The Demon Lord of All Forms

Chapter 24 The Transaction, The Sacrifice

Seeing Yun Weiyang's expression, Li Qinghe knew he didn't believe her. She ignored him, simply looking at Yun Weiyang and saying calmly, "Do you want to live or die?"

Yun Weiyang blinked: "Who would want to die?"

"In that case," Li Qinghe said calmly, "you will lead one hundred cultivators into this cave for me. Once you've done that, you can leave alive."

Yun Weiyang looked at Li Qinghe and smiled.

With a step, Yun Weiyang walked up to Li Qinghe, looking down at the petite woman before her.

"As expected of a great master who survived the Heavenly Tribulation in the past." Yun Weiyang said with a smile, "Even in this situation, you can still remain calm. If it were me, I couldn't stand going from a high and mighty power to a rogue cultivator who can only deceive lowly cultivators."

Reaching out, Yun Weiyang patted Li Qinghe's head.

"Elder Jian, is that right? You only have this much cultivation left. Now, the one who decides your life or death should be me."

The moment her palm landed on Li Qinghe's head, Yun Weiyang's pupils contracted slightly.

Within Li Qinghe's body lies a soul. This soul may not be as numerous as Su Qinghe's in quantity, but it surpasses Su Qinghe's in quality by countless times. It is like a piece of iron compressed to the extreme, not large in volume, but weighing over a thousand pounds. It is also more like a sword hidden in its sheath, its sharpness not revealed, but it sends chills down one's spine.

Regardless of Li Qinghe's true identity, her soul is undoubtedly far beyond the realm of immortality.

Yun Weiyang withdrew her hand, her eyes narrowed, but a smile remained on her face.

Li Qinghe's expression changed, a chilling sword light flashed in his eyes, like an enraged beast instinctively baring its fangs.

But the next moment, the Soul-Shocking Bell appeared above Yun Weiyang's head. The bell rang softly, and with a clench of her right hand, the Flying Immortal Sword flew out of her storage bag, its light radiating, and hovered beside Li Qinghe.

Seeing Yun Weiyang wielding two powerful magical weapons, Li Qinghe's expression instantly darkened.

"Elder Li," Yun Weiyang said casually, "you're just an avatar now, aren't you?"

Li Qinghe remained silent, staring coldly at Yun Weiyang.

"Where is your true form? Dead? Or sealed away?"

Li Qinghe looked at Yun Weiyang and said coldly, "What do you want to say?"

Yun Weiyang smiled, put away the Soul-Startling Bell and the Flying Immortal Sword, took a step back, and sat down on another stone bench.

"Don't be so angry. I want to help you. If your true form is sealed, I can find a way to unseal it."

Li Qinghe's brow twitched slightly.

Why are you helping me?

Yun Weiyang narrowed her eyes and said sincerely, "I want to find a backer, and the Nine Nether Sect is a good fit. An elder of the Nine Nether Sect who has fallen on hard times is someone that ordinary people can't find. I want to bet on you."

Li Qinghe looked at Yun Weiyang, remained silent for a moment, and then let out a cold laugh.

"You, a mere cultivator at the Longevity Realm, have quite the nerve."

Li Qinghe stood up, walked to the center of the stone chamber, and turned her back to Yun Weiyang.

"My true body was destroyed by Zhang Zihe of the Yellow Heaven Sect two hundred years ago. Now I only have a wisp of divine thought incarnation left. As you can see, I only have the cultivation of the Longevity Realm."

Yun Weiyang listened and pondered for a moment.

"So you have a way to restore your physical body? You wanted a hundred cultivators just to restore your physical body?"

Li Qinghe turned around and glanced at Yun Weiyang.

"My physical body was destroyed, but my natal sword is still intact. As long as I use the blood sacrifice method, I can reshape my physical body with my natal sword. Although my cultivation level will decrease a little, it won't be much. However, it will be almost impossible for me to advance further in the future."

"Your true form must be that of a great cultivator who has survived the Nine Heavenly Tribulations," Yun Weiyang asked. "Could a hundred cultivators at the Longevity Realm restore your physical body?"

Li Qinghe said calmly, "A hundred cultivators can only restore me to the Dao Embryo Realm. However, after that, I can use my natal sword. As long as they are not True Persons who have passed the Heavenly Tribulation, I am confident that I can kill them with my natal sword. In this way, after I go out, I can destroy a few sects and collect enough blood sacrifices to return to the True Person Realm."

"One hundred cultivators are only enough to restore one to the Dao Embryo Realm." Yun Weiyang then asked, "What about ten thousand Longevity Realm cultivators?"

Li Qinghe looked at Yun Weiyang, wondering why he asked this. However, she was no match for Yun Weiyang now, so she could only say indifferently, "Ten thousand Longevity Realm cultivators would be enough for me to condense my Golden Core."

Yun Weiyang nodded; he didn't actually know what the Golden Core realm was.

"Let's make a deal." Yun Weiyang stood up and looked at Li Qinghe: "I will find you ten thousand cultivators at the Longevity Realm as sacrifices. After you recover your cultivation, take me back to the Nine Nether Sect and let me become a true disciple of the Nine Nether Sect."

Li Qinghe frowned.

"You think you can find ten thousand cultivators at the Longevity Realm? I don't have time to wait for you here."

"It won't be long." Yun Weiyang wore an inscrutable smile. "Within three years, within three years, there will be ten thousand sacrifices at the Longevity Realm. How about that?"

Li Qinghe scrutinized Yun Weiyang, her gaze sharp as a sword, as if trying to see right through him.

"Can you really do it?"

"Of course," Yun Weiyang said confidently.

Li Qinghe remained silent for a moment.

The stone chamber was quiet, with only the occasional sobbing echoing in the darkness from afar.

"Alright." Li Qinghe finally spoke: "As long as you find me ten thousand blood sacrifices, I will take you back to the Nine Nether Sect after I recover my cultivation, and accept you as my personal disciple, with a status above that of ordinary true disciples."

Yun Weiyang smiled, a sincere and warm smile.

That's wonderful!

With that, Yun Weiyang clasped her hands in a respectful bow to Li Qinghe, saying, "Then let me introduce myself. I am Yun Weiyang, the personal disciple of the Sword Elder of the Nine Nether Sect."

Li Qinghe snorted coldly as she looked at Yun Weiyang's matter-of-fact attitude.

"Let's talk after you bring ten thousand offerings."

After saying that, Li Qinghe turned and walked into the depths of the stone chamber, sat cross-legged on a stone platform, and closed his eyes.

Yun Weiyang watched Li Qinghe's retreating figure, smiled, leaned against the wall, and closed her eyes.

In the palace of Lin'an City, Su Qinghe sat on a rosewood couch, barefoot, his white robe loose, a slight smile on his lips: "Elder Jian..."

In the days that followed, Yun Weiyang stayed in this cave.

Li Qinghe would occasionally leave the cave to hunt lone ghosts on the outskirts of Ghost Fang Forest, or lure a few passing rogue cultivators to seize their flesh and souls.

Yun Weiyang would sometimes help her, using the Soul-Startling Bell and the Flying Immortal Sword to deal with a few foolish prey, but most of the time, he stayed in the cave, asking Li Qinghe about common knowledge in the cultivation world.