Chapter 244 : Annihilation by a Single Word
Chapter 244: Annihilation by a Single Word
"In servitude as a slave?"
Chen Beiwu's gaze slightly narrowed, his voice calm and unhurried.
He neither accepted readily nor refused outright. Instead, he calmly stared at Shu You, making her body stiffen slightly.
"Why? Have you encountered some trouble recently?" Chen Beiwu raised his eyes slightly.
He was an old acquaintance of Shu You and knew she wasn't someone who would curry favor for personal gain.
Besides, Shu You, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, was skilled in alchemy, fish farming, and agriculture. Within the vast Inner Sect, she could barely be considered a notable figure—otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to support so many female cultivators under her.
There was no way she'd offer herself as a servant without reason.
Upon hearing this, Shu You’s fingertips trembled slightly. She knew her next words were crucial.
"A hundred years ago, my master once asked me what the immortal path was. At the time, I had just stepped into cultivation and couldn’t answer."
"Now, I understand one thing—this immortal path is vast and bleak; one needs someone to guide and shelter them from the front."
At this point, she raised her head and looked directly at Chen Beiwu. Her tone gradually rose from soft to resolute:
"I, Shu You, am fully aware of my mediocre aptitude. Even with another hundred years of bitter cultivation, I may never reach the Golden Core stage. But if I follow behind the Dao Son, I will surely witness the path of the True Monarch with my own eyes—and perhaps even attain the Golden Core Dao."
Noticing the flattery in her words, Chen Beiwu inwardly shook his head.
Mirror Moon Sect was a place where personal relationships mattered.
Now that he had risen to the position of Dao Son, he indeed needed someone to handle affairs for him—so he wouldn’t have to attend to every matter personally, affecting his own cultivation.
However, Shu You’s response failed to satisfy him.
If she had something to say, she should say it directly—no need for all the embellishments.
For the sake of past ties, he would certainly lend a hand if possible, but if it was too troublesome, he wouldn’t get involved.
Seeing Chen Beiwu’s reaction, Shu You felt her heart sink.
It was over. She shouldn’t have listened to those jealous harem concubines and resorted to flattery.
"Dao Son, I... I just want to advance... to surpass Shen Lingqing," Shu You lowered her head and spoke from the heart.
As the saying goes—don’t beat the dog without considering its master.
If she stayed by Chen Zi’ang’s side, Shen Lingqing wouldn’t dare trouble her. In fact, Shu You sparing Shen Lingqing would already be considered a mercy.
"What is Shen Lingqing’s background? Which cultivation clan is she from?" Chen Beiwu glanced at Shu You.
Interesting.
In Shu You’s mind, surpassing Shen Lingqing was more important than her own cultivation.
"Shen Lingqing comes from the Yunhai Shen Clan, a Foundation Establishment family in the Ze Kingdom of the Mountain Submergence Realm," Shu You explained.
Shen Lingqing’s origins were modest—she was the strongest member of the Yunhai Shen Clan. What truly warranted attention was her power within the Sect.
After all, Shen Lingqing was a disciple of True Person Futu.
Without Shen Lingqing backing her, someone like Qiu Wanhui alone wouldn’t have been able to disgust her so deeply.
Precisely because of this, Shu You hated Shen Lingqing more than Qiu Wanhui.
‘Yunhai Shen Clan?’
Hearing the familiar name, a trace of memory stirred in Chen Beiwu’s eyes.
Back when he first arrived at Biyuan Market in the Southern Wastes, he had nearly fallen into the Shen Clan’s trap over a Qi Refining manual and was forced to flee to Hidden Mist Market.
But things were different now.
Today, he stood high as the Dao Son of Mirror Moon Sect—not the powerless newcomer who couldn't afford to offend a Foundation Establishment family. A wave of sentiment surged in his heart.
"Endless cycles of vengeance—when will they ever end?" Chen Beiwu clasped his hands behind his back, his tone flat. "If Senior Sister Shu truly wishes to follow me, you must cleanse your heart, abandon past grudges, and not target Shen Lingqing deliberately."
Shu You paused slightly.
In her eyes, although Chen Zi’ang was kind to others on the surface, he was also ruthless and decisive in nature.
How could he believe in such foolish talk as ‘endless cycles of vengeance’?
If one didn’t repay tooth for tooth, how would the enemy ever feel fear—let alone submit?
Could it be that the Dao Son feared True Person Futu’s reputation?
"What do you say?" Sensing Shu You’s hesitation, Chen Beiwu’s gaze shifted slightly.
What he needed was a follower who could handle miscellaneous tasks and manage affiliated factions—not someone who would stir up trouble.
If even his orders couldn’t suppress the hatred in Shu You’s heart, then accepting her as a follower would be pointless.
Her previous declaration of ‘servitude’ would become empty words—Chen Beiwu did not need a subordinate who wouldn’t obey orders.
"I pay respects to my Lord."
Shu You no longer hesitated. She dropped to one knee and performed the formal salute, officially confirming her status as a follower.
Letting go of grudges was letting go of grudges.
She had already exhausted the goodwill from Senior Sister Jiang just to get this one chance.
If she couldn’t gain the Dao Son’s protection, not only would she fail to surpass Shen Lingqing, she and the harem concubines might not even survive under Qiu Wanhui’s suppression.
"Very good." Chen Beiwu gave a slight nod, his gaze falling upon the respectfully kneeling Shu You. "I have a task for you."
"Please give the order, my Lord. Shu You will carry it out even at the cost of her life." Shu You remained on one knee, her voice resolute. Her curvaceous figure appeared all the more enticing under the glow of the glowing stones within the cave.
"The Yunhai Shen Clan and I once had a karmic entanglement." Chen Beiwu’s tone was indifferent, yet carried an unquestionable authority. "Since you wish to ease my burdens, then this matter of karma shall be handled by you."
Shu You’s heart skipped a beat, her gaze filled with shock as she looked at Chen Beiwu and cautiously asked, "My Lord, what kind of entanglement is this? To what extent must Shu You act?"
Recalling the desperate escape from back then, Chen Beiwu retrieved the contract from that old transaction and said lightly:
"Help me investigate the matter of the Hidden Abyss Manual transaction. If it was indeed the Yunhai Shen Clan who plotted to ambush and seize the technique, extermination of the clan will suffice."
"If they were not involved, then slaughter all those directly responsible—this will be considered the resolution of this karma."
There’s no such thing as an honest merchant—Chen Beiwu could understand that.
But if the Yunhai Shen Clan had, for the sake of a Qi Refining technique, resorted to violence and murder, violating market laws and committing robbery and manslaughter—then such actions went beyond unscrupulous commerce and were no different from murderous bandits.
From this, one could imagine how arrogant the Yunhai Shen Clan usually acted under the protection of Shen Lingqing. Their hands were likely soaked in the blood of countless low-level cultivators.
‘Extermination of the clan?’ Shu You shivered inwardly.
Well then—so much for the ‘endless cycles of vengeance’!
So this was what he meant by that.
Just what had the Yunhai Shen Clan done back then to provoke the Dao Son, to make the Lord utter such a word as "extermination"?
"Is there a problem?" Chen Beiwu raised his eyes slightly.
Right now, the most important thing for him was preparing for Golden Core formation and comprehending the Yuqing Nine Revolutions Yuanshi Pill Canon.
The Yunhai Shen Clan was merely a Foundation Establishment family. That minor grudge from years past didn’t require Chen Beiwu to act personally—his word alone was enough to decide the fate of an entire clan.
"No problem whatsoever. If it truly was the doing of the Shen Clan, I, Shu You, shall see to it that not a dog nor a chicken remains," Shu You said coldly, killing intent flashing in her eyes. Her gaze toward Chen Beiwu grew increasingly respectful.
No wonder her Lord had asked her earlier to set aside personal vendettas.
It served both as a warning—to make her understand who truly held power and to establish absolute authority—
And as a test—to see whether she would allow personal grievances to escalate and compromise the mission.
"It’s just… this servant fears Shen Lingqing may interfere." A troubled look crossed Shu You’s face.
In terms of cultivation, she was no match for the peak Foundation Establishment Shen Lingqing.
Moreover, Shen Lingqing commanded six late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators comparable in strength to Shu You—Qiu Wanhui being one of them.
"Conduct the investigation under my name. If Shen Lingqing dares to intervene, you may directly request support from the sect’s Law Enforcement Bureau cultivators," Chen Beiwu said, retrieving a jade identity token from his storage pouch and handing it to Shu You.
This jade token wasn’t the sect’s Dao Son token, but his former Sequence Disciple token. Even so, it was sufficient to mobilize Law Enforcement Bureau personnel.
"Many thanks for this treasure, my Lord." Shu You’s eyes sparkled slightly as she respectfully received the token with both hands.
With this token in hand, she could now act under her Lord’s name, forcing all sect factions to back off—some might even actively offer their assistance.
At this thought, Shu You’s lips curled into a slight smile. Her voice softened: "My Lord, do you require a few maidservants by your side to serve you at all times?"
Chen Beiwu’s gaze swept over her, his expression a half-smile: "What are you implying?"
"This servant belongs to the Lord—and so naturally, those who serve this servant also belong to the Lord," Shu You’s eyes glimmered like water.
"I don’t need maidservants. You may leave," Chen Beiwu waved his hand, firmly rejecting her.
Even rabbits don't eat the grass by their burrows—let alone the wives of one's own followers.
Besides, he often had to travel between realms using the Gate of Ten Directions. Having maidservants constantly by his side would be far from convenient.
As for cultivating the Secret Record of Primordial Dragon-Tiger Kan-Li?
Most of Shu You’s dual cultivation concubines were Qi Refining female cultivators. Though all of them possessed exceptional looks—whether charming, cold, or elegant—only a scant few had reached Foundation Establishment.
Otherwise, Shu You wouldn’t have remained stuck at the late Foundation Establishment stage for years while cultivating the Lunar Soul Star Yin Harmonization Talisman.
"Yes, this servant takes her leave."
Hearing this, Shu You felt a mix of relief and regret.
Even though she had gained prior consent, this was still the first time she had degraded herself into selling her followers for favor.
Given the Lord’s cultivation realm, if he had shown interest, her harem might have gained a few more Foundation Establishment cultivators.
The three women who had long remained stuck at early Foundation Establishment—Shuying, Huanbi, and Tingxue—might even have been able to break through their bottlenecks with a wisp of the Lord’s pure yang energy and advance to mid-stage Foundation Establishment.
As Shu You’s figure disappeared from view, Chen Beiwu retrieved his Spirit Beast Pouch and summoned Golden Egg.
"Gulu."
Gazing at the mist-shrouded, multi-colored spirit gifts before it, Golden Egg’s eyes sparkled.
Mirror Moon Sect had many water-element cultivators. Furthermore, Chen Zi’ang was a renowned genius with a Heavenly Water Root, so naturally, the congratulatory gifts from sect cultivators leaned toward water-element treasures—causing Golden Egg to drool a crystalline bead of saliva.
"Elder Jade of Futu Peak gifts one third-tier lower-grade treasure herb—‘Profound Ice Jade Lotus’."
"Vice Hall Master Zhao of the Law Enforcement Bureau gifts one essence of the third-tier beast Kuiwater Black Ox."
"…"
Chen Beiwu skimmed through the gift list and found that both Elder Jade and Vice Hall Master Zhao had sent third-tier items of significant value. The rest, from Core Disciples, were second-tier spiritual herbs.
After jotting down all the gift entries, intending to hand off the return gifts to Shu You, Chen Beiwu lifted Golden Egg into his arms.
‘How do you feel?’
While he had been studying the Taiyi Pill Forging Method, Golden Egg had not been idle either.
Using the immense spiritual energy of Taiyi Hall—which rivaled a fifth-tier spiritual vein—and the feedback from their Companion Contract, Golden Egg’s cultivation years surged from 310 to 334.
Its body length had grown from three to four zhang, its horns grew more fearsome, and its appearance increasingly resembled the Gold-Horned Flood Dragon recorded in the Immortal Alliance’s Celestial and Earthly Beasts Confidential Exam Volume.
"Gulu."
Golden Egg activated its Ruyi innate talent, coiling around Chen Beiwu’s arm affectionately.
It wanted to undergo another transformation into a flood dragon through the True Spirit Diagram of the Dragon Gate Leap, to sense the change in its bloodline.
It wasn’t arrogance—if it could undergo a few hundred more rounds of Beast Taming Landscape Reflection, even without consuming Flood Dragon Essence Blood, Golden Egg was confident it could trigger a bloodline evolution and transform into a true flood dragon.
‘A few hundred more times? You really do dream big!’ Chen Beiwu’s mouth twitched.
Fully activating the True Spirit Diagram to stimulate its bloodline produced incredible effects, but it would also plunge Golden Egg into a month-long slumber. A more stable, gradual nurturing of its bloodline with the diagram would be far more effective.
Chen Beiwu shook his head and activated his divine sense, conjuring the True Spirit Diagram of the Dragon Gate Leap in front of him to assist Golden Egg in cultivation.
At the same time, he turned his right hand and retrieved the Yuqing Nine Revolutions Yuanshi Pill Canon from his storage ring to begin comprehension.
Though the Southern Wastes and the Immortal Alliance differed in cultivation approaches, the ultimate Dao was the same.
The sect’s inherited core formation secret art, Taiyi Pill Forging Method of the Five Great Emperors, shared unexpected resonance with the Immortal Sect’s supreme art, the Yuqing Nine Revolutions Yuanshi Pill Canon.
"Taiyi represents the cycling of Five Qi, the union of Yin and Yang—from which the Golden Core is formed..."
Chen Beiwu stared at the five-colored radiance on his fingertip, brows slightly furrowed.
"Balancing the Five Elements may be stable, but it's still confined to the realm of acquired techniques—unlike the Yuanshi Golden Core that returns to the origin."
"Moreover, the Yuanshi Golden Core isn’t formed from the Five Elemental Qi, but from the primordial chaos itself.
Unifying the Five Great Elements is merely borrowing the imagery of primordial chaos—to condense the primal essence from innate One Qi."
Chen Beiwu lightly stroked the jade slip of the cultivation method, his eyes filled with clarity.
If the Taiyi Golden Core represented perfection, then the Yuanshi Golden Core was transcendence.
Though he had only reached the minor stage of the Taiyi Pill Forging Method of the Five Great Emperors, and true understanding of the Yuanshi Golden Core still eluded him, the supreme path of Core Formation had already opened before Chen Beiwu.
His intuition told him—if he could master the Taiyi Pill Forging Method to perfection, then even without the aid of the Five Qi Vine, he would still be able to forge a Five Elements Radiant Core.
"Hoo."
With this thought, Chen Beiwu exhaled a deep breath and activated the Gate of Ten Directions with a single thought.
The Tianyan True Realm and the Yuqing Nine Revolutions Yuanshi Pill Canon could be explored and comprehended slowly. What mattered now was how to explain the change in his cultivation to Senior Brother Jiang in a way that made sense.
After all, more than half the academic year at Yuqing Immortal Sect had passed—and he had only attended one class by True Monarch Su Miao, skipping countless others. Failing the year seemed inevitable.
Let alone using credits to exchange for a chance to comprehend the Supreme Sutra of Boundless Salvation of Taiyuan.
While Chen Beiwu fretted over this—
At Biyuan Market, in the Ten Thousand Laws Pavilion.
A thin, bamboo-like cultivator with graying hair held a green jade abacus, scribbling across ledgers and calculating the market’s annual revenue.
"Is it taken care of?"
After finishing the books, Feng Buxiu looked up at the two brothers, Sheng Yong and Sheng Gang.
So many years had passed that he had long forgotten the incident where they surrounded and tried to kill Chen Sheng.
"Taken care of, just like the old ways," Sheng Yong replied respectfully.
That old lunatic Feng Buxiu was growing increasingly deranged with each passing year.
To obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill for his breakthrough, he had even dared to conceal the appearance of a third-tier ore vein in the Biyuan Mountain Range from the Shen Clan—and secretly mined the Void Gold Marrow to sell it to a Mirror Moon Sect outer elder.
But the Void Gold Marrow was an extremely valuable third-tier metal treasure ore—essential for crafting third-tier artifacts—and the Mirror Moon Sect had long regarded it as a strategic resource.
If news of this secret mining operation were exposed and the Mirror Moon Sect found out, they would all be doomed. No one would escape.
Not even the outer elder. Not even Feng Buxiu himself, who was now about to advance to Foundation Establishment and preparing to hold a Core Formation ceremony.