Chapter 397 : Two-Realm Invasion
Chapter 397: Two-Realm Invasion
The female cultivator did not reply. Instead, she took out a Third-Tier Profound Talisman, crushed it, and activated it, causing her escaping light speed to surge once again.
Seeing this, the handsome male cultivator was completely unconcerned. Like a cat playing with a mouse, he leisurely followed behind.
While increasing his escaping light speed, he formed hand seals with one hand and cast a Third-Tier Treasure Art, pointing a finger toward the female cultivator’s escaping light.
The female cultivator did not dare be careless. She gritted her teeth, took out another Third-Tier Profound Talisman from her storage ring, and urged a streak of golden light to desperately block the streams of pitch-black demonic fingers raining down.
“Zhou Bo’en! Do you know what you are doing?”
The female cultivator questioned sharply.
“Master explicitly forbade fellow disciples from slaughtering one another. If you dare act so viciously against me today, aren’t you afraid of delaying the greater matter and causing Master to become furious, leave seclusion, and punish you severely?”
Facing the female cultivator’s questioning, not only did Zhou Bo’en show no fear in his eyes, but his face instead revealed a hint of confident mockery.
“Haha.”
He chuckled twice and sneered.
“Junior Sister Jiang, Junior Sister Jiang, you are at least a Golden Core True Person. How can you still be this naive?”
“Yes, it is true. Master did say that fellow disciples must not slaughter one another.”
Zhou Bo’en raised his chin and spoke arrogantly.
“But I am Master’s biological grandson, his direct bloodline successor.”
“Even if Master finds out, and becomes furious for a moment, at most he will only scold me a few times. Could he truly kill me for an outsider like you?”
“Besides, Jiang Yuyan, don’t you understand the principle that an innocent man is guilty because of possessing a treasure?”
“According to ancient records, the Crow Perching Spirit Body conceals the Sun Essence Flame within. Female cultivators with the Crow Perching Spirit Body who cultivate dual cultivation with Yin-attribute cultivators can absorb and replenish Yin and Yang, harmonize the Dragon and Tiger, not only increasing Golden Core quality but also breaking through bottlenecks and adding one additional success rate to proving the Dao as a True Monarch.”
“Junior Sister Jiang, since you possess such a spirit body, why must you remain so stubborn? By making yourself my enemy, what benefits can you possibly gain?”
Zhou Bo’en’s tone became gentle.
“As long as you obediently submit and help me advance to peak Golden Core, increasing the quality of my Golden Core, I can swear a Great Dao Oath and help you cultivate step by step to Golden Core perfection.”
“At that time, you and I will both be great Golden Core cultivators, comprehending the immortal path together and becoming divine immortals’ companions. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
Listening to Zhou Bo’en’s shameless words, Jiang Yuyan’s killing intent grew stronger, yet she deliberately revealed a trace of hesitation in her eyes.
A quarter of an hour later, this pursuit gradually came to an end.
“Puchi!”
Jiang Yuyan spat out blood. Her escaping light dissipated, and she seemed unable to suppress the injuries on her body, falling to the ground.
“Step!”
“Step!”
“Step!”
Zhou Bo’en stopped two hundred zhang away from Jiang Yuyan and did not immediately move forward to capture her.
For Golden Core True Persons, this distance was extremely suitable. It was within the range of spell attacks while also leaving enough room to react.
“Why make yourself look so miserable?”
Zhou Bo’en spoke calmly.
“Actually, I know what you are thinking. The ‘Blood Star Shuttle’ hidden in your sleeve and the ‘Heavenly Wood True Lightning Talisman’ held in your right hand can both be put away. This seat will not give you any opportunity.”
“After all…”
Zhou Bo’en smiled lightly.
“You, Jiang Yuyan, are the Mirror Moon genius who once used Foundation Establishment cultivation to reverse-kill a peak Golden Core great cultivator!”
“Facing a ruthless person like you, this seat will not show the slightest carelessness.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yuyan suddenly raised her head, a crazed look appearing in her eyes.
“Zhou Bo’en, rest assured. Even if I die, I will not let you succeed.”
As soon as her words fell, a flush suddenly surged across her pale face. Blood beads seeped from her skin, and a destructive aura erupted from her body.
This was precisely the Golden Core self-detonation that a Golden Core True Person could only possibly activate when driven to a dead end.
“You’re insane? This seat doesn’t even want your life!”
The composure vanished from Zhou Bo’en’s face. He no longer cared about maintaining a safe distance and flashed forward with his escaping light, rushing toward Jiang Yuyan at his fastest speed.
The Crow Perching Spirit Body was one of his guarantees for proving the Dao as a Nascent Soul True Monarch in the future.
Even if the probability that Jiang Yuyan would truly self-detonate her Golden Core was less than thirty percent, he absolutely could not accept such a massive loss.
Two hundred zhang was a distance a late-stage Golden Core cultivator could cross in an instant.
“Suppressing Technique Finger!”
Zhou Bo’en rushed in front of Jiang Yuyan. His fingertip extended, intending to suppress the indestructible Golden Core within her dantian.
At this moment, the madness in Jiang Yuyan’s eyes vanished, replaced by an extreme killing intent.
The violent aura within her dantian sea of qi also suddenly converged. The Heavenly Wood True Lightning Talisman held in her right hand erupted with a thunderous explosion.
“Petty tricks.”
Zhou Bo’en opened the paper fan in his hand. A pitch-black barrier instantly formed, blocking the Heavenly Wood True Lightning Talisman striking from the front.
In the next instant, the Blood Star Shuttle hidden in Jiang Yuyan’s left sleeve silently shot out, accurately piercing toward the attacker’s dantian.
Zhou Bo’en’s finger did not stop. He intended to completely subdue Jiang Yuyan in one breath. The belt around his waist also hummed, releasing a gray-white beam of light that shattered the Blood Star Shuttle.
‘Captured.’
The corner of Zhou Bo’en’s mouth curved upward. However, the jade hairpin in Jiang Yuyan’s hair suddenly lit up, and a Fourth-Tier Profound Talisman quietly appeared.
“Damn it, where did you obtain a Fourth-Tier Profound Talisman!”
Zhou Bo’en decisively spat out a large mouthful of essence blood, activating the two Third-Tier high-grade defensive magical treasures and one Quasi–Fourth-Tier defensive Profound Talisman he carried.
However, the might of that Fourth-Tier Profound Talisman was astonishing. It ignored spatial distance and easily pierced through the three layers of defense capable of blocking a strike from a Nascent Soul True Monarch, violently piercing through Zhou Bo’en’s glabella.
“Chi!”
Following a barely noticeable sound, Zhou Bo’en froze in place, and his soul instantly collapsed.
Looking at Zhou Bo’en, who had completely lost his vitality before her, Jiang Yuyan breathed a sigh of relief. Her face as pale as paper finally gained a trace of life.
The Three Yin Soul-Slaughtering Talisman was a Fourth-Tier low-grade Profound Talisman specifically designed to kill souls, ignoring treasure arts and mystic arts.
No matter how high a Golden Core True Person’s Mystic Ability was or how many magical treasures they possessed, they would still die beneath this talisman.
Unfortunately, her cultivation was shallow and she was heavily injured. The range within which she could lock onto targets with such a Fourth-Tier Profound Talisman was limited. She needed to be within thirty zhang to guarantee killing a Golden Core True Person. Otherwise, Jiang Yuyan would have already used the Three Yin Soul-Slaughtering Talisman to kill Zhou Bo’en.
‘This place is not suitable to remain for long!’
Suppressing the thoughts in her heart, Jiang Yuyan forced herself to stand and quickly collected Zhou Bo’en’s storage ring and Golden Core.
“Clap!”
“Clap!”
“Clap!”
Applause sounded. Jiang Yuyan turned her head in shock and looked toward the source of the sound.
She saw that at some unknown point, a white-clothed man was standing beneath a distant tree.
The other party had a tall and upright figure. His spotless white robes were completely free of dust. His appearance was handsome and somewhat familiar, completely out of place compared to the surrounding scene of devastation.
“What a wonderful absolute reversal. Junior Sister Jiang is truly impressive. No wonder you were able to kill your master, betray the sect, and successfully escape the Mirror Moon Sect back then.”
Chen Beiwu praised her.
One had to admit that the cultivators of the Southern Wasteland generally possessed ruthless and decisive temperaments.
To successfully counter-kill, Jiang Yuyan used Zhou Bo’en’s greed, placing her own life as the wager. A slight mistake would have resulted in death.
But sometimes, the simplest schemes were the easiest to succeed.
Especially when dealing with arrogant cultivators like Zhou Bo’en.
“Mirror Moon Daoist Disciple Chen Ziang, why would you appear here?!”
Jiang Yuyan initially refused to believe that such an unparalleled figure would appear in this desolate wilderness.
But after Chen Beiwu spoke his praise, no matter how unwilling she was to believe it, her heart could only sink.
At this moment, she was already close to the point of exhaustion.
Forget a Golden Core ranked first in the Earth Evolution Realm who could defeat the Dao Disciple of the Eight Desolation Sect. Even an early-stage Golden Core True Person would be enough to take her life.
“Your calculations were decent, and your methods were ruthless enough. Unfortunately, Junior Sister Jiang’s luck is somewhat poor.”
Chen Beiwu walked forward, his steps calm and composed.
Jiang Yuyan’s heart sank, and her thoughts rapidly turned.
She knew that the grave sect crime she had committed back then was unforgivable. Facing the Mirror Moon Dao Disciple, she would most likely have no chance of survival.
But she was unwilling!
Why?
Why was it that both of them were peerless geniuses, yet Chen Ziang could be nurtured by Zhu Shaoyuan, take over the position of the Earth Evolution Realm’s number one Golden Core, and become the Mirror Moon Dao Disciple?
While she could only endure humiliation, deliberately hide her abilities to avoid being absorbed and possessed by her master, remain stuck at Foundation Establishment Realm, and even kill her master and flee?
The heavens were truly unfair!!!
“Interesting. You are hating me?”
Chen Beiwu stopped walking, revealing an interested smile.
At his current realm, he could already faintly sense the emotions and preferences of Golden Core True Persons.
“It is not hatred, but envy toward your talent, Dao Disciple.”
Jiang Yuyan exhaled a breath of foul air and forcibly regained her calm.
“Dao Disciple, can you consider our former sect relationship and make a deal with me?”
“Oh? Are you confident that you can convince me with a deal, or are you planning to delay time and counter-kill me?”
Chen Beiwu’s eyes moved slightly.
“Dao Disciple must be joking. How could this concubine possibly have confidence in convincing you?”
Jiang Yuyan revealed a sweet smile and gave a slight bow, exposing a faint glimpse of snowy whiteness.
“The reason this concubine has survived until now is because Dao Disciple has not developed killing intent. Otherwise, this concubine would not even have the chance to speak right now.”
“You are a clever person.”
Chen Beiwu sighed.
His gaze fell onto Jiang Yuyan.
“Shu You pleaded for you back then. Considering that bit of incense affinity, if you can give me a reason not to kill you, I can spare your life.”
‘Shu You?’
Jiang Yuyan’s heart moved slightly.
She had never expected that the small trace of incense affinity from back then would provide her with a thread of survival at this moment.
Thinking of this, Jiang Yuyan no longer hesitated.
“Concubine possesses the Crow Perching Spirit Body. If Dao Disciple is willing, concubine is willing to become a servant and maid, attending by Dao Disciple’s side.”
“No need. I pursue the Dao of cultivation and do not need others as cultivation furnaces.”
Chen Beiwu’s tone turned cold.
Jiang Yuyan’s heart jumped, and she immediately increased her bargaining chip.
“Concubine knows which high-ranking members of the Mirror Moon Sect have colluded with the three great demonic sects of Soul Refining Sect, Profound Womb Sect, and Blood Fortune Sect in the Western Evolution Realm, intending to trigger a demonic calamity. Concubine can help Dao Disciple eliminate the sect’s internal traitors.”
“Looks like you are destined to fall here today.”
Chen Beiwu shook his head and slowly raised his right hand.
“I know the Divine Transformation inheritance secret realm of the Void Grand Formation Sect and the location of the Nascent Soul Forming Pills!”
Jiang Yuyan’s heart trembled as she brought out her final trump card.
External treasures might be precious, but if her life was gone, everything would disappear!
“Foolish. After killing you and searching your soul, whether it is the sect’s internal traitors or the so-called Nascent Soul Forming Pills and Divine Transformation inheritance secret realm, they all belong to me.”
Chen Beiwu shook his head speechlessly.
“What gave you the confidence to use my things as a bargaining chip with me?”
Jiang Yuyan’s pupils contracted, revealing an incredulous expression.
Wait, who was actually the demonic cultivator here?
Why did the Mirror Moon Dao Disciple’s way of doing things resemble a demonic cultivator more than hers?
Just as Jiang Yuyan believed she was certainly going to die, a flash of inspiration suddenly crossed her mind, revealing a key piece of information.
“Dao Disciple, I previously learned of a secret by chance. The three great demonic sects of the Western Evolution Realm and the four great sects of the Yellow Evolution Realm intend to join hands and invade the interior of the Mountain Submerged Realm in the Earth Evolution Realm.
The Danxing Workshop guarded by Fairy Yunwan is one of their targets. The surprise attack will happen within these few days, and Fairy Yunwan may be at risk of death.”
Jiang Yuyan stared tightly at Chen Beiwu.
Since he was willing to listen to Shu You’s plea and hold back, there was no doubt that the Dao Disciple was a person who valued relationships.
Although she did not know the exact relationship between Chen Beiwu and Fairy Yunwan, the two had at least been involved in some rumors before.
However, there was one thing she found very strange. The Earth Evolution Realm was currently at war with the Western and Yellow Evolution Realms, and the battle situation was intense. Even Nascent Soul True Monarchs occasionally entered the battlefield. How could Chen Ziang, as the Mirror Moon Dao Disciple, appear here instead of on the battlefield?
“???”
Chen Beiwu’s eyes moved slightly, somewhat surprised.
What he wanted to know was why Jiang Yuyan had killed her master and betrayed the sect, not to use this opportunity to silence her, collect her belongings, and kill her.
He had never expected to receive such an unexpected answer.
“Why do the Western and Yellow Evolution Realms dare to invade the Earth Evolution Realm? How certain are you about this secret information?”
Chen Beiwu’s expression changed slightly.
Among the nine realms of the Southern Wasteland Domain, in terms of the strength of cultivator forces, the Earth Evolution Realm ranked within the top four, and its strength far surpassed that of the Western Evolution Realm and Yellow Evolution Realm.
If it were the Southern Evolution Realm invading, that would be understandable. But the Western and Yellow Evolution Realms were relatively weaker. If they dared to launch a large-scale invasion of the Earth Evolution Realm, were they not afraid that the five great sects of the Earth Evolution Realm would counterattack their home territories and spill rivers of blood across the two realms?
“Ah?”
Jiang Yuyan was stunned and whispered.
“Dao Disciple may have just left seclusion and does not know the current situation.
Twenty years ago, the Western Evolution Realm and Yellow Evolution Realm had already united the three sects and four factions, formally entering the Earth Evolution Realm. They began warfare against the Azure Wood Sect, Burning Flame Sect, Mirror Moon Sect, Heavy Gold Sect, and Profound Sword Pavilion, and the battle remains at a stalemate.”
“To achieve victory, the three sects and four factions have gathered elite cultivators to invade the interior of the Mountain Submerged Realm and carry out assassination strikes. It is not impossible.”
Hearing this, Chen Beiwu’s eyes turned cold. His right hand grabbed Jiang Yuyan, and he had Zhi Ling activate her innate Mystic Ability, Void-Stepping Fur Escape, to hurry onward.
“Where is Danxing Workshop? If this matter is true, I can spare your life.”
Chen Beiwu promised.
When he first entered the Southern Wasteland back then, if not for Senior Sister Wan’er’s help, it would have been difficult for him to unravel the mysteries of the twelfth layer of Qi Refining within a short time and enter the Yuqing Immortal Sect through the Immortal Alliance examination.
He could not ignore this favor.
Now that Senior Sister Wan’er’s life was in danger, if nothing happened, then so be it.
But if something truly happened to Senior Sister Wan’er, he would make every sect and Dao inheritance involved in this matter from the Western and Yellow Evolution Realms be destroyed, their inheritances severed.
“Boom!”
Feeling the terrifying pressure erupting from Chen Beiwu, Jiang Yuyan’s heart trembled. She could faintly see traces of True Monarch aura.
Fortunately, she had been sensible and did not attempt to resist.
Otherwise, she would certainly have died today.
“Southeast direction, approximately one hundred and three thousand li away. Using the sect’s teleportation formation is the fastest.”
Jiang Yuyan reminded him.
Seeing Chen Beiwu’s reaction, she was also afraid Fairy Yunwan might fall and that she would suffer his anger.
As for the reaction of the Mirror Moon cultivators, she did not care.
A genius like Chen Ziang valued his promises above gold. His trustworthiness was completely incomparable to people like Zhou Bo’en.
Since the Dao Disciple promised to spare her life, she would certainly be safe.
However, although her life was protected, her grave crime could not be avoided. If she wanted to cultivate peacefully in the future, she would probably have to cling tightly to the Dao Disciple and seek another path of survival.