Chapter 202: The Forbidden Word Daoist Art, the Demon Master Departs! (Two-in-One)

【On Xiao Yue's face, there was still disbelief!】

【He stared blankly as the heart beating before him was gripped in a hand; his face was filled with rage, yet he was powerless to do anything!】

【Huang Dao's right hand pierced through his chest once more, pulling out another vibrating heart from within.】

【The two hearts were extracted by Huang Dao and held in his hand!】

【Xiao Yue's figure did not collapse; instead, he staggered out of the tavern, unable to stand steady, swaying as he walked.】

【The blood on his chest could not be stanched, and blood gushed from his mouth and nose, dragging a long trail of blood across the ground.】

【With such a grievous injury, an ordinary person would likely have died on the spot.】

【Xiao Yue did not collapse; blood kept bubbling from his mouth, and he could not speak. One trembling finger pointed at the Demon Master, while another pointed at you.】

【You no longer possessed the imposing aura from when you first made your move; the red mist between your hands had long since faded, and you looked on with indifferent eyes.】

【Two hearts are indeed a rarity!】

【Xiao Yue's breathing was labored, his eyes fixed on you, as if you had been this way ever since he revealed his identity.】

【It had always been the same look; Xiao Yue finally saw it clearly—it was a look of looking down from above, a look of never caring!】

【Xiao Yue looked at Huang Dao and you with hatred in his heart!】

【The Demon Master exerted a slight force in his hand, and the two hearts instantly burst.】

【"Without a heart, a person cannot live!"】

【Before the Demon Master's words had even faded, Xiao Yue finally could not hold on any longer and fell straight to the ground, his eyes wide open, dying with his eyes unclosed, staring straight at the tavern's thatched roof.】

【Xiao Yue was dead!】

【The Demon Master's body was not stained with a single drop of blood; even his fingers were long, fair, and flawless, and a gentle smile hung on his face.】

【He left behind a crowd of stunned onlookers.】

【The Demon Master had ended Xiao Yue's life.】

【Li Lanjiang sighed inwardly; a powerhouse once hailed as one of the Five Absolutes of the world had fallen just like this!】

【Although he held Xiao Yue's character in low regard, he always maintained respect for his martial arts attainments.】

【The most joyful of all was Xiu'er behind the house; the joy on her face was hard to suppress, and two lines of clear tears slid down silently.】

【Behind the house, she finally cried out loud!】

【She had finally escaped the danger; how could she not be extremely excited by this joy?】

【Now, only this Five Absolute Demon Master remained before them; he stood alone, carrying the might of having killed Xiao Yue, intimidating the entire scene.】

【His tacit cooperation with the Prince of Yan made it all look like a trap meticulously laid for Xiao Yue.】

【Ye Shengnan's face was also filled with surprise; her heart could not help but recall a rumor circulating in the Jianghu: the Demon Master loved to hunt and kill Grandmasters on the Awakening List.】

【In recent years, the rankings at the front of the Awakening List had changed frequently, all because of the Demon Master's own hand; he had already killed many Grandmasters.】

【The number of Grandmasters in the world was limited; there were only eighteen seats. If those in front did not die, those behind could not advance to become Grandmasters.】

【After a Grandmaster died, a new Grandmaster would appear!】

【The cycle of the Heavenly Dao is destiny!】

【However, ever since the Demon Master began hunting Grandmasters, no new Grandmasters had appeared in all these years.】

【An ominous premonition welled up in Ye Shengnan's heart. Xiao Yue was already dead, and the Demon Master's strength seemed sufficient to kill everyone present.】

【The Four Elders of the Sword Sect were also confused at this moment; they could not figure out the situation, as the Demon Master's sudden betrayal had led to Xiao Yue's death.】

【There had been too many twists and turns today!】

【Prompt: Congratulations on obtaining nine wisps of Mother Qi of Mediation; they have been collected. You can obtain them after ten years in this simulation.】

As the dark blue light screen on the cauldron flowed, it finally settled.

Yu Ke looked at the prompt above!

Another reward had exploded.

It was the same Mother Qi of Mediation, but the quantity this time was astonishing; there were actually nine wisps.

Obtaining nine wisps at once was almost on par with the harvest from the previous simulation.

Through the previous ten-year simulation, he had repaired his meridians and even reached the stage of the Great Perfection of the Second Heavenly Ladder in his cultivation.

He could already be considered to have "stood up."

Now, he only needed to open the Shentian Acupoint to complete Foundation Establishment and step into the Third Heavenly Ladder.

He did have some ideas about Foundation Establishment!

He could harvest the experience of Lu Chen's first life after the simulation ended to use for Foundation Establishment.

Establish a foundation for a lifetime!

The method of Foundation Establishment concerns the foundation of subsequent cultivation; if it is Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, one can definitely enter the Inner Sect and receive key cultivation.

Moreover, as long as one achieves Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment and receives the "Grotto-Heaven Seed" bestowed by the Heavenly Dao, most such geniuses can reach the Great True Person Realm as long as they do not die young.

Yu Ke was confident.

For no other reason than that he had a cheat!

Then, before Foundation Establishment, he had to open the Shentian Acupoint first.

Previously, it was the lack of Mother Qi that made him unable to open the "Shentian" Acupoint in one go.

The harvest of nine wisps of Mother Qi of Mediation this time made up for the previous deficiency.

However!

One thing could now be confirmed: when a Grandmaster or a "Big Shot" of that ilk dies, if Lu Chen is by their side, he can harvest "Mother Qi"!

The direction of the simulation seemed to be developing in a good direction, but why did the prompt in the last option suggest...

... that it would lead to the unknown and to choose carefully?

Yu Ke was somewhat puzzled.

At this moment, subtitles were flowing on the cauldron again.

The cauldron trembled slightly, as if tossed in the waves, shaking his sea of consciousness.

A more ancient and heavy aura quietly rang out in the void, like an ancient bell, echoing between this heaven and earth.

The cauldron stood firmly on four legs, its two ears towering high.

Mysterious and solemn!

It seemed to stand in the distant ancient times, yet it also resounded through the vicissitudes of ten thousand years.

【Prompt: Congratulations on obtaining the "Forbidden Word" Daoist Art; it has been collected. You can obtain it after ten years in this simulation.】

The dark blue light screen appeared on the cauldron!

Yu Ke looked at the prompt above; he did not notice the Forbidden Word Art, but was surprised by the two words...

"Daoist Art."

... that had shocked him. Equipment had really exploded!

Golden Legend!

One must know that only after Foundation Establishment can one transform the spiritual energy in the body into "True Essence," then open up a "Grotto-Heaven" within the body, and then plant a Daoist Art within the opened "Grotto-Heaven."

One who can display a Daoist Art can be called a cultivator of the Third Heavenly Ladder.

Of course, there was an exception.

There are always some geniuses in the world who are extraordinary; they planted Daoist Arts while still at the Second Heavenly Ladder Realm.

Yu Ke felt his heart heat up at the thought.

Isn't that it!

After this simulation ends, could he possess his first Daoist Art at the Second Heavenly Ladder Realm?

Possessing a Daoist Art would mean his strength would be...

... an absolute crushing force compared to cultivators of the same Second Heavenly Ladder Realm!

Yu Ke felt his heart burning like fire at the thought.

Once he possessed a Daoist Art, his strength would undoubtedly far exceed that of cultivators at the same realm.

The current True Disciple of the Profound Heaven Sect, Li Qiushui, had counter-attacked all the way into the Inner Sect from a menial disciple after awakening her "Heavy Pupils."

The root of all this lay in the fact that she had already planted two powerful Daoist Arts while at the Second Heavenly Ladder Realm.

At that time, she swept across the entire Outer Sect; during the trial, all the Outer Sect disciples joined forces and were still defeated by her alone.

With an invincible posture, she stepped into the Inner Sect and became an existence looked up to by everyone.

And Li Qingshui's two Daoist Arts were said to be related to "Pupil Arts," though opinions varied, and the specifics remained unknown.

A sense of longing rose in Yu Ke's heart.

If he had this Daoist Art, his winning percentage in the upcoming Outer Sect Grand Trial would rise again.

It was just unclear where this "Forbidden Word" Daoist Art came from; judging from the simulation, it seemed to be related only to Xiao Yue's death.

He pondered slightly, and the simulation continued.

【Xie Mu, however, seemed to have known everything all along and sighed softly.】

【The moment Xiao Yue fell, the internal energy in the bodies of the Seven Sons of Zhongnan and the Four Elders of the Sword Sect miraculously began to flow again. Even more surprisingly, after being restrained for a time, they felt their internal energy had subtly improved, as if they had undergone some strange tempering.】

【The Four Elders of the Sword Sect could not hide the excitement on their faces; for martial artists of their age, their physical potential had long since dried up, and every bit of progress was particularly precious and gratifying.】

【This move that prohibited internal breath did not seem to be designed solely to defeat the enemy; instead, it was more like a means of cultivation, allowing everyone to obtain an extraordinary opportunity in the midst of adversity.】

【The one who made the most progress was Huang Yuwei of the Sword Sect. He had faintly reached the realm of Grandmaster Perfection, his sword intent soaring, causing even Li Lanjiang to take an extra look.】

【Having experienced the great terror between life and death, he was still able to draw his sword resolutely, and having been suppressed by the auras of several Grandmasters, now that he was out of the "cage," his sword intent was like a rainbow, attracting attention.】

【Hu Jie's expression dimmed at the sight. His aptitude was more outstanding than this Senior Sister's, yet now a gap had opened up between them.】

【Having fled in the face of battle, in the eyes of the several Sword Elders, he would likely never again enjoy the treatment he once had in the Sword Sect.】

【For a swordsman, the difficulty lies in moving forward without looking back!】

【The Seven Sons of Zhongnan were also surprised to perceive their cultivation, but they immediately gathered to protect you.】

【The Demon Master was still there, and the crisis had not yet been resolved; they dared not be the slightest bit negligent.】

【The seven were extremely anxious in their hearts, "Master, why haven't you returned yet?"】

【Could it be that Master had also encountered an unknown danger? This thought was quickly dismissed by them; they were more worried that Master would bring danger to others.】

【Senior Uncle's expression remained as calm as ever.】

【Fortunately, the Demon Master did not seem to show any obvious hostility, which allowed their hearts to relax a little.】

【Huang Dao carefully took an object from Xiao Yue's sleeve; it was a talisman with the word "Forbidden" written on it, exuding a mysterious aura.】

【Everyone speculated: had the Demon Master Huang Dao come for this talisman? They all looked on with curiosity.】

【The moment Huang Dao's finger touched the talisman, it turned into a pile of fly ash.】

【Huang Dao looked at the dissipating talisman paper in his hand, a helpless expression on his face, and sighed:】

【"It really is destiny; it cannot be sought!"】

【Ye Shengnan and Li Lanjiang did not choose to disturb or stop Huang Dao; they both knew that this Demon Master's strength was unfathomable, and his style of doing things was unpredictable.】

【Protecting the Prince of Yan so he could return safely to Yan territory was the purpose of their trip.】

【The Demon Master did not seem interested in Xiao Yue's corpse; he ignited a ball of purple demonic energy in his hand and threw it onto Xiao Yue.】

【Before long, Xiao Yue's body turned into a pool of pus and disappeared without a trace.】

【Xiao Yue, one of the Five Absolutes of the Jianghu, had thus come to an end; although his manner of death was not dignified, compared to the hatred others in the Jianghu held for him, this ending could be considered a form of leniency.】

【If other people in the Jianghu knew of Xiao Yue's death, they would likely wish to whip his corpse and turn his skull into a night pot, to be soaked in a dung pit day and night.】

【Huang Dao finished dealing with these matters and turned to look at you; he always felt that you had long since guessed the schemes in his heart.】

【Seeing your indifferent expression, as if this crisis had all been within your expectations, he could not help but feel surprised.】

【Huang Dao's impression of you had remained at that of the Shaobao of the North and the Monarch of Yan territory; he knew that killing Lu Chen would be beneficial to him, but this was clearly not the best time.】

【His vision was extremely high; apart from that Empress of Qianyuan, he held the rulers of the four kingdoms in contempt.】

【The "Heavenly Humans" of this world dare to look down on wealth and laugh at princes, traversing the world.】

【And toward you, as Lu Yu's elder brother, he did harbor a shred of respect.】

【Now it seemed that this Prince of Yan, who cultivated Dao on Mount Zhongnan, was also not simple; Huang Dao pondered inwardly, recalling the records in the Holy Sect regarding the Sanyi Sect.】

【"A Daoist lineage from beyond the heavens!"】

【The two words "beyond the heavens" were truly dazzling!】

【What surprised him even more was that the Sect Leader of the Sanyi Sect was not the strongest Lu Yu, but this Prince of Yan before him.】

【Huang Dao looked at Li Lanjiang and Ye Shengnan again, these two Grandmasters on the Awakening List, and a smile curled at the corner of his mouth.】

【"Today, I can consider myself full."】

【"Everyone, I hope we meet again!"】

【The Demon Master had the intention to leave.】

【Li Lanjiang and Ye Shengnan dared not be careless, after all, Xiao Yue had just been killed by the Demon Master's sneak attack. They vigilantly watched Huang Dao's every move.】

【Huang Dao finally looked at you and nodded slightly:】

【"Prince of Yan, I take my leave."】

【Xie Mu bowed respectfully to you and then followed Huang Dao to leave.】

【No one dared to stop them!】

【Hearing these words, the stone hanging in everyone's hearts finally fell; the many storms of today seemed to have finally subsided, and they all could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.】

【As Huang Dao turned, his gaze swept lightly toward the woman behind the house, and his tone was gentle:】

【"You and I are quite fated; follow me, and no one in the world will dare to bully you."】

【Xie Mu was stunned upon hearing this and hurriedly looked at the woman behind the house.】

【Only to see that one side of her face was covered in sores, and the other was full of burn scars, looking quite terrifying. However, he and Huang Dao had walked the Jianghu for a long time, and having an extra companion was a good thing, so a look of joy appeared on his face.】

【Xiu'er looked at Huang Dao nervously, then turned to you, her eyes full of anxiety and unease.】

【Huang Dao, this expert who could even kill Xiao Yue, made her dare not easily refuse any request.】

【Just out of the wolf's den, and into the tiger's mouth!】

【Her eyes were misty, as if she wanted to ask you for help, but she was afraid of bringing misfortune to those around her. She gritted her teeth, curled her body into a ball, and did not speak again.】

【The crowd did not understand why the Demon Master wanted to take this woman away, but they dared not easily speak out to provoke him.】

【Li Lanjiang and Ye Shengnan also remained silent, not speaking to oppose it.】

【The Four Elders of the Sword Sect had long wanted to stay away from this storm and did not want to cause trouble. They felt that if they could leave safely, it could be considered a blessing in disguise.】

【Huang Yuwei wanted to speak up, but this time his sleeve was pulled by the Four Elders of the Sword Sect, who shook their heads slightly!】

【There was no opposition on the scene; it was deathly silent!】

【"This young lady is free to come and go; no one can control her today."】

【A voice rang out at the right moment!】

【The surrounding crowd was stunned; Hu Jie, in particular, showed panic, fearing that he would provoke the Demon Master again and invite trouble.】

【Only the woman inside the house remained; she could not see clearly, and her vision gradually blurred.】

【Huang Dao turned around silently upon hearing this and looked at you, his eyes revealing unkindness.】

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 203 =====