The Sublimation Ritual and the Fox-Woman’s Arrival

This Sublimation Ritual had been underway for a considerable time. It had already sifted through many cultivators of remarkable ability, as well as ordinary people blessed with exceptional luck.

Most of them, due to some strange coincidence, gravitated towards the center of Dangyang County. To their astonishment, all who arrived found themselves in the same unique space, able to perceive one another.

Within Dangyang County, this was the sole and true dimension.

Glancing around, the crowd speculated that the colorless longsword suspended overhead might hold the ultimate key.

When a cultivator boldly stepped forward, soaring to seize the sword, the others watched him take it without harm. Far from being relieved, they were instead overcome with furious envy and insatiable greed.

Thus began a life-and-death struggle for the colorless longsword.

All manner of techniques were unleashed, with spells streaking wildly across the sky.

Ordinary people, who had inadvertently drawn too close, huddled in corners, yet were constantly caught in the unintended crossfire.

Some demonic cultivators even erupted on the spot, guzzling human blood to restore their strength. They employed various methods, using ordinary people as spell components, without the slightest hesitation.

All for that extraordinary, colorless longsword.

“Xiao Yao, you’ve destroyed Dangyang County!” Mo Lian exclaimed, her feet treading air as furious lightning crackled around her.

She watched everyone descend into madness, fighting over the inexplicable colorless longsword, and let out a long sigh.

All this sin, she knew, originated from Xiao Yao.

“Roar, roar…” The horde of ghosts, devoid of reason, nonetheless ‘obediently’ encircled Xiao Yao, protecting him.

Many cultivators even followed his lead, a reason Mo Lian could not fathom.

Alone, she had struggled against this for a long time, expending more than half of her Golden Core spiritual power, yet still failing to quell the chaos.

“How dull. Not enough death yet. I want to see rivers of blood,” Xiao Yao sneered, perched atop a tall building, gazing down upon all living beings.

His demeanor drew the attention of the Heavenly Demon, whose two blood-red eyes, like crimson moons, cast their gaze downwards.

Under the scrutiny of such a powerful demon, Xiao Yao became even more nonchalant, revealing his true, callous nature.

All living beings were but ants to him, merely categorized as useful or useless.

‘After this, what could even a Nascent Soul cultivator do to me?’ Xiao Yao thought, a thrill running through him as his gaze inadvertently drifted into the distance.

A black mass, accompanied by a roaring rumble, surged forward: a horde of ghosts following a single rider and horse, wreathed in white mist, unlike anything of the mortal realm.

Upon closer inspection, the Underworld Ghost Horse trod on spectral flames, and atop its back, a fox-woman held a longbow aloft, unleashing a fierce arrow.

“Boom!” A thunderous roar, like a lightning strike, accompanied the arrow as it tore through the sky, sizzling past Xiao Yao.

“Urgh—!” A cooperating cultivator beside him was struck, instantly carried away by the thunder arrow.

Amidst the roar and electric flashes, they were reduced to mere fragments of skin.

“Splatter…” The deceased’s blood splattered across Xiao Yao’s face, doing little to conceal his simmering rage.

‘…’ After a moment of silence, he composed himself, then gazed at Su Mo, who had reined in her horse and stopped. A mix of delight and shock surged within him.

Changing his posture, chin propped in hand, he mused:

‘I never expected her to awaken the Nine-Tailed bloodline. Is it because of that… person who possessed Xu Qingzhu?’

He had been misled earlier, believing it to be Bai Yunbo. In his elation, he had observed the Zhang Estate, only to discover Xu Qingzhu was perfectly fine.

He had been deceived; the possessor was not Bai Yunbo.

After a furious outburst, smashing things around, Xiao Yao decided to orchestrate something grander.

For instance, this Sublimation Ritual, using the entire Dangyang County as collateral to attract the attention of demons.

He had pre-arranged the Fragrant Cloud Pavilion and deliberately gathered enough cultivators, finally drawing the demons’ notice and prompting the descent of the Sublimation Ritual.

At that time, had Xu Qingzhu been unaware of the Sublimation Ritual? No, he had simply been provoked by Su Mo, too distracted to pay attention.

That was how Xiao Yao had succeeded.

It must be said, with the blessing of destiny, Lu Yanling’s timely appearance and Su Mo’s estrangement had disrupted all of Xu Qingzhu’s plans.

How many karmic ties lay behind this, Xiao Yao neither knew nor cared to understand.

He simply knew that if he had a premonition of success, it would most likely come to fruition.

Such was his confidence.

Yet, as he gazed at the peerless fox-woman, Su Mo, a sudden absurdity washed over him, accompanied by a pang of heartache.

‘Could it be that Su Mo is truly no longer a virgin?!’ In his knowledge, mugwort was the quickest way to activate the Nine-Tailed bloodline.

How many days and nights of passionate intimacy must it have taken to provoke Su Mo’s bloodline awakening?

“Crack!” Xiao Yao crushed the armrest of his chair, his eyes fixed on Su Mo.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that she was already a married woman.

Taking several deep breaths, he closed his eyes, calming his mind. The surrounding cultivators watched, none daring to utter a sound.

Xiao Yao’s oppressive aura was too terrifying for them, turning their supposed cooperation into his absolute dictatorship.

Secretly observing his expression, the cultivators found him unsettling, his mood unpredictably volatile.

He gave a sinister smile, causing the timid cultivators to tremble.

“No matter, if you’re a married woman, it only excites me more!”

With a casual gesture, Xiao Yao assigned a task to one of them.

“You, go confront her.”

“Yes…”

****

Meanwhile, Mo Lian descended hesitantly, observing Su Mo commanding the horde of ghosts, then silently glanced at the spectral beings beneath Xiao Yao’s command.

“My Lady, come down, it’s fine, they’re all comrades!” Su Mo casually patted a nearby Underworld ghost, nearly knocking its head off.

The Underworld ghost steadied its head, then left with a wronged expression, shrinking into the ghost horde where its spectral brethren consoled it.

They patted its head. “Thwack~” It was unsteady again!

“Alright…” Mo Lian flew down, her gaze immediately drawn to Su Mo’s striking silver hair, fox ears, and fox tail.

She was, after all, from the Demon Suppression Bureau. How could she have observed Su Mo for so long and not detected a single trace of demonic essence?

She cautiously inquired:

“Miss Su, are you human or demon?”

Though demons existed in this world, they had been driven away by the pervasive ghosts, retreating to little-known places.

The cultivation world did possess a resting place for the demon race, but cultivators found it difficult to approach.

The relationship between cultivators and demons was, thanks to their common enemy—ghosts—relatively eased.

“Human. Why wouldn’t I be human?” Su Mo gave her a curious look, then dismounted.

Her fair, long legs were openly displayed, naturally stepping lightly on the ground as she walked towards Mo Lian, who found herself somewhat speechless.

Such forthrightness was quite a shock for the reserved Mo Lian.

Wagging her fox tail, Su Mo strolled over, her light steps conjuring an enchanting, ethereal fragrance.

Even a casual glance from her held myriad charms, stirring the imagination.

With her Yin Thunder Bow resting before her thighs, Su Mo twitched her white fox ears, blinking as she asked:

“My Lady, what’s happening here?”

“…They all believe the colorless longsword is a supreme treasure, fighting over it and causing endless slaughter,” Mo Lian replied, scrutinizing her.

She couldn’t help but feel that Su Mo no longer seemed human, but rather like a fox immortal.

Su Mo clearly hadn’t pursued the path of incense offerings, nor did Mo Lian detect any divine power from her, yet…

Her aura transcended the mundane; her already exquisite beauty now possessed an indescribable ethereal quality.

It was the bearing of an immortal.

One might even assume the ghosts followed her willingly because they had been charmed.

“Miss Su, your long dress is torn. Why not change into my clothes?” Mo Lian offered, not realizing that in her current guise as a man, she shouldn’t logically possess women’s attire.

Fortunately, Su Mo didn’t mind, casually waving her hand.

“It’s fine, My Lady. Looking at me won’t make me lose a limb.”

She was completely open; she wasn’t exposing any mysterious parts, so what was there to fear?

It was only when Mo Lian brought it up that Su Mo noticed certain gazes were far from pure.

Among them, Xiao Yao was undeniably a lecherous old pervert.

“My Lady, aren’t you going to seize the colorless longsword?” Su Mo withdrew her gaze, thinking that some people deserved to die, and it would happen eventually.

Looking towards Xiao Yao and the other cultivators, who sat observing as if fishing, Mo Lian shook her head with a soft sigh.

“I suspect Xiao Yao is the mastermind behind this entire incident. As long as he remains still, I cannot act rashly. The situation is too intricate, and he might be using this opportunity to further his plans, so I must keep a close watch.”

“Mm.” Su Mo wasn’t surprised; it was perfectly normal for Xiao Yao to be the puppet master.

That fellow was simply disgusting.

As they conversed, a cultivator who had achieved minor Foundation Establishment flew over from the sky, shouting:

“Fox demoness, why aren’t you coming to meet your death?!”

Without even looking, Su Mo drew her bow and fired an arrow.

“Whoosh!” Swift as lightning, it struck the cultivator in an instant, then zipped back.

‘…’ Xiao Yao’s face darkened as he stared at the corpse pinned by the arrow at his feet, then slowly raised his head.

“Su, you fox-woman, you have provoked… Sizzle!!”

Mid-sentence, a thunder arrow flashed before him, reflecting in his eyes.

In a flash, Xiao Yao slammed his hand on the table and rose, drawing his sword. The sword wind sliced through the ceiling beams.

“Sizzle…” The thunder arrow paused for a moment, then deflected, instantly pinning another cultivator.

After a wail echoed from behind him, Xiao Yao lowered his sword, his fingers trembling slightly.

Hiss~ Terrifying, simply terrifying!

Someone gasped, sucking in a cold breath.