What does my ancestor's pregnancy have to do with me, a mere servant?

Lin Yuan ran his hands over the storage bag at his waist, and then two crumpled self-destruct talismans turned into two balls of fire, heading straight for Wen Yu's porcelain-faced gate.

With his left hand raised simultaneously, a large bag of lime powder mixed with poisonous sand was scattered, exploding into a layer of grayish-white poisonous mist in the confined space.

With lightning speed, Lin Yuan retreated rapidly, heading straight for the cave entrance.

The movements were fluid and graceful.

A hint of mockery flashed in Wen Yuci's narrow, fox-like eyes.

"A trivial skill."

She forced herself to raise her hand, and with a sudden flick of her tattered sleeve, she raised it.

Although the spiritual energy gale was not as violent as it had been at its peak, it was still more than enough to crush an ant at the second level of Qi Refining.

"Bang! Bang!"

The two self-destruct talismans were shredded by the gale in mid-air, exploding into flames.

The toxic sand and lime powder flying everywhere were also swept back by an invisible wave of air.

"roar!"

A deafening roar exploded from behind.

The bronze-armored corpse flickered, turning into a blur, and blocked the cave entrance.

The arm, gleaming with a metallic sheen, was covered in bulging veins and surging with corpse energy. It was about to deliver a punch to Lin Yuan's face.

Before the punch even landed, a nauseating stench of corpses filled the nostrils.

Lin Yuan crossed his arms in front of his chest, desperately channeling his spiritual energy into his arms in an attempt to withstand the attack.

"Bang!"

A tremendous, devastating force came from his arm.

He flew backward like a kite with a broken string, his back slamming heavily against the blue stone wall deep inside the cave.

"puff--"

My blood surged, and a metallic, sweet taste rose in my throat.

Before he could catch his breath, everything went blurry.

Wen Yuci was already standing directly in front of him.

A three-inch-long black bone blade was held across Lin Yuan's throat.

The blade was icy cold, and against his skin, he could feel the lingering chill trying to seep into his body.

Cultivation level crushes.

Struggling is pointless.

Looking down at her, Wen Yuci's eyes were filled with indifference and disdain.

Killing this useless outer sect disciple will wipe the slate clean of that absurd incident.

No one knows how much face Wen Yuci, the Thousand-Faced Rakshasa, lost in the Illusory Heart Red Dust Array.

Lin Yuan leaned against the stone wall, his gaze fixed on Wen Yuci's face.

That once cold and beautiful face now had a sickly pallor, its lips were completely bloodless, and fine blood vessels were faintly visible in its eyes.

More importantly—

A trace of blood remained at the corner of her mouth.

The color of the blood was wrong.

It wasn't a normal dark red, but a strange purplish-black.

At such close range, Lin Yuan could even feel that with each breath she took, the fluctuations of her spiritual energy carried an extremely abnormal, chilling aura.

The vast experience and pharmacological knowledge of an eighth-grade alchemist were working wildly in his mind.

The medicinal properties of countless elixirs, the compatibility of prescriptions, and the correspondence between symptoms and pharmacology flashed by as quickly as turning the pages of a book.

Dark purple bruises—that's not right.

If it is merely blood stasis caused by internal injury, the color should be dark red to black, not this purplish-black with a ghostly sheen.

A purplish-black color indicates that another cold force is eroding the blood vessels within the body.

Moreover, the source of this cold energy is extremely sinister and evil, and it has already seeped into the heart meridian.

Then look at the fluctuations of her spiritual energy.

Even if a cultivator at the half-step Golden Core stage is seriously injured, the circulation of spiritual energy within their body should still be orderly and as smooth as an extension of their own limb.

However, Wen Yuci's spiritual energy flow was clearly disordered at this moment, sometimes fast and sometimes slow, sometimes strong and sometimes weak, as if something in her meridians was hindering the normal operation of spiritual energy.

Thousand Soul Banner.

Copper-armored corpse.

It is constantly accompanied by vengeful spirits and absorbs evil energy day and night.

In a flash, all the clues connected in my mind, piecing together a complete picture.

Lin Yuan suddenly laughed.

"What are you laughing at?"

Wen Yuci's eyes suddenly turned cold, and she pressed her hand holding the bone blade forward a little.

"I'm glad I can go to the Yellow Springs with Senior Sister Wen. It's not a bad deal," Lin Yuan said without fear, his tone resolute.

He stared at the purplish-black bloodstain at the corner of Wen Yuci's mouth, speaking slowly and deliberately.

"Purple blood seals the throat, and yin energy surges back into the heart."

Wen Yuci's hand holding the bone blade suddenly stopped.

A moment of stiffness.

Lin Yuan knew he had made the right bet.

"The cultivation technique that Senior Sister practices is closely related to the aura of Yin and evil. The Thousand Soul Banner imprisons nearly a thousand living souls, and that bronze-armored corpse is constantly accompanied by the aura of corpses. Over time, this Yin energy has long since seeped into Senior Sister's meridians."

"Normally, my senior sister relies on her Foundation Establishment Great Perfection cultivation to forcibly suppress these Yin energies deep in her dantian, preventing them from invading her core meridians, so everything looks normal."

"But tonight—"

"First, Senior Sister was severely injured by Lin Feilu, and her spiritual power was greatly depleted."

"Secondly, the poisonous miasma of the Illusionary Heart Red Dust Array invaded the body, further disrupting the spiritual energy."

"Third, Senior Sister used her essence blood to forcefully activate the array-breaking cone to break the array."

"Under the triple blow, the spiritual energy defense line in my senior sister's body that suppressed the Yin energy has been riddled with holes. The Yin energy that has accumulated for countless years is taking advantage of the weakness and is directly attacking her heart meridian."

His gaze fell on the purple blood at the corner of Wen Yuci's mouth.

"Once this Yin energy completely invades the heart meridian, Senior Sister knows the consequences better than I do. At that time, let alone condensing the core, even preserving the foundation-building cultivation will be a pipe dream."

The murderous intent in Wen Yuci's eyes not only did not subside, but intensified.

This murderous intent wasn't because Lin Yuan threatened her, but because—he knew too much.

This junior outer sect cultivator, who only had the cultivation level of the second stage of Qi Refining, actually saw through her hidden danger.

The Nine Nether Cold Soul Technique she cultivated did indeed have this fatal flaw.

This method allows for rapid cultivation, using malevolent energy to enter the Dao and borrowing the power of countless vengeful spirits to strengthen oneself, making one virtually unrivaled among cultivators of the same level.

However, there is an unavoidable side effect—long-term contact with evil spirits will cause the residual yin energy and resentment of those vengeful spirits to seep into her meridians like termites, accumulating in her heart meridian.

Over time, the yin energy in the heart meridian becomes increasingly concentrated.

The reason she dared not condense her core even though her cultivation had reached the half-step Golden Core stage was because the Yin energy accumulated in her heart meridian would cause a backlash when she condensed the core. At best, the Golden Core would be flawed; at worst, she would suffer from qi deviation and demonic possession.

The reason she was about to form her core and still wanted to compete for the position of Holy Maiden was because there was an extremely rare Cold Marrow Lotus in the Crimson Forbidden Land, which opened only once every thirty years.

If this spiritual plant can be refined into a Soul Purifying Pill, it can effectively remove the Yin energy that has accumulated in her heart meridian for many years.

In this way, when the pill is condensed again, there will be no hidden dangers. On the contrary, the purified spiritual energy can be used to condense a golden pill of excellent quality.

This is her Achilles' heel.

"You know quite a lot."

Wen Yuci's voice was light and airy, as if she were praising someone, or as if she were pronouncing a death sentence.

"Then you absolutely cannot stay."

The spiritual light on the bone blade surged, and the chill was bone-chilling.

"It was easy for my senior sister to kill me, but after she kills me, it will be difficult to find someone to heal your wounds and detoxify you."

Wen Yuci paused, but did not sheathe her blade.

Taking advantage of this brief pause, Lin Yuan continued speaking.

"Just now, within the pink miasma of the Illusionary Heart Red Dust Array, I used only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to refine a superior-grade Heart-Cleansing Pill using the lowest-grade bronze alchemy furnace and the most common spiritual herbs. The success rate was 60%."

"Furthermore—the reason I was able to see the hidden injuries caused by Yin energy entering my senior sister's body is because my attainments in alchemy are far beyond those of ordinary alchemists."

He paused for a moment, then calmly uttered a few words.

"I am a sixth-grade alchemist, and I am not far from the fifth grade."

Lin Yuan said this without batting an eye.

But inside, I was internally ranting and raving.

Eighth grade, well, rounding it up or down is about right. Anyway, she can't verify it on the spot.

Besides, given the rate at which attribute points accumulate on the panel, reaching true rank 5 is only a matter of time.

Strictly speaking, this isn't lying; it's called borrowing future strength in advance.

Wen Yuci felt a slight tremor in her heart.

A sixth-rank alchemist.

These four words carry far more weight than they appear on the surface.

Within the Xuan Yin Sect, there are several sixth-grade alchemists, and even two fifth-grade alchemists.

But those alchemists were either honored guests of the sect elders or seasoned veterans with intricate connections to various powerful forces.

Asking them to refine pills would be extremely costly, a huge burden for a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator like her.

If the secret of her being possessed by Yin energy were to be discovered by those alchemists with powerful backgrounds and connections, she would face far more trouble than healing.

The cultivation world has never lacked people who kick someone when they're down.

A cultivator at the half-step Golden Core stage had his heart meridian invaded by Yin energy, and his spiritual foundation was about to collapse.

In the eyes of those old foxes, this is not a patient in need of help, but a piece of fat meat that is dripping with oil.

The Thousand Soul Banner, the Copper Armor Corpse, the spiritual stones, magical treasures, and secret techniques she accumulated over the years—aren't they all coveted treasures?

But the person in front of me is different.

A pathetic outer sect disciple with no background, no powerful connections, and ridiculously low cultivation level. This kind of person is easy to manipulate and control.

Wen Yuci narrowed her long, narrow eyes slightly, her gaze sweeping back and forth over Lin Yuan, as if she were reassessing the value of an item.

"You're hiding your alchemy skills, lying low in the outer sect as a menial laborer watering the spirit fields." Wen Yuci looked at him with interest. "What are you after?"

"The tallest tree in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind. Senior Sister knows better than I what kind of people the Xuan Yin Sect is." Lin Yuan said this nonsense with a straight face, his expression and tone so sincere that he almost fooled himself.

"A common man is innocent, but he is guilty of possessing a treasure. If I were to reveal my identity as an alchemist sooner, I'm afraid I would be captured by the elders of the inner sect and made into a pill-refining slave within three days."

"Instead of doing that, it's better to hide our talents and save our lives, cultivate the spirit fields peacefully in the outer sect, and make plans when we have enough resources and cultivation."

These words are reasonable and logical.

In a ruthless sect like the Xuan Yin Sect, where the strong prey on the weak, a pill refiner without a powerful backer is indeed no better off than a fish on a chopping board.

Wen Yuci raised her eyebrows slightly, seemingly finding the explanation plausible.

Lin Yuan noticed a crack appearing in the icy depths of her eyes and immediately pressed his advantage.

"Senior sister, I can not only refine pills to remove Yin energy for you, but also, if you successfully enter the Golden Core realm and want to continue to improve your cultivation, as long as you have enough materials, I can do it for you, whether it's the Qi-Nourishing Pill, the Soul-Gathering Pill, or the Spirit-Nourishing Pill."

He raised his head, his gaze meeting Wen Yuci's with an open and honest look.

"Senior sister needs a pill refiner. I need a backer. It's a win-win situation, senior sister won't lose out in this deal."

Wen Yuci fell silent.

The cave was so quiet that only the breathing of the two people could be heard.

The bone blade remained pressed against Lin Yuan's throat, but the force pressing forward had subtly eased by a fraction.

She was weighing her options.

It is a fact that yin energy entered the body, and it is also a fact that cracks appeared in the foundation of spiritual power.

She had witnessed Lin Yuan's alchemy techniques displayed in the Illusionary Heart Mortal World Array.

That's something no ordinary self-taught alchemist could do.

His precision in purification, his control over the heat, and his depth of understanding of the medicinal properties are unmatched by those useless alchemists in the sect who wear the name of inner sect alchemists.

Killing him is easy, just a matter of a finger.

But finding another alchemist who is equally easy to control and of the same high level is difficult.

The silence lasted for more than a dozen breaths.

"You've convinced me."

Wen Yuci sheathed her bone blade, a meaningful smile curving her lips.

The curve was shallow, carrying a sense of playfulness and control that only a cat would show after catching a mouse.

"but--"

She abruptly changed the subject, her voice becoming so gentle it sent chills down one's spine.

"Words are no proof. I, Wen Yuci, have never trusted anyone."

Lin Yuan's heart sank suddenly.

not good.

The direction of this statement is off.

Before he could say anything, Wen Yuci's right hand had already reached out.

That slender, white index finger, carrying a faint black light, suddenly touched his brow.

It was so fast that he didn't even have time to blink.

"Buzz—"

An extremely cold spiritual force pierced the depths of his consciousness.

that

"ah--"

Lin Yuan felt a tearing pain in his head.

My consciousness surged, and my soul trembled.

In the depths of that chaotic sea of ​​consciousness, Lin Yuan "saw" a pitch-black skull mark.

It took root on the surface of his soul like a seed, and then grew countless black threads at a visible speed, wrapping around his soul like parasitic vines.

Each thread was absorbing the power of his soul to strengthen itself.

The tighter it binds, the deeper it penetrates, until it becomes one with his soul.

"This technique is called the Soul Devouring Technique."

"With just a thought from me, your soul will be annihilated."

"From now on, you belong to me, Wen Yuci."

Lin Yuan's face was deathly pale, and cold sweat dripped down his forehead.

"Senior sister, this is... way too unreasonable!"

"What? You don't want to?"

Wen Yuci raised an eyebrow, lightly tapped his chin with her slender finger, and said casually.

"Then I'll activate the restriction now and send you on your way. I don't want you getting in my way."

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Lin Yuan quickly changed his words, as if he had rehearsed them a hundred times.

But deep inside, something was quietly settling in those calm eyes.

Soul Devouring Technique.

Lin Yuan had been working in the outer sect for over ten years and was very familiar with this thing.

The Xuan Yin Sect is a notorious evil sect, and its disciples employ a variety of methods of control. Among them, the Soul Devouring Technique is one of the most common and ruthless.

This method is extremely fast to execute and leaves a deep imprint that is almost impossible to erase by external force once planted.

However, this Soul-Devouring Forbidden Technique has a small drawback.

Anyone who has been placed under the Soul Devouring Restriction will have their divine sense strength surpass that of the caster. Not only will the restriction disintegrate on its own, but it will also backfire and devour the caster's soul intact.

In other words, whoever has the strongest spirit is the master.

Wen Yuci was a cultivator at the half-step Golden Core stage, and her spiritual sense was far stronger than that of a mere Qi Refining Level 2 ant.

Normally speaking, you'd never be able to turn your life around in a hundred lifetimes.

But he has a panel.

For others, having a spiritual sense strength exceeding that of a half-step Golden Core cultivator is nothing short of a fantasy.

But for him—

Just a matter of time.

Who is the prey, and who is the hunter?

It's too early to draw conclusions.

Senior Sister Wen, the seeds you sow today will eventually bear fruit.

A hundred times, a hundred times, otherwise the grudge of today will not be forgiven!