The Shadow of Qingying

destiny treasury?!

Nightmare's mind was suddenly drawn by this unexpected System prompt, temporarily suppressing the risky thought of feeding the demonic vine.

This "destiny treasury" sounded extraordinary; it actually required a full **10,000 villain points** and specific unlock conditions (polluted void meditation stone fragments and activated demonic vine space attribute)!

Contains special items, intelligence, or missions related to the son of destiny, or that can influence the trajectory of destiny?

Nightmare's heart involuntarily began to beat faster. His most troublesome enemy now, besides the old monsters hidden behind the scenes, was **Gu Qingying**, who possessed great Luck! If he could obtain crucial intelligence about her or targeted treasures from it... the value would be immeasurable!

Although he currently only had 1600 villain points left, far from enough. This undoubtedly pointed to a quick way to acquire important resources!

"I must gather 10,000 villain points as soon as possible!" A sharp glint flashed in Nightmare's eyes.

Hunting Yao Beasts was too inefficient; causing trouble was the real way! This Southern Wasteland Demon Domain seemed barren, but since it had strange ruins like the Eternal Slumber Palace and terrifying existences like the Wind-Rending Condor, it must hide more secrets and... sources of chaos!

Just as Nightmare's thoughts raced, plotting how to quickly "earn" villain points, the System's regional scan cooldown finally ended.

Ding! Regional scan initiated (cooldown reset).

Scanning... Based on Host's current location and energy fluctuation analysis...

Scan Result: Intense energy conflict fluctuations detected eight hundred miles directly north! Energy characteristic analysis: One side is pure Demonic Qi (Late Golden Core Stage, suspected powerful Yao Beast), the other side is Human Race Sword Cultivator spiritual energy (Middle Golden Core Stage Peak, Sword Intent is awe-inspiring, carrying... Qinglan Sect Cultivation Technique characteristics!)

Conflict Location: Blackwater Pool.

Risk Rating: High. Possible mutual destruction or one party near death.

Opportunity Rating: Medium.

Qinglan Sect Sword Cultivator? Middle Golden Core Stage Peak? In the depths of this Southern Wasteland Demon Domain?

Nightmare paused slightly, then a strange glint flashed in his eyes.

This cultivation level, this Sword Intent, and from the Qinglan Sect... Could it be... He immediately recalled Gu Qingying's identity—Qinglan Sect True Disciple, a Sword Dao Genius! Her appearance in the Demon Domain certainly wasn't for sightseeing; she must have important business. And a Sword Cultivator from the same sect with similar cultivation... A name jumped into his mind—**Ye Chen**! That Qinglan Sect Genius Disciple who was rumored to have a close relationship with Gu Qingying and was equally talented! Also one of the objects of the original owner's intense jealousy!

"What a... small world," Nightmare's lips curved into a cold arc.

Normally, he might observe cautiously, but at this moment, desperately needing villain points, what he saw was an excellent "opportunity"!

A Late Golden Core Stage Yao Beast fighting to the death with a Middle Golden Core Stage Peak Sword Cultivator; no matter who won or lost, the other party would undoubtedly be at the end of their rope!

And he, having just achieved Minor Achievement in his Demonic Body and recovered seventy percent of his strength, was just waiting for an opportunity to "profit like The Fisherman"!

He could harvest villain points, perhaps obtain Yao Beast Materials and the Sword Cultivator's legacy, and even more likely... gain intelligence about Gu Qingying's movements!

"Blackwater Pool..." Nightmare remembered the location. Without hesitation, his figure instantly transformed into a faint black smoke, speeding towards the north.

Eight hundred miles was not far for Nightmare, who was fully utilizing the Demonic Shadow Evasion Technique.

The closer he got, the more he felt the intense energy fluctuations. The berserk Demonic Qi and sharp Sword Qi continuously clashed in the air, emitting thunderous roars, mixed with the angry howls of the Yao Beast and the clear shouts of the Sword Cultivator.

Clearly, the battle was in its most intense phase!

Nightmare concealed all his aura, like the most patient hunter, silently sneaking to the edge of the battlefield, hidden within a dense miasma, looking down.

Below was a huge, pitch-black swamp pool, its water viscous, emitting a foul, corrosive odor. At this moment, the pool water boiled and churned, countless venomous water arrows splashing everywhere.

In the center of the pool, a massive, black Yao Beast, resembling a crocodile-dragon but with a single horn, was madly thrashing and roaring. Its body was covered in sword wounds deep enough to expose bone, and black blood continuously flowed into the pool. Although its aura was still violent, it already showed signs of weakness. It was the Late Golden Core Stage **Poison Pool Crocodile Dragon**!

Fighting it was a handsome young Sword Cultivator, dressed in Qinglan Sect Core Disciple attire, but now with blood at the corner of his mouth and torn clothes. He stood on a gleaming blue Flying Sword, his figure agilely dodging the crocodile-dragon's pounces and venom. With a sword incantation, streaks of incomparably sharp blue Sword Qi rained down like a storm on the crocodile-dragon's vital points. His Sword Intent was pure and awe-inspiring, carrying an indomitable sharpness!

His cultivation was precisely Middle Golden Core Stage Peak! His face also overlapped with the figure in Nightmare's memory that he so envied—**Ye Chen**!

It was indeed him!

Judging from the situation in the field, Ye Chen was clearly gaining a slight upper hand with his exquisite swordsmanship and movement technique, but the Poison Pool Crocodile Dragon had thick skin and flesh, and immense Demonic Qi; its dying counterattack would surely be terrifying. Ye Chen also seemed eager to end the battle quickly, his sword strikes becoming increasingly fierce and ruthless, evidently at a great cost of energy.

"Fight, the harder the better," Nightmare watched indifferently, as if watching a drama unrelated to him, secretly adjusting his state, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.

Just then, Ye Chen seemed to find an opportunity, a glint flashing in his eyes. He bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of vital blood onto the long sword in his hand!

"Azure Mist Secret Sword: Demon Breaker!"

The long sword hummed, its blue light greatly intensified. A massive blue Sword Qi, condensed from his entire essence, tore through the air like a divine punishment, piercing directly towards the crocodile-dragon's relatively vulnerable single eye!

The crocodile-dragon also sensed the fatal threat, letting out a desperate roar. Its massive body recklessly stood upright, opening its bloody maw, and from its mouth, its **Life Poison Pill**, containing most of its Demonic Qi, violently shot out to meet the blue Sword Qi!

Boom—!!!

An earth-shattering roar erupted over the pool!

Blue and black light frantically intertwined and annihilated each other! The terrifying energy shockwave lifted the pool water into giant waves dozens of feet high!

The light dissipated.

The crocodile-dragon's single horn was broken, and its single eye was a bloody, mangled hole. Its massive body slowly toppled, crashing into the pool, splashing foul water everywhere, its aura rapidly dissipating.

Ye Chen, meanwhile, was violently thrown back by the impact of the Poison Pill's self-detonation. The long sword in his hand wailed and developed cracks. His face was as pale as paper, and he coughed up blood. He was clearly at the end of his rope, barely controlling his Flying Sword, swaying as he fell towards the shore.

Both sides severely wounded!

Now!

Nightmare's eyes flashed with a cold light. Without hesitation, he unleashed the Demonic Shadow Evasion Technique to its limit, shooting out from the miasma like a teleportation, aiming directly for the falling Ye Chen!

His speed was beyond Ye Chen's reaction limit!

Ye Chen had just landed and hadn't even had time to catch his breath when an icy, bone-chilling killing intent descended! He looked up in horror, only seeing a ghostly gray figure and a pair of cold, ruthless eyes!

"Who?!"

Terrified, he tried to raise his damaged long sword to block!

But Nightmare paid him no mind. His index and middle fingers were pressed together, and a finger-wind imbued with Xiangliu Poison and Soul Shattering power, like a kiss of death, pointed with extreme precision at his glabella!

Soul Shattering Finger—A killing blow!

However, just as the finger-wind was about to touch Ye Chen's glabella!

Another anomaly occurred!

A green Jade Pendant worn on Ye Chen's chest, as if sensing its owner's fatal crisis, suddenly burst forth with brilliant, soft green light, instantly forming a light barrier to protect him!

Bang!

The Soul Shattering Finger force struck the light barrier. The barrier violently fluctuated, covered in cracks, but did not immediately shatter! It was actually a **High Grade Spiritual Artifact-level** defensive Magic Treasure that automatically protected its master!

But this immense impact still made Ye Chen spit blood again, sending him flying backward!

"You have quite a few life-saving items!" Nightmare snorted coldly, about to pursue again to finish him off completely.

Ye Chen, flying backward, seemed to recognize Nightmare's identity at the brink of death. His eyes flashed with extreme shock, disbelief, and... a deep trace of jealousy and fear!

"It's... it's you?! Nightmare! You're actually not dead?!" He exclaimed in shock, then, as if realizing something, he suddenly pulled out a **Jade Slip** shimmering with spatial fluctuations from his embrace, a look of madness and determination on his face!

"You want to kill me? And still want to bother Junior Sister Gu Qingying? Dream on! Even if I die, I'll send your message back! Junior Sister Gu Qingying will definitely avenge me!"

Before his words finished, he violently crushed the Jade Slip!

Buzz!

A faint but unusually stable spatial fluctuation instantly rippled out. It seemed an invisible stream of information was about to escape into the Void Realm, transmitting to an unknown distant place!

It was actually a **Ten Thousand Mile Communication Jade Slip**, a more Advanced item than a communication talisman! This item was extremely difficult to refine and was usually used to transmit extremely important information!

Nightmare's expression finally changed! He absolutely could not let Ye Chen send the message back! Especially not to Gu Qingying!

He no longer cared about holding back. In his left eye, green light of vitality and gray light of death simultaneously flared!

The Azure Nether Life and Death Dao—Life and Death Reversal! Spatial Interference!

At the same time, the demonic vine seed in his Dantian violently trembled. That faint trace of spatial power that had just been nurtured was forcibly activated, mixed with the annihilative properties of Xiangliu Poison, transforming into an invisible fluctuation that fiercely collided with the rippling spatial distortion!

Tear!

A sound like tearing cloth rang out!

The spatial communication channel, which was about to form, violently twisted, became chaotic, and finally burst apart and dissipated into nothingness under the crude interference of these two forces!

"Pfft—!" Ye Chen suffered a backlash, spitting blood again. His eyes were filled with despair and unwillingness as he heavily fell to the ground, his breath faint.

And that protective Jade Pendant, its energy exhausted, completely dimmed.

Nightmare stepped forward, came before Ye Chen, and his icy finger pointed down without hesitation!

Pfft!

This time, there was no obstruction.

Ye Chen's body suddenly stiffened, his eyes completely unfocused, his Divine Soul utterly destroyed!

Ding! Killed supporting character Ye Chen (deeply bonded with child of destiny Gu Qingying), significantly altering the plot's direction, gaining villain points +8000!

Ding! Destroyed important information transmission, avoiding self-exposure, gaining villain points +1000!

Current villain points: 10600 points!

The System prompts rang out one after another.

Nightmare let out a long sigh of relief; he had made it just in time. His villain points had finally surpassed the ten thousand mark!

He quickly cleaned up the battlefield, collecting Ye Chen's Storage Pouch, the damaged Spiritual Artifact sword, and the remaining Jade Pendant fragments. He then skillfully took the Poison Pool Crocodile Dragon's Demonic Core and its most valuable Materials, sinking its corpse to the bottom of the pool.

After erasing all traces, Nightmare did not linger. His figure quickly disappeared into the miasma.

After moving far from Blackwater Pool, Nightmare found a hidden spot and eagerly communicated with the System.

"System, consume 10,000 villain points to unlock the first layer of **destiny treasury** access!"

Command confirmed! Consuming 10,000 villain points!

"destiny treasury" first layer access unlocking...

Unlock successful!

Welcome, Host, to the destiny treasury (First Layer)!

Currently redeemable/viewable items:

1. Intelligence: "Detailed Explanation of Gu Qingying's Purpose in the Southern Wasteland Demon Domain" (requires 5000 points)

2. Item: Silk Puppet Thread (Earth Rank Low Grade, can briefly control the actions of those with lower Luck than oneself, one-time use) (requires 3000 points)

3. Mission: None.

Remaining villain points: 600 points.

Nightmare's gaze was instantly drawn to the first piece of intelligence!

Without the slightest hesitation!

"Redeem 'Detailed Explanation of Gu Qingying's Purpose in the Southern Wasteland Demon Domain'!"

Redemption successful! Consuming 5000 villain points! Intelligence transmission in progress...

A flood of information instantly poured into Nightmare's mind.

A moment later, Nightmare opened his eyes, a glint of understanding and surprise flashing within them.

"So that's it... she came for this item..."