Chapter Eighty-One: The Yin Essence Body

With Zhuo Jiner’s full assistance, Qi Fei drew upon the immense spiritual energy contained in the spiritual vein source of Qingyang Peak. Not only did he heal his wounds, but with the newly reborn spirit’s pure yang energy, he forged the Xuanmen Primordial Spirit, breaking through in one leap to the second level of Xuanmen Divine Abilities—the Realm of Pure Yang. The innate true energy within his body became even more abundant.

Early the next morning, with her emotions finally calmed, Zhuo Jiner released Qi Fei from the cavern. Afterward, she once more used Xuanmen Daoist arts to seal the entrance to the spiritual vein source of Qingyang Peak.

Qi Fei strode swiftly out of the cave, taking a deep breath of the crisp mountain air. Smiling, he said, “Miss Zhuo, last night I was somewhat presumptuous. Thank you for saving my life. I shall never forget this kindness.”

“As long as you know,” Zhuo Jiner replied, casting him a dissatisfied look, still holding some resentment over the events of the previous night.

Qi Fei recalled Zhuo Jiner’s earlier embarrassment and found it rather amusing. He then asked, “Last night, you didn’t tell me the full story. Why are you so intent on killing Chu Yanran? Even though you laid a trap using the spiritual vein of Moonwatch Peak to leave her with a hidden ailment, Chu Yanran has achieved the realm of Martial Grandmaster. She won’t be easy to deal with.”

Zhuo Jiner hesitated, but knowing that to slay her nemesis she would need Qi Fei’s help—he who now wielded divine abilities and innate true energy—she made up her mind. After a moment’s thought, she began, “Qi Fei, do you remember back at the Moonwatch Peak pavilion, when I sensed that pure, mysterious spiritual energy in your body and deduced that you had inherited all the fortunes of the Bloodshadow True Lord?”

“Of course I remember. At the time, I thought you truly had some unfathomable soul-reading technique. I was nearly scared out of my wits. You also said that, if you weren’t born with the Innate Yin Essence Physique, you would never have detected the spiritual energy from my Spirit Jade. So? How is all this related to Chu Yanran and the Dao of Yin-Yang?” Qi Fei asked, frowning.

A bitter, helpless smile flickered across Zhuo Jiner’s face as she sighed, “Because Chu Yanran is also born with the Innate Yin Essence Physique. If we wish to deal with the True Lord of Yin-Yang, Chu Yanran must die.”

“The True Lord of Yin-Yang? That’s the title of the master of the Dao of Yin-Yang, isn’t it?” Qi Fei wondered. Both Zhuo Jiner and Chu Yanran possessed the Innate Yin Essence Physique—was that why Zhuo Jiner became mortal enemies with the master of the Yin-Yang Dao?

“That’s right. Over the past decades, the True Lord of Yin-Yang has scoured the world, seeking women with the Innate Yin Essence Physique to fulfill his path to the Great Dao. When I was still an infant, he took me back to his sect.”

Qi Fei had a faint inkling of the enmity between Zhuo Jiner and the True Lord of Yin-Yang. No doubt, the True Lord must have killed her family to seize her back then.

To avoid rousing painful memories, Qi Fei quickly asked, “I’m not well-versed in these matters. What exactly is the Innate Yin Essence Physique?”

Zhuo Jiner hesitated, a shy blush blooming on her pale cheeks. Qi Fei felt awkward—clearly, the nature of the Yin Essence Physique was something difficult for Zhuo Jiner to speak about.

He coughed dryly and apologized, “Forgive my rudeness, Miss Zhuo. Please don’t take offense.”

She shot him a sidelong glance, composed herself, and continued, “Back then, the True Lord of Yin-Yang took me and several other senior sisters, all born with the Yin Essence Physique, as disciples and taught us the Daoist arts of Yin-Yang. But his intentions were wicked. Once my senior sisters achieved a certain cultivation, he used the secret arts of Yin-Yang to refine them into cauldrons for his own practice. I was spared only because I hadn’t yet broken through to the Xuanmen Shapeshifting Realm.”

“How did you escape from him?” Qi Fei asked.

Zhuo Jiner sighed, “When my senior sisters began to disappear mysteriously, I knew there was foul play. The True Lord is ruthless. I suspect he killed my parents to take me as well. Later, the True Lord went all out—damaging his own vitality—to help me break through into the Shapeshifting Realm, which made me even more suspicious. While he was recovering in seclusion, I discovered hidden truths within the sect. Fearing I’d be next, I fled the Yin-Yang Dao overnight.”

Qi Fei couldn’t help but ask, “The True Lord of Yin-Yang is a devil—refining disciples with the Yin Essence Physique into cauldrons for his path. It’s vile, but such is the way of demon cultivators. Even if Chu Yanran possesses the Yin Essence Physique, she’s a martial grandmaster. Can that devil really make her his cauldron?”

“The Yin Essence Physique is exceedingly rare. Only those who have achieved great Daoist power can detect it with secret arts. The True Lord scoured the Nine Provinces and found only five such women. From my senior sisters, I learned that the only one who escaped him was Chu Yanran, sister to the Marquis of Might. The Chu clan of Yongzhou was powerful; its elders fought the True Lord to a standstill, forcing him to retreat in disgrace.”

Qi Fei was inwardly amazed. “If the Chu clan of Yongzhou was so mighty, and forced the True Lord to back down, even if you kill Chu Yanran, wouldn’t it be hard to pin the blame on him?”

“I don’t wish to kill Chu Yanran just to frame the True Lord. His defeat at the hands of the Chu clan was his greatest humiliation. After he murdered my senior sisters, his cultivation advanced, but he became increasingly cruel and unstable. When I escaped, he hunted me down, but the sect’s secret arts couldn’t divine my whereabouts. Reluctantly, he let it go. Now, with no other options, he’s bound to return to Yongzhou and seek out Chu Yanran.”

“In that case, why not let him and the Chu clan fight to the death? Why risk killing Chu Yanran yourself? And if Sima Yan learns you’re a disciple of the Yin-Yang Dao, aren’t you afraid he’ll betray you?” Qi Fei was astonished, a trace of suspicion flashing in his eyes.

Zhuo Jiner’s expression turned helpless. “You think I don’t want them to destroy each other? But I once snuck into the Marquis’s residence and discovered that the Chu clan elder who fought the True Lord has long since passed away. Moreover, Chu Yanran and Wei Huaiyuan have grown estranged and she now lives at Moonwatch Peak among the Seven Absolutes Sect. The True Lord is on the verge of attaining the Profound Comprehension Realm. If we don’t kill Chu Yanran before he arrives, the consequences will be dire.”

She paused, then continued, “As for Sima Yan, he’s shrewd enough that I could never hide my origins from him. But he also knows that if he reveals my presence here, the plot against the Xuan Zhen Temple will come to light. Besides, he’ll probably come after you soon enough. When that happens, the two of us can join forces and silence him permanently.”

“When we first met, you admitted you were a disciple of the Yin-Yang Dao. Did you intend to silence me as well?” Qi Fei, having witnessed Zhuo Jiner’s ruthless methods, couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

Zhuo Jiner smiled faintly. “Would you prefer the truth or a lie?”

Anger flickered in Qi Fei’s eyes. “So, what’s your plan to kill Chu Yanran? If the True Lord of Yin-Yang arrives in Yongzhou, how will you handle it?”

“It’s precisely because I’m worried he’ll arrive that I helped you heal and fortify your cultivation. Now that you’ve formed your Primordial Spirit, with both of us practicing the secret arts of the Yin-Yang Dao, killing Chu Yanran won’t be difficult. Besides, Sima Yan is growing restless—he may soon try to use Chu Yanran to destroy us both.”

Just as Zhuo Jiner finished speaking, a voice called from not far away. It was Jiang Yifan, a disciple of the Immortal Radiance Sect.

“Elder Qi, something terrible has happened!”

Zhuo Jiner glanced at Qi Fei and said coolly, “It seems Sima Yan is making his move.”

Now fully recovered and having broken through to the second level of Xuanmen Pure Yang, Qi Fei no longer feared the innate might of the Seven Absolutes Sect’s leader. “If Sima Yan is coming for us, all the better. I have old scores with him from Moonwatch Peak.”

“Brother Jiang, what’s happened?” Qi Fei hurried forward to ask.

Jiang Yifan wiped the sweat from his brow and gasped, “Early this morning, disciples from the Seven Absolutes Sect came to deliver a challenge. Their leader, Sima Yan, has invited you to a contest of martial and spiritual prowess three days from now on Moonwatch Peak.”

Qi Fei and Zhuo Jiner exchanged a smile. “How timely. Sima Yan truly means to silence us.”

Like the others, Jiang Yifan mistakenly believed the feud between Sima Yan and Qi Fei was over the peerless beauty Zhuo Jiner. Fearing Qi Fei was still injured and no match for Sima Yan, Jiang urged, “Elder Qi, since you haven’t fully recovered, why not leave the mountain with Miss Zhuo and avoid trouble?”

“Don’t worry, Brother Jiang. My wounds are fully healed. Sima Yan will find me no easy prey. Since he wants to compete, I’ll gladly accept the challenge.”

Qi Fei gazed toward the distant, mist-veiled Moonwatch Peak, a glint of killing intent in his eyes. “Miss Zhuo, in three days, will you join me to witness Sima Yan’s so-called mastery?”

A peal of silvery laughter rang in his ears as Zhuo Jiner covered her mouth, teasing, “Aren’t you afraid I might betray you?”

Her meaning was clear—if Sima Yan, in desperation, exposed her demonic origins, Qi Fei would be branded an accomplice.

Qi Fei replied calmly, “The Seven Absolutes Sect is a threat to my own sect. If Sima Yan seeks death, we may as well uproot the sect entirely.”

With that, he and Zhuo Jiner made their way to the main hall.

Watching them go, Jiang Yifan was left dumbfounded. Was Qi Fei truly so bold? Not only did he not fear Sima Yan, who had been in the innate realm for years, he actually intended to eradicate the entire Seven Absolutes Sect. Could it be his wounds were not only healed, but his cultivation had reached new heights as well?