Chapter 198 Mysterious Yin Enchantress

The far west of the Secret Realm is completely different from the Righteous Path region that was previously filled with Spiritual Qi and rosy mists, as if they were two separate worlds.

The sky is an eternal dark gray, with heavy leaden clouds hanging low, devoid of sun, moon, or stars, save for the occasional blood-colored lightning tearing across the firmament, illuminating the desolate and dead land below.

The ground is cracked, and viscous, ink-like Devilish Qi seeps from the fissures, gathering into streams that flow sluggishly.

The Spiritual Qi in the air is pitifully thin, replaced by Devilish Qi so dense it is suffocating.

If ordinary Righteous Path Cultivators were to linger here for too long, their Heart-Nature would be gradually eroded by the black Qi, eventually causing them to fall into the Demonic Path.

This is the main battlefield of the ancient final battle between the Righteous Path and the Demonic Path, the burial ground of countless Demonic Path giants and top-tier Demonic Cultivators.

Ordinary Righteous Path Disciples avoid this place for fear of trouble, but for cultivating Demonic Techniques, this is an excellent treasure land where Opportunity and danger coexist.

At this moment, on this desolate land stained with Devilish Qi, a team was moving silently, appearing completely out of place in the gloomy environment.

The leader was none other than the Holy Maiden of Yaochi, Chu Yuyao.

She still had bare jade feet, and the emerald jade bell at her ankle emitted a faint, cold light in the dim sky; she moved with graceful, swaying steps yet in total silence.

Her elegant, pale green lotus-patterned Fairy dress was immaculate, and as the hem brushed against the cracked scorched earth and the streams of Devilish Qi, it seemed as though an invisible force field isolated it, leaving it unstained by even a speck of filth.

Her temperament was ethereal and holy, like a green lotus blooming in a filthy mire, forming a stark contrast with this world of dense Devilish Qi, yet strangely harmonious—as if she were meant to be above this filth, watching coldly from the sidelines.

Behind her followed several Yaochi female Disciples, all dressed in standard gauze robes, though these robes were currently enveloped in a faint layer of clear light, clearly utilizing some protective Magic Treasure or technique to resist the pervasive erosion of the Devilish Qi.

Their expressions were solemn, their eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly, with Magical Artifacts shimmering in their hands, forming a simple Formation to protect Chu Yuyao in the center.

Only Caier, who followed half a step behind Chu Yuyao, had a slightly different expression.

Her pretty face lacked its usual innocence, replaced by a hint of nervousness and curiosity, her plump and graceful figure appearing and disappearing under the gauze robe as she secretly peeked at the eerie environment, unable to resist casting her gaze toward the Holy Maiden's back, which was always calm and composed.

"Holy Maiden, is this... the place where the ancient Demonic Path giant fell?" Caier could not help but lower her voice and ask, moving a little closer.

The surrounding Devilish Qi made her feel an instinctive discomfort, but more than that, it was a desire to explore the unknown realm.

Chu Yuyao did not stop, her cold gaze sweeping over a black mountain Peak in the distance that looked like a ferocious beast's head, where Devilish Qi surged into the sky, and faint, shrill howls could be heard with the wind.

A faint curve hung on her lips, and her voice was ethereal, devoid of emotion: "Yes. The ancient battle between the Righteous and Demonic Paths shook the heavens and shattered the earth, and this place was the main battlefield. I do not know how many brilliant Demonic heads and Righteous Path giants fell in this Secret Realm; countless Cultivators' Cultivation Techniques, Legacies, and Magic Treasures were scattered here, and over the years, they merged with the earth's veins, forming the scene you see in the Secret Realm today."

She paused, as if recalling something, and continued: "For the Righteous Path, this place is a dead zone and a dangerous area, but for me, it is a place of Opportunity."

Caier nodded, half-understanding, and then asked curiously: "Then Holy Maiden, why are we here...?"

Chu Yuyao did not answer immediately, her gaze fixed on a distant spot where the Devilish Qi was exceptionally thick, condensing into a rotating dark vortex. In the center of the vortex, a phantom of an ancient palace seemed to be floating.

"Go there." Chu Yuyao finally spoke, her tone flat yet carrying undisguised joy, "That place was once the final resting place of an extraordinary Demonic Path giant and her Dao Companion. That woman... was a peerless beauty who once topped the Demonic Path and made the fallen Demonic Lord fall deeply in love with her."

Caier blinked, vaguely feeling that when the Holy Maiden mentioned that "Demonic Lord's Dao Companion," her tone seemed to carry an irrepressible excitement, but looking closely at the Holy Maiden's expression, it remained cold and waveless.

"Is that Senior's Legacy... very strong?" another older female Disciple couldn't help but ask, a flash of astonishment in her eyes.

Being able to leave behind such a strange Legacy phenomenon here meant the person's strength in life must have been absolutely terrifying, so why would the Holy Maiden go to such lengths to find the Legacy of a Demonic Path powerhouse? But she dared not ask further.

The curve on Chu Yuyao's lips seemed to deepen. She turned her head slightly and glanced at the female Disciple, her gaze clear and cold: "Strong? Naturally, extremely strong. That person cultivated..."

At this point, she stopped abruptly and did not explain further, moving her lotus steps and walking toward the direction of the dark vortex.

The female Disciples did not dare to say more and hurriedly followed, though in their hearts, they were even more confused and puzzled about the true purpose of the Holy Maiden's trip to this Secret Realm.

The closer they got to the dark vortex, the thicker and purer the surrounding Devilish Qi became, and visible Devilish Qi crystals, like black snowflakes, began to fall in the air.

The cracks on the ground became more ferocious, with dark gray Magic Stones faintly visible inside, along with some incomplete skeletal remains emitting terrifying fluctuations, whether they were Demonic Cultivators who fell in the ancient war or humans or Yao Beasts eroded and mutated by the Devilish Qi, it was unknown.

The pressure permeating the air grew heavier, causing the faces of the few female Disciples with shallower cultivation to turn slightly pale; even with the protection of the Formation and Chu Yuyao's protective clear light, they felt stabs of pain in their Divine Souls.

"Holy Maiden, the Demonic Might ahead is too great, and the space is extremely unstable. This vortex..." Caier looked at the thousand-zhang dark vortex that seemed capable of swallowing everything, and the ancient stone gate faintly visible at the bottom of the vortex, emitting heart-palpitating fluctuations, her eyes filled with fear and worry.

The Demonic patterns on the stone gate made her Divine Soul shake just by looking at them; had the Holy Maiden not been in front, she would never have dared to approach.

Chu Yuyao stopped at the edge of the vortex, her cold gaze sweeping over the ferocious palace phantom and the stone gate below, as if she could pierce through the ancient Demonic barrier and see its essence.

She spoke slowly, her voice clear and ethereal yet carrying unquestionable decisiveness: "That is enough... If you go any further, you will not be able to withstand it!"

Her words made everyone's hearts tremble, and their gazes toward the dark vortex and the stone gate held even more fear.

"Caier," Chu Yuyao called out, her gaze remaining on the stone gate as if pondering something, "You lead everyone to guard this place. Without my order, no one is allowed to enter the vortex. Anyone who trespasses shall be killed without mercy..."

She paused, waved her jade hand, and a small, ancient Formation Plate sank into Caier's hand, "If you encounter someone you cannot defeat, just activate the Formation Plate!"

"Yes! Holy Maiden!" Caier and the other female Disciples responded in unison, their expressions solemn.

They knew the danger of this place and understood that the Holy Maiden surely had her own deep meaning and confidence in entering the Legacy site alone, so they quickly dispersed, each taking a position and guarding the surroundings.

Chu Yuyao refocused her gaze on the ancient stone gate, a trace of an extremely faint, hard-to-detect dark glint flashing deep in her eyes—that was the insight and foundation belonging to her true self—the Demonic Path Goddess from the Upper Realm.

She tapped her bare feet on the ground and, as if weightless, floated forward, her posture calm and unhurried, walking through the air directly toward the center of the dark vortex where the terrifying fluctuations emanated, to the location of the stone gate.

The closer she got to the stone gate, the clearer the heavy, ancient Demonic Might became.

The air was as thick as mercury, and a terrifying pressure surged from all directions, as if countless ancient Demonic eyes were coldly watching this uninvited guest in the darkness.

The Demonic patterns on the stone gate seemed to come alive, beginning to squirm slowly, emitting strong intentions of warning, rejection, and destruction.

If an ordinary Soul Transformation Cultivator dared to step here, their Divine Soul would shatter and their Physical Body would be torn apart the moment they entered, and even a Void Refining powerhouse would feel sluggish and slow in their movements here.

Chu Yuyao's expression did not change; her beautiful and peerless face still held that indifferent and ethereal expression, as if this Demonic Path pressure, capable of crushing mountains, were merely a breeze.

She did not even use any obvious protective Divine Ability; the faint, almost non-existent clear light around her body flowed naturally, silently dissolving the incoming Demonic Might and spatial turbulence.

At about three zhang from the stone gate, Chu Yuyao stopped.

She extended her slender jade hand, fingers slightly splayed.

The next moment, a strange aura rose from her fingertips—not the clear, spiritual energy unique to Yaochi's Cultivation Technique, nor the violent, sinister aura of Demonic Path Cultivators, but something more ancient, obscure, and carrying an indescribable supreme Demonic charm, yet strangely resonating with the surrounding pure, ancient Devilish Qi.

This aura was completely out of place with her holy appearance, yet it acted like an invisible key.

"Hum—!"

The Demonic patterns on the stone gate suddenly erupted with blinding dark red light!

The countless twisted and wailing Devil Head patterns seemed to wake up instantly, emitting sharp, silent roars that reached the depths of the Soul, and the terrifying Demonic Might rushed in like a tsunami!

But the aura at Chu Yuyao's fingertips was like a needle to calm the sea, or a drop of water merging into the ocean; not only was it not dispersed, but it steadily and slowly "imprinted" onto a node of the most complex Demonic pattern in the center of the stone gate.

"Click... click-click... boom..."

A dull, massive sound, as if from the depths of the earth, rang out.

The heavy stone gate, sealed for who knows how many tens of thousands of years, slowly opened a gap wide enough for one person to pass through under the interweaving of the dark red Demonic light and Chu Yuyao's aura.

The moment the gap opened, a wave of cold Devilish Qi, dozens of times thicker and purer than outside and seemingly accumulated over endless ages, mixed with a faint, strange cold fragrance, surged out like a tangible tide!

Vaguely, it seemed as if a woman's sigh and an inexplicable murmur could be heard from the endless darkness behind the gap, pointing straight to the deepest part of the human heart.

Chu Yuyao's eyes were without ripples, and not even her eyelashes trembled.

She retracted her hand and stepped forward, her slender white figure plunging into the darkness that seemed capable of swallowing everything without hesitation.

"Boom..."

The moment her figure disappeared, the heavy stone gate gave a deeper thud and slowly closed again, sealing perfectly, completely isolating the inside from the outside.

The light of the Demonic patterns on the surface of the stone gate gradually dimmed, returning to its original ancient and ferocious appearance, though the circulating Demonic charm seemed to be a bit more active than before.

Outside the stone gate, the dark Devilish Qi continued to surge. Caier and the others gazed at the stone gate, which was now tightly sealed and seemed as if it had remained unchanged since ancient times. Anxiety and awe were intertwined in their hearts, but there was more of an unconditional trust in the Saintess. They focused their minds, vigilantly watching for any danger that might be lurking in the surrounding Devilish Qi.

Chu Yuyao's figure completely disappeared behind that heavy, ancient stone gate; the clamor of the outside world, the surging Devilish Qi, and even the worried gazes of the female Disciples were instantly cut off.

Inside the gate, it was a different scene.

This was not the gloomy tomb chamber filled with corpses and scattered Magic Treasures as one might imagine; instead, it was surprisingly "neat" and "quiet."

The space was far more vast than the phantom of the palace seen from the outside, as if it were a small world unto itself. The dome was high and distant, embedded with countless deep blue crystals that emitted a cold, constant light like an eternal night, illuminating the entire space in a deep blue hue. Beneath their feet was a mirror-smooth black jade floor, reflecting the "stars" of the dome and the most eye-catching entity in the center.

In the center of the space was a massive "Purple Lotus Platform" carved entirely from some kind of dark purple crystal. The lotus platform was layered and stacked, its petals unfurled, emitting a warm and restrained luster that formed a subtle contrast with the surrounding cold, deep blue tone. On the lotus platform, a person lay quietly.

It was a woman.

She was dressed in a dark red court dress that had lost its vibrant color but still retained its former magnificence and delicacy. The hem of her dress spread across the lotus platform like congealed blood or a sleeping sunset. Her face was clearly visible under the deep blue light—it was a beauty that transcended this world. Even with her eyes closed and her complexion pale and lifeless, she still exuded a stunning charm. Time seemed to have left no marks of decay upon her; only the court dress and her overly pale skin indicated that she was no longer among the living.

The woman's hands were folded over her lower abdomen in a peaceful posture, as if she were merely sleeping. However, centered on her body, a pure, ancient, and unimaginably vast, cold Demonic rhyme fluctuated slowly and rhythmically like an invisible tide, filling the entire space. This Demonic rhyme formed an eerie contrast with her stunningly beautiful face; it was both holy and evil, making one yearn for it while instinctively feeling fear.

Around the lotus platform, eight coiled dragon pillars, also carved from dark purple crystals, stood towering and majestic. The dragon mouths all faced the central lotus platform, holding glowing pearls that flickered with dim light, forming an arcane Formation that firmly locked the peerless demonic corpse and the immense Demonic rhyme within, while also maintaining the strange, eternal state of this place.

Chu Yuyao stood barefoot on the cold black jade floor. Her cold gaze slowly swept across the space, finally fixing on the face of the woman in the court dress in the center of the lotus platform. There was no amazement or fear in her eyes, nor even a shred of inquisitive curiosity; there was only a bottomless calm and a trace of... knowing indifference.

"The 'Mystic Yin Charm Maiden' of the ancient Demonic Path, who once made that Demonic Lord infatuated with her..." Chu Yuyao's red lips parted slightly. Her cold, ethereal voice echoed in the silent space, carrying a peculiar rhythm, as if calling out a long-forgotten name. "Sure enough, your Soul remains, your obsession persists. By borrowing this Mystic Yin Demonic Body and the Death Qi of the earth veins to nourish yourself for ten thousand years, are you hoping to wait for a suitable Physical Body to return to the world?"

Her words seemed to trigger some kind of mechanism.

"Hum—" Around the lotus platform, the pearls held by the eight coiled dragon pillars suddenly lit up simultaneously! The deep blue light surged, intertwining in the air, and instantly condensed a hazy phantom of a woman above the lotus platform, which resembled the corpse by eight or nine parts but was far more illusory.

The phantom slowly "opened" its eyes. As her gaze shifted, it seemed to contain all the allure in the world, capable of stirring the desires deep within a person's heart, yet deep within lay a coldness and indifference like an eternal frozen pool. She looked at Chu Yuyao, a trace of surprise appearing on her illusory face, which then turned into undisguised greed and satisfaction.

"Unexpected... completely unexpected..." The illusory woman, or rather, the Soul of Xi Yue, spoke. Her voice was seductively sweet to the bone, every syllable seeming to carry hooks that could stir one's heartstrings, forming an extreme contrast with Chu Yuyao's external coldness. "This Seat has waited for countless years and seen many brilliant juniors, including Prodigies of the Demonic Path and Fairies of the Righteous Path, but someone like you... with such a flawless Physical Body and a condensed Divine Soul... this is the first time I have seen one."

The gaze of Xi Yue's Soul was like the most delicate scan, sweeping over every inch of Chu Yuyao. "Holy Maiden of Yaochi? Hehe, what an excellent disguise, and what an excellent vessel. Your Physical Body is pure and flawless, with a deep foundation, and it even contains a trace of... 'Dao Rhythm' that even this Seat is familiar with. It is simply a perfect body tailored for this Seat! By devouring your Divine Soul, taking over your Physical Body, and fusing the Mystic Yin Demonic Path insights this Seat has accumulated over ten thousand years with the Origin remaining in this past life's remains... let alone recovering my former cultivation, even surpassing my Peak and touching upon that supreme Demonic Path is not impossible!"

Her tone became increasingly excited, and her illusory figure rippled slightly with excitement. To her, Chu Yuyao's appearance was like someone delivering a pillow just as she was falling asleep; it was the greatest gift fate could bestow upon her.

Chu Yuyao listened quietly, her stunningly beautiful face remaining calm and without waves, not even her eyes changing, as if the earth-shattering conspiracy and the perfect body the other party spoke of were not about her. Only when Xi Yue's Soul finished her excitement did she speak indifferently, her voice clear and resonant like jade stones striking each other: "Are you finished?"

Xi Yue's Soul was stunned, her triumphant smile slightly freezing. Chu Yuyao's reaction was too calm, unnaturally so.

"When this Saintess stepped into this place, I had already discerned seven or eight parts of your plot." Chu Yuyao took a slow step forward, her bare feet landing silently on the cold black jade floor. She looked up, her clear, cold gaze staring directly at the illusory Soul, as if she could see through the core of its ten-thousand-year obsession. "Using the name of Legacy to attract those with specific Physiques or suitable bodies to come. Using this past life's Mystic Yin Demonic Body as a base, combined with the Death Qi of the earth veins and the Formation, to nourish your Soul so it does not perish. When the 'fated person' accepts the Legacy, you launch a sudden attack and perform Possession... A very old trick, and the success rate is indeed not low. After all, who could refuse the temptation of a complete Legacy from an ancient Demonic Immortal giant?"

Xi Yue's Soul's expression finally changed, a flash of shock and suspicion crossing her illusory face: "You... you knew this was a trap from the beginning? And you still dared to come in alone?"

"A trap?" A faint, almost invisible arc appeared on the corners of Chu Yuyao's lips. There was no warmth in that smile, only a condescending indifference. "Then how do you know I don't have the means to deal with you? Besides, I have admired you, the Mystic Yin Charm Maiden famous in the Immortal Realm, since I was a child!"

She paused, her gaze suddenly turning cold, and the layer of seemingly weak clear radiance around her body changed silently. The ethereal and holy aura receded like a tide, and a more ancient, obscure, and noble, majestic Demonic Path aura, like a sleeping Dragon slowly awakening, began to permeate from deep within her delicate body! This aura was not violent, but it carried an absolute suppression originating from the level of life and the Origin of the Dao, making Xi Yue's Soul instantly feel a violent trembling that came from the instinct of her Soul!

"...The current you, in the eyes of this Seat, is nothing more than decent nourishment!"

The moment her voice fell, Chu Yuyao moved. She did not use any flashy techniques; she simply lifted her jade finger and pointed lightly at the illusory Soul of Xi Yue in the air.

"Suppress."

A cold word was uttered. In an instant, the winds and clouds in the entire Legacy land changed! The deep blue crystals on the dome shone brightly, but instead of providing energy to Xi Yue's Soul, they projected beams of light that were as cold as moonlight but contained an unparalleled intent of sealing, weaving into a net that instantly enveloped and imprisoned the illusory Soul!

"What? You can see through the Formation here? And you can control it? This is impossible! This was set up by this Seat personally..." Xi Yue's Soul let out a terrified scream, struggling crazily, only to find that the net of light was indestructible and was constantly eroding and devouring the power of her Soul!

Chu Yuyao ignored her screams, her lotus steps moving lightly as she stepped onto the dark purple crystal lotus platform and stood beside the stunningly beautiful female corpse. She lowered her head, looking at the face that was so different in style from her own yet equally world-toppling, her eyes indifferent.

"This Incarnation of this Seat, by borrowing this 'Holy Maiden of Yaochi' identity, is cultivating in the Lower Realm..." She spoke as if to Xi Yue's Soul, yet also as if to herself. "Your Soul of a Demonic Immortal, with deep obsession and pure Demonic rhyme, is just right to nourish the Divine Soul of this Incarnation of this Seat..." She extended her finger, and a wisp of dark, deep Devilish Qi that seemed capable of piercing through all light slowly seeped out from her fingertip, pointing gently toward the center of the female corpse's brow.

"Although you have been dead for ten thousand years, the Mystic Yin Demonic rhyme has not dissipated. After I refine it, perhaps I can advance one step further."

"No—!!!" Xi Yue's Soul let out a desperate and unwilling shriek. She had plotted for ten thousand years, waiting for Rebirth, only to wait for a terrifying existence she could not possibly contend with! She wanted to detonate her Soul and mobilize all the Restrictions here to perish together with her, but she discovered that all control had been easily stripped away the moment the other party uttered the word "Suppress"!

The wisp of dark Devilish Qi at Chu Yuyao's fingertip had already entered the center of the female corpse's brow.

"Devour." Another word was uttered softly.

"Ah—!!!" The shrill scream of Xi Yue's Soul came to an abrupt end. Her illusory figure was completely shredded, purified, and absorbed by the cold moonlight and the devouring power emitted from Chu Yuyao's fingertip, turning into the purest Divine Soul Origin, which trickled into Chu Yuyao's Sea of Consciousness. The Mystic Yin Demonic Body on the lotus platform also trembled slightly, a faint gleam appearing on the surface of its skin, and the Mystic Yin Origin that had been silent for ten thousand years began to be forcibly extracted and refined by that wisp of invading dark Devilish Qi...

The entire process was shockingly fast and terrifyingly calm.

Chu Yuyao closed her eyes and focused, quietly absorbing and refining the power of Xi Yue's Soul and the Origin of the Mystic Yin Demonic Body. The aura around her body fluctuated subtly between holy and dark, becoming increasingly profound and unfathomable. The jade and silver bells on her ankles emitted a warm luster in the silence.

Outside the Legacy land, the dark vortex continued to rotate slowly, full of sinister Devilish Qi. Caier and the others guarded vigilantly, completely unaware of the changes that had occurred inside the stone gate.