The Betrayal of Ziyao

Time flowed on, fleeting as a white steed flashing past a crevice.

After the bloodbath that wiped out the Yin Demon Sect, Ye Xuan took Zi Yao away, and they spent three hundred full years in peace.

These three centuries were perhaps the happiest days of Ye Xuan's two lifetimes. There was no sect infighting, no worldly strife. They lived in seclusion among the mountains and rivers, like a true immortal couple.

Ye Xuan gave his whole heart and soul to Zi Yao.

The inheritance left by Wei Wuji included the Love Token Bracelet formed from the origin of a Great Luo Golden Immortal, as well as countless profound cultivation methods and insights. Ye Xuan held nothing back, teaching all of it to Zi Yao.

Even to help her wash away the impure demonic qi in her body, Ye Xuan did not hesitate to expend his own origin essence, combing through her meridians night after night.

However, the gap in their natural talent was like an insurmountable chasm.

Even with peerless cultivation techniques and Ye Xuan's full assistance, Zi Yao's cultivation level increased at a crawl.

Three hundred years passed. She had barely touched the threshold of the mid-Nascent Soul stage, whereas Ye Xuan had long reached the grand completion of the Nascent Soul stage and even had half a foot in the Soul Formation stage.

What made Zi Yao even more mentally unbalanced was Ye Xuan's evasion art—the Kunpeng Free Roaming.

That was Wei Wuji's proudest divine ability, arguably the number one evasion art in the world.

When Ye Xuan cast it, he would transform into a Kunpeng, soaring ninety thousand miles into the sky. Between heaven and earth, nothing could block him, and no formation could trap him. Whether it was a deep-sea forbidden zone or a grand sect's ultimate killing array, he could come and go as freely as if strolling through his own backyard.

Zi Yao desired this evasion art to the absolute extreme.

Husband, teach me... please teach me...

On countless nights, after their intimate moments, she would cling to Ye Xuan and beg.

Ye Xuan naturally wouldn't hide anything. He broke down the incantations, the mental methods, and even his own personal insights, spoon-feeding them to Zi Yao over and over again.

But it was useless.

This evasion art had extremely high requirements for comprehension and physique. Zi Yao practiced it for a full century without grasping even the absolute basics; her flying speed with it was even slower than ordinary sword flight.

Gradually, a seed named doubt took root and sprouted in Zi Yao's heart.

Did he hold back some of the teachings?

Definitely.

How could he truly give me all of such a life-saving trump card?

Men are all selfish... he's still guarding against me.

Zi Yao never voiced these thoughts, but the way she looked at Ye Xuan lost a bit of admiration and gained a bit of gloomy scrutiny.

To soothe Zi Yao's anxiety and help her break through.

Ye Xuan began taking her along, utilizing the unpredictable and ghostly Kunpeng Free Roaming to borrow resources from all over.

The herb gardens of major sects, the secret hoards of ancient ruins, and even the spirit veins of perilous forbidden lands.

As long as Zi Yao wanted it, Ye Xuan would go and get it.

However, if you walk by the river often enough, your shoes are bound to get wet.

Although Ye Xuan's evasion art was unparalleled, Zi Yao was a burden.

Many times, not long after they snuck into a treasure trove to cultivate, they would trigger restrictions and attract powerful experts. Ye Xuan would have to interrupt his cultivation, grab Zi Yao, and flee in a sorry state.

Once or twice, it felt thrilling.

A hundred times, a thousand times, and it turned into humiliation.

In a desolate cave somewhere.

Zi Yao looked at the spirit herb in her hand, freshly stolen from a dangerous land and still stained with dirt, and suddenly smashed it fiercely onto the ground.

Enough!

With her hair disheveled, Zi Yao roared hysterically:

In this world, countless grotto-heavens and blessed lands, countless top-grade resources, are all in the hands of those major sects! They sit on spirit veins to cultivate and enjoy the offerings of tens of thousands!

And what about us?

We're like rats in a gutter! Sneaking around, living in fear! The moment we're discovered, we have to scurry away with our tails between our legs!

Ye Xuan, I am your wife, not your accomplice in thievery! I've had enough of this kind of life!

Ye Xuan was wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth—left behind from forcefully tanking a Soul Formation stage attack just moments ago to cover Zi Yao's retreat.

He froze for a moment, then walked over, wanting to embrace Zi Yao. His eyes were gentle yet firm:

Yao'er, this is only temporary.

As long as we are together, even if we wander to the ends of the earth, it is still happiness, isn't it?

Besides, I bear the blood feud of Master Wei. Those major sects have countless ties with the Immortal Realm. Being too flashy is not appropriate...

Not appropriate? It's just that you are incompetent!

Zi Yao pushed him away coldly, her eyes full of disappointment and disdain:

If it were Wei Wuji back then, would he run away like a rat? You have a peerless inheritance for nothing, yet you live like a dog!

Ye Xuan's hands froze in mid-air, his heart twisting like a knife.

But he didn't retort. He merely picked up the spirit herb from the ground in silence, wiped it clean, and handed it to her. Don't be angry anymore. Refine this herb first.

Zi Yao snatched the spirit herb and turned her back to him, the resentment in the depths of her eyes growing deeper.

The rift between them finally ruptured completely during an accident.

That time, to help Zi Yao find the Soul Condensing Flower, Ye Xuan took her on a risky venture into the forbidden grounds of a hidden grand sect.

As a result, in less than five minutes, they were discovered by a Void Refinement stage patriarch of the sect.

Where did you rats come from!

With a single palm strike, the heavens collapsed and the earth tore apart.

To protect Zi Yao, Ye Xuan forcefully took this sure-kill blow with his own back.

Pfft!

Fresh blood dyed the sky red.

Relying on the Kunpeng's extreme speed, Ye Xuan forcibly burned his lifeblood essence to carry Zi Yao and escape with their lives.

The two crashed into a desolate valley.

Ye Xuan was critically injured and at death's door. His meridians were shattered inch by inch, and his entire body was practically covered in blood.

Yao'er... cough, cough... don't be afraid, I'm fine...

Ye Xuan trembled as he tried to touch Zi Yao's face, but due to excessive blood loss, his vision went black, and he completely lost consciousness.

In order to heal, he sealed off his six senses and entered a state of deep suspended animation.

This seclusion lasted for three whole months.

When Ye Xuan finally healed his injuries and joyfully opened his eyes, wanting to tell Zi Yao that he was alright.

The cave was completely empty.

There was no longer any trace of her.

There was only a letter pressed down on a cold stone.

The handwriting on the letter was messy, revealing a sense of absolute resolve:

Husband, by the time you read this letter, I will already be gone.

I don't want to live this kind of precarious, rat-like life anymore.

My physique is special and requires massive amounts of resources to fulfill. Following you will only drag you down and ruin me.

I am going to seek my own Dao.

Do not miss me. Yours, Zi Yao.

Seek my own Dao...

Ye Xuan gripped the letter, his fingers turning white from the force, until it finally crumbled into powder.

He dashed out of the cave like a madman, sprinting wildly along the faint connection to the Love Token Bracelet.

It was in the direction of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

The number one demonic sect in the Southern Province, a true behemoth.

At the Heavenly Demon Sect, demonic clouds pressed down from above, and the extravagance was boundless.

When Ye Xuan sneaked into the outer market of the Heavenly Demon Sect, the scene before his eyes made him feel as if he had plunged into an ice cavern.

On the bustling street.

Zi Yao was wearing a luxurious purple-gold immortal flowing dress, dripping with jewels and pearls. To his shock, her cultivation had broken through to the late Nascent Soul stage in just these short three months!

And by her side was a handsome, wickedly charming young man.

The man was dressed in the attire of the Heavenly Demon Sect's Young Sect Master. He fanned himself with a folding fan in one hand, while his other hand... was intimately wrapped around Zi Yao's slender waist.

The two of them talked and laughed. The charming, flattering smile on Zi Yao's face was something Ye Xuan had never seen in the past three hundred years.

"Young Master, are you really giving this Face Preserving Pill to me?"

"Haha, a divine pill for a beauty! As long as you like it, Yao'er, even if it's the stars in the sky, this Young Master will pluck them down for you!"

Ye Xuan only felt a roaring in his mind, his blood and qi surging backwards.

He didn't rush forward to kill them in the street. Reason told him that this was the headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Sect; acting on impulse would only lead to his death.

He endured it.

He endured it so hard he almost shattered his teeth.

Until night fell.

Relying on his Kunpeng Free Roaming movement technique, Ye Xuan slipped into Zi Yao's bedchamber completely unnoticed.

Zi Yao was sitting in front of the vanity, looking at her radiant self in the mirror, a satisfied smile hanging on her lips.

"Forgotten the pain so quickly?"

A cold voice suddenly rang out behind her.

Zi Yao was scared out of her wits and whipped her head around.

She saw Ye Xuan standing in the shadows, his face pale, but his eyes like ten-thousand-year-old ice, staring fixedly at her.

"Hus... Husband?!"

Zi Yao cried out in alarm, subconsciously trying to hide the treasures on the table gifted by the Young Sect Master.

But soon, she calmed down.

"Why are you here?" Her eyes darted away, and her tone even carried a hint of complaint. "This is the Heavenly Demon Sect, it's very dangerous."

Ye Xuan stepped out of the shadows, pointing at the treasures, his voice hoarse:

"Is this the Dao you were seeking?"

"Seeking the Dao in another man's embrace?"

"You misunderstand!"

Zi Yao hurriedly stood up and grabbed Ye Xuan's hand. Her eyes instantly filled with tears, her acting as exquisite as ever:

"The Young Sect Master and I... are just putting on a show!"

"Husband, you know I have the Profound Yin Dao Body. The further I progress in my cultivation, the resources I need become an astronomical figure! Following you... we can only steal, rob, and we always get hurt..."

Zi Yao cried like rain on pear blossoms:

"I don't want to be a rat anymore... I want to cultivate openly and honestly. I want to become strong so I can help you get your revenge in the future!"

"The Young Sect Master... he just values my aptitude and wants to win me over. I've never let him have his way, really!"

Ye Xuan looked at her, feeling a sharp pain in his heart.

"If it's cultivation resources, I would naturally help you get them."

"I don't want to be a rat anymore!" Zi Yao screamed, interrupting him.

These words completely blocked off Ye Xuan's path.

After a long time.

Ye Xuan took a deep breath, the light in his eyes dimming a bit.

"Fine."

"Since you need the resources here, I won't stop you."

Ye Xuan raised his hand and pointed at the betrothal bracelet on her wrist that had been hidden by her sleeve:

"This bracelet, Master Wei left a backdoor when he refined it."

"As long as you agitate it with spiritual qi, its chime will echo through heaven and earth, ignoring any formations."

"If you are ever in danger, or... when you want to leave."

"Ring it."

"No matter where I am, no matter how far, I will come to take you away."

After saying that, Ye Xuan gave her one last deep look. His figure turned into a gust of clear wind and vanished.

At this moment, the deep affection in his eyes gradually disappeared, replaced by a trace of loneliness.

Master, I lost the bet.

Zi Yao touched the bracelet on her wrist, her expression complex.

But soon, as she looked at the mountain of supreme-grade spirit stones on the table, her eyes became resolute and greedy once more.

The days that followed became absurd and twisted.

Zi Yao remained in the Heavenly Demon Sect. She became a nominal Guest Elder, but was in reality the Young Sect Master's kept woman, hidden away in a golden house.

The Heavenly Demon Sect had profound foundations, and all kinds of heavenly materials and earthly treasures were thrown at Zi Yao as if they cost nothing. Her cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, and she lived a life of ultimate luxury.

And the Young Sect Master was obsessed with her to the extreme.

"Yao'er, tonight..." The Young Sect Master's eyes were burning with desire, wanting to take things a step further.

"Young Master, cultivation is important. I've recently reached a bottleneck and cannot lose my virginity." Zi Yao always used various excuses to string him along, keeping him at arm's length.

Although the Young Sect Master was dissatisfied, he didn't dare to force her, so he could only use resources to curry favor with her even more frantically.

As for Ye Xuan, he became Zi Yao's shadow.

Whenever Zi Yao needed rare resources that the Heavenly Demon Sect didn't have, or needed to go to some perilous lands for experiential learning, she would gently shake that betrothal bracelet.

Ding-ling...

The moment the bell rang.

That man would arrive exactly as promised.

"I want a Thousand-Year Fire Lingzhi," Zi Yao said coldly.

"Alright." Ye Xuan turned around and went to a forbidden volcanic area, returning with the spiritual medicine while covered in burns.

"I want to go train in the Myriad Beast Mountain Range. You protect me."

"Alright." Ye Xuan remained hidden in the dark the entire time, blocking all fatal sneak attacks for her.

Zi Yao enjoyed the monstrous wealth given by the Young Sect Master on one hand, while enjoying her husband Ye Xuan being at her beck and call on the other.

She even began to feel that this kind of life was perfect.

One gave her money and status, and the other gave her his life and a sense of security.

The Young Sect Master was no fool.

Over time, he naturally discovered Ye Xuan's existence, as well as Zi Yao's disloyalty.

"Who is that man?!" The Young Sect Master was furious and brought the Ten Great Protectors to surround and intercept Ye Xuan.

But the Kunpeng Free Roaming technique was simply too uncounterable.

Amidst the heavy siege, Ye Xuan strolled as if taking a leisurely walk in a courtyard. The Young Sect Master couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes.

Ye Xuan stood in mid-air, coldly looking at the exasperated Young Sect Master:

"She is my wife."

"And haven't you figured it out yet? She doesn't like you at all; she's only using you."

Hearing this, not only was the Young Sect Master not angry, but he also let out a sickly, maniacal laugh:

"Doesn't like me?"

"If she doesn't like me, why does she eat my food, wear my clothes, and use my things?"

"If she doesn't like me, why does she drink and chat merrily with me in my bedchamber every night?"

"Ye Xuan, you are the pathetic one! You are nothing but her dog!"

Ye Xuan was instantly at a loss for words.

He looked at Zi Yao, hoping she would say a word in rebuttal.

But Zi Yao only lowered her head, not saying a word, her fingers tightly clutching a supreme-grade jade pendant given by the Young Sect Master.

At this moment, Ye Xuan's heart went completely cold.

"Why must you be so stubborn," Ye Xuan sighed, not knowing if he was saying it to the Young Sect Master or to himself.

"Zi Yao is mine! Sooner or later, she will be mine!" The Young Sect Master's eyes were filled with madness.

Ye Xuan shook his head, turned around, and left.