Chapter 234: Chapter 135: Duanmu Qing
Chu Xuan quickly began testing, letting the Master of the Ghost Market unleash power within the Six Souls Banner from a distance.
This method definitely needs to be familiarized with in advance; it would be total folly to explore it during a battle.
Flying above the vast sea, attempting to have the old ghost unleash power from the first to the sixth realm, Chu Xuan frowned after each trial.
To have the old ghost unleash increasingly strong attacks, the suppression over it must be released further.
But the more the suppression is lifted, the higher the likelihood the old ghost will escape. If its seventh realm power is to be perfectly unleashed, the suppression from the Six Souls Banner must be relaxed to nearly non-existent.
If Chu Xuan dared to do this, the old ghost would definitely escape immediately.
Therefore, for now, Chu Xuan can only allow the old ghost’s power to reach a maximum of the sixth realm.
Moreover, through repeated tests, Chu Xuan also discovered that this "maximum power output" cannot be maintained continuously.
Because the longer the duration of release, the more restless the old ghost becomes. Clearly, prolonged relaxed suppression would give it the chance to quietly accumulate power.
Once it amasses enough power and breaks through that critical point, the old ghost could likewise surge out of the Six Souls Banner.
For safety, it’s best to normally suppress at the fifth realm, occasionally bursting with the power of the sixth realm.
The main reason for this is not that the Six Souls Banner isn’t strong enough; rather, Chu Xuan’s strength is too low, being suppressed by the Master of the Ghost Market’s realm suppression, which is a suppression spanning four major realms.
Thus, finally, Chu Xuan could only take out the old ghost’s storage ring, repeatedly warning it not to act rashly. Although it appears to agree reluctantly on the surface, Chu Xuan is well aware that he absolutely cannot give it any chance!
Chu Xuan’s cultivation cannot be greatly enhanced in a short time, so can he gather a large number of low-level ghost creatures to build an army of a million departed souls?
But upon careful consideration, he deemed it impractical. Not only is the overall quality of "troops" too low, but where can he gather so many ghost creatures?
Should he first challenge the Ghost City or the Nine Nether Sect? Those are sects with high-level cultivators; how could they possibly let him plunder their "strategic resources" without limit?
Chu Xuan shook his head. At worst, I’ll wield the Six Souls Banner’s ultimate means—curse killing!
Writing Yao Yufei’s name at the banner’s tail, praying for it for twenty-one days. By then, shaking this banner will cause her death. If you don’t want to die, honestly hand over your daughter to me.
Of course, Chu Xuan has never used this function. Yao Yufei is reputed as Demon Rain Demon Monarch, rumored to have seventh realm power, meaning the realm suppression between them is equally immense, and he truly isn’t confident of being able to successfully curse kill her.
But at least Chu Xuan can be sure that once the curse killing is initiated, even if it doesn’t kill her, it can cause her immense pain, potentially leading to sustained injury, potentially still proving threatening.
Though, if Yao Yufei withstands the torture of the curse killing, tracks him down together with the banner, then it will be Chu Xuan’s turn to meet his end.
Thus, this last means will only be employed if all negotiations fail, tantamount to a desperate struggle.
...
On the other side, Qingqing, or rather Duanmu Qing, remains unaware that Chu Xuan is meticulously plotting to rescue her.
That final glance indeed faintly entrusted a sentiment of seeking rescue, hoping Chu Xuan would come to save her.
But that’s merely a fantasy, a laughable luxury.
Now cooling down, Qingqing no longer contemplates this; if she truly wished for Chu Xuan to rescue her, she would’ve relayed the inner story long ago.
She’s hidden it all, not wanting Chu Xuan to risk recklessly for her, even describing the loathsome place of Li’an Demon Sect as her "home."
In reality, since the caring father who loved her perished, the Demon Sect for her is akin to boundless hell.
As for that woman, Yao Yufei, oh, when father was still here, she indeed wore a maternal guise, often strict but occasionally playful.
During that time, Qingqing naively believed mother loved her, albeit not as openly as father expressed.
Until after father’s death did that woman tear away the deceitful facade and unveil her ruthless, greedy, and merciless true nature.
Even Qingqing doesn’t know if father’s sudden demise is related to Yao Yufei, yet she seemed prepared; the moment he died, she immediately launched a campaign to secure the acting Sect Leader position.
Within less than a month, Yao Yufei unveiled the "Demon Fetus Cultivation Plan," personally sending her daughter to hell, ensuring she endures torment year after year.
That year, Qingqing was seven, and she’ll never forget the first time she was devoured by the demon fetus, nor the despair of crying and wailing till her voice gave out without anyone coming to rescue her.
It was also Duanmu Qing’s initial step into adulthood, transitioning from a child.
Originally vivacious and cheerful, her temperament drastically shifted thereafter, isolating herself in the Scripture Pavilion to cultivate day and night.
Since mother forbids her from leaving the sect, apart from cultivation, Qingqing can only rely on books to fantasize how wonderful the external world might be.
Moreover, she despises contact with outsiders because, owing to the Innate Divine Techniques of the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart, she’s been able to hear people’s thoughts since childhood, unless the other party imposes realm suppression on her.
