Chapter 83: The Oath of the Inner Demon

As soon as this thought crossed her mind, she raised her finger to the heavens and swore a Heart Demon Oath.

The Heart Demon Oath was a solemn vow among cultivators, binding themselves to their inner demons. Unless one possessed rare skills or secret arts, such oaths were remarkably effective. Should one neglect the heart demon, it would inevitably appear to wreak havoc every time they advanced to a new realm. If left unchecked, it could lead to a loss of mental control, transforming the cultivator into a mindless butcher. Swearing by the heart demon meant, unless one abandoned further advancement, the consequences would be dire.

After completing her vow, Bai Ruyu stretched out her delicate, snow-white hand and said, “Satisfied now, junior brother? Hand over the ‘September Ice Blossom’.”

Ge Qian smiled faintly, tossing the flower in his hand before replying, “Fine, take it. This rare blossom is worth a fortune, so now you owe me a favor, senior sister.”

He passed it to Bai Ruyu, who snorted coldly, “I’ve helped you cover your secret and taken the blame. You give me the ‘September Ice Blossom’ and call it even? I owe you nothing.”

With that, she sat cross-legged, carefully took out the ‘September Ice Blossom’, and joy lit up her face. For cultivators with ice attributes, the ‘September Ice Blossom’ was a divine treasure—not only could it heal wounds and restore mana, but it also produced astonishing effects during breakthroughs.

Bai Ruyu immediately tore off a petal, swallowed it, and began circulating her profound arts to refine it.

Ge Qian sat nearby, cross-legged as well, acting as her guardian. Three days passed in a flash, and Bai Ruyu had finally refined the ‘September Ice Blossom’. As Ge Qian had predicted, her strength recovered to nearly eighty percent. Though she no longer possessed the blood of the Ice Phoenix, she remained formidable.

Bai Ruyu flexed her graceful figure, her curves enticing endless imagination.

Ge Qian nodded approvingly. “As expected, senior sister—your strength is impressive. To recover eighty percent so quickly, that’s no small feat.”

“Enough with the sarcasm. What’s next? Those three nearly ruined me—I want them to pay,” Bai Ruyu said coldly, her anger evident.

Ge Qian had anticipated this and replied calmly, “Senior sister lured them here, and in this place ruled by vengeful spirits, the advantage is ours.”

“Good, just wait.” Bai Ruyu’s murderous intent could no longer be restrained. She took out a talisman for warding evil, affixed it to herself, and soared away upon her sword.

Ge Qian donned his Shadow Cloak and hid behind a boulder.

After half a day, a white figure descended upon the Valley of Absolute Resentment, riding a sword. Behind her, a golden-backed mantis three yards long followed closely, its wings shimmering.

Seated atop the mantis were Liu Xixi, Liu Mei, and Jue Ming. Liu Xixi laughed heartily, “Bai Ruyu, I knew you’d come to the Cold Pool of Heavy Water for the ‘September Ice Blossom’. Not sure what means you used, but you’ve recovered quite a bit. Still, you’ll be a fine meal for the mantis beast!”

Liu Mei giggled lasciviously, “Such a pity to just kill her, with such a fine body. Who knows how many male cultivators would relish the pleasures of her flesh?”

Jue Ming remained silent, lost in his own thoughts.

Suddenly, Bai Ruyu halted, a seven-foot ‘Ice Apparatus Sword’ appearing in her hand. Frost condensed in its wake, dispersing the vengeful aura around her.

Bai Ruyu stared coldly at the three not far away. “Junior brother, are you not coming out? If you wait until your senior sister falls, it’ll be too late.”

Liu Xixi and her companions exchanged glances. Liu Mei sneered, “Just you? The other disciples of the Heavenly Star Sect are all useless drunkards and gluttons. You’re about to die, yet you still bluff—don’t you find it laughable?”

As her words faded, a plain-looking cultivator appeared beside Bai Ruyu. He touched his nose and said, “Who says the other disciples of the Heavenly Star Sect are all useless? Today, I’ll show you that our sect is a land of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, full of talented people.”

Liu Mei’s eyes brimmed with enchantment. “Was it me who said so? Well, I must admit, you look quite distinguished. I can’t bear to kill you. Crawl over here, and I’ll make you my blood brother.” She flirted shamelessly, deploying her charm technique.

But Ge Qian’s divine sense was so formidable that he remained unmoved. He had intended to ambush one of them, but Bai Ruyu had foiled his plan. Helpless, he shot Bai Ruyu a glance.

Then, his divine sense surged suddenly. Liu Mei cried out, blood spilling from the corner of her mouth. She hadn’t expected such a plain-looking newcomer to possess such powerful spiritual awareness. Her charm technique backfired, causing her vital energy to reverse and forcing her to spit blood.

Bai Ruyu immediately understood and escaped on her sword, veering sharply to the left.

Liu Xixi’s killing intent blazed. “You won’t get away!” she commanded the golden-backed mantis to pursue.

Ge Qian blocked her path, holding a fan inscribed with glowing runes.

Before Liu Mei, a beautiful second-tier vengeful spirit appeared, cradling a gourd. Though her face was obscured, it was clear she was a beauty.

Jue Ming radiated Buddhist light, dispersing the vengeful aura as he pursued on his flying sword.

Liu Mei, wounded by Ge Qian, was furious and sought revenge, but the vengeful spirit barred her way. A surge of mortal danger overwhelmed her—within the Valley of Absolute Resentment, encountering a second-tier vengeful spirit meant certain death.

Hong Mei spat, “How presumptuous! Dare to covet my master—clearly, you’re tired of living. Die!”

She tapped her magic gourd, releasing boundless demonic energy that swept toward Liu Mei.

Liu Mei was terrified and regretful. She dared not delay, pulling out an elegant flowered parasol and channeling her mana. She spun it, enveloping herself within.

The parasol whirled, sending a pale violet glow skyward, clashing with the demonic mist.

Yet the myriad rays of light were instantly swallowed by the mist, which churned and twisted relentlessly.

Liu Xixi shouted, “Move aside! Don’t block me, or I’ll tear you apart!”

Ge Qian smiled faintly, flicking the feather fan in his hand. The runes on it swirled, and the fan rapidly expanded to a yard in length. Terrifying spiritual pressure gathered upon its surface. “Such arrogance! I’ll destroy your insect first—let’s see what you can boast about then.”

Liu Xixi’s pupils contracted, her body trembling. “The ‘Righteous Divine Wind Fan’—how did it end up in your hands? Where is Sima Tu?”

“Foolish question. If Sima Tu weren’t dead, how would the fan be in my possession? Prepare yourself!” With that, Ge Qian fiercely waved the fan at the golden-backed mantis.

A two-yard wide pillar of righteous wind shot forth, laced with countless razor-sharp blades and supreme power, bearing down on the mantis.

In Ge Qian’s hands, the ‘Righteous Divine Wind Fan’ was even more formidable, owing to his study of Confucian classics. Each time he immersed himself in them, it was as if a century passed, saturating him with righteous energy. Sima Tu could not compare.

The golden-backed mantis was, after all, a second-tier spirit beast. Sensing danger, it tried to flee.

Ge Qian’s hands moved in rapid succession, casting ‘Switching Pillars’ and ‘Twists and Turns’, two divine techniques in an instant.

The mantis, having evaded the wind pillar, was abruptly returned to its original position. Its defense, as hard as a spiritual artifact, failed entirely.

As blood mist billowed and a deep pit appeared in the ground, it was clear the golden-backed mantis had vanished utterly within the vengeful aura.

Liu Xixi could hardly believe her eyes. How was this possible? The ‘Righteous Divine Wind Fan’ in his hands was overwhelmingly powerful—Sima Tu was nothing before him. Yet, such a powerful technique must have depleted most of his mana. Gritting her teeth, she slapped her beast pouch, and another three-yard golden-backed mantis appeared before her.