Chapter Forty-Eight: Extraordinary Beauty and Remarkable Bearing

The bushes rustled, and Tu Mountain Ge looked over warily, only to see a tall, enchanting woman emerge from the undergrowth. She was dressed boldly and scantily, her crimson robe as bright as blood, resembling a seductive ghost of the wild forests, one that drained the very marrow from bones.

"You are... that..." Tu Mountain Ge scrutinized her for a moment, his expression suddenly turning grim. "You're Little Yu? Zhou Chuyu? Damn it! Are you out of your mind?!"

He burst into a furious tirade: "I don't know where you got this cultivation, but are you heartless? You want to kill the master? If not for him, you’d still be groveling under that old dog of Yang Mountain! Bastard! Cursed wench!"

"Noisy," Zhou Chuyu cast a sidelong glance, drew out a brilliantly colored Liuxiao Ruler, and, letting it fly, sent it hurtling straight for Tu Mountain Ge's crown.

He thrust his hands up, his divine power manifesting in rippling layers of light, but it only delayed the ruler a few heartbeats. The Liuxiao Ruler pierced through, about to smash into his head.

Seeing this, Chen Heng pointed a finger—clang!—his embryonic qi collided with the Liuxiao Ruler, its spiritual glow dispersing as it was knocked aside.

"What grade of embryonic qi is this?" Zhou Chuyu was inwardly startled. She hastily formed a seal, recalling the Liuxiao Ruler to shield her vital points.

Since learning the art of qi cultivation from Lord Yin Gonghao, Zhou Chuyu prided herself on the depth and purity of her embryonic qi. Ordinary cultivators could hardly withstand a single exchange, and even those of higher cultivation found it difficult to match her.

Yet Chen Heng, with a mere flick of his finger, sent the ruler flying—an astonishing feat.

The technique she cultivated could refine the "Mother Essence of Catastrophe," a lower-ninth-grade method, already formidable. To surpass it would require at least a mid-ninth grade—perhaps even upper-ninth?

"You've already used your magic tools so many times, yet you still have embryonic qi left?" Zhou Chuyu retreated a few steps. "How did you detect me?"

The "Mother Essence of Catastrophe" was mysterious and elusive, its nature subtle, able to mask presence and aura. Though she had not yet formed true qi, her embryonic qi carried its qualities, making it easy to conceal herself.

But Chen Heng's "Primordial Origin of Taishi" was a grade higher still, able to absorb 129,600 kinds of spiritual energy, serving as the master outline of all elemental truths. No matter how extraordinary her technique, it could not escape the domain of primordial energy.

From the moment Zhou Chuyu began to observe, Chen Heng had already sensed her aura. He only pretended ignorance because he detected a mid-grade escape talisman on her, fearing that a failed strike would only backfire.

Today, he had feigned weakness by spitting blood, luring Zhou Chuyu to close in for the kill.

Though his mind raced with calculations, Chen Heng only smiled faintly on the surface, ignoring her.

"You’re still so aloof, like someone untouched by the world..." Zhou Chuyu stared at Chen Heng, her gaze almost caressing his features inch by inch.

The first light of dawn fell upon the man by the stream, his snow-white robes unadorned. The interplay of light and shadow dappled his refined profile, casting shimmering halos like a living ink painting—his appearance resplendent as sunlit clouds at dawn.

Zhou Chuyu was silent for a long time. Suddenly, she let out a low laugh, her eyes complex. "You saved me, and yet I must kill you... Aren’t you going to ask why?"

"If you seek my life, I’ll take yours. That’s all. Why waste words?"

Chen Heng spoke no more.

He formed a seal, summoning a great wind. Dead leaves swirled skyward, the stream reversed, chaos swept the scene. Zhou Chuyu quickly produced a golden lamp, suspending it above her head, its radiant glow shielding a ten-foot radius.

The wind lasted dozens of heartbeats. When it finally ceased, thick fog had arisen all around, so dense that, without the lamp, one could not see a few steps ahead.

"Daoist magic?" Zhou Chuyu swept her hand, making the lamp shine brighter, and sneered, "You’ve just fought a battle of spells. How much embryonic qi could you possibly have left? I advise you to surrender—you might yet live."

In that instant, a faint voice echoed through the mist: "Though little remains, it’s enough to kill you."

"There!" Zhou Chuyu’s eyes lit up, and she hurled the Liuxiao Ruler.

A wave of brilliance swept out, shattering dozens of great trees, but nothing resisted and no blood spattered.

Buzz!

A beam of emerald light shot at her, shaking the golden lamp above her head. As she reached to summon the ruler back, a thunderfire orb transformed into a rainbow, intercepting it midair.

Helpless, Zhou Chuyu had to draw a large white brush, using it to parry the bamboo dart’s assault.

By now, her golden lamp had grown dim, its flame faint, on the verge of extinguishing.

They battled for half a cup of tea’s time, and the longer Zhou Chuyu fought, the more alarmed she became. Since mastering Lord Yin Gonghao’s cultivation art, she’d intended to use her overwhelming qi to crush all opposition.

Yet Chen Heng’s embryonic qi was not only deeper but his spellcraft far superior. The bamboo dart weaved through the air like a vast, unbreakable net, several times breaching her defenses and aiming for her brow.

Were it not for the golden lamp overhead, she’d already be dead.

As Zhou Chuyu began to falter, deep within the fog, Chen Heng frowned to himself...

He cultivated the "Primordial Origin of Taishi"—a supreme method, granting immense embryonic qi, but not inexhaustible.

He was, after all, only at the third level of qi cultivation.

After dueling with Tong Gaolu, sacrificing a blood-offering talisman, and now facing Zhou Chuyu, who herself wielded formidable qi, he was nearing exhaustion.

"I can’t drag this out—only a risky, swift kill will do!"

With that decision, his attacks slowed, the thunderfire orb and bamboo dart easing their relentless assault. Zhou Chuyu, sweating at the temples, was delighted.

She gathered her qi, pouring it into the Liuxiao Ruler. The jade ruler rang out, smashing the thunderfire orb aside, sending it tumbling dozens of yards away.

Then, the ruler swept out waves of fierce light, dispersing much of the thick fog. Another sweep, and the view cleared further.

Forcing her magic tool to break Chen Heng’s "Minor Wind and Mist" spell cost Zhou Chuyu dearly. Panting lightly, she forced herself to focus, spotting Chen Heng slipping away under a great tree.

"Sir, you’ve lost," she said, sealing off his escape with the white brush and pursuing.

As the distance closed, Chen Heng suddenly stopped, turning into a streak of white light, rushing at her with all his might.

Zhou Chuyu was startled, but kept her movements fluid.

With overwhelming force, the Liuxiao Ruler crashed down!

Chen Heng activated a refined jade talisman, forming a faint circle of light that intercepted the blow. It shuddered, then shattered, and the ruler continued its descent.

Buzz!

Though the jade talisman only delayed for a breath, it bought Chen Heng time to cast another spell. A torrent of qi enveloped him, coalescing into a translucent armor.

When the ruler struck, the sound was like thunder splitting mountains, making one's head spin.

Chen Heng pressed closer, undeterred. Zhou Chuyu, unsure of his intent, hastily retreated, infusing more qi into her ruler, increasing its might.

Crash!

After a brief stalemate, the armor cracked and splintered, leaving only a thin layer, barely holding.

Yet Chen Heng did not retreat. His expression remained calm.

Snap—

The fragile armor finally shattered, and the Liuxiao Ruler fell, smashing his head apart in a cloud of dust!

But instead of blood and gore, only a shattered golden figurine lay in the pit.

"What?" Zhou Chuyu looked around in alarm, spotting Chen Heng standing calmly some distance away, smiling.

At that moment, a wave of terror engulfed her.

She felt dragged into a boundless expanse of water and sky, surrounded by black abyss. A giant ichthyosaur burst from the depths, jaws open to swallow her whole!

While Zhou Chuyu’s mind was gripped by the illusion, Chen Heng seized the opportunity and closed the distance.

When Zhou Chuyu finally broke free, drenched in cold sweat, she saw Chen Heng’s arms open as if to embrace her.

"Did you know? Only at this range can I ensure my true qi enters your body without fail," he said, gripping her shoulders. "Actually, I still have half a strand of 'Cold-Fighting True Qi' left..."

Before the terror on Zhou Chuyu’s face could show, Chen Heng exhaled a frigid blue-green stream of true qi, extinguishing her golden lamp with a hiss, freezing the flow of her embryonic qi.

Behind Chen Heng, the Liuxiao Ruler, which had been flying toward him, fell to the ground, its light dying as it lost its master.

"Master..." came Tu Mountain Ge’s stunned cry from afar.

Chen Heng ignored him.

He drew a string of thunderfire orbs and shattered Zhou Chuyu’s head, splattering the ground with red and white.

Though her embryonic qi was strong, her flesh was far inferior to Tong Gaolu’s, who could withstand thunderfire unscathed. Under the power of this mid-grade talisman, Zhou Chuyu’s soul was obliterated, her body ruined.

"Master... did you kill her?" Tu Mountain Ge rubbed his face in disbelief.

During the duel, Chen Heng’s jade talisman had been crushed, his qi armor shattered. Without the "Golden Figure Substitution," a disaster-averting technique, he’d have died to the Liuxiao Ruler.

Even with great confidence in Chen Heng, Tu Mountain Ge found the outcome uncertain.

Yet in a flash, Chen Heng froze Zhou Chuyu’s qi, then decisively killed her.

"If I didn’t, what, keep her for a love story?" Chen Heng did not look back.

"That’s not what I meant, it’s just..." Tu Mountain Ge hesitated, glancing at the headless corpse. "You should have captured her, asked what compelled her to do this. She was your savior, yet she turned on you—there must be a story there."

"No need for such talk. The moment she struck, only one of us could leave alive. Besides..."

Chen Heng’s body swayed, and he coughed up blood, his aura wilting.

"I might not have been able to capture her alive," he said with a bitter smile.

In the distance, Tu Mountain Ge did not rush to help, but instead tensed, scanning the surroundings warily.

"This time, I’m truly spent—no more true qi left..." Chen Heng sighed. "Help me up, and stop looking around."

Only then did Tu Mountain Ge approach, supporting Chen Heng to a tree, though his vigilance did not abate.

Chen Heng, knowing the fox was suspicious, said nothing more. He took out talisman coins and began absorbing their spiritual energy.

After two cups of tea’s time, his aura revived, color returning to his cheeks.

"Master, shall we go?" Seeing him rise, Tu Mountain Ge handed over Zhou Chuyu’s storage pouch and talismans. "The treasures in the Tong estate await. Though Lady Rong dares not steal them, it’s best to seize them quickly."

Chen Heng nodded.

Just as they were about to leave, he suddenly turned and pointed.

A thunderfire orb unleashed a blaze, engulfing Zhou Chuyu’s corpse.

The fire was fierce and hot, and soon the headless corpse was reduced to black ash, scattered by the wind into the mountain stream and sky.

"Master, why destroy her utterly?" Tu Mountain Ge was stunned. "Are you worried she’ll rise again?"

Chen Heng not only didn’t deny it, but grew solemn.

"I do have that concern. But after being incinerated by such extreme yang fire, not even a ghost could take shape."

Still uneasy, Chen Heng swept the area with his spiritual sense. Satisfied that no residual aura remained, he wrapped his embryonic qi around himself and soared away in a streak of white light.

...

Not long after he left, Lord Yin Gonghao emerged from the void, gazing after the white streak, his eyes flickering with emotion. Yet, as if held back by some concern, he sighed and shook his head.

"Son of Jade Pivot, hmph, I dare not provoke your father, so I’ll let you go this time. But your suffering is only beginning!"

Yin Gonghao sneered. "You still seek the Great Dao? Which of the eight sects, six schools, or twelve great families would ever teach you their methods? Can you escape Jade Pivot’s grasp? Accept your fate, you pitiable fool!"

With a gesture, Zhou Chuyu’s soul coalesced on the ground, dazed and confused. After a while, her eyes regained clarity.

"Teacher..."

Zhou Chuyu found herself translucent, her body weightless, ready to drift away with the wind. "I..."

"You lost. If Jade Pivot’s son had reached the Purple Mansion realm and could sense primordial spirits, you’d not be standing here to speak with me."

Yin Gonghao looked troubled. "If you were a disciple of the Guardian Sect, I’d have the spirits of the underworld escort you to reincarnation. If you were a true inheritor, I’d reforge your body, defy the heavens, and grant you another life. If you were a Dao child... but let’s not speak of that."

"But I’m only a mortal who stumbled upon a chance." Zhou Chuyu lowered her head. Though freed from her body, she still felt a chill throughout her soul. "Teacher, what will you do with me?"

"I already told you," Yin Gonghao sighed.

Suddenly, recalling something, the look of terror returned to Zhou Chuyu’s face for the first time since the death of the Yang Mountain Daoist. "Teacher, are you really going to degrade me to a beast?"

Yin Gonghao only waved his hand, and Zhou Chuyu immediately fell into darkness. In her last moments, she heard a voice filled with regret.

"In truth, you should have called me Grandmaster. Had your mother chosen the Dao, she’d have been my chief disciple..."

...

She did not know how much time had passed.

The sun was already setting.

Zhou Chuyu awoke to an overwhelming hunger and thirst. Staggering to her feet, she gazed about in confusion.

It was still the same stream and woods, but somehow everything seemed ten times larger.

The gnawing hunger allowed no time for thought. Trembling, she made her way to the stream.

But as she lowered her head to drink, she froze.

Reflected in the mirror-like water was a small, thin, light brown dog, its ears tattered, filthy and gaunt.

Is this... me?

Zhou Chuyu screamed in terror, but only a hoarse animal bark came from her throat.

"Woof woof!"

...

Within the True Law Domain.

Chen Heng detonated six or seven talismans at once, flames soaring and mushroom clouds of smoke billowing. Tong Gaolu’s body began to disintegrate.

"Ah, this is..." Grasping the primordial spirit, Chen Heng’s face lit with joy, and he laughed heartily, as though a great stone had fallen from his chest, a sense of unprecedented freedom welling within.

"Splendid Daoist arts! Splendid arts!"

Chen Heng’s spirit soared. "Such a method in the hands of Tong Gaolu and the Yang Mountain Daoist was a waste of a pearl! If I can master it, there will be a place for me, Chen Heng, in all the lands beneath the heavens!"