Chapter 61: Azure Cloud (39)

He Tingzhen heard a snap of fingers, and flames immediately ignited in his right palm, burning away the black corruption. His arm, which had been as black as charcoal, instantly returned to normal.

Fu Fengyan’s voice slowly echoed in his mind, with a slight note of excitement in the tone: “All done.”

He Tingzhen frowned. “…What exactly did you do?”

In ancient times, there were methods of soul parasitism, but they had always been closely related to evil arts like body snatching—seizing the physical form, destroying the primordial spirit, and replacing it. But how had Fu Fengyan managed to tamper with his soul?

“My mother gifted me a Life Thread. It contains a dual cultivation method that allows souls to merge without harming the foundation.” Fu Fengyan’s voice sounded in his mind. “My cultivation is too high—this place cannot withstand my soul, so I’m just borrowing yours through a secret technique.”

He Tingzhen didn’t know how Fu Fengyan could so naturally say the words “dual cultivation” as if it were nothing. His fingertips trembled, and he felt a shiver run through his entire body.

Perhaps sensing He Tingzhen’s resistance, Fu Fengyan immediately explained, “Don’t worry, I’m not taking advantage of you. I haven’t randomly merged anything—I’m just temporarily borrowing your vision, and I can only use a tiny bit of spiritual power.”

Looking at his body, which seemed slightly more refined, He Tingzhen repeated: “…A tiny bit?”

“That’s a secret.” Fu Fengyan’s voice was very low, as if speaking right into his ear. “Keep your voice down. There are many people watching from outside. Don’t expose me—it’s very dangerous.”

After saying this, Fu Fengyan’s voice fell silent and didn’t respond again.

He Tingzhen: “…”

The black mist rolled in and quickly dispersed.

Not far away, Zhang Duixue ran over and grabbed He Tingzhen’s arm, looking him up and down. Seeing no injuries, he breathed a sigh of relief, then said worriedly: “Xiao Yue has been taken away. What do we do now?”

In the distance, Xiangli Lingze helped the unconscious “master” actor to lie down on the side. He ran over with a shocked expression and pale face, pointing at the rolling black cloud of sand and saying hoarsely: “How can there be a demon here? And such a large one? Are the gatekeepers of Azure Cloud Academy sleeping on the job?”

“How this demon got in doesn’t matter right now.” He Tingzhen turned to look at his two companions. “We are all primordial spirits. The most important thing is to get out of here alive.”

His gaze dropped to Zhang Duixue’s arm, where a chunk of flesh was missing from the demonic contamination. For now, while in the Spirit Wandering Realm, he wouldn’t feel it much, but when they left, the wounds on their souls would manifest. There would be no external injuries, but they would constantly feel pain until their souls fully recovered.

Zhang Duixue had reacted quickly, which is why he only suffered this minor injury. As for himself, if Fu Fengyan hadn’t intervened, even if he could break free on the spot, his right arm would definitely have been severed. After losing an arm, he wouldn’t be able to wield a sword for at least a year.

And in this Spirit Wandering Realm, many other disciples were still trapped in their scenarios, unable to extricate themselves. If the demonic energy touched them, they might die without knowing how.

The masters of Azure Cloud Academy couldn’t possibly ignore such a major incident as demons appearing at the academy. If there was still no movement, it could only mean they currently had no way to intervene.

As Fu Fengyan said—they couldn’t enter, or it would burst.

So now, they could only save themselves.

As for Yue Qianxun who had been taken away, he wasn’t particularly worried at the moment. After all, Shen Xiyuan was the Demon Lord’s number one enforcer—he would die before letting anything happen to Yue Qianxun.

When Yue Qianxun opened his eyes, he saw a young man in black clothes carrying him while running frantically along the roadside. Seeing him awake, the man was overjoyed: “Young Master, you’re awake?”

Yue Qianxun frowned. He hadn’t seen this person before, but his mind was still immersed in his Demon Lord scenario. Thinking about how his grand plan of betraying his master had been thwarted by three little disciples, and not a single subordinate had helped him—all just watching the show from behind—he became furious. He pushed away the other’s hand, sneered, and said sarcastically: “So you finally decided to show up. I thought you’d keep watching, waiting for me to be beaten to death so you could reap the benefits.”

Shen Xiyuan trembled at these words. Looking at Yue Qianxun’s cold, sinister eyes, he hadn’t expected the young master to be so perceptive.

When had he been discovered? Was it that day when he was secretly watching?

Truly worthy of being the Young Master—so cunning and deep! This appearance, this personality—exactly like the current Demon Lord!

His heart surged with emotion. He immediately half-knelt and bowed: “Young Master, please calm your anger. This subordinate wouldn’t dare. I didn’t dare reveal myself earlier—first, because my cultivation was too low after possessing this body and I needed to hide my identity, and second, I was afraid you couldn’t accept it.”

Yue Qianxun frowned. “I’m a demon. What can’t I accept?”

He looked around at the barren surroundings, thinking of his grand palace, his great throne, and the “master” in his arms—all gone. He was immediately displeased. Casually raising a finger and tilting his head back commandingly, he said: “Those three brats just attacked me. How detestable! You—follow me back there. We’ll cut them into pieces and scatter their ashes!”

Cold sweat immediately broke out on Shen Xiyuan’s forehead. On one hand, he was gratified—truly the Young Master, unwilling to suffer any loss! But perhaps a bit too rash. On the other hand, he grabbed hold of Yue Qianxun and patiently explained: “Young Master, those three minor cultivators are nothing to worry about. However, we’re currently in Azure Cloud Academy, and the situation is unfavorable to us. Moreover, there’s an immortal expert hidden among them. The priority right now isn’t fighting.”

Confusion showed in Yue Qianxun’s eyes. “Then what is it?”

“After more than a decade of separation, His Lordship misses you very much.” Shen Xiyuan tried to make his expression look sympathetic. “Do you still remember your father?”

A flash of white light—Yue Qianxun’s left eye stung. He blinked, still not fully conscious, and a line of bloody tears gushed from his eye socket, dripping onto the ground like rain.

A curtain of damp rain swept over him. Yue Qianxun’s form became unsteady as he knelt on the ground, covering his eye.

Father.

Of course he remembered.

That face eight-tenths similar to his own, which made his mother press him into a charcoal basin when he was young. The dark figure in the Spirit Wandering Realm that always came and went in a hurry. The long nail driven into his mother’s reverse scale on her chest. Blood flowing everywhere. A woman’s desperate, agonized wailing: “Why are you still alive? Why don’t you just die?”

Father.

How could he possibly forget?

Yue Qianxun completely awakened from the absurd storybook identity. Covering his eye, he slowly raised his head and carefully examined the great demon half-crouching before him. Suppressing the hatred filling his chest, he said calmly: “What, he wants to see me?”

Shen Xiyuan hadn’t yet noticed anything wrong. He attempted to coax him using the human method of comforting young ones, whispering: “After so many years apart, His Lordship misses you greatly and has been looking forward to a father-son reunion.”

Yue Qianxun smiled coldly. “If he misses me, why doesn’t he come find me himself?”

“There’s a seal on the Demon Realm. His Lordship cannot cross over. Even I could only infiltrate with a fragment of my soul.” Shen Xiyuan said in a low voice. “But it won’t be long. Once we break through the Cold Mountain Realm and invade the Nine States, His Lordship will naturally come to receive you. All these years, he’s remembered you as his son. Late at night, whenever he thinks of you, he even sheds tears.”

Clearly, Shen Xiyuan was lying through his teeth.

Yue Qianxun didn’t expose him, but sneered sarcastically: “How do you know he thinks of me and cries at night? Do you sleep with him?”

Shen Xiyuan: “…That’s just a figure of speech.”

Yue Qianxun lowered his head, his already-long bangs falling completely down, covering most of his face. “Oh. So what do you need me to do?”

The previously misty weather suddenly cleared. All the chaotic scenarios in the Spirit Wandering Realm stopped. Seeing the dramatic change in the sky, Shen Xiyuan knew the academy masters had begun to act.

He didn’t have much time left. Looking at the youth before him, he whispered: “Now that my identity is exposed, I cannot bring Your Highness much assistance. I can only use this remnant soul of mine to pave the way for you.”

“As for everything else, the inheritance will tell you.”

With that, Shen Xiyuan grasped Yue Qianxun’s hand. His nails were pitch black, his finger bones wide. He gently pressed against the youth’s forehead, and then a brand mark crashed directly into Yue Qianxun’s body. The demon realm inheritance bearing the Demon Lord’s aura swept through overwhelmingly. The blood in Yue Qianxun’s body flowed backward, and the demon blood that had always been suppressed within him suddenly boiled!

The seal Qin Tanshi had placed on him blazed brightly. Yue Qianxun groaned, his fingers clawing wildly. Clutching his chest, his breathing almost stopped. Amid a fishy-sweet sensation, his brain felt as if it had been struck hard. A massive amount of information was forcibly poured into his mind. His eyes turned crimson, but his pupils shrank to pinpoints. His brain matter seemed to be stirred into mush. The Inquiry Mirror in his left eye flashed with bright light. A moment later, his eardrums roared as if he’d been submerged in water. Amid the tremendous sound of surging tides, Yue Qianxun collapsed to the ground like mud and passed out.

Shen Xiyuan reached out to check the youth’s soul. The primordial spirit was similar to the physical body. After breaking through the suppression of demon blood, the two bloodlines within Yue Qianxun clashed, manifesting fine, hard scales on his body, while a cluster of crimson flame markings appeared on his primordial spirit’s forehead.

In just half an hour, he would recall the demon clan’s inheritance. At that time, the Young Master could continue hiding within the Immortal Alliance as a spy. With the Young Master’s talent, he would surely climb very high. When the time came, he could work from within to coordinate with His Lordship and wipe out the Immortal Alliance in one fell swoop!

Breaking through the Cold Mountain Realm and taking over the Nine States—it was within reach!

Just thinking about it made Shen Xiyuan’s heart surge with emotion.

With a thunderous boom, countless shadowy figures approached from all directions. Shen Xiyuan had already completed eighty percent of his mission. He was originally just a remnant soul sent here and had no plans to return. Rising with a wave of his sleeve, he glanced sideways at the approaching disciples, his eyes full of disdain: “The Immortal Alliance is in decline.”

Outside, there were Immortal Alliance experts everywhere—he definitely couldn’t get out. But here inside, he faced a group of teenagers with extremely low cultivation.

He only needed to eliminate these brats, and the Immortal Alliance would be crippled for at least ten years. Ten years would be enough for the Young Master to grow.

“This is Immortal Alliance territory. You’re far too arrogant.” Xie Xuanxiao stepped forward from the crowd. He had already recovered from the deadly embarrassment of chasing Zhang Duixue earlier and was once again an elegant young master. Behind him followed all the disciples of Azure Cloud Academy, everyone staring at the great demon at the center, each brandishing their weapons.

“Release that youth and we’ll give you an intact corpse.”