How dare Shu Xin ask for a spirit vein? Why doesn’t she just ask for his life while she’s at it?
“Our Nine Heavens Dao Sect is only a small sect. I’m afraid we can no longer accommodate you, Fellow Daoist.” Xiang Zhu struggled to suppress his anger, speaking each word slowly and distinctly. “Please leave our sect as soon as possible, Fellow Daoist Shu.”
If he had not been worried about the trouble Xu Guan might cause, Xiang Zhu would have attacked her outright by now.
But the Nine Heavens Dao Sect was beset by internal and external crises. They could not afford to gain another enemy for no reason.
It had indeed been a mistake to let Shu Xin stay.
“Fellow Daoist Xiang Zhu, don’t be angry.” Shu Xin answered with a cheerful smile. “At the very least, count up the number of demonic cultivators I killed and settle the payment for me first. I may not be willing to take the blame for you for nothing, but the price we agreed on beforehand still stands.”
Xiang Zhu’s fury did not affect Shu Xin in the slightest.
If she cared about his feelings, would she be doing this?
Xiang Zhu was so angry that he trembled, veins bulging on his forehead. “Fine. Then let me see exactly how many demonic cultivators you killed.”
From the moment the sound had caused the entire sect to descend into chaos until now, it had taken him only a day or two to find Shu Xin. How many demonic cultivators could she possibly have killed in such a short time?
Before he had even finished speaking, Xiang Zhu saw Shu Xin take out a storage pouch and tip it upside down. One corpse after another poured out of it, all belonging to demonic cultivators.
Crash, crash, crash.
Before long, the corpses had nearly formed a small mountain.
“Among the demonic cultivators I’ve killed so far, twenty-one were at the Dao Infant stage, and there were slightly fewer at the Grotto-Heaven stage—eighteen in total. As for the Immaculate Realm demonic cultivators, I’m ashamed to say I only killed five.” Shu Xin explained, “It’s not that I was too slow. It’s simply that parasitic spirit demonic cultivators cultivate in this manner: the more advanced their cultivation, the harder they are to find, and their numbers are smaller to begin with. I had to set up ambushes for a long time before I could kill those five. Still, with the Nine Heavens Dao Sect’s wealth, the total price for all of them shouldn’t amount to much.”
When Xiang Zhu saw the mountain of corpses—especially the corpses of so many Immaculate Realm demonic cultivators—he nearly thought his eyes were deceiving him.
Aside from the Dao Infant cultivators, the number of demonic cultivators Shu Xin had killed alone was already comparable to the total number he and his disciples had slain over the past several days.
The Immaculate Realm demonic cultivators were especially shocking. Even Xiang Zhu had personally killed only two of them, yet Shu Xin had killed five?
Five in two days?
Were these Immaculate Realm demonic cultivators pigs or something?
Xiang Zhu carefully examined them with his divine sense again, checking whether Shu Xin had somehow faked the evidence. Otherwise, how could this possibly be real?
Shu Xin let him inspect the corpses as much as he wanted.
There was nothing she could do about it. She was asking him to pay such a huge sum of spirit stones, so it was only natural for him to inspect everything carefully.
“Look at you. You killed too ferociously and Xiang Zhu’s Dao heart is practically collapsing.” Shu Xin teased him. “His entire face is practically spelling out the words ‘questioning his whole life.’”
[I couldn’t help it. There were just so many demonic cultivators, and I only used a tiny, tiny bit of strength.] The Sword Spirit joined in smugly. [Don’t compare me with those other spiritual swords.]
The Sword Spirit had originally held some admiration for Xiang Zhu, but by now, that admiration had long since been cast to the back of its mind.
Bleed them dry. Bleed these people from the Nine Heavens Dao Sect dry!
“Fellow Daoist Xiang Zhu, have you finished examining them?” Shu Xin was so sleepy that she had begun to yawn. “I’ve watched you inspect them over and over again. Don’t worry, they’re absolutely genuine. You should be able to determine their cultivation levels from the hardness of the bones and the spiritual energy remaining in them. If I wanted to fake this, the price would be far too high. Besides, I’ve only been away from you and your sect for two or three days. Where would I have found so many materials to use for a fraud?”
“You… how exactly did you do it?” Xiang Zhu’s expression as he looked at Shu Xin could no longer be described as shock. He was practically looking at a nonhuman creature.
If possible, Xiang Zhu even wanted to examine Shu Xin herself and see whether she had also been possessed by a parasitic spirit demonic cultivator.
“I found them and killed them. That’s all,” Shu Xin replied.
“But you only spent two days in total.” Xiang Zhu could not help questioning her. “They aren’t idiots. Were they really just going to stand there and let you kill them? Besides, parasitic spirit demonic cultivators often have many external incarnations, so they can’t be killed easily. How can you be sure that the ones you killed were their true bodies?”
“That’s my secret.” Shu Xin could not be bothered to explain any further. “You only need to pay me according to the price we agreed on. I don’t care about anything else. You aren’t saying all this because you want to welsh on the payment, are you?”
“Of course I’m not going to welsh on it. I simply don’t have that many spirit stones on hand at the moment.” Xiang Zhu had assumed that Shu Xin would kill, at most, a few demonic cultivators. He had only brought several thousand superior-grade spirit stones with him, which, as it turned out, were not even enough to cover the change. How could he possibly pay her?
“I can give you an IOU and pay you back slowly,” Xiang Zhu proposed. “I’ll send you a portion of the spirit stones every year, directly to the Questioning God Sect.”
“Paying in installments? That works, I suppose.” Shu Xin thought it over and agreed. “Then pay me whatever you have on hand now. I’ll go back and wait for the rest.”
Xiang Zhu had not expected Shu Xin to be so easygoing. Without hesitation, he took out all the superior-grade spirit stones on his person and placed them before her. “This is everything I have on me for now.”
“Even if you’re paying in installments, you should at least make a down payment of twenty or thirty percent. Fellow Daoist Xiang Zhu, this is far too little. It doesn’t even cover the price of a single Immaculate Realm demonic cultivator.” Shu Xin could not help complaining. Xiang Zhu looked so powerful, yet he was actually a pauper?
“I only have this much on me at the moment.” Xiang Zhu was somewhat embarrassed. “I also have some other materials and pills. You can use those to make up the difference.”
“Your sword…”
“My sword is absolutely not an option!” Xiang Zhu looked at Shu Xin warily.
[You can ask for anything else, but what do you want a sword for?] The Sword Spirit also demanded an explanation.
Fine, I was only asking.
Shu Xin felt a little disappointed. In the end, she searched Xiang Zhu from head to toe, stripping him of practically everything he possessed. Even the magical artifact hair crown on his head was taken away. In the end, aside from the robes he was wearing and the sword in his hand, not a single thing remained.
“Then I’ll be waiting for good news from you at the Questioning God Sect.” Shu Xin smiled at Xiang Zhu. “If you ever change your mind and want to hire me to take the blame for you, the price is still the same as before.”
“We respectfully send you off, Fellow Daoist Shu.” At this point, Xiang Zhu only wanted to get this plague-bringer Shu Xin out of there as quickly as possible.
Only then did Shu Xin leave, though she did so reluctantly.
Once Xiang Zhu confirmed that Shu Xin had gone, he immediately rearranged the Nine Heavens Dao Sect’s protective formations to prevent her from coming back.
His first stop was Xinyunzi, whom he went to explain everything to. He also took the opportunity to implore his senior brother, the sect master, to place the entire Nine Heavens Dao Sect under lockdown.
“Senior Brother Sect Master, the Possessed Spirit demon cultivators have already begun causing trouble everywhere. We absolutely cannot let them leave unchecked, or the reputation of our Nine Heavens Dao Sect will be ruined beyond repair. I ask that you activate the sect’s grand formation immediately and forbid every disciple from leaving!”
Xiang Zhu knew his request was excessive. Once the sect’s grand formation was activated, the consumption of spirit stones would place an enormous burden on the sect. But at present, there truly was no other choice.
After hearing Xiang Zhu’s words, Xinyunzi could only nod.
Paper could never wrap up a fire.
But before the flames spread completely, they could at least contain them for a while.
“I know.” Xinyunzi nodded. “I’ve already sent several junior brothers out to search for the Chun Clan’s secret treasure. I’ve also contacted the spy we planted in the Longevity Dao Sect. I only hope everything goes smoothly. If things truly become impossible, then we’ll follow the original plan and have the Ancestor survive through the Possessed Spirit Method.”
“Yes, Senior Brother Sect Master.” Xiang Zhu nodded.
Just like that, the Nine Heavens Dao Sect’s grand formation rose silently into place.
[We’re really leaving just like this?] The Sword Spirit was rather disappointed. It had not killed many demon cultivators yet, and it was unwilling to leave so soon.
“What would we accomplish by staying there now? On one hand, after we killed so many demon cultivators, they’ll only hide themselves. Finding them one by one would take far too much effort. On the other hand, the Possessed Spirit Demon Sect and the Nine Heavens Dao Sect will soon be fighting a major battle. If we remain there, we’ll only become a thorn in the side of both sects.” Shu Xin’s face was filled with a pleased smile. “When the mantis stalks the cicada, the oriole is waiting behind. Isn’t it better to wait and reap the rewards? Why bother doing everything ourselves?”
Besides, leaving at this point would allow her to reduce the Nine Heavens Dao Sect’s wariness toward her as much as possible.
Those sects had already fallen into the trap. It would not be so easy for them to escape now.
The next year or two would be their most chaotic period. Leaving at a time like this was actually a good thing.
[That does make sense. What should we do next?] the Sword Spirit asked curiously.
“Find somewhere to eat, drink, and have fun.” Shu Xin smiled. “It’s rare to get so many spirit stones all at once. How could I not enjoy myself properly? I’ll arrange for the best artifact refiner to give you a little maintenance. Do you want to change your sword sheath? I can buy you several new ones…”
After sending Shu Xin away, Xiang Zhu wiped the sweat from his forehead before returning to clean up the mess.
Everyone believed that he was the one who had exposed the Possessed Spirit Demon Sect’s hypocritical facade. After finding that his attempts to defend himself were useless, Xiang Zhu simply stopped arguing and instead did his best to kill the Possessed Spirit demon cultivators who revealed themselves, rescuing the Nine Heavens Dao Sect disciples in the process.
As for how the Possessed Spirit Demon Sect and the Nine Heavens Dao Sect would get along from then on, that was something Xinyunzi would have to worry about together with him.
A very chaotic period was destined to follow.
Shu Xin, meanwhile, simply took the Sword Spirit with her and traveled around, enjoying herself.
The biggest piece of gossip in the cultivation world was that the Blood Demon Ancestor had taken on a disciple. As for who this disciple really was and what their background might be, opinions varied wildly.
Jingzhi was doing surprisingly well.
With only a little inquiry, Shu Xin heard that this newly appointed Young Sect Master had already made quite a name for herself among the demon cultivators. She had accomplished several major deeds and become a favorite topic of discussion among them.
That was only natural.
Whether Wen Jingzhi was in the Longevity Dao Sect or the Blood Demon Sect, she could never remain obscure.
Gold would shine wherever it went.
Of course, quite a few cultivators were also puzzled by the recent behavior of the Nine Heavens Dao Sect. For some reason, it had sealed its mountain gate, allowing only disciples who had been traveling outside to return while forbidding them from leaving again.
Shu Xin joined in the discussions, sharing a few bits of gossip and listening to a whole bellyful of tales involving love, hatred, and grudges.
After eating and playing her way across the region, Shu Xin soon arrived near the Carefree Dao Sect.
She had heard that the major Dao sects had recently joined forces and gathered their most outstanding disciples to explore a secret realm. Their hope was that someone among them would successfully break through and reach the Immaculate Realm.
Almost everyone Shu Xin knew was among them.
Including Xie Xianzhi.
Thinking about the current state of the Nine Heavens Dao Sect, Shu Xin had more or less guessed what Xie Xianzhi might be like now. Even so, she still held on to a sliver of hope and decided to go take a look.
The Nine Heavens Dao Sect could still barely maintain its reputation by sealing its mountain gate and preventing news from spreading about the Possessed Spirit demon cultivators. But if too much time passed, that might no longer be possible.
Shu Xin had no interest in exploring the secret realm herself.
With the Sword Spirit, who had seen and experienced almost everything, she knew that the so-called secret realms of the present day had already been searched countless times by the sects. There was practically nothing left to find.
Occasionally, some rare natural treasures could be found, but most had been secretly planted by the Dao sects so their own disciples could obtain them. Some stingier sects would even deliberately cultivate natural treasures that could only be used by their own disciples. If someone else found them, they could only exchange them for something else.
There was no helping it. With spiritual energy so thin, the sects had to carefully budget their resources.
Qu Yougu, Xie Xianzhi, Chai Lingxin, Xiang Peiyao, Long Ling, and the others had all gathered together to train inside the secret realm.
Ordinarily, entering a secret realm required a key.
But relying on the Sword Spirit’s abilities, Shu Xin still managed to sneak inside.
The first thing Shu Xin wanted to do was confirm Xie Xianzhi’s whereabouts and see whether he still possessed any self-awareness.
Thus, Shu Xin and the Sword Spirit hid themselves and cautiously approached.
To her surprise, Xie Xianzhi was actually together with Qu Yougu.
To be honest, Shu Xin did not really want to meet Qu Yougu. She was mainly worried that things would become awkward.
After thinking it over, Shu Xin decided to hide first and secretly observe them together with the Sword Spirit.
It would have been better if she had not looked.
After seeing what was happening, Shu Xin was completely stunned.
“How can the Possessed Spirit demon cultivator inside Xie Xianzhi be so powerful?” Shu Xin asked in shock. “Could that aura belong to a Great Ascension cultivator?”
[It should be Xuan Wu,] the Sword Spirit replied. [He refined Xie Xianzhi into an external incarnation.]
With the Sword Spirit’s power, Shu Xin could clearly see that Xie Xianzhi’s body contained a fragment of the soul of a Great Ascension cultivator.
And throughout the entire Possessed Spirit Demon Sect, the only Great Ascension cultivator was its sect master, Xuan Wu.
Shu Xin’s thoughts raced.
“Xuan Wu attached his soul to Xie Xianzhi and came along to train in the secret realm. Isn’t he afraid that the experts from the other sects will discover him? He must have benefited from what happened in the Nine Heavens Dao Sect and wants to use the same trick in the other sects as well.” Shu Xin quickly understood why Xuan Wu was willing to take such a risk.
The cultivators who had come to train in the secret realm were all elites of their sects, outstanding disciples from the various Dao sects. If he could possess them, then even if he were discovered, all he would lose was the destruction of a few young talents. But if he remained undiscovered, he could use the same method to slowly devour another sect from within.
No matter how one looked at it, he would never be the one to lose.
Even taking the worst-case scenario into account, even if she gained nothing else from this, refining Xie Xianzhi into an external incarnation would ensure that, should something truly happen to her main body, the incarnation could continue to survive by relying on Xie Xianzhi’s cultivation and aptitude.
It could be considered a double safeguard.
By comparison, Qu Yougu and the others seemed almost laughably naive. How could they know that the greatest danger might come from right beside them?
“Wait, that’s not right.” Shu Xin studied the situation carefully and noticed something amiss. “Although Qu Yougu seems to be enjoying his conversation with Xie Xianzhi, he’s been on guard against him the entire time. Chai Lingxin, on the other hand, seems to get along with Xie Xianzhi much better.”
Could Qu Yougu have discovered something?
It was certainly possible.
After thinking it over, Shu Xin first contacted Qu Yougu through divine sense transmission.
“Fellow Daoist Qu, this is Shu Xin. Find an excuse to come out later. We need to talk.”
When Qu Yougu heard Shu Xin’s divine sense transmission, not even a flicker of emotion crossed his face. He pretended nothing had happened and cupped his hands toward Xie Xianzhi and Chai Lingxin.
“Fellow Daoists, I forgot to mention that there’s a spirit herb I need somewhere nearby. I’ll go retrieve it and be right back.”
“Do you need our help, Fellow Daoist Qu?” Chai Lingxin asked.
“It’s only a minor matter. There’s no need for either of you to come.” Qu Yougu shook his head. “I’ll be back shortly. Don’t worry.”
With that, Qu Yougu took flight and went straight to the place where Shu Xin’s divine sense transmission had originated.
When he saw that Shu Xin was already waiting there, he hesitated for a moment, seeming somewhat uncertain. In the end, however, he stepped forward and cupped his hands.
“This junior, Qu Yougu, pays his respects to Senior Shu.”
Shu Xin was now a cultivator of the Immaculate Realm. As a junior, Qu Yougu was expected to show her the proper respect.
“There’s no need to be so formal with me, Fellow Daoist Qu.” Shu Xin smiled. “You can address me as you did before. You’ve probably already guessed why I asked you to come here in private.”
“Something really happened to the Nine Heavens Dao Sect?” Qu Yougu set aside all thoughts of romance for the moment and got straight to the point. “Three years ago, Xianzhi came to see me. He said he felt that many of the uncles and seniors in the sect had changed. They had become unlike the people he knew. But no one believed him—not even me, three years ago. Yet this time, while traveling and gaining experience together, I discovered that Xianzhi has changed as well.”
Qu Yougu had immediately gone to find the elder leading his sect’s group, hoping to send word back and have the elder examine Xie Xianzhi’s condition.
But before he could even speak, the leading elder had rejected him.
Qu Yougu was no longer the Dao-Seeker whom everyone in the Myriad Dao Sect had once admired. On the contrary, he was merely a disgraced disciple who had been released ahead of schedule because he needed to undergo training.
With no evidence to support him, how could the leading elder possibly believe what Qu Yougu said?
Qu Yougu had spent the past several days pondering the matter. After considering every possibility, he could think of only one explanation: something had happened to the Nine Heavens Dao Sect.
Otherwise, if even he could detect the changes in Xie Xianzhi, how could no one in the Nine Heavens Dao Sect have noticed?
“That’s right. The Nine Heavens Dao Sect is facing a serious crisis.” Since Qu Yougu had already figured it out, Shu Xin directly revealed everything she had seen there, including the confrontation between the Earthly Immortal and Xuan Wu, without holding anything back.
Qu Yougu’s face gradually turned deathly pale.
“Joining forces with demonic cultivators and handing the sect over to them—is that really something an Earthly Immortal could do?” Qu Yougu could not understand it at all.
He had been taught very different principles since childhood.
If his sect needed him to sacrifice himself, Qu Yougu would do so without hesitation. But if the sect were to collude with the demonic sects, as the Nine Heavens Dao Sect had done, he would never agree to it!
“The Nine Heavens Dao Sect is already at the end of its rope.” Shu Xin shook her head. “This isn’t something we can concern ourselves with. I originally came here simply to check on you and make sure Xie Xianzhi was safe. I never expected things to develop according to the worst possible scenario. Since something has gone wrong with Xie Xianzhi, the group of elders leading the Nine Heavens Dao Sect’s contingent must have problems as well. If things go badly, this secret-realm trial of yours will turn into a festival for the Spirit Possession Demon Sect.”
When you arrived, you were elders and outstanding disciples from the various sects. But when you leave, I’m afraid every one of you may be a demonic cultivator.
There was a reason the Spirit Possession Demon Sect had been ostracized by both the Daoist sects and the demonic sects.
If they were allowed to grow unchecked, the entire cultivation world would truly be thrown into a state of panic.
“Fellow Daoist Shu, since you’ve come, you must have a way to resolve this.” Qu Yougu cupped his hands toward Shu Xin. “I know that our sects wronged you over the matter of the God-Seeking Sect. But with demonic cultivators now before us, I ask you to lend us your aid.”
“I think you’ve misunderstood.” Shu Xin looked at Qu Yougu. “This isn’t a question of whether I can get involved. This is a battlefield where the Earthly Immortals are engaged in a game of their own. Fellow Daoist Qu, do you really think that if even we can discover what’s happening, the other Earthly Immortals have noticed nothing at all? This secret realm is the result of years of painstaking effort by several great Daoist sects. Is it truly possible that they have no way to detect demonic cultivators? Yet Xie Xianzhi still entered. That means the Earthly Immortals behind the sects simply have no intention of acting for the time being.”
Qu Yougu’s face grew even paler.
Over the past few days, reality had taught him far too many harsh lessons.
The master of the Myriad Dao Sect had punished both his master and him without distinguishing right from wrong. Xie Xianzhi had become like this. Even Shu Xin said she was powerless to change the situation.
For the first time, Qu Yougu seemed to realize just how insignificant he was. Before the overwhelming tide of the cultivation world, he did not possess even the slightest power to resist.
“All the Daoist sects are waiting for the Spirit Possession Demon Sect and the Nine Heavens Dao Sect to determine which of them will prevail.” Shu Xin continued, “But if you truly wish to take action, there is still a way. Just consider me someone using you to pass along a message. The information I’m giving you is definitely true. Once your sect learns of it, perhaps Venerable Lezheng will take an interest.”
“Please enlighten me, Fellow Daoist Shu.” Qu Yougu cupped his hands and asked, “What is this information?”
“The Nine Heavens Dao Sect and the Blood Demon Sect somehow learned of Wuweizi of the Immortal Longevity Dao Sect’s method for extending his lifespan. It seems to be connected to the ancient Chun clan.” Shu Xin briefly explained the matter. “They are all searching for the so-called Chun clan treasure. But no one knows what this treasure actually is. All anyone knows is that someone claiming to be a descendant of the Chun clan has appeared—and the Nine Heavens Dao Sect has taken him directly into protective custody.”
Heaven knows, every word Shu Xin had said was true.
Even if someone investigated, they would only be able to uncover this much.
She certainly was not merely bored and looking for amusement. She simply wanted to add a little more fuel to an already chaotic mess.
Since things were going to descend into chaos anyway, why not drag a few more people into the water? Everyone was idle, after all. It would be much better if they started fighting!
Upon hearing this news, Qu Yougu stood rooted to the spot in shock.
Had Fellow Daoist Shu Xin already become involved in matters of such an exalted level?
