Two days later.
Zhang Yong was still lying in bed, completely exhausted. The process of setting up the array had taken a toll on him—he had been using the Eternal Dream technique without giving his spiritual sea any proper rest. However, it did have its benefits: the Eternal Dream skill had already jumped to the fourth level.
"Exhausting…" Zhang Yong muttered weakly, his body trembling as he tried to stand.
But he couldn't stay seated—there were still other plans to execute. Struggling to lift himself, he made his way to the door, pushed it open, and headed toward the disciple hall.
When he arrived at the disciple hall, he found Su Ming sitting alone, flipping through an old book. Su Ming immediately looked up in surprise.
"What are you doing? The elder said you need to rest," Su Ming said, jumping up to support Zhang Yong.
Zhang Yong smiled weakly. "Oh, come on. My spiritual sea is just dried up. It's not like I'm going to die."
Su Ming sighed as he helped Zhang Yong sit down. "If your spiritual sea is drained repeatedly like this, it will collapse under the pressure. You've already lost your spiritual energy—don't tell me you want to lose your mind as well."
Zhang Yong ignored Su Ming's warning with a strained smile, holding his forehead. "Don't worry, I'm not planning to kill myself anytime soon."
Su Ming turned his palm over, took out a bottle of spirit recovery pills, and placed it in Zhang Yong's hand. "Take these and rest. Even I can't push my spiritual sea to refine pills for three straight days. And here you are, dealing with the consequences of your own decisions. I'm not blaming you, but don't drive yourself into the ground like this."
Zhang Yong lifted the bottle and immediately tossed ten pills into his mouth.
"You don't need me to remind you that taking them all at once could make you explode, right?" Su Ming said with a sigh. It was common knowledge, but Su Ming already knew that Zhang Yong's body was far beyond that of an ordinary person—so it wasn't a problem for him.
After a moment of silence, the pills began to take effect. Zhang Yong's eyes gradually regained their luster, and his tense muscles relaxed. He closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the wave of refreshment washing over him.
"Thanks," he said quietly, then suddenly opened his eyes. "Now I can move more easily. That dry feeling really is uncomfortable."
Suddenly, a knock came at the closed door. Zhang Yong and Su Ming exchanged glances before Zhang Yong gestured toward the door.
Su Ming stood up and called out, "Who is it?"
A female voice came from behind the door. "It's Wu Ruoxian… Is Zhang Yong here?"
In that instant, Zhang Yong's face turned pale as paper. His eyes widened exaggeratedly as he whispered to Su Ming, "Don't tell her I'm here!"
Then, all exhaustion vanished in an instant, and Zhang Yong jump out the window.
The moment Zhang Yong disappeared through the window, Su Ming reluctantly opened the door to find Wu Ruoxian standing firmly, her blue eyes quickly scanning the room.
"Where is he?" she asked sharply as she stepped inside without an invitation.
Su Ming glanced toward the open window, then looked back at her with exaggerated innocence. "Who are you talking about?"
"Don't play games with me!" Wu Ruoxian shouted as she approached the window with a suspicious look. "I saw him come in here minutes ago."
Outside the window, Zhang Yong was already running away.
'Why now of all times?!' he thought without even looking back. 'After everything I've been through, dying at Wu Ruoxian's hands would be a tragic end!'
Zhang Yong reached a somewhat secluded spot—as long as she didn't find him, it didn't matter where he went. Leaning against a tree, he took a deep breath to calm himself.
"So, you plan to keep running?" A soft yet cutting voice pierced the silence.
Zhang Yong shuddered, feeling as if lightning had struck his body. He slowly turned to find Wu Ruoxian standing behind him, her arms crossed.
"How long will you keep running from me?" she asked, her tone making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
Zhang Yong sighed and turned to face her. "It's nothing. I just wasn't in the mood to see anyone. The elder from the Alchemy Hall exhausted me with pill refinement recently, so I'm tired."
Hearing his excuse, her expression softened. "It's not like I'm looking for you to cause trouble. I respect your need for rest, but… if you don't mind, I have a request."
Zhang Yong paused, his eyes widening slightly. He hadn't expected this sudden shift in her tone. "A request? What is it?"
"I remember you promised to grant me a favor?" Wu Ruoxian reminded him. "Actually… there is something I want. It's a family heirloom. You see, it's very important to me, and I've been searching for it for a long time, but…"
Zhang Yong held his breath for a moment, his eyes blinking rapidly as he tried to process what she was asking. "A family heirloom? What exactly do you mean?"
"My family's heirloom is in the hands of one of the silver families. I know it's a difficult request, but…" Wu Ruoxian's gaze dropped as she wondered if he would refuse the idea.
"Your family's heirloom… in a silver family's possession?" he whispered, buying time to think. "Can you tell me exactly what it is?"
Wu Ruoxian closed her eyes for a moment, then slowly opened them. "It's an ancient pill formula. It's precious."
'Damn it!' Zhang Yong thought inwardly. 'She's clearly asking me to steal it.'
Zhang Yong sighed quietly. "Alright," he said reluctantly. "But given the current state of the sect…"
"It will be easier to break in when everyone is busy," Wu Ruoxian said with a grateful smile , since everyone was busy , even if they disappeared for some time it can't be noticed easily
"Fine, then let's go. The sooner we do it, the sooner I can rest." Zhang Yong stood up on his own and began walking.
After a moment of silence, Wu Ruoxian looked at Zhang Yong with wide eyes. "Do… do you mean you agree? Now?"
"Exactly," Zhang Yong said, rubbing his tired forehead.
Wu Ruoxian couldn't hide her surprise. She had expected resistance, or at least some negotiation. She felt a bit disappointed—she had already prepared several plans to try to convince him, but Zhang Yong had agreed with suspicious ease.
"You… are you serious?" she asked cautiously, her blue eyes scanning his face for any sign of deception.
Zhang Yong raised an eyebrow slightly. "Do you want your family heirloom or not?" He continued on his way without looking back.
"But wait, do you even know exactly where we're going?"
Zhang Yong: "…"
After that, Wu Ruoxian took the lead.
Zhang Yong and Wu Ruoxian moved lightly among the trees, avoiding the main paths
They reached a high hill overlooking a massive complex surrounded by fairly high walls.
Zhang Yong suddenly stopped, his eyes widening in shock. 'This… is the Gan family estate?'
Seeing this, an idea formed in Zhang Yong's mind. He turned to Wu Ruoxian and looked at her seriously. "Wait here. I'll go in alone."
"What? Why?" Wu Ruoxian protested, her eyes blinking with suspicion.
"Because two people increase the chances of being discovered. Besides, if something happens inside, the last thing I want is for you to get hurt. After I go in, meet me at the cliff two kilometers away," Zhang Yong said confidently.
After leaving Wu Ruoxian on the hill, Zhang Yong moved lightly among the trees toward the walls of the Gan estate.
With a swift motion, he vaulted over the wall with ease, avoiding the usual guard posts.
Once he landed in the back garden, he moved quickly toward the main building.
Gan Luo, the head of the family, was sitting in his decorated study flipping through a ledger. Suddenly, he sensed a presence. Before he could move, Zhang Yong appeared in his room.
"Don't panic. I'm here for your benefit," Zhang Yong whispered quickly.
Gan Luo froze in place, his eyes widening in shock. "Zhang Yong?! How dare you—"
"Listen to me!" Zhang Yong cut him off sharply. "There is a demonic cultivator outside your walls right now."
Gan Luo trembled. "What? How do you know?"
Zhang Yong smiled coldly. "Because she came with me. She thinks I'm here to help her… but I'm here to help you capture her."
Gan Luo began to understand the game Zhang Yong was playing. "You want to set a trap for her."
"I like smart people," Zhang Yong nodded. "After all, you are my valued partner."
…
Two kilometers away, Wu Ruoxian was growing anxious about how long Zhang Yong was taking.
Suddenly, she heard the rustling of leaves behind her. She quickly turned to see Zhang Yong returning.
"I found it," he whispered, waving an ancient scroll. "The formula was in the secret library."
"Finally!" she smiled as she saw Zhang Yong running toward her.
Zhang Yong stood in front of Wu Ruoxian, extended his hand, and gave her the scroll. "Well then, we're even."
Wu Ruoxian looked at him before taking it hesitantly. "Right… even."
Zhang Yong raised an eyebrow at her expression. "What's wrong? Here's your family heirloom. Aren't you happy?"
Wu Ruoxian hesitated quietly , she kinda felt bad for doing this "Yes, that's right… Hey, Zhang Yong, I was wondering…"
Suddenly, before she could finish her sentence, dozens of guards emerged from among the trees, surrounding her on all sides.
In an instant, the smile on Wu Ruoxian's lips turned into absolute shock. Her blue eyes widened terrifyingly as she looked between Zhang Yong and the guards.
But the expression on Zhang Yong's face was already one of shock. "What?!"
"Zhang Yong, oh boy, I never imagined you'd be manipulated by this demonic cultivator," Gan Luo laughed loudly as he looked at the two.
Zhang Yong stepped forward and stood in front of Wu Ruoxian, drawing his sword. "Sorry, Ruoxian. It seems I wasn't careful enough. Run. I'll hold them off."
His sword was enveloped in a dark aura, and his eyes radiated a clear killing intent.
'This… this isn't part of my plan,' her blue eyes stared at the scene in confusion.
"Run now!" Zhang Yong hissed through gritted teeth. But Wu Ruoxian didn't move.
Suddenly, before anyone could react, Wu Ruoxian pounced on Zhang Yong with lightning speed. She gripped his wrist with overwhelming force and pulled him toward the edge of the nearby cliff.
For her it was easy to escape alone , but if she lost Zhang Yong , everything was meaningless
"What are you—?!" Zhang Yong didn't finish his sentence before he found himself hurled through the air toward the abyss.
Wu Ruoxian's final expression in that moment was genuine concern. Her lips moved: "Forget about me."
But before he could fall, a shadow appeared in the sky—a guard on a flying sword swooped down like a hawk, grabbing Zhang Yong by the neck at the last moment.
"Don't move, or I'll kill him now!" the guard threatened in a hoarse voice, holding Zhang Yong up in the air like a doll.
Gan Luo laughed coldly. "Well done! Now, demonic cultivator… either you surrender, or this boy watches his own death."
Wu Ruoxian stood frozen. Her blue eyes flickered dangerously. 'What's happening? My whole plan…'
Slowly, she raised her hands in surrender. "I surrender. Let him go."
Gan Luo approached Wu Ruoxian with steady steps. "You made a mistake by making me your enemy." He raised his hand high, his spiritual energy rising powerfully.
A single forceful strike to her abdomen—a clear shattering sound echoed.
Wu Ruoxian doubled over, tears forming in her eyes from the pain as her dantian shattered.
"No!" Zhang Yong screamed, struggling to break free, but the guard tightened his grip around his neck.
Gan Luo turned to him coldly. "You're lucky, boy, that your family is an acquaintance of mine." He then gestured to the guards. "Release him. As for her, bind her with shackles."
The guard descended quietly and threw Zhang Yong roughly to the ground.
As the guards bound Wu Ruoxian, her eyes met Zhang Yong's for the last time. In that gaze, there was something strange—her expression resembled relief.
Zhang Yong trembled on the ground, his red eyes burning with intense rage as he watched Wu Ruoxian being taken away.
After a while, when Wu Ruoxian was out of sight, he stood up quietly, his expression returning to normal. "Senior Gan, excellent acting. But did you have to treat me so harshly?"
"What are you talking about? I didn't do anything," Gan Luo looked away. Honestly, he had wanted to take the opportunity to treat Zhang Yong that way after what he had said in their last meeting.
Zhang Yong ignored Gan Luo's comment and calmly brushed the dust off his clothes. His red eyes had lost their angry gleam, returning to their normal color. "Anyway, thank you for your cooperation. The plan worked well."
Gan Luo laughed slyly. "Of course, of course. But did you really need to act that convincingly? My heart nearly stopped when she threw you off the cliff."
Zhang Yong raised an eyebrow. "Every detail matters. If I hadn't seemed completely loyal to her until the end, she would have been suspicious. And now… it's time for the final step."