Time passed slowly. Eventually, an elderly servant came and led Ji Chen to a modest side room. Though sparsely furnished, it was clean, and from the window he could glimpse part of the main hall. Ji Chen sat restlessly, attempting several times to inquire about Su Wan's condition, only to be blocked by invisible barriers—the entire estate was secured with powerful defensive formations.
As night fell, the old servant brought him a meal, but knew nothing about Su Wan's situation. Ji Chen forced himself to eat a few bites, though everything tasted like ash in his mouth. He tried circulating the Tai Xu Scripture, but his spiritual energy felt sluggish and unresponsive, likely due to his severe exhaustion from the day's events.
Just as he was about to attempt it again, the door suddenly swung open. Zhao Mingyang strode in, wearing the smug expression of a victor.
"Thought I'd come see how pathetic my rival looks," he sneered, casting a soundproofing spell around them. "Don't worry. Su Wan's not dead. But…" He dragged out the word, smirking. "Once she recovers, she's marrying into the Zhao family. With me."
Ji Chen clenched his fists. "Is that what she wants?"
"Does it matter?" Zhao Mingyang's smile turned cold. "A mongrel like her should consider it an honor to marry into our main bloodline. If it weren't for her Phoenix Flame rights, I wouldn't even look at a defective like her."
Anger boiled in Ji Chen's chest, but he knew starting a fight would only worsen the situation.
"Mad?" Zhao Mingyang chuckled, stepping closer and suddenly slamming a palm into Ji Chen's chest. "With that pitiful cultivation of yours, you dare challenge me?"
A surge of cold, ominous spiritual energy entered Ji Chen's body, forcing a grunt from his lips as he slammed into the wall. He immediately noticed the dark energy was eerily similar to Qin Yue's—it carried the same corrupt, grey-black hue.
"You… You're with the Night Owl Society…"
Zhao Mingyang's face flickered with surprise, but he quickly recovered. "Nonsense." Grabbing Ji Chen by the collar, he growled, "Once Su Wan recovers, you'd better disappear. And if you tell anyone what you suspect…"
He raised his finger, where a wisp of black energy coiled ominously. "I'll personally let you taste the Soul-Eating Curse."
With that, he shoved Ji Chen aside and stormed out, lifting the sound barrier behind him and leaving the room in silence.
Ji Chen collapsed to the ground, Zhao Mingyang's energy still writhing painfully within his meridians. Worse, the jade slip mark in his palm had grown scalding hot, reacting violently to the intrusion of the dark spiritual energy.
"Urgh—!"
The pain exploded without warning, sending Ji Chen curling into himself on the floor. His consciousness was abruptly yanked into an unfamiliar space, surrounded by an endless white fog.
"Where… am I?"
"The Tai Xu Realm," said a deep, aged voice.
The mist parted to reveal the ethereal figure of an old man with a long beard and star-like eyes. He wore a plain Daoist robe, his presence calm yet immensely powerful.
"Who are you…?"
"Tai Xuzi, or rather, a fragment of my soul," the figure answered. "I am the creator of the Tai Xu Scripture."
Ji Chen's mind reeled. This was the legendary founder of the ancient cultivation method sealed within his jade slip?
"No need for surprise," Tai Xuzi said, reading his thoughts with ease. "Each of the nine volumes of the Scripture contains a wisp of my divine sense, awaiting someone worthy. When you encountered the Night Owl's evil technique today, the Scripture activated automatically to protect you, drawing you into this realm."
"What about Su Wan?" Ji Chen blurted out.
"She will survive," Tai Xuzi replied calmly. "The Su Clan's Spirit Cleansing Pool is capable of removing the Soul-Eating Curse. But you—do you truly understand the origins of the Scripture? Do you know why the Night Owl Society is so desperate to collect it?"
Ji Chen shook his head honestly.
"Ten thousand years ago, I traveled between realms, compiling the Tai Xu Scripture—nine volumes that recorded the ultimate truths of cultivation," the old man said, his tone grave. "Near the end of my life, I discovered that when united, the nine volumes could open the 'Gate of the Void,' a passage to higher dimensions. I saw it as an opportunity. But my junior brother, Ming Zun, coveted that power for his own."
"Ming Zun… the leader of the Night Owl Society?"
"The very same," Tai Xuzi confirmed. "He wished to devour the source energy beyond the Gate to achieve immortality. I fought him and sealed him away, but the nine volumes were scattered across the realms. Now, the seal weakens. Ming Zun is gathering the volumes again through his cult."
Ji Chen tried to process this torrent of revelations. "But… why me? I'm just an ordinary guy…"
"The Scripture chooses its bearer not by strength, but by heart," Tai Xuzi said meaningfully. "You carry light within you. That is exactly what's needed to face the darkness Ming Zun brings."
As the words echoed, the white realm began to tremble. Tai Xuzi's figure started to blur.
"Our time is up. Remember—each volume can sense the others. Zhao Mingyang carries Ming Zun's aura. Be cautious…" His voice faded like a distant wind. "When we meet again, I will teach you the true essence of the Tai Xu…"
Ji Chen gasped and sat upright, finding himself still in the guest room, drenched in sweat. Moonlight streamed through the window. He quickly checked his meridians—Zhao Mingyang's sinister energy was gone, but his cultivation had dropped back to early Foundation Establishment.
"What…?"
A word flashed in his mind—Concealment. The Scripture had hidden his true strength to lull his enemies into complacency.
Just as he was trying to delve deeper into this new insight, soft footsteps approached outside. The door creaked open.
"Su Wan?" Ji Chen could barely believe his eyes.
The figure pulled down her hood—Su Wan, pale but alert, with bandages still wrapped around her arm.
"You're…"
"I'm fine. The Spirit Cleansing Pool worked, but Grandfather has ordered me to marry Zhao Mingyang in three days," she whispered urgently. "I snuck out. Ji Chen, you need to leave now. Zhao Mingyang—"
"Is working with the Night Owl Society," Ji Chen cut her off. "I know."
Su Wan stared at him in disbelief. "How did you…? Never mind. There's no time. I found out that Qin Yue isn't dead—his soul returned to the Night Owl headquarters. They're preparing a new array. Something even worse than the Nine Yin Spirit-Gathering Formation."
Ji Chen quickly told her everything that had happened in the Tai Xu Realm. Su Wan listened with a complex expression, then suddenly grabbed his hand. "Come with me. I know a way out past the guards."
They slipped out into the night. Under cover of darkness, Su Wan navigated the estate with practiced ease. Eventually, she paused by a small pavilion perched on a cliffside.
"I want you to see something first," she said.
They looked out over the Su estate, bathed in moonlight. Ancient rooftops shimmered beneath the stars.
"It's beautiful," Ji Chen murmured.
"I used to come here as a child," Su Wan whispered. "Whenever my cousins mocked me for being 'mixed-blood,' I would cry here alone."
Ji Chen stayed silent, standing beside her.
"I trained so hard, took the most dangerous missions, just to prove myself." Her voice trembled. "But now I see—they never saw me as anything but a tool."
"You're wrong," Ji Chen said firmly. "You're the strongest person I know. Without you, I'd be dead."
Su Wan turned toward him, eyes shining. "Ji Chen… If I run away, will you help me?"
"Of course."
"Then let's go."
They moved toward the ancestral shrine. Behind it, Su Wan used her blood to activate a hidden mechanism, revealing a stone stairwell.
"This passage leads to an abandoned tea house outside the mountains."
They descended. After half an hour, just as they neared the exit, a golden net dropped from above, trapping them both in crackling energy.
"Found you," came Zhao Mingyang's voice.
Torches flared. He stood smugly with several guards.
"I'll make this simple," he sneered. "You, Ji Chen, must die."
Just as he raised a dagger, the ground trembled. Ji Chen's jade slip burned with golden light, and power surged from within him.
A golden thunderbolt roared down, striking Zhao Mingyang and sending him flying.
"Ji Chen?" Su Wan whispered.
He turned to her, glowing like a star. "Run… I can't hold it for long…"
Then he collapsed.
Su Wan caught him. His body burned like fire.
"Hold on," she murmured, carrying him toward the moonlit exit. Behind them, alarm bells rang throughout the Su estate.
But she never looked back.