Chapter 21: The Realm of Spirit Abyss

She lay weakly on the ground, gasping for breath, her entire body drenched in sweat and smeared with the mud of the cave floor, as though she had just rolled through a muddy field. She had no mind to care whether she was dirty or not; her first instinct was to examine her spiritual core. There, she discovered that her previously muddled and lackluster five-element spiritual root had disappeared, replaced by a vague mass of gray mist swirling above her dantian.

Chu Yuyao frowned. What on earth was this thing?

Could this be the so-called Chaos Spiritual Root?

But no one had ever told her that the Chaos Spiritual Root looked like this.

“System, come out. What’s with this gray mist inside me?”

The system yawned lazily, “What else could it be? That’s the Chaos Spiritual Root. The Chaos Spiritual Root is naturally gaseous. Why make such a fuss?”

Its tone became a little impatient as it spoke.

She looked awkward for a moment; it wasn’t her fault. The original host’s memories held nothing about the Chaos Spiritual Root, nor had she ever seen anyone possessing one, so naturally she didn’t understand.

As for herself, a novice cultivator, she understood even less.

Realizing she had now transformed into possessing the Chaos Spiritual Root, she felt her suffering had not been in vain, and for once, she refrained from bickering with the system.

Covered in mud and full of disdain for her appearance, she scrambled up and cast several Cleaning Techniques on herself in quick succession.

Only when her body was spotless and refreshed did her mood truly improve.

Though her cultivation level remained unchanged, the rate at which her body absorbed spiritual energy from the world was now worlds apart from before.

Thinking of her upcoming journey to the Thousand Poison Grotto, her expression grew serious again.

The items in the original host’s storage ring were mostly ornamental robes and jewelry, with precious few practical talismans or artifacts for real combat.

She made a simple inventory and left the cave.

She decided to first visit a nearby town and see if she could find any useful treasures.

Catching sight of the storage ring on her finger, she hesitated.

On this trip, she’d already nearly had it stolen by that pair of bloodsucking insects; wearing it so openly was far too conspicuous.

After some thought, Chu Yuyao took out a dusty storage pouch and hung it at her waist, placing only a few ordinary items inside, while the storage ring was removed and stashed away in the system’s inventory.

She even swapped her half-mask for a full one, no longer leaving half her face exposed.

She added a bamboo hat atop her head, its black veil draping down to obscure her entire face.

Looking like this, not even her own father would recognize her—let alone that scoundrel Ye Cangming, unless he deliberately searched with his divine sense.

Feeling rather pleased, she found her bearings and set off toward the nearest city on her flying artifact.

...

The Ji family remained hidden within the Spirit Abyss Realm, suspended above a sea of clouds—a secluded world shrouded by an ancient grand array.

Legend had it that hundreds of thousands of years ago, several Ji ancestors joined their supreme powers to carve out this domain.

The concentration of spiritual energy within was extraordinary, and its beauty rivaled any celestial paradise.

Atop the main peak, mist and clouds lingered, ethereal and serene.

Inside a grand hall, elegant yet imposing with age-old dignity, faint blue smoke curled from a beast-carved incense burner, filling the air with an elusive fragrance.

Ji Ziyuan reclined upon a couch by the window, his violet robes flowing like clouds, idly plucking the strings of a zither before him, producing a few solitary, piercing notes.

Outside, the clouds drifted endlessly, yet they could not dispel the bewitching and distant air imparted by the vermilion mark between his brows.

Ling Ce stood three yards away with bowed head, reporting respectfully, “Young Master, the source of the rumor about the divorce has been found. It did not originate with Chu Yuyao. We discovered it was a menial disciple responsible for sweeping Azure Cloud Peak. That disciple happened to pass by Chu Yuyao’s residence, where, for some reason, the door was left open and the protective array unactivated. He overheard the sect master of Heavenly Dao Sect speaking to Chu Yuyao, sounding quite agitated—presumably about the divorce. At that time... Miss Chu Ruoyan was also present.”

Ji Ziyuan’s hand paused on the strings, the music abruptly cutting off.

“Go on,” he said, his voice unreadable, though a fleeting glint passed through his all-seeing eyes.

“Yes, Young Master. That disciple then told those around him but warned them not to spread it. By coincidence, Shen Meier overheard. Shen Meier is Elder Lin’s disciple from Emerald Mist Peak of Heavenly Dao Sect and is close to Chu Ruoyan. The word got out through Shen Meier and is now circulating furiously among all the sects and factions. Nearly the entire cultivation world knows.”

Ling Ce bowed even lower, adding, “Fearing misinformation, I personally verified everything.”

The hall fell into utter silence, only the silent drift of clouds outside remained.

Ji Ziyuan slowly straightened, his striking face unreadable, but the vermilion mark between his brows seemed ever more vivid, like a drop of blood about to fall, his divine eyes cold.

“Chu Ruoyan... Shen Meier...”

He softly repeated their names, a mocking curve at his lips.

He glanced at Ling Ce, frowning, “Are you certain Chu Ruoyan wasn’t directly involved?”

That woman was no gentle soul. She appeared delicate—Heavenly Dao Sect’s true daughter by birth, yet lost to the outside world as a child, raised by a pair of profit-seeking itinerant cultivators. She seemed pitiable, making others want to protect her.

But Ji Ziyuan had always felt Chu Ruoyan was far from simple beneath the surface.

To survive such hardships, return to the sect, and have the sect master publicly acknowledge her identity, even almost driving Chu Yuyao—beloved for over a decade—out of the sect... how could she be without means?

Ling Ce bowed his head lower. “I investigated thoroughly. That disciple had no direct dealings with Chu Ruoyan. But Shen Meier and Chu Ruoyan’s friendship is well known. And... Chu Ruoyan was present when it happened. Had she wished to stop it, a single word would have sufficed.”

He recalled how that day, Chu Yuyao, face pale and coughing blood, still stood tall and sneered at the five of them, declaring, “I divorce you all.” In that moment, she shone more brightly than any chosen daughter of heaven he had ever seen.

Though she was terribly ugly—a half-masked monster capable of frightening children.

“So it seems I misjudged her.”

He suddenly laughed softly, though there was no warmth in his eyes. “For a mere menial and Shen Meier to dare trample the reputation of the five great powers beneath their feet—such boldness.”

Ling Ce remained silent.

“Dispose of that menial and Shen Meier. Make sure no one finds out. We don’t need trouble.”

Ji Ziyuan’s smile turned icy. “As for Chu Ruoyan...”

He drew out his words, unhurried, “Since she enjoys watching, let her have her fill.”

Ling Ce, sensing there was more to come, held his breath, waiting.

His master suddenly rose, violet robes sweeping the floor as he strode toward the inner hall. “Send word to Yan Jingchen—tell him that the gentle, kind Miss Chu turns out to have a much longer reach than we thought.”

He knew Yan Jingchen too well. That smiling fox loved to manipulate others, but detested being manipulated himself.

Chu Ruoyan’s little tricks—Yan Jingchen would see right through them.