I, a Demonic Nascent Soul Patriarch, Begin by Snatching a Cheat

The middle-aged man’s face contorted in terror as he saw the cyan chains hurtling toward the three of them.

The chains moved with incredible speed, leaving no time to dodge. The trio could only muster all their defensive measures, hoping for a sliver of survival.

“Xie Yunqing! You despicable scoundrel!”

The middle-aged man’s eyes nearly split as he roared toward the feathered-robed youth.

“You were the one who broke faith first, and now you’re turning it around on me!”

So that feathered-robed youth was called Xie Yunqing.

His expression remained cold, a faint, elusive smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He didn’t speak a word, merely standing there silently, as if watching a farce that had nothing to do with him.

Several chains slammed violently into the mana barrier the three had jointly raised.

Boom!

The barrier trembled violently. Veins bulged on the trio’s foreheads as they strained to channel their mana in defense. But in mere moments, the barrier shattered like glass, easily pierced through by the chains.

Two of them couldn’t dodge in time and were directly impaled through the chest by the chains. The cyan flames clinging to the chains instantly devoured their souls; before they could even scream, they fell silent, utterly lifeless.

The middle-aged man at the Peak Golden Core stage reacted a bit faster. Using the force of the rebound, he scrambled frantically outward, trying to flee.

Jiuyou remained unhurried. He raised his palm, aimed it toward the middle-aged man, and gently clenched his fist. As for who was right or wrong, he had his own judgment.

Around the middle-aged man, clusters of cyan, icy flames sprang up out of nowhere, encasing him completely. Within the inferno, several fiery serpents shot out, baring fangs and brandishing claws, surging toward him with bone-chilling cold.

The middle-aged man desperately activated his magic treasures to resist, but it was futile.

The gap between a Nascent Soul cultivator and a Golden Core cultivator was as vast as a chasm.

In the blink of an eye, his magic treasures were all destroyed, and his life hung by a thread.

The three Golden Core cultivators watching from a distance had long heard of the terror of Nascent Soul cultivators, especially the fearsome reputation of Grand Ancestor Jiuyou. But seeing it firsthand today left them trembling with fear, their legs weak.

Just as the middle-aged man was about to be consumed by the flames, Xie Yunqing’s voice suddenly rang out, carrying a perfectly measured note of earnestness.

“Senior, could you spare this man to this junior for handling?”

He bowed respectfully, his tone deferential.

“This man broke his word and ambushed this junior first. I wish to take revenge myself, to quell the hatred in my heart. I hope Senior will grant this wish.”

Jiuyou, upon hearing this, slightly tilted his head and cast a glance at Xie Yunqing.

A flicker of understanding passed through his eyes.

He had been through the same in his younger days. How could he not see through the schemes these juniors were cooking up?

The soul of a mere Golden Core cultivator was neither here nor there to him. Compared to the perilous journey to the Heavenly Abyss Mountain ahead, having an ally at Mid-Nascent Soul was far more valuable than a puppet at Peak Golden Core.

Jiuyou let out a cold, eerie chuckle, deliberately laced with a hint of approval, and spoke in a hoarse voice.

“You’ve thought it through well. Good. Killing your enemy to clear your path to the Dao—I was the same in my younger days. If you don’t kill every last foe, your Dao heart won’t be clear, and the heart demons during Core Formation will be that much harder to deal with.”

As he spoke, his gaze returned to the dying middle-aged man. He flicked his finger.

A streak of cyan light shot out, drilling straight into the man’s dantian. It shattered his Golden Core completely, crippling his cultivation utterly.

Then, Jiuyou waved his sleeve lightly, and the middle-aged man was flung like a corpse before Xie Yunqing.

“Friend Xie, I’ve crippled his cultivation. Since he’s your enemy, he’s yours to deal with.”

“Thank you, Senior!”

Xie Yunqing quickly bowed deeply, along with the two Golden Core cultivators behind him.

He shot a look at one of his companions.

That Golden Core cultivator immediately understood. Though a bit reluctant, he hastily flew over to the remains of the Nascent Soul cultivator, picked up the Storage Pouch at the waist, then slowly flew back to Jiuyou’s side. With trembling fingers, he respectfully handed it over.

Jiuyou nodded with satisfaction and pressed a hand onto the Storage Pouch.

The Golden Core cultivator’s whole body jolted. He buried his head deeply, terrified of making a wrong move that might provoke the ire of this merciless demonic patriarch, who had countless kills to his name.

Jiuyou paid him no mind, casually pocketing the Storage Pouch without causing any trouble.

The Golden Core cultivator, feeling as if he’d been granted a reprieve, quickly flew back behind Xie Yunqing.

“Friend Xie.”

“Does Senior have further instructions?” Xie Yunqing quickly stepped forward, a vague guess forming in his mind.

Jiuyou slowly flew over to Xie Yunqing, took out a jade slip engraved with peculiar runes from his Storage Pouch, and gently proffered it. The jade slip floated lightly before Xie Yunqing.

“In about a decade, the Heavenly Abyss Mountain at the border of the Three Alliances will emerge. Your master surely won’t miss this opportunity for a Life-Extending Fruit.”

Jiuyou’s voice was flat, but carried an unmistakable certainty.

“My remaining lifespan is limited. I want to enter the Heavenly Abyss Mountain to fight for a sliver of survival. I’d like to invite your master to journey with me, to look out for each other and compete for the Life-Extending Fruit together. Our chances of success will be greater.”

He paused, pointing at the jade slip.

“This is my unique communication jade slip. Within a hundred thousand miles, I can sense it. If your master is interested, use this to contact me.”

A perfectly timed look of realization spread across Xie Yunqing’s face. He quickly reached out with both hands to receive the jade slip.

“Senior, your foresight is profound. Yunqing is deeply impressed. Please rest assured, I will relay this message faithfully. Given my master’s temperament, I’m certain he will be delighted to cooperate with a powerhouse like Senior.”

Jiuyou’s gaze lingered on Xie Yunqing for a few breaths. The more he looked, the more satisfied he became.

Far better than that pigheaded grand-disciple of his.

“Good, good, good. Truly a worthy disciple of Blood Sea Dao-Friend. Then I shall await the good news.”

“Hahaha—”

Jiuyou let out a few hearty laughs. With a wave of his sleeve, thick fog enveloped him.

He still had to go back and properly entertain that good-for-nothing disciple he hadn’t seen in over a hundred years.

The mist slowly dissipated, and his figure vanished.

After a long pause, the remaining three dared to take deep breaths, wiping the cold sweat from their brows. Facing a Nascent Soul ancestor of such capricious temperament was an immense pressure.

Xie Yunqing’s gaze fell on the middle-aged man. A flicker of mockery shone in his eyes, and a cruel smile curled on his lips. He slowly flew over to him, reached out his palm, and lightly patted the face of the now-crippled man, his tone dripping with smugness.

“Weren’t you so arrogant just now? Hahaha, see this? In the world of cultivation, background, connections, and resources are indispensable. Things a rogue cultivator like you can never hope to obtain.”

He paused, his voice growing even colder.

“Even if I ambushed you first and failed, getting myself hurt in the process, so what? In the end, you still ended up in my hands, didn’t you?”

He let out a sinister chuckle.

“You rogue cultivators, stumbling upon a few opportunities, picking up a few treasures, and lucking your way into Foundation Establishment and Core Formation—do you really think that puts you on equal footing with us on the path of cultivation!?”

He leaned down, enunciating each word.

“What I, Xie Yunqing, was born with, you will spend your whole life never even coming close to.”

The middle-aged man stared at him, his eyes filled with venom and resentment. Finally, he spat a mouthful of crimson spittle toward Xie Yunqing’s face.

Xie Yunqing let out a light laugh and casually blocked the spit with a flicker of mana.

Then, he pressed his palm.

“Pfft—”

The middle-aged man’s head was crushed outright.

Xie Yunqing wiped his hand with a look of distaste, turned to glance at the Nascent Soul cultivator’s remains, gave them one last look, and then, along with his two companions, transformed into three streaks of light and left this nameless, desolate island.