(ATTENDANCE)
....
"Crack!"
As the tenth palm strike fell,
The small cauldron shattered completely.
Bang!
An overwhelming surge of life essence exploded outward, instantly filling the entire room. Cultivating within it for a single day would surpass half a decade of normal cultivation.
Yet Chu Xun's eyes showed only sorrow.
This terrifyingly rich life essence had been born from the sacrifice of countless lives. The blood and qi taken from Tianyun Kingdom alone was nothing more than a drop in the ocean. Even the three demons had likely been deceived, believing they possessed a supreme treasure, never realizing they had been reduced to slaves.
It was easy to imagine.
The magic cauldron only fed them scraps.
The true, vast ocean of life essence had been hidden within it, reserved for its master—sleeping in Yin Ruins—waiting to awaken after countless years and return directly to peak strength.
"Hmph."
A trace of killing intent flashed in Chu Xun's eyes.
He was not some righteous saint who despised all evil, but such cruel slaughter placed directly before him was unbearable. The mastermind behind it deserved death.
With a sweep of his palm, he erased the life essence bit by bit.
It wasn't generosity.
Nor was he rejecting power.
Chu Xun simply didn't need it.
He had already seen the consequences. The three demons possessed the cultivation of ninth-level Human Emperors, yet their true strength was only eighth level.
Their realms were hollow.
Their foundations rotten.
Using such power was no different from taking poison.
Short-term pleasure.
Endless future disaster.
Moreover, the life essence was tainted with malevolent will. If it spread and was absorbed by those near the palace, even a wise ruler would turn into a tyrant within days, plunging Tianyun Kingdom into another catastrophe.
Since he had intervened,
He would finish the job.
Several days later.
The wing room returned to clarity.
As the formation dissipated, Chu Xun's gaze was calm, but his heart felt heavy. Only after stepping into the wider cultivation world did one truly understand its cruelty.
Some people would do anything to grow stronger.
"Master!"
Liu Jian, who had been guarding outside, immediately stepped forward.
"Mm." Chu Xun nodded gently, his gaze holding a trace of approval.
To remain true to oneself, even when surrounded by demonic temptation, was far harder than cultivation itself.
"Come with me," Chu Xun said.
Liu Jian sighed inwardly, relief and embarrassment mixing together.
These past few days had been unbearable.
Social death, complete and utter.
What began as a simple boast, that he had good talent, awakened a sword body, and been accepted as a disciple, somehow snowballed beyond control.
At Tianyun Academy, it became:
Senior Brother Liu Jian awakened the sword body and was undefeated in the Eastern Region.
In the imperial capital, it turned into:
Liu Jian of Tianyun Kingdom suppressed all Eastern Region geniuses and was accepted by the Six Holy Lands.
Eventually, it evolved into pure madness:
Saints personally fought to accept Liu Jian. The Six Holy Lands competed for him. Saints bowed to him.
And yet,
After seeing Chu Xun casually kill three ninth-level Human Emperors, many people actually believed it.
The rumors only grew wilder.
Liu Jian felt his scalp go numb just imagining what absurd legends were still fermenting.
He had no face left to stay.
…
…
Several days later.
Donglin Sect.
Not long after Chu Xun returned, Elder Sun hurried over.
"Elder Chu, you're back! Something major has happened in the Eastern Region. The Yin Ruins, buried for hundreds of years, have resurfaced. The entire Eastern Region is shaken. Countless cultivators have rushed over. Sect Master Xiao Rongyu has already been there for days!"
"Hm?"
Chu Xun paused.
Yin Ruins?
When the Demon Cauldron shattered, it had screamed that its master, the Blue Bull Demon Lord, was about to awaken from Yin Ruins.
He had planned to consult ancient records later.
Yet now,
Yin Ruins had surfaced on its own.
"Yes," Elder Sun said solemnly. "Yin Ruins."
His expression turned complex, tinged with reverence.
"In the past, Yin Ruins were unimaginably prosperous. Several Saints ruled together and founded a massive dynasty, the Yin Dynasty."
"It once controlled sixty percent of the Eastern Region. Even our Donglin Sect had to bow back then."
"But the Yin Dynasty offended a terrifying senior from outside the Eastern Region. Overnight, the entire dynasty was annihilated. Not a single survivor."
"The Eastern Region fell into chaos. After decades, the matter faded into history."
"Who would've thought its ruins would reappear now?"
Chu Xun listened silently.
He could imagine the glory of the Yin Dynasty. The Eastern Region today was ruled by sects; establishing an empire was nearly impossible.
Yet the Yin Dynasty had done it.
Its prosperity must have been overwhelming.
No wonder Xiao Rongyu rushed over immediately.
Suddenly,
Chu Xun's pupils contracted.
He remembered the Demon Cauldron's words.
If the Blue Bull Demon Lord was truly reviving in Yin Ruins…
Then a terrifying existence might already be stirring there.
Judging from the Demon Cauldron alone, that being was very likely a Saint.
"What's wrong?" Elder Sun asked.
"Nothing." Chu Xun shook his head.
Originally, he planned to explore Yin Ruins only after reaching the Saint Realm himself.
But its early appearance disrupted everything.
Rushing there now was far too dangerous.
Even if the Blue Bull Demon Lord was weakened, the risk was unacceptable.
"What's the sect's current plan?" Chu Xun asked.
"Elder Wang He is holding back most disciples," Elder Sun replied. "Only a group of young geniuses may enter to seek opportunities. This is the consensus among the Six Holy Lands."
Chu Xun frowned slightly.
"This matter is too dangerous. Whether Yin Ruins bring fortune or disaster is still unknown. There's no need for many from the younger generation to go."
"Let Jiang Chen go instead, just to show courtesy."
"Hm?"
Elder Sun was puzzled but nodded nonetheless.
"And," Chu Xun added, "call Jiang Chen here."
He glanced at a talisman in his hand, a reward from reading a thousand volumes. It could carry one of his attacks.
Even if he couldn't go personally, this might save a life.
As for why Jiang Chen,
Chu Xun's reasoning was simple.
A chosen villain of fate wouldn't die so easily.
Especially one about to condense the Dark Lotus.
Let him test the waters.
Who knew, he might even save Xiao Rongyu's life.