Chapter 81
Chapter 81
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: The Advancing Yu Suzhen
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After refining the black-robed ghost with the Ten Thousand Spirits Banner, Lu Yang did not linger. He transformed into a streak of light and sped away, preparing to begin his great ghost-catching enterprise.
"The most urgent task is to gather a large number of vengeful spirits to complete this Profound Netherworld Lord's Soul-Seizing Authority."
"Also, the cultivation of the Heavenly Silkworm Secret: Severing Thoughts to See the Self must be put on the agenda. And then there's Yu Suzhen... I wonder how her grand endeavor is progressing."
"If everything goes smoothly, once I gather the third-grade True Qi, obtain the Saint's Theft, forge the status of a Corpse Liberation Immortal, master the Heavenly Silkworm Secret, attain the Profound Netherworld Lord's Soul-Seizing Authority, and then use the art of Stealing Heavenly Secrets to drain Yu Suzhen dry... my chances of breaking through to Foundation Establishment should be about sixty percent."
Thinking this, Lu Yang frowned again.
A sixty percent chance was still not secure enough. If he could also obtain the Ascension Token from Perfected Being Yin Shan, a seventy percent chance would be worth a real gamble.
"The Ascension Token isn't entirely out of reach."
If he could control the Witch Ghost Secret Realm and solve the problem of the Golden Core sword qi, he might be able to use it to trade with Perfected Being Yin Shan for the Ascension Token.
"That said, I still need a long-term plan."
Lu Yang was well aware that in this life, he was no friend to the Three Rivers Association. Rather than trading with him, killing him and taking his things was more in line with the Primal Saint Sect's style.
"Perhaps I can have Yu Suzhen figure something out."
At this thought, Lu Yang immediately had his avatar find a desolate spot to hide. He then withdrew his consciousness, intending to check on Yu Suzhen's situation.
Primal Saint Sect, Heaven-Connecting Cloud Sea.
Yu Suzhen had long been refined by Lu Yang into a cauldron for Stealing Heavenly Secrets, their karmic connection extremely deep. Thus, divining her situation was effortless, and he quickly made a connection.
On Heaven Mending Peak, within a cave residence of the Three Rivers Association.
The inside and outside of the cave residence were already packed with a bustling, sea of people. One after another, cultivators under the Three Rivers Association's banner enthusiastically and fawningly surrounded a young man.
"Congratulations, Senior Brother Luo, on mastering a great divine ability! Foundation Establishment is within sight!"
"In the future, we'll be counting on Senior Brother Luo's guidance."
"Senior Brother Luo, do you remember me? I treated you to a meal once..."
At the banquet, Luo Wuya appeared calm, but his heart was filled with satisfaction. After all, he was still young, and mastering a great divine ability meant he had a promising future in reaching Foundation Establishment.
At this thought, a heroic spirit surged within Luo Wuya:
'Big Brother went ahead and achieved the status of a Perfected Being, but in the future, I might not be inferior to him!'
Just then, a commotion arose from the entrance. Someone then exclaimed in surprise and longing, "Fairy Suzhen is here too!"
The next second, a graceful figure walked into the cave residence.
A beautiful and delicate face, a curvaceous and alluring figure, paired with her cold expression and sixth-level Qi Refining cultivation, made the newcomer seem like a proud and awe-inspiring snow lotus on an icy mountain. Yet, it also made one's imagination run wild, wondering what passion lay beneath that cold, lotus-like exterior.
"What a beautiful woman..."
Many people looked at Yu Suzhen, their faces filled with admiration.
"As expected of Fairy Suzhen. It's been less than a year since she formally joined the sect, yet her cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds. She's just one breakthrough away from becoming a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator."
"Suzhen greets Senior Brother Luo."
Yu Suzhen gracefully walked up to Luo Wuya and gave a slight bow. Her conduct was proper, devoid of any coquettishness, yet her dignified posture only served to make one's heart itch with desire.
"Junior Sister Yu is too kind."
Luo Wuya smiled with satisfaction. Yu Suzhen was quite famous on Heaven Mending Peak, and she lived in seclusion, rarely interacting with others or attending banquets. Her willingness to accept his invitation to this feast greatly satisfied his vanity and gave him a favorable impression of this junior sister.
"And Senior Brother Zhao, Younger Sister Qinghe."
Turning around, Yu Suzhen bowed to Zhao Xuhe, who was beside Luo Wuya, her gaze sweeping past Fairy Qinghe who had arrived with him.
"Senior Brother Lu as well. I must thank both senior brothers for their care."
She then looked beside Zhao Xuhe, her eyes meeting those of Lu Yuanchun, another disciple of the Heaven Mending Peak Master, but she quickly looked away as if nothing had happened.
Soon, the banquet began.
Before long, a crowd had gathered around Luo Wuya and Yu Suzhen. One side was greedy for profit, the other for beauty, instantly heating up the atmosphere.
Such a scene naturally caught Luo Wuya's attention.
He himself was the center of a crowd and was quite adept at handling such sycophants. He was naturally curious to see how Yu Suzhen would handle it.
But when he looked at her, he saw that while Yu Suzhen remained aloof, she wasn't so arrogant as to be repulsive. Her conduct was proper, her advances and retreats measured. She responded to everyone, her words seeming to convey a certain closeness, yet in the next moment, she would be chatting happily with someone else.
In short, she was playing them.
However, no one present seemed to notice this game. Even if they did, they would probably think, *She's playing with me, she must be interested in me...*
*Pitiful junior brothers, being played in the palm of this woman's hand.*
Luo Wuya shook his head, yet a strange feeling bloomed in his heart. From beginning to end, Yu Suzhen had not actively tried to get close to him.
It seemed she truly was a cold, proud woman dedicated solely to cultivation. 'An interesting woman.'
The banquet didn't wind down until sunset. Yu Suzhen came before Luo Wuya, still poised and proper, and curtsied.
"It is getting late, and Suzhen must still cultivate. I will take my leave now."
Luo Wuya chuckled softly. "You've worked hard, Junior Sister. You spend your days focused on cultivation; dealing with these people must have been difficult for you."
"...It's good that Senior Brother knows."
Yu Suzhen raised her head, her previously cold face suddenly relaxing as her eyes crinkled. She shot Luo Wuya a look that was half-annoyed, half-complaining.
Such a tone, such an expression, was a world away from the proud, aloof woman everyone had seen at the banquet. It was as if ice and snow had melted in an instant, the sudden flash of charm making even Luo Wuya's heart skip a beat. He even felt a thrill of excitement, as if he had seen another side of the cold fairy.
However, Luo Wuya quickly regained his composure.
He laughed heartily. "...Then that is my fault. Very well, if you have any questions in your future cultivation, Junior Sister, feel free to ask me anytime."
"Then I thank you, Senior Brother."
Only then did a hint of pleasant surprise appear on Yu Suzhen's face. She nodded solemnly before turning to leave under the admiring gazes of the crowd.
Seeing this, Zhao Xuhe, who was not far away, had a flash in his eyes.
Soon, he and Fairy Qinghe also came to bid farewell to Luo Wuya. Luo Wuya acknowledged them on the surface, but his heart stirred with a flicker of suspicion.
The next second, he dispatched a wisp of spiritual sense to quietly follow Zhao Xuhe.
After leaving the cave residence, Zhao Xuhe first persuaded Fairy Qinghe, who had wanted to discuss the Dao with him, to leave. Then he found a hidden spot and concealed himself.
He took out an invisibility talisman to hide his form and actually made his way to Yu Suzhen's cave residence. After matching the secret code on the door, he slipped inside. The moment he entered, he saw a graceful figure sitting before a dressing table, her smooth, jade-like back an alluring sight.
A fire instantly ignited in Zhao Xuhe's heart, and he surged forward.
"Suzhen..."
"Mmm~~"
Yu Suzhen tilted back her slender neck, letting out a sigh that was a mix of helplessness and resignation, but she allowed Zhao Xuhe to have his way with her.
The two instantly set the entire quiet chamber ablaze.
The thought of Yu Suzhen's cold demeanor at the banquet, contrasted with her passion before him now, made Zhao Xuhe feel as if he had limitless energy.
A long time passed before the two gradually came to a stop.
On the collapsed bed, Yu Suzhen clung to Zhao Xuhe and whispered, "Xuhe... I don't want to wait anymore. Can't our relationship ever be made public?"
"Suzhen, I have my own difficulties."
Zhao Xuhe shook his head but didn't elaborate, merely offering a few perfunctory excuses. The truth was simple: the Heaven Mending Peak Master had arranged a marriage for him with his own daughter. Under such circumstances, how could he have a Dao Companion? So their affair had to remain underground.
At this thought, Zhao Xuhe even felt a pang of guilt.
After all, Yu Suzhen was so innocent, yet he was deceiving her like this.
The two cuddled for a while longer before Zhao Xuhe reluctantly left, leaving behind some medicinal pills for her cultivation.
After watching Zhao Xuhe depart, the charming expression on Yu Suzhen's face gradually faded. She hid the pills away and then took out a jade slip.
She input a line of text into the slip, and a short while later...
*Knock, knock-knock, knock.*
The pre-arranged secret knock sounded from the door. Yu Suzhen immediately went to open it. A moment later, a figure darted in and swept her off her feet.
"Don't! Senior Brother Lu, I'm not that kind of person..."
"What do you mean, 'don't'? You sanctimonious slut, I knew you still had feelings for Zhao Xuhe. Don't forget, I have leverage on you."
"Sob, sob, sob..."
Another four hours passed.
Lu Yuanchun left, satisfied. Yu Suzhen lay on the bed, silently weeping. But the next second, the sound of slow, measured footsteps suddenly came from behind her.
Yu Suzhen turned her head in astonishment. Seeing the figure that had suddenly appeared behind her, a triumphant, "all according to plan" look flashed in her beautiful eyes, but her face showed only shock as she cried out:
"Senior Brother Luo!?"
Withdrawing his consciousness, Lu Yang fell into a deep silence. A long time passed before he sighed with emotion:
"What a talent."
Even he had never imagined that in just a few months, Yu Suzhen could achieve such tremendous success in her grand endeavor.
He couldn't comprehend it, but he was utterly stunned.
(End of this chapter)