When the Female Lead Becomes Obsessive – Chapter 74

Volume Four: Those Years When I Was a Master

Long time no see

Origins of the Jiuzhou¹

Tianjian² Era, Year 30

The sky above the Cang Mountain³ Blood Sea was torn apart, and the suppressed Demonic Race grand army began to invade the mortal realm with impunity.

The people of the Demonic Race were insidious and ruthless, committing every imaginable evil. Their demonic beasts were even more ferocious, savage, and bloodthirsty.

The mortal realm instantly turned into a purgatory. Living creatures were plunged into misery and suffering⁴, wails and cries echoed everywhere, and corpses lay strewn across the land⁵.

Due to the Demonic Race’s rampant devastation, the Hundred Immortal Sects⁶ shared a common hatred for the enemy and united to resist them.

The Sect Masters of Qian Yuan Upper Palace⁷, Cang Sheng Sect⁸, Yao Sheng Sect⁹, and Shou Sheng Sect¹⁰—the leaders of these four great sects, all at the mid-stage Mahayana¹¹ realm—sacrificed themselves for the Dao¹². With their souls as the catalyst, they jointly unleashed a world-destroying forbidden art.

The forbidden art required an immense amount of spiritual energy. After resealing the Demonic Race, it caused the spiritual energy in the mortal realm to be less abundant and clear than before. However, it also forced the Demonic Race’s grand army back into the rift within the Cang Mountain Blood Sea. Using their four spirit bones to seal the rift, they restored peace and tranquility to the mortal realm.

From then on, Cang Mountain was pacified, and the Blood Sea dried up.

This desolate and barren world suppressed the Demonic Race for a hundred years.

As time passed, people gradually blurred the memory of those years. Only the “Warning Stele¹³” in the central plaza of the Imperial Capital City recorded the events of the Demonic Race’s invasion a century ago, serving as a warning to the world, a reminder to keep in mind the deep-seated blood feud between humans and demons.

Tianjian Era, Year 150.

Every five years, the major sects would hold the “Hundred Sects Recruitment Assembly,” widely inviting disciples from all directions. They would select the best and eliminate the inferior, choosing those with excellent aptitude from tens of thousands to bring into their sects for cultivation and training.

Among the new disciples recruited by the various sects this year, the most stunningly talented had to be Wan Zhao¹⁴, the head disciple of Elder Yu¹⁵ from Qinggu Peak¹⁶ of Qian Yuan Upper Palace.

Wan Zhao was an orphan from a remote mountain village, adopted by the village head since childhood. The village head discovered that even in her early childhood, she could absorb the spiritual energy between heaven and earth, converting it into spiritual power within her body.

He specially trekked over mountains and rivers to send Wan Zhao to the Hundred Sects Recruitment Assembly, seeking a path for her to live a better life.

Wan Zhao lived up to expectations. Tested by the “Spirit Testing Stone¹⁷,” she displayed nine grids of spiritual power, leading all the Hundred Sects to eagerly recruit her. Ultimately, she was accepted by Elder Yu, the Peak Master of Qinggu Peak at Qian Yuan Upper Palace, simply because Wan Zhao found this Elder Yu very beautiful and thus chose her as her master.

With Wan Zhao entering Qian Yuan Upper Palace, the village head’s wish was fulfilled. Overcome with excitement, he couldn’t catch his breath and his soul returned to the Western Paradise¹⁸.

Wan Zhao was heartbroken; from then on, she had no relatives in this world. Elder Yu took her in as her head disciple, nurturing and teaching her with great care. On the day of Wan Zhao’s hairpin ceremony¹⁹, she was bestowed with the surname “Yu”.

And Yu Wan Zhao²⁰, in the year of her hairpin ceremony, broke through late-stage Foundation Establishment²¹, jumped two minor realms, and reached late-stage Enlightenment²². This shocked the cultivators of the world, who marveled at her exceptional talent, sighing that given time, she would surely become a Supreme Immortal Venerable.

In the following years, Yu Wan Zhao’s cultivation speed was astonishing. She successively broke through the Integration, Temptation²³, and other realms, becoming the youngest late-stage Golden Core²⁴ cultivator in the history of the Jiuzhou Continent²⁵, renowned throughout the land.

People sighed repeatedly: indeed, if the master is formidable, the disciple can’t be far behind!

Speaking of which, Elder Yu, the Peak Master of Qinggu Peak at Qian Yuan Upper Palace, was the truly exceptionally talented and perceptive one.

It was said that she, not yet fifty years of age, had already reached the late-stage Void Glimpse²⁶ realm. In contrast, the Sect Master of Qian Yuan Upper Palace was over a hundred years old and had only reached the mid-stage Void Glimpse realm. One could imagine how incredibly powerful and exceptional this Elder Yu was.

Just when the world thought this master and disciple pair could advance hand-in-hand into the Tribulation Transcendence²⁷ period, becoming the most promising candidates to break through and become “Supreme Immortals” after the decline of spiritual energy in the Jiuzhou Continent…

A Hundred Sects Mystic Realm Trial²⁸ caused the master and disciple to fall apart, turning them into karmic enemies²⁹ who wished nothing more than to kill each other.

Tianjian Era, Year 155.

A rogue cultivator unintentionally triggered the burial ground of an ancient immortal—the Divine Marsh Mystic Realm.

Mystic realms in the world were generally divided into three rings: the Outer Gate³⁰, the Inner Sanctum³¹, and the Burial Ground³², separated by barriers³³ set by immortals.

The Burial Ground was the core of the mystic realm. Legends about such places abounded: rare treasures, divine-grade cultivation methods, divine-grade pills, ancient divine beasts, or even an immortal’s legacy.

In short, if a mystic realm was encountered, people would invariably head to the Burial Ground to seek treasures.

If it was an immortal’s mystic realm, the Burial Ground would repel those of the Demonic Race. If a Demonic Race member forcibly entered, it would enrage the immortal’s lingering will, bringing down punishment.

Thus, Yu Wan Zhao’s Demonic Race bloodline was exposed by the mystic realm. The crowd rose up to attack her, wishing they could pull out her tendons and remove her bones, then scatter her soul to the winds³⁴.

But Yu Wan Zhao was, after all, a member of Qian Yuan Upper Palace and the head disciple of Yu Wen Nuan. No matter how much they abhorred evil as if it were a personal enemy, they could not ignore the prestige of Qian Yuan Upper Palace and Yu Wen Nuan.

They unanimously demanded that Qian Yuan Upper Palace execute the evil spawn of the Demonic Race, Yu Wan Zhao.

As Yu Wan Zhao’s master, Yu Wen Nuan had to set an example; otherwise, it would damage Qian Yuan Upper Palace’s centuries-old reputation and prestige.

Finally, after deliberation by the Hundred Immortal Sects, it was decided to imprison Yu Wan Zhao in the Fire-Cold Cave Abode, to suffer the dual torment of ice and fire. Ten days later, Yu Wan Zhao would be tied to the “Warning Stele” to be punished, enduring forty-nine³⁵ Law Whips and Bone-Piercing Nails. She was to be smashed to pieces, her Golden Core destroyed, and her cultivation crippled, allowing the world to vent its hatred for the Demonic Race’s past atrocities.

All these punishments were supposed to be carried out by the Lord of the Imperial Capital City, but Qian Yuan Upper Palace requested that their own disciple be punished by their own elder. Furthermore, the executioner was to be Yu Wan Zhao’s master, Elder Yu, the Peak Master of Qinggu Peak.

On the day of the punishment, the blood moon hung like a hook, and the golden sun was suppressed. Heaven and earth seemed to be enveloped in darkness. The spiritual energy of the world suddenly became chaotic and violent. Someone screamed in terror.

“The seal on Cang Mountain Blood Sea has been broken! The Demonic Race has reappeared in the mortal realm—”

For a hundred years, there had been no sign of the Demonic Race’s resurgence. Yet, after Yu Wan Zhao was discovered to be an evil spawn of the Demonic Race, the seal on Cang Mountain Blood Sea was actually broken!

The crowd was furious, wishing they could immediately rush forward and tear Yu Wan Zhao limb from limb.

“It must be this demon spawn colluding from within and without with the demons suppressed in Cang Mountain Blood Sea! They took advantage of our unpreparedness, destroyed the barrier, and let the Demonic Race army invade and trample the mortal realm! Her evil deeds are blatant, a vicious-hearted villain who must be ground to dust and her ashes scattered!”

The Demonic Race’s grand army descended, all converging on the Imperial Capital City. Their purpose was abundantly clear: to rescue the demon spawn, Yu Wan Zhao.

Everyone rose to fight the enemy, battling the Demonic Race’s grand army and demonic beasts. The Imperial Capital City instantly became a purgatory, with rivers of blood.

Just as the crowd was about to jointly kill Yu Wan Zhao to vent the hatred in their hearts, Elder Yu of Qian Yuan Upper Palace took the lead, summoning her Natal Sword³⁶ and stabbing Yu Wan Zhao in the heart meridian.

As everyone saw Elder Yu about to execute her, they were caught off guard. The Demon Lord launched a sneak attack from behind and rescued Yu Wan Zhao.

Seeing Yu Wan Zhao rescued, the crowd was about to give chase but was blocked by the endless stream of Demonic Race forces and demonic beasts emerging from the rift.

The unending tide of the Demonic Race army and demonic beasts continued to ravage the mortal realm. Yu Wen Nuan, with her strength alone, repaired the seal on Cang Mountain Blood Sea, preventing more of the Demonic Race’s forces and beasts from invading.

Just when everyone thought the matter was over, five years later…

The seal on Cang Mountain Blood Sea was forcibly broken again. The Demonic Race’s grand army returned to the mortal realm. As people fell into panic and helplessness, they discovered that all the Demonic Race forces were heading towards Qian Yuan Upper Palace.

And among the Demonic Race army, they saw an old acquaintance.

Yu Wan Zhao.

The current Yu Wan Zhao was already a Demon Saint on equal footing with the Demon Sovereign³⁷, and her cultivation had actually reached late-stage Soul Division³⁸.

Everyone was dumbfounded, utterly astonished. They beat their chests and stamped their feet in regret. Five years ago, they should never have let this evil spawn of the Demonic Race escape. They had thought that with Elder Yu striking Yu Wan Zhao’s heart meridian, she would surely die. Unexpectedly, not only did this demon spawn survive, but her cultivation had advanced even further, allowing her to grow so powerful and bring about this catastrophe upon the mortal realm.

Just as everyone thought Yu Wan Zhao was about to go on a killing spree to avenge her past blood feud, she issued a statement: if Qian Yuan Upper Palace handed over Yu Wen Nuan, she would sound the gongs for retreat and not deploy troops against the mortal realm. If Qian Yuan Upper Palace did not hand over Yu Wen Nuan, she would plunge the mortal realm into misery and suffering, turning it into a purgatory teeming with evil ghosts.

Upon hearing this, the Hundred Immortal Sects and the people of the world unanimously demanded that Qian Yuan Upper Palace hand over Yu Wen Nuan to restore peace and tranquility to the mortal realm.

Moreover, Yu Wan Zhao only gave them three days. If Yu Wen Nuan was not seen by the end of these three days, she would slaughter everyone in the mortal realm.

“Sect Master, are we really going to hand over Martial Aunt Yu³⁹?” The disciples beside him were extremely anxious.

Zhong Baixuan⁴⁰ looked at Qian Yuan Upper Palace, now surrounded by demonic energy, and said in a deep voice, “No. Wen Nuan is a member of Qian Yuan Upper Palace. We cannot fall for the Demonic Race’s treacherous scheme. The Demonic Race is insidious and cunning, their hearts are not righteous. Who among you can guarantee that if we hand over Wen Nuan, she won’t immediately slaughter the mortal realm?”

“That’s right, we can’t hand Wen Nuan over! If the Demonic Race dares to attack, I’ll kill every single one of them!” Rong Qi⁴¹ roared.

Chen Zifan⁴² sighed, “The Demonic Race’s strength has greatly increased now. The Demon Lord is at mid-stage Void Shattering⁴³, and Yu Wan Zhao reached late-stage Body Integration⁴⁴ in just five short years. If the Demon Sovereign and Yu Wan Zhao attack Qian Yuan Upper Palace together, among us, only the Sect Master can contend with them. If only Wen Nuan hadn’t…”

Rong Qi’s face paled, and he also sighed, “What a sin! We shouldn’t have let Yu Wan Zhao leave back then. Such a rebellious disciple should have been killed!”

Zhong Baixuan summoned his Natal Sword, Xuanfeng⁴⁵, and walked out of the main hall. Looking at the dense black fog above, he shouted, “Yu Wan Zhao, you want us to hand over Wen Nuan? I’m telling you, dream on!”

The black fog seemed to come alive, roiling and flowing outwards. A figure slowly walked out from within the black fog, standing in the void, looking down upon everyone.

She wore a long, white, floor-trailing dress, her white clothes like snow. Her waist was slender, and her delicate features exuded an air of indifference. Her eyes were clear and bright, yet her gaze was chillingly intense. Her three chi⁴⁶ of black hair shone brightly, adorned with a slanting jade hairpin.

Elegant and beautiful, cold as frost, like an immortal.

“Sect Master, continuing to act tough like this isn’t a good idea, is it? Qian Yuan Upper Palace is a renowned orthodox sect. Hasn’t your founding principle always been equality for all living beings and the protection of the world? Now, I only want you to hand over Yu Wen Nuan. Using one person’s life in exchange for the survival of tens of thousands—why does Qian Yuan Upper Palace still need to consider?” Yu Wan Zhao smiled faintly, her smile tinged with mockery. “So, this Qian Yuan Upper Palace is also a place that fishes for fame and reputation, merely possessing an undeserved name, huh?”

Rong Qi jumped out and cursed, “You m#ngrel⁴⁷ who deceived your master and betrayed your ancestors! I should have killed my way into the Demon Realm back then and annihilated you!”

Yu Wan Zhao showed a regretful expression. “Martial Uncle Rong⁴⁸, what a pity. I can’t let you have your wish.”

“Don’t f#cking call me Martial Uncle Rong, it’s dirty,” Rong Qi spat.

Yu Wan Zhao didn’t get angry. She looked at Zhong Baixuan. “There’s still one incense stick’s⁴⁹ time left before the three days are up.”

She waved her hand slightly, and an incense burner landed in the courtyard, an incense stick clearly burning within it.

“When this incense stick burns out, if I haven’t seen Yu Wen Nuan,” a bloodthirsty glint flashed in Yu Wan Zhao’s eyes, “I will first slaughter every single person in Qian Yuan Upper Palace, and then I will destroy everything in this mortal realm.”

Rong Qi summoned his Natal Sword, Whirlwind⁵⁰, and flew up with his sword. “Vile wretch, I’ll kill you!”

Yu Wan Zhao extended two fingers and easily clamped the sword’s edge. Before Rong Qi’s terrified eyes, she flicked the blade away, channeled demonic energy into her palm, and slammed it fiercely into Rong Qi’s chest.

Rong Qi was sent flying by the palm strike, falling powerlessly to the ground, coughing up blood.

Chen Zifan immediately drew her sword and went up to fight Yu Wan Zhao, but she too was sent flying by a single move from Yu Wan Zhao.

Yu Wan Zhao looked at Chen Zifan and Rong Qi, and snorted with laughter. “Overestimating your own abilities.”

Seeing Zhong Baixuan make no move, she asked, “Does the Sect Master also want to try?”

Zhong Baixuan spread his five fingers, and Xuanfeng spun rapidly beneath his palm. As he brought two fingers together, he shouted, “Go!”

A powerful sound of something tearing through the air exploded in the sky.

In the blink of an eye, Xuanfeng shot straight towards the spot between Yu Wan Zhao’s eyebrows. The sword tip was sharp, and its body emanated a faint green light, forcing Yu Wan Zhao back two steps.

Yu Wan Zhao had no Natal Sword. She could only use her palms to block the sword tip. Her right hand gathered spiritual energy, her left hand gathered demonic energy, and both palms met Xuanfeng.

White light, black energy, and green light intertwined and repelled each other, occasionally erupting with ear-splitting, explosive sounds.

The disciples of Qian Yuan Upper Palace present all covered their ears. Some were stimulated by the piercing sound to the point of bleeding from all seven orifices⁵¹, collapsing unconscious on the ground, their fate unknown.

Seeing this, Chen Zifan, disregarding the chaotic spiritual energy in her body, activated a protective barrier, enveloping Qian Yuan Upper Palace within it to safeguard the disciples.

Rong Qi, witnessing this, got up and said, “Zifan, I’ll help you!”

“Go help the Sect Master! You’re not needed here!”

Chen Zifan looked at Yu Wan Zhao, who was confronting Zhong Baixuan in the sky. Even at late-stage Soul Division, Yu Wan Zhao’s strength was actually not inferior to Zhong Baixuan’s, who was at mid-stage Void Glimpse. She had even sent her and Rong Qi flying with a single palm strike.

Could it be that she deliberately hid her strength!?

Thinking of this, Chen Zifan immediately warned Zhong Baixuan, “Sect Master, Yu Wan Zhao might have hidden her strength, you must be careful…”

Before she could finish, she saw Zhong Baixuan’s Natal Sword, Xuanfeng, as if no longer under his control, turn its blade around, its tip pointing at Zhong Baixuan.

Zhong Baixuan’s brows furrowed tightly, a trace of alarm flashing in his eyes. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead into his eyes, making his body tremble.

This was not the strength a late-stage Soul Division cultivator should possess. He could feel Yu Wan Zhao’s power growing stronger bit by bit.

In an instant, everyone present could feel the oppressive might emanating from Yu Wan Zhao.

Early-stage Mahayana!

The crowd was shocked and in an uproar.

Yu Wan Zhao had only used five years to leap from the Nascent Soul⁵² realm all the way to Mahayana cultivation! This was simply a once-in-ten-thousand-years genius!

Rong Qi was horrified and cried out, “Early-stage Mahayana!? You’re actually Mahayana!”

Yu Wan Zhao smiled. “Martial Uncle Rong, have you forgotten? You once said I was the disciple with the best aptitude and the most talent for cultivation. How could this disciple dare to disappoint the martial uncles and the Sect Master?”

Her eyes turned fierce. She pushed her palm forward. The Xuanfeng sword trembled and, in the blink of an eye, stabbed towards Zhong Baixuan with such speed that no one could rush to block it.

“Sect Master—”

Zhong Baixuan knew he couldn’t block a full-force attack from an early-stage Mahayana cultivator. He couldn’t help but find it laughable that he would be killed by his own Natal Sword.

Clang—

Everyone saw a streak of blue light flash from a distance, like lightning, deflecting Xuanfeng just as it was about to pierce Zhong Baixuan’s brow. Xuanfeng embedded itself in a stone stele in the courtyard, emitting a deafening⁵³ metallic clang.

And that longsword, flashing with blue light, stood protectively before Zhong Baixuan, its body held upright, as if to guard and display its might.

This sword was two chi⁵⁴ and two cun⁵⁵ long. Its body was forged from ten-thousand-year-old profound iron, extremely thin, and exuded a faint, cold blue light. The hilt was made of cold-pool white jade, appearing noble and elegant. The blade was incomparably sharp, its aura imposing and magnificent.

Everyone present immediately recognized this sword.

Zhong Baixuan murmured, “…Kan Ice Sword⁵⁶?”

Yu Wan Zhao stared intently at the Kan Ice Sword, a barely perceptible trace of nostalgia flashing in her eyes.

She gave a cold laugh. “Disciple Yu Wan Zhao, respectfully greets Master.”

A wispy, ethereal gauze dress wrapped around her chest, revealing an exquisitely alluring⁵⁷ figure. A blue butterfly-patterned outer robe covered her fair skin, and blue stripes on the hem of her skirt seemed to shimmer with a faint blue light.

The newcomer had a captivatingly beautiful face and smooth skin, skin like ice and bones like jade⁵⁸, possessing the grace of a banished immortal⁵⁹.

Her elegant, jade-like face, due to her pair of eyes as vibrant as peach blossoms, showed a hint of enchanting allure.

Wen Nuan looked at Yu Wan Zhao and said faintly, “Long time no see, Yu Wan Zhao.”

---

The author has something to say:

Wen Nuan: Long time no see, my love.

Female Lead: Long time no see, my enemy.

---

LP: I tried my best to make the cultivation stages coherent. But this might not be entirely accurate, need more information

Foundation Establishment → Enlightenment → Integration → Temptation → Golden Core → Nascent Soul → Soul Division → Body Integration → Void Glimpse → Mahayana → Void Shattering → Tribulation Transcendence → Supreme Immortal

---

---