Volume One, Chapter 3: Stealing Liu Ruyan’s Cultivation and Gouging Out My Little Brother’s Sword Eyes

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Chen Xuanting rode toward Jiangyin City.

Along the way, every martial artist he encountered was devoured by him. His damaged meridians had already recovered completely, and his astral energy had increased considerably.

A caravan appeared on the official road.

“Another group of prey.”

Chen Xuanting released his spiritual sense to investigate whether the caravan contained any experts, but then he noticed the character “Liu” embroidered on its flag.

It was the Liu Family Caravan.

The strongest among them was only at the seventh level of the Martial Dao.

It was her.

Chen Xuanting soon discovered the woman inside one of the carriages. She was none other than Liu Ruyan, the woman who had betrayed his former self.

What a narrow world.

A fickle woman like her deserved to die.

He decided to strike at the Liu Family first.

To conceal his identity, he tore a strip of cloth from his clothing and covered his face, leaving only a pair of deep, icy eyes exposed.

“Hyah!”

He urged his horse toward the caravan at full speed.

“Be on guard!”

Seeing a masked rider charging toward them, the caravan guards immediately grew vigilant. They drew their swords and prepared for battle.

Liu Yan hurried to one of the carriages.

“Miss, someone is robbing the caravan.”

“How many are there?”

“One.”

Upon hearing that there was only a single attacker, Liu Ruyan lifted the carriage curtain and looked out. She saw a masked man riding toward them.

“Kill him!”

At Liu Ruyan’s command, the Liu Family guards charged at Chen Xuanting with their swords drawn.

Chen Xuanting stepped on the horse’s back and soared into the air. He immediately unleashed the Heaven-Devouring Demonic Art. A force of devouring seized the Liu Family warriors rushing toward him, draining the vital essence from their bodies. In the blink of an eye, they had become withered corpses.

A martial artist’s vital essence was incomparably vigorous. After absorbing theirs, Chen Xuanting felt as though he had swallowed a supreme tonic. His astral energy surged, instantly breaking through his meridians and advancing him into the Meridian-Penetrating Realm.

Seeing the Liu Family warriors reduced to desiccated corpses, Liu Ruyan and Liu Yan were both horrified.

“Miss, this man practices an evil art. Leave at once. I will deal with him.”

Liu Yan attacked Chen Xuanting with his saber. With a single slash, a saber aura more than ten feet long swept toward Chen Xuanting.

Chen Xuanting did not evade. Instead, he directly used the Heaven-Devouring Demonic Art to swallow the saber aura.

The Heaven-Devouring Demonic Art was tyrannical beyond measure. Although his opponent was a seventh-level Martial Dao expert, Chen Xuanting did not take him seriously.

Seeing that his saber aura could be devoured as well, Liu Yan was shaken to the core. Chen Xuanting unleashed the Heaven-Devouring Demonic Art upon him, while Liu Yan retreated rapidly and struck again and again. Saber auras crisscrossed the air, yet every one of them was devoured by Chen Xuanting.

Seeing Liu Yan driven back step by step, Liu Ruyan immediately ordered the coachman to flee with the carriage. She abandoned even the cargo; compared with her life, the goods were worthless.

In the end, Liu Yan was no match for Chen Xuanting. His astral energy and vital essence were completely drained, and he died.

“Liu Ruyan, you will never escape my grasp.”

Watching Liu Ruyan flee, Chen Xuanting gave a sinister smile and rode after her.

“Stop.”

Partway along the road, Liu Ruyan ordered the coachman to halt.

“Drive the carriage away and lure that demon off. When you return to the Liu Family, I will reward you handsomely. If you die, I will take good care of your family.”

“Miss, go quickly. I’ll lure the demon away.”

The coachman, utterly loyal, drove the carriage away while Liu Ruyan slipped into the woods.

What Liu Ruyan did not know was that Chen Xuanting’s spiritual sense had already locked onto her. Every move she made was visible to him.

Before long, Chen Xuanting rode to the place where Liu Ruyan had abandoned the carriage.

Hidden in the woods, Liu Ruyan saw the masked man stop. Her heart leaped into her throat. He was a demon, terrifying beyond words, and she did not want to become another ugly dried corpse.

“Come out. Do you really think you can escape my spiritual sense?”

Chen Xuanting’s voice sounded beside her ear.

Liu Ruyan was struck with terror.

Spiritual sense.

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This demon was a ninth-level Martial Dao expert of the Divine Transformation Realm.

No wonder he had not been lured away by the carriage.

Escaping from a Divine Transformation expert was impossible. Liu Ruyan walked out of the woods.

“Please don’t kill me. I am the eldest daughter of the Jinling Liu Family. However much silver you want, I will give it to you.”

“Liu Ruyan, open your dog eyes and take a good look at who I am.”

Chen Xuanting tore away the cloth covering his face, revealing his true appearance.

“Chen Xuanting? It’s you!”

Liu Ruyan stared at him in disbelief. She had never imagined that the demon pursuing her was Chen Xuanting. Fury filled her eyes.

“Chen Xuanting, how dare you rob my family’s caravan and pursue me!”

“Liu Ruyan, even now you still dare to put on the airs of the Liu Family’s eldest daughter before me? You truly have no fear of death.”

Chen Xuanting acted at once, devouring the astral energy and vital essence within Liu Ruyan’s body.

Liu Ruyan panicked. Chen Xuanting actually intended to kill her. How could he be so ruthless? She had been the woman he loved most.

“Xuanting, please, don’t kill me. I never meant to betray you. Chen Xiao forced me to do it.”

Liu Ruyan pleaded desperately, but Chen Xuanting remained unmoved. He gazed at her with an amused expression as she begged for her life.

“Hm?”

Chen Xuanting discovered that Liu Ruyan’s vital essence was not only pure but also contained a trace of mysterious yin energy. He immediately examined her with his spiritual sense.

A Mysterious Yin Physique!

He had never expected that this despicable woman, Liu Ruyan, possessed a Mysterious Yin Physique. The condition required to establish the foundation of the Heaven-Devouring Demonic Art had appeared.

Chen Xuanting immediately stopped devouring her.

Believing that Chen Xuanting had softened, Liu Ruyan knew she had to placate him. She continued appealing to his emotions and reason.

“Xuanting, I truly love you. I was heartless back then only because Chen Xiao forced me. I had no choice. You must believe me.”

“If you want me to believe you, then give yourself to me.”

Chen Xuanting smiled wickedly. Since taking over this body and being reborn, he had not yet enjoyed a woman. This despicable woman would be the first.

“I will. My body belongs only to you.”

To save her life, Liu Ruyan did not resist. She surrendered herself and removed her clothing, revealing her flawless, snow-white body.

She felt deeply humiliated, while hatred and murderous intent toward Chen Xuanting filled her heart. Once she returned, she would kill him at any cost.

Faced with such an alluring body, Chen Xuanting felt not the slightest stir of desire.

In his former life, imperial princesses and holy maidens had been nothing more than his playthings. If he were not currently so weak and in need of mysterious yin energy to increase his cultivation, such a physique would never have caught his eye.

Chen Xuanting showed no mercy or tenderness as he took Liu Ruyan.

Afterward, he immediately used a vicious yin-absorption technique to drain her.

A stream of pure mysterious yin energy entered Chen Xuanting’s body. It was far beyond the primordial yin of an ordinary woman—not only purer, but also far more formidable. If he failed to refine it, the mysterious yin energy would seal his meridians and kill him.

Chen Xuanting devoured the mysterious yin energy and condensed a demonic embryo.

The Mysterious Yin Physique was an exceptional cultivation vessel. Dual cultivation would have produced better results and allowed the energy to flow steadily, but Chen Xuanting had no patience for that, nor could he afford to wait. He had to raise his cultivation as quickly as possible and enter the cultivation world.

“Chen Xuanting, you’re going to kill me!”

Liu Ruyan could already feel her life draining away. She was utterly terrified.

“If I don’t kill you, should I keep you around so you can come seeking revenge?”

“I won’t. I’m already your woman.”

“A woman’s words are the lies of a demon. Die!”

A terrifying suction force drained all the mysterious yin energy from Liu Ruyan’s body.

“Chen Xuanting, you are utterly vicious!”

Liu Ruyan died from the extraction. Her entire body was drained dry, leaving behind an ugly, withered corpse.

After devouring the mysterious yin energy, Chen Xuanting completed the foundation establishment and condensed a demonic embryo within his body.

To establish the foundation of the Heaven-Devouring Demonic Art, one had to devour a special physique and use the source contained within it to condense a demonic embryo. Once the embryo reached perfection, he would be able to merge with it and forge the Heaven-Devouring Demonic Body.

With the demonic embryo condensed, the might of the Heaven-Devouring Demonic Art increased greatly. Streams of spiritual energy from heaven and earth poured into Chen Xuanting’s body.

He had not broken through the Divine Gate or reached the Spirit-Communion Realm, yet he could already absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. This demonstrated just how defiant of the natural order the Heaven-Devouring Demonic Art was.

Chen Xuanting devoured all the spiritual energy in the mountain forest. The astral energy within him became even more refined. He ended his cultivation and left the woods.

Liu Ruyan’s corpse lay exposed in the wilderness.

Some time later, Chen Xuanting rode back to the Chen Family. He intended to deal with Chen Fuyao. With his current cultivation, he was confident he could evade the Chen Family’s pursuit.

He arrived at Chen Fuyao’s separate residence.

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“Second Young Master is practicing his sword. Eldest Young Master, please stop here.”

The coldly beautiful Chen Qingluan blocked Chen Xuanting’s path.

A trace of icy intent flashed through Chen Xuanting’s eyes. Even a maid dared to obstruct him. Before he could act, Chen Fuyao, who had been practicing his sword in the courtyard, heard the commotion and came out.

“Big brother.”

The moment he saw Chen Xuanting, Chen Fuyao looked delighted.

“Big brother, what brings you here? This is the first time you’ve visited me. Please, come in.”

He was exceedingly warm.

“I don’t like her. She is not allowed inside.”

Chen Xuanting did not want any unforeseen complications. Everything had to be foolproof.

“Big brother, Qingluan did not mean to offend you. Please don’t blame her.”

“It seems she holds a higher place in your heart than I do as your elder brother. Then I’ll leave.”

Chen Xuanting pretended to turn away.

“Big brother, I’ll have Qingluan wait outside.”

To keep his elder brother from leaving, Chen Fuyao had no choice but to wrong Chen Qingluan.

Chen Xuanting entered the courtyard. Chen Qingluan remained outside, the chill on her face deepening. Clearly, she was angry that the Second Young Master had left her outside.

“Fuyao, I want to borrow something from you.”

“Anything I have, big brother may take.”

Chen Fuyao was exceedingly generous. Their father disliked his elder brother and had given him all the finest things, leaving Chen Fuyao feeling indebted. Whatever he possessed, he was willing to give his brother.

But he never expected Chen Xuanting to suddenly seize his arm. A devouring force forcibly drained the astral energy and vital essence from his body. While Chen Fuyao was still stunned, Chen Xuanting’s other hand lunged toward his eyes. He tried to evade, but the devouring force held him fast.

“Ah!”

A shrill scream rang out.

“My eyes!”

Chen Fuyao’s eyes had been gouged out by Chen Xuanting, leaving both sockets drenched in blood.

“Little brother, the things I wanted to borrow were precisely your eyes.”

Chen Xuanting gave a sinister laugh, holding the two eyeballs in his hand like a demon from hell.

At last, he had obtained the Sword Pupils.

Ruthless and merciless, he intended to kill Chen Fuyao and eliminate every trace of the threat.

Suddenly, a sword aura attacked him from behind. He swiftly dodged it.

The one who had struck was Chen Qingluan.

“Chen Xuanting, you are vicious beyond measure! The Second Young Master is your own brother. How could you bring yourself to do this to him?”

Chen Qingluan angrily rebuked the ruthless Chen Xuanting and charged at him with her sword.

Chen Xuanting had not expected a mere maid to possess seventh-level Martial Dao cultivation. She had hidden herself deeply. Gathering his strength, he struck her with a palm and sent her flying. Chen Qingluan was wounded and spat blood.

“Chen Xuanting has harmed the Second Young Master! Come quickly and kill him!”

Chen Qingluan’s voice rang throughout the estate.

Damn that wretched woman.

Chen Xuanting seethed with anger. He fled immediately. Otherwise, once the old monsters of the Chen Family arrived, he would have no chance of escaping. He would return after breaking through to the Spirit-Communion Realm and eradicate the threat completely.

The moment he left the Chen Family, Chen Xuanting discovered that the horse he had prepared in advance was gone. His expression turned cold.

“Chen Xuanting, are you looking for your horse?”

A mocking voice sounded.

Chen Xuanting cast a frigid gaze toward Chen Feng, who was riding a horse. It was his horse, and beside Chen Feng stood another man—Chen Feng’s elder brother, Chen Lin.

“Chen Xuanting, you injured my younger brother a few days ago. I’ll make you—”

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Xuanting struck him with a palm and sent him flying. The blow shattered his internal organs, killing him on the spot.

“Big brother!”

Chen Feng stared in shock. Still reeling from what he had witnessed, he too was killed by a single palm from Chen Xuanting.

The two brothers died together.

Chen Xuanting mounted the horse and fled Jinling City.