Manjusaka looked at Ye Chen with clear displeasure. According to her original plan, she wasn't supposed to awaken for another ten years. By then, her soul would have condensed into a physical form, allowing her to freely walk this world.

But Ye Chen's divine radiance had pierced through, blasting a hole in the array beneath the ruins, forcing her premature awakening and creating countless complications.

Ye Chen had ruined her plan. And she had personally witnessed how Ye Chen had toyed with the poor girl before her, coercing her into things she clearly hadn't wanted. Coupled with the betrayal she'd suffered during her life, all of it compounded into a deep disdain toward Ye Chen.

After coldly snapping at him, she turned to Su Yuxuan.

"Even if you've reached the Golden Core stage and possess that heart, you'll only be prolonging your life by a few decades at most. And even if you overcome your lifespan issue, the flaw of the Blood Spirit Root means you will never reach the Nascent Soul realm. The Great Dao will forever be out of reach. Come with me. I can resolve all of this for you. All I ask is that you help me collect the materials needed to forge a new body and refine it."

Ye Chen stood off to the side, lips curling, tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Careful she doesn't lead you into a dark alley and possess your body."

Manjusaka sneered at his words.

"The act of possession, no matter how thoroughly prepared, is always flawed and forever severs one from the path of the Dao. Only you wild cultivators would stoop to such crude methods. Besides, a mere Blood Spirit Root wouldn't even qualify to serve as my handmaiden when I was alive. Why would I covet such a body?"

Damn it—does your whole family know how arrogant you are? Wild cultivator?

Ye Chen felt this was the greatest humiliation he had ever suffered.

"Wow, Granny, you're amazing! But... how come you're just a soul now? Where's your body? Oh, sorry—should I not have asked that?"

Manjusaka's soul rippled violently. She seemed to tremble with rage. No longer bothering with Ye Chen, she turned back to Su Yuxuan.

"What will you choose?"

Su Yuxuan shook her head without hesitation.

"I choose to stay by Senior Brother's side."

Ye Chen's lips curled into a grin.

"See? She's not interested in you. Better come with me instead—I'm magnanimous enough to let bygones be bygones and help you gather materials to rebuild your body."

What he didn't say out loud was—Once she was fixed up, he'd give her away and try to trigger a critical hit for a more gentle, portable fairy elder sister.

Ye Chen's words caused the ripples around Manjusaka's soul to intensify. If she hadn't just awakened and her strength wasn't down to a mere fraction of what it once was. And if Ye Chen weren't so monstrously talented, she really would've slapped this man to death on the spot.

Ignoring Ye Chen, Manjusaka spoke coldly, "And what if you do stay by his side? If you're only touched by the gifts he gives you, then you're nothing but a fool. He's just lusting after your body. And the things he's given you? Those are merely what he has no use for. The true treasures—he would never hand those over to you. Take me, for instance. You don't even realize what kind of opportunity I represent—but he does. That's why he approached me himself, hoping I'd stay by his side. Foolish girl, use your brain. Don't get deceived and still think the one who tricked you is a good man."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Manjusaka's tone was earnest, hoping to pull Su Yuxuan back from the brink.

But Su Yuxuan, without hesitation, defended Ye Chen: "Even if Senior Brother is lying to me, even if he's only after my body, that just means he likes me. Otherwise, with so many other female cultivators out there, why isn't he lying to them? Why isn't he lusting after their bodies?"

???

Manjusaka was stunned.

Was this woman brain-damaged?

Of course, Su Yuxuan wasn't brain-damaged. She simply didn't believe for a second that Senior Brother was trying to steal her opportunity. Because all this time, it had always been her senior brother who gave her opportunities. Now that he was acting differently and showing interest in keeping Manjusaka around. It could only mean he was helping her verify whether this Manjusaka was truly reliable.

Manjusaka fell silent. Her resolve grew even stronger—she had to set Su Yuxuan straight. Back when the Boundless Demon Sect still flourished. The sect master, her elder sister, had found a Dao companion and trusted him completely. But just as her sister was about to break through to the Great Perfection stage in seclusion, that Dao companion struck without warning. He ambushed her, deactivated the great formation, and let their enemies flood in. Her sister died a tragic death.

Manjusaka herself was forced to break out of seclusion prematurely. Her strength suffered greatly, and she too perished in battle. The Boundless Demon Sect was annihilated, cleansed without a trace. A grand sect, brought to ruin—all because of a man. It was proof enough: no man could be trusted.

"Su Yuxuan, you still don't understand—men are never dependable. The once-glorious Boundless Demon Sect fell precisely due to a man's betrayal. If we women want to live well, we must rely only on ourselves. Never trust a man. At most, enslave them. Make them servants. In the future, once I recover and rebuild the Boundless Demon Sect, I will accept only female disciples. Any man who dares set foot inside will be turned into fertilizer for the flower beds."

"..."

Ye Chen twitched at the corner of his mouth.

This woman... Even the most extreme feminists he'd seen in his past life would have to worship her as their high priestess.

Su Yuxuan hesitated. The issue of her lifespan was indeed a serious one. But who could say if this suddenly-emerged old monster of the Boundless Demon Sect was truly trustworthy? What if she was just another Old Monster Wang, scheming to possess her body?

So, Su Yuxuan turned to look at Ye Chen. Just now, Ye Chen had slain her master in one blow—his strength was overwhelming. And given everything he had done for her in the past. He had already earned Su Yuxuan's unconditional trust.

Ye Chen, however, frowned slightly. Clearly, he wouldn't be able to fool this portable granny. If that was the case, then letting Su Yuxuan follow her wasn't a bad idea either. Even as a soul, she still had a five-hundred-times multiplier. She had definitely been a once-in-a-generation prodigy in life. Judging from her attitude, she hadn't lied—she really didn't care about Su Yuxuan's body.

But another matter gave Ye Chen pause—Su Yuxuan only had a few years left to live? That wouldn't do. He was still counting on gifting her a kidney someday and triggering a critical hit.

Besides, this granny seemed capable of improving Su Yuxuan's aptitude. If Su Yuxuan's aptitude increased, then her feedback multiplier would rise too. So letting Su Yuxuan follow this woman might actually be the perfect choice.

Still, a trace of regret lingered in Ye Chen's heart. He had finally come across a portable granny, one whose cultivation in life must've been unfathomable. And yet, she turned out to be a man-hating extremist with absolutely no intention of following him.

Ye Chen truly had wanted to see if he could land a critical hit and get himself a portable fairy elder sister instead. But since it was out of reach, he nodded regretfully.

"Granny seems reliable enough. Go ahead and follow her."

Manjusaka's soul ripples grew even more intense.

Meanwhile, Su Yuxuan caught the regret in Ye Chen's expression and felt a swell of emotion within. Senior Brother must have wanted her to stay by his side. Yet for her lifespan, for her future, he still chose to let go. That kind of selfless affection moved Su Yuxuan deeply.

"Senior, before we leave, may I spend a moment alone with Senior Brother?"

Su Yuxuan turned to Manjusaka with a polite request. Though displeased, Manjusaka still gave a nod.

Very quickly, Su Yuxuan pulled Ye Chen into one of the great halls. She threw down a formation disk. And sealed the hall completely.

But as the master of all the formations within the Boundless Demon Sect ruins, Manjusaka could easily see what was happening inside. And once she did, the ripples of her soul body flared violently as her fury exploded.

"To think she would serve a man like that! A dignified female cultivator degrading herself so shamelessly? When we leave this place, I must properly retrain this girl. She needs to learn that even when it comes to romance, it's the men who should be serving us women!"

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