3 days later.
“Little girl, I know this has been a heavy blow for you, but our cultivation world has always been a place where the strong prey on the weak. Who knows how many cultivators die from accidents every day?”
“You shouldn’t take death to heart like a mortal… Besides, Young Master Yun is certainly no ordinary person.”
“If you stay by his side, you might even be able to secure an official position in the Middle Three Continents or even the Upper Three Provinces in the future. That would be a perfect fulfillment of your path to immortality…”
The Madam held Wang Hongqiao’s hand, kindly trying to persuade her.
These 3 days had been pure torture for the Madam.
The first night was fine, but starting from the second morning, Wang Hongqiao began trying to commit suicide in various ways.
If the Madam hadn’t received prior instructions from Yun Heng, there was no guarantee Wang Hongqiao wouldn’t have accidentally died.
Seeing that Wang Hongqiao was still staring at the ground as numbly as a catatonic, the Madam sighed.
The Madam had seen too many people like her. If it weren’t for Yun Heng’s request, she wouldn’t even have stepped in to stop her. After all, there were many times when dying truly felt better than staying alive.
“Do you remember the message I passed on to you the day before yesterday?”
The Madam spoke softly, “Young Master Yun said he has a way to find the mastermind behind the scenes. The prerequisite is… you have to stay alive.”
In truth, Yun Heng had never said that second half. It was something the Madam had added on her own.
Upon hearing this, a flicker of light suddenly appeared in Wang Hongqiao’s lifeless eyes, but it quickly dimmed again.
“Alright, alright, don’t wear such a mournful face. It won’t look good for Young Master Yun to see.
The Madam tidied the hair at Wang Hongqiao’s temples and gently patted her face. “How did I teach you back then? No matter the time or place, you must maintain a 120% smile for the guests…”
After nagging for a while longer, Yun Heng and his party arrived around noon.
The Madam pulled Yun Heng aside for a brief exchange of pleasantries. Once finished, she clapped her hands together.
“Well then, I still have some things to prepare for tonight, so I won’t disturb you further, Young Master.”
After the Madam left, Wang Hongqiao held a thin, small bundle — this was her entire life’s belongings — and turned to look back at the wooden building that had trapped her for half her life. Her gaze was hollow; there was no hate, but no lingering affection either.
Theoretically, Wang Hongqiao felt she should be ecstatic at this moment. After all, regaining one’s freedom was the lifelong pursuit of countless women in the pleasure quarters. However, all she felt was a void of confusion.
When Wang Hongqiao turned back, she suddenly heard a question from Yun Heng’s mouth that was so absurd it caught everyone off guard: “If I give you a blade and shield, do you think you can kill a demon cultivator at least at the Soul Transformation stage and a peak Integration stage powerhouse?”
The brains of everyone present stalled for a second.
They could all see that Wang Hongqiao was merely a weakling at Level 4 of the Qi Refining stage, and one who hadn’t cultivated in a long time at that.
Furthermore… even if she were the reincarnation of an immortal king, it would be impossible to slay the Soul Transformation and Integration stages with the stature of a mere Qi Refining cultivator, wouldn’t it?
“…Young Master, please do not joke.”
After a long silence, Wang Hongqiao spoke hoarsely, her tone filled with bitterness. “I have never dared to dream of revenge. These things are just the kind of accidents that people like us might experience any day.”
She truly had not thought of revenge because she could achieve nothing.
Therefore, the Madam’s words hadn’t actually touched her much… If there was one thing that did, it was the hope that Yun Heng might help if possible.
But how could she dare to hope for his help? It was already rare enough for someone of his status to personally come to such a sordid place to deliver news of a relative’s death…
“In that case, I will help you achieve all of it.”
However, Yun Heng’s next sentence was like a heavy hammer, slamming into Wang Hongqiao’s chest.
She looked up, staring at Yun Heng in disbelief.
“I do not speak empty words.”
Yun Heng looked directly at her, not looking away in the slightest. “It may take as little as 10 years, or as long as 100 years. But if that day truly comes, I want you there to witness it.”
Pausing, Yun Heng added, “Therefore, I suggest you live well. Follow my methods diligently and extend your lifespan to at least 300 years, which means successfully reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.”
Another long silence followed.
After a long while, Wang Hongqiao reached out, her hand trembling as she grasped the corner of Yun Heng’s robe. She asked cautiously, “Are these words… truly the truth?”
Her bloodshot eyes were already soaked with tears. Her tone was nearly pleading; if Yun Heng hadn’t been supporting her with magic, she would have fallen to her knees by now.
Yun Heng waited until her emotions had calmed slightly before continuing, “But before that, I hope you can do me a small favor.”
“I’ll help! I’ll help!”
Wang Hongqiao hurriedly wiped away her tears and nodded incessantly.
“No matter what it is, even if I have to climb a mountain of blades or leap into a sea of fire, I am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse, Young Master!”
If Cuiwei Village bordered the territory of the Southern Barbarian demon race, then Nanfeng Town bordered the Northern Territory demons.
The former was at least the territory of Yu Gong province, protected by countless formations and barriers that made it difficult for the demon race to enter.
Nanfeng Town was different. As one of the most remote towns in Flowing Fire prefecture, it lacked barriers and formations entirely.
Even the local sects preferred to arrive slowly when the demon race attacked, only to show up later with a pretentious air of charity to win over the people’s hearts.
It was true that the demon inspection department was mostly stationed in the front lines of the Lower Three Continents, but as the outermost layer of the Nine Provinces, the land area was vast.
It was impossible for the demon inspection department to look after every corner at all times. This led to many demons simply seizing mountains and setting up camp nearby, acting with extreme arrogance.
Among them, Mount Anqiu was one such mountain occupied by the demon race.
Legend had it that Mount Anqiu hid countless secret treasures that even high-level cultivators from the Upper Three Provinces would often envy.
However, because numerous great demons lived there as guardians, and the outskirts were protected by countless formations and poisonous miasma, even Integration stage powerholders dared not venture there alone.
Many years ago, a brave warrior risked his life to record a detailed map of Mount Anqiu.
But after that map was circulated, every cultivator who went to suppress Mount Anqiu died a violent death overnight — they hadn’t even finished assembling; they had only received the call and were preparing to move.
From then on, Mount Anqiu was shrouded in mist. No one dared to record it with pen and paper again, and it could only be passed down orally from generation to generation.
“…My great-grandfather was that brave warrior. He was a once-in-a-millennium talent of our Nanfeng Town.”
“He reached the Nascent Soul stage before he was 20 years old and attained the Soul Transformation stage by age 3,000.”
“However, he did not choose to go elsewhere; instead, he stayed deep in Nanfeng Town, attempting to settle the chaos caused by the demon race. Unfortunately… things did not go as planned.”
Wang Hongqiao softly recounted this buried legend of the past. “Before he died, my great-grandfather warned his descendants that we must remember the safest route into Mount Anqiu.”
“He said that like the old man moving the mountain, as long as one fearless warrior appears every 1,000 years, the chaos of Anqiu will one day be flattened.”
Yun Heng listened quietly to this story he had also heard in his previous life.
Because he had personally experienced it, he remembered clearly that the leveling of Mount Anqiu happened 7,000 years later — it was successfully cleared by the Earthly Branch Judges who had finally finished their official duties and gathered from all over the world.
In that great war, ten of the twelve Tribulation Transcendence stage Earthly Branch Judges died.
If Yun Heng hadn’t ended his seclusion in time, even the remaining Weiyang and Zi Shu would have perished.
It was precisely because of this event that for the following 3,000 years, Yun Heng truly spent every day traveling between the territories of the three races, all to quickly end the grievances that had lasted for who knew how long.
Fortunately, Ling Yao had also grown up by then and used her lightning-fast methods to unify the demon race, sharing much of the pressure with Yun Heng. Otherwise, he really would have become the first person in history to die of exhaustion at the Great Convergence stage.
“Everyone, if you have any magical artifacts or talismans that can link us together, please take them out. We need to pass through this blood-mist-filled miasma. It contains many illusions and killing formations, making it very easy to get separated.”
Wang Hongqiao’s words pulled Yun Heng back from his memories. He handed the artifacts and talismans he had already prepared to the 3 women and took a short, deep breath.
If nothing went wrong, there was a high probability of running into Ling Yao and Xuan Sun after passing through this blood mist.
He had to be fully prepared to ensure Jiang Keke and A Xiang reached the hidden realm.
At the same time, Yun Heng checked the remaining 2,000,000 high-grade spirit stones in his storage bag — this was the wealth he had collected in Cuiwei Village, intended to be handed over to the Guardian Deity of the hidden realm to pass the trial without bloodshed.
“You’re saying… this is a task from that old fossil Weiyang?”
Outside the outermost blood mist barrier of Mount Anqiu, Xuan Sun lay among the tree branches, playing with the instruction letter given to him by the female Foundation Establishment stage cultivator named Lin Xiaoyue.
“Yes.”
Lin Xiaoyue smiled.
Xuan Sun narrowed his eyes, sizing Lin Xiaoyue up.
He did not hide his Integration stage cultivation level. After all, according to intelligence and scouts, Ling Yao had already gone deep into the interior of Mount Anqiu.
Xuan Sun’s next move was either to ‘wait for the rabbit to fall into the trap’ or to risk entering Mount Anqiu to kill Ling Yao inside.
Xuan Sun’s original plan was to wait outside. After all, Mount Anqiu was a place that hid an unknown number of great demons at the Tribulation Transcendence stage.
Although he was at the peak of the Integration stage, he might still encounter misfortune if he went inside. Moreover, Ling Yao was a demon herself; catching a demon in a territory full of demons… could only be described as difficult in the extreme.
However, not only did Weiyang abruptly demand in the instruction letter that he assist Lin Xiaoyue in entering the interior of Mount Anqiu, but even this young girl, who was barely 20 years old, did not show the slightest hint of fear when facing his pressure.
Where on earth did Weiyang find such a treasure?
Xuan Sun stroked his chin, pondering for a moment before flicking a finger to incinerate the instruction letter.
“Let’s get this straight first: I have no interest in whether you’re going in to die or to cultivate. Also, I don’t really want to stay inside, so I’ll give you 3 hours. If you make it, you make it; if you don’t, that’s your problem.”
Xuan Sun yawned, folding his arms behind his head. “And one more thing, don’t let me see you colluding with the demon race. Otherwise, even if you are Weiyang’s disciple or something, I will kill you regardless.”
The task Weiyang had temporarily given him was simple. He didn’t need to go too deep; he only needed to protect her through the first 3 barriers.
To Xuan Sun, this was no different from splashing water. The truly difficult parts were the later stages.
Once finished, Xuan Sun could return to the outside and continue his wait.
Since it was just a small favor, Xuan Sun had no reason to refuse a task given to him by the Eighth Seat.
“I am grateful for your help, Master Xuan Sun.”
Lin Xiaoyue bowed slightly, offering a salute to Xuan Sun.
Then, she looked toward the blood mist, the corners of her lips curling upward.