Nearing Slaughter Heaven City

"Let rain fall."

Yang Xiao stood proudly in midair, one hand pointing toward the heavens. Lightning flashed across the sky, and rain descended upon the parched earth.

After a month on the road, they had covered more than half the distance to Slaughter Heaven City.

Along the way, Yang Xiao discovered that this area had suffered months of drought without a single drop of rain. He immediately flew into the sky to perform his duties as a Heavenly Master, summoning wind and rain to bestow blessings upon the people.

Cultivators did not devote themselves solely to cultivation. Immortality was their ultimate goal, but if they encountered mortals in trouble along the way, they would also lend a helping hand.

If they sought only immortality, how would cultivators like them be any different from demonic beasts?

When he landed, a crowd of mortals in ragged clothes surrounded him, kneeling and worshipping him as though he were a god. Yang Xiao took Yang You'er's delicate hand and left.

He was not a god, merely a powerful man. He helped ordinary people simply because he had the ability to do so.

When they appeared again, they were already a hundred li away. Yang You'er looked at him with an enormous pile of food cradled in her arms. Yang Xiao stroked her head. "You'er, don't accept food from them again. This food means little to us, but to them, it might be what keeps them alive."

Yang You'er stared at him with wide eyes, then turned to return the food.

Yang Xiao stopped her. Going back would only bring more trouble. Most of those people were villagers, and they were far too enthusiastic.

That night, they found an open patch of ground. Yang Xiao raised two Yellow Stone Houses, while Yang You'er took out the food the villagers had given her, tried a bite, and spat it back out.

A warm bonfire rose between the Yellow Stone Houses. Over it roasted a rabbit Yang You'er had casually hunted. She deftly added various seasonings, and moments later, the aroma of meat wafted out, whetting both their appetites.

"Brother Xiao, eat." Yang You'er tore off a leg and handed it to him.

"You'er, your cooking has improved again. Your food keeps getting tastier." Yang Xiao bit into the rabbit meat. It was tender and juicy, neither too salty nor too bland, perfectly suited to his tastes.

"Then who cooks better, me or Sister Lei?" Yang You'er gazed at him as though she were looking at the stars.

Yang Xiao's hand paused. Thinking of his previous life, he recognized a question that could get a man killed.

"You both cook well."

"Brother Xiao, you're just brushing me off." Yang You'er turned away, pouting.

"All right, our You'er's cooking is the best." Yang Xiao spoke helplessly, silently offering Senior Sister Lei an apology.

Inside his house, Yang Xiao sat cross-legged on the bed. With a turn of his right hand, a Vermilion Fruit appeared. Of the four Vermilion Fruits, he had given Yang You'er two to satisfy her cravings and saved the remaining ones until now.

Looking inward at his Qi Sea, he saw black mist filling the entire space. After a month of cultivation, his Qi Sea was finally full, and his cultivation had reached the peak of the Qi Gathering Realm.

Tonight, he would attempt to break through the Qi Gathering Realm.

He ate the Vermilion Fruit, and a plentiful stream of spiritual energy surged from his abdomen into his Qi Sea.

Yang Xiao circulated the Great Martial Canon, compressing the spiritual energy in his Qi Sea. The spiritual energy spanning a million li slowly contracted toward the center.

Nine hundred thousand li, six hundred thousand li, three hundred thousand li, one hundred thousand li.

When the spiritual energy compressed to one hundred thousand li, it turned liquid. An ocean spanning one hundred thousand li floated within his Qi Sea.

Yang Xiao had broken through the Qi Gathering Realm and entered the Sea Condensation Realm.

But this was not enough. Such a foundation could only qualify him as a prodigy. It was unworthy of his unprecedented talent.

He circulated the Great Martial Canon again. The Spirit Sea spanning one hundred thousand li continued shrinking, stopping only when it reached ten thousand li.

Outside, Yang Xiao's forehead was drenched in sweat. He had exhausted the Vermilion Fruit's spiritual energy, but he had successfully established his Spirit Sea.

His cultivation could now rival that of prodigies at the same level.

Yang Xiao clenched his fist. He now felt as though he could beat an ox to death with physical strength alone.

Of course, that was only an illusion brought on by his breakthrough. Even if he actually fought an ox, he would not need to grapple with it using his body. That was hardly befitting a cultivator.

Suddenly, a frenzied will charged straight into his mind. His eyes instantly turned red, and pale black spiritual mist spread through the stone house.

Yang Xiao let out a low growl. He had not expected his illness to flare up now. Ever since he had stepped onto the path of cultivation, he had gone a long time without an episode.

Four Earth Vein Chains rose from underground and pinned him in the center of the stone house. Yang Xiao activated the house's Soundproofing Array. If Yang You'er heard him, she would surely rush inside.

During an episode, he could not retain his reason. If Yang You'er barged in, he might very well hurt her.

Yang Xiao's reason gradually slipped away. Low growls rumbled from his throat as his limbs thrashed wildly. The Earth Vein Chains lashed against the ground, shattering the floor.

Crack!

Yang Xiao had still underestimated his illness. He broke free of one Earth Vein Chain, and his magical power transformed into blades and weapons that flew in every direction, smashing the walls. A roar like that of a wild beast spread outward.

"Brother Xiao, what's wrong?" Awakened from her sleep, Yang You'er came outside and immediately saw Yang Xiao in his frenzied state.

Blades and weapons flew outward like rain. The Yellow Stone House collapsed in an instant, and all four Earth Vein Chains shattered.

His scarlet eyes fixed on the beauty before him. Yang Xiao pushed off with both legs and lunged at Yang You'er.

Yang You'er had never witnessed anything like this. In her panic, she failed even to use her magical power before a large hand clamped around her neck.

"Brother Xiao, wake up!" Yang You'er grabbed Yang Xiao's hands, but instead of loosening, his grip only grew stronger.

Roar!

Yang Xiao growled, wrenching a sliver of clarity free from the frenzied will. This was the first time he had recovered even a trace of awareness during an episode.

He released his hands. The clash between the two wills tormented him, making his brain feel as though it were being torn apart. Yang Xiao hammered the ground with one punch after another.

"Go. Hurry... go." Yang Xiao forced out each word.

Those few words drained an enormous amount of his strength. With the frenzied will still showing no sign of receding, a pair of delicate arms wrapped around him. "I won't leave. Brother Xiao, tell me how I can ease your pain."

Yang Xiao growled and kept pounding the ground with both fists. There was no way to suppress that frenzied will. Knocking him unconscious? The old man had tried that once, and his body had nearly been seized by that will, turning him into a beast that knew nothing but slaughter.

"Go."

Yang Xiao shoved Yang You'er away, turned, and flew into the mountains. He knew there was little chance she would abandon him. Better to leave while he still had a shred of clarity.

This episode was worse than before. That will could actually control his magical power and break free of the Earth Vein Chains. Nothing like that had ever happened before.

Yang Xiao ran on, covering an unknown number of li. The clarity in his mind grew weaker and weaker, until the frenzied will gradually took control of his body again.

Yang Xiao woke from unconsciousness and turned his head to look around. He was lying on the ground. It seemed Yang You'er had not followed him.

He let out a deep breath of relief. If that silly girl had followed him, things would have been dangerous.

He surveyed his surroundings. Everything within a hundred-meter radius looked as though it had been bombarded by cannon fire. The earth had split, trees had snapped, and the severed limbs of dozens of wild animals and demonic beasts lay mixed together. Not a single corpse remained intact.

His gaze settled on a tiger's corpse. Although the tiger was dead, the astonishing pressure emanating from its body told him it had been a Soul Seed Realm demonic beast.

Fear stirred in Yang Xiao's heart. In his madness, he could actually kill Soul Seed Realm experts. Fortunately, he had recovered a sliver of clarity last night. Otherwise, Yang You'er's life would have been in danger.

He got up. His black robe had been torn during his battles with the demonic beasts, so he changed into another one, picked up the tiger, and dragged it back the way he had come.

After all, the tiger was a Soul Seed Realm demonic beast. Its meat would be both delicious and highly nourishing.

In his frenzy, he had wreaked destruction everywhere, leaving plenty of traces along his path. Following those traces, he found the campsite.

The moment he arrived, he saw Yang You'er crouching on the ground and crying like a helpless child.

Yang Xiao sighed. Once they reached Slaughter Heaven City, he would have to find two tutors to teach her a few things. Otherwise, if he were no longer by her side one day, he had no idea how this girl would survive in a world that devoured people.

"Who bullied our You'er?" Yang Xiao flashed over to stand before her.

"Brother Xiao!" Seeing him, Yang You'er threw herself at him, striking his chest hard enough to leave it stinging.

"It's all right now. You'er, if you ever see me having another episode, you must stay far away. Understand?" He stroked her dark hair.

Yang You'er murmured an assent, though he had no idea whether she had taken it to heart.

After comforting Yang You'er, he began to feel awkward. They were not truly brother and sister, yet she kept clinging to him.

Yang Xiao gently pushed her away and pointed at the tiger demon behind him. "I'm hungry."

"You'er will cook for you right away." Yang You'er wiped away her tears, dragged the tiger demon aside, and used the blade techniques she had learned from Shen Laodao to dismember it.

She built a bonfire, set a large pot over it, and filled it with clean water. Slices of tiger meat flew into the pot. Before long, the meat turned golden, and its aroma spread.

The amnesiac Yang You'er truly seemed like a child. By this morning, she had already forgotten what happened last night.

The marks around her neck filled Yang Xiao with guilt. Yang You'er genuinely regarded him as her older brother, yet he had hurt her.

Thinking back to last night, the frenzied will had arrived far too strangely, striking at the exact moment of his breakthrough.

The old man had never told him the cause of his madness. While on Worry-Free Mountain, he had consulted ancient texts, but none mentioned a bloodline with side effects.

After eating and drinking their fill, the two continued toward Slaughter Heaven City. Whenever they encountered a large mountain, Yang Xiao would stop to sense the Earth Vein Qi and search for treasures.

Traveling and treasure hunting along the way, they found over ten thousand low-grade earth vein crystals, several hundred mid-grade earth vein crystals, and a spirit plant before even reaching Slaughter Heaven City.

After nightfall, Yang Xiao sat cross-legged on his bed in meditation. According to the route on the map, they would reach Slaughter Heaven City tomorrow. Looking inward at his Spirit Sea, he saw that the black ocean had expanded to twenty thousand li.

Just as Yang Xiao was about to cultivate, someone knocked on his door.

"Brother Xiao, may I come in?"

He opened the door to find Yang You'er standing outside in her nightclothes, pinching the hem of her skirt.

She lacked her usual liveliness and seemed to have something on her mind.

Yang Xiao stepped aside to let her in and poured her a cup of tea. "What's troubling you?"

Yang You'er lowered her head slightly, staring at the teacup as she spoke softly. "Lately, You'er has been having a strange dream. There's an older brother waving to me. He seems to be saying something, but whenever I run over, he disappears."

Yang Xiao's expression darkened. Could Yang You'er's memories be returning? If this had happened when she first woke up, he would not have minded. But after spending so much time together, they had developed feelings for each other—yes, purely sibling affection.

If Yang You'er recovered her memories now and asked him about the Corpse Lord, how should he answer? Surely he could not say, I killed your father, then took advantage of your amnesia to make you acknowledge me as your older brother.

That felt a little too twisted.

Wait, an older brother? The Corpse Lord was a middle-aged man. How could he have become an older brother?

Yang You'er looked at him. "Brother Xiao, do you know who that person is?"

Yang Xiao's hand trembled, nearly spilling the water in his teacup.

Steadying himself, he smiled. "You must be too tired. That's why you're having strange dreams. Once we reach Slaughter Heaven City, get more rest, and this won't happen anymore."

"Is that really it?" Yang You'er clearly did not believe him. She had lost her memories, but she was not stupid.

Still, knowing her Brother Xiao did not want to tell her, she stopped asking.

Yang Xiao inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He had managed to fool her for now. Once they reached Slaughter Heaven City, he would see whether there was a way to seal her memories. He had no desire to see brother and sister killing each other. That would be far too melodramatic.

"Wait, that's my bed!" Yang Xiao cried. While he was distracted, Yang You'er had lain down on his bed. He walked closer and saw her resting both hands on her stomach, her eyes closed, apparently asleep.

Yang Xiao smiled wryly. She trusted him far too much. He did not even trust himself that much.

He left the house and shut the door securely, setting up soundproofing and an alarm, then adding the small Earth Vein Guardian Array he had recently learned.

With Yang You'er occupying his room, he could only sleep in hers.

The room was awash in pink, with pink sheets and a pink quilt cover. A luminous pearl hung in the middle to provide light. Naturally, Senior Sister Lei had prepared all of these things for Yang You'er.

Lying on her bed and breathing in Yang You'er's scent, he gradually drifted into sleep.