The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

When they heard that the attacker had even used his Dharma Aspect, everyone sighed.

’No matter how talented Qin Ya was, he was still just a Celestial Essence Realm Martial Artist. Even with a Pseudo-Spiritual Artifact, death was inevitable. What a waste of such a heaven-sent prodigy.’

"Feiying, conduct a full investigation."

"Yes!" Shangguan Feiying replied in a deep voice.

A member of the Demon Race had infiltrated the Vast Sea Divine Palace. This matter allowed for no negligence whatsoever.

......

Inside Sea King Hall, Shangguan Yue stared blankly ahead, her eyes lifeless.

"How could Brother Qin be dead? How could he!"

As she spoke, she began to sob quietly. Lin Yu walked over and hugged Shangguan Yue, saying, "Yue’er, it’s okay to cry. You’ll feel better once you let it all out."

"SOB SOB SOB..."

"How could Brother Qin be dead? Mother, tell me this isn’t real, it isn’t! He was so powerful, he could even cure the Corpse Poison..." Tears streamed down Shangguan Yue’s face like pearls from a broken string, and she cried her heart out.

Lii Yunge watched from the side, scenes from Hidden Dragon Valley flashing through her mind. She let out a soft sigh. Even now, she couldn’t fully believe that the brilliant young prodigy who had taken the valley by storm was simply... dead.

’Alas, life is truly unpredictable.’

On Luoyun Island, after questioning the island’s disciples, Yun Loxi returned to his residence and remained silent for a long, long time. Gazing at the various medicinal herbs in his courtyard, he picked them up only to put them back down. Then, he began to perform Alchemy, and more Alchemy, and then even more Alchemy...

"No matter how I refine them, I can never do it like you." Yun Loxi gazed at the few finished Elixirs in his hand, then tossed them aside with a sigh. "Master Qin, with you gone, I will never again have the fortune of hearing your guidance. What a tragedy, what a lament..."

......

"Ying San, I want an explanation."

Lan Qijin said, his face dark as he stared at the purplish-black mist before him.

"What explanation? I’ve already done what you asked," Ying San’s old and uncanny voice drifted from the mist, though it sounded somewhat weak.

Clearly, forcing the use of his Dharma Aspect before reaching the Celestial Human realm had taken a heavy toll on him, and he was in a foul mood. Hearing Lan Qijin’s question, Ying San replied coldly, "You wanted me to kill Qin Ya, and I have done so. You’d best complete your part of the deal quickly, or don’t blame me for turning on you."

"I wanted you to kill Qin Ya quietly. Even if you couldn’t do that, you were supposed to keep the commotion to a minimum. But what the hell is this? Now everyone in the entire Vast Sea Divine Palace knows that Qin Ya is dead, and at the hands of the Demon Race, no less!" A cold glint flashed in Lan Qijin’s eyes as he spoke, his expression grim.

"You even used your Dharma Aspect!"

"You think I wanted to? If it were you, I doubt you could have killed him at all! Do you have any idea how difficult that brat was? His willpower is unshakable, he’s calm in a crisis, he has one Eighth-Grade and Ninth-Grade Profound Soldier after another, and an endless supply of life-saving Elixirs! He’s even comprehended a hint of the Mysterious."

"Not to mention he has a Pseudo-Spiritual Artifact! Do you think he was really that easy to kill? If I hadn’t used my Dharma Aspect, he would have escaped long ago!" As he spoke of this, Ying San’s tone grew heated, and the purplish-black mist around him roiled violently, a clear sign of his extreme frustration.

"Was he really that difficult to kill?" Lan Qijin said, a mixture of shock and doubt in his voice.

"Hmph. I have no reason to lie to you," Ying San said coldly. "After this incident, I’m afraid I can no longer remain hidden in the Vast Sea Divine Palace. You must fulfill your promise to me within the next few days."

"Qin Ya is dead. Do you think Shangguan Feiying and the others won’t suspect me? He killed my son—I have the strongest motive for wanting him dead. If I make any rash moves in the coming days, I fear our relationship will be exposed," Lan Qijin said coolly.

"Are you trying to burn the bridge now that you’ve crossed it?" Ying San said icily.

"Rest assured, I will do my best to find an opportunity."

"That would be for the best..."

.........

Ancient trees pierced the heavens, shrouded in a black mist.

Blood-red vines slithered through the forest where Fierce Beasts lay in ambush. The air was thick with the stench of decay and ruin. It was an island akin to a Ghost Realm.

Within a massive cavern, there was a woman dressed in black robes.

The woman was stunningly beautiful, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders. A hint of malevolence glinted in her purplish-black eyes. More striking still, four thick iron chains were shackled to her limbs, disappearing deep into the cavern walls to some unknown destination.

"The scent of a living person!"

The woman’s vermilion lips parted. A wisp of black energy surged from her body, and the blood-red vines in the forest suddenly sprang to life. A moment later, they dragged a white-robed person back to her.

The white-robed figure was slender. From his profile, the woman could tell he was a young man of no more than sixteen or seventeen.

Blood trickled incessantly from the corner of the young man’s mouth. A trail of blood marked the path the vines had taken, and soon, the ground where he lay was soaked through, forming a pool of blood.

What was surprising was that, despite the blood pouring from his body, the white robe he wore—embroidered with an ink-wash landscape—remained utterly spotless.

The blood-red vines trembled with a RUSTLE, seeming to quiver with excitement.

Then, a tendril of the vine dipped into the pool of blood and began to devour it.

The woman raised her eyes to glance at the young man, her fine brows knitting slightly as she murmured indifferently, "How did a boy like this end up on Demon Trapping Island?"

She flicked one of her elegant fingers, sending a wisp of black energy flying toward Qin Ya outside the cavern.

Suddenly, the Scenic Landscapes on Qin Ya’s body flashed with a faint light, and the wisp of black energy dissipated in an instant. The woman let out a soft sound of surprise. "This is... a Pseudo-Spiritual Artifact."

"Interesting. A Human Race youth with a Pseudo-Spiritual Artifact appearing on an island where a Demon is trapped." The corners of the woman’s lips curved upward, revealing a smile that could stun heaven and earth. Then, she flicked her finger again, and another stream of black energy shot out.

This wisp of black energy landed on Qin Ya. The Scenic Landscapes flashed, trying to block the energy again, but this time the black energy was incomparably stronger than before. Within a few breaths, the light from the robe dimmed, and the black energy gradually seeped into Qin Ya’s body. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Heh. An unactivated Pseudo-Spiritual Artifact is nothing special."

The woman smiled indifferently. ’At my peak, I could have shattered even a fully activated Scenic Landscapes with a single slap. And while I may be sealed here now, the Scenic Landscapes isn’t activated either, is it...’

’His bones and blood vessels are completely shattered... what a severe injury. He has a Pseudo-Spiritual Artifact, yet he was still wounded this badly. The attacker must have been an Extraordinary Realm Martial Artist or stronger. Hmm? This is Pill Qi. It seems he took a life-saving Elixir at the last moment.

However, this Elixir is only enough to keep him breathing by a thread. He’s still going to die in the end.’ The woman’s Cultivation and perception were unfathomably deep; she had understood the state of Qin Ya’s body in a flash. But she had no intention of saving him.

’I am a Demon, after all! A Demon reviled and cursed by millions!’

Suddenly, the blood-red vine began to emit a red glow, clearly enjoying its meal of blood. ’Well, let him be some extra nourishment for the vines,’ the woman thought to herself.

The blood-red vine coiled around Qin Ya’s body for a moment before flipping him over.

As he was turned over, Qin Ya’s face was fully revealed to the woman.

Upon seeing his face, the woman’s body suddenly went rigid.

Apologies, I’ve had a stomachache for the last two days, so updates will be limited.