MY MASTER DISCONNECTED YET AGAIN (BOOK 1)

Chapter 1 - 20

Chapter 1: Myriad Demon Congregation

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The autumn night was especially chilling. The various residences in the Mortal Realm had long shut their doors and snuffed out their lights to rest.

Deep in the mountain forests, thousands of demons were gathered.

The many species of demons had made an unprecedented attempt to come together after casting aside their differences, be they tigers, rabbits, foxes, or snakes... All kinds of demons were present. At this moment, the entire forest was filled with voices from the various demon species; some loud, some soft, others even charming. Seated right at the top were ten Demon Monarchs. These ten experts stood at the apex within the Demon Realm, but they were wearing heavy frowns between their brows.

"Demonfolks, I believe everyone is aware of the recent happenings!" Tigers were one of the more domineering species, so the demons immediately fell silent the moment the Tiger Monarch spoke. "As fellow demons, in light of the crisis we are facing, I believe that we should put aside our differences and work to overcome the problem facing us."

"But there is something amiss about this matter." The Wolf Monarch frowned. "We still have no idea who it is that attacked us, nor do we know their aim."

"Is there even a need to guess?" The Tiger Monarch snorted coldly. "Other than the cultivators from the Six Schools Three Sects, who else would do this? Just think about how many of us demons they have slaughtered over the years!"

"But we have always tried to stay out of the cultivation sects' way as much as possible. Why would they suddenly blockade the path out of our Demon Realm?" the Wolf Monarch questioned doubtfully.

"That's right! The worst the demons who went beyond the Demon Realm borders did was to devour some mere mortals. It's not as if the disciples of the Six Schools Three Sects had been eaten," analyzed the Snake Monarch. "There's no need for them to go this far, right?"

"Isn't that so!" the Panther Monarch agreed indignantly. "All these years, which demon has never devoured a mortal before? Why would the Six Schools Three Sects suddenly make things difficult for us? I don't think it is them."

"That's right. Everyone knows that the demonic aura of our realm is damaging to their cultivation, making it rare for them to approach the periphery forest of our realm. Why would they suddenly deploy manpower to guard the borders?"

"But... other than the Six Schools Three Sects, who else possesses the might to kill every demon who stepped out of the Demon Realm over the past three months?" insisted the Tiger Monarch.

The Eagle Monarch nodded, seeming as if having recalled something. It shook its feathers and said, "I heard that the demons who traversed out of the Demon Realm were left without bodies. They were even mercilessly slaughtered, skinned, and cooked. There were corpses that were left to dry on the ancient Pagoda Tree in the forest. Such ruthless means... make them truly worse than a beast!"

"It's completely intolerable!" The Tiger Monarch smashed the stone armrest of its seat and stood up furiously. "My fellow Demon Monarchs, rather than guessing blindly, why don't we just forge our way out and figure out the culprit's identity? I refuse to believe that—no matter how powerful they are—they will be able to stand against the horde of our great demon army!"

Those words immediately gained the approval of the other nine Demon Monarchs. Indeed, rather than to cower in fear, they might as well take the initiative to strike.

"That's right!" echoed the Deer Monarch. "My children died at their hands. Instead of guessing, I'd rather slaughter a way out. So what if they are the Six Schools Three Sects. When have we demons been afraid of them?"

"Well said! Isn't that the very reason why we are gathered here today? Regardless of who the culprit is, we have to slaughter our way out to exact vengeance for our brethren!" Even the timid Rabbit Monarch also stood up and echoed in agreement. After all, the species that had suffered the greatest losses was the rabbits.

"Agreed! If we don't exact vengeance, it would be embarrassing to call ourselves demons!"

"The dead souls of our departed brethren, we vow to exact revenge for you!"

"We shall rid those despicable humans and bring peace back to our Demon Realm!"

"For the Demon Realm..."

The other Demon Monarchs stood up in support, and even the demons gathered in the area returned to their true forms, baring their claws as they cried out for revenge. They were the very picture of an army that was prepared to march to war. All sorts of roarings from the demons swept through the area and reverberated through the clouds endlessly until...

"Hey..." A faint voice suddenly sounded amid the demon horde. "I don't think there is a need for you to proceed."

This objection that suddenly sounded amid the fervent demons managed to capture the attention of the demons despite being faint. The roarings came to an abrupt halt, and all the demons immediately scanned their surroundings for the perpetrator.

"Who is it?" the Tiger Monarch roared furiously as it searched for that cowardly demon.

Despite possessing keen senses, the demons failed to find the one who had said those words.

"Who was the one who spoke earlier?" The Tiger Monarch was infuriated. "Where did such a timid demon come from? Show yourself!"

"Here! I'm here!"

"Where?" The demons scanned their surroundings once more, but still failed to find the originator of the voice.

"Here, here..." That voice sounded once more. "To your left, left... That's too much! Right, a little more to the right... You missed it again! Over here, look here!"

The demons followed the instructions of the voice, but they still failed to find the person.

"Sigh! Forget it, I'm here!"

It was only after a sigh sounded and a figure used all its limbs to climb up to the stand where the Demon Monarchs were seated did the demons finally see the source of the voice.

It was a woman dressed in a gray robe. Her shoulders were slouched weakly and her spiritless eyes seemed to droop lowly. Her entire being seemed to effuse an aura of laziness. She had a short and skinny figure, and her face was a little sallow.

Instantly, a single word emerged in the minds of every single demon: "Weak!" She was way too weak! Even the weakest, most pathetic demon present could blow her away with a single puff.

It was no wonder they had failed to find her despite searching all day; such a demon was simply way too inconspicuous.

The hot-blooded Tiger Monarch could not stand for any of this. With an angry snort it said fiercely, "Hmph, you gutless fellow. To think a few mere cultivators are able to scare you to the point of assuming such a form." Demons possessed the ability to morph themselves, but this was the Myriad Demon Congregation. The demons gathered here were in their true forms yet she had chosen to retain her human form instead. This irritated the Tiger Monarch even further. "You do not dare show your true form to us? What kind of demon are you?"

"I'm human," answered the woman.

"A human demon 1 ?" The Tiger Monarch was taken aback. "What's a human demon? I have never heard of one before!"

"..." The woman's face twitched. Hey, don't insult me.

"How dare a random lesser demon like you attend the Myriad Demon Congregation?" The Tiger Monarch glared at the woman furiously. "You spineless lesser demon, don't you continue your nonsense and dampen the morale of our warriors who seek revenge!"

"No, I'm serious." The woman raised her hand, showing no repentance. However, her gesture only caused her shoulder to slouch even further, making her look even weaker. "There is really no need for you to seek the culprit for revenge."

"More of these demoralizing words?!" The Tiger Monarch became incensed as he roared, "Do you think that I'm afraid of devouring a lesser demon like you?"

"Even after you eat me, there's no need for you to make a wasted trip, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that the merciless fellow you spoke of earlier who slaughtered demons and is worse than beasts..." She sighed and patted her gray robe. With that same spiritless look on her face, she pointed at herself. "Might... be me!"

All the demons: "..."

!!!!!!!!

Σ(°△°|||)

The entire area fell silent for three seconds.

Three seconds later...

"Kill her!"

As soon as they snapped to their senses, the demons simultaneously pounced at the woman.

However, the woman gave a long sigh while exuding that same languid attitude...

These little animals or whatever they are—sure are troublesome!

Five minutes later.

Demon carcasses were strewn across the ground along flowing rivers of blood...

Thus, the curtain closed on the first and last Myriad Demon Congregation!

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////Chapter 2: Rabbits are Delicious

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The rowdy forest had turned so silent that not even the sound of critters could be heard.

The gray-robed woman sat cross-legged on the carcass of a massive tiger in a daze, having that same frail look from before. After a moment of silence, she sighed and muttered to herself, "Sigh... How tiring. It's time to return home!"

With that said, she slowly got off the tiger carcass and rubbed her flat stomach. She was feeling a little hungry. She surveyed the demon carcasses of all shapes and sizes around her. Since she had come here, she might as well... have supper?

After some thought, she turned and walked up to the snow-white Rabbit Monarch on her right. But just as she was about to reach for its tail to drag it away, the supposedly dead Rabbit Monarch suddenly came alive.

(⊙ o ⊙)

It did not flee after it leaped up; instead it began kowtowing to her, producing a series of thuds against the ground.

"Exalted Immortal, please spare me! I was wrong, I had been entertaining angels unawares yet have offended you!" Covered in snot and tears, the Rabbit Monarch's massive head repeatedly struck the ground forcefully. Its body was trembling so vigorously that waves were flowing down its rabbit fur.

"You were feigning death?" The woman blinked before squatting down before the rabbit.

The Rabbit Monarch trembled even more vigorously. "Exalted Immortal, please have mercy on me! I am just a mere rabbit monarch. I'm not like them. I only eat grass and have never eaten a human before! I have elderly rabbits and young rabbits to care for. I am even pregnant with a whole fluffle of them. I can't die now! Please, spare me!"

She was just too horrifying. The Rabbit Monarch had never seen anyone with a cultivation so high. Despite looking weaker than a mortal, she was able to vanquish over ten thousand demons in the blink of an eye. Furthermore, nine of them were tenth-stage Demon Monarchs. Despite the complete lack of methodology in her movements, she had wiped out more than ten great demons with a single swat. The demons were all dead before they figured anything about her strength.

Terrifying... just too terrifying...

It was no wonder not a single demon who had left the Demon Realm in the past three months returned—such a powerful individual could destroy every demon in existence within a couple of hours.

"You are pregnant with bunnies?" the woman suddenly asked.

"Y-yes." The Rabbit Monarch nodded as it subconsciously tried to suck in its tummy.

"Oh." The woman fell into a momentary daze before nodding at it. "Congratulations!"

"Ah?!" The Rabbit Monarch was taken aback as it instinctively replied, "Th-thank you?" What was the meaning of this? Did she have her sights on the bunnies in its tummy?

"Have you really never eaten a human before?"

"Yes, yes!" The Rabbit Monarch nodded its head frantically. "I cultivate in the Way of the Herbivore. Look at my fur, there isn't the slightest bit of blood or grievance on it."

"I see. You may leave then!" The woman waved her hands carefreely and instructed, "Remember to eat more grass when you return and continue bearing more grass-eating rabbits."

"Ah! Ah?" The Rabbit Monarch was completely dumbfounded as it widened its eyes in disbelief. "You plan on... letting me go?"

"Yup." The woman nodded. Moments later, she added vaguely, "Supper is fattening."

The Rabbit Monarch found it unbelievable to be so easily spared. It glanced at the demons carcasses scattered across the land. "A-are... you really not going to kill me?"

"It's not like I have any interest in slaughtering little animals. Why would I lie to you?" The Rabbit Monarch did not eat humans after all.

"B-but... we rabbits were the ones that suffered the greatest casualties when we exited the Demon Realm..." The Rabbit Monarch spoke halfway before covering its mouth immediately. More than a hundred demons had died in the past three months, of which a third were rabbit demons.

"Well..." The woman did not show the least bit of anger. Instead, she seemed to give the matter some serious thought before replying, "That does seem to be the case."

"And?"

"Well, that's because rabbits are delicious!"

"... What?!" What the heck was that reason?

(╯°Д°)╯(┻━┻

However, the woman maintained her languidness as she babbled on in all seriousness, "Look... Deer meat is too tough; fox meat has a stench; tigers are protected animals, so I don't really dare to eat them. As for snake meat, it has too many bones..." She began counting with her fingers, one animal at a time before concluding, "That's why, you rabbits are still the best. Yes... delicious!"

The Rabbit Monarch felt bitterness rise up in it. So the reason why the rabbits had suffered such great casualties was because of the quality of their meat! It didn't want to be delicious at all!

Wait a moment!

A nearly ludicrous answer surfaced in the Rabbit Monarch's mind. "So, Exalted Immortal, the reason why you killed those demons was to..."

"Eat, of course!" The woman replied matter-of-factly. "I need to live too."

"..." So the reason why there were no remains left from those demons was because they were used as food? Wasn't grain abstinence a fundamental requirement for human cultivators? That bunch of liars from the Six Schools Three Sects!

(╯°Д°)╯(┻━┻

"Oh, it's different this time." The woman suddenly recalled something as she pointed to the demon carcasses on the ground and clarified, "I live in a straw cottage nearby. The lot of you were still making a din despite it being so late; thus, waking me up. And you know... who doesn't have a morning temper? That's why I came over to take a look."

"..." The reason why so many demons died was simply because they were too loud?

The Rabbit Monarch felt taken aback by the harsh realities of the world. It realized that the woman was about to turn and leave after having explained herself. Perhaps it was due her casual tone which stood in contrast to the power she possessed that the Rabbit Monarch suddenly mustered the courage to carry out a bold plan.

"Exalted Immortal, please wait a moment!"

The woman stopped in her footsteps and turned around to say, "Is there anything else?"

"E-exalted Immortal!" The Rabbit Monarch tried its best to repress its fear. "I might be able to provide some assistance if you lack any ingredients for your meals. We rabbit demons are numerous in number and we are scattered across an extensive piece of land. We can procure all sorts of food for you. Why not..." It took a look at the woman to gauge her response before gulping down a mouthful of saliva and biting the bullet to continue, "What do you think about me delivering ingredients for your meals punctually every day?"

"Ah, you can do that?" The woman's eyes lit up for a moment before dimming in the next. "But I don't have money for food delivery."

What the heck is food delivery?

"Exalted Immortal, it's a way for me to show my respect for you. There is no need for you to pay me!"

"But that would be too embarrassing..." The woman's face blushed suddenly as she scratched her head awkwardly. "Won't it be inconveniencing you greatly?"

"No no no, not at all!" Overwhelmed by the flattery, the Rabbit Monarch hurriedly shook its head.

"Oh, thank you then."

"It's only right to do so," said the Rabbit Monarch with a fawning smile. Only then did it muster the bit of its rabbit guts to mention its motive. "Then... the next time we rabbits leave the Demon Realm, is it possible for you to... spare them?"

"Sure!" The woman nodded without any hesitation. "It's fine as long as they don't eat humans."

"Exalted Immortal, rest assured. They are all herbivores." The Rabbit Monarch reeled in disbelief. It had never expected the woman to be so agreeable to its proposal. Furthermore... she was rather polite. "It's settled then. I will deliver food to your residence from tomorrow onwards."

"I will be troubling you then."

"It's no trouble at all."

"If there is nothing else, I'll be heading back to bed."

"Exalted Immortal, take care!"

"Goodbye!"

"Exalted Immortal!"

"Oh?"

"May I know how I should address you?"

"Oh, my name is Shen Ying."

"Exalted Immortal Shen, take care..."

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////Chapter 3: Disturbing a Sweet Dream

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

When Shen Ying went back to her straw cottage, it was already midnight. She pulled open the blanket, laid inside and breathed a deep sigh of relief—it was finally quiet.

It had already been four months since she had transmigrated into this world, yet she had no idea where this place filled with weird-looking trees was. Having a poor sense of direction, she had spent several days wandering within the forest where no other humans could be seen. She had been starving after braving the wilderness for a few days, when she finally met a couple of hunters that had scaled the mountain. The sweet potatoes which they gave her had comforted her protesting stomach temporarily.

At first they invited her to leave the mountain together, but holding the hope that she might transmigrate back with some sheer luck, she rejected their offer. She returned to the straw cottage hoping that it would happen sometime. Despite looking old and shabby like it could collapse any moment, this straw cottage managed to keep the wind and rain out. After staying there for a few days, the homebody in her erupted, and she lost all her desire to move.

Who would have known that once she started to shut herself inside the cottage, it would last four months. Since she could not return and had long finished the sweet potatoes that were given to her, she had no choice but to go out and search for food.

Within the depths of the forest, she could not differentiate between what was edible and what was not. There were quite a lot of small animals which seemed to have had a little too much nutrition as they were larger than the norm. Moreover, she realized that those small animals could actually talk.

Being an atheist, she was utterly shocked in the beginning. However, as her hunger persisted, she could not care less about strange powers and deities. She had already transmigrated to a different world, so how would it be hard for her to accept that some animals were a little different?

It was all until she stumbled upon a black rabbit biting someone which she conveniently beat up, and in doing so saved the people being attacked. On a closer look, she realized that those people looked familiar—they were the hunters who had previously given her sweet potatoes. That was when she found out that those small creatures were actually demons who devoured humans.

The small group of hunters thought that she was a deity and thanked her profusely. This time she was not invited to leave the mountain. They praised her actions of slaughtering demons and encouraged her to kill more so as to prevent them from eating humans, all whilst stuffing more sweet potatoes towards her.

Shen Ying, who originally had the intention of leaving the mountain: "..."

-_-|||

Looking at the sweet potatoes in her hands, she was too embarrassed to say that she wanted to quit. From then on, she led a life of slaughtering demons, starting by hunting those weird-looking small animals—at least their meat tasted better than sweet potatoes.

╮(╯▽╰)╭

Once she started hunting, she realized something was different about her body. She had never hunted before, yet no matter what kind of weird little creature she encountered, she was able to capture them easily. Her strength was so great that even she could not believe it herself.

Some of the small animals even had special abilities such as spewing fire, breaking the ground with their paws and so on. However, these skills seemed useless against her. The damage inflicted by the fire they spewed would at most burn the corner of her clothing while them breaking apart the ground would only end up burying her for a bit before she climbed right back out. There were even times when she purposely let them bite her and they ended up with a mouth full of chipped-off fangs.

Her skin looked exactly like it was before, soft as ever, yet her opponents simply could not bite through it. Initially, she had thought that this was because those small animals were too weak. She even went to try lifting the century-old gigantic tree behind her cottage, and in the end she lifted that tree which had deep and intertwining roots with as little effort as pulling out a scallion. Dozens of trees around her cottage were completely uprooted by her, and as a result... she had conveniently cleared out a yard.

-_-|||

At that moment she finally acknowledged one thing, and that was the fact that she... just might be invincible in this world?

She felt that these differences between this otherworld and Earth was absolutely normal, just like how Earth and the moon had different gravities.

To be completely honest, after discovering this problem, she had wanted to find someone to acknowledge that there were indeed deities in this world, but to her dismay she barely met more than a handful of people in a month. Her character had always been happy-go-lucky: to put it nicely would be that she was adaptable to her circumstances, but to put it bluntly would be that she did not strive for progress and was a totally lazy shut-in. Her life was truly lacking of any pursuits.

Although her culinary skills were not exactly out of this world—more often than not, the food would be burnt or overcooked—but at the very least she would not go hungry. Eating the meat of animals that could talk felt a little awkward but the more she ate, the more she grew used to it.

╮(╯_╰)╭

"So sleepy..." Shen Ying stretched her lazy bones as drowsiness overwhelmed her while she pulled at her old, tattered blanket. This night had been especially tiring and she could finally continue sleeping. Hopefully she would not encounter anymore events that would disturb her from her sweet dreams.

With such thoughts in mind, she closed her eyes. Yet at that moment, a sudden rumble jolted her.

A bolt of lightning struck the cottage roof and tore open a great hole. Rustling noises followed as hay was sent flying everywhere. Most of the cottage had fallen apart after suffering the lightning strike, leaving only a tiny portion above her bed intact.

Shen Ying: "..."

Then a loud boom resounded which was closely followed by a person falling into the yard, his blood splattering all over the place. His originally white shirt was half stained with blood and he was covered in numerous wounds.

"Hahaha..." An arrogant laughter rang out in the air, and then a black shadow slowly landed on the ruins of her cottage. "Youngling Yi Qing, didn't you want to annihilate fiends and defend the Dao? Weren't you going to kill me? Why are you not taking action yet?"

"Rui Mi... " The man who had fallen into the yard struggled to stand, but the severity of his injuries made it almost impossible for him to support his body upright. "You fiend, using living human souls to offer sacrifice to a Soul Devouring Gonfalon is condemned by us orthodox cultivators!"

"Hmph! Still stubborn as ever!" The person in black snorted coldly. "Yi Qing, just because you practice the cultivation of swords, you chased me for three consecutive days and nights which nearly caused the destruction of the Soul Devouring Gonfalon that I went to great efforts to create. Now, I'll sacrifice you to the Gonfalon to appease my hatred for you!"

The Soul Devouring Gonfalon was raised up along with those words. Right at that moment, dozens of lightning bolts shot out towards the yard. Not only was the man struck by those lightning bolts till he was limp, several gaping craters were made in the surrounding as well.

Shen Ying furrowed her brows... My yard.

"Hahaha... How does it feel to have demonic auras entering you?" The person in black sniggered. "The painstaking efforts I put in to set up this soul gathering array during the three days used to lure you in were not a waste."

"Despicable!"

"Who asked you to be a busybody." Rui Mi sneered. "It was just the killing of a few mere mortals. Not even the Blackheaven Sect would question it, so who are you to meddle and interfere?"

"What nonsense!" Yi Qing spewed a mouthful of blood, barely having any Spirit Qi left. He had never imagined that this fiend cultivator would have such guts to set up a soul gathering array at the entrance of the Demon Realm. His carelessness had ended up letting demonic aura enter his body and his Spirit Qi to dissipate completely. Hence, he was ambushed successfully and now he was already wounded to this state. While he was only an itinerant cultivator, he was certainly cultivating the orthodox Dharmic Dao, seeking the supreme Great Dao. How could he watch helplessly and not act as the fiend captured human souls? Weren't the lives of mortals also lives?

As a sect with an exalted immortal, it was impossible for the Blackheaven Sect to ignore such matters; they had only yet to discover this deed.

"Forget it. Since you are bent on courting death, I shall grant it to you today!" Rui Mi raised the gonfalon in hand, ready to attack.

"Hey, you..." A gentle female voice sounded from the right side.

"Who's that?" Rui Mi was taken aback. He violently turned his head back to check, but all he saw was someone covered in dust with a blanket over their body. Her body was filthy and her messy hair even had several pieces of hay stuck in it. His heart contracted—it was a woman. Since when was she here? Even with his level of cultivation, he had not detected anything at all!

He gave her a good look over and then realized she was void of any cultivation. He was relieved that she was only mortal.

"I can't believe that there is a mortal living deep within the mountainous forest." Rui Mi's lips formed a strange arc. "Another good material to sacrifice to the Gonfalon."

"What are you intending!" At his words, the man on the ground was provoked and used all his might to crawl up, shouting, "You still have thoughts of harming people?!"

"Aren't you so kind." Rui Mi showed disdain on his face. He walked in Shen Ying's direction and said, "You are already in such a state yet you still have thoughts of saving others!"

"Stop it! Rui Mi, she is only a mortal."

"Heh heh..." His grin widened. "My Soul Devouring Gonfalon isn't picky towards the souls of mortals."

"You! Lady, start running! He is not a good person!" The man on the ground tried to climb to his feet but was utterly powerless to stop Rui Mi's footsteps. He was only capable of shouting for Shen Ying to escape as his voice reached a crescendo.

"Hmph, is it even possible for her to escape?"

"Stop right there!"

"I am thinking..." Shen Ying pulled away her blanket, her brows furrowed. "Can't you all be quieter? It's already very late."

Rui Mi had already walked to the side of her bed. Hearing such a remark from her, he sniggered and said, "Heh heh. Little girl, I am going to give you quiet right away! The kind that lasts forever."

He raised the gonfalon in his hand which instantly sparked with lightning...

Shen Ying stood up cooperatively, letting out a long sigh once again. She then stretched her hand out calmly, which passed through the heavy bolts of lightning, and grabbed the other party by the collar.

Uh?

Rui Mi was shocked but before he could react, he felt the world spinning around him.

Shen Ying gripped his collar and flung him to the right, slamming him to the ground. She switched her grip, and then he was flung to the left as if he were a cloth sack. To the left and right he went, and at that moment the whole forest was filled with the sounds of smacking along with her unhappy grumbling.

"I already said I have a bad temper when I wake up. Who asked you to disrupt my sleep! Who asked you to disrupt my sleep! Who asked you to disrupt my sleep..."

Yi Qing: "..."

Was he... seeing things?

But before his mind could register the scene before him, darkness fell before his eyes and finally, he fainted.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////Chapter 4: Sword Cultivator Yi Qing

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

When Yi Qing next awoke, he found that he was still lying in that courtyard in the same exact position he was at before. Due to the severity of his injuries and his blurry vision, he could only vaguely see the shadowy outlines of two figures, one gray and one white, and both seemed to be talking. The white figure, which was huge, was exuding a faint demonic aura.

Are there demons here? He could not help being worried; not for himself, but for the girl he had met earlier. Was she alright? But he was really too exhausted and before long, he lost consciousness again.

The second time he awoke, he was still lying there, his position unchanged. He felt better this time and could vaguely hear the sound of voices.

"Exalted Immortal Shen, I am here again! Come and see, this here is the most delicious food in the Demon Realm!"

"Carrot?"

"That's right, and as juicy as it is tasty too. Just look at the color, the water content. It's the kind that our species loves to eat most."

"Er... Just as I had thought, you are just a mere rabbit. Can't you switch it for something else?"

"As per your wish, Exalted Immortal, no problem, Exalted Immortal! Exalted Immortal, do you desire anything else?"

"Yes, there is something. Can you..."

As to what that was he did not find out; he had blacked out again.

The third time he awoke, he was still... still... still... lying in the courtyard. Yes, still in the same position. -_-|||

This time he finally regained his mental faculties. At last, he could turn his head and identify the gray figure. It was the girl from last night, and she seemed to be... digging a hole in the ground!

...

"Oh, so you are still alive!" she said with a deep sigh.

At that moment, Yi Qing felt that she seemed disappointed. But what was she disappointed about? That he was still alive?

Before he could think further on it, he saw that she had climbed directly out of the pit which was waist deep. She had something in her hand which she brought to his mouth. In a casual tone she asked him, "Are you hungry? Do you want to eat?"

Taking a look at it, Yi Qing saw to his surprise that it was a rare ten thousand-year-old Ice Ginseng! It looked like he had overthought things because this kind of precious herb, which could heal and restore the meridians in a person's body, was rare even in the Six Schools Three Sects. And yet she had given it to him to heal his injuries without a second thought! This girl was simply too kind-hearted.

He hesitated to accept it as he felt he could not repay this great act of kindness. However, in his current sorry state, he really needed it. After thinking it over, he finally nodded and said, "Thanks."

Filled with gratitude, he lowered his head and chewed at the ten thousand-year-old Ice Ginseng in her hand until there was nothing left. Almost immediately, the Spirit Qi in his body began to recover, and his severed meridians started to rejuvenate.

Shen Ying looked on in silence. This man had lain unmoving in the courtyard for many days. At first, she had thought that he was dead as he was not even breathing. But as she had a lazy streak and she really could not be bothered to drag him out, she had just left him lying there. She had decided to dig a pit for him today, being in the mood, but he came back to life in the end.

"Are you full? Do you want some more?" Shen Ying took out another piece of carrot that the Rabbit Monarch had given her.

Yi Qing wanted very much to answer her, but his body was hurting too much; the pain from the rejuvenation of his body's meridians was not something that a normal person could bear. Moreover, he was unable to block out his five senses which had been suppressed by demonic aura, and this greatly increased his suffering. After holding out for ten breaths, he finally fainted.

"Hey! Are you alright?" Noticing that the man had suddenly stopped moving again, Shen Ying prodded at the carrot in her hand. "Don't tell me he's allergic to carrots?"

(⊙ o ⊙)

I should check his breath... Oh no, he's not breathing again!

Shen Ying: "..."

What a waste of effort!

○| ̄|_

Yi Qing later awoke for the fourth time. And yes, he was still lying on the ground. At this point, the meridians in his entire body had rejuvenated; only, he could not activate his Spirit Qi as his body had not rid itself completely of the demonic aura. As for that girl in gray, she was still... still at work digging the pit.

-_-|||

It was the same pit except that only now, instead of being waist deep, it had reached neck height.

"Miss?" He sat up, unable to keep quiet any longer.

The girl earnestly digging at the pit stopped working and turned around. For a moment, there was stunned silence. "Huh? You are not dead after all?" She frowned and sighed before climbing out of the pit using her hands and feet. While climbing out she kept grumbling, "You should have told me earlier. I was digging for so long."

Yi Qing helped to pull her out of the pit. Turning round to look at the deep pit, he subconsciously asked, "Miss, you mean..." He could not help but get the feeling that she was even more disappointed this time.

Shen Ying's face seemed to twitch slightly. She gave a cough and with an earnest face replied, "It's not what you think. Previously, the one in black caused many holes in the yard. I was thinking of levelling them."

"But you were digging a pit just now!" Yi Qing was growing more bewildered.

"Yes!" She continued, "If I don't dig, where will I get the earth to level the holes?"

"..."

For a while, Yi Qing felt perplexed. Why did he feel that there was something wrong with this logic? But he did not pursue it further, turning instead to face her. Bowing respectfully, he said, "I'm Yi Qing. Thank you for saving my life."

What? Shen Ying was confused. When did she save him?

(⊙_⊙)

"May I know my benefactor's name?"

"Shen Ying."

"Miss Shen, I don't know how to repay you for saving my life. From now on, if you have any orders, I will carry it out as long as it doesn't violate human rights."

"There's no need. I didn't do anything actually."

"No, this debt must be repaid, otherwise it would go against my Dao values. Please tell me your biddings, my benefactor."

"I haven't anything that needs doing..." She thought for a while before passing the metal spade to him, saying, "Maybe you can help me fill up the pit. I spent ten days digging it—it was really tedious."

"Yes!" Delighted, Yi Qing took over the metal spade from her, replying, "I will definitely not disappoint you."

"Er... as long as you are happy. I'm going back to wash my hands."

"Please take care, my benefactor!" He bowed once again.

Only then did Shen Ying return to the cottage.

Yi Qing's overly strong body constitution was exactly what defined a Sword Cultivator. Although the demonic aura in his body was not completely removed yet and he could not wield his sorcery, filling up the pit was definitely within his capabilities. Within a short period of time, he filled up all the holes in the entire yard, including the almost two-meter deep pit that Shen Ying had dug.

Just when he was about to make a report to his benefactor, he suddenly felt a great rush of Yin Qi engulfing him; he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. His body geared itself immediately for battle. This was demonic aura! A very strong demonic aura!

"Who are you?" Summoning his weapon, he turned towards the source of the demonic aura.

A huge, white figure with long ears, red lips and rabbit's mouth came hopping out from the forest. It was a rabbit demon, its whole body exuding an almost palpable demonic aura. It was at least at the eighth-stage, no... perhaps even higher! A demonic aura that had reached such an unbelievable level... this was a Demon Monarch!

Yi Qing immediately felt a sense of helplessness. He had not expected to encounter a Demon Monarch at this time. Notwithstanding the fact that he had not recovered his Spirit Qi, even if he were at his peak, with his Golden Core cultivation, there was no way he could have defeated this Demon Monarch who was as powerful as a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Although Immortal Cultivators had always accomplished feats which went against the will of heaven, he had prepared himself for death once he had embarked on this path. But at this moment, his concern was with the person in the house. His death did not matter, but what about his benefactor? He could never let anything endanger her before his debt was repaid.

At this point in his thoughts, he stepped forward directly, holding tightly to the sword in his hand. He had to protect his benefactor even at the cost of his life. As he tried to forcibly activate his Spirit Qi, his body immediately suffered a backlash from the demonic aura inside him and his mouth became filled with the taste of blood.

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Chapter 5: The Hidden Expert

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

As the Demon Monarch drew closer, Yi Qing finally had a clearer view of it. It was being followed by a bunch of slightly smaller white silhouettes—there were other rabbit demons! There were as many as up to 20 of them.

All of them were a group of highly powerful rabbit demons!

Yi Qing's heart sank. One Demon Monarch had already forced him to try and bring out all his might, yet a whole group of demons...

While he was considering whether to self-destruct his Golden Core and fight to the very last breath, that Demon Monarch shook its long ears. Suddenly, it opened its mouth unhurriedly and spoke in a tone that was extremely sycophantic...?

"Hello, may I ask if Exalted Immortal Shen is here?"

"You..." Yi Qing had forced out a huge move but held it back, unsure of whether he should unleash it.

"Oh, I have a date with the Exalted Immortal at this time," the Demon Monarch explained with a laugh, sounding even more sycophantic and almost subservient. "Is the Exalted Immortal busy? It's alright, we can totally wait."

As it spoke, it turned towards the colony of rabbits behind it. With a wave of its paw, around ten of the highly powerful rabbit demons fell into a straight line in a snap. They sat in an orderly row and did not so much as wag their tails, not to mention attack.

Yi Qing was a little confused. These were... demons? What about the known fact that the nature of demons was evil and that they would eat every human they came across?

Σ(°△°|||)

"Benefactor, fear not. We are all nice herbivorous rabbits." Seemingly understanding his thoughts, the Rabbit Monarch was slightly anxious and afraid that he would misunderstand and so continued to explain, "It's true, we are different from the other demons. We never eat humans." At the end of its words, it clenched its claws and the rabbits became even more well-mannered.

"..."

"Hey, Rabbit, you're here." Yi Qing had yet to have a single clue as to what was going on when Shen Ying walked over after having washed her hands, drying them on that gray robe of hers as she said, "You're pretty early."

"Exalted Immortal." The Rabbit Monarch's body quivered as if having received an electric shock. Its originally upright rabbit body collapsed in a second and it laid feebly on the ground. If not for the fact that it was retaining a rabbit's form, this scene would actually have seemed obsequious. "As per your orders, I have already found all the manpower you need."

Shen Ying turned to scan the surroundings and asked, "Why are they all rabbits? Are you sure it will work?"

"Exalted Immortal, fret not." The Rabbit Monarch strongly nodded its head. "My rabbits and rabbit grandchildren have always been dexterous with their work. It will not be a problem to let them handle it."

"But they look..." Shen Ying took a quick glance at the sets of four snow-white paws which belonged to the surrounding colony of rabbits and asked, "Will it be convenient?"

"Oh." The Rabbit Monarch was stupefied for a moment, but then finally understood what she meant and replied, "It's alright. They are already capable of morphing but are just accustomed to the form of a rabbit."

At those words, sure enough, around ten or so rabbits stood up simultaneously as their rabbit bodies transformed. Within a moment they had manifested human forms, except... with rabbit heads.

-_-|||

Shen Ying's mouth twitched as she couldn't bear to look.

"Alright, that's tough on you." She promptly waved her hand to bring them in.

The Rabbit Monarch then led the colony of rabbits into the yard. Yi Qing was unsure whether if it was an illusion, but he kept getting the feeling that every rabbit that passed by the Benefactor seemed to quiver subconsciously.

"Benefactor, they are..." Yi Qing could not hold the question in any longer because she seemed to be the one who had invited these rabbit demons.

"Oh, I asked them to come and help out." Shen Ying pointed to the straw cottage at the back and continued, "Wasn't my house torn apart that day? I didn't know how to fix it, but luckily it did not rain these past few days so I barely managed to make do with it. The rabbit said that it knew how to fix it, which is why I got it to help fix my house."

"..." Asked a Demon Monarch to fix the house!

Yi Qing was taken aback. Demons were not just any creatures—they had always been on opposing sides from the humans, so how could they be willing to be ordered about by a human?

But very quickly, he came to a realization that they indeed would be willing!

-_-|||

The colony of rabbit demons had already hastily begun fixing the cottage, each working on their allocated tasks: chopping trees, laying hay, and building beams. With a clear division of labor, they exhibited an impeccable sense of cooperation as if they had practiced this numerous times before.

Yi Qing was full of questions but he saw that Shen Ying was already calmly folding up her sleeves, ready to help out.

Just as she was going to lend them an extra pair of hands, the paws of a rabbit demon that was closest to her suddenly shook and the beam it was hugging onto fell to the ground with a loud thud. Shen Ying immediately caught it with her hands—just in time before it crashed down onto another rabbit.

"Are you alright?" She turned and asked.

However, all the rabbit did was to well up in tears and drop to its knees sobbing, "Exalted Immortal, please spare my life. I didn't mean it. Sorry, sorry, sorry!"

Its action of kneeling seemed to have sent some sort of signal to the rest of the rabbit demons as they followed suit, quickly dropping to their knees and beginning to frantically kowtow.

Shen Ying: "..." All I wanted was to help. Are your traumas that serious?

"Forget it." Feeling resigned, she passed the beam to Yi Qing at the back and said, "Here you go! All of you can continue, I am not going to take part..."

She turned around and walked back to the yard feeling a prick in her heart, wondering: was she really that scary?

She sat down on the stone bench in the yard and leaned forward, habitually lazing on the stone table like a slob. Forget it, she thought to herself. Since her help was not needed, she was also too lazy to budge. The sunshine was especially great for... sleeping.

╮(╯_╰)╭

Hence, within two minutes, snores could be heard coming from the stone table!

Once those sounds reached their ears, Yi Qing clearly heard the entire cohort of rabbit demons heaving sighs of relief, appearing as if they had just survived a disaster. Even their speed of rebuilding the cottage increased quite a bit.

"Thank you, Benefactor." A rabbit demon took over the cottage beam from his hands with a face filled with gratitude, obliviously treating him like a friend who had shared adversity together.

"All of you... why would you be so afraid of Lady Shen," he couldn't help but ask.

"Did you not know?!" The rabbit demon's face was filled with astonishment—wasn't he the Exalted Immortal's friend? The Rabbit Monarch had clearly stated that he had stayed in this yard for a month. "Actually... I am not very sure." The rabbit demon took a quick glance at the Monarch who was laying hay on the roof and lowered his volume. "It is because the Monarch said that this Exalted Immortal has boundless powers and nobody is her match. No one knows which stage of cultivation she has achieved. She lived in such solitude for many moons, purposely intercepting those demons who left the realm to devour humans for fun. I have heard that previously, the nine Demon Monarchs who had combined forces could not even take a blow from her. This is why our Monarch repeatedly advised us not to agitate the Exalted Immortal."

The more Yi Qing listened, the wider his eyes became. Little had he expected Lady Shen to be... No, Senior Shen was actually such a formidable character? He suddenly thought of the night when he was heavily wounded and fell here; Rui Mi had been beaten up so badly all over. Initially, he had thought that his eyes were playing tricks on him, but that was actually all real?

Upon deeper thought, he remembered that after he woke up there was indeed no sign of Rui Mi. In any case, he was a Golden Core Fiend Cultivator, so unless one had achieved an equal stage in sword cultivation or unless a Nascent Soul cultivator came to help, nobody would be able to do anything to him. If Shen Ying were only a mortal with no cultivation, it would have been impossible to escape from that fiend's clutches.

He took a closer look at the person laying on the stone table, dripping saliva and snoring soundly, who did not seem so impressive. She still did not show any signs of possessing Spirit Qi, appearing just like a feeble mortal. Such a situation could only be possible under two conditions: one was that she truly was just a mere mortal; the second possibility would be that she had already achieved an extremely high level of cultivation, possibly the Soul Formation stage or higher, allowing her to return to the simplest and purest of forms, able to control Spirit Qi with such ease that ordinary people would not be able to tell.

According to these rabbit demons, she was obviously the latter.

Yi Qing's heart immediately began to stir with excitement, and even his Heart of the Sword that had been quiet for so long quivered with excitement. This was an expert, and one that nobody could even fathom any understanding of.

At the same time, the soundly asleep Expert Ying smacked her lips together and all of a sudden, she began to unconsciously talk in her sleep, "Heh heh, braised meat in brown sauce... Chicken with Szechuan pepper... Szechuan-style bean curd..."

Yi Qing: "..."

Oh, it must be some kind of extremely advanced Dharmic Dao. It must be!

(ˇˍˇ)

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Chapter 6: Volunteering as a Disciple

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

When Shen Ying woke up, the sky had already turned dark. The rabbits were nowhere to be found, and there was no one in sight except for a man who was still in a bloody white set of clothing sitting opposite of her, looking at her with a perplexed expression on his face.

Shen Ying was blank for a moment before recalling who this person was. Oh... it's that pit guy.

"What happened to the rabbits? Where have they gone?" She turned around to take a look and then realized that the cottage was already fixed. It had become even bigger than before—from a small straw cottage, it had transformed into a huge five-room straw house. What a great bunch of rabbits!

"After they were done with fixing your house, they were afraid of disrupting your sleep, so they went back first." Yi Qing explained as he pointed to a pile of food ingredients, "This was left by the Rabbit Monarch who said that this is today's portion."

"Oh." Shen Ying scratched her head and stretched her lazy bones. She walked to the pile of ingredients and conveniently picked up one of them. Her brows furrowed as she said, "Why is it carrots again? Sigh... They are indeed a bunch of rabbits. Yesterday it was red turnips, today it is white radish. Holy shit! There's also green turnip. Don't tell me they are giving me purple ones tomorrow?"

Yi Qing followed behind her with an array of thoughts surging in his mind. Even a ten thousand-year-old Ice Ginseng and thousand-year-old Green Spirit were treated just like normal carrots—she was indeed a hidden expert.

(⊙_⊙)

"Forget it, I shall make do with this and just eat it." Thinking it was really just carrots, Shen Ying sighed. With a carrot in hand and a vegetable basket in the other, she munched on the carrot as she prepared to go into the house. However, when she turned her head around and saw Yi Qing, she paused for a moment.

"Hey? Why aren't you going?" She chewed on her carrots, making loud crunching noises as she said, "You can walk, can't you? You want to stay here and freeload? I only have carrots." She then offered the basket towards him, signalling for him to feel free to take any.

Yi Qing's heart was warmed and he immediately saluted her with cupped fists. "Thank you Senior, but my meridians have already been recuperated. I do not need this."

"Oh." Shen Ying had no idea what he was saying but could only guess that he meant he did not want to eat. "In that case, goodbye!" she said, keeping the basket. She then turned towards the house.

"Senior Shen!" he shouted after her hurriedly.

"Huh?" Shen Ying turned her head around once again and asked, "Is there still anything else?"

Yi Qing furrowed and relaxed his brows in turn, seeming to be very conflicted. His expression kept changing from hesitance to worry, then it showed adoration followed by anticipation and so on. After a while, he seemed to have finally mustered up courage and dropped down onto his knees, respectfully giving a bow. "Senior, please accept me as your disciple!"

"Huh?" She was immediately dumbfounded. What was going on? What disciple? What did he hope to learn from her? To be a total lazy shut-in?

"I am an itinerant cultivator with no home, sect nor master. Currently, I am a Golden Core Sword Cultivator wholeheartedly seeking the Dao, and my wish is to use the sword in my hand to eliminate all the heretic spirits in the world." Yi Qing earnestly said, "I am so lucky to have gotten to know you Senior, and I truly admire Senior's righteousness. Pardon my boldness in asking you to accept me under your wing, but I do hope that you will allow it."

He then conscientiously gave her three loud kowtows with a face of eagerness.

"Are you... kidding?" Shen Ying's mouth twitched. Was this person alright in the head? He did seem to have an allergy towards carrots. Could this be some kind of post-allergy symptom?

"Senior." His expression grew more solemn as he continued, "You and I were complete strangers, yet you rescued me in a time of danger, aided in my recovery and took care of me in all other aspects. I am afraid that I will never be able to repay all your kindness in this lifetime."

"So... you want to bite the hand that fed you?" Did he actually want to rely on her? She was already destitute. What a funny way of thinking he had!

"Senior please do not be mistaken," he explained hurriedly. "I truly admire you, Senior, which is why I want to learn under your wing. It is not solely because of your cultivation, but more so due to my respect for your virtues and ethics."

It was universally known among all the cultivators in the world that cultivating the heart and mind to achieve immortality was the orthodox way, just like how he had stepped into the Dao and set his determination to eliminate all heretic spirits in the world as his Dao Heart. He was an itinerant cultivator and he had seen numerous individuals, who held the respect of the public and were viewed with high prestige, commit sinister and atrocious deeds in secret. More often than not, the higher one progressed in cultivation, the more easily one forgot the original purpose in their heart and become burdened by mental demons. But who in the world could truly be void of any selfish motives, and who could maintain such kindness? Even he could not guarantee if there would come a day when he would deviate from his path and become lost. Hence, he had preferred to suffer hardships through solitary cultivation rather than to follow under the wing of any other just so that he would not be implicated with such karma, even if he possessed an Innate Sword Embodiment.

However, Shen Ying was different. Her cultivation had reached a level that others could only admire from a distance yet she preferred to live in seclusion within these deep old forests, and by the entrance of the Demon Realm at that. Neither pursuing any fame nor fortune, having no fear of death. The rarest quality was to have a kind heart that did not falter, to extend a helping hand to strangers. To be able hold on to one's heart's original purpose up till now—what was Immortal Ascension compared to this?

His heart had been surging with emotions in the moment he realized the truth. Such a person was like a clear spring in this filthy world. He wanted to be just like her, to forever stay true to his heart, and even more so to become as strong as her.

"I am truly sincere in learning cultivation from you, Senior. Please grant me this chance!"

"Are you for real?!" This person must be seriously ill in the head. What should I do? So troublesome!

"The sun and moon, as well as heaven and earth can testify my sincerity!"

"Heh heh..." Shen Ying's mouth twitched as she suddenly snapped, "I do not accept!"

She turned around and went into the house, slamming the door shut.

What! Taking in a disciple?! Even in primary school she was held back a year twice.

o(╯□╰)o

——————————

"Exalted Immortal, what happened to Benefactor?" The Rabbit Monarch could not hold back from asking any longer as it pointed outside of the house and said, "I saw that he has been kneeling for three days."

"Benefactor?" Shen Ying took a while before she realized that the rabbit was referring to Yi Qing. "What else could it be. Probably because he takes things too hard!" Ever since that day, this person had been truly pestering her, wanting to become her disciple desperately. No matter how patiently she coaxed and persuaded him, even when she resorted to trickery, his determination to become her disciple never wavered. He had been kneeling in the yard for three days and did not want to get up in spite of everything. This had reduced her quality of sleep recently.

Sigh. If she had known, she would not have fed him so many carrots. Now look at what the post-allergy symptoms had made him become.

"Oh right, did you bring the item that I requested for previously? Did you bring it along?" She simply took over the basket from its hands and started looking through it.

"Yes I brought it, I brought it." The Rabbit Monarch nodded hastily. "How could I dare forget instructions from the Exalted Immortal?" He took out a bunch of meats from the basket which included pork, lamb and beef. "These are what I made my rabbit grandchildren rush throughout the night to the mortal town fifty kilometers away to get. They are still fresh!"

"Mortal town?" Shen Ying turned back to glance at the rabbit.

The Rabbit Monarch was immediately panic-stricken and said, "They manifested into human forms and used the pearls given by the clam demons to exchange for them, so they did not scare anyone."

"Oh, that's hard on you." She picked up a piece of meat and ran straight to the kitchen at the back. After having munched on carrots for several days, there was finally meat to eat, and more specifically there was pork. The images of different pork dishes flashed across her mind: spicy pork stir-fry, braised pork in brown sauce, boiled pork... The mere thought of them already had her salivating.

But then the problem came—she did not know how to cook them!

Groan~~(╯_╰)b

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Chapter 7: Sealed by Force

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Stumped by the problem, Shen Ying could only do what she usually did in the past: dump the meat in the water, wait for it to be cooked and then fish it out to eat. She took a bite when it was done. The flavor was bland, astringent and made her whole mouth feel numb—the greater the expectation, the harsher the reality.

She opened her mouth and spat it out. Bleh, bleh, bleh. Disgusting. It had not bothered her much in the past as she had cooked simply for the sake of satisfying her hunger. But now that the rabbit had taken care of her food ingredients problem, why did she find the food so unpalatable?

Clearly, the culinary arts was a profound field of knowledge.

She silently turned her head to look at her newly appointed gofer. "Do you know how to cook?"

The rabbit gave a shudder, shaking its head vigorously. "I eat grass! I have never done any cooking before. What's more, I... I'm afraid of fire!"

Okay, she finally gave up; it seemed that she would not be able to enjoy a normal meal. This just went to show that having a skill was indeed important. Her university should have taught the culinary arts. Shen Ying slumped her shoulders in despair. What to do now, the food was wasted and there was nothing else...

Suddenly, an idea struck her. Turning round, she ran towards the front door of her house, pushed it open and rushed towards the man kneeling in the yard. "Hey, whoever you are..."

The person in the yard was taken aback at first but seeing it was her, immediately clasped his fists in salutation. "I'm Yi Qing."

"Err, can you cook?"

Though bewildered by her question, he nevertheless honestly replied, "I did a little cooking before I started Grain Liberation for my Qi Refinement."

"That means you do know!" Shen Ying skipped in delight.

"Yes, I do know... a little."

"Good!" Slapping his shoulders hard, she said, "You have my approval."

"Huh?"

"From this day onwards, you are my chef... arh!" She quickly corrected herself. "You are my disciple!"

"..." Yi Qing was stunned for a moment, then his face broke into a huge grin. Taking a few deep breaths, he turned toward her and bowed three times. "Thank you for granting my request, Senior. I am your disciple, Yi Qing. Please accept my respects, Master."

"Okay, okay, get up, no need to stand on ceremony. We are family now!" She laughed, helping him up. "I'm a little hungry now. Can you prepare a meal first?"

"Yes!"

Still wearing an expression of delight and disbelief on his face, he stood up immediately and entered the kitchen with light-hearted footsteps.

——————————

An hour later...

The table was already set with plates of delicious-smelling food.

"Master, this is my first attempt. I hope it will be to your taste?" Yi Qing said in nervous anticipation.

Shen Ying was so busy stuffing her mouth with food that she did not bother to reply, only nodding as she ate. Finally, she mumbled indistinctly, "Ya, ya, ya..."

Damn! The food was delicious. Although it was just simple home-cooked fare, for somebody who had been living on pig food and carrots for half a year, even a piece of fermented tofu would smell heavenly. Moreover, the food was very well-cooked.

Shen Ying swept up the food on the table like a whirlwind till her stomach finally protested. Only then did she sit back and let off a string of hiccups.

This was sheer happiness; her stomach felt revived. She had definitely picked up a treasure.

Turning to look at her cheaply-gotten disciple in satisfaction, she discovered that he had been sitting motionlessly at the table all the while, silently watching her eat.

"Why aren't you eating? Not hungry?" She seemed to recall that he had been kneeling for the past three days so he probably hadn't eaten anything, as he had even rejected the carrot and cabbage that she offered. She had assumed that he was on a hunger strike. Now that she had already given her promise, why was he still not eating?

"Master, during my Foundation Establishment, I had already begun practising Grain Liberation. Moreover, the food of mortals is not beneficial to cultivation, so I..." He stopped in mid-sentence as if having realised something. Eyes brightening, he asked, "Is Master telling me that eating the food of mortals is a form of cultivation?"

With that said, he happily took up the chopsticks and started eating.

"No!" Shen Ying slapped at his chopsticks. How would I have known that you did not need to eat! "I am unlike you. I eat because I'm hungry, because I have to. Since food is not beneficial to your cultivation, then better not eat." There was no knowing what harm the food might cause to his stomach.

This was why he should not have asked her to be his master. Their specialities did not even match, and that could lead to harmful consequences!

"Yes, Master." He put down the chopsticks without hesitation.

Having finally eaten a good meal, Shen Ying felt that her life was now complete. She felt lazy and lethargic. She lay on the table in an unbecoming posture like a spineless insect, her eyes gradually losing their focus on the surroundings.

As Yi Qing was now used to seeing her in this sorry condition, he started to clear the table. Shen Ying looked on with eyes half-closed. She wanted to help as he was the one who had done the cooking. However, she was too lazy to move, so she silently watched him enter the kitchen. At that instant, a thought arose in her mind—maybe taking in a disciple was not that bad after all.

"Master." Yi Qing, who had emerged from the kitchen after doing the dishes, suddenly spoke.

"Yes?" she answered, turning her head around before resting it on the table again.

Yi Qing hesitated for a while before asking, "I have a matter to consult with Master."

"Yes."

"Could Master reveal the whereabouts of the Fiendish Cultivator Rui Mi, the one I fought against?" He frowned and continued on, "He used the souls of living mortals as offerings to the Soul Devouring Gonfalon. A great debt of blood is on his hands. Not only that, his whole body is covered in venom from cultivating an extremely vicious fiendish technique."

"Oh, that guy... he was carried off by the rabbit." Shen Ying answered lifelessly. "The rabbit said it liked his flesh, said it wanted to take him back to make carrot stew, so I let it have him." She could not just leave him lying in the yard afterall.

"In that case, it's fine..." Yi Qing heaved a sigh of relief. Even if the Fiendish Cultivator had survived, he would meet no good end in the face of that Demon Monarch's cultivation. Moreover, the venom in his body would have no effect on demonic aura.

"By the way!" She tilted her head which had been resting on the table. "That guy seemed to have left something behind..."

Shen Ying fell into thought for a while, before she gave a sigh and slowly got up from the table using her hands as support. After lifting the curtain in the house, she suddenly crawled to the bed, trying to grab at something.

"Master?"

"Found it!" She gave a tug and suddenly pulled out a black flag. "This is the one. The rabbit only carried out his body, but left this behind. You want it?" She extended it to him.

"The Soul Devouring Gonfalon!" Shocked, Yi Qing took the flag from her and looked at it closely. The flag was covered with swirls of black Qi. His face turned pale instantly. "Oh no, the Gonfalon is under the control of his master. The Soul Devouring Array is about to collapse, and inside it are all the ghosts of those who died in grievance..." His expression grew more serious as a certain thought crossed his mind. He sat down immediately in the lotus position. "We must quickly seal them off."

He immediately forced his Spirit Qi to activate, directing it to imprint the layout of an array. The moment the array formation appeared in his hand, the demonic aura in his body once again engulfed and attacked his meridians. He opened his mouth and blood spurted out in a gush. His clothes, already covered in blood stains, were dyed into an even deeper shade of red.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's happening. Are you alright?" Shen Ying got a fright. Why was he doing this?

Yi Qing did not answer as he was enduring the great pain caused by his meridians being gradually severed by the demonic aura. He forced himself to complete the array formation imprint in his hand, stopping only after the array formation had taken shape and suppressed the swirls of black Qi on the flag. His body started to sway on the spot, and then he once again collapsed onto the floor.

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Chapter 8: Infiltration of the Demonic Aura

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Hey." Shen Ying nudged him and exclaimed, "What happened to you? Chef... Disciple, don't you scare me!"

"Master... Do... not... worry! It's alright!"

How could he be alright, especially since he had vomited blood? Holy shit he's still vomiting!

Shen Ying was flustered. She had just accepted a disciple, but would it only be a one-off episode? She did not how to cure people and in addition to that, she was unsure of how things worked in this world. She pondered for a moment before rushing into the forest, conveniently grabbing hold of a small animal nearby that had just stepped out of the Demon Realm to get it to look for the rabbit.

The rabbit was rather quick as it had hopped over and arrived under ten minutes.

"Exalted Immortal, were you looking for me?"

"Come in to the kitchen... Uh, it's the disciple." She beckoned it to come over.

The Rabbit Monarch quickly manifested a human form and followed suit. A person who barely had any breath left was lying on the ground with an eerie-looking flag beside them, and what happened could be immediately inferred.

"Exalted Immortal, demonic aura has invaded Benefactor's body and since he has just regulated his meridians, he did not manage to discharge the demonic aura in time. On top of that, he forcefully used Spirit Qi to seal the eerie flag causing the demonic aura to invade and harm his internal organs, thereby resulting in the damage of his Golden Core."

What did that mean? She did not understand a thing.

"So how can it be cured?"

"This..." The Rabbit Monarch was perplexed as it shook its ears and replied, "Demonic aura has been known to be extremely toxic to cultivators. The aura has been circulating in Benefactor's body for a long time, so it will be difficult to expel it unless... we use the internal core of a demons to draw it out of his body."

"What's a demon's core?"

"Before attaining wisdom, every demon will form a demon core within their bodies." The Rabbit Monarch pointed at its own stomach. "It is the foundation of the demon races' cultivation. Also, a normal demon core will not work. Only the core of a demon that is eighth-stage or above can be used."

"This..." Shen Ying looked at the rabbit's stomach, subtly implying something.

The Rabbit Monarch shivered and retreated a couple of steps, crying out, "Exalted Immortal, I... I cannot do this! Although I am a tenth-stage Demon Monarch, once the demon core leaves my body... I will be a dead rabbit."

"Oh." Shen Ying was clearly disappointed.

"Master, you need not worry about me," said Yi Qing hurriedly, vomiting blood at the same time. "I willingly drew out my power to seal the Soul Devouring Gonfalon. It does not concern anyone else. To die after... being accepted under your wing, I... can die with no regrets!"

"If you can't talk, then stop talking." Shen Ying sighed and squatted beside him, patting his back to help him regulate his breath. She then suddenly thought of something and directed her gaze at the Rabbit Monarch, asking, "Rabbit, how does a demon core look like?"

"It may vary." The Rabbit Monarch shrunk backwards in fear. "There are different kinds of demons among us and our innate natures differ, making it so that our internal cores differ as well. Although they are all round in shape, the colors usually change according to the innate nature and powers of a demon."

"Oh..." She tilted her head as she fell into a momentarily daze. "Do they all grow in the stomach?"

The Rabbit Monarch nodded and replied, "Yes, they are usually located in the Dantian region."

"In that case..." An idea seemed to flash across her face. All of a sudden, she turned to the bed beside her and dug beneath it, leaving only two of her feet dangling outside. Rummaging noises were heard for a while until she stumbled out with a huge gunny sack and threw it directly to the rabbit.

"Rabbit, look. Do they look like that?"

Puzzled, the Rabbit Monarch tried to open the sack but lost its grip and almost half of the contents in the bag fell out. 'Pearls' of different sizes and colors of all sorts, including red, black, blue and so on, dropped out and rolled onto the ground.

"Demon... demon cores!" The rabbit was utterly shocked. "This... this..." There were so many—such a huge sack should contain thousands of cores.

"Oh, I found these when I captured those animal demons and collected them because they glowed." Shen Ying continued to explain, "I don't have lights over here, so I thought I could use them to illuminate my house. But these pearls only lasted about one or two days before they lost their glow." Hence, she had unknowingly hoarded a heap of them.

The Rabbit Monarch: "..." How many demons did you actually kill!

But after recalling the situation at the day of the demon congregation, it regained its composure again.

"So, are these useful?"

"Useful, useful!" The Rabbit Monarch immediately nodded. It was way more than just useful. These many demon cores made even the Rabbit Monarch stir with such excitement that its paws trembled. Demons had never exactly lived in peace with each other; killings amongst each other were commonplace, all just so that they could obtain the other's internal core. Consuming another's internal core was extremely beneficial to their cultivation, but most demons would much rather self-implode and not leave their demon cores lying around. Moreover, once a demon was dead, its core would be damaged if it was not retrieved from its body within 15 minutes. Yet, the floor here was full of intact demon cores... so many... so many!

Σ(°△°|||)

The Rabbit Monarch could not help but feel envious. If only it could have one or two, that would be great. It forced itself to bury such a greedy thought, picked up an eighth-stage demon core and walked over. "Exalted Immortal, this will do the trick," said the rabbit earnestly, even as it could not help but glance out the corner of its eye at the demon cores on the ground. This temptation... was just a little too great.

"How should it be done?" Shen Ying asked.

"Take off his clothes and place the core on his chest."

Shen Ying quickly did as she was told. The moment the demon core was placed down, Yi Qing's body emanated some kind of fog which floated into the pearl. Within 15 minutes, the demonic aura in his body had been entirely cleared out.

Yi Qing tried to move and realized that the pain had disappeared. The Spirit Qi in his body had also begun to regulate itself and heal his meridians on its own.

"Thank you, Master!" He immediately knelt and bowed.

Shen Ying heaved a sigh of relief as she pulled him up. "As long as you are alright." She had been scared to death as she thought she might have had to continue eating pig feed in the future.

"Exalted Immortal, since Benefactor is fine, I shall be taking my leave."

"Oh, thank you for your hard work!"

"Thank you, Demon Monarch."

Just as the Rabbit Monarch was about to leave the house, it used all its might to hold back from glancing at the floor. Hold it, hold it, thought the rabbit. These were items belonging to the Exalted Immortal—it might live to see them but might not live to enjoy them.

"Rabbit, hold on!" Shen Ying shouted suddenly.

The Rabbit Monarch quivered as its heart sank. That can't be, how could she even tell?

Shen Ying unexpectedly bent over, grabbed a bunch of those 'pearls' on the ground, and dashed over to shove them to the rabbit. "I see that you really like these pearls, so here you go! Just treat it as a thank you gift for sending me food all these days."

Stupefied, the Rabbit Monarch stared blankly at the dozens of demon cores that came from demons of various levels. The rabbit's heart felt warm and fuzzy, and it almost broke into tears.

"Exalted... Exalted Immortal..."

"It's already late, quickly go back and sleep?" She touched its rabbit fur and said, "Aren't you going to make more rabbit babies? Get back early and have a good rest."

"Exalted Immortal..." The Rabbit Monarch was filled with gratitude. It rubbed its nose as a lump rose in its throat, and then it blurted out, "Exalted Immortal, do you like little rabbits? Those newborns. Why not I give a few of mine to you after they are born?" With no way of expressing gratitude, the rabbit considered pledging its marriage to her.

"There's no need." She shook her head and continued, "I like to eat rabbits, not raise and take care of rabbits!"

"..."

-_-|||

That moment of gratitude must have been an illusion! It was an illusion!

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Chapter 9: The First Crisis

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Ever since that night, Yi Qing's body was rid of all the demonic aura and he had finally recovered fully. Perhaps due to having used all his might to suppress the demonic aura all this while, now that the aura was cleared out, he actually felt that his cultivation which had been at a bottleneck was showing signs of possibly making a breakthrough. All of this was thanks to the demon core that his master had given to him, hence he was once again relieved to have met such a good teacher. He therefore swallowed back in the intentions he had been wanting to voice out.

"Uh, chef... Disciple... ah, 'Qin'? 1 " Shen Ying nudged the person who was cooking and asked, "Are... you alright?"

Stunned, pangs of guilt weighed Yi Qing down even more. He put down the ladle in his hand and bowed towards her, saying, "Have you seen through me? It is truly impossible to hide anything from Master."

"..." Uh, it's just that the same dish has been seasoned with salt thrice, and I wanted to ask if it's still edible?

But his face showed the increasing guilt within him. He hesitated for a while before saying with conviction, "Indeed, I have a matter to consult with you, and I hope that Master will allow it!"

Shen Ying took a quick glance into the pan and casually said, "Just say what you want." Hm, luckily it was carrots that were being cooked, not meat.

"I know that Master has a great heart, which is why you stay guard by the borders to prevent demons from leaving and causing chaos."

"Uh..." No, she was just terrible with directions and dared not wander around.

"It's just that, my request is not a common one and is also of great urgency." He flipped his hand and took out the previously sealed Soul Devouring Gonfalon and explained, "This gonfalon is still the creation of Fiendish Cultivator Rui Mi. He once massacred tens of thousands of people and trapped their souls within this gonfalon to breed in the Blood Pool of Noxiousness. This incited the evil spirits within the gonfalon to kill each other, the purpose of which was to breed a Ghost King. Currently, this gonfalon still contains millions of evil spirits. Releasing any one of them would lead to the loss of lives as well as great misery and suffering." Recalling the evil doings of that Fiendish Cultivator made him clench his fists. He continued after taking a deep breath. "Now that this gonfalon has become free of its owner's control, the evil spirits inside will certainly make use of this opportunity to escape from it. Although I used a spell to temporarily seal the gonfalon last night, it is not a long-term solution. When the night of the full moon arrives, the Yin energy will be at its peak and the evil spirits will definitely break the seal, bringing harm to the world."

"Oh..." Shen Ying nodded, totally not understanding a word he said. She then asked, "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"I'm afraid that no one person can suppress hundreds of thousands of evil spirits alone." He gripped his palms and said with conviction, "So... I am intending to bring this gonfalon to the immortal sect, Blackheaven Sect. It is located above ley lines, and the energy from those ley lines can be used to cleanse the evil spirits' noxiousness which can also an opportunity to help release those souls from their suffering. But..."

He suddenly thought of something as he turned his head hesitantly towards Shen Ying to look at her. "This trip to the Blackheaven Sect is going to be a very long journey. My knowledge and ability is very limited. If anything were to happen to the gonfalon, I'm afraid that it would be beyond my capabilities to salvage the situation."

He cupped his fists and suddenly knelt in front of her. "Pardon my boldness, but may I ask that Master accompany me on this journey to the Blackheaven Sect?"

"Sure!"

"I understand that Master has stayed here for the sake of cultivation. To ask you to just leave like that might be... Huh? Oh! M-master, you accept!" Yi Qing grew round-eyed in disbelief. He felt as if he had imagined what he heard. After all, her decision to stay by the borders of the Demon Realm must have been due to some huge obstacle in cultivation, a choice borne out of desperation. Giving up halfway was something that should be avoided the most during cultivation, yet she actually agreed to leave this place so easily!

"Stand up, stand up." Shen Ying held him up. He should have said that he knew the way long ago. She had stayed in this old forest for a few months, and if not for that hunter who did not want to bring her out no matter what, not to mention her terrible sense of direction that might have gotten her lost with no roof over her head to sleep under, she would have long left to wander about. Getting a disciple was indeed beneficial.

"When are we leaving? Why not today? Let's set off now! Lunch can be packed and brought along."

"Master..." Yi Qing felt a lump in his throat—he was extremely touched. Master was indeed a person with great kindness. He felt no regrets in following under her wing.

"Why are you still standing there?" Shen Ying walked out of the kitchen and gestured at him. "Quickly, pack the lunches and we can eat them on the way. Time is of the essence, so we can forget about the vegetables in the pan." Since they are already overcooked.

"Yes!" Yi Qing rubbed his nose and suppressed the gratitude within him as he turned to extinguish the fire. He stood tall and upright as he strode outside, slightly overwhelmed with the pride of being under the wing of this master of his.

Shen Ying was a little excited about finally being able to leave this shabby place. She rushed into the house to pack up but realized that there was nothing much to pack. After pondering for a bit, she decided to leave a note for the rabbit. Stepping outside, she saw that her chef disciple had already packed lunch and was ready for her.

"I'm done." She walked over and casually asked, "Which way are we going?"

Yi Qing stretched out his hand and pointed to the right. "Just heading south will do."

"Let's go!"

"Yes." He habitually raised his hand and a sword appeared out of nowhere. He climbed onto the sword and it began to fly. But as it gained speed, he turned back to realized that someone was still standing at the same spot. He then reminded, "Master? This journey to the Blackheaven Sect is going to be very long, so it is necessary to travel by sword-riding."

Shen Ying: "..." What sort of high technology was sword-riding? If she knew how to fly, would she have even been stuck here for four months?

"Master?"

"I don't know how."

"Ah?!" Yi Qing almost thought he had heard wrongly but she did not seem to be joking, so he tried asking, "Master... are you used to traveling by artifact-riding?"

"Also no."

"Then how about wind-riding?"

"Never heard of it."

"What about stealth advancement?"

"I don't understand."

"..."

Yi Qing was silent for a full minute before flying back with complicated emotions. He hesitated, then stretched his hand out towards her. "Then... may I give Master a ride?"

"That's great!" She replied immediately as she leapt onto his sword. "Thank you, I've gotten my balance. Start the car, start the car."

That urgent look of hers seemed to be a little... overly excited? Appearing just like those young disciples when they were having their first experience of sword-riding.

Yi Qing shook his head and tossed this absurd thought away, and once again resumed sword-riding with a passenger. Master being so formidable, how could she not know sword-riding? There had to be another reason. Could it be that when she helped him eliminate the demonic aura last night, she sustained some internal injuries? Was she afraid that he would be worried and so was keeping it from him?

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. He could not help but turn back to look at Shen Ying. Master... was indeed too kind.

Shen Ying who was truly flying for the first time: "..." Uh, what's with this cheapskate chef's sympathetic gaze, looking at me as if I'm a disabled child? Isn't it just a getting a ride from you?

————————

This flight journey had taken up two days of their time. After leaving the forest that loomed with demonic aura, they traversed through the wastelands. On the afternoon of the third day, they only saw the walls of a small city in the distance from which they could hear faint bustling noises.

"Master, we have arrived." Yi Qing stopped and put away his spiritual sword.

"This is Blackheaven Sect?" Shen Ying raised her head and glanced at the words above the city gates, but she could not see them clearly.

"No." Yi Qing shook his head. "This is the nearest city for cultivators, Shunyu City. The distance to Blackheaven Sect is way too far, so relying solely on sword-riding would take half a month before we can get there. This city has an array formation for transportation which can send us directly to Blackheaven Sect."

"Oh." Although she did not exactly understand, his words should mean that there was a shortcut.

Yi Qing brought her into the city, cutting a path through the bustling streets towards the central area. They only stopped after they reached the most crowded area that was a small public square. There were many people there; some were in groups while others were traveling alone. All of them were sage-like, standing in the line of a long queue seemingly waiting for something.

Yi Qing brought Shen Ying to stand in line at the very end of the queue. He pointed to the front and said, "Master, the transportation array is right in front. We will be able to reach Blackheaven Sect in a while."

"Yeah." Shen Ying nodded absent-mindedly. Feeling a little sleepy, she did not have the strength to look around at the surroundings.

The queue moved very quickly, and within a short period of time they were at the very front of the line. Shen Ying finally had a clear view—there were glowing patterns in the center of the transportation area, some of which looked like the magic arrays that could be seen in cartoons. Surrounding them were four stone pillars that were inscribed with incomprehensible words. Once someone walked towards that pattern, they would disappear.

So this is a transportation array! Shen Ying felt that her transmigration had become more surreal.

"50 spiritual pearls per person!" The cultivator guarding the transportation array stretched out his hands towards them.

Yi Qing habitually searched for the storage bag by his side, but there was nothing. He froze and his face turned white.

"What's the matter?" Shen Ying glanced at him.

Yi Qing's face turned green as he lowered his volume and asked, "I forgot that my storage bag was lost during the battle with Rui Mi. Master... do you have any spiritual pearls with you?"

"What are spiritual pearls?"

Yi Qing: "..."

The guard: "..."

After her transmigration into this world, the first crisis Shen Ying encountered was—having no money!

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Chapter 10: A Temporary Job

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Move aside if the two of you are not traveling. Don't block the people behind." The guard impatiently waved at the two of them to go away as he continued to signal to the people at the back. The next person in line took out a handful of translucent pearls and passed them over, then walked towards the patterns.

"Master..." Yi Qing was filled with guilt. After the battle with Rui Mi, it was already a miracle to have kept himself alive; he had truly forgotten about losing the storage bag. "It's all my fault. If I had not rushed to deliver the Soul Devouring Gonfalon, I would not have caused Master to not bring any spirit stones."

"Uh..." No, I really don't have any money.

"Why not Master shop around in the city first. 50 spiritual pearls is not a lot. I can find a temporary job here, and I will be able to earn enough for the transportation fees before the sun rises," he suggested solemnly.

"Forget it, let's go together!" Shen Ying nodded. "Two people can earn them faster." Before he could respond, she dragged him away from the public square.

Yi Qing seemed to have a lot of experience in this matter. After asking around in the city for a while, he brought her towards the tallest building in the city. He cupped his fists before the steward and said, "Fellow Daoist, I heard that this place needs some protection."

The steward was courteous and he returned the gesture. After looking at them for a moment, he said, "That's right, my Treasure Pavilion is having a treasure evaluation event which requires a few strong cultivators as guards. Fellow Daoist is...?"

"I am a Sword Cultivator. Golden Core stage."

"Golden Core Sword Cultivator!" The steward was elated and excited as he bowed again. "So you are a Dao Lord."

"I wonder if I meet the criteria."

"Of course, of course you fit the criteria!" The steward was grinning from ear to ear. The items to be auctioned today were considered to be very special. He had originally thought that it would be good enough if he could find a Foundation Establishment cultivator but to his surprise, a Golden Core cultivator fell into his lap. There were barely any Golden Core cultivators throughout the entirety of Shunyu City, much less a Sword Cultivator. "Dao Lord, you will only need to protect the people who have bidded for treasures to return safely after the event. The remuneration for each trip will be two pieces of low-grade spirit stones, what do you think?"

Yi Qing contemplated it for a moment, and then asked, "There are two of us, so how about two pieces each?"

"Two of you?" The steward paused, and then looked left and right about four or five times before he noticed Shen Ying at the side. Huh? When was this person even here, how could he have not noticed her? Upon taking a closer look, it was evident that she did not have any Spirit Qi, and even seemed to be a mortal at that. But the partner accompanying her was a Golden Core cultivator so that did not seem plausible. He asked, "Fellow Daoist, are you also here to be a guard? Pardon me, but may I know what your cultivation level is?"

"I don't know either."

"..." Don't know? Then what kind of guard do you intend to be! The steward twitched his mouth, but he could not offend a Golden Core Dao Lord. "Then... the two of you will share three pieces of low-grade spirit stones, how about that?"

"Alright." Shen Ying nodded. It was a package price. Before this, she had come to understand that a piece of low-grade spirit stone was equivalent to 100 spiritual pearls which was sufficient for the travel fees.

An explanation had been on the tip of Yi Qing's tongue but he swallowed it down. Yes, Master must want to maintain a low profile.

"The two of you may follow me." The steward brought them to the second floor—that was when they realized this place was filled with people as the faint sounds of shouting for bids could be heard. It looked like a mini auction sale.

The steward got them to wait in a small partitioned space. Yi Qing took the initiative to explain the nature of this temporary job. This was a commercial business, and it was usually only when they received an extremely rare Dharma treasure, artifact or elixirs that they would hold an auction sale. At times like this, the shop owner would hire some cultivators just for a short period to escort the bidders home; this was also considered as an after-sales service. It was just that these guards were usually Foundation Establishment cultivators and they were all itinerant.

"When I was in the Foundation Establishment stage, I had often picked up jobs like these. Master, you can rest assured. This city is small and the district is not wide, so the trips will usually not be too long and can be finished before sunrise. It will not waste too much time."

"Oh." Shen Ying nodded. In conclusion, this was a short job that would save time and energy but... what did 'Zhu Ji 1 ' mean?

They waited for nearly three hours. The sky had already turned dark, and the bidding voices gradually subsided as people began to leave. The steward then brought them before a cultivator.

Yi Qing took a look at this person, and realized that despite only being a young, ninth-stage cultivator, he was wearing third-stage Dharma clothing which meant that he had to be a young master from a family of Immortal Cultivators. In his hand was a black box, most probably a Dharma artifact that he had just bidded for.

"Dao Lord, Fellow Daoist Lu is the customer that you need to escort back today. You just need to bring him to the west side of the Lu residence."

Yi Qing nodded as he brought the young man out. The man was rather polite; perhaps due to the surprise of being escorted by a Golden Core cultivator, he seemed really excited the entire journey. He continued to talk about how he had managed to bid for the treasure in his hand as they walked towards the west of the city.

The Lu family was considered a reputable family clan in the area, but it was a distance away from Shunyu City. In addition to leaving the city, they needed to pass through a thick bamboo forest which was dense with miasma, making it unsuitable to travel through by sword-riding. The item he had bidded for was a rare fourth-stage Dharma artifact which was why the Treasure Pavilion had to arrange for the best escort it could to protect such an important customer in case somebody tried to kill him and steal the artifact.

Shen Ying had nothing to say about such simple manual labour, but... why did the auction have to drag on so late into the night before they started their walking journey? How sleepy!

"Dao Lord, we will reach the Lu residence once we get out of the forest." Lu pointed ahead. "Thank you for your protection on this journey, Dao Lord."

"It is my responsibility. You are welcome." Yi Qing looked at the surrounding and said, "I am afraid this deep forest might be looming with danger."

"Dao Lord, fret not." Cultivator Lu paid no attention to his words and voiced out, "Shunyu City may be a secluded little city, but it has always been peaceful. Nothing much is going to happen."

"It is still better to be safe than sorry."

"Dao Lord must be kidding. Although it is not possible to traverse this forest by sword-riding, I travel this route often. There shouldn't be any problem." Cultivator Lu still felt carefree as he said, "It's all because the Treasure Pavilion's steward is too worrisome, insisting that someone must escort me back. While fourth-stage Dharma artifacts are rare over here, they are actually pretty common outside. It can't be that someone would really jump out..."

He had not completed his sentence when all of a sudden, a white glow emerged from beneath him—an array formation took form and the ground shook as a large patch of thistles and thorns grew out and targeted Cultivator Lu.

Cultivator Lu was taken aback. He lost his grip and dropped the box in his hands right into the crazy thistles as they coiled back into the ground.

"My Dharma artifact..."

"Be careful!" Yi Qing grabbed and hurled him backwards, summoned his spirit sword and swung it down forwards; his Sword Qi shot towards the thistles with a flash of swift and fierce light, sweeping across them and severing a huge section. But in the next moment, more thistles grew out from the ground attacking them.

Yi Qing shoved Cultivator Lu further back out of the danger zone, and instructed, "Stay behind me, do not leave my master's side."

Surprised and confused, Cultivator Lu thought: Master? What Master? He subconsciously turned around to look and only then did he see a girl in gray robes, the sight of her giving him a scare.

When... when was this person here? Wasn't it just him and Dao Lord on the journey? When was there one more person?

(⊙ o ⊙)

Recalling Yi Qing's instructions, he immediately stayed by the girl's side. For a Golden Core Dao Lord to call her Master, she had to be someone who could ensure his safety.

"Thank you Fellow Daoist," he politely said. The girl, however, merely stood there straight with her head pointed down, giving no response at all. He thought the other party was angry at his negligence, hence he subconsciously took a step closer. "Pardon my negligence, it must have been tiring this journey. I do hope that Fellow Daoist will not be mad. Fellow Daoist, Fellow Daoist? Fellow Daoist, you..."

The next moment, he heard a faint snore.

She... was... asleep...

Σ(°△°|||)

"..." Sleeping in this situation, are you freaking kidding me?!

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Chapter 11: The Ghost King is Born

translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Hahaha, this Fiend's Bell is finally mine." Suddenly, out of nowhere appeared a person standing on the thistles in the center of the array formation. The man appeared to be about forty to fifty years old and was dressed in full black with even his face covered in black stripes. He excitedly held onto the box that the young cultivator had dropped.

"It's you!" Just as Cultivator Lu was about to wake the girl up, he looked up and saw that person.

"You know him?" Yi Qing asked.

"He... he was just at the Treasure Pavilion bidding against me for my Dharma artifact." Cultivator Lu glanced at the man whose face was covered in black stripes, shrunk back and said, "Never did I expect him to be a Fiendish Cultivator."

"Hmph, you punk!" The Fiendish Cultivator took out a bell-shaped Dharma artifact from the box and glared at the young cultivator. "This Fiend's Bell should be a fiendish cultivation Dharma artifact. How dare a puny punk like you snatch it from me."

"Nonsense. A Dharma artifact is not a spirit item, it does not need to recognize its owner. It was obviously bought by me."

"You lived long enough to buy it, but let's see if you can live to use it!" With a wave of his hand, a mass of thistles and thorns erupted from the ground again, thrashing towards them.

Yi Qing immediately rushed towards the field of thistles with his sword. The sword shone as it weaved through the thistles as if it were alive. Within a moment, the thick forest of thistles was sliced into small bits and fell to the ground.

"You're a Golden Core cultivator!" The Fiendish Cultivator's brows furrowed together, his face filled with dread, and then he stared at Cultivator Lu who was standing nearby. "You punk, never did I expect you to get a Golden Core cultivator to escort you. But too bad..." He waved his hand to remove the seal and sneered, "Since all of you met me, you are destined to die here."

The next moment, the array formation on the ground turned red, and those thistles and vines that had been chopped down suddenly disintegrated into copious amounts of black smoke. In the blink of an eye, the whole forest was engulfed in the smoke and the surroundings became extremely chilly.

"It's Yin Qi!" Yi Qing held onto his sword tightly as he turned back to give a warning. "Stand back. Shut your five senses to prevent the Yin Qi from entering your body."

Cultivator Lu hurriedly did as he was told. While setting up a simple defense array formation, he warned the girl beside him, "Fellow Daoist, get into the array formation quickly. Yin Qi can cause a great deal of harm."

However... he was only met with snores.

"..."

Still... Still... Still asleep. How exactly did she walk all the way till here!

(╯°Д°)╯(┴┴

Engulfed in Yin Qi, the surroundings had become much darker. Even more thistles emerged from the center of the Fiendish Cultivator's array formation. With the black smoke being used as a shield, the opponent's attacks became more aggressive. Yi Qing cut down a few thistles, but he realized that the opponent was aiming for the two people at the back.

It seemed like the Fiendish Cultivator not only wanted to steal the treasure but was also eager to kill Cultivator Lu. Yi Qing furrowed his brows and then with no hesitation, he mustered all the Spirit Qi in his body. With Sword Qi being manifested, ten swords formed out of Sword Qi appeared all around him in an instant. The swords flashed with a glaring light as they cut through the array along with the forest of thistles and the black smoke.

The array formation below the Fiendish Cultivator's feet cracked open all of a sudden, and he spat out a mouthful of blood as he stared at Yi Qing in disbelief. "How is this possible? My array formation of Yin! You... you are a Sword Cultivator!" The other party's cultivation was clearly above his. With this array formation, there was no way the other could have beaten him unless the opponent was a Sword Cultivator—only Sword Cultivators would be capable of challenging him regardless of cultivation level.

Sword cultivation was about the cultivation of Sword Dao. The focus was on the sharp sword in hand; heart and sword as one. Without relying on any spells or alchemy, this path of cultivation was focused on the cultivator himself. Hence, they were always more powerful than cultivators of the same level. Other cultivators would thus find it difficult to measure up to Sword Cultivators of the same level. They were very rare to come across, so little did he expect to meet one, and one that was a Golden Core Sword Cultivator at that.

"Sword Cultivator, Yi Qing," Yi Qing said.

"Yi Qing!" The other party was shocked, seemingly recalling something as his face turned white as a sheet. "You, you... you are the one who killed Rui Mi!" His expression changed and without caring for a response, he made a move with all his strength; he summoned forth a skull-shaped cloud of black smoke to attack as he turned to run away.

Yi Qing switched to another sword technique and used it to cut right through the black smoke, and then the spiritual swords surrounding him charged toward the direction that the Fiendish Cultivator had gone. Now surrounded by a sword array, the Fiendish Cultivator was trapped in the middle.

The Fiendish Cultivator panicked. He struggled to try and break the sword array but to no avail, his face so pale that there was no sign of blood on it. Panic-stricken at the sight of Yi Qing flying nearer to him, he quickly threw the Dharma artifact over. "Here... here you go! I don't want it. Since all of you are alright, how about you let me go? I was only momentarily blinded by greed so it won't happen again. Please, I am begging you!"

"You are a Fiendish Cultivator." Yi Qing stepped closer without a change in expression. "It must not be your first time committing such acts of murder and stealing treasures. If I were to let you go, wouldn't I be helping you do evil? This time I must not let you off!"

He raised his sword at the end of his words, and as the brilliant gleam of his blade consumed the surroundings, a massive amount of Sword Qi was directed towards the array.

"No, no!" The Fiendish Cultivator was seized with terror as he screamed. Just as the Sword Qi was about to pierce him, a ringing sound was heard—the bell-like Dharma artifact that he had thrown out flew above and headed straight for Yi Qing.

"Dao Lord, be careful!" Cultivator Lu cried out.

Yi Qing's sword paused and his basic reflex was to retreat and avoid the Dharma artifact. But all of a sudden, the Fiendish Cultivator broke apart the sword array and threw a sharp palm attack at Yi Qing's chest. Although he missed, he seemed to have grabbed something away.

Not good!

"The Soul Devouring Gonfalon!"

"Hahaha..." The Fiendish Cultivator held the Soul Devouring Gonfalon as his black smoke grew in abundance and broke free of the sword array. "It was really a piece of cake getting this."

His laughter grew wilder, his face filled with excitement. "I had originally just wanted to snatch a small Dharma artifact, but never did I expect to come across such a gonfalon. You were even stupid enough to bring it along with you! You really thought that this sword array could hold me down!"

He had purposely acted as if trapped by the sword array so as to throw the fiendish bell at him in a sneak attack. His target was actually the Soul Devouring Gonfalon on Yi Qing!

Yi Qing furrowed his brows; he had been too careless. Although the gonfalon was already sealed, its Ghost Qi would seep out and dissipate into the surrounding. He had thought that his Spirit Qi could contain the Ghost Qi in the gonfalon which was why he brought it along with him so that it would not cause harm to others. However, he had forgotten that even the tiniest amount of Ghost Qi could be easily spotted by a Fiendish Cultivator even if a normal cultivator could not sense anything.

"Let go of the Soul Devouring Gonfalon!"

"Let go?" the Fiendish Cultivator sneered. "Do you think I am like that fool Rui Mi?! With such a treasure in hand, how could I lose to you! So what if you are a Sword Cultivator. Today I will sacrifice you to the gonfalon!" He then mustered a stream of Yin Qi, tapping directly on the seal of the gonfalon.

"Stop it!" Yi Qing flew forward in an attempt to stop him, but it was too late. The seal that he had placed on the gonfalon shattered—the golden Dharmic amulet broke into thousands of pieces, and the temperature fell rapidly as dense Ghost Qi spewed out.

"Hahaha, the Soul Devouring Gonfalon is mine!" The Fiendish Cultivator's eyes widened in excitement along with his growing laughter. He excitedly looked at the eerie Ghost Qi surrounding him. "From now on, no one below Soul Formation stage can stand up against me. Millions of ghosts are at my beck and call, and I... pfft!" But before he could finish what he was saying, he spat out a mouthful of blood and the situation suddenly took a turn.

Out of nowhere, a claw appeared above his chest. The claw did not have a solid form; it was formed out of black smoke yet it had directly punctured his chest, and gripped within the palm of the claw was a heart that was still pumping.

Shocked, the Fiendish Cultivator looked down at the fresh and still-beating heart, and he seemed unable to react. The next moment, the claw tightened its grip causing the bloody heart to burst.

"Ghost... King!" Speaking his last words, the Fiendish Cultivator's eyes were still wide as he fell straight from the sky, utterly void of breath.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Chapter 12: Taming the Ghost King

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

High above in the sky, a blood-red flag was flapping in the wind and emitting large amounts of Ghost Qi. Eerie wails as if emanating from a ghostly orchestra drifted towards them. Suddenly, something seemed to leap out from the flag. The moon, which had been lighting up the night sky earlier, was now hidden completely by black clouds. Gusts of Yin winds started blowing in from all sides.

It was difficult to see through the miasma of the Ghost Qi. A huge, hideous looking black apparition appeared in the distance. They could not make out its features, but could sense its Ghost Qi which was so dense that it was almost tangible.

Yi Qing tensed up at the sight. He had known all along that the Soul Devouring Gonfalon would eventually give birth to a Ghost King, which was why he had wanted it delivered urgently to the Blackheaven Sect. However, he had not expected that it would choose now, of all times, to give birth. Its rapid growth had likely been aided by the Yin Qi emanating from the Fiendish Cultivator.

Only a Gonfalon Nurturer could control the Ghost King, but the Fiendish Cultivator had died from self-implosion which meant that this Ghost King had no owner. It existed only to kill and massacre.

"The Ghost King is born, leave here at once!" Yi Qing turned to shout out a warning. If even a Nascent Soul cultivator could not destroy a Ghost King, what chance did they have?

But it was too late; the apparition had completely condensed into a material form. The next moment, a sharp and ghostly scream pierced the air. They were unable to make out its gender. Although there was clearly only one sound being made, it was like the combined wail from a cacophony of ghosts. Their brains felt like exploding. Gusts of Yin winds whipped up the square, and even the ground trembled.

Yi Qing felt his blood and Qi surging, and then his feet buckled as he spit out a mouthful of blood. Even the Golden Core in his body seemed on the verge of exploding. And over on the other side, the cultivator named Lu lay flat on the ground, felled by the impact of the sound.

Yi Qing desperately mobilized his Spirit Qi to create a defensive barrier. Just as it was completed, there was another ghostly cry. He vomited blood again and fell to his knees—the barrier had been instantly torn apart. His whole body felt unbearably heavy. Utterly overcome by the formidable power of the Ghost King, he knelt there motionless.

What was to be done? No one below Soul Formation stage could stand against a Ghost King. He was afraid that the next attack would...

The Ghost King was already opening its mouth to let out another blast of sound. Yi Qing clenched his teeth and gripped his sword. All that was left now was to fight to the death.

Suddenly...

"What's with the noise!"

It was a familiar female voice. The rage contained in the voice was so devastating that it caused the Ghost King to immediately swallow the scream it was about to let out.

All at once there was silence.

This voice... Master!

(⊙_⊙)

The person who had been snoring with her head bowed was now looking up, glaring at the huge ghost in front of her. "Shut. Your. Mouth," she boomed.

The Ghost King paused, then seemingly provoked, let out an even louder roar. Four black claw-like shapes extended from the shadows, shooting like a laser beam towards the only person who was standing.

Anxious, Yi Qing tried to get up but to no avail. "Master, be care-..."

But before he could complete his warning, he saw Shen Ying deftly raising her hand to catch something. Those ferocious ghost claws were stopped before her chest in an instant.

"Caught... caught?"

(⊙ o ⊙)

The Ghost King roared again, its whole figure shaking in exasperation as if trying to withdraw its claws. Although it tried long and hard, its claws hardly moved an inch.

Shen Ying looked up straight at the huge ghost, her eyes narrowing. It was as if something terrible was emanating from her body.

A murderous aura! What an intense murderous aura! Yi Qing could not help shuddering. Why did he suddenly feel that Master looked... a little scary?!

Arrh...

The Ghost King became even more agitated. It roared again.

Shen Ying narrowed her eyes even more, and there was a faint cracking sound. She spat out the following words one by one: "What. Are. You. Yelling. For. Do. You. Know. There. Are. People. Sleeping!"

Suddenly, her hands which had been gripping the claws shot up, and the huge, mountainous ghostly figure was raised a dozen feet off the ground. She flung it over her shoulders, and the earth trembled from the crash that followed. She then repeated this action in a cycle, over and over and over...

For a time, the whole forest was filled with earthquaking crashing sounds mixed with her angry questioning. "Didn't you know I was sleeping, didn't you know, didn't you know..."

Yi Qing: "..."

Cultivator Lu: "..."

Σ(°△°|||)

Cultivator Lu gave a great shudder. How... how terrible! She was actually tossing about the Ghost King like a hammer wheel. Could such a person be just a cultivator?

Yi Qing was confused. He suddenly understood what the Rabbit Monarch had meant that day. When they were repairing the house, it had nervously pulled him over to whisper, "Never disturb her sleep! Otherwise, the consequences will be very serious." Now he knew, uh... It was serious alright.

He had thought that there must have been other explanations for what the rabbit demon had said about Master destroying the nine great Demon Monarchs by herself. Moreover, when he had sought apprenticeship under Master, her high cultivation had not been his main consideration so he had never asked Master what level she was at. But he did not expect Master to be so... so amazing!

She was indeed worthy of being his master. He had chosen the right teacher!

o(≧v≦)o~~

"Dao Lord, your master..." Cultivator Lu, who had silently moved over to Yi Qing, was about to ask him something when he realized that Yi Qing was looking at the person in front with star-gazed eyes. Huh? That look of exaltation, joy and hero-worship... His smug expression seemed to say that he wanted the whole world to envy him. What was this about? Just what kind of guards had he picked?

Shen Ying's one-sided bashing match lasted half an hour. The powerful Ghost King was utterly incapable of resistance. Its once formidable voice which had started out as a roar, turned into a whine, then finally into a meek whimper...

╮(╯▽╰)╭

Every time she smashed the ghost, the Ghost King's Qi dissipated a little and it became a little thinner. The previously giant Ghost King was now only a third of its original size. The deafening ghostly scream of before had been reduced to a mere whisper.

"Er, Dao Lord..." Even Cultivator Lu could not help interceding on behalf of the Ghost King.

"What!" Shen Ying suddenly turned her head around violently. A killing vibe, or rather a 'being-disturbed in-her-sleep' vibe, filled the entire atmosphere.

"Nothing... It's okay, carry on! " He swallowed his words silently. Yes, he didn't see anything.

Shen Ying turned back and continued smashing! Each smash was louder than the last.

For no reason, Yi Qing suddenly remembered that night when he was tricked by Rui Mi; Master had used the same move back then as well. The only difference was that she had used a left and right smash then, but now it was an up and down smash. Don't tell me Master only knows... knows this one move?

No, no, no. Yi Qing immediately dismissed this ridiculous idea. Master was so strong, how could she know only this style of kid-fighting? Impossible!

An hour later...

The Ghost King had already lost the strength to even groan. Shen Ying finally stopped this one-sided thrashing match because... she had fallen asleep again.

-_-|||

Seeing that its opponent was not moving, the Ghost King, who was already half its original size, instantly turned into a black gas and burrowed back into the Soul Devouring Gonfalon. The seal array was so torn that only a few runes could be seen on it. It desperately tried to hide itself behind a rune. The whole flag was shivering!

Yi Qing: "..."

Cultivator Lu: "..."

————————

When Shen Ying woke up, it was the next morning. She stretched her waist in routine. She could see two pairs of eyes looking straight at her. The only difference between them was that one was filled with enthusiasm and the other was filled with... fear?

"Er, good morning!" Startled, she greeted reflexively.

"Good morning, Master." Yi Qing could only manage this reply after a long moment. He glanced at her hesitantly. "You're... awake?"

"Yes." Shen Ying nodded, rubbing her shoulder. She casually asked, "By the way, how did I fall asleep last night? Why does my back feel so sore after waking up as if I've been in a fight?"

The two: "..." Didn't you just fight?

"Master, you... don't remember?" asked Yi Qing.

"Why are you looking at me like that? What's wrong?" Shen Ying frowned. Why were they looking at her with that constipated expression? "What happened last night?"

The two exchanged a look, and answered resolutely in unison.

"Nothing!"

"Nothing!"

"Oh." Unconcerned, Shen Ying started shaking her particularly sore left hand. She then realized that half of the surrounding bamboo forest had been toppled down, and most of their branches were bare except for a few leaves. Were there strong winds yesterday? Must have been some powerful wind. She walked two paces, and saw a huge hole in front of her as if the ground had been smashed hard by something. Well... the scenery was really interesting.

"By the way, whatever your name is... how much further to your house?" She looked back at the cultivator named Lu.

Cultivator Lu shivered, hiding himself behind Yi Qing. "Not far... not far, the bamboo forest is just ahead. We will reach there in a quarter of an hour."

"Good!" She turned to Yi Qing. "Chef... Disciple... er, your name is Qing something?"

"Master, I am Yi Qing."

"Oh, Yi Qing. Let's hit the road and escort him back."

"Right, Master."

Yi Qing immediately followed behind, at the same time picking up a bell from the ground which he handed to Cultivator Lu.

"Hey... Qing... After sending him back, will we have enough to pay for the travel fare?"

"We will have enough, Master."

"Do you think that Whatever-you-call-it Sect is generous with its hospitality?"

"Master, they are called the Blackheaven Sect, an established sect for cultivating immortals that has many followers. As for their hospitality, I do not know."

"Then do you think... they will invite us to stay for dinner?"

"Huh? Huh!"

"I'm famished."

"..."

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Chapter 13: Journey to Xianmen

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Blackheaven Sect, Qingyun Temple

"Tell me again. What was the man carrying up the mountain?" Startled, the Blackheaven Sect's Sect Master, Xi Qiu, shot up in alarm from his high seat in the great hall.

"Sect Master, the man said it was a Soul Devouring Gonfalon," replied the disciple.

"Soul Devouring Gonfalon? It's a Devouring Gonfalon! Could the man be the Fiendish Cultivator Rui Mi?" Xi Qiu stepped forward with an angry look on his face and said, "The cheek of that Fiendish Cultivator! He actually dares to break into my Blackheaven Sect. I'd like to see what he is capable of. Come with me comrades, let's destroy this fiend together." Saying that, he prepared to lead a group of elders down the mountain.

"Senior Brother, wait!" Disciplinary Hall Master Xi Chen held him back hastily. "In my opinion, this person might not be that fiend."

"How so?" asked Xi Qiu, surprised.

"Senior Brother, have you heard the recent news about the sudden resurgence of Fiendish Cultivator Rui Mi's Myriad Fiend Den?"

"Of course I've heard about it." Xi Qiu nodded. "How is he connected to this matter?"

"A few days ago, I took a look at the Fiend Den," Xi Chen explained. "I found that the harmful creatures inside had been totally destroyed. I didn't see any sign of the fiend, but all his lackeys who practiced on live humans had been killed, and killed by a single stroke of the sword, no less. There was still some Sword Qi lingering in the den. Someone must have broken into it."

"You mean..." Xi Qiu was stunned. "That person was a Sword Cultivator!" It was rare to come across a Sword Cultivator in this world, and one who was capable of breaking into the Myriad Fiend Den had to at least be at the Golden Core stage.

"Yes!" Xi Chen nodded. "Seeing how this man dared to come up to Blackheaven Sect so openly, and counting the fact that he is carrying the Soul Devouring Gonfalon, I think he is probably the one who broke into the Myriad Fiend Den."

Xi Qiu's eyes lit up and his anger subsided. He looked at the disciple in the hall and instructed excitedly, "Quickly, ask the man to come up."

He walked back to the main seat and sat down. Within a quarter of an hour, he saw a man in white robes approaching from the entrance. He looked no more than twenty, and his entire body exuded powerful Sword Qi. A closer look revealed that he was actually a Golden Core Sword Cultivator, and he was holding a black flag in his right hand. One could faintly see the Ghost Qi swarming inside the flag. This flag was indeed the legendary Soul Devouring Gonfalon.

"Sword Cultivator Yi Qing, paying my respects to the Perfected Ones." He clasped his fists and saluted.

"Yi Qing!" Xi Qiu exclaimed in surprise, rising from his chair once again. "You are that itinerant cultivator Yi Qing."

"That's right," replied Yi Qing.

Yi Qing's reply surprised him even more. Even the hall masters present all turned to look at the person in the center of the hall. It was no wonder as Yi Qing was such a well-known name among itinerant cultivators and even among Fiendish Cultivators.

No one knew where he came from because when he appeared, he was already a Golden Core Sword Cultivator. Rumor had it that he abhorred evil with a vengeance and that he was willing to champion the cause of justice. Countless Fiendish Cultivators had died by his hands.

Itinerant cultivators had always been a disorganized lot, made up of all manner of people. Most of them would either switch to become Fiendish Cultivators or turn to pilfering, killing and robbery. He was like a breath of fresh air in the world of itinerant cultivators, and he had ironclad integrity. Any wicked creature who fell into his hands came to no good end. And as if that were not enough, he was also a famous Sword Cultivator who was one level higher than his peers. It was rumored that Fiendish Cultivators below the stage of Golden Core had all been thrashed by him. Very few Fiendish Cultivators committed crimes in places he had passed through.

"Fellow Daoist Yi, what brings you to Blackheaven Sect?" Xi Qiu asked.

Yi Qing immediately placed the flag which he had been holding in his right hand on his other palm, saying, "I'm here to give this to you. I would like to ask you to use your sect's Spirit Cleansing Qi to rid the Ghost Qi in the flag and release the thousands of vengeful spirits from the gonfalon."

"This is the Soul Devouring Gonfalon."

"That's right!"

"Fellow Daoist Yi, is the Soul Devouring Gonfalon..."

"The Soul Devouring Gonfalon is dead!"

Sure enough, Xi Qiu was a little excited but before he could speak, the hall master next to him asked urgently, "A month ago, the Myriad Fiend Den was resurrected. Was it your doing?"

"Yes!"

A chorus of amazed exclamations erupted yet again. It really was him! The Fiendish Cultivator Rui Mi had always been a big headache for the Blackheaven Sect. Although he committed many acts of evil, he managed to keep his whereabouts a secret. No one knew the location of his old hideout, the Myriad Fiend Den. Also, he had perfected his Golden Core cultivation and possessed the Soul Devouring Gonfalon. There was no real chance of defeating him even with the help of a Nascent Soul cultivator. Many times the Blackheaven Sect had wanted to besiege his hideout but could not find any trace of him. And to think that Yi Qing had managed to solve this problem. He had actually defeated the Soul Devouring Gonfalon whose cultivation level was higher than his. He definitely lived up to the high standards expected of a Sword Cultivator.

"Hahaha, you really are an outstanding young man!" Xi Qiu laughed loudly, and then exchanged looks with each of the hall masters in turn. Everyone had the same thought: such a talent had to stay with them no matter what.

"I give thanks to Fellow Daoist Yi for helping us get rid of Rui Mi, the scourge of our sect," Xi Qiu said with a brilliant smile, patting Yi Qing on the shoulder approvingly.

"I did not subdue the Fiendish Cultivator by myself," Yi Qing answered honestly.

"You don't have to be modest. That man had been wanted by all the factions for a long time." Xi Qiu smiled even more happily, pointing to the flag in his hand. "Now that he is in my sect's jurisdiction, it is our duty to release the souls from the Soul Devouring Gonfalon."

"I greatly appreciate your help, Sect Master Qiu." Yi Qing passed the flag in his hand directly over to him. "Since this matter is over, Yi Qing will now take his leave." But as he was about to turn around and walk out, Xi Qiu blocked his way.

"Fellow Daoist Yi, wait a moment." Xi Qiu quickly stamped a few seal arrays on the flag before keeping it away. "I can see that my fellow Daoist is naturally outstanding and brimming with Sword Qi. I think it is only a matter of time before you condense Sword Intent. But the process of understanding Sword Intent is always dangerous and cannot be interrupted. No doubt you will find that going at it alone will be much harder. Have you ever thought of joining our sect to receive our protection?"

"Thank you for your kind offer." Yi Qing shook his head and continued, "But I have no intention of joining your sect."

"Fellow Daoist Yi, don't refuse so hastily." Xi Qiu continued to try and persuade him. "My Blackheaven Sect, though not very well known, is the leader of the Three Sects Four Schools. Among the Three Sects Four Schools, my sect possesses the deepest knowledge regarding sword cultivation. My sect's Senior Master was a Soul Formation Sword Cultivator. For many years, he has been wanting to get a disciple of his own. If you remain at my school, with your qualifications, he will definitely select you." It was a great honor to come under the tutelage of a Soul Formation cultivator. No cultivator would be able to refuse this offer.

Yi Qing, however, began to frown. "I'm sorry, I already have a master."

"What! Aren't you an itinerant cultivator?" Surprised, Xi Qiu blurted out, "Who is your master?"

"I am!" Just as he completed his sentence, a raised fist appeared before his eyes and the next moment a super-sized face zoomed right in front of him. "I say, big brother, don't you think you are too much trying to lure my staff away right before my eyes?"

Startled, Xi Qiu took a step back. "Who are you... where did you come from?"

"I've been here all this time." Come on, it was obvious that she had entered together with her chef disciple.

Yi Qing instinctively stood half a step behind her. He straightened his back a little haughtily, and pronounced in a grave tone, "My master, Shen Ying."

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Chapter 14: The Soul Formation Supremacy

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Shen... Shen Ying?" Who! Who? He had never heard of her. But the main point was—since when had this person been standing here? He was a Nascent Soul cultivator, yet he hadn't detected her presence at all. Xi Qiu swept a questioning look at his sect members, but they all wore equally surprised expressions.

His heart immediately sank and he became on guard. He glanced at the girl, releasing a bit of his Divine Perception. His Divine Perception revealed that she did not possess any Spirit Qi—she was only a mortal.

Xi Qiu breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that he had not noticed her because he had been overcome by surprise. But... it was certainly strange that Yi Qing, a Golden Core Sword Cultivator, had actually sought a mortal woman as his master. Although the path of a Sword Cultivator was arduous, his future would be limitless once his Core reached fruition. Why had he chosen a master like this?

"Miss... Shen," Xi Qiu greeted her with a smile. She was definitely a mortal. He thought it over again, and surmised that perhaps this girl was Yi Qing's mortal master from before his cultivation practice began. Perhaps even after he started on the Immortal Dao, he still could not forget his teacher's kindness which just proved the nobleness of his character. This further convinced Xi Qiu that he had to recruit Yi Qing.

"Since you already have a master, I will certainly not force you to choose another." He smiled and continued to persuade him, "But there is always the position of guest elder in my sect, and since my Fellow Daoist is already a Golden Core Dao Lord, how about becoming a guest elder in my sect?"

Yi Qing frowned uncertainly.

Xi Qiu immediately added, "Although guest elders are nominal sect members, we usually don't impose any restrictions on them. Fellow Daoist can still travel like you did before. Only, you can expect help from my sect during your travels. For instance, we can assist in matters such as releasing souls from Gonfalons, saving you much trouble. Just instruct my disciples to bring them back to our sect."

Indeed, being a member of a sect did have its benefits. More than anything, one only had to look at the matter of Rui Mi. If he had had the support of a sect, he could have solved the problem before the Soul Devouring Gonfalon gave birth to the Ghost King.

"Besides, my sect always gives our guest elders special treatment." Xi Qiu continued to try and persuade him. "You can choose whatever cultivation technique you want from our Dao Repository. We will also provide a separate cave abode and a monthly supply of spirit stones and elixirs. If you have any other requests, please feel free to bring them up."

"Are meals provided?" Yi Qing was just about to refuse when Shen Ying suddenly popped a question.

"What?" Xi Qiu was momentarily stumped. What kind of request was that?

A thought suddenly struck Yi Qing who had been unmoved by Xi Qiu's speech until that point. There was an contrite expression on his face. He had forgotten that master had not had breakfast yet. This reflected badly on his competency as a disciple.

"Sect Master Xi, does your sect provide your disciples with a daily supply of food such as spirit rice and fruit?" he asked solemnly.

"Yes, we do..." Is this a very important condition? Isn't food only required by outer sect disciples who are yet to practice Grain Liberation? "If you like, you can obtain it from the Outer Affairs Hall."

"Okay, I'm in!"

"Huh! Huh?" You agreed just like that... don't you need to think it over?

!!!∑(゚Д゚ノ)ノ

"Sect Master, I must trouble you to arrange a place with a kitchen." Yi Qing clasped his hands in a show of thanks.

"Alright..." A bemused Xi Qiu called over a disciple to lead the way.

However, Yi Qing's group was already rushing out of the hall with the disciple. Though they were some distance away, the gist of their conversation could still be heard.

"I'm famished!"

"Fellow Daoist, please lead the way quickly. My master is hungry."

"How much longer?"

"Master, don't worry. We are almost there."

"Oh, please make soup today. I have been hungry for too long, so I need to warm my belly."

"Yes Master, no problem Master!"

Xi Qiu: "..."

Xi Chen: "..."

Hall masters: "..."

What should they make of this oddball master and disciple?

————————

An array formation was spread throughout the Jing Qing Hall. In the middle of the golden array formation, a black flag fluttered in the windless air. A great mass of Ghost Qi was surging inside the flag. There was a broken formation in the center, but not a trace of Ghost Qi could be seen outside.

Four Nascent Soul Elders sat nearby, looking at the flag in shock.

"What is going on? Why is our sorcery totally useless?" Xi Chen frowned and looked at the ghost flag in the center. "If we don't release the evil spirits, we can't purge the Ghost Qi inside. The seal on the flag surface is already torn, but why is there still no sign of any ghosts emerging?"

"The flag was definitely made by Rui Mi who has always been a cunning one. There must be a mystery in the flag that we have yet to figure out." Xi Qiu replied with a serious expression on his face.

"What is to be done now? If it goes on like this, the Ghost Qi will only grow stronger."

Xi Qiu flexed his hands tensely before looking to Xi Chen and saying, "I'd better ask Uncle-Master to come. He was always the expert in array formations."

Xi Chen immediately took out a Dharmic talisman and formed a hand seal. In the blink of an eye, the Dharmic talisman turned into a stream of light and flew outside. It wasn't long before the hall rang with the sound of a male voice. "What is it that you urgently need to see me about?"

A figure had suddenly appeared in the hall. He looked extremely young, clad in a long and white gown over a blue outfit, and held a jade flute in his hands. Sporting shoulder-length hair, he had a handsome face and his whole body exuded an aura of Spirit Cleansing Qi. He seemed like an immortal untouched by earthly concerns, giving off the impression that he might ascend into heaven in the very next moment.

"We pay our respects to Uncle-Master Lonemoon!" The four men got up and saluted.

"Hmm." He nodded, still wearing that expression of saintly indifference. Looking around, he set his sights on the flag above. "Soul Devouring Gonfalon! Why is it here? Have you gotten rid of that Fiendish Cultivator?"

"With all due respect Uncle-Master, Rui Mi is indeed dead, but we didn't kill him." Xi Qiu bowed and explained, "He was killed by an itinerant cultivator who delivered the flag here to be purged of its Ghost Qi."

"Hmm." Lonemoon responded calmly, and at the same time formed a hand seal in passing before directing it at the flag. There was still no response from the flag—it did not so much as tremble.

"Huh?" Lonemoon was stunned. This Soul Devouring Gonfalon could actually resist the sorcery of a Soul Formation cultivator.

"Uncle-Master, the four of us have just tried the same thing. No matter what spell we used, this ghost flag still did not respond. I wonder why?" Xi Qiu elaborated.

"Maybe it's because of the seal formation on the flag." Lonemoon looked up at the flag with a frown, scrutinizing it closely. After a while he commented, "I do not know who laid this formation. It seems broken, yet it wields such great power."

A thought struck Xi Qiu and he immediately said, "This may have been caused by the Sword Dao."

"Sword Dao?" asked Lonemoon, turning around.

"He is a Golden Core Dao Lord, and he has quite a reputation among the itinerant cultivators," Xi Qiu said laughingly. "He has joined our sect as a guest elder. His name is Yi Qing."

"What!" Lonemoon exclaimed, unable to maintain his usual calm demeanor. "What did you say his name was?"

Xi Qiu was puzzled. He could not understand why Uncle-Master was so shocked, but he repeated it nevertheless. "Sword Cultivator Yi Qing."

"Yi Qing, his name is really Yi Qing. Where is he now?!" Growing increasingly excited, Lonemoon urged Xi Qiu for an answer.

A bewildered Xi Qiu pointed the way. "At Yingyuan Peak..."

Before he could finish speaking, the man in front of him had flown off like a gust of wind.

The remaining four looked at each other wonderingly for some time before they finally returned to the matter at hand.

"Uncle-Master, the Soul Devouring Gonfalon..." What now?

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Chapter 15: Supremacy Fights Over Disciple

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Flying at record speed, Lonemoon soon reached Yingyuan Peak. It was only then that he realized that he had not asked Xi Qiu which cave it was. He had to scan the whole mountain peak using his Divine Perception before finding an unfamiliar figure in a small yard below the mountain peak.

After taking a moment to settle his mind, he made a beeline for his target. He heard the beating of his heart which he had not heard in a long time. It had been three hundred years, a full three hundred years! The person he had been waiting so long for had finally appeared.

Flexing his hands, Lonemoon took a deep breath in an effort to restore his usual placid expression before entering the small courtyard. Finally, he was going to see the person who was going to become the greatest fighter of the Three Azure Realms, the Sword Immortal Yi Qing. Raising his head, his eyes followed the trail of the Sword Qi. He had no idea what Yi Qing actually looked like and what he was doing at this moment. Perhaps he was practicing his swordsmanship, or perhaps he was trying to fathom Sword Intent, or perhaps... he was cooking?!

Huh?

What? He's cooking! And this is the greatest fighter of the Three Azure Realms, the Sword Immortal?! Isn't this taking humbleness a little too far?

(╯‵□′)╯(┻━┻

Lonemoon felt as if something was blocking his throat, and a stream of blood suddenly spewed out from his mouth. He was blind. He must be blind!

"Hey 'Qin'. Are you finished 'Qin 1 '?"

"Master, wait a moment. It will be ready in a moment." The spatula in Yi Qing's hand moved at an even greater speed.

"Remember to add more meat."

"Yes Master, no problem Master!"

Lonemoon: "..." One could almost hear a faint shattering sound of disillusionment.

He stood in front of the yard for a whole quarter of an hour until the figure in the kitchen walked into the house at a brisk pace with his vegetables. It was then that he remembered his purpose in coming here. At present, Yi Qing was still a Golden Core cultivator and not the future immortal of the Three Azure Realms. So if Yi Qing was not quite what he had imagined him to be, it was reasonable. Totally reasonable.

He closed his gaping mouth and walked in.

"May I have the honor of knowing the Supremacy who has just arrived?" The person inside the house turned around to look at him. He had discovered Lonemoon's presence even before he had stepped in.

Lonemoon felt a little more settled, and a hint of appreciation crossed his eyes. Yi Qing was only a Golden Core cultivator yet he could tell Lonemoon's cultivation level with a look, indicating that his Spirit Qi was highly developed. All at once, he felt the pang of his disappointment lessen a little.

"Lonemoon." He replied curtly with his hands behind his back, still wearing that cold expression.

"So you are Supremacy Lonemoon." A flash of surprise showed in Yi Qing's eyes, and he immediately got up to give a salute. Everyone in the Immortal Cultivator world knew the name of Lonemoon—he was an Immortal Cultivator prodigy. It was said that he took only three hundred years before reaching level of Soul Formation. He was one of the three Soul Formation Supremacies in Blackheaven Sect. Although his cultivation level was not as high as the other Supremacies, he was the only Sword Cultivator among them. No one could defeat him in actual battle. Yi Qing, being a Sword Cultivator, had naturally paid attention to this man.

As if accustomed to the surprise of others, Lonemoon asked coolly, "You are the one they call the Golden Core Sword Cultivator?"

"I am indeed a Sword Cultivator." Although he didn't know the other party's intentions, Yi Qing still nodded without any reservations.

Lonemoon swept his eyes at him. "You are an Innate Sword Embodiment. You are indeed most suitable to be a Sword Cultivator."

Yi Qing brows tightened, somewhat surprised. This was the first time someone had been able to tell that he was an Innate Sword Embodiment at one glance.

"You don't have to worry about it." As if he could tell what Yi Qing was worried about, Lonemoon said, "Innate Sword Embodiments are rare no doubt, but to me they are nothing special." An Innate Sword Embodiment represented the perfect quality to being a Sword Cultivator; it was something coveted by many people. Looking at Yi Qing's expression, Lonemoon guessed he had encountered such situations before.

"May I know what matter that Supremacy has come for?"

Lonemoon took a step forward before answering, "Since you have entered my Blackheaven Sect, I will of course not reveal your Innate Sword Embodiment to others. Sword cultivation is no easy task. From today onwards, I would like you to join our sect to become my personal disciple."

"That's not necessary."

"You don't have to thank me, I just... What did you say?!" Lonemoon paused, and swallowed back the words that had come to his mouth. Did he hear it wrongly? A Soul Formation cultivator wanted to take him as a disciple. Yet he... he actually declined! His trademark cool expression stiffened, and he blurted out questioningly, "Why?"

Before Yi Qing could answer, a female voice suddenly cut in. "Because—" This was followed by the sound of food being swallowed. "—I am his teacher."Seems like this is another case of chef snatching.

"What?" It was then that he saw a woman sitting at the wooden table in the room, her clothes unkempt and hair dishevelled, clutching a pair of chopsticks. Suddenly, he remembered a certain long-lost term—foodie!

Who was this person? He made a quick search through the names in his memory, but found that none of them matched.

When Lonemoon first came here, he had been so shocked by the sight of Yi Qing stir-frying food that he had missed what they were saying. He would never have thought that this woman without any Spirit Qi was actually Yi Qing's teacher. The Sword Immortal has a master? This wasn't in the script!

"You are..."

"She is my master, Shen Ying," Yi Qing answered with a respectful look on his face, not forgetting to give her another bowl of rice.

Lonemoon's mouth twitched a little. He really had not expected that Yi Qing would already have a master and that their relationship would be so strong. He looked up and down at the girl who was still eating like crazy, but he was still unable to assess the depth of her skills. He decided to probe subtly.

"Little sister... Miss, pardon my ignorance, but may I know what your cultivation level is at?"

"I don't know." By the way, what the hell is cultivation?

She doesn't know, so it seems that she really hasn't practiced immortal cultivation!

"Then are you good at sword techniques?"

"No!" Shen Ying replied honestly.

"Weapon refinement?"

"No."

"Elixirs?"

"Never heard of it."

"Beast riding?"

"Nope!"

"..." Yet you have the cheek to take in a disciple!

凸(艹皿艹)

Lonemoon's thoughts took a turn and he came to the same conclusion as Xi Qiu had: this girl had to be Yi Qing's master from before he started immortal cultivation. So she really was a mortal. With that thought in mind, he felt reassured.

"You are indeed an empathetic and righteous person." He nodded at Yi Qing in appreciation. "Since that's the case, I'll permit you to continue taking care of her even after you join my sect." As the saying went: 'Once your teacher, forever your teacher'. He could understand Yi Qing's feelings for his teacher.

"Supremacy, you misunderstand. I have no plans to look for another master."

"You..." Lonemoon was a little angry now. He was, after all, a Soul Formation cultivator. He had taken the initiative to take him on as a disciple, yet Yi Qing had the gall to reject him again and again. Even if he was the future Sword Immortal, he did not have to put on such high airs. "Although the saying 'Once your teacher, forever your teacher' is not wrong, it does not apply to those who practice immortal cultivation as they are different from mortals. For the sake of your immortal future, you should forgo traditional proprieties."

"Supremacy, please leave!" Yi Qing frowned, showing a hint of anger. "I, Yi Qing, though only a Golden Core cultivator, will never do anything to betray my master." And so saying, he turned solemnly to Shen Ying and said, "Master, please be assured. I will remain your disciple for the rest of my life."

The subject of his pledge merely mumbled, "Oh oh oh..." and continued guzzling her food.

"You... why can't I knock sense into your stubborn head?" Lonemoon was so angry that he started pacing back and forth. He really wanted to say, 'Do what you like,' and turn and leave. But for the sake of his future, he had to latch onto Yi Qing's coattails. Taking a deep breath, he continued, "I say, Brother, I'm doing this for your own good. I am a Soul Formation cultivator of a sect, and as my disciple you would automatically become a rich second generation. You could have anything you desire. Aren't you almost at the point of attaining Sword Intent? I can help you!"

"That's not necessary. My master's knowledge is enough to last me an entire lifetime." Yi Qing was completely unmoved. With a look of pride, he said, "I don't need to look for another master."

"You..." Seeing that Yi Qing did not take the bait, he resorted to psychological warfare. "If your master knows what's good for you, she will also want you to become an apprentice under me. She is only a mortal after all. What the heck does she know about immortal cultivation. In the future, if you..."

"Supremacy, please choose your words with care." Yi Qing thumped the table fiercely. He seemed provoked. "My master knows a lot, and not just anybody can impose judgement on her." You can criticize me, but not my master!

Lonemoon was dumbfounded. Sensing that Yi Qing would turn against him if he said another word, he quickly changed his tune. "My apologies, I spoke out of turn." Turning around, he saw Shen Ying still calmly eating her food. Another idea came to him. He would have to throw a curveball to save the situation. "Sister... Yi Qing is indeed a rare talent. If he accepts me as his master, his future will know no bounds. I know his reluctance is due to his loyalty to you. Maybe you can help me to persuade him."

At last, Shen Ying stopped eating and looked up at him, blinking her eyes. I say... I know you people in the immortal circle like to headhunt, but do you really expect me, his boss, to help you as well?

"Don't worry, I have only the best intentions for him. Feel free to air any doubts you have," Lonemoon added hurriedly.

"All right!" Shen Ying sighed, holding up her chopsticks. "I only have one question."

"Ask away!"

"How long has it been since you transmigrated?"

"Not long, only about three hundred years."

"... Oh."

A while later...

Lonemoon: "Oh no!"

Σ(°△°|||)

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Chapter 16: No Need to Expose

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Master. Supremacy Lonemoon is here again," Yi Qing said hesitantly as he put away the cutlery.

"Oh," lazily responded the person laying on the table, having eaten her fill.

"It has already been the fifth day." Yi Qing continued, "He stood by the door everyday, but for some reason does not come in." If he wanted to stand, let him be. The plant at the entrance was already balding because of him plucking its leaves.

"Perhaps exposing him in front of everyone was a little too much!" Shen Ying could not be bothered. She turned away and continued to lay there. "Just get used to it and it will be fine."

"Expose?" Taken aback, he suddenly recalled that five days ago, Master had indeed asked a question which resulted in Supremacy Lonemoon dashing out in a hurry. Ever since then, he had begun to wear an expression that suggested constipation, and stood by their door daily. "Oh right, Master mentioned transmigration that day... What does that mean?" Could it be some kind of high level Dharmic Dao?

"This... explaining might be a little troublesome." Shen Ying furrowed her brows before continuing, "You can understand it as... that he came from the same hometown as me."

Shocked, Yi Qing said, "So he and Master actually has such an affinity!" No wonder Supremacy Lonemoon came over here everyday but did not come in—it was all because of the affection and sentiment towards his hometown that made him want to look for Master to reminisce it.

Wait a moment!

If he were from the same hometown as Master, Lonemoon must have heard of how formidable Master was. Previously, he wanted to get him as his disciple so perhaps he did not recognize her but, now that it was out in the open, could it be that... recalling the past events gave rise to his admiration and worship of Master, and made him want to... also become Master's disciple?!

o(?Д?)っ!

Yi Qing's heart wrenched at the thought and felt stuffiness in his chest. The figure by the door immediately became an eyesore; he had only just managed to become Master's disciple yet people were already being envious.

With this thought in mind, he quickly finished washing the dishes, summoned out his spiritual sword and plunged down onto his knees before the table.

"What are you doing?" Shen Ying was shocked.

Yi Qing raised his head with anticipation. "Master, please impart me the ways of cultivation."

Shen Ying stiffened up and she shed a drop of sweat. It's here. The chef wants to start learning skills. Cultivation... what exactly was cultivation? Now what? It was time to get what she deserved for all those times she acted cool!

Σ(っ°Д°;)っ

"That... isn't so urgent right?"

"It cannot be considered a matter of urgency," he said with a face of conviction. "But thanks to Master's sympathy and understanding from before, I have completely recovered, and my Spirit Qi is also back to normal. I am ready to practice cultivation."

"You... are sure that you can?" Please don't. I can still be more sympathizing.

"Yes!" He nodded hard. But looking at Shen Ying's awkwardness, he suddenly thought of something. "Master, is your body not alright?"

"Uh... No..." Is feeling sleepy after eating till full considered not alright?

He breathed a sigh of relief then said, "Master, please give me your guidance."

"..."

"Master, are you worried about my current level of swordsmanship?" guessed Yi Qing, seeing that she did not reply for a while. "It's my negligence. How about we change location and I can demonstrate for Master to see. Perhaps you can then guide me from the side?"

"Uh... Oh." Could she even refuse?

Yi Qing stood up immediately, his face lit with excitement as he formed a hand seal before habitually bringing Shen Ying along on his sword and flew out of the peak.

The Blackheaven Sect was located on the Black Sea. The entire sect floated above the waters and below it were thousands of islands of different sizes. Yi Qing landed directly on the largest one. Compared to the other islands, it had a flatter terrain and there was a large area with rocks stretching for 5 kilometers; it was indeed a great location for practicing the sword.

It seemed that Yi Qing had done his fair share of research on the land the past few days. He was indeed a diligent and eager chef... disciple.

However...

"Why did you follow us?" Shen Ying turned to glance back. Right behind them was Lonemoon, dressed in blue and white with his show-off attitude.

"Who are you to care!" Lonemoon rolled his eyes. He couldn't even be bothered to act well-learned and totally just let himself loose. "Aren't you going to teach your student? The whole Blackheaven Sect is my territory. Are you going to charge me for watching?"

"..." Shen Ying's mouth twitched. Did this fellow eat an explosive? He had an entirely different attitude from before.

Lonemoon was truly angry. He had lived in this world for a few hundred years and the journey had been rather smooth sailing. He was also extremely lucky as his cultivation of immortality easily led him to the Soul Formation stage. He even thought that his whole life would continue to be as smooth. In his heart, he almost thought of himself as the main lead of a transmigration story. Although he later found out the truth of this world, that wasn't much of a concern to him.

On the day that his identity was exposed, in all honesty, he was truly shocked. He had wanted to verify her identity but at the same time was afraid. Such an unexpected revelation that he was not all-powerful took away the only bit of sweet joy in him. Who could understand that?! Who could understand that?!

щ(゚Д゚щ)

He had fallen into contemplation for five full days before reluctantly accepting this fact. Finally recovering from the shock, it was obvious that the individual named Shen Ying was just like him and also knew about the storyline. Moreover, she had been one step ahead in making the same decision as him. This also meant that his plan was freaking intercepted.

(╯‵□′)╯(┻━┻

The more he brooded over it, the angrier he felt. He took several deep breaths before holding back the resentment and said, "Hey, I was looking for you to discuss a matter. Follow me and let's talk about it."

Shen Ying was caught by surprise. But before she could answer, Yi Qing stepped forward and seemingly blocked the path between the two of them. "Master is going to teach me cultivation, so I am afraid now is not a good time. If Supremacy has some matters to discuss, perhaps you can come back another day." Hmph, don't think I don't know that you are here to become her disciple.

Lonemoon was taken aback by his interference. Was this an illusion? Why did it feel like the future Sword Immortal had murderous intent towards him? This was all Shen Ying to blame. She must have said something to cause this misunderstanding between the Sword Immortal and him, this scheming bitch!

"It will only take a while."

"Master is not free."

"You can train later."

"Matters such as cultivation cannot be carried out sloppily."

"I have serious matters."

"Supremacy, please forgive me!"

Lonemoon: "..." That scheming Shen!

Yi Qing: "..." I am the rightful disciple of Master!

Shen Ying: "..." Oh, if the both of you continue a while more, it will be time to go back for dinner.

"Alright, alright, alright, you teach. I'll just remain silent okay?" Finally, Lonemoon stepped back and glared at Shen Ying. "Aren't you going to teach your disciple? You teach, you teach!" He wanted to see what she could actually teach. Don't think that he did not know. She was just a mortal, so how could she know the Immortality Sword Dharma. She must have uttered some nonsense to get the Sword Immortal to come under her wing. Now was the perfect time to expose her. Wait till Yi Qing saw her true colors, then he could still get him to become his disciple.

Yi Qing then turned around and took hold of his spiritual sword and said, "Master, the sword technique that I am cultivating now is called the Dang Tian tactic. It is a Sword Dharma that I invented. Master, please provide me with your guidance!"

As he said this, he took a couple of steps forward and started to showcase his swordsmanship. Every movement of his sword was very sharp, the brilliant gleams given off by the sword enveloping the whole island and causing the large patches of sand and stones on the ground to be blasted away. His figure disappeared amid the flashing strokes of his blade as if he had merged with the Sword Dharma.

Lonemoon became more intrigued as he watched. This was the Sword Dharma that the Sword Immortal Yi Qing was famed for. These simple strokes by themselves contained so much power, so the addition of Spirit Qi had to be able to make them at least ten times more powerful. There already existed a shadow of Sword Intent within every sword move—it was no wonder he was able to defeat Rui Mi despite the difference in their levels.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Chapter 17: False Epiphany

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Yi Qing demonstrated this set of sword techniques for almost an hour. His movements were ever-changing and powerful. Although he had tried his best to rein in the force of his Sword Qi, the entire upper section of the island had been cleaved off by him by the time he finally withdrew his Qi.

"Master, this is the sword technique I usually use." Yi Qing turned towards Shen Ying, his fists cupped in respect. He looked straight at her with shining eyes.

Without really thinking, Shen Ying praised, "Ah, not bad!" It's just a little too slow.

"Thank you Master!" He grew even more emotional. "Please guide me."

"..." Flustered, Shen Ying began to perspire. What guidance could she give? She didn't know anything about sword techniques.

Noticing her predicament, Lonemoon smirked and said, "Yes, guide him, guide him."

"Er... this..."

"Master doesn't have a weapon on hand?" Yi Qing quickly passed her the spirit sword in his hand. "Excuse my oversight. Please use mine for the moment."

"..." Do you need to be so considerate?

"Quickly, guide him, guide him." The grin on Lonemoon's face widened even more. He gave her a nudge and said, "You need to hurry, the sun is going down soon."

"Master?"

Shen Ying looked at the sword in her hand. "Actually... I think you were just fine." I'm sure there's nothing that needs to be changed.

"Enough of this!" Before Yi Qing could reply, Lonemoon jeered, "Stop pretending. If you can impress me with a trick or two, you can be my master!"

"You?" Shen Ying glanced at him. "Can you cook?"

"I have never had to cook for myself."

"Oh, then I don't want you."

"You..." Who the hell wants to be your disciple!

(╯‵□′)╯(┻━┻

Shen Ying ignored him. She took two steps forward, looked at the flat island, and gripped the sword with her hands. How did the chef disciple wield the sword? Seemed like it needs to be raised first...

She lifted the sword directly with one hand and raised it above her head like she was holding a dumbbell. One couldn't discern any method behind her move, let alone a technique...

Oh! Lonemoon couldn't help laughing again, watching as Shen Ying was about to swing the sword down forcefully. He was waiting for her to make a fool of herself.

Suddenly, a hurricane seemed to form out of nowhere and the sword emitted a beam of light as bright as daylight, arching over the earth and across the sky. Shen Ying swung the sword down. There was a loud boom and the entire island was split in two. The beam of light continued to travel straight ahead, directly sweeping through the nearby Blackheaven Sect, splitting apart a mountain on the upper right of the sect, and then shooting straight into the sea before finally disappearing into the horizon.

The white clouds in the sky split apart and the entire surface of the sea suddenly sank. The waters of the sea parted, revealing a deep and bottomless crack that extended into the distance. It was as if the earth and sky had been sliced open by a sword. Everything was silent except for the sounds of water rushing through crack in the sea.

Yi Qing: "..."

Lonemoon: "..."

"Er..." I must have used too much force. Shen Ying scratched her head and then threw the sword back to the chef. "What's-your-name, what's for dinner tonight?"

The two men were dumbfounded. At last, the experienced Yi Qing was the first to return to his senses. He answered reflexively, "Ma Po... Tofu... I think?"Master is truly a master! (✪ω✪)

"Ok, when do we head back?"

"Right away. Since Master is tired today, shall I prepare another dish?"

"You really are a good chef... disciple!"

Lonemoon: You really are... a frightening woman.

Wait a minute! She just used the word chef? That was definitely what she said, right?!

"Why don't we head back to prepare dinner right now?"

"Master, wait!" Yi Qing took a deep breath and looked at Shen Ying with an expression of earnestness such as he had never shown before. "Please forgive your disciple's ignorance. I have yet to understand the intent behind this move of Master's."

"..." I didn't intend anything.

"Disciple does not understand. How could that simple move of Master's be so powerful?"

"Er..." Shen Ying's mouth twitched, thinking: how would I know? "Maybe I... have more strength?"

"Strength?"

Lonemoon: Are you kidding? Can something like this be done with mere strength?(╬̄皿̄)

"Have you not heard of it?" Shen Ying said seriously, "One strong man can overcome ten!"

Lonemoon: You obviously borrowed this saying from martial arts novels. Only a fool would believe you! 凸(艹皿艹)

"So what Master is saying is that as long as one has attained the capability, sword style and technique is not important!"

Lonemoon: You really believe that?! (°Д°)

"One strong man... can overcome ten? One strong man can overcome ten..." Yi Qing silently recited this to himself a few times. Suddenly, the Spirit Qi and Sword Qi in his body began to soar up and even the Spirit Qi in the surrounding began to surge in response.

Lonemoon: What, don't tell me you're having an epiphany? This is clearly a scam, Brother! ヽ(?Д?)?

"Chef, what's wrong with you?" Seeing that he remained unmoving after suddenly sitting down, Shen Ying couldn't help reaching her hand out to poke him.

"Don't touch him!" Lonemoon slapped her hand away. "He's having an epiphany. Interrupting him now will cause great danger." You can't even tell that, so what kind of a master are you! And now you don't even bother with the pretense over his title. Is it really wise to directly address him as Chef?

Suppressing his urge to complain, Lonemoon quickly formed a hand seal, setting up a heavy defensive array formation around Yi Qing. Epiphanies could be long or short and judging by his strong Spirit Qi and Sword Qi, it was probably a major epiphany. How long would it last? The worst thing to do during an epiphany was to interrupt it. This array formation was necessary, and to be on the safe side, he decided he should get back to the sect and ask the sect leader to arrange for some men to guard over him.

Turning around, Lonemoon took a glance at Shen Ying who was still wearing a blank look on her face. All at once his mouth twitched. Why did he suddenly feel that he did not want a disciple after all?

Lonemoon looked once again at the two halves of the island, at the sea that was still parted, and then at the mountain peak of Blackheaven Sect which had been split in two.

Wait a moment!

Why did he feel that the mountain peak looked a little familiar?

"Oh no! My Lingyun Peak!"

Σ(°△°|||)

————————

Five days later.

"I say, temp-..."

"Don't you dare call me a temp chef!" Without waiting for Shen Ying to finish her sentence, the figure stir-frying in the kitchen turned around fiercely. "Or believe me I will really thrash you!"

"Er..." Pausing, Shen Ying reworded her sentence. "What's-your-name, has my disciple woken up? It's been five days."

"Do you think an epiphany is something so simple?" Lonemoon glared at the person lying immobile on the stone table. "And I'm called Lonemoon, not 'What's-your-name'! I don't care if you can't remember the name of your own disciple, but I'm from your hometown, so you better remember mine!"

"Ah... I haven't eaten in five days." How can I remember names when I don't have any strength left.

"Five days..." Lonemoon threw the object in his hand straight at her. "Then what have you been eating these past few days? Pig swill?"

She caught it deftly and muttered, "It's worse than pig swill." Seeing that it was a spatula, she threw it back quickly. "Hurry up and stir, the food is turning mushy!"

Lonemoon's mouth trembled and something in his brain snapped. He raised his hand and flung the spatula to the ground. "What did you just say? I dare you to repeat it." He tore off his apron in a huff and stormed toward her. "I am a Soul Formation Supremacy who has never cooked for anyone, whether it be in my past or present life. You think I like to cook for you?! Whoever wants this job can have it. I quit!"

"But I didn't ask you to come." Wasn't he the one who came asking whether she needed anything? "Besides... didn't you ask me to wield that sword the other day?"

If she hadn't wielded that sword, her chef wouldn't have had an epiphany. If he hadn't had an epiphany, he would have been able to cook for her and she would not have had to eat Lonemoon's pig swill.

"You..." He would never have come here if his Lingyun Peak had not been split apart by her. Well, it was definitely not because he wanted to look for the only person from his hometown!

He took a deep breath. Forget it. I won't quibble with a woman.

Turning back, Lonemoon saw that she still looked about as alive as a half-dead chicken. The question in his mind surfaced again. "Hey Shen Ying, seriously... where does that terrifying ability of yours come from?" That stroke of her sword... had almost hacked heaven and earth apart.

"Didn't I tell you?" she replied lazily. "I don't know!"

"You really don't know?"

"Well, I was like that from the day I was transported here."

Lonemoon frowned. As far as he knew, no one was capable of parting the sea with a single blow of a sword. Even the most powerful Soul Formation cultivator in the world could not do it. She seemed like an ordinary mortal without any Spirit Qi in her entire body, and she didn't even possess a cultivator's basic response to Spirit Qi. But why did she have such strength? What was more outrageous was that she herself did not know why.

He thought for a long time, but as he still couldn't connect the dots, he gave up. Turning around and throwing a plate of mushy food in front of Shen Ying, he said, "Hurry up and eat. After eating, you have to go to the island to see how your disciple is getting on with his epiphany." Why do I feel like I've let myself in for unnecessary trouble? Or rather, two big troubles of the type that fills the heart with worry.

Shen Ying poked at the mound of mush before her, but did not pick it up with her chopsticks. Her disgust deepened, and her expression openly conveyed how she felt about this 'pig swill'. She would have continued poking at it but as it appeared that someone was about to leave in a huff, she had no choice but to stuff it into her mouth.

It's really hard to eat... but it's better than what I cook!

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Chapter 18: Purging the Ghost King

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Finally finished with the meal, Lonemoon was about to drag this lazy bum to the sea island when a disciple rushed over and greeted hurriedly, "Greetings, Supremacy!"

"You are a disciple of the Main Peak?" Lonemoon furrowed his brows. "Why is Xi Qiu looking for me?"

"Supremacy, Sect Master said that the Soul Devouring Gonfalon is undergoing strange changes and would like for Supremacy to hurry over to examine it."

"The Soul Devouring Gonfalon has not been purged?!" Lonemoon was shocked. Three days ago, he had already set up a huge purge array; logically speaking, the demon souls inside the gonfalon should have been purged no matter how powerful they were. Could something unforeseen have occurred again?

"Let's go to Jing Qing Hall!" He signaled towards the disciple. But just as he was about to ride his sword, he thought for a bit before turning around and grabbed Shen Ying aboard. "No sleeping! Didn't you bring that gonfalon over here? Come and take a look with me!"

"..." So troublesome.

The both of them flew over to Jing Qing Hall swiftly. The moment they stepped in, Xi Qiu came over wearing a grave expression.

"Uncle-Master!" Xi Qiu cupped his fists and bowed. He turned and pointed towards the inside of the hall. "You have finally arrived. Come and have a look at the Soul Devouring Gonfalon."

Lonemoon looked up and saw that the eerie gonfalon was indeed still floating above, looking as black as ink; it had not changed a single bit since three days ago. The huge purge array he had set up on the ground was still gleaming with a white glow, while the rest of the hall masters sat around the array powering the Spirit Qi.

"What? Could it be that the Ghost Qi in this gonfalon is immune to my array formation?"

"No, that is not the case!" Xi Qiu quickly explained, "But we are not sure why the demon souls never came out of this gonfalon even when their Spirit Qi was eroded by the array formation, which was why they could not be completely purged."

"What? Even the purge array cannot force the demon souls out?" Did they want their souls to be pulverized into non-existence by staying inside the gonfalon?

"You are right." Xi Qiu's expression became graver. "Demon souls are most afraid of Spirit Qi. Now that three days have passed and they have yet to come out, I'm guessing that this gonfalon may already have a Ghost King."

"The Ghost Qi of a Ghost King is overwhelming, but this gonfalon... seems very clean!" It was too clean to be exact, with not a bit of Ghost Qi seeping out at all. This was also the reason they did not inquire clearly of Yi Qing about the Soul Devouring Gonfalon in the beginning, thinking that it was nothing serious. But now that he wanted to ask, Yi Qing was having an epiphany.

"Perhaps this is a special Ghost King!" Xi Qiu continued, "Legend has it that a Ghost King has a formidable power different from the rest of the demon souls. Moreover, the day of its birth can cause the earth and sky to transform, bringing about strange changes. Five days ago, the waters of the Black Sea suddenly parted in the middle and an island on the sea along with Uncle-Master's Ling Yun Peak were simultaneously destroyed. Perhaps that was the sign of a Ghost King being born."

"..."

Lonemoon's mouth twitched as he understood what was being talked about. He faintly felt his forehead gathering wrinkles as he patted Xi Qiu's shoulder and said, "Xi Qiu, you think too much." No one else was clearer as to how Ling Yun Peak had disappeared than him! It was certainly because he did not have time to explain... absolutely not because it was too embarrassing to mention.

(ー' ́ー)

"But besides the birth of the Ghost King, what could have caused the earth and sky to transform?" Xi Qiu looked blank.

"Any... anyway, it has got nothing to do with the Ghost King! Rest assured, I will resolve this matter with the Soul Devouring Gonfalon." He was suddenly not worried about what ghost was inside the Soul Devouring Gonfalon. He raised his head and looked at the gonfalon in the air, formed a hand seal and kept the gonfalon. Even upon taking a closer look, apart from the dilapidated array formation that could not be seen clearly, he still could not notice anything special about it.

"Hey, Shen Ying." He turned and nudged the sleepy person beside him. "Wasn't this gonfalon sent over here by your chef... pooh, disciple? What's this array formation on its top, do you have any clue?"

"Huh?" Shen Ying was dumbfounded. As she received the gonfalon, she asked, "What does array formation mean?"

"Array formation is... Wait a second!" Lonemoon was about to explain but all of a sudden his eyes widened as he looked at the object in her hand. "This gonfalon... moved?!"

The gonfalon that had not budged for the past few days suddenly trembled and started to sway in Shen Ying's hands as if flapping wildly from being blown by a strong wind.

"Shen Ying, what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" Shen Ying held up the gonfalon curiously. "Huh, why is it dripping water? Was this soaked in water?" The gonfalon was suddenly soaking wet, dripping from the water seeping out of it.

"Don't move!" Lonemoon quickly held onto her hand. "Listen, there's a sound!"

Everyone present became silent; there was indeed a tiny sound ringing within the hall. It was extremely soft as if holding back on purpose, and the sound was heard on and off: Waa... Waawaa... Waawaa...

Huh?! Why did he feel that this sound... sounded like sobbing?!

(ᄑ_ᄑ)

"Not good, it's the Ghost King's sound attack!" Xi Qiu immediately jumped back as if confronted by a formidable enemy. He shouted to the people in the hall, "Quick, set up a barrier!"

The rest of the four hall masters' expressions tensed up and they stepped back. One after another, they lit up the golden defensive barrier surrounding them. Xi Qiu explained while he removed the seal, "The Ghost King's sound attack targets the primordial spirit directly. It is not to be belittled!"

The rest of the hall masters supported this in succession.

"Never did I imagine this gonfalon to have a Ghost King. Uncle-Master, be careful!"

"Uncle-Master, quickly place the gonfalon back into the array. We must not let the Ghost King's sound attack be transmitted!"

"That's right Uncle-Master! Although you are at Soul Formation stage, you must not be careless! It is best to use a barrier!"

"The sound attack will only grow more powerful. You are alright now, but in a while it may be too late."

"Uncle-Master!"

"Uncle-Master!" x N!

The sound coming out from the gonfalon was indeed growing louder; compared to the previous almost indistinguishable noises that were being made, now it was already so loud that it was jarring. The entire hall was filled with the sounds made by the Ghost King from within the gonfalon. It cried out with deep emotions to its heart content, letting itself loose:Waawaawaawaawaawaawaa...

Shen Ying: "..."

Lonemoon: "..."

This is the sound of crying right? This is obviously the sound of crying!

Wait a moment!

Could the water from the gonfalon be tears? The Ghost King's tears!! (⊙_⊙)

Suddenly, he experienced a moment of eureka and an absurd thought flashed across his mind as he stiffly turned his head towards the person beside him. "You... what did you do to the Ghost King?"

That person looked blank as she tilted her head. "What's a Ghost King?" Had she seen it before?

"..."

At those words of hers, the sobbing from the gonfalon grew louder with anguish, and the droplets of water lined up and seeped out of the gonfalon.

Shen Ying looked at the black gonfalon in disdain but felt it would be rude to directly throw away an item given to her by another. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she said, "Too noisy! If you want to cry, come out and cry!" And following that, she shook the gonfalon.

All of a sudden, a copious amount of black gas burst out of the gonfalon.

It... came out!

(⊙_⊙)

In addition, it was the kind that rolled out in lumps.

The black gas landed and showed its form. A hundred feet tall. Green face with jagged teeth. Fierce-looking, bloody mouth. Large, bulging and bloodshot eyeballs seeming capable of devouring the soul of a human. It would have looked extremely terrifying...

If... It weren't kneeling on the ground.

(꒪Д꒪)ノ

The Ghost King was down on both its knees, its sharp claws laid properly on its legs in the most proper posture it could manage. Two streams of unknown liquid were leaking from the large and bloodshot eyes on its large face, but on the other hand the sound was now gone. Its sharp and jagged teeth capable of crushing souls were biting on its bottom lip, and it was wearing a pathetic look that seemed as if it wanted to cry but dared not.

Lonemoon: "..."

Xi Qiu: "..."

Hall masters: "..."

What exactly... was this ghost?

The hall remained silent for five minutes, and the entire place was filled with the sounds of tears being dripped onto the ground by a certain ghost: pitter-patter, pitter-patter...

"No wonder... it's my Uncle-Master!" The first to recover from the shock was Xi Qiu. It was unknown as to what he was thinking, but his face beamed with delight as he looked at Lonemoon. "This Ghost King was indeed drawn out by you."

"..." Lonemoon's mouth twitched. What has that got to do with me, wasn't it obviously shaken out by Shen Ying?

"Uncle-Master was right. Previously, I overestimated this Ghost King. Who would have known that under the coercion of Uncle-Master, it would not be able to even stand up."

"No, I can't suppress it." It was totally not afraid of him?

"Uncle-Master, you need not be so humble. It was all thanks to your help. The Ghost King did not come out all this while because it was too afraid of Uncle-Master."

"Are all of you... blind?"

Just as he was about to explain, the ground suddenly shook—Sword Qi seemed to emerge from all directions and the Spirit Qi in the air began to move towards a certain direction out of the door.

"This Spirit Qi..." Lonemoon turned to look at the person beside him. "Shen Ying, your chef... pooh, Yi Qing's epiphany was a success." He then quickly pulled her out of the door and said, "Quick, look at that!"

"Uncle-Master, that Ghost King..." Xi Qiu urgently called out.

"Since it's already out, I shall leave it to all of you to purge it!" Lonemoon replied and disappeared at the door.

Xi Qiu squinted at the Ghost King in the middle of the hall. Was he seeing an illusion? Why did it feel like after Uncle-Master left, even the Ghost King heaved a sigh of relief? Even its tears stopped flowing out?!

Uncle-Master was indeed formidable!

"Oh right, just now beside Uncle-Master... there seemed to be someone. Do any of you know who it is?"

"I have never seen that person before. Uncle-Master called that person Shen... Shen something? I didn't take a good look, so I'm not really sure as to that person's gender?"

"Forget it, not important. Let's conduct the array!"

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Chapter 19: General Knowledge of the Cultivation Realm

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Lonemoon brought Shen Ying along as they flew directly towards that lone island. The Sword Qi became denser as they got closer; the Sword Qi had enveloped the island within a radius of 1.5 kilometers. He could only stop in midair to look at the island ahead that was engulfed in the powerful Sword Qi. The Spirit Qi in the air was growing denser as if being drawn by something. They were combining with the Sword Qi and moving towards the island, seemingly compressing to become something solid.

"Why are you not moving?" Shen Ying stretched out her hand to poke the person in front of her.

"Do you want to die!" He looked back and rolled his eyes. "Do you not see the sky full of Sword Qi? It would be a miracle to not get slashed into pieces!"

"Sword Qi?" Shen Ying tilted her head. What's that?

"During a Sword Cultivator's epiphany, he will release all the Sword Qi within him to realize the Dao. The Sword Qi at this time will not be within his primordial spirit's control and will attack anyone who comes near."

"... Oh."

"Why do you shake your head while saying 'oh'. If you didn't understand just tell me."

"I didn't understand."

"Damn it!" It was as he had thought. Lonemoon's mouth twitched as he scrutinized her. "Didn't you say you have already been in this world for almost four months? How can you not know anything? What have you been doing all these months?"

Shen Ying thought about it for a moment before listing what she had done out loud, "Eating sweet potato, rabbit meat, and... your pig's feed!"

"I am asking about what you understand? Not asking for your recipes!" Of course you spent these few months eating away, and what pig's feed? I am going to flip out. "Forget it! You only need to know that in this current situation, unless the Sword Qi is contained, we can only stop here."

"Oh." Could have just said that earlier!

"This kind of situation cannot last for long. Roughly 15 minutes is the longest." At the end of his words, the dense Sword Qi and Spirit Qi in the surroundings became reduced and were sucked into Yi Qing's body in a moment's time. A scar in the shape of a golden sword slowly surfaced between his brows.

"Alright, his Sword Intent is complete." Lonemoon heaved a sigh of relief. But just as he was about to fly over, a loud rumbling sound was heard accompanied by a white flash of lightning descending from the sky and striking right at the people below.

The previously sunny sky abruptly turned dark. As a storm began to rage, glaring crackles of lightning could be seen among the clouds as if something was brewing. The mountain peaks of Blackheaven Sect behind them lit up and formed an array, turning into a huge invisible shield that enveloped the entire sect within it.

"Protective mountain array!" Lonemoon was taken aback as the sky above had become completely dark. "This is... a Nascent Soul Lightning Tribulation. He has even achieved Nascent Soul Formation stage!" Holy shit, that was really quick! One session of epiphany and he had jumped from Golden Core stage to Nascent Soul Formation stage which was tantamount to pole-vaulting. "He is indeed the future's most powerful Sword Immortal."

"Sword Immortal?" Shen Ying was dazed for a while. One moment there was Sword Qi, and then in another moment there was a Sword Immortal. What exactly were these?

"Stop acting!" Lonemoon rolled his eyes at her. "Didn't you take him as your disciple because of this?"

"Nope."

"Cheh, do you dare say that you have never read the book Immortal Fate?"

"Never read it."

"How is that possible? If you didn't read the same book as I did, how did you transmigrate here?"

"I played an online game overnight, and when I woke up I was here."

"..."

After a minute.

"Holy shit!" He abruptly took a step back, almost falling off the sword. Balancing himself precariously, he pointed at her and said, "You... you... you really didn't transmigrate through the book? Then... then why did you take Yi Qing as your disciple!"

"Oh... because I was too lazy to dig a hole."

"..." What the hell?

Shen Ying tilted her head in ponderment, and then added, "He can cook!"

"..." Why did this reason not sound surprising at all?

"You really have no understanding of this world at all?!"

"What do I need to understand?"

"..." How did she survive until now with that stupid face of hers?!

Lonemoon's mouth twitched and his complexion changed several times like a palette for blending colors. It took him a while before he took a deep breath and then took out a fan Dharma artifact which turned into a gigantic fan, and he got her to sit on it.

"We can't return to the Blackheaven Sect right now. Let me teach you some general knowledge about this world, otherwise you wouldn't even know how you died." He cleared his throat and began, "Simply put, we are in a world called the Azure World. It consists of three large and small worlds, namely the Upper Azure World, Middle Azure World, and the Lower Azure World. The Upper Azure World has the densest Spirit Qi of all, followed by the Middle and the Lower Azure World having the least. That's why most of the people in the Lower Azure World are mortals with few being cultivators. The highest form of cultivation is reaching the Nascent Soul stage. Rumor has it that the entire Lower Azure World has fewer than ten Nascent Soul cultivators."

Lonemoon gestured the number ten, and continued, "We are currently in the Middle Azure World, and over here there are less than 20 Soul Formation cultivators. The Middle Azure World has the Six Schools Three Sects, and the Blackheaven Sect is the leader of the Six Schools Three Sects and has three Soul Formation cultivators. Of course, I am one of them, and there are eight more within the rest of the Two Sects Six Schools."

"Oh, what about the last one?"

"The last one would be the Upper Azure World which I have never been to. It's rumored that the people there aren't friendly." Lonemoon furrowed his brows. "As compared to our Middle Azure World, that world has top notch cultivators from aristocratic families, not sects. The Spirit Qi is the densest there, and it is said that Nascent Soul cultivators are everywhere and Golden Core cultivators are worse off than dogs in that place."

"Oh..." Shen Ying nodded. "What's Spirit Qi?"

"..." Lonemoon felt a stuffiness in his chest, a mouthful of blood threatening to rush out of his mouth. He took a deep breath before it was kept under control.Keep your cool, she's still a newbie, albeit the rarely seen type. "Spirit Qi is something that cultivators require for cultivation. Just like how humans need to eat to survive, cultivators must breathe the Spirit Qi of the earth and heavens to improve their cultivation. All kinds of Dharma spells depend on how the Spirit Qi is manipulated."

"Alright."

"Cultivators have different cultivation methods, consisting of Dharmic cultivation, sword cultivation, body cultivation and so on... Besides those, there are also the methods that focus on life skills such as core cultivation for making cores, equipment cultivation for forging ironware, talisman cultivation for the making of talismans and such.. Yi Qing and I are both Sword Cultivators. Cultivation advancements consists of a few large realms. The beginner stage is called the Spirit Training phase. It is then split into Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul and Soul Formation. Within a large realm, there are ten levels of small realms. The first to third levels are the early-stages, fourth to eighth are the mid-stages, eighth and above are the late-stages, and the tenth level is considered to have reached perfection."

"What about... above Soul Formation?"

"Going above that level would be to advance to Immortal Ascension." He spread his hands open and said, "I heard that only those people in the Upper Azure World can advance to Immortal Ascension, but I am also unsure of how the process is like. Perhaps when I have perfected my Soul Formation, I will go to the Upper Azure World to take a look."

"Oh..." So this world really does have immortals. Interesting.

"These are some of the general knowledge in this world. How did you survive here for so long without knowing them?" Lonemoon expressed disdain for her ignorance once again. "What else would you like to know? On account of us being from the same hometown, let me help you a little."

"I have only one question."

"Speak!"

"The novel that you read, what exactly was it about?"

"..."

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Chapter 20: The Novel's Storyline

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Lonemoon had already transmigrated into this world of immortal cultivation for 300 years. The long time that he had spent in this world almost made him forget about his previous life in the other world. It was only after realizing that he had transmigrated into a book that those faraway memories began to surface.

He recalled that the book was his 16 years old niece's. She had always been a quiet girl from young, a princess-like little girl. There had been a period when she was always hugging that book, reading it countless times. Out of curiosity, he had taken a peek.

Since it was a novel that little girls would read, obviously it would not be of much depth. It was nothing beyond 'you love me, I love you', all about loving-till-death kind of stuff. He was always contemptuous of those kinds of ridiculous novels, yet this book had certain descriptions that were interesting and fresh, and he had finished it without even noticing.

After a lapse of many years, the details of the book had become blurred in his memory but the general idea of the storyline still left an impression on him. Yi Qing was one of the characters in the book, and he was an absurdly cool and super formidable character. When he was introduced in the story, he was already the greatest Sword Immortal of the Three Azure Realms, a character who truly was very powerful within the Three Azure Realms.

Although he knew the storyline, he realized that he was quite far back in the timeline before those events happened. Since they were both Sword Cultivators, it was no wonder that he grew curious of the Sword Immortal. He thought that even if he really were to meet him, it would be after his Immortal Ascension.

Never had he expected that he would meet Yi Qing so soon, and it was before he had become a Sword Immortal. He was extremely excited at that moment, and it was with almost no hesitation that he decided to cozy up to a certain powerful someone. He even came up with a perfect plan to invest in the most stable relationship with him—to get closer to him by becoming his master. Being the Sword Immortal's master would be such a cool and safe position; the thought of it was absolutely beautiful.

But he did not expect his perfect plan to be intercepted by someone else. More so by the same kind of person as him who had also transmigrated here. To be honest, in the beginning, he really hated this girl named Shen. He even dropped his gentlemanly demeanor, wanting to snatch Yi Qing over from her. In terms of strength, cultivation or luck, he did not lose out any bit. His immortal cultivation had been such a smooth journey that he could totally be considered a transmigration P2W player 1 . Little did he know that even though he could fake being a P2W player, someone else used a cheat! That slash of the sword by Shen Ying had not only sundered the sea, but also his fragile self-esteem.

Damn it, that cheat was too much for a P2W player! By right, he should have hated her more but perhaps he had lived in this world for too long, or perhaps he missed people from his hometown, or was tired of the ambiguity and how people from ancient times never expressed themselves clearly.

In any case, by the time he had reacted, he was already in the kitchen!

(T▽T)

Apart from Shen Ying, who else could he talk with when he had the urge to shout some holy shits, scold a few darn its, and also say fuck this, fuck that, and fuck everything. Who else, who else, who else?

Taking a step back, under the lack of administration for the game, it would be more beneficial to befriend the cheat than to become an opponent. Passing on general knowledge about the world was certainly the basic responsibilities of a friend. As a transmigration senior, he had hoped that the other party was surely just like him, someone who had read the book and understood the storyline before transmigrating over.

But he didn't expect that he had miscalculated again.

(╯‵□′)╯(┻━┻

Wasn't this the world of a single book? Why would other people have different ways of transmigrating? Why did the things that were taken for granted change the moment it concerned Shen Ying? Are you a freaking cheat or bug?!

More importantly, he had just taught her a bunch of general knowledge. Why did she circle back to the original question? What did you just listen to, did you even hear what I said?

"What kind of book is that?"

"..." Lonemoon's face stiffened as he thought of what the book described and felt a stuffiness in his chest.

"Novel?"

"Yeah... Forget, forget it." His mouth twitched before squeezing out these few words.

"Oh..." Shen Ying nodded. "What's written in it?"

"That was my niece's book, what else would be in there for books that little girls read?" he groaned. "Isn't it just some... stuff about girls and guys."

"A romance novel?"

"Um... not exactly?" He flushed, glaring at her impatiently. "Why are you asking for such details, it's none of your business right?"

"Is it some obscene content?"

"Ru-... rubbish, there's not a lot..."

"How much."

"Four to five chapters... Hey, I said it's not obscene content."

"I understand."

"You... why are you looking at me like that?" Lonemoon immediately exploded atop the fan. What did you even understand? "I already told you it was my niece's book, I didn't buy it! Why are you looking at me like that, do I look like someone who buys porn?"

"Yeah." Shen Ying patted his shoulders understandingly. "I understand. We're all adults."

"What do you know! It really wasn't porn, plus I only flipped a few pages accidentally. I didn't read it in detail." Although the obscene paragraphs had left quite the impression on him, he definitely did not remember the book because of that. "How would I have known that little girls nowadays actually like this kind of stuff. I never read them before."

"Yeah. One book is sufficient to last you for 300 years."

"..."

"Thank goodness your niece wasn't reading about gays!" Who knows what might have happened then.

"Shen Ying!"

(╯‵□′)╯(┻━┻

Could the game even continue like this?!

"Master?!" Lonemoon was just about to flip out when a familiar voice rang out.

Yi Qing had already completed his Lightning Tribulation and flown over. It was at that time that Lonemoon realized the tribulation clouds had dissipated and the surroundings had also resumed its brightness. Even the Blackheaven Sect's protective mountain array had also disappeared. Yi Qing was now exuding the pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator. It could be sensed especially clearly from the Sword Intent scar between his brows; looking at it once was enough to feel the Sword Intent seeping out. He had indeed successfully completed his Nascent Soul Formation and had become a Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator.

"Are you done?" Shen Ying glanced at him.

"Yes, your disciple has already completed his Nascent Soul Formation." Yi Qing bowed and his tone was filled with excitement that he could not hide. He did not expect that one session of epiphany would allow him to advance to Nascent Soul stage directly; moreover, it had been so smooth sailing. It was all due to Master's enlightenment. He indeed had a great Master. "It was all thanks to Master for protecting the Dharma for me."

"Ah..." Protecting Dharma? Did I?

Lonemoon's mouth twitched. Oh please, those arrays were set up by me. Where's the strong sensing powers of Spirit Qi! Sword Immortal, are you blind?

"Congratulations, Perfected Yi Qing, for successfully forming your Nascent Soul." Alright, you're the big shot. I'll put up with it.

"Supremacy." Yi Qing cupped his fists towards him and nodded. He was far more courteous yet less friendly towards him, drawing a clear line between him and his master.

"..." He was indeed being biased. That scheming Shen! ̄へ̄

"Is there food to eat?" Shen Ying asked suddenly.

The corner of Lonemoon's mouth twitched. Do you know nothing but eating? All you care about is food. (╬◣д◢)

"Master, please hold on."

Holy shit, you really do have food! 0ДQ

Yi Qing walked onto the fan, habitually opened the storage pouch by his side and as if by magic, he dug out chrysanthemum cakes, lotus flower biscuits, fish slices, golden milk cakes, small day cakes...

Where's the Sword Immortal? Why would you bring so many pastries? You are totally a chef!

"Go ahead and eat, no need to stand on ceremony!" Shen Ying nudged at Lonemoon's hands as she pointed at the all the pastries that filled the surface of the fan.

Lonemoon: "..."

(╯‵□′)╯(┻━┻

Who wants to freaking eat with you? Give me back my Sword Immortal!