After a long time, Shen Liuxiang was finally released, turning his face aside to catch his breath.
He had been guarding against Zhou Xuanlan probing with spiritual power, but in a moment of distraction, he was noticed, resulting in being angrily held in his arms and kissed. “What is Master thinking about?”
Shen Liuxiang avoided his gaze, thought for a moment, and said: “Although those strange beasts were driven away by your rebuke, Qinglin and the Demon Realm are very far apart. On their way back, they will surely cause chaos wherever they pass. Would you help me subdue them?”
Zhou Xuanlan looked at him: “What about Master?”
“I’ll try to see if there are other ways to suppress Qiongqi,” Shen Liuxiang pressed his chest, frowned slightly, but quickly smiled. “Although it’s not good for me to appear in public, I’ll secretly come to see you.”
Zhou Xuanlan lowered his dark eyelashes and remained silent for a long time. “How long can Master control Qiongqi?”
Once he had studied the Demon Refining Technique, he would know whether refining Qiongqi’s soul was feasible. The only worry now was that Shen Liuxiang couldn’t hold on for long.
Shen Liuxiang said: “He has just possessed me, and his soul is exhausted. He can’t move me for a short time. Take a jade slip with you, and if anything happens to me, I’ll notify you immediately.”
Zhou Xuanlan was somewhat reassured: “If that’s the case, Master, wait for me.”
If these strange beasts committed evil in the cultivation world, the consequences would fall on Shen Liuxiang. He had to resolve these troubles.
Shen Liuxiang nodded slightly. After Zhou Xuanlan left, his consciousness arrived before the mind prison.
Qiongqi gripped the door, eyes wide with anger, wanting to break free and tear the person before him to pieces. “You want that dragon clan member to refine my soul? Don’t forget, I’m inside your body. Your soul is so weak, it can’t withstand any harmful soul techniques!”
Shen Liuxiang sat cross-legged, saying nothing, absorbed in studying the Demon Refining Technique.
Inside the God-Destroying Cauldron, in order to survive, he had gone through immense hardship to refine Qiongqi, gaining just a bit of life. Except for Xu Xinglian, no one’s mind prison could contain the demon beast. He had swallowed the demon pill to firmly lock it inside.
Next, only the soul remained.
Under normal circumstances, Qiongqi’s soul shouldn’t pose any threat. Without magical assistance, forcibly possessing a body would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.
However, Shen Liuxiang’s soul was exceptionally fragile, like a fragile object barely held together. Not only was it incomparable to a normal Soul Formation cultivator’s soul, but it couldn’t even match a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s soul. This gave Qiongqi an opportunity to exploit.
Using the Demon Refining Technique to annihilate a demon beast’s soul was the method Shen Liuxiang had employed to help Su Baiche eliminate the Zhuyan within him. But Shen Liuxiang couldn’t do the same for himself.
His soul was already extremely weak, further damaged by soul-searching techniques. Now, it resembled thin ice—any impact could shatter it completely. By teaching Zhou Xuanlan the Demon Refining Technique and revealing the method to refine Qiongqi’s soul, Shen Liuxiang was leaving a last resort. If pushed to the brink, Zhou Xuanlan would…
Shen Liuxiang’s heart tightened. If it came to that, how devastated Zhou Xuanlan would be…
His face twisted in conflict as he shook his head.
There must be another way. If only his soul could be stronger—not necessarily surpassing Qiongqi’s, but merely reaching a normal state—everything could be resolved.
Inside the mind prison, Qiongqi roared furiously. Seeing Shen Liuxiang ignore him, his gaze turned icy.
He saw through Shen Liuxiang’s plan: to use the young dragon clansman to destroy him through mutual destruction. But how could Zhou Xuanlan, who had even given Shen Liuxiang his reverse scale, bear to let him die? Thus, Shen Liuxiang intended to keep it secret.
To a dragon, the reverse scale was the most vital and precious part.
Since prehistoric times, all creatures knew the reverse scale was a dragon’s weakness, yet none dared target it. The dragons weren’t fools—they protected their reverse scales from childhood, erasing this vulnerability. Countless protective spells for reverse scales emerged within their clan.
Though each dragon’s protective spell differed, all adhered to one principle:
*”A dragon’s reverse scale—touch it, and you die.”*
Thus, even when everyone knew the reverse scale was their weakness, none dared approach. These dragons had cunningly armored their reverse scales with the hardest armor and sharpest blades, waiting for enemies to fall into their trap.
Now, seeing how Zhou Xuanlan allowed Shen Liuxiang to touch his reverse scale unharmed, Qiongqi knew Zhou Xuanlan would never let Shen Liuxiang die. If Zhou Xuanlan learned the consequences of soul refinement, he would abandon the idea.
Qiongqi’s fear was that Shen Liuxiang would deny him any chance to speak, keeping Zhou Xuanlan in the dark. His only hope was to recover his soul power swiftly and reveal the truth before Zhou Xuanlan acted.
—
Under the moonlit valley’s serene surface, the outside world was in turmoil.
News of Shen Liuxiang leading demon beasts to attack Qinglin Sect sent shockwaves through the cultivation world.
Ling Ye, the sect master of a major sect, had recently surged in power and was tacitly acknowledged as the cultivation world’s strongest. Yet even he had been gravely injured and nearly killed in a confrontation with Shen Liuxiang, who had refined Qiongqi.
Panic swept through the cultivation world. Major sects could no longer remain passive. Ultimately, the Sword Sect rallied all sects under the banner of vanquishing demons, calling for a united strategy.
At dawn, the Sword Sect’s training plaza teemed with cultivators gathered to discuss the previous night’s events, their voices rising in clamor.
A sect master glanced around. “Why hasn’t the Xu Yun Sect come? For a reputable sect to cower is shameful!”
A robed man nearby replied, “Sect Master Chen, don’t blame them. I received a distress message—three demon beasts ravaged Xu Yun Sect this morning. Their losses were severe, and they haven’t recovered.”
Sect Master Chen paled. “Three demon beasts?! That’s equivalent to three Soul Formation cultivators—a catastrophic blow! Should we send aid?”
“It’s already been resolved,” the robed man said. “But you might not believe who assisted them—the Ninth Demon King of the demon realm.”
Sect Master Chen’s face flushed with conflicting emotions. “Has our cultivation world fallen so low that we need demon aid? Still, this Ninth Demon King… I heard he single-handedly saved Qinglin Sect from bloodshed last night. He doesn’t seem like an ordinary evil demon.”
A passing woman paused. “I know more about him. He was once a disciple of our sect—Zhou Xuanlan, Shen Liuxiang’s beloved student.”
The two men turned, recognizing her as a Qinglin Sect elder. They exchanged uneasy glances, murmuring after she left:
“So he was once a Qinglin disciple… What kind of place is Qinglin Sect, breeding both heroes and villains?”
As they spoke, a streak of light crossed the sky.
The crowd looked up to see Ye Bingran returning from the demon realm.
Sheathing his sword, Ye Bingran approached Lan Xiaosheng, his tone grave. “I was a step too late. By the time I reached the demon lair, he was already gone.”
Lan Xiaosheng sighed. “I know.”
Noticing his expression, Ye Bingran asked, “What happened?”
Upon learning of Shen Liuxiang’s refinement of Qiongqi, Lan Xiaosheng had immediately sent Ye Bingran to retrieve him from the demon realm and prevent disaster. But Ye Bingran arrived too late—Shen Liuxiang had already left the Demon Capital.
Lan Xiaosheng recounted the previous night’s events, concluding, “If we let Shen Liuxiang roam free, the consequences will be unimaginable.”
Of the three major sects, Qinglin lacked leadership, the Western Sun Sect’s master had turned violent after losing his son, leaving only the Sword Sect to take charge.
Ye Bingran’s face whitened. “What do you plan to do? Hurting Sect Master Ling couldn’t have been his intention.”
“The best outcome would be capturing and imprisoning him to spare his life,” Lan Xiaosheng said reluctantly. “The worst… an endless battle to the death.”
With Qiongqi refined and Shen Liuxiang’s actions—slaying the Great Demon King, crippling Ling Ye, nearly destroying Qinglin Sect—fear of him grew exponentially. Without subduing him, no one in the Three Realms would know peace.
Ye Bingran clenched his fists, about to speak when commotion erupted outside.
He followed Lan Xiaosheng forward and saw Jin Xiangtian, the sect master of the Western Sun Sect, fighting with a young man. Looking closely, that young man was Xu Xingchen, the young lord of the Imperial Palace.
Lan Xiaosheng shouted: “Stop, both of you!”
Since his son’s tragic death on his wedding day, Jin Xiangtian had completely changed. He exuded a vicious aura, had no kind words for anyone in conversation, and would beat people bloody at the slightest disagreement. Not only the disciples who spent day and night with him but even outsiders felt fearful around him.
But because of his profound cultivation, no one dared to challenge him.
Since learning that Shen Liuxiang had refined a demon beast, Jin Xiangtian’s long-standing resentment seemed to have found an outlet. He raised his banner to campaign against Shen Liuxiang, but having lost popular support, few other sects responded.
Invited to the Sword Sect today, he immediately stood on the high platform, vividly describing how Shen Liuxiang had previously shielded demon disciples, used his position as a young lord to bully others, committed heinous crimes, and now had even laid hands on the Imperial Princess, completely losing his humanity. He called on the fellow Daoists present to join in condemning him.
Unfortunately, these words were overheard by Xu Xingchen, who had just arrived. He was instantly furious: “Shen Liuxiang is a member of my Imperial Palace. Who are you to touch him? All of you, disperse!”
In the past, if the Imperial Palace’s young lord came and spoke such words, everyone would have carefully deliberated and tried to comply. But now that the Emperor had ascended, their greatest backing was gone, and people’s fear of the Imperial Palace had greatly diminished. Hearing Xu Xingchen’s words, their reaction was different.
They all felt that Xu Xingchen was acting too tyrannically. Even though Shen Liuxiang was from the Imperial Palace, he was harming the Three Realms—why shouldn’t they defend themselves?
While most just whispered among themselves, Jin Xiangtian directly retaliated, cursing Shen Liuxiang while disparaging the Imperial Palace. Hearing this, Xu Xingchen became furious and began fighting with him.
Though Jin Xiangtian was strong, Xu Xingchen was no weaker. With his treasured sword, he held his ground.
The onlookers watched, their eyes viewing Xu Xingchen with newfound respect. For someone so young to have such cultivation, the Imperial Palace wouldn’t fall into obscurity under his future leadership.
As the two fought, no one dared step forward to intervene.
When Lan Xiaosheng coldly shouted, Xu Xingchen, remembering he hadn’t come to make enemies but to persuade Lan Xiaosheng and others to abandon their pursuit of Shen Liuxiang and leave it to the Imperial Palace, immediately withdrew.
But even as he withdrew, Jin Xiangtian’s eyes flashed coldly, and he launched a fatal attack.
Xu Xingchen’s reaction was extremely fast, but he still felt a chill in his chest. He had barely avoided the fatal spot and fell to the ground with a “bang.”
The crowd in the plaza was shocked, their faces showing horror.
Lan Xiaosheng’s expression changed instantly as he appeared beside Xu Xingchen, blocking Jin Xiangtian’s continued attack with a palm. “You’ve completely lost your mind!”
Jin Xiangtian withdrew, looking at the bleeding Xu Xingchen and sneering: “Don’t blame me for being ruthless. When your own strength is insufficient, who can you blame for life and death!”
After speaking, Jin Xiangtian was about to leave when his footsteps suddenly halted, and his expression froze.
The training plaza gradually fell silent.
A figure in red clothes descended, raised a jade-white hand, and slowly gripped Jin Xiangtian’s neck.
A suffocating, terrifying pressure instantly swept over the Sword Sect. Everyone’s hearts shook as they looked at the young man on the high platform. Their legs involuntarily weakened, their spiritual power seemed locked, unable to move.
Jin Xiangtian’s feet left the ground as he was choked, his face turning from red to purple. He struggled to speak: “You dare… in front of so many people… you dare…”
“Why wouldn’t I dare,”
Shen Liuxiang’s phoenix eyes glinted with blood-red light, the corners of his lips slightly curved. “On the path to the underworld, don’t blame me for being ruthless. When your own strength is insufficient, who can you blame for life and death?”
As he spoke, his hand twisted, and amidst someone’s cry of “Stop!” he broke Jin Xiangtian’s neck.
All who witnessed this felt a chill run down their spines, their hearts filled with dread. Seeing it with their own eyes was a hundred times more terrifying than hearing about it. With such power unchecked, the world would never know peace again!
Shen Liuxiang casually tossed Jin Xiangtian’s corpse to the ground, glanced at Lan Xiaosheng who seemed hesitant to speak, then crouched down to press his hand on Xu Xingchen’s wound, using spiritual power to treat it briefly before carrying the nearly unconscious man on his back.
“If you’re coming for me, come,”
Shen Liuxiang stood on the high platform, looking down at the crowd in the training field, his face as cold as ice. “But if you dare harm those close to me, I will annihilate your very souls.”
After speaking, the red-clothed young man disappeared with the person on his back.
As the crowd recovered from their trembling, they realized someone else was missing from the platform.
Shen Liuxiang found a quiet place, put Xu Xingchen down, fed him a medicinal pill, and used spiritual power to heal his wounds.
Xu Xingchen didn’t have a single guard with him, clearly having snuck out. Thinking of how he had barely avoided a fatal blow to the heart, Shen Liuxiang felt a chill of fear.
Seeing Xu Xingchen’s spirit somewhat recovered, looking disheveled, he called him by his full name: “Shen Liuxiang.”
Shen Liuxiang immediately scolded him angrily: “Call me ‘Elder Brother’!”
Xu Xingchen coughed, his face pale: “You’re not planning to return to the Imperial Palace, are you? I won’t call you that.”
Shen Liuxiang avoided the topic, the spiritual energy he was channeling into Xu Xingchen slowing slightly. “Xinglian has probably been affected by a spell that makes her soul sleep. Have the Imperial Tutor pay special attention to this aspect, find out what kind of spell it is, and release her from it.”
Xu Xingchen nodded, looking up at him: “I know you wouldn’t harm Xinglian, but did you really refine a demon beast?”
“I encountered some danger and had no choice but to refine it,”
Shen Liuxiang shrugged casually, unwilling to elaborate. He pressed down on Xu Xingchen, who had suddenly become emotional. “You’re injured, don’t move around. I have one more thing to give you.”
Xu Xingchen grabbed him: “If that’s the case, come back with me quickly. It’s too dangerous out there!”
Shen Liuxiang shook his head, raised his hand, and a phoenix feather appeared in his palm, scattering golden light in the sunlight.
Xu Xingchen was stunned. He naturally recognized this life-bound artifact; it had been in Shen Liuxiang’s Nascent Soul’s hair that day, and Father Emperor’s intention was clear without words.
His eyes lowered, as if sighing, yet also as if relieved. “If that’s the case, you should come back with me even more. Those people have been buzzing in my ear about the Emperor’s position these past few days, and I’m tired of listening to them.”
“You’re already tired of that?”
Shen Liuxiang took Xu Xingchen’s hand, placed the phoenix feather in his palm, raised his eyes with a faint smile, and said, “In the future, you’ll have to listen to them nag every day. Wouldn’t Emperor Xingchen be even more annoyed?”
Xu Xingchen’s whole body stiffened. He stared at the phoenix feather in his hand, looked at Shen Liuxiang, and hearing “Emperor Xingchen” in his ears, the hand being held felt as if boiling water had been poured on it. He hurriedly withdrew it.
“What are you doing?! This is what Father Emperor gave to you! He wants you to be the Emperor! Are you testing me? Although I had thoughts of becoming Emperor, I’m obedient and would never compete with you!”
“Let go of me quickly!!!”
With his profound cultivation, Shen Liuxiang held Xu Xingchen steadily despite his struggles and shouts, keeping the phoenix feather pressed against his palm. When Xu Xingchen tired, panting and giving up the struggle, only then did he speak: “Now that you’re calm, listen to me.”
Xu Xingchen’s face was flushed. The wind blew a few strands of his bangs, gently swaying in front of eyes that couldn’t quite summon anger.
Shen Liuxiang reached out to brush them aside and said: “You weren’t there at the time, so Father Emperor had no choice but to entrust it to me, but it was always meant for you.”
With his vision clearer without the hair in the way, Xu Xingchen stared at the young man before him, stunned for a moment, half-believing, half-doubting. “Re-really?”
Shen Liuxiang: “Of course it’s true.”
He curled Xu Xingchen’s fingers, making him grip the phoenix feather tightly. “Inside is Father Emperor’s cultivation. Once you refine it, your cultivation will greatly increase. Only then will you sit firmly on the Emperor’s throne.”
Seeing Xu Xingchen looking dumbfounded, as if he couldn’t believe it, Shen Liuxiang couldn’t help but pat his head. “Don’t be so silly. Learn to be smarter in the future. You still need to protect Xinglian, guard the Imperial Palace… and also!!”
He anxiously added: “Don’t steal someone else’s beloved!”
Even without Zhou Xuanlan, Su Baiche had one, two, three, four, five potential partners behind him. If he wasn’t around and Xu Xingchen set his eyes on Su Baiche, repeating the same mistake, what then?
Xu Xingchen recovered from his shock, not yet having tasted any joy, when he heard Shen Liuxiang rattling off a bunch of words. His expression suddenly changed.
“What are you saying? How could you forget to include yourself?” Xu Xingchen stood up, grabbed Shen Liuxiang’s sleeve, intending to pull him away. With this movement, the wound on his chest tore open, causing his face to pale with pain.
He hissed but continued: “As Emperor, the most important thing for me is naturally to protect you and Xinglian!”
Xu Xingchen was quite anxious, wanting to bring him back to the Imperial Palace, but no matter how he pulled, Shen Liuxiang stood motionless.
He turned back, his collar stained red with fresh blood, extremely angry: “What are you doing?! Come back with me quickly! It’s just a refined demon beast, right? If Father Emperor could make the demon beast in Xinglian’s body vanish completely, can’t I, Xu Xingchen, do the same?!”
Shen Liuxiang remained silent for a moment, then hugged him soothingly: “My soul is damaged; I can’t undergo those spells.”
Xu Xingchen’s face changed. With Qiongqi in Shen Liuxiang’s body, even the most powerful person couldn’t use magic to affect Qiongqi’s soul without harming Shen Liuxiang. If Qiongqi’s soul couldn’t be completely destroyed, what other method could remove him?
Shen Liuxiang released him: “You should return to Shenqi Mountain quickly. The Imperial Palace cannot be without a master for a day.”
Xu Xingchen wouldn’t agree, insisting on bringing him back too, saying there must be a way.
Shen Liuxiang had no choice but to use magic to immobilize him and set up a defensive shield around him. Unable to move, Xu Xingchen angrily said: “Unless you keep me fixed here forever, I’ll still come looking for you to bring you back!”
Shen Liuxiang rubbed his brow. “I have a plan; you just go back to the Imperial Palace.”
As he spoke, his expression turned solemn and cold: “Don’t treat the Emperor’s position as a child’s game. Since you’re going to sit in that position, sit firmly and well. You have much to learn, don’t waste time on me.”
Xu Xingchen said: “This isn’t wasting time, I…”
“You what?! Your cultivation is currently inferior to mine; how can you talk about taking me back?!”
Shen Liuxiang lowered his hand, his gaze turning sharp, enunciating each word: “When your cultivation surpasses mine, when you can lead the Imperial Palace like Father Emperor did, then you can say these things!”
Xu Xingchen was stunned, his eyes gradually reddening.
Shen Liuxiang turned to leave. At this moment, he heard the person behind him say softly: “These past few days, I’ve discovered that the Imperial Palace is actually very spacious, the nights very quiet. Being alone in the great hall feels very cold. With Father Emperor ascended and Xinglian in a deep sleep, if you don’t return, only I will face the suddenly cold Imperial Palace day and night.”
“I like liveliness; I would feel uncomfortable.”
“Shen Liuxiang… Elder Brother, I only have you left. Don’t be like them… leaving me behind.”
Shen Liuxiang’s footsteps halted, as if something had firmly entangled him, making it impossible to move.
After a long while, he bit his lip hard, tasting a hint of blood, and turned away without looking back.
Xu Xingchen’s eyes instantly reddened, the phoenix feather in his hand digging into his palm.
In an instant, crimson blood with golden light flowed from the young man’s fingers, dripping to the ground.
##
Thank You for the new chapter ♥(ˆ⌣ˆԅ)