Banshee Family Training Record

Page 214

Her voice was soft, devoid of joy or sorrow, yet Xiahou Chongtao sensed an immense grievance hidden within it. He stood there, stunned, shifting his body to the side, and the Holy Maiden of the Joyous Union stepped forward, quickly disappearing completely.

He simply watched her retreating figure, yet his heart ached as if pierced by needles.

I hurt one of my soulmates who understood me best...

His expression was one of extreme sorrow. Behind him, the old servant took in his expression, his heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly stepped forward to advise, "Young master, don't let that vixen bewitch you. Her ultimate goal is still to swindle our family's wealth!"

Xiahou Chongtao closed his eyes, trying hard to cut off his thoughts, but he soon had to sadly admit that he couldn't do it, he really couldn't.

“This time is different,” he murmured. “Don’t say anymore, she really is different from others…”

Seeing his young master like this, the old servant's eyes were filled with sorrow. He didn't understand what kind of magic the painting had, but with just one glance, his young master had fallen hopelessly in love.

Meanwhile, the Holy Maiden of Joyful Union left quickly, but she didn't actually go too fast or too far.

She strolled through the woods, still waiting for someone. A few seconds later, Xu Yinghuan, heavily made up, quickly caught up with her, her eyes filled with admiration: "My lady, how did you do that? You didn't even look at him, but I noticed that the man's face changed instantly!"

The Holy Maiden of Hehuan remained calm and composed, not taking this trivial matter to heart at all: "It's not hard to understand the mind of this kind of person. He always thinks that he is unique in this world and that no one can understand him. He feels that he is the most miserable person in the world when he suffers the slightest grievance."

Xu Yinghuan nodded slightly; she had seen similar situations before. For example, she had once met a young master in Northern Yan who spent his days indulging in luxury, inviting friends and relatives to his home. He would casually kill commoners and rape other men's wives and daughters, yet he would only be satisfied when impoverished old people, lacking food and clothing, said with tears in their eyes, "Of all the cities in Northern Yan, the young master suffers the most."

Xu Yinghuan didn't understand what their suffering was, but no matter how much they suffered, it couldn't compare to the suffering of those he had bullied.

However, now it seems...

Her eyes darted around, and she asked in a low voice, "So, Your Majesty, you catered to his mentality and made him completely subservient to you?"

The Holy Maiden of Hehuan said, "After all, they are still superficial young masters from noble families. There is no need to think too highly of them."

As soon as she finished speaking, a bolt of lightning suddenly flashed in the distance. Xu Yinghuan saw the figure and his eyes lit up. He said, "Perfect timing, sir, Yun Chu'an has arrived!"

"He seems to have fallen not far over there, just over there. Shall we go and take a look?"

The Holy Maiden of Hehuan regained her senses slightly. To be honest, she wasn't very interested in this Yun Chu'an.

However, she really didn't have anything else worth doing at the moment. Seeing Xu Yinghuan's eager look, she nodded gently: "Okay, let's go take a look."

At that very moment, on the other side, Yun Chu'an was leading a hunt.

Or to be more precise, they were hunting with bear demons and wolf demons.

He adopted Zhu Yunqing's suggestion and stopped the bear demons from continuing the pursuit, instead having the wolf demons follow for a while.

Having located the hideout of these creatures, he did not hesitate and immediately followed the trail left by the retreating giant apes, leading his men in a grand and imposing attack.

In this secluded valley, several monkeys, normally the same size, hid in caves, attempting to escape extermination.

However, utter disaster followed closely behind.

There aren't many high-level demon cultivators among this ape clan; not every one of them is at the late Foundation Establishment stage like the stone ape Yun Chu'an fought that day. Most of the lesser ape demons are only at the Qi Refining stage, so when they fight the wolf demons and bear demons, they have no way to gain the upper hand.

As for those above the Foundation Establishment stage, he left the initial ones to Guangzhi and Alon, and those above that stage to him personally.

The giant apes seemed terrifying, but in reality, the only one who could put any pressure on Yun Chu'an was the one that could transform into a stone ape. When they faced each other again that day, the ape still only had those same methods, but Yun Chu'an had learned his lesson. He no longer used lightning to fight enemies that the ape was not good at dealing with. Instead, after the ape transformed into a stone ape once more, he chanted a spell to summon strong acid and splashed it on the ape.

Then, Yun Chu'an did not rush to fight. He took advantage of the man's inconvenience after being petrified and used hit-and-run tactics to harass him. Then he summoned strong acid to corrode the man's body.

The stone ape couldn't take it anymore. Being slow, it could only take the beatings for nothing and couldn't outlast the opponent's magic power, so it had to revert to its original form.

At this moment, Yun Chu'an stepped forward to attack, unleashing lightning, and quickly defeated the man.

After being defeated, the giant ape lay on the ground, raising its head to look at Yun Chu'an with pleading eyes, hoping that he would spare its life so that it could serve him in the future.

However, this place was not a private and secluded spot. Considering the many cultivators who had come to exterminate the Yellow Python, and the fact that many of their spies were watching this place, he decided to maintain his persona and not get too involved with these former lackeys of the Yellow Python family.

He then ordered his execution.

So he exterminated the entire ape clan in the area. The wolf demons and bear demons began to plunder and sort through the spoils of war. The apes had stored up unused spirit stones, other treasures, and even some Vajra talismans, the source of which was unknown.

Yun Chu'an then searched the stone ape in the late Foundation Establishment stage. The ape didn't have many mid-grade spirit stones, but he did find a booklet containing a set of magical techniques.

"Azure Dark Rock".

He flipped through it, roughly reviewed the effects of the spell, and became certain that this spell was the one that the giant ape used to petrify his entire body, making him impervious to swords, spears, water, and fire.

To be honest, this spell was quite powerful. If it hadn't encountered its own golden lightning, it wouldn't have been beaten up like this.

Holding the booklet, he weighed the pros and cons in his mind. After all, he had an agreement with the Dragon Prince of the Wei River, and unless it was an emergency, it was inconvenient for him to use the Three Thousand Springs Technique in front of too many people, otherwise it would bring a lot of trouble to both him and himself.

In that case, under normal circumstances, I might need to acquire more spells for self-defense. Especially when facing enemies who also use lightning, this spell might be a good countermeasure.

Even if they don't need it, it's not a bad thing to let the bear demons train with it and let these body cultivators strengthen their own strength.

Thinking this, he put the booklet in his pocket, glanced around to make sure they had basically cleaned up the battlefield, and then said, "Let's go, we'll retreat."

With that, he transformed into a bolt of lightning and vanished, followed swiftly by the many lesser demons. He didn't greet anyone from beginning to end, but he was certain that many had noticed his arrival, and that he would be recognized for his contributions in the future.

Chapter 444 Go and capture Yun Chu'an!

Yun Chu'an swiftly returned to Huai Mountain, but in the shadows, unbeknownst to him, Xu Yinghuan and the Holy Maiden of Hehuan were watching his figure, unable to look away for a long time.

Xu Yinghuan's heart was now filled with shock. She could hardly believe her eyes, and she couldn't believe what she had just seen or felt.

What kind of fluctuation was that?

He's actually reached the late Foundation Establishment stage?!

When I last met him, he was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. How could he have reached such a level in just a few days?

She felt her heart trembling, realizing that even though she had overestimated him as much as possible, she had still greatly underestimated his talent!

"Holy Maiden!" she exclaimed urgently, "Look, this man is much more powerful than I initially described. You just saw it yourself; he easily dealt with the giant ape inside in just a couple of swift movements."

"His talent is even greater than I thought. He will surely shine in the future great struggles—Sir, shouldn't it be worth your personal intervention to capture him?"

Her tone was filled with anticipation. If the saintess recognized his value, it would be equivalent to acknowledging her own judgment. In that case, she could also benefit from all of this in the future.

However, to her disappointment, the Holy Maiden of Joyous Union frowned slightly and said, "He is indeed exceptionally talented and very valuable, but..."

Her gaze fell on Xu Yinghuan, looking at her junior sister: "It seems I don't need to do it myself, do I?"

"If you were to take action, it's not impossible to subdue him."

Xu Yinghuan was taken aback: "Huh? Me?"

The saintess nodded gently: "Yes, didn't you see it? Although that person's cultivation was not low and his strength was formidable, he was also prone to internal heat and restlessness. He was clearly an impatient person."

"Dealing with a man like him would probably be easier than dealing with that young nobleman from before. Although he might be more guarded and only trust himself, he also has an undeniable fatal weakness."

Xu Yinghuan blinked, somewhat puzzled: "What...is it?"

“Arrogance,” said the Holy Maiden of Hehuan. “From his behavior just now, I can see these weaknesses in him. Be more confident, Junior Sister. Don’t be afraid of difficulties. Once you overcome them, you will find that things are not so difficult.”

As she spoke, she gently patted Xu Yinghuan's shoulder: "Anyway, go and take down Yun Chu'an!"

Xu Yinghuan swallowed hard, her face still filled with disbelief: "Me?"

The Holy Maiden of Joyful Union said no more, then turned her head and looked at the distant sky: "Well, I'll leave it to you. As for me, I have a more important goal."

Her eyes flashed, already locked onto her target. On the distant edge of the horizon, a graceful figure was speeding towards the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave on a sword.

That was Yan Shui Yi.

The chief disciple of Qingyun arrived on the wind, looking down at the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave from high above. Alone and without any help, he was incredibly arrogant.

The entire Ten Thousand Snake Cave was on high alert, and several giant golden serpents, each a thousand meters long and as majestic as a mountain, immediately coiled in the sky, and a great battle was about to break out.

However, the appearance of these snake demons did not even prompt the woman to draw her sword. She merely murmured an incantation, and the flying sword beneath her feet trembled, then conjured countless sword shadows that slashed down at the giant snake below.

Several giant pythons, each a thousand meters long, roared and dodged, but even the mere shadow of the sword slashed them, leaving them covered in wounds, splattering blood, and howling in agony. Almost in the blink of an eye, the pythons, who had been so arrogant just moments before, were filled with fear. They dared not confront her directly from high above, and turned to burrow back into the Serpent Cave, not daring to show themselves.

With a slender hand gripping the sword at her waist, Yan Shui was about to use "One Sword to Open the Heavens" to cleave the mountains below, revealing the caves inside the mountains to the world.

But at that very moment, a voice suddenly called out from afar: "Fairy of Misty Waters, wait!"

Immediately, Yan Shui's expression shifted, and she turned to look at the distance. She saw a short, hunched-back elder flying into the air and raising his hand to stop her: "Fairy Yan, do not rush into a decisive battle, lest it cause greater casualties."

Even though they had never spoken before, Yan Shui recognized him immediately. She knew he was the head of the Ge family, the capital of various kingdoms, and one of the prime ministers of the Jin Kingdom.

Hearing the other party's obstruction, she frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled: "Many independent cultivators have been camping here for almost a month, aren't they ready yet?"

Ge Xiang said, "It's not just the threat from the Yellow Pythons; our Jin state also has to guard against the invasion of the Zhao state. If we act rashly, the Yellow Pythons might become desperate and cooperate with the Zhao state, which would be a huge loss that our Jin state cannot afford."

Yes, this reflects the political considerations of alliances and counter-alliances among the vassal states.

Upon hearing this, Yan Shui was immediately disgusted. Because of these political games, the Yellow Python Clan had been dragging on for almost three years without a resolution. Even if cultivators' lifespans were often measured in thousands of years, this was far too much of a delay.

She was annoyed and had no desire to continue talking to this person. She turned her head to look into the distance and said, "Since the Jin Kingdom does not intend to take action, and I am unlikely to be able to enter the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave alone, I will take my leave now."

After saying that, she cupped her hands slightly and then stopped being polite, riding away on her sword. She left Ge Xiang alone in mid-air, showing him no respect because of his noble status.

Even though Yan Shui treated him with disdain, Ge Xiang didn't complain at all. He just stared at her back, recalling the sword light that had filled the sky just now, and couldn't help but sigh, "Truly a peerless genius."

Among the yellow pythons that had just attacked her were powerful demons in the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, yet she was only in the early stage of the Golden Core realm, and she was able to easily repel them with her sword.

Ge Xiang couldn't help but wonder if she could have slaughtered all those yellow pythons by herself with just her sword if they hadn't retreated quickly.

The current chief disciple of the Qingyun Sect is truly terrifying. I wonder how earth-shattering the power of her sword will be when she reaches the Nascent Soul stage or even the Divine Transformation stage.

Meanwhile, in the shadows, the Holy Maiden of Hehuan was also watching Yan Shuiyi's figure. Seeing her arrive on her sword and then quickly drift away, her beautiful eyes, hidden beneath her veil, gleamed with excitement: "Now that's more like my prey."

Beside her, Xu Yinghuan was startled. She had never seen her holy maiden suddenly so excited and full of energy.

But she also felt that this might be a good opportunity to learn from her, so she asked in a low voice, "Yan Shuiyi is indeed amazingly talented, but she usually stays at home and rarely goes out. When she does go out, it's always in a hurry, and she rarely interacts with people."

"Sir, for someone like this, where do you plan to... begin?"

The Holy Maiden of Hehuan said, "It's impossible for her to really not interact with outsiders at all. Let me ask you, Yinghuan, who are the people she usually interacts with the most?"

Xu Yinghuan said, "That must be her junior sister, Dongfang Yue..."

The saintess said, "This is not suitable. Where is a man?"

Xu Yinghuan thought for a moment: "Then it should be her two junior brothers, Feng Jian and Lao Wen, and then there's the Buddhist monk Huijing, uh..."

As she spoke, her eyes suddenly lit up: "Oh right, there's also the only local businessman she's ever endorsed. That person can be our breakthrough point."

The saint asked, "Who?"

Then she saw Xu Yinghuan grinning, as if his scheme had succeeded: "It's Yun Chu'an."

The saintess was stunned: "You're not lying to me?"

Xu Yinghuan said, "Of course, you can ask around about it. That time, he stole business from another local family, and they came to cause him trouble. In the critical moment, Yan Shui and her junior brothers and sisters came to support him personally. That's when he really became famous. I guess you know him."

The Holy Maiden of Union immediately nodded slightly: "I see, how interesting..."

Her eyes flickered: "It seems we still have to start with him..."

Many thoughts raced through her mind, while on the other side, Yan Shuiyi was completely unaware of the woman who had suddenly set her sights on her.

She flew swiftly on her sword, her Golden Core cultivation allowing her to travel at a speed far exceeding her previous abilities, covering a hundred miles in the blink of an eye.

She returned to the other side of the Wei River, to the small stronghold of the Qingyun Sect, and settled there.

In the courtyard, Dongfang Yue, dressed in sword attire, was meditating cross-legged when she heard the sound of wind overhead. Suddenly, she opened her eyes and looked up at her senior sister.

Chapter 445 Soul Exchange

Dongfang Yue's face lit up with excitement as she waved vigorously at her: "Senior Sister!"

Yan Shui landed beside her, looking at his junior sister with doting eyes. He reached out and patted her head, but couldn't help but scold her, "Just focus on your cultivation. It's like I'm disturbing your practice."

Dongfang Yue smiled and said, always acting like a child in front of her: "Because I've always been thinking about my senior sister, hehe."

As she spoke, she opened her arms, took a step forward, hugged Yan Shuiyi's waist, and nuzzled her head against her chest: "Senior sister, is it another fruitless mission on the front lines?"

Yan Shui gently stroked her hair and sighed upon hearing this: "Yes, you are right. The people of Jin have many concerns. Even though they have already reached the gates of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave, they still dare not actually enter and eliminate the Yellow Python."

"I originally planned to storm in today, but their prime minister stopped me, so I had no choice but to come back."

Dongfang Yue looked up at her senior sister's beautiful face, which was usually bright but now carried a faint trace of sorrow.

She immediately whispered, "That's how all these aristocratic families are. These vassal states may be called great powers, but in the end, they are still the private property of a single family or clan. So they always prioritize their own interests. The distinction between good and evil has long been blurred for them."

She added in a low voice, "Among the cultivation families we've come into contact with, none of them have a clean past."

Yan Shui looked worried. Although her master, Nangong Wan, praised her for handling things very well, she always felt that nothing was going right and that she could hardly move forward.

A pang of self-reproach rose in her heart. After a moment, she murmured to herself, "I'm still too weak. Once I break through to the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, I should be able to wipe out those pythons all by myself with just my sword..."

She imagined this, and if someone else said it, it would probably be met with laughter, with listeners mocking the speaker for being ignorant and arrogant, because breaking through the minor realm of the Golden Core stage is not so easy.

However, she was Yan Shuiyi.