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

Next, Wen Yuci took out a set of tattered array flags from her storage bag.

Wen Yuci inserted the array flags one by one into the soil and rocks surrounding the cave, her movements swift and efficient, clearly demonstrating her expertise in array formation.

"This formation is called the Bewitching Blood Devouring Formation, which is somewhat similar to the Illusory Heart Mortal World Formation."

Wen Yuci spoke softly as she set up the formation.

With the insertion of the last array flag, the Bewitching Blood Devouring Array was fully formed.

Pink mist seeped out from the gaps in the array flags, slowly spreading and enveloping the entire cave and an area of ​​several dozen feet around it.

The color and density of the mist were almost identical to those of the previous Illusory Heart Red Dust Array at first glance.

Lin Yuan stood within the formation and observed carefully for a while, discovering that fine, hair-like red lines, as thin as cow's hair, were hidden within the mist, appearing and disappearing in the pink fog.

Good heavens, even the counterfeits are so realistic. If Senior Sister Wen's counterfeiting skills were in the mortal world, she would definitely be the granddaughter of the high-quality counterfeiters.

Lin Yuan may have complained inwardly, but he had to admit that the formation was indeed ingenious.

If he hadn't just spent an hour immersed in the Illusionary Heart Mortal World Array and become intimately familiar with its aura, he really wouldn't have been able to distinguish the difference between the two.

Wen Yuci stood in the center of the formation, turned to face Lin Yuan, and her long, narrow fox eyes looked particularly alluring against the backdrop of the pink mist.

"Lin Feilu will definitely be back tomorrow."

"She definitely wants to retrieve the array flags and array plates of this Illusory Heart Mortal World Array. She paid a high price for them; she can't possibly throw them away. Also—"

Wen Yuci patted the storage bag at her waist, a cold smile curling at the corner of her mouth.

"She won't let go of any of the treasures in my storage bag. That woman pretends to be pure and innocent on the surface, but she's greedier than anyone else at heart."

Lin Yuan nodded silently in his heart.

Although Lin Feilu is a genius, even the greatest genius would find it hard not to be tempted by readily available treasures and the legacy left by a "dead" enemy.

"Then you lie in the cave and pretend to be dead. The bronze-armored corpse and I will lie in ambush." ​​Wen Yuci walked up to Lin Yuan and looked down at him.

Lin Yuan patted his chest. "Having spent over ten years in the outer sect of the Xuan Yin Sect, playing dead is a basic skill."

Wen Yuci glanced at him, didn't reply, and continued speaking.

"I will make my move once she enters the formation's range. The Thousand Soul Banner will block her retreat, and the Copper Armor Corpse will block her back."

Senior Sister Lin Feilu, when you left me in the Mortal World Array to die, you probably never dreamed that your mortal enemy would not only survive but also join forces with your discarded pawn.

Be a man to stay on the line and meet each other in the future.

If we meet again in the future, then we'll meet a hundred times!

Lin Yuan silently lit an incense stick for Lin Feilu in his heart, and then began to practice the posture of playing dead on the spot.

Most of the day has passed.

As dusk fell, the setting sun, like blood, dyed the western horizon a deep orange-red.

Lin Yuan had been lying in the cave in a "dead" position for most of the day.

To be honest, lying in bed like a corpse is not something a human being can do.

The ground was cold and hard, and there were pebbles on his back, but he didn't even dare to change his posture.

Just when Lin Yuan felt his old back was about to merge with the ground.

A streak of azure light sped in from the western horizon.

The speed of the escape was not fast; in fact, it could be described as cautious.

They stopped three hundred feet away from the cave and hovered in mid-air to observe.

It was Lin Feilu who had left and then returned.

Lin Yuan managed to catch a glimpse of the outline of the cyan light through his half-closed eyes.

It was a stark contrast to his disheveled and blood-soaked appearance last night.

At this moment, Lin Feilu was dressed neatly, her long hair was tied up, her breathing was steady, and a faint spiritual light surrounded her.

She maintained that aloof and ethereal fairy-like demeanor with unwavering composure.

Last night, when they were pushing people into the fire, they weren't like this at all.

Lin Feilu hovered in the air for a moment, not in a hurry to come down. She took out a palm-sized bronze mirror from her storage bag.

The mirror surface was polished to a shine that reflected one's image, like a cold pool in late autumn.

The moment spiritual energy was injected into the bronze mirror, several fine beams of spiritual light shot out from the mirror surface, slowly sweeping across the cave and the surrounding hundred-zhang area in a fan shape.

Detection device.

Lin Yuan's heart tightened.

This woman is indeed cautious.

However, he also noticed that the spiritual light from the bronze mirror did not produce any abnormal reaction when it swept across the mist of the Bewitching Blood Devouring Array.

The camouflage array beneath the warm rain-covered porcelain cloth perfectly deceived the detection of the bronze mirror.

The mirror was scanned three times.

No abnormalities were found.

Lin Feilu then slowly landed outside the cave.

She lightly touched the ground with her toes, landing steadily. Her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the slowly flowing pink mist before her.

According to her calculations, Lin Yuan and Wen Yuci should both have died in the Illusionary Heart Red Dust Array. A mere ant at the second level of Qi Refining and a heavily injured half-step Golden Core cultivator, under the erosion of the Illusionary Heart Red Dust Array, they could not last more than two hours.

But at this moment, a hint of doubt appeared in her eyes.

The aura of the formation... seems to be subtly different.

Not right.

She immediately realized that this was not the Illusionary Worldly Array.

This woman was decisive; she made her decision in the blink of an eye.

Without hesitation, he bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of blood that condensed into a blood-red shield of light in front of him.

At the same time, he retreated rapidly, his feet blazing with blood-red light, and his entire body was enveloped in crimson spiritual light as he directly unleashed the Blood Escape Technique.

This Blood Escape Technique is a life-saving escape skill activated by blood essence, which can allow one to escape several miles or even dozens of miles away in an instant.

"Trying to leave?"

A cold shout rang out from the shadows to the side.

Before the warm rain and porcelain figure arrived, the thousand-soul banner arrived first.

The seven-foot-long black banner unfurled out of thin air, and countless twisted ghost faces on its surface opened their mouths at the same time, emitting a shrill and chilling howl that sent shivers down one's spine.

Dozens of fierce ghosts roared out, each with a ferocious face and surrounded by pitch-black ghost fire.

The black mist spread out like a tide, blocking Lin Feilu's retreat with an unstoppable force.

"boom!"

At the same time, the ground behind the cave suddenly exploded.

Stones flew everywhere, and dirt splattered in all directions.

The bronze-armored corpse emerged from the ground like a metallic demon.

With a nauseatingly thick aura of corpse energy, his fists struck Lin Feilu's back like two iron hammers falling from the sky.

Before the fist even arrived, the chilling aura of death had already begun to spread.

Ahead, fierce ghosts blocked the way; behind, bronze-armored corpses launched a surprise attack. Above, Wen Yuci's Thousand Soul Banner stood; below, the pink miasma of the Bewitching Blood-Devouring Array shrouded everything.

There is no escape from this inescapable net.

Lin Feilu's expression darkened, and his Blood Escape technique was forced to stop.

She gritted her teeth and pulled a silver-white longsword from her storage bag.

A flash of sword light appeared, and a sharp sword aura swept out, forcing back the three most recent fierce ghosts.

She then spun rapidly, dragging her longsword backward in a beautiful yet deadly arc, aiming straight for the bronze-armored corpse's throat.

"clang!"

The sound of metal clashing against metal was so loud it hurt people's eardrums.

The sword tip struck the bronze-armored corpse's neck, sending sparks flying, but leaving only a faint white mark.

The copper-armored corpse's defensive capabilities far exceeded her expectations.

Lin Feilu is indeed extraordinary.

Even when a cultivator in the early stages of Foundation Establishment is caught off guard and surrounded, his attacks remain swift and decisive, with seamless transitions between offense and defense.

But they had fallen into a trap after all.

Although Wen Yuci was seriously injured, the horde of vengeful spirits from the Thousand Soul Banner continued to drain Lin Feilu's spiritual power.

The bronze-armored corpse, on the other hand, was like a tireless killing machine, punching one after another, each punch carrying wind and each move deadly.

They exchanged blows in no more than two moves.

The Iron Fist of the Copper Armor Corpse caught the flaw that Lin Feilu revealed when he changed his sword moves.

A powerful punch shattered her protective magic shield.

The sound of the light shattering was like glass being crushed, piercing and resolute.

"puff--"

Lin Feilu coughed up a mouthful of blood and staggered backward.

The blood droplet traced a striking arc in the air before landing on the gravel, where it was instantly swallowed by the pink mist.

Before she could regain her footing, the bronze-armored corpse had already pounced on her like a shadow.

Those iron hands, covered in lividity, locked her arms like iron hoops.

When the corpse's energy enters the body, the flow of spiritual power is obstructed.

Lin Feilu knelt on the ground, the silver-white longsword slipped from his hand and fell to the ground with a crisp metallic sound.

Her cool, pretty face was covered in blood and grime, and most of her long hair, which had been tied up, was now loose, making her look extremely disheveled.

But the stubbornness and killing intent in those phoenix eyes had not been extinguished.

She stared intently at Wen Yuci, who emerged from the shadows.

"It's time for Junior Sister to experience the thrill of soul extraction and refinement. This Thousand Soul Banner is still missing a main soul, and Junior Sister would be a perfect fit for that role."

Extracting and refining the soul.

That was not a simple death.

Instead, they will never be reborn, enduring endless suffering day and night within the banner until the world is destroyed.

It's a million times worse than death.

Lin Feilu's body trembled involuntarily.

"Senior Sister Wen, wait a moment."

A lazy voice came from deep within the cave.

Lin Yuan stepped out of the shadows, stretched his neck which was stiff from lying down for most of the day, and wore a harmless smile.

The moment Lin Feilu saw Lin Yuan, her phoenix eyes widened in shock.

My eyes were filled with disbelief.

"You're not dead?" Lin Feilu's voice was hoarse.

"Senior sister, the word 'death' is not auspicious," Lin Yuan said with a smile as he walked up to her.

"However, I, your junior brother, am tough, which has disappointed my senior sister."

Lin Feilu stared intently at him, her lips turning slightly pale.

Lin Yuan stopped teasing her, straightened up, and turned to Wen Yuci.

"Senior sister, before we take action, there's something I think is worth discussing."

"What do you mean?"

"Senior Sister is going to the Crimson Forbidden Land to retrieve the Frost Marrow Lotus, right?" Lin Yuan asked unhurriedly.

"That blood-red forbidden area opens once every thirty years, and only the sect's holy maiden can enter."

"Senior Sister has damaged her vital essence, and with the added risk of Yin energy entering her body, her physical condition is not optimistic. If the Blood Forbidden Land is extremely dangerous, it would be extremely risky for you to personally go there."

Lin Yuan extended a finger and pointed at Lin Feilu, who was kneeling on the ground.

"Lin Feilu is one of the candidates for Saintess, with exceptional talent. Wouldn't it be safer to promote her and send her to retrieve the Frost Marrow Lotus, while Senior Sister oversees the operation from the rear?"

Wen Yuci's raised right hand slowly paused in mid-air.

She didn't answer immediately, but instead scrutinized Lin Yuan with her narrow eyes.

At this critical moment, a mere cultivator at the second level of Qi Refining calmly analyzed the pros and cons for her.

This kind of mentality is indeed not what a useless outer sect disciple should have.

Seeing her hesitation, Lin Yuan pressed his advantage.

"Moreover, this girl reached the Foundation Establishment stage within three years of joining the sect, so she likely has powerful backers within the sect. Even if she doesn't have any powerful backers, given her talent, the sect's higher-ups will definitely be paying attention to her. Killing her might cause trouble. Once it attracts the attention of the sect elders, the secret of Senior Sister's Yin Qi entering her body might also be exposed."

"Senior Sister is proficient in the secret arts of the soul. By placing a restriction, she can both control the spirit and keep it secret. It's a win-win situation, so why not do it?"

Lin Yuan's words were eloquent and logically sound.

But what he was really thinking was a completely different matter.

His desire to spare Lin Feilu's life had absolutely nothing to do with any compassion.

The reason is simple—attribute points.

Lin Feilu is a cultivator in the early stage of Foundation Establishment. Each time he engages in face-to-face intensive training, he can gain one hundred attribute points.

With his current cultivation level of the second stage of Qi Refining, if he wants to find a partner for face-to-face intensive training outside, he can probably only find an ordinary mortal.

Even if you're lucky enough to encounter someone in the Qi Refining stage, the attribute points you gain from a single face-to-face arduous training session will probably only be a pitiful few.

And what about Lin Feilu?

She has high cultivation level, good aptitude, and is also good-looking.

More importantly—you don't have to take responsibility.

Kill them? Wouldn't that be a terrible waste?

Lin Feilu knelt on the ground, listening to Lin Yuan's words, her heart filled with mixed feelings.

She didn't understand why Lin Yuan was pleading for her.

But she could tell that these reasons were indeed valid.

Regardless of Lin Yuan's purpose, at least he was saving her life.

Wen Yuci pondered for a moment.

Those fox-like eyes swept back and forth between Lin Yuan and Lin Feilu twice.

"What you said makes some sense."

She slowly withdrew the black light from her fingertips, her tone indifferent yet tinged with approval.

She turned and walked towards Lin Feilu, flipping her left hand. A ball of dark spiritual light condensed at her fingertips, carrying a chilling and eerie aura.

"Soul Devouring Technique".

He suddenly tapped Lin Feilu's forehead with his fingertip.

"ah--"

Lin Feilu let out a piercing scream.

A moment later

Wen Yuci withdrew her finger, her face growing even paler.

The repeated use of the Soul Devouring Technique made her already weakened body even more overwhelmed.

She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and then looked at Lin Yuan.

"I'm handing over the main seal of this Soul Devouring Technique to you."

"For the next three months, you're in charge of keeping an eye on her, helping her secure the position of Saintess and obtain the Frost Marrow Lotus. If she makes any unusual moves, activate the main seal immediately, no questions asked."

As she spoke, a blood-red talisman the size of a thumb materialized in the palm of her right hand.

Wen Yuci raised her hand and slapped the blood-red talisman directly into Lin Yuan's chest.

The moment the blood imprint entered the body, a chilling force surged through the meridians straight into the sea of ​​consciousness.

Lin Yuan grunted and quickly separated a wisp of his divine sense to envelop it. He carefully suppressed the main seal at the edge of his sea of ​​consciousness.

Now, with a thought, he can activate this seal, detonate the mark in Lin Feilu's sea of ​​consciousness, and kill the opponent.

"Don't worry, senior sister."

Wen Yuci nodded:

"If I can't get the Frost Marrow Lotus, the two of you will go to the Thousand Soul Banner together to keep each other company."

Before she finished speaking, Wen Yuci summoned the bronze-armored corpse, put away the Thousand Soul Banner, and with a flash of black light around her, she transformed into a jet-black streak of light and disappeared into the void.

Silence returned to all around.

Lin Feilu was panting heavily, her whole body soaked in cold sweat. Her clothes were covered in mud and blood, and her long hair was disheveled and stuck to her cheeks.

She forced herself to sit up and stared intently at Lin Yuan.

In those phoenix eyes, there was resentment, anger, and humiliation, but no gratitude.

Why are you helping me?

Lin Yuan walked over slowly.

He crouched down, extended his right hand, and gently lifted Lin Feilu's chin with his slender fingers.

That blood-stained face was still breathtakingly beautiful.

Even in this disheveled state, his inherent aloofness and stubbornness remained undiminished.

"Help you?"

"Senior sister, I think you've misunderstood something."

"Yesterday, my senior sister put me in grave danger, and I almost lost my life. I saved your life first, and then you betrayed me. I, your junior brother, must repay this great kindness."

Lin Feilu's expression changed drastically.

She abruptly turned her head, breaking free from Lin Yuan's fingers, and leaned her back against the cold stone wall, distancing herself from him.

"What do you want to do? My only responsibility is to retrieve the Frost Marrow Lotus! Don't expect me to do anything else!"

With a thought, Lin Yuan activated the crimson master seal within his body.

"Hmm!"

Lin Feilu collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted.

The excruciating pain from the depths of her soul felt like a thousand ants gnawing at her bones, tearing at every nerve.

She curled up on the ground, her hands gripping the soil tightly, her fingernails digging into the mud and stones, blood seeping from her fingertips.

His lips parted, but even the strength to scream had been drained away.

The excruciating pain lasted for ten breaths.

Lin Yuan withdrew his divine sense.

Lin Feilu collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably, gasping for breath. Sweat soaked through her clothes, clinging to her body and outlining her undulating curves.

"Senior sister, you need to face reality."

"From now on, your life and your very being are under my control."

After saying that, he picked up the limp Lin Feilu in his arms.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" Lin Feilu struggled with all her might, but she couldn't even lift a finger.

Lin Yuan looked down at the pale yet breathtakingly beautiful face in his arms and spoke in a serious tone.

"Last night in the mortal realm, Senior Sister, we didn't have enough fun. Tonight, the night is perfect, with a bright moon and few stars, ideal for sparring and exchanging ideas. I would like to ask Senior Sister for some more guidance."

"You bastard!"

……

Two hours later.

Lin Yuan sat cross-legged on the stone bed.

The small gold text under the eyes refreshed

Name: Lin Yuan

[Cultivation Level: Qi Refining Level 2]

[Grade 8 Alchemist: 0/1000; Grade 9 Spirit Plant Master: 99/100 (Points can be added)]

Remaining attribute points: 1099

In two hours, or four hours, Lin Yuan racked up 600 points.

If his body hadn't prevented it, Lin Yuan felt he could have continued.

"I won't restrict your freedom; you can do whatever you want. But there's one thing: you have to come to my place every night!"

Lin Feilu bit her lower lip hard, her eyes flashing with humiliation, resentment, and despair... before finally settling into a deathly silence.

She didn't say anything more, but instead leaned against the wall and limped out of the cave.

His back view was desolate, no longer displaying his former aloofness and arrogance.

Lin Yuan watched her retreating figure, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

But he quickly looked away.

In this world, the weak have no right to talk about dignity.