Three months ago, by Xun Chun Xu Zhou

As the figure of Chu Weiyang approached, the woman's soul shadow first glanced behind him, where the steward's body lay in the grass.

A disciple of the Sword Sect, mastering the combined sword strike, sharing the same color as the heavenly sea, inheriting the Qian Law Vein.

Ha...

Friends who are like family?

An escaped prisoner from the Demon Cave?

At the moment her movements paused, the woman's soul shadow raised an eyebrow, almost about to mockingly smile when she thought of this.

Meanwhile, Chu Weiyang's somber gaze carefully scanned the suspended fragments of thirty-six long swords, the alchemically transformed mud, and the spring that reflected the stars, especially the spring.

Unexpectedly, Chu Weiyang sensed a faint connection from the remnants of his condensed malevolent essence that had been nurtured by a unique method into this spring.

Ah, so this spiritual object truly has a connection with me...

Having understood this, Chu Weiyang approached and carefully observed the woman's soul shadow.

Even though her illusory figure remained vague, up close, Chu Weiyang could scrutinize the woman's face.

Honestly, she was a woman with profound charm, different from superficial beauty.

Her unique charm made her exude a one-of-a-kind elegance, like the frost in the cold wind, the steepest rock on the mountain peak, or the faintest star in the vast starry sky.

However, the only flaw was... her thin lips of a bright red color, and eyebrows like willow leaves that gathered prominently in the center.

Especially when their eyes met, the almost mocking smile on the woman's soul shadow gave off a sharper feeling.

Yet, it was precisely this sharp demeanor that, even as a hazy soul shadow, gave Chu Weiyang a strong—still vivid—sense of presence.

Silent gazes exchanged.

All that needed to be said had been said.

Chu Weiyang was waiting for a response, waiting for an answer.

But as she looked into Chu Weiyang's vacant and somber eyes, inexplicably, the woman's mocking smile slowly faded.

She seemed to have some sarcastic words to say, but swallowed them all in the end.

"A swordsman does not need to be indecisive. You were able to kill him just now, but you have yet to kill me. Yes, the potent poison in that bottle can intimidate even the soul, but so what? Can it decide life and death?

The person lying on the ground, you must know his identity. I am his great aunt, the senior sister of Yan Jianming. If it weren't for my intrusion that day, you might not have had the chance to struggle for survival today!

I tell you this to let you know that my situation is not what it seems. Now, I am left with just a bit of soul, and I can no longer worry about anything else. My only thought is to continue living, by any means necessary. People always find a way to keep living!

But if you cut off my path to survival...

I was once at the stage of refining my essence, although now only a remnant soul remains, having already damaged my source, and now poisoned. How much of my former skills can still be used, even I cannot say. But if it truly comes to that point, I am willing to risk my life. Are you willing to take that risk?"

In the same spot, Chu Weiyang listened quietly.

Initially nodding along with the woman's words, when she finished speaking, Chu Weiyang shook his head abruptly.

"Hmm... Miss Chunyu, your words are reasonable yet unreasonable! Indeed, I may lack the means to manipulate souls, but if my knowledge serves me right, we only need to stand off here. It may be a moment, perhaps half an hour, but unless you turn into a vengeful spirit, when the sun sets, there will be only one path for you to take—soul scattered.

With this poison present, speaking of fighting to the death is just a scare tactic. You won't even have the chance to make a move! At that time, all of these, these, and these, will all return to their rightful owner... no, they will all return to me!"

Seeing Chu Weiyang lift his other hand and scan over the various items in the air, the woman's expression became even more grim.

She tried to say something several times, but her mouth opened and closed, ultimately falling silent, as quiet as death.

Meanwhile, Chu Weiyang lowered his head slightly, rubbing the stopper on the porcelain bottle with a hoarse voice that sounded like a bewitching voice from the depths of the netherworld.

"Of course, I don't really want to push you into a corner. If I let you go, this broken sword will be just a bunch of broken iron pieces, this alchemy will be hard stones, and this spiritual object... will still be an unknown entity.

But I see, Miss Chunyu, you seem to be someone with ideas and methods. If you plan to do something with these, I have no ulterior motives, I just want to help you on the side.

You see, if you use my things for yourself, I am willing to assist you on the side!

On the other hand, you killed my friends and family, and this lonely and long escape route requires someone to talk to. Thinking about it, it's really quite reasonable!"

Still, a long silence ensued.

Chu Weiyang raised his hand, holding the neck of the porcelain bottle between two fingers.

"I understand, Miss Chunyu, your family's face is always much thinner than others'. So let me start this conversation—Miss Chunyu, if I have the 'Clear Micro Thunder Cloud Seal Script' and the 'Nine Element Prayer Spirit Red Text General Instructions,' which one should I use to inscribe the prohibitions for re-forging a spiritually enriched sword?"

At this point, Chu Weiyang raised his head slightly.

"Miss Chunyu?"

After a long silence, the woman's soul shadow finally smiled mockingly.

"Today, I finally see that this is how you demonic cultivators reason with people!"

In response to the woman's soul shadow, Chu Weiyang gave a carefree smile.

"But don't tarnish my reputation. I am now half a disciple of the Sword Sect, and in the future... perhaps I will be half a disciple of Ting Chang Mountain!

Believe me, Miss, this will be a good start."

North, Ting Chang Mountain, in the secret chamber of the Daoist Palace.

In the spacious chamber, the walls were surrounded by incense, and the smoke billowed like layered mist.

Faintly visible on the northern wall was a map of a thousand miles of the Jade Marrow River, and beneath the map, on a long table, was a silver basin filled with alchemical fluids.

In front of the basin, within the vast divine light, manifested the spiritual body of the Daoist Mother of Danxia.

In the center of the chamber, an ice coffin stood, and through the crystal-clear light, one could see a woman lying inside, full of profound charm, with thin blood-red lips, eyebrows raised like willow leaves, and an additional touch of sharpness.

At this moment, the Daoist Mother of Danxia stood in front of the silver basin, her withered fingers gently swaying above the alchemical fluid.

Whether due to profound magical power or a passing breeze, ripples appeared on the surface of the alchemical fluid, resembling the fine folds of the overlapping mountains to the north of the Jade Marrow River, the natural harmony created by mountains and waters, or the feng shui on the high walls.

As the withered fingers of the Daoist Mother of Danxia lightly caressed the alchemical fluid, faint spiritual light, like a gentle rain, scattered into the fluid with the clear wind.

At first glance, it seemed like a lamentation of mountains and rivers.

At the same time, the Daoist Mother of Danxia's voice echoed with ambiguous Daoist sounds.

"On the nine-layered spiritual platform, in the purple palace of the eight treasures."

"Enduring a thousand calamities to reside in Ting Chang, mastering ten thousand methods and known as Danxia."

"Crossing the Magpie Bridge to bestow sweet rain, surpassing Kunlun to subdue dragons and tigers."

"Descending into the depths of darkness, raising the sun to dispel disasters."

"As the original deity, calling forth spirits and souls."

"The highest and most distant, the most supreme and profound."

"Ting Chang Mountain Daoist Palace, performing the Danxia Daoist Mother."

"The highest and most distant, the most supreme and profound."

"Ting Chang Mountain Daoist Palace, performing the Danxia Daoist Mother."

"The highest and most distant, the most supreme and profound."

"Ting Chang Mountain Daoist Palace—performing the Danxia Daoist Mother!"

As her words fell, wisps of mist rose from the silver basin, from the alchemical fluid, as if within a moment, a vast sea of clouds reflected a grandeur, and as the spiritual light gradually condensed, it seemed like the rising sun, about to sit in the center of the cloud sea.

Watching this, at a certain moment, the Daoist Mother of Danxia suddenly chuckled, as if extremely pleased, she even laughed out loud.

"Good child, good child, the one who killed grandma, took grandma's Daoist methods. In this vast world, in these distant mountains and rivers... good child, our karma, it's really hard to calculate!"

As she spoke, the mist in the silver basin became denser, gradually seeming to gather vitality from the Danxia divine light.

At a certain moment, it seemed that this change had reached its peak.

In a flash, a grand master seal was struck, and the Daoist Mother of Danxia plunged her hand directly into the boiling alchemical fluid.

When she pulled it out, her withered and convulsing skin was covered with red scars, and many areas were even oozing dark red blood.

But the Daoist Mother of Danxia seemed unfazed by the pain.

Instead, she looked joyfully at her hand, at the spiritual light pinched at her fingertips.

As the pressure on her fingertips eased.

A cold wind swirled in the secret chamber.

At a glance, there was no longer any spiritual light, only the confused and lost soul shadow of Chunyu Huai, hovering there.

Seeing Chunyu Huai's appearance.

The Daoist Mother of Danxia's smile became even more benevolent.

"Good Huai, don't say that grandma doesn't care about you. After trying every method, I still have to teach you to live another life! It was the escaped prisoner from the Demon Cave who killed you. In the future, you two still have karma to settle..."

Without waiting for the bewildered soul shadow to react, the Daoist Mother of Danxia reached out, pinched an Yin-Yang seal, and pressed the spiritual light in the center, about to press it onto the woman's forehead in the ice coffin.