The hundred-mile journey was compressed beneath their feet by the Earth-Shrinking Array.
From the bustling streets below the inn to the desolate, uninhabited mountain forest, it took only a short distance.
As the surroundings shifted, Pei Chaochao pretended not to notice, raising her hand to grope around like a blind person.
Only when her hand touched the tree trunk beside her did she ask knowingly, “Have we entered the mountains now?”
Jiang Du glanced at her but said nothing.
Instead, the Guiyuan Sect disciple beside her replied, “Yes, Miss Pei.”
This was the lair of the demonic creature.
The creature was cunning. After fighting the Guiyuan Sect to a stalemate, it cast a spell to distort space and fled.
Qiong Guang Jun was also severely injured, but as space twisted, he used his Spiritual Power to lock onto the demon and vanished along with it.
The demon could conceal its aura, making it impossible for the Guiyuan Sect disciples to sense its or Qiong Guang Jun’s location. The forest was vast, so they had no choice but to split up and search.
When Pei Chaochao tore the Communication Talisman earlier, they were already searching separately for Qiong Guang Jun and the great demon.
The disciple briefly explained the situation to Pei Chaochao, then glanced deeper into the forest:
“Miss Pei, this area is relatively safe. I’ll set up a Barrier. Please wait outside it until we return.”
Hearing this, Pei Chaochao thought to herself, That won’t do.
Qiong Guang Jun was injured, and she had arrived just in time.
So she shook her head: “I’ll go with you.”
The disciple immediately shook his head in response: “Miss Pei, it’s very dangerous inside.”
He urged, “You’re so delicate and have no Cultivation Level. If danger arises, I might not have the capacity to ensure your safety.”
Pei Chaochao tilted her head toward Jiang Du’s direction: “There’s also Immortal Jiang.”
Her tone was affectionate: “Immortal Jiang’s Cultivation Level is so high, and he’s been quite attentive to me. Surely he can ensure my safety, right?”
Attentive?
A cold laugh escaped Jiang Du’s chest. The fact that I haven’t snapped your neck yet is already a sign of my ‘attentiveness,’ he thought.
From earlier until now, his anger had been simmering inside.
As it simmered, he realized he had grown somewhat numb.
How numb?
He temporarily lacked the energy to vent his fury and couldn’t even be bothered to speak.
So he didn’t answer her, just stared at her coldly.
As if hoping she would sense his displeasure from this.
The atmosphere grew tense in that moment.
Pei Chaochao seemed to notice him looking at her.
She pressed the white silk over her eyes and curved her lips into a smile in his direction: “Immortal Jiang?”
It was a remarkably friendly smile.
Instantly shattering the tense atmosphere—
She was blind and couldn’t see his gloomy expression at all!
Jiang Du stared at the white silk over her eyes and suddenly realized this.
It was like punching cotton.
He forcibly shifted his gaze away from her face, his tone irritable: “Shut up and move forward!”
Into the mountains!
Let her die!
Hearing this, Pei Chaochao smiled at the disciple: “You see, Immortal Jiang agreed.”
Jiang Du, hearing her tone, quickened his pace into the mountains.
Striding swiftly, he seemed a bit like a helpless, furious rage.
Pei Chaochao followed closely, still pretending to be blind, groping forward as she walked.
After walking for a while,
As the demonic aura around them grew heavier, the disciple couldn’t help but advise: “Miss Pei, do you have some business in the mountains? It’s truly dangerous here. If you have something to do, you can tell me, and I’ll handle it for you.”
Pei Chaochao shook her head: “You can’t help me.”
The disciple asked, “What do you mean?”
Pei Chaochao smiled shyly, “I came to find—”
She had originally intended to say she came to find Qiong Guang Jun, but suddenly remembered that there was no Qiong Guang Jun in the mortal realm—only Ji Shenzhi.
She paused, “I came to find Ji Xianzhang.”
She coaxed gently, “You know, my constitution is special—my blood can be used as medicine. Now that Ji Xianzhang is injured, it’s only right that I repay his kindness.”
As soon as she finished speaking,
Both Jiang Du and the disciple halted their steps and turned to look at her simultaneously.
Their expressions differed, and their thoughts were not the same.
The disciple thought to himself:
Miss Pei is so pure-hearted, repaying kindness with gratitude, and even willing to sacrifice herself—who wouldn’t cherish her!
Jiang Du thought to himself:
Act, keep acting!
Repay kindness?
Ha. That’s the funniest joke he’s heard all day.
Jiang Du couldn’t help but let out a derisive laugh, “Go be a Medicine Person for Ji Shenzhi? Use your own blood to heal him?”
Pei Chaochao nodded in response, “If he’s seriously injured.”
Jiang Du truly wished he could tear apart her mouth, which was full of lies.
He couldn’t hold back from speaking, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the Guiyuan Sect disciple standing nearby.
He paused, then leaned in slightly, refuting in a volume only he and Pei Chaochao could hear, “Do you even believe the nonsense you’re spouting? You fed me your blood back then, only to stab me in the back afterward.”
Pei Chaochao heard his words but had no intention of explaining.
She kept her mouth shut, smiling faintly without uttering a word.
Jiang Du’s gaze lingered on her innocent face.
A thought flashed through his mind—
He wanted to know what she really intended to do by seeking out Ji Shenzhi.
Surely it couldn’t truly be to repay kindness.
Someone like her would only repay kindness with betrayal.
His tone turned icy, “Send him away, and I’ll take you to find Ji Shenzhi.”
After all, he also needed to find that demon.
And Ji Shenzhi was likely with that demon right now.
Pei Chaochao tilted her head, understanding his meaning.
He wanted her to send away the Guiyuan Sect disciple beside them.
Her voice was very soft, “If he leaves, then it’ll just be you and me.”
She pointed to her own neck, her smile deepening, “Are you going to take the chance to kill me?”
That was how she phrased it.
But her tone was indifferent, lacking any sense of caution or vigilance—it even carried a leisurely ease.
Jiang Du couldn’t help but clench his fingertips.
Ever since meeting Pei Chaochao, his emotions had never been steady—either seething with rage or on the verge of it.
And what about Pei Chaochao?
Her tone had remained soft and affectionate from start to finish, and it was still the same now.
Even when he had gripped her neck, her heartbeat remained steady.
She wasn’t afraid at all.
This demeanor was like a lofty deity looking down upon him, scorning him.
Realizing this, Jiang Du couldn’t suppress a surge of resentment in his heart.
This feeling was different from the rage he had felt before.
He wanted to tear her apart once and for all, yet also drag her down into the abyss of emotional turmoil.
His jaw tightened as he opened his mouth to speak.
But Pei Chaochao spoke first, fabricating an excuse to send the disciple away.
Thus, only she and Jiang Du remained.
Verbally asking: You’re not sending him away just to kill me, are you?
Yet in reality, she showed no sign of fear and even sent the person away first—this carried a hint of provocation.
Jiang Du’s nearly numb anger was finally ignited once again, “What do you mean by this? Provoking me? Do you really think I won’t kill you?!”
Pei Chaochao spoke with a helpless tone, “Don’t misunderstand.”
She explained gently, “When you said you’d take me to find Ji Xianzhang, you must have a way to locate him. However, I imagine it’s some method used by Demonic Cultivators.”
She pointed at herself, “I’m the only one here who knows your identity, so of course I had to quickly send him away.”
Perhaps it was because her tone was too gentle, or because she explained so casually, it seemed as though she possessed infinite patience toward him.
Moreover, her tone and appearance were so genuinely kind, making it all too easy for others to feel a sense of closeness toward her.
Jiang Du even felt a subtle… sense of intimacy.
She was the only one here who knew his identity.
And it seemed he was also the only one here who knew her true nature.
Jiang Du’s fingertips tingled slightly. Suppressing this fleeting thought, he forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll take the chance to kill you?”
Pei Chaochao’s smile remained just as pure and kind, “How could that be?”
She softened her voice, her tone almost seductive, “You’re not the type who likes to win by unfair means, right?”
When she praised someone in this tone, it held an irresistible charm.
Even though he knew her demeanor was like poison wrapped in a layer of sugar,
Jiang Du still inexplicably responded with an “Mm.”
He averted his gaze stiffly, “I’ll kill you later. First, let’s find Ji Shenzhi.”
Jiang Du indeed used a method of the Mo Zu to locate the great demon. He made a cut on his hand, using the Mo Qi in his blood as a guide to directly lure the demon into twisting space once again.
As space twisted, they would be transported to the demon’s location.
The moment Jiang Du’s blood touched the ground,
the surrounding scenery began to warp rapidly, as if melting, and even the ground started to tremble.
In an instant, the world transformed once more!
Pei Chaochao found they had arrived at a dilapidated mountain temple.
The sky was dark and gloomy, the wind carried a bloody scent, and the ground seemed to be piled with countless skeletal remains.
She was about to observe the surroundings more carefully,
but before she could take a step, she heard a sharp howl from a distance!
Following the sound,
she saw a massive demon roaring with its mouth wide open.
Beside the demon, Qiong Guang Jun was locked in combat with it, sword in hand.
His white robes were stained with blood, and he was already at a slight disadvantage.
At this moment, Qiong Guang Jun also noticed the sudden change in the surroundings and quickly glanced toward Pei Chaochao’s direction.
With just one look, he spotted her figure from afar.
She stood amidst the scattered bones, frail as if a gust of demonic wind could scatter her, like fleeting morning dew.
Qiong Guang Jun’s movements slowed for an instant—
Why was she here?
Just then, the great demon suddenly unleashed a surge of demonic power!
It used the power to repel Qiong Guang Jun, then swiftly disengaged and charged toward Pei Chaochao and Jiang Du!
To be precise,
it was charging toward Jiang Du.
Lured by the Mo Qi in Jiang Du’s blood, it wanted to devour him alive.
Pei Chaochao didn’t want to get caught in the crossfire, so she took a few steps back.
She found a large tree and prepared to hide behind it.
As she moved behind the tree,
Jiang Du was already fighting the great demon.
The demon’s Cultivation Level was formidable, but after its prolonged battle with Qiong Guang Jun, although it had the upper hand, its strength had still been significantly weakened.
Now, facing Jiang Du, it was at a slight disadvantage.
However, Jiang Du’s chest wound hadn’t fully healed, so he didn’t gain much of an advantage either.
He aimed every strike at the demon’s Dantian.
Watching from behind the tree, Pei Chaochao thought Jiang Du must have come here to obtain the demon’s demon core.
The demon core is a good thing.
Especially one from a demon of such cultivation level—simply holding it in hand can intimidate many lesser demons, allowing one to move freely among hundreds of them.
Pei Chaochao gazed into the distance.
Earlier, Qiong Guang Jun and the great demon had clashed behind the temple,
while she and Jiang Du were currently in front of the temple.
Between her and Qiong Guang Jun, there was still the distance of an entire temple.
She had been able to see him battling the demon from afar earlier only because both were entangled in mid-air during their fight.
Now that Qiong Guang Jun had been struck down by demonic power, from her perspective, she could no longer see him.
He was likely severely injured, possibly even knocked unconscious.
But it seemed his Spiritual Meridians were still intact. In this state, even if unconscious, he would still have Spiritual Power protecting him.
Pei Chaochao made a rough estimate in her mind, then shifted her gaze toward Jiang Du.
She saw that Jiang Du and the demon had already inflicted heavy injuries on each other, both crashing to the ground together.
The demon was still struggling, while Jiang Du was gathering strength to rise.
Pei Chaochao tilted her head and stepped out from behind the tree.
Diligently pretending to be blind, she groped her way to Jiang Du’s side, then crouched down: “Do you need help?”
Jiang Du coughed heavily, swallowing back the blood, his gaze fierce: “What are you scheming now? Since when are you so kind-hearted?”
Pei Chaochao smiled gently: “Don’t misunderstand. I just want to help you. By the time you recover, this demon will have recovered too.”
Jiang Du stared at her.
He was truly severely injured, his voice hoarse as he spoke: “Take my knife and extract the demon core.”
Pei Chaochao felt for his knife.
It was covered in blood, but she didn’t mind the filth. Holding the knife, she groped her way to the great demon’s side and placed the blade over its chest: “I can’t see. Is it here?”
Jiang Du said: “Lower.”
Following his words, Pei Chaochao moved the knife to the demon’s Dantian: “Here?”
Jiang Du replied: “Yes.”
As soon as he spoke, the demon struggled violently, trying to rise.
At the same time, Jiang Du unleashed another burst of Spiritual Power, forcing the great demon back down.
Jiang Du exhausted his Spiritual Power and collapsed to the ground again, groaning: “Hurry and dig it out!”
Pei Chaochao flicked her wrist, piercing the demon’s Dantian in one swift motion.
Blood sprayed out, splattering onto her face.
Seeing that the great demon had fallen silent, she reached into its flesh and pulled out the demon core.
Rubbing the demon core with her fingertips, she smiled faintly: “So this is the demon core. You got injured like this just to obtain it. Now, can you even get up?”
Jiang Du was nearly out of strength.
He opened his mouth, wanting to tell her to stop talking nonsense and hand it over.
But before he could speak, Pei Chaochao dropped the knife, stood up holding the demon core.
She gave him a very polite smile, tucked the demon core away, and said: “It must be a good thing. I’ll take it for now.”
She would take it to find Qiong Guang Jun, using the last trace of demonic power in the demon core to deliver a final blow, ensuring he lost all ability to resist.
This would guarantee she could extract Qiong Guang Jun’s heart.
Absolutely foolproof.
Pei Chaochao was very pleased and turned to leave.
Jiang Du: ?
Jiang Du was in excruciating pain, his mind blank for half a second. Immediately after, the anger that had been building in his chest finally exploded with a supercharged intensity!
He strained to lift his hand and grabbed the hem of her skirt: “How dare you!”
How dare you?!
Pei Chaochao didn’t respond, pulling her skirt free without looking back.
Jiang Du had used the last of his strength to help her extract the demon core earlier. Instinctively, he tried to chase after her but couldn’t get up at all, only spitting out a mouthful of blood.
His brows and eyes were stained with blood, fierce and sinister, fixed on her retreating figure.
Damn it!
He should have strangled her to death long ago!
Once he recovered, he would make sure she died a miserable death!
He was utterly enraged, the accumulated fury of these past days finally erupting completely. Hatred churned violently in his chest, burning so fiercely that his vision blurred.
His consciousness gradually faded, yet even with his eyes closed, his mind kept racing with thoughts of how to kill Pei Chaochao!
He didn’t know how much time had passed.
It seemed like only a short while.
But suddenly, he sensed someone approaching him.
The person seemed to crouch down.
With great effort, he lifted his eyelids.
In his blurred vision, he saw that the person was—
Pei Chaochao.
How absurd.
He almost laughed in anger. “What? Come back to finish me off?”
As soon as the words left his mouth,
he felt Pei Chaochao wipe his face with a handkerchief.
Immediately after, he heard her say helplessly, “How could you think that?”
After speaking,
she took out a spiritual herb, broke off a piece, and fed it to his lips. “Cutting my hand to feed you blood hurts too much. I’m actually very afraid of pain, so I went to find a healing spiritual herb for you just now.”
Her fingers, carrying the fragrance of the spiritual herb, pressed gently but firmly against his lips.
Jiang Du was somewhat surprised.
His thoughts halted for a moment, as the intense emotions from before were abruptly suppressed, even rebounding into a feeling of being unexpectedly favored.
He looked up in astonishment. “You…”
Pei Chaochao knew what he was surprised about.
It was nothing more than wondering why someone as wicked as her would come back, even going so far as to pick a spiritual herb to heal him?
She didn’t speak, only gave him a helpless smile, as if everything was understood without words.
Yet what she thought in her heart was—
Indeed.
It’s not yet time for you to die.
Earlier, when she was heading toward Qiong Guang Jun with the demon core in hand, she hadn’t even reached the destination before realizing that to activate the demonic power within the demon core, it had to be driven by Spiritual Power.
And she had no Spiritual Power.