"Not good!"
A panicked cry rang out as the pink mist ignored the protective barrier around Li Xiaoyi, seeping into her body like a ghost slipping through cracks.
Sourness, numbness, itchiness, euphoria, and weakness—five distinct sensations surged through her at once, leaving her flushed and trembling. Her body grew limp, her spiritual energy fluctuated wildly, and her figure swayed unsteadily in midair.
"That's the Lust Orb! This scoundrel actually has such a treasure!" exclaimed Xuan Zhen from the caravan below, a gleam of surprise and excitement flashing in his eyes. "If the Lust Orb is at play, we might actually succeed today!"
The Lust Orb was a treasured artifact of the Lust Sect, one of the Eight Great Demonic Sects. Designed specifically to target cultivators, it would cripple their spiritual energy and drown their minds in overwhelming carnal desires. Those with weak wills risked succumbing entirely, losing themselves to lust, and either having their essence drained or spiraling into madness before dying.
For female cultivators, especially those who practiced yin-based cultivation techniques, it was a death sentence. Losing their virgin essence would not only destroy their cultivation base but also transfer a significant portion of their spiritual energy to the male partner.
"If I could take that energy for myself, I'd gain thirty more years of life and have a sixty percent chance of breaking through to the Gold Core stage!" thought Xuan Zhen, his eyes blazing with greed.
"Attack!" he commanded sharply.
Xuan Zhen's spiritual energy erupted like a tidal wave as he launched himself toward Li Xiaoyi, closely followed by Wang Ziyang, whose own energy flared to reveal him as a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Behind them, several more disciples revealed their spiritual auras, adding to the fray. Though their cultivation levels varied, their intent was clear: they had no intention of letting Li Xiaoyi escape.
Meanwhile, Li Xiaoyi's enchanted artifact—a magnificent black-scaled serpent—had torn the demonic cultivator into bloody shreds, but her rapidly diminishing cultivation rendered her unable to sustain its form. The serpent reverted to its original artifact state, its glow dimming as it returned to her hand.
"Little demoness! Your demonic sect slaughtered hundreds of my Clear Spirit Sect disciples. Today, I'll have my revenge!" Xuan Zhen roared, though a flicker of caution glinted in his eyes.
He stopped a dozen meters short of Li Xiaoyi, chanting incantations as he prepared his attack. His cultivation was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, and every move carried the weight of overwhelming spiritual pressure.
Li Xiaoyi's expression paled further. The Lust Orb's effects ravaged her body, sealing much of her spiritual energy. Against a Foundation Establishment peak cultivator, she had no chance of victory.
How did he recognize me? I used the Shape-Shifting Incantation to alter my appearance. But she had no time to ponder. Several beams of spiritual light streaked toward her with deadly precision.
Forcing her waning spiritual energy into her artifact, she flung it into the air. The fan morphed into a small black beast resembling a monkey, with stubby forearms, powerful hind legs, and eyes glowing an unsettling red.
The creature—an image of the Spirit-Devouring Ape sealed within the artifact—opened its mouth and exhaled a plume of yellow mist, neutralizing the incoming attacks and devouring their energy.
"A Spirit-Devouring Ape?! No… only an image," Xuan Zhen sneered, his initial alarm fading. "Had you brought the actual beast, we'd have fled. But a mere projection? Laughable."
With a cold chuckle, he summoned a gleaming silver ring from his storage pouch. "Capture!" he commanded, and the ring expanded to several meters in diameter, emitting a brilliant light as it shot toward the ape.
"Assist Senior Xuan Zhen in slaying the demoness!" Wang Ziyang shouted, leading the other disciples in a coordinated attack. Artifacts of varying shapes and strengths rained down on Li Xiaoyi and her spirit beast.
The Spirit-Devouring Ape snarled, its red eyes flashing as it unleashed another burst of yellow mist to intercept the attacks. But this mist was a shadow of the real ape's power. Bombarded by spiritual artifacts, the projection trembled violently, its form flickering.
"Explode!"
Li Xiaoyi's voice, tinged with anguish, cut through the chaos. The ape's body turned blood-red, its eyes glinting like fresh wounds.
"Retreat!" Xuan Zhen bellowed, his face paling. He recalled his artifact and fled backward.
Boom!
The ape detonated in a massive surge of dark energy, sending shockwaves rippling outward. Though Xuan Zhen managed to avoid the brunt of the blast, the residual force slammed into his back, causing him to cough up blood.
Wang Ziyang fared better than the others, barely retrieving his artifact in time. The rest of Xuan Zhen's disciples weren't so lucky. The blast tainted their artifacts with a corrosive black miasma, rendering them useless. The cultivators themselves spat blood, their spirits shaken. Two of the weaker disciples lost consciousness mid-air, their lifeless bodies plummeting to the ground.
Though the explosion crippled her pursuers, Li Xiaoyi was in no condition to celebrate. Poisoned and drained, her vision blurred as she instinctively flew toward the only figure she could trust.
Her consciousness faded entirely as she collapsed into Xiao Chen's arms.
Cradling the unconscious Li Xiaoyi, Xiao Chen's expression darkened. Her disguise had fooled even him, but Xuan Zhen's earlier accusations confirmed her true identity.
"So, she's a woman. That explains her hesitation while drinking," he murmured, a wry smile tugging at his lips. But the situation left no room for amusement. The girl in his arms was trouble incarnate.
"Little rat!" Wang Ziyang hissed, his eyes blazing with malice.
"Enough!" Xuan Zhen interrupted, raising a hand to silence him. He turned to Xiao Chen, adopting a placating tone.
"This woman is a demonic cultivator responsible for heinous crimes. Please, hand her over so we can administer justice."
Xiao Chen's brow furrowed. He had no desire to clash with a Foundation Establishment peak cultivator, but abandoning Li Xiaoyi would leave a stain on his conscience.
Rising to his feet, Xiao Chen fixed the two men with a piercing gaze. "And if I refuse?"
A surge of spiritual pressure emanated from him, shocking Xuan Zhen and Wang Ziyang.
"You're… a cultivator?!" Xuan Zhen exclaimed, his composure slipping.
Xiao Chen's cultivation aura was anomalous—his spiritual energy radiated the intensity of Foundation Establishment, yet his apparent level was only in the late stages of Qi Refinement.
"Could he be masking his true strength?" Xuan Zhen's uncertainty deepened.
Xiao Chen's voice broke the tension, dripping with mockery. "A righteous sect, you say? Where was your righteousness when the bandits attacked?"
He gestured to the chaos around them.
"When a demonic cultivator slaughtered mortals, you turned a blind eye. Yet here you are, attacking a weakened girl. Righteous? You're no better than her!"
Xuan Zhen's face turned deathly pale, unable to retort as Xiao Chen's scornful words echoed through the field.