Lin Sha gave a fragile smile, not very confident that Du Youqian could invite anyone to back her up. "But Qing Lang, most of your friends are from the Profound Sects Orthodox Sect. Why would they co help a Demoness like ?"
Du Youqian comforted her, "Don’t worry about that. I’m confident I can handle it. Let ask you, why hasn’t your Sect done anything?"
Lin Sha sighed. "Qing Lang, you should know that the standard for Second-class Sects is having three or more Golden Core cultivators. And my Sect is overseen by four Golden Core Ancestors."
"I’ve heard."
"Above in my lineage is Ancestor Mi. He’s quite young, just over a hundred years old, but he has already succeeded in Core Formation and beco a pillar of the Sect. He’s also the youngest Golden Core in the Sect. He’ll be able to protect the Sect for at least another four hundred years."
"My master, Helan Ruojin, was once exceptionally talented and was Ancestor Mi’s most favored disciple. Unfortunately, during a Magical Combat, her foundation was damaged by a Daoist from the Chongzhen Sect. Her cultivation fell from the Foundation Establishnt Middle Stage to the Foundation Establishnt Early Stage. But in that Magical Combat, my master was fighting for the Sect’s honor, not because she herself is belligerent."
"Therefore, although Ancestor Mi is well aware of my master’s plans, he doesn’t interfere. Ancestor Mi once declared that this struggle for the Dao must be settled between the two of us. Regardless of whether my master wins or I win, the victor will receive his full support. The rest of the Sect is forbidden from interfering directly. He even demanded that I not perform my Foundation Establishnt within the Sect; I must leave to do it. The implication is that he wants my master and to fight to the death outside, to prevent anyone in the Sect from secretly ddling."
"There’s another Golden Core lineage in the Sect, Ancestor Cai’s. In fact, the Martial Arts I learned in the Mortal World are a simplified version of a Cultivation Technique from his line. Ancestor Cai thinks very highly of . When I first joined the Sect, he gave a Middle Grade Defensive Magical Artifact. But because of Ancestor Mi’s decree, Ancestor Cai can’t interfere too much. He can only secretly provide with so advantages, or find excuses to grant Elixirs and Magical Artifacts within the rules. For example, in the last Sect competition, after I took first place, besides a precious item like a Foundation Establishnt Pill, he also granted two Lower Grade Spiritual Artifacts."
"As for the other two Golden Core Ancestors, their ti is running out. They are in seclusion year-round and no longer manage Sect affairs. They don’t even get involved in selecting True Inheritors. Unless it’s a matter of the Sect’s life and death, they will almost never act."
’That Chen Yingzhi,’ Du Youqian mused, ’is she perhaps from the lineage of Ancestor Cai that Lin Sha ntioned?’
But it was hard to say for sure.
The internal strife within a Demon Sect is vicious. ’Maybe Chen Yingzhi is backed by the faction of the third or fourth Golden Core Ancestor, or perhaps even by a fifth or sixth power bloc—so Cultivator at Foundation Establishnt Perfection with a chance at Core Formation.’
"I understand," Du Youqian said. "You focus on honing your cultivation and getting your mind and body in order. I’m going to travel for a bit and make so preparations, then I’ll co find you. When the ti cos, we’ll find a good spot, set up an Array, and I guarantee your master will be walking into a one-way trip."
At this mont, all traces of the Demoness’s aura around Lin Sha had vanished, leaving only a happy, ordinary young woman. She was overflowing with tenderness, her allure subtle and free of any hint of her Charm Skill. "I’ll leave it all to you, Qing Lang. I will do whatever you say."
"Also, I am a True Inheritor of the Zhongxuan Sect. My appearance fee isn’t low. Besides, you want to help you deal with a Foundation Establishnt Cultivator... For sothing this dangerous, Ancestor Cai’s faction had better add to my price."
Lin Sha smiled. "I will definitely secure a sufficient ’appearance fee’ for you, Qing Lang."
~~~~~~~~~~~
Du Youqian stayed for another three days, spending them intimately with Lin Sha.
’It can be considered a small repaynt to her, I suppose.’
’When it ca to feelings, what he felt for Lin Sha was mostly gratitude, with a bit of attraction, of course, but it didn’t reach the level of love.’
’Trying to talk about love with soone like him—who had lived for several lifetis and been with countless won—was like talking to a thousand-year-old Fox Demon about innocence. It simply didn’t exist.’
’If he really had to speak of love... only Long Ruzhen could perhaps, barely, count.’
’But that was more a bond forged through shared hardship, not a fiery, passionate love.’
He knew very well that Lin Sha was normally a ruthless Demoness with countless deaths on her hands.
Of course, he could understand this.
After all, when Lin Sha was two, she had personally witnessed mbers of a Demon Sect slaughter her entire family. She was then taken to the Demon Sect and raised in the cruelest possible manner.
Growing up in such an environnt, it was actually quite reasonable, upon reflection, that her personality would have so twisted elents.
But that didn’t an Du Youqian could accept it.
He could be affectionate with Lin Sha for a ti, he could give her so rewards and gifts, but he would absolutely not be willing to beco Dao Companions with her.
’The gap in their worldviews is just too vast.’
’Of course, if he agreed to accept her, Lin Sha might be willing to change for him.’
’But could such a change really last?’
’Wouldn’t she, in her repression, feel even more conflict and tornt internally, ready to erupt at the first opportunity?’
’So, better not.’
’After he helps Lin Sha this one ti, he’ll reincarnate. It would be for the best if they both forgot each other and went their separate ways in the Jianghu.’
As for the appearance fee, Lin Sha had gone to negotiate and said that she would secure enough benefits for him when the ti ca.
Du Youqian was just trying his luck anyway; it wasn’t as if he wouldn’t help Lin Sha without an appearance fee.
So he didn’t pay it much mind.
When it was ti for him to leave, Lin Sha was deeply reluctant to see him go, but she was rational enough not to force him to stay. She simply saw him to the edge of town.
Du Youqian suddenly rembered sothing. "By the way, I saw the Demon Race ntioned in the Jade Scrolls you brought. Does the Demon Race really exist? How co I’ve never seen any?"
The monkey, for instance, and those fierce beasts in the valley—although they had entered the Dao, they were quite different from the Demon Race described in the records.
They could only be considered animals that had gained sentience, not the Demon Race.
Lin Sha shook her head. "I’m not sure either. I just happened to overhear an elder in the Sect ntion once that many Elixirs and Magical Artifacts can no longer be refined in Monan because we lack certain crucial materials from the Demon Race. Only by leaving Monan would one have a chance to find traces of the Demon Race. Perhaps it’s because the Spiritual Qi in Monan is too thin, making it unsuitable for the Demon Race to survive?"
"I asked him how one could leave Monan, but he just smiled, shook his head, and said that it’s impossible for us to leave. You can only enter this place, you cannot leave. It is the last sanctuary for the Human Race. I don’t really understand what that ans, but from his tone, the world outside might not be very peaceful."
Du Youqian was lost in thought for a mont, wondering, ’Could my reincarnation possibly take sowhere outside the Nine Countries of Monan Desert?’
’If it’s possible, then if one or two of my next ten reincarnations were in the outside world, my chances of breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm would be much greater.’
In the texts Lin Sha had provided, there was still very little description of the outside world.
They only gave a general introduction, describing it as a vast world, rich in resources and boundless in expanse.
He didn’t know what powers held sway there or how one could travel to and from it. All he knew was that to the north lay a nearly endless Desolate Desert, a place that even a Golden Core Great Power would find it difficult to survive after venturing deep inside.
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