Soul-Severing Scorpion

Ye Xiu turned his head and saw Fang Ye looking at him with a broad smile.

Without showing it, he tried to pull away, only to feel the force on his shoulder increase by several degrees.

"Junior Brother Fang, are you here to take on a mission as well?"

Feeling Ye Xiu struggle futilely against his strength, Fang Qiong felt even more reassured.

A person's instinctive reactions best reflected their current condition. Ye Xiu truly was severely injured; he could not even resist the strength of someone at the seventh level of Qi Condensation.

"Taking on a mission is not urgent. I came today mainly because my clan cousin sent me to bring Junior Brother some good news."

As he spoke, Fang Ye took out a registration slip.

"After returning that day, Clan Cousin made a special trip to find the inner sect examiner. In the end, Senior Brother was not delayed from taking the assessment."

"Once Senior Brother passes the assessment and enters the inner sect, don't forget us poor brothers from the outer sect."

A bitter smile appeared on Ye Xiu's face.

"Junior Brother, don't tease me. In my current state, how could I have any confidence in passing the assessment?"

Only then did Fang Ye seem to react. He gave Ye Xiu a thorough once-over.

"Senior Brother's injuries... could they be from that day...?"

Halfway through, Fang Ye seemed to recall some concern and shut his mouth again.

Ye Xiu had no intention of concealing it. He pointed at the mission slip before him. "If not for that, I would not have come specifically to take this mission."

"Ah, there are simply too few pills that can heal the divine soul. This Rejuvenation Pill is only moderately effective, but unfortunately, there are no better missions."

As he spoke, Ye Xiu reached out to take the mission slip.

But before his hand got halfway there, Fang Ye stopped him again.

Ye Xiu turned toward him in confusion, only to see Fang Ye pat his chest carelessly.

"Hey, I thought it was something serious. Senior Brother, this sort of pill specially meant to treat the divine soul—I happened to take on a mission for one some time ago."

As he spoke, Fang Ye took out a mission slip.

Ye Xiu focused his gaze and read what was written on it.

"Yellow-rank high-grade mission: Slay the berserk Soul-Severing Scorpion and collect the specified materials from its body. Limited to five people. Reward: May designate one second-rank pill for exchange."

This yellow-rank high-grade mission was clearly much more difficult than the mission Ye Xiu had just intended to take, intercepting a merchant caravan. Correspondingly, however, its reward was far more generous.

There were nine ranks of pills. The Rejuvenation Pill was merely a high-grade first-rank pill, the lowest tier.

Yet this mission allowed one to specify a second-rank pill.

If successful, Ye Xiu could exchange it for a pill specially used to heal the divine soul and resolve the urgent crisis before him.

After reading the sect scroll before him, a flicker of delight passed through Ye Xiu's eyes.

Yet soon afterward, he looked at Fang Ye with considerable hesitation.

"This mission has a limit on participants. Would it not be somewhat improper if I joined?"

Fang Ye waved a hand upon hearing this. "Senior Brother need not worry. When I first accepted this mission, I had intended to ask my clan cousin for help. Unfortunately, he has been busy all this time, which is why the mission has been delayed for so long."

"Now that Senior Brother is joining us, we could not be happier. What could possibly be inappropriate about it?"

"Besides, Senior Brother and Clan Cousin are deeply acquainted. Forget a mutually beneficial arrangement like this—even if we worked for nothing, so what?"

After hearing this, Ye Xiu first feigned hesitation as though considering it. Then, as though unable to resist the temptation, he gritted his teeth and nodded.

"Fine. Since that is the case, this senior brother will make the trip with you."

Having reached a decision, Ye Xiu and Fang Ye resubmitted the mission to the people at the Mission Hall.

Only after seeing his own name appear on the mission slip did Ye Xiu let out a deep breath.

"Senior Brother, the mission has been accepted. Let us make our preparations first, then gather in the valley at midnight tonight."

Seeing Ye Xiu take the bait, a flash of excitement passed through Fang Ye's eyes.

After greeting Ye Xiu, he pulled the others away with eager strides.

As for Ye Xiu, after watching Fang Ye's group leave and confirming that no one nearby was watching him, he concealed himself and headed toward the Heavenly Secrets Tower...

Within the dim pavilion, the eerie glimmers in the puppet's eyes gradually went out.

Ye Xiu looked at the paper covered from top to bottom in writing, a sharp gleam flashing through his eyes.

He was going on a mission with a group of people preparing to plot against him. Naturally, he could not foolishly settle for gathering only superficial intelligence.

Although obtaining information from the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion's puppet was expensive, Ye Xiu had indeed acquired intelligence on the Soul-Severing Scorpion mission.

Though the Soul-Severing Scorpion was only a first-rank demonic beast, the soul poison it released in its dying counterattack could seal a cultivator's meridians and obstruct the flow of spiritual energy.

Without spiritual energy, cultivators were no more than somewhat stronger mortals.

Ye Xiu could practically imagine it already: with his spiritual energy sealed and no aid arriving, he would die, perfectly "naturally," beneath the Soul-Severing Scorpion's venomous stinger.

But now that he knew this intelligence, he naturally would not let them succeed so easily.

They believed that without spiritual energy, he could only let them carve him up at will. Then let them see who the true prey was.

Midnight, outside Soul-Mystifying Valley.

Soul-Mystifying Valley lay in the middle region of the Yin Harmony Sect. According to legend, it had once been a mountain peak several thousand meters high. Because an old Supreme Elder of the sect had needed sinister, venomous substances to cultivate a unique technique, he had used immense power to shear away the peak and forcibly create a gorge.

He had then traveled across various regions and brought back poisonous creatures from throughout the world to raise within it.

As poisonous creatures accumulated, and with special formations serving as a lure, the yin energy gathered there became increasingly dense. Eventually, dark clouds blotted out the sun, leaving Soul-Severing Valley without daylight all year round.

Later, after that ancestor's technique had been completed and he no longer paid attention to the gorge, Soul-Extinguishing Valley was put to use by the sect to cultivate all kinds of poisonous creatures and medicinal herbs.

With all sides adding fuel to the fire from time to time, no one knew how many bizarre monsters truly dwelled within the gorge.

The moment he reached the entrance, Ye Xiu felt a gust of chilling wind rush straight at him.

The strange, cloying sweetness in the air made his entire body go numb, even stirring an urge to lose himself in it.

They were only at the outskirts, yet the pollen spread by the poisonous flowers in the valley was already this potent?

Without changing expression, Ye Xiu circulated spiritual energy around his body. Fang Ye and the others, who had been waiting there early, hurried forward to greet him.

"Senior Brother, you're here?"

Fang Ye wore a smile on his face, but cold light flickered in his eyes.

Ye Xiu responded with a smile as though unaware, while secretly sweeping the group with his divine sense.

The mission required five people. Apart from himself, the other three were disciples Fang Ye had found in the Punishment Hall.

Their strength was roughly equal, all around the sixth or seventh level of Qi Condensation. Based on the mission's description, with himself, a ninth-level Qi Condensation cultivator, leading the group, they indeed had enough strength to deal with the Soul-Severing Scorpion.

"This is no place to linger. Since Senior Brother Ye has arrived, let us set out early."

The instant Ye Xiu arrived, someone among the group urged them onward.

Naturally, Ye Xiu did not object. Outside Soul-Mystifying Valley, he truly found it somewhat difficult to act freely.

Looking at the valley entrance where chilling winds howled in waves, the group circulated their spiritual energy and entered side by side...