Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Self-Destruct!
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The Liu Xin of the past was just an ordinary, unremarkable disciple of the Primal Saint Sect, living the life of a workhorse—completing missions, cultivating, and paying off debts.
Until a fateful encounter completely changed his destiny.
It all began with a bounty mission posted by a true disciple who wanted to explore an ancient cultivator's grotto-heaven and happened to need some cannon fodder to scout the way.
Liu Xin, unaware of the full story and enticed by the mission's reward, joined the exploration team. By the time he realized he was just cannon fodder, it was too late. The true disciple forced him into the grotto-heaven. However, he discovered that all the restrictive spells within the grotto were completely ineffective against him.
He proceeded unimpeded and claimed the fortuitous opportunity for himself.
It was a golden casket containing the *Innate Dao Scripture* and the Innate Primal Qi Ten Thousand Spirits Banner. Beside them lay a note left behind by the grotto's master.
In the note, the grotto's master referred to himself as the "Innate Wanderer."
He stated that the scripture and treasure in the casket were left for a fated person, whom he had divined to be a true disciple of the Primal Saint Sect with the character "Xin" in their name.
However, he was not resigned to this fate.
In the note, the Innate Wanderer cursed the shamelessness of the Primal Saint Sect, who had forced a connection where none existed, forcibly binding the karma of his legacy to one of their true disciples.
Therefore, he deliberately muddled the karmic threads and gave the inheritance to Liu Xin instead.
Furthermore, the note explained that Liu Xin would face a life-and-death calamity after obtaining the treasures, so the Innate Wanderer had also left him a way to overcome it within the grotto.
In the original karmic design, the false "Xin" was not the true "Xin," which was why Liu Xin was meant to be cannon fodder, a mere delivery boy for the treasure. But thanks to the Innate Wanderer's deliberate arrangements, it was Liu Xin who received the opportunity. He even turned the tables, killing the true disciple and taking his place.
It was a heart-pounding night.
When the sun rose, only Liu Xin walked out of the Innate Wanderer's grotto, completely reborn. As for the true disciple of the Primal Saint Sect, he vanished without a trace.
However, Liu Xin had not killed him completely.
Instead, with the help of a contingency left by the Innate Wanderer, he had refined the living true disciple, turning him into the most powerful spirit in his banner.
The banner unfurled, and a figure in black robes that billowed in an unseen wind stepped out. He did not look at Lu Yang at first, but instead surveyed his surroundings with a nostalgic expression.
"The strong devour the weak, and disciples kill one another... The Primal Saint Sect is still the same sect I remember."
"Senior Brother, have you been well?" Liu Xin said, cupping his hands in a salute.
"You useless cur. Have you run into another powerful enemy you can't handle?" The black-robed figure sneered with contempt. "Giving you the *Innate Dao Scripture* was truly a waste."
"I am no match for you, Senior Brother."
Liu Xin did not get angry, remaining respectful and courteous. "This man is a sword cultivator who has also mastered the Divine Light of the Blood-Transforming Heavenly Demon. Your junior brother is indeed no match for him."
"The Divine Light of the Blood-Transforming Heavenly Demon?" The black-robed figure was taken aback, his expression turning a bit more serious. He then shook his head. "To have mastered such a divine ability, he must be someone of note. A pity his efforts were misguided, all for naught... According to our agreement, this will be the third time I have acted."
"Senior Brother is wise."
Liu Xin nodded. "After this is done, I will release you to the cycle of reincarnation, Senior Brother. With your merits and foundation, I trust you will be able to walk the path of the Dao again in your next life."
"Fine."
Only then did the black-robed figure turn to face Lu Yang.
Seeing this, Lu Yang and Xiao Shiye had little reaction, but Fairy Qingchen's eyes widened as she stared intently at the black-robed figure.
She was no longer a newly initiated disciple.
At first, she only found the black-robed figure vaguely familiar. But when he truly unleashed his aura, she was jolted into realization and recognized him.
"It's Chen Xin'an... Senior Brother Chen!?"
The son of the Heaven Mending Peak's Master, one of the Four Inner Sect Peaks! The missing true disciple!
Back when Chen Xin'an disappeared, the Master of Heaven Mending Peak flew into a rage. He personally tried to divine the karmic threads of the event but found nothing, causing quite a stir.
To think he was in Senior Brother Liu's hands all this time?
For a moment, Fairy Qingchen's expression shifted as if she had realized something. She subconsciously took a few steps back, putting distance between herself and Liu Xin.
Pfft!
A hand plunged into her and withdrew. Fairy Qingchen's pretty face went blank, her gaze fixed dumbly on the hand that had pierced her abdomen. Then, her head lolled to the side, and she breathed her last.
She had died again.
"A pity. Since you saw, I cannot let you live."
With Fairy Qingchen's death, the surrounding array immediately began to waver. But as Liu Xin activated the Ten Thousand Spirits Banner, her corpse was instantly drawn into its folds.
In just a moment, a perfectly intact Fairy Qingchen walked out of the banner, having become a banner spirit.
Although becoming a banner spirit came with many new restrictions compared to when she was alive, she could still maintain the array. She quickly stabilized the wavering formation.
Meanwhile, the black-robed true disciple, Chen Xin'an, had arrived before Lu Yang.
"Hm?"
Lu Yang's gaze narrowed as he looked at Chen Xin'an. The man's cultivation wasn't high—only the seventh level of the Qi Refining Realm, the same as him—but he gave off a completely different feeling.
Chen Xin'an glanced at Lu Yang and shook his head. "The *Yin-Yang Grand Pleasure Ode* is a dual cultivation technique that emphasizes coupling with three thousand women. Yet your true qi is impure and muddled; it's obvious it wasn't gained through dual cultivation. The originally fifth-grade Yin-Yang Dragon-Tiger Qi has been reduced to sixth-grade at best in your hands."
This assessment set off alarm bells in Lu Yang's mind.
"May I ask who you are?"
"My name is Chen Xin'an. I am not acting of my own free will. However, if you can escape, bring news of me back to Heaven Mending Peak. My father will surely reward you handsomely."
Before his words had even faded, Chen Xin'an struck!
He thrust out his palm, and in an instant, his aura merged with the heavens and the earth. A vast torrent of true qi roared forth, rousing the surrounding spiritual energy of the world to resonate with it!
In that moment, Lu Yang's pupils constricted.
It was not because of the power Chen Xin'an displayed, but because as the man made his move, Lu Yang could clearly feel the flaws and deficiencies in his own true qi.
In an instant, Lu Yang understood.
"My *Dragon-Tiger Intercourse Yin-Yang Grand Pleasure Ode* isn't the ultimate version! Heaven Mending Peak must have a superior technique! This man must be a true disciple of Heaven Mending Peak!"
Lu Yang's guess was correct.
As the son of the Heaven Mending Peak's Master, Chen Xin'an cultivated a technique called the *Heaven Mending True Scripture*, an upgraded version of the *Dragon-Tiger Intercourse Yin-Yang Grand Pleasure Ode*.
Ordinary dual cultivation is done with another person, focusing on the union of yin and yang.
However, the dual cultivation of the *Heaven Mending True Scripture* is done with heaven and earth itself, focusing on intercourse with the cosmos. The Heaven Mending True Qi refined through this method is ranked third-grade.
Thus, when Chen Xin'an struck with his palm, even without using any divine abilities, the sheer depth of his third-grade true qi was enough to overwhelm Lu Yang.
Seeing this, Liu Xin broke into a confident smile.
After all, no one knew Chen Xin'an's strength better than him. In his eyes, even if Lu Yang were ten times more powerful, he would be no match for Chen Xin'an.
"He will win!"
Liu Xin made his judgment decisively, failing to notice that in the distance, Xiao Shiye was sizing him up with a dark expression, seemingly pondering something.
With Xiao Shiye's intelligence, he could naturally see that the situation was not in his favor.
"I didn't want to use this... you forced my hand."
Xiao Shiye knew very well that he was the weakest among them, relying entirely on his collection of treasures to keep up appearances. But now, it seemed that treasures alone would not be enough.
At this thought, Xiao Shiye took a deep breath and opened his storage pouch. In an instant, a vast surge of spiritual energy and treasured light erupted from the opening, drawing Liu Xin's attention. Even Chen Xin'an and Lu Yang, who were in the middle of their fierce battle, paused and turned to look.
Then, a small pagoda flew out of Xiao Shiye's storage pouch.
The pagoda seemed to be cast from solid gold. It had nine stories, and atop it, a spiritual light manifested, taking on a humanoid form with a lively and intelligent expression.
"Is that... a Spirit Treasure!?"
The moment they saw it, before the less-knowledgeable Lu Yang could even speak, both Liu Xin and Chen Xin'an cried out in alarm, their faces filled with shock and horror.
When cultivators refine artifacts, those that produce a treasured light are Magic Treasures. But when a treasure gives birth to spiritual intelligence, only then is it a Spirit Treasure!
Magic Treasures are divided into lower, middle, and upper grades and have endless wondrous uses. However, no matter how powerful a Magic Treasure is, it requires a master to wield it to unleash its might.
But a Spirit Treasure is different.
A Spirit Treasure possesses its own consciousness. It can unleash its power even without a master, and more importantly, a Spirit Treasure can cultivate on its own, constantly growing stronger!
The next second, Xiao Shiye formed a hand seal, and the small Spirit Treasure pagoda immediately began to expand—
"Bastard!"
Chen Xin'an was the first to curse, all his previous composure gone. He had realized what Xiao Shiye intended to do—make the Spirit Treasure self-destruct!
On the other side, Liu Xin nearly coughed up blood.
A treasure that seizes the very fortune of heaven and earth is something usually only a Foundation Establishment Perfected Being could possess. It was one thing for Xiao Shiye to have one, but to bring it out just to self-destruct?
It was an outrageous waste of a heavenly treasure!
What was even more outrageous was that the Spirit Treasure pagoda showed no signs of resistance. Instead, it actively cooperated, moving so quickly that there was no time for him to stop it—
BOOM!
The next second, a blinding flash of explosive light consumed everything.