Chapter 527: All That Benefits My Cultivation May Be Seized

From the moment he sensed on Shifting Sands Mountain that Ling Shouming seemed to harbor “a bird of prey behind,” Chen Hang had already formed a quiet plan for how to deal with Chen Bai.

Among the Six Demon Sects, Chen Bai and Ling Shouming were only casual acquaintances, rarely interacting, their bond far from close.

Yet under the pressure of mutual interest and Chen Yu’s rising influence, the two had not been without opportunity to ally.

Whether it was deliberately concealing Zhang Ping’s true form with True Water, or revealing his unrevived primordial energy during his duel with Pei Zhi—both exposed by Ling Shouming’s hidden observation—each step was a carefully laid trap.

Especially Zhou Ying’s “Thousand-Li Soul-Attachment Art.”

Though this man had intruded unexpectedly, under the scheme of deliberate deception against unsuspecting intent, he became a tool Chen Hang used to steady Chen Bai’s resolve and draw him deeper into the trap.

All these maneuvers culminated in today…

And now, in the flash of lightning and spark of fire.

After shock and regret, Chen Bai felt his mind suddenly go blank for an instant.

He let out a bitter laugh, dazed, as if forgetting where he was.

One by one, long-buried memories flashed through his mind.

The ecstatic joy of receiving the “Scripture of the Great Primordial Truth, as Spoken by the Lord of the Divine Dwelling,” and the Dou Lu before his Dao initiation; the startled uncertainty upon first encountering the Lesser Pure Yang Thunder after achieving Foundation Establishment.

The dread upon learning his origins; the surge of ambition when Junyao personally welcomed him into Xiao Ming Great Marsh and taught him the “Jade Book of the Divine Lord of Dou Shu.”

The satisfaction of topping the Lower Academy; the exhilaration of being granted a blessed land.

And among them, naturally, the complex and indescribable emotions of joining the Primordial Demon Sect, meeting Chen Yushu, being favored by the Yuwen True Person, and gaining access to the Zhuo Huai lineage’s transmissions.

The unparalleled glory after becoming a True Disciple; the exhilaration of mastering the “Three Corpses’ Ancient Qi”…

But what finally lingered slowly in Chen Bai’s mind…

Was not the image of Chen Yushu or the “Tamed Humans Scripture,” nor the “Changchao Upper Cauldron” left within the Primordial Demon Sect.

Those vivid memories—whether of joy or terror—faded swiftly, flickering away like smoke.

Like water leaving no trace, all realms returning to emptiness.

Only one towering mountain remained in his heart, enduring, its precipitous cliffs sublime and untouched by dust.

The three cassia trees within the mountain seemed to blot out sun and sky; countless ancient, dragon-like branches rose from the clouds upward, so vivid even after decades he still remembered them clearly.

That was Mount Shouyang in Dongmi Province—

Chen Bai clearly recalled how, while ordered to suppress the demonic sects of Hu Zhao, he had taken twenty-three cities in a single day, defeated Xin Shu, a candidate for Hu Zhao’s True Disciple, and shaken Dongzhou, gaining fame across the land, earning Junyao’s special gift of a ceremonial procession.

To avoid the spotlight, seek quiet, and accumulate Dao merit for future pursuit of True Disciple status,

Chen Bai later deliberately accepted a talisman to purge demons in the Eastern Sea and journeyed overseas.

Upon his return from the Eastern Sea, it was Junyao himself who met him at Mount Shouyang.

Chen Bai could no longer recall exactly how he had felt then.

Chen Bai knew Mount Shouyang lay under Xie Yingyuan’s domain; this True Person of noble lineage harbored deep animosity toward Chen Yushu’s offspring, wishing to kill them before they could rise.

Yet Chen Bai had dared to pass through Mount Shouyang precisely because he had secretly prepared defenses, leveraging Junyao’s authority to summon several True Persons as escorts.

He waited for Xie Yingyuan to dare launch a covert assassination, creating a disturbance.

Then Chen Bai would seize the opportunity to expose this Great True Person’s wrongdoing, using Xie Yingyuan’s reputation as his own stepping stone!

But after waiting a long time, Xie Yingyuan never appeared; instead, Junyao sent a written message summoning Chen Bai to Mount Shouyang.

What Junyao had said to Chen Bai on that day atop Mount Shouyang…

To the latter, it was nothing but the usual platitudes: act with prudence, do not chase fleeting gains, avoid reckless haste for profit.

Yet those few words…

Chen Bai had remembered them to this day…

“Among the current True Disciples of Yuchen, True Person Ji has been trapped in Chongyu Heaven; Taichu may have popular support, but lacks the means to subdue Zhang Shou and Fu Yankang. After I depart, the seat of Xi Yi Mountain will remain vacant.”

Chen Bai’s thoughts were violently pulled back hundreds of years.

At that time, he had stood atop Mount Shouyang, head slightly bowed.

Beneath the same cassia shade, Junyao’s voice now echoed as if from immeasurable distance, distant and unreal, though he had stood but a few steps away.

“After you become a True Disciple, with your talent, you shall achieve great things!”

Chen Bai had heard Junyao’s praise then.

Minister of State Zhou Xingling, Yuchen Daozi—

At this thought, Chen Bai was momentarily stunned.

But there was no time to think further; a fierce pain surged within his chest and abdomen, snapping his thoughts back, blurring his vision.

He instinctively swept his sleeve across his face, only to feel blood and grime.

Chen Bai fell silent for a moment, then laughed bitterly, veins bulging on his forehead, his expression grotesque.

Minister of State Zhou Xingling? Yuchen Daozi?

All of it, in the end, was useless nonsense!

With Junyao dead, due to his origins, status, and other factors, he would inevitably be isolated in the sect, targeted by many in secret; even three-tenths of those who once clustered around him would be a miracle to retain.

Under such a siege of enemies, merely securing the True Disciple seat would be difficult, requiring arduous trials, delaying his true cultivation, let alone all that followed.

The essence of heaven and earth nourishes only oneself; all living beings’ resources are mine to take.

Without seizing, I cannot preserve my form; without taking, I cannot sustain my body!

As the “Tamed Humans Scripture” opens: “All benefits that aid my cultivation may be seized—this is gathering fate…”

Chen Bai had always deeply agreed with this opening precept, keeping it ever in mind!

His abrupt betrayal of Xiao Ming Great Marsh, which had implicated Junyao in accusations of poor judgment, drew heavy criticism at the time.

Even Chen Yushu’s scattered offspring faced even worse fates, struggling to survive.

Regarding all these consequences, even now as death was sealed, Chen Bai felt no remorse—only a cold sneer.

“You didn’t strike just now, thinking I’d repent and pour out my past regrets?”

Chen Bai let out a cold laugh.

As he spoke to Chen Hang, his voice dripping with mockery:

“Junyao? Chen Yi, Chen Pu—those fools who died because of me? Or the human puppets I turned?”

Chen Hang shook his head and said:

“Attacking a dying man? Such useless effort only wastes magic power.”

Chen Bai’s face darkened.

…

…

The Blood Atonement Divine Needle, a supreme divine art, manifests without form or shadow, nearly impossible to defend against.

Though if the victim remains vigilant and promptly mobilizes magic power to expel the blood poison afterward, they may avoid grave harm, at worst suffering injury.

But if, like Chen Bai now, the poison has sunk deep into the root of the body and the magical momentum is already set, even immortals cannot save him.

When Chen Bai was struck by the Blood Atonement Divine Needle, his cultivation level was sufficient to expel this supreme divine art from his body.

Yet Chen Bai, lured by the prospect of profit from chasing Chen Hang, chose under Chen Hang’s assault to ingest an elixir to restore his magic power, determined not to let him escape the battle.

By the time Chen Bai sensed danger, the Blood Atonement Divine Needle had already contaminated his body’s orifices and meridians, staining his lower dantian’s Golden Core and magic power, binding them inseparably.

One moment’s misjudgment had sealed his death.

This was partly due to Chen Hang using himself as bait to lure Chen Bai in.

But the fact that Yin Ruohua had also mastered this supreme divine art—specifically the Blood Atonement Divine Needle, rarely practiced even within the Blood River Sect—was utterly beyond Chen Bai’s expectations.

Like the Monitoring Void Art of Dou Shu Sect, or the Four-Nine Returning Soul Art of Xuan Feng Cave.

In terms of cruelty and deceit, the Blood Atonement Divine Needle ranks among the top in all of the Nine Provinces and Four Seas.

Yet precisely because it is ill-suited for direct combat, it is mostly shelved, used merely to broaden one’s horizons.

But today…

Chen Bai’s seven orifices throbbed faintly, as if his skin could no longer cling to his flesh, ready to be blown away by the slightest breeze.

Amidst shock and fury, a thread of absurdity welled up in his heart.

To prepare for this Dan Yuan Assembly and secure a high ranking, Chen Bai had exerted tremendous effort, repeatedly seeking counsel from Chen Yushu, finally mastering the “Three Corpses’ Ancient Qi.”

Yet now, he would be eliminated in disgrace before even unleashing this supreme divine art, his life itself in peril.

Chen Bai let out a roar, crushing the jade hairpin holding his hair.

As he channeled his magic power, a boom echoed—above his head erupted a Dao Flower the size of an acre!

Shaped like a human palm, its five emerald petals resembled five bent fingers; at its center, faintly visible, mingled green, red, and white qi, as if about to fuse into one.

Though still unformed, it radiated a decaying, deadly aura, devouring surrounding spiritual energy, devouring heaven and earth, filling all who sensed it with dread!

But before Chen Bai could unleash this “Three Corpses’ Ancient Qi,” an unnatural flush of blood rose on his face, as if painted with cinnabar.

His expression changed slightly; he hastily pulled a pill from his sleeve pouch and swallowed it, barely suppressing the effect.

“If I were in the mortal world, if I could command my puppets, how could I have come to this?!”

Chen Bai’s eyes bulged with rage.

The pill he had just taken was useless; it only slightly eased his wounds before its power leaked away.

His body seemed to have an irreparable leak; no matter what he did, it was ineffective.

“With this divine art inflicted upon you, Chen Bai, you have no path to life. Your next opponent is no longer me.”

Chen Hang met Chen Bai’s gaze, shook his head slightly, his eyes cold:

“Long ago, Chen Yushu borrowed Zhou Shiyuan’s body in the Ganliu Herbal Garden; though he later used the ‘Celestial Yang Golden Lotus’ to rebuild his form, Zhou Shiyuan had to start anew, all his hard-won cultivation lost to the river.”

With your condition, not even the ‘Celestial Yang Golden Lotus’—nor any more precious immortal herbs—could save you.

I have heard the “Tamed Humans Scripture” opens with: “All beings are like horses and oxen; only I am the dragon and elephant,” and “All benefits that aid my cultivation may be seized—this is gathering fate.”

Can you guess…

After you’ve become useless, given Chen Yu’s character, would he waste the superior Golden Core inside you?

“…“

At this moment, Chen Bai’s previously muddled thoughts suddenly halted, becoming unexpectedly clear.

Though death was likely inevitable, the manner of death still made a difference.

If he fell into Chen Yu’s hands and was devoured alive as a Golden Core Elixir.

The outcome…

Chen Bai couldn’t help but shiver.

At this moment, a chill of dread finally struck him; without a word, he urgently activated the jade token, and was instantly wrapped in a glowing jade light, escaping from the painting.

“I still carry the legacy of Zhuo Huai Xiang—on that account, Chang Chao Shang Ding should not let me die!”

“There’s still room to recover; I’m not entirely useless yet…”

Chen Bai bit his tongue, forcibly suppressing his fear; though he knew this was merely self-deception, he couldn’t help thinking it anyway.

Seeing Chen Bai vanish in an instant, Chen Hang shook his head, his thoughts shifting to another matter.

Originally, Chen Yan, Xiang Junyao’s consort, was devoured by Chen Yu for refusing to surrender.

And as Chen Yu’s trusted henchman, Chen Bai must have witnessed countless of Chen Yu’s bloodline members being refined into elixirs and devoured—perhaps even contributed to some of those deaths himself.

But had Chen Bai ever imagined he’d meet the same fate?

“Your weakened magic power was faked—to lure Chen Bai into the trap?”

At that moment, Yin Ruohua’s voice suddenly sounded nearby.

She looked at Chen Hang, her expression complex:

“Chen True Person, you’ve got quite the skill—you even fooled me. I truly thought you were following the copper fish’s resonance to track them down one by one.”

Hearing this, Chen Hang bowed apologetically and said sincerely:

“In the short term, only this method could kill Chen Bai. If the plan leaked, everything would collapse. I beg your pardon, True Person.”

Seeing Chen Hang’s solemnity, Yin Ruohua smiled and waved her hand:

“I was only joking—why must you be so formal? But I’m curious: what supreme divine art are you cultivating? Is it the Void Great Luo Method or the Secret Heaven Opening Mysterious Smoke?”

Chen Hang only smiled in response, turning to look away and said:

“Do you also harbor this suspicion, Yin True Person?”

Yin Ruohua froze.

In the next instant, from the deep fissure carved by Chen Bai’s Yin Blade, a thin, threadlike gray mist emerged, swirling once to vaguely take shape as Yin Wujie’s form.

Judging by its flickering, insubstantial aura, it was clearly a phantom body—not solid flesh and blood.

“Brother? When did you attach this fragment of qi to Chen Bai?”

Yin Ruohua exclaimed in shock:

“That’s the clan’s ‘Marvelous Mastery of a Thousand True Forms’—you’ve mastered it? But doesn’t this technique require consuming your lifeblood? Did you cast it on him after seeing him inside the painting?”

No—that’s not right. Chen Bai specifically visited you before the event began—was it then?”

Yin Wujie glanced at Yin Ruohua, indifferent:

“Your affairs, I’ll settle with you later. It seems you only half-heard my earlier warnings.”

Hearing this, Yin Ruohua felt inexplicably guilty and averted her gaze from Yin Wujie’s.

“Chen Brother has keen eyesight—but this technique was never meant to fool you.”

Yin Wujie shook his head.

He gazed deeply at Chen Hang, smiling faintly:

“As you said, I too am curious: what supreme divine art is Chen Brother cultivating—Yucheng’s?”