Chapter 104: Plucking Chestnuts from the Fire, The Chaos Begins to Stir

“Why so many questions? This is your punishment for deceiving me as a subject.”

“Do you realize how much I have sacrificed for Dayue? People like you only bring harm to the people; what use are you otherwise?”

“Hah?!”

Xiao Yan laughed bitterly in anger.

“You’re nothing but a puppet. Even I, a mere solitary cultivator, dare to stand against you. Why don’t you? Are you truly willing to hand over our ancestral legacy so easily?”

“I won’t believe it. I refuse to believe it!”

Chi Jiuxiao said nothing, instead looking at him with a few lingering glances, just as when they first met.

“Though your mind is lacking, your courage is commendable. Hand over the Dragon List within three days, and I shall spare your life until I complete my great achievement.”

Xiao Yan let out a mournful smile, tears streaming down his face as his gaze drifted away, fixated on Xiao Xue’er’s lifeless body.

The next day, he obediently submitted the Black Yin Dragon List, expressionless and cold-eyed, revealing nothing of his thoughts.

Meanwhile, at the Heavenly Surveillance Tower.

The Tower Master and Master Miaodan were secluded in a secret chamber, discussing certain matters. Master Wanxiang was tacitly excluded from their small group.

“Miaodan, can you confirm that Xiao Yan carries treasures even more valuable than the Nine-Rebirth Reincarnation Pill?”

“Of course, I have investigated.”

“This man rose from obscurity, encountering countless rare treasures along the way: the fifth-grade spiritual herb Qing Tian Bu Ling Cao which restores the dantian, the Qian Kun Transfer Talisman crafted only by Nascent Soul cultivators, Ancient Body Refining Elixir, Taiyi Spirit Refining Technique, Heaven and Earth Exotic Fire, and so forth.”

“Most of these opportunities are unattainable even for us Golden Core cultivators. He’s merely a peak Dao Body cultivator, yet his access to abundant resources never ceases. This is simply unreasonable.”

“I speculate that either he possesses an extremely rich secret immortal treasure vault, or he has a special treasure-seeking technique on the Dao Lord level.”

“Compared to the Nine-Rebirth Reincarnation Pill, he is of greater value to us. After all, too many have their eyes on that pill— even you lack the confidence to snatch one from the Golden Core disciples of the Five Elements Sect, right?”

“A Dao Lord, huh…”

The Tower Master remained silent. Purple Palace cultivators are known as Daoren, Golden Core as Zhenren, Nascent Soul as Zhenjun, and above that is the Transforming Spirit Dao Lord.

In this world, the Wild Domain is a barren land formed from drifting external territories, where Nascent Soul cultivators rarely appear within ten thousand years.

Only the Eastern Domain has a handful of Nascent Soul cultivators, while the flourishing Central Domain Immortal Land harbors several Transforming Spirit Dao Lords—the pinnacle of this realm.

Beyond that, when a Transforming Spirit Dao Lord reaches the limits of cultivation, they break through this realm’s barrier to explore broader worlds. Every five thousand years, a group of such Dao Lords departs the Central Domain to seek higher breakthroughs.

These matters are exceedingly distant to him, so hearing such news stirred both excitement and fear, even a faint urge to kill Master Miaodan.

Master Miaodan was cunning and quickly sensed the issue, hastily adding,

“Of course, this is all speculation. Until the coffin lid is sealed, we must keep Xiao Yan alive a while longer—preferably until Chi Jiuxiao is finished—then find a way to swap it into our hands.”

“The Golden Core disciples of the Five Elements Sect and some solitary cultivators all have their eyes on the Nine-Rebirth Reincarnation Pill. Afterwards, I may be forced to refine pills and go into seclusion. I hope Tower Master will wait for me to interrogate Xiao Yan together.”

The Tower Master nodded.

“Of course. We’ve known each other for nearly two hundred years. Don’t you trust me yet?”

It was because of their familiarity that Miaodan felt even more distrustful.

Gritting his teeth, he insisted,

“Tower Master, you must understand that spiritual herbs must be refined into pills to maximize their effect. With my fifth-grade pill refinement technique as a guarantee, that’s the best choice.”

“I understand perfectly. Rest assured.”

Seeing this, Miaodan said no more.

Had he not foreseen being summoned to pill refinement, he would never have shared intelligence about Xiao Yan with anyone.

This was information painstakingly obtained.

Because of Xiao Yan’s capture, the capital city plunged into a baffling and unpredictable state. You scheme against me, I scheme against you — who will ultimately triumph remains unknown.

Among the four great Golden Core Immortal clans of the capital, except for the Ning family excluded, the other three secretly united.

Those maintaining neutrality aside, those allied with the emperor also banded together, their motives dubious and transparent.

Led by them, some unwilling mid-sized Immortal clans were dragged into the fray.

This formed a fourth faction.

The Thousand-Eyed Demon Centipede formed one faction, Chi Jiuxiao another, the Five Elements Sect a third, and the Immortal clan alliance a fourth. The Heavenly Surveillance Tower changed targets and was not counted.

There would also be a fifth faction composed of smaller sects like the Canglan Sword Sect, Xuanyu Gate, and solitary cultivators. Perhaps capable foreign cultivators might intervene, but that remains uncertain and is not considered for now.

The chaos was evident.

A great upheaval was about to begin.

Regarding Cao Chengyu’s severe injury and escape, Master Miaodan did not conceal it from Luo Yuzhu.

He truly regarded Luo Yuzhu as his closing disciple. As for her fondness for Cao Chengyu, three generations her junior, he was initially displeased.

However, after witnessing Cao Chengyu reach the Purple Palace realm before donning his crown, and his combat strength strong enough to severely injure Master Wanxiang—if not for lacking divine arts, the outcome was uncertain—he acknowledged the unparalleled prodigy.

If Cao Chengyu could mentor Luo Yuzhu, her future achievements would surely not fall short.

Thus, during the pursuit of Xiao Yan, apart from the first strike, he remained a bystander, watching Wanxiang get battered.

Back in the day, Cao Chengyu was his registered disciple, once gifted a deposit of metal-element spiritual ore, and no irreconcilable conflicts arose afterward.

If something happened to him, Luo Yuzhu would still have a good place to go, which is why he consulted her on everything.

“Yuzhu, in the coming days, visit the Martial Kingdom. I heard your little lover has placed his family near the Five Elements Sect. Go help watch over them; it will benefit your future.”

“Master, what are you saying…”

“No, how badly is Chengyu injured? How can we find him?”

“How would I know?”

Master Miaodan sighed.

“Anyway, it’s not life-threatening. Go to his home and check. Maybe he’s already back. You can also show your face in front of your future in-laws.”

“…”

Luo Yuzhu blushed, secretly muttering, “Old man, no respect at all!”

In the dark underground.

Luo Yuzhu’s favorability +1.

Current: 99

Cao Chengyu awoke from unconsciousness, utterly confused.

His body ached all over, especially the lower half. The pill only stopped the bleeding; many bone fragments still needed clearing, and to heal properly, the bones had to be realigned.

Otherwise, if they healed crookedly, they’d have to be broken and reset.

Cao Chengyu anxiously opened his pants pocket for a look—phew…

His manhood was still intact and coiled where it should be; no major issues.