Chapter 679: Reward

Little Wei Yuan's pupils once again glowed with cold, emotionless ice; though the Renjian Yanhuo of the mortal world could not be manifested, boundless Dao power flowed from the void into the Renjian Yanhuo, converging from all directions toward the center, finally pouring into the Yin-Yang Furnace Array, where two thick columns of spiritual energy erupted from the furnace's eyes, shooting straight into the heavens!

Little Wei Yuan's hands were already entwined with Yin and Yang qi; he reached out and seized the woman.

Whether or not this woman was Behind Bao Yun, in this strange realm she was the array's core—capture her, and the deadlock would be broken.

At this moment, the surrounding shadows shifted again; the room retained only the floor and the bed—walls and ceiling vanished, replaced by endless void.

A cold, immense will descended from the void; the vast gap in rank left Little Wei Yuan utterly frozen, unable to move, merely by sensing its presence.

Little Wei Yuan's heart turned icy—he was a creature from beyond heaven! He had no power to oppose such a being. Yet now, all despair and fear had vanished; he strained with all his might, smashing the freezing cold seeping into his body, fighting to reclaim control of his flesh.

At that instant, the terrifying will descended from the void, taking form as a four-armed demonic titan, reaching out to seize Behind Bao Yun. In its massive claw, she was like a delicate, fragile doll—touch her, and she would shatter.

One of her embroidered slippers slipped off, revealing a bare foot, glowing white, utterly bloodless—yet each toenail was painted with vermilion, now crimson as if ready to drip.

The demon's will pierced Little Wei Yuan's body like needles of absolute cold, transmitting a thought: "Surrender yourself, and I shall return her soul!"

"Fine!" Little Wei Yuan answered without hesitation.

The demon immediately lunged, its arm extending ten zhang, plunging straight through Little Wei Yuan's chest!

Little Wei Yuan offered no resistance as the demon's claw entered his body; then he spat a gout of blood onto the demon's arm, his eyes blazing with light: "I've got you!"

Great masses of Yin and Yang qi surged across Little Wei Yuan's body, mingling yet sharply distinct, transforming into a terrifying spiritual energy storm that erupted outward in all directions!

He leapt upward, his body racing along the demon's arm, charging straight for its true form!

Little Wei Yuan clung to the demon's arm like a sheath; his wounded flesh scraped against the demon's limb, staining the entire limb red!

Little Wei Yuan had long targeted the two bowl-sized gemstones embedded in the demon's chest; now, reaching its front, he seized them, preparing to wrench them free and destroy them—such core-like objects were invariably the essence of monsters, their fatal weak points.

But where he grasped, the gems were soft!

Then a cry rang in his ear; the surroundings shifted again, returning to the bedroom. Everything now appeared normal—the evening glow outside the window still shone brightly, no candles needed indoors.

Yet the bedroom had been ravaged as by a storm—every furnishing shattered, not a single item intact. Little Wei Yuan stood before the bed, posture poised for a lunge, fingers curled into claws.

Behind Bao Yun huddled in the bed's corner, arms wrapped protectively over her chest, tears welling in her eyes, on the verge of weeping.

The change had come too swiftly; Little Wei Yuan could not yet comprehend what had happened—but he was certain one thing: nearly everything in the room had been destroyed by his spiritual energy storm.

Yet this Behind Bao Yun, though outwardly unchanged—who knew what she might become when she spoke?

Little Wei Yuan reached for Behind Bao Yun again—only for her to slap his hand aside, irritable: "Get lost! You hurt me!"

The slap carried immense force, rivaling the Heavenly King's Dharma Form, swift and precise, infused with divine subtlety—it shattered the Dao power in Little Wei Yuan's hand outright.

With just this single exchange, Little Wei Yuan instantly went on full alert. This monster's power was supreme, its divine arts unmatchable, and it was cunning beyond measure—its imitation of Behind Bao Yun showed not a single flaw.

Little Wei Yuan stepped back, a massive sword appearing in his hand.

Behind Bao Yun said: "Alright, alright, I know you're strong! Are you going to kill me now?"

Little Wei Yuan gripped the sword with both hands, cautiously asking: "Are you truly Behind Bao Yun?"

Behind Bao Yun replied: "Of course it's me! You owe me—just attained my Dharma Form, and you beat me up!"

"You attained your Dharma Form?"

"Didn't you feel the heavenly tribulation just now?" Behind Bao Yun pouted, irritable.

Little Wei Yuan approached cautiously, still not lowering his sword: "I sensed the tribulation's aura—but I couldn't locate its origin or trace its cause. The tribulation didn't seem to occur in this realm—it came from beyond heaven."

Behind Bao Yun said: "I crossed the tribulation beyond heaven. I was meditating on the aura of a celestial demon in the Youhanjie when the tribulation struck suddenly. After passing it and attaining my Dharma Form, I immediately wanted to find you—only to get beaten!"

Seeing her about to cry, tears swirling in her eyes but refusing to fall, Little Wei Yuan finally believed her—three-tenths, at least.

"What just happened?"

Behind Bao Yun's eyes flashed; the surroundings instantly transformed—candles still lit, but now glowing crimson as fire, festive and warm, utterly unlike before.

Little Wei Yuan reached out to touch a lantern—this lantern had clearly not existed a moment ago. Yet not only did he touch it, it swayed, its candle flame flickering—he could not tell if it was real or not.

He swept his spiritual sense over it—still no anomaly. But upon closer inspection, he sensed an odd aura clinging to the lantern.

"This… isn't an illusion."

Behind Bao Yun nodded: "It's my Dharma Form's innate divine art: The Demonic Illusion Realm of Aspiration."

"Demonic Illusion?" Little Wei Yuan instinctively felt the name was wrong.

Ordinary Dharma Forms could be named freely, but Immortal-grade Dharma Forms resonated with the Dao of Heaven and Earth, possessing true names.

Behind Bao Yun's Dharma Form had rendered Little Wei Yuan unable to distinguish truth from illusion, severed the realm's power from the Qingming, blocked the manifestation of mortal Renjian Yanhuo —though effective only within this courtyard's tiny space—it was undeniably an Immortal Form.

An Immortal Form could not be named arbitrarily—it bore a true name ordained by the Dao.

Before Behind Bao Yun appeared a treasure tree; yet among its seven branches, one had transformed distinctly—now insubstantial, as if woven from shadows. At its tip hung a single fruit, fully ripe.

The fruit had no substance, radiating celestial aura—its true name: Demonic Illusion Fruit. The tree itself changed accordingly, becoming the Demonic Illusion Seven-Treasure Tree.

This tree carried the innate divine art: The Demonic Illusion Realm of Aspiration.

When activated, it opened a new realm within reality, merging illusion and truth, shifting according to the master's will—hence the name "Aspiration Realm." This realm's rank was extraordinarily high—Little Wei Yuan had just experienced it. Only by flooding it with vast quantities of Yin and Yang qi had he shattered the Demonic Illusion Realm.

Naturally, Little Wei Yuan's Yin and Yang qi carried only a trace of Yin-Yang essence—far, far removed from the primordial Yin and Yang born of chaos. Yet even that trace required the harmony of a maiden's Yin and Yang to manifest.

And every movement of the maiden's Yin and Yang consumed fortune.

The thought made Little Wei Yuan's heart ache unbearably; he glared at Behind Bao Yun: "Why did you scare me like that? You've wasted so much of my fortune!"

Behind Bao Yun shot him a look: "I only meant to scare you, then reward you. Who knew you'd come at me with fists first?"

"There's a reward? What reward?" Little Wei Yuan suddenly felt a flicker of interest.

Behind Bao Yun said: "Think about the name 'Demonic Illusion'—what kind of reward could that be? … But now I've been beaten, I've lost all mood! You beat me before we're even married—what'll you do once we are?"

Little Wei Yuan protested: "Your Demonic Illusion Realm was too powerful—I truly thought you'd been captured by a celestial demon! I only wanted to avenge you. Besides, I merely used Dao power to scour the surroundings—where did I hit you?"

Behind Bao Yun widened her eyes: "You beat me and now you deny it?!"

She undid her sash, pulled down her collar, baring nearly her entire left breast—on the soft, jade-like mound, a clear claw mark stood out: Little Wei Yuan's demonic claw, exact in every detail.

Behind Bao Yun took Little Wei Yuan's hand and pressed it against the mark—it fit perfectly, not a single millimeter off.

Irrefutable proof. Little Wei Yuan had no defense.

Behind Bao Yun leaned close to Little Wei Yuan's ear, her breath sweet as orchid, whispering: "The reward is yours. Now you can… leave!"

Suddenly, she shoved him hard—the scenery before Little Wei Yuan instantly changed; he stood outside Dingshan City.

But Behind Bao Yun's voice still echoed beside him: "I'm entering seclusion to consolidate my Dharma Form. See you in three months!"

Her voice wasn't just in his ear—Little Wei Yuan could even feel the faint breath she exhaled. Yet he was clearly outside Dingshan City. The Demonic Illusion Realm—indeed, its power was boundless.

Yet Little Wei Yuan felt a pang of dread. Behind Bao Yun had always been elusive—she'd already overwhelmed him. Now, with the Demonic Illusion Realm, she was like a tiger with wings—how could he possibly resist?

But a deeper unease stirred in Little Wei Yuan's heart. The Demonic Illusion Realm bore no relation to Behind Bao Yun's past cultivation—it was almost certainly tied to that celestial demon. Celestial demons held ranks far higher than even Immortals of this realm; if Behind Bao Yun had entangled herself with them, it could not bode well.

This matter could not be resolved now. Little Wei Yuan set aside his worries, ordered increased guards at the governor's mansion, and departed.

Yet the sensation lingered on his hand—exquisitely wonderful.

Little Wei Yuan was no longer a naive youth; he found his subconscious reaction deeply strange.

Zhang Sheng, though her inner and outer essence radiated sword qi that inspired awe, was flawless in every inch—no part of her inferior to any other. Yuan Fei was also a peerless beauty, every curve exuding allure. Why, then, did he fixate on that fleeting sensation?

This question had troubled Little Wei Yuan for a long time—now, suddenly, a thought arose: Was it because he hadn't tasted her yet?

(End of Chapter)