ATAVID CH95

Jiang Qunyu remained silent for a moment, deciding not to tell Qin Shiyue that he had, in fact, truly forgotten him. He only remembered there was such a person because Qin Shiyue had been the one to mention that he possessed Spirit Deer blood.

Compared to Xie Chuan, Qin Shiyue clearly knew much more about the inner workings of things. That was why Jiang Qunyu had managed to swipe the key while Wei Xun wasn’t looking.

However, the one he handed to Qin Shiyue was a fake.

The real key had long since been tucked away in his storage bag.

Mainly, Qin Shiyue didn’t look like he was very bright anyway.

Jiang Qunyu kept a straight face, his lies flowing as naturally as breathing: “I truly expended a great deal of effort to track down this key.”

Qin Shiyue lifted his gaze to look at the youth with his hair tied up. He was incredibly handsome, with pale brown eyes that were soft and gentle, lips of a light red hue, and skin as smooth and white as jade. His green robes accentuated his refined and graceful stature, and his jade belt cinched his waist perfectly. There was a faint mist lingering between his brows, giving him a gentle and clean temperament.

In any case, he lacked the cold, violent, and paranoid aura that made one feel instinctively repulsed upon seeing Wei Xun. Qin Shiyue felt a sense of relief in his heart and tentatively believed his explanation.

He immediately said, “Since that is the case, then hand the key over to me.”

Jiang Qunyu acted as if he hadn’t heard him. He pulled over a chair and sat down in a leisurely manner, playing with the key between his fingertips—tossing it up and catching it steadily. A crafty smile curved his lips as he spoke slowly, “That won’t do. If I give you the key now, and once you escape and recover, you decide to dispose of me—who could I possibly go to for justice?”

Qin Shiyue raised an eyebrow at these words, his tone carrying a touch of self-righteous pride: “I do not engage in treacherous or unfaithful acts.”

“But I don’t believe you,” Jiang Qunyu lied to his face. “I have already sworn a Life-Death Curse, so naturally, I would not be treacherous. Otherwise, my hard-earned cultivation at the Great Completion Stage would all be for naught.”

“Furthermore, the pressure of your cultivation aura holds no threat for me. Even if I were to walk away right now, there is nothing you could do to stop me.”

As the words fell, a layer of coldness suddenly veiled Qin Shiyue’s features. The black-haired youth’s faint smile inexplicably reminded him of that wretch Wei Guanlan. Even though they looked completely different, how could they be equally infuriating?

He dismissed his previous conclusion and spoke coldly: “What are your conditions?”

Jiang Qunyu stopped playing with the key, looked up at him, and asked, “How did you know I had Spirit Deer blood in my body?”

There was no need to hide the answer to this question. Qin Shiyue pondered for a moment and spoke bluntly: “Naturally, I smelled it. Your body is merely tainted with Spirit Deer blood; you are not a pure-blooded member of the Spirit Deer clan.”

“Oh—” Jiang Qunyu countered, “Does that mean I am susceptible to control by the Spirit Deer clan?”

Qin Shiyue looked languid and replied dismissively, “Naturally not.”

The moment he finished speaking, he saw the youth hook the corners of his lips into a profound, unfathomable smile. In the next second, a blood-colored scythe tore through the air, crashing down with a roar between the two of them!

Qin Shiyue was caught off guard. The sharp shadows cast by the crimson scythe grazed his shoulder, instantly slicing through his clothes and drawing blood, blooming into a jarring red stain on his black robes.

His expression changed drastically. Malevolence surged throughout his body, his face turning incredibly sinister as he barked, “You’re courting death!”

“Heh.” Jiang Qunyu was even angrier than him. The gentle warmth between his brows dissipated, leaving only biting coldness. “Master of the Netherworld has a good memory, doesn’t he? Only a few days ago, you were swearing that I was a member of the Spirit Deer clan and that Wei Guanlan was just using me as a cultivation cauldron. Yet today, you change your tune, saying the Spirit Deer blood in my body doesn’t count as being part of the clan? Being so fickle and changing your words—do you take me for a fool to be toyed with?”

Qin Shiyue was struck dumb, choked by words he couldn’t get out. After a long while, he finally managed to find an excuse, changing his words stiffly: “It is merely that I have had a headache recently and got it confused. The Spirit Deer blood in your body naturally has an effect.”

Jiang Qunyu did not comment. His dense, long eyelashes drooped slightly, concealing the thoughts in his eyes. He changed the subject and threw out another question: “Besides the scent of the Spirit Deer blood, can you smell anything else on me?”

Qin Shiyue curled his lips into an undisguised, mocking sneer and said with disgust, “Naturally. The moment you stepped into this place, I smelled it clearly.”

Jiang Qunyu asked, “What else?”

The disgust in Qin Shiyue’s eyes was undisguised: “The scent of Wei Guanlan.”

Jiang Qunyu couldn’t help but curse: “…Fuck.”

Qin Shiyue’s sinister features showed a hint of shock: “Wasn’t it you who asked me to identify it?”

Jiang Qunyu couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. He flicked his fingers, intending to recall the scythe in mid-air to launch another attack.

Qin Shiyue hurried to say, “I cannot identify the rest, but your constitution is extremely suited for cultivation. Even I feel a touch of jealousy looking at it. Calling you a ‘Son of Heaven’ would not be an exaggeration.”

Jiang Qunyu knew this himself. He pursed his lips, thought for a moment, and asked, “Have you ever heard of the Nine-Heaven Immortal Lotus?”

Qin Shiyue’s movements stopped abruptly.

He didn’t speak for a long time, and only after a while did he let out a low laugh: “Naturally, I know of it.”

As he spoke, he seemed to have suddenly realized something. His eyes turned incredibly strange as he looked at Jiang Qunyu: “…Why is there the scent of the Nine-Heaven Immortal Lotus on you?”

“According to what I know, the Nine-Heaven Immortal Lotus was a sacred object born in the Heavenly Capital. After the Heavenly Capital fell, it was seized by the Buxu Sect. I heard a few years ago that it was stolen. Don’t tell me you were the one who stole it?”

Hearing this answer confirmed Jiang Qunyu’s suspicions further. He had a terrible headache and spoke emotionlessly: “What if it was me?”

“Hahahahaha—”

Qin Shiyue suddenly burst into loud laughter, his frame trembling. He even reached up to clutch his stomach, and it took a long while for his laughter to subside, leaving a sense of satisfaction in his eyes.

“You did very well; I certainly won’t do anything to you. The Nine-Heaven Immortal Lotus was never private property of the Buxu Sect. It was a waste in their hands. Even if you took it, it is a thousand times better than staying there.”

“However,” Qin Shiyue paused, “the scent of that Nine-Heaven Immortal Lotus is extremely faint. If I didn’t have some connection to that object, I would never have been able to discern it.”

He said gloomily, “Your body is very strange. You are like a product of nature, and yet you are also…”

Qin Shiyue curled his lips and spoke slowly: “Defying the heavens.”

Jiang Qunyu felt annoyed and didn’t want to listen anymore. He changed the subject again: “So what exactly does Wei Xun want?”

“Why did he imprison you here?”

“What is it that you have that he wants?”

Question after question hammered down. Qin Shiyue looked at the suddenly agitated youth, finding it interesting. He had clearly been in control just a moment ago—why had he suddenly lost the upper hand?

He curved his lips, appreciating Jiang Qunyu’s expression with interest, then said: “I won’t tell you.”

Jiang Qunyu was momentarily speechless, his expression darkening.

Qin Shiyue, however, smiled with his eyes curved, pressing forward: “Give me the key first. I have quite a few important things to attend to these next few days; I cannot afford to be delayed.”

What could an evil ghost imprisoned for over twenty years possibly have to attend to? Jiang Qunyu felt a strange sense of suspicion. He rolled his eyes nonchalantly, stood up, gripped the fake key, and gestured as if to throw it away.

Qin Shiyue’s expression changed, and his voice deepened: “Stop!”

Jiang Qunyu’s beautiful peach-blossom eyes curved slightly, and he pulled his hand back: “And now?”

Qin Shiyue looked terrible, his lips pressed thin as he was about to speak.

But at that very instant, the entire Lock-Up Palace shook violently. The palace pillars groaned with unbearable stress, and rubble fell in a cascade.

Far off in the Nine Nether sky outside the palace, several snow-white pillars of light shot straight through the heavens and the earth, piercing sharply through the grey, gloomy dome that shrouded the Nine Nethers all year round.

At almost the exact same moment, the layers of seals that had imprisoned Qin Shiyue for decades within the palace began to disintegrate and melt away at a speed visible to the naked eye, turning into wisps of black energy that vanished into the air.

Jiang Qunyu stumbled, barely managing to stand steady.

Just as he was about to speak, he caught sight of the heavy iron chains wrapped around Qin Shiyue’s ankles snapping apart, inch by inch.

Qin Shiyue had his back to him, his tall, straight figure perfectly obscuring the dazzling pillars of light outside. A moment later, he slowly turned his head to look at Jiang Qunyu, a faint smile curling his lips. His tone was breezy and carefree: “No need. Now, I have no need for a key.”

After speaking, he felt his cultivation slowly returning and burst into laughter: “Hahaha—”

Jiang Qunyu kept a deadpan face: “…”

Seriously? What kind of breakdown is he having?

He summoned his red scythe.

At the same time, Qin Shiyue waved his hand forcefully. A tyrannical malevolence exploded outward, ripping through the thick walls of the Lock-Up Palace.

Bricks and tiles shattered, falling with a roar as dust filled the sky. The scenery outside, which could previously only be glimpsed through the window frames, was now fully exposed as the entire wall collapsed.

Heaven and earth seemed to flip upside down. In the distant Nine Nether sky, a weird, scarlet glow churned. Countless lingering souls within the Netherworld Palace gathered, watching from afar outside the palace. Ghost shadows swarmed, and fragmented whispers rose and fell.

Qin Shiyue moved, intending to leap from the high platform.

At that exact moment, Jiang Qunyu unleashed his Blood-Colored Domain. The scarlet barrier spread and expanded instantly, locking Qin Shiyue firmly inside in the blink of an eye.

Qin Shiyue’s expression cracked for a second. He turned back, glaring viciously at Jiang Qunyu.

Amidst the ruins and broken walls, the high tower stood alone. A cold wind whistled through the hall, blowing Jiang Qunyu’s green robes until they whipped in the air. A few strands of his tied-up hair fell loose, sticking to his cheeks and adding a touch of messy beauty.

His expression was calm and ripple-free. Holding a blood-red scythe the size of a bow, he walked forward, step by step.

He asked: “Did I say you could leave?”

Qin Shiyue was so furious his chest felt tight; he nearly vomited a mouthful of blood. Clearly, his cultivation was far superior to Jiang Qunyu’s, but this blood-colored domain was incredibly eerie—something he had never seen in his life. He could not forcefully tear it open for the moment and was trapped in place.

Seeing Jiang Qunyu walking closer, Qin Shiyue suddenly said: “Don’t you want to know what that Demon Lord wants to get from me?!”

The youth stopped moving.

Seeing this, Qin Shiyue’s impression of Jiang Qunyu dropped to an all-time low. Yet, his master had warned him repeatedly before leaving that this person had great use and must not be killed along with him.

He forcibly suppressed his murderous intent, curled his lips, and said: “Wei Guanlan is definitely not in the Nether City today. Do you know where he actually went?”

Jiang Qunyu frowned upon hearing this, vaguely recalling that when Wei Xun left early that morning, he had said he would return in a few days and asked if he wanted to go with him.

At the time, he had been too sleepy; he had pulled the quilt over his head and gone back to sleep, ignoring Wei Xun. By the time he woke up, Wei Xun was already gone.

He thought for a moment. He had vaguely heard Wei Xun say a few words, but he hadn’t heard them clearly, so he truly did not know. He raised an eyebrow and asked: “Where did he go?”

Qin Shiyue curved his lips: “Beyond the Nine Nether Abyss, there lies an ancient ruin. Rumor has it that inside those ruins, there are ‘Godly Bones’ left behind when the previous deity ascended. The residual divine power sealed within those bones—even a tiny fraction of it—is enough to allow a demon cultivator or a practitioner at the Unity Realm to break through the boundaries of the world and ascend directly.”

Qin Shiyue recalled the scene twenty-seven years ago when he had first met Wei Xun.

At that time, the man had been filled with cold, violent demonic energy, his hand gripping Qin Shiyue’s throat, his eyes as cold as a frozen pool, devoid of any warmth, forcing him to hand over the token to open those ruins.

He had struggled desperately to break free, panting heavily as he questioned him harshly, asking why he would go to such lengths to seize the Godly Bones.

“Do you know what he said?” Qin Shiyue finally found a way to break the blood-colored domain. He laughed, and just as he was about to shatter the domain, red prismatic pillars suddenly extended from the four walls of the cage, piercing through his arm.

Agony struck. Qin Shiyue’s expression changed drastically. Realizing something was wrong, he gritted his teeth and forcibly snapped off the red pillars piercing his arm, not daring to be even slightly careless again. The malevolence that had been dormant for twenty years surged and erupted, sweeping across his body.

The blood-colored domain cracked like a spiderweb.

He clutched his bleeding arm, his soul, already unstable from the loss of a part of it, now completely wavering. With a deathly pale face, he glanced back at Jiang Qunyu, curled his lips, and leaped from the high platform.

Jiang Qunyu heard the sound of his loud laughter.

Qin Shiyue said: “He actually said that he wanted to slay a god.”

“Hahaha—it is simply preposterous.”

Jiang Qunyu walked to the edge of the ruins and looked down.

Qin Shiyue had already landed safely on the ground. He also looked up and opened his lips.

Jiang Qunyu saw the shape of his lips; he said: “How could it be possible? How could a god be someone he can slay just because he wants to?”