CHAPTER 56: CHAPTER 55 SUNSTONE

This answer was more or less expected. After all, just erasing the photo alone is meaningless; burying the information along with the photo aligns better with the operation of the Celestial Dao’s order.

Ji Xingyao was like this, and that inner sect disciple of the Cyan Simurgh Sect, Xie Yun, must have had his related memories erased too.

However...

Lu Yan discreetly examined the gentle-mannered Ji Xingyao before him, feeling that her goodwill towards him seemed to have significantly increased compared to before.

Previously, Ji Xingyao only acquiesced to Lu Yan borrowing her name, but their relationship was not particularly close.

But now, when faced with Lu Yan’s subtle inquiries, Ji Xingyao surprisingly took the initiative to offer Lu Yan a Feng Shui Technique for condensing a Spirit Vein.

"The memory of the photo disappeared, but the goodwill from gifting the photo remained?"

Lu Yan could only make such a guess.

This was naturally a good thing for him, as he still needed to operate within the territory of the Cyan Simurgh Sect. To latch onto the leg of a True Disciple, even a fallen one, was immensely valuable.

Thinking of this, Lu Yan cupped his hands towards Ji Xingyao:

"Thank you, Senior Sister Ji."

Ji Xingyao nodded in satisfaction.

Her gaze shifted outside the cave mansion, where spiritual light suddenly flashed in her eyes, seemingly penetrating the walls of the cave mansion, falling beyond the marketplace.

Seeing that Xie Yun and others, who were originally surrounding the marketplace entrance, had long since fled, Ji Xingyao snorted coldly.

"They escaped rather quickly!"

Seeing this, Lu Yan curiously spoke:

"Senior Sister Ji seemed to have known for some time that they would target the Cyan Valley Marketplace?"

"As early as three days ago, five Direct Disciples were wandering around my cave mansion, and they tried to hold me back whenever I intended to leave the sect. Even a fool could perceive the problem.

However, those guys still overestimated their methods. I secretly left the sect and came to the Cyan Valley Marketplace to catch them red-handed."

Ji Xingyao’s tone was casual, seemingly disdainful of the scheming of numerous Direct Disciples.

Lu Yan was shocked; although Ji Xingyao was in a bad situation, she didn’t seem as devoid of opportunity as imagined. Facing calculations from several Direct Disciples from the Cyan Simurgh Sect, she seemed quite adept.

Especially with the formidable strength previously displayed, Lu Yan clearly realized the profound foundation of a True Disciple of the Cyan Simurgh Sect.

However, there was still one thing that puzzled Lu Yan, and he couldn’t help but ask:

"Since Senior Sister Ji had already arrived at the Cyan Valley Marketplace, why not take action sooner, instead of letting them wreak havoc on the marketplace’s reputation?"

This was the part Lu Yan found most incomprehensible; if Ji Xingyao had shown up at the beginning, Xie Yun wouldn’t dare to mess with those Loose Cultivators even if he had ten times the courage.

Now that Ji Xingyao’s Sword Intent had scared away Xie Yun and others, the reputation of the Cyan Valley Marketplace was already damaged, and at most, only slightly recoverable.

Overall, Ji Xingyao was still the biggest loser.

But to Lu Yan’s surprise, Ji Xingyao seemed completely unconcerned about this.

"Why should I stop them?"

Ji Xingyao counter-posed a question to Lu Yan.

"Of course, to preserve the True Successor..." Lu Yan started but was directly interrupted by Ji Xingyao.

"To others, the True Successor Position might have immense value, worth fighting and vying for by those conceited geniuses.

But to me, the True Successor Position is meaningless. What I’ve been pursuing all along is the Path of Eternal Life!"

After a slight pause, Ji Xingyao suddenly asked Lu Yan:

"Do you know why I became the Cyan Simurgh Sect’s True Disciple, and why I fell to this point?"

Lu Yan shook his head.

Ji Xingyao’s cold eyes brewed Sword Intent, her chilly voice echoing within the cave mansion.

"I began cultivating at thirteen, and at twenty-one, I comprehended the Celestial Human Sword Intent and established a foundation in the Sword Dao, becoming the first Earth Dao Foundation Establishment cultivator among my peers in the Cyan Simurgh Sect.

In the subsequent years, I traversed numerous Secret Realms within the Cyan Simurgh Sect, sweeping through the geniuses among my peers, and was granted the title of True Disciple by the Sect Leader of the Cyan Simurgh Sect."

"However, misfortune struck. Three years ago, during training in the Muddy Technique Forbidden Land, a Demon Golden Core cultivator secretly infiltrated the forbidden land to hunt down numerous orthodox heavenly talents, and I was his first target.

To fight against the Demon Golden Core, I exhausted all efforts to lure him into the depths of the forbidden land, leveraging the land’s characteristics to ultimately kill him, though I sustained severe injuries as a result.

Fading in and out of consciousness deep within the forbidden land for months, I could only resort to absorbing the muddy Spiritual Qi within to survive. Upon finally escaping the forbidden land, my Magical Power had long since been thoroughly corroded, and the path to the Golden Core Realm was nearly severed."

At this point, Ji Xingyao’s emotions fluctuated again, a crisp sword hum resonating within the cave mansion.

"After leaving the Muddy Technique Forbidden Land, I sought ways to cleanse the Magical Power’s corrosion.

But the corrosion was bone-deep; ordinary pills not only failed to remove the corrosion but accumulated pill toxins. Hence, I could only seek to cleanse my body with Heaven and Earth Spiritual Treasures, yet such treasures are so rare that none were found across various Immortal Cities.

But during the time when my foundation was damaged, others could no longer sit still.

The same geniuses who were once defeated by me, though far from my strength, targeted the True Successor Position due to my impaired foundation.

This was all because a True Disciple could obtain a Five Elements Golden Core Pill when breaking through to the Golden Core Realm.

The Five Elements Golden Core Pill is the best pill for breaking through the Golden Core Realm; only those who achieve the True Successor Position can obtain one before core formation, increasing the breakthrough probability by a full thirty percent.

All because I could not break through to the Golden Core Realm, the sect would not waste the Five Elements Golden Core Pill meant for a True Disciple on me, providing them with the opportunity."

At this, Ji Xingyao chuckled coldly:

"If they were to offer a price sufficient to satisfy me, even giving up the True Successor Position wouldn’t be impossible, for the Five Elements Golden Core Pill is meaningless to me.

But they deemed me a cripple not worth the extravagant cost, thinking they could use schemes to strip me of the True Successor Position.

Since they think so, I’ll give them the chance."

"Originally, I intended to let Xie Yun falsely label some Loose Cultivators as Demonic Cultivators, so I could take them down and gather evidence.

Then, leveraging the True Disciple’s authority, I could challenge those bastards to a life-death duel.

If they refused, they couldn’t keep their Direct Disciple positions, reduced to ordinary Inner Sect disciples.

If they accepted, every one of them would die on the Sword Fighting Platform!"

Though Ji Xingyao could seize the opportunity for a life-death duel to slay everyone, every Direct Disciple had friends and family behind them, leading to endless troubles.

But with both the Bamboo Forest Marketplace and Cyan Valley Marketplace repeatedly subjected to calculations, surrounded by wolves, Ji Xingyao no longer cared about gains and losses.

Since the path is severed, why not kill freely!

Her aura gradually climbed to its peak, a cyan Flying Sword fell into Ji Xingyao’s hand.

Stepping forward, the Seed of Sword Intent she had left in secret erupted, instantly locking onto Xie Yun, who was fleeing rapidly dozens of miles away.

Just as Ji Xingyao was about to capture him, a pure and fiery Spiritual Qi within the cave mansion abruptly caught her attention.

Ji Xingyao turned back, seeing Lu Yan holding a delicate polygonal gemstone in his hands, with pure, fiery Spiritual Qi resembling sunlight emanating from it.

"What is this?"

Ji Xingyao’s eyes flickered; for some reason, she felt a faint desire for that gemstone.

With the crystal in his hands, Lu Yan solemnly spoke:

"This item is called a Sunstone!"