Volume Four: Those Years When I Was a Master
[Rough and not set in stone: Foundation Establishment → Enlightenment → Integration → Temptation → Golden Core → Nascent Soul → Soul Division → Body Integration → Void Glimpse → Mahayana → Void Shattering → Tribulation Transcendence → Supreme Immortal]
Yearning for the Human Realm
Liu Qingsui didn’t get an answer from Yu Wan Zhao, because she seemed too weak and fainted.
When Yu Wan Zhao woke up again, she was the only one left in the Blood Control Pavilion.
Liu Qingsui had left a note, saying he had returned to the Demon Realm.
The seal of Cangshan Blood Sea had been broken, the rift reopened, and the Demon Realm and the Human Realm were now considered connected.
The Demon Realm was not controlled by Liu Qingsui alone. Liu Qingsui was the West Region Demon Lord; besides him, there were Demon Lords of two other regions.
Since Demon Lord Kui Yuan fell a hundred years ago, the Demon Realm had split into four factions, jointly guarded and controlled by four Demon Lords.
Five years ago, Liu Qingsui brought Yu Wan Zhao back to the Demon Realm to care for her. The return of Demon Lord Kui Yuan’s bloodline daughter immediately caused a great uproar in the Demon Realm.
The Demon Lords of the other three regions immediately became wary and vigilant towards Yu Wan Zhao, worried that she had returned to unify the Demon Realm. After all, she was of Demon Lord Kui Yuan’s bloodline, and many demonfolk and demonic beasts in the Demon Realm still revered Demon Lord Kui Yuan.
The North Region Demon Lord was the first to lose patience, leading a large army to attack Liu Qingsui, intending to strike first and eliminate the blatant threat that was Yu Wan Zhao.
However, Yu Wan Zhao counter-killed him and became the new Demon Lord of the North Region. Teaming up with Liu Qingsui, they brought the Northwest Region under their command.
Although Yu Wan Zhao didn’t care about titles or reputation, if both she and Liu Qingsui were Demon Lords, their subordinates might get confused. So, she changed her title to Demon Saint.
From then on, the Demon Realm was divided into three regions: the Northwest as one, and the East and South each occupying one. The three parties established a rule: they could not arbitrarily invade each other’s territories.
Violators would be attacked by all and executed!
Liu Qingsui didn’t stay in the Human Realm for too long. After all, he couldn’t be away from the Demon Realm for extended periods. Although they had mutually established rules, whether they would be followed was still a matter of consideration.
Yu Wan Zhao got up and walked towards the small kitchen in the pavilion. She saw the newly added fruits and vegetables in the kitchen, brought by Liu Qingsui.
She still maintained her habit from the Human Realm: three meals a day, never missing one.
Because someone had once told her, “People are iron, food is steel1; miss a meal, and you’ll feel unhappy.”
Yu Wan Zhao casually made three dishes. After a moment of silence, she took a food container, packed the three dishes, and walked towards the Fire Cold Cave Abode.
The system, as desired, played a Hunan cuisine documentary for Wen Nuan, making her so ravenous that she felt considerably weakened.
【Alright, today’s dinner documentary has ended. Tomorrow’s breakfast will be a Hong Kong-style breakfast2 I’ve carefully selected for you, Host.】
Wen Nuan: “…..”
Just as she was about to curse out loud, she heard footsteps at the cave entrance.
Yu Wan Zhao walked into the cave abode and saw that Wen Nuan seemed to have weakened a lot.
Wen Nuan watched Yu Wan Zhao walk over with a food container, her eyes lighting up.
Yu Wan Zhao took out the dishes from the food container one by one.
Wen Nuan’s eyes widened in disbelief!
Stir-fried Greens with Meat, Spicy Fish, Chili Chicken3.
Wen Nuan, who had just watched the Hunan cuisine documentary, started salivating at the sight of the spicy dishes.
But—
There’s always a reason for things; would the female lead suddenly be kind enough to cook for her?!
Could this food be poisoned?!
However, ordinary poisons couldn’t kill a Mahayana Realm cultivator, unless it was Saint Grade.
Wen Nuan impassively watched Yu Wan Zhao place a bowl of rice and chopsticks in front of her.
The two looked at each other in silence.
Yu Wan Zhao spoke first, “Eat.”
Wen Nuan didn’t move her chopsticks. Instead, she asked, “Give up spiritual power cultivation, focus on demonic power.”
The desire for food was set aside for now; the issue of the female lead’s chaotic cultivation needed to be addressed first.
Yu Wan Zhao frowned deeply. “What? In Master’s eyes, am I, already a demonic spawn, unworthy of continuing to cultivate spiritual power in the Human Realm!?”
Wen Nuan: “….No.”
Don’t misunderstand my meaning.
Yu Wan Zhao looked up, her eyes cold. “Then Master… what do you mean?”
“Cultivating demonic power and spiritual power simultaneously, can you control it?” Wen Nuan said lightly.
“So what if I can control it? And so what if I can’t?” Yu Wan Zhao’s eyes were deep, a sarcastic look on her face. “I call you Master, and you really think you’re my master?”
“The scene of Elder Yu expelling me from Qianyuan Upper Palace back then is still vivid in my mind, deeply etched in my memory. For the past five years, I haven’t dared to forget it for a single moment, have I?!” Her eyes darkened as she spoke.
This female lead really holds a grudge.
Wen Nuan sighed. “Demonic power is more suitable for your cultivation.”
Yu Wan Zhao clenched her fists, her eyes fierce. “Yu Wen Nuan, if you dare say another word that displeases me, I’ll kill you!”
“….” Wen Nuan obediently shut her mouth.
Seeing her silence, Yu Wan Zhao felt even more stifled. She pushed the food forward a little. “Eat. Didn’t Master miss this disciple’s cooking? Master, try it and see if this disciple’s skills have declined in the past five years?”
Wen Nuan glanced at Yu Wan Zhao, then picked up her rice bowl and began to eat.
With the first bite, Wen Nuan was moved to tears.
It was so f#cking delicious!
Seeing Wen Nuan eat without any hesitation, a complex emotion flashed in Yu Wan Zhao’s eyes.
She raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t Master afraid I’ve poisoned this food?”
Wen Nuan’s chopsticks didn’t pause. She said lightly, “If you want to kill me, you can do it anytime.”
Why bother poisoning the food?
It would be superfluous.
A barely perceptible smile touched Yu Wan Zhao’s lips. “Master is quite open-minded. Then, have you ever thought that one day you might be trapped in this Fire Cold Cave Abode by your disciple, tortured endlessly, and possibly even die at your disciple’s hands?”
Wen Nuan blinked. “I’ve thought about it.”
After all, before Wen Nuan left this mission world, the original body had already died. When she detached from the mission world, the original body was just a corpse.
Yu Wan Zhao hadn’t expected Wen Nuan to have thought of this. She frowned. “Master, you….”
Wen Nuan looked up at her. “What?”
Yu Wan Zhao really wanted to ask her: Why did you stand with them back then? You clearly told me that all beings are equal, so why, when you found out I was of the demon race, were you so heartless as to try and kill me?
You were clearly my Master, you raised me from childhood, how could you not know my character and temperament?
She was not the evil demonic spawn they claimed her to be. She hadn’t committed evil deeds, harbored ill intentions, massacred people, or been cruelly bloodthirsty. Why didn’t you believe me at all?
Yu Wan Zhao truly hated. She hated Yu Wen Nuan’s hypocrisy, hated Yu Wen Nuan’s indifference, hated Yu Wen Nuan’s heartlessness, hated why she wouldn’t believe her!
For the past five years, she had truly wished she could devour Yu Wen Nuan alive.
But when Yu Wen Nuan was captured by her, trapped in the Fire Cold Cave Abode by her, and manipulated at her whim, why did she suddenly find all of this so absurd?!
Why didn’t Yu Wen Nuan beg her for mercy?
Why wasn’t Yu Wen Nuan fighting her to the death?
Why did Yu Wen Nuan, who clearly had opportunities to escape, waste them to care about her physical condition?
Why…
This feeling of powerlessness and frustration, of things slipping out of her control, left Yu Wan Zhao very confused.
Seeing Yu Wan Zhao hadn’t moved her chopsticks, Wen Nuan picked up a piece of fish, removed the bones, and placed it in Yu Wan Zhao’s bowl.
Yu Wan Zhao stared at the fish in her bowl, countless thoughts churning in her mind, her throat tightening.
She suddenly flung the rice bowl in front of her aside and roared, “Enough! You can stow away this hypocritical show of kindness! Yu Wen Nuan, let me tell you, if you think this tiny bit of false concern will make me soft-hearted enough to let you go, you’re dreaming4!”
Wen Nuan: “…..”
What a waste of that excellent piece of fish, it was especially tender.
The system said helplessly: 【…Is this really the time to be concerned about fish meat? The blackening value is rising bit by bit.】
“….”
Yu Wan Zhao watched Wen Nuan continue to eat, seemingly disdainful of her anger.
She knocked the bowl and chopsticks from Wen Nuan’s hands and suddenly grabbed her throat. “What? Master, now that I’ve discovered your intentions, you don’t even want to pretend anymore?”
Wen Nuan: “…..”
What a waste of that piece of chili chicken she had just picked up, it was especially flavorful and chewy.
System: 【….】
This foodie Host is really going to be the death of me.
“Concerned about my body, worried about my cultivation, deliberately picking food for me to show kindness—all of this was to lower my guard against you, to give yourself an opportunity, wasn’t it?” Yu Wan Zhao tightened her grip, her eyes filled with venomous malice.
“….” Wen Nuan grasped Yu Wan Zhao’s wrist; it felt a little cold. “I didn’t.”
Yu Wan Zhao sneered. “You didn’t? Then are you truly concerned about me?”
Without waiting for Wen Nuan to speak, she rushed to deny it. “You’re just a weasel paying a New Year’s call to a chicken—harboring ill intentions5! You know my realm has regressed, my cultivation is chaotic, and I’m already a spent force6. You want to take this chance to kill me and escape, don’t you?”
Wen Nuan sighed softly, closed her eyes, and said faintly, “If you’re worried, you can kill me now.”
Yu Wan Zhao’s eyelids twitched, a trace of helplessness flashing in her eyes. “Don’t think I really don’t dare to kill you!?”
“Mm, I know you can.”
Wen Nuan released her grip on Yu Wan Zhao’s wrist, allowing Yu Wan Zhao to choke her with a calm and peaceful demeanor.
“Yu Wen Nuan, what on earth are you scheming?” Yu Wan Zhao looked at her in disbelief.
Seeing she offered no resistance, the spiritual power in her body wasn’t circulating, there was no so-called sneak attack, no deliberate attempt to lure her into a trap; instead, she was quietly under her control.
Wen Nuan opened her eyes, her gaze clear and limpid. She said softly, “Wan Zhao, if you still consider me your Master, listen to your Master’s words: give up cultivating spiritual power from the Human Realm and switch to cultivating demonic power.”
Her fingertips trembled slightly. Yu Wan Zhao saw genuine worry and care in Wen Nuan’s eyes.
“Why?”
Wen Nuan thought Yu Wan Zhao was moved, so she tried to persuade her kindly, “Dual cultivating demonic and spiritual power is too risky for you. If it’s just to seek revenge on your Master…”
She lowered her gaze to the hand on her neck, veins bulging. “You’ve already gotten your wish. There’s no need to take further risks by continuing to dual cultivate. Given your current aptitude, switching to demonic power cultivation will make you even more outstanding.”
Although the female lead is a human-demon hybrid, Demon Lord Kui Yuan’s bloodline is more powerful. So, in the original plot, the female lead became a Supreme Demon Emperor in just a hundred years by cultivating demonic power.
If the female lead focused on spiritual power, it would be slightly slower than focusing on demonic power. It might take longer to become a Supreme Immortal Venerable.
But if the female lead forcibly fused and cultivated both, she could reach the highest realm in a few decades. However, the drawbacks of this cultivation method were not to be underestimated.
“Master, do you know?”
Wen Nuan looked up. “What?”
Yu Wan Zhao looked at her expressive eyes and said, neither coldly nor warmly, “Why Liu Qingsui couldn’t stay long in the Human Realm?”
“Liu Qingsui is a Demon Lord. Demonic qi has entered his body. Although he can suppress it, over time, the demonic qi can easily cause a backlash and leak out.”
“Exactly. Liu Qingsui has cultivated demonic power since childhood; the demonic qi is already deep in his bones. Even if he wants to suppress it, he can’t do so for too long, or the demonic qi will backlash and leak out.” Yu Wan Zhao released her neck, her expression somewhat desolate. “But I’m different….”
“I’ve lived in the Human Realm since I was young, drawing spiritual qi into my body and cultivating with spiritual power. Although I entered the Demon Realm and cultivated demonic power, I can switch between the two energies on my own.”
“In the Demon Realm, I can convert to demonic power.”
“And in the Human Realm, I can convert to spiritual power.”
As if she were still a mortal, still able to remain in this Human Realm that had wounded her so deeply.
The Demon Realm was too cold, too dark; one couldn’t see light or feel warmth.
Yellow sand filled the sky all day long; it was a desolate wasteland.
She couldn’t see mountains and rivers, couldn’t smell the fragrance of flowers and birdsong, couldn’t hear joyous laughter, and also couldn’t forget…
…the person before her.
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