Chapter 12: Splitting Up
“I’d occasionally go to the Peach Forest Sea to feed Chi, and we got acquainted that way,” Ye Changsheng explained to Senior Sister Xiaoxing, who was looking at him with suspicion.
“That’s impossible! It’s like you tamed this Ferocious Beast!”
“Of course, I had to feed it good stuff. After a few times, it got used to me. Ferocious Beasts are animals at heart, they recognize people.”
Actually, Ye Changsheng only told half the story.
When Ye Changsheng went out on missions, he would occasionally obtain some rare items. However, their value far exceeded the realm he appeared to be in, so he couldn’t openly bring them back. It would be a waste to just discard them in the wild.
After careful consideration, Ye Changsheng decided to lure the Ferocious Beast into the Star Vortex Formation. It was a good way to deal with troublesome items.
Initially, the Ferocious Beast attacked Ye Changsheng as it would any other person, intending to kill him. However, after a few scoldings, it became quite docile.
“I don’t believe you!” Senior Sister Xiaoxing shook her head repeatedly.
Ye Changsheng shrugged helplessly. “Senior Sister Xiaoxing, the facts are right in front of you.”
Senior Sister Xiaoxing couldn’t think of any other explanation, so she had to agree.
After eating, the Scarlet Wast let out a satisfied burp and lay lazily on the ground, slowly closing its eyes as if preparing for a pleasant nap.
“Chi, I have a question for you,” Ye Changsheng said.
“Hiss?” The Scarlet Wast opened one eye.
“Besides us, have you seen anyone else approach?”
The Scarlet Wast shook its head.
“Let me ask you another way, before we found you, did you sense anything unusual from any direction, like something passing by?”
This time, the Scarlet Wast didn’t shake its head. Instead, it raised its tail and pointed in one direction.
“Are you sure it was this way?”
A moment later, the Scarlet Wast pointed in the opposite direction.
“Huh? Two directions?”
“Hiss!” The Scarlet Wast let out another strange cry.
“Alright, it’s nothing. You can go to sleep.”
The Scarlet Wast lay on the ground and slept soundly, while Ye Changsheng quietly processed the information.
“Senior Sister Xiaoxing, it seems the two directions Chi pointed to are where Liu Ye escaped.”
“How could he run in two directions at once?” Senior Sister Xiaoxing was very confused. “Does he have a clone technique?”
Ye Changsheng also suspected something was amiss, but wasn’t sure. He could only shake his head, indicating he didn’t know.
“Can’t we ask the Ferocious Beast to help us find him?”
“Chi hates being disturbed during naps. If you’re not afraid of it getting angry, you can try waking it up.”
Looking at the Ferocious Beast’s appearance, Senior Sister Xiaoxing immediately dismissed the idea.
“Let’s search ourselves! Men on the left, women on the right. I’ll take the left, you take the right.”
“Are you sure you’ll be alright alone, Senior Sister?”
“Hmph, what are you afraid of? Liu Ye is just a mere early Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator,” Senior Sister Xiaoxing declared confidently, puffing out her chest. “I’m 100% confident I can defeat him alone. I’m unrivaled among cultivators of the same realm!”
“Alright, Senior Sister Xiaoxing, please be careful. That man is very dangerous, he might have some hidden killing moves,” Ye Changsheng warned.
“Hmph, worry about yourself first,” Senior Sister Xiaoxing said dismissively. “If you’re scared, you can hide and wait for me to finish him off.”
…
“It seems there’s really no one around.”
After Ye Changsheng and Senior Sister Xiaoxing released their spiritual pressure, they began casting Sorcery.
“Divine Sense Scan.”
Abundant Spiritual Power surged from Ye Changsheng, exploding outwards in all directions. Like a radar, the Spiritual Energy fed information back to Ye Changsheng about everything it passed, allowing him to grasp the surrounding intelligence. However, due to being within the Nine Gates Eight Gates Formation, the Divine Sense Scan was limited to some extent and couldn’t cover as wide an area as usual.
“Found him.”
Fortunately, Chen Ye hadn’t gone far, and Ye Changsheng had pinpointed his location. He withdrew his Sorcery and pushed off the ground, moving through the grass with speed that even surpassed Senior Sister Xiaoxing’s artifact-riding. In a short while, a man’s back appeared in his vision.
Chen Ye was using a Wood Escape Talisman to move silently, and what’s more, he was also using a Tracking Talisman.
“No wonder Chi couldn’t see him.”
When encountering enemies, the Tracking Talisman could provide instant acceleration, like a blurred shadow flashing past one’s eyes. If one wasn’t actively paying attention, it was easy to overlook. Such a Talisman would require at least a Golden Core Realm Cultivator to craft.
Chen Ye seemed to have noticed Ye Changsheng pursuing him and activated the Tracking Talisman’s effect, preparing to escape as a black shadow.
“Wind Spirit Palm.”
Ye Changsheng had already locked onto his target and unleashed a palm strike. The spiritual energy impact, mixed with wind, rushed towards Chen Ye. The Martial Skill struck Chen Ye, who was so frail he was killed in one blow, falling to the ground.
Ye Changsheng grew suspicious; he was too weak to fight, like a paper doll. He approached to investigate, and indeed, this “Chen Ye” had turned into a paper figure, all the Talismans on his body shattered.
“It’s a Shadow Splitting Talisman,” Ye Changsheng declared. This Talisman, crafted by a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator proficient in Talisman Cultivation, splits off a shadow similar to the body. It has no combat power and is used to deceive others. “That’s why Chi pointed in two directions. It seems Senior Sister Xiaoxing really got lucky; the other direction is likely the real body.”
…
Senior Sister Xiaoxing found her target, Chen Ye, a handsome young man whose appearance could even be described as wicked, exuding an aura of demonic charm. She was lucky to have encountered the real person and could defeat him herself, proving she was more outstanding than that Calamity Cultivation Cauldron!
Senior Sister Xiaoxing was eager to fight, shouting, “Don’t run, Chen Ye!”
“Oh my, isn’t this Senior Sister Xiaoxing?” Chen Ye stopped, greeting her with interest. “Senior Sister, are you out for a stroll like me?”
“Don’t call me Senior Sister, you traitor! Today, I am here to purge the sect on behalf of the Young Palace Mistress!” Senior Sister Xiaoxing activated her Magical Treasure. “Go, Spirit Wood Staff!”
Chen Ye slowly looked up, his expression changing as he revealed an extremely sinister smile. “Hear my command, Blood Soul Cauldron!”
Two beams of light shot out from their bodies and collided in the air, their Magical Treasure battle stirring up gusts of wind. Chen Ye’s Magical Treasure was a large, blood-red cauldron filled with blood-red human blood. As the Magical Treasures clashed, drops of blood fell to the ground, emitting a foul odor.
“How many people have you killed to nurture your Magical Treasure, Chen Ye?!” Senior Sister Xiaoxing questioned.
“Do you remember every piece of bread you’ve ever eaten?” Chen Ye’s fox-like eyes gleamed. “To become strong, my hands have long been stained with blood, and I’ve abandoned Dao.”
From within the Blood Soul Cauldron, screams that sent shivers down one’s spine could be heard intermittently. Senior Sister Xiaoxing could distinguish them all as women’s voices, including those of the elderly and infants.
“Disgusting!”
“What’s so disgusting? Aren’t you from a Demonic Sect too? We’re all heretics, birds of a feather!”
“At least Wuhua Palace has standards! We don’t harm the elderly and children!”
“Fifty steps laughing at a hundred! Soul Blood Sacrifice!”
The Blood Soul Cauldron, having absorbed souls, unleashed horrific wails. Under Chen Ye’s cruel Cultivation Technique, they were refined into ferocious ghosts that flew out of the cauldron and lunged at Senior Sister Xiaoxing.
“Wood Spirit Breath Shield!”
Senior Sister Xiaoxing activated her defensive technique, using her Magical Treasure to absorb the surrounding wood-attribute Spiritual Energy, forming a protective shield around herself. Chen Ye let out a mocking laugh, his Spiritual Power increasing by several layers, jumping from early Foundation Establishment Realm to mid-Foundation Establishment Realm.
“You’ve been Cheated. I’m not an early Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. My strength is at the sixth level of the Foundation Establishment Realm!”
“This is bad!” Senior Sister Xiaoxing cried inwardly. With her lack of combat experience, she never expected the opponent to conceal his strength. The howling ghosts shattered the Wood Spirit Breath Shield and struck Senior Sister Xiaoxing directly, their malevolent energy severely harming her mind and dealing a great blow to her spirit.
“Heh heh, my cauldron refines only the vengeful spirits of women. It’s especially effective against women, particularly you bitches from Wuhua Palace.” Chen Ye grinned sinisterly and used the Blood Soul Cauldron to smash into Senior Sister Xiaoxing, sending her Spirit Wood Staff flying far away. The young girl shuddered violently, staggering back several steps. Her legs felt as heavy as lead, making it difficult to even stand.
“Senior Sister Xiaoxing, you’re still a virgin, aren’t you?”
“What… what do you want…!” Senior Sister Xiaoxing trembled with terror.
“You’ve always been afraid to cultivate with men, haven’t you? As a Cultivation Cauldron, I’m naturally here to help you!” Senior Sister Xiaoxing muttered protests, utterly unwilling, but unable to resist.
“You damn whore, I’ll let you experience a woman’s pleasure today.” As Chen Ye’s hand slowly descended, gradually covering her vision, Senior Sister Xiaoxing was on the verge of collapse. Her heart sank into despair, tears streaming down her face, and she suddenly thought of a man.
“Don’t… come any closer…” Senior Sister Xiaoxing regretted not heeding Ye Changsheng’s warning. She tried to warn him, but a heavy fatigue washed over her, dragging her consciousness into darkness.
“Now, you’re mine, my beauty.” Facing such a beautiful woman before him like a lamb to the slaughter, Chen Ye’s excitement grew. He licked his dry lips. To be able to toy with an Inner Disciple of Wuhua Palace, who was usually so aloof, was something he could do as he pleased. Thinking of this, though vulgar, Chen Ye became…
“Heh heh, your figure isn’t much, but your face is decent. I’ll bear with it and use you reluctantly!” Just as Chen Ye was about to act, his wrist was grabbed by someone.
“Don’t touch her.”
