Chapter 114: Returning to the Sect, I Plunder My Own Home

"Have you made up your mind?"

"..." Qi Tian remained silent.

"Is this... could it be the character 'Tian' (field)?"

"Wrong."

"Then, the written word?"

"Also wrong."

Damn it, he was never good at thinking; otherwise, he wouldn't have ended up in this predicament.

"Since you cannot guess it, let me tell you the answer."

"No, give me one more chance."

"It is the character 'Jiang' (river)."

"You lost. Hand your body over to me."

"Get lost! I could have guessed it! I didn't lose!"

True Lord Myriad Snakes looked at the blustering Qi Tian and shook his head, saying calmly, "Your potential is even worse than I imagined. You have no hope of reaching the Nascent Soul stage in this lifetime. Forget it, I will use it; perhaps it can still be saved."

"Stay back!"

Qi Tian slapped a Void Concealment talisman onto his body, channeling his mana and preparing to self-destruct. "If you come any closer, I will detonate myself! Death is but an end—I would rather die without a complete corpse than let you have your way, you old monster!"

"It seems you didn't understand the rules of the game."

True Lord Myriad Snakes' eyes flashed with a purple light, as if something had been activated.

Qi Tian instantly collapsed to the ground, his mana sealed. The fifth-grade talisman fell to the floor, and he couldn't even move his eyeballs.

The entity walked closer and explained, "Why do you think I played a game with you? No matter how much I enjoy riddles, I would never go against my own interests."

"This is the Poison of Contract, rooted in the laws of the Poison Path. Once one party breaks the agreement, they are inevitably poisoned and paralyzed. While not fatal, it carries the binding power of a contract."

"A mere parlor trick."

With that, his body dissolved into a mass and merged into Qi Tian.

This Poison of Contract even numbed his soul. True Lord Myriad Snakes easily swallowed Qi Tian’s soul, regaining a portion of his power.

Before completely digesting him, he seemed to sense Qi Tian’s final lingering thought.

He muttered to himself, "Why was I certain you would lose? Actually, I wasn't sure. But I have a way to undo the Poison of Contract. Regardless of whether you were right or wrong, at most, it would have just been a fight."

"How could this deity possibly fear you?"

"..." Ning Sichen’s soul felt a cold sweat, looking at True Lord Myriad Snakes with dread.

Once he fully took control of the body, the flesh writhed, and Qi Tian’s appearance vanished, reverting to his original form.

This body still had four hundred years of lifespan, and his own soul had over a millennium. It was enough for him to break through to the Nascent Soul stage again and find a way to advance further before exacting revenge on the enemies who had schemed against him all those years ago.

Reborn, True Lord Myriad Snakes happily stretched his limbs.

A while later, he said to Ning Sichen, "You likely won't be able to leave the Yin Realm in this lifetime. This is the method left by that former Emperor to alter the Thousand-Eyed Demon Centipede; it's yours. Additionally, if you wish to develop the Yin Realm, you might consider cooperating with the Ancient Demon clans."

"They require human soul analogies to achieve humanoid form. If you can contact one of the twelve Ancient Demon clans and provide them with human souls, they will provide you with living people to convert into Yin energy, expanding your realm."

"It will also bolster the numbers of your ghost soldiers. Participate well in these buildings that contain the laws of heaven and earth; they will be of great use for your breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage."

"Finally, this is my jade pendant. It will ensure you aren't swindled when dealing with the Ancient Snake clan. If one day you make a name for yourself with the Yin Realm, you must assist me once with all your might."

"Farewell, little one."

True Lord Myriad Snakes finished speaking and vanished into mid-air, as if he had never been there at all.

"Thank you for your great kindness, Senior."

Ning Sichen knelt respectfully, bowing his head to the ground.

This turn of events was a meteoric rise; a blessing in disguise.

The series of changes in Chijing was truly convoluted. The Five Elements Sect, the Golden Core immortal clans, and the surrounding cultivation powers had suffered near-extinction.

Chi Jiuxiao had turned the tables, slaughtering all the hypocrites, then decisively abandoning his power to flee with his family.

Xiao Yan died there, and the Eye of Treasure Seeking transferred to Xiao Xue’er; one can only wonder what her fate will be.

The Master of the Heaven-Monitoring Tower was possessed, and the schemes of the Myriad Phenomena came to naught, becoming mere nourishment instead. Master Miaodan, through a twist of fate, was forced to be a guest at the Five Elements Sect, thus avoiding the disaster.

Cao Chengyu was in a similar position; because he had been watched by the Yin-Yang Daoist, he wanted to resolve this hidden threat early. But the scene was too horrific, so for the sake of his life, he ran away on the spot. He knew nothing of what followed.

But once Ning Sichen truly mastered the Fengdu Yin Realm, the news would spread as he came into contact with others.

By the time Cao Chengyu learned of it, he too would sigh at how things were linked—in the cultivation world, you scheme against me, I scheme against you, and others scheme against both of you simultaneously.

It was truly filled with deceit and backstabbing.

It surpassed any storybook.

Those standing on the first floor might well be standing on the fourth, watching those on the second and third fight to the death. Just when you think you have mastered everything, someone from the fifth floor jumps out. You think that's the end? No, there’s a sixth floor, a seventh floor.

As long as the interests are vast enough and the targets are numerous enough, a sea of blood and piles of corpses are simply normal.

Cao Chengyu had gained no benefits from this incident. No exotic fire, no divine abilities, he didn't get Xiao Yan’s treasures, he didn't even make any friends, and he had fought a Golden Core cultivator, ending up severely wounded.

By the time he recovered, he found his table gone, let alone the meal.

His cultivation was still too low; he lacked the strength to share in the spoils.

Through this battle, he had grown significantly, recognizing both himself and the nature of the cultivation world.

In the future, he must reflect on himself daily, be cautious in his words and deeds, and carefully plan for his own goals.

For now...

He needed to return to the Five Elements Sect. At this moment, only the Second Elder Zhao Fengxian and some Purple Mansion cultivators responsible for production, such as Master Divine Fire, remained in the sect.

The main hall of the Five Elements should still house the Sect Master and the Grand Elders, but they were never active within the sect itself.

Too many had fallen in this battle.

Relying on these aging figures, it would be difficult to hold onto the foundation of the three kingdoms.

Not to mention, they had rivals: the Heavenly Treasure Sect of the Qian Kingdom, the Hemp-Clad Gate of the Zhou Dynasty, the Dark Star Pavilion of the Xin Dynasty, and so on.

In this world of survival of the fittest, once the essence of weakness is exposed, it is entirely normal to be carved up by the strong.

Cao Chengyu intended to take this opportunity to raid the sect’s Scripture Pavilion and sweep away all the secret arts he previously couldn't access.

Not for any other reason—even couples fly apart when disaster strikes; he had little sense of belonging to the sect, and having been suppressed by the Yin-Yang Daoist, he had long held a grudge.

After witnessing the behavior of Nangong Yao and others, his dissatisfaction only grew. It could only be said that falling to this state, having encountered a ruthless man like Chi Jiuxiao—they deserved it!

It was a pity for those Purple Mansion cultivators, led to their deaths by the sect's Golden Core elders without even knowing why.

His merely taking the collection from the Scripture Pavilion could be considered showing mercy, as the true secret techniques concerning the Five Elements Sect's legacy were likely in the hands of the old monsters.

When he finally arrived at the Five Elements Sect, there was indeed no major commotion in the sect.