19: Since you're here, then leave your lives as fertilizer.

Hidden God Sect, outer perimeter of the back mountain.

A blood-red streak of light, like a startled wild dog, frantically burned its life force as it sped into the distance.

There was only one thought in Bloody Shadow's mind now.

Run!

Run as far as possible!

That seemingly harmless Trash youth split a mountain with one sword strike!

Is that something a human does?

This is clearly an ancient Vicious Beast in human skin!

"Too terrifying... too insidious..."

Bloody Shadow ran, constantly looking back, terrified that the black Sword Qi would catch up.

"This Hidden God Sect is not some soft persimmon; it's a bandit's den pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger!"

"I must bring this news back! Tell the Sect Master not to come here to die!"

As the Hidden God Sect grew further and further away, Bloody Shadow's heart, which had been pounding in his throat, finally eased a little.

"Phew... that was close."

"Good thing I ran fast; I'm a professional."

"As long as I escape this mountain range, I'll..."

However.

He hadn't finished speaking.

A lazy sigh suddenly sounded in his ear like a ghost, without any warning.

"Why run so fast?"

"Since you're already here, why not sit for a while?"

Bloody Shadow's hair instantly stood on end, and his scalp tingled.

Where did that voice come from?

He looked around in horror, only to find the surroundings empty, with nothing but the sound of the wind.

A thousand li away.

At the entrance of the Hidden God Sect's main hall.

Li Daoxuan was still slumped in the Grand Tutor's chair, holding the unfinished teacup in his hand.

His gaze pierced through layers of the Void Realm, locking onto the red dot frantically fleeing.

"Tsk."

"Today's scouts have such poor psychological fortitude."

"They run after one look, not even staying for a meal."

Li Daoxuan shook his head, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes.

"Since you've seen what you shouldn't have, I certainly can't let you leave."

"If I let you go back and spread rumors, how can my 'The Way of Hiding' grand plan proceed?"

"Only dead men can keep secrets."

Li Daoxuan did not get up.

An ant of that level was not worth his personal intervention.

He turned his head to look at the corner of the courtyard.

There.

A girl in a black coarse cloth martial attire was wielding a large axe, chopping firewood against a wooden stake thicker than her thigh, making "clang clang" sounds.

Her movements were clean and precise.

With each swing of the axe, the wooden stake split in response, the cuts as smooth as if measured with a ruler.

That was Leng Yanran.

The former Demon Empress, now the Hidden God Sect's... woodcutter.

"Yanran."

Li Daoxuan called out softly.

"Clang!"

The axe in Leng Yanran's hand paused, stopping precisely an inch above the wooden stake.

She turned around, wiped the fine sweat from her forehead, her eyes cool and clear.

"Revered Master, what are your orders?"

"Is that pile of firewood not enough?"

Li Daoxuan pointed towards the back mountain, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"There's enough firewood."

"However, the fertilizer in the medicinal field seems insufficient."

"There's a little mouse who secretly watched your Senior Brother practice his sword and is now trying to run home to report it."

"Go, deal with him."

"Remember, be environmentally friendly, don't make a bloody mess everywhere."

Upon hearing this, a chilling glint, enough to make one's heart tremble, suddenly flashed in Leng Yanran's originally calm beautiful eyes.

Peeping?

And trying to run?

In her former Demon Palace, such an act was a capital crime punishable by extermination of nine generations!

"Yes."

"This Disciple understands."

Leng Yanran had no superfluous words.

She casually plunged the large chopping axe into the ground.

"Buzz!"

Black Devilish Qi flashed around her and then vanished.

The next second.

She disappeared from her spot as if a drop of ink had merged into the night.

There was no spiritual energy fluctuation. Only a faint trace of Killing Intent lingered in the air, proving she had once been there... A hundred li away.

Only a faint trace of Killing Intent lingered in the air, proving she had once been there... A hundred li away.

Bloody Shadow was still running frantically.

But he felt something was wrong.

It was too quiet around him.

So quiet that there were no sounds of insects or birds, only his own heavy breathing.

"No!"

As an experienced scout, his intuition for danger was extremely keen.

"There's Killing Intent!"

Bloody Shadow suddenly stopped, flipped his hand, and two poisoned daggers appeared in his grasp.

He leaned against a large tree, vigilantly scanning his surroundings.

"Who's there?!"

"Come out! Stop playing tricks!"

The wind stopped.

A withered yellow leaf slowly drifted down before his eyes.

The instant the leaf landed.

A black figure, like a phantom, appeared directly in front of him without any warning.

It was a girl.

Dressed in simple black clothes, with some wood chips from chopping firewood still on her face.

She stood there silently, empty-handed, her eyes as indifferent as if she were looking at a piece of wood.

"You... who are you?!"

Bloody Shadow's pupils contracted sharply.

He hadn't even seen how this woman appeared!

"Hidden God Sect, Leng Yanran."

The girl's voice was cold, colder than the night wind in these mountains.

"By Revered Master's command, I'm borrowing something from you."

Bloody Shadow gripped his daggers, shouting with feigned ferocity:

"Borrow what?!"

Leng Yanran tilted her head, her gaze falling on his neck.

"Your life."

"As fertilizer."

Before her words even fell.

Bloody Shadow only felt a blur before his eyes.

The girl disappeared.

Immediately after.

A chilling sensation came from his throat.

There was no intense pain as he had imagined.

Only a... cool, breezy feeling.

"So fast..."

This was the last thought that flashed through Bloody Shadow's mind.

He instinctively wanted to raise his hand to touch his neck.

But his vision began to spin.

He saw a familiar headless corpse, spurting blood, slowly falling.

That's... my own body?

"Thump."

The head hit the ground.

Before the blood could even spray far, it was instantly enveloped by a black Devilish Qi, sealing all its aura.

Leng Yanran's figure reappeared.

She held Bloody Shadow's corpse in one hand and the terrified head in the other.

Her expression was completely unperturbed.

As natural as if she had just finished chopping a piece of wood.

"Too weak."

"Not even worthy of making me draw my sword."

Leng Yanran shook her head in disdain.

She skillfully plundered the Storage Pouch from Bloody Shadow's body, then carried the corpse, turned, and vanished into the night.

This level of proficiency clearly showed she was an old hand.

A moment later.

Hidden God Sect, back mountain medicinal field.

Li Daoxuan was squatting on the ridge, examining the wilting Spirit Medicine.

"Alas, this soil is too barren."

"The radishes that grow here look malnourished."

Just then.

A soft sound of footsteps approached.

"Revered Master."

Leng Yanran returned.

She carried the unlucky scout as if he were a freshly slaughtered chicken.

"It's been dealt with cleanly."

"His Soul has been extinguished; no one will be able to trace it back to us."

Saying that.

She walked to the edge of the medicinal field and, with a wave of her single hand.

A large pit opened in the ground.

She tossed Bloody Shadow's corpse into it, then skillfully filled the earth and stomped it firm.

Her movements were fluid and seamless, all in one go.

After doing all this, she clapped the dirt from her hands and looked up at Li Daoxuan, her eyes carrying a hint of seeking praise.

"Revered Master, one fertilizer added."

Li Daoxuan looked at the slightly raised patch of land and nodded in satisfaction.

"Good."

"Very professional technique, buried very neatly."

"Not only must you learn to kill, but you must also understand how to utilize waste."

"Only then can one be a qualified... cough cough, a qualified immortal cultivator."

He stood up, looking at the few Spirit Medicine plants that seemed to have instantly perked up, and sighed:

"Turning into spring mud to better protect the flowers, indeed."

"Although this scout's character was poor, his flesh and blood are genuine Foundation Establishment Stage essence, enough for these few radishes to have a hearty meal."

Leng Yanran: "..."

She looked at the radishes, then at the 'fertilizer' beneath her feet.

Suddenly, she felt.

Her Revered Master, though seemingly gentle and harmless.

When it came to 'ruthlessness'.

He was probably several levels higher than her, the Demon Empress.

Burying enemies as fertilizer?

She hadn't even thought of such a thing in her previous life!

"Revered Master is brilliant!"

Leng Yanran praised him from the bottom of her heart.

Li Daoxuan waved his hand and stretched.

"Alright, stop flattering me."

"Since there's fertilizer, don't waste it."

"Go, fetch water and water the ground."

"Tomorrow morning, I want to see these radishes grow an inch taller."

"Yes!"

Leng Yanran had no complaints and turned to fetch the water buckets.

In this Sect.

Killing was a side job.

Farming was the main business.