ATAVID CH18: The Inner Demon Disappears

Jiang Qunyu waited for a while, but still didn’t see Wei Xun return.

After thinking about it, he rubbed the center of his brows, jumped down from the tree branch, and followed the sound of water, walking over slowly.

Hidden deep in the forest was a freezing pool. Moonlight leaked through the leaf gaps, sprinkling onto the water surface and rippling into fragmented silver scales. The bluestones by the pool were soaked slightly cool and still grew some tender green moss; two or three gloomy blue spirit butterflies were resting on the stones.

Wei Xun was currently standing by the pool. His fingertips, dipped in water, gently wiped away the mud and grime stained on his cheeks.

The hem of his plain white clothes hung by the bluestone, a corner of it damp with night dew.

“What are you doing here?”

He couldn’t see, but relying on his divine sense, he accurately avoided the slippery spots next to the freezing pool, his movements remaining agile.

It was just that raising his hand pulled at the wound on his chest. His shoulder trembled imperceptibly, but he quickly steadied himself, pretending as if nothing had happened.

Jiang Qunyu floated to his side, watching the pool water reflect the youth’s silhouette.

His face was still pale, and his lip color was so faint it was almost non-existent. Yet the cold hostility between his brows and eyes hadn’t diminished in the slightest; instead, because he was stained with a bit of water vapor, it added a trace of indescribable pure, striking beauty.

He sneered: “What are you pretending for? If it hurts, it hurts, it’s not like anyone is laughing at you.”

If he hadn’t seen that he hadn’t returned for so long, had injuries on his body, and feared that no one would know if he passed out, Jiang Qunyu wouldn’t have come over at all.

No matter how much he and Wei Xun didn’t get along, right now this body was shared by the two of them.

This psychopath Wei Xun, even if he were about to die the next second, he probably wouldn’t say half a word more.

Hearing this, Wei Xun completely ignored him.

He merely scooped up a handful of water, lowered his head, and took a sip.

The icy spring water slid down his throat, slightly suppressing the sweet, metallic taste of blood.

He raised his hand, untied his outer robe, and casually tossed it onto the bluestone, revealing the blood-stained inner garment inside.

That sword wound on his chest was still faintly seeping red.

Looking at that wound, Jiang Qunyu felt inexplicably awkward and looked away: “Hey, are you just going to wash it like this? Wounds touching water will get infected.”

“None of your business.” Wei Xun’s voice was cold as he stepped straight into the freezing pool.

Jiang Qunyu stood to the side with his arms crossed, looking at the cold sweat seeping from his temples, and couldn’t be bothered to care about him anymore.

He turned and left.

It wasn’t until Wei Xun came out of the freezing pool that Jiang Qunyu returned.

He lowered his eyes, looking at the person sitting quietly under the tree with his eyes closed, and tossed the few lustrous spirit grasses in his hand over: “Eat.”

Wei Xun’s lips pulled into an insincere, mocking smile: “What? Want to kill me again?”

“If I wanted to kill you, I could kill you right now.”

Jiang Qunyu walked toward the freezing pool, his tone unkind: “After all, right now even a dog on the side of the road could take half your life.”

He was practically panting every three steps and coughing every five steps; he didn’t know exactly what he was forcing himself to hold on for.

Wei Xun’s face instantly turned extremely ugly. He stared sinisterly in Jiang Qunyu’s direction for a while before finally eating those spirit grasses.

Jiang Qunyu washed away the foul air on his body by the freezing pool. When he returned, he saw Wei Xun had already closed his eyes and fallen into a deep slumber under the tree.

His breathing was light and shallow, but his brows were slightly furrowed; presumably, it hurt too much to sleep well.

“Psychopath lunatic!” Jiang Qunyu gave him two kicks, throwing a small tantrum.

Seeing the person had no reaction, he finally transformed into a ball of black mist.

He rolled around on Wei Xun’s body, rubbing Wei Xun’s scent all over himself, and then viciously bit his neck, leaving a faint mark.

The black mist ball turned back into a round, plump lump. Only then did Jiang Qunyu lie prone on top of Wei Xun’s head in satisfaction and fall into a deep sleep.

“Wei Xun is actually still alive?” The Fourth Elder furrowed his brows tightly, pacing back and forth anxiously in the inn’s small room.

If the news that Wei Xun didn’t die became known to Wei Lan, he feared that given Wei Lan’s personality, he would not let the matter drop easily.

If Wei Lan learned the truth of what happened back then, would he truly let him off?

It is said that even a vicious tiger won’t eat its cubs. Even though Wei Lan had always treated Wei Xun coldly, they were ultimately connected by blood.

When that time came, even if he didn’t die, he would probably lose a layer of skin!

No, no way!

The Fourth Elder abruptly stopped in his tracks. His gloomy gaze, like a venomous snake, locked dead onto the disciples below who were trembling slightly from fear.

A flash of ruthlessness crossed his face: “The news that Wei Xun is not dead, no one is allowed to leak a single bit! Whoever dares to flap their gums, I will definitely make them beg for life and beg for death, unable to get either!”

He paused, his tone softening slightly, yet carrying a bewitching allure: “But if anyone on this trip can slay that vile spawn, upon returning to the sect, you shall be my, Huazhen’s, direct disciple! Do you all understand?”

There were a total of eighteen disciples who followed the Fourth Elder on this trip, all at the Golden Core stage. Hearing this, they looked at each other in dismay for a moment, then all lowered their heads and responded: “We will carefully obey the Fourth Elder’s orders.”

The trusted disciple standing behind the Fourth Elder bowed at the right time, his tone sycophantic.

“Master, please see clearly. Listening to what the few who escaped back said, Wei Xun has clearly fallen into the demonic path.”

“How can the ten thousand years of pure reputation of our Lingxiao Sect tolerate being tarnished by such an evil demon? Master’s trip this time is merely clearing out a hidden danger for the sect.”

Hearing this, the Fourth Elder felt mostly relieved in his heart.

Not bad.

Although that Wei Xun came from Wei Lan’s lineage, his biological mother was lowly, and he was originally despised by the sect to begin with.

Now he had even willingly degenerated and become a demonic creature.

Even if Wei Lan himself were here, he couldn’t protect him.

After all, in the Lingxiao Sect’s rules, there was an ironclad law that whoever entered the demonic path must be executed.

He stroked his grayish-white beard, a smile floating in the depths of his eyes: “What you say is reasonable. Thinking about it, that heaven-burning grand fire two years ago, and the recent violent deaths of sect disciples one after another—every single incident likely has an inseparable connection to him.”

He sighed, his face showing compassion, “It’s just a pity that my disciple Baishu died an unjust death.”

“My actions this time are both to avenge my beloved disciple and to eliminate a scourge for the sect. Even if Wei Lan finds out in the future, there is nothing he can criticize.”

That disciple immediately said in a loud voice: “Master is wise!”

The Fourth Elder pondered for a moment, then slapped a palm on the table: “That demon’s severe injuries have not healed yet right now; it is a prime opportunity to slay him. You all follow me to pull up the weeds by the roots!”

Jiang Qunyu was pinched awake by Wei Xun.

The entire ball of black mist was gripped in Wei Xun’s hand, carelessly pulled and stretched to the sides, like he was kneading some soft dough.

Jiang Qunyu: “…”

What was this lunatic doing again?

“Are you sick?”

He abruptly floated out from between Wei Xun’s fingers and glared at him fiercely.

Wei Xun wasn’t angry either. He merely wiped his hands unhurriedly, a playful arc hooking at the corners of his lips.

“Jiang Qunyu, if you always maintain this dumpling appearance, I might just let you live a few days longer.”

“Hehe,” Jiang Qunyu gave two dry laughs. “Then you’re going to be disappointed. I still prefer to use this face of yours to disgust you.”

After saying that, the black mist flowed for a burst, once again condensing into the youth’s handsome figure.

Wearing Wei Xun’s face, he swaggered to the front.

Wei Xun lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes casting small shadows over his pale eyelids, concealing the emotions in his eyes.

When he raised his eyes again, his eyes were once again completely devoid of ripples.

The two walked in the forest for nearly a month.

During this time, they also encountered quite a few great demons. Fortunately, Wei Xun seemed extremely familiar with hunting.

Sometimes, Jiang Qunyu could also get some experiential training.

After several life-and-death struggles, he could actually fight back and forth with Golden Core stage demonic creatures now.

It was just a pity that he still hadn’t been able to find a natal weapon that suited him.

One night, the moon was hidden and the stars had sunk.

Wei Xun held a green paper lantern in his hand, his light green clothes diffusing a hazy hue in the dim yellow halo. He suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Jiang Qunyu was originally lying lazily on the lampshade, his legs crossed. Seeing him stop, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Wei Xun’s eyes had already healed.

He lifted his eyelashes, looking toward the depths of the dense forest not far away.

His tone was wrapped in bone-piercing coldness as he gave a light chuckle: “They’ve caught up.”

Just as the words fell, a rustling sound came from among the surrounding tree crowns.

The next instant, several figures dressed in Lingxiao Sect disciple uniforms, holding long swords, dropped down from mid-air, tightly surrounding Wei Xun in the center.

Right at the moment they were about to land, taking Wei Xun as the center, endless blackness rapidly spread outward.

Spiritual power fluctuated violently in the air. The figures of those disciples actually froze bizarrely in mid-air, as if their throats were gripped by an invisible hand.

Those disciples were horrified, their hearts pounding like drums.

Yet they saw an old man in his sixties, with a hunched back, leaning on a walking stick and stepping slowly into this spreading darkness.

The walking stick tapped the ground lightly, and the spreading black tide came to an abrupt halt.

The stagnant space began to flow again, and those disciples immediately crashed to the ground, cutting sorry figures.

Wei Xun impatiently lifted his eyelids, looking expressionlessly at the newcomer, his tone sarcastic: “I thought it was some old immortal again; I didn’t expect it to be the Fourth Elder.”

Huazhen was already around six hundred years old, yet his cultivation had stagnated at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage to this day, never having stepped into the next realm; he was very sensitive about his age.

Hearing this, his face turned blue, the corners of his mouth twitching, so angry smoke was practically coming out of his head. He raised his walking stick and sternly reprimanded.

“Ignorant brat! Did Wei Lan never teach you what it means to respect teachers and revere the Dao?! This Venerable is your elder, yet you dare to speak so disrespectfully!”

“Hahaha—” Wei Xun suddenly laughed out loud, laughing so hard he almost couldn’t straighten his back. Only then did he wipe away his tears and sneer: “Wei Lan? What the hell does he count as?”

The corner of Huazhen’s mouth skewed, and the walking stick in his hand heavily struck the ground.

In an instant, thousands of sword shadows unfurled from the ground, whistling as they attacked Wei Xun.

“Brat! Today this old man will properly discipline you on behalf of your father!”

Wei Xun turned slightly sideways, the lantern in his hand swaying gently.

Amidst the flickering light and shadow, Soul-Devouring appeared in his other hand.

His thin lips parted slightly, spitting out a single word: “Break.”

The incoming sky-filling sword shadows abruptly stiffened, then shattered inch by inch like a spiderweb, turning into flowing light and annihilating.

Huazhen turned his head to look at the several disciples who had fallen to the ground in a daze, angrily shouting in frustration over their failure to meet expectations: “What are you still standing there for?! Set up the array!”

Only then did the disciples wake up as if from a dream. They hastily got up, their fingers flying rapidly to form hand seals, and complex spell formulas quickly unfolded beneath their feet.

Jiang Qunyu leisurely leaped down from the lantern.

With no sword at hand, he simply raised his foot and kicked a pebble toward the hand of the nearest disciple forming seals.

“Ah—!” With a cry of pain, the disciple abruptly clutched his wrist.

A corner of the array instantly collapsed.

Wei Xun was already clashing with Huazhen’s sword. He opened one black pupil and, upon hearing the sound, cast a sidelong glance at Jiang Qunyu.

Seeing him eagerly kicking pebbles over there, he withdrew his gaze and no longer let himself be distracted.

The tip of Huazhen’s sword had already pressed to three inches before Wei Xun’s throat, scraping against the blade of Soul-Devouring with an ear-piercing, sharp screech.

He sinisterly hooked the corners of his mouth: “Brat, being distracted during a battle will cost you your life.”

Before his words finished, two majestic bursts of spiritual power violently collided.

Airwaves exploded outward, and both of them were jolted back dozens of feet.

Wei Xun looked coldly at Huazhen, tilted his head, and raised his hand to wipe the side of his neck, getting a hand full of blood.

Huazhen wasn’t much better off; fresh blood flowed from his seven orifices.

He stared at Wei Xun’s eyes, which were gradually being covered by a black gloom, and the demonic energy churning around his body, sneering: “Just what kind of monster are you considered to be right now?”

Wei Xun couldn’t be bothered to deal with him.

His Domain could only be maintained for a quarter of an hour against those with cultivation higher than his, so to kill Huazhen, he had to resolve the battle quickly.

Sword light flared again.

Huazhen swept his gaze over the ground in disgust.

Countless pitch-black arms were currently drilling out from the shadows, attempting to drag at his ankles.

He threw out a few fire talismans, and raging flames instantly scorched those ghost hands to ashes.

At the same time, he swung his sword to meet Wei Xun: “Your father has been aloof and noble his whole life; did he ever think his own son would degenerate into such an evil ghost? Wei Xun, tell me, if he knew, would he personally come down the mountain to clean house?”

“Shut up.” Wei Xun’s murderous intent grew even heavier.

“Hahaha—” Huazhen suddenly thought of something, his expression ruthless. “You have companions?”

Otherwise, why had so much time passed without seeing the other disciples?

Wei Xun abruptly lifted his eyes. Right at this moment, the Domain dissipated.

The quarter of an hour was up.

A sharp glint abruptly flashed in Huazhen’s eyes, the smile on his lips terrifyingly deep.

He struck a backhand horizontal slash. The sword wind lifted a ground full of fallen leaves, turning into a sharp, fierce arc of light that pounced straight toward Wei Xun!

Wei Xun had no way to dodge.

Between his brows was a terrifying gloom. Staring dead at Huazhen, he raised his sword, wanting to barely block this strike.

Yet a figure, completely without warning, blocked in front of him.

It was Jiang Qunyu.

Wei Xun’s expression froze.

He stared blankly at that back.

Jiang Qunyu seemed very happy; even the corners of his eyes rippled with a smile.

But his figure rapidly dissipated within the sword light, like mist blown away by the wind, turning transparent bit by bit and shattering into light dust.

He turned his head and said: “Fuck his uncle, it’s been two years, I’m finally going to respawn for the fourth time.”

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