Chapter 98: The Ancient Binding Path

In the quiet chamber, Qin Shuyi sat upright on the jade bed, cultivating the Supreme Clarity Precious Talisman. Her aura was long-lasting and profound, surrounded by a shimmering light in which countless talismans, like snowflakes, swirled gracefully—a truly beautiful sight. Her skin was snow-white and radiant, her spiritual light restrained, and her body exuded an immortal aura, faintly carrying the essence of “icy skin and jade bones.”

Suddenly, her beautiful eyes snapped open in surprise as she looked toward the chamber door. Every time she cultivated, she habitually set protective barriers within the chamber to avoid disturbance. But at this moment, a pitch-black demonic light slipped through the barrier’s glow with a faint glint and swiftly entered the chamber.

Qin Shuyi focused her gaze and saw that it was a black vine, about the thickness of a thumb. The vine bore tiny, exquisite flowers—vivid yet carrying a bloodthirsty frenzy that made it eerily unpredictable.

With a hand forming a spell, Qin Shuyi softly commanded, and a ball of pure light descended from the air, carrying the power of obliteration, striking the demonic vine. However, the vine twisted and writhed like a snake, its strange flowers swaying, as rings of black light emerged and enveloped the pure light, making it vanish instantly.

In the next moment, the demonic vine silently surged to Qin Shuyi’s side! Before she could react, a circle of black demonic light descended, immediately sealing her cultivation power.

Then, the thumb-thick vine wrapped around Qin Shuyi’s slender and graceful waist, spreading across her alluring figure. The vine seemed controlled by an unseen hand, winding around her body in sequence, tying knots at her neck, collarbone, the cleavage of her chest, her smooth back, and delicate wrists. The knots were intricate and beautiful, resembling the diamond-shaped pattern of turtle shells...

Her hands were bound behind her by the vine. Panic flickered across Qin Shuyi’s face as she staggered to her feet, stepping toward the chamber door with her long, fair legs. After a few steps, her cheeks flushed deeply, revealing a blush of shyness. She stopped, instinctively clenching her well-proportioned legs.

Her beautiful eyes flickered as she stifled a slight sigh, already guessing who was causing this mischief.

A figure appeared at the door and walked in slowly.

Qin Shuyi blushed and hurriedly said, “Please release me…”

Pang Yue chuckled, “It is said that there are thirty-six ancient binding techniques. I have only mastered twelve; this one is called the Turtle Shell Bind.”

He said so while lifting Qin Shuyi and sitting down by the jade mat.

The beautiful woman, bound yet still enchanting, carried a charm of her own.

Qin Shuyi’s cheeks glowed as she wriggled and said, “Don’t humiliate me like this…”

Pang Yue inhaled her fragrance softly and said, “This is the delight of the boudoir. How can it be humiliation? Let me see if your cultivation has progressed recently.”

“Mm…” Qin Shuyi breathed softly, as if holding something in her mouth, her voice low and delicate with gentle panting.

Then, the chamber was filled with the fragrance of springtime.

…

Outside Zhuoguang Mountain, a flash of light streaked across the sky. Within the light, a demonic talisman clone floated, its sleeves billowing, its demonic intent restrained. A faint black mist shrouded it, containing thirty-three fist-sized, pitch-black miniature mountains, rotating endlessly.

These thirty-three untainted sky demons gathered and dispersed, constantly shifting formations, faintly forming a talisman array resembling a stone stele.

A sublime aura of overwhelming power, capable of suppressing the four extremes, quietly emerged!

In an instant, the demon talisman clone arrived above an island. Upon contact with the island’s protective array, a layer of spiritual light appeared, blocking his path.

He called out loudly, “Friend Ran, are you there? Pang Yue from the True Demon Hall has come to pay a visit!”

The Ice Phoenix puppet’s presence on Qianyun Island must be closely connected to Ran Junxin.

Perhaps she had another fate, regaining the memory of hundreds of years within the cycle of reincarnation…

If so, those years when they were Dao partners in the cycle would surely be remembered.

Yet, she had never sought out Pang Yue.

The demon talisman clone’s voice echoed far, and soon a flash of light flew out from the island.

Pang Yue focused and showed a look of surprise.

The visitor was a cute girl of about ten, with cultivation barely at the third level of Qi Gathering, struggling to steer the light flying wind.

She approached Pang Yue and said obediently, “Greetings, Uncle Pang. Master is not on the island. She said if you come looking for her, give her this letter.”

The girl handed over a letter with both hands, standing obediently in midair, her curious face studying Pang Yue.

The demon talisman clone opened the letter, scanning its contents swiftly, reading—

“Junxin bows deeply, seeing these words is like meeting in person.

Time does not wait, seasons flow like water. A hundred years of reincarnation, much shared with you.

Sudden parting, two sides gazing, thinking it only three or four days, yet it is said to be five or six autumns. The Qixi Festival’s heartless watch, eight pens unable to write, September’s feelings scatter with the heart, ten strands of affection seek your return...

Now I journey to the South Sea to seek opportunity; if I fail to obtain the Golden Core, I will not return to the Demon Talisman Sect.

If you still care, come to Qianluo Palace to meet…”

Pang Yue sighed deeply after reading.

“She has indeed gone to Qianluo Palace.”

The South Sea was extremely distant from the East Sea; even ordinary Dao Foundation cultivators taking only flying light would take a century to arrive!

Even using a teleportation array was costly, difficult to bear.

Thinking of the Ice Phoenix puppet auctioned on Qianyun Island by Ran Junxin, Pang Yue understood where she had spent the spiritual stones.

Staring at the elegant handwriting on the letter, a wave of melancholy rose in Pang Yue’s heart as he quietly returned to Zhuoguang Mountain.

…

Half a month later, Luo Qingyuan brought an invitation back to the Zhuoguang Mountain cave residence.

The invitation came from the major cultivation sect of the East Sea, Chongxuan Sect!

This sect specialized in artifact forging, akin to the White Bone Demon Sect in the Demonic Realm, but one was orthodox and the other demonic, walking different paths.

Chongxuan Sect cultivators used their life-bound artifacts as foundations, refining these artifacts to nourish their own cultivation, and as the quality of the artifacts improved, so did their cultivation breakthroughs.

Generally, lower, middle, upper, and supreme grade artifacts corresponded to the early, mid, late, and perfected stages of Dao Foundation!

First, second, and third tier magical treasures corresponded to the early, mid, and late stages of the Golden Core.

The sect excelled at artifact forging, and its market was a confluence of materials from all over!

An elder of the Luo family at the Golden Core stage, Luo Zhiyao, had a past connection with a true disciple of Chongxuan Sect.

Recently, that true disciple broke through to the Golden Core realm and was about to hold a grand ceremony, inviting the Luo family to attend.

Luo Zhiyao selected ten Dao Foundation disciples from the family to expand their horizons; Luo Qingyuan accompanied them and hoped Pang Yue could join too.

Unfortunately, Pang Yue had to stay to assist Ye Bing, the Ice Demon Hall’s leader, in refining a cultivation technique, so he temporarily could not leave the sect and sent his demon talisman clone out with Luo Qingyuan to Chongxuan Sect.

Chongxuan Sect was located in the northern part of the East Sea, hundreds of thousands of miles from the Demon Talisman Sect.

When the Luo family group arrived at the Chongxuan Sect’s marketplace via teleportation array, the Golden Core grand ceremony was about to begin. The entire sect was festooned with lanterns and decorations, like a grand festival.

The Golden Core grand cultivation was the pillar among East Sea sects, carrying great significance.

Chongxuan Sect, being a grand artifact forging sect, was sought by all major forces in the East Sea cultivation world. Many had sent representatives to witness the event.

It was said that the newly risen Golden Core cultivator would present a second-tier magical treasure flying sword as a prize at the ceremony, inviting all attendees to compete in a magical duel, to determine the victor and form a bond by the sword.