Chapter 28

In the center of Xuanjian City, a building named 【Xuan Yue Tower】.

Since 【Xuan Yue Pavilion】 gained fame and opened branches across the Central Continent, many factions have liked to include the character "Moon" in their names.

But to this day, only 【Jing Yue Flying Sword】 has achieved any real success.

Xuan Yue Tower is one such case; compared to minor factions, its background is mysterious and its funds abundant, yet it has never shut down despite operating at a loss.

Yet no one knows that Xuan Yue Tower was actually co-founded by a coalition of ancient demonic elders; the surface business is trivial, and the only thing that truly matters is crafting simulated souls.

This is a base for cultivating simulated souls.

A city where the highest cultivators are only at the Spirit Transformation Stage is perfect—occasionally, one or two Void Return or Union with the Dao cultivators might patrol, but prior arrangements can easily conceal it.

But now it's impossible: first, an ancient cultivator emerged from seclusion, then some unknown beggar forged the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

A series of events has made this remote little city extraordinarily conspicuous.

Older demonic elders who sensed something amiss fled overnight; those left behind either never received the news or couldn't escape.

Dozens of meters beneath the building lies a vast underground laboratory.

But all the equipment inside has now been completely removed, leaving it empty and hollow.

"These demonic brats actually built such a massive underground lab—was the mayor an idiot?"

Behind a massive pillar, a figure muttered quietly.

She was a girl who immediately radiated vitality—her hair simply tied into a high ponytail, her features delicate, her black-and-white eyes bright and clear, wearing a white T-shirt and black work pants.

'When I become sect leader, I'll fire him!'

Her name is Chi Jiuyu, a third-generation disciple of the Xiang Jianzong, whose goal is to become the next Xiang Jianzong leader.

Today, upon arriving in Xuanjian City while searching for her uncle, she noticed several individuals with strange auras carrying large quantities of beast blood.

As the future sect leader, she felt it her duty to maintain order in the cities under the Xiang Jianzong's jurisdiction—so she quietly followed them here.

A dark, sinister basement, piles of beast blood—this was unmistakably a demonic cult's den!

Ding dong!

Her phone suddenly rang in her pocket, startling her.

She quickly pulled it out, ignored the notification, and switched it to silent mode first.

Phew~ Now she checked the message.

"Found your uncle yet?"

The sender's nickname was "My Most Revered Master," and their avatar was a little yellow duck holding a sword, its forehead marked with "Invincible," looking rather dim-witted.

"Not yet," Chi Jiuyu replied.

Xuanjian City isn't small, and where was she supposed to look?

Besides, if her uncle didn't want to be found, how could she possibly locate him?

"Find him quickly—your uncle is very generous, especially right after emerging from seclusion."

"Got it, got it!"

After replying, she tucked her phone away and pressed deeper inside—what uncle, what nothing—destroying this den came first!

Chi Jiuyu carefully slipped through room after room; the strange liquids and faint bloodstains on the floor confirmed her suspicion—this was definitely a demonic cult's hideout!

After passing several more rooms, she reached a equipment room filled with several broken, strange devices—she faintly heard voices.

"Master, how much longer will we stay here?"

"Almost done—the elder's injuries are nearly healed."

Master? Elder? Definitely a big fish! Chi Jiuyu's eyes glowed faintly with Jin Guang as she probed their realms through the wall.

Nascent Soul Early Stage, Nascent Soul Early Stage.

Confirmed—two minor pests; in the same realm, she had never feared anyone! But she didn't know what realm the elder they mentioned was—Spirit Transformation, maybe she could fight; Void Return would be trouble.

Just as she thought this—

"You younglings are truly careless—some little mouse has slipped in."

A cold, harsh voice, utterly coarse; Chi Jiuyu's Jin Guang dimmed—not only the grating voice, but also the rustling sound of insects crawling.

She turned around—in the dark, lightless equipment room stood a hazy, shadowy black demonic figure.

"Holy shit!" Shit, she'd stumbled onto a shark—it was a Union with the Dao elder demon!

The two inside also sensed something wrong and rushed out.

"Master, it seems we've been followed."

The young man wearing sunglasses glared fiercely at his subordinate—do you think I don't know that?!

He bowed toward the demonic shadow.

"My apologies, Elder—this was my oversight."

Then he turned to Chi Jiuyu and snarled: "Speak! Which faction are you from? Why did you follow us here?!"

"Of course because my sense of justice sensed the aura of evil!" Chi Jiuyu declared solemnly.

What the hell is "aura of evil"?

Both nearly broke composure—do you realize the person standing before you is a Union with the Dao elder demon?! Can't you show some fear?! "She has cultivated the Grand Void Illusion-Dispelling Golden Eye—the subtle concealment techniques you two used are useless against her," explained the Union with the Dao elder.

The Grand Void Illusion-Dispelling Golden Eye—a ocular technique from the Xiang Jianzong's supreme inheritance, the Grand Void Sword Scripture.

Xiang Jianzong?

"At such a young age, you've reached this realm and even cultivated such an ocular technique—given time, you might surpass me," said the Union with the Dao elder calmly.

"Pfft!" Chi Jiuyu scoffed. "You really think highly of yourself."

She—she—she's always been this arrogant?! The young man and his subordinate were stunned.

Look clearly—standing before you is a Union with the Dao elder demon! The Union with the Dao elder paused at this, then said calmly: "Strength is a matter of the future—do you think you even have a future?"

Rolling demonic qi surged, filling more than half the equipment room—Chi Jiuyu was about to be swallowed whole.

No matter how powerful a Nascent Soul, to a Union with the Dao Stage cultivator, they are but ants.

Chi Jiuyu's vision blurred, yet he suddenly shouted loudly.

"Master, save me!!!"

Hum! A grand hum resonated beside the young master, his subordinates, and the Union with the Dao elder demon.

Everything before his eyes vanished rapidly; his perspective seemed infinitely elevated, the fundamental truths of the Dao flowed before him, and many cultivation dilemmas found answers in that instant.

The Union with the Dao elder demon even felt his realm trembling, yet his heart held not a trace of joy.

A nearly transparent pale red phantom stepped forward, her immortal grace peerless.

Her gaze fell, and the Union with the Dao elder demon froze—because that gaze was not cold and heartless, but brimmed with extraordinarily rich emotion.

How could this be? "Who dares harm my disciple? Must be cut down."

Must be cut down!

That voice sounded like a cosmic decree; boundless terror surged within the Union with the Dao elder demon.

"No!!!"

In a scream filled with despair, terrifying demonic qi erupted into the sky—the full might of a Union with the Dao Stage cultivator's outburst was terrifying.

Logically, several mere Nascent Souls could not possibly stop it, yet the rising demonic qi seemed sealed in another dimension, utterly ineffective.

Chi Jiuyu watched the withered old man let out a desperate scream, then dissolve into violet specks like flowing sand, and he clicked his tongue.

It's always like this—what exactly did they all see?

With the Union with the Dao elder demon dead, the young master and his subordinates regained consciousness; neither had been killed.

If you can't defeat someone of the same realm, dying is deserved.

Coincidentally, Chi Jiuyu thought the same thing; she drew a long sword.

"Come at me together!"

Who the hell wants to fight you?!

Now the two finally understood why the elder demon in this base had fled so fast.

"You're Master's disciple?"

A figure appeared where the elder demon had vanished—Xu Xing, who had just been in the office of the Deputy Principal at the Third Middle School of Xuanjian City.

Please collect and follow!! (Chapter ends)