Chapter 114 Master 1 "You don't even have any disciples, what do you know?"...
Shen Du immediately noticed that beneath Yu Jingzi's cloak, the golden snake tail was wrapped in layers of thick chains, with faint runes appearing on them, and the restrictions were so numerous that they were countless.
"Don't worry, he can't move."
Xu Xing immediately breathed a sigh of relief, "You scared me."
She walked around Yujingzi once, shook her head and sighed, "In just ten short years, you have become a prisoner."
Yu Jingzi chuckled softly twice. "Not calling me 'Grandpa' anymore?"
Xu Xing pretended not to hear. In fact, Yu Jingzi hadn't done anything to her, or rather, she had wanted to but hadn't done anything. So she didn't have much ill will towards Yu Jingzi and had no intention of kicking her when she was down.
"You should just stay here and not try to cause any trouble."
Xu Xing didn't want to say more, so he asked the golden dragon in his mind, "Senior, since we've come to the burial ground again, why don't you tell me the location of that treasure?"
She left in a hurry before obtaining the treasure the golden dragon had mentioned. Giving up once was one thing, but there was no reason for her to do it a second time.
"Remember that black python? If you can beat it, you can give it a try."
The black python in the blood pool had lived for countless years, its strength unfathomable. Xu Xing certainly wasn't confident he could defeat it. If the treasure was on its person, then he really would have to give up…
"Little snake, how about we make a deal?"
As Xu Xing pondered, he heard Yu Jingzi's lazy voice again.
Xu Xing stared at him warily. "I won't let you out."
"Your master destroyed my cultivation, so even if I go out, I can't do anything. I won't trouble you any further."
"So what kind of deal do you want to make?"
Yu Jingzi shifted, seemingly wanting to change position, but the moment her snake tail twitched, the restriction tightened immediately. Dark red blood seeped out, and many of her dull, golden snake scales fell off, making her mottled snake tail look terrifying.
But his face remained calm and composed, as if he felt no pain at all.
"If you make me another puppet, I'll give you a gift, how about it?"
Before Xu Xing could answer, Yu Jingzi continued, "To the west of the burial ground, there is a demonic python. It committed a heinous crime, but because it was protected by a rare treasure within its body, it did not die. It was only forced back to its original form and could never leave this place. However, it has been accumulating power in the blood pool for years, and sooner or later it will regain its full strength. At that time, Sheng Qing will have another headache."
"so what?"
"I can help you get rid of it. The rare treasure inside it is one of the most precious things in the world. You will definitely like it."
Xu Xing looked at Yu Jingzi's disheveled appearance, his suspicion evident in his eyes. "You're going to help me? You're in this state..."
"I've been your grandfather for a few days now, so I was very sincere."
Yu Jingzi opened his mouth and spat out an object enveloped in golden light. As soon as the object appeared, Xu Xing felt that the surroundings became much brighter, and he also felt a vague sense of familiarity.
"This is my demon core, which contains a deadly poison. If you insert it into the seven-inch mark of the demon python, it will have no power to resist."
"Remember to return it to me after you're done using it, or I'll die."
Yu Jingzi used the remaining faint demonic spirit within his body to carry the ball of golden light to Xu Xing. His voice was much weaker, but he smiled and asked, "Is this enough sincerity?"
But then Jinlong sneered in his mind, "He has indeed reached the half-step dragon transformation realm. Half of his demon core is already tainted with dragon energy. If he hadn't failed his tribulation back then, perhaps there would really be one more dragon in the world."
"This deal is worthwhile. The only problem is that even with his demon core, you still won't be able to deal with that black python."
"I need to think about it."
Xu Xing wasn't sure what Yu Jingzi was planning, so she pulled Chen Du away and set up numerous soundproof arrays. She immediately sent a message to her master, telling her about the current situation.
But just moments later, a sword beam streaked across the sky, and their master found them in the burial ground.
"Master!"
More than a decade had passed since they last met on the battlefield of the Demon Sealing. Xu Xing's eyes instantly reddened, and he rushed over to hug Fu Shuang's waist, choking back tears as he said, "I missed you so much!"
Fu Shuang remained motionless, still being held by her. A small patch of her clothes was instantly soaked with tears. She gently touched Xu Xing's head and said softly, "Shizun misses you too."
Shen Du stood aside watching them, his eyes softening. He wasn't as outgoing as Xu Xing, and there were some things he couldn't say due to the difference between men and women, but his respect for Fu Shuang was no less than Xu Xing's.
Yu Jingzi was quite surprised. She hadn't expected that the cold and ruthless Fu Shuang had such a side. No wonder she came to him angrily after learning that he had taken Xu Xing away from Yu Xiao Sect, and almost beat him out of his true form.
Yu Jingzi lowered her eyes, concealing her emotions. Although she didn't know why Fu Shuang hadn't killed him, it would definitely be the decision she regretted the most.
It took Xu Xing a while to straighten up from Fu Shuang's embrace. Embarrassed, he made a hand seal to dry his master's clothes, which she had covered in mess. He then quickly explained the "deal" proposed by Yu Jingzi.
Fu Shuang knew what was inside the black python; it was a dragon scale.
She had originally planned to wait until Xu Xing came out of the Ghost Realm before trying to retrieve it for her, but since Yu Jingzi had delivered it to her door, that was perfect.
Fu Shuang extended her hand to Yu Jingzi without any hesitation, "A deal is possible, but you have to give me your demon core."
"..."
Seeing Yu Jingzi slowly put away her smile, Fu Shuang said coldly, "What? Is that not allowed?"
"Can."
Yu Jingzi looked at her for a moment, and then actually took out the demon core. "As a dignified Sword Master, I naturally would not break my word."
Fu Shuang held the golden demon core in her palm, then suddenly clenched her right fist. Yu Jingzi groaned, her face turning deathly pale. "No..."
"It seems to be true."
With the demon core in hand, Master Yu Jingzi's life was practically in her grasp.
Xu Xing no longer needed to worry about whether Yu Jingzi had some other trick up his sleeve, so he asked, "What kind of puppet do you want?"
Yu Jingzi paused, a lazy smile returning to his face. He had changed his mind. He had initially wanted a puppet resembling a high-ranking official, but now…
This cold and aloof sword master is not bad either.
"I want someone like Shuangshuang."
Xu Xing glanced at his master, then at Yu Jingzi, and thought to himself, "Even in this state, he still dares to provoke his master. He really isn't afraid of death."
Fu Shuang remained calm and showed no anger, simply saying, "Make it for him."
"I'm going to find that serpent demon. You all wait for me here."
As Fu Shuang finished speaking, she vanished instantly, leaving Xu Xing and Shen Du staring at Yu Jingzi in bewilderment.
"Even she would have to put in a lot of effort to deal with that ten-thousand-year-old demon python. My dear grandson, just focus on crafting the puppets for me."
Xu Xing snorted coldly and said irritably, "Since that demonic python is so difficult to deal with, you still tried to lure me there. You were definitely up to no good."
Yu Jingzi is full of wicked ideas, and she has no intention of properly crafting any puppets for him.
Although his master didn't seem to care, Xu Xing was somewhat reluctant.
Back then, she had crafted a puppet named "Yujingzi" to serve her tea and water. If Yujingzi were to imitate her and use a puppet that resembled her master, she wouldn't be able to stand it!
With a quick glance, an idea came to him.
Xu Xing stopped wasting words with Yu Jingzi and, with his senior brother's protection, took out the refining furnace and began refining on the spot.
A day passed, and Master still hadn't returned; Xu Xing's puppet was only beginning to take on a human form.
"Oh dear, we're running out of ingredients."
Yu Jingzi tossed a storage bracelet over with a "thud," saying, "Choose whatever you like."
Xu Xing opened it and found that the materials inside were enough for her to refine ten puppets.
Another day passed, and Master still hadn't returned. Xu Xing's puppet was almost finished.
"I'm so tired, I don't have enough spiritual energy."
Yu Jingzi smiled and tossed another storage bag over, "Anyway, I don't need it, so I'll give it all to you."
This time, the storage bag was full of high-level elixirs.
He was bound by the promise of a favor, and Xu Xing was the type who would yield to a gentle persuasion but not to a forceful one, so he couldn't delay any longer.
She finally got serious and quickly finished crafting the puppet, even kindly placing ten high-grade spirit stones inside.
If used only for serving tea and water, these spirit stones would be enough to keep the puppet running for ten years.
"Is it done?"
Looking at the puppet that Xu Xing had brought to her, Yu Jingzi raised an eyebrow, a half-smile in her eyes.
"Of course, it's incredibly flexible; it's the best one I've ever made." Xu Xing clapped his hands proudly. "Don't believe me? Just look!"
She snapped her fingers, and the puppet instantly came to life. The white veil tied to its head swayed slightly, and it actually held a small sword, wielding it with remarkable agility.
But apart from its white clothes and the white veil over its eyes, its facial features are not exactly the same as Fu Shuang's; in fact, they are completely unrelated.
Upon closer inspection, there is a resemblance to Yu Jingzi herself, especially her slightly upturned, smiling eyes.
"Not bad, right?"
Xu Xing glanced at Yu Jingzi's expression; surprisingly, he wasn't angry, and his smile even seemed a little helpless.
“I originally wanted to keep it as a memento, so that even if… I wouldn’t forget this memory.” Yujingzi raised her hand and grasped the puppet’s right arm as it wielded the sword. “Never mind.”
With a slight twitch of its fingertips, the puppet put away the small sword on its own.
Xu Xing was taken aback, realizing something was wrong, and asked in horror, "How do you have spiritual power to control it?"
Yu Jingzi turned her stiff neck and said casually, "Do you know who was once tied to the blood pool pillar where the black python is?"
"Your master was nothing more than a pitiful wretch who was tied up and powerless to resist back then."
The chains rattled, and amidst the earth-shaking tremors, the restrictions on the golden snake's tail peeled away inch by inch, and a black vortex suddenly appeared beside Yu Jingzi.
Yu Jingzi smiled and reached out to grab Xu Xing, "Little snake, come with me obediently."
Shen Du, who had been watching this area, flew over and blocked Yu Jingzi's arm with his sword. Sparks flew as the hard snake scales collided with the longsword.
Undeterred by his missed attack, Yu Jingzi simply straightened his robes, which had become disheveled when he broke free of the restraints.
From within the vortex, the man in black robes slowly emerged, his chilling voice adding, "I heard that Fu Shuang's eyes were gouged out by several powerful demons in the Blood Pool... It's a pity I didn't witness it myself; it must have been very interesting."
Yu Jingzi frowned slightly, disliking the black-robed man's malicious tone, but he was already deeply mired in darkness and had no choice but to associate with the demons, so what did he have to care about?
He didn't speak, but raised his hand to summon the demon core.
One breath, two breaths...
A moment later, Yu Jingzi sensed nothing; it was as if the demon core had severed its connection with him.
He realized something was wrong, looked up at the sword light flying from afar, his pupils narrowed to slits, and he was filled with shock and anger, "What have you done?!"
Fu Shuang gripped the Ice Crystal Sword in her right hand, and the chill instantly spread, freezing the entire burial ground for miles around.
"Want a demon core? Come and get it yourself."
The man in black shrugged, his voice mocking, "Got it?"
Yu Jingzi finally lost his smile and said in a deep voice, "Enough nonsense, quickly help me retrieve the demon core!"
Meanwhile, on the other side of the vortex, several streams of demonic energy surged out, and high-ranking demons swarmed in.
Fu Shuang's voice was icy cold, "You are no match for me. Do you think you can defeat me now by bringing in these nonsensical demons?"
The man in black robes chuckled, "Sword Master, don't speak so confidently."
...
Protected by a spiritual shield, Xu Xing stared blankly at the chaotic battle outside. She knew her master was strong, but she didn't know he was this strong!
"Master is amazing!" Xu Xing exclaimed, his eyes shining brightly.
She rarely saw her master make a move, and only today did she realize that there were people in the world who could wield a sword to such an extent.
Unlike his senior brother's seemingly ruthless but actually skillful swordsmanship, his master's sword was so cold that just looking at it felt like being frostbitten.
Even Xu Xing, who was being protected, felt the sword intent was terrifying, while the demons who fought against Fu Shuang felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave. The icy chill of facing death made them tremble with fear and lose their will to fight, but they were also unable to escape from Fu Shuang's hands.
His own demon core was on Fu Shuang's body, and he was inevitably affected as her spiritual power poured out.
Yu Jingzi clutched her chest, her expression one of surprise and disbelief. "You actually concealed your cultivation level! Just who are you...?"
Shen Du also kept a close eye on the battle and noticed something unusual in Fu Shuang's sword intent. "Master is a little angry. There is a murderous intent in her sword aura."
Upon spotting the black-robed figure in the battle who was clearly more powerful than the other demons, Shen Du took out the Spirit Tracking Array Disc. The pointer, which had been motionless, shook violently a few times before finally pointing directly in the direction of the black-robed figure.
Xu Xing noticed his actions and asked in confusion, "Whose spirit is this?"
She followed the direction of the pointer and saw the man in black robes. She instantly recognized him as the demon who appeared on the night Kan Yuanyi died!
"Senior brother, who is he?"
“…Approved.” Shen Du’s voice was somewhat hoarse.
Although he didn't successfully become Feng Zhun's disciple, Shen Du genuinely respected Feng Zhun as his future master. Looking back now, it all seems utterly ridiculous. He thought he was lucky to have met a master who cared for him so deeply, but in reality, the Abyssal Evil Qi within him was planted by Feng Zhun long ago…
If Chen Du's resolve weakens as he is increasingly isolated and avoided by others, will the world gain another evil demon?
Xu Xing was stunned, but she didn't ask anything. She just gripped her senior brother's hand tightly and whispered, "Our master is Fu Shuang. She is protecting us."
Shen Du smiled at Xu Xing, his dark eyes revealing no emotion. "Okay, wait for me here. I'm going to help Master."
There are too many demons; even a master alone cannot escape...
Xu Xing stopped him, pointing to Sheng Qing who had brought the demon race and the demons who were already scrambling to get back into the vortex, "I think it's unnecessary."
In the end, the wounded man in black robes and Yu Jingzi disappeared into the vortex, leaving behind a pile of demon corpses.
Sheng Qing circled Xu Xing, who was inside the spirit shield in the corner, and raised an eyebrow, saying, "He's quite well-behaved, he didn't come out to cause trouble."
Fu Shuang raised her hand and removed the protective barrier. Xu Xing immediately emerged, ran over quickly, and grabbed her arm. "Master, are you alright?"
Fu Shuang gently shook her head. She had cultivated diligently for many years so that she would no longer be subject to anyone's control.
Watching the little snake, the only one in the world connected to her by blood, circling around Fu Shuang with such tender care, Sheng Qing was somewhat lost in thought.
"Master, will there be any problem with Yu Jingzi's demon core on you?" Xu Xing asked with some worry, feeling that Yu Jingzi would not let the matter rest.
Sheng Qing chuckled, then leisurely bent down to stare into Xu Xing's eyes, suddenly asking out of the blue, "Do you know how old you are?"
Xu Xing blinked, puzzled. "Thirty-six?"
Isn't Shengqing the one who knows her age best?
Sheng Qing clicked his tongue. "You and your senior brother combined aren't even a fraction of our age, so what are you worrying about?"
Young people should act like young people. If these things still need to be worried about by the two younger generations, then what are these old monsters for?
"You don't even have any apprentices, what do you know?"
Fu Shuang raised her hand and placed it on Xu Xing's shoulder. Her face, covered by a white silk cloth, was expressionless, and her tone was flat and even. However, Sheng Qing felt that she was clearly showing off.
She was speechless. What apprenticeship nonsense! Xu Xing was clearly her "daughter," wasn't he?!
Sheng Qing would never admit it, but seeing how much Xu Xing cared about Fu Shuang, she felt a strange pang of sadness in her heart...
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Author's Note: Thank you to 44201549, Sleep a Little Longer, Brown Eyes, Stern Words, Sleep Until You Naturally Wake Up Every Day, Happy Meow, Su Yan, and Plants vs. Zombies for the nutrient solution! [Hugs]
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