Chapter 50

As the graceful woman spoke, her expression was not only radiant, but her gaze towards Zongshou was also exceptionally intense, as if Zongshou was already her possession.

"If you agree, I may not be able to help you seize the position of the Demon King of Gan Tian Mountain. However, before you become a Sixth Pulse Martial Master, whoever dares to kill you, I will kill them!"

Yin Yang was even more vigilant, pondering and saying, "A furnace and a primordial fetus? May I ask, young lady, are you from the Xuan Shui Demon Sect, or the Primordial Demon Temple? Or perhaps the Tan Shan Cha Mo Sect—"

"It's the Tan Shan Seven Spirit Sect, the Cha Mo Sect you speak of!"

The woman lifted her chin proudly, giving Yin Yang a fierce glare, seemingly greatly displeased by the demon word he used.

"My name is Zhao Yanran, the chief disciple of the Seven Spirit Sect. I have come down the mountain by my master's order to seek a fetal source!"

Yin Yang laughed bitterly, his gaze cold and devoid of warmth: "So, Miss Yanran, you are preparing to practice your sect's mystic demon fetal method to break through to the Heavenly Realm in the future? But I have heard that your sect's method is always either death or injury. Even if the primordial fetus survives, their cultivation is completely wasted, with almost no exceptions—"

"Of course! The ancestral classics have long recorded that the life and death of the fetal seed and the furnace primordial fetus are in a ratio of seven to three. However, so far, only one furnace in our sect has successfully survived. There are many similar methods in the world, and which one is not like this? But now, what other choice do you have?"

At this point, Zhao Yanran glanced at Zongshou again: "If you accept my fetal seed, your dual-vein body can be suppressed before reaching the Master level! Both martial techniques and spirit methods can advance rapidly. If you refuse, I will kill you now. My fetal seed is personally refined by my master, who went down thirty thousand feet underground to obtain twelve seeds of the Illusory Flame Lotus, which naturally contain pure Illusory Flame煞force. Once planted, it can directly open the seven pulses within half a year. The choice is entirely yours!"

Chuxue's eyebrows furrowed slightly, feeling a chill. Zhao Yanran seemed to have no pity for others' lives, treating it as a common matter. Her tone when talking about killing was terrifyingly calm.

Thinking back to the few warriors who were killed by the wolf pack, it was just to put on a show. She felt a chill all over her body and instinctively moved closer to Zongshou.

She was not afraid of killing, but she was truly wary of this woman.

After all, she was a figure from the recognized demon sect, with a personality and methods that were bizarrely terrifying.

Just as she felt the coldness seeping into her bones, Zongshou patted her shoulder, and Chuxue immediately felt a warmth, realizing that she had been unconsciously influenced by the woman's spirit. Then she saw the young man beside her, with a nonchalant expression, say: "Choosing me as the furnace? Has Miss Yanran really thought it through? Are you not afraid that all the years of hard cultivation will be taken by me?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yanran sneered coldly: "Whether it is the path of martial arts or the cultivation of soul methods, the key is 'fearlessness.' Seven to three, either life or death. Why so hesitant? Winning is best, but losing is nothing. Zongshou, you are the most talented person I have seen in sixteen years, but unfortunately, you are constrained by your bloodline and will hardly achieve anything in your life. If I can't even defeat a useless person like you, then I deserve it! In short, the better you perform in the future, the happier I will be!"

"The better you perform, the happier I will be? Haha, the primordial fetus refined from the Illusory Flame Lotus seeds, to be honest, I am somewhat tempted."

Zongshou smiled slightly, but the next moment, his face turned cold: "If you're done, get lost!"

Saying he was tempted was not a lie. The Illusory Flame Lotus was indeed a good thing, and the temptation of breaking through to the Secret Martial Master realm was immense.

Even without others' help, he had a 99% chance of counteracting the fetal master.

However, using the mystic demon fetal method and the Illusory Flame Lotus would firmly limit his future path.

Moreover, the fetal seed was somewhat conflicting with his method of swallowing primordial energy.

More importantly, he was thoroughly annoyed by this woman's madness. Her slightly mad, high-and-mighty tone, and the attitude of having everything under control, all made him dislike her—

Chuxue secretly rejoiced, her hand on her sword, vigilantly staring at Zhao Yanran, and the sword claw on her left hand slightly spread.

Zhao Yanran, however, was clearly stunned, looking at Zongshou in disbelief, seemingly not expecting her proposal to be rejected. After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Yanran did not directly kill him but frowned: "Why refuse? Given your ruthlessness when killing that soul master, you shouldn't refuse. Is it because my conditions are not enough? Or are you actually timid? No, if that were true, you should have agreed—"

Zongshou sneered, not bothering to explain, knowing that a battle was inevitable today. He glanced deeply at the woman's wound.

The poison he prepared was not strong but highly penetrative. Once it touched, it would be like a bone-deep sore, extremely difficult to expel.

Even a先天武师 (先天武师) should have felt the effects after this time.

Even if only Yin Yang, an eighth-rank Secret Martial Master, had the qualifications to barely match Zhao Yanran, today's battle still had a certain chance of victory.

The odds were about 9 to 1, with Zhao Yanran having nine, and the three of them only one.

Zhao Yanran muttered to herself for a moment, but her expression gradually calmed down. She did not attack but smiled: "Will you agree or not, after you hear me play a tune—"

She really took out several flutes of different styles and materials from her waist, looking at them with great seriousness, as if unable to choose.

"Which one should I choose?"

Zongshou's eyebrows slightly raised, knowing that this woman was indeed an expert in music. The same tune played on different flutes would have different flavors. An iron flute was heavy, a bamboo flute was ethereal, and a jade flute was crisp, each with its own characteristics.

According to his knowledge, the so-called Tan Shan Seven Spirit Sect had inherited several secret music methods to harm people with sound.

With a slight thought, he guessed what the woman was planning. Zongshou looked down and smiled: "If Miss Yanran can't find a suitable flute, I have one here. I guarantee it will satisfy you!"

Chuxue was slightly stunned, wondering when they had brought such a thing. She and Yin Yang were focused on martial arts, and the young master himself had never touched one.

After a moment, she finally realized something, her face turning red, and she secretly scolded Zongshou for being truly vulgar.

Zhao Yanran, completely unaware, took one of the jade flutes in her hand after a moment, placing the mouthpiece to her lips with a serious expression.

The flute sound started, clear and ethereal, yet intermittent and weak, continuous and unbroken.

Yin Yang and Chuxue were on guard, but after listening for a moment, they involuntarily became engrossed.

Gradually, the sound became mournful, making them subconsciously feel sad.

Zongshou, the weakest of the three, remained smiling. A black cloud-patterned flying knife in his sleeve was always faintly visible.

He thought he would not be influenced by the flute sound. However, after a moment, memories flooded his mind, and he was completely engrossed without any defense.

PS: It's not easy to update three times in a row. I hope everyone can give more recommendations and support. A simple click can make a big difference. The success of this book depends entirely on the support of the readers!