Chapter 109: Chapter 107: Demon Servant, Spirit Stone, and Pill Banquet

In the main hall of the Stone Meditation Hut.

Feng Ling seemed to sense something, and her beautiful eyes snapped open.

A complex mix of panic, despair, confusion, sorrow, anticipation, excitement, and shyness flickered in her gaze.

"Don’t... come... any closer."

she cried out in a low voice. Her melodious tone trembled slightly, carrying an indescribable coquettish charm.

Fang Cheng watched her struggle against the Heart Demon, his expression calm. He asked in a deep voice, "Did you use the Celestial Demon Curse to plot against me?"

Feng Ling bit her red lip and said tremulously, "I... did... but that... is in... the past..."

Fang Cheng sighed softly and asked again, "Do you still have the means to curse me again?"

Her eyes hazy, Feng Ling gently shook her head.

Fang Cheng stared at her and said slowly, "How can I trust you?"

"I... swear," Feng Ling said, a trace of humiliation on her stunning face.

Fang Cheng shook his head. "That’s not enough."

Feng Ling’s shapely brows furrowed in pain. "Then... what... more do you want?"

Fang Cheng walked over and lifted her snowy-white chin, studying her exquisite face.

Her skin was fair and delicate. The proud, full globes of her chest, her slender yet curvaceous waist, and her firm, shapely buttocks formed a bewitching silhouette.

She was truly a top-tier beauty.

His voice was gentle as he said, "I have already planted a Heart Demon in you. Next, I will help you refine it. From now on, you will be my Demon Servant. How does that sound?"

"You... despicable... shameless..." Feng Ling forced herself to endure the discomfort and spat angrily. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Fang Cheng said indifferently, "You’re wrong. I’m just doing whatever it takes to stay alive. Only by eliminating all potential risks can I be at ease."

He looked at Feng Ling calmly and asked, "So now you have two paths. You can either die or become my Demon Servant. The choice is yours."

His words were like a sharp blade, completely shattering the last shred of Feng Ling’s will!

The flow of Magical Power around her grew chaotic. A crimson flame suddenly erupted from her Qi Sea, quickly spreading throughout her body.

In an instant, her black dress turned to ash.

At the bottom of the Daze, the giant stone settled quietly into the silt.

Faintly, a desolate yet seductive cry seemed to echo from within the stone.

...

「Three days later.」

A blazing streak of fire shot out from the water, heading straight for Flame Demon Island.

「A short while later.」

Fang Cheng burst out of the water.

He was dressed in a set of cyan robes with cloud patterns, featuring wide sleeves. The bright sunlight shone upon him, revealing a faint Zen-like aura, making him resemble a solemn young monk who had diligently studied Buddhist Techniques.

He looked up at the sky to see it was clear and blue, dotted with floating clouds.

Not far away, a mountain-like cluster of white clouds shone dazzlingly in the bright sun.

He took a deep breath and activated his Sword Technique. In an instant, a flash of sword light shot out!

The sword light sliced the cloud cluster in two with unparalleled speed.

Only then did the rolling sound of thunder follow.

Sword Qi Thunder Sound!

Fang Cheng was in high spirits. With a long laugh, he waved his sleeve to retrieve his Flying Sword and transformed into a streak of Profound Light, heading straight for Xiaocang Island.

Over the past three days, his Magical Power had greatly increased. After refining and integrating it with his surged Divine Sense, he was finally able to use this Divine Technique of swordsmanship he had long coveted.

「Several hours later.」

Cangwu Mountain, Cyan Demon Cliff.

In front of the Jade Tower, a beautiful young woman in a pale yellow dress sat on the steps, her chin resting in her hands, staring blankly at the lake below the mountain.

A gentle breeze blew, causing her soft black hair to flutter. Her fair, pretty face held a trace of sorrow.

Just then, an Escape Light flew in from the distant sky, passed directly through Xiaocang Island’s restrictive wards, and shot across the airspace above Cangwu Mountain.

When the Escape Light reached the space above Cyan Demon Cliff, it suddenly descended, hovering before the Jade Tower.

The young woman was startled. She looked up just in time to see the light fade, revealing the figure of a tall, handsome man.

"Master is back!"

Die’Er’s pretty eyes lit up as she exclaimed with delight.

Fang Cheng swept his Divine Sense over the area and, finding no trace of Ye Yan’s aura in the Jade Tower, asked curiously, "Why are you the only one here? Where is Yan’Er?"

Die’Er replied with a smile, "The Young Miss went to the Star-picking Platform. She told me to wait for Master to return and then tell you to go find her."

Fang Cheng started walking toward the Jade Tower, asking as he went, "A few days ago, you rushed to bring the Young Miss back. What was it about?"

Die’Er followed beside him, her soft, sweet voice recounting the events.

The first thing Fang Cheng did upon returning home was take a bath.

As Die’Er attended to her Master, she explained what had recently happened in the Ye Family.

Ye Yan has a younger cousin named Ye Tang.

Years ago, Ye Tang’s father went out with Ye Yan’s father and unfortunately perished. Sharing a similar plight, the two cousins became very close.

However, Ye Tang’s mother had a weak cultivation. After her husband’s death, she lost her backing in the Ye Family and was gradually marginalized.

If not for Madam Ye occasionally looking out for them, their situation would be even more difficult.

As the story goes, Ye Tang’s father had left the mother and daughter a Second-Order Magical Artifact. This was supposed to be a secret, with no one outside of Ye Yan and Madam Ye knowing about it.

But six months ago, Ye Tang found love.

While she was out shopping at a market, she met a remarkably handsome Loose Cultivator. It was love at first sight, and they secretly pledged their lives to each other.

The Loose Cultivator was quite skilled. It’s unknown what sweet words or other tricks he used, but within a few short months, he had completely captured Ye Tang’s heart and soul, to the point that she gave her new husband the family’s heirloom Second-Order Magical Artifact!

Shortly after the Loose Cultivator obtained the Magical Artifact, his personality changed. He began to frequently beat, curse, and abuse Ye Tang, his behavior becoming exceptionally cruel.

Ye Tang had a gentle and meek nature. She didn’t dare publicize her family’s shame, swallowing all her bitter tears and even secretly hoping her husband would have a change of heart.

Who would have thought the Loose Cultivator would only grow more brazen? He took several concubines from who-knows-where and spent his days feasting, drinking, and debauching right in front of Ye Tang.

Eventually, the couple had a huge fight, and Ye Tang ran back to her family home.

The Loose Cultivator then left Xiaocang Island, his whereabouts unknown.

When Ye Tang returned to her Cave Mansion, she found only a letter of divorce, realizing she had lost both the man and her wealth!

With her weak disposition, the blow was too much for her to bear. She developed suicidal thoughts, left a final letter, and attempted to end her own life to escape the sea of suffering.

Fortunately, Ye Tang’s mother arrived in time to save her.

But the ordeal left Ye Tang severely weakened. In less than half a year, a delicate, budding flower had withered away.

Unable to stomach the injustice, Ye Tang’s mother went to Ye Yan for help.

That was why Die’Er had rushed to the Dragon Spine Archipelago a few days ago to bring Ye Yan home.

Having grown up as close as blood sisters with Ye Tang, Ye Yan was furious when she heard what had happened. She immediately used the Ye Family’s connections and resources and quickly found the Loose Cultivator’s whereabouts.

It turned out the man’s name was Xie Xida. His father, Xie Ming, was the Island Lord of an island settlement for Loose Cultivators in the Abyssal Marsh and had a Life Talisman Realm cultivation.

In his early years, Xie Ming had a younger sister who was as beautiful as a flower, a peerless beauty renowned in the Daze’s Loose Cultivator circles.

Later, this woman caught the eye of an Elder from the Xiaocang Ye Family. He took her as a concubine, and she was greatly favored.

Thanks to this connection, Xie Ming’s fortunes rose. With the help of his sister and brother-in-law, he broke through to the Life Talisman Realm, becoming a prominent figure among the Loose Cultivators and the Master of Mist Island!

"So, you’re saying that Xie Xida’s uncle is an Elder of the Ye Family."

In the bath, Fang Cheng said with a strange expression, his arm around Die’Er.

Die’Er nodded. "Not only that, but that Elder broke through to the Late-Life Talisman Stage over a decade ago. He now holds the second-most powerful seat in the Ye Family Elders’ Meeting, with a status even higher than Madam Ye’s."

Fang Cheng pondered for a moment before sighing. "I’m afraid this was all deliberately orchestrated!"

Die’Er didn’t understand, her watery almond eyes turning to her Master.

Fang Cheng explained, "If Madam Ye were to personally step in and resolve this, she would be put in a reactive position. The Elder could easily use it as an excuse to make a move and suppress her faction."

Realization dawned on Die’Er. "But if she doesn’t act, the Second-Order Magical Artifact will be lost for good. Not only that, but they’d have to swallow this insult."

...

「After his bath.」

Fang Cheng went to the study, his mind on Ye Tang’s situation.

’Wherever there is power, there is conflict. I’d long heard that internal strife was common among the great families, but I never expected to encounter it firsthand.’

Madam Ye’s cultivation was not weak, and her methods were quite forceful. She was the only Female Cultivator among the various branches of the Ye Family!

Unfortunately, she was only a daughter-in-law of the Ye Family.

For a family as large as the Ye Family to have allowed her to occupy a seat in the Clan Elders Council for so many years was already no small feat.

’It seems someone has set their sights on pushing her out of the Ye Family’s core circle of power.’

"Master..."

Fresh from their intimacy, Die’Er looked shy, her fair cheeks tinged with red.

She entered the study holding a jade box and said softly, "This is the thank-you gift the Dong Family sent for you a few days ago, Master."

At her words, the image of that exceptionally handsome young man from the Dong Family appeared in Fang Cheng’s mind.

Dong Fangyu.

He took the jade box and opened it gently. Inside was an invitation card, alongside three dazzling Spirit Stones arranged in a neat row.

Each of the three Spirit Stones was the size of a walnut. A spiritual light flowed erratically across their surfaces, their emerald glow flickering. Upon closer inspection, one could see countless pinprick-sized green dots of light constantly pouring out from within the stones, only to burst and transform into motes of incomparably pure Wood Element Spiritual Qi!

"Upper-Grade Spirit Stones!"

Die’Er gasped, her almond eyes wide with astonishment.

A single Upper-Grade Spirit Stone could be exchanged for one hundred Middle-Grade Spirit Stones, or ten thousand Lower-Grade Spirit Stones!

In other words, the thank-you gift from Dong Fangyu was worth thirty thousand Lower-Grade Spirit Stones, equivalent to a Second-Order Lower Grade Magical Artifact!

’What a grand gesture... As expected of an Inner Sect Disciple from one of the four great families; he’s certainly generous.’

’Including the merit points exchanged for that distress talisman, Dong Fangyu’s life is worth at least one hundred and thirty thousand Lower-Grade Spirit Stones!’

’I could use a few more disciples from these great families...’

Fang Cheng mused to himself.

The three Upper-Grade Spirit Stones Dong Fangyu sent were all wood-attribute. It seemed the man had a good eye, having discerned the attribute of Fang Cheng’s Heart Method and catered directly to his needs.

With these three Upper-Grade Spirit Stones, Fang Cheng’s cultivation speed would rise to another level.

There were still two years until the deadline for the Inner Sect trials.

’Two years is enough time for me to reach the Ninth Layer of Sensing...’

Next, he opened the invitation card.

The calligraphy that met his eyes was vigorous and powerful, like cuts from a blade. The contents were an invitation for Fang Cheng to be a guest at the Dong Family residence.

The date was set for the very next day.

Dong Fangyu was hosting a banquet for many of his close friends among the Inner Sect Disciples to sample a batch of Spirit Pills newly refined by an Honored Guest Elder of the Dong Family.

In the Cultivation Realm, this was known as a Pill Banquet.

...