Chapter 114: Resentment

“Shh!”

The spider spirit woman suddenly pressed her middle finger against the man’s lips.

“Wh–what…”

The man barely uttered two words.

The spider spirit girl quickly added, “I’ll be right back. No need for words!”

It seemed that Xu Cheng’s magical aura had been detected by the other party.

The girl’s figure dissolved into trails of purple smoke, vanishing into thin air.

With his spell retracted, Xu Cheng saw not far ahead a wisp of purple smoke coalescing, gradually forming the girl’s silhouette.

“Who are you?”

The spider spirit’s pupils flashed with purple light as she spoke coldly.

From the other’s spiritual power, Xu Cheng sensed a trace of celestial cultivation, indicating she was no demon practitioner. Yet why was there black mist gathering between the man’s eyebrows?

“He has some karmic connection with me, but the black mist at his brow makes me curious. I came to see who is causing trouble. I thought it was you just now, but it seems someone else is involved.”

Xu Cheng pointed toward a nearby house as he explained.

“Wife! Wife!”

The young man came out and saw Xu Cheng and his spider spirit wife not far away.

“How come it’s you! Didn’t you leave? Tell me, what do you want?”

The young man pointed at Xu Cheng with agitation, then stepped forward to shield his spider spirit wife.

“Stand still, let me have a look first!”

A dark gleam flickered in Xu Cheng’s eyes as the aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator radiated from him.

“Don’t move. He’s a Nascent Soul expert!”

The spider spirit whispered into the young man’s ear.

Xu Cheng’s vertical pupil at his brow opened wide, attempting to glimpse the other’s destiny thread.

Piercing through the various hues of space, Xu Cheng saw the other standing before a figure in black, speaking quietly.

But the next moment, Xu Cheng was struck hard.

Countless invisible blades seemed to appear in the spatial realm, stabbing toward him. Unable to evade, black liquid oozed from between his brows — the blood of a Yellow Springs envoy.

Once again, while probing a destiny thread, he was gravely injured.

If not for Xu Cheng’s repeated cycles of destruction and rebirth, his Nascent Soul might have shattered.

Why was this man tangled up with that mysterious figure?

What were they discussing?

These questions surged in Xu Cheng’s mind.

Before he could ask more, his consciousness clouded as his Nascent Soul suffered damage, and he collapsed to the ground.

---

“Are you alright?”

The girl rushed to Xu Cheng’s side anxiously.

But he showed no response. She carried him back inside, checking his condition.

“Who is he?”

The young man grabbed the girl’s arm, urgently inquiring.

“I don’t know. He said he followed you here!” The girl said with some annoyance. “Why is there black mist gathering between your brows?”

“Mind your own business! I just want to know why you won’t let me become a cultivator!”

A faint anger radiated from the young man’s face.

“I told you! The cultivation method I practice isn’t suitable for you!”

The girl shook off the young man’s hand, sulking, then went to the kitchen as if to prepare a meal.

With a loud bang, the young man dashed out into the wind and snow, running far away without a destination.

“Where are you going?”

The girl called out as she reached the door but saw only the young man disappearing into the distance.

Meanwhile, Xu Cheng lay in a deep sleep, just like before, with cracks spreading across his Nascent Soul.

However, under the effect of the Past Root Seal, the cracks began to heal rapidly.

After a long while, Xu Cheng slowly awoke and opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was the young man’s spider spirit wife—but not the young man himself.

“Where did he go?”

Xu Cheng sat up quickly and asked.

“I don’t know either. He left at dusk and hasn’t been seen since!”

The girl’s brows furrowed deeply, unable to understand her husband’s behavior.

“This is bad!”

Xu Cheng whispered.

“What’s going to happen?”

The girl asked anxiously.

“If I’m not mistaken…”

At that moment, a voice came from outside: “I, Gu Qixiang, have finally become a cultivator!”

Xu Cheng sprang to his feet and rushed outside.

The young man had changed drastically—his face was covered with black and red blood vessels, his skin pale and ghastly.

He had clearly transformed into a ghostly fiend.

“You…”

Xu Cheng could hardly believe it; the gentle and refined Gu Qixiang had now become a terrifying monster.

“I want to see who’s stronger—you or me! Zhu Yixue, step aside!”

Gu Qixiang shouted fiercely at Xu Cheng’s back.

---

“Wait!”

Xu Cheng hurriedly called out.

He couldn’t understand why this man seemed to bear such deep hatred toward him.

“Wait no longer!”

Gu Qixiang said, and suddenly several black-red vine-like tendrils shot out from nowhere, wrapping around Xu Cheng.

Alarmed, Xu Cheng was certain that when he first met Gu Qixiang, he was just an ordinary man.

Yet after this period away, he had become a Nascent Soul cultivator.

What had he done?

But the situation was critical.

Even as a Nascent Soul ghost, and despite Xu Cheng having reached the Transcendent Nascent Soul stage, he dared not be careless.

Xu Cheng’s body was soon enveloped in black Netherfire; any black-red vine that touched him turned to ash.

“Qixiang, how did you become like this?”

Zhu Yixue’s face was filled with sorrow as she cried out.

“None of your business!”

Gu Qixiang shouted, severing the black Netherfire that had burned along the vines to his body.

Though Xu Cheng knew Gu Qixiang’s transformation was the work of that mysterious figure in black, he couldn’t fathom why Gu Qixiang seemed to hold such a grudge against him.

In this world, there is no hatred or joy without cause—unless the person is foolish.

Clearly, Gu Qixiang was far from foolish; in fact, he was extremely clever.

“Ghost Dao Evil Spirit Seal!”

Seeing he was losing, Gu Qixiang quickly unleashed this formidable spell.

A terrifying demon appeared around him—a ghastly figure with a blue face, sharp fangs, and blood dripping from its mouth.

Ordinary people would surely be frightened to death upon seeing it.

In an instant, Gu Qixiang’s speed increased severalfold; his hands transformed into sharp claws over a foot long, glinting coldly as they swiped at Xu Cheng.

Seeing this, Xu Cheng shouted, “Great Radiance Infinite Immortal Art—Past Root Seal!”

Golden light enveloped him; the claws only left ripples in the air but could not harm him.

The Past Root Seal possessed extraordinary defense and could rapidly restore the Nascent Soul.

“A turtle shell? Let’s see how long you can hold out!”

Gu Qixiang’s pitch-black eyes flashed with red.

“Ghost Dao Fierce Spirit Seal!”

As Gu Qixiang chanted, an even larger monstrous spirit appeared behind him.

This fierce spirit had red skin, two goat-like horns, and a massive mouth filled with dozens of sharp teeth.

This transformation increased Gu Qixiang’s speed several more times.

“Crackling sounds filled the air.”

Now, even the Past Root Seal struggled to hold back the assault.

---

The struggle intensified.