The Blood-Sha spirit was astonished and suddenly spoke, “You are an incredibly strange person. The spiritual roots within you have been completely purged by the blood-sha energy, and you have even birthed a blood-sha spiritual root. Your sea of consciousness has been thoroughly soaked in blood-sha energy, yet your mind remains entirely unaffected. You might just be a freak of nature.”
Upon hearing that his spiritual roots were gone, Xie Rong immediately began to circulate his cultivation technique. As expected, he felt his cultivation speed slow down. Although he did not usually cultivate diligently, this speed—even slower than a snail—made him immensely irritable.
The Blood-Sha spirit had already established a soul connection with Xie Rong. Sensing his frustration, the spirit immediately transmitted a cultivation technique to him. “Our life-bound contract has begun; you can practice this technique, and it will surely allow you to break through to the Yuan-Infant stage.”
The spirit had also observed Xie Rong’s bizarre constitution. Xie Rong’s body had swallowed seventy percent of the massive amount of blood-sha energy, with over twenty percent merging into his sea of consciousness and less than ten percent integrating into his dantian, providing Xie Rong with only a marginal increase in cultivation level. The spirit had previously estimated that Xie Rong would at least break through to the Deity Transformation stage. As a divine artifact, it was common for the contractor to break through two major realms upon signing. However, the reality was right before its eyes; Xie Rong had not even broken through a minor realm and remained at the early Golden Core stage.
The Blood-Sha spirit waited for a while, only to see that even after Xie Rong had nearly absorbed all the blood-sha energy in the formation, his cultivation level remained completely unmoved. After the initial shock, the spirit had no choice but to accept the truth.
“Wait, this is wrong. I am a divine artifact. Why can I not sign a life-bound contract with you?”
At the moment the contract was established, the Blood-Sha spirit was filled with doubts. It should have been a life-bound contract, yet it had only resulted in an ordinary one. The spirit scanned Xie Rong’s soul and body several times but could not find the reason, eventually attributing it to Xie Rong’s bizarre constitution. Since Xie Rong could recklessly absorb blood-sha energy for cultivation, the fact that he could not sign a life-bound contract seemed somewhat less shocking.
Once the contract was finalized, information regarding the Blood-Sha Palace and its usage appeared in Xie Rong’s mind. With a single thought, he sensed Lin Mingsi’s exact location. The moment Xie Rong retrieved the Blood-Sha Palace, all the ferocious beasts in the secret realm huddled in their nests, trembling in fear. They were terrified: what kind of terrifying existence could subdue such a divine artifact? The person who could make the Blood-Sha Palace recognize a master must be a peerless entity of malice. They were paralyzed by the fear that if the new master were in a bad mood, they would all be slaughtered.
After Xie Rong stored the Blood-Sha Palace into his sea of consciousness, the blood-sha energy in the realm rapidly dissipated. Nearby, Lin Mingsi’s tightly furrowed brows slowly began to relax.
The Blood-Sha spirit, seeing Xie Rong store the palace in his sea of consciousness, could not help but gasp, muttering, “You are truly fearless to dare put the Blood-Sha Palace into your sea of consciousness.”
Xie Rong did not immediately approach Lin Mingsi because there were several layers of defensive and offensive formations around him. Hearing the spirit’s remark, he asked with confusion, “The inheritance information said the Blood-Sha Palace must be kept in the sea of consciousness to be nurtured.”
The Blood-Sha spirit rolled its eyes, its child-like voice tinged with urgency. “That inheritance information is ancient, dating back to a time when the Demon Realm did not even exist. Back then, the cultivation world was inhabited by immortals, and only those above the immortal realm could house the Blood-Sha Palace in their sea of consciousness.”
Xie Rong observed the formations around Lin Mingsi and realized he did not recognize a single one. Lin Mingsi appeared to be cultivating, and Xie Rong dared not disturb him. He responded lazily to the Blood-Sha spirit, “But I have already put it in my sea of consciousness, and nothing has happened to me. The blood-sha energy does not affect me; the sea of consciousness being stained a bright red is actually quite pretty.”
The Blood-Sha spirit gritted its teeth, deciding that it could not judge Xie Rong by conventional logic because Xie Rong himself was entirely unconventional. Seeing Xie Rong pacing around Lin Mingsi in distress, the spirit snorted and said, “He is fine. Once he converts the spiritual energy in his body into demonic energy, he will naturally wake up. The blood-sha energy has disappeared, so he is very lucky not to have become my nourishment.”
When Xie Rong heard that Lin Mingsi had fallen into the demonic path, he was stunned. He could not help but recall what Lin Mingsi had told him in the past. Lin Mingsi had once said that if they fell into the demonic path, their Master would personally purge them. The case of Xiao Xifeng was a vivid example; he had been a true disciple of Shi Enyang, yet he was expelled from the sect merely for having a seed of demonic energy within him.
Xie Rong’s brows furrowed tightly as he considered this. His Master was right outside the secret realm; if he found out that Lin Mingsi had fallen into the demonic path, would he kill him?
The Blood-Sha spirit sensed a strange divine sense spying on Xie Rong. Without telling Xie Rong, it blocked the intrusion. It was a divine artifact spirit, and since Xie Rong was its master, no one was allowed to spy on him; otherwise, it would lose face as a divine artifact.
Xuan Yue only perceived Xie Rong’s condition for a brief moment before it was completely cut off, causing him to smile. Although his divine sense was blocked, he had captured the aura of the divine artifact. It was exactly as he had expected: Xie Rong had successfully refined the Blood-Sha Palace. It was fascinating; a mortal cultivator had successfully refined a divine artifact from the Demon Realm. Xuan Yue waited for Xie Rong to make his choice, immensely curious about how the boy would react once he realized Lin Mingsi had fallen into the demonic path.
Xie Rong, knowing Lin Mingsi was not in mortal danger, sat nearby and waited, his thoughts in turmoil. Xuan Yue had been incredibly kind to him, giving him everything he asked for. If he were to go out and beg Xuan Yue to spare Lin Mingsi, what were the chances of success?
A voice in Xie Rong’s mind argued, “Master has lived for thousands of years and seen everything; his heart has long since turned cold and hard. You have only been with Xuan Yue for such a short time.” If Xuan Yue insisted on killing Lin Mingsi, there was nothing he could do. In the end, he would only end up harming Lin Mingsi.
Xie Rong looked at the corrupted Lin Mingsi with worry, his thoughts conflicted. One voice told him to trust that Xuan Yue was not that cold-blooded, while another warned him not to gamble with Lin Mingsi’s life.
When Lin Mingsi woke up, he did not see the Blood-Sha Palace and was momentarily dazed. Seeing Xie Rong sitting nearby, he assumed he was hallucinating. It was only when his identity token flashed—hearing all the messages Xie Rong had sent—that he realized this was not a hallucination. Xie Rong had truly come to find him!
The Blood-Sha spirit immediately woke Xie Rong. “Your Senior Brother is awake.”
Upon hearing this, Xie Rong looked up at Lin Mingsi and rushed toward him without hesitation. No matter if Lin Mingsi had fallen into the demonic path—even if he was a demonic cultivator, he was still his Senior Brother. Perhaps due to the influence of modern entertainment culture, Xie Rong felt deep down that there was no distinction between immortal and demonic.
Seeing Xie Rong rushing toward him, Lin Mingsi panicked, fearing his formations might hurt the boy. He hurried to deactivate them and caught Xie Rong, smiling happily when he sensed the boy’s Golden Core cultivation level. “Little Junior Brother, you have reached the Golden Core stage. That is wonderful!”
A Golden Core cultivator could extend their lifespan by eight hundred years. Combined with the spiritual herb he had found for Xie Rong, the boy would have over two thousand years to reach the Yuan-Infant stage. Without a moment’s hesitation, Lin Mingsi pulled out the spiritual herb, his tone as casual as if it were an ordinary item. “I found this spiritual herb; it will be very helpful to you. Keep it safe.”
Handing over this herb was a fixation that had sustained him through the ordeal in the Blood-Sha Palace; had he not possessed this determination, he would not have survived until now. Xie Rong had saved his life multiple times, and the treasures and pills he had received from Xie Rong were the only reason he had survived the secret realm long enough to obtain this herb.
Seeing Lin Mingsi’s determined expression, Xie Rong felt a sudden warmth. Xie Rong recognized the herb and felt it was far too precious. “Senior Brother, this herb is too valuable; you have a use for it, too.”
Lin Mingsi smiled. “This herb is not that important to me. Be obedient, Little Junior Brother, and keep it safe.” He had already fallen into the demonic path and no longer had a place in the cultivation world; once he left this realm, he would be hunted by many. He only had Yuan-Infant cultivation; he could escape once or twice, but not forever. If he kept this herb, it would eventually be stolen; it was better to give it to Xie Rong now. Xie Rong would have Master’s protection, and no one would dare take it from him.
Seeing Xie Rong still wanting to protest, Lin Mingsi looked at him earnestly. “If you still consider me your Senior Brother, take this herb. Had it not been for the talismans and pills you gave me, I would have died long ago; I never would have been able to obtain this herb. Since I accepted those things from you, you should accept this.”
Xie Rong looked at Lin Mingsi’s determined eyes and placed the herb into his storage ring. He realized that Lin Mingsi was like he had been before; if he refused the herb, Lin Mingsi would feel that he was no longer seen as a brother.
Lin Mingsi looked around and did not see the Blood-Sha Palace, asking, “Little Junior Brother, did you see a palace full of malevolence when you entered the secret realm?”
Xie Rong was about to summon the palace to show Lin Mingsi, but the Blood-Sha spirit panicked, its child-like voice full of urgency: You are not going to show it to him, are you? Be careful; I am a divine artifact. I know you trust your Senior Brother, but hearts can change. I have seen countless betrayals—even from the closest family and friends. Your Senior Brother is no different from them. Trust me, do not tell him you have contracted a divine artifact; it is for your own good and his.
Seeing Xie Rong staring blankly and not responding, Lin Mingsi smiled and shook his head. “It is a good thing you did not encounter that palace. This realm is very dangerous; we must leave quickly.” The ferocious beasts in the realm were all fueled by malevolence, making them harder to deal with than ordinary ones, and killing too many could cause one to be tainted by that energy. Xie Rong had risked his life as a Golden Core cultivator to find him; who knew how many dangers he had encountered along the way?
Xie Rong, still feeling Lin Mingsi’s hand in his, turned to the side and whispered, “Master is outside the secret realm.”
At this moment, Xie Rong was so nervous that he forgot everything, his mind filled only with the question: what would Lin Mingsi do now?
Lin Mingsi was stunned, then let out a bitter laugh. “It is well that Master is outside. I was just agonizing over how to send you back to the sect.”
“The space in this secret realm is unstable, and the spiritual energy is thin, but it is saturated with malevolence. High-level cultivators look down on such opportunities, so we are safe for the moment.” The high-level cultivators who had entered previously had all been swallowed by the Blood-Sha Palace, which was why it had remained hidden for so long.
Xie Rong’s heart was heavy. He knew that the only way to avoid Master’s judgment was to keep Lin Mingsi’s corruption a secret, but he did not know how to handle the situation. Lin Mingsi, sensing his concern, advised, “Foolish Junior Brother, this may just be my fate. It is better to die at Master’s hands than to be hunted down everywhere else and never find peace.”
Although he had not told Xie Rong that he had fallen into the demonic path, Xie Rong had been by his side throughout the process; his secret could not be hidden. Lin Mingsi was surprised to see that even knowing he was tainted, Xie Rong still clung to him without a hint of fear or repulsion. Lin Mingsi wondered if Master had protected Xie Rong too well, leaving him without any sense of caution.
Xie Rong let go of Lin Mingsi’s sleeve and gripped his wrist instead, saying solemnly, “I do not believe in fate, and neither should you.” What kind of fate was that? It was just something people told themselves to cope with desperate situations. Xie Rong frowned. “Senior Brother, must Master kill you? If I beg him, what are the chances he will spare you?”
Lin Mingsi was amused by Xie Rong’s naivety. “Master once had a close friend whose relationship with him was excellent. Later, that uncle fell into the demonic path, and Master personally killed him. They had known each other since youth and had lived and died together in secret realms for nearly three thousand years.”
The light in Xie Rong’s eyes slowly dimmed. Lin Mingsi’s importance to Xuan Yue certainly could not compare to that uncle. If Xuan Yue found out Lin Mingsi had fallen into the demonic path, the chance of him being spared was less than one percent.
Xie Rong made a decision. He took out a sound-recording talisman and said, “Master, my Senior Brother encountered a secret realm, and there is a great opportunity here that is very suitable for me. I would like to stay and train with him for a while.”
Xie Rong held two people most dear in his heart: Lin Mingsi and Xuan Yue. If Xuan Yue killed Lin Mingsi, it would be as if a parent had killed an older brother; he could not accept such a thing. Lin Mingsi looked at Xie Rong in surprise, thinking, Little Junior Brother has learned to lie; he has truly grown up. However, such a clumsy lie would never deceive their Master.
Xie Rong left the recording talisman in the secret realm and handed Lin Mingsi a world-breaking teleportation talisman, urging him, “Senior Brother, let us leave first. If Master does not see me come out, he will use his divine sense to search for us in the secret realm.”
Lin Mingsi did not take the talisman, sighing persuasively, “I am content to have a junior brother like you. Such a clumsy lie will not deceive Master. Listen to me: let us go meet him together, and do not beg for my life.” He would beg Master himself not to kill him in front of Xie Rong. Xie Rong was timid and innocent; if he saw Master kill him, he might harbor resentment toward Master in the future.
Xie Rong did not know what kind of emotion shone in Lin Mingsi’s eyes—perhaps it was the “facing death with equanimity” that people often spoke of. Seeing that Xie Rong still held his wrist, Lin Mingsi continued, “I have fallen into the demonic path; there is no salvation for me. You must never call me Senior Brother outside, never tell others about our close relationship, and never harbor resentment toward Master. Master has done nothing wrong. My dying at his hands is better than dying at someone else’s.”
Xie Rong’s grip on Lin Mingsi’s wrist tightened. He gritted his teeth and asked, “Does falling into the demonic path mean certain death? The world of cultivation is vast; where can we not live? If worst comes to worst, we can go to the Demon Realm.”
Lin Mingsi turned his head and sighed softly. “You think too simply. Once a cultivator falls into the demonic path, they cannot escape the cultivation world. Even if we are lucky enough to escape to the Demon Realm, all demonic clans value bloodlines, and demonic cultivators like us are the lowest of the low.”
Xie Rong had seen the servants in the sect; most of them had no light in their eyes, and their lives were like those of the walking dead. If Lin Mingsi went to the Demon Realm, he would likely become a creature just like that. He did not want Lin Mingsi to live like a walking corpse. Lin Mingsi had truly let go; meeting Xie Rong before his death meant he had few regrets, save for Gu Xingchen.
“Little Junior Brother, I met Second Senior Brother in the secret realm earlier. He gave his life to cover my retreat; I do not know his current condition. If you ever see him in the future, please thank him on my behalf.”
He truly had not expected Gu Xingchen to intervene, especially under such dangerous circumstances. Since he could escape, Gu Xingchen should have been able to as well. Perhaps because he was nearing death, Lin Mingsi could only think of Gu Xingchen’s goodness.
Hearing Lin Mingsi speak as if he were leaving a final testament, Xie Rong calmly activated the world-breaking teleportation talisman. “If you have words for Second Senior Brother, go find him yourself in the future. I will not help you deliver messages. I cannot know that Master intends to kill you and still watch you go to your death.”
The teleportation channel had already begun to form. Fearing that Xie Rong’s body would not be able to withstand the spatial pressure, Lin Mingsi disregarded everything and used his protective relic to shield them both.
The Blood-Sha spirit watched this act with amusement. He still wants to protect you; your body is as tough as an ancient cultivator’s. This flimsy protective relic could be shattered with a single tap.
While the spirit grumbled, it secretly blocked most of the spatial pressure. Lin Mingsi felt no terrifying spatial pressure; he felt extremely lucky that he and Xie Rong had encountered such a stable teleportation channel.
Xuan Yue sensed the spatial vibrations but did not move. It was only after the vibrations disappeared that he extended his divine sense into the secret realm, found the recording talisman Xie Rong had left behind, and laughed after listening to it.
He did not disappoint me.
Knowing the personality Xie Rong possessed, he would certainly not allow Lin Mingsi to meet him after knowing he could not tolerate the boy’s brotherly bond. Taking Lin Mingsi away via teleportation was indeed the only solution Xie Rong could have conceived.
The life-bound jade pendant he had given Xie Rong had lost its function as a monitoring tool. Since Xie Rong had contracted the Blood-Sha Palace, he would not need to fear even Xuan Yue’s own presence, so there was no need to worry about the boy’s safety. Xuan Yue swept the secret realm with his divine sense and collected a few decent crafting materials. He did not want to plunder the place, but his household truly had no more grain; if he did not find a way to earn spirit stones, his flying vessel would not reach the borders of the Xuan Tian Sect. Xuan Yue sighed as he collected the herbs. What Mahayana cultivator is as pathetic as I am, being bankrupted by a disciple?