"You are my disciple. Naturally, I should treat you well."
Mo Yu spoke as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Chu Yuli's heart became a tangled mess of emotions.
A trace of warmth mixed with bitterness.
Did he truly regard her as his disciple?
But if not...
Then what else could he possibly want from her?
She had nothing.
As for her appearance?
In the cultivation world, beauty alone was the most fragile and worthless thing.
After a moment of silence, Chu Yuli bowed deeply once more.
This time, however, her gratitude was far more sincere than before.
"Thank you, Master."
---
[Chu Yuli's Favorability +40]
[Current Favorability: 60 (Close)]
[Under your patient guidance, Chu Yuli has begun to accept you. Cultivating a beautiful young girl is truly one of life's great pleasures.]
[As a Daughter of Luck walking the Mortal Path, Chu Yuli possesses extreme vigilance toward those with low Luck. As a destined Villain, you must have invested unimaginable effort to earn her trust.]
[Villain Counterattack Successful.]
[Reward: Grade 3 Breakthrough Pill.]
[Grade 3 Breakthrough Pill: Allows the user to break through one minor realm within the Golden Core Stage without any side effects. System products are guaranteed to be of the highest quality.]
[Villain Points +600]
---
Mo Yu stared at the notifications in silence.
It had indeed required a tremendous amount of effort.
A whole Grade 2 Nourishing Essence Pill.
Truly a painful sacrifice.
As for ordinary Grade 2 medicinal pills?
Even the spirit beasts on his mountain wouldn't bother eating them.
With a thought, he inspected the newly obtained Breakthrough Pill.
Although it was classified as Grade 3, its quality was clearly far beyond that level.
If it were placed on the market, its value would be comparable to that of a Grade 4 medicinal pill.
The corners of Mo Yu's mouth lifted slightly.
Not bad.
At least the System hadn't completely lost its conscience.
He slowly raised a hand and rested it gently on Chu Yuli's head.
"Yu'er."
His voice softened slightly.
"Although this world is dark, it isn't as terrible as you imagine."
"At the very least..."
"You can trust me."
The region they currently occupied lay at the border between the Heavenly Profound Domain and the Chaotic Star Domain.
The spiritual energy here was thin.
Law and order barely existed.
Where power ruled supreme, darkness naturally flourished.
Chu Yuli's delicate body trembled slightly.
The affectionate nickname, "Yu'er," felt somewhat unfamiliar.
Somewhat uncomfortable.
Yet strangely...
It also brought an indescribable sense of warmth.
For a brief moment, she seemed to see the shadow of her late mother.
Was the world dark?
Her family had been destroyed.
Her former master had attempted to poison her.
Human traffickers had sold her into slavery.
She had spent years suffering in the mines.
Everywhere she looked, there had only ever been darkness.
Slowly, she raised her head and looked at Mo Yu.
His eyes were deep and unfathomable.
She couldn't understand him.
Couldn't see through him.
Yet for some reason...
She couldn't help wanting to believe him.
Her intuition told her that this man before her was worthy of trust.
After a long silence, her vermilion lips parted slightly.
"Master..."
"Yu'er still doesn't know your name."
"Me?"
Mo Yu smiled.
"Li Feiyu."
Chu Yuli froze.
Her delicate face immediately filled with confusion.
Li Feiyu?
Wasn't that almost identical to the alias she had given earlier?
For a moment, she couldn't understand what kind of strange coincidence this was.
Seeing her bewildered expression, Mo Yu merely smiled and chose not to explain.
Instead, he raised a hand.
A flying sword shot into the air, releasing a clear sword cry.
The sword expanded instantly, becoming large enough to carry two people.
"Let's go."
Mo Yu stepped onto the sword with his hands clasped behind his back.
His robes fluttered gently in the wind, giving him the appearance of an immortal riding the clouds.
"We're going to wipe out the Wolf Head Gang."
Chu Yuli suppressed her doubts and obediently stepped onto the flying sword behind him.
The moment she steadied herself—
Whoosh!
The flying sword transformed into a streak of light and shot into the sky.
Mountains and rivers flashed past beneath them.
The wind roared around them.
As the sword cut through the clouds, it headed directly toward the headquarters of the Wolf Head Gang.
The beginning of the gang's destruction had arrived.
...
Wolf Head Gang – Main Hall
Qin Shou stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his sinister gaze fixed upon the trembling figure before him.
Wang Gang, the leader of the Wolf Head Gang.
A Core Formation Stage first Layer cultivator.
In this region, he was considered a local tyrant, someone few dared to provoke.
Yet at this moment, he resembled a lamb awaiting slaughter.
He didn't even dare breathe too loudly.
Qin Shou's voice was cold enough to freeze one's bones.
"I'll ask you one last time."
"Have you heard of Chu Yuli?"
Wang Gang trembled violently and immediately fell to his knees, repeatedly kowtowing.
"Immortal Master, I truly haven't seen her!"
"There is no one by that name anywhere in this area!"
Bang!
Qin Shou kicked him in the chest.
Wang Gang was sent flying several meters before crashing heavily into a wall.
His miserable screams echoed throughout the hall.
Qin Shou strode forward, grabbed him by the neck, and lifted him into the air.
"Then tell me this."
"Is there a Secret Realm entrance nearby?"
Wang Gang's face turned red from suffocation.
He struggled to speak.
"Y-Yes..."
"A Secret Realm entrance appeared recently..."
"It's located in the mine pit east of the Wolf Head Gang..."
A sharp light flashed through Qin Shou's eyes.
The Yin-Yang Sect Secret Realm.
The place where Chu Yuli had first risen to prominence in his previous life.
"Very good."
A cruel smile appeared on his lips.
Crack!
A crisp snapping sound echoed through the hall.
Wang Gang's eyes widened.
His head tilted unnaturally to one side.
The life rapidly drained from his body.
Qin Shou casually tossed the corpse aside.
His expression remained indifferent, as though he had merely crushed an ant.
With a wave of his hand, a black banner appeared in his palm.
Countless ghostly shadows writhed upon its surface.
The banner radiated a sinister aura that chilled the soul.
"Ten Thousand Soul Banner."
"Devour."
As Qin Shou let out a low command, the banner unfurled and fluttered violently.
An overwhelming suction force erupted from within.
Instantly—
Piercing screams rang out across the entire Wolf Head Gang.
The gang members outside didn't even have time to react.
Their souls were forcibly extracted from their bodies and sucked into the banner.
One after another, they became nourishment for the countless vengeful spirits imprisoned within.
In mere moments, the once-bustling Wolf Head Gang had become a land of death.
Ghostly Yin Qi lingered in the air.
The entire sect resembled a domain of specters.
Qin Shou slowly walked out of the main hall.
His expression was gloomy and murderous.
"Chu Yuli."
"The heavens have granted me a second chance."
"In this life..."
"I will personally kill you."