Mortal: I am the young sect master of the Thousand Illusions Sect

Yan Ruyan frowned slightly when she saw how solemn and exaggerated the other party's words were.

Seeing this, Su Mixin gestured again, inviting the guest opposite her to take a seat: "Fellow Daoist Yan, please take a seat. This matter cannot be explained in a few words. Let me explain in detail."

After a moment's hesitation, Yan Ruyan slightly eased her guard, nodded slightly, moved gracefully, and calmly sat down.

Her back was straight and slender, and her clear eyes were quietly fixed on Su Mixin, waiting for him to speak.

The room was filled with the aroma of tea, and a gentle breeze drifted through the window, stirring up a sense of tranquility, yet the atmosphere in the air quietly settled down.

Seeing her sit down, Su Mixin smiled faintly and calmly.

He raised his hand and formed a hand seal, casting several soundproof barriers that completely enveloped the private room.

Upon seeing this, Yan Ruyan also removed her veil, revealing her stunningly beautiful face.

Upon seeing it up close for the first time, Su Mixin was momentarily stunned.

Once he had calmed down a bit, he stopped smiling and his expression turned solemn and serious. He got straight to the point: "Miss Yan, you must be tired from your journey home today. You should be allowed to rest. But the situation is urgent, concerning your future and even the survival of the Yan family. So I will speak frankly."

Yan Ruyan remained silent, her eyes slightly darkening as she listened attentively.

She spent most of her time cultivating in the Hidden Moon Sect, rarely concerning herself with family affairs or the general situation of the world. She was completely oblivious to the changing winds and power struggles of the outside world, and had no idea that a crisis was quietly approaching.

"The six demonic sects of my Tianluo Kingdom are about to launch a war of conquest against the Yue Kingdom."

"The Yue Kingdom has been weak for a long time and is vulnerable to attack. There is no suspense in this battle. The Yue Kingdom will surely be defeated, and its overall situation will collapse, beyond anyone's control."

Upon hearing this, Yan Ruyan trembled slightly, and her clear eyes instantly filled with astonishment and disbelief.

She grew up in Yanling Fort and later joined the Hidden Moon Sect to cultivate diligently. In her mind, the Yue Kingdom was peaceful and stable, and the Yan family had been rooted here for thousands of years with a solid foundation. She never thought that there would be a day when it would collapse.

Seeing her shocked expression, Su Mixin continued her deep analysis, each sentence hitting the nail on the head: "When the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact?"

"Once the Yue Kingdom is destroyed, all the sects and families within its borders will become victims of war."

"The Yan family is the number one cultivation family in Yue Kingdom, possessing an excellent spiritual vein. They will inevitably be the first to be affected. At that time, the entire family will be destroyed, and tens of thousands of family members with a thousand-year heritage will not be able to escape the calamity."

Yan Ruyan's fingers tightened slightly, a heavy weight pressing down on her heart, leaving her bewildered and terrified. She had never heard a word of it, unaware that her peaceful home and family were already on the verge of extinction.

"In chaotic times, as some conquer cities and seize territories, others seize the opportunity to lay out plans and gather power." Su Mixin changed the subject, revealing the impending man-made crisis: "The Ghost Spirit Sect, one of the six major sects of the demonic path, has already set its sights on the precarious Yan family."

"In just a few days, Wang Chan, the young master of the Ghost Spirit Sect, will personally go to Yanling Fort."

Yan Ruyan frowned slightly, utterly puzzled: "The Ghost Spirit Sect? My Yan family only has one Core Formation cultivator, our ancestor. Why would they come here specifically?"

She was pure of heart and devoted herself to cultivation, never getting involved in power struggles, so naturally she couldn't fathom the secrets behind it.

Su Mixin looked directly into her eyes and saw through all the scheming with a single sentence: "They are not after the Yan family's power and spiritual veins, but only you."

"You possess an extremely rare water-attribute celestial spiritual root, making you exceptionally talented. The Ghost Spirit Sect's supreme martial art, the 'Ten Thousand Spirits True Scripture,' contains the core demonic technique, the Blood Spirit Great Art, which is extremely dangerous to cultivate and has a strong backlash. Only a cultivator with a pure celestial spiritual root like yourself can serve as your exclusive dual cultivation vessel to stabilize your foundation and achieve perfect success."

"Wang Chan's sole purpose in coming here is to persuade the elders of the Yan family to form a Daoist marriage with you, so that he can use your innate Daoist talent to help him achieve his Daoist path."

boom!

Yan Ruyan was shocked, and the color drained from her face beneath the veil.

She had always regarded the cultivation of the Great Dao as her true pursuit, working diligently and assiduously in her practice. She never imagined that her innate talent, which she took pride in as the Dao, would be used by others as a tool to reach the top, becoming a bargaining chip in a transaction. A tremendous sense of astonishment and chill instantly swept over her.

When Wang Chan was mentioned, Su Mixin's tone became colder: "Wang Chan seems to be exceptionally talented and successful, but in reality, he is narrow-minded, vindictive, arrogant and domineering since childhood, and extremely selfish and callous."

"This person cultivates only for his own benefit, treating everyone around him as tools, and has no sense of loyalty or righteousness whatsoever."

"If you truly become his Daoist partner, it will be equivalent to binding your entire Daoist path and lifelong cultivation to him."

"If his path is smooth, you will have to bow down and become his vassal."

"If he encounters obstacles in his spiritual practice and is plagued by inner demons, you must share the backlash and bear the calamities for him."

Su Mixin spoke earnestly and truthfully, pointing out her future predicament: "Simply put, if you marry him, you will never be able to control your own destiny. Your path will be trapped, and your talents will be bound. It may seem like you are clinging to the sect's prodigy, but in reality, you are destroying your own smooth path. For the rest of your life, you will only suffer and live a miserable existence, with no hope of ever achieving immortality again."

Inside the private room, a gentle breeze blew quietly, and the aroma of tea lingered.

Yan Ruyan sat quietly at her seat, completely silent.

Her usually calm and aloof eyes were now churning with a mixture of shock, chill, and apprehension, shattering her once peaceful and pure state of mind as a cultivator.

For the first time, she realized that chaos was silently approaching, her family was in imminent danger, and a deadly scheme aimed at her entire life was just around the corner.

Yan Ruyan sat quietly at the table, remaining silent for a long time.

After a long silence, her long eyelashes trembled slightly as she suppressed the chill and panic surging in her heart. She raised her eyes to look at Su Mixin, her voice clear and steady, with a hint of cautious inquiry: "Fellow Daoist, your words are shocking, overturning everything I have ever known. But we are complete strangers. You exposed the Ghost Spirit Sect's scheme and deliberately enlightened me. There must be a reason for that."

Su Mixin frankly revealed her identity, her tone composed and open: "I am Su Mixin, the young master of the Thousand Illusions Sect of Tianluo Kingdom."

"My Thousand Illusions Sect belongs to the Six Sects of the Demonic Path, and its foundation, strength, and sect momentum are far superior to those of the Ghost Spirit Sect."

His gaze was frank and undisguised: "I sought you out today for two reasons. First, I admire your talent and cannot bear to see such a brilliant and beautiful woman become a pawn in someone else's game."

"Secondly, I have a long-standing grudge against Wang Chan, so why wouldn't I want to thwart his plans?"

When Yan Ruyan heard Su Mixin call her a peerless beauty, her cheeks flushed slightly, but her eyes remained fixed on Su Mixin, as if trying to see through his true feelings.

Su Mixin met Yan Ruyan's gaze calmly and slowly said, "Wang Chan sought you out for his own selfish desires. He wanted to use your Heavenly Spiritual Root to cultivate and solidify his Dao, and resist the backlash of demonic arts. He regarded you as a tool to be used and a pawn to be sacrificed. Your path and your life will all be used for his purposes."

"But my Thousand Illusions Sect recruits you without any selfish motives, without seeking dual cultivation, without controlling the path of cultivation, and without making any deals."

His words were solemn and resounding, completely dispelling any sordid undercurrents of conflicting interests.

Yan Ruyan's brows relaxed slightly, her eyes revealing a deeper curiosity as she quietly awaited his next words.

Su Mixin calmly and deliberately laid out the sincere conditions of the Thousand Illusions Sect one by one, every word earnest and every sentence true: "My Thousand Illusions Sect and the Ghost Spirit Sect are ranked among the six sects of the demonic path, but we are far stronger and more prosperous than them. The entire sect is united, and the road ahead is smooth and secure."

"My personal visit here represents our sect and is a sincere effort to win you over to the Yan family."

"First, regarding you personally, I can make a solemn promise to the sect."

His gaze was sincere as he spoke with certainty: "My mother, Lady Lianyue of the Thousand Illusions Sect, is a Nascent Soul expert within the sect and is currently in seclusion. Before I left, my father, the sect's Grand Elder, personally promised that if you are willing, my mother can accept you as her personal disciple."

"Once you join my mother's sect, you will become a core member of the sect, enjoying top-tier cultivation resources, high-level cultivation techniques, and the personal guidance and protection of a Nascent Soul expert."

"You possess innate spiritual talent, so you don't need to rely on anyone or do anything for others. Just focus on comprehending the Dao and steadily cultivate your own path."

Yan Ruyan's heart trembled slightly, and a hint of emotion flashed across her eyes.

On the path of cultivation, the guidance of a renowned master is far superior to a hundred years of arduous cultivation. To receive personal instruction from a Nascent Soul cultivator is an opportunity that countless cultivators would never seek in their lifetime, far surpassing the chance to rely on others to form a Daoist partnership and eke out a living.

Before she could speak, Su Mixin continued to explain the Yan family's path to survival and their trump cards, laying out the pros and cons completely: "Secondly, regarding the entire Yan family, my Thousand Illusions Sect has also made proper arrangements and will never betray those who have submitted."

"In this campaign against the Tianlu Kingdom, the territory that our sect has designated for expansion is the Tianlu Kingdom, a land of fertile soil and abundant spiritual veins."

"I can reserve a prime, richly endowed spiritual vein fiefdom for the Yan family in the Tianlu Kingdom, allowing your entire clan to migrate and settle down peacefully."

"After the migration, the Yan family no longer needed to split up its members, assimilate into other sects, or get involved in internal strife and disputes."

"Those with outstanding talent among the clan's cultivators can enter the sect to cultivate and seek opportunities, while ordinary clansmen can also live in peace, recuperate, and completely avoid the catastrophe of the destruction of the Yue Kingdom."

His words were laid out in a clear and logical manner, which not only preserved Yan Ruyan's promising future but also protected the Yan family's thousand-year heritage and countless clansmen.

Su Mixin leaned forward slightly, her tone becoming increasingly solemn, and made her final conclusion: "The Wang family is looking for you to exploit your talent, sacrificing your life's happiness and path to help them reach the top alone."

"Our Thousand Illusions Sect seeks you out to fulfill your path to enlightenment, to protect your lifelong peace, and to safeguard your entire clan."

"Between choosing and discarding, what is true and what is false, what is safe and what is dangerous, Fellow Daoist Yan is wise and insightful, and I'm sure you already know the answer in your heart."

Yan Ruyan sat quietly at the table, remaining silent for a long time.

A gentle breeze drifted through the corridor outside the window, dispersing some of the lingering aroma of tea, but it couldn't dispel the turbulent thoughts in her heart. On one side was a seemingly hopeless path of dependence for survival, but in reality, a sacrifice of herself, a path with no peace; on the other side was a smooth road guided by a renowned teacher, a path of self-determination, and the stability of the entire clan.

After weighing the two options, the superiority of one over the other is immediately apparent.

She looked up at the composed and open-minded young man in white before her, and the wariness and aloofness in her eyes gradually faded.

"Fellow Daoist Su, if what you say is true, I am naturally willing to pledge allegiance and join the Thousand Illusions Sect."

Su Mixin's smile grew even brighter. "Since that's the case, you'll soon be a disciple of my mother. There's no need to be so formal as 'fellow Daoist.' How about we address each other as fellow disciples?"