Immortal-Exterminating Divine Venerable

"Ye Dongge welcomes the arrival of his esteemed Master!"

The moment Ye Xuanfeng appeared, Ye Dongge knelt on the ground in a display of utmost reverence.

He looked like the most pious disciple welcoming his own god, an utterly theatrical display.

But Ye Xuanfeng simply smiled.

"My good disciple, rise. I am relieved to see you are unharmed."

With a lift of his hand, Ye Xuanfeng helped Ye Dongge to his feet.

His gaze, however, swept past him.

It landed on Yang Xiao and Yue Lingxi.

"So it's you two little thieves. Not only did you kill the disciples at the outpost, but you also dared to touch my Supreme Treasure, the Primordial Pearl. You're simply courting death! I'd like to see what sort of background you two have."

With that, he raised a hand and pointed a finger at Yang Xiao.

He didn't give anyone a single moment to react.

"Oh no, it's the Soul-Capturing Finger!"

Ye Dongge was horrified.

Yue Lingxi's expression turned grim as well.

Even Yang Xiao…

...hadn't expected this man to attack the moment he appeared. He hadn't asked a single question, instead resorting to the most extreme method: a direct search of his Divine Soul's memories.

His expression flickered for a moment.

But it was instantly replaced by a strange smile.

The Bloodthirsty Sword Spirit had just spoken in his mind.

'Master, this man is too strong to fight head-on. But it won't be easy for him to pry into your Divine Soul's memories. I can ensure he comes away with nothing.'

'No, don't let him leave empty-handed. Let him see everything I want him to see. Heh heh. This way, I'll get to see just how he dies.'

Yang Xiao laughed inwardly.

'I didn't expect Ye Xuanfeng to perform a Soul Search right off the bat. The story I prepared is useless now. But, the Bloodthirsty Sword Spirit has this ability...'

'This is perfect. I'll let him see for himself.'

'Wouldn't that be far more effective than my own words?'

'I originally thought deceiving this man would be difficult. Now, it looks like he's walking right into a trap of his own making.'

As the thought crossed his mind, the Soul-Capturing Finger was already touching the spot between his eyebrows.

Instantly, he reined in his true thoughts.

He began to weave a story for Ye Xuanfeng.

He cast himself as the disciple of a True God, a fabrication that instantly sent a shiver through Ye Xuanfeng's entire body.

Still somewhat skeptical, Ye Xuanfeng delved deeper.

When he saw that Yang Xiao possessed a Nine Revolutions Divine Essence Pill, a gift from his True God Level master, greed immediately flared in his heart.

'I've already offended this kid anyway. Besides, the Soul-Capturing Finger causes immense damage to the Divine Soul. If I let him go, he'll inevitably bring a catastrophe down on my head. I might as well kill him and take his Nine Revolutions Divine Essence Pill. Once I advance to the Void Immortal Realm, my status will soar. Even if he is the disciple of a True God Level powerhouse, I'll have nothing to fear...'

At this, another thought occurred to Ye Xuanfeng.

'Besides, this kid isn't even from the Immortal Dao; he's a Martial Cultivator in disguise. He must be plotting something. Even if I kill him, I can just pretend I know nothing and still walk away with the Nine Revolutions Divine Essence Pill. Oh, and he seems to have some Secret Techniques in his mind, though I can't see them clearly. In that case, I could let him live for a few more days. If I could get my hands on those Secret Techniques and draw inspiration from them, I could probably advance even further after becoming a Void Immortal.'

Fueled by the memories he had pried into, his greed fermented and grew. Ye Xuanfeng was incredibly excited.

He didn't have the slightest doubt.

Because Yang Xiao's fabrication was utterly convincing.

Anyone else, even with such an ability, couldn't have fabricated such a realistic story. Every scene was perfectly authentic.

One could even glimpse traces of True God Level power within the memories.

It definitely wasn't something an ignorant person could invent out of thin air.

Some of the details were so profound and wondrous that even Ye Xuanfeng himself was amazed.

Of course he wouldn't doubt it.

He was only able to achieve this thanks to the accumulated knowledge of his two lifetimes. Without it, he couldn't have fabricated such a believable story even if he'd tried.

It would have been riddled with holes.

'The Bloodthirsty Sword Spirit has this kind of power... If I had her use it to conceal my past two lives during the fusion of our auras, I wonder if that would work?'

Sensing Ye Xuanfeng's thoughts, Yang Xiao's own mind was stirred by a sudden idea.

But he quickly shook his head.

'The path of dual cultivation between Dao partners values absolute sincerity. If I were to resort to such tricks, what would be the point of cultivating with her at all?'

Yang Xiao considered it for a moment, then dismissed the thought.

'If it's only for the sake of desire, and not with someone to whom I can truly entrust my Heart Spirit...'

'...then why bother with a Heart Spirit fusion at all?'

'A fusion of auras, a union of spirit and desire, would be enough.'

'As for the fusion of Heart Spirits...'

'...that can wait until both of us are ready.'

'Just like with Yue Lingxi. We've fused our auras several times, and things have been fine, haven't they?'

'A fusion of Heart Spirits...'

'I'll think about that when the time is right.'

As Yang Xiao thought this, his heart suddenly felt much lighter and clearer.

He had just undergone a Soul Search, so he didn't need to appear clear-headed. In fact, looking dazed was more appropriate for the situation.

And just as he'd thought, Ye Xuanfeng didn't notice at all that Yang Xiao's mind had just been miles away.

Instead, he eagerly snatched the Storage Ring from Yang Xiao's hand, located the Nine Revolutions Divine Essence Pill inside, and examined it.

His heart pounded with excitement.

'It really is the Nine Revolutions Divine Essence Pill! I can't believe it's real! With this pill, it's only a matter of time before I, Ye Xuanfeng, step into the Void Immortal Realm. At that point, won't the position of Profound Celestial Sect's Sect Leader be mine for the taking?'

Seeing the glittering golden Divine Pill and its overflowing medicinal fragrance, Ye Xuanfeng took a single sniff and felt the aura throughout his body surge with activity. He was absolutely ecstatic.

He was dying to swallow the pill right then and there and break through directly to the Void Immortal Realm.

In the end, however, he forced himself to suppress the urge.

'Now isn't the best time. I need to calm my mind before consuming it. Besides, Dongge is still here, and he has the Primordial Pearl.'

Ye Xuanfeng carefully put the Nine Revolutions Divine Essence Pill away.

His gaze then shifted to Ye Dongge.

"Master, were you able to determine his background?"

Ye Dongge forced himself to step forward and ask.

He was incredibly anxious. When Ye Xuanfeng had first appeared, his greatest fear was that his master would use the Soul Capturing Skill on him.

But he never expected…

...to escape that fate, only for Yang Xiao to be subjected to the Soul Search instead.

Naturally, he was tense.

If Yang Xiao's mind had truly been read, everything he had done would be exposed.

"Hm? What are you so nervous about?"

Ye Xuanfeng had been in a great mood after obtaining the Nine Revolutions Divine Essence Pill, but the fact that the Primordial Pearl was in his disciple's hands—and that he hadn't immediately handed it over—displeased him.

His tone naturally grew cold.

This made Ye Dongge even more flustered.

He thought he had been exposed. But just then, he suddenly saw Yang Xiao wink at him.

He was stunned.

'Could it be? Young Master Yang wasn't affected by the Soul Search? But...'

Ye Dongge's mind was in turmoil.

"What? Are you really hiding something from me?"

Seeing his disciple's state, Ye Xuanfeng's dissatisfaction grew.

He barked sharply.

Ye Dongge was instantly jolted back to his senses.

His heart, however, was filled with wild joy.

He had suddenly realized something. If Ye Xuanfeng truly knew everything, given his vicious nature, would he still be talking to him like this?

He would have struck him dead with a single palm strike long ago.

With this realization, his mind steadied.

Ye Dongge recalled Yang Xiao's earlier instructions.

He immediately took out the eighty-one Primordial Pearls from within his robes.