opportunity, newly displayed on the system panel, made Ye Wushuang even more wary.
【Name: Lin Langtian】
【Cultivation: Middle Stage of the Profound Passage Realm】
【Destiny: Ridiculously Overpowered】
【Recent Opportunity: Ten days from now, Lin Langtian and Liu Ruyan will jointly accept the sect’s S-rank demon-slaying mission—to travel to the “Nether Valley” secret realm east of the Profound Heaven Sect and hunt a fourth-rank demonic beast, the Nether Python. After killing the Nether Python, the two will discover a Heavenly Soul Origin Pearl within its nest. This pearl is an ancient divine artifact capable of repairing any soul-related Dao injury. After Lin Langtian consumes it, the soul injury left over from his past life as the Heavenly Demon Emperor will be completely healed. The Heavenly Demon Tyrant Body, suppressed for many years, will fully awaken, and his cultivation will soar directly to the peak of the Innate Realm. At the same time, through their experience fighting side by side, Lin Langtian and Liu Ruyan’s relationship will rapidly deepen, and the two will officially become Dao companions.】
After reading it, Ye Wushuang’s expression darkened.
This was practically the heavens chasing after him and spoon-feeding him opportunities. It was utterly outrageous.
If all of this came to pass, Lin Langtian’s strength would surge to an extremely terrifying level.
More importantly, once he and Liu Ruyan joined forces, it would mean two favored children of fortune, both possessing “Ridiculously Overpowered” destinies, bound together.
Even with the system, Ye Wushuang might not be able to reliably suppress two Sons of Fortune empowered by such a combination of luck.
“They can’t be allowed to end up together.”
Ye Wushuang pondered inwardly.
The Scripture Repository of the Xuántiān Sect contained a vast collection of records concerning the secret realms surrounding the sect. As the Sect Master’s personal disciple, Ye Wushuang had the authority to consult the majority of those texts.
Ye Wushuang spent three full days studying the terrain of the Netherworld Valley secret realm.
Netherworld Valley lay three hundred li east of the Xuántiān Sect, a perilous place shrouded in baleful yin energy.
The valley was home to countless demonic beasts. At its deepest point lurked a fourth-rank Netherworld Python, whose strength was comparable to that of an early Innate Realm cultivator.
For Lin Langtian, at the middle stage of the Profound Meridian Realm, and Liu Ruyan, at the peak of the True Essence Realm, this was indeed an exceptionally challenging mission.
But for Ye Wushuang, who was at the late stage of the Innate Realm, it was nothing more than a casual slaughter.
That night, Ye Wushuang set out.
She covered the three hundred li in less than two hours.
A dense miasma of baleful yin energy hung over the entrance to Netherworld Valley. Ordinary cultivators would feel dizzy and disoriented just by drawing near.
The Nine-Phoenix Flame Sovereign Physique within Ye Wushuang’s body activated on its own. Dark flames burned across her skin, completely dispersing the baleful yin energy.
She made her way deep into the valley.
Along the way, she encountered several third-rank demonic beasts, all of which she smashed into bloody fragments with a single punch.
Half an hour later, Ye Wushuang arrived at the deepest part of Netherworld Valley.
A massive cave stood before her, its entrance emitting a nauseating stench of blood and decay.
Inside, a gigantic black python dozens of zhang long lay coiled atop a heap of bones, its eyes closed as though dozing.
Ye Wushuang put in some effort before finally knocking the Netherworld Python unconscious.
She swept the entire cave with her divine sense. Before long, beneath the pile of bones where the python had made its nest, she discovered a pearl radiating a ghostly blue glow.
It had been buried amid the bones and rubble, treated by the Netherworld Python as part of its nest.
No wonder Lin Langtian and Liu Ruyan had to kill the Netherworld Python before they could obtain it.
Ye Wushuang activated the Heavenly Dipper Divine Evasion Art, turning into a blur as she appeared before the Heavenly Soul Origin-Returning Pearl.
[Ding! Detected that the host has intercepted Lin Langtian’s key opportunity. Thousandfold Critical Return triggered!]
[Congratulations, Host! You have obtained the Myriad Souls Origin-Returning Pearl. Using this pearl can greatly enhance comprehension and heal wounds to the divine soul!]
[Opportunity Points +10!]
[Current Opportunity Points: 43]
Feeling the explosive growth of her soul power, Ye Wushuang found that the entire world had become infinitely clearer.
Every blade of grass and every tree within fifty li appeared in perfect detail within her perception.
Afterward—
Ye Wushuang took a single strand of Liu Ruyan’s hair from her storage ring.
She had secretly collected it in the Myriad Beast Secret Realm while Liu Ruyan was injured.
Ye Wushuang placed the strand of hair where the Heavenly Soul Origin-Returning Pearl had originally been. After finishing everything, she quietly withdrew from Netherworld Valley.
Three days later, Lin Langtian and Liu Ruyan arrived at Netherworld Valley as planned.
The two cooperated seamlessly. After a fierce battle, they finally killed the Netherworld Python.
Lin Langtian impatiently overturned the pile of bones, searching for the treasure hidden within the python’s nest.
Then he saw the strand of hair—and the lingering aura left behind by the Myriad Souls Origin-Returning Pearl.
Lin Langtian fell silent.
He turned to look at Liu Ruyan.
Liu Ruyan had clearly noticed the strand of hair as well. Her face instantly turned deathly pale.
“Th-That wasn’t placed there by me! I’ve never been here before!”
Liu Ruyan hurriedly tried to explain.
Lin Langtian said nothing. He merely bent down and picked up the strand of hair.
Bringing it to his nose, he took a sniff. The heightened senses of the Heavenly Demon Emperor from his previous life allowed him to identify its owner with ease.
“Did you know all along that the Heavenly Soul Origin-Returning Pearl was here? Were you planning from the very beginning to take it before I could?”
Lin Langtian’s voice was calm.
“No! I didn’t!” Liu Ruyan’s face turned deathly pale. “Someone must be framing me!”
Lin Langtian stared at Liu Ruyan in silence for a long time.
In his previous life as the Heavenly Demon Emperor, he had witnessed far too many betrayals. Suspicion had long since become ingrained in his bones.
“Perhaps.”
In the end, Lin Langtian left behind only those three words before turning and walking out of the Nether Valley.
Liu Ruyan stood where she was, trembling all over. It seemed she understood Lin Langtian less and less.
