Vol. 1 - Chapter 38 - Enchantment Technique

Yuan Huan’s cultivation level meant he wasn’t afraid of the cold. The garment the wooden girl had sewn for him wasn’t meant for warmth. It was a tight-fitting leather armor made from dragon rhinoceros hide, smooth and sleek to the touch, resistant to cuts and stabs—a superb piece of defensive gear. The wooden girl had a good eye for materials.

Ji Yaoge found the texture of the leather armor pleasing and followed Yuan Huan into the stone chamber, While touching it all the way.

This was her first time entering this stone chamber. It wasn’t large, but the three tall cabinets against the wall were filled with various strange bottles and jars. The gemstones embedded in the ceiling emitted a silver light, leaving no shadows in the room. In the center was a long stone table cluttered with items, resembling a pharmacy with delicate scales for weighing medicine, tools for grinding herbs, various-sized cauldrons, and papers covered in ink scattered in the corners.

These didn’t match Yuan Huan’s image—he didn’t seem like a messy and unkempt man. But here, he seemed like a different person. His sleeves were stained with black spots, his long robe was tucked into his waist for easier movement, and his bangs were casually tucked behind his ears. Even his previously indifferent gaze had turned into one of meticulous focus.

It was as if this was his true battlefield and place of cultivation.

"I mentioned before that using external forces combined with your enchantment technique to disguise as Xiao Wuheng could be tried. I’ve researched it, and it’s possible," Yuan Huan said, pushing aside the clutter on the table to make space for two items.

"The blood of the Qinghe Demon Dragon, when steamed with ice flames, can be used to create a blood elixir. Consuming it will temporarily grant you an aura similar to Xiao Wuheng’s extreme yin and cold. The Eight Directions Ghost Summoning Token, although a fragment, still possesses supreme aura, allowing you to mimic Xiao Wuheng’s presence. As for his spiritual pressure, I’ll handle that. The rest—his demeanor, killing intent, and enchantment—are up to you."

He spoke quickly, not caring if she could keep up.

"When do you plan to try this?" Ji Yaoge asked.

"The sooner, the better. How confident are you?" Yuan Huan’s tone easily made the atmosphere in the stone chamber tense.

Ji Yaoge was curious, "Why the rush? What happened?" Last time they discussed this, he seemed quite dismissive.

Yuan Huan shook his head—four days ago, Tang Huai had sent news that the Wu Xiang Sword Sect had discovered the secret of Tiyu State from the Ghost Domain and was ready to act. Meanwhile, Xiao Wuheng from the Ghost Domain also showed signs of resurgence. He needed to move quickly.

But there was no need to tell her that.

"It’s unrelated to you. Just tell me, how confident are you?"

"Seventy percent," Ji Yaoge estimated conservatively.

"That’s enough." Seventy percent was high enough for Yuan Huan, who often undertook uncertain tasks. "Let’s go."

"Wait." Ji Yaoge called out before he turned away. "The wooden girl made one for each of us. This is yours." There was no place to put the clothes here, and holding them in her hands wasn’t practical.

Yuan Huan clearly didn’t understand the significance of sewing clothes, frowning slightly. It was then he noticed Ji Yaoge was also wearing a new cloak—a fiery red fur with flickering flame-like patterns. She seemed to glow, her once plain appearance now radiant and vibrant.

She wasn’t an unattractive girl; she could even be considered pretty, with a small face and large eyes like a kitten, always giving off an innocent and harmless vibe. Over time, this innocence could be endearing.

But today, that innocence carried a hint of aggression.

"No need..." He began to refuse but saw her troubled expression. If he rejected it, the wooden girl would likely make a fuss again. So he changed his mind and compromised, "Fine, give it to me."

Ji Yaoge approached with the garment. He had already spread his arms, and seeing her hesitation, he urged, "Isn’t it for me? Hurry up."

"..." Did he mean for her to dress him?

Ji Yaoge thought for a moment, then unfolded the leather armor and tentatively slipped it onto his left arm. He didn’t object, standing straight. The armor was sleeveless, so after fitting his arm, she crossed the front and fastened it, moving to his chest to adjust the collar and finally securing the waist belt from his back to the front. Such attentiveness was something even Gu Xingzhi hadn’t experienced. They had always maintained a proper distance, never crossing boundaries. Gu Xingzhi was too much of a gentleman, and she was overly reserved. In over two hundred years at Wanzhen Mountain, their interactions lacked surprises. Now, without the spiritual essence, she couldn’t feel those heart-stirring emotions.

Doing this felt like dressing a doll, with no other thoughts.

Yuan Huan looked down at her. Her movements were natural, without any lingering tenderness. In the Five Prisons Tower, these tasks were usually handled by disciples, a habit without special meaning. Only when her hand smoothed the wrinkles on his chest did he feel something was amiss, but she had already finished and said, "Done."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Her gaze was straightforward, dispelling any unease he felt.

"You look very sharp," Ji Yaoge smiled and praised. The dark red dragon rhinoceros leather fit his body, outlining clean lines and strength, making him look even more like a spirited young cultivator.

Yuan Huan was indifferent. At three thousand years old, appearances were just a phase; age didn’t matter. As they left the stone chamber, the wooden girl saw him in the leather armor from afar and waved excitedly, giving a thumbs-up. Yuan Huan looked at the wooden girl, "This piece of spirit essence is very different from you. Have you considered letting her return to your main body?"

He was curious about her complete personality with a whole soul.

Ji Yaoge shook her head, "I haven’t decided yet." She hadn’t decided whether to let her return or allow her freedom. She knew she should let the spirit essence return soon to gain complete emotions, but the spirit essence resisted the main body.

As expected, Yuan Huan didn’t comment, only saying, "We’re here." They stood outside Ren Zhongping’s stone chamber. Ren Zhongping was sleeping, curled up in a corner, lacking a sense of security after 198 years of confinement. Ji Yaoge pulled her hood low, casting shadows over her face. Yuan Huan handed her the prepared items, whispering, "The demon dragon’s blood is extremely cold. Consuming it will freeze your meridians and organs, causing pain. Endure it, and if it’s unbearable, use your qi to resist."

The head under the hood nodded. Ji Yaoge took the dragon blood, drinking it in one gulp despite its foul taste. Instantly, her body felt like it was in an ice cave, freezing from the inside out. Even her breath carried a frosty chill. Holding the Eight Directions Ghost Summoning Token, she slowly entered Ren Zhongping’s stone chamber.

A chilling, eerie aura enveloped the room. The sleeping Ren Zhongping opened his eyes in confusion—people are most vulnerable upon waking, making it easier for mind techniques to take advantage. Though no one was visible, Ren Zhongping felt the terrifying presence, instinctively hugging himself and sitting up, his crazed expression tinged with fear and reverence. He cautiously asked, "Who’s there?"

No one answered, only an overwhelming spiritual pressure belonging to a true Nascent Soul stage cultivator. Ren Zhongping rolled off the bed, trembling on his knees, but still didn’t speak. Only when a figure in a fiery red cloak emerged from the shadows did a voice, cold and frosty, speak, "Ren Zhongping, do you still recognize me?"

Ren Zhongping shivered, looking up with confusion that quickly turned to fear under the oppressive aura. "The... the Lord has arrived."

His long-buried memories surfaced, bringing rare clarity.

"What about the task I gave you? How is it progressing?" Ji Yaoge simultaneously probed his memories and mimicked his behavior.

Doing both at once, she needed to evoke his memories to create the most accurate disguise. This required intense focus, with no room for distraction. Her body was numb from the cold, but she couldn’t afford to care.

Ren Zhongping hesitated, "I haven’t found what the Lord seeks."

"After all this time, you’ve found nothing?" Ji Yaoge’s voice was low, indistinguishable between male and female. "I think you’ve grown too comfortable here, forgetting the task I gave you!"

"No, I haven’t!" Ren Zhongping shrank back, hastily explaining.

"Then tell me, what am I looking for?"

"The Lord seeks... seeks..." Ren Zhongping’s eyes filled with suspicion, his gaze shifting over the figure before him. His mouth opened and closed several times, but no words came out.

A massive spiritual pressure mixed with killing intent and anger overwhelmed him.

She said nothing, her aura filled with the violence of slaying demon beasts and the ruthlessness of her life-and-death battle with Bai Li Qing. The killing intent came at the perfect moment, shattering Ren Zhongping’s defenses.

"The Lord seeks the artifact to open the Linghai entrance. I haven’t forgotten."

"And where is the artifact hidden?"

"I haven’t found it." This was the truth. Ren Zhongping continued, "I’ve searched all over Shuangxia Valley and Chixiu Palace but found nothing."

"Ask him why he’s searching in Chixiu Palace," Yuan Huan’s voice echoed in Ji Yaoge’s primordial spirit, though he was nowhere to be seen.

Ji Yaoge asked, and Ren Zhongping replied, "The artifact was originally hidden in the Ghost Domain but was stolen to Wanhua a thousand years ago. The thief was obsessed with the Linghai treasure and must be guarding this place, hoping to find the entrance and enter Linghai to cleanse their soul and change their body. So the artifact is likely hidden in one of Tiyu State’s sects. I’m responsible for the Shuangxia Valley area."

This explanation made sense. The thief, seeking entry to Linghai, would likely be hiding in Tiyu State, possibly founding a sect there. Thus, searching the sects in Tiyu State was logical. However...

Linghai? Soul cleansing and body transformation?

Ji Yaoge hadn’t expected the Linghai legend in Tiyu State to be true.

"Ask him if he found anything else," Yuan Huan instructed.

Ji Yaoge’s voice wavered slightly as she gritted her teeth and asked. Ren Zhongping replied, "I haven’t found the artifact, but I discovered that Lady Ying Shuang’s Twelve Immortal Demon Dance resembles the Ghost Domain’s Chiying Clan’s Burning Passion Technique. I reported this to the Lord, who ordered me to approach Ying Shuang. However, I..."

He seemed to recall something, suddenly looking up at Ji Yaoge.

Not good.

"You’re not... ugh..." Ren Zhongping’s face contorted, blood trickling from his lips.

Yuan Huan, quick to act, appeared and struck Ren Zhongping with several beams of spiritual light. Ren Zhongping’s eyes closed, and he collapsed. Yuan Huan turned to Ji Yaoge, "How are you?"

He was asking Ji Yaoge, who was unsteady, her hood removed, frost covering her brows and lips, her skin pale from the cold, her eyes half-closed, unable to speak. The Qinghe Demon Dragon’s blood was too cold. To avoid Ren Zhongping noticing any flaws, she hadn’t used her qi to resist, allowing the cold to invade her meridians. She had reached her limit.

"Fool! You endured the demon dragon’s blood?" Yuan Huan immediately saw the problem. Just as he scolded her, Ji Yaoge’s body swayed, and he caught her.

He called out to her twice, but she only managed to say, "Cold."

That was all she could feel.

Without hesitation, Yuan Huan lifted her and leaped out of the stone chamber. The wooden girl, cleaning outside, heard the rustle of clothes and turned to see Yuan Huan carrying Ji Yaoge out. Her mouth formed an "O" shape, and she let out a meaningful "Wow—". This time, Bai Yan straightened his back, his brows furrowing, his previously carefree gaze now showing signs of serious contemplation.