Chapter 120: The Demon Realm Soul Seizure (Part 13)

You Yin glanced around the mountain wilderness. “A mirage?”
He only knew that the combination of seawater vapor and spiritual energy could form moving mirage creatures that intercept ships. But to create such a realistic scene with mountains, waters, and pavilions, how much spiritual energy would that require?

Shen Suwei seemed to understand what he wanted to ask: “He drained the spiritual energy from the Demon Realm and placed it all here.”
“Then this isn’t the Demon Realm anymore; this is—”
Another Yuan Ying disciple of Lìng Yuè spoke: “Since it’s a mirage, what’s there to fear? Just deal with it like we do with mirage creatures—use fire. I have a fire spiritual root, so I can take the lead.”

Flames of bright orange burned on his sword. The young boy stood in the distance, glaring coldly at the intruders. With a swift kick, he sent a ball hurtling toward them.
The ball arced through the air and struck the ground in front of them. The disciple dismissed it, raising his sword to strike.
But Chu Linfeng and Shen Suwei heard a faint noise. Their expressions changed instantly, and they acted swiftly. As the ball approached, it transformed into a poisonous insect, its mouth opening wide. The sword struck, cleaving it in two, but instead of vanishing like a usual mirage creature, it shattered into countless tiny poisonous insects that buzzed and lunged toward them.

Shen Suwei and Chu Linfeng’s sword energy combined into a net of intertwining lightning, blocking the insects. 

Still, many of the insects passed through the disciple’s protective shield and crawled up his body. The disciple’s face twisted in pain as red spots appeared on his skin, and he quickly began to shrink into a withered husk. Shen Suwei sealed his meridians to temporarily stop the terrifying devouring process. The disciple was forced to jump into the water to wash off the insects.

When he emerged, his face was full of shame and anger. The flames on his sword slowly faded into wisps of smoke. Clearly, his cultivation had been harmed.

The six people present were all above the Golden Core stage, but none had experience dealing with such malevolent creatures. The atmosphere was heavy, and no one spoke.

Shen Suwei released a burst of cold air. The insects that had crawled onto his hand turned into rigid ice particles and fell to the ground. He said to You Yin, “Use the ‘peep’ technique to explore.”
It wasn’t like this last time. When he had entered the Demon Realm in his past life, Fu Shao had set up a mirage that resembled a desolate wasteland, and once inside, there was a fierce battle to the death. There had been no such colors.
You Yin used his own divine powers. A golden “peep” appeared on his forehead, and cold sweat beaded on his brow. “Everything is bright.”
“What does that mean?”
You Yin explained, “I can use the ‘peep’ technique to see the joints and vital points of an opponent’s primordial spirit. My sword is a soft one, specialized in cutting, and it works well in combination with the ‘peep’ technique. But if the opponent’s cultivation is higher than mine, like yours, their spiritual energy will block it, making it unclear. But here, when I look around, everything is golden.”

“Meaning,” You Yin’s expression darkened, “the entire space we are in is Fu Shao himself.”
The group fell silent. High-level cultivators could project their primordial spirits to fight, but the idea of someone transforming into an entire space was unheard of.
Looking at the drifting white mist, they could feel that every tiny water droplet carried the intent of spying and killing, filled with ghostly and malevolent energy.

Looking into the distance, the young boy had already been picked up by someone. Amidst the ringing of bells, the newcomer was dressed in a flowing, colorful gown, with a veil fluttering in the wind. She had a pair of small horns on her head, and her long hair shimmered with a beautiful deep blue hue under the light. The boy seemed very unwilling, kicking her with the tips of his shoes and slapping with his hands, but gradually stopped struggling, his lonely ankles hanging down.

“You’ve seen her before,” said You Yin.
Chu Linfeng also said, “She’s the dragon girl from the ship.” Anyone who had caused him pain was bound to leave a deep impression.

Shen Suwei stared at her for a moment, and a book from the golden bead of mustard seed emerged to compare: “She’s Hua Liangyu. A dragon tribe member, half-demon who entered the Dao. She was originally Fu Shao’s senior sister, but she disappeared later.”

The boy, still in the dragon girl’s arms, turned his head to stare at them, his gaze full of mischief. The two entered a building.
“What should we do now?”
Shen Suwei leapt off the ship, his white robe fluttering softly as it landed, his face expressionless: “Follow them inside.”

Voices of reprimand came from the room: “I told you to choose the right person, not to bring anyone back casually.”
Hua Liangyu kneeled on the ground and calmly said, “Disciple understands.”
But the boy stood stiffly to the side, his tone extremely cold: “It’s not like I wanted to come. She tricked me, controlled me with her consciousness. I don’t even know how I ended up following her.”

When someone exposed the truth, Hua Liangyu wasn’t offended but instead smiled slyly.
“You need to have some conscience,” said the middle-aged man in charge, his gaze sharp as a lightning strike. “She saved your life and took you in. Without her, you would have long been dead in the jaws of a giant snake. You should plead for her when I scold her, not shift the blame onto her.”

The boy coldly replied, “Then let me die. Whether I live or die has nothing to do with you. Stop being so troublesome.”

The middle-aged man stopped talking to him, ordering, “Go out and kneel as punishment!”
The boy walked away, stomping loudly.

The man on the seat had almond-shaped eyes and a long beard, with a dignified expression. Shen Suwei had just flipped through the picture book and found: “This man is the sect leader of Wanfuzong from the Great Chaos era, Hua Liangyu’s master, who has already fallen.”

You Yin and Chu Linfeng exchanged glances. From what they heard, this boy wasn’t Hua Liangyu’s child, but Fu Shao himself!
The sect leader continued scolding Hua Liangyu: “Liangyu, you’ve caused a great disaster.”
Hua Liangyu replied, “Last time when I picked up the little umbrella, you said the same thing.”

“I wasn’t joking with you.”

“He’s pitiful. He was once a noble human, but he fell into the miasmic forest, and he’s the only one of his family left alive, forced to live among insects and beasts. He saved me in that forest, and I can’t just ignore him.” Hua Liangyu looked up at her master from her kneeling position, like a young, innocent daughter. “Besides, I always feel that he will be useful to us.”

“You want to repay kindness? There are many other ways to compensate. As for usefulness, do you mean his poison or curse powers? Let’s just say, he’s better off with us than falling into the hands of someone with ill intentions. You act so naïve, you’ll regret it sooner or later.” The sect leader said, “His blood has been poisoned by insects, and his spiritual root is damaged, making cultivation nearly impossible. Later, when he sees his fellow disciples advancing while he stagnates, what do you think he will do? This child is narrow-minded, not fit for cultivation. I fear he will repay kindness with hatred and bring disaster to you.”

“When my master accepted me as a disciple, he didn’t disdain my half-demon status. So, it’s too early to say this about Fu Shao,” Hua Liangyu said. “I’m the senior sister; I will take care of them.”
“Let’s hope so.”

Fu Shao stood behind the door, lowering his eyelashes, walking silently toward the courtyard.
The boy was thin, his robe sleeves hanging loosely and covering his hands. From behind, his pale, fragile neck could be seen under his hair, looking as though it could snap with a single sword strike. It was hard to connect him to the formidable ruler of the demon domain.

Shen Suwei observed the back of his neck and knew someone had likely harbored murderous intentions. He angled his sword sheath to block a sword strike from behind.

“Do you just want to watch him perform these dark tricks?” One of the Hidden Dragon disciples, Yang Luo, was dissatisfied with Shen Suwei’s caution. If they missed this chance, they might fail, and he immediately pushed Shen Suwei’s sword aside, swinging his own sword at Fu Shao’s head.

Fu Shao didn’t dodge, as if he didn’t sense the attack.
But the moment Yang Luo’s sword touched the boy, the tip seemed to melt. The entire figure was sucked into a vortex. Amidst the struggle, flames raged within his spiritual body. The man turned into a fiery god roaring in the flames, yet still melded into the mist.
Shen Suwei had no choice but to use his “Resurrection” power, reducing the fire’s size and pulling Yang Luo out. But the sword was broken, and his spiritual root was also damaged.

It was too strange, like some kind of curse.
Seeing this, another Hidden Dragon disciple, Shen Xiao, stepped back, visibly shaken: “I want to leave; I want to get out of here. How could we kill the lord of the demon domain? I’ve just reached the Nascent Soul stage, and you want me to die here?!”

Shen Suwei’s piercing gaze made Shen Xiao feel ashamed and furious: “Aren’t you afraid?”
A faint smile appeared in Shen Suwei’s bright eyes, and he nonchalantly drew his sword, stating a truth: “If I were afraid, I wouldn’t have survived to this day. In spring, the more you fear death, the sooner it comes.”

“There must be a way out. We shouldn’t have followed you here. Let’s go find another exit.”
The three decided to find a teleportation array to leave and turned to leave.

Shen Suwei stood still, wiping his sword with his sleeve. “Are you still going to follow me?”
The people on the ship were originally chosen by him as his teammates. But everyone has their own goals, and one can’t force others. The higher the cultivation, the stronger the personality, making it hard to coordinate.

“Of course,” Chu Linfeng scratched his head in confusion. “Aren’t we here to kill the lord of the demon domain? Why are they leaving?”
You Yin, sweating coldly, said, “I’ll still follow you. I want to see what happens next. Even if I die, I don’t want to be a fool.” He then asked Shen Suwei, “What do you think the lord of the demon domain intends for us to see these memories?”

“The lord of the demon domain may not have intended this. Perhaps he has lost his mind. Where we are is his consciousness. The things he holds in his mind must be of great significance to him.” Shen Suwei said, “If we find a weak point, we might strike.”

He did not know what caused the mirage of this life to become gentler.
If there was any difference, it would be that in his past life, Xu Qianyu did not come along and naturally did not bring Hua Liangyu’s soul. Perhaps Hua Liangyu’s soul was a turning point.
Shen Suwei’s expression softened a little. Though they were not in the same place, the lock he had left in her spiritual pool could sense that Xu Qianyu had likely arrived at a warm and comfortable place.

*
In the Demon Domain, Xu Qianyu sat with her knees hugged to her chest.
It had just rained lightly in the Demon Domain. A few people had built a wooden hut where there was spiritual energy to shield from the wind and rain so that the disciples could meditate. Yu Chu had taken out the furnace forging to warm up, and Tu Zhuang had already started drying her puppets below.

Xu Qianyu was focused on wiping a wooden sword. With nothing else to do, her mood grew heavy. Lin Shuyue, standing beside her, looked at the words on the spirit butterfly, her face changing between red and pale.
What did it mean, “You’re still alive?”

You Yin hadn’t died, which was a relief. They could clear things between them. But receiving this reply left a bitter taste in her mouth. She knew she wasn’t in the right, but surely the crime wasn’t grave enough to deserve death.

Lin Shuyue felt as though something had lodged in her heart, feeling aggrieved. She handed the spirit butterfly to Xu Qianyu to show her.

Xu Qianyu’s eyes widened. “This spirit butterfly was sent by someone from the ship.”
“Probably.”
Xu Qianyu immediately put down her sword: “Quickly ask him, are there others around him?”
With communication via the contact token, the Huofeng butterfly, and Shen Chong all failing, this spirit butterfly was able to make contact with the outside world—how rare.

Lin Shuyue understood Xu Qianyu’s concern for Senior Brother Shen, but the thought of communicating with You Yin again and possibly receiving another “greeting” made her feel pressured. She closed her eyes and handed the spirit butterfly to Xu Qianyu: “You ask him. Don’t tell me what the reply is.”

Xu Qianyu sent the spirit butterfly out immediately.
“I’m in the Demon Domain. Where are you? Are there others around you?”
You Yin opened the spirit butterfly: “…”
She actually dared to respond. Lin Shuyue’s tolerance was extraordinary. But upon seeing her inquire about others, it felt like a stone had fallen in her heart, stirring up dust.

It seemed that the greeting she had given him was merely a pretext to inquire about news. Who was she asking about? That tall disciple from Tianshan Mountain?
His eyes darkened, his lips tight, and in an instant, he felt disinterested. He didn’t even want to look at this spirit butterfly anymore, so he handed it to Shen Suwei: “A letter from Lin Shuyue from the Demon Domain. Please reply.”

Shen Suwei hadn’t expected to establish contact with the Demon Domain. He stared at the question on the spirit butterfly, silent for a moment, then wrote down the names of the six cultivators who had entered the Mirage Realm.

This way, if none of them returned alive, the names of the fallen would be sent back to the sect.
Xu Qianyu grabbed the spirit butterfly, her eyes sweeping over Shen Suwei’s name within, her heart racing. Though this message wasn’t from Senior Brother Shen, she felt a little closer to him.

She also learned from the opposite side and wrote down the names of the Demon Domain’s people before releasing the spirit butterfly.

Shen Suwei saw Xu Qianyu’s name among the list and felt a slight sense of relief. He tucked the spirit butterfly into his sleeve and looked ahead.

Fu Shao was kneeling on the stairs, holding a talisman book, his face dark as he gazed at it. Beside him were a bowl, a bottle, and an umbrella.
At midnight, the quiet courtyard suddenly became noisy. The bowl and bottle grew arms and legs, turning into two young female ghosts around thirteen or fourteen years old. The umbrella emitted a shadow, revealing a skull wearing a bow tie. The group of ghosts quickly began drawing talismans.

“This book on effective talismans is really difficult. I just memorized it yesterday and can’t remember it now.”
“Did Senior Sister go out again? The sect added a treasure lantern to the beam yesterday, almost blinding me. I heard it was a gift from an elder of the Dream Shadow Sect. It’s really valuable. The other day, Elder Qianlong’s luminous pearl could have been exchanged for it. I heard Elder Qianlong also gave Senior Sister some fabrics for clothes, but she said the sect had no use for them and didn’t accept them.”

Fu Shao tore a page from the book with a harsh sound and crumpled it into a ball.
The female ghosts said, “Hurry up and copy it. Otherwise, Senior Sister will say we aren’t working as hard as the new Junior Brother.”

“We’re ghosts. We can’t draw yang talismans. Junior Brother is human, and he can draw all day, but we can only appear at night. We can’t compare.”

“But Junior Brother works so hard, yet we still can’t catch up to the growth of our ghost cultivation. It’s really frustrating.”

“Junior Brother,” one of the female ghosts from the bowl cautiously poked the sullen boy, “Do you have any special powers?”
Fu Shao’s eyes were lifeless, and he was the most frightening: “What do you mean by special powers?”

“Something you’re good at that others aren’t.”
Fu Shao lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, “I know how to sew people together.”
“Sew people?”

“Like sewing a dead person to a dog to bring them back to life, and they even learn to bark like a dog. Or sewing a scorpion into a ghost’s belly, and from then on, the ghost’s claws have scorpion venom.” Fu Shao grew more excited as he spoke, “I can sew you three together too.”
After he finished speaking, the female ghosts in the courtyard fell completely silent.

Suddenly, there was a clattering noise. The ghosts rushed into the bowl and bottle, stretching out their limbs like they were avoiding a plague god, fleeing into the pavilion. The bell-ringing blue oil-paper umbrella also tried to run but fell to the ground with a thud: “…”
After a while, the female ghost from the bowl stretched out a ghostly hand from the pavilion and picked up the flower-blue umbrella.

Fu Shao continued kneeling in the empty courtyard, drawing talismans, though no one accompanied him.
After a while, he suddenly went mad, tearing the talisman book to shreds. He didn’t know when, but the night wind blew the bell, and Hua Liangyu appeared, sitting beside him, holding the talisman book, her hair and cloak fluttering. She sat beside Fu Shao, guiding him in drawing talismans.

Fu Shao repeated what he had said about sewing people, but Hua Liangyu only smiled.
The dew deep in the stairs, the fragrance of osmanthus in the courtyard, but if one listened closely, it resembled the scent of osmanthus wine—sweet.

The faint smell of wine emanated from Hua Liangyu.
He then thought of the senior sisters’ words: Senior Sister went out again, it seemed many people liked her and tried to keep her.
Fu Shao glanced sideways, his mind wandering as he watched the petals falling from the night sky.

The petal suddenly vanished, causing his jaw to tighten.
Hua Liangyu handed him the talisman book, and on it, a complete petal appeared, as if it had been painted on. Hua Liangyu said, “This is my divine ability, the Gaze of Sealing Technique. When I was born, my people considered me an omen of misfortune, afraid that if I looked at them even once, they might lose their lives. They kept my eyes covered with cloth strips, probably similar to your ‘stitching people’. But if used properly, it won’t cause harm.”

“Aren’t you afraid of me?” Fu Shao couldn’t help but ask. “Master said I might go astray, that I could become a bad person.”

Hua Liangyu replied, “Don’t worry. I’m the eldest senior sister. No matter how far you go, I’ll bring you back.”

Fu Shao said, “I want to learn your divine ability.”

Hua Liangyu hesitated a bit, flipping through the talisman book. “It seems there’s a similar spell, the Sealing Talisman?”
At this point, a talisman suddenly shot out from the book like a flying star, growing large and bright, resembling an ominous crying face, charging toward the three people outside the painting.