King Nanshan’s gaze was sinister. “My wife and I grew up together, and our bond was deep. I only wanted to be with her. What have I done wrong? Why must you stand in my way?”
“Wife? How dare you call her that!”
Chi Yu’s eyes were sharp as blades. The crystal stone in her hand bore a smear of crimson blood at its center, blooming like a flower.
When she had picked it up earlier, she had been forced to witness everything it had experienced.
Recalling those memories, Chi Yu felt nothing but disgust. “That couple grew up together, kind and sincere. They even saved you when you were gravely injured. Yet you coveted his wife, murdered him, used a Veiling Technique to take his place, and lived with his wife as if nothing had happened.”
“Later, when she sensed something was wrong, she coaxed you into forming a Marriage Pact to protect herself before confronting you. Enraged, you cut the unborn child from her womb, killing her. Have you forgotten all of this so completely that the lies you’ve woven have even deceived yourself?”
“Your so-called unwavering devotion is nothing but an illusion. She cannot be revived, and your own life cannot be sustained much longer. That’s why you’ve been nourishing her with the Divine Souls of others!”
“You are nothing but a selfish, worthless scum!”
The Soul Gathering Array gathered the most malevolent things in the world. Therefore, its array eye required immense Resentment Energy to attract them.
The unborn child, torn from its mother’s womb and left to die, and the severed head of the murdered father perfectly met these conditions.
They should have had a harmonious and happy family. Instead, they became nourishment for the Grudge Spirits in this underground river.
King Nanshan was furious. “You’re lying! It wasn’t like that!”
Though his memories were hazy, he was not that kind of person.
King Nanshan clenched his fists unconsciously. “How dare you insult the genuine love between my wife and me? I’ll kill you!”
Chi Yu sneered. “I was thinking the same!”
She swiftly launched an attack, her blade trailing blazing red lotus flames. The sound of flesh meeting steel was unmistakable.
But Chi Yu was only at the Qi Refining Stage. Even with her advantages, she couldn’t handle him alone.
She threw Mo Chongyang’s sword to him and shouted, “Help me now!”
Mo Chongyang snapped to attention, quickly grabbed the sword from the ground, and charged forward with all his might.
The struggling Azure Flame Sect disciple on the ground also struggled to his feet, channeling Spiritual Power to support them.
Attacking from both front and back, they finally managed to press their blades against King Nanshan’s neck and waist simultaneously.
Tears of blood streamed from his eyes as he roared in fury. Chi Yu felt the True Qi in her Dantian churn violently, crashing against her bones and meridians in excruciating pain.
But she never loosened her grip. Instead, she increased the pressure. “You bastard, die!”
Finally, her short blade severed his head.
The long sword cut through his waist, destroying his internal organs. Black energy swirled around him as King Nanshan let out a final wail before dissipating completely, leaving only a pitch-black Inner Core behind.
[Item: Karmic Fire Barrier has expired.]
As soon as Chi Yu relaxed, she vomited a mouthful of blood and instantly dropped to one knee, leaning on her short blade for support.
Mo Chongyang beside her wasn’t faring much better; his clothes were soaked with blood.
The Azure Flame Sect disciple hurriedly fed him a Spiritual Elixir and handed one to Chi Yu as well. “Miss, this Elixir was refined by our sect’s elder. It can repair damaged meridians with remarkable effectiveness. Please take it quickly.”
“Thank you.”
She reached out and accepted it but did not consume it. Instead, she struggled to her feet and walked step by step toward Shen Yanzhou.
Though he was conscious, his breathing was faint.
Without hesitation, Chi Yu placed the Spiritual Elixir into his mouth.
Shen Yanzhou was taken aback, his gaze dark and inscrutable as he looked at her.
It must be said that the Azure Flame Sect’s elder truly possessed genuine skill. Moments after the Spiritual Elixir entered his mouth, Shen Yanzhou’s wounds stopped bleeding, and his flesh slowly began to recover. His complexion was no longer as pale as before.
Only then did Chi Yu feel at ease. She took out a Spiritual Herb, consumed it, and proceeded to treat her own injuries.
After completing all this, she leaned against the cave wall, panting.
System: “Host, I thought you would have taken that Spiritual Elixir for yourself.”
After all, Shen Yanzhou wasn’t in immediate danger of dying. Given her usual style, shouldn’t she have kept the good stuff for herself?
Chi Yu replied nonchalantly, “Such minor injuries are nothing to me.”
In truth, she had been shocked by the severity of Shen Yanzhou’s wounds. Moreover, he had fallen into the earth pit to avoid holding her back. Since her injuries were relatively minor and she wasn’t in danger of dying, she decided to give it to him.
But things might not be the same in the future.
The next time she encountered a demon she couldn’t defeat, she would still have to resort to sacrificing her teammates if necessary.
After meditating for a while longer, she regained her vitality.
Mo Chongyang had also fully recovered. He took only a small portion of the Heavenly Treasures collected by King Nanshan and distributed them to his junior disciples, storing the rest in a Storage Bag before tossing it in front of Chi Yu.
“The demon was slain by both of us. I’ll take the Inner Core, and the remaining Spiritual Elixirs and herbs are yours. There are also a thousand Spirit Stones inside.”
He spoke these words, his expression complicated as he looked at Chi Yu.
When they first met at the trading grounds, he had despised her—after all, she was unreasonable and lacked any semblance of manners.
However, during the chaotic battle just now, she had demonstrated both wisdom and courage, contributing significantly.
This person wasn’t as irritating as he had initially thought.
Chi Yu raised an eyebrow slightly.
In truth, the most valuable item here was the Inner Core. All the other things combined couldn’t compare to its worth.
Mo Chongyang had played his cards well—seemingly fair, but in reality, he still came out ahead.
However, the Inner Core was tainted with deep resentment and would require time and effort to purify before it could be used.
She didn’t have the energy for that.
But she couldn’t just let him off so easily either.
She extended her hand. “Four thousand Spirit Stones.”
Mo Chongyang’s face darkened. “I’m not negotiating with you.”
“I know. After all, you’re a disciple of the Azure Flame Sect, and your Cultivation Base is higher than mine. You could just take it directly without needing to negotiate with me.”
“It’s not like I can go to the Azure Flame Sect to report you for bullying the weak and seizing treasures. Nor can I spread this around to shame your sect. And I certainly can’t let you, Mo Chongyang, lose face in the Cultivation World over a single Inner Core, right?”
She spoke these words, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Mo Chongyang’s face flushed with anger. “You’re threatening me!”
“Wronged, I am not. You can give it if you want, or not if you don’t. I’m not forcing you.”
Chi Yu said this. If it weren’t for the fact that his junior disciple had given her a Spiritual Elixir, she would have demanded even more.
Mo Chongyang’s slight goodwill toward her vanished instantly. He snorted coldly but still took out the Spirit Stones and handed them to her.
Only then did she smile brightly and say, “Thank you, boss.”
Chi Yu stored the Storage Bag, consumed two more Spiritual Elixirs, and then helped Shen Yanzhou up. Together with the Azure Flame Sect disciples, they left the place.
But as soon as they reached the surface, they were stunned.
In the vast mass burial ground, over a dozen women knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly. Beside them, the Azure Flame Sect disciples who had brought them out stood helplessly, unsure of what to do.
“What’s going on?”
Mo Chongyang frowned as he asked. The Azure Flame Sect disciple shook his head. “We don’t know either. They suddenly started crying and calling out for their husbands or something.”
Chi Yu understood.
This is likely a lingering effect of the spell Yan Niang cast on them. Subconsciously, they regard King Nanshan as their husband, so his death has plunged them into such deep sorrow.
Suddenly, one person began wailing loudly. Chi Yu instinctively glanced over and saw Jiang Jiuming not far away, weeping as if caught in a rainstorm of tears, his cries raw and anguished.
He pounded the ground with his hands, sobbing, “My husband! What am I to do now that you’re gone? Waaah!”
Chi Yu: “…”
Speechless, she walked over and crouched before him. “Jiang Jiuming, stop crying. We need to go.”
He paid no attention, tears streaming down his face like rain.
Chi Yu sighed. “I can’t take this anymore.”
She raised her hand, and with a sharp “smack,” Jiang Jiuming was abruptly slapped across the face, leaving him utterly stunned.
Chi Yu asked, “Are you awake now?”