chapter 21

The room was tense. A monk, clad in healer's robes, gently pressed two fingers together and placed them lightly on the boy's body. Supporting the boy's arm with one hand, he effortlessly neutralized the boy's resistance. Weakened, the boy's limp right hand fell into the healer's broad palm.

A domineering surge of spiritual energy coursed through the boy's body with astonishing speed. The beast's howls came to an abrupt halt, and Su Yu felt the unfamiliar spiritual force sweep through his meridians with an overwhelming, unyielding power, as though scrutinizing his very being.

For Su Yu, passively enduring another's spiritual energy felt like laying himself bare for exploration. This was nothing like the treatment he had received from the Qi family's healer; this man was probing him!

Ignoring the pain in his eyes, Su Yu tried his utmost to repel the invasive force. Yet, his attempts were futile—his defensive aura of dark energy shattered under the overwhelming strength of the other's spiritual power.

This is bad!

The young healer's robes didn't stir, and his masked face betrayed no expression. His fingers, lightly resting on the boy's wrist, moved slightly. Sensing the obstruction of dark energy within Su Yu's meridians, a flicker of puzzlement crossed the face concealed beneath the mask. The grip on the boy's wrist tightened ever so slightly.

The invading spiritual energy grew more aggressive, moving with the precision and agility of a dragon as it swept through Su Yu's spiritual meridians.

No… at this rate, the totem in my dantian will be discovered.

Su Yu's eyes were tightly shut, his bloodshot gold-flecked pupils flickering beneath his eyelids. His pale fingertips trembled. Suddenly, the totem within his dantian emitted a faint flash and, as if sensing Su Yu's distress, it stopped spinning. The totem, accompanied by the ink-colored spiritual orb, sank silently into the dense dark energy in Su Yu's dantian, evading the probing spiritual force.

This dark energy had been derived from the ink spiritual orb and formed a dense fog, concealing the totem and the ink beast from the intruding spiritual force. It worked to thwart the probing force, which eventually withdrew without achieving its goal.

The man's spiritual energy halted its exploration. After searching the area briefly and finding nothing unusual, he frowned. This boy's body was filled with dark energy. His cultivation level, at best, seemed to be that of a Qi Refinement cultivator, yet his spiritual meridians were unusually wide and developed.

Ordinary people would have long lost consciousness under the invasion of such dark energy, reduced to little more than a walking corpse. Yet this boy could stand unscathed. Besides the pervasive dark energy, his dantian was barren. The most peculiar thing was this seemingly indelible, pure dark energy.

The man's eyes narrowed with suspicion.

Is there really nothing else?

When he had entered the room, he had sensed an inexplicable force testing him, a sensation eerily similar to the sinister traces he had encountered in Nanwu Mountain. Acting on instinct, he had subdued the boy without hesitation. But now… could it have been a mistake?

Suppressing his thoughts, the man adjusted his spiritual energy, softening its invasive tendencies as he worked to clear the boy's dark energy.

The pause in the probing spiritual force gave Su Yu a chance to recuperate. He focused inward, observing his sea of consciousness. Noticing the totem's disappearance, his gaze shifted to the domineering spiritual energy. Seeing it prepare to withdraw, a surge of hunger from his abdomen intensified.

You barged in uninvited, probed me without consent, and even started cleansing my dark energy. Now you think you can just leave?

Leaning weakly against the man's chest, Su Yu's body trembled from hunger, cold sweat dripping from his pale face. A trace of ferocity flashed across his features.

Sensing its host's intent, the totem hidden in the mist began to rotate slowly. The seemingly stagnant dark energy in Su Yu's dantian began to coalesce and inch toward the retreating spiritual energy.

"Sir, is he all right?"

"Why is he sweating so much?"

The Qi family cultivators watched the boy's worsening condition with growing concern. Although they hadn't known him long, the boy had previously pointed out a critical flaw in their spirit boat, saving them from disaster. Grateful for his help, they had rushed to summon the healer from the Valley of Divine Medicine.

Seeing cold sweat drenching the boy's forehead, Qi Yan frowned and moved forward to intervene. "Stop for now; his condition is—"

Before he could finish, the healer's body tensed, as if he had noticed something. Abruptly, he withdrew his hand.

"Sir!?"

The sudden change caught the Qi family cultivators off guard. What had just happened?

The healer's fingertips showed faint traces of ash-gray, resembling burn marks. His expression darkened as he quickly dispelled the marks with a flash of lightning from his fingers.

Meanwhile, the spiritual energy he had sent into the boy's body had completely vanished, and a wisp of dark energy seemed to counterattack, attempting to invade his own body.

At that moment, the boy opened his eyes. His pupils were dull and lifeless, his complexion pale. His cracked lips moved slightly. When Qi Yan stepped forward to steady him, Su Yu retreated several steps, like a frightened beast, wary of everyone around him.

"What's going on?" Qi Yan turned to the healer. He had brought him here to treat the boy, not to make things worse.

The young healer said nothing, staring at his fingertips with an unreadable expression behind his mask. Seeing the boy's guarded stance, the healer stepped forward and swiftly pressed a point on the boy's chest. The boy's body immediately went limp, and the healer gently laid him back down.

Qi Yan asked, "Brother, about his condition…"

"The name is Gu," Gu Qi replied, standing up. "The dark energy within his body has retaliated."

"This is no ordinary invasion of dark energy. To cure him fully, all the dark energy in his body must be purged. However, the nature of this energy is peculiar. It seems connected to the ancient seal in Nanwu Mountain. Clearing it out will take time."

As he spoke, he noticed the boy frowning in his sleep and added, "Light another calming incense stick."

The Qi family cultivators visibly relaxed. Qi Yan instructed the others to leave the room, allowing the boy to rest.

Meanwhile, the healer who had treated the boy left the room to attend to other cultivators. Before departing, he cast a glance at the boy sleeping peacefully, his doubts hidden behind his mask. With a wave of his hand, he laid down several spells outside the room's door.

The room was quiet. When Su Yu woke up again, the faint aroma of incense lingered around him.

The scent made him drowsy, suffused with a cloying, unpleasant smell of burnt offerings. It stirred a memory: the flickering shrine from his past. In his mind, the scene reappeared—a young boy knelt in the shrine, blood dripping steadily from his wrists into a vessel before him. Ashes from the burning incense scattered in the air, the shrine an absurd and reverent altar.

"Stop giving it." He heard his own voice speak.

The boy remained kneeling, trembling, ignoring his words. When the blood wasn't enough, an elder beside him made another cut.

Su Yu could only watch, feeling the pain in his own wrists as though he were the boy. The sharp ache resonated between them.

He could smell the absurd, suffocating scent of incense and feel the draining weakness of blood loss. Yet he was powerless, standing as a detached observer, gazing down at the boy—or perhaps at himself—from above.

A surge of helpless loathing washed over him. Unable to bear it, he raised his hand, shattering the scene. With a crash, he jolted awake. His fingers pressed against the soft bedding beneath him, and in the distance, the incense burner fell over, its stick broken and scattering ash across the floor.

"Ah! That was calming incense! It's supposed to stabilize your soul and body!" The ink beast's voice echoed in his sea of consciousness.

Regaining his senses, Su Yu, drenched in cold sweat, rasped, "Disgusting."

The scent reminded him of the bloody, suffocating incense from his memories—sickening and unbearable.

The ink beast looked regretfully at the fallen incense. As a mystical beast, it could tell how many rare ingredients had gone into making it, far more precious than the golden spiritual fruit the fat demon beast consumed. It had even overheard the Qi family cultivators mention that the calming incense was top-grade, with only a few sticks left aboard the spiritual vessel.

Su Yu lowered his head, the stabbing pain in his abdomen slightly less intense than before his fainting spell.

Looking into his sea of consciousness, he saw that the totem in his dantian had reappeared, though much of the dark energy surrounding it had dissipated.

"Stop staring at it," the ink beast interjected. "That healer drove most of the dark energy away. I managed to store some of it quickly in the Abyss of Ten Thousand Evils for you."

It added with a tone of mild excitement, "But you bit back at him and left some of his spiritual energy trapped in your body. Look over there; there's still a portion left!"

Sure enough, a cluster of foreign spiritual energy, radiating faint lightning, remained in his dantian. It was distinct, clearly the same energy that the healer had used to probe his body.

Though the energy felt out of place, Su Yu could sense an extraordinary power within it.

"That's spiritual energy from a Nascent Soul cultivator. Of course it's different!" the ink beast exclaimed, its tone anxious. "Are you stupid? That's the core essence of a Nascent Soul cultivator's inner domain! It's not something your spiritual eyes can casually investigate like a common Golden Core cultivator's domain. And do you even know who that man is?!"

The ink beast's warning came too late. The higher a cultivator's rank, the more they valued the sanctity of their inner domain. With Su Yu's meager cultivation at the Qi Refinement stage, attempting to spy on a Nascent Soul cultivator's domain was bound to provoke retaliation and suspicion.

Initially unable to recognize the man, the ink beast had realized his identity when his spiritual energy entered Su Yu's body. This man was the same one who had destroyed the ink beast's ancestral home in Nanwu Mountain, shattering the monument that suppressed the Abyss of Ten Thousand Evils, forcing the ink beast to flee and hide within this young human's body.

"It's him! The one who ruined everything I'd built over centuries!"

"I never thought he'd be a healer, sneaking his way in!"

A healer? That man was no ordinary healer.

Recalling the domineering spiritual energy, Su Yu's gaze returned to the foreign energy in his dantian. The residual aura of the invader's probing lingered around it.

Su Yu felt no goodwill toward the sword cultivator. The near-exposure of Nanwu Mountain was one incident; now having his spiritual meridians probed was another. He detested the helplessness of being at another's mercy.

The ink beast's murmurs ceased abruptly as it noticed Su Yu beginning to refine the trapped spiritual energy.

The invasive spiritual energy, while insignificant to a Nascent Soul cultivator, was an incredibly pure form of energy. For a mere Qi Refinement cultivator like Su Yu, it was a treasure, superior to days of cultivating ambient spiritual energy.

The ink beast sighed. It had always suspected that this human boy had a peculiar constitution, but to see him daringly bite back at a Nascent Soul cultivator and seize their spiritual energy for refinement was beyond bold.

The ink beast hid its astonishment. This human harbored far too many secrets... But what did that matter to it? The stronger its host became, the more likely its grand ambition of reviving the Abyss of Ten Thousand Evils would succeed. Thinking of the carefree, prosperous days ahead, the ink beast decided to contribute a bit of the Abyss's source power to aid him. It spoke up to remind him, "Don't devour it all at once. Refine it slowly. I'll use the Abyss to shield you from the spiritual energy's backlash."

Su Yu's dantian, after all, was his own inner domain. No matter how strong the lightning energy was, without its master's control, it became vulnerable. The mist emerging from the Abyss enveloped the lightning energy, and after a stick of incense's time of entanglement, the dark energy began to penetrate the inner layers of the lightning energy.

The moment Su Yu's dark energy made contact, he felt an immense power—spiritual energy that seemed to have been refined multiple times to a state of extreme purity. It coursed through his meridians at a slow, steady pace.

As the energy flowed, it felt like entering a vast, ownerless void. The dispersed spiritual energy circulated through his limbs, connecting something deep within him.

His widened meridians, previously shaped by the invasion of dark energy, welcomed the flow.

While running dark energy usually made Su Yu feel frozen to the bone, this lightning-aligned spiritual energy was different. It brought a gentle warmth as it passed through his meridians, dispelling the lingering chill and delivering a novel, soothing heat.

The heat spread from his dantian to his abdomen. Su Yu felt a spiritual aperture suddenly open. When he opened his eyes again, his body seemed noticeably lighter.

Previously, the dark energy had expanded his meridians forcibly, but the lightning energy had flushed out the stagnant clusters of dark energy, leaving his meridians broader and more spiritually attuned.

When the transcendent sensation subsided, Su Yu looked again at the cluster of spiritual energy—it was completely empty. A trace of longing crossed his face. "Is it all gone?"

"You're unbelievable," the ink beast retorted. "That was a Nascent Soul cultivator's spiritual energy. It needs to be refined slowly! And do you even understand your own constitution? The way you burn through dark energy is astonishing. If you drained that Nascent Soul cultivator dry, it might barely be enough for you!"

Su Yu regretted a little. Had he known, he would've taken a bigger bite out of that person.

Elsewhere on the Qi family's spiritual vessel.

Gu Qi felt a sudden chill. He released the patient's wrist and exchanged a few words with a Qi family cultivator.

"Thank you, Mr. Gu."

"You're welcome," Gu Qi replied, rising and leaving the room.

The deck of the spiritual vessel was empty. Gu Qi walked to the railing, leaning over to see the surrounding vessels of the Qi and Su families docked nearby. In his hand, the communication bell chimed faintly with Jiang Xingfeng's voice.

"So, you've searched the entire Qi family vessel and still haven't found that person from that day? I even lent you the Godly Healer Valley token, so don't go tarnishing its reputation."

"No need to worry. Suppressing it with spiritual energy works fine," Gu Qi responded. He had indeed been looking for that individual. With Nanwu Mountain sealed and the surrounding area crawling with cultivators from Xuan Yu Villa—known for their beast-handling skills—and the Qi family, anyone trying to escape would likely disguise themselves as an injured cultivator from Nanwu Mountain.

At the time, that person had been gravely injured, covered in wounds. Such an individual should have stood out, but despite examining many injured cultivators, Gu Qi hadn't found anyone with the blood aura that had stirred his demonic energy. It puzzled him. Still, he couldn't rule out the possibility that some cultivators bore no visible wounds or blood aura.

For those, a simple blood test would reveal the truth.

Yet, for some reason, the one who left the strongest impression on him was the blind youth he encountered first—without a single wound, though evidently invaded by dark energy.

"Still, Gu Qi, I advise you to stop meddling with your internal spiritual energy and return to West Marsh as soon as possible," Jiang Xingfeng's tone grew colder. "Don't forget your promise to me. Stay out of the affairs of other clans or Nanwu Mountain. And during my absence from Godly Healer Valley, if you recklessly wield your sword energy again, I fear your demonic blood—"

At that moment, a commotion arose below. Several spiritual vessels were approaching from the distance.

"Understood," Gu Qi replied, lifting his gaze slightly to observe the scene below. He saw Qi family cultivators assisting the injured toward the Su family's vessel. "Let's discuss later."

Before Jiang Xingfeng could finish, the communication bell was cut off.

Gu Qi turned and walked toward the gathering cultivators below.

The Qi family had been busy all day. With Nanwu Mountain completely sealed off and other sects and factions arriving, it was clear the mountain would soon become a battleground for competing forces. Injured individuals and bystanders could no longer linger here. To ensure their safety, Xuan Yu Villa arranged for the Qi and Su families' vessels to escort them to a secure location.

This had kept the Qi family cultivators occupied for hours. By the time they reached Su Yu's room, half a day had passed.

"Why is this incense stick broken?" One of the Qi family cultivators was puzzled, picking up the calming incense on the desk. "Young man, the escort vessel is about to leave. This place is being sealed off. The young master has arranged for you to recuperate somewhere safer."

Su Yu didn't say much. Seeing the Qi family cultivators come for him, he obediently followed them. Noticing his limited mobility, they took him through quieter paths to avoid the crowds.

Unexpectedly, Qi Yan himself had also boarded the vessel. This sparked a bit of discussion among the Qi family cultivators.

"Are you dense? The Su family's young master is on the return vessel too. The young master is just going along to keep an eye on them, making sure the Su family doesn't pull anything," one Qi family member whispered.

So, the Su family's young master was leaving as well?

Su Yu lifted his eyes slightly, noticing the flamboyant spirit beast accompanying the young master of the Qi family. He wasn't interested in such things. Once they left Nanwu Mountain, he would enjoy greater freedom. It would also be easier to investigate the Su family or uncover the truth about his own past.

Suddenly, a trace of spiritual energy caught the corner of his eye.

The familiar aura, laced with lightning energy, made him frown. Why is that sword cultivator here…?

"Mr. Gu!" A Qi family cultivator greeted enthusiastically.

Gu Qi gave a slight nod and explained, "I've been entrusted by Xuan Yu Villa to accompany you on this journey."

Amidst the crowd, a young man had changed into a fresh set of clothes. His complexion was no longer as pale as before, and he walked with his head slightly lowered, saying nothing. A Qi family cultivator led the way for him, though the boy only loosely held onto the hem of the cultivator's sleeve. He kept a small distance from others, seemingly averse to close contact.

Gu Qi glanced at him briefly before shifting his gaze away.

The Qi family held this physician, surnamed Gu, in high regard. Not long ago, the injured on the Qi family's spiritual vessel had improved significantly thanks to his efforts to dispel the invading dark energy. Moreover, this gentle and humble man claimed to be only a Golden Core physician, yet he could treat Nascent Soul cultivators—a testament to his exceptional medical skills.

"A fraud!" the ink beast growled, glaring at the sword cultivator as if it could grind its teeth. "A Nascent Soul cultivator pretending to be a mere Golden Core? He's definitely plotting something!"

Su Yu walked silently, his sleeves draped around him. The Qi family had prepared comfortable garments, though they still felt oversized to him.

Without a word, he kept his eyes fixed on "Mr. Gu," who was walking ahead alongside Qi Yan. His gaze was calm, unreadable, as though pondering something.

The ink beast fumed with righteous indignation for a while but received no response. Noticing its host staring at the sword cultivator, it also sensed the growing hunger gnawing at him from within.

As they walked down a corridor, Su Yu didn't notice the slightly elevated threshold of a doorway. He stumbled, instinctively reaching out to steady himself.

A warm hand intercepted his fall.

For a fleeting moment, the faint scent of herbs from the man before him filled his nose. During that brief contact, Su Yu immediately sensed that the hand belonged to someone who had wielded a sword for years. The calluses on his fingertips from the hilt were unmistakable. Though rough and thick with sword practice, the hand bore no trace of spiritual energy, its owner concealing his cultivation flawlessly.

Gu Qi's hand firmly supported Su Yu until he regained his footing. Only then did Gu Qi withdraw his hand. "Be careful."

A Qi family cultivator nearby was startled. "Are you alright?!"

Su Yu shook his head and murmured a quiet thanks.

When the group moved on, Su Yu's expression returned to its usual calm. Within his mind, he asked, Is he really the sword cultivator who struck you?

The ink beast's eyes widened. "Are you insulting me? Do you think I wouldn't recognize the sword cultivator who attacked me?"

After a moment, it grew anxious. "You… you're not developing feelings for him, are you?!"

It quickly launched into an explanation. "Most people cultivate with spiritual energy. And those with innate spiritual eyes are even better suited for it. But your spiritual eyes are unusual—they align with dark energy instead. The external spiritual energy might be helpful to you, but it's nowhere near as effective as the dark energy you've already started cultivating.

"Let's face it—you're stuck on the path of demonic cultivation. Draining him is no fun. Once he's used up, that's it. But with our Abyss of Ten Thousand Evils, as long as there are enough ghosts, we have an endless supply! Isn't that better, my spiritual-eye brother?"

Within the dantian, all was silent. The spiritual-eye totem continued its slow cycle of channeling dark energy, giving no reaction.

The ink beast, failing to rally support, persisted with its persuasion, worried that its host might be swayed by the cursed sword cultivator and jeopardize its grand plan to revive the Abyss of Ten Thousand Evils.

Su Yu flexed his fingers slightly. Though his memory was blank and he had never held a sword before, he possessed a keen intuition.

For a sword cultivator who had practiced for years, why were his fingertips as sharp as the claws of a spirit beast?