Chapter 135

Chapter 135: Battling the Demonic Cultivator (1)

Early the next morning, Yun Xi departed with Lady Cultivator Pan Yuan, heading toward the valley where the Flying Rosy Cloud Butterfly eggs were hidden.

Before leaving their temporary cave, Yun Xi deliberately pierced Pan Yuan’s dantian with a mystic ice needle, warning coldly: “If you value your cultivation, then play your part well. Betray me, and you’ll be the first to perish.”

Pan Yuan swallowed nervously and nodded: “I understand.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

Leaving the cave, Pan Yuan pressed her sword against Yun Xi, pretending to escort her captive smoothly to the valley.

Upon reaching their agreed location, Pan Yuan immediately called out loudly: “Respected senior, I’ve brought the girl. Please give me the butterfly eggs as promised.”

A moment later, a black-robed cultivator appeared before them.

As soon as Yun Xi clearly saw his face, she was certain that the trouble this time was indeed caused by demonic cultivators. The Golden Core cultivator in front of her was precisely the one who had escaped from Wanruo Forest four years ago.

The male cultivator evidently recognized Yun Xi as well. Although four years had passed, aside from growing taller, Yun Xi’s face had barely changed.

Yun Xi narrowed her eyes and said coldly: “So, it’s you! You know I have a powerful master. Release me now, or you’ll suffer his wrath.”

The male cultivator laughed mockingly: “Hmph! Your master isn’t here today. Stop acting so arrogant!”

“My master isn’t here, true, but if you dare harm me, he will certainly hunt you down!”

Yun Xi’s voice was firm and defiant.

“Heh! Rest assured, I wouldn’t dare kill you. You’re far too valuable to waste.”

The demonic cultivator Xue Ao licked his lips greedily. If it weren’t for his failed mission to capture disciples from Hundred Flowers Pavilion four years ago, he wouldn’t have waited so long to reach Golden Core. Now, with the cause of all his suffering standing before him, he certainly wouldn’t let go of the chance to torment her.

By this time, Pan Yuan had withdrawn her sword, nervously asking: “Respected senior, I’ve brought her here. Where are my butterfly eggs?”

Xue Ao tossed a small wooden box to her, enticing her further: “You’ve done well. Here are two eggs for now. Bring more female cultivators, and you’ll earn even better rewards.”

“I-I understand!”

After confirming the eggs were genuine, Pan Yuan quickly put them away and fled.

Yun Xi did not immediately trigger the mystic ice needle inside Pan Yuan. She patiently waited, carefully monitoring Pan Yuan until the woman was beyond the range of Xue Ao’s divine sense. Then, without hesitation, Yun Xi activated the needle.

Pan Yuan, foolishly believing she’d be safe once she escaped a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s detection range, planned to find a safe place to remove the needle. But just as she returned to their temporary cave, the ice needle suddenly pierced her dantian, causing such intense pain that she fainted instantly.

Meanwhile, Yun Xi had been swept deeper into the valley by Xue Ao. Dian Dian hid motionlessly in Yun Xi’s boots, terrified of being discovered by the demonic cultivator. It had its own important mission.

The Flying Rosy Cloud Butterfly had also secretly returned to its nest, unwilling to lose the chance to reclaim its eggs. Completely concealing its aura, it posed as an ordinary butterfly-shaped ornament. As its cultivation matched Xue Ao’s and its pearl-colored appearance differed greatly from ordinary crimson Flying Rosy Cloud Butterfly, it managed to escape detection.

After roughly fifteen minutes of moving deeper into the valley, Yun Xi was rudely thrown to the ground by Xue Ao.

She immediately rose to her feet and scanned the surroundings, just in time to see Xue Ao placing a blood-red restriction. Sensing that they were not alone, she furrowed her brows deeply, detecting an aura even stronger than Xue Ao’s.

Seeing Yun Xi’s wariness, Xue Ao sneered: “I advise you not to resist pointlessly. Even if the seal-pill in your body wears off, you won’t be leaving here alive. It seems you’ve cultivated diligently these past four years, reaching Foundation Establishment mid-stage. What a pleasant surprise.”

He finished with a greedy smile.

Secretly spreading out her divine sense, Yun Xi pinpointed the positions of three additional Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators. She also discovered a nearby area heavily sealed by restrictive arrays, where female cultivators were held captive.

Yun Xi slowly backed away, carefully expanding her divine sense further, attempting to locate the hidden, powerful demonic cultivator she had sensed earlier.

But Xue Ao had no intention of wasting more time. In a flash, he appeared in front of Yun Xi, grabbing her by the throat, leering obscenely:
“You’re not exactly my type, but fortunately your primordial yin is intact, perfect for helping me break into Golden Core mid-stage.”

Yun Xi’s eyes instantly filled with killing intent. This Golden Core cultivator wanted to use her as a cultivation furnace.

At that moment, a voice sounded directly into Xue Ao’s ears: “Xue Ao, you’d better not touch such a promising seedling. She has greater uses.”

Anger flashed across Xue Ao’s eyes as he snorted: “Relax. I know my limits; I won’t kill her. Her backer is a Nascent Soul true lord, after all.”

“Xue Ao! I warn you, don’t touch her right now—”

Before the other voice could finish, Yun Xi had already activated her mystic ice needle, piercing Xue Ao’s sea of consciousness. Taking advantage of Xue Ao’s shock, she swiftly pushed a ball of lightning directly into his dantian.

Worried about his potential counterattack, she immediately sent Xue Ao flying with a palm strike, then executed a splitting shadow move from the Thousand Shadows Riding the Wind technique. Her phantom remained standing blankly while her true body darted toward the three Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators nearby, instantly destroying their souls with three rapid Soul Piercing Thorns.

In the next instant, her shadow clone shattered, causing Yun Xi to cough up blood. She hurriedly swallowed a spirit replenishing pill, releasing the tier-three Flying Rosy Cloud Butterfly and commanding urgently: “Quickly, find your eggs! I’ll rescue the captives.”

The butterfly vibrated its wings and vanished without a trace.

In just that brief moment, a dark silhouette appeared before Yun Xi.

“Hmph! I never imagined you’d be capable enough to kill Xue Ao.”

As the voice spoke, an oppressive aura from a Golden Core late-stage cultivator descended upon Yun Xi.

Yun Xi’s divine sense was stronger than her opponent’s, rendering the pressure ineffective, but her cultivation was only Foundation Establishment peak, still a level beneath Golden Core. She wiped blood from her lips, gripped her Seven Star Fatal Staff tightly, and fearlessly launched herself forward.

The demonic cultivator paused briefly in surprise, clearly astonished by Yun Xi’s ability to withstand his pressure. His lips curled into a sinister smile: “It seems a big fish was hiding among the captured small fry! Let’s see what you’re capable of.”

He swung his curved blade, cloaked in grey qi, to intercept Yun Xi’s Seven Star Fatal Staff.

Upon collision, purple lightning from Yun Xi’s staff traveled up the enemy’s blade, dispersing some of the grey qi.

“Lightning spiritual root! You must die here!”

The demonic cultivator’s indifferent attitude vanished completely.

Retracting her staff, Yun Xi stumbled back three steps uncontrollably. Her opponent’s strength far surpassed hers, causing immense strain. Her palm split open, blood dripping onto the staff.

This was the first injury she’d sustained since practicing body refining techniques.

Yun Xi steadied her chaotic spiritual qi, tightened her grip on the staff with both hands, and prepared another fierce attack.

She didn’t notice the blood from her injured hand flowing along the staff, absorbed into the seventh star engraved upon it—the Star of Shaking Brilliance—causing it to glow faintly.

Infusing lightning energy into the Seven Star Fatal Staff, Yun Xi raised her weapon once more and brought it crashing down decisively.

“Hmph, utterly foolish!”