The Young Lady Only Wants to Cultivate Immortality Chapter 28

At Hongjian Academy’s Serene Heart Courtyard, Apothecary Yang Xia, after hearing Shi Qingqian’s phoenix feather message, excitedly threw all the white chess pieces in her hand onto the board, where white was clearly losing.
“No more, no more, I can go home!” Apothecary Yang Xia happily clapped her hands, wiping away the sweat from her palms, and said with a relaxed smile, “Qingqian finally left.”
Just now, Qingqian had said in her message that she was returning to the Huo family tonight and had also taken her Purple Yang Artifact Refining Pouch. Forget taking an artifact refining pouch, even if she took her alchemy furnace, as long as she left, she had no objections.
Elder Zeng looked at the happy person in front of him with a half-smile, then suppressed his laughter and slowly picked up the white pieces that Apothecary Yang Xia had just thrown onto the board.
“Your chess etiquette, it’s been so poor for hundreds of years.”
Apothecary Yang Xia blinked: “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t have time to play chess with you; I’m rushing back to collect herbs.”
Elder Zeng pretended not to know that she was looking for an excuse to throw the pieces because she knew she was going to lose. After collecting the pieces, he looked at the person who was already eager to leave: “Why did Qingqian suddenly go back? Does she not need you to dig up her skull anymore?”
Apothecary Yang Xia shivered when he mentioned that: “Don’t bring that up again.”
She had hidden out here precisely because of that matter. She had never seen any normal person make such a request.
She didn’t know what had gone wrong with Qingqian, or if she was practicing some evil cultivation method. How could one live after having their skull dug up? Even at the Nascent Soul stage, one could have their Nascent Soul escape, but the physical body would die if its skull was dug up.
Then one would have to find another body for soul possession.
“Qingqian, this child, has been very abnormal recently,” Apothecary Yang Xia paused her steps, sighing to her old friend.
Elder Zeng recalled the manifestation of the Qilin a month ago, and the strangely deceased ferocious beast during the trials, and was also somewhat concerned: “Is she unable to control the demonic qi within her?”
Apothecary Yang Xia immediately shook her head: “Impossible. Qingqian is different. Demonic qi is a part of her blood and bone. If there is still one person in this world who can easily control demonic qi, it can only be Qingqian.”
She spoke with a touch of emotion: “In the future, if we don’t want demonic qi to spiral out of control, we’ll have to rely on Qingqian.”
Elder Zeng deeply agreed. He stroked a wisp of white beard on his chin, recalling how, when the Demon Lord’s Eternal Guardian Pact on them became ineffective, they knew their master had died.
Then, slowly within a century, or quickly within decades, the demonic qi in their bodies would be exposed. Even with cultivation to suppress it, it could be detected by cultivators stronger than them.
At that time, he and Yang Xia might not be able to stay in Longyin Town.
They had been here for hundreds of years and were very reluctant to leave suddenly. Unexpectedly, two years ago, Qingqian suddenly found them, claiming to be the master’s child.
She had the list of servants who had signed the Demon Lord’s Eternal Guardian Pact, which Jin Siliu had given her.
Looking at the names [Jin Yang Xia] and [Jin Zeng] on it, Elder Zeng and Yang Xia wept uncontrollably. With their master dead, no one would ever call their names again.
Along with it, Jin Siliu also gave her a sound-recording pearl, which contained the master’s last words, but Qingqian didn’t tell them the content.
She also didn’t renew the Demon Lord’s Eternal Guardian Pact with them, but she promised to suppress their demonic qi, though her cultivation was not yet high enough.
Elder Zeng sighed: “Qingqian is closer to you. Watch over her more. This child’s temperament…” Elder Zeng didn’t finish his sentence, mainly because he couldn’t think of a suitable word.
It was all the Huo family’s fault, locking her up since childhood. During her early years, when she most needed care to develop a good character, what the Huo family did was simply inhumane.
He always felt that Qingqian lacked some essential human qualities.
Although he didn’t finish his sentence, Yang Xia understood. She was also very worried about this; otherwise, she wouldn’t have hidden away. If it were anyone else with the idea of digging up a skull, she would break their kneecap first and call them insane.
“I know, but Qingqian hides things in her heart and rarely talks to people.”
Speaking of which, Apothecary Yang Xia wanted to go to the Huo family again and poison Huo Zhen until he was mute. A person’s temperament is mostly related to their past experiences.
Whenever she thought of Qingqian’s childhood experiences, she wished she could feed Huo Zhen meridian severing pill, but the Huo family had indeed protected Qingqian and allowed her to grow up peacefully, while their true daughter suffered persecution outside.
It was truly a messy situation.
At the same time, in the Huo family’s small residence, Huo Zhen also came to settle scores with A’Ling.
Looking at the face in front of him, which bore some resemblance to his own, yet showed no trace of fear. She even had the leisure to set up a barrier and release sound-eating birds for him.
Two months apart, this useless person’s courage had grown significantly. Huo Zhen narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing A’Ling as she approached. So, she had established Foundation.
Huo Zhen snorted disdainfully. To be so reckless right after establishing Foundation, Huo Zhen thought she must either be insane or had given up, knowing she couldn’t escape.
He couldn’t be bothered to waste time with such useless trash and directly asked: “Are you involved in the Gu family’s Haocang Stone matter?”
A’Ling stood on the steps transitioning from the gatehouse to the courtyard. Huo Zhen was very tall, and even though she stood on the steps, she was still slightly shorter, needing to raise her head a bit to look him directly in the eyes.
A’Ling tilted her chin slightly, smiling faintly, and took out a stone from her Universe pouch, throwing it towards Huo Zhen.
“Are you talking about this?”
Huo Zhen was puzzled. He took it with a dark face, then waved his hand. The ignited talismans instantly scattered to light up the lanterns in the corridors around the courtyard.
The dim courtyard instantly became as bright as day.
Huo Zhen also clearly saw what was in his hand; it was indeed a Haocang Stone: “Where did you get this from?”
A’Ling’s gaze was distant, as if she was trying hard to recall: “Let me think… I think I accidentally found it when I was wandering outside, trying to hide everywhere.”
A’Ling spoke, looking directly at Huo Zhen not far away: “What, are you here to care about my past today? Why the sudden interest? You used to show no interest in these things. Did you eat something wrong today?”
Seeing Huo Zhen about to speak, A’Ling raised a hand to interrupt: “Wait, let me guess. Did you eat gunpowder? Were your internal organs blown up? No wonder your face looks scorched.”
Her words were full of mockery and sarcasm. Huo Zhen’s face visibly darkened even further, and his entire body seemed to be enveloped in a thick layer of black mist.
If anyone else saw this, like Sun Juhao, they would probably be scared unconscious by this terrifying aura.
Huo Zhen had always known that this recovered daughter of his had a sharp tongue, but he wasn’t here to argue.
“Did you tell the Gu family the location of the Haocang Stone mine?”
A’Ling gently pursed her lips: “Yes.” She answered as if it was the most natural thing, as if it was a very ordinary matter.
Furious, Huo Zhen’s dark eyes blazed with fire: “Do you know that the Haocang Stone is the Huo family’s biggest source of income?!”
A’Ling sneered: “I know, of course I know. But what does that have to do with me, even half a spirit stone? It’s the Huo family’s income, not mine.”
Huo Zhen was enraged, gritting his teeth: “You also bear the Huo surname!”
A’Ling raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise: “Don’t talk nonsense, I never said I wanted to be surnamed Huo.”
Huo Zhen was furious: “You are my Huo Zhen’s child, what other surname would you have?!”
A’Ling subtly curled her lips, smiling mockingly: “Then I am also Lin Nianli’s child. Why don’t I take the surname Lin?”
Huo Zhen finally understood: A’Ling was doing this on purpose. This was a naked declaration of war, challenging his authority. This little beast must be tired of living.
“Good, good, good!” Huo Zhen’s voice rose with each ‘good,’ laughing sinisterly in his extreme rage. “You are deliberately going against me, you little beast!”
A’Ling’s expression remained unchanged, a sneer gracing her lips: “Who are you calling a ‘little beast’? So old and still pretending to be young. If you want to be a beast, you’re an old beast~”
“You!” Huo Zhen’s furious eyes flashed with shock. She had rebelled, truly rebelled. “Good! The fortuneteller said you would bring misfortune to me and the Huo family. It’s true! I shouldn’t have been merciful last time; I ended up leaving a fatal flaw for myself.”
In the last sentence, Huo Zhen’s sinister tone caused the temperature around him to plummet. As his words fell, a dark red glow slowly emerged from his empty hand.
“Crimson Lotus Hellfire Whip!” Huo Zhen summoned his magic artifact, emanating murderous intent. His deep black eyes also flickered with dangerous red light. “Today, I will rectify our family’s traditions and eliminate you, this scourge, for the Huo family!”
As his words fell, a dark red flame cut through the cool night air, carrying the wrath of a thousand tons of stone, striking towards A’Ling’s lightly trembling eyelashes.
This old beast was truly vicious; every time he attacked, he aimed for the most important part—the eyes, as if determined to blind his opponent.
A’Ling didn’t want to be blind. She still wanted to keep her eyes wide open and watch these beasts get their just deserts!
“Wandering Amethyst Gold Whip, appear.”
A dazzling purple-gold light shot forward, directly meeting the seemingly unstoppable Crimson Lotus Hellfire and violently striking it back in mid-air. With a ‘sizzle,’ sparks flew, and the air filled with the smell of gunpowder.
Huo Zhen’s furious expression froze on his face. The anger in his eyes was hidden, replaced by a floating astonishment. How could this be…?
It must be a coincidence. Huo Zhen didn’t believe it; he didn’t believe A’Ling could withstand his Crimson Lotus Hellfire.
He channeled his spiritual energy into the hand gripping the whip. The Crimson Lotus Hellfire Whip, imbued with spiritual energy, became even darker, like a venomous beast with poisoned fangs.
Huo Zhen held nothing back, fiercely attacking A’Ling.
A’Ling was enveloped in purple-gold light. She didn’t dodge, swinging her Wandering Amethyst Gold Whip to meet him.
Despite Huo Zhen’s cultivation being much higher than A’Ling’s, the purple-gold light of the Wandering Amethyst Gold Whip countered the Crimson Lotus Hellfire. After several rounds, Huo Zhen had not harmed A’Ling in the slightest.
Huo Zhen also saw that the magic artifact in A’Ling’s hand was no ordinary item. He clenched the hand holding the whip into a fist, pointed at A’Ling, and angrily shouted: “Where did you get this magic artifact? Did Gu Hongjue give it to you?! Good, no wonder you’re so arrogant; so you have the Gu family as your backing!”
A’Ling was not at all annoyed by Huo Zhen’s guess that her Little Wandering was given by Gu Hongjue. Instead, she laughed: “Yes, I even want to recognize Gu Hongjue as my father. Tell me, what part of you can compare to him?”
Huo Zhen almost choked on his breath, a huge rock clogging his heart. No matter how hard he tried all these years, the Huo family could never surpass the Gu family; he was inferior to Gu Hongjue in every way.
Before, when Qingqian suppressed the Gu family’s girl at Hongjian Academy, he at least had one area where he could surpass Gu Hongjue.
Now, his biological daughter was this useless trash, a small fry who had just established Foundation, unable to even catch up to the Gu family’s girl in a horse race.
And now this little beast was like a scoundrel, begging for things from the Gu family and even wanting to recognize that scoundrel Gu Hongjue as her father!
Huo Zhen’s face was so enraged it turned purplish-black, and his breathing became heavy.
If he didn’t kill A’Ling, this little beast, today, he would take Gu Hongjue’s surname, Gu!
Huo Zhen put away his Crimson Lotus Hellfire Whip and summoned his Blazing Curse Spider Web, throwing it over A’Ling’s head. A’Ling swung her Wandering Amethyst Gold Whip, its purple-gold light like sharp blades cutting towards the spider web.
In an instant, the spider web shattered into pieces.
Oh no! A’Ling’s heart trembled. Bad news! As expected, the next moment, the shattered spider web, like spiders spinning their webs, reformed into brand new Blazing Curse Spider Webs.
What was originally just one spider web now became dozens of them, simultaneously pouncing towards A’Ling.
In the nick of time, A’Ling put away Little Wandering, pinched a stack of prepared talismans, made a hand seal, and then took out the unused Three Purity True Fire Furnace from her Universe pouch, drawing out the Three Purity True Fire to ignite the talismans.
One by one, the talismans instantly transformed into balls of Three Purity True Fire, pouncing onto the incoming spider webs.
The spider webs struck by the talismans ignited instantly upon contact with the Three Purity True Fire, like silk encountering fire.
However, A’Ling’s cultivation was still somewhat lacking, and her talismans weren’t fast enough. The spider webs not hit by the talismans quickly stuck to A’Ling’s body, just like last time, firmly binding A’Ling to the Jujube tree.
“Damn broken web!” A’Ling struggled fiercely. She had forgotten that Huo Zhen’s spider web had been specially refined; if cut, it could regenerate and restore itself.
When Huo Zhen saw the Three Purity True Fire, his anger flared even more intensely, adding fuel to the fire. This little beast had indeed allied with the Gu family to cut off the Huo family’s financial resources!
Since the Gu family stopped using the Huo family’s Haocang Stone for their Three Purity True Fire Furnace, the Huo family had suffered heavy losses in the past two months, with all their accounts in deficit. He was also constantly subjected to veiled insults from that good-for-nothing Gu family.
He had investigated for over a month and finally discovered that the problem originated within his own family; the traitor was from the Huo family.
He had underestimated this little beast. He originally thought one more person simply meant one more mouth to feed, and the family wasn’t short on rooms, but he hadn’t expected to have brought a wolf into the house!
Today, this little beast must not be allowed to live!
Huo Zhen poured all his spiritual energy into his right palm. With a flick of his left hand, he formed a hand seal, and clusters of flames slowly rose from his palm.
The flames gradually gathered, forming a special pattern of multiple inverted ‘mountain’ characters.
Dark red light circles swirled the gravel on the ground. A strong wind rose from nowhere, ruffling A’Ling’s loose black hair. The gravel hitting her face forced her to close her eyes.
Just then, a fierce tiger roared in the ravine, and hungry eagles shrieked in the sky. A Crimson Lotus Jade Talisman, burning with dark red flames, attacked A’Ling’s face with the force of collapsing thunder and lightning.
A’Ling had just managed to free one hand from the spider web, and the dark red light was already right in front of her.
“Little Wandering—”
A’Ling roared, her voice as urgent and desolate as if she were trapped in a Asura Hell.
In an instant, the dim, dark night was filled with rapid winds and clouds. Large patches of dark clouds gathered over the small courtyard, as if thunder and lightning were rising. Golden light flashed with dark fire, scattering sparks across the sky!
The desolate, chilly wind blew away the black strands of hair covering A’Ling’s face. The anticipated pain did not arrive. A’Ling abruptly opened her eyes.
The scorching purple-gold electric light was as dazzling as the sun, hurting her eyes. Her Little Wandering, with a fierce murderous aura, blocked her path. The dark purple whip body, like a sudden thunderclap in the sky, flashed with terrifying, chilling light.
“Little Wandering…” A’Ling’s eyes suddenly reddened. It had saved her again.
Her Little Wandering only showed such a menacing aura when it sensed the opponent’s absolute intent to kill her.
Huo Zhen wanted her dead…
A’Ling’s eyes were crimson. She looked towards the other end of the courtyard, facing the wind laden with gravel. Huo Zhen, having missed his attack, was now circulating his spiritual energy for a second Crimson Lotus Jade Talisman attack.
Little Wandering rapidly rotated, forming a shield with its body, resisting the Crimson Lotus Hellfire. It withstood the fire but couldn’t block the inherent damage of the Jade Talisman.
The Jade Talisman’s light blade struck like a long spear, instantly tearing through A’Ling’s flesh. A wound stretched from the side of her left cheek, down her neck, along her collarbone, straight to her heart.
Good, very good. A’Ling’s face contorted in pain, yet she laughed. Huo Zhen wanted her dead.
He actually wanted her dead!
A’Ling nodded, looking at the drops of blood falling from her chest, redder than the Crimson Lotus Hellfire, so crimson that they dyed her dark eyes.
She could no longer see other colors; everything before her was crimson. She also couldn’t hear any sounds, as if only a voice deep within her heart was calling.
“Child, don’t be afraid, I am here—”
The surrounding wind seemed to still. In a vast expanse of crimson, there was only one dark silhouette, moving slowly and menacingly in the courtyard.
She heard a voice in her heart say: “Kill him, that’s a monster, kill him!”
A’Ling’s eyes were filled with terrifying hatred. Between heaven and earth, it was desolate and dark red, and only the dark silhouette drew closer.
Kill him, kill him!
“Ah—” A’Ling roared to the sky, murderous intent abruptly appearing in her crimson eyes.
A fierce wind swept through the Jujube tree, leaves rustling down. In the gravel and fallen leaves, a black mist gathered, rising with overwhelming power, capable of swallowing mountains and rivers.
A’Ling’s freed left hand formed a hand seal, and she numbly uttered the incantation etched into her bones from her previous life.
“Feather’s rise, divine destruction, a hundred rivers converge.”
The scattered black qi, like soldiers hearing a command, surged from all directions with high morale, sweeping into the Blazing Curse Spider Web, eroding it from within like black ants chewing.
The spider web instantly vanished into the black mist, without a trace.
“Little Wandering, return.”
When Huo Zhen heard that command, the magic artifact that had been entangled with him instantly released his Crimson Lotus Jade Talisman, and his vision, which had been obscured by the purple electric shield, became clear again.
He saw in the distance that the figure who should have been bound to the Jujube tree was slowly walking towards him, while his Blazing Curse Spider Web had disappeared.
The purple-gold whip obediently coiled around A’Ling’s hand, its tail dragging across the ground, leaving a scorched path wherever it touched.
He had just discovered that this purple-gold light countered his Crimson Lotus Hellfire.
The Gu family had truly put in effort, giving A’Ling such a magic artifact, clearly to deal with him.
So what if he didn’t have the Crimson Lotus Hellfire? He could still kill this little beast with just his cultivation.
Huo Zhen put away his Crimson Lotus Jade Talisman, switched back to his Crimson Lotus Hellfire Whip, and seeing A’Ling approaching step by step, he swung his long whip and charged towards her.
A’Ling’s steps paused briefly, then she charged forward with even fiercer momentum.
As their whips crossed, Huo Zhen noticed something was wrong. A’Ling’s eyes were completely crimson, her body emanating black qi, and her expression was as ferocious as a demon from hell. Unfortunately, it was too late.
With a ‘sizzle,’ the Crimson Lotus Hellfire Whip snapped into two. The purple-gold light, wrapped in an unknown black mist, was like a sharp long knife, cutting down from the front towards his left shoulder.
The dark purple-black whip body pierced completely into his body, and copious amounts of fresh blood spurted out.
When the purple-gold light was retracted, a circle of blood was flung out. Huo Zhen tilted his head in horror, seeing that only a tiny bit of flesh was still connected to his shoulder…
The searing pain after numbness surged into his skull. Huo Zhen heard his own heartbreaking screams.
“Ah—my arm!”
“Ah—”
“Ah!”
The cries were shrill and piercing. Accompanied by the sound of whip lashes raining down densely on bare flesh, piercing screams echoed intensely over the small courtyard into the night.
The sound-eating birds on the eaves suddenly choked. They were just two low-level sound-eating birds, unable to swallow so many harsh and tragic screams.
Screams pierced through the sound-muffling array and spread outside the courtyard, terrifying in the night.
Huo Zhen, however, felt that the woman in front of him was truly horrifying. Illuminated by the swaying corridor lanterns, the blood-covered smile on her face was like a death-seeking demon crawling out of an Asura Hell, reeking of blood and gore, eerie and monstrous.
Huo Zhen fell into a pool of blood, his eyes filled with fear and panic. He struggled, using his remaining right arm to crawl with all his might towards the outside of the courtyard.
A’Ling slowly followed behind him, watching him crawl, Little Wandering ‘crackling’ and whipping the ground, as if urging him to crawl faster.
A’Ling gently stroked the residual bloodstains on the whip, dabbing them with her fingertip. So, even a cold-hearted person’s blood was warm.
Little Wandering, stroked by A’Ling, vibrated even more intensely, eagerly trying to dart forward.
“No rush,” A’Ling said gently to Little Wandering, then lightly whipped Huo Zhen, who was trembling and crawling forward like a writhing maggot. “This path isn’t long.”
She had crawled too, just like this, covered in blood, utterly disheveled, slowly crawling outwards to call for help.
Patiently waiting for Huo Zhen to crawl up the steps and reach the doorway, A’Ling, with crimson eyes, instantly appeared in front of him.
“You want to kill me?” A’Ling’s eyes gathered black mist. She gently swung the Wandering Amethyst Gold Whip forward.
The dark purple whip, wrapped in black mist, slowly coiled around Huo Zhen’s neck, tightening little by little amidst A’Ling’s laughter.
“No… A’Ling… I’m your father… you can’t… you can’t kill me…” Huo Zhen’s eyes bulged from being strangled, veins throbbing on his forehead. With one hand, he desperately clutched the whip, hoarsely begging A’Ling for mercy.
“Father?” A’Ling’s gaze was coldly lifeless, unfocused: “I have no father. He died, long ago!”
A’Ling violently clenched the whip in her hand, murderous intent appearing in her eyes.
As the whip tightened, the black mist in A’Ling’s eyes grew denser.
Huo Zhen could initially beg for mercy, but gradually, only his feet could twitch a few times.
When Shi Qingqian broke through the room door, Huo Zhen had only one last breath left, and black qi was surging out of A’Ling’s body.
In the nick of time, Shi Qingqian quickly scattered a stack of talismans to set up a barrier, preventing any demonic qi from leaking out.
“Let go, A’Ling!”
Shi Qingqian flew forward, holding A’Ling tightly, and snatched the Wandering Amethyst Gold Whip from A’Ling’s hand, throwing it away.
Little Wandering shrank into a corner, aggrieved, not daring to move.
“A’Ling, wake up, don’t fall to the demonic path.”
“A’Ling, wake up!”