Immortal Martial Emperor

Time ticked by.

Ten days had passed since Hong Yu left the Cyan Nether Sword Sect. During that time, Bai Yunfeng had gone to Elder Zhu’s residence more than once to ask about Hong Yu’s whereabouts.

As time went on, his sense of unease grew.

It wasn’t just that Hong Yu was missing; there was no news of his sister, Yun Mengyao, either.

This filled Bai Yunfeng with a deep sense of foreboding.

But no matter how he asked, Elder Zhu flatly denied everything. Her status was quite special; she was the type of person who could put on airs even in the Sect Leader’s presence. Moreover, Bai Yunfeng himself greatly admired Elder Zhu’s research on special physiques, and he was worried about Yun Mengyao’s condition.

He was unwilling to press her too hard, fearing that he might anger Elder Zhu and delay Yun Mengyao’s treatment.

With no other choice, Bai Yunfeng could only ask a few disciples he knew to help look for news about Hong Yu.

As for himself, after taking the Dark Blue Calming Pill from Hong Yu, he experienced a breakthrough in his Martial Dao, which had been stagnant for years, and entered a state of deep seclusion.

After learning that Bai Yunfeng had entered seclusion, Elder Zhu and Elder Luo used their connections with the Heaven and Earth Alliance to get in touch with the disciples Bai Yunfeng had spoken to. They warned them not to mention Hong Yu to anyone.

They did this as part of a plan to contain the situation, fearing that someone unaware of the circumstances would leak the news that Hong Yu and Elder Luo had left the Cyan Nether Sword Sect one after another.

Of course, since they were certain Hong Yu was already dead, Elder Luo and Elder Zhu didn’t make too many other arrangements.

Besides, today was the auspicious day for sacrificially refining Yun Mengyao and creating the Beauty Pill.

The two of them were already in the underground laboratory within Elder Zhu’s mansion early in the morning.

"Apprentice, clean up all these dead test subjects," Elder Zhu said indifferently.

Throughout the underground laboratory, inside cage after cage, numerous test subjects with special physiques had died tragically under inhumane experimentation.

Hong Lingtong was long used to this. He nodded. "Understood!"

With a flick of his finger, a black torrent flowed from his sleeve, landing on the ground like a viscous blob of black oil.

"BUZZZ!"

This black mass was actually thousands of Corpse Rotting Insects.

The Corpse Rotting Insects wriggled rapidly, infiltrating one cell after another. The special-physique individuals inside, whether already dead or on the verge of death from severe injuries, were all reduced to nothing under the insects’ sweep.

"N-No, don’t... Please, don’t kill me! My hands are gone, you can study my hands, just please don’t let them eat me..."

A young man with no hands watched as the Corpse Rotting Insects devoured the lower half of his body, and he let out a scream of terror and despair.

To stay alive, a person can abandon many things.

This young man had already lost his hands. Now, facing death, he begged to trade his legs for just a few more days of life.

But the Corpse Rotting Insects gave him no chance. A SCRAPING sound drowned out his agonizing screams, and not even his bones were left behind.

The Corpse Rotting Insects were like the most professional of cleaners, leaving nothing behind wherever they passed.

After cleaning up a good thirty to fifty people, the Corpse Rotting Insects returned to Hong Lingtong. The eyes under his cloak glowed with a faint green light as he bowed respectfully to Elder Zhu. "Master, the trash has been taken care of!"

"Very good!"

Elder Zhu nodded, then instructed, "I am about to begin refining the Beauty Pill. This is a matter of great importance, so you will stand guard outside. Do not let anyone near this place!"

"Understood!"

Hong Lingtong turned and left.

Only then did Elder Zhu turn to Elder Luo. "Go and bring that little girl over."

"Gyeheheh, the moment has finally come!"

With Elder Zhu’s dedicated treatment, Elder Luo’s injuries had mostly recovered. After all, Elder Zhu’s passionate research was focused on the youth-preserving effects of special physiques.

Her work included unique techniques for skin regeneration and repair. At this moment, aside from having no hair, Elder Luo looked no different than usual.

However...

Suffering such a great loss at Hong Yu’s hands that day had changed Elder Luo’s mentality somewhat.

His crimson tongue licked the corner of his lips, a vicious curve forming on his mouth. "That little girl is quite delicate and pretty. A pity she’s about to become a Beauty Pill. Tsk tsk, what a shame!"

He returned quickly.

For the past several days, Elder Zhu had been constantly feeding Yun Mengyao nourishing medicines, and her body had grown much stronger.

But due to Elder Zhu’s deliberate actions, she remained drowsy and dazed all day long.

She wasn’t even fully awake when Elder Luo dragged her to the underground operating table. With dazed eyes, she asked blankly, "E-Elder Zhu... w-where is this? Wh-where’s my brother?"

"This is my laboratory. As for your brother..."

Elder Zhu was speaking when Elder Luo’s cold voice cut her off. "Your brother? Gyeheheh, you mean that brat Hong Yu, little girl? Let me tell you—your brother is dead! Dead! Hahahaha..."

"What?"

A jolt shot through Yun Mengyao’s body, and her dazed eyes suddenly cleared. With a WHOOSH, she shot up into a sitting position and glared at Elder Luo. "Y-You’re lying! How could my brother die? My brother can’t be dead! H-He promised he would come back. He can’t be dead!"

"Gyeheheh, I saw your brother die with my own eyes. He fell from a bottomless cliff. Forget him, even a Primordial Core Realm expert would fall to their death from there," Elder Luo said sinisterly.

Yun Mengyao shook her head desperately. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! My brother wouldn’t die! He wouldn’t abandon me and die..."

Seeing Yun Mengyao’s pained expression, the smile on Elder Luo’s face grew even more smug. "I forgot to tell you... as your brother jumped off the cliff to his death, he was still shouting your name! Ah, such moving brother-sister affection. It’s just a shame that the brother fell to his death and was shattered to pieces, and now his little sister is about to die too!"

"You’re lying to me! My brother can’t be dead..."

With reddened eyes, Yun Mengyao stubbornly raised her head. She bit her lip and stared fixedly at Elder Luo. Though she looked heartbreakingly pitiful, her words and expression were resolutely firm.

Elder Luo was taken aback for a moment, then flew into a rage. "It’s that look! Fucking Hong Yu had that same damn look! Motherfucker, close your eyes! Close your fucking eyes for me, or I’ll kill you..."

Looking completely crazed, Elder Luo grabbed Yun Mengyao by the neck and lifted her into the air.

Yun Mengyao’s face turned red as she suffocated, her arms and legs struggling nonstop, but her reddened eyes remained fixed on Elder Luo.

Staring into that pair of dark eyes, Elder Luo felt waves of fear rising in his heart.

The moment he saw those eyes, he couldn’t help but think of Hong Yu.

’Back then, Hong Yu had also looked at me with that same gaze...’

"Close your eyes! Close your fucking eyes! Close them, you hear me..." Elder Luo roared hysterically. "If you don’t close them, I’ll kill you!"

Yun Mengyao’s voice was extremely hoarse. "My... my brother... He... he’s... not... dead..."

"He’s dead! I said he’s already dead!"

"No... he’s not dead!"

"Dead..."

"No... no... he’s not..."

Yun Mengyao was on the verge of suffocating to death, her consciousness fading into a blur, but she still held fast to the belief in her heart.

’In her young and pure heart, her brother would never lie to her. Her brother had never let her down. Her brother would never abandon her!’

She still insisted on believing in Hong Yu.

Even when facing the threat of death, she still believed with unwavering conviction, "My brother... is not dead!"

"You... you... I’ll kill you!"

Elder Luo’s face twisted grotesquely. He abruptly raised his left hand, which glowed with a dark energy, intending to completely crush Yun Mengyao.

"That’s enough."

Elder Zhu suddenly let out a low shout. With a wave of her hand, she neutralized Elder Luo’s attack and snatched the nearly suffocated Yun Mengyao from his grasp. She glared at him and snapped, "Calm down! The Beauty Pill will have the best effect only if she is alive during the refining. I have waited thirty years for this Extreme Yin Ice Soul Body. No one is allowed to ruin this for me."

"You..."

Elder Luo’s expression changed. He opened his mouth, but in the end, just snorted coldly. "Then hurry up and do it. I don’t want to see this damn brat for another second."

Yun Mengyao finally caught her breath. Biting her lip, she said stubbornly, "My brother is not dead!"

Elder Luo’s cheek twitched. "..."

Elder Zhu frowned. ’Even the sister has such a personality. If Hong Yu knew I was going to refine his sister into a pill, what would happen? But it’s fine...’ She secretly breathed a sigh of relief. ’That brat is already dead. Otherwise, he would have definitely caused me a lot of trouble!’

"Enough nonsense. Hurry up and start."

Elder Luo frowned. For some reason, the unease in his heart was growing stronger. On a strange impulse, he added, "Let’s not risk any complications from delays."

"Complications from delays? That brat is already dead. What are you worried about?" Elder Zhu said irritably.

Elder Luo’s expression darkened slightly.

’Even he himself couldn’t understand why he had suddenly said such a thing.’

’Logically, since Hong Yu was dead, he should have nothing to worry about!’

Although Elder Zhu said that, her hands didn’t pause in the slightest.

She struck the air, forming a Seal Technique. Ancient and obscure Hand Seals shot forth, one after another, landing in the center of the laboratory. With a RUMBLE, the floor split in two, and a square opening five meters wide appeared. A square Pill Cauldron slowly rose from below.

"CLANG!"

The square Pill Cauldron landed with a loud, clear impact.

"By my power, I summon the Earth Fire for my use!" Elder Zhu’s Seal Technique changed again.

"WHOOM!"

A scorching flame suddenly erupted from below, engulfing the entire Pill Cauldron.

Elder Zhu grinned. Gazing at the bound Yun Mengyao, her eyes filled with greed and fervor. "The Beauty Pill... I’ll soon be able to refine the Beauty Pill! Then, I’ll have eternal youth, a face that won’t change even in death! Gyeheheh, look at this skin, so smooth and tender. Soon, it will all be mine... all mine..."

At that moment, Elder Luo grew surprisingly calm. He frowned slightly, his profound gaze directed at the floor, flickering with uncertainty.

「At the same time!」

Outside the Mountain Gate of the Cyan Nether Sword Sect, the figure of a young man slowly appeared.

His cold eyes swept over the towering Mountain Gate. He took a deep breath, and his quiet voice carried an unbreakable resolve...

"Yaoyao, I will save you. Anyone who dares to stop me, I will kill!"