Chapter Fifty-Two: None Are Human

The five of them entered a mountain cave, whereupon Xu Cheng swallowed the Nether-Forging Pill and began cultivating.

Not long after they left, a petite young girl appeared at the site of the explosion.

“I didn’t expect someone to get here before me. If I had that Blood Jade, I wouldn’t need to keep killing for blood!” As she spoke, a captivating red gleam flashed between her eyes. She was probing for the whereabouts of the Blood Jade. Just then, an old man arrived. His aura was vigorous and scorching, reminiscent of the height of summer—a true ancestor at the Pure Yang Nascent Spirit stage.

The old man muttered, “It’s my disciple’s presence—it vanished here! Who? Who could it be?” His gaze soon fell upon the young girl not far away.

At once, he presumed she had slain his disciple.

“Scarlet Dawn Dragon God Sword! Slash for me!” A colossal sword appeared in his hand, its blade encircled by nine coiling dragons. With overwhelming might, he struck at the girl.

“Hmph! Courting death!” The girl’s eyes blazed with red light as she intercepted the old man’s formidable blow with one hand, dissolving his surging momentum into nothingness.

“You—who are you?” The old man stared at her in disbelief. He found himself unable even to let go of his sword. What sort of ancient monster was this?

“You’ll never have the chance to know!” The girl, who only looked young, stretched out her other hand. Red liquid began to pour from the old man’s body, gathering into her own. Black veins appeared on her face. Before their eyes, the old man shriveled into a skeleton, then turned to dust.

His nascent spirit remained, but the girl had no intention of letting it escape. She opened her mouth wide and inhaled, swallowing it whole, denying him even the chance at reincarnation.

“Let me see where that Blood Jade is!” In her palm, a blood-red disk appeared, inscribed with the symbols of heavenly stems and earthly branches, slowly rotating.

After a moment, she fixed her gaze in a particular direction and transformed into a streak of red light, flying off toward the cave where Xu Cheng and his companions were hiding.

At that moment, Xu Cheng’s refinement of the Nether-Forging Pill was progressing unusually smoothly. His internal energies soared, and finally, he became a cultivator of the Dao-Forging Realm.

Within him appeared a golden infant, sitting cross-legged—this was the Dao Embryo. Once his soul fully merged with it, he would ascend to the realm of Nascent Spirit.

The five were immersed in the joy of their advancement, entirely unaware that danger was approaching.

A red figure appeared. The girl materialized before them, using no magic at all, yet the cave walls were instantly coated with a thick layer of frost, mirroring the coldness of her expression.

A tempestuous aura surged from her, crashing toward Xu Cheng and the others, making them feel as if they were at sea in a storm, with gigantic waves battering their vessel, threatening to break it apart.

Yan Mengdie was about to strike when, with a casual wave, the girl sent her flying into a stone wall. She fell unconscious on impact. The rest dared not move a muscle.

“The Blood Jade—where is it?” The girl fixed her gaze on Xu Cheng.

She was here for the Blood Jade!

“The Blood Jade... I can give it to you! But... you must promise not to kill us!” Xu Cheng spoke cautiously, knowing the power before him could easily end their lives.

“Fine.” The girl’s voice was icy as she extended her hand.

Xu Cheng drew out the Blood Jade from his sleeve with the spatial technique, placing the strangely glowing red gem in her palm.

The crystalline red stone spun slowly in her hand.

“I need a bit of blood as well.” No sooner had she spoken than she seized Xu Cheng. His body, beyond his control, flew straight into her grasp, her fingers tightening around his throat.

Under her spell, the Blood Jade’s glow intensified, drawing out the power of Xu Cheng’s Minor Earth Creation Art, exposing his skeletal form.

With a sudden motion, she tossed Xu Cheng aside, then stared at him in puzzlement. “Not human?”

Xu Cheng, who had just crashed into the wall and then the floor, wondered what manner of ancient fiend he’d encountered this time.

Her gaze swept over Ju Hua, Cen Ningyue, Niu Dazhuang, and the unconscious Yan Mengdie, then she spat out, “None of you are human?”

“One Reaper of the Yellow Springs, three underworld bailiffs, and a half-demon! What a motley crew—you’ve abandoned your duties to chase after the Blood Jade out here in the wilderness with me?” A sly smile flickered across her face.

“I hope senior will keep her word,” Xu Cheng said as he struggled to his feet.

“I always do. I just wanted a taste of your blood! But none of you are human! As for you, you carry the Gate of the Yellow Springs, yet you haven’t sacrificed the Blood Jade to summon it! Let me show you the best use of the Blood Jade!” she commanded.

Helpless, Xu Cheng activated his arts, summoning a pitch-black gate with a resounding clang. The gate swung open, exuding a powerful pull.

Yet this force had no effect on the girl. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the Blood Jade inside.

“Sacrifice it, quickly!”

Xu Cheng heard her voice by his ear and focused his mind, offering up the Blood Jade.

Moments later, the Yellow Springs rewarded him with a pitch-black coffin! The coffin was etched all over with intricate patterns, much like the spell on Yan Mengdie’s face.

The girl opened the lid, revealing countless golden runes within.

“Hahaha! Ghost Dao Immortal Arts! Little Envoy of the Yellow Springs, I’ll accept this generous gift!” With that, she climbed inside, and the lid closed with a crisp click.

Ghost Dao Immortal Arts?

Xu Cheng mused—could the one within the coffin be a ghost? Ordinary people could never practice the Ghost Dao Immortal Arts; only ghosts, or envoys and bailiffs of the Yellow Springs, could do so! This was his conclusion after studying the markings on the coffin.

Indeed, the runes outside the coffin were spellwork as well, though of a more common ghostly variety.

Ju Hua crept closer and rapped lightly on the lid. There was not a peep from inside, which put him at ease.

It seemed the red-clad girl was cultivating within.

“Lord Right Envoy! Let’s leave quickly!” Ju Hua whispered, still fearful of waking the being in the coffin. Never before had he encountered such a formidable presence—not even at Yun Sheng’s side did he feel such terror.

“What’s there to fear? Though she’s formidable, I’d like to learn the spells engraved on the coffin!” Xu Cheng thought it over, planning to store the coffin in his spatial sleeve, yet for some reason, it wouldn’t go in.

“Spells!” When it came to spells, there was the ancient monster inside the coffin on one hand, and the premium techniques produced by the Yellow Springs on the other. Ju Hua was deeply impressed. The arts of the Yellow Springs were mysterious and fearsome, boasting immense power! He’d already mastered everything available to a bailiff—if he wished to further increase his strength, he’d have to learn more spells!

And the coffin before him...

As Ju Hua hesitated, Xu Cheng, in a fit of frustration, abandoned the gourd on his back—crafted from the Minor Earth Creation Art—and bound himself and the coffin together with chains of Netherflame.

Heavy? Not at all.

It was just that, as he traveled this world, carrying a coffin over two meters long on his back, he must have cut quite the strange figure.