Chapter 3: Bu Xiwei

For those who cultivated immortality, intuition and premonition were never trivial matters.

Yu Xiu was naturally meticulous and would never casually ignore such signs.

The layout of Qingshui Village was not complex. At the foot of the mountain, by a stream, lay a flat valley with twenty to thirty thatched houses. The only slightly peculiar feature was a small temple at the end of the village.

Yu Xiu’s gaze finally settled there.

…Something is amiss.

Her natal spiritual sword, Peize, sensed its master’s intent and prepared to fly toward the temple. However, Yu Xiu didn’t rush to investigate. After confirming there were no immediate threats nearby, she first descended gracefully in front of the three Five Elements Sect disciples.

The two who had been speaking earlier weren’t seriously injured, but the third—who remained unconscious—was in critical condition.

Sheathing Peize, Yu Xiu flipped her hand and retrieved a pill from her storage hairpin, handing it to the stout young man.

“This junior brother’s injuries are quite severe,” she said, glancing at the unconscious disciple slung over his shoulder. “Have him take this Qi Replenishing Pill.”

The Qi Replenishing Pill was one of the most common types of medicine in the cultivation world. It helped cultivate one’s foundation, replenish qi, and benefit the spirit. It was widely used by cultivators to restore stamina and nourish their meridians.

However, the pill in Yu Xiu’s palm was milky white, lustrous, and full—clearly a high-quality treasure. A pill of this grade could easily be worth thirty ordinary ones, and was extremely rare on the market. Only a major sect like the Five Elements Sect would use such pills to reward outstanding disciples.

It was perfectly suited to stabilize the unconscious disciple’s condition and provide some healing.

The red-ribboned girl stared wide-eyed.

This wasn’t the first time she had seen such a precious pill.

She remembered clearly—three years ago, when she had just joined the Five Elements Sect and become an outer disciple of Tianshuang Peak—she had seen a senior brother showing off the reward he’d received from the sect: a Qi Replenishing Pill exactly like this one.

At the time, the other disciples had crowded around him with envy, murmuring that these pills were usually monopolized by the higher peaks. For someone from Tianshuang Peak, the lowest-ranked of the Five Elements Sect, to receive one was an extremely rare honor.

And now, this Qi Replenishing Pill—capable of stirring envy across all of Tianshuang Peak—had been given to them so casually by Yu Xiu.

For a moment, she didn’t know what to marvel at first: how Head Senior Sister was truly a heaven-blessed genius who could produce such a pill so easily… or how kind and generous she was, to give it away without hesitation.

The stout young man’s eyes also widened—but his attention was not on the pill.

Compared to the pill’s radiant glow, the hand holding it was even more striking.

The delicate fairness, the soft luster of her skin—it made even the pill look plain.

He raised his head dazedly, only to be further stunned by Yu Xiu’s face, which seemed carved by the hands of a divine artisan.

Only one thought remained in his mind:

Head Senior Sister is truly the number one beauty of the Five Elements Sect! Worthy of the title!

The red-ribboned girl snapped out of her awe and, seeing the stout young man staring so rudely, quickly slapped him on the back.

Then, flustered and filled with gratitude, she accepted the pill from Yu Xiu with both hands, stammering out apologies and thanks.

Yu Xiu paid them no mind.

She simply reminded them gently, “About thirty li to the northwest, there’s a moderately prosperous town. Head there quickly and treat your wounds.”

The unconscious disciple, even after taking the pill, still needed a doctor. And the two still-energetic ones had many external injuries.

Yu Xiu wasn’t a medical cultivator—and she had more important matters to tend to.

Saving their lives was enough.

Though they were from the same sect, the cultivation world was dangerous, and hiding too long under another’s protection wasn’t good for young cultivators’ growth.

Just as she turned and began walking toward the southeast, the red-ribboned girl suddenly spoke up.

“H-Head Senior Sister! Are you going to that ruined temple over there?”

She pointed nervously. “That’s where the two evil cultivators were staying earlier. There might be dangerous things left behind. Please be careful!”

Yu Xiu’s steps paused slightly.

Two low-level evil cultivators who couldn’t withstand even one of her strikes posed no threat to a Half-step Golden Core like her.

But the girl’s kind intentions were appreciated.

Yu Xiu turned her head slightly, gave a faint smile, and said softly, “Mm.”

The red-ribboned girl: “!!!”

Heavens! How can Head Senior Sister be so gentle… and so beautiful?!

The three disciples of Tianshuang Peak helped one another and departed from Qingshui Village.

Yu Xiu, meanwhile, arrived at the entrance of the small temple at the village’s end.

Just as the red-ribboned girl had said, the temple was in terrible disrepair.

The four straw-and-earth walls were riddled with holes. Half the thatched roof had collapsed. The floor was a mess—scattered with bone-crafted magic artifacts belonging to the evil cultivators, along with several bags of dried meat.

Yu Xiu’s gaze lingered on the dried meat for a moment. Then, with a flick of her fingers, a red flame ignited, consuming the meat and the evil cultivators’ belongings in one clean sweep.

After clearing the site, Yu Xiu turned her attention to the temple’s core.

On a rickety altar stood a row of divine statues.

It seemed the villagers of Qingshui had once worshipped any deity that might offer protection.

Unfortunately, all the statues were damaged—missing heads or limbs—making it impossible to identify most of them.

The only one relatively intact was of a kind-looking old man, holding a half-broken, rope-like object in one hand and a book in the other. His face bore a benevolent expression.

Yu Xiu recognized it immediately: Yue Lao, the God of Marriage, who held the red thread of fate and the Book of Marriages.

She frowned slightly.

Perhaps because she had lived two lives, her divine sense had always been much stronger than cultivators at her level.

But even after a close sweep, she found nothing of note inside, outside, or beneath the temple.

Still… she had clearly sensed something off before.

After some thought, Yu Xiu decided to switch tactics.

Since divine sense isn’t working… I’ll rely on my own eyes.

Starting from the late stage of Qi Refinement, cultivators could develop their divine sense—a far more convenient and comprehensive perception than ordinary sight. Most came to rely on it entirely.

But Yu Xiu had always been meticulous.

Even after cultivating her divine sense, she made a point to compare both methods. She’d found that some objects lacking spiritual energy still looked subtly different when viewed by the naked eye.

Sure enough, this time, she spotted something.

At the back of Yue Lao’s statue, on the base, was a tiny, hidden notch. Inside was a roll of old, yellowed paper.

She unrolled it.

The ink had faded heavily, and only a few characters remained legible: “Four hundred li south, Your Highness…”

Yu Xiu lowered her lashes.

There were clearly more characters following “Your Highness,” but they had long since faded.

Still, she could make a reasonable guess—four hundred li south, there were likely traces of stronger evil cultivators, ones far beyond the two she’d just slain.

There was no spiritual power on the note. It appeared to be the work of a mortal, and might even be a joke or a trap.

But… it was the only clue she had.

She prepared to investigate.

A distance of four hundred li took Yu Xiu less than half an hour on her flying sword.

The small stream from Qingshui Village had grown into a large river here, winding through steep and towering peaks.

Yu Xiu stood atop a peak, gazing down at the turbulent river below. Her brow furrowed slightly as doubt crept into her mind.

…Could that piece of paper have just been something a mortal scribbled down at random?

She hesitated, wondering whether she should simply turn back. But before she could decide, her divine sense suddenly caught a faint trace of an evil cultivator’s aura.

If it had been any ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator—or even a typical Golden Core cultivator—they likely wouldn’t have sensed it at all.

But Yu Xiu could.

Her eyes sharpened.

From her storage hairpin, she retrieved a small mask and put it on. In an instant, her presence seemed to vanish completely.

This mask was a high-grade spiritual artifact—one she had spent a hefty sum of contribution points to exchange for at the Jinsi Peak Treasure Pavilion of the Five Elements Sect.

Cultivators below the Soul Formation realm, even Nascent Soul grandmasters, would be unable to pierce its disguise.

The cultivation realm divisions in the Five Elements Immortal Domain were not overly complex. From lowest to highest, they were: Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Soul Formation. Each realm was further divided into early, middle, late, and peak stages.

Qi Refinement was the most widespread and accessible stage—where the vast majority of cultivators remained trapped their entire lives.

Foundation Establishment cultivators were already considered influential. Golden Core cultivators were undeniably powerful and qualified to serve as elders in the Five Elements Sect.

Nascent Soul grandmasters stood at the apex of major factions, rarely revealing themselves.

And as for Soul Formation cultivators—those were the true apex beings of this world.

Yu Xiu wasn’t entirely familiar with the exact lore of the Five Elements Immortal Domain, so she had no way of knowing how many Soul Formation experts actually existed. Based on her intelligence as the Head Senior Sister of the Five Elements Sect, she only knew of four.

One of them was the infamous Demon Lord Bu Xiwei, who had broken through to the mid-Soul Formation stage a hundred years ago—firmly securing her place as the foremost figure of the demonic path.

While cloaked in invisibility, Yu Xiu followed the faint aura to a concealed cave partway down the mountainside.

The moment she approached, the stench of blood grew thick in the air. The aura of the evil cultivator inside also intensified—wild, erratic, and unmistakably strong.

Yu Xiu’s expression tensed. There was a heavily injured evil cultivator inside… and his cultivation was higher than hers.

She had already reached the peak of Foundation Establishment. A cultivator more powerful than her would be, at minimum, Golden Core.

And a Golden Core evil cultivator?

They could level cities and kingdoms in the mortal world with ease. Even minor sects and noble cultivation families would be powerless before them.

Yu Xiu’s face grew grim.

As long as they’re not in the late Golden Core stage, I should be able to hold my ground… she reasoned.

However, evil cultivators typically had greater combat power than their righteous counterparts of the same rank. And this one was too unstable—his injuries made his exact realm unreadable.

Still, with wounds that serious, he’s unlikely to go on a rampage anytime soon. The safest thing to do is report back to the sect immediately…

Yu Xiu began to carefully retreat.

But at that moment, a crushing spiritual pressure descended upon the cave entrance—a chilling and utterly domineering force that seemed to freeze the air itself.

Someone had arrived.

Another evil cultivator—and this one didn’t bother to conceal her terrifying aura.

The pressure struck Yu Xiu like a hammer. She staggered backward, barely suppressing the blood that threatened to rise in her throat.

This spiritual power… could it be—?!

Like shattering ice, a woman’s figure appeared before her eyes. Slender and graceful, the newcomer radiated an icy coldness that felt almost physical.

She wore a signature ultramarine dress. Her jet-black hair flowed to her waist, adorned with a blue-gold enamel peony hairpin. On either side of her head, three golden hairpins fanned out like rays of divine light—making her look like a celestial Bodhisattva crowned in radiance.

Yet her face was utterly breathtaking. Peach blossom eyes, cherry lips—so beautiful that not even the lavish ornaments could outshine her features.

Her expression was as cold and distant as a ten-thousand-foot abyss, yet an inescapable allure clung to her presence.

Yu Xiu’s pupils contracted sharply.

…It really is—Bu Xiwei!