Chương 36: Chapter 37: The Enchanting Beauty

Just two paces ahead, a painted scroll descended with a slow, ethereal grace. Within the ink lay a single-log bridge of an indiscernible, pitch-black material—neither metal nor wood. Below it, the waters of a stream seemed to ripple with a faint, audible splash. A youth of seventeen or eighteen stood before the bridge, eyes closed in meditation. Beneath his feet lay a chasm so deep it defied the eye, from which threads of sharp, palpable Sword Intent slowly bled into the air, chilling the very atmosphere.

A look of wonder crossed Reyn's eyes as he reached out and took the scroll into his hands. Suddenly, the parchment erupted in a burst of brilliant, mystical light before slowly dissolving. In its place, Reyn found himself holding a white jade stone bead that pulsed with a gentle, rhythmic warmth. Where the black bridge and flowing water had vanished, a teleportation array appeared. It was small, designed only for a single traveler, and currently lay dim and lifeless.

At its center, a small indentation was visible, perfectly carved to fit a specific key. Reyn hesitated for a fleeting moment, weighing the risks, before stepping into the array. He pressed the white jade stone bead into the slot. A sharp, momentary tearing sensation washed over him as the world blurred. When Reyn finally opened his eyes, he stood frozen, his jaw dropping in sheer disbelief.

"Hehe, little one. This elder sister has been waiting here for you for quite some time."

"Fellow Daoists, I fear we have stumbled into a truly grand undertaking this time." The slightly stout, middle-aged man spoke with a voice tinged with shock. He scanned the grand hall, which was carpeted in a sea of bleached skeletal remains, before turning his gaze toward the three gateways on the far side, each radiating a sinister, unsettling aura. The three cultivators exchanged looks, the excitement in their eyes impossible to mask. Every sign pointed to this being the hidden abode of an ancient cultivator.

Judging by the complexity of the layout, the master of this place possessed a level of cultivation that far exceeded their wildest imaginations. If they could explore it, the rewards would be beyond measure. Ancient treasures, divine pills, lost scriptures. Even the old woman with the somber, brooding expression could not help the flash of greed that ignited in her eyes. The Ghost-Corpse Sovereign's eyes flickered with a rhythmic green light as his expression shifted.

He narrowed his gaze, focusing intensely on the three portals. Death! Severance! Extinction! As his gaze swept over the ancient runes carved above the doors, the symbols suddenly flared with a malevolent crimson glow. Like bolts of bloody lightning, the light lanced directly into the Ghost-Corpse Sovereign's eyes. Abruptly, the Sovereign's aura spiraled into chaos. The spiritual pressure of a Golden Core cultivator erupted from him without restraint, wild and uncontrolled.

A violent, frigid, and cruel killing intent exploded from his body, saturating the hall.

"Daoist Ghost-Corpse!"

"Ghost-Corpse, what are you doing?!" The stout man and the old woman turned pale instantly. They blurred into motion, retreating to a safe distance while fixing him with looks of extreme wariness.

"Roar!" A guttural sound tore from the Ghost-Corpse Sovereign's throat. The green light in his eyes expanded violently, now tainted with a sickening, blood-red hue. Just looking at him was enough to stir a sense of primal, uncontrollable rage in one's heart.

"Friend Honghua, be careful. It seems Daoist Ghost-Corpse has been possessed by some foul entity," the stout man said, his face darkening. A chill ran down his spine. Though all three were Early Foundation Establishment cultivators, the Ghost-Corpse Sovereign was unique; his body was the corpse of a cultivator buried in a Yin-vein, which had gained sentience through centuries of refinement. His supernatural powers were usually several levels above theirs.

To think he would fall to a trap so suddenly and without warning was terrifying. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. The old woman nodded slowly, her eyes darting around with unease. The two of them stood their ground, their Golden Core auras erupting in unison to form a combined wall of pressure against the Ghost-Corpse Sovereign. Sensing that the duo would not be easy prey, the Ghost-Corpse Sovereign let out a series of mindless roars.

He retreated two steps, his body wreathed in tumbling, grey corpse-qi, before vanishing into the 'Severance' gateway in a flash of movement. Once he was gone, the two remaining cultivators allowed themselves a small sigh of relief, though their expressions remained grim.

"Daoist Liu, do you think we should continue our search?" the old woman asked, her voice low and guarded. Though the Sovereign had fled, she kept her spiritual energy circulating at full speed, her Divine Sense stretched to its absolute limit. The stout man forced a smile back onto his face. After a moment of silent calculation, he chuckled.

"If we were to leave now, Friend Honghua, would your heart ever truly be at peace?" The old woman gave a slow, deliberate nod.

"Very well. We shall join forces to explore this place. However, before we enter, we must both swear a Heart-Demon Oath. Until we leave this abode, neither of us shall harbor any thoughts of betrayal!"

"As it should be," the stout man agreed, the suspicion in his eyes fading slightly. They stood together and swore the binding oath. With their spiritual shields flared to full brilliance, they cautiously approached the only remaining path that no one had yet taken—the Path of Life. Reyn felt a surge of genuine, paralyzing awe. Even Ji Yueli, the woman hailed as the peerless beauty of the Xuanxiao Sect, would likely seem dull and common compared to the woman standing before him.

Her skin was like curdled cream, her shoulders perfectly sculpted, and her figure was tall and swaying with a natural, intoxicating grace. Her face held a smile that seemed to radiate a celestial, effortless charm, and her eyes were like deep pools of shimmering water. A single glance was enough to make one want to surrender entirely, to sink into a drunken stupor and never wake up. Deep within his consciousness, the Golden Seal trembled.

A sharp prick of pain lanced through Reyn's mind, and his vision cleared instantly. His eyes narrowed with intense caution. To find such a peerless beauty in a place like this was far too suspicious to be anything but a deadly threat.

"Has Daoist mistaken me for someone else? We have never met before, so why do you say you have been waiting for me?" Reyn retreated several paces, his hand drifting toward his storage bag. He had tried to sweep the woman with his Divine Sense, only to find a void—as if she didn't exist at all. The realization made his heart hammer against his ribs. The woman's eyes flickered with a brief flash of astonishment when she saw how quickly Reyn regained his clarity. Then, she let out a melodious, tinkling laugh.

"What a heartless little lover. You just finished off the Demon Guard I worked so hard to obtain, and now you want to pretend you don't know me?" As she spoke, her eyes welled with tears, making her look like the most wronged and pitiful creature in existence. Reyn froze for a second before his face drained of color. Horror filled his eyes. He didn't hesitate; he bolted backward, his hand whipping a stack of talismans from his bag. He flooded them with spiritual energy and hurled them behind him without looking.

With a casual wave of her hand, the woman redirected the swarm of fireballs and water needles. They veered off course, detonating harmlessly against the empty air in a series of muffled explosions. Reyn's pupils shrunk. He pushed his movement technique to its absolute limit, his speed doubling in an instant.

"Heehee, you certainly have quick reflexes. But do you really think you can run away? Since you killed my Demon Guard, I originally intended to kill you to avenge him. But now, I've changed my mind. If you are willing to offer yourself up to be my new Demon Guard, I'll let you live. What do you say?" The mysterious woman's features were as delicate as a painting. She spoke in a soft, negotiating tone, her eyes brimming with a soulful, shimmering light.

It was a charm born of nature itself, pulling at the very fabric of his soul. As Reyn looked into her eyes, the walls of his caution began to crumble. His retreat slowed, his legs feeling heavy as lead. Become her Demon Guard. Be willing to be ground into dust, to suffer eternal hardship and never enter reincarnation, just to ensure her safety. A mad, obsessive thought took root in his mind, growing with terrifying speed.

Though Reyn fought with every fiber of his being to suppress it, his consciousness was slowly being swallowed by the overwhelming urge to obey.

"Come... come to sister's side. Follow my footsteps, and I will take you further and higher than you ever dreamed." The woman's aura shifted. The seductive queen vanished, replaced by the image of a gentle, fragile, and kind elder sister from next door. She radiated an aura of pure, untainted warmth. The confusion in Reyn's eyes deepened. The struggle in his heart grew fainter and fainter, like a dying ember in a cold wind.