Buzz—

The teleportation sequence initiated.

A wave of vertigo washed over Qi Yuan’s consciousness. The world spun, blurred, and then snapped back into focus. The gloomy, blood-soaked atmosphere of the Demonic Sect was gone, replaced by the familiar, tranquil surroundings of his cave dwelling on Jade Flower Peak.

Qi Yuan took a deep breath, letting the tension bleed out of his shoulders.

“Roughly a three-breath channeling time,” he muttered, analyzing the mechanics instantly. “And I was immobilized during the cast. If I move, the process aborts.”

He shook his head. “So, using this as a ‘panic button’ to escape mid-combat is a no-go. It’s strictly for strategic movement from a safe position.”

He checked his inventory.

“The cost isn’t bad, though. Traversing thirty million li consumed just over five hundred High Grade Spirit Stones. That’s comparable to using an ancient ultra-long-distance teleportation array.”

But those arrays were rare, controlled by major sects, and a pain to access. The System’s function was available anytime, anywhere. Plus, there were the Anchors.

Without hesitation, Qi Yuan focused his mind and designated his current location—Jade Flower Peak—as his first Anchor Point.

Whoosh!

A beam of silvery-white light descended from the void, striking the floor of his dwelling. It pulsed once, binding the coordinates to his soul, before fading into nothingness.

Ding!

[New Teleportation Anchor Set.] [Host may teleport to this location at any time. Unlimited uses. Permanently free.]

A profound sense of security settled over him.

No matter how far he roamed, no matter how deep into the tiger’s den of the Demonic Sect he ventured, he now had a guaranteed back door. This was his safe house. His respawn point.

“That’s settled then.”

Qi Yuan exhaled, ready to warp back to the Demon Sect to continue his undercover operation. But before he could trigger the system, the sound of light, hesitant footsteps echoed from the corridor.

“Qi… Holy Scion? Is that you?”

A gentle, melodious voice drifted in, laced with disbelief and joy.

Qi Yuan turned. Standing in the entryway was a stunning woman in a pale yellow dress—Bai Xirou.

A genuine smile softened Qi Yuan’s calculating expression. “I just got back. I thought you were still in secluded cultivation, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”

He swept his gaze over her, his eyes lighting up.

“Senior Sister, congratulations. You’ve successfully formed your Golden Core.”

He could feel the fluctuations of her aura. It wasn’t just any core; she had condensed a Top Grade Golden Core. She was now a true prodigy of the cultivation world.

Qi Yuan nodded internally. The path to the Heavenly Dao was treacherous, and even with his System, he couldn’t guarantee he could drag everyone across the finish line. But standard immortality? That was doable.

As the saying went: When one man attains the Dao, even his chickens and dogs ascend to Heaven.

Once he ascended, his women would ascend with him. That path was a hundred times easier than grinding for the Heavenly Dao alone.

Hearing his address, a blush crept up Bai Xirou’s neck. She lowered her gaze, looking bashful.

“Please… don’t call me Senior Sister anymore. It sounds strange now.” She fidgeted with her sleeve. “You are the Holy Scion. Just call me by my name… or Junior Sister Bai.”

Qi Yuan had personally arranged for her promotion to Legacy Disciple of the Supreme Mystery Sanctuary. To avoid causing trouble for him, Bai Xirou had memorized every sect rule, including the strict hierarchy. In a top-tier righteous sect, a Holy Scion outranked everyone in his generation.

“Understood,” Qi Yuan agreed easily, nodding.

Then, a mischievous glint entered his eyes. He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a husky whisper.

“Junior Sister Bai, you’ve just broken through. Your foundation must be unstable. How about… I help you solidify it?”

Bai Xirou blinked, confused. “My foundation? But I feel…” Then she saw the look in his eyes. Her face turned a deep crimson. “You… are you planning something bad again?”

“No, absolutely not!”

Qi Yuan shook his head with feigned solemnity. “I have recently gained profound insights into the Scripture of Yin-Yang Metamorphosis. It is imperative that we… discuss them. Immediately.”

“What—?”

Before Bai Xirou could protest, she was swept off her feet and pulled into a warm embrace.

[Meanwhile: Nether Fiend Sect — Outer Sect] [Blood Refining Peak]

The atmosphere outside Grade A Courtyard No. 1 was electric with violence.

Over a hundred Demonic Cultivators had the property surrounded. They brandished jagged blades and sinister magical artifacts, their eyes burning with killing intent. They were like a pack of rabid dogs, eager to tear the intruder apart to impress their leader, Wu Renjie.

“Hey! You inside! Get your ass out here and kowtow!”

“You blind fool! Do you have any idea where you are? You’re courting death!”

“Come out and surrender! If you make us come in, I’ll extract your soul and use it for lantern fuel!”

“Senior Brother Wu, just give the order! We’ll drag him out and skin him!”

Amidst the cacophony, Wu Renjie stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression icy. He stared at the silent courtyard, his mind working furiously.

“What do you make of this?” he asked his trusted aide in a low voice. “Does this smell like Chi Yinghu’s doing?”

The aide lowered his head, thinking for a moment. “Chi Yinghu is our enemy, but he’s not an idiot. If he wanted to test us, he wouldn’t use such a clumsy tactic.”

“If this were a trap set by him, it would mean he’s ready for a full-scale war right now. But that doesn’t fit the current political climate.”

The aide paused. “Subordinate believes… it’s likely just a stunned newcomer. Some country bumpkin who stumbled upon the empty Grade A dwelling and moved in, completely ignorant of the rules. Or perhaps someone tricked him into it.”

“Regardless, whether it was intentional or not, we must make him pay in blood. We need to set an example. Kill the chicken to scare the monkeys.”

Wu Renjie nodded slowly. “Logical.”

But his eyes remained fixed on the courtyard’s defensive array. “Is it possible… that Chi Yinghu set a trap inside the courtyard? Waiting for us to breach the door so he can ambush us?”

“This…” The aide hesitated. “Senior Brother Wu is wise to be cautious. Perhaps we should wait until Chi Yinghu’s faction arrives. Let them share the risk.”

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Speak of the devil.

Hundreds of streaks of light tore through the gloomy sky. Another mob of Outer Sect Disciples descended, aggressive and loud. Leading them was a burly, bald man radiating brutality—Chi Yinghu, the other tyrant of Blood Refining Peak.

The two armies faced off. The air grew heavy, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

Wu Renjie’s expression darkened. “Chi Yinghu. You brought a lot of dogs with you. Looking for a fight?”

Chi Yinghu smirked, crossing his massive arms. “Surname Wu, you aren’t exactly here alone. Now, since someone has occupied Grade A Courtyard No. 1… how do you propose we handle it?”

Wu Renjie’s eyes flashed cold. “Simple. We drag the bastard out. Slice him a thousand times. Flay his skin. Dismember his bones. A warning to all.”

“Good!”

Chi Yinghu laughed loudly. “I like it! In that case, let’s cut the crap. We each send a squad in to retrieve the fool.”

“Agreed,” Wu Renjie sneered. “I want to see what kind of lunatic values a house more than his life.”

The truce was struck.

Both sides selected ten elites—twenty experts in total.

These were not fresh recruits. The weakest among them was at the mid-stage of Foundation Building. In a life-and-death brawl, this squad could threaten even an early Golden Core cultivator.

This was the terrifying reality of Blood Refining Peak. Because of the sect’s promotion rules, the “Outer Sect” was filled with suppressed monsters who hadn’t formed their cores yet. And with the Elder in seclusion for a year, this place had become a lawless zone where might made right.

BOOM!

The twenty Demonic Cultivators blasted apart the flimsy Foundation Building-level restriction on the gate.

Laughing savagely, they poured into the courtyard like a tide of darkness.

“Hehehe… fresh meat!”

“Come out, little mouse!”

They rushed into the main hall.

And then… silence.

It was as if stones had been dropped into a bottomless ocean. There were no screams. No sounds of battle. No explosions.

Just absolute, dead silence.

Outside, the mob waited.

Half an incense stick of time passed. The courtyard remained still.

“What’s going on?”

“Damn it… why did they stop talking? Why is it so quiet?”

Confusion rippled through the crowd. Wu Renjie and Chi Yinghu exchanged a frown.

Inside the main hall.

The Abyssal Condensation Sword hovered in the air, its black blade trembling with pure, unadulterated ecstasy. It was vibrating so hard it looked like it was sobbing.

Wuwuwu—

“Finally… the taste of fresh blood!”

The sword’s spirit projected a thought filled with twisted gratitude.

“Thank you, Mother Nature, for this feast!”