10: Chapter 10 Black Lotus

"It was obtained by this humble self by chance in an abandoned ancient cultivator's Immortal Cave. Aside from that, there was also a combined-attack Formation, but the combined-attack Formation was snatched away by those four thieves."

"This humble self originally planned to wait until my cultivation reached the Peak of the Qi Refining Third Stage, then use this Medicinal Pill to make a Breakthrough and leave them... If Young Master is willing to spare my life, this barrier-breaking pill will be given to Young Master."

Wang Shouren slightly narrowed his eyes.

barrier-breaking pill.

Now he was stuck at the Peak of the Qi Refining Sixth Stage, and every impact felt like slapping a stone wall with his bare hands, remaining completely motionless.

"The Family is currently in a precarious situation like eggs piled on top of each other. I am the number one person of the third generation, bearing the expectations of the entire clan on my shoulders. But if I cannot even cross over to the Late Stage of Qi Refining, what talk is there of Foundation Establishment?"

Time was not on his side.

And the barrier-breaking pill was precisely the key to breaking this chasm.

"This barrier-breaking pill must be obtained by myself; even if I have to pay some price, I must get it!"

"There should still be three barrier-breaking pills left in the clan, which can allow three disciples to Breakthrough to the Late Stage of Qi Refining. If I eat one less, the clansmen will be one person stronger."

"Where is the Medicinal Pill?"

Seeing that he was tempted, a trace of hope ignited in the woman's heart. She shook her head, and her expression gained a bit more vigilance.

"Young Master must first make a Heavenly Dao oath, promising to spare my life and let me leave safely, before this humble self dares to tell you where the Medicinal Pill is located."

She paused and added, "The Medicinal Pill is not on me. Young Master also knows that people like us hide our valuable things tightly. If Young Master does not agree, this little woman still has the means to cut off her own lifeblood."

The woman claimed that the Medicinal Pill was not on her body, and the hiding place was known only to her.

This did not seem like a lie; Loose Cultivators lived from hand to mouth and understood the principle of a clever rabbit having three burrows even better.

Wang Shouren remained silent, his gaze falling on the woman's face.

Let her go?

This woman was crafty and deceitful. Just now, she acted innocent, played pitifully, launched surprise attacks with hidden weapons, and tried seduction—her methods were endless.

If he let her leave, would she truly keep her mouth shut?

But if he went back on his word after agreeing to a Heavenly Dao oath, the price would be even heavier.

The Heavenly Dao oath connected with the Law of heaven and earth. Once the oath was broken, at best his cultivation would be completely crippled, and at worst his Divine Soul would be destroyed. He could not afford to take this risk.

If he didn't agree, the woman would be determined to cut off her own lifeblood, and he wouldn't be able to get the Medicinal Pill either.

He glanced left and right; there was no one else around.

Wang Shouren withdrew his gaze. It seemed he had made some decision, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

Seeing Wang Shouren look around, the woman sneered inwardly.

She was accustomed to this reaction; for a man to lay down his sanctimonious airs, he always had to confirm that there was no one around. She decided to add fuel to the fire, her eyes rolling as she raised her hand to untie the belt at her waist.

Her outer robe fell in response, revealing the only plain white undergarment left inside.

"Young Master, that barrier-breaking pill is hidden in a place known only to this humble self. If Young Master still feels it is not enough... besides the Medicinal Pill, this humble self... this humble self is willing to share a short-lived romantic affinity with Young Master..."

She knelt on the ground, the shoulder strap of her undergarment slipping slightly to reveal a section of fragrant shoulder.

Moonlight spilled through the gaps in the leaves onto her body, and the mottled light and shadow fell upon that piece of snow-white skin, unexpectedly carrying an indescribable allure.

Wang Shouren looked at her, his Divine Sense sweeping across. His brow could not help but furrow slightly, not caring in the least about her snow-white body.

"It really isn't on her body. It seems I really have to use that method. Although it will cost some price, it is still worth it for the barrier-breaking pill."

Seeing his cold reaction, the woman grew secretly anxious: "What is he hesitating about? Could it be that I am not beautiful enough?"

Her eyes rolled, and she slightly turned her body, deliberately letting the collar of her undergarment open wider. One hand skillfully reached toward Wang Shouren, her flushed face lifted, her eyes watery.

"Young Master, I want..."

Just as the words left her mouth, the woman suddenly stopped.

She saw that black lotus mark between Wang Shouren's brows moving.

"An illusion?" She blinked, "Did I see wrong?"

But the next moment, her pupils suddenly dilated.

That black lotus mark between Wang Shouren's brows had actually come alive.

That was a black lotus flower, three inches in size, with overlapping petals as black as ink, yet exuding a faint, cold light.

It slowly rotated and rose from between Wang Shouren's brows, having no root and no stem, just floating out of thin air. Every petal was slightly quivering, as if it had a life of its own, or like some living creature waking from the abyss.

The air suddenly turned cold.

It felt like an invisible hand was touching up her spine bone by bone, and when it reached the back of her neck, it suddenly grabbed her entire consciousness.

The charming smile that had remained on the woman's face had already frozen.

"This... what is this thing..."

She screamed involuntarily, turning around to try to escape.

But the black lotus was even faster. Rotating, the black lotus swished and flew above her head.

A streak of black light spilled down from the bottom of the lotus flower.

That light was purely black, black enough to make one's heart palpitate, causing the squatting Xiaotian to abruptly tuck its tail, let out a low whimpering cry, and step back several paces.

The black light pierced into the woman's brow.

Three breaths later, the woman's body suddenly began to tremble violently.

An illusory female figure slowly rose from the top of her head.

That figure was completely transparent, and its facial features were impressively identical to the woman on the ground.

But at this moment, her face was filled with extreme terror. Her mouth was wide open as if silently screaming, her limbs struggled and thrashed desperately, and her small hands scratched wildly at the air, like a drowning person trying to grasp the last straw.

That was a fear that transcended language and race, rooted in the deepest instincts of every living being—having one's Divine Soul forcibly stripped from the Physical Body, watching helplessly as the connection between oneself and the shell was cut off bit by bit.

The illusory figure was pulled inch by inch toward the black lotus in mid-air.

Her struggle grew weaker and weaker, her limb movements changing from thrashing to twitching, and from twitching to powerless drooping.

Spinning rapidly, the black lotus flew back before Wang Shouren, merged into his brow, transformed back into that black lotus mark, and quietly lay dormant.

The dense forest returned to silence, moonlight was like water, and insects chirped all around, as if nothing had ever happened.

Wang Shouren stood in place, his eyes tightly closed.

One breath, ten breaths, a hundred breaths—time passed bit by bit.

"I must find where she hid the barrier-breaking pill."

He saw a little girl with horns-like braids squatting by the stove, standing on tiptoe to watch her mother make pancakes.

"I didn't expect a small mountain village to actually have such a tender and pretty little girl. Let this old man check your body."

"Daughter, run quickly."

"Tsk, it's still a Five Spiritual Roots. This old man really has shallow fortune in romance—cultivating her to be a Cauldron in the future wouldn't be bad either."

Wang Shouren's brow furrowed slightly, quickly skipping past this memory.

"Old woman, look, there's a young girl in the lake. Her clothes are so torn, which thousand-slash-worthy bastard harmed such a good young girl."

"Old woman! Why? We saved you, why do you want to kill us? Gouwa, run!"

"Why? Because you saw my secret. By killing you, no one will know my past."

"Immortal Sister, don't kill my grandpa."

"Cut weeds and eliminate roots!"

It was another segment of memory.

"The victim of yesteryear has now become the wielder of the blade, and she is even more ruthless than her Revered Master."

Sighing, Wang Shouren was merely an onlooker in this memory projection, witnessing firsthand how a woman transformed from an innocent young girl into a venomous beauty.

Suddenly, his pupils lit up.

"Found it!"