29: Chapter 29 A Yandere Comes Knocking, and I Become Her Investment.

The deafening "boom" did not arrive as expected.

Instead, there was a tooth-aching, silent collapse.

The heavy door of the secret room, forged from thousand-year black iron and claimed to withstand three strikes from a Golden Core Cultivator, seemed as if it had been thrown into absolute zero at minus 273 degrees.

The lock, the hinges, and even the entire door frame began to freeze over with an eerie layer of white frost at a speed visible to the naked eye. Immediately after, the indestructible metal structure began to twist and deform, emitting an unbearable "creaking" sound, eventually melting like a pat of butter, silently turning into a puddle of steaming, icy molten iron that slumped onto the floor.

A figure dressed in a simple white long dress stood quietly behind the puddle of molten iron, appearing like a deity walking out of a ten-thousand-year glacier.

Xia Lengbai.

Her face remained as cold and stunningly beautiful as ever, but those eyes, which should have been like clear autumn pools, were now burning with two clusters of crimson flames—a sign that her Divine Soul was burning to the extreme and her sanity was on the verge of collapse.

The Spiritual Pressure radiating from her body was mixed with an almost overbearing innate cold Qi; just by standing there, the temperature of the entire secret room plummeted to the freezing point.

The water vapor permeating the air condensed into fine ice crystals and fell with a rustling sound; the walls, the floor, the tables, and chairs—everything was rapidly covered in a layer of white frost.

"Senior... wh-who on earth is this..." Manager Qian, that money-grubbing fatty, was trembling so hard his legs shook and his teeth chattered, unable to utter a complete sentence.

He felt as if his blood was about to freeze, and his Divine Soul was shivering under that terrifying pressure.

Shen Xiao's expression was unprecedentedly grave.

He had no time to answer; the moment that cold Qi fully erupted, he grabbed Manager Qian's fat collar, yanked him backward like a chick, and threw him behind himself.

At the same time, Shen Xiao stomped his foot heavily!

Hum!

A brilliant golden light barrier rose from the ground, firmly protecting him and Manager Qian within it.

This was a defensive Formation Plate he had bought from Manager Qian at a high price, which he had long since inscribed on the floor of the secret room just in case.

However, this defensive Formation, capable of withstanding a full-force blow from a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator, proved to be even more fragile than paper when it came into contact with the cold Qi radiating from Xia Lengbai.

The surface of the light barrier was instantly covered in spiderweb-like cracks, emitting an unbearable "crackling" wail as if it were about to shatter completely in the next second.

Xia Lengbai entered.

She took light steps, treading on the frost-covered ground without making a sound.

Those eyes burning with crimson flames bypassed Manager Qian, who was cowering in the corner and nearly fainting from fright, and locked onto Shen Xiao like two ice-tempered swords.

She did not attack immediately, but instead extended a slender, crystal-clear finger that looked as if it had been carved from fine jade.

A wisp of innate cold Qi, purer and more piercing than black ice, lingered and danced at her fingertip, emitting a terrifying aura capable of freezing all things.

This was an inspection—an extremely arrogant inspection, the way one looks at a private possession.

"The aura of Karma in the Medicinal Pill, it cannot be wrong." Her voice was cold, like two ice cubes rubbing against each other, devoid of any human emotion. "It was you who ruined my 'Destiny'."

Shen Xiao's heart sank abruptly.

"Since the old destiny was ruined by you," Xia Lengbai approached step by step, the cracks on the defensive light barrier increasing, "then from today on, you are my new destiny."

The moment her words fell, the wisp of innate cold Qi at her fingertip surged violently, aiming to pass through the crumbling light barrier and strike directly into the center of Shen Xiao's brow.

"Ice Heart Slave Seal!" In the Sea of Consciousness, the remnant Soul of Xuan Chenzi let out a scream of extreme terror. "This is the Origin power of her Natural Sword Bone! Once planted, your Divine Soul will be instantly frozen, and you will become her slave for all eternity! Run!"

Run? Where to?

In the face of this absolute suppression of strength, any resistance appeared pale and ridiculous.

But who was Shen Xiao? He was a madman who could tear a path to survival out of even a dead end.

The emotion of fear lingered in his mind for only 0.01 seconds before being replaced by an even more extreme calmness.

Just as that wisp of cold Qi, capable of freezing the Divine Soul of a Nascent Soul Cultivator, was about to touch the light barrier, Shen Xiao made a move that left both Xuan Chenzi and Manager Qian stunned.

He voluntarily dispersed the crumbling defensive Formation.

The golden light barrier instantly dissipated, and the violent cold Qi, like a wild horse breaking free from its reins, rushed toward his face in an instant!

Frost quickly condensed on Shen Xiao's eyebrows and hair, his face deathly pale, but he still stood straight, like an unyielding javelin.

He looked directly into Xia Lengbai's crazy yet beautiful crimson eyes, and spoke in an extremely calm, even slightly playful tone:

"Are you satisfied with obtaining... such a weak possession?"

Xia Lengbai's finger, which was about to touch the center of his brow, stopped abruptly in mid-air, less than an inch from his skin.

Shen Xiao could clearly feel the destructive power contained within that wisp of cold Qi; it felt as if, had it advanced even one more millimeter, his Divine Soul would have been completely torn to shreds.

He did not retreat; instead, meeting her gaze, he curled his lips into a curve that could only be described as arrogant: "I am currently only at the Foundation Establishment Stage, as weak as an ant.

If you plant the slave seal on me now, my Dao Heart, my potential, and everything I am will be greatly affected by this mark, causing me to stagnate.

In the end, what you will get is merely a flawed, forever-stunted collection piece."

He deliberately emphasized the pronunciation of "Foundation Establishment Stage" and "collection piece," like a precise carving knife, stabbing fiercely at Xia Lengbai's twisted pride.

"Shouldn't a perfect collector personally polish their collection piece until it reaches its most brilliant, most dazzling moment, before taking it into their possession?"

Xia Lengbai's movements came to a complete halt.

The crazy flames in her crimson eyes seemed to be dampened by these words, revealing a hint of contemplation.

Shen Xiao's proposal was like a devil's whisper, precisely striking the core of her current, morbid logic.

Yes, she didn't want a slave she could crush at will; she wanted a unique "new destiny" that could replace her original "Destiny."

How could a weak Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator be worthy?

Seeing the wavering in her eyes, Shen Xiao immediately struck while the iron was hot, throwing out his bargaining chip. Like a devil inducing a dragon to sign a contract, his voice was filled with seduction:

"Give me time. I will become stronger; I will continue to plunder Lin Yun's Luck, to intercept his Opportunities, and I will snatch away everything of his to strengthen myself.

Until one day, when I am strong enough to be worthy of becoming that 'most perfect trophy' in your eyes, you can come and take it yourself, how about that?"

This was no longer a deal; this was betting his life!

Betting that Xia Lengbai's morbid possessiveness and pride would overcome her current killing intent.

He bet correctly.

Xia Lengbai slowly withdrew that slender, jade-like finger that could determine his life or death.

Those crimson eyes stared fixedly at Shen Xiao, as if trying to see through his Soul.

After a long while, she let out a cold snort, neither agreeing nor refusing.

But her next action was even more... insulting than planting the slave seal directly.

She grabbed the Storage Pouch on the table next to her, which was filled with the mountain of High-Grade Spirit Stones that Shen Xiao had just earned.

"This is my... initial investment in you, my 'future collection piece'."

She weighed the Storage Pouch, declaring in a cold tone as if she were discussing a business transaction.

Shen Xiao's face darkened instantly.

Damn it!

Taking my money to invest in myself?

What kind of new-age financial play is this?

Capitalists would weep if they saw this!

Immediately after, Xia Lengbai casually pulled a strand of ice-blue hair from her waterfall-like dark hair.

She flicked her finger.

That strand of hair, like a steel needle imbued with life, instantly cut through the air, trailing a wisp of desolate, beautiful ice-blue flame. It was so fast that Shen Xiao had no time to react before it precisely sank into his left shoulder and disappeared.

A piercing coldness instantly spread through his entire body along his Meridians!

Shen Xiao let out a muffled groan, his face turning even paler.

He could feel that the strand of hair was like a living venomous snake, tightly coiled around his heart meridian.

"This 'Ice Heart Silk' is now connected to your heart meridian."

Xia Lengbai's voice was cold to the extreme, as if announcing an irresistible iron law. "With just a single thought from me, or if you attempt to escape my range of perception, it will instantly detonate. By then, even if a deity descended to the mortal world, they wouldn't be able to save you."

Total annihilation of body and Soul.

She did not say these four words out loud, but Shen Xiao understood.

Having done all this, Xia Lengbai seemed to have exhausted all her patience.

She did not look at Shen Xiao again, took the Storage Pouch symbolizing the "investment funds," turned around, and left decisively, leaving behind a room full of frost and two men stunned into silence.

Not until Xia Lengbai's terrifying aura had completely vanished from his perception did Manager Qian, who had been slumped in the corner, gasp for air like a dehydrated fish, crawling and scrambling to Shen Xiao's side, his face as pale as paper.

"Senior! My ancestor! Who... who did you provoke! That is the Sect Master's Personal Disciple, Xia Lengbai! The craziest person in the entire Qingming Sect that one must not provoke!"

Fatty Qian's voice was filled with a crying tone. "It's over, it's over. My small business cannot afford this kind of risk! Senior, from now on, our cooperation... ends here! Just pretend I never knew you!"

Before Shen Xiao could respond, Manager Qian crawled out of the secret room using both hands and feet; his speed in fleeing was even faster than when he saw Spirit Stones.

The entire secret room was instantly left with only Shen Xiao.

With a gloomy face, he touched his left shoulder, which showed no abnormality; the piercing coldness had disappeared, as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion.

"Kid..." In the Sea of Consciousness, Xuan Chenzi's voice was unprecedentedly grave. "The trouble is big. That was not an ordinary strand of hair, but a wisp of Sword Qi containing the Origin of her 'Natural Sword Bone.' It did not explode immediately; instead, it is assimilating with your Meridians at an extremely slow speed. Once the Fusion is complete... your life and death will truly be at her whim."

Shen Xiao slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, only endless coldness and a touch of self-deprecating madness remained in his eyes.

He had tried his best, finally jumping off the chessboard of the Heavenly Dao, thinking he could hold the chess piece himself.

Yet he didn't expect that, in the blink of an eye, he would fall into another, smaller, more exquisite, and even crazier cage.

He had escaped the fate of being a chess piece for the Heavenly Dao, only to become... a caged bird for a Yandere female lead.