149: Bastard, make arrangements!

Li Yan trembled when he saw his name also appear on the White Jade Slip.

"My name, why is it also on that White Jade Slip?"

Li Yan focused his gaze through his Dao Pattern Eyes.

【Bugui Mountain — Li Yan (Seedling)】

Only after clearly seeing the last two characters did Li Yan understand why his name also appeared on that White Jade Slip.

This White Jade Slip was very mysterious; the characters on it continuously scrolled.

The White Jade Slip was like a broken screen; with just a scroll, countless names and place names could be written on it.

Every moment, a new name would appear on the White Jade Slip.

Cold sweat broke out on Li Yan's forehead; he realized that he was originally a fresh commodity already noted on the Immortals' menu.

From the moment he became a Cultivator, his name had probably already been added to this White Jade Slip?

In the eyes of the Immortals of White Jade Capital, he was a delicious meal about to be fattened up and harvested.

Looking again at the South Heaven Gate of White Jade Capital.

The One-Eyed Old Man was still guiding this group of Ascendants, urging them to continue feeling fear and anger, to continue providing him with emotions.

"Do you see the new names appearing on this?"

"When you become famous in the Lower Realm, your names will appear on this White Jade Slip."

"The sweat you poured into Cultivating, the arduous journey you took to Ascend, what is it like?"

"It's like the fish fry in a fish pond."

To squeeze out the last bit of value from the Ascendants, the One-Eyed Old Man continued to toy with them.

"In my former life as a human, I once saw young scale fish in a village pond. From the moment they hatched, they fought for food and bait, carrying pond algae as banners, chasing turbid waves as war drums, flicking their tails and competing in the muddy shallows."

"They made the sound of their scales clashing into a triumphal song, squeezed their peers into rock crevices as meritorious deeds, and regarded the turbid water of the pond as the four seas and eight wildernesses, vying to be the 'Fish King' that stirred the mud."

"Until the net fell, their plump bodies slapped the moon on the water, still flicking their tails in competition, unaware of the boiling soup at the bottom of the pot—this entire pond activity was originally a farce before the human stove."

Listening to the Old Man mock them over and over again with a taunting tone.

Yan Poshan finally couldn't bear it; fear reached its peak, turning into anger!

"Old man! You infernal, rotten bastard, if you have the guts, come out and let Grandpa carve out your heart and liver for wine!"

Amidst the cries and irrational madness, Yan Poshan's words stood out like a crane among chickens.

The One-Eyed Old Man also looked at Yan Poshan, raising an eyebrow.

"Interesting, other Cultivators' spiritual platforms have fallen, their Divine Souls in disarray."

"Yet you still dare to curse at me, Old Man; your courage is commendable, quite interesting."

The Old Man flipped through the White Jade Slip and read out his name.

"Yan Poshan, a small bandit from Bugui Mountain, who by chance was led into the path of Blood Cultivators."

"Compared to other favored children of heaven, you are a waste, without any talent, relying entirely on brute force to Cultivate."

"Interesting."

The Old Man drew a line with his brush, singling out Yan Poshan.

Yan Poshan was like a little chick, lifted from the crowd by the One-Eyed Old Man.

"You useless waste, I can actually give you a way to live."

"My 'Gourmand Cauldron' still needs a Dao Companion to tend the furnace."

"Yan Poshan, will you go?"

The Old Man looked at the enraged Yan Poshan with a mocking gaze.

However, Yan Poshan, suspended in mid-air, spat at the Old Man.

"Bah! I'm not the kind of scum who betrays friends for glory, even if I have no kin or ties with these Fellow Daoists."

"But I, Yan Poshan, will not aid the wicked!"

Seeing that Yan Poshan was unwilling, others eagerly volunteered.

"I'm willing, I'm willing!"

"Immortal, I, Li Changqing, am willing to be your alchemy boy! I don't want to be refined into a Golden Core."

The One-Eyed Old Man curled his lips when he saw Li Changqing kneeling and begging for mercy.

"Li Changqing, you and Liu Ruyan are known as a divine couple."

"Assuming only one person can live, will you let Liu Ruyan live, or will you live alone?"

"Liu Ruyan, are you willing to turn into a Golden Core and give the path of life to Li Changqing?"

The Old Man posed a question, asking if given a chance to live, would you keep it for yourself or give it to your loved one?

Li Changqing was silent for a moment, then turned to look at Liu Ruyan.

"Ruyan, I love you!"

Liu Ruyan looked at Li Changqing with deep affection: "Changqing, I love you too."

This divine couple intertwined their fingers, their eyes filled with love.

They were still showing affection even when about to die, which infuriated Yan Poshan.

It seemed both of them hoped the other would survive, both giving the path of life to the other, right?

Only to hear Li Changqing and Liu Ruyan look into each other's eyes and nod, as if having made up their minds.

"I!"

Both spoke in unison.

"I want to live!"

When both spoke, they each revealed a shocked expression.

"Changqing, how could you be so selfish?" Liu Ruyan looked at her Dao Companion with disbelief, having thought that after years of love, Li Changqing would surely leave the chance to live to her.

Li Changqing was also utterly shocked: "Ruyan, you... didn't you say you were willing to give everything for me?"

This divine couple was now furious at each other's choice.

What about the promises of eternal love, of mutual support?

Why were they like birds of the same forest, each flying their own way when disaster struck?

Li Changqing, abandoning his usual gentle demeanor, his face twisted: "Ruyan, I've given so much for you, it's finally your turn to sacrifice once!"

"Given? If it weren't for me constantly waiting for you and Cultivating with you, could you have your cultivation today?"

"Li Changqing, how dare you break your promise, forget the vows you made to me!"

At this moment, Liu Ruyan was like a shrew cursing in the street, her face twisted to the extreme.

And the One-Eyed Old Man next to them clapped his hands repeatedly.

"Splendid, splendid! Good, excellent!"

"Oh, oh! I've already seen several divine couples, all as interesting as you two."

"In the face of survival, Dao Companions who claimed to be loyal until death betray each other just like that, hahaha!"

The One-Eyed Old Man laughed, gesticulating wildly, like an old mischievous child.

Yan Poshan, suspended in mid-air, looked at the two with disdain.

"Bah, and they call themselves a divine couple?"

"Disgusting! Disgusting!!!"

"The man's a coward, the woman's shameless."

Li Changqing ignored Yan Poshan's taunts; he knelt on the ground and pleaded.

"Immortal, you see I've already chosen, my sincerity is enough, right?"

The One-Eyed Old Man said with a smile: "Your sincerity, I see it."

"Furnace number three, arranged."

Hearing this, Li Changqing screamed hysterically: "Old man, are you playing with me?"

The One-Eyed Old Man chuckled: "At most, I'll let you be released quickly, refined without pain."

As the One-Eyed Old Man waved his brush, Li Changqing was sent into the distant boiler room.

Accompanied by a scream, Liu Ruyan knelt on the ground, trembling with fear.

"Immortal, Immortal, what about... what about me?"

The One-Eyed Old Man laughed: "You? You're very good, very cooperative. I, Old Man, love to watch this kind of drama; I never get tired of it."

"Then Immortal, can I...?"

Liu Ruyan, crying with a tear-streaked face and some charm, her eyes filled with hopeful pleading.

The Old Man nodded, flicking his brush.

"Hmm, I keep my word. If I say I'll reunite you, I'll reunite you. If I say I'll kill your whole family, I'll kill your whole family!"

"Go, you despicable couple, both arranged for furnace number three."