What are you so happy about?

The Tianyan Sect elder had watched the scenes in this recording pearl several times. For certain selfish reasons, he did not want to intervene, but with outsiders present, he naturally had to take a stance. Otherwise, people might suspect the sect was a disorganized mess, which would hardly look good. Thus, he declared sternly and righteously, "This is no longer a grievance concerning the Yantian Sect alone. This man possesses secret arts unheard of and unseen before, and he is violent and unrestrained. If left unchecked, I believe he will bring calamity upon the Nine Provinces before long."

The Xuanxiao Immortal Sect disciples led by Yan Tongchen watched the images with flickering gazes. Ignoring the Tianyan Sect elder's words, they exchanged private voice transmissions. "Is it him?"

"Doesn't look like him. He wasn't this tall in the image our martial uncle gave us."

"His cultivation is at the Golden Core stage, though."

"We need to go check the seal over in the Eastern Mirror Continent."

"What should we do if it really is him?"

"Check the seal first. If it really is him, he's only a Golden Core cultivator. We can take him down ourselves. If it isn't, we'll kill him while we're there anyway. A fiend like this deserves death at anyone's hands."

Once their discussion was over, Yan Tongchen said, "Rest assured, Junior Brother Ling. The Xuanxiao Immortal Sect and the Tianyan Sect have been brother sects for five hundred years, and Sect Master Ling was even our sect master's classmate. Now that Junior Brother Ling Hezhou has met with disaster, the Xuanxiao Immortal Sect cannot shirk its responsibility! No day like the present. We'll set out for the Eastern Mirror Continent today and meet this fiend."

Surprised, Ling Tian's cold, stern expression immediately softened. "In that case, I'll go with you!"

Naturally, Yan Tongchen agreed with a smile.

Before long, Ling Tian set out for the Eastern Mirror Continent with the Lingyun Peak disciples and the Xuanxiao Immortal Sect party.

Aboard the flying boat, the Tianyan Sect disciples whispered among themselves. "I never thought the Xuanxiao Immortal Sect would step in. Their people have been beating our Tianyan Sect disciples half to death in the Immortal Alliance competitions all these years."

Although the Tianyan Sect was one of the Eight Great Immortal Sects of the Wangxian Continent, it ranked near the bottom. The Xuanxiao Immortal Sect, meanwhile, was not only foremost among the Eight Great Immortal Sects, but its sect master was also the leader of the Immortal Alliance, governing the Eastern Mirror Continent, the Wangxian Continent, and the Wildlands. The extent of its power went without saying.

This had fostered the Xuanxiao Immortal Sect disciples' overbearing, arrogant, and conceited dispositions. Whenever they encountered major competitions or disputes in secret realms, they never showed mercy. Quite a few disciples from other immortal sects had been injured or crippled by them.

As one of the lowest-ranking immortal sects, the Tianyan Sect naturally suffered much scorn and bullying.

Yet unexpectedly, this time the Xuanxiao Immortal Sect had been the first to offer help.

"Senior Brother Yan Tongchen is different from those people. At least I've never heard any bad rumors about him. And he always stops at an appropriate point in competitions, never taking anyone's life. It seems reasonable that he'd be willing to help."

"That's true. Senior Brother Yan is different from the other Xuanxiao Sect disciples. He really is a favored son of heaven. He advanced to the Golden Core Realm at just thirty-six, and entered the Nascent Soul Realm at a hundred and twenty. Unlike us... Take Senior Brother Ling Hezhou, for example. Even with all those heavenly treasures piled on him, he only advanced to Golden Core in his fifties."

At the mention of Ling Hezhou, the disciples all felt a little sad. "Senior Brother Ling might've been kind of useless, but he really was a good person."

As a second-generation cultivator, Ling Hezhou had conducted himself admirably. He never looked down on anyone, patiently taught new disciples, and generously helped junior brothers and sisters who struggled to get by.

His aptitude was not high, and his cultivation was rather shaky, but because of him, the disciples of Lingyun Peak's main peak were relatively united, and the atmosphere was good.

For that very reason, after what had happened to Ling Hezhou, the main peak disciples were the most eager to avenge him. Apart from the Qi Refining Stage disciples and the young children who had just joined, every Foundation Establishment and Golden Core disciple had come.

Ling Tian himself had only barely reached the peak of Golden Core, one step short of Nascent Soul.

Compared to them, however, the Xuanxiao Immortal Sect had brought a much grander contingent: nine Nascent Soul disciples and one Golden Core disciple.

Such were the reserves of a top immortal sect. Even a single deployment involved nine Nascent Soul cultivators.

Ling Tian had wondered why the Xuanxiao Immortal Sect placed such importance on this matter, but out of hatred for the ghost-masked cultivator, he overlooked anything amiss. Whatever the case, it was enough that they shared the same goal.

Before long, they arrived in the Eastern Mirror Continent. Yan Tongchen's party made an excuse to leave the group and reached a secluded stretch of dead land.

Yes, dead land.

Five hundred years ago, this place had also been a treasure land of lush vegetation and abundant spirit beasts and demonic beasts. A secret pursuit had reduced it to a lifeless wasteland, and at its center lay a bottomless abyss.

This abyss connected to the Dark River of the Yellow Springs in the Nine Nether Lands. The living were to keep away; only the dead could rest here forever.

Although many had witnessed that man cleave open this passage and leap down, no one believed he would die. Thus, they had sealed this place layer upon layer, and only the Secret Key could open the seals.

"The outer seal hasn't been disturbed," a disciple reported to Yan Tongchen.

"Neither has the inner seal."

"There are no signs that the Seven-Star Killing Formation has been triggered."

"The same goes for the Dragon-Binding Formation."

They checked each layer, finally arriving at the edge of the abyss.

Merely approaching it let the netherworld death energy rising from the abyss seep into their marrow, making even the circulation of spiritual power sluggish.

"It's hard to believe a cultivator could survive here," someone murmured.

"That man's mastery of Buddhist arts was profound. He had tempered all his bones and sinews into Buddhist bones. He himself counteracted the Nine Nether Dark River."

"But however profound his Buddhist arts were, he was only in the Golden Core Realm. Once his spiritual power ran out, it would only be a matter of time before the Dark River corroded him. And five hundred years have passed now."

"Five hundred years can transform seas into fields, but to cultivators, it's only the blink of an eye. We can't underestimate him. He was..." The speaker cut himself off before finishing.

Yan Tongchen said, "Since there's nothing wrong with the seals, there's absolutely no way that man could have escaped. Jin Yuan, send word back."

"Yes."

Not long after they left, a snow-white snake slithered hissing from the edge of the abyss. It coiled where Yan Tongchen had stood, transformed into a strange black curse inscription, and sank into the ground.

On the inner walls of the abyss, where they had not seen, black handprints wound upward one after another like snakes.

Elsewhere, Chi Yu waited quite a while, but Xie Xiyi did not lift his curse. He merely stared at him darkly-the red ghost eyes on that hideous ghost mask were lifeless, even exceedingly cold, yet Chi Yu seemed to sense a trace of displeasure in them.

Hahaha, Chi Yu thought. I found Xie Xiyi too quickly, so he feels embarrassed, huh?

Chi Yu found it rather amusing, but once he had enjoyed his laugh, he felt he was courting death. He should not have so deliberately shown him up.

Still, he had done it because he wanted to. Sometimes he did not want to weigh the consequences; he only wanted a moment's satisfaction.

No way, no way. Surely Xie Xiyi wasn't that lacking in class?

As he speculated, Xie Xiyi suddenly held out a hand. His fingers were long, his knuckles distinct, and his skin very pale, almost bloodless. But undeniably, it was a beautiful hand.

After he extended his hand, a little snow-white snake suddenly emerged from the ground. It flew into his palm and transformed into a length of rune-covered chain, crawling over his pale skin and merging with the chains winding around his body.

Xie Xiyi suddenly began to laugh. It was wild, almost deranged laughter, an utter loss of control born of extreme excitement. By the end, even the trailing notes trembled slightly.

Chi Yu: ???

Chi Yu could not help backing away several steps.

Xie Xiyi raised a hand to stroke the mask on his face. His laughter slowly stopped, though traces of delight lingered in his voice. "Come here. I'll lift your curse."

Chi Yu hesitated, then went over anyway. Mist once again enveloped Xie Xiyi's hand, forming a black glove. He lightly tapped Chi Yu's chest, and a black curse mark flew out of it and slipped into his sleeve.

"What's your name?" Xie Xiyi asked with a smile.

"..." Chi Yu thought there really was something wrong with his head, but obediently answered, "My name is Chi Yu."

Xie Xiyi repeated, "Chi Yu?"

He seemed to roll the name over the tip of his tongue as he said it, lending it a subtle flippancy.

"A very nice name." Xie Xiyi's laughter was beguiling. "Big fish eat little fish, and little fish eat rice. Whether big or small, all fish are food for people to eat."

Chi Yu corrected him earnestly. "It's Yu as in happiness. My grandfather gave me that name. It means I should be happy all my life. It isn't the yu in big fish or little fish. It isn't food."

Xie Xiyi chuckled. "No one cares what your name means except you. However, you're my Sword Slave. From now on, I'm the only one who gets to eat you."

Chi Yu: "..."

Huh, did that mean... he was going to look out for him?

Had he really become Xie Xiyi's lackey?

A tune spilled from Xie Xiyi's throat, soft and lilting, perfectly matching his mood.

Phantom Lightning broke free of Chi Yu's arms and flew before Xie Xiyi. Xie Xiyi reached out and took the sword, his voice smiling as he said to Chi Yu, "Sword Slave, I need a witness. Happy? You have another reason to stay alive."

Chi Yu muttered, "To witness you going mad?"

Phantom Lightning hummed in agreement. Xie Xiyi said, "Do you want to die?"

Chi Yu immediately forced a smile. "...Got it, boss! I'll be a good witness!"

*System, you're useful again. Camera, activate (x*

"But what do you want me to witness?" Chi Yu asked.

Xie Xiyi pondered for a moment, then said delightedly, "Witness me going mad."

Chi Yu: "..."

Author's note:

Xie Xiyi: You're my little fish.

Chi Yu: You're a top (x

Chapter 12: What are you so happy about?

Inside a restaurant, Ling Tian was discussing matters with the Xuanxiao Immortal Sect party.

It was called a discussion, but in reality, he had little say. Ling Tian had anticipated this.

Although Yan Tongchen seemed very accommodating, beneath that gentle, courteous demeanor lay an overbearing forcefulness that brooked no argument.

Thus, command of the party's movements had fallen into Yan Tongchen's hands without question.

Ling Tian merely raised a slight objection. "Judging from our previous encounters, he has some uncanny abilities. Our Tianyan Sect also practices divination as a secondary discipline, yet we've never been able to divine his precise location. He should therefore possess a treasure capable of concealing him from heaven's workings. Now that we can suddenly divine his location, I fear it may be a trap."