124: Help Xi Shenyin cultivate

Zhang Yang, who was already disoriented, instantly woke up when he heard Jun Lintian's voice.

He looked at Jun Lintian, who was charging at him with a sword, his face filled with disbelief.

"I am your master! You would kill me to save your own life! You beast!"

He tried to struggle to his feet, but with his spiritual roots completely destroyed, he had no strength left and could only watch as the tip of Jun Lintian's sword drew closer.

A flicker of guilt flashed in Jun Lintian's eyes. He closed them tightly and thrust his longsword forward.

The sword light glinted, aiming for Zhang Yang's chest.

Pfft—

The sound of the longsword piercing flesh was excruciatingly sharp. The blade instantly buried itself in Zhang Yang's chest, all the way to the hilt.

Zhang Yang's body suddenly arched like a shrimp, and a mouthful of black blood gushed from the corner of his mouth, splattering onto Jun Lintian's clothes.

He could clearly feel the excruciating pain of his heart being crushed by the sword, that tearing sensation spreading from his chest to all his limbs, even his soul trembling.

"You beast..."

Zhang Yang's voice was as thin as a wisp of smoke, the anger in his eyes gradually replaced by despair.

He looked at Jun Lintian's face, twisted with fear, and an endless regret surged in his heart.

Why had he taken in such a morally depraved disciple in the first place?

Why had he impulsively come to Tiansheng Academy for revenge?

But at this moment, it was too late to regret.

Jun Lintian violently pulled out his longsword, and blood gushed from Zhang Yang's chest like a fountain, staining the surrounding ground red.

Zhang Yang's body fell heavily back to the ground, the wound on his chest rising and falling, his breathing growing weaker and weaker.

His gaze gradually unfocused. First, he saw Jun Lintian's retreating figure, then Chu Feng's indifferent eyes, and finally, his vision settled on the clouds gradually dispersing in the sky.

His life force rapidly drained away like sand through his fingers. His breathing changed from rapid to weak gasps, each inhale bringing forth bloody foam, until, with a faint "huff," he completely stopped breathing.

Those unwilling eyes, after all, failed to close.

Jun Lintian held the dripping longsword, looking at Zhang Yang's gradually cooling corpse, his body trembling uncontrollably.

The fear of killing his master made him break out in a cold sweat.

He stumbled back three steps, his gaze fixed on Chu Feng.

"I've already killed him... now you can let me go, right?"

Chu Feng stood still, his expression calm without a ripple.

He slowly nodded, but a meaningful arc curved at the corner of his mouth.

"I promised to let you go, but whether others will let you go is not something I can decide."

"What do you mean by that?"

Jun Lintian's face changed dramatically, and an ominous premonition surged in his heart.

He vigilantly looked around, only to see Hall Master Pei Qingying slowly standing up, leaning on a stone pillar, her eyes filled with icy killing intent.

At the same time, Xi Shenyin also slowly raised her right hand. A faint spiritual energy halo emanated from her fingertips, and the Second Level of Void Refinement's pressure instantly enveloped Jun Lintian like a tide.

Jun Lintian felt his whole body stiffen, as if bound tightly by invisible chains, unable to move even a finger.

His breathing instantly became rapid, and a look of terror immediately appeared in his eyes.

"Chu Feng, you are untrustworthy!"

"Untrustworthy?"

Hall Master Pei Qingying snorted coldly, her voice clear and sharp like a sword.

She raised her hand, and the longsword in her hand transformed into a white stream of light, speeding towards Jun Lintian.

"No—"

Jun Lintian wanted to dodge, but he was firmly restrained by Xi Shenyin's pressure.

He could only watch as the white sword light drew closer and closer, the chill from the sword causing him to wet himself out of fear.

The longsword drew a sharp arc in the air, moving at extreme speed, almost leaving an afterimage.

Pfft—

The sword light flashed and disappeared, and the longsword pierced Jun Lintian's throat.

The sharp blade penetrated his windpipe, emerging from the back of his neck, bringing forth a gush of hot blood.

Jun Lintian's body shuddered violently, and a gurgling sound of bloody foam came from his throat. He could no longer utter a single word.

His eyes were wide open, filled with endless regret.

He had killed his master, yet in the end, he still couldn't buy himself a chance to live.

Hall Master Pei Qingying retracted her jade-like hand, and the longsword, trailing a string of blood beads, flew back into her hand. The bloodstains on the blade were instantly washed clean by spiritual energy.

Jun Lintian's body lost its support and knelt to the ground, his hands futilely clutching his throat. Blood continuously gushed from between his fingers, staining the front of his clothes.

His vision began to blur, and the voices of his disciples reached his ears, growing more and more distant.

Before long, his body gradually lost strength and he toppled forward to the ground.

The last thing he saw were Zhang Yang's wide-open eyes.

The second before his consciousness completely sank into darkness, only endless regret remained in his heart.

If he hadn't followed Zhang Yang to seek revenge, perhaps he could have lived a stable life in the Supreme Dao Sect... Central Continent.

Within the Soul Guarding Hall of the Supreme Dao Sect, there was an eerie silence.

Thousands of jade soul tablets were neatly arranged in the hall, each engraved with the name of a Supreme Dao Sect disciple or elder.

A disciple dressed in a gray Daoist robe was carefully wiping the soul tablet rack with a cloth.

His name was Li Mo, the guardian disciple of the Soul Guarding Hall. His daily duties included cleaning the hall and looking after the soul tablets.

As he was wiping the elder's section, he suddenly heard a faint "click" sound.

Li Mo's body tensed, and he quickly looked in the direction of the sound.

He saw a fine crack suddenly appear on the soul tablet engraved with the words "Zhang Yang."

The crack spread rapidly like a spiderweb, and the spiritual light on the soul tablet also began to dim.

"This... what's going on?"

Li Mo panicked. Zhang Yang was the sect's Law Enforcement Elder, a Void Refinement Fourth Layer mighty figure. How could his soul tablet crack?

Bang!

Before he could react, Zhang Yang's soul tablet shattered with a bang, turning into countless tiny jade fragments that scattered on the soul tablet rack.

Li Mo's pupils constricted, his legs went soft, and he almost collapsed to the ground, muttering.

"L-Law Enforcement Elder... died?"

Before his voice had even faded, the soul tablet engraved with "Jun Lintian" also made a breaking sound.

Li Mo sharply turned his head, only to see cracks also appearing on Jun Lintian's soul tablet.

Bang!

In his main line of sight, it also shattered into jade fragments.

Two soul tablets shattered one after another, and a strange, deathly silence permeated the hall.

"The S-Saint Son is dead too!"

Li Mo was scared out of his wits. He no longer cared about cleaning, scrambling out of the Soul Guarding Hall and running wildly towards the Sect Master's main hall.

The consecutive deaths of the Law Enforcement Elder and the Saint Son were simply a monumental event for the Supreme Dao Sect!

Inside the main hall.

"Sect Master! Something terrible has happened!"

Li Mo rushed directly into the main hall and knelt to the ground.

Jade Void Daoist's brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.

"Why are you so flustered?"

"S-Sect Master, in the Soul Guarding Hall... Elder Zhang Yang's and the Saint Son's soul tablets have both shattered!"

Li Mo's voice was tearful, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

"What?"

Jade Void Daoist suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with incredulous shock.

The five elders below also instantly changed their expressions, their faces filled with horror.

"Zhang Yang's and Jun Lintian's soul tablets shattered?"

"This is impossible. Zhang Yang is a Void Refinement Fourth Layer. How could he suddenly perish?"

"Did you see clearly?"

Cold sweat dripped down Li Mo's forehead, and he nodded repeatedly.

"It's true. This disciple saw it with his own eyes. The two's soul tablets shattered one after another, absolutely no falsehood!"

Jade Void Daoist's face instantly turned ashen, and the pressure around him suddenly erupted.

"Investigate, immediately send people to investigate!"

His voice boomed like thunder in the main hall.

"Find out Zhang Yang's and Jun Lintian's whereabouts, find out who killed them. If I find the murderer, I will definitely grind their bones to dust and destroy their sect!"

...The night was like ink, all sounds hushed.

Behind Tiansheng Academy, a spiritual pond was shrouded in a faint white mist, its water shimmering under the moonlight.

Chu Feng stood by the pond, gazing at the moon's reflection swaying in the water, lost in thought.

Faint footsteps sounded from behind him, carrying a familiar delicate fragrance.

Chu Feng didn't turn around, already knowing who it was.

Xi Shenyin slowly walked to his side. The moonlight spilled onto her flawless face, making her appear even more ethereal and aloof.

Her beautiful eyes were filled with inquiry. In a single night, going from Spirit Transformation Ninth Level directly to Void Refinement Sixth Layer—this could no longer be described as a miracle.

"Your cultivation... what exactly happened?"

She slightly furrowed her delicate brows and continued.

"When we returned to the academy together, you were clearly still Spirit Transformation Ninth Level.

In just one night, you broke through to Void Refinement Sixth Layer... This is too incredible. How exactly did you do it?"

Chu Feng remained silent for a moment, then withdrew his gaze from the spiritual pond and turned to Xi Shenyin, speaking half-truths.

"Cultivating together with Qingqiu, she gave me strength."

"Qingqiu?"

Xi Shenyin's pupils constricted slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed across her beautiful face.

As if she had thought of something, she murmured in disbelief.

"Could it be that the Supreme Emotionless Path has such an effect after reaching Great Perfection?"

Then her expression became somewhat strange, carrying an indescribable complexity.

"I should have realized it earlier. After she was with you, the Supreme Emotionless Path had already reached Great Perfection."

Under the moonlight, her eyes were burning, filled with an almost stubborn craving.

"Chu Feng, tell me, how exactly was this achieved?

The Supreme Emotionless Path is one of the most difficult cultivation methods, emphasizing severing emotions and desires. Why is it that after Qingqiu was with you, she was able to reach Great Perfection instead?"

The flame of revenge had never extinguished in her heart. Even though her cultivation had broken through to Second Level of Void Refinement, facing the deeply established Yun Yao Holy Land, this power still seemed insignificant.

She was unwilling to let go of any possibility that could rapidly increase her strength.

Chu Feng looked at Xi Shenyin and slowly spoke.

"To cultivate the Supreme Emotionless Path to Great Perfection requires a great deal of sacrifice. Are you sure you really want to know?"

Xi Shenyin didn't hesitate at all, nodding heavily, her long hair swaying slightly with her movement.

"I must know. I can bear any cost!"

Chu Feng's gaze deepened. He carefully scrutinized Xi Shenyin's peerless face, as if trying to look into the depths of her soul.

"To forget emotions, one must first understand emotions.

Only by experiencing emotions to the extreme can one forget them.

Qingqiu, it was in her immersion that she saw through the illusions and achieved true emotional detachment."

Xi Shenyin's confusion deepened. She had witnessed countless tales of grievances and affections, and believed she understood love, but what Chu Feng referred to, she did not understand.

"How to understand?"

Chu Feng did not answer directly, but instead asked back.

"Do you trust me, Shenyin?"

That one word, "Shenyin," made Xi Shenyin's heart skip a beat.

She looked at Chu Feng's serious eyes, thinking of everything he had done for her—the grace of reshaping her body, the care and protection he provided—and finally nodded.

"I believe you."

Chu Feng took a deep breath, then slowly spoke.

"Next, I will help you understand emotions, but the prerequisite is that you must completely seal the spiritual power within your body. Without my permission, you must not use even a single iota."

Seal her spiritual power?

Xi Shenyin was slightly startled. This meant she would temporarily lose all her power, becoming like an ordinary mortal, completely entrusting her safety to the other party.

She looked at Chu Feng and agreed without the slightest hesitation.

If Chu Feng wanted to harm her, he had countless opportunities and would not have waited until now.

"Alright."

As her words fell, she extended her slender, jade-like hand, faint moonlight flowing from her fingertips, and quickly touched several major acupoints around her body.

With each touch, the spiritual power fluctuations on her body weakened a bit, and the immense aura of a Void Refinement realm expert receded like a tide.

Finally, she formed a seal at her Dantian, and a subtle light pattern merged into her body, completely locking the source of her spiritual power.

At this moment, apart from her physical body being slightly stronger than that of a mortal, she was no different from an ordinary woman.

She stood quietly in place, the moonlight illuminating her, revealing a rare vulnerability.

Chu Feng raised his hand and pointed to a smooth boulder beside the spiritual pool, his voice calm and unruffled.

"Sit down."

Xi Shenyin walked to the boulder as instructed and slowly sat down sideways.

The cool temperature of the boulder permeated her skin through her thin dress, making her instinctively bring her legs together, her hands resting somewhat awkwardly on her lap.

Then, she saw Chu Feng squat down in front of her.

This action made her stiffen slightly. Before she could fully comprehend, Chu Feng's hand had already reached for her ankle.

"You..."

Xi Shenyin instinctively tried to pull her foot back, but it was gently held by Chu Feng's warm palm.

"Don't move."

Chu Feng's voice was not loud, but it made her stop struggling.

He gently removed the exquisite cloud-patterned embroidered shoes from her feet, revealing a pair of jade-like feet wrapped in snow-white silk stockings.

The material of the silk stockings was extremely thin, faintly outlining the graceful curve of her arch.

Chu Feng's fingers gently hooked the edge of the silk stockings.

Xi Shenyin's body instantly tensed!

An indescribable, strange sensation shot up from her ankle, rushing straight to her head, making her almost let out a gasp.

Aside from Chu Feng feeding her elixir, when had she ever experienced such close physical contact with a man?

Moreover, she had now reshaped her body, which was completely different from her previous soul state.

The silk stockings were slowly peeled off, the movement agonizingly slow.

First to be revealed was a section of her smooth, jade-like ankle, slender and delicate.

Then came the entire heel, followed by the arch.

Finally, ten snow-white toes, like newly sprouted bamboo shoots, were completely exposed to the cool air.

They were slightly curled, with a faint pink hue, appearing like a perfect work of art under the moonlight.

Chu Feng's fingertips inadvertently brushed the sole of her foot, and Xi Shenyin's body trembled violently. A strong current swept through her entire body, making her almost uncontrollably jump up.

She bit her lower lip hard, suppressing the muffled groan that was about to escape.

Two blushes uncontrollably flew to her cheeks, spreading all the way to her earlobes.

She could even feel her heart in her chest beating wildly at an unprecedented speed.

"Enough..."

Her voice carried an almost imperceptible tremor. She truly couldn't understand why cultivating the Supreme Emotionless Path required removing her shoes and socks.

However, Chu Feng paid no attention. His gaze fell upon her jade-like feet, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes.

Food grade!

He released his hand and pointed to the misty spiritual pool.

"Go in."

Xi Shenyin's heart beat even faster.

Go in?

She stood up, hesitated for a few seconds, then made up her mind.

Since she had said she would listen to Chu Feng, she would comply with any strange request.

Just as she had said before, as long as it could improve her cultivation, she would spare no effort, no matter the cost.

Xi Shenyin, with her perfect, unblemished jade-like feet bare, walked step by step towards the spiritual pool.

The pool water covered her ankles, bringing a hint of coolness that alleviated the previous heat.

She continued forward, the pool water gradually soaking her skirt, clinging to her calves... Her dress, soaked by the water, became heavy and form-fitting, clearly outlining her voluptuous figure.

When the pool water reached her waist, the thin fabric was completely soaked, clinging tightly to her skin, almost transparent.

She stood in the pool water that reached her chest, her body trembling slightly from the cold water.

Her wet long hair clung to her back, making her figure appear even more graceful.

"And then?"

Chu Feng raised his hand and made a turning motion.

"Turn around."

"Alright."

Just as Xi Shenyin turned around, she heard the sound of water splashing behind her.

He came down too?

Before Xi Shenyin could react, Chu Feng was already close to her back.

Through her soaked dress, she could still clearly feel the heartbeat from his chest.

Immediately after, Chu Feng's slightly cool hands, wet with pool water, gently wrapped around her waist.

Xi Shenyin's entire body shook violently, as if struck by a bolt of lightning.

"You... what are you doing?"

She cried out in alarm, suddenly wanting to turn around, but she was firmly held in his embrace by his arms, unable to move.

With her spiritual power sealed, she was as delicate as an ordinary woman at this moment.

Chu Feng's hot breath sprayed onto her neck, sending shivers through her.

"Close your eyes, don't ask."

Xi Shenyin clenched her teeth, and her beautiful eyes uncontrollably closed.

Chu Feng's fingers found the jade belt that cinched her long dress at her waist and gently pulled it.

"No!"

Xi Shenyin's voice was tearful, filled with panic.

She felt the restraint at her waist loosen, and the jade belt, which maintained her last shred of dignity, was pulled away.

At this moment, she wanted to open her eyes.

But for some reason, her body seemed to have completely submitted to Chu Feng's command.

Her long eyelashes trembled violently like butterfly wings, but she still couldn't open her eyes.

Before long, Xi Shenyin felt a coolness on her shoulders, and her long dress was slowly peeled off from behind.

The dress slid over her shoulders, then completely left her body, sinking into the pool water.

Immediately after, her undergarments were also tossed into the water.

At this moment, only a red mandarin duck-embroidered dudou, clinging tightly to her skin, remained.

The thin fabric was almost nonexistent, outlining her proud, delicate figure to perfection.

The cold pool water directly touched large areas of her skin, raising a layer of tiny goosebumps.

Xi Shenyin's mind was blank, leaving only uncontrollable shame and a strange, terrifying flutter.

"Is that enough?"

Chu Feng didn't speak; instead, his fingertips found the string that tied the dudou.

"No!"

Xi Shenyin shook her head in despair, her voice pleading.

She wanted to struggle, but her body, with its spiritual power sealed, could not exert the slightest strength.

The thin string was gently untied, and that last barrier gracefully slipped off, sinking into the water.

In an instant, Xi Shenyin was completely exposed to the cool air.

Chu Feng stood right behind her, pressing closely against her, his arms embracing her slender and soft waist.

His chin gently rested in the hollow of her neck, his hot breath constantly fanning her body.

"Feel carefully."

Xi Shenyin kept her eyes tightly closed, her long eyelashes wet, whether from the pool water or tears, she didn't know.

At first, her mind was in chaos.

But gradually, she forced herself to calm down and feel.

She felt the flow of the pool water, felt the increasingly clear resonance of their heartbeats... In her mind, the countless moments since she met Chu Feng involuntarily emerged.

Chu Feng's figure, in the dark vision formed by her closed eyes, became clearer and deeper.

His brows, his eyes, his expression... an unprecedented complex emotion, like a vine, quietly sprouted and entwined around her heart.

It was not merely gratitude, not merely reliance; it seemed to be mixed with something else, something hotter, something that made her even more flustered.

Amidst these gradually burgeoning emotions, the sealed spiritual power within her body began to slowly circulate on its own. It wasn't breaking the seal, but rather resonating with her current state of mind.

"Forgetting emotions is not being emotionless; having emotions yet appearing emotionless. Using emotions as a mirror, one sees their true heart and tempers their divine soul..."

Passages of scripture that were originally obscure and difficult to understand now flowed through her heart like a clear spring, becoming incredibly clear.

She seemed to have touched the true core of this cultivation method: it was not about extinguishing humanity, but about experiencing, and ultimately transcending all emotions.

Only by truly indulging could one truly break free.

Crack—

The sound of peace being broken echoed from the depths of her soul. The shackles of the third realm of the Supreme Emotionless Path, at this moment, accompanied by her profound understanding of the initial experience of emotion, burst open.

A power far purer than before surged from the depths of her Dantian, instantly flowing through her limbs and bones.

Her aura began to climb steadily: Second Level of Void Refinement peak... Void Refinement Third Layer!

The powerful spiritual energy fluctuations even affected the surrounding celestial phenomena. The moonlight above the spiritual pool seemed to condense further, and the surrounding spiritual energy frantically gathered towards her, forming a miniature vortex.

However, because this power originated from a breakthrough in cultivation realm, from an understanding of the "Dao," it did not directly impact the spiritual power seal she had placed on herself.

The seal still existed, only her realm had advanced!

When everything settled down, Xi Shenyin slowly opened her eyes.

In those beautiful eyes, there was less of the previous confusion and more clarity, as if she had truly seen through something.

She still stood in Chu Feng's embrace, but the trembling of her body gradually subsided.

She slightly tilted her head, looking at Chu Feng, who was close behind her, her gaze complex and hard to decipher.

Chu Feng also looked down at her, a faint curve seemingly playing at the corner of his lips. The arm wrapped around her waist tightened slightly.

The spiritual pool water rippled, and the moonlight was hazy, reflecting the two figures pressed closely together in the pool.

"Do you understand now?"