Spirit Vessel

Nalan Xuejian was horrified, evident by her trembling hands as she activated the bead. Her body was engulfed in a Buddhist light so her skin glowed white.

Alas, her frightened expression only excited Jia Sen even more.

"Haha, I've rampaged for more than three hundred years. Why would I be scared of a little brat? You're probably not a virgin being Feiyun's woman and all, I don't need to show any mercy then."

Jia Sen raised his palm and condensed black light around it, extinguishing the light of the bead.

Xuejian was knocked to the ground with a red palm print on her face. Blood dripped down her lips.

She has been accustomed to a luxurious life since youth and loved by all, never gotten hit by anyone in the past.

She made her cry while feeling deep pain on her nearly-broken wrist. The bead was taken by Jia Sen now.

Her cultivation wasn't bad but still far from the level of a Giant.

Monk Jiu Rou told her to train hard but she never listened. She felt regrets now. If she were stronger, she wouldn't have been captured by these men.

"Xuejian…" Luo Yu'er didn't like Xuejian but she still rushed over and helped her up before glaring at Jia Sen: "Touch her again and I'll commit suicide. You will never get the divine tree at that point."

She held her staff by her neck to make the threat clear. Of course, she was very afraid since she was even timider than Xuejian.

Xuejian was moved by this act and all of her animosity towards Yu'er disappeared.

"Hehe, that's not up to you." Jia Sen sneered and raised his finger with lightning speed. Light engulfed Yu'er and immobilized her. He waved his hand again sent her flying, smashed into the wall.

A Giant like him had no problem dealing with two little girls.

He then turned towards Xuejian and smirked, slowly walking towards her while she staggered backward.

***

Capital of Jin, Southern Sky Temple.

Inside a particular ravine was a lonely grave with a rest pavilion nearby. An old and a young monk were playing chess inside.

Monk Jiu Rou was bare-chested and sitting in a casual manner while chomping down on a piece of deer leg.

The other party was the monk with the title of Buddha Maitreya. He looked young despite being more than five hundred years old.

He grabbed a chess piece while speaking in a solemn manner: "With the last abdication and the loss of Consort Ji, the Ji has lost their protection. Those from both Yin and Yang World are watching them now."

Maitreya was taught by Monk Jiu Rou once and taken in as a disciple, but only in name. Few knew this secret.

He urgently invited Monk Jiu Rou because of this volatile matter. Dealing with it incorrectly might result in a disaster worse than the current chaos.

Monk Jiu Rou glanced briefly at the grave with weeds growing around it now and said: "What can I say, her death is a sort of liberation too. However, the problem from 1,500 years ago with the Ji still hasn't been dealt with. The Yang people can't wait for much longer now that the Ji are helpless."

Maitreya sighed as well. He didn't know about the issue in the past but to be able to provoke those from the Yang World? It must have been significant.

Monk Jiu Rou went on: "The Ji is quite ancient and had a glorious past. Its power nearly surpassed the four great clans but that event weakened them. They have a chapter from one of the three scriptures, Grave Palace Treasure-seeking Record. If they can find the Yang Soul Holy Embryo, maybe they can regain their past glories. But this will also antagonize the other two worlds, hence the animosity between the parties."

Maitreya nodded. He might be a supreme existence before other sect masters but in front of Monk Jiu Rou, he was but a pupil.

"Any news from the Yin World?" Monk Jiu Rou asked.

"I've personally gone to Mount Yin Yang in order to figure out the situation. The Yin World is very strange right now, full of unrest. Many old Venerables have come out from the ground but I didn't hear anything about the Yin Mother. I don't think they have the energy to deal with the Ji right now, only the Yang World will mobilize." Maitreya elaborated.

Monk Jiu Rou slightly frowned: "I guess there is really a problem there or they wouldn't be watching the Evil Woman massacring everyone in Grand Southern. As for the Ji, keep an eye on them, an ancestor there used to be a friend of mine, if something happens, then…"

"Oh?" The monk stopped after realizing something. Two waves of light shot out from his eyes. The sudden shock made him crush the chess piece held between his fingers.

He almost hit Maitreya's head with the deer leg before kicking the chessboard, causing pieces to go everywhere: "Motherfucker!"

"Master…" Maitreya thought that he was in trouble and wanted to apologize.

However, Monk Jiu Rou stomped on the ground and made the area tremble. He lifted his godlike staff and made the sky turn gold.

He put on his kasaya with an intense and murderous expression before disappearing from sight.

Maitreya was left behind scratching his bald head. He has never seen his master so angry before and wondered what had happened. Was someone stupid enough to provoke his master's wrath?

***

The forest was full of slanted tree shadows on this lonely night.

Feiyun's heart was cold; his eyes full of bloodthirst. He rushed towards the tribe where the Senluo people took camp while holding his weapon essence and using two divine garments.

His divine intents scouted the injured Formless being tied to a wooden pole earlier.

He couldn't find the two girls, aware that they were imprisoned behind a formation somewhere in that tribe.

"Brat, there are many enemies with some far stronger than you. You're courting death even with the invisible cloak." Yama's voice came from his spine.

"None of your business." Feiyun didn't like Yama and wanted to get the guy out of his body as fast as possible.

"I can lend you my power and give you the abilities of a pseudo-Enlightened Being, enough to murder everyone here." Yama's hoarse voice tried to poison him.

Feiyun stopped, slightly tempted.

"But you must agree with one condition." Yama immediately added.

"No negotiating." Feiyun refused right away. Working with this guy was the same as working with a tiger.

Feiyun turned into a gust of wind and easily infiltrated the outer formation surrounding the tribe.

He hid behind a tree, wanting to save Formless first. However, the formation around the wooden hut nearby disappeared. A person was thrown out and fell on the ground.

"Boom!" Nalan Xuejian felt pain all over. Her black hair had dust everywhere - looking quite terrible.

"Monk, you threatened me earlier, right? I'm gonna do her right in front of you right now, what are you going to do about it?" Jia Sen walked out of the hut with an evil grin.

He then took out his black robe, revealing his muscular frame while moving towards Xuejian.

"Feng Feiyun, all you do is play around, not giving a damn about a foolish girl who is always waiting for you… looks like I can't wait any longer… You probably don't care that I'm about to be killed anyway…" Her voice became weaker as her face turned ashen. She actually scattered her life source.

Feiyun was scared out of his mind and had no choice but to show himself. He rushed over with meteoric speed and grabbed her away from Jia Sen.

He landed one thousand feet away and took off his cloak to reveal his face: "Nalan, I'm here, how could you do something so stupid?"

He sent his violet energy into her body to stop the scattering process. However, she was quite weak now and had probably lost four hundred years of lifespan. She would be dead if she wasn't at the Heaven's Mandate realm.

It took everything out of her just to stare at him. She then closed his eyes and leaned against his chest, losing her consciousness.

Losing four hundred years of lifespan was too much. She was alive for now but any little thing could take her down.

He saw the red palm print on her cheek and the bloodstain on her lips. This pained him and made him even more murderous: "Yama, I agree to your condition, anything is fine. I just want to kill right now."