In truth, this speed was not slow. For example, Chao Taichu had remained at the early stage of Nascent Soul for fifty years, only slowly stepping into the mid-stage when he was four hundred years old.
Perhaps because she had studied Kunlun Sword Art again from the beginning, she was entering the mid-stage of Nascent Soul much earlier than in her previous life.
She recalled the smoothness when she defeated that giant spider, and her new insights into the first three layers of the Kunlun Sword Art… opportunity must not be missed. Chao Jinsui no longer hesitated. After telling Yan Xueyi, she immediately began seclusion.
The difference between each stage of the Nascent Soul realm is extremely great.
From the early stage of Nascent Soul to the mid-stage—
The meridians would widen, and the spiritual energy stored in the dantian would increase to twice its original amount!
The amount of spiritual energy stored in the dantian is extremely important for cultivators. When facing the great protective sect formation, she used the Kunlun Sword to resist that fatal strike, and the spiritual energy in her dantian was almost completely drained; when facing the out-of-control demon lord, her dantian’s spiritual energy was also exhausted in the end, forcing her into close combat… all of this was due to insufficient spiritual energy reserves.
She closed her eyes, letting that milky-white spiritual energy continuously nourish her body, widen her meridians, and ceaselessly wash through her dantian, entering a profoundly mysterious state.
✦ ─ ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ ─ ✦
One month later.
She opened her eyes.
The golden light on her body circulated through three great cycles before gradually fading away.
Her whole body felt incomparably light. Her dantian had fully expanded, and even mobilizing spiritual energy had become especially smooth.
She stood up, opened the barrier, and tried leaping about above Yuanyang City for a while. She discovered that her body was even lighter now, as if it had become like a feather, freed from its former heaviness;
She went to the outskirts, raised the Kunlun Sword, and tested the Frost Realm. In an instant, an entire mountain road was frozen into layers of ice! The surrounding trees, after freezing over, shattered inch by inch into countless fragments!
She spun the sword in a flourish and sheathed it!
The ice receded, and the surroundings returned to a scene of warm spring.
Previously, when she had been at the early stage of Nascent Soul, although the Frost Realm was suitable for large-scale attacks, its lethality had not been that strong. Now, if she condensed it into small frost swords, each strike would likely take a life.
—Yet she knew, this was still not enough.
Between Deity Transformation and Nascent Soul was like the difference between heaven and earth.
Just like when she had been in the Deity Transformation stage in her previous life, using the fifth layer of the Frost Realm—she could even freeze lands stretching for a thousand li.
She possessed the knowledge of a Deity Transformation cultivator from her previous life—this was already an extremely precious advantage—and she also had the Kunlun Sword Art. She had to step into Deity Transformation even faster than in her previous life.
She turned around and saw that a demon lord had grown out of a tree, leaning against the trunk, who knew how long he had been watching.
He said lazily: “Congratulations. Want to fight a round?”
The sword-bearing girl smiled at him. “No rush. I want to go fight someone else first.”
He paused. The laziness from before disappeared from his expression, and he reminded her somewhat gloomily:
“Don’t forget—two-thirds of your divine soul still hasn’t been repaired.”
She looked at him and finally spoke the words she had been holding back: “Yan Xueyi, I can’t return to the demon realm with you right now.”
She had to follow the clue about Chao Xiaotu to find the Butian Stone. If she guessed correctly, it should be at Taixuan Wuji.
She had thought that saying this would make the demon lord furious, that he would glare at her—but none of that happened. He simply fell silent, looking at her.
—Right now, he could not even promise that he would not harm her.
He was silent for a while. “Just in time. I also have something to do.”
In spring, the peach blossoms blazed brilliantly.
This demon lord gazed at her with near greed, his eyes as if trying to carve her appearance into his heart. He hated separation. Even if he left her for a single moment, he felt irritable and uncomfortable, like a ferocious beast watching over its treasure, unable to bear it leaving his sight. Before, perhaps because they had always met blade against blade and never exchanged kind words, he could still endure long stretches without seeing her.
But after she smiled at him, after she called him “Yanyan,” everything became so beautiful it felt like a dream.
A dream that seemed to be something this demon lord had long obsessively yearned for, something he had imagined into existence himself.
The two stood face to face, falling into silence.
After a long while, they spoke almost at the same time:
“Are you leaving now?”
“Are you leaving now?”
Both of them froze.
The demon lord let out a soft laugh, concealing the loneliness in his eyes, and said lightly:
“If you want to go, fine. Take Xiao Yanjing with you, and Hongniang too. And that girl called Lingyun—take her as well. Our demon realm doesn’t want human cultivators.”
Chao Jinsui realized he had said everything already, and for a moment she could not help but smile faintly.
She watched the demon lord across from her slowly turn away, then suddenly said:
“Then you… be careful on the road.”
“Stay safe.”
The great demon lord’s back stiffened.
A demon who had crawled and clawed his way out of the Myriad Demons Abyss had never in his life heard such a reminder; after all, who would care whether a lawless, fang-baring demon might encounter danger?
Safe. Be careful.
He thought: Nagging human cultivator.
He thought again: Needlessly worrying human cultivator.
He also thought: If this were a dream, it would be better if it could last a little longer.
He tossed out a sentence: “So fussy, like you’re my wife or something.”
After saying that, the great demon lord turned into a swirl of black mist and vanished completely in an instant.
Chao Jinsui looked up—the demon lord was already gone.
✦ ─ ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ ─ ✦
Guangping and the Demon Venerable appeared amid a barren mountain.
The demon general Moye had already brought dozens of demon subordinates, standing in strict readiness.
During the month Chao Jinsui had been in seclusion, Guangping and the Demon Venerable had returned once to the demon realm.
Yan Xueyi wanted to do something—something extremely important, important enough that he was willing not to follow that sword cultivator for now, just to complete it first.
For ten thousand years among the demon race, losing control to demonic energy had been almost every demon’s instinct—never had a demon managed to remain conscious when demonic energy invaded.
But now, the Demon Venerable suddenly felt this would not do. He wanted to change.
Guangping sighed. “Your Excellency, you know… this is almost impossible.”
The Demon Venerable said lightly, “Guangping, I have done it before.”
Guangping’s expression showed surprise.
The Demon Venerable:
“When I drove the blade down and almost took her life, I did it once.”
“The tip of the blade shifted by an inch.”
Although it had taken immense willpower, although it may have lasted only a single second, it was already something incredible.
Guangping said nothing more—
Demon Venerable Yan Xueyi was already the most powerful demon of the past ten thousand years. Aside from the dense demonic energy of Yuanyang City, Guangping had never seen him lose control. Among the demon race, he was practically a miracle.
For ten thousand years, no demon had ever thought of remaining conscious while losing control—he was the first.
Perhaps—he truly could do it?
Not long ago, the Demon Venerable received a piece of news:
Taixuan Wuji had recently obtained a rare cultivation method that allowed cultivators to keep their spiritual platform clear when they went berserk from qi deviation, called Mingxin Art.
This method was said to have come from the secret realm of a Deity Transformation cultivator who had fallen ten thousand years ago. The moment it appeared, it caused a sensation in the cultivation world, but soon after, the news was no longer spoken of.
—Because it seemed to have very limited use for the human race. After all, no one went berserk from qi deviation every day.
Instead, for the secret realm of a fallen Deity Transformation cultivator from ten thousand years ago to produce only something like this—it was rather disappointing!
However, this news was quickly learned by Yan Xueyi.
If, when demonic energy invaded and he lost control, he could keep his spiritual platform occasionally clear—even if only occasionally, only for a moment?
Though he did not know whether the news was true, what effect this Mingxin Art truly had, or whether it would even work for the demon race, he still decided to act.
—Bringing these people along was enough to go to Taixuan Wuji and seize it.
Guangping pressed his palms together. “Do you know what you look like, doing this?”
The Demon Venerable paused in his steps.
“Like a lion trying to pull out its own claws and grind down its fangs.”
Guangping: “But you should know—without claws and fangs, can a lion still be called a lion?”
The Demon Venerable was quiet for a while. After a long time, he gave a lazy laugh:
“Monk, that’s none of your concern.”
✦ ─ ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ ─ ✦
Inside Taixuan City.
Half a month ago, Chao Xiaotu returned to Taixuan Wuji carrying a coffin.
She knelt before the door of her grandfather, Shi Chunqiu, pleading:
“Grandfather, please! You must have a way—save Senior Brother Su!”
After a long while, an old man with white hair and beard came out from inside:
“Why put yourself through this? His soul lamp is extinguished, his aura has vanished—he is already completely dead!”
“But… but Madam Zi said she has a way!”
“Madam Zi clearly said Senior Brother could be brought back to life! Grandfather, you are best at yin-yang formations—you must have a way!”
After a long time, he let out a deep sigh. “I will try.”
However, Shi Chunqiu cast the Yin-Yang Soul-Seeking Grand Formation, yet found nothing.
Chao Xiaotu kept watch beside him for an entire day and night without closing her eyes, full of hope.
In the end, Shi Chunqiu shook his head at her:
“This old man is powerless to change fate. His soul has long since scattered into the cycle of reincarnation.”
Chao Xiaotu collapsed to her knees, murmuring, “How could that be?”
She stood there in a daze for a long time, then suddenly got up and rushed outside. “No, I’m going to find Father! I can still find others—doesn’t the Hehuan Sect still have people?”
Shi Chunqiu stopped her:
“His soul has scattered—there is nothing left to find even in the cycle of reincarnation. How could he possibly be revived?!”
“Someone, escort Miss back. No more nonsense!”
Her last thread of hope shattered, and Chao Xiaotu swayed unsteadily.
Whether it was her senior brother’s disappearance or her father losing an arm, none of it struck her as hard as Shi Chunqiu’s words.
Senior Brother Su was the male lead, the one blessed with great destiny—how could he die?
She could not understand. She had clearly been reborn once, she knew the general plot, and she had even gained Senior Brother Su’s favor—she had clearly held every advantage!
By the time Shi Chunqiu noticed something was wrong, Chao Xiaotu was already showing signs of qi deviation!
He immediately seized Chao Xiaotu and took her into the inner chamber, forcing several bottles of spiritual medicine down her throat, preparing to knock her unconscious—but suddenly she grabbed his arm.
“Grandfather! Grandfather!”
“Grandfather! I know Taixuan Wuji values fairness and justice above all! Do you know that Chao Jinsui colluded with the demon race, killed Madam Zi, and even caused the deaths of Senior Brother Su’s entire family!”
“What did you say?” Shi Chunqiu frowned sharply. “Is this true? Do not speak recklessly.”
Chao Xiaotu immediately raised her fingers:
“I swear—Senior Brother Su, Uncle Su, and Madam Zi all died because of her! If a single word I say is false, may heavenly thunder strike me down!”
She swore the oath, yet no heavenly thunder fell.
Clearly, there was not the slightest falsehood in this matter—it was not nonsense fabricated by Chao Xiaotu in a qi-deviation frenzy.
Shi Chunqiu’s expression immediately turned grave.
“I am now aware of this matter. It will certainly be thoroughly investigated. Rest well for now.”
Shi Chunqiu handed Chao Xiaotu over to Aunt Ping. Looking at her, Aunt Ping sighed, “Why is it that she went to Kunlun living perfectly well, yet returned like this?”
Chao Xiaotu’s expression was dazed; she could not clearly hear what others were saying.
She could not accept Su Liuyun’s death—if he died, then what did all her efforts in her previous life amount to? What did all her painstaking scheming in this life amount to? It was like a gambler who had staked everything, fully believing she would win, only to suddenly lose it all.
Someone who had lost everything and gone red-eyed was desperate to find an outlet to vent her terror.
Chao Xiaotu suddenly asked Aunt Ping, “Auntie, when Taixuan’s wanted order is issued, have any cultivators ever survived?”
Aunt Ping said calmly: “Since the founding of Taixuan Wuji, in five thousand years, no cultivator who has been wanted has been left alive.”
