Clatter!
A teacup fell to the ground with a crisp, shattering sound. Jade fragments scattered, but no one paid it the slightest attention. At this moment, all eyes were fixed on Yuan Ji.
A Tianji Sect disciple held out a dark red tray, presenting a jade slip to Yuan Ji. As the final victor, the River God Yuan Ji could choose three items as her reward.
Her gaze quickly skimmed the jade slip, and Yuan Ji soon decided on her first desired prize—[Dragon’s Blood Amber].
For the remaining two slots, following A’Tong’s silent cue, she exchanged one for a cloud-like magical tool that allowed its user to float in the air. For the final prize, just as Yuan Ji was about to make a random selection, Qi Guan Shang suddenly caught sight of a name on the list.
Lone Cultivator Leng—Star Moon Grass.
His eyes widened slightly, his gaze lingering on the name for a brief moment before swiftly moving away.
Qi Guan Shang wholeheartedly busied himself with the tea set on the table, pouring a cup from the tea sea into the lotus-patterned teacup, as if the one who had been searching for Star Moon Grass earlier was not him at all.
The clear tea soup shimmered with spiritual energy, quickly coalescing into the shape of a lotus within the cup.
Through the aroma of the tea, Guan Su’s gaze swept over and settled on Qi Guan Shang, scrutinizing him with faint suspicion. Why did he feel traces of Qi Yan’s aura on this Demon Realm Sovereign? He must be imagining things due to anger. Qi Yan’s soul lamp had long been extinguished; it couldn’t possibly be him.
Guan Su shook his head, dismissing the thought. He stepped forward, forcing a false smile. “Has the River God made her choices?”
Yuan Ji’s fingertip glided over the jade slip, finally pausing in one corner. “For the third item, I’ll choose this Star Moon Grass.”
“Yuan Ji, this Star Moon Grass is for calming the soul, why did you choose this?” Atong stared longingly at the cloud-shaped magic artifact that the Tianji Sect disciple was giving him, and asked in confusion.
“The name simply caught my fancy,” Yuan Ji replied, withdrawing her hand, her tone indifferent. Her gaze swept past and suddenly settled on the lotus teacup. “This tea…?”
“Fresh tea from Guanxia Peak this year.” Qi Guan Shang pushed the teacup toward Yuan Ji with two fingers.
Guan Su eagerly stepped forward, like a merchant enthusiastically promoting his wares. “The earliest batch picked this morning, when the spiritual energy is at its peak. Has the River God tried it?”
Yuan Ji gave him a look that was half a smile, half a sneer. She lightly pinched the teacup, turning it twice in her hand, then brought it slightly closer. The clear, bitter fragrance immediately filled her nostrils.
She tapped the rim twice with her fingertip, creating gentle ripples. Under Guan Su’s anxious gaze, Yuan Ji’s eyes met Qi Guan Shang’s for an instant. She then placed the teacup back on the table.
The tea was good, pity it was tainted with something foul.
“Not in a hurry. Let’s look at the [Dragon’s Blood Amber] first.”
Guan Su’s smile stiffened, but he had to grit his teeth and agree. “Naturally, naturally. Quickly, bring the River God’s prizes!”
Guan Su turned and waved at a disciple beside him, who instantly transformed into a dark shadow and departed.
He consoled himself through clenched teeth: Fine. Once she reveals her true form, it won’t matter even if she didn’t drink the tea.
Not long after, a piece of reddish-amber stone was presented. Yuan Ji looked closely: within the amber, a droplet of golden dragon’s blood glimmered. As the disciple moved, the dragon’s blood inside swayed gently. But as it neared Yuan Ji, the blood seemed to be summoned, beginning to boil.
Whoosh.
The blood throughout her body seemed to be called by it. In an instant, her blood surged, and the faint echo of dragon roars seemed to ring in her ears.
“What is happening?” Yuan Ji wondered inwardly. Why did seeing this Dragon’s Blood Amber give her a heart-wrenching sense of pain? “A’Tong, who am I, really?”
But A’Tong, who had previously only urged Yuan Ji to complete tasks, seemed much steadier now. It simply said, “Yuan Ji, take hold of the Dragon’s Blood Amber.”
Slender fingers tightly closed around the amber. The dragon’s blood encased within grew even more agitated, like a reckless little dragon frantically battering its head against its cage.
“So it is her.” Guan Su’s eyes darkened, his impatience growing. If just a fragment of a horn had such power, how much more formidable would the dragon bones be?
For a moment, Guan Su’s breathing grew rapid, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on Yuan Ji.
Unnoticed by anyone, a profound silence had fallen over the scene. Not a single breath could be heard. Countless pairs of eyes were, at this moment, overtaken by blackness, staring straight at Yuan Ji like venomous snakes lying in wait, ready to charge out and tear at their prey at the slightest signal.
Qi Guan Shang imperceptibly formed a hand seal within his sleeve. An unseen silver light was concealed by his ink-black robe, ready to be unleashed at any moment.
Crack.
The amber, sealed for hundreds of years, actually split open in Yuan Ji’s palm. The golden dragon’s blood was not scalding; it held the residual warmth of something long departed, lukewarm, almost like a tear shed from the corner of a dying dragon’s eye.
The golden dragon’s blood spread across Yuan Ji’s palm but did not slip through her fingers. Instead, it slowly seeped into her skin and flesh. Where gold and crimson mingled, bone and blood grew wildly.
Thread by thread, strand by strand, with desperate urgency.
The floating seed was finally embraced by solid earth and began to take root and sprout.
Yuan Ji slowly opened her eyes, meeting the gaze of the illusory giant dragon before her. The latter’s eyes were inscrutable, filled with a sorrow deep enough to drown it.
With a final dragon’s roar, it coiled and then flew into the center of Yuan Ji’s forehead.
A flood of memories awakened within her soul sea.
In an instant, a gale-force wind arose. Vast swathes of dark clouds descended suddenly, pressing down upon the city as if to crush everything.
Lei She, sensing the change in Yuan Ji’s aura, swiftly slithered up from the crook of her arm, raising its upper body. Its serpentine pupils narrowed into vertical slits, warily guarding against whatever lurked within the dark clouds.
“It’s done! Hahahaha!” Seeing the change in Yuan Ji’s eyes, Guan Su let out several bursts of wild laughter, desire surging turbulently in his gaze.
He waved his hand, his voice sinister. “Kill the River God. Take the dragon bones.”
As his words fell, the hundreds of cultivators present rose stiffly like marionettes. Moving in twisted postures, they advanced step by step toward Yuan Ji, chanting in unison.
“Kill the River God. Take the dragon bones.”
“Kill the River God. Take the dragon bones.”
“Kill the River God. Take the dragon bones.”
…
“Who dares?!”
A silver beam of light shot forth, carrying a terrifying pressure that swept through everything. Cultivators whose cultivation was not top-tier were immediately pressed to the ground by this force.
Qi Guan Shang’s expression was cold and stern. His handsome face now revealed the authority and profundity befitting a Demon Realm Sovereign. His gaze slowly swept over those present as if looking at a crowd of ants.
Meanwhile, a voice suddenly echoed in A’Tong’s mind. “Crush the Star Moon Grass and feed it to Yuan Ji, quickly!”
A’Tong jolted back to awareness, taking in the scene before it and nearly screamed in shock.
An invisible hand seemed to clamp over its mouth, issuing an undeniable command. “Hurry!”
“Yuan Ji’s soul cannot withstand so many memories yet.”
“Okay!” A’Tong had no time to wonder how this person could communicate directly in its mind. Its body reacted, quickly feeding the Star Moon Grass to Yuan Ji.
The pale purple plant vanished the moment it touched Yuan Ji, devoured by the turbulent soul power, and just as swiftly, it soothed the agitated soul.
“Qi Guan Shang, do not ruin my plans. Otherwise, today you will become nourishment for my treasures.” With matters having reached this point, Guan Su dropped all pretense, his face revealing a vicious, malicious grin.
“If you submit to me, on the day I ascend to godhood, I shall enfeoff you as the King of the Demon Realm. How about that?”
Guan Su’s laughter grew increasingly maniacal, as if the dragon bones were already in his grasp. “Your Corrosive Life Curse is about to consume you, is it not?”
Qi Guan Shang lowered his brow, his expression growing even colder. Power continuously surged from him, suppressing the controlled cultivators. At the same time, the thorns on his body rapidly grew, climbing to his jawline in the blink of an eye.
“Continue using your power, and you will depart this world before your beloved does.”
Guan Su’s tone held a hint of pity. “Suppressing these people is one thing. But all of Tianji Sect,乃至 (and even) all the cultivators under heaven, will be under my control. What can you do then?”
Qi Guan Shang’s gaze grew increasingly profound and icy, like the frigid ice of a high mountain.
“Then I shall simply slaughter every cultivator under heaven. It matters not.”
His tall frame firmly shielded Yuan Ji behind him, sheltering her from the storm. Yuan Ji only needed to focus on merging with her memories.
He would handle everything.
Tun Yue transformed into a streak of silver light, flying straight into Qi Guan Shang’s palm. With an unstoppable force, a mere flick of his wrist carved a deep chasm in the ground.
Suddenly, a shriek from behind interrupted Guan Su’s words.
“Ahhh! Help! What on earth is going on?!”
Ruan Xuanxin remembered drinking a sip of tea and then losing consciousness. How, upon opening his eyes, did he see his uncles and seniors writhing on the ground like puppets? Memories of past embarrassments flooded back. Hadn’t he crawled like that by the River of Forgetfulness, trying to escape demon wolves? Wait! Could this be hereditary?!
Ruan Xuanxin was so startled by this thought he gasped audibly.
Even worse, he was actually pointing his sword at his master? Utterly treasonous! In his fright, his sword trembled, nearly dropping and piercing his foot.
“Mas…” Ruan Xuanxin was about to call out “Master” to Yuan Ji when he felt a murderous gaze shoot toward him. Survival instinct made him shut his mouth immediately. Looking at Qi Guan Shang, who was radiating immense pressure, he said pitifully, “Mas… Master’s Husband?”
Qi Guan Shang: “…”
He silently turned his head, withdrawing the oppressive aura directed at Ruan Xuanxin. This fool, how did he suddenly become a bit smarter?
“What’s happening, Master’s Husband?”
Faced with his uncles’ bizarre behavior on one side and the imposing figure of his “Master’s Husband” on the other, Ruan Xuanxin immediately scurried over to Qi Guan Shang.
Qi Guan Shang turned to look at the clear-eyed Ruan Xuanxin and, in a rare moment of benevolence, said, “Stay hidden.”
“Right away, Master’s Husband!” Ruan Xuanxin nodded eagerly, the picture of obedience.
This scene deeply angered Guan Su. His lips trembled with rage, and he snorted loudly through his nostrils.
“You brat, why weren’t you affected by my tea?”
Ruan Xuanxin scratched his head, confused. “Because Master told me about it.”
Guan Su’s expression sharpened. “What?!”
“You didn’t know? Master told me early on the tea was strange and gave me a medicinal pill to take beforehand.”
Ruan Xuanxin blinked, his face full of innocence.
“Everyone knew.”
“Did no one tell you?”
