Chapter 47: Lewd Cave Abode, Soul Trace Recall Art
Yu Wan'ning's divine sense had picked up on the disturbance, so Su Rui and Mu Xueyi, as Nascent Soul cultivators, had naturally sensed it even earlier.
But at that moment, the tense standoff between them hadn't yet dissipated, and those approaching auras were still quite some distance away—they wouldn't arrive for a while. Thus, neither paid it any mind.
Yu Wan'ning's voice deepened slightly. "Xueyi, little sister, I know you're in a hurry, but don't be! If you keep tangling with him here, you know full well what the consequences will be."
This was a warning.
Mu Xueyi's expression remained cold and indifferent, unconcerned.
What consequences could there be? At worst, the sect's enforcement team would come to investigate. Upon seeing her and learning the situation, they'd withdraw.
But no sooner had the thought crossed her mind than she caught the cold, sinister smile curling at Su Rui's lips.
Her heart sank sharply as she instantly grasped what Yu Wan'ning meant.
With Su Rui's lawless, reckless nature, to avoid the hassle of explanations—or simply because he found the intruders annoying—he might very well strike without hesitation, slaughtering the entire enforcement squad outright!
Among the arrivals, there was only one early Nascent Soul cultivator leading the team; the rest were all Core Formation. Su Rui could absolutely manage it!
And she... was powerless to stop him.
She had thought that after the sacred land trial, her Sword Heart had been tempered to greater perfection in its unity, even comprehending the stance "Jade Phoenix Sword Art: Jade Phoenix True Return—Shatter Illusion." From then on, she would never lose to Su Rui again.
Yet in their rematch, she had been subdued in an instant, defeated even more cleanly and decisively than the first time...
Though it was due to her emotional turmoil creating countless openings, the fact of her instant suppression remained undeniable.
A faint bitterness welled up in Mu Xueyi's heart.
Under divine sense perception, the enforcement team drew ever closer.
Mu Xueyi held deep affection for Sword Sect and absolutely refused to let her impulsiveness bring calamity upon her fellow sect members.
Suppressing her urge to press the matter, she let out a cold huff, stubbornly turning her back and refusing to glance at Su Rui again.
Seeing this, Yu Wan'ning relaxed slightly and turned to Su Rui, a trace of barely perceptible pleading in her tone. "Head back to your cave abode first. Leave this to me and little sister Xueyi."
Mu Xueyi said nothing, tacitly assenting.
Su Rui's gaze lingered on Yu Wan'ning's lovely face for a moment, instantly seeing through her intent to protect her fellow disciple and smooth things over.
Still, if it spared him trouble, he was happy to give his little bitch this face.
"Fine, then. It's yours."
With those words, Su Rui's figure dissolved into a streak of dark, ghostly light, vanishing into the nearby cave abode.
The profound, rune-flowing glow of the Nine Nether Nether Domain Array at the entrance flickered faintly before being cleverly masked by a layer of seemingly ordinary prohibition light, indistinguishable from any common disciple's cave abode.
Moments later, several beams of multicolored escaping light streaked through the sky, landing steadily in the valley. It was the sect's enforcement team.
Leading them was Nascent Soul Grand Elder Ling Yunzi. Spotting the ice-blue and scarlet figures standing side by side in the valley, his white brows arched in surprise. "Xueyi? Wan'ning? What are you two doing here?"
Yu Wan'ning glided forward gracefully, cupping her hands in salute with just the right touch of apology. "My apologies for disturbing you elders. Just now, little sister Xueyi and I were sparring here and couldn't quite rein in our techniques, causing this commotion."
Ling Yunzi nodded with a smile. "You're both so diligent—still sparring at this late hour, well into the night."
He had long heard that Yu Wan'ning was secretly competing with Mu Xueyi. Even now that Mu Xueyi had formed her Nascent Soul, she persisted in challenging her. Such determination was truly rare.
That old fellow Bai Yu had raised a fine daughter.
Even if her talent fell a touch short of Mu Xueyi's, with such a resilient Dao Heart, her future path would surely stretch far.
Praising Yu Wan'ning inwardly, Ling Yunzi's gaze swept the surroundings.
The valley was a ruin: ground cracked, bizarre rocks pulverized to dust, trees snapped and felled. Yet that lone cave abode stood pristine, not a speck of dust marring it—standing out starkly.
Doubt crept into his voice. "Your clash produced such devastating aftershocks, yet this cave abode alone remains unscathed. How?"
Yu Wan'ning remained composed, replying calmly. "That's the cave abode of little sister Xueyi's personal disciple, Su Rui. During our spar, fearing we'd affect him, we specially laid a protective prohibition around it."
She turned to Mu Xueyi, asking softly, "Isn't that right, little sister Xueyi?"
Mu Xueyi's lashes lowered slightly, concealing the complexity in her eyes, and murmured, "...Yes."
Ling Yunzi's gaze lingered on the cave abode again. With centuries of cultivation sharpening his insight, he naturally sensed the prohibition around it was too "ordinary"—deliberately so. Amid the shattered landscape and churning spiritual energy, it was like a silent chamber amid raging waves: jarringly out of place.
Moreover, the sect had dedicated sword arenas and dueling platforms. Why spar in a valley with a disciple's cave abode?
Normally, with Ling Yunzi's strict enforcement and penchant for thorough investigation, he would press the issue.
But these two—one the sect's most cherished peerless prodigy, the other Bai Yu Zhenren's treasured daughter—were both seen as future pillars of Sword Sect. They always knew their limits and wouldn't act against the sect's interests.
A thought flickered through Ling Yunzi's mind, and he ultimately set aside his suspicions.
Still, the necessary admonition couldn't be skipped. His face stern, he said, "Sparring and discussing the Dao is fine, but your cultivations are advanced now—each move carries the power to split earth and shatter mountains! In future, if you want to go all out, use the sword arena or dueling platform. The prohibitions there are sturdy; you can cut loose without risking harm to junior disciples."
Yu Wan'ning smiled faintly. "Grand Elder is right. Wan'ning and little sister Xueyi were inconsiderate."
Ling Yunzi's expression softened at her respectful attitude. "Since it's a misunderstanding, we'll be off. Remember to hold back in your spars. If you go all out like this again, I'm afraid you two girls will flip this entire valley upside down!"
Yu Wan'ning saluted elegantly. "Wan'ning understands. Farewell, Grand Elder."
Ling Yunzi nodded, lingering no longer. He transformed into a streak of clear escaping light, leading his enforcement disciples away in an instant, vanishing into the horizon.
Once the team was gone, the ordinary-looking prohibition on Su Rui's cave abode rippled like water, silently parting a slit just wide enough for one person.
Mu Xueyi knew it was for her. Burning to uncover the killer's identity, she flashed inside without hesitation.
Yu Wan'ning didn't follow. A flicker of complexity crossed her almond eyes. After a moment's thought, she left the space to those two.
Besides, she had reached False Infant realm—it was time to return and properly prepare for her Nascent Soul formation.
Just... how would those two resolve things?
Mu Xueyi's delicate foot had barely stepped into the cave abode when a thick, almost suffocating lewd scent assaulted her.
It was an intensely complex blend—the musky tang of male yang essence, the sweet stickiness of female yin secretions, mingled with spiritual herb fragrance and the unique hormones of arousal. It had fermented into a blush-inducing aroma.
The scent hung so heavily, as if every inch of air had been soaked in frenzied fleshly entanglement.
Mu Xueyi's willow brows furrowed tightly. What depraved, rotten time had those two spent here?
What massive change had befallen Yu Wan'ning for her to debase herself like this, consorting with scum like Su Rui?
Her thoughts churned with doubts.
But for now, the obsession to track Li Chengxuan's killer overrode all. She cast aside distractions and strode swiftly into the inner chamber.
Su Rui lounged indolently on the wide stone couch. Seeing her enter, a mocking smile spread across his face.
Mu Xueyi met his gaze coldly, wasting no words. "How will you help me find the killer?"
Su Rui patted the still-warm spot beside him, gesturing for her to sit and talk.
Mu Xueyi didn't budge, her peach-blossom eyes frosty, radiating unapproachable chill.
Su Rui's face darkened, his tone an undeniable command. "Get over here! This laozi has something for you to see—it's the key to finding the killer."
Mu Xueyi stared at him for a moment. Thinking of Li Chengxuan's gruesome death, she forcibly quelled her impulse to storm off.
She stepped forward, sitting warily on the couch's edge, several body lengths away. Every nerve tensed, guarding against any untoward move.
Yet the instant her hips settled, a distinctly wet, cool stickiness seeped through her thin ice-blue gauze skirt—even sensing the liquid hadn't fully dried.
She realized what it was at once, her face twisting in revulsion.
"Heh heh..."
Su Rui let out a low chuckle, teasing. "Don't tense up. That's what this laozi fucked out of her—Yu Wan'ning's slut water from her pussy. No need to act disgusted. Her 'Jade Petal Single Line' is a one-in-ten-thousand supreme name vessel, just like your 'White Tiger Steamed Bun Hole'. This nectar's pure as can be, carrying a heart-refreshing fragrance all its own."
"Shameless!"
Mu Xueyi gritted her teeth, rising to flee this filthy place.
This wasn't about dirtiness!
"Sit!"
Her ass had barely lifted three inches when Su Rui barked, laced with unquestionable dominance.
Her body reacted before her mind, cowed.
The motion froze; her tensed waist and thighs went limp under that command, powerless.
The barked order's pressure weighed like substance on her shoulders, forcing her slightly raised peach-like rear back down uncontrollably.
A soft pfft sounded. She felt the wet coolness more clearly now, even distinguishing the fabric-trapped liquid's chill and lingering warmth.
An unprecedented humiliation surged to her head, paling her already fair cheeks further.
She realized abruptly—her heart was... fearing this man?
From being instantly subdued earlier?
Or from his repeated boundary-crossing violations, her body imprinting that helpless thrill of absolute domination before her will?
Absurd!!
Mu Xueyi roared silently within, rage near collapse as she tried to shred that cowardice.
Her Dao Heart, like her Sword Heart, should be transparent and indestructible. How could a momentary humiliation breed fear of this shameless lecher?
It had to be illusion—brief chaos from mental shock. Not real!
Convincing herself, she met Su Rui's amused gaze, demanding coldly, "I've sat as you said. Now answer my question!"
Her peach-blossom eyes chilled further, as if freezing and shattering that instant's waver!
"If you're deceiving me, if you don't actually know how to find the killer, I, Mu Xueyi, swear here: even if it means my soul scattering and form perishing, I'll drag you down with me!!"
Hearing this, Su Rui's amusement deepened, grinning. "My good master, your emotions are getting more unstable by the second?"
His all-seeing smile unnerved her; her slender hand clenched to a fist, as if she'd erupt if he delayed further.
Though her outburst was mere paper tiger bluster to him, he lost interest in poking her sore spots. Grinning, "Alright, for your eagerness, no more teasing."
He pressed index and middle fingers together; spirit light flared at the tips. Without warning, he jabbed toward Mu Xueyi's brow.
A vast, arcane flood of information surged forcibly into her sea of consciousness.
She froze briefly, then closed her frost-veiled peach-blossom eyes, focusing inward to peruse it.
What Su Rui transmitted was a secret art called the Soul Trace Recall Art.
On the day of his Nascent Soul formation, when the Demon Venerable awakened, it was one of many secret arts imparted to him.
This art was profoundly eerie: using a deceased person's remnant soul as lure, it traced their entire life from a third-person view—every scene from birth to death reflected clearly.
Su Rui withdrew his finger, waiting patiently for her to finish.
When her peach-blossom eyes reopened, the pure ice was gone, replaced by undisguisable gravity.
Catching the shift, Su Rui grinned mockingly. "What a coincidence, eh? Li Chengxuan's final soul fragment is right here in this laozi's hands! Use it as lure for the Soul Trace Recall Art, reflect his final moments, and the killer's identity will be plain as day."
Mu Xueyi's face darkened slightly, urgency spilling over. "Can you perform it now?"
Su Rui shrugged regretfully, spreading his hands. "No! A secret art involving time reversal and peering into the river of a dead man's memories isn't that simple. To succeed, you need a key artifact—the Recall Light Mirror—as medium to bear spacetime power. Otherwise, backlash is certain."
"And the materials to refine this Recall Light Mirror... see for yourself."
With that, spirit light flashed on his fingers again, tapping her brow. A stream of rare materials' names, traits, and detailed diagrams poured into her sea of consciousness.
"Illusory Dream Crystal: reflects illusion and reality, captures dream shards and memory fragments—the core foundation for the recall scene."
"Nether Soul Stone: stabilizes the soul lure, bridges life-death boundaries, ensures the trace doesn't break."
"Millennium Blood Jade: brims with vast blood qi, provides vital life energy for the recall scene."
Mu Xueyi swiftly scanned the info—all without exception rare treasures. Her mood grew heavier.
Acquiring them was immensely difficult, most lurking in peril-filled demonic sect territories.
She pondered briefly, then raised eyes filled with resolute determination. "I'll gather these materials."
Su Rui extended a finger again.
Thinking more material details incoming, Mu Xueyi even leaned her smooth forehead forward eagerly.
But Su Rui crooked his finger, flicking her snowy brow with casual playfulness—not too light, not too heavy.
Mu Xueyi recoiled like a startled leopard, glaring furiously. "What was that?!"
Ignoring her rage, Su Rui drawled lazily, "This laozi's going with you!"
"I don't need—"
The final "need" was cut off by Su Rui's stern interruption. "Going alone is suicide! With your status as the righteous path's top prodigy, demonic old monsters itching to kill you are a dime a dozen! Expose your tracks, and it's a dragnet waiting. Forget materials—you might not even survive to return!"
He lowered his voice suddenly, malice laced with amusement. "If luck's bad and you fall into their hands... heh, then you'll learn my 'humiliations' were child's play."
"They'll hang your fairy body on the Demonic Flame Altar, erode your Dao Heart with foul qi daily, cripple your cultivation, ruin your foundation... until your Dao Heart shatters, and you willingly become a cauldron, kneeling to serve cock."
A low laugh rumbled from his throat. "Then you'll know what it means... to beg for death."
Mu Xueyi pressed her red lips tight. She knew Su Rui spoke truth.
Her identity made demonic lands treacherous.
Even at Nascent Soul, she couldn't roam freely like others—too many feared her rise.
Su Rui smirked inwardly at her flickering expression.
He knew Li Chengxuan's killer was almost certainly Qin Zhe, but he wouldn't reveal it.
First, Mu Xueyi wouldn't believe him; she'd accuse him of slandering her prized disciple.
Second, he needed to visit demonic lands anyway, for materials to refine his Robbery Flame.
To make the trip less dull, he'd tag along under the pretext of gathering Recall Light Mirror materials with her.
Beauties beat solitude any day.
Mu Xueyi turned her head, tone cold and grudging. "Go if you want. But I won't thank you."
"Who wants your thanks? This laozi just doesn't want the cultivation world's top beauty dying pathetically in some filthy hole before I've had my fill."
"Rest easy—as long as you live, this laozi won't die first."
"Then we'll both live forever. This laozi's life is tough as nails. I don't die, you won't either—trapped in this laozi's palm for life!"
Mu Xueyi huffed coldly, ignoring further banter. "When do we leave?"
Su Rui rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Seven days. Demonic lands crawl with snakes and dragons. Even teamed up, we can't rampage freely—need preparations."
Mu Xueyi nodded expressionlessly. "Fine. Seven days from now, I'll come find you."
With that, unwilling to linger a moment longer, she rose from the filthy couch, ready to flick her sleeve and leave.
Yet in the next instant, her slender hand was seized by a powerful grip.
Su Rui tugged lightly, yanking her into a stumble back toward him.
Desire blazed unmasked in his eyes, lips curving wickedly. His tone brooked no refusal. "Master, business is done. Now... time to take responsibility for interrupting this laozi and Yu Wan'ning's dual cultivation!"