Chapter 25

"Thank you? Immortal Yao, you really do have a sense of humor."

Su Zhen gave a light laugh. "As a dignified Blood God Priest, do you have any other reason for killing people? Don't tell me you slaughtered them not as a sacrifice for your master, but to please me?"

"Oh?"

The white-haired man looked at her with a smile. "Immortal, you truly recognize me."

This was the first time they had met in this life. However, in their previous life, they had been acquaintances in a certain sense. Yet, this fellow Yao Wan hadn't paid much attention to righteous cultivators, so he likely didn't know her true identity.

To righteous cultivators, those of lower realms cannot hide their spiritual pressure from those of higher realms. Demonic cultivators, however, have certain methods; even if they cannot hide it completely, they can create illusions, and she could guide him toward certain conjectures.

...Just like now.

Only cultivators in the Upper Seven Realms are addressed as "Immortal." Yao Wan kept calling her "Immortal," just as he had when they first met in their past life—though back then, she had been a legitimate Celestial Immortal, worthy of the title. Now, he merely deduced she was of the Upper Seven Realms, having used some technique to blur her spiritual pressure, making it seem as though she were only in the Transformation Deity realm. Such a deduction was logical, as the things she had done previously did not seem like the work of a mere Transformation Deity.

"What is the Immortal thinking about?"

The white-haired man tilted his head, his handsome face showing a hint of confusion and dissatisfaction. "I still don't know who you are, yet you continue to act evasive in front of me. It is truly unpleasant."

No sooner had he spoken than he reached out without warning.

The surrounding scenery blurred instantly, as if a gray, watery ripple had spread out to cover the somewhat desolate little tavern. The dark red wooden tables, chairs, and floors, the yellowed walls stained with oil, the customers drinking and laughing, and the windows flickering with silhouettes—everything faded of its color, turning into a bleak, ash-gray.

Only the white-haired man remained standing in place, smiling. The red silk in his hair, the red beads on his hairpin, his overly vivid red lips, and that deep vermilion robe—all appeared even more strikingly beautiful in contrast.

Immediately after, countless deep red fissures tore open in the gray, colorless world behind him, like wounds cut by a blade, from which blood oozed. Then, dozens of hideous, skinless claws with exposed muscle reached out from the cracks. Their tips were sharp as knives, and their palms featured split mouths filled with rows of jagged teeth. These blood-colored arms reached forward incessantly, emitting sharp, piercing shrieks. The sounds were high-pitched or low, soft or harsh, as if thousands of people were screaming in unison.

The scene was terrifying. Anyone with even a slight understanding of the Soul-Devouring Sect would know this was a clear display of intent to seize victims for sacrifice.

Su Zhen, however, breathed a sigh of relief. Having a deeper understanding of the Soul-Devouring Sect and an even greater understanding of this man, she knew this was merely a probe. Ever since seeing him, she had been forming a dharma seal hidden within her sleeves.

"Immortal Yao, why go to such lengths?" the young cultivator of unknown identity asked calmly.

She sat in the world of gray, her figure appearing slender, draped in a thin, pale reed-colored dress, stained with only the faintest hint of green, like grass sprouting in early spring, buried in snow before it could grow.

However—

He suddenly locked eyes with her rich, emerald-green gaze and saw, deep within her pupils which were beginning to take on a diamond shape, a flash of solemn golden light.

Instantly, countless fissures overflowing with golden radiance tore open in the void behind her. Those cracks writhed and expanded, transforming into perfectly round eyes. Dozens of golden irises opened, casting their gaze from different directions toward the opposite side.

At that moment, the blood-red arms that had been reaching out to seize their prey suddenly stopped, one after another. The horrifying, piercing screams also vanished entirely.

The two stood and sat in confrontation, both wearing enigmatic smiles. Centered on the ground beneath their feet, the world seemed split in two: one half filled with blood-red arms, the other with radiant golden eyes.

"My presence here is the answer you seek," Su Zhen said nonchalantly. "And I thought you would have been able to figure that out."

The white-haired man tilted his head and studied her for a moment. "I know you people are always like this, but was this matter truly an accident?"

Several thoughts raced through Su Zhen's mind. At this moment, he didn't know her true identity; having tracked her all the way here using secret arts, he only judged her to be a demonic cultivator from the Thousand-Vehicle Sect. As for who exactly she was, the Thousand-Vehicle Sect had many experts, including many who kept low profiles, so he didn't know them all.

"Yes," Su Zhen said casually. "I was just passing by that day and saw that man surnamed Zhou hiding away, counting the talismans in his hand. A few of them had rare incantations, so I wanted to take them for fun and see what other good things he had on him." She smiled sweetly as she added, "Who knew he really had something?"

The white-haired man scoffed. "So the Ganmu Spirit Orb is still in your hands?"

Su Zhen gave him a look as if to say, *Are you joking?* "Of course we dismantled it. Such a novel object—naturally, one has to study it properly, don't you think?"

The white-haired man fell silent for a moment, casting a look at her as if she were hopeless. She was familiar with this expression, too. She could even guess what he would say next.

"...You people are truly boring. Whenever you see a spell or incantation you don't know, you lose your souls over it." He said with waning interest, "Forget it. This is your Thousand-Vehicle Sect's territory, and I don't want to see any more, I..."

"That man surnamed Zhou threatened me before he died," Su Zhen interrupted. "He said he was going to meet someone from the Soul-Devouring Sect. So, the one doing business with him was your disciple?"

The white-haired man glanced at her, not answering yes or no. "Why? Are followers of the Dharma God also interested in such things?"

Su Zhen looked back with mockery. "I think you are the ones who are finished."

He waved his hand dismissively. The blood-red arms dancing in the air trembled, retreated, and vanished without a trace. The golden eyes behind Su Zhen also gradually closed and disappeared into the air.

Su Zhen asked, "Aren't you curious? What kind of deal did the Zhou family make with the Heavenly Capital to get the guidance to create such a treasure?"

The white-haired man laughed. "Zhou Ting is still in the Heavenly Capital, refining talismans with others for Immortal Venerable Yaofang, oblivious to the world outside. But once they finish, she will know I slaughtered her husband, children, and entire family. She will inevitably come to find me, whether for revenge or for those few Ganmu orbs." He crossed his arms. "Before she dies, I will surely extract the answer, but I don't want to tell you."

Su Zhen secretly cursed him for a fool. "If she knows it was you, she will never come to find you in person. She is no match for you; inciting her boss to deal with you would be the real move."

"Boss? Hmph, those cowardly rats in the Central Domain—if they truly dared to come, I would respect them three points." The white-haired man narrowed his eyes. "I think you just want to snatch my prey."

Su Zhen rolled her eyes. "Joking, I—"

"You have your eyes on the talisman secrets in Zhou Ting's hands. Their aristocratic family must have some secret clan classics; she likely used one of those secret arts to impress Immortal Venerable Yaofang." He continued to himself, "On your territory, I won't kill you, but don't you dare touch my target, otherwise—"

Su Zhen almost failed to hold back her laughter. The Zhou family head and his entire clan had been slaughtered by him, so they were bound to hate him to the bone. He loved such prey, especially since Zhou Ting was also in the Golden Immortal realm. A Golden Immortal who hated him to the core was not easily found.

"—Who is that person currently buying candied cakes on East Street?" he suddenly asked.

Su Zhen looked up in surprise.

The other party interpreted this gesture as fear or worry. The white-haired man smiled again. "I have always been reluctant to provoke you people of the Thousand-Vehicle Sect, but if you ruin my plans, I will sacrifice that person's soul and turn his body into a puppet, every day..."

Su Zhen: "?"

She couldn't be bothered to listen to the rest of his threats. She had just realized she had completely left Xiao Yu behind. Perhaps it was because the experiences just now had awakened so many familiar scenes from her past life that she had temporarily forgotten where she was. In her previous life, she had fought countless demonic powerhouses; she had engaged in battles of wits, courage, and sorcery. She had even fought this man in front of her more times than she could count.

Su Zhen: "..."

And thinking about his words, *soul sacrifice*? A soul? Not a Primordial Spirit? Did he think Xiao Yu was a cultivator who hadn't yet formed a Primordial Spirit? Someone below the Nascent Soul realm? Of course, with the disparity in their cultivation levels, if Xiao Yu wanted others to think he was at a certain level, they would judge him as such, and it was hard to suspect anything amiss.

Su Zhen: "Yao Wan, do whatever you want. If he dies that easily, then he—" How to put it? Su Zhen bluffed, "He doesn't deserve to be my disciple."

The white-haired man immediately showed a look of understanding. He could naturally see that the other person had been hiding his identity; he was likely a prominent figure in the righteous path, perhaps even an elder of a major sect. There were many such people among the followers of the Thousand-Vehicle Sect. Or rather, among all the sects of the demonic path, the Thousand-Vehicle Sect had the highest number of cultivators who had defected from the righteous path.

Other sects had them too, but fewer. As for the reason? Their commonality was an overly intense thirst for knowledge and curiosity—a hunger for secret arts that outweighed everything else. Some were willing to sacrifice their loved ones, ignore right and wrong, and betray everything for it. Of course, the limit of what each person would give varied, but it was certain they were all willing to pay the price. Thus, when they were summoned by the Dharma God, it was hard for them to resist the temptation.

The two remained silent. Su Zhen knew what this guy was pondering. He knew a lot about the Thousand-Vehicle Sect, so he would naturally rationalize the whole thing himself, including her hiding her cultivation level; he would find a good reason for it. Ultimately, a normal Transformation Deity could not instantly kill a Nascent Soul expert, even if that Transformation Deity were a demonic cultivator—some demonic secret arts were simply beyond the reach of the Transformation Deity realm. And the truth was exactly that. If not for Su Zhen's experience as a Golden Immortal, she wouldn't even know how to use those spells, let alone execute them. So, a true Transformation Deity truly couldn't do it. Yao Wan simply didn't consider the possibility that her strength matched what she displayed, because it didn't make sense. Under that premise, everything else that seemed unreasonable would be forcibly interpreted as reasonable.

"Enough." The white-haired man said to himself, "How many of you people truly know how to 'hate'? Even if you are beaten to death, you only blame yourselves for having insufficient skills and not having learned a few more tricks. Hmph, how dreadfully boring."

"I originally thought you were different." He glanced outside. "Your subordinates have arrived; I can't be bothered to talk nonsense with them."

With that, he vanished from the spot.

The gray, ash-white world shattered instantly. That invisible curtain disappeared, revealing the colorful, authentic world once more. The shopkeeper behind the counter looked on in shock. In his eyes, the two people had suddenly vanished, and after a while, one appeared again while the other was gone. But he had already realized they were immortals, so he naturally didn't dare ask more.

Su Zhen turned her head to look at the street outside.

...

A quarter of an hour ago, beneath the city of Flying Crane.

In the intricate, muddy long streets, many old and dilapidated wooden houses stood, and various courtyards were circled by crooked partition walls. It was working hours, and the streets were crowded with people, many pushing carts and pulling goods.

A young man carrying a wooden box stumbled through the street. Her clothes were patched, making her look no different from the people on the street. The surrounding crowd didn't pay her much attention. She walked to the door of an inconspicuous little house. Passersby were accustomed to it, knowing there was a small private school inside. The few teachers there had no real talent; they only knew a few characters and could recite some pedantic poems, just scraping by, and usually dressed even worse than those outside.

The young man stood outside the door and looked into the courtyard. Inside were stacks of broken, moldy cabinets, tables missing legs with many cracks, and water vats with filth-covered walls. The ground was even more scarred, with traces of rat droppings, showing it hadn't been cleaned in a long time. The young man only paused for a moment before walking in with her head bowed.

The moment she stepped inside, the scenery in the courtyard changed abruptly. All the broken furniture disappeared; the ground became smooth, white stone, clean and spotless. On both sides, pine and cypress trees were lush and green, the flower beds were fragrant, and the tips of the trees and grass were trimmed with extreme precision.

She pushed open the door of the main house. The room inside was surprisingly large, several times wider than it looked from the outside. The room was elegantly decorated; the tables and chairs were of fine mahogany, the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the desk were all exquisite, and the shelves were filled with expensive antiques. The screen was made of some kind of translucent crystal, the mountain scenery inside lifelike, with waterfalls cascading into a pool of green water. Looking closely, the water was actually moving!

She stared at the screen in shock, undisguised curiosity in her eyes. She walked a few steps closer, reaching out as if to touch it.

Several people walked out from the inner door. One of them smiled, "...As long as you practice diligently, within three years, you will understand the principles of the illusion art within that screen."

The young man in front of the screen turned her head. "What if I want to create it myself?"

The few demonic cultivators exchanged glances.

"Fast, thirty years; slow, one hundred years."

"So long?"

Disappointment appeared on the young man's face. Before she could say anything, the door behind opened again, and two people of similar age entered. They were also looking around, and their eyes were immediately fixed on the screen, staring blankly.

A demonic cultivator walked to the front of the room and pointed to the tables and chairs. "The three of you, please take your seats."

The three young newcomers sat down, each looking expectant.

"Since you have entered our Thousand-Vehicle Divine Sect, we are all fellow travelers. The hundreds of secret vaults and ten thousand secret arts within the sect will be open to you." The demonic cultivator smiled. "We are all people who thirst for knowledge and never tire of learning, which is why we are able to hear the call of the Dharma God. I presume you all understand?"

The first young man to enter nodded slowly. "That day I went to look through ancient books, wanting to find a cure, and that voice guided me to flip through that book—" She was clearly a doctor by trade. The other two young people had different occupations but had had similar experiences, and they nodded in agreement.

"I wanted to find a way to keep the pearl fruits my parents planted from withering."

"I just wanted to learn how to observe the celestial phenomena."

"Very good." The demonic cultivator nodded with satisfaction. "Whatever you wish to know, it must be an extremely intense desire to attract the gaze of the Holy God." He studied the three people below. "Your aptitudes are average, but your spiritual roots can be refined, and none of you have demonic bloodlines, so this matter is simple."

Another demonic cultivator spoke up, "Next, we will guide you into the sect. Once you have cultivated your Primordial Spirits, you will go to the Demon World."

The three quickly stood up to express their gratitude. The few demonic cultivators suddenly exchanged glances.

"What's going on?" one of them asked in surprise. "A follower of the Blood God pulled someone into the Shadow Realm?"

"No, that other person... that is the aura of my Lord—"

They looked at each other in confusion. However, the battle above ended quickly.

"It's nothing, probably just a senior here to use the world gate." One of them whispered, "My senior sister and I will go up and take a look; you all continue."

"The spiritual pressure just now felt like a Blood God Priest. If it's a powerhouse of that level, the other one is at least an 'Asia-Blessing' Lord," the first demonic cultivator said solemnly. "We should go to pay our respects together."

The group of demonic cultivators exchanged a few words and quickly left, leaving behind only their disciples and the three newcomers. The three were stunned for a moment before one of the bolder ones asked a question. Among the disciples of the demonic cultivators, there were some who liked to talk, and they began to explain.

"We have several world gates here, and seniors come by from time to time..."

"There are many positions in the sect, but those who can use the 'Divine Eye Secret Incantation' are usually 'Blessing Priests.' The Blessing Priests are the ones responsible for gathering various classics for the sect. No matter the method, as long as it's something the sect doesn't have, they will take it..."

"Blessing Priests are divided into three levels based on strength: Junior Blessing, Asia-Blessing, and Supreme Blessing..."

"There are only two Supreme Blessing Lords in the sect, and both can contend with those Holy Realm powerhouses outside. Uh, you all know what an Immortal Venerable is, right? What? You don't know what an Immortal Venerable is?"

"...Senior Brother, you can't say it like that. Some Immortal Venerables are still untouchable."

"Oh, I wasn't being careful. There is a huge difference between Immortal Venerables. The Supreme Blessing Lords can fight those who aren't sword, spell, or body cultivators..."

Under the attentive listening of the three newcomers, the group of demonic cultivators began to discuss enthusiastically.

...

West Street of the city.

Another group of demonic cultivators was already standing outside the Zhang family tavern. They could see the girl in green inside through the window. The one with the highest cultivation even caught a glimpse of the white-haired man who had just left. At this moment, the green-clad cultivator, who appeared young, was standing by the counter, receiving a large food box from the shopkeeper, and then sat down at a vacant table.

As she opened the box, the demonic cultivators outside filed in.

Su Zhen looked up.

*Yo.*

Mostly old acquaintances. Her expression remained unchanged. "Lord Shaowei, Immortal Liu, Immortal Hong, Immortal Ying—"

The group of demonic cultivators she named bowed their heads one after another.

Why was this colleague of unknown identity suppressing her spiritual pressure? Why was she not revealing her true face? To them, there were countless answers. Because they guarded the world gate here, they had seen many such colleagues from within the sect and were long accustomed to it. Moreover, the fact that she knew them meant she had either seen them in the Demon World years ago or had used the world gate in Flying Crane City before under a different identity. Even if their curiosity made them want to investigate, they knew better than to do so. Outsiders always thought that followers of the Dharma God would die of curiosity, but little did they know, few of the Thousand-Vehicle Sect members who had reached this point would truly let their reason be completely dominated by curiosity. Otherwise, they would have long since been unable to resist their desires and slaughtered their way into the libraries of those top-tier sects.

"So the other one, hmm," the leading demonic cultivator asked, "is he also going to the secret vault with you? I don't know what his position in the sect—"

He didn't know how to address Xiao Yu. Su Zhen realized again that Xiao Yu hadn't hidden his tracks from this group either, only letting them think he was a low-level cultivator who hadn't yet formed a Nascent Soul. She was currently covered by a secret incantation. When others felt her spiritual pressure, they felt as if it were veiled in fog. When they thought she was a Transformation Deity, they would conclude this was an intentional concealment of her strength. However, Xiao Yu had deliberately convinced them that his strength was below the Nascent Soul realm.

Su Zhen: "...My disciple."

Lies become easier the more you tell them. She also knew this was the most convenient explanation that required the least amount of talk. Because the rules for newcomers in the sect were few, one could say anyone was responsible for recruitment. After all, the Dharma God welcomed all seekers of knowledge and was happy to see every follower—regardless of their position—act as a teacher and pass on knowledge.

The demonic cultivators showed looks of understanding, exactly the same as the white-haired one. Su Zhen just felt helpless.

However, no sooner had she spoken than a tall, upright figure appeared at the door, carrying a bundle of oiled paper in his hand.

The man waved at them. "Is everything going smoothly?"

*Smoothly, my foot.* Su Zhen secretly grumbled. She had completely forgotten about this person, but Xiao Yu probably knew everything that had happened here. Of course, he hadn't intervened, likely because he didn't want to meddle in her affairs or upset her, just as he had said himself. As for the rest—whether he believed she could handle Yao Wan, or if he felt he could save her in an instant if something went wrong? Su Zhen felt it was the former. Although it didn't make much sense at first glance, because Xiao Yu knew she was a true Transformation Deity and that the other was a Golden Immortal, that was just how she felt. And dealing with him wasn't a battle; she just had to send him away.

Thinking this, Su Zhen glanced at the demonic cultivators nearby. They had likely misunderstood, and one of them smiled flatteringly, "Truly, a great teacher produces a brilliant student. One day, he will surely be a pillar of our sect."

Xiao Yu turned his head slightly. Su Zhen gave him a helpless look.

Another demonic cultivator smiled, "Has this brother not been to the secret vault yet?"

Su Zhen coughed lightly. "With his cultivation, going there wouldn't be of much use."

The demonic cultivator nodded. "Although it's a bit dangerous, following you, it shouldn't be a problem. It'll be good for him to gain some experience."

Su Zhen: "...Let's see how he performs."

Xiao Yu looked at her, suddenly took two steps forward, and knelt on one knee before her. "It was my fault earlier, don't be angry anymore. I've already bought the candied cakes."

He was already tall, and kneeling on one knee beside her allowed him to look her in the eye. The black-haired, blue-eyed young man leaned in with a smile, one hand resting beside her, his broad shoulders casting a large shadow that enveloped her.

"Just take me with you," he said in a low voice, "Master."

As he spoke, he blinked, his long, curled eyelashes trembling. His blue eyes, sparkling like clear water reflecting the sky, were filled with laughter.