"I'm telling the truth, Chu Ze died over a decade ago. My father, Chu Chang, is now the Sect Master of Xuanxin Sect, and he will formally announce it to the entire Xuantian Continent in a few days."
The eighth-grade Restoration Pill she had just consumed had not restored much of her spiritual energy, indicating how severely her Innate Contract had been severed.
"Is that so?"
Upon hearing the name "Chu Ze," Chu Lingwei's mind flashed back to a scene from her childhood, being held in that man's arms.
"Wei'er, when you turn five and can cultivate spiritual energy, your father will give you every magical artifact, spirit beast, and medicinal pill in the world. You will be the one and only young lady of Xuanxin Sect."
Chu Ze had left Xuanxin Sect to find the Narcissus Jade Skin Flower for Chu Lingwei's spiritual aptitude test in a year.
The Narcissus Jade Skin Flower could temper the body. The earlier it was consumed, the tougher the body would become during future cultivation, yielding results a thousand times better than ordinary body tempering.
Thinking of this, Chu Lingwei felt a pang in her heart. She was Chu Lingwei now, and all the memories in her mind made her empathize deeply.
She refused to believe that Chu Ze had died ten years ago. Otherwise, Chu Chang would not have been the acting sect master for the past ten years.
However, he was about to make an announcement to the entire Xuantian Continent, indicating his formal ascension to the position of sect master. This implied he knew of her father's whereabouts.
"Yes, yes, everyone in Xuanxin Sect knows about this matter." Chu Xiyin, thinking Chu Lingwei was concerned about her status, felt a flicker of joy. "As long as you don't kill me, I won't hold you accountable for killing my three spirit beasts."
Chu Xiyin inwardly seethed. All three of her spirit beasts had been killed by the woman before her. If she survived today, she would definitely offer her blood as a sacrifice to them.
"Where is Chu Ze now?" Chu Lingwei squatted down, grabbed Chu Xiyin by the neck, her eyes sharp.
"Ah." Her neck was being choked. Although Chu Lingwei hadn't used spiritual energy, Chu Xiyin found it difficult to bear. "I... I don't know. He's already dead. I... I'm not lying to you... I heard my mother say it with her own ears..."
Chu Xiyin replied intermittently. At this moment, she felt that the person before her was the Chu Lingwei who had been killed by her mother.
"She's not lying."
Just then, a familiar voice echoed in Chu Lingwei's mind. Feng Ming's voice was weak but very certain.
"Heh..."
Chu Lingwei flung Chu Xiyin away. She didn't believe Chu Ze was dead. He was the sect master; if he were dead, Xuanxin Sect would have some indication.
"I'm telling the truth. As long as you don't kill me, I'll agree to anything." Chu Xiyin sensed the killing intent in Chu Lingwei's eyes and was overcome with fear. To survive, she was willing to do anything.
"However, I happen to like your blood?" Chu Lingwei smiled. With a flick of her right hand, a jade bottle appeared in her fair hand. "Your blood has an enchanting aroma. I must take it back to study."
With that, a surge of spiritual energy struck Chu Xiyin's wrist, and her blood flowed drop by drop into the jade bottle.
The way they had drawn her blood back then, she would now reclaim it in the same manner.
"No... no." Chu Xiyin's eyes widened. She felt her strength draining with her blood, her spiritual energy to support herself almost depleted. "My blood is useless."
Fear was an understatement for Chu Xiyin's feelings. Didn't her mother say that no one could discern anything unusual about her blood? Why could this person see it and even take it away?
"That's not for you to say." Chu Lingwei conjured spiritual energy into a whip and lashed it at Chu Xiyin's body. This not only accelerated the blood flow but also subjected Chu Xiyin to the pain of whipping.
The spiritual energy contained within would penetrate her body and strike her soul.
For cultivators, the soul was paramount. If the soul was unstable, their spiritual energy could not improve.
"Ah..." Deep within the Misty Forest, Chu Xiyin's pained screams echoed for a long time.
Cheng Shan lay on the side, watching Chu Xiyin endure inhumane torture. She began to feel fortunate that she had only been stabbed once by this little devil. Recalling how Chu Xiyin had ignored her own injury just now, Cheng Shan felt a sense of schadenfreude.
"Please, don't hit me anymore." Chu Xiyin was in excruciating pain. The spiritual energy striking her soul felt like a thousand swords piercing her heart, yet she was unable to move.
Chu Lingwei remained unmoved by Chu Xiyin's pleas. Back then, they had imprisoned her in the dungeon, subjected her to bone-corroding water day after day, and tormented her relentlessly.
Was this already unbearable for her?
"Ah! Mother, Father, come and save Yin'er..." Chu Xiyin cried out weakly. Her spirit beasts were dead, her spiritual energy was gone, her soul was heavily injured. If her sacred blood were completely drained, she would surely die.
The person before her would definitely not let her go. Now, she was left with only despair.
Qingxin Peak.
Su Xianrou suddenly opened her eyes and spat out a mouthful of blood.
"What is happening? Why is my heart so restless today?" Su Xianrou stood up. Having cultivated for a hundred years, she had never experienced such panic.
She arrived at the main hall of Qingxin Peak. Her eldest disciple, Shen Wentian, saw his master suddenly emerge from seclusion and a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. He quickly stepped forward to pay his respects.
"Welcome, Master, on your emergence from seclusion."
"Is Yin'er within the peak?" Su Xianrou looked towards the horizon, feeling a wisp of red cloud in the sky that made her sense something was amiss.
"Replying to Master, Junior Sister went to the market today and has not yet returned," Shen Wentian respectfully answered.
Could something have happened to Yin'er?
Su Xianrou sent a communication talisman to her daughter. Midway through, the talisman dissipated. Su Xianrou's expression grew serious; it seemed Yin'er was indeed in trouble.
How dare someone attack Yin'er within Xuanxin Sect!
Instantly, Su Xianrou rushed towards the direction where her daughter's aura was emanating from.
At this moment, looking at the dying Chu Xiyin, Chu Lingwei's eyes were filled with satisfaction. Back then, she had been in the same state, treated as a fish on a chopping block, casually slaughtered.
This time, Chu Lingwei sent a surge of spiritual energy towards Chu Xiyin's forehead. It was in the same manner that Su Xianrou had treated her back then.
Before the spiritual energy could touch Chu Xiyin, a precious bead blocked Chu Lingwei's attack and simultaneously cut off the flow of sacred blood to the jade bottle.
"Quick, leave, someone is coming." Feng Ming sensed a powerful aura approaching and landed on Chu Lingwei's shoulder. "That person is very formidable."
A smile touched Chu Lingwei's lips. She didn't need to guess who it was.
"Consider this a small installment of the interest I'm collecting today. Another day, I will take every last drop of your blood. Killing you now would be too easy."
Chu Lingwei, with Feng Ming, tore through the spatial barrier and left swiftly.