Chapter 60

Late at night, behind the peak of Tongtian. Clouds obscured the moon, and no starlight was visible. In the void, only the faint glow of the Northern Cold Mountain's great protective array could be seen.

In a secluded courtyard, the night was as cool as water. Amu sat alone on a stone slab, eyes closed in meditation.

Today's battle with Yang Yun had been very enlightening for Amu, and he needed time to reflect and understand. At the same time, he had drained the demonic energy in his Danhai by fully activating the black vine, and although the Ten Thousand Demons Transcendence Spell had converted some of Yang Yun's cultivation energy to replenish him, it was not fully refined. Therefore, he had suffered some internal injuries. Amu had just taken two Qi-replenishing pills and was now catalyzing the medicinal power.

"It seems I shouldn't use the black vine so easily! It requires too much power, and with my current cultivation, I can only use it for one full attack!" Amu thought to himself.

At the same time, although Amu had the *Ancient Wasteland Demon Scripture* in his mind, the only spell he could currently practice was the Ten Thousand Demons Transcendence Spell. In battle, Amu's methods were extremely limited. Amu decided to go to the Heavenly Treasury Cave with Lishui the next day to select a few spells. He wanted to see what effects his demonic cultivation energy would have when he used them.

"Demons are the indomitable people of heaven and earth! Demon intent is the eternal unwillingness! The path of demons is the way to transcend the heavens among the thirty million great paths. Demon cultivators cultivate with blood and without violating their true hearts. If immortals obstruct, kill the immortals; if Buddhas obstruct, destroy the Buddhas. Only our path of demons stands supreme for eternity."

In the dead of night, with no insect chirping, the verses of the *Ancient Wasteland Demon Scripture* continuously echoed in Amu's mind. These verses seemed to contain the great laws of the universe. Each time they circulated, Amu felt his cultivation growing. They also carried an ancient and vibrant demonic intent, which gave Amu a sense of slaughter from the ancient wilderness, as if it was calling for some awakening.

Cultivating a demonic body and nurturing demonic intent, Amu continuously reflected and practiced. His original immortal bones, refined by demonic energy, now had threads of blood light flowing continuously within his flesh.

Demonic energy surged, and the previously dim shadow of the demonic coffin gradually became clearer, gathering countless demonic cultivation energies.

The *Ancient Wasteland Demon Scripture* was indeed an ancient scripture. In just over half an hour, Amu's strength was fully restored, his injuries healed, and his cultivation had greatly increased due to the absorption of Yang Yun's cultivation energy, seemingly ready to reach the ninth stage of the initial cultivation realm.

With this ancient scripture, Amu was not worried about his cultivation not advancing rapidly.

"Hmm?" At this moment, Amu's sea of consciousness sounded an alarm. His demonic consciousness covered a hundred paces, and within that range, every breeze, every rustle of grass, every bird's chirp, and every insect's hum were reflected in his sea of consciousness.

At this moment, a slender figure appeared a hundred paces away. This person's spell was extremely high, and her figure flashed like a fairy gliding over the waves, arriving gracefully.

"Han Bingyi?" Although she was still a hundred paces away, Amu already knew who it was. However, Amu did not get up but instead released a thread of demonic consciousness to lock onto Han Bingyi, continuing to meditate with his eyes closed.

Han Bingyi suddenly stopped not far from Amu's courtyard, not moving forward. She was graceful and coldly beautiful, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, but it was unclear what she was looking at.

"Peeping? Hehe!" Amu thought to himself, "This cold beauty is up at midnight, not sleeping. Could it be just to watch me? She must be here to cause trouble! Then she's in for a bad time!"

Sure enough, after a while, Han Bingyi seemed to have discovered something, coldly snorted, and directly stepped into the courtyard.

Amu remained as steady as a mountain, not moving an inch.

"Stop pretending! You clearly know I'm here, so why are you still meditating?" Han Bingyi said coldly.

"Hmm?" Hearing Han Bingyi's words, Amu opened his eyes and smiled faintly, then slowly stood up, but he was inwardly surprised, "Could she have discovered my demonic consciousness?"

"You're not a cultivation child, are you?" Han Bingyi's eyes were cold, staring at Amu.

"If I'm not a cultivation child, then what are you? I'm one of the recognized废物 in Northern Cold." Amu asked calmly, but he was inwardly shocked. Even the Spirit Saint realm's Han Qianli couldn't discern his depth, so how could this merely Spirit Void realm's Han Bingyi see through him?

"Don't try to deny it! When you were meditating earlier, I felt an unknown power surge in the courtyard. If you were a cultivation child, I would be at the initial cultivation stage!" Han Bingyi said.

"Oh?" Amu looked at Han Bingyi with interest. This first beauty of Northern Cold was indeed skilled, but he wondered how she had perceived all this. Could it be some special method or treasure?

"It's the middle of the night, and no one is around. Did you come here to meet me privately, Senior Sister Han?" Amu ignored Han Bingyi's words and changed the subject to avoid getting entangled in the issue, his tone somewhat teasing.

"Hmph!" Han Bingyi, of course, understood, but her expression didn't change, "If you want me to meet you privately, you'll have to show your worth!"

"Oh?" Han Bingyi's response made Amu pause. He had thought his words would anger her, but he laughed, "I didn't expect Senior Sister Han to have such composure! Unfortunately, I, Amu, don't have the skills you require!"

At this, a cold light shot from Han Bingyi's beautiful eyes, and she said, "During the day at Luoyun Cliff, in front of the sect leader and the first seat, you pretended to be respectful, avoided me, and used words to force me not to attack. Do you think I, Han Bingyi, didn't see through it? Tonight, I'm here to challenge you, to see if your skills match your words. Don't think you can avoid it just because you claim to have no skills. Tonight, you must fight, whether you want to or not!"

Amu laughed and said, "Senior Sister Han, I still admire you and fear you. Why should we fight?"

He said he admired her, but his calm and composed demeanor, even with a hint of teasing, showed no sign of admiration or fear.

"You have no choice!" Han Bingyi coldly snorted, then suddenly waved her hand, sending a force between cultivation energy and spirit energy directly at Amu.

She acted decisively. Amu hurriedly retreated and secretly used the Ten Thousand Demons Transcendence Spell.

Han Bingyi had already entered the Spirit Void realm, just a step away from the Spirit realm. Her strength was above Tieyun's, and apart from Spirit realm experts and people like Meilingfeng, no one in Northern Cold could match her.

Her attack on Amu was less than a full power, just a test to force him to act.

Even so, with the huge gap in realms, Amu felt the pressure like a tidal wave, a thousand-pound boulder pressing on his chest.

If Amu were not already at the near-ninth stage of the initial cultivation realm, with his immortal bones and demonic body, and the ability to use the Ten Thousand Demons Transcendence Spell, Han Bingyi's attack would have been disastrous for him.

Amu used a martial arts technique, but it was driven by demonic cultivation energy, barely avoiding Han Bingyi's attack. The Ten Thousand Demons Transcendence Spell also neutralized part of Han Bingyi's force. Unfortunately, Han Bingyi's power was not pure cultivation energy, and with Amu's current cultivation, the Ten Thousand Demons Transcendence Spell could not neutralize higher-level forces, so its effect was limited.

The gap in realms was a vast chasm.

After one move, Amu retreated to a corner of the courtyard, about three to four zhang away, and Han Bingyi did not pursue.

"Senior Sister Han, you have excellent skills!" Amu said, then flicked his hand, revealing a spirit talisman.

"According to Northern Cold's rules, private duels are strictly punished. As a Spirit Void realm cultivator, the punishment for you, Senior Sister Han, won't be light, right?"

"Summoning spirit talisman? Who are you summoning?" Han Bingyi's expression changed, not expecting Amu to have a summoning spirit talisman.

"Tieyun Senior Brother will do! Let's see how you, Han Bingyi, bully a fellow disciple!" Amu said coldly.

"You?" Han Bingyi was momentarily speechless. She didn't expect Amu to use this as a threat. If it were someone else, she had several ways to retaliate, making them dare not mention the private duel. But she knew these methods wouldn't work on Amu.

"How can you, who is so weak and incapable, even dare to spar with a fellow disciple, and still be listed as a named disciple of the sect leader?" Han Bingyi, unable to do anything to Amu, said angrily.

"Am I weak and incapable? I think you, Senior Sister Han, know the answer. I, Amu, don't act lightly, and when I do, it's usually deadly!" Amu said calmly, then put away the summoning spirit talisman. In fact, he was just trying to scare Han Bingyi. Given Amu's character, he wouldn't summon Tieyun.

"Deadly?" Han Bingyi laughed coldly, "Even in the entire Northern Cold Sect, the number of people who can take my life is few. Do you really think you can win me?"

"I can't win!" Amu looked at Han Bingyi meaningfully, "A Spirit Void realm cultivator fighting a mere cultivation child? Who has ever heard of such a duel?"

"You're not a cultivation child! I don't know what you are, but you have your own power!" Han Bingyi's beautiful eyes swept over Amu, as if she had completely seen through him.

"Even if I'm not an ordinary cultivation child, I think you, Senior Sister Han, have already gauged my strength and are confident of winning, right?" Amu said with a cold laugh.

"What do you mean by that?" Han Bingyi raised her eyebrows, thinking he was accusing her of bullying the weak.

"Are you willing to suppress your cultivation and fight me?" Amu looked at Han Bingyi intently.

"Suppress my cultivation?" Han Bingyi was taken aback, not expecting Amu to make such a request.

But in an instant, Han Bingyi smiled lightly, "If you dare to accept, why shouldn't I?"

Han Bingyi was always cold and beautiful, and now her smile made the flowers lose their color and the stars and moon lose their light. Amu couldn't help but admire her, the first beauty of Northern Cold, truly deserved her title.

"Today, Yang Yun, at the peak of the initial cultivation stage, still lost to you. I will suppress my cultivation to the initial cultivation stage and fight you. What do you think?" Han Bingyi said confidently, believing that even at the initial cultivation stage, she was far superior to Yang Yun.

Perhaps because Amu had basically agreed to the duel, Han Bingyi was pleased, and the usually domineering and cold her asked Amu in a consultative tone.

"Uh? It's fine!" Amu said, but inwardly he was bitter. Was defeating him that important? If he won her, wouldn't he become her heart demon?

Seeing Amu agree, Han Bingyi said nothing more, made a hand seal, recited a true incantation, and a white light shot out, entering her Danhai and sealing most of her cultivation. Now, Han Bingyi's cultivation was equivalent to the initial cultivation stage.

"Initial cultivation stage!" Han Bingyi said to Amu.

But seeing Amu looking at her without speaking, Han Bingyi frowned and said coldly, "Do you not trust me? If you have the ability to seal my cultivation, you can do it!"

"Not at all! I trust your character, Senior Sister Han!" Amu smiled.

"Then let's start!" Han Bingyi said with a light snort.

"However, I have one more thing to say!" Amu said.

"Speak quickly!" Han Bingyi said impatiently.

"Our fight, regardless of life or death..." Amu said slowly.

"I won't kill you!" Han Bingyi lifted her head, her face slightly raised, interrupting Amu, as if everything was under her control.

"I won't kill you either!" Amu also smiled, then said, "Since it's regardless of life or death, there should be a stake! Otherwise, it would be too boring!"

"Stake!" Han Bingyi frowned, "What do you want to bet?" For some reason, hearing Amu's words about a stake, Han Bingyi suddenly had a bad feeling.

"If I lose, I'll give you this!" Amu said, and a black light flashed under his feet, and the Heavenly Black Flying Disc suddenly rose.

"Intermediate spirit treasure, Heavenly Black Flying Disc!" Han Bingyi was surprised. She didn't expect Amu to make such a high bet. An intermediate spirit treasure was not an ordinary item and was a great treasure for cultivators below the intermediate spirit realm.

"Then my bet shouldn't be too small, right?" Han Bingyi didn't accept the bet but looked at Amu and asked.

"If you lose, I want you to be my bodyguard for half a year!" Amu smiled, but his smile had a hint of evil.

"What? Half a year bodyguard!" Han Bingyi was surprised by Amu's strange request.

"No!" Han Bingyi refused directly, without hesitation.

"Ha! So you're afraid of losing!" Amu laughed loudly.

"Who's afraid of losing? It's your bet that's not worth it!" Han Bingyi's eyebrows stood up, and a cold light shot from her eyes.

"Whether it's worth it or not, it's just a stake! Half a year bodyguard, as long as you protect me within the Northern Cold Sect. I won't leave the Northern Cold Sect, I won't make you follow me around, and I won't publicize this! If you feel it's unfair or you're afraid of losing, then forget it. No stake is fine! I, Amu, can handle winning or losing." Amu smiled ambiguously, speaking with great enthusiasm.

Han Bingyi looked at Amu coldly, and when she felt she had looked for too long, she said coldly, "Fine! I agree, but I won't lose!" But as soon as the words were out, Han Bingyi felt she had fallen into a trap.

"Fine! Senior Sister Han, don't go back on your word!" Amu smiled, and this smile was even more evil.

"Han Bingyi, a beautiful bodyguard is great!" Amu thought to himself. He had to resolve this troublesome woman once and for all, or she might cause trouble in the future. The Elder Li lineage still had issues, and Amu didn't want any more trouble. Moreover, Han Bingyi could sense his demonic cultivation energy, and this alone made Amu want to control her, possibly a great help in the future.

"This is the last time you'll use the Heavenly Black Flying Disc tonight!" Han Bingyi thought to herself, unaware of Amu's thoughts.

"Watch out!" Han Bingyi suddenly moved forward, her hand flicking, and an ice arrow shot directly at Amu.

"Ah!" Amu didn't expect Han Bingyi to attack so suddenly. In a panic, he thought, and the Heavenly Black Flying Disc shot into the air.