Chapter 80: The Strange Behavior of Chu Huaizhou

Knowing Cheng Qingning’s tactics and trump cards from their time together, Xu Liangcai saw her current vulnerability—her cultivation sealed, at her weakest.

Now was the perfect moment to make her pay for “betraying” him, wasting his efforts and time, and dragging him to this deadly place.

He’d make her suffer the worst price for her actions.

Despair, fear, and the certainty of death, fueled by the chilling demonic aura, transformed into venomous hatred for Cheng Qingning.

The last shred of clarity in his eyes vanished, consumed by a crazed green glint. Taking a deep breath, he forced his expression to calm.

He slowly approached Cheng Qingning, who was seated, channeling a secret art to break her seal.

“Junior Brother Xu? What’s wrong? Don’t worry, I brought you here, and I won’t let anything happen to you before I…”

Cheng Qingning assumed Xu Liangcai was unnerved by the eerie environment and zombie-like captives, seeking comfort like she did with Ye Feng.

She never suspected otherwise.

Though Xu Liangcai had his petty schemes, he’d always been courteous, knowing when to act appropriately.

But without a word, he lunged, hands aiming viciously at her black-and-white gold-threaded robe, tearing with ferocious force.

Rip!

The sound of tearing fabric echoed loudly in the stone chamber.

Cheng Qingning felt a chill across her chest, the robe splitting to reveal her thin undergarment and pale arm.

“Aaah!”

Without control over her spiritual energy, her physical strength, though greater than a mortal woman’s due to spiritual tempering, was no match for a late Foundation Establishment cultivator with spiritual amplification.

The sudden, humiliating assault left her mind blank—shock, shame, and disbelief overwhelming her.

She knew of Xu Liangcai’s feelings, as many in the sect had expressed interest in her as a Dao companion.

But she’d always viewed emotions as a cultivator’s taboo, rejecting all advances and keeping only basic friendships.

She couldn’t fathom that the usually respectful, even fawning Junior Brother Xu would shed all pretense in an instant, revealing such a vile, unfamiliar face.

Instinctively, she shut her eyes, clutching the torn robe, desperately pulling back against his force—futilely.

But the tearing stopped, her body suddenly lightening.

A warm robe fell over her, covering her exposed clothing.

A crisp sound of dislocating bones and a stifled groan followed.

Her heart raced, eyelashes trembling as she opened tear-filled eyes.

Unexpectedly, Ye Yichen—Chu Huaizhou—stood before her like a towering mountain, blocking the deranged Xu Liangcai.

Despite his facade, Chu held early Nascent Soul cultivation.

The moment Xu Liangcai’s eyes turned malicious, Chu sensed his intent.

Though he hadn’t fully anticipated such a despicable act, his body reacted faster than his thoughts.

In a flash, he stood before Cheng Qingning, dispelling the oppressive force and stopping Xu Liangcai.

Xu felt a blur, his hands—capable of tearing metal—now clamped by a slender, steely hand like a vice.

No matter how he struggled, even dislocating his elbow, he couldn’t budge.

His crazed expression turned to disbelief and shock.

“Impossible! This isn’t right! I’m at late Foundation Establishment—how can a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator restrain me with one hand?”

“He… is he really just mid-Foundation Establishment?”

“Impossible! You must’ve taken some pill! How else could you overpower me?”

Xu Liangcai’s mind collapsed into chaos.

Too consumed by rage to dwell on the bizarre strength gap, he convinced himself Chu used a secret art or temporary power-boosting pill.

If he used spells seriously, Ye Feng would be nothing but roadside grass.

Restrained briefly, his eyes bulged with fury, roaring at Chu.

“Get out of my way! This isn’t your business! Scram, or I’ll deal with you too!”

His venomous gaze locked on Cheng Qingning, pale and draped in Chu’s Tianyuan Sword Sect robe, as if to tear her apart with his eyes.

“I’ll make that wretch pay!”

His voice shrill, each word dripped with hatred, as if expecting Chu to step aside.

Chu sighed—Xu was beyond saving, his mind corrupted by demonic aura, oblivious to reality.

“Brother Xu, are you okay? Brain flooded? To do something like this?”

With a slight flex of his arm, Chu twisted Xu’s arms and shoved, sending him crashing to the ground.

“Argh!”

Xu collapsed, his dislocated arms useless, pain forcing a cry as he lay helpless.

Chu looked at him coldly, feeling no pity for this textbook villain.

“Idiot.”

“Meow!”

“Slap him hard to wake him up.”

“Got it, meow!”

Bai Li leaped from Chu’s shoulder, landing elegantly on Xu Liangcai, conjuring spiritual palms to slap his face.

Slap, slap, slap—

Xu’s cheeks swelled red, nose flushed—whether from the slaps or humiliation.

He tried channeling spiritual energy for a spell to punish the fox and the pair, but it stalled, blocked by an unseen force.

Cheng Qingning sat slumped, hair disheveled, pitiable—not the valiant figure who fought golems aboveground, but a delicate maiden.

The demonic sect’s chilling aura had drawn out her vulnerability, terrifyingly so.

Clutching Chu’s sword robe with one hand, she held his arm with the other, cheeks faintly flushed.

“Thank you, Brother Ye… You’ve helped me so much. I have no way to repay you.”