Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Prey Takes the Bait
Those who cultivate immortality are physically strong and healthy. Even as a novice cultivator, Ye Chi's recovery ability is faster than that of ordinary people. The cold he caught from Ya Feiyu's spiritual energy was almost completely cured in less than three days. He only occasionally had an uncontrollable cough. In order not to affect the other disciples' classes, Ya Feiyu mercifully gave him an extra day off. The days that were usually filled with classes were suddenly free. There were no fun and interesting things like cell phones in the cultivation world. Since he was just idling in the disciples' residence anyway, he might as well go out and get some sunshine to strengthen his body and avoid getting sick again, which would be embarrassing.
Ye Chi, with a blade of grass in his mouth, lay on a tree branch, idly crossing his legs. The morning breeze carried a slight warmth, gently warming his somewhat cold fingers. He let out a long sigh, inwardly marveling at how beautiful the weather was. If nothing out of the ordinary happened this morning, it would be even better…
Unfortunately, the more you don't want something to happen, the more likely it is to happen. Ye Chi was enjoying the comfortable sunlight, and was drowsy, propping his head up with his hand, almost falling asleep, when a scream suddenly came from below, rudely waking him up from his dream.
"Junior Brother Cen!"
That voice… Ye Chi picked at his ears and tried to recognize it: Isn’t that Xu Miaomiao?
A demon possessing the body is not so easy to cure, especially since she was already at a critical stage, her death was practically written all over her face, yet she seemed completely oblivious, her heart and eyes filled only with her beloved "Junior Brother Cen." This place was secluded, and seeing this person was definitely not a good thing. Ye Chi's previously lazy heart instantly tightened, and following the sound, he saw a thin layer of black mist rising from the depths of the dense forest.
This is the Qinglian Immortal Sect, one of the top sects in the cultivation world. Its protective barrier is as thick as a city wall, and normally even a fly would have a hard time getting in. But now, the aura of a demonic cultivator has appeared?!
A hoarse voice then rang out: "You want to save him?"
Xu Miaomiao's voice was already trembling with sobs, on the verge of collapse, "I want him back! Give him back to me, I'll do anything!"
"Then you should... carry this with you..."
Being some distance away, Ye Chi couldn't hear clearly. He wanted to get a little closer, but the movement under his feet became less pronounced. The previously faint demonic energy seemed to be startled, becoming extremely dense for a moment, only to turn back into a faint gas in the blink of an eye.
"Who's there!" Xu Miaomiao's voice rose sharply, her tone inexplicably harsh. Ye Chi knew that hiding like this would inevitably lead to discovery, and if he fell into a passive position, the danger would be unpredictable. Rather than hiding and waiting for someone to find him, he might as well take the initiative and trap all his prey in his net.
From Xu Miaomiao's perspective, she could only see the grass rustling slightly. She looked with utmost alertness, her face already covered by a mask, surrounded by swirling dark demonic energy. The next second, a familiar figure emerged from behind the grass. She froze instantly, unsure how to face the newcomer. Her body stiffened, and her every move exuded unnaturalness.
"Junior Brother Ye..."
Ye Chi glanced quickly at the person beside Xu Miaomiao. He didn't recognize them, and the demonic energy emanating from them didn't resemble the person who had repeatedly attacked him and Ya Feiyu before. However, just to be on the safe side, he secretly called out to Ya Feiyu via telepathy. The spiritual energy here was relatively thin, and it was quite far from the main peak where Ya Feiyu was currently located. He didn't know if Ya Feiyu could arrive in time…
"Ah, Senior Sister." Ye Chi's mind raced through the words, and when he looked up again, his expression was mostly puzzled, with a hint of panic, clearly due to his embarrassment at falling from the tree. He was covered in leaves, making him look more harmless. "What are you... doing here? There's usually hardly anyone here. Are you slacking off?"
The man beside Xu Miaomiao tensed up, but Xu Miaomiao pressed him down instead. She casually removed her silver mask and said, "I'm skipping class here, don't tell the teacher..."
Ye Chi nodded, bewildered. The man beside Xu Miaomiao couldn't help but send her a telepathic message: "Is it going to work if you lie to him like this? Why don't you just kill this kid?"
"No way!" From an angle where Ye Chi couldn't see, Xu Miaomiao's gentle, watery gaze instantly turned sharp as a hawk's, glaring fiercely at the man. "Junior Brother Ye is Elder Tianxue's disciple. Although he himself is only at the early stage of Qi Refining, don't you know how high Ya Feiyu's cultivation level is? Do you want to be hunted down by his master?"
The man was still somewhat unconvinced: "Would Ya Feiyu care about such a nobody?"
"This is his first apprentice. Do you think he'll value him?"
The man initially seemed to want to struggle, but ultimately stopped under Xu Miaomiao's subtly threatening gaze, and the surging demonic energy around him subsided. Xu Miaomiao's expression remained unchanged. "Don't worry, he was just a beggar before, he probably doesn't know how to identify demonic energy. He won't reveal our secret."
Seeing Xu Miaomiao's confident demeanor, the man was also infected by her unfounded self-assurance. He fell silent, simply standing quietly to the side, serving as a dutiful backdrop. Xu Miaomiao finally felt relieved. She sighed and looked at Ye Chi again, saying, "But what is Junior Brother Ye doing here?"
"I had a fever a few days ago, and Master, knowing I wasn't fully recovered, gave me a leave of absence," Ye Chi answered honestly. His gaze, however, didn't linger on Xu Miaomiao, but instead fell on the man beside him, who was trying to make himself inconspicuous. His eyes held a hint of inquiry: "Who...is this person? Judging by his clothes, he doesn't seem to be one of us. Is he from outside? Could he be..."
As soon as he paused, the man and Xu Miaomiao tensed up, their gazes towards Ye Chi becoming wary. They probably didn't realize it themselves, Ye Chi couldn't help but chuckle; it seemed this demonic cultivator wasn't very bright.
Just then, Ya Feiyu's voice came to his mind. Only a few minutes after he sent out the telepathic message, he quickly received a response: "Are you still there? Hold on for now, I'll come."
In the current situation, Ya Feiyu's voice sounded incredibly warm. He raised the corners of his lips, nodded imperceptibly, and cut off the one-way transmission, saying at the same time, "Fellow cultivators from outside sects? Or are you rogue cultivators who admire our Qinglian Sect and want to join us?"
Ye Chi had an innocent, harmless appearance. When he smiled, his eyes sparkled with a sweet, almost cloying light, like candied fruit. Few people would be wary of his face; children would instinctively feel drawn to him, and adults couldn't resist his handsome features. Even Xu Miaomiao relaxed a little, as one always unconsciously lowers their guard around familiar faces. She smiled and said, "Ah, yes, yes, Junior Brother Ye is so clever. This gentleman is a rogue cultivator who admires our Qinglian Sect. I saw him lingering at the foot of the mountain for quite some time before I brought him in."
The explanation was full of loopholes. Not to mention that there are always patrolling disciples guarding the entrance to the Qinglian Sect, it's impossible for Xu Miaomiao to be the "guide". She was taken to the medical room for treatment some time ago because of the possession of a demon. Logically speaking, she should not be released for at least ten days or half a month. The fact that she is standing here now means that she has not been released, but has run away.
The fact that Xu Miaomiao's inner demon had possessed her body had quickly become common knowledge throughout the entire sect, and no one would feel comfortable entrusting a rogue cultivator to her.
Ye Chi moved closer discreetly, trying to make out the man's face hidden in the shadows. However, the surrounding trees were too dense, casting shadows that perfectly obscured the man's features. Ye Chi also didn't want to be too obvious, as that would arouse suspicion, so he had to give up. He didn't know how much longer it would take for Ya Feiyu to arrive; he needed to find a way to delay him as much as possible…
A thought flashed through his mind: "Senior sister, I just heard you say that you found Brother Cen?"
Xu Miaomiao's eyes dimmed, and she subconsciously took a few steps back. But then she felt that this posture made her look rather guilty, so she forced herself to stand back in place, composed herself, and said, "Well, I've found out where he might be. Speaking of which... I remember you're his friend, right?"
Under Xu Miaomiao's probing gaze, Ye Chi nodded without the slightest guilt, even pinching himself to force out some tears, his eyes slightly moist, making it appear as if he was about to burst into tears: "Yes, Brother Cen's unexpected disappearance has also deeply saddened me. Who wouldn't be heartbroken to lose a close friend..."
Xu Miaomiao's brows relaxed slightly, and she said, "Do you also want to find him?"
The prey took the bait so quickly? Ye Chi feigned hesitation and stammered, "This... although I want to bring him back, I'm too weak. Even going down the mountain for training requires the permission of Peak Master Tianxue. There are so many dangers in this cultivation world, how can I ensure my own safety?"
Xu Miaomiao deeply agreed. Before Ye Chi could finish speaking, she hurriedly interrupted, "No, even someone as weak as you or me has the opportunity to grasp power in our own hands..."
Ye Chi paused slightly: "What should we do?"
Without hesitation, Xu Miaomiao stretched out her hand. Those delicate hands, once used only for brewing medicine, now held a sinister aura—a thick, black gas carrying a chilling and malicious intent that sent shivers down one's spine. Ye Chi was startled and involuntarily took a step back, but under Xu Miaomiao's gaze, which held a hint of madness, he resignedly stood back, "This is…"
“This is demonic energy.” Xu Miaomiao played with the ball of energy for a while, then suddenly clenched her fingers, crushing the demonic energy in her palm. She clenched her fist with tremendous force, so much so that her palm bled, but she paid no attention to it, a shadow of gloom shrouding her eyes. “I was so naive to think that only cultivating immortality was the orthodox way in this world, but I was wrong, utterly wrong.”
“Cultivating immortality won’t bring back Junior Brother Cen. My aptitude is too poor, and my cultivation will never break through to the Golden Core stage. So what use is cultivating immortality to me?”
"Cultivating immortality is only for saving others, yet one cannot even save oneself; how truly laughable..."
Just as Ye Chi was about to say something, a voice that seemed to freeze ice shards suddenly came from behind him.
"If you can't even save yourself, how can you save others?"
"Xu Miaomiao, how can you cultivate the Great Dao if you have a nightmare in your heart? You have a bottleneck in cultivating immortality, so how can you not have one in cultivating demonic arts?"
“Cultivating demonic arts may seem free, but it is a thousand times or even a hundred times more painful than cultivating immortality.”
"You are willing to build your own great path with the blood of others."
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