Chapter 291: All for the Sake of Cultivation!
As the words fell, Yun Miaozhen's face was resolute.
She was the Yun Clan's favored daughter of heaven, having received teachings from True Person Xiuxin and cultivated the 《Heartless Ice Sword Technique》, forging a heart of ruthless sword intent.
This method emphasized supreme detachment—a sword heart as cold as ice.
'To master this technique, one must possess the unwavering resolve of supreme detachment. Kinship, love, friendship—all are obstacles to drawing my sword.'
'If I cannot sever even the bond with my own sister...'
'How can I claim detachment?'
The more Yun Miaozhen pondered, the more she felt that failing to act this way would mean falling short of supreme detachment. Not only would it hinder her cultivation, but it would also damage her Dao heart!
Seeing her determination, True Person Xiuxin nodded in satisfaction. The True Person's features were equally exquisite, her expression mirroring Yun Miaozhen's icy demeanor, yet carrying an added air of dignity and maturity—like an eternal snow-capped mountain, untouchable, to be admired from afar but never profaned.
"Worthy of being my disciple."
"Since that is the case, I shall intervene to bind and divide the fate's breath between you sisters. Blessings shall be yours; calamities shall be hers—fulfilling your sisterly bond."
"Many thanks, Master."
Yun Miaozhen bowed once more, her heart stirring slightly with excitement. With her master's intervention, she could transfer all her destined calamities to her younger sister while monopolizing the fortunes for herself.
From then on, her cultivation would surely advance by leaps and bounds.
Moreover, this would also benefit her younger sister Yun Miaoqing, whose fortune was insufficient—unlike herself, she lacked a favorable past-life foundation.
'Once Miaoqing enters the Demon Sect to bear my calamities, if she returns in the future, I will surely have achieved significant cultivation progress by then. It will be the perfect time to compensate her for her decade of suffering—this is the fateful connection of bitterness turning to sweetness. Even without a past-life foundation, I will help her secure a cultivation future.'
'Even if she dies in the Demon Sect, she will simply reincarnate.'
'By then, I should have reached Foundation Establishment and can personally guide her rebirth. As the sister of a Foundation Establishment True Person, she will finally have a proper foundation.'
Wouldn't this be the best of both worlds?
'Though Miaoqing may not understand now, it is only because her cultivation is insufficient and her Dao heart unsteady. As her elder sister, it is my duty to plan a future for her.'
The more Yun Miaozhen thought about it, the more serene she became.
This was the Sword Pavilion—without a foundation, progress was impossible. After all, wasn't it her fate to have a Foundation Establishment master? This was the fortune she was born with.
If Miaoqing had her own fateful connections, she could seek a patron too.
"Oh, Master."
At this thought, Yun Miaozhen continued, "Miaoqing recently obtained a spiritual sword embryo at the manor. Could Master retrieve it for me later?"
"After all, Miaoqing will soon depart for the Demon Sect. It would be inappropriate for her to carry such a superior sword embryo—what if it falls into the hands of those demons, bolstering their arrogance? It would be better for Master to take it and entrust it to me for safekeeping. If Miaoqing returns in ten years, I will personally return it to her."
True Person Xiuxin nodded. "Well said."
"Your Dao heart pleases me greatly. Since the sword embryo was obtained by your sister, it must also be part of your fateful connection—rightfully yours to wield."
With that, she released her divine sense, sweeping toward Yun Miaoqing in the distance.
Then they heard a long sigh:
"Disgusting..."
As the words fell, the Sword Pavilion True Person—at the early stage of Foundation Establishment—suddenly changed expression, abruptly standing up with tightly knitted brows as she scrutinized their surroundings.
"Master?" Yun Miaozhen hadn't yet grasped the situation.
After all, this was entirely beyond the scope of Qi Refining. True Person Xiuxin had no mind to respond. With a thought, a resplendent sword pill materialized in her palm.
"Break!"
In the next instant, sword light slashed forth—this time, even Yun Miaozhen could tell something was wrong, for the sword light dissipated mid-air.
How could this be?
For a moment, Yun Miaozhen felt as though she were in a dream, utterly bewildered. Looking down, she saw another version of herself lying on the ground.
'Is that... me?'
'No... That's my physical body!'
'Then am I... my soul?'
Only then did Yun Miaozhen realize her soul had been forcibly extracted at some unknown moment. She immediately turned to seek help from her master, True Person Xiuxin—only to witness an even more horrifying sight: her master, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, had also had her soul extracted!
Dharma Body Profundity—[Total Subjugation]!
The next moment, the master-disciple pair saw a tall, upright figure.
Clad in dark robes, hands clasped behind his back, the man stood before them with a towering, three-headed, six-armed, green-faced, fanged apparition looming behind him—staring straight at them.
"...A Foundation Establishment demon!?"
True Person Xiuxin's eyes widened instantly, a chill shooting through her mind. How could such a demon appear so silently in Jiangnan?
How was this possible!
True Person Xiuxin was no rogue cultivator. Though merely a guest elder of the Ye Family, she was well-informed and quickly recognized the apparition behind Lü Yang.
"[Qian Tian Total Subjugation Myriad Phenomena Dharma Body]!?"
"Someone actually cultivated this second-grade true art of the Demon Sect? Which Golden Core lineage descendant would dare act so brazenly in Jiangnan?"
There was no time to ponder further, for Lü Yang had already approached them. With their souls extracted, neither could even muster coherent thoughts—let alone resist or cry out—as Lü Yang pressed his palm against their heads.
Golden Talent—Puppet on Strings!
As the radiant light of the talent descended, both Yun Miaozhen and True Person Xiuxin wore expressions of bewilderment, dazed and unable to control themselves.
The sensation was akin to a knowledge-perception obstruction.
Though they vaguely sensed something amiss, they couldn't scrutinize or reflect deeply—only submit as Lü Yang's magic power ensnared them like spider silk.
Lü Yang carefully contemplated the effects of this golden talent. If he were to describe it with a precise, easily understandable term—
[Hypnosis].
"Those controlled by this talent show no outward changes ordinarily. But before me, once I activate the talent, they immediately become mine to command."
What an overbearing talent!
'Fellow Daoist Suo Huan, you've done well!'
Originally, Lü Yang had been troubled about how to handle this master-disciple pair. Killing them outright would inevitably alert the Sword Pavilion, leading to endless complications.
But now, he had a perfect solution.
"Just in time to test how much a Foundation Establishment True Person's essence can enhance my immortal body when absorbed through dual cultivation. Truly, a pillow delivered when one is sleepy."
All for the sake of cultivation!
With this thought, Lü Yang immediately activated his superhuman state.
True Person Xiuxin was still struggling. Instinct told her something was wrong—this was clearly a demon before her, with whom she should be fighting to the death.
"Ah!"
Even as she thought this, True Person Xiuxin wrapped her arms around Lü Yang's neck. Soon, the two were locked in fierce combat—right before Yun Miaozhen's eyes.
"Demon... what have you done to me?"
The disbelief in her beloved disciple's gaze twisted True Person Xiuxin's expression further, yet an inexplicable sensation surged uncontrollably from within.
"Release me! I'll fight you to the death!"
"You'll never—"
"Stop... cease... rest..."
True Person Xiuxin's voice grew increasingly louder. Though she attempted several times to reverse their positions, she was ultimately suppressed without mercy by Lü Yang.