Chapter 133

Chapter 133: Corpse-Seizing Rebirth

Sheng Yuan looked at them coldly: “Then take care of yourselves.”

After throwing out those harsh words, he did not leave right away. He stood there and waited. Because of the confinement, his legs had taken damage that would not heal. If Senior Sister Li saw, she would feel bad for him, right? He waited with hope.

Yan Xiao spoke again, practical as always: “Senior Brother Sheng, are you waiting for Senior Sister Li? She’s in seclusion. Even if you wait ten or fifteen days, you probably won’t see her.”

Sheng Yuan frowned. He did not believe it and kept waiting. He still remembered. When he first arrived at the sect and fell ill with a high fever, the First Senior Sister took care of him for three days and nights without closing her eyes. They had many misunderstandings later. But now the misunderstandings had been cleared up. Seeing him like this, would Senior Sister still not calm down?

He stood there all the way until late at night. No one came. Li Shuang never appeared.

In the end, Shen Yue arrived and dragged Sheng Yuan away.

Sheng Yuan’s voice was dazed: “Second Junior Brother, why… why did it come to this?”

Their Master had been stripped of the Peak Master position and confined. The Third Junior Brother was still locked up. Sheng Yuan had ruined his legs. Shen Yue had lost the heart of a sword cultivator. Was this still not enough? How much did they have to repent before the First Senior Sister would forgive them?

Shen Yue sighed: “First Senior Brother, stop thinking about it. Senior Sister Li might not be unwilling to forgive us. She just… doesn’t care.”

[Doesn’t care?] Sheng Yuan’s gaze went blank. That answer hurt more than if she hated them. They had so many shared memories, but Li Shuang had put them down, leaving only them to sink in the past. [She really is… too heartless.]

Shen Yue said steadily: “Thinking won’t help. The first thing is to repay the resources we owe those disciples. Master and Third Junior Brother are still confined. We can’t do nothing. We will shoulder it together.”

Sheng Yuan stared at him. The impulsive Shen Yue had become much steadier after all this. “I’ve been checking the task board at the Disciples Hall,” Shen Yue went on. “If we take more missions, we can repay it soon. Rest for a few days. When you’re ready, we go.”

In the cultivation world, the easiest way to earn spirit stones was to have a skill. Forgers and alchemists were the most sought after, followed by talisman and formation masters. As for sword cultivators with no special skill, they were often the poorest. They couldn’t make much money, but they had to pour piles of spirit stones into raising their swords. One by one, all of them were famously broke. For them, the main way to earn was to take sect missions.

Sheng Yuan steadied himself: “I’m fine. These leg injuries aren’t something human effort can fix. Tomorrow, let’s take a mission.”

“Good,” Shen Yue said.

After Shen Yue left, Sheng Yuan stood alone by the window in his empty room the whole night. The moonlight was cold and quiet. It fell over his thin frame, making him look even more fragile. He sighed and said nothing for a long time.

The next day, Sheng Yuan and Shen Yue went to the Disciples Hall, accepted a mission suited for Golden Core stage disciples, and left the Sword Sect.

Deep in a mountain forest, a woman slowly opened her eyes. Cold light flashed in them, and her voice carried a hard edge: “System, is this all you can do? My cultivation rises this slowly. When will I be strong enough to get revenge on those people?”

It was Ye Zhao Zhao, reborn through Corpse-Seizing Rebirth.

She ground her teeth. “Immortal Ling Xu. Sheng Yuan. Shen Yue. And Li Shuang. And the entire Sword Sect.” Every name poured fuel on the fire in her chest. The System had snatched her soul away at the last second, but she had still tasted death. Whenever she thought of it, her whole body shook.

Compared to Li Shuang, she hated the people of Immortal Ling Xu Peak even more. At least she truly owed Li Shuang; Li Shuang had every right to hate her. But those people from Ling Xu? They were disgusting.

Her hatred was sky high. She didn’t only want to crush the people from Ling Xu Peak or Li Shuang. She wanted to burn the whole Sword Sect to the ground. On her own, that was impossible. But the System had drifted with her soul for days and, before time ran out, led her to a woman who had just died. Ye Zhao Zhao seized the body.

This woman’s talent was better than Ye Zhao Zhao’s old one. She had a Variant Spiritual Root, Wind Spiritual Root. The grade was only mortal-grade peak, but it was a huge step up. Even better, this woman had already reached the Golden Core stage. Ye Zhao Zhao inherited that cultivation, so her starting point was far higher than before.

When she first transmigrated, she and the System were just beginning and could only choose a mortal body. Now, even though Li Shuang had regained some of her cultivation, the System had kept back a lot. With that stored power, their new start rose higher. Ye Zhao Zhao could step straight into a Golden Core body. Even so, toppling the Sword Sect with just this cultivation was a fantasy. Luckily, this woman had a hidden identity. If used well, destroying the Sword Sect might not be a fantasy at all.

“What more do you want?” the System snapped. “To save your life, I used up most of my original demonic power. I’m warning you. If you die again, I can’t save you.”

Ye Zhao Zhao sneered: “Then think of a way to help me grow fast. If I die, you won’t be better off.” She was no longer scared of the System. After these days of testing, she had learned it could not leave her. If she died, even if it didn’t die, it would suffer terribly. [What is there to be afraid of? If you’ve got the guts, watch me die.]

The System ground its teeth: “I’ve already given all the help I can. This body’s luck is average, or she wouldn’t have died so easily. You should quickly pick someone with strong destiny and let me parasitize them. If we steal the fate of any heaven-blessed genius, your path will be much smoother.”

Her attitude made the System seethe, but it had to endure. [Just wait. When she grows stronger, I’ll devour her. When the True Devil descends to the Mortal Realm, I’ll see who can stop me.]

“Parasitize…” Ye Zhao Zhao narrowed her eyes. “The best host is still Li Shuang.”

She did not hate Li Shuang the most, but if she wanted to grow fast, Li Shuang was the best target. In the future she had seen, only Li Shuang ascended on the Nanlan Continent. If she wanted someone better than Li Shuang, she would have to go to the Central Continent. With her current strength, she could not cross the Endless Sea to get there. Here, Li Shuang was still the best choice.

The System agreed: “After rebuilding, Li Shuang’s fate is probably even stronger. She is the best choice. I only fear you will fail again.”

Cold light flashed in Ye Zhao Zhao’s eyes. She had already failed once. She would not fail a second time. “I won’t fail. Last time, I almost succeeded. The Supreme Emotionless Art saved her. I don’t believe she will have a second chance at that.”

She was not far from the Sword Sect now. With her current identity, she could not enter the sect. But she did not believe Li Shuang would hide there forever. [When she leaves the sect, that will be my time to strike.]