24: Binding Red Line

Xu Ying's smile instantly froze, and he reeled back as if struck by lightning, turning his head sharply.

Outside the pavilion, a figure in white robes slowly approached.

Who else could it be but Jiang Chen?

He walked very slowly; though there were no spiritual energy fluctuations around him, it felt as if he could appear before them in the next second.

"Jiang... Jiang Chen!" Xu Ying was a little flustered.

Jiang Chen ignored him, his gaze passing over him and landing on Su Qinger, who was leaning against a pavilion pillar, her consciousness already blurring.

Only then did he slowly turn his attention back to Xu Ying, his eyes like he was looking at a dead man.

"Xu Ying, you have such gall. This spirit-bewitching incense (forbidden medicine), what were you planning to do to Fairy Su?" Jiang Chen's tone was very calm, yet it made all the hairs on Xu Ying's body stand on end.

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

Xu Ying feigned composure, his mind racing, trying to find a way out of this situation. "Jiang Chen! Don't you dare slander me here!"

"You were clearly the one who prepared this spirit-bewitching incense (forbidden medicine)! I discovered your intent to harm Young Miss Su and came specifically to rescue Fairy Su! I didn't expect you to be the villain who cries foul first!"

"Oh?" Jiang Chen showed a genuinely thoughtful expression upon hearing this, then nodded. "That's not a bad reason."

"It's just a pity, it's full of holes." Jiang Chen gently shook his head.

"Firstly, I invited Young Miss Su to this Tingxue Pavilion. Only she and I knew the time and place. Your appearance here is simply too coincidental."

"Secondly, this spirit-bewitching incense (forbidden medicine) is a forbidden item of the Joyful Union Sect, capable of disturbing one's mind and dissolving spiritual energy. I heard that during your travels in your early years, you had an ambiguous one-night stand with a demoness from the Joyful Union Sect."

With each sentence Jiang Chen spoke, Xu Ying's face grew a shade paler.

"You... you're spouting nonsense!"

"Nonsense?"

Jiang Chen smiled. "Then let me tell you something else. Three days ago, at midnight, when you were refining this incense in your secret chamber, you muttered to yourself that you would extract Su Qinger's Origin Yin to help you Break through your Bottleneck and then seize my Saint position. Do I need to repeat that for you?"

Boom!

This sentence left Xu Ying's mind blank.

How could he know! How could he possibly know!

Those were words spoken in his most secret chamber, surrounded by dozens of soundproof and Divine Sense-blocking Formations. It was absolutely impossible for them to leak out!

Unless... unless Jiang Chen wasn't human!

"You..." Furious killing intent erupted in Xu Ying's eyes.

It had come to this; only murder could silence him!

"Jiang Chen! Die!"

Xu Ying roared, and a violent, bloody aura burst forth from his body. His cultivation instantly rose from the Peak of the Sixth Realm Nascent Soul to the half-step Soul Transformation level!

"Die for me!"

Xu Ying transformed into an afterimage and punched out.

The fist wind whistled, causing the space to slightly distort.

His two confidants behind him also erupted simultaneously, one on the left and one on the right, unleashing their Magic Treasures to attack Jiang Chen's vital points.

Facing this thunderous combined attack, Jiang Chen even managed to yawn.

An aura burst forth from his body!

It was no longer the gentle and restrained Qi of his usual self, but pure, domineering Devilish Qi!

Boom!

The entire Tingxue Pavilion trembled violently, the ground outside cracked inch by inch, and countless black Devilish Qi rose from beneath Jiang Chen's feet.

The Dao Yan Heavenly Demon Body was unleashed without reservation!

The blood drained from the faces of the two Inner Sect Disciples instantly. The Magic Treasures in their hands let out a mournful cry, their spiritual light dim, as if trembling in fear from this demonic might.

"Thud!"

The two couldn't even hold on for a single breath before their legs gave out, and they knelt directly on the ground, unable to even lift their heads.

The pressure of a Seventh Realm Soul Transformation Peak was no different from heavenly might to them.

Xu Ying's eyes, too, were filled with disbelief as he looked at Jiang Chen.

He knew Jiang Chen had made a Breakthrough to the Seventh Realm, but he never expected him to be so strong!

This aura was even comparable to some Elders! Was this truly a power a young man could possess?

"Escape!"

This was the only thought in Xu Ying's mind.

Without the slightest hesitation, he turned and transformed into a streak of light, fleeing frantically down the mountain.

"Trying to leave?" A smile played on Jiang Chen's lips. "Did I tell you to leave?"

He didn't even move, merely raising his right hand and, facing the direction Xu Ying was fleeing, remotely made a gripping motion.

"Ah!!!"

A shrill scream rang out.

Xu Ying, who had already fled a hundred meters away, was suddenly gripped by an invisible large hand, suspended in mid-air.

The protective spiritual light around him shattered instantly, like paper.

Crack! Crack!

The sound of bones breaking was clearly audible. His limbs twisted at grotesque angles, and fresh blood gushed from his seven orifices.

The next moment, the invisible large hand yanked hard.

Xu Ying was forcibly dragged back from mid-air, like a dead dog, and slammed heavily at Jiang Chen's feet.

Jiang Chen slowly raised his foot and stepped on Xu Ying's face, which was contorted with pain and fear, gently grinding it.

"Now, do you still think you can kill me?" Jiang Chen walked up to Xu Ying, reached out, and lightly patted his contorted cheek.

Slap.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like the loudest slap, striking Xu Ying's dignity.

"No... don't kill me! Saint! I was wrong! I was momentarily confused! Please spare my life!" Xu Ying completely collapsed. He wanted to kneel, but his body wouldn't move; he could only beg with his eyes.

"Spare you?" Jiang Chen tilted his head, seemingly genuinely considering the question.

He glanced at Su Qinger, who had completely fainted and slumped to the ground, then looked at Xu Ying, and suddenly smiled.

"Very well."

Jiang Chen's palm gently pressed onto Xu Ying's Dantian.

A flicker of ecstatic relief, as if escaping a disaster, flashed in Xu Ying's eyes.

However, the next second, a surge of power poured into his Qi Sea.

"Ah!!!"

Xu Ying let out another shrill scream.

He could clearly feel his cultivation, painstakingly built over hundreds of years, shattering inch by inch and rapidly dissipating under the onslaught of that power.

Crippled... He was crippled!

Jiang Chen withdrew his hand, too lazy to even glance at Xu Ying, who lay slumped on the ground like a pile of mud, and turned to walk towards Su Qinger.

"Jiang Jiu."

A ghost-like figure appeared silently behind him.

"Clean it up." Jiang Chen ordered indifferently.

"Yes." Jiang Jiu responded hoarsely, dragging Xu Ying and the other two, who were like dead dogs, and disappeared into the depths of the forest.

From beginning to end, Jiang Chen didn't personally kill anyone.

But this was more painful for Xu Ying than killing him.

Inside the pavilion, silence returned.

Jiang Chen walked to Su Qinger's side, bent down, and picked her up in his arms.

Su Qinger's body was soft, carrying a faint, virginal fragrance. The feeling in his arms was even better than he imagined.

He looked at the exquisite face in his arms, flushed red from the medicine's effects, and admired it.

“Ding! Congratulations, host! You have successfully completed the second stage of the villain mission, 'Hero Saves the Beauty'!”

“Mission completion: Perfect! You successfully exposed Xu Ying's hypocritical true colors and, at the Daughter of Destiny's most desperate moment, arrived with an overwhelming presence, perfectly shaping a powerful, mysterious, and unfathomable image!”

“Mission reward: 8000 Villain Points! Luck Index +400! Special item: Red Thread of Destiny (one-time consumable) has been issued!”

“Current Villain Points: 12000”

The System's prompt sounded in his mind.

"System, can this Red Thread of Destiny be used now?" Jiang Chen asked in his mind.

“Reporting, host! Of course, it can! The working principle of the Red Thread of Destiny is to directly act upon the target's Divine Soul Origin, regardless of whether the target's consciousness is clear. In fact, using it when the target's consciousness is blurry will yield even better results, maximizing the initial favorability!”

The System's voice carried a hint of encouragement.

“host, don't miss this opportunity, it won't come again! Strike while the iron is hot... ah, no, use it now!”

Jiang Chen looked down at the defenseless Su Qinger in his arms, and a thought stirred.

"Use the Red Thread of Destiny."

“Ding! Red Thread of Destiny used successfully! Target bound: Su Qinger!”

A phantom red thread flew from Jiang Chen's fingertip, silently merging into Su Qinger's brow.