Chapter 1488: Dark Waters Punish the Heart
https://c10.patreonusercontent.com/4/patreon-media/p/post/153522958/f0c44bf3b25e441fbb5733d5052c761e/eyJ3Ijo2MjB9/1.png?token-hash=38kP0RmDZcbXdBLLI8swuazUMjZ_wey8Ib9G0He7U%3D&token-time=1787356800
Chapter 1486: Dark Waters Punish the Heart
The pale-faced man, Huā Yīnkè, was an incense master of the Hehuan Sect, a Peak Golden Core cultivator who had already glimpsed the threshold of Feathered Ascension. A lifetime of wicked deeds—countless men and women tortured to death through his dual cultivation harvesting—had long placed him on the Dao Court’s list of those who must be killed.
From the mom ent he entered the Demonic Path of the Hehuan Sect until now, the number of times he had been hunted, pursued, and targeted by the Dao Court was similarly beyond count.
Yet, such a covert ‘assassination’ attempt was a first.
Huā Yīnkè’s cultivation was formidable, and when the dagger was drawn from the sheath—when the true intent was revealed—he reacted swiftly.
He could sense a trace of unusual killing intent at his back, extremely subtle and not intense. Precisely because of this, it sent a chill down Huā Yīnkè’s spine.
For the sword that truly kills is often not ostentatious.
The cause and effect that will truly end you is often what you most easily overlook.
Moreover, anyone capable of infiltrating behind him undetected and executing a Dao Arts assassination must possess extremely powerful cultivation.
“Can’t dodge it?!”
A cold dread gripped Huā Yīnkè’s heart. At the critical moment, he canceled the spell aimed at Gu Changhuai, reversed his meridians once more, and activated his Yin-Yang Hehuan Body.
His entire being seemed to split in two, dividing into a male and female hybrid entity.
The robust male form manifested behind him, the beautiful female form in front.
Almost the instant he activated the Yin-Yang Hehuan Body, a deep blue, water-attribute, sinisterly poisonous sword tip pierced into his back.
This sword strike was fast, precise, steady, concealed until unleashed, lethal upon release.
It was a completely different kind of water-attribute Spiritual Power, not belonging to the Five Elements category. It appeared gentle, yet was utterly frigid and violently cruel.
The moment this sword pierced Huā Yīnkè’s back, the water entering his bloodstream caused his muscles to wither, his flesh to desiccate, and his meridians to suffer severe damage.
The ‘Hehuan Male Body’on Huā Yīnkè’s back, shield-like in form, began to corrode at a visible pace like flora withering in autumn and winter, accompanied by excruciating pain.
Huā Yīnkè himself let out a shrill, androgynous shriek, clearly grievously wounded.
The assassin, seeking to press the advantage in one go, intended to pierce straight through Huā Yīnkè’s male and female bodies, leaving his life here for good.
However, Huā Yīnkè was, after all, an incense master. His Hehuan Cultivation Method was profoundly deep, honed through years of conflict with the righteous path, and his Dao Arts were exquisite. Gritting his teeth against the agony, he instead channeled power into the Hehuan Yin Body. Using the female Yin body, he materialized a Begonia Scythe and swung it backward at his assailant.
This Begonia Scythe was pink-white like congealed fat, as if crafted from a beauty’s skin and flesh, branded with a begonia mark, and imbued with profound lustful intent.
Anyone struck by it would have lust invade their soul, shattering pure cultivation and corrupting their Dao Heart.
Even the assassin, with his profound cultivation, dared not take Huā Yīnkè’s Begonia Slash head-on. Otherwise, his Dao Heart would be utterly lost, reducing him to a Lust Slave. He would instead be harvested to death by Huā Yīnkè through dual cultivation, becoming mere fertilizer for the latter’s Hehuan Dao.
He could only withdraw his assassination Dao Arts, not daring to greedily press his attack.
The Begonia Scythe slash missed its target. Though it failed to injure the assassin, it bought Huā Yīnkè precious time.
He immediately tapped his foot, retreating twenty zhang in an instant. Swallowing a pill medicine, he retracted his Yin-Yang Hehuan Body, wrapped himself in a pink robe for protection, his face as dark as stormy waters, and confronted the assassin.
This sudden, shocking turn of events—the clash of two top-tier Golden Core powerhouses—sent a tremor through the hearts of everyone present.
The Hehuan Sect elders who had been surrounding Gu Changhuai immediately ceased their attacks, standing to the side with stunned expressions.
The scene gradually quieted down.
Huā Yīnkè’s Yin-Yang Hehuan Body had been damaged. He forcibly suppressed his internal injuries with his cultivation before turning his gaze toward the opposite side.
The assassination exchange had already concluded.
Standing opposite Huā Yīnkè was a black-robed cultivator enveloped in a misty, watery aura.
Everyone’s attention was now fixed on this figure.
Mo Hua couldn’t help but look at him as well. He saw a man of average build, with several hundred years of cultivation, half-white hair, and eyes as deep and obscure as the sea. When not radiating killing intent, his appearance was ordinary—unremarkable even in a crowd.
But he had just unleashed his killing intent, and deep blue, murderous energy still clung to him like seawater, evoking an inexplicable sense of dread.
Mo Hua couldn’t help but speculate that this must be a master specializing in the assassination path.
Perfect concealment, deeply hidden killing intent.
When not killing, he appeared utterly unremarkable. But once his killing intent was stirred, he could unleash devastating power in an instant.
The Hehuan Sect members all looked at the black-robed man with shock.
Recalling how their incense master had nearly died at this man’s hands just moments ago, their faces turned pale.
In contrast, Huā Yīnkè, after a moment of eerie silence, revealed a complex, cold smile as he stared at the man before him: “Yu Cangming of the Demon Suppression Division… You’re still alive?”
Mo Hua’s expression shifted slightly.
The Demon Suppression Division?
This assassin was from the Demon Suppression Division?
Moreover, Yu Cangming… that name, along with his water-based heritage, felt strangely familiar.
Could he be… a descendant of the surviving Water Prison Sect?
The old man named Yu Cangming was about to speak when, as if sensing something, he suddenly glanced toward Mo Hua.
Mo Hua suppressed his thoughts, his gaze calm, betraying not a hint of emotion.
Yu Cangming’s glance passed over him without lingering, and he instead turned back to Huā Yīnkè, sneering coldly: “If a depraved beast like you, neither man nor woman, hasn’t died yet, what harm is there in me living a few more years?”
“It’s just a pity…”
Yu Cangming looked at Huā Yīnkè, “You old, treacherous creature are truly hard to kill.”
Huā Yīnkè’s face twitched, and he eventually chuckled: “You old thing should have died long ago. What’s the point of clinging to life, guarding a fading Demon Suppression Division?”
Yu Cangming did not respond, his eyes remaining calm.
But Huā Yīnkè knew this was a sign he was gathering his killing intent, searching for an opportunity to strike a fatal blow.
When masters clashed, there was never room for mercy. Any idle talk between them was either mere courtesy or a means to find an opening.
Huā Yīnkè’s mind raced as he assessed the current situation, his brow slightly furrowed.
The present circumstances were somewhat unfavorable to him. His Yin-Yang Hehuan Body had been crippled by Yu Cangming.
The Yin-Yang Hehuan Body cultivated both a Yin body and a Yang body.
Originally, it should have granted him two lives, but now, due to Yu Cangming’s assassination attempt, he had lost his Yang body.
The good news was that he had at least preserved his life. If he hadn’t summoned his Yin-Yang body at the critical moment to block that sword strike, he would likely have been killed instantly by Yu Cangming’s sudden attack.
In terms of assassination Dao Arts, few in the Cultivation World could rival the power of the Boundless Water Heart-Slaying Sword.
Huā Yīnkè felt both relief and simmering hatred. And by now, he understood all too clearly.
This entire affair was a trap within a trap.
Liǔ Sān was bait set by their Hehuan Sect, fishing for Magistrate Gu Changhuai, the Archive Officer dispatched by the Dao Court.
And Gu Changhuai was also bait, fishing for him, the incense master of the Hehuan Sect, and this group of Hehuan Sect elders.
If he, as the incense master, were truly pierced through the heart by that old scoundrel Yu Cangming of the Demon-Suppression Division with a single sword thrust, the other elders would undoubtedly meet the same fate.
Then this incense outpost at Jade Fragrance Pavilion would be rendered useless, and the Hehuan Sect’s years of painstaking effort would be destroyed in an instant.
And Huā Yīnkè himself had miscalculated.
The first miscalculation was regarding Gu Changhuai. His wind blade Spell was both offensive and defensive, flawless, and his strength far exceeded what was apparent on the surface.
Such a cultivator who truly follows the righteous path, advancing step by step, possesses a foundation too solid.
The elders of the Hehuan Sect, too indulgent in carnal pleasures in their daily lives, had largely obtained their cultivation through dual cultivation harvesting from cauldrons, naturally unable to match Gu Changhuai’s stable foundation.
Thus, even eight Hehuan Sect elders could not subdue him.
The second miscalculation was Yu Cangming.
Huā Yīnkè had never been assassinated before and never imagined that Yu Cangming’s concealment technique could be this formidable.
He had not even anticipated that the true target of the Dao Court’s mission this time was actually his own assassination.
Yet he had received no warning at all, nearly stumbling into an irreversible mistake.
Huā Yīnkè felt a surge of anger.
Just as he was calculating in his mind and this anger arose, a sudden sense of alarm struck him.
When Huā Yīnkè looked forward again, Yu Cangming’s figure had vanished.
In that moment of distraction, Yu Cangming had disappeared.
A chill ran down Huā Yīnkè’s spine, and he shouted, “Not good!”
He immediately flickered, attempting to leave his spot, but the moment he activated his movement technique, Yu Cangming reappeared behind his back.
The tip of the Boundless Water Heart-Slaying Sword once again pressed against his back.
Huā Yīnkè’s protective robe had already been pierced by the sword tip, and a trace of fear arose in his heart.
Fortunately, this time he had anticipated it in advance and managed to evade through his movement technique before the Boundless Water Heart-Slaying Sword could truly pierce his heart.
What assassination relies on most is the element of surprise.
Once noticed, the difficulty of carrying out an assassination increases manyfold.
Huā Yīnkè immediately formed the Begonia Scythe with a backhand motion and slashed toward Yu Cangming.
Yu Cangming retreated, dodging the Begonia Scythe.
Instead of evading, Huā Yīnkè leaned forward and continued his assault on Yu Cangming.
The Boundless Water Heart-Slaying Sword was a Dao Art of assassination, terrifyingly powerful when used for stealth kills, but in a direct confrontation, it imposed too many constraints.
Huā Yīnkè dared not give Yu Cangming too much space; he had to relentlessly suppress him.
Otherwise, if Yu Cangming gained room to maneuver and used that eerie concealment to hide and strike at the opportune moment, the situation would turn dire.
Thus, Yu Cangming and Huā Yīnkè, one a master of the Demon-Suppression Division and the other an incense master of the Hehuan Sect, clashed in battle.
One unleashed the Boundless Water Heart-Slaying Thrust, while the other, through the Hehuan Yin Body, wielded the Begonia Scythe, each deploying deadly moves in rapid succession.
At their level of cultivation, when masters engage in combat, they often condense their Spiritual Power to the utmost.
Injuring ten fingers is not as effective as severing one.
Thus, the range of their Dao Arts was not extensive, but their power was exceedingly fearsome.
A mere touch would cause injury, and a strike to a vital point would either be fatal or result in severe disability.
Seeing this, Gu Changhuai, Gu An, and Gu Quan also engaged in battle with the other Hehuan Sect elders.
Killing intent once again surged throughout the prison.
Mo Hua took Little Senior Sister’s hand and moved aside, then focused his gaze on the clash between Huā Yīnkè and Yu Cangming.
He wanted to learn how Peak Golden Core experts engaged in Spell Duels.
Huā Yīnkè cultivated the demonic arts of the Hehuan Sect, which were extremely bizarre, a fusion of yin and yang, indistinguishable between male and female.
Mo Hua couldn’t quite understand it, nor could he learn it, but he could analyze the principles of the cultivation method and discern the transformations of yin and yang.
To know oneself and one’s enemy is the key to victory in every battle.
As for Yu Cangming, there was even more to learn from him: concealment, Dao Arts, and various assassination techniques.
Yu Cangming’s concealment technique seemed exceptionally advanced, capable of even evading Mo Hua’s Divine-Sense.
His assassination skills were also incredibly refined.
As for Yu Cangming’s sword technique, Mo Hua didn’t know its name, but judging from its performance, it was an extremely unconventional water-based assassination sword technique, even transcending the Five Elements and incorporating other Laws.
Moreover, it bore heavy traces of the Water Prison Sect.
Unfortunately, this water-based assassination sword technique was clearly an extremely superior Dao Art, and Mo Hua wasn’t sure if he could learn it.
But whether he could learn it or not, he had to observe it carefully and commit it to memory.
Observing all things and all methods could enhance one’s experience and elevate one’s understanding and insight in cultivation.
Mo Hua watched silently.
Beside him, Bai Zixi remained quiet for a moment before also following Mo Hua’s example and focusing on the battlefield.
After watching for a while, the situation gradually became clearer.
In terms of assassination, Huā Yīnkè was naturally no match for Yu Cangming.
In terms of direct confrontation, Yu Cangming was no match for Huā Yīnkè.
But Yu Cangming had already struck first, severely injuring Huā Yīnkè through assassination.
With his yang body crippled and his flesh withered, even in direct confrontation, Huā Yīnkè was naturally no match for Yu Cangming.
The situation on the other side was similar.
The eight Elders of the Hehuan Sect were also no match for Gu Changhuai and the other two.
The situation gradually improved.
Mo Hua let out a slight sigh of relief, thinking, “Not bad, as long as Uncle Gù doesn’t die here.”
But before his thoughts could settle, his expression suddenly changed.
Yu Cangming and Huā Yīnkè, who were still locked in combat, seemed to sense something as well. They stopped fighting, their expressions turning cold and stern.
Gu Changhuai and the Hehuan Sect Elders had weaker perception, but after a dozen breaths, they too sensed something unusual and ceased their fighting.
Because at that moment, flower stamens began to sprout from the ground of the Hehuan Prison.
These stamens, crimson and glistening, unfurled like poppies, emitting an alluring fragrance.
In the blink of an eye, they spread across the entire prison, casting a red glow that immersed everyone in a strange atmosphere of surging desire.
Yu Cangming’s expression darkened.
In contrast, Huā Yīnkè’s eyes flashed with a mix of wariness and disgust as he uttered word by word: “Lady Rui…”
As soon as the words fell, a seductive and languid laugh echoed.
Everyone turned to look and saw a woman emerging from the crimson stamens, though no one knew when she had arrived.
She was barefoot, draped in a red gauze that half-concealed and half-revealed her body. Her skin was pale, her figure voluptuous and beautiful, exuding a fully matured, enchanting allure.
This was none other than the Hehuan Sect demoness, Lady Rui.
And her cultivation realm had also reached Peak Golden Core.
Most cultivators present, upon catching a glimpse of the fully matured Lady Rui, began breathing heavily, their eyes tinged with red.
Yu Cangming and Gu Changhuai wore grave expressions.
Huā Yīnkè, however, cast a cold gaze instead. “Lady Rui… who sent you?”
Lady Rui glanced at Gu Changhuai and the other, then turned to look at Huā Yīnkè, smiling faintly: “If I hadn’t come, wouldn’t you have died here today?”
Huā Yīnkè sneered, about to say something when his expression abruptly changed as he looked at Lady Rui. “You brought others?”
Before his words faded, one large bed after another split open.
Several strands of demonic energy, so powerful they seemed almost congealed, filled the Hehuan Prison. From within the sinister demonic aura, three more figures emerged.
One was tall and massive, like a small mountain, muscles coiled like flood dragons, demonic energy surging like blood, mingled with the roars of beasts.
Another was shrouded in eerie Ghost Qi, flesh and skin completely stripped away, leaving only a skeleton, like a walking corpse among the living.
The third was half-human, half-corpse, flesh tinged with green, flowing with intensely potent Corpse Poison—a single drop of its toxic blood could plunge an entire city into a plague of corpse poison.
“Bloody Flood Dragon Mountain Lord of the Myriad Demon Mountains.”
“Kugu Sanren of the Skull Cave.”
“Green Corpse Master of the Yin Corpse Valley.”
Each of these three had stepped into the Peak Golden Core realm, striving with all their might to seek the path of Feathered Ascension soaring to the heavens, demonic path giants capable of suppressing the righteous path in their domains.
Recognizing the identities of these individuals, Huā Yīnkè’s expression grew even more grim.