After forcibly making the fox demon, who had taken Ji Yang’s form, swear brotherhood with him, Mu Zhan Ting felt a mix of emotions. He dragged the demon to a tavern, insisting on drinking together. The fox demon, Yin Ya, listened to Mu’s ramblings while thinking about the celestial treasures. Before he knew it, he had drunk several cups too many.
Cultivators typically don’t get drunk, but in southern Kong State, people enjoy realgar wine during festivals. After two pots, Yin Ya felt dizzy and lost control, revealing a pair of soft, droopy fox ears in public, terrifying the onlookers.
“So, you drank with a fox spirit until midnight, and even when he revealed his true form, you still didn’t realize he was a demon?” Ji Yang asked incredulously.
Mu Zhan Ting, while meditating to refine an antidote made from Wu Ti snake venom, examined Yin Ya’s appearance and compared it to Ji Yang’s. Still unable to distinguish them, he replied, “How could I tell? He looks so much like Ji Yang. Look at these eyebrows, these eyes, this—”
Ji Yang interrupted, “I do indeed look very much like myself. Please try to differentiate us some other way.”
Yin Ya, being a demon cultivator with awakened spiritual awareness, soon sobered up as the realgar wine’s effects dissipated. Before opening his eyes, he sensed three Qi Condensation stage cultivators surrounding him.
He immediately wished he hadn’t woken up.
“Since you’re awake, you might as well get up. We bear you no ill will; we just have a few questions,” Ji Yang said.
Although Yin Ya was at the peak of Qi Condensation, he had been injured by a Foundation Establishment cultivator earlier. His current strength was only around the late stage of Qi Condensation, making it difficult to face three opponents.
“Tch, if only I weren’t injured,” Yin Ya grumbled as he sat up. He first checked his storage bag, surprised to find that the three cultivators hadn’t touched his belongings. This lessened his hostility. He retracted his fox ears, and a purple mist enveloped his features. As it dissipated, it revealed the face of a peach blossom youth with a hint of fierceness.
“You are… eh?” Yin Ya’s gaze fixed on Nan Yan behind Ji Yang. The girl was exceptionally plump and hard to forget, but he remembered casting an illusion on her to make her forget him. He quickly averted his eyes.
“Consider my efforts wasted. Say what you have to say quickly. I warn you, even if we fight to the death, you won’t gain anything,” Yin Ya declared.
Ji Yang replied, “Very well, I’ll be direct. Earlier today, we saw you eagerly seeking to purchase silver shark gauze—”
Mu Zhan Ting interjected, “Is your mother a fox or your father?”
Yin Ya: “…”
Ji Yang sighed, “Zhan Ting, can you let me finish asking first?”
Mu Zhan Ting retreated to Nan Yan’s side, who stood with her head lowered, not engaging in the conversation. He took out a blood phoenix hairpin and spoke to her.
“Nan Yan, look. An old monk just gave this to me. Since you’re leaving, why not take it as a dowry?”
“…” Nan Yan shook her head, her expression hidden in shadow.
That was…
Ji Yang glanced at the blood phoenix hairpin in Mu Zhan Ting’s hand, frowning slightly. He vaguely remembered that this object was connected to an extremely troublesome matter. He turned back to Yin Ya, whose eyes seemed fixed on the hairpin.
“Brother Fox, since you appeared near Hui Valley, seeking silver shark gauze is undoubtedly to bypass the countless yin curses in the inner area of the valley and penetrate its core…”
Yin Ya struggled to tear his eyes away from the hairpin. “Don’t call me Brother Fox. It sounds like we’re classmates at the next table. Call me Brother Yin.”
Ji Yang didn’t quite understand the change in surname from beast to bird but didn’t dwell on it. He continued, “For a hundred years, countless cultivators have tried to explore the core of Hui Valley to uncover its mysteries. There’s nothing wrong with that. But since you’ve prepared so thoroughly, Brother Yin, may I guess that you’re looking for relics of your fox clan ancestors?”
Yin Ya’s eyes darted around. “You know quite a bit.”
“The origin of Hui Valley, as recorded in mortal realms, mostly describes it as the result of a great war between various clans a hundred years ago. Righteous cultivators mobilized the masters of seven States, fighting a decisive battle in the desolate Hui Valley. At that time, evil cultivators commanded various demons to resist stubbornly. In the end, at the cost of four Stateal masters’ lives, the demons were annihilated, and the demon lord was imprisoned there. Before I came here, I chanced upon a copy of ‘The Seven Kings’ Demon Suppression Record,’ which detailed the course of this battle. Among the participants was a clan of celestial foxes, skilled in illusions, who once caused great trouble for the righteous cultivators. They directly led to the fall of the Ghost Axe Sect of the Si State in Hui Valley, turning Si State into a land rampant with evil cultivators…”
Yin Ya’s expression changed slightly. “That’s right. I just want to gain some benefits from the battlefield where my ancestors fought. Is there something wrong with that?”
“The core of Hui Valley not only has yin curses patrolling but also bewildering winds, mysterious mists, and a mother insect tree. Even cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage need to be cautious when entering. What do you rely on?”
Only now did Yin Ya look at Ji Yang with new respect. Before coming, he had only heard about the bewildering winds and mysterious mists in the core area of Hui Valley that could trap cultivators with no way out. He had never heard of the mother insect tree. Ji Yang’s manner of speaking was always dignified, making it hard not to believe him.
He stared intently at Ji Yang and said, “I naturally have a way to avoid the bewildering winds and mysterious mists. First, tell me how to deal with these three things. If you can explain one or two, I’ll tell you my method.”
“The bewildering wind is directionless and can disrupt a cultivator’s spellcasting. For example, if you want to use a fireball spell to attack a demon beast, when the bewildering wind blows, the fireball might hit you instead. However, it doesn’t affect puppets or mechanical types. The mysterious mist is the eyes and ears of the yin curses seeking prey. It drifts unpredictably, and once it discovers a living being, it will closely follow, trapping the cultivator in the mist until the yin curses come to devour everything within… As for a solution, the mysterious mist is dark red. Buy a dozen or so spirit birds outside Hui Valley and keep them in a spirit beast pouch. Release one bird for each mist cloud you encounter. However, if the yin curses appear immediately, this method won’t work.”
Yin Ya listened with wide eyes. “… There’s such a method? Have you tried it?”
“I heard it mentioned by a teacher,” Ji Yang replied.
“What about the mother insect tree?”
Ji Yang shook his head. “For those below the late Nascent Soul stage, there’s no solution for the mother insect tree. If you encounter it, you’d better spend your remaining time writing a will.”
Yin Ya looked suspicious. “If you’re not deceiving me, with your knowledge, I’d rather not keep my appointment with those corpse-stealing evil cultivators. Exploring Hui Valley with you seems more reliable.”
At this moment, Nan Yan suddenly raised her head, her reddened eyes fixed on Yin Ya. “What did you say about corpse-stealing evil cultivators?”
Yin Ya, feeling he hadn’t offended Nan Yan in his memory, was confused for a moment. He replied, “The Divine Coffin Sect from Si State. I heard they’ve sent quite a few people this time. They plan to use corpse puppets to bypass the bewildering wind barrier and retrieve the remains of cultivators from a hundred years ago… If they chance upon the body of a Nascent Soul cultivator, these evil cultivators might become unstoppable in Hui Valley.”
Nan Yan suddenly stood up, but Ji Yang immediately commanded, “Sit down.” She obeyed, biting her lip for a moment before tears began to flow.
Demons typically have a high tolerance for young ones. Seeing Nan Yan cry after he spoke, Yin Ya became a bit flustered and quietly asked, “Did I say something wrong?”
Mu Zhan Ting, also unclear about the situation, circled Nan Yan twice before asking Ji Yang, “Did someone bully her?”
Ji Yang paused before explaining, “We just returned to her old home. Her mother has already…”
He briefly described how Nan Yan’s mother had passed away and her body had been stolen.
Upon hearing this, Mu Zhan Ting’s anger flared. “I bet it was those evil cultivators. They won’t even leave the dead alone. Her mother was so beautiful, and they wanted to turn her into an ugly monster. It’s outrageous!”
Yin Ya chimed in, “Exactly!”
The three turned to look at Yin Ya.
“I just can’t stand evil cultivators turning beautiful people into corpse puppets. I don’t think much of those evil cultivators anyway. This brother here knows the situation in Hui Valley inside out. Why don’t we cooperate and take them on? If we can fight them, great. If not, we can at least see if they have your mother’s remains.”
Nan Yan wiped her tears and looked from Yin Ya to Ji Yang. “Can we?”
“We can,” Ji Yang agreed, uncharacteristically quick to abandon caution.
“After leaving Yangyue Sect, we might never have another chance to enter the inner area of Hui Valley. If we seek immortality, how can we not take risks? But Nan Yan, tell me, how many times can you use your demon-slaying technique?”
Nan Yan replied, “It consumes too much energy. Within a day, I should be able to use it twice.”
“That’s good enough. With a demon-slaying technique at hand, you’re worth five late Qi Condensation cultivators in Hui Valley.”
“Great!” Mu Zhan Ting exclaimed, slapping his thigh. He turned to Yin Ya, “Even though you’re a fox spirit, you’re quite righteous. Our sworn brotherhood wasn’t in vain. After we get out of Hui Valley and kill those evil cultivators, we’ll owe you a favor.”
Nan Yan had just stopped crying and was rubbing her eyes when she noticed something wrong with Mu Zhan Ting. She shouted, “Big brother, you’re bleeding from your seven orifices!”
“What?” Mu Zhan Ting wiped his ear, drawing out a string of blackish blood. At the same time, he felt a sharp pain in his dantian and collapsed with a groan.
“Your body is fighting poison with poison. You should have waited until the medicine’s effects were fully refined before getting up,” Ji Yang said calmly, pressing on his stomach. “Where does it hurt?”
Mu Zhan Ting answered honestly, “Everywhere hurts.”
Ji Yang asked, “Where does it hurt the most?”
“My stomach hurts.”
“As long as the poison hasn’t ruined your meridians, it’s fine. Drink a bowl of hot soup and rest for a night, and you’ll be better.”
Mu Zhan Ting added, “My head hurts too.”
Nan Yan said quietly, “… If we saw off your head, it won’t hurt anymore.”
“…”
Yin Ya watched the three of them. As an only child fox demon, he suddenly found this scene quite appealing.
The next morning, the three humans and one demon entered Hui Valley.
This time, their entry into Hui Valley was different from the previous day. Not long after entering, they saw many wary cultivators swiftly passing by from afar. Most of them had bloodstained clothes, but their storage bags were noticeably full.
In Hui Valley, without supervision, killing for treasure wasn’t uncommon.
However, as soon as they entered, Yin Ya transformed into a cultivator at the early Foundation Establishment stage, exuding a powerful aura. Some ill-intentioned cultivators approached in groups, but upon sensing the Foundation Establishment aura within a hundred zhang, they quickly changed course and stayed away.
In the cultivation world, the suppression of realms was absolute.
After a night of rest, Nan Yan’s emotions had stabilized considerably. The Seven Buddhas Karma-Creating Scripture in her dantian began to circulate quietly.
She now… truly needed power.
By sunset, they reached the northern part of Hui Valley. As they approached, two powerful Foundation Establishment auras stood in the distance.
“The qi is turbid and vast. They must be evil cultivators.”
“There’s another evil cultivator. Seems like the one we fought before.”
“No worries. You can pretend to be under my illusion of control. I can transform into a Foundation Establishment cultivator. They won’t disrespect me.”
After speaking, Yin Ya threw out a talisman. It flew into the air, automatically igniting and transforming into a green light that flew toward the two Foundation Establishment auras.
“Two evil cultivators from the Divine Coffin Sect. One is called Deng Ba, at the mid-Foundation Establishment. The other is Die Wan, at the early Foundation Establishment. It’s said her corpse puppets like to eat children and cultivators’ fingers. They spew corpse poison and are extremely difficult to deal with. I don’t kill women. After we use their strength to enter the inner area of Hui Valley, if you get a chance, kill this Die Wan first.”
Mu Zhan Ting said, “I don’t kill women either. Look, Nan Yan is still a child—”
Ji Yang interrupted, “It’s fine. I’ll do it.”
Ji Yang’s words were elegant, but they sent a chill down everyone’s spine.
After finalizing their plan, Yin Ya deliberately walked ahead of them. He took out a folding fan, waving it gracefully as he entered the evil cultivators’ invitation range.
Besides Deng Ba and Die Wan, only three or four other evil cultivators had arrived. They all carried coffins covered in talismans, exuding a fierce, bloodthirsty aura.
“Friend Yin has indeed kept his word. But Friend Yin, you’re a demon cultivator. Who are these human cultivators behind you?”
“Don’t worry. They’re under my celestial fox illusion, here to scout the path. With a thought from me, their consciousness will shatter, and they’ll die.”
Mu Zhan Ting, Ji Yang, and Nan Yan’s eyes all glowed purple, their faces expressionless.
Deng Ba clapped his hands. “As expected of a descendant of sacred demons. Those hypocritical righteous cultivators entered the inner area of Hui Valley yesterday. So far, over seventy have perished, enough for us to enter. If the three of us join forces to break the inner area’s barrier, we’ll surely succeed.”
The number of slots for the inner area of Hui Valley wasn’t fixed during its opening period. The space inside could only accommodate a limited number of cultivators. One cultivator could enter for each cultivator that died inside. It took about twenty Qi Condensation cultivators dying to allow one Foundation Establishment cultivator to enter.
“Are you ready, friend? If so, let’s depart.”
Evil cultivators were typically straightforward. Deng Ba quickly explained the situation to Yin Ya and prepared to lead him to the inner area.
“Wait, Uncle Master,” a cultivator with a sinister gaze stepped forward from the group of evil cultivators. It was Zhan Xian, who pointed at Nan Yan and Mu Zhan Ting. “These two fought me yesterday. Especially this fat girl—she knows a demon-slaying technique. She killed my corpse puppet in just a few breaths. This girl is a great threat to our demonic sect. We should kill her first!”
“What?!” The two Foundation Establishment cultivators immediately exerted their spiritual pressure on Nan Yan, causing her face to pale instantly.
“Gentlemen,” Yin Ya raised an eyebrow in displeasure. “It’s merely a matter of inferior skill. Can’t I use these three cultivators to scout the path?”
Deng Ba remained silent, but the female evil cultivator’s eyes lit up. “Oh? If she knows a demon-slaying technique, she’d be perfect for refining a Buddha-Demon Hybrid Puppet. Friend Yin, would you be willing to trade this girl to me? I’ll offer 100 medium-grade spirit stones upfront.”
Deng Ba frowned. “Die Wan, you want even this Qi Condensation cultivator?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep her in a cave dwelling in Si State and even procure a Foundation Establishment pill for her. Once she reaches the Foundation Establishment, I’ll refine her into a corpse puppet. No matter how exquisite the righteous cultivators’ demon-slaying techniques are, they won’t be able to defeat me.”
Mu Zhan Ting secretly transmitted to Nan Yan, “Nan Yan, that woman has ill intentions towards you.”
Nan Yan: “…”
“Oh?” Deng Ba’s interest was piqued. His gaze swept over the three, landing on Mu Zhan Ting. After a closer look, his expression turned to surprise. “This youth’s spiritual energy is so pure at the Qi Condensation stage. Could it be… could he have dual spiritual roots?”
Yin Ya glanced back at Mu Zhan Ting. “I don’t know how you humans classify these things, but I haven’t seen such good aptitude in the mortal realm before.”
“Could it be…” Deng Ba’s expression changed. “Heavenly spiritual root! Friend Yin, would you be willing to give this boy to me? Name your price!”
Yin Ya asked in surprise, “You want to refine him into a corpse puppet too?”
“No, the small mortal realm doesn’t deserve a heavenly spiritual root. I’ll take him back to our main sect in Si State, infuse him with demonic energy, and change his nature. His future potential would be limitless.”
Die Wan clicked her tongue. “Looks like I picked up sesame seeds and lost a watermelon… Old Ghost Deng, you’re certainly loyal to the sect, but I don’t care. If we encounter yin curses in Hui Valley, I’ll throw these three righteous cultivators out first.”
Deng Ba didn’t argue. He simply said, “The sect’s mission naturally takes priority. What I said applies only if these two are still alive after we complete our mission.”
With that, the group headed towards the barrier of Hui Valley’s inner area.
On the way, Nan Yan, pretending to be a puppet, secretly said to Mu Zhan Ting, “Big brother, that man has ill intentions towards you too. He wants to capture you and turn you into an evil cultivator.”
Mu Zhan Ting replied, “In that case, let’s divide them up. When the fight starts, I’ll take on the man, and you handle the woman?”
Nan Yan: “No, no, no, they’re at Foundation Establishment. I can’t handle that. Let’s wait.”
Mu Zhan Ting noticed from the corner of his eye that Die Wan was persistently scanning Ji Yang with her spiritual sense, hoping to discover another treasure. But after checking three times and finding only four spiritual roots, she was disappointed and stopped looking.
Mu Zhan Ting: “This woman was just checking out Ji Yang. Tch, she almost wanted to strip off his clothes to look.”
Nan Yan: “…”
Nan Yan: “Let’s take down this woman!!!”