Chapter 83: Carving a Bloody Path

“Ow!”

Cheng Qingning watched as Chu Huaizhou, recovering from Xia Baiqian’s gu attack, awkwardly explained his strange behavior to her.

Suddenly, he sneezed uncontrollably!

Rubbing his nose, he found it odd—how could an early Nascent Soul cultivator like him sneeze?

Was someone thinking ill of him, triggering his body’s instincts?

Whatever, no big deal. My disciples and fox are here to protect me.

With them around, who could touch me?

Xia Baiqian, seeing Chu return to normal, was about to respond to Cheng Qingning’s concern when she noticed sweat beading unnaturally on his forehead, likely a lingering effect.

Cheng Qingning reached into her robe, pulling a pale cyan handkerchief embroidered with copper coins from an inner pocket. With lowered eyes and a refined air, she offered it.

“Brother Ye, you’re sweating. If you don’t mind… use this.”

Xu Liangcai, just slapped awake by Bai Li, his vision cleared of gu influence, saw this.

Cheng Qingning’s shy demeanor, so unlike her usual valiant self, and the intimate handkerchief stunned him.

He’d often teased her about using it, only to be met with a rare stern look:

“This is the only keepsake my mother left me before passing. I won’t let anyone sully it.”

Whoosh, whoosh.

Xu Liangcai’s soul dimmed.

The demonic aura and relentless blows overwhelmed his spirit. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.

His last thought: Who… who turned my Senior Sister into this?

“That pair of dogs! I’ll never let them off!!”

Xia Baiqian glanced sidelong at herself—wait, at her gu-crafted illusion in the Hundred Gu Refining Immortal Cauldron, now critically damaged.

Seeing Cheng Qingning’s concern for Chu subside, entering a “sage mode” of calm, Xia’s tolerance rose, and she sighed in relief.

“No need, Daoist Cheng…”

Cheng Qingning: “Please, call me Qingning.”

“Daoist Cheng, I can’t accept your handkerchief. If others saw, they’d gossip.”

Chu, having just dealt with Xu Liangcai, sauntered off with a cheeky swagger.

He scooped up Bai Li, using her fluffy tails as a makeshift handkerchief to wipe his face and forehead.

Bai Li: “Hey, what are you doing?! That’s gross!”

Though she protested, her tails wagged dramatically, and her short legs didn’t struggle—she clearly didn’t want to leave his arms.

Cheng Qingning, noting Chu didn’t call her “Qingning,” felt a pang of disappointment.

Seeing Bai Li’s tsundere antics, Chu couldn’t help but smirk.

Suddenly, a chilling voice echoed from afar, filling the space.

“Jie jie jie, the numbers are sufficient. We can begin refining the sect!”

Chu and the others froze: What?!

Didn’t Elder Zhao say they needed more people?

Why were they ready so soon? Had Chu’s disguise slipped, revealing his true identity?

It was possible. Chu hadn’t expected to see those in the Youming Sect.

With two Ascension-stage allies, two eighth-grade pills, and his mastery of the “Dao” tied to the Heavenly Dao, he thought he could handle an early Ascension demonic cultivator.

Most couldn’t even recall his face unless he allowed it, and any demonic cultivator who could was unlikely a mere gatekeeper here.

Thus, Chu only tweaked his appearance slightly, lowering his cultivation to hide his true strength. Familiar allies could still recognize him.

Chu’s smile faded, tightening his hold on Bai Li.

Sensing the moment, Bai Li nestled closer, feigning fear with a shiver, her tails hooking his arms, her small paw subtly shielding Cheng Qingning behind him.

At an unseen angle, she tugged her collar, her neck flushing red as if caught doing something naughty.

Trying to sound composed, she said:

“Brother… Brother Ye, my cultivation just recovered, so don’t worry. I’ll protect you all.”

“You all” included the unconscious Xu Liangcai, though Cheng Qingning wasn’t so kind as to care for him.

She saw his talent and youth, thinking it better to bring him back to the sect for punishment and contribution than let him die here.

“Please… lend me a hand.”

Xia Baiqian didn’t flinch, her heart steady. Her emotional spikes were less about Chu talking to “that bad woman” now.

Chu scanned the surroundings. The Golden Core demonic cultivators, previously still in their pitted seats, opened their eyes.

They chanted in unison, green patterns snaking beneath them, coiling like vipers along the rock walls, weaving into a massive evil array at the pit’s base!

Chu’s gaze sharpened, sensing green snake shadows lunging from all directions, as if to drain his blood.

“Not good… they’re starting the sacrificial refining!”

With the Mysterious Sky Clarity Jade Edict heart technique, he shifted it from passive to active, a faint white halo enveloping him, repelling the shadows.

The captives stirred.

“Brothers! It’s our final stand! We’re dead either way—let’s fight!”

A booming voice rang out. Chu’s eyes locked onto a ragged yet fierce middle-aged man.

He smashed the ground, dust exploding!

“Let these demonic cultivators see that even weak mortals dare to bite back!”

With a mad laugh, he pulled a thick stack of papers from his robes, spiritual energy erupting as they scattered like snowflakes!

Chu looked around. Half the captives regained their spark, shedding their lifeless demeanor.

As if pre-planned, no paper touched the ground. They unleashed their techniques, charging upward.

“Kill—!”

Hundreds roared, storming the rock walls with spiritual energy, brute force, even teeth and nails as weapons, fighting to the death.

Were their defeated looks just a ruse for this rebellion?

Chu was stunned, yet sighed inwardly. How is this different from moths to a flame? They’re just throwing themselves away.

What to do… hope the commotion draws rescuers?