"Su Muchan explained softly.
Jing Mingxuan was quite delighted, his expression even somewhat exaggerated. "Hahaha! We've struck gold this time!"
At this moment, both Su Muchan and the female protagonist assumed that Jing Mingxuan had simply stumbled upon extraordinary luck rather than possessing any formidable observational skills.
And indeed, it was neither exceptional observation nor mere luck.
It was simply that Jing Mingxuan knew the original plot inside and out.
Then, Jing Mingxuan tied a white silk ribbon around Su Muchan's cascading waterfall of hair, styling it into a very pretty bow.
Su Muchan moved her body gently, her hair fluttering—light, graceful, and lively.
The six small bells chimed crisply and melodiously, a delightful sound that made Jing Mingxuan's heart skip a beat.
"Disciple, how does it look?"
Seeing the nervous expression on Su Muchan's face, Jing Mingxuan smiled warmly and said, "It looks even better than before!"
Su Muchan's face instantly turned crimson, resembling a fully ripened red apple.
Without any shyness, Jing Mingxuan stared straight at her.
For no other reason than pure appreciation of beautiful things!
Su Muchan's face grew even redder, and her heart swelled with joy.
Hehehe!
My disciple only has eyes for me.
Suddenly, thinking of something, she flicked her slender hand, and the scabbard that had fallen to the ground flew straight into her grasp.
Jing Mingxuan didn't understand what his master was about to do, but he knew there had to be a reason for it.
Could this scabbard be extraordinary as well?
The answer was undoubtedly yes, so he quickly began searching his memory for the original plot.
Yet, from beginning to end, there was no mention of a scabbard with a purple lotus pattern.
In other words, this scabbard had never appeared within the sight of the protagonist group nor under the author's pen.
That's how it should be!
The plot in a novel is merely a corner of this world and cannot represent the whole of it.
Jing Mingxuan felt a little excited; if he merely followed the established plot step by step, he would soon grow bored.
The next instant, the aura concealed deep within Su Muchan erupted completely, sweeping across the entire Xuantian Realm in the blink of an eye.
The female protagonist high above in the firmament knew that Su Muchan was summoning the sword that rightfully belonged to the scabbard, which would cause no harm, and thus chose not to intervene.
Whoosh!
Right beside the mouth of the scabbard, space shattered. A gleam of cold light arrived first, followed by the emergence of a razor-sharp blade.
Just then, an immensely powerful and formidable aura surged out from the spatial rift.
"Who dares to seize this deity's magical treasure?"
The voice was hoarse and aged, yet articulated with crystal clarity and immense power, carrying a deeply oppressive aura.
Compared to the utterly calm Su Muchan, the female protagonist's lips twitched.
The person on the other side was no nobody; it was the Lord of the Abyss Forbidden Zone.
Among the numerous lords of the forbidden zones, his strength was considered top-tier.
At this thought, a strong smile surfaced on the female protagonist's face.
A battle between the Lord of the Abyss and the Female Demon Emperor was undoubtedly inevitable, and it would be best if they battered each other into mutual destruction.
By then, she could reap the spoils without lifting a finger and eliminate two massive troubles in one fell swoop.
Chapter 5: Striking a Massive Treasure Trove
"Your magical treasure? But this sword hasn't been bound yet," Su Muchan murmured.
Jing Mingxuan's lips twitched.
He knew Su Muchan was a bit of an airhead, but he hadn't expected her to remain so naive right in the face of a formidable enemy.
Still, he wasn't panicked—after all, who was his master if not the number one combat powerhouse in the Xuantian Realm?
Besides, Jing Mingxuan believed that as time went on, he would certainly train his master into someone who was shrewd outwardly, radiating a cold and ruthless aura.
Meanwhile, the Lord of the Abyss on the other side of the spatial rift was also stunned.
He never imagined that the entity who had taken the Purple Lotus Sword would actually utter such words.
"This sword is in my territory, so even if it hasn't recognized an owner, it still belongs to me."
Accompanied by this echoing voice, the Lord of the Abyss exerted all his might to pull the Purple Lotus Sword back.
Yet the Purple Lotus Sword did not budge an inch; instead, it moved in the opposite direction.
Oh?
The Lord of the Abyss was filled with utter shock.
Could this woman be that Female Emperor who had swept across the Xuantian Realm?
Instantly, the Lord of the Abyss dismissed the thought!
He had once exchanged a glance with the Female Emperor and had subsequently observed her battles.
She was decisive in killing, cold and ruthless—she would never give him the impression of being somewhat foolish.
Then, who could it be?
Just as the Lord of the Abyss was consumed by doubt, the hilt of the Purple Lotus Sword vanished entirely into the fractured space.
Anxious and unwilling to ponder any further, the Lord of the Abyss transformed into a streak of light and charged straight into the spatial rift.
He wanted to see with his own eyes just who dared to steal his Purple Lotus Sword!
In a flash, he burst out of the rapidly closing exit of the spatial rift.
At the same exact moment, a sharp ripping sound rang out.
The Purple Lotus Sword had successfully slid back into its scabbard.
Seeing this, the Lord of the Abyss finally understood why the other party had been able to find the sword.
Actually, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing; after all, he had spent tens of thousands of years searching for the scabbard of the Purple Lotus Sword without finding even a trace of it.
Next, as long as he revealed his identity, the other party would obediently hand over the complete Purple Lotus Sword.
Imagination was wonderful, but reality was harsh.
Before the smiling Lord of the Abyss could even react, his neck was gripped in a tight, vice-like hold by a terrifyingly powerful force. His face instantly turned pale, and his eyes were filled with astonishment.
The Lord of the Abyss did not panic; he mobilized all his strength, intending to break free.
Yet before he could unleash his power fully, his body and soul were instantly and utterly annihilated into nothingness.
High up in the sky, the female protagonist's expression froze, and her lips twitched.
One had to remember that the Female Demon Emperor was currently in a weakened state after performing the "Immortal Anointing the Crown" upon Jing Mingxuan.
And yet, the Lord of the Abyss—a practitioner in the Half-Step Great Emperor Realm—had just been snuffed out like that!
She found it truly difficult to accept.
Once she calmed down, however, it wasn't entirely unacceptable.
The Lord of the Abyss had been far too arrogant, and the Female Demon Emperor's strike had been far too decisive and ruthless.
Had the Lord of the Abyss been fully prepared and on guard, he certainly would not have died so simply.
Back in Jing Mingxuan's courtyard:
"Master, that move was truly brilliant. I suggest you keep doing it in the future."
Jing Mingxuan had no idea who had just died, but his intuition told him that when encountering such situations, there was no need to ask for the intruder's name; it was best to simply obliterate them first and ask questions later.
Otherwise, once the opponent regained their wits, trying to eliminate them would become much more difficult.
Su Muchan nodded slightly with a radiant smile.
A moment later, Jing Mingxuan noticed that Su Muchan's previously weary and pale complexion had become rosy and full of vitality.
"Master! Why has the side effect of the Immortal Anointing the Crown disappeared?"
Faced with Jing Mingxuan's inquiry, Su Muchan parted her rosy lips and said in a gentle tone, "I just devoured that fellow's power. Although it wasn't much, it was enough to make up for the foundation I lost earlier."
Jing Mingxuan uttered an "Oh."
He glanced at the spot where the Lord of the Abyss had lingered; it remained utterly empty.
Realizing something in an instant, he quickly spoke up, "Master! The entrance to that fellow's spatial storage is likely still right here. Sense it; perhaps you can open his storage space and obtain the treasures inside."
Once a cultivator reached the Haozong Realm, they would use spatially attuned materials to establish a personal storage space linked to their spiritual consciousness.
Compared to physical storage items like spatial pouches or spatial rings, personal storage spaces were far safer and extremely difficult to breach—especially while the cultivator was still alive.
Su Muchan sensed the space immediately, without a shred of hesitation.
A second later, her gaze sharpened, and her snow-white, delicate hand gave a gentle pat toward the empty air before her.
Instantly, a ripple spread outward, and Jing Mingxuan knew that space was trembling.
Bang!
A breach tore open in front of them, and a thick, suffocating wave of spiritual energy rushed over them.
A single glance inside revealed a dazzling, sparkling sea of light.
Jing Mingxuan stood in a daze.
He had struck a massive treasure trove!
Su Muchan's eyes lit up as well.
Aside from her formidable cultivation and strength, she possessed virtually no cultivation resources.
Yet cultivation required vast amounts of resources.
Even if she could endure hardship herself, she couldn't let her newly accepted disciple endure the same.
Now, all was well—she no longer had to worry about this issue!
High in the sky, the female protagonist's eyes glowed with greed when she saw this.
Naturally, she knew that the storage space of a forbidden zone lord contained countless treasures, but she had truly no idea just how many.
Seeing it now, the contents surpassed her entire net worth manifold.
As expected of a forbidden zone lord who had lived for an untold number of years, the foundation he had accumulated was truly immense!
Then another thought struck her: now that the Abyssal Forbidden Zone lacked a lord, it was nothing more than a soft persimmon ripe for the picking.
The female protagonist's eyes lit up. Ignoring Jing Mingxuan and the Female Demon Emperor entirely, she headed straight for the Abyssal Forbidden Zone.
In the courtyard:
"Master, can you give me that wine gourd?"
Jing Mingxuan pointed at the snow-white gourd resting within the Lord of the Abyss's storage space.
Without even sparing it a glance, Su Muchan replied directly, "Of course."
Then she glanced at it, and under the influence of her powerful will, the snow-white gourd flew out, hovering right in front of Jing Mingxuan.
"Disciple, quickly bind this magical treasure."
This gentle, urging voice warmed Jing Mingxuan's heart.
Before long, with Su Muchan's assistance, he completed the binding process.
Jing Mingxuan learned that the snow-white gourd was named the Heaven-Rending Wine Gourd, a Great Emperor Tier magical treasure.
Taking a sip of the wine brewed within the gourd would instantly double one's strength.
A maximum of ten sips could be taken; after ten sips, it would no longer grant any further boosts in strength. For now, his body could only endure a single sip.
Furthermore, the wine inside the gourd was not inexhaustible; it required the consumption of Haozong Realm cultivators or Haozong Stage cultivation resources to brew new batches.
Currently, the Heaven-Rending Wine Gourd was completely full, and according to its feedback, he could drink 888 sips.
Not bad!
Jing Mingxuan tucked the snow-white gourd into his belt.
Hardly had he finished when a sword with a purple lotus pattern drifted into his line of sight.
Wasn't this the very sword that had just returned to its scabbard? Why was it floating in front of him now?
Before Jing Mingxuan could voice his question, Su Muchan's sweet and pleasant voice reached his ears.
"Disciple! Bind this Purple Lotus Sword as well!"
Jing Mingxuan's gaze turned dazed.
He finally understood why Su Muchan had bothered to summon the Purple Lotus Sword earlier—she had done it entirely to give it to him!
To have such a wonderful master yet fail to recruit disciples in the original story truly made him sigh with emotion.
A moment later.
With Su Muchan's assistance once again, he successfully bound the Purple Lotus Sword.
With this, Jing Mingxuan possessed two Great Emperor Tier magical treasures, eclipsing many Emperor-realm cultivators throughout history.
He looked ahead; everything inside the storage space had vanished, clearly having been sucked into Su Muchan's own personal storage space.
Glancing again, the spatial rift had completely closed.
Jing Mingxuan gathered his thoughts, intending to arrange a place for Su Muchan to stay.
Just then, an anxious voice echoed from afar.
"Young Master! The Master is calling you to the Council Hall."
Jing Mingxuan frowned slightly.
Summoning him to the Council Hall at a time like this could not possibly mean anything good.
In all likelihood, members of the Jing family who had also attended the Immortal Ascension Path had reported his situation.
Yet Jing Mingxuan felt no anxiety whatsoever.
For no other reason than this: with his master standing right by his side, not even the female protagonist would dare to act presumptuously, let alone those within the Jing family.
If they refused to accept his apprenticeship, he could simply leave the Jing family.
In short, he had to hold tight to his master's coattails.
"Laifu, lead the way!"
Seeing how calm and composed Jing Mingxuan sounded, Laifu ceased his panic, turned around, and obediently led the way.
Jing Mingxuan tucked the Purple Lotus Sword into his belt alongside the Heaven-Rending Wine Gourd, making him look quite the dashing martial hero.
"Master, let's go!"
With that, he reached out and took Su Muchan's delicate, boneless hand in his.
Inside the Council Hall, an aura of stern majesty pervaded the air.
Jing Cheng, the head of the family, sat at the very front, flanked on both sides by seated elders.
Every single one of them wore a stiff, grim expression.
"Master! The Young Master has arrived!" Laifu announced, bowing as he stepped inside.
Following closely behind, Jing Mingxuan and Su Muchan strolled leisurely into the Council Hall.
Upon seeing this, the elders' faces burned with rage.
What had previously been merely Jing Song's one-sided account was now completely confirmed before their eyes.
Jing Cheng's face darkened. He had originally intended to put in a good word for his son.
Yet in a situation like this, even if he grew eight mouths, he wouldn't be able to clear this up!
"Jing Mingxuan, do you know your crime?" Great Elder Jing Ziang demanded, his face filled with fury and crushing disappointment.
Laifu blinked, thinking to himself that it was over—utterly over. Even the Great Elder, who usually doted on the Young Master the most, was acting like this; the other elders would likely be even worse.
Unfazed, Jing Mingxuan spoke in a ringing, resonant voice, neither humble nor overbearing: "Is taking a demonic cultivator as one's master a crime?"
In an instant, the Council Hall fell into a terrifying silence.
They had anticipated many scenarios, even imagining that Jing Mingxuan might insist on taking a demonic cultivator as his master, but they had never expected Jing Mingxuan to turn the tables and question them instead.
Chapter 6: Aggressive Offense
"Of course it's a crime! Twenty years ago, two Haozong Realm cultivators of the Jing family perished at the hands of demonic cultivators. We share an irreconcilable blood feud with them!" snapped Sixth Elder Jing Wenyao, who had never missed an opportunity to tear Jing Mingxuan down.
Jing Mingxuan's gaze remained cool and detached as he swept his eyes across the room and stated coldly, "Anyone who shares the Sixth Elder's view may step forward right now."
Such a non-committal response left Jing Cheng and the elders utterly bewildered, most of their eyes filled with deep disappointment.
Could the Young Master have been brainwashed by that female demon?
The corners of Jing Wenyao's mouth curled up in a wild smirk. For eighteen years, he had been waiting for this exact opportunity.
And now, it had finally arrived!
"Patriarch, Jing Mingxuan has taken a demonic cultivator as his master and shows no remorse. I demand that his qualification as heir to the patriarch be revoked, and that he be expelled from the Jing family." Jing Wenyao stood up, cupped his hands righteously, and spoke in a booming voice.
Then, he cast a swift glance around.
Instantly, Jing Wenyao's faction members rose to their feet, cupped their hands in unison, and spoke with one voice: "Patriarch, our thoughts are identical to the Sixth Elder's."
Jing Cheng surveyed the scene. He had long known that the Sixth Elder was forming factions for private gain, but he had never imagined it had reached such a severe stage.
His brow furrowed deeply, his expression grim.
Jing Mingxuan was his only son; if he truly followed Jing Wenyao's demands, it meant his lineage would have no future whatsoever.
My son!
Why on earth did you have to take a demonic cultivator as your master?
Even if the master you chose were a murderous maniac, as your father, I could have maneuvered and smoothed things over for you.
Weariness washed over Jing Cheng's face, making him look instantly aged and utterly powerless.
Watching this from the side, a wave of warmth welled up in Jing Mingxuan's heart.
Without any further hesitation, before Jing Wenyao and the other elders could pressure his father further, he commanded, "Master, strike!"
Jing Wenyao and the rest of the elders held their breath, tensing themselves—yet after a long moment, absolutely nothing happened.
Jing Mingxuan felt a flicker of confusion and turned to look at Su Muchan beside him, only to find her blinking her large, expressive eyes in utter puzzlement.
"Disciple, who do you want me to strike?"
Everyone fell speechless.
Jing Mingxuan raised a hand to slap his forehead; he had momentarily forgotten that his master was utterly pure and innocent.
Without spelling it out clearly, his master had no idea what he was talking about.
"Kill the elders who just stood up."
His voice was exceedingly gentle, but the words sent a chill down the spines of everyone present, especially the faction led by Jing Wenyao.
Still, Jing Wenyao mustered his courage and shouted, "How dare you..."
The next instant, a crisp snap of fingers echoed through the hall.
Jing Wenyao and his faction of elders instantly burst apart into clouds of blood mist, resembling a cluster of blooming crimson flowers.
The gathered onlookers sat frozen in shock, their faces drained of color, trembling violently as utter disbelief was etched across every expression.
Just like the late Jing Wenyao and the other elders, they had firmly believed that Jing Mingxuan would never dare to do such a thing.
Yet reality was striking them fiercely across the face.
Slowly, everyone turned their gazes toward Jing Mingxuan, only to find him wearing an icy expression, the corners of his mouth turned upward in a triumphant, smug smirk.
In that instant, they realized their current situation was perilous in the extreme.
Unless they had a death wish, they must never, ever cross Jing Mingxuan.
Jing Ziang glared with furious eyes, gritting his teeth in bitter frustration as he hissed, "Jing Mingxuan! You've truly fallen into the demonic path!"
"That's right! I've fallen into the demonic path!" Jing Mingxuan admitted openly and calmly. He couldn't be bothered to explain—even if he did, they wouldn't necessarily believe him.
Besides, having taken the Female Demon Emperor as his master, he had already shed any mental baggage or hesitation.
"I'll give you all two choices. First, follow me and work together to forge the number one cultivation family in the world; second, sever all ties with me."
As his voice trailed off, Jing Cheng and the elders felt their heads buzzing with pain—they were completely dumbfounded!
Off to the side, Jing Song, who had still been hoping to act as a crucial witness, felt his mind go blank.
Everything unfolding before him, aside from the very beginning, bore no resemblance whatsoever to the picture he had imagined in his head.
Shouldn't the elders have launched a fierce assault while Jing Mingxuan mounted a passive defense?
How on earth did it turn into Jing Mingxuan launching a relentless, no-holds-barred offensive all the way through?
Was his understanding of the world flawed, or had the world simply gone completely mad?
A moment later, seeing that everyone remained frozen in place, Jing Mingxuan spoke with a look of profound disappointment, "Judging by your current expressions, it seems you've all chosen the second option!"
At that moment, Jing Cheng, as the head of the family, finally parted his lips.
"I choose the first option."
Jing Cheng stared steadily at Jing Mingxuan, his stern and dignified face softening with an imperceptible touch of tenderness.
"Fellow elders, I make this choice for no other reason than this: he is my son."
"As the saying goes, 'If a son is uneducated, it is the father's fault.' To make amends for this mistake, I am willing to pay any price—even my life."
Jing Mingxuan smiled slightly. At this moment, he felt deeply proud of Jing Cheng as his father.
Like Jing Mingxuan, the remaining elders were deeply moved as well.
At the same time, deep down inside, they mentally screamed that Jing Cheng was an absolute fool.
If you lose a son, you can always have another; but if you lose the position of family head, you lose all the wealth and glory of the Jing family.
Consequently, a small minority of elders chose the first option, while the vast majority chose the second.
Once every elder had made their choice, Jing Mingxuan smiled warmly and made an inviting gesture with his hand.
"Those elders who chose the second option, please leave the Jing family and find your fortunes elsewhere."
In an instant, Jing Cheng and the elders were left utterly dumbfounded.
Especially the elders who had chosen the second option; each of their faces twisted into expressions of sheer incredulity.
Clearly, everyone had assumed it would be Jing Mingxuan and his followers who would be forced to leave the Jing family.
Meanwhile, Jing Cheng and the elders who had chosen to stand with Jing Mingxuan beamed with radiant smiles.
Jing Ziang's brow unfurled, his aged face overflowing with a broad grin.
Indeed, he had chosen the first option.
Although he had berated Jing Mingxuan earlier, that was simply a case of deep affection breeding high expectations!
Moreover, having lived for several centuries, he had sensed that something was fundamentally amiss here all along.