Chapter 616: Attendance Slot (II)
The jade ruler struck Lin Zheyu's forehead, yet it passed straight through him as though he were an illusion.
Lin Zheyu's figure slowly materialized to the man's left. Smiling faintly, he looked at the middle-aged cultivator and said calmly, "I am Xiao Zhe. Greetings, Fellow Friend. May I ask how I should address you?"
After bringing the third stage of the Earth Shrinking Technique to Perfection, Lin Zheyu's mastery over spatial laws had become increasingly refined. Combined with the concealment abilities of the Heaven-Deceiving Art, there were very few cultivators below the Nascent Soul realm capable of detecting his whereabouts.
The middle-aged cultivator before him was only around the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm and lacked any particularly powerful spiritual perception. If Lin Zheyu had not revealed himself voluntarily, the man would never have noticed him at all.
"So it's Fellow Xiao. I am Xu Chi of the Hidden Moon Sect. Greetings, Fellow Xiao. I've heard Fellow Wu Di mention you before. Now that I've met you in person, your strength truly lives up to the praise," the middle-aged cultivator in green robes said with a smile as he cupped his fists.
Yet deep within his eyes flashed a trace of solemnity.
What terrifying speed! What incredible concealment!
If the other party had intended him harm just now, Xu Chi was certain he would have had almost no chance of avoiding it.
Xiao Zhe? Senior Xiao? Is that senior's real name?
The thought crossed the minds of both Wu Di and the eerie woman, though neither dared question it.
"Greetings, Senior Xiao!"
"Greetings, Senior!"
Wu Di and the eerie woman quickly rose to their feet and bowed respectfully. The display Lin Zheyu had just revealed had thoroughly shocked them. Such ghostly, unpredictable movement was simply too bizarre and astonishing.
"Mhm." Lin Zheyu nodded to the two of them before turning his attention to Xu Chi. This trip had been made specifically for him.
"Greetings, Fellow Xu. I heard that you possess a recommendation slot for the Heavenly Derivation Sect's formation exchange conference. May I ask what conditions would persuade you to part with it?" Lin Zheyu asked with a cupped-fist salute.
Wu Di's message had been rather vague. After learning of Lin Zheyu's identity as a demonic cultivator, this Hidden Moon Sect cultivator named Xu Chi had agreed to meet him. However, whenever the topic of the exchange conditions arose, Xu Chi had refused to discuss them, insisting on meeting in person first.
"I've heard that you are a demonic cultivator. May I ask what realm you've reached?" Xu Chi asked calmly, a flicker passing through his eyes.
His tone, however, was quite serious and even carried a trace of respect. In the cultivation world, strength commanded respect. Powerful experts naturally earned deference. That was precisely why Lin Zheyu had revealed a bit of his ability upon arriving.
"Indeed, I am a demonic cultivator. As for my cultivation level, you may regard me as being at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm," Lin Zheyu replied with a faint smile.
In terms of combat strength, after mastering the third stage of the Earth Shrinking Technique and the ultimate strike of the Seven Absolute Sabers, Gods and Demons Extinguished, he was confident he could contend even against a peak Golden Core realm cultivator.
"Oh? Would you allow me to witness it for myself?" Xu Chi asked softly, his expression shifting slightly.
"Why not?" Lin Zheyu replied casually.
With a thought, the yao flesh energy stored within his storage pouch surged forth and flowed into his body. The golden divine patterns instantly transformed into deep purple-black as the yao energy poured in. An evil, corrupt, and terrifying aura spread from Lin Zheyu's body. Violet-black scales emerged one after another, covering his right arm. His arm gradually swelled and expanded, becoming as thick and imposing as the limb of a yao itself.
"Make your move," Lin Zheyu said calmly.
"Then forgive my offense." Sensing the terrifying aura emanating from Lin Zheyu, a trace of delight flashed through Xu Chi's eyes. He truly was a demonic cultivator.
Such pure yao energy could not be faked. Ordinary cultivators, including martial artists and Shamanic cultivators, would never dare allow demonic qi to infiltrate their bodies so deeply.
"Go!" Xu Chi shouted softly.
The jade ruler, more than three meters long in his hand, transformed into a streak of dim light and shot toward Lin Zheyu.
This jade ruler was Xu Chi's natal treasure, known as the God-Extinguishing Ruler. Anyone struck by it would suffer simultaneous attacks against both body and soul, making it extraordinarily powerful.
Facing the incoming attack, Lin Zheyu remained standing calmly where he was, a faint smile on his lips. He neither dodged nor retreated. Instead, he clenched the fist of his purple-black scaled right arm and punched directly toward the jade ruler.
The God-Extinguishing Ruler collided repeatedly with Lin Zheyu's fist, producing an endless series of clear metallic impacts. As the natal treasure of a mid-stage Golden Core realm cultivator, the God-Extinguishing Ruler had been refined by Xu Chi to an extraordinary degree. Its movements were so fast that Wu Di and the eerie woman could only vaguely make out fleeting afterimages.
So this is the true power of Golden Core realm experts? The gap is actually this vast? I can't even follow the trajectory of the dharma treasure! Wu Di was inwardly horrified.
His talent and resources had always been limited. He had only managed to attain the False Core realm through the aid of a Thousand-Year Purple Infant Fruit. Originally, Wu Di had been fairly satisfied with his current strength. Although a False Core was not a true Golden Core, it was close enough for him to take some pride in it.
Yet after witnessing the power of the two seniors before him, a deep sense of disappointment welled up within him. A False Core was still a False Core in the end.
The sounds of collision echoed throughout the hall. The energy ripples generated by the battle forced Wu Di and the eerie woman to retreat repeatedly until they had completely withdrawn from the hall.
From beginning to end, Lin Zheyu remained utterly composed. It was as though he were merely a spectator rather than one of the combatants. Xu Chi, on the other hand, had sweat covering his forehead. Yet the excitement in his eyes only grew stronger and stronger.
Dharma treasures that specialize in attacking the divine sense were the bane of demonic cultivators. Yet Xiao Zhe not only refused to dodge the God-Extinguishing Ruler, but he also took its attacks head-on, completely unaffected. His soul hasn't suffered the slightest impact. He truly possessed a method for suppressing the yao will! Xu Chi's heart raced with excitement, and his eyes shone brightly.
With a thought, Xu Chi recalled the God-Extinguishing Ruler. It flew back into his hand with a sharp whistle. Lin Zheyu lowered his fist. The scales on his arm vanished in an instant, and the abyss-like aura surrounding him dissipated completely. He smiled faintly at Xu Chi, looking no different from an ordinary mortal who had never cultivated a day in his life, with not a trace of aura escaping from him.
"Fellow Xiao's strength is truly remarkable! As far as I know, every cultivator who practices demonic arts suffers from interference from the yao will and must regularly enter seclusion to suppress it. Yet Fellow Xiao seems entirely free of such troubles. Might I ask what method you use to suppress the yao will?" Xu Chi struggled to contain his excitement as he hurriedly asked the question.
He also seemed aware that probing into another person's secrets so directly was rather presumptuous. Xu Chi quickly added, "If you are willing to share the method you use to suppress the yao will, I am willing to exchange my Heavenly Derivation Sect recommendation slot for it."
Just as I thought... Lin Zheyu inwardly mused.
After seeing Wu Di's message and learning that Xu Chi had only agreed to negotiate after discovering his identity as a demonic cultivator, Lin Zheyu had already formed a suspicion. It now appeared that the man was indeed interested in the secret behind how he cultivated demonic arts while remaining free from the corruption of the yao will. Unfortunately, it was not something Lin Zheyu could simply pass on to others.
Lin Zheyu shook his head and said, "My apologies. This method is tied directly to my cultivation and depends on a series of unique opportunities and coincidences. I'm afraid it cannot be taught to others. Perhaps Fellow Daoist could propose a different condition."
"So it won't work..." Xu Chi fell silent for a moment before asking, "Then can your method be used to suppress the yao will within someone else?"
If that was possible, it would still be acceptable. Xu Chi had never truly expected that a single Heavenly Derivation Sect recommendation slot could be exchanged for such a powerful secret art. His original hope had simply been to obtain a treasure capable of suppressing the yao will.
"As for helping others, I've never tried it before. Still, there's no harm in giving it a try." Lin Zheyu nodded slightly and turned toward the eerie woman who had entered the hall.
She was a genuine demonic cultivator. The corruption of the yao will within her had become quite severe, directly affecting her temperament and giving her that strange, unsettling aura.
"Senior, I'm willing to try!" the woman said excitedly when she saw Lin Zheyu looking at her.
The entire reason she had approached Wu Di and tried to build a relationship with him was to gain access to Lin Zheyu and find a way to suppress the yao will.
"Very well. Open your sea of consciousness, relax your mind, and do not resist," Lin Zheyu said calmly.
The woman gritted her teeth and agreed. "Understood, Senior."
She was already nearing the point where she could no longer suppress the yao will within her. If she failed to resolve the issue soon, she would eventually end up like other demonic cultivators, spending more and more time in secluded cultivation to suppress it. Sooner or later, even such desperate seclusion would cease to work, and that would be the day she died. She did not want to die.
Xu Chi watched intently as Lin Zheyu placed a hand against the woman's forehead. Hope and nervous anticipation welled up within him.
He had sought help from many powerful experts, yet all of them had been helpless. This mysterious demonic cultivator before him had become the first glimmer of hope he had seen in a long time.
Wu Di stood quietly in a corner of the hall, watching Senior Xiao's every movement with wide eyes. In truth, he was even more nervous than Lin Zheyu himself. Without a major opportunity, his own cultivation path had nearly reached its end.
The Heavenly Derivation Sect represented that opportunity. If Senior Xiao successfully joined the Heavenly Derivation Sect, perhaps Wu Di could rely on their relationship and ask to accompany him. Even if it meant serving as a mere attendant, he would still be the attendant of a Heavenly Derivation Sect expert.
With the sect's immense resources and foundation, Wu Di believed he might be able to continue the cultivation path that had long since reached a dead end.
Holding his breath, Wu Di silently prayed, Please... Senior must succeed!
Lin Zheyu paid no attention to the others' expectations. He pressed his right hand against the woman's forehead. Deep within his sea of consciousness, the golden Heavenly Eye suddenly opened.
At the same time, the Heaven-Deceiving Art began to circulate. A mysterious aura spread outward and enveloped both of them. In an instant, the surrounding space became hazy, as though covered by a layer of mist. Nothing could be seen clearly, nor could anything be perceived through it.
"Hm? What did Fellow Xiao do? I can't sense anything anymore!" Xu Chi's expression changed slightly. He nearly rose from his seat in shock.
However, unwilling to disturb Lin Zheyu, he forced himself to calm down and remained seated, keeping his spiritual sense fixed on the two figures in the center.
What pure yao will... Can demonic arts truly corrupt the sea of consciousness to such an extent?"
Lin Zheyu looked at the woman's sea of consciousness, which was riddled with devastation and saturated with both demonic qi and the yao will. Even he found the sight difficult to look at.
The fact that this woman could still maintain her sanity despite being corrupted to such a degree was a testament to her own capabilities.