Chapter 134: Demanding a Person

Facing Aijian's gaze, after a brief silence, Chen Ying still shook his head.

"We are not born of the same mother, so what does the life or death of Chen Heng have to do with me, Chen Ying? Besides, the Earth Abyss is unimaginably vast. I do not mean to underestimate you, Brother Ai, but with your abilities, making a round trip just to find him would likely take two or three months at the very least..."

Furthermore, with countless Yin gods and malevolent ghosts lurking in the Earth Abyss, it remained unknown whether Chen Heng was even alive or dead.

If one descended only to find a corpse, it would be a complete waste of effort!

"You heard what I said earlier. Recently, I am collaborating with several elders of the Huguhao Sect to use their sect's 'Magneto-Optical Golden Orb' to invert the Two-Yin Magnetism within the Earth Abyss, pulling the Turbid Tide upward to shake the terrestrial membrane. That is going to be a massive undertaking."

Seeing that Aijian still seemed on the verge of speaking, Chen Ying smiled faintly and said:

"Surely you don't believe that your meager Profound Penetration cultivation would allow you to survive the 'Magneto-Optical Golden Orb'? When the Turbid Tide rises and the terrestrial membrane shakes, all flesh and blood creatures will be utterly exterminated without exception. You would do well not to court your own destruction."

The Magneto-Optical Golden Orb?

Aijian could not help but feel a jolt of astonishment.

This artifact was a supreme Dao vessel belonging to the Huguhao Sect.

Several Dao lords of the Huguhao Sect had expended a tremendous amount of painstaking effort, scouring the outer cosmic void to gather the primal magnetic force of the Earth's core as its primary material. Supplemented by ten-thousand-year dark iron, fierce-gale baleful *qi*, and the true forms of the Five Essences—a total of forty-nine rare and precious auxiliary ingredients—they had finally succeeded in refining it.

Upon the completion of this treasure, the Huguhao Sect had celebrated for a full day, with all their immortals rejoicing.

The Magneto-Optical Golden Orb possessed boundless might; once released, its sheer weight alone was enough to crush and collapse a region of space.

Wherever it went, all tangible and intangible things—regardless of whether they were walls of iron and mountains of silver or ancient deities and monsters—would be melted into ash, utterly incapable of resistance.

Moreover, this treasure possessed the ability to borrow the magnetic force of the Earth's core to invert the Two Modes, making it even more extraordinary.

Hearing that Chen Ying had actually managed to borrow the Magneto-Optical Golden Orb from the Huguhao Sect, Aijian was filled with surprise, and his awe and reverence for Chen Ying deepened by another layer.

However, the Earth Abyss was the very lifeline of Xudutian. Imprisoned within the array at its deepest core were a group of deities, Bodhisattvas, great demons, and demon kings who had survived from the primeval era...

Not to mention that there was also a Corpse-Dissolution Immortal lingering within, barely clinging to life through secret arts. One could truly describe it as a gloomy and terrifying prison of heaven and earth!

Others might remain ignorant of the truth.

But Aijian hailed from one of the Twelve Noble Families and had once cultivated in the Yuchen Sect, so he naturally understood these inside stories.

Did Chen Ying and the people of the Huguhao Sect truly dare to use the Magneto-Optical Golden Orb against the Earth Abyss?

Were they not afraid of destabilizing the prison and letting those ferocious deities break free into the living world?

To Aijian's misgivings, Chen Ying showed no intention of answering. He merely smiled and said:

"Even if I wished to part on good terms with the Yuyi Luo Mansion, Chen Heng is merely an expendable tag-along, not worth spending too much thought on. The crucial matter lies with Chen Xuanwu over there...

The Magneto-Optical Golden Orb will be put into operation soon. The time and coordinates have already been calculated and cannot be altered. Even if you wish to please me by descending to search for people, you would only be inviting disaster upon yourself, which is hardly worth it.

Changing one's allegiance is a major matter. I will grant you some time to ponder it. During this period, you may sign the magical contract and affix your name at any time."

Gracefully, he produced a contract scroll that gleamed with golden light and handed it to Aijian.

After taking it and casting a single glance, Aijian's expression changed slightly, and he looked as though he was about to erupt, though he forcibly restrained himself.

By the time he finished reading it line by line, faint veins were bulging on his temples, barely containing his rising fury.

"Does Brother Ai take me, Aijian, for a mere servant? Even if I have fallen on hard times, why must you bully me so intolerably!"

he said in a cold voice.

"Which servant is capable of entering a primordial demon sect to cultivate, enjoying blessed land and cavernous dwellings, and reading that cosmic masterpiece, the *Langhuan Secret Manual*? Brother Ai, it is not that I wish to treat you harshly, but rather that you currently have nowhere else to turn. You have only one retreat left, and that is with me, Chen Ying."

Chen Ying maintained his carefree smile, locking eyes with Aijian as he enunciated each word:

"Of course, if you are willing to end your days in such barren lands as the Southern Domain of Dongmi, casting your sect's hatreds to the winds, then you may simply consider that this true person handed you a piece of waste paper.

If you cannot accept it, give me your answer a month or so from now. Chen is not an unreasonable person."

He gently patted Aijian's shoulder and laughed as he spoke:

"I know you still harbor misgivings, but in a few dozen days, Sima Lingzhen and Hou Wen—the ones responsible for the Daoist pulse examinations of the Yuchen Sect's Southern Domain—will come to Xiaogan Mountain to see you. At that time, they will also bring the news of Wang Shu's suicide.

When that moment arrives, I believe Brother Ai will be able to make up your mind regarding where your future lies."

Aijian's pupils contracted sharply.

His thoughts raced.

And in an instant, understanding dawned upon him.

It was clear now why Sima Lingzhen and Hou Wen, despite being the patrolling Daoists responsible for the Daoist pulse examinations, had delayed visiting his Xuzhen Sect to conduct the appraisal.

The reason for this likely stemmed entirely from Senior Brother Wang Shu.

If Wang Shu had been able to condense a supreme golden elixir—let alone a first-grade one—

the various elders within the sect's Profound Teaching Hall would have had misgivings and shown deference to Wang Shu's face, ensuring that the rating given to his Xuzhen Sect would certainly not have been low.

An upper-grade appraisal might not be guaranteed, but a mid-upper appraisal was absolute certainty.

Yet currently, Wang Shu possessed only the aura of a fourth-grade golden elixir, and had even suffered defeat at the hands of Gu Zhao's disciple, He Lizi, in a challenge of lower surpassing upper.

Profound Penetration slaying Golden Elixir.

His prestige was utterly lost.

Under such circumstances, a bottom-tier appraisal was completely inescapable...

"No wonder those two delayed coming to the Xuzhen Sect to see me, even though Sima Lingzhen had clearly shown himself at Fuyu Lake to eliminate a malevolent malignant-resentment yin-victorious demon. These people were actually waiting for Senior Brother Wang Shu's elixir grade? So that was it! So that was it!"

Thinking of this,

Aijian felt as though a dark cloud had been swept away, leaving no more confusion in his heart, replaced instead by a profound sense of desolation.

His master had been murdered, his junior brother had been killed.

And now, even Senior Brother Wang Shu had been removed.

Within this vast Yuchen Sect,

it seemed there truly was no longer any place for him, Aijian, to stand...

Seeing Aijian's gaze flicker uncertainly,

Chen Ying already understood his thoughts. With a slow laugh, he offered no further words, soaring away on a stream of light and vanishing beyond the layers of mountain ranges in the blink of an eye.

When Aijian caught sight of the baleful, blood-red shadow sealed within the pupils beneath Chen Ying's dark jade mask, he too fell momentarily silent.

It was not until long after Chen Ying had departed

that he raised a hand in summon, calling forth a sharp flying sword radiating brilliant silver light from nowhere. Grasping it in his hand, he stroked it a few times and whispered:

"Yin Mu, you heard everything just now... What should I do?"

The brightly shining flying sword in his hand was named the "Yin Mu Sword." Belonging to the category of magical artifacts, it had already given birth to an artifact spirit.

The Yin Mu Sword had been forged personally by Elder Yue during his lifetime. Rallying his friends, he used profound central silver essence as the master material, soaked it in divine water, roasted it with heavenly fire, and had three thousand master craftsmen hammer and refine it. It was buried deep beneath the Myriad Ancient Copper Mountains to absorb all their essence and brilliance, and upon the calculated day, the mountain was cleaved in twain to bring it to completion.

Merely placing this sword in mid-air was like a supreme silver-eyed deity opening its eyes, illuminating a radius of dozens of miles as bright as midday and blinding to behold, hence the origin of its name.

The Yin Mu Sword had lived alongside Aijian day and night, sharing a bond of deep affection far surpassing that of ordinary mortals.

Hearing Aijian's question, the Yin Mu Sword first shivered slightly, emitting a soaring, high-pitched sword hum. Following that, a crisp female voice reminiscent of an oriole echoed from within the blade:

"Xiao Jian, you are currently right in the middle of 'extracting the five essences.' You must steady your mind. If you suffer a deviation in your cultivation, what will become of your Dao path in the future?"

Aijian let out a long sigh, his voice slightly choked with emotion:

"Senior Brother Wang Shu is dead! He is dead! How can you expect me to calm my mind! His natural talent was praised even by Master Fire Dragon; how could he have only condensed a fourth-grade elixir?!

It must be because our benevolent master died, leaving him with no one to rely on, and he was suppressed overtly and covertly by that old scoundrel Gu Zhao within the sect, which delayed his cultivation progress and brought him to such an end!"

With no one else present here,

Aijian finally let his eyes turn crimson. He covered his face with his sleeve, almost shedding tears of grief.

The relationships within his sect had been exceptionally harmonious; the senior and junior brothers loved one another, and throughout their years together, there had never been the slightest bit of unpleasantness.

Furthermore, back when Aijian had broken away from his family and journeyed to the Yuchen Sect alone to cultivate, it was True Person Yue who had pitied his plight and taken him in under his tutelage, bestowing a kindness as heavy as a mountain.

Because of this reason, after True Person Yue was murdered by Gu Zhao, he and Wansong had defied sect rules to deal a fatal blow to Gu Zhao's only son, an eye for an eye.

And now,

following Wang Shu's defeat and slaughter by He Lizi,

aside from himself—a sinner carrying crimes—True Person Yue's lineage could be considered utterly extinct, scattered to the winds like autumn leaves!

Contemplating this,

Aijian felt his heart ache as though pierced by knives, filled with endless sorrow.

"That Chen Ying from just now... it seemed like his appearance was merely a separated spiritual avatar rather than his true physical body?"

The Yin Mu Sword also sighed deeply and said: "Judging by the blood soul in his left eye, he must be practicing some kind of demonic art. You must exercise caution when dealing with him."

Aijian gave a bitter smile and shook his head:

"From his words just now, he claimed he would join forces with the Huguhao Sect to launch the Magneto-Optical Golden Orb into the Earth Abyss? Presumably, his true body should be within the mountain gates of the Huguhao Sect..."

"Are you going to accept that Chen Ying's magical contract?"

The Yin Mu Sword suddenly spoke.

Aijian retorted: "I have already heard so many of his secrets. Do you think Chen Ying is a benevolent soul? Do you think I could escape?"

The Yin Mu Sword fell silent for a long while, its blade swaying as if it knew not what to say.

Aijian raised his head to look at the drifting, ever-changing clouds at the edge of the sky, his gaze filled with complexity.

On second thought,

ever since Aijian had acted on her own accord and traveled to the Southern Domain in search of the Illumination Heavenly Son, Chen Ying had already noticed him along the way.

At that time, he had used an intoxicating illusion spell to make Aijian mistakenly believe that Chen Ying was also one of her male concubines.

Yet during their several encounters, Aijian had failed to realize that she was under an illusion, failing to detect even the slightest trace...

"Since Chen Ying has told me so much, if I refuse him, I fear a fatal calamity will befall me instantly."

Aijian stood in a daze, shaking his sleeve as he muttered: "Even Senior Brother Wang Shu is dead; who else can protect me? Vast though the four seas and nine provinces may be, there is no longer a place for Aijian to go. If I wish to continue cultivating and avenge my sect, it seems I can only throw myself under Chen Ying's banner, willingly acting as his hunting dog and obeying his commands..."

The Yin Mu Sword in his hand flickered slightly, pulling back its radiant glow.

Man and sword remained silent for a long time, speaking not another word.

High mountains stood proud and picturesque, with deep, secluded forest footpaths.

Leaving Xiaogan Mountain behind, Chen Ying lowered his cloud head and halted in a serene spot.

With a wave of his finger, several banner flags plunged down from mid-air, raising a magical array that blanketed the ravines and mountains like a canopy, shrouding them in a thick, milky-white mist.

Following that, he released an exquisite palace-shrine roughly an acre in size. Its entire structure, from top to bottom, was cast from black mountain gold and copper, its windows, pillars, and gates melted into a seamless whole, all radiating a brilliant, dazzling light.

Chen Ying stepped directly into the hall, taking the seat of honor. Casually picking up a Daoist scripture, he began to read with a leisurely and relaxed demeanor.

As he flipped through the pages, the blood shadow within his pupils lashed out and thrashed about several times, but failed to break free. Finally, losing its patience, it spoke out:

"What are you doing here? Aren't you returning to the Huguhao Sect?"

"My true body is already presiding over matters at the Huguhao Sect. Why should I go back?"

"Then let me out, or take me to the Huguhao Sect so I can properly devour some vital breath and yin baleful *qi*! Being imprisoned in your eyes with no freedom—what kind of state is this!"

the blood shadow cried out: "For no good reason, why did you suddenly bring me onto this avatar of yours? What kind of wicked scheme are you hatching, kid?"

Chen Ying did not even raise his head, merely turning a page of the scripture as he replied:

"You know as well as I do that my true body is still familiarizing itself with the Magneto-Optical Golden Orb and cannot pull away. If Aijian proves to be overly stubborn, feeling that I am a demonic scoundrel and refusing to share a path with me, and ends up colluding with Sima Lingzhen and Hou Wen—at that time, it will be your time to shine!"

Hearing this, the blood shadow immediately understood, letting out a series of strange, giggling laughs.

"I see! You feel this spiritual avatar can't beat the three of them combined? You want me to be your guardian protector! Hahahahaha! This grandpa is truly invincible in this world!"

Seeming immensely pleased, the blood shadow darted back and forth at high speed within Chen Ying's pupils and said: "Will that Aijian really sign the contract?"

"Does he have any other way out?"

Seeing Chen Ying speak with such absolute certainty, the blood shadow grew puzzled instead: "He hails from the Shangyu Ai clan after all. Even if returning to the Yuchen Sect is hopeless, can't he just return to his clan to cultivate?"

"You haven't heard of Aijian's situation. Even if this man were to die, he would never be willing to return to the Ai clan."

Chen Ying smiled mysteriously, offering no further elaboration.

Taking Aijian into his fold undoubtedly meant securing a剑修 (sword cultivator) with boundless killing power for the future.

The fourth realm of the Sword Dao—Sword and Body as One!

Even if he could not compare to He Lizi, who had mastered the Art of Sword Qi Replicating Thunder, he was still a formidable figure.

Since Chen Ying had resolved to take Chen Yuxhu as his leader, he had to go all out, gathering followers and building a faction to handle matters for him—and handling them brilliantly at that!

One must understand that the people working under Chen Yuxhu's banner were far more than just Chen Ying alone.

Chen Zuo, Chen Jin, Chen Daozheng, Chen Chan...

All of these were rivals competing with him for merit!

Under such circumstances, how could he not recruit talents from various states to strengthen his own power?

This was much like the struggle for the crown among princes in the mortal world—

only by widely forging alliances and selecting capable subordinates could one use them for the struggle, avoid being harmed midway, and facilitate the accumulation of grand ambitions!

Just as Chen Ying was pondering to himself,

he suddenly heard the sound of flight cutting through the air, followed immediately by a rich, fragrant aroma rushing straight to his nostrils.

"Master, a message has arrived from the Yuluo Immortal Mansion."

A female voice spoke.

"Who is it?"

Chen Ying waved his hand: "Is it about Chen Xuanwu and that Yuan Yangsheng again?"

The female voice replied: "This time it's not just them; a new name has been added. The Yuluo Immortal Mansion wants the master to send someone named Chen Heng to the outer heavens as well."

This sentence finally caused Chen Ying to frown.

He closed the scripture in his hands, looked up, and asked:

"Wait, Chen Heng? That's strange. Where did they hear that name?"