Night deepened, and cold air rose from the ground, filling every corner of the forest.
Su Baiche regained consciousness surprisingly quickly.
Shen Liuxiang had just finished binding his hands and feet when he found himself staring into a pair of crimson eyes. These eyes were unlike the clear, moist ones from before—the pupils were dilated and filled with blood-red color, containing endless killing intent.
Not the eyes of a human, more like those of a wild beast without spiritual consciousness, revealing instinctive brutality and bloodlust.
Having been consumed by Zhuyan, Su Baiche’s black hair had turned snow-white, and his face was covered with dense black markings. If his hands and feet hadn’t been bound with restraints that he couldn’t break despite using all his strength, he would have already pounced on Shen Liuxiang.
Even so, he still tried to attack, opening his blood-filled mouth and writhing his body to get closer to the only living being present.
He had completely lost his reason, as if only killing could appease his restlessness.
Shen Liuxiang had not yet decided how to deal with him. Seeing this, he swiftly knocked him unconscious with a clean, decisive blow.
In the moment before Su Baiche passed out, Tong Xi, after much hesitation, secretly helped him, pushing back the ferocious demon beast that was consuming him.
He wasn’t thinking of Su Baiche’s welfare; rather, because Su Baiche’s soul was still present, they were essentially one entity. If Su Baiche remained unconscious, Tong Xi would also be forced to cut off his perception of the outside world. And facing Shen Liuxiang—whom he originally didn’t take seriously but had grown increasingly wary of—Tong Xi wanted to keep constant watch.
This person had deviated the most from his original appearance. If allowed to act freely, he might completely win over Zhou Xuanlan next.
So, when Su Baiche was regaining control of his body, Tong Xi gave him a hand, while thinking that after this one time, perhaps Su Baiche would learn his lesson and follow his commands from now on.
Just as Tong Xi was daydreaming about a future where, through his machinations, the great powers of various realms would vie for Su Baiche’s affection, successfully completing the mission, and thereafter being free from constraints, Su Baiche slowly opened his eyes.
Through his blurry, shifting vision, he immediately noticed the slender figure sitting cross-legged nearby.
Su Baiche had not forgotten what happened before he fainted, and because of this, his heart stirred slightly.
It must have been this person who saved him.
A hero in distress, rescued by a beauty—a common tale in the world, an encounter that all chosen ones deserved. Had heaven finally favored him?
Shen Liuxiang took an orange from his storage pouch, bit into it, and noticed a gaze directed at him.
Looking back, he saw Su Baiche, pale-faced, with moist eyes that sparkled with fine tears, silently looking at him. This pitiful appearance, like a fragile little white flower in a storm, was truly a sight to stir compassion.
Shen Liuxiang let out a slight hiss and moved closer. “You’re awake.”
As he approached, Su Baiche was stunned for a moment, and the foggy figure in his vision gradually became clear.
An extremely handsome face, a pair of phoenix eyes unmatched in the world. When he smiled lightly, the corners of his eyes curved up slightly, inexplicably conveying an alluring quality.
It was indescribably pleasing to the eye.
But this didn’t prevent the shock—like a thunderbolt on a clear day—that struck Su Baiche the moment he clearly saw that face. All the romantic thoughts in his heart were instantly shattered.
The double blow made his confused consciousness suddenly clear, and he finally noticed his bound hands and feet.
The fine threads were made of something unknown, sticky, with the coolness of the night air clinging to them.
Su Baiche couldn’t break free. His heart sank a little as he pondered Shen Liuxiang’s intentions while also thinking about how to deal with the temporarily subdued Zhuyan.
In his mind, Tong Xi kept nagging: “I’ll give you half an incense stick’s time. If you still stubbornly cling to your views, I won’t help you anymore. By then, you’ll become a walking corpse, and when your soul dissipates, you will completely disappear from the world. Think carefully.”
Shen Liuxiang looked at Su Baiche’s uncomfortable expression, figuring he must be awake now. He took a bite of his orange, “Are you also after the Demon Bone Pill? Could it be that this pill can control the Zhuyan inside you?”
Su Baiche looked at him, pondered for a moment, and deliberately raised his fragile voice, responding with a question instead of answering: “Why are you tying me up? Please untie me.”
Although Su Baiche was unwilling to admit it, when this appearance of his was used to look pitiful, no one could resist softening their heart. Over these years, he had relied on this and the Divine Control Technique to resolve many crises.
Although he dared not use spiritual power to perform the Divine Control Technique at this moment, with this pitiful appearance, surely Shen Liuxiang would…
“Oh, no.”
Su Baiche’s expression stiffened, his face darkened. Just as he was about to speak, the black demonic markings climbed back up his cheeks.
His expression changed slightly. He stopped wasting words and, in a short time, identified the usefulness of this unexpectedly appearing person, while also clarifying his own bargaining chips: “It’s fine if you don’t untie me, but I can barely control Zhuyan now. You must help me!”
Shen Liuxiang raised an eyebrow and laughed: “Are you misunderstanding something? Why should I help you?”
Su Baiche: “I know where Zhou Xuanlan is.”
Shen Liuxiang’s eyes narrowed. Su Baiche took in his expression completely, gained confidence, and deliberately said: “He has fallen into a trap and is in grave danger. That place is known only to me. Whether to make a deal with me is up to you to decide.”
Shen Liuxiang frowned, unable to determine whether what he said was true or false, but he indeed couldn’t be at ease without finding his disciple.
“How can I help you?”
Su Baiche showed his first smile of the day, while Tong Xi in his mind was exasperated.
“You dare! You dare!! You dare!!!”
Letting Shen Liuxiang go was the worst outcome. For Tong Xi, it was no different from pushing all his schemes into the abyss.
“You can control Zhuyan temporarily, but not forever. If you dare do this, I swear I won’t let you find the Demon Bone Pill, and I’ll ensure your soul is completely destroyed!”
But at this moment, apart from raging threats, Tong Xi could do nothing to anyone.
Su Baiche ignored him and said: “I’ll teach you the Demon Refining Technique, and you use this evil technique to help me suppress Zhuyan.” This way, he would have time to search for the Demon Bone Pill, and he wouldn’t need to be controlled by Tong Xi.
Shen Liuxiang narrowed his eyes: “If you had this method, why didn’t you use it earlier and let others help you with the Demon Refining Technique?”
Su Baiche said: “Everyone around me in the demon realm is of the demon race. Who would dare or be willing to help me suppress Zhuyan? Besides, not just anyone can learn the Demon Refining Technique.”
As he spoke, the spiritual power inside his body surged, and he hurriedly said: “Give me your hand, I’ll pass the Demon Refining Technique to you.”
Su Baiche’s hands were tied behind his back. He rolled with difficulty on the ground, curled his slender, fair fingers, gesturing for Shen Liuxiang’s hand to come closer.
After touching a finger, Su Baiche immediately transmitted the evil technique to him, then asked: “How is it?”
After speaking, he heard a half-smiling voice, and at the same time, the back of his hand was touched: “Very good. Your hands are so smooth and tender, how did they grow like this?”
Su Baiche’s entire body stiffened, and he suppressed the urge to curse loudly: “Born this way!”
Shen Liuxiang, while checking the evil technique that had appeared in his sea of consciousness, said: “Like smooth and tender white tofu.” After several years, it was still almost the same as described in the original text, truly remarkable.
Hearing this, Su Baiche couldn’t catch his breath and fainted. When he woke up again, the demonic markings on his face were ferocious, and he pounced toward Shen Liuxiang with claws extended.
Shen Liuxiang calmly leaped onto a tree, leaving him to struggle on the ground, and concentrated on learning the Demon Refining Technique. Although this technique was evil, as long as it wasn’t used to refine demon beasts, it had no effect on the cultivator himself.
Half an hour later, Shen Liuxiang immobilized Su Baiche, pressed one hand on his forehead, and performed the technique with the other hand.
After a moment, the blood color in Su Baiche’s pupils faded a bit.
He gradually regained consciousness, opened his eyes to check his internal condition, and frowned: “With just this much suppressive power, Zhuyan will return in less than half an hour.”
Shen Liuxiang said: “Less talk, let’s find the person first, and I’ll help you when we get there.”
He had tested it and estimated that with full power, he could suppress Zhuyan for about a month. But why would he use his full power? He planned to use only 20-30% of his power later, just enough to send him away.
***
On the other side, in a beautiful cave dwelling, Zhou Xuanlan sat cross-legged under a spirit tree.
Thin sweat seeped from his forehead, and his eyebrows were tightly knitted.
After the unexpected disturbance in the secret realm, he was separated from Shen Liuxiang. While searching for him, he saw a slender figure that looked exactly like Shen Liuxiang and immediately chased after it.
Only when he reached the cave dwelling did he realize something was wrong.
A faint, mysterious fragrance pervaded the cave dwelling. As soon as Zhou Xuanlan smelled it, he held his breath, but it had no effect. This mysterious fragrance had mixed with the spiritual energy and was silently circulating through his meridians.
A faint mysterious fragrance pervaded the cave dwelling. As soon as Zhou Xuanlan smelled it, he held his breath, but it had no effect. This mysterious fragrance had mixed with the spiritual energy and was silently circulating through his meridians.
In an instant, Zhou Xuanlan’s eyes dimmed slightly.
He had intended to leave this place, but was trapped inside. Obviously, someone was targeting him, deliberately setting up a trap.
Sensing the gradually rising heat within his body, Zhou Xuanlan slowly adjusted his breathing, pondering this person’s purpose. Since they used such means, wouldn’t ‘Master’ appear next?
Killing intent arose in the heart of the person under the tree.
Soon, hearing footsteps, Zhou Xuanlan opened his pitch-black eyes and looked toward the corner stone wall diagonally in front of him.
His fingertips formed a spell seal imperceptibly.
In an instant, a figure walked out from the darkness. Zhou Xuanlan gathered spiritual power to attack, but when he inadvertently met the phoenix eyes that bloomed with joy, his hand paused, and the spiritual power dissipated.
“Are you all right?”
After circling the cave dwelling for most of the day, Shen Liuxiang finally saw him and immediately approached the cross-legged figure.
Shen Liuxiang crouched down, looked around, and seeing sweat on his forehead, asked, “Is it too hot, or are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
As he spoke, he reached out with his jade-white hand and placed it on Zhou Xuanlan’s forehead.
Shocked by the burning temperature, Shen Liuxiang was about to speak when his slender wrist was grasped, and a cold voice reached his ear: “I have seen countless illusions of Master, and you are the most similar one.”
Shen Liuxiang: “?”
He was stunned, his phoenix eyes widening slightly, “I am real.”
Annoyance suddenly appeared on Zhou Xuanlan’s face. This fake imitation’s every movement was too similar, especially when he came close, emitting that familiar scent from Master’s body, which instantly caused the heat he had suppressed with great effort to spread through his body again.
If he hadn’t been alert to the trap, Zhou Xuanlan might have believed it.
He tightened his well-defined fingers, squeezing Shen Liuxiang’s wrist painfully. His thin lips parted slightly as he coldly commanded: “Get away—”
When Zhou Xuanlan uttered these two words, his tone was cold, his eyebrows filled with murderous intent, his handsome face became fierce. Someone timid might have been scared away immediately.
But Shen Liuxiang could see at a glance that his disciple was bluffing.
He looked fierce enough, but given Zhou Xuanlan’s character, he wouldn’t waste so many words—he would simply raise his hand and send the person away with a palm strike.
Yet at this moment, he was gripping his wrist tightly while fiercely saying “Get away!”
…His mouth was telling him to leave, but the hand holding him was quite honest.
Thank You for the new chapter ♥(˘⌣˘ C)