Unnamed Zone Arc, Chapter Ninety: The Two True Disciples

After chatting casually with Shangguan Ba for a while, Zhou Xuanhong steered the conversation toward the matter of benefits. That was, after all, the real reason he had become a guest elder of the Shangguan family. What he needed now were jade slips on fourth-rank formations, and figuring them out on his own would take far too long.

Shangguan Ba said, “Young friend, you understand this already. A guest elder may enjoy a lofty status, but in the end he is still an outsider. So I have two choices for you. First, you swear a heavenly oath and become a guest elder of my Shangguan family. When the family needs you, you must lend your strength. In return, the family will provide the cultivation resources and formation jade slips you require, though anything involving the family’s most critical formations will not be given to you. Of course, if the family makes an unreasonable demand, you have the right to refuse.

“Second, you hand over a drop of your soul blood and become one of my Shangguan family. The family will do everything in its power to provide what you need, but once you have given the family value equal to those formation jade slips, you may choose to take back your soul blood and leave the family. Before leaving, you will swear a heavenly oath that for the rest of your life you shall never do anything detrimental to my Shangguan family.

“Young friend, which will you choose?”

Zhou Xuanhong hesitated for a moment, seeming to weigh the pros and cons, but in truth he was calculating how to maximize his own interests and planning his next move.

If Xiaona truly had been possessed, then given his nature, he would certainly have to annihilate the Lunar Extreme Corpse Sect.

And if he intended to destroy the Lunar Extreme Corpse Sect, then the board had to be laid in advance. As early as five years ago, Zhou Xuanhong had already begun arranging matters. That plan had included Bai Youxuan, the middle-aged Daoist, and the merged Evil Puppet Sect. Now, there would be one more piece on the board: the Shangguan family.

Zhou Xuanhong said to Shangguan Ba, “I choose the second.”

Shangguan Ba raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

A powerful confidence flared in Zhou Xuanhong’s eyes. “Because I can guarantee that once I break through to become a fourth-rank formation master, I will soon bring enormous benefits to the Shangguan family. By then, I hope the family head will keep his word.”

In truth, Zhou Xuanhong was not afraid of soul blood control at all. With the Soul-Devouring Insect in hand, he could sever the connection to the soul blood. But soul blood was far too precious and important. When breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, one’s soul and spirit had to remain whole; if the link were cut, or if the soul blood were lost entirely, there would be no hope of advancing to Nascent Soul.

Previously, at the Forming Evolution Sect, Zhou Xuanhong had transformed himself into part of the fusion array and decisively used the Soul-Devouring Insect to sever the connection to the soul blood in Xu Yuqi’s hands. Only later, when he reversed the fusion array, did he restore the soul blood and merge it back into his soul.

Even now, Zhou Xuanhong did not fear the Shangguan family obtaining his soul blood. This was confidence, but not confidence that he could merely bring benefits to the Shangguan family. Rather, it was confidence that he could take the soul blood back!

“Hahaha! Good! Young friend, your spirit is admirable. We can swear the heavenly oath right now. The day you truly bring immense benefit to my Shangguan family, I will personally return your soul blood with both hands!”

Zhou Xuanhong forced out a drop of soul blood, and the two sides swore the heavenly oath. There was no deception in it. Before the rules of heaven, aside from exploiting loopholes in wording, it was impossible to break such a vow.

Then it was Li Li’s turn. Shangguan Ba asked, “Young friend, and what is your choice?”

Li Li shook his head. “As a sword cultivator, one should have no bindings. I refuse.”

Shangguan Ba was not particularly surprised by this answer. He could sense from Li Li’s sword light a spirit of relentless advance, which showed that this was a sword cultivator of the purest kind. This answer was indeed very much the answer of a sword cultivator.

Shangguan Ba asked again, “Then what would you like, young friend?”

Li Li still shook his head. “I choose to stay with Brother Ge. I can temporarily be a sword for your Shangguan family, and you may give me work that involves drawing a sword, but I retain the right to refuse. You need only provide me with the resources required for cultivation.”

Shangguan Ba thought for a moment, then nodded. “Agreed.”

Afterward, Shangguan Ba thanked them once more for saving Shangguan Liming in the Destruction Cavern, and gave each of them a storage ring containing five hundred mid-grade spirit stones arranged neatly inside.

“Of course, Ming’er’s life is priceless. Besides these spirit stones, the two of you may name one more condition, and as long as it is not excessive, I will do my best to fulfill it.”

Zhou Xuanhong thought it over and said, “I intend to live in Yuandong City for a long time, and I would like to obtain a house in the city that I may permanently reside in. May I ask whether the family head can agree to this condition?”

Shangguan Ba agreed without even thinking, laughing as he said, “Naturally. Ming’er, find the two young friends an excellent residence.”

Zhou Xuanhong cupped his hands. “Much appreciated.”

Shangguan Ba waved a hand. “No need for such formality. From today onward, you are a guest elder of my Shangguan family. I will have the formation jade slips sent to you. Very well, this old fellow will not interfere in the affairs of you young people any longer. Ming’er, you will entertain the two of them. Your father still has matters to attend to, so I will take my leave first!”

After Shangguan Ba left, Shangguan Liming cupped his hands toward Zhou Xuanhong and Li Li. “Brother Ge, Brother Li, from this day on we are friends under the same roof. I hope you will guide me well.”

Zhou Xuanhong hastily waved him off. “I would not dare. The young family head will inherit the Shangguan family in the future. Once I become a formation master, I shall certainly do my utmost to support you!”

Those words sounded rather awkward in a way that everyone understood. Shangguan Liming wore a warm smile. If Zhou Xuanhong truly became a formation master, then he would certainly stand on his side and could help remove some hidden obstacles on the road to his succession.

And as the price of that, it was only natural that Zhou Xuanhong’s current needs had to be met, such as formation jade slips and a first-rate residence.

The three of them left the Shangguan estate. Although he now held the lofty status of a guest elder, there was no need to live inside the manor. After all, the entire Yuandong City belonged to the Shangguan family, so they could simply find a place to stay anywhere in the city.

Soon, the three arrived at a prosperous district teeming with cultivators, but Zhou Xuanhong did not like the place. There were too many people.

So Shangguan Liming intended to take them to a luxurious cluster of buildings where the residents were at least all Golden Core cultivators and above.

On the way there, Zhou Xuanhong spotted a small hill, only about twenty meters high, and stopped Shangguan Liming to ask, “Is there anything special about that hill?”

Shangguan Liming looked somewhat puzzled. “No, why do you ask, Brother Ge?”

Zhou Xuanhong smiled lightly. “In the mountain gate of the Left-Hand Domain, the places where I cultivated were all caves carved out among the mountains. After drifting outside for more than ten years, I rather miss those days in a cave dwelling. I wonder whether I might open a cave dwelling inside that little hill?”

Zhou Xuanhong knew that his bone age was only thirty-four, while his formation mastery was already so high that many would inevitably harbor doubts. So when he remade his body, he had intentionally adjusted it, subtracting fifty years from his lifespan. As a result, the bone age he now displayed was eighty-four.

Eighty-four was not considered old in the world of cultivation. For a Golden Core cultivator, in particular, it was quite young indeed, and could even be called rather promising.

Shangguan Liming laughed. “Of course. Fellow Daoist’s tastes are quite unique. Shall I have someone help with the construction?”

Zhou Xuanhong shook his head. “No need. As a Golden Core cultivator, I do not need to trouble others with such a small matter. Besides, I will need to set up some formations myself later.”

Shangguan Liming nodded. “Then is there anything I should do?”

“No need—”

Before Zhou Xuanhong could finish, a graceful figure descended from the sky. A woman flew over and wrapped her arms around Shangguan Liming from behind.

Shangguan Liming hurriedly pulled her away and said softly, “Yixin! Stop fooling around! You are no child anymore, so let go!”

Yet Shangguan Yixin refused to listen and clung tightly to Shangguan Liming, pouting as she said, “No! Brother is awful. You go out to have fun and never take me along. It is all that shameless fox woman surnamed Yin’s fault for stealing my brother away!”

Shangguan Liming felt the gazes of many nearby people turn toward them, and his face grew a little hot, but he could not forcibly shake his sister off, because his little sister’s cultivation was... at the late Golden Core stage. Moreover, her physical strength was extraordinarily formidable.

“Let go at once!” His tone turned stern.

Shangguan Yixin knew that her brother was a little angry, so she released him. She lowered her head, tears welling in her eyes as she looked terribly wronged.

Shangguan Liming, who had just forced himself to harden his heart, immediately softened. He comforted her gently, saying, “All right, little sister, don’t cry. Next time I go out to play, I will definitely take you with me.”

Then he introduced her to Zhou Xuanhong and Li Li. “Forgive the embarrassment. This is my younger sister, Shangguan Yixin. Yixin, these two are the guest elders who joined my Shangguan family today, Ge Jiangniao and Li Jian. During this outing, it was thanks to their righteous intervention that they saved your brother’s life.”

Zhou Xuanhong clicked his tongue in wonder. The two were biological siblings, yet the sister’s cultivation had actually surpassed the brother’s by two minor realms, and in terms of strength she also suppressed him. However, Shangguan Yixin’s mind seemed somewhat off.

Zhou Xuanhong cupped his hands slightly. “Greetings, Fellow Daoist.”

But Shangguan Yixin did not appreciate it. She folded her arms before her chest, her expression somewhat disdainful, as though she could not be bothered to respond. Only after Shangguan Liming glared at her did she lazily say, “No need for such formality. I greet Fellow Daoist as well.”

Zhou Xuanhong did not mind her rudeness at all. Instead, he praised her, saying, “Your younger sister’s cultivation talent is astonishing. At such a young age, she is already at the seventh layer of the Golden Core stage. I fear she could already compare with those two true inheritors of the Lunar Extreme Corpse Sect, could she not?”

Flattered by Zhou Xuanhong’s words, Shangguan Yixin also lifted her chin proudly. “That’s right!”

Shangguan Liming poured cold water on her pride. “My younger sister’s cultivation talent is indeed quite high, but if one compares her to those two true inheritors, she falls short by more than a little.”

Zhou Xuanhong raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

Shangguan Liming asked in surprise, “Brother Ge does not know?”

Zhou Xuanhong shook his head. “I have only heard rumors. Your younger sister’s aptitude is already very high. Could it be that those two true inheritors are even more gifted?”

Shangguan Liming explained, “They are indeed even more gifted. My younger sister has cultivated for sixty-nine years this year and has reached the seventh layer of the Golden Core stage. That is certainly exceptional aptitude by ordinary standards, but in front of those two true inheritors, it is still not enough to look at.

“The second true inheritor, Bai Youxuan, was born with a body that spontaneously gave rise to spirit. She was born with innate aptitude fit for the Nascent Soul stage, and even breaking through to Nascent Soul would not present the slightest obstacle to her. Moreover, she is as a fish in water when cultivating the secret arts of the Lunar Extreme Corpse Sect. She is even said to be a child of heaven, naturally close to all kinds of elements. At present, she is already at the ninth layer of the Golden Core stage.

“As for the first true inheritor, you must have heard of her as well. She is a monster with red-grade talent. She has cultivated for only sixteen years, yet her cultivation has already reached the Great Circle of the Golden Core stage, only one step away from Nascent Soul. What is more, she only began cultivating at the age of twenty. With such talent, I fear she will become the brightest star of the Lunar Extreme Corpse Sect in the future!”