Chapter 24: Self-Destruction!

The Liu Xin of the past was just an ordinary disciple who could be seen everywhere in the Primordial Saint Sect, living the life of a beast of burden: doing missions, cultivating, and repaying loans every day.

Until a fortuitous encounter completely changed his destiny.

The cause was a bounty mission issued by a True Disciple who wanted to explore a predecessor’s Cave Abode and happened to need a few cannon fodders to scout the path.

Liu Xin, unaware of the cause and effect, was attracted by the mission’s reward and joined the exploration team. By the time he realized he was actually cannon fodder, it was too late. He could only be forced by the True Disciple to enter the Cave Abode. However, he discovered that all the restrictions inside the Cave Abode were actually ineffective against him.

He obtained the opportunity without any obstruction.

It was a golden box containing the [Primordial Dao Scripture] and the [Primordial One-Qi Myriad Spirits Banner]. Beside it was a calligraphy note left by the owner of the Cave Abode before his death.

In the note, the owner of the Cave Abode called himself “Perfected One Primordial.”

The Daoist scripture and Artifact in the box were left for a destined person. He calculated that the destined person would be a True Disciple of the Saint Sect with the character “Xin” (Faith/Trust) in their name.

However, he was unconvinced.

Perfected One Primordial cursed the shamelessness of the Primordial Saint Sect in the note. Forcing a destiny where there was none, forcefully binding the karma of his inheritance to a True Disciple of the Saint Sect.

Thus, he deliberately confused the karma and gave the inheritance to Liu Xin.

Besides this, the note also stated clearly that Liu Xin would face a life-and-death calamity after obtaining the Artifacts, so he also left him a means to break the deadlock within the Cave Abode.

In the original karma, the false “Xin” was not the true “Xin,” so Liu Xin would have acted as someone else’s cannon fodder, serving as a treasure-delivering boy. However, under Perfected One Primordial’s deliberate arrangement, the result was that Liu Xin obtained the opportunity, even seizing the magpie’s nest and counter-killing that True Disciple.

That was a soul-stirring night.

When the sun rose, only Liu Xin walked out of Perfected One Primordial’s Cave Abode alone. From then on, he was reborn. That Saint Sect True Disciple disappeared thereafter.

However, Liu Xin did not kill the other party completely.

Instead, with the help of the backup plan left by Perfected One Primordial, he refined that Saint Sect True Disciple alive, making him the strongest Banner Spirit in his hands.

As the banner fluttered, a figure in fluttering black robes walked out. He didn’t look at Lu Yang immediately but looked around with a nostalgic expression.

“The weak are prey to the strong; disciples slaughtering each other… The Saint Sect is indeed still that familiar Saint Sect.”

“Senior Brother, I trust you have been well since we parted,” Liu Xin cupped his hands.

“Incompetent fellow, encountered another powerful enemy you can’t deal with?” The black-robed figure sneered disdainfully. “Giving the [Primordial Dao Scripture] to you was truly a waste.”

“I cannot compare to Senior Brother.”

Liu Xin wasn’t angry and remained respectful and polite. “This person is a Sword Cultivator and has also cultivated the [Heavenly Demon Blood-Dissolving Divine Light]. Junior Brother is indeed not his opponent.”

“[Heavenly Demon Blood-Dissolving Divine Light]?” The black-robed figure was stunned upon hearing this, his expression becoming somewhat solemn. Then he shook his head. “To be able to master that Divine Ability, he is quite a character. Pity he put his efforts in the wrong direction, doing useless work in vain… According to the agreement, this is already the third time I take action.”

“Senior Brother sees clearly.”

Liu Xin nodded. “After this matter, I will release Senior Brother to reincarnation. With Senior Brother’s merit and foundation, I believe you will definitely re-enter the Dao path after reincarnation.”

“Good.”

Only then did the black-robed figure turn around and look at Lu Yang.

Seeing this scene, Lu Yang and Xiao Shiye didn’t react much. On the contrary, Fairy Qing Chen’s eyes widened, staring straight at the black-robed figure.

She was not a newly entered disciple.

At first, she just felt the black-robed figure looked somewhat familiar. However, when he truly unleashed his aura, she suddenly woke up and recognized him.

“It’s Chen Xin’an, Senior Brother Chen!?”

The son of the Peak Master of [Heaven-Mending Peak], one of the Four Inner Peaks. The missing True Disciple!

When Chen Xin’an went missing back then, the [Heaven-Mending Peak] Master flew into a rage and personally deduced the karma but found nothing. It caused quite a huge disturbance.

Unexpectedly, he was actually in Senior Brother Liu’s hands?

For a moment, Fairy Qing Chen’s expression changed slightly, seeming to think of something. Then she subconsciously took a few steps back, about to put some distance between herself and Liu Xin…

Splat!

Blade in, blade out. Fairy Qing Chen’s pretty face went blank. She stared dully at the palm sinking into her lower abdomen, then her head tilted to the side, and she lost her breath.

She died again.

“A pity. Since you saw it, I can’t keep you.”

With Fairy Qing Chen’s death, the surrounding formation immediately shook. However, as Liu Xin activated the [Myriad Spirits Banner], Fairy Qing Chen’s corpse instantly fell into the banner.

In less than a moment, an unharmed Fairy Qing Chen walked out of the banner, having actually become a Banner Spirit.

Although there were many more restrictions after becoming a Banner Spirit compared to when she was alive, she could still preside over the formation, and quickly stabilized the shaking formation.

At the same time, the black-robed True Disciple Chen Xin’an also arrived in front of Lu Yang.

“Hmm?”

Looking at Chen Xin’an, Lu Yang’s gaze instantly focused slightly. The opponent’s cultivation wasn’t high, only at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining like him, but the feeling he gave off was different.

Chen Xin’an also glanced at Lu Yang and shook his head. “The [Ode of Yin-Yang Great Bliss] is a Yin-Yang harmonization technique, but your True Qi is extremely impure. One look and it’s clear it wasn’t obtained through bitter cultivation. The originally Fifth Grade [Yin-Yang Dragon-Tiger Qi] falling on you is at most Sixth Grade.”

This commentary set off alarm bells in Lu Yang’s heart.

“May I ask who Your Excellency is?”

“My name is Chen Xin’an. I act involuntarily this time. However, if you can escape and bring news of me back to [Heaven-Mending Peak], my father will definitely reward you heavily then.”

Before his voice fell, Chen Xin’an attacked!

He raised his hand and pressed down. His aura instantly blended with heaven and earth. Majestic True Qi whistled out, actually rousing the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth to echo with it!

In this moment, Lu Yang’s pupils contracted sharply.

Not because of the strength Chen Xin’an displayed, but because as Chen Xin’an took action, he clearly felt the incompleteness and flaws in his own True Qi.

In an instant, Lu Yang understood.

“My [Ode of Dragon and Tiger Great Bliss] is not the limit. [Heaven-Mending Peak] has an even superior technique! This person should be a True Disciple of [Heaven-Mending Peak]!”

Lu Yang’s guess was correct.

As the son of the [Heaven-Mending Peak] Master, the technique Chen Xin’an cultivated was titled [Heaven-Mending True Scripture]. It was the upgraded version of the [Ode of Dragon and Tiger Great Bliss].

Ordinary dual cultivation is cultivating with a person, emphasizing the union of Yin and Yang.

However, the dual cultivation of the [Heaven-Mending True Scripture] is cultivating with Heaven and Earth, emphasizing copulation with the Universe. The [Heaven-Mending True Qi] refined through this ranks at the Third Grade.

Therefore, when Chen Xin’an slapped down with a palm, even without using any Divine Abilities, relying on the profound foundation of Third Grade True Qi was enough to make Lu Yang struggle to parry.

Seeing this, Liu Xin immediately revealed a confident smile.

After all, no one knew Chen Xin’an’s strength better than him. In his view, even if Lu Yang were ten times more powerful, he couldn’t possibly be Chen Xin’an’s opponent.

“We will win!”

Liu Xin made a decisive judgment, but failed to notice Xiao Shiye in the distance looking at him with a gloomy expression, seemingly pondering something.

With Xiao Shiye’s intelligence, he could naturally see the situation was unfavorable to him.

“Originally I didn’t want to use it, but you forced me…”

Xiao Shiye knew very well that his own strength was the weakest, relying entirely on the Artifacts on his body to hold the ground. But looking at it now, relying solely on Artifacts wouldn’t work either.

With this thought in mind, Xiao Shiye immediately took a deep breath, then opened his storage bag. Instantly, majestic spiritual energy and treasure light sprayed out from the bag’s opening, attracting Liu Xin’s attention. Even Chen Xin’an and Lu Yang, who were in the midst of a fierce battle, stopped their movements and cast their gazes over.

Immediately after, a small pagoda flew out of Xiao Shiye’s storage bag.

The small pagoda seemed to be cast from gold, divided into nine layers. A spiritual light manifested at the top of the pagoda, resembling a human form, its brows filled with intelligence.

“This is… a Spirit Treasure!?”

The moment they saw this scene, before the inexperienced Lu Yang could speak, Liu Xin and Chen Xin’an both exclaimed in shock, revealing expressions of horror on their faces.

Cultivators refine tools. When a tool generates treasure light, it is an Artifact. When a treasure generates spiritual intelligence, it becomes a Spirit Treasure!

Artifacts are divided into Low, Middle, and High Grades, with endless uses. However, no matter how powerful an Artifact is, it requires a master to drive it to unleash its power.

But Spirit Treasures are different.

Spirit Treasures possess their own consciousness. Even without a master, they can unleash their power. More importantly, Spirit Treasures can cultivate on their own and continuously become stronger!

In the next second, Xiao Shiye formed a hand seal, and the small Spirit Treasure pagoda began to expand…

“Bastard!”

Chen Xin’an was the first to curse loudly, completely losing his earlier composure. Because he saw it—Xiao Shiye actually wanted to make that Spirit Treasure self-destruct!

On the other side, Liu Xin almost vomited blood.

Such a treasure that seized the creation of heaven and earth was generally something only a Foundation Establishment Perfected One could possess. It was one thing for you, Xiao Shiye, to have it, but to actually bring it out to self-destruct?

It was simply a reckless waste of heaven’s gifts!

Even more outrageous was that the small Spirit Treasure pagoda showed absolutely no intention of resisting. Instead, it actively cooperated, its speed so fast that he simply didn’t have time to stop it…

BOOM!

In the next second, exploding flames swallowed everything.

Advance chapters at Nightjar Reads · nightjarreads.com