Upon returning to Green Cloud Sect, Ye Chen planned to calmly wait for Master to finish her seclusion. In Divine Will City, Ye Chen left a communication jade talisman with Sun Ruoxin. This was a critical hit item, capable of transmitting messages over long distances. If any high-grade Golden Core treasures appeared in Divine Will City, Sun Ruoxin would be able to notify him immediately.

As for Lu Jing, she harbored no jealousy toward the two women handling matters. Instead, she secretly rejoiced. She absolutely loved the life where she didn't need to think about anything, with only her young master in her eyes. This kind of life made her feel blissful and at ease. The most important thing was, finally, no one bothered her to come down quickly in the evenings.

Knowing that Ye Chen preferred meals over consuming fasting pills, Lu Jing made it a point to cook every day. She even went to the restaurants in Green Cloud City to hire a chef to teach her, just to ensure Ye Chen enjoyed his meals more.

For Lu Jing, this life was already the dream she had longed for. Back when she lived in Silver Moon Market, her biggest dream had been to reach the ninth level of Qi Refining, master talisman-making techniques, find a Foundation Establishment companion, and live a stable life.

Now, her life had far exceeded those expectations. She had even reached Foundation Establishment herself. And her young master, now at the peak of Foundation Establishment, was on the verge of breaking through to Golden Core.

This made Lu Jing treasure her current life more than ever. Whether during the day or night, she was full of energy, doing her best to ensure Ye Chen had the best experience. However, this blissful life didn't last long for Lu Jing.

An elder from the External Affairs Hall came knocking: "Fellow Daoist Ye, there's been an issue at the remains of the Boundless Demon Sect. The Master of Magic Peak and six elders have been missing for half a month. We suspect something may have happened to them. Your Master is in seclusion, and the other Peak Masters are also occupied.

Currently, the only available Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivator in the sect is you. I would like to ask for your help in investigating what happened and finding out the truth. Fellow Daoist Ye, you don't need to take any risks, just figure out what happened and send the message back to the sect."

The elder from the External Affairs Hall was here to issue a task. However, they were unusually polite. After all, Ye Chen had taken first place in the Divine Will Assembly, and his strength was undeniably profound. Not to mention, Gu Yunyun had officially entered seclusion.

With her talent and abilities, her chances of successfully breaking through during this seclusion were very high, and she was likely to form a top-tier Golden Core. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was already the next sect leader, with her position and strength. So, regardless of her status or power, she needed to show sufficient respect to Ye Chen.

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen nodded. As a member of Green Cloud Sect, one always had duties to fulfill. Since Master would likely be in seclusion for some time, and he would be waiting in Green Cloud Sect anyway, he might as well go and check out the ruins. After all, it was the remains of the Boundless Demon Sect. Perhaps, with some luck, he might find the top-tier spirit materials he needed.

Ye Chen didn't hesitate. After saying a word to Lu Jing, he departed, leaving her reluctant gaze behind as he floated toward Middle Mountain.

...

A day later, when Ye Chen arrived at the ruins, his brow furrowed slightly. The blood-red hue of the ruins had deepened compared to when he had been there last.

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Ye Chen felt that ruins connected to demonic paths always carried an ominous aura. Perhaps a great boss was about to revive.

The Magic Peak Master and the others had gone to the depths of the ruins. So, Ye Chen didn't linger around the outskirts and headed straight into the depths. But the further he flew in, the more tightly he furrowed his brow.

Ye Chen sensed the aura of a Golden Core cultivator. He activated his Heavy Pupil for a clearer view. It wasn't just one Golden Core cultivator—there were two. One was fleeing, and the other was in pursuit, both flying deeper into the ruins.

With a scan of his Heavy Pupil, Ye Chen could tell that both were in the early stages of Golden Core. This made Ye Chen breathe a sigh of relief. Although he had never fought a Golden Core cultivator before, with his Heavenly Spiritual Root and Heavy Pupil, dealing with an early-stage Golden Core shouldn't be a problem.

Moreover, he had prepared so many trump cards, and his Six Arts were all at second-tier perfection. If it really came down to it and he couldn't handle them, running away would also be an option. One of the auras, however, felt particularly familiar.

The little demoness, Su Yuxuan.

Su Yuxuan had already broken through to Golden Core?

That was really fast.

But was she being chased? Could it be that she truly had an enemy with her master? Did she immediately betray her master as soon as she broke through?

That would be worse than what he had done! But, it seemed that Su Yuxuan hadn't fought back—she was the one being chased.

Ye Chen ventured deeper into the ruins, determined to uncover what had happened. He wanted to see if the disappearance of the Magic Peak Master and the elders was connected to Su Yuxuan.

As he delved further into the ruins, the bloodthirsty aura grew denser. Most importantly, Ye Chen hadn't encountered a single cultivator along the way. This was highly unusual.

Growing more cautious, Ye Chen concealed his aura and continued toward the depths. He was likely reaching the core area of the Boundless Demon Sect now. The surrounding buildings were almost entirely blood-red.

As he approached the Sky City, at the center of a massive square, Ye Chen spotted an elderly woman, her face filled with excitement as she guarded a large alchemy furnace. She was constantly tossing strange and unusual herbs into the furnace.

With just a glance at her appearance, Ye Chen immediately recognized her identity. The Sect Master of the Misty Sect. Had the little demoness, Su Yuxuan, already been refined by her master?

With that thought, Ye Chen furrowed his brow. Although Su Yuxuan's multiplier was already insignificant, he had worked hard for a long time to win her favor. If she had been refined like this, Ye Chen couldn't help but feel displeased. It wasn't about his pride. Besides, Su Yuxuan had immediately turned against her master once she broke through. The tragic backstory she once spoke of might very well be true. Her parents were dead, there was a younger brother at home, her soul had been refined, and her body had unknowingly entered the demonic path. She truly was a pitiful person!

Ye Chen did not act rashly but surveyed his surroundings. Soon, he spotted the figures of the Magic Peak Master and the others. It wasn't just them—Ye Chen saw at least three to four hundred cultivators. They were trapped inside a formation, their cultivation sealed, looking utterly miserable. Fear was clearly written on their faces.

Among them, a middle-aged man dressed in the Misty Sect elder's robes cried out in terror, "Sect Master, please, spare me. I've shed blood for the sect, I've dedicated my whole life to it. I beg you, Sect Master, let me go, and I'll go outside and bring back more cultivators for you."

Upon hearing this, the old woman in the center of the large square, who had been focused on refining something, picked up what appeared to be an eyeball with her dry, claw-like hands and tossed it into the alchemy furnace. She then sighed and spoke, "I don't want this. I had more time to prepare before. But who would have thought, that little brat, Su Yuxuan, would have such great fortune and suddenly form her Golden Core?

"And she even has a bunch of messy tricks that injured me. If I hadn't taken precautions early, planting a Heart Devouring Talisman when she was still a mortal, I might not have been able to defeat this little girl. Now the Heart Devouring Talisman is activated, her heart's in trouble, and once I possess her body, I'll need you all to replenish my blood essence…

"This all happened so suddenly, I didn't have time to prepare elsewhere. Look, just for the spirit liquid needed for possession, I've had to spend over half a month refining it on the spot. So, if you want to blame someone, blame Su Yuxuan, don't blame me. But my dear disciple, you broke through so quickly, that's truly wonderful! Jie jie jie…"

The old woman seemed to have thought of something that pleased her. Her hoarse, dry voice, like the sound of dry wood rubbing together, echoed throughout the ruins.

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