Chapter Sixteen: Outside the City of Hangzhou

Dawn broke, and Yi An set out on his journey once more. This time, however, he did not traverse wild mountains, but chose the official road. The reason was simple: the threat of the Moruo Sect had been temporarily eliminated. He was certain that the complete eradication of a branch would leave them troubled for quite some time.

In fact, the Moruo leader was more than merely troubled—he was furious, stomping his feet in rage. Yingchuan was a crucial part of his future plans, and this incident had dealt a devastating blow.

Yi An traveled south for over a month, finally arriving outside Hangzhou. Yet he did not hurry into the city. Instead, he went to a dilapidated temple nearby.

Late at night, beneath a silver moon, Yi An sat cross-legged in the nameless temple, focusing his mind and practicing breath work as taught in the "Daoist Canon." As he inhaled and exhaled, threads of silvery light descended, entering through his mouth and nose—the essence of heaven and earth.

This continued for two days. Yi An practiced at night and dawn, searching for food at noon and afternoon. Cultivation was best done at night and dawn, when spiritual energy was pure and tranquil. At noon, the world brimmed with yang energy, making the spiritual force volatile and troublesome to refine.

“It’s done!” As the bright moon rose and bathed him in its light, Yi An suddenly opened his eyes, a long-lost joy appearing on his face. Yesterday, the vital energy within his nine apertures had reached completion and was firmly consolidated. Today, entering the Foundation Establishment stage had become a natural progression.

Then, he heard a strange sound—a rustling, as if wind stirred leaves. In the stillness of night, it was especially clear. Yet he was inside the ruined temple, and felt no wind.

Yi An turned to see a female apparition floating in midair.

“A demon of the Night Wanderer Realm!” His gaze froze. Without a word, he turned and sprinted out. Now that he had reached Foundation Establishment, his steps were light as a swallow, covering hundreds of meters in a few bounds.

But the woman was even faster; in the blink of an eye, she caught up.

“Little cultivator, why are you running? Do I look like one of those man-eating monsters?” Her voice was clear and sweet, and with her delicate, pitiful appearance, she truly resembled a gentlewoman.

Yi An was not fooled by appearances. Upon careful scrutiny, though she tried to conceal it, he could not hide the surging bloodlust emanating from her.

“You misunderstand, miss. I suddenly remembered urgent matters at home, so I must leave at once.” His heart raced as he continued to flee without looking back.

This was a demon of the Night Wanderer Realm. He did not know exactly what she was, but her intentions were surely malicious. If he fell into her hands, his life would be forfeit.

“Heh, since you’re in such a hurry, why not stop and let me help you? Wouldn’t that be wonderful?” She laughed, amused by his desperate lies in the face of death.

She had waited three days for this prey and would not let him slip away. Before Foundation Establishment, no matter how strong one’s essence, it was only that of an ordinary person. But now, absorbing his energy would be worth hundreds of common folk.

“Thank you, but there’s no need. I can manage on my own.” Yi An replied.

Her expression turned playful. She transformed into a shadow and in an instant appeared at his side.

“Little cultivator, aren’t you tired? Shall I give you a massage to ease your fatigue?”

“No… that won’t be necessary,” Yi An forced a laugh, realizing he could not outrun her and stopped.

He cursed his luck—how unfortunate to encounter such an old demon.

“Hahaha, look at that tender skin. I almost don’t want to kill you,” she said, running her hand over his cheek with a giggle.

“I’m not tasty at all. I haven’t bathed for months. If I dirty your mouth, that would be terrible.” Yi An shuddered, frantically searching for a way to escape. Every moment he could delay was precious; dignity was the least of his concerns.

“Pah! Who wants to eat your flesh? I only want the essence within you—no more, no less.” Her voice turned cold and merciless, the charming facade vanishing.

She regarded Yi An as if admiring a work of art. It had been years since she’d encountered a cultivator at Foundation Establishment. These days, practitioners had become increasingly rare.

Yi An’s face changed. He quickly said, “Miss, wait! To tell the truth, I’ve suffered from a strange illness since childhood. Both my blood and body contain an unknown poison. My mother died from it at my birth, and my master once said I possess a rare, toxic constitution—nature’s nemesis. Without my master’s teachings, I wouldn’t have survived past twenty.”

The woman hesitated. Though she suspected his words were nonsense, Yi An spoke convincingly enough to make her uncertain. In such a vast world, bizarre constitutions could exist.

“Hmph, whether you’re poisonous or not, I’ll find out soon enough!” she said.

“And you think your little tricks will work? Let me tell you, before absolute power, all schemes are futile!” Her face suddenly turned icy and menacing.

“Too bad your dreams are about to be shattered,” Yi An replied with a sinister smile, suddenly lunging forward and striking her soul.

She was stunned, not knowing what Yi An was up to, only realizing too late that he had caught her off guard.

In the next moment, a searing heat washed over her, weakening her soul.

“It worked!” Yi An rejoiced. Seeing her reaction, he knew he’d succeeded.

Her expression changed drastically; she said anxiously, “Boy, what did you do? Stop at once! I won’t absorb your essence anymore—I’ll leave right now, how about that?”