Villain: My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens.

"Xie Zheng, you are despicable and shameless! Taking my Qingge wasn't enough, now you dare to plot against my master! Have you no shame at all?"

Ye Chen's face turned as red as a pig's liver, his features were distorted, and his roar made the dungeon walls vibrate.

He didn't even consider the possibility of sowing discord; all he could think about was Xie Zheng trying to take what was his. Qingge was his, and his master was his too—he couldn't even covet her!

His feelings for Yan Ji were never just those of a master and disciple.

He outwardly respected her as his teacher, but secretly he had long regarded her as his own private property, not allowing any outsiders to touch her.

Xie Zheng's words brought out all the anger and hatred that had been building up in Xie Zheng's heart over the past few days.

Xie Zheng stood there, one hand behind his back, a smug yet indifferent smile on his lips, and glanced at him dismissively: "Take away your Qingge? Ye Chen, are you incredibly stupid?"

"From beginning to end, Su Qingge came to me of her own accord; I didn't force her in the slightest. So, it's my fault that she doesn't like you?"

He took a step forward, his tone even more mocking: "And what I just said, was it wrong? People strive for higher positions, water flows downhill, don't you understand that principle?"

"If you truly care about your master, then don't hold her back. How long do you think a wisp of a soul can linger in this world? Once your pitiful luck is exhausted, she will vanish into thin air, and you won't even have time to cry then."

Every word struck Ye Chen's sore spot, like a bloodless knife stabbing straight into his heart.

Ye Chen clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white and his nails dug deep into his flesh. The smell of blood mixed with the smell of mold wafted out.

How could he not know that a remnant soul is hard to preserve? He cultivated desperately, wanting to become stronger quickly and help his master reshape his physical body, but Xie Zheng insisted on tearing this fig leaf to shreds.

"Xiao Chen, calm down!"

Yan Ji sighed softly, and a wisp of cool magic power condensed at her fingertips, which she gently touched between Ye Chen's eyebrows.

The chill instantly spread throughout his body, barely suppressing his surging anger.

She sighed inwardly. This child usually seemed calm and resolute, but how come he seemed to lose his mind as soon as he met Xie Zheng?

He was so easily swayed by a few words that he lost all sense of propriety.

Are we going to completely lose our composure just because of these few days of setbacks?

Ye Chen took a few deep breaths, his chest gradually calming down. His eyes, filled with grievance and resentment, looked at Yan Ji: "Master, he did it on purpose! He just wanted to humiliate me, to steal you away!"

"What's the rush?" Xie Zheng scoffed, interrupting him directly, completely disregarding him. He turned his gaze to Yan Ji, his tone instantly becoming "sincere," "Senior, I'll ask you one more time, do you want to follow me?"

"If you agree, I can not only help you rebuild your physical body, but also bring you back to your former peak. You've lived for so long, you should know my background. The power behind me is far beyond what the Tai Xuan Holy Land can match."

He paused, deliberately glanced at Ye Chen's ashen face, and added, "Besides, in terms of talent, methods, and vision, in what way am I not better than this stupid kid? Following him will only make you suffer and waste your talent."

Yan Ji frowned, increasingly unable to fathom Xie Zheng's thoughts.

To be fair, her impression of Xie Zheng wasn't bad.

She was knowledgeable and knew that Xie Zheng hadn't done anything wrong from beginning to end. On the contrary, Ye Chen had been relentless and even threatened to kill Xie Zheng, but Xie Zheng hadn't really bothered with him.

This magnanimity and the demeanor of a hero are indeed beyond Ye Chen's reach; his future achievements are limitless.

"Young Master, there's no need for further words." Yan Ji gently shook her head, her tone firm. "I owe Xiao Chen a debt of gratitude for awakening me, and I will not abandon him until he has truly grown up. I appreciate your kindness."

The offer was indeed tempting, but she couldn't go against her own conscience.

Xie Zheng's face immediately showed a hint of "disappointment," and he sighed softly, his tone tinged with regret: "Senior, are you really not going to reconsider? I can give you time. As long as you agree, I will forgive and forget about Ye Chen's offense against me."

"I can even cancel the punishment imposed on him by the Tai Xuan Holy Land with a single word; and as for Su Qingge, if you feel sorry for this stupid kid, I can also give him a reward, it's all up to you."

"You're asking for it!"

Ye Chen could no longer hold back; veins bulged on his forehead. He gritted his teeth and managed not to rush forward again.

Su Qingge was someone he cherished and admired deeply, yet Xie Zheng had made her someone he could bestow upon at will!

He finally understood that Xie Zheng didn't want his master or Qingge, but rather to trample him underfoot, utterly humiliate him, and take away everything he possessed!

He stopped roaring, his eyes were as cold as ice shards as he stared intently at Xie Zheng, looking as if he wanted to devour him alive.

In this dog-eat-dog world, without strength, you can't even protect the people you care about, and you have no dignity.

Yan Ji was also stunned for a moment. She didn't expect Xie Zheng to say such a thing. This "sincerity" was indeed enough to move people.

She opened her mouth, but ultimately shook her head: "Young Master Xie, please don't say anything more. I understand your feelings, but my mind is made up."

"Alright, I won't force you." The disappointment on Xie Zheng's face faded, and a hint of cunning flashed in his eyes. His tone returned to its usual calm. "I never threaten people with their lives. Senior, take your time to think it over. If you've made up your mind, feel free to contact me anytime."

He chuckled inwardly. Yan Ji seemed insightful, but she was actually quite naive. He had dispelled her guard with just a few words. He had played his part perfectly.

What he wanted was not to recruit her immediately, but to plant a thorn between the master and disciple, to widen the rift between them, so that he could reap the benefits.

After all, he had prepared quite a lot for tonight's performance.

Xie Zheng suddenly smiled, slowly took out a small jade bottle from his pocket, and poured out a pill.

The pill was pale purple, with a five-colored glow surrounding it. Faint shadows of mountains and palaces floated around it, exuding a powerful spiritual aura. It was clearly no ordinary item.

"Senior, you should recognize this, right?" He handed the pill to Yan Ji, his tone casual.

Yan Ji's gaze fell on the pill, and she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "This is a Spirit Gathering Pill?!"

The Gathering Spirit Pill is an ancient elixir that can nourish the soul and stabilize the remnant soul. For her current state, it is like sending charcoal in snowy weather, something that can only be encountered by chance!

Xie Zheng laughed even harder, his tone feigning generosity, "Senior's remnant soul is currently unstable and in poor condition, so please consider this Gathering Spirit Pill as my gift for today."

After saying that, without waiting for Yan Ji to refuse, he placed the pill on the stone next to him, turned around and left with light steps. He didn't forget to turn back and add, "Senior, please consider it carefully. I'll be waiting for your answer."

The dungeon's iron door creaked shut, completely cutting off the outside light.

Yan Ji looked at the Gathering Spirit Pill that was radiating a glowing light, then glanced at Ye Chen, whose face was still pale, her expression complicated.

As soon as Xie Zheng stepped out of the dungeon, his smile vanished instantly, replaced by a confident expression and a cunning smirk.

You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub; you can't catch a person without risking your elixir.

It’s just a good show.

Ye Chen stared at the Gathering Spirit Pill, then glanced at Yan Ji, his tone tinged with wariness and displeasure: "Master, he has ill intentions! There's definitely something wrong with this pill, don't touch it!"

Yan Ji snapped out of her reverie, gently shaking her head with a complex expression: "He had no reason to tamper with the pills. This Gathering Spirit Pill is indeed useful to me."

"But he's Xie Zheng! He's our enemy!" Ye Chen exclaimed urgently. "He's trying to bribe you, trying to make you betray me!"

"I will not betray you." Yan Ji's tone was calm, but she couldn't hide a hint of wavering. "But I do need this Gathering Spirit Pill. Xiao Chen, you must understand that Xie Zheng's words, though harsh, have some truth to them. You must become stronger as soon as possible, otherwise, you won't be able to protect me, nor will you be able to protect yourself."

Ye Chen froze, and the anger on his face was gradually replaced by shame.

Xie Zheng was clearly humiliating him, clearly trying to sow discord between them, but he was powerless to do anything about it.

"Master, I understand." He lowered his head, his voice muffled. "I will definitely become stronger as soon as possible, so that you will never suffer again, and I will never let Xie Zheng laugh at me again!"

Yan Ji looked at him, sighed softly, picked up the Gathering Spirit Pill, her fingertips swirling with faint magical power as she carefully examined it. After confirming there were no problems, she slowly put it away.

She knew in her heart that Xie Zheng had made an excellent move.

A single Spirit Gathering Pill not only earned her a favor, but also planted an invisible thorn between her and Ye Chen.

In the future, as long as Ye Chen slacks off even slightly, and as long as she shows even the slightest desire to become stronger, this thorn will grow deeper and deeper.

At this moment, Xie Zheng was standing on the corridor outside the dungeon, a mocking smile on his lips, plotting his next move.

Ye Chen, Yan Ji, don't let me down.

This play has to keep going.