Chapter 20: Wonderful, I Can’t Read

Chapter 20: How Wonderful, I'm Illiterate

Chi Yu grumbled and muttered for a long time, still seething over being extorted out of ten thousand spirit stones.

Ling Hezhou quickly tried to divert his attention. "Well, since we're in Wangxian Continent, why not try some Qianshan Brew? It's a local specialty here. The lower a cultivator's cultivation level, the more effective it is at improving their aptitude and bone root. This is something you won't find in Dongjing Continent."

Ling Tian agreed, "Although the Immortal Alliance has always prioritized spirit stones, they have indeed accomplished quite a few practical things. For example, Qianshan Brew is a spirit wine developed by the Immortal Alliance that can enhance a cultivator's bone root. Ordinary spirit wines merely restore spiritual energy, but Qianshan Brew not only restores spiritual energy most quickly but also improves aptitude and bone root. What's even more remarkable is that it's not expensive—just one medium-grade spirit stone for a flask."

Chi Yu: "..."

Ten thousand spirit stones for a small bottle of wine, and you call that not expensive?

*I'm going to fight you rich people.jpg*

Seeing his silence, Ling Tian seemed to guess his thoughts and explained, "This is a spirit wine that can slightly improve a cultivator's aptitude and bone root. You should know that before Qianshan Brew appeared, only certain rare spiritual treasures had this effect, and they were extremely hard to come by, mostly seen only at auctions. Now, it can be easily purchased. Although the effect isn't obvious for Golden Core cultivators, over time, it's definitely not something to underestimate."

Ling Hezhou said, "I've already drunk so much that it has no effect on me anymore, but this is your first time, so the effect will definitely be very good. It's perfect for you since you're still young. Go on, buy a flask and try it. It tastes pretty good too, a bit sweet, so even kids would like it."

Convinced, Chi Yu went to buy a bottle.

This stuff was sold in any tavern in Wangxian Continent, and quite a few people were buying it, so Chi Yu believed it was indeed good.

However, he didn't drink it right away. Instead, he stored it in his Spatial Ring. Good things should be savored slowly at the right time, and besides, he had important matters to attend to now.

Although the villain had no specific requirements for video footage, Chi Yu, who always strived for perfection, couldn't bear using the same footage for different songs, so he actively recorded new material.

Unfortunately, despite his diligence, he wasn't getting paid.

He couldn't even afford to replace a rebounding forbidden curse.

He hoped no blind cannon fodder would come along to help him gain cultivation.

Chi Yu knew he probably had a bit of an imperial aura, and his luck wasn't low either—he was likely a potential Long Aotian. Even though the male lead was still around, no one said there couldn't be two Long Aotians in this world.

And Long Aotians naturally attracted hatred. Just like Yang Min in *Divine Path*, who did nothing but was hated by everyone, creating many classic scenarios—

Cannon fodder trying to humiliate someone only gave the Long Aotian male lead a chance to showcase his virtue, conduct, and combat prowess. At best, they lost face; at worst, they lost their lives, while the male lead earned everyone's respect and awe.

Chi Yu never tired of these face-slapping scenes!

Since he was now part of this game, Chi Yu felt he should have some Long Aotian self-awareness. So, he took out a black cloak, covered himself completely, and sneakily made his way toward Xie Xiyi's location like a thief.

Whether anyone actually hated him wasn't that important anymore.

After all, teenagers tend to have an excess of self-awareness.

After much effort, Chi Yu managed to get close to Xie Xiyi but didn't dare approach any further because hundreds of highly cultivated cultivators had surrounded him.

Of course, there were also ubiquitous helpful onlookers around. Boldly pulling one aside, Chi Yu got them to eagerly explain, "They're from the Immortal Alliance. The Immortal Alliance Leader is here too, though it's clearly a projection, but it still has Divine Transformation level power. Why are they here? To capture the vicious great demonic cultivator, of course. You're from outside, right? From Dongjing Continent? Wow, what a coincidence! Rumor has it this demonic cultivator is from Dongjing Continent, wears a ghost mask, has Golden Core cultivation, and wields a white-jade bone sword. He's the recently infamous great demonic cultivator who killed eight Nascent Soul cultivators from the Xuanxiao Immortal Sect!"

"He's doomed now. A mere Golden Core stage cultivator daring to come to Wangxian Continent, where the Immortal Alliance's headquarters is? He's dead for sure!"

"Too bad it's too far to hear what they're saying."

"Maybe they're trying to recruit him? That demonic cultivator managed to kill eight Nascent Soul cultivators, so he must have some skills. If he joins the Immortal Alliance, he'd be a valuable addition."

"Not necessarily. The Immortal Alliance doesn't accept just any trash."

"If they weren't recruiting him, why would the Immortal Alliance Leader come? A mere Golden Core cultivator couldn't possibly warrant that."

"Good point. The Leader usually keeps to himself and rarely appears in public. For him to emerge for a Golden Core stage cultivator, there must be something unusual going on."

Chi Yu listened to the gossip and couldn't help but glance toward Xie Xiyi's coordinates. He hadn't moved for a while—was he really chatting with the Immortal Alliance Leader?

Immortal Alliance Leader, please don't let the great villain go! If you kill him now, I'll forgive you for the air fee!

Chi Yu clenched his fists, bubbling with excitement, his eyes shining as he looked toward the encircled area.

Whether he could go home immediately depended on this!

Come on, righteous side, do your best!

On the other side, Xie Xiyi sat on the second floor of a tavern, gazing into the distance outside and chuckling softly, "Immortal Alliance Leader, is this your sincerity?"

Tai Xuzi also smiled slightly, his eyes continuously assessing Xie Xiyi.

As someone who had undergone Tribulation Transcension, he possessed the ability to see through falsehoods and perceive truth, so he could clearly see Xie Xiyi's true face beneath the mask.

No wonder he wore a mask—his face was disfigured.

Tai Xuzi felt a thrill of satisfaction. The 18-year-old Golden Core prodigy pushed by his family, the Zen School's top cultivator, the designated Buddhist bodhisattva, the heaven-chosen genius with a boundless future—but so what? Five hundred years later, he was the one standing at the pinnacle, while Xie Xiyi was nothing but an insect he could crush at will.

This was exactly what he had always wanted!

Tai Xuzi, at six hundred years old and having undergone Tribulation Transcension, was fully capable of ascending to the immortal realm.

But he didn't want to. He had no desire for the immortal realm; instead, like a greedy mortal emperor, he seized all fame and fortune. This was the dominion he had established, and he would never let it go!

And he was sincerely thankful to the heavens that Xie Xiyi was still alive—this was truly wonderful!

Without Xie Xiyi as a witness to his dominion over three continents, it would have been a great regret in his life!

Tai Xuzi said gently, "Don't misunderstand. These people are just my guards. You were once of mortal nobility, so you should understand."

He spoke in a tone familiar with Xie Xiyi, showcasing his harmlessness and sincerity toward him.

Xie Xiyi: "Oh? A mortal noble?"

He sounded somewhat curious. "What level of noble?"

Tai Xuzi pretended to be surprised. "You don't remember at all? You were once the crown prince of a mortal dynasty. Whenever you traveled, countless servants and guards followed you, with great pomp."

Xie Xiyi: "In that case, you must have been one of my servants. I hear you're now not only the Sect Leader of the Xuanxiao Immortal Sect but also the Immortal Alliance Leader. How enviable."

His voice took on a pleased tone. "Give it to me, Tai Xuzi. Your Xuanxiao Immortal Sect and the Immortal Alliance—give them to me."

Tai Xuzi's smile vanished. "What are you saying?"

"Don't understand?" Xie Xiyi chuckled softly. "I want it—you don't want to give it? Then I'll have to take it myself."

He slowly stood up, the black mist around him swelling abruptly. Despite having only Golden Core cultivation, he exuded a terrifying aura, and Tai Xuzi's pressure seemed to be overshadowed.

Tai Xuzi felt a moment of fear and immediately attacked Xie Xiyi.

In an instant, the entire tavern was pulverized—this was the power of Divine Transformation, an absolute realm suppression.

But Xie Xiyi remained completely unharmed. The black mist around him seemed like a high-quality protective amulet, completely shielding him from the spiritual pressure of Divine Transformation.

"Is this all Divine Transformation is?" Xie Xiyi said. "How utterly disappointing."

Tai Xuzi stared at him, shocked and suspicious. He had always believed that the loss of Yan Dongchen's eight Nascent Soul cultivators was because Xie Xiyi had pulled some trick—this was his long-held bias against Xie Xiyi. Five hundred years ago, when they practiced together in the Zen School, Xie Xiyi had been extremely fond of dirty tricks and sneaky moves, fully bringing the court intrigues of the Mortal Dynasty into their world.

Thus, he had never truly inquired about the details of Xie Xiyi's combat from Yan Dongchen. Only now, seeing it for himself, did he realize how many secrets Xie Xiyi held.

A Golden Core Stage cultivator should, in theory, be unable to see through his avatar's cultivation level! Yet Xie Xiyi not only saw through it but also withstood his full-power strike from his Divine Transformation cultivation!

Again!

Fury boiled up in Tai Xuzi as he continued his attacks on Xie Xiyi.

Xie Xiyi dodged with ease, taunting him further: "Tai Xuzi, that's your name, right? Tai Xuzi, is that really your best? Not very impressive. Just hand everything over—your sect and your Immortal Alliance. I want them. That would be your greatest contribution a servant can make to his master, Tai Xuzi."

Tai Xuzi roared, "You disrespectful punk! Shut your mouth!"

Xie Xiyi: "You sounded so sincere earlier, but the moment I ask for something, you show your true colors. How disappointing."

Just then, his gaze swept over the crowd of onlookers and spotted Chi Yu's face, flushed and excited as he kept shifting positions.

Xie Xiyi suddenly understood and couldn't help but chuckle softly, slowing down a little to ensure clear footage.

The rune chains all over him shot out, attacking Tai Xuzi.

Tai Xuzi was startled and didn't dare face them directly. He zipped back miles in a flash, evading the weird, hard-to-predict black chains. Though fearful and yielding, he maintained his pride, his voice booming like heaven itself: "Demon! Come fight me if you have the guts, but do not harm the innocent!"

Xie Xiyi laughed: "Such is the way of hypocrites. Sadly, it's always the hypocrites who have it easiest in this world."

With that, he leisurely followed Tai Xuzi.

The spectators below were buzzing with excitement: "The Alliance Leader is looking out for us!"

"Just what you'd expect from the Immortal Alliance Leader!"

"That demon actually dared to challenge our Alliance Leader? He's done for!"

"A mere ant dares to compete with the brilliance of the moon! Let the Alliance Leader show him what death means!"

Chi Yu: "..."

Such nostalgic classic lines.

Chi Yu looked at the little footage he'd gotten. What else could he do? He had to follow and keep filming.

If the villain were killed by the hero, the footage would be useless.

If the hero were killed by the villain—well, wasn't that perfect? The footage would be useful again.

*Opportunity always favors the prepared.jpg*

Two preparations (√)

*

Tai Xuzi led Xie Xiyi into the great formation.

He secretly rejoiced, never expecting Xie Xiyi to land on the ground and stroll around casually. "What formation is this? Is this your trump card?"

Tai Xuzi's expression turned cold, malice welling up inside him—

Xie Xiyi, always so calm and in control!

Even after losing his memory, forgetting everything! Still the same!

So disgusting! So disgusting! I want to crush him! Grind him under my heel forever!

Tai Xuzi's voice echoed: "Since you know it's a formation, how can you dare follow me here?"

Xie Xiyi laughed, his tone full of delight: "Why wouldn't I dare? There's nothing under heaven I wouldn't dare to do. Tai Xuzi, you poor thing. What will you do if your trump card fails?"

"Even if it's just an avatar, if it dies, your main body will be severely wounded, right? Tai Xuzi, you're finished. Once this avatar falls into my hands, you've lost completely."

He spoke vaguely, threateningly, and Tai Xuzi fell for it. Enraged, he shouted: "Xie Xiyi, stop being so arrogant!"

With a wave of his sleeve, the formation activated.

Time and space were taboos; current runes and formations could hardly replicate them. But the Immortal Alliance, possessing the wealth and cultivation resources of three continents, could naturally glimpse a thing or two.

Golden light radiated from the activated formation, and golden chains surged out, tightly binding Xie Xiyi within the array. Sacred chants resounded through the formation, time and space twisted within, the green plants on the ground withered instantly and then regrew from the soil. The boundaries between life and death blurred, and the rules of the Dao faintly emerged.

Xie Xiyi's half-moon cycle flashed by like a fleeting shadow in the formation, and every memory of Chi Yu vanished, as if he had returned to the day he crawled out of the Nine Nether Dark River.

Tai Xuzi's smug voice echoed: "Xie Xiyi, you are my servant. You are a miscellaneous disciple of the Xuanxiao Immortal Sect in Wangxian Continent, just livestock of the Immortal Alliance. Now, sign this contract, and I will release you from the formation."

A scroll shimmering with golden light flew before Xie Xiyi.

Xie Xiyi looked at the contract and chuckled softly: "How wonderful—"

He raised his eyes to where Tai Xuzi stood and said innocently: "But I can't read."

Author's Note:

1: Having forgotten everything, it's fine if he can't read, right?