Chapter 323: No Time Like the Present

Real Person Yuyao had never sought a Dao companion her entire life.

And it wasn’t because she wasn’t beautiful.

She had once ranked among the top five on the Beauty List, after all.

Back when she first awakened to feelings of love, she had thrown herself completely into cultivation.

By the time she finally felt the urge to find a Dao companion, her talent and cultivation had already left her peers in the dust.

Those with inferior talent didn’t catch her eye;

those stronger than her, she thought were too old.

Basically, no matter who she looked at, it just felt like she’d be doing them a favor.

So, in the end, she simply stayed single all the way till now.

As she grew older, her strength only became more terrifying.

Her desires cooled more and more, eventually freezing over completely.

She gradually lost any interest in seeking a Dao companion.

No Dao companion —

and naturally, no dual cultivation.

She was a person who kept herself pure.

It was impossible for her to mess around with someone who wasn’t her Dao companion.

And now Dan Yun was telling her that if she wanted to fully heal her injuries,

she would have to dual cultivate with someone possessing a Profound Water Spiritual Root?

Yuyao's face darkened instantly.

Her first instinct was disbelief.

She rubbed her fingers against her storage ring.

Countless tomes and scrolls flew out, spinning around her —

all the books she had collected over the years in pursuit of refining Primordial Heaven-Mending Pills.

They contained records of countless obscure and difficult medical cases —

and naturally, methods of healing injuries.

Dan Yun simply stood there watching her turn into a blur of afterimages among the books, her expression calm.

Her words were about seven parts true, three parts false.

But to fool a layperson like Yuyao,

seven parts true was as good as completely true.

In just a few breaths' time, Yuyao had flipped through all the records.

Sure enough, she found references to using a Profound Water Spiritual Root cultivator as a healing cauldron.

This wasn't some sketchy folk remedy —

it was a practice ancient cultivators often employed.

They would take in disciples under the pretense of mentorship,

specifically seeking those with pure Water Spiritual Roots or Profound Water Spiritual Roots.

They would carefully nurture and strengthen these disciples' bodies.

Then, if they ever suffered serious injuries from duels with other major cultivators,

they would use these disciples as healing cauldrons.

The Profound Water Spiritual Root yielded the best results —

and virgin bodies were the most effective.

One record in her hand detailed a classic case —

an ancient cultivator named Ye Chen, who was at the Fifth Stage of the Void Fusion Realm.

He used over a dozen Water and Profound Water Root disciples as healing cauldrons

to ultimately defeat a cultivator at the Sixth Stage of Void Fusion.

The two had a bitter grudge.

Every time Ye Chen was beaten, he would return to his cave to heal using his disciples.

Once recovered, he'd attack again.

Meanwhile, his enemy, despite the higher cultivation, couldn’t recover in time —

and was eventually exhausted to death by Ye Chen.

It was clear just how effective Water and Profound Water Spiritual Roots were for healing.

Everything Dan Yun said was true.

"Is there really no other way?" Yuyao still hesitated and struggled internally.

"If you think there’s another way, then go find it," Dan Yun said lazily.

"As for me, I’ve only got this one solution.

Believe it if you want. If not, whatever."

She couldn't have cared less.

Yuyao didn’t dare kill her anyway.

So why bother being polite?

Yuyao fell silent for a long moment.

Her current injuries didn't actually prevent her from crafting the Celestial Vessel needed for the Five-Element Perfect Physique.

But if her cultivation dropped any further...

she might end up as nothing more than a pawn for Reverend Karma.

Don’t be fooled by that bald-headed monk’s humble act —

he was as treacherous as they came.

Yuyao had never intended to kill Zhang Yibai, after all.

Zhang Yibai’s reputation as the number one sword cultivator spoke for itself.

She had even sparred with him before — and lost completely.

It was Reverend Karma who first suggested stabbing Zhang Yibai in the back.

The two of them simply conspired and agreed.

Before finalizing the plan,

Reverend Karma had even gone to visit Zhenwu Sacred Land,

drinking and debating Dao with Zhang Yibai, like real brothers.

A two-faced snake, that monk.

Someone who had to be guarded against at all costs.

Thinking of Reverend Karma, Yuyao’s hesitation and caution immediately vanished.

If she was going to create the Five-Element Perfect Physique vessel,

she had to be strong enough to actually use it afterward.

Before that, she must stabilize her cultivation.

"Fine then. It’s just dual cultivation," Yuyao snorted coldly.

Her face flushed slightly, but she said in a low voice,

"Dan Yun, since you know this method,

you’ll assist me when the time comes —

you must guarantee This Venerable One’s absolute safety.

Otherwise... you know what will happen to your daughter."

Dan Yun shot Yuyao a look but said nothing.

Still daring to threaten me?

You’re practically digging your own grave!

Yuyao!

Yuyao and Dan Yun spoke very discreetly.

Aside from a few nearby elders, no other Yaochi disciples heard them.

Yuyao glanced toward the crowd, her gaze landing on Zhang Mengchu —

who was still looking confused and clueless.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, said nothing.

"Real Person... are you really going to dual cultivate with this Profound Water Root disciple?"

one elder beside her asked, still in shock.

"There’s no other choice," Yuyao replied.

She turned and headed toward the palace, instructing the elder:

"This Venerable One needs a little time to mentally prepare.

Move Zhang Zhiping into Yaochi Palace.

I’ll watch him daily —

maybe it’ll help me feel a bit better."

The elder’s mouth twitched.

If only I were a man with a Profound Water Spiritual Root, she thought bitterly.

I’d totally have volunteered!

After all, this was Real Person Yuyao!

Calling her the most celestial figure in all of Cangyun Realm was no exaggeration.

And now, her virgin body was going to be handed over to a Nascent Soul-stage disciple...

It was just too absurd!

"By the way, where are Red Lotus and Qionghua?" Yuyao frowned.

"Weren’t they supposed to bring back the Valley Master of Lingxi Valley and the Sect Master of Dan Sect?

It’s been so long already — still not done?"

"I'll go check on it right away," the elder said, seeing that Yuyao's mood was souring fast.

But soon enough, she came back with a miserable face.

Seeing the elder's expression, Yuyao's heart sank.

"Real Person... Red Lotus and Qionghua’s Soul Lamps have shattered..."

"What?!" Yuyao’s voice rose sharply.

"How could their Soul Lamps shatter?!

One’s at the Seventh Stage of Void Fusion, the other’s at the Eighth!

Dan Sect and Lingxi Valley are small potatoes —

what could possibly kill them?!"

"Real Person Qionghua's death remains unclear — we couldn't summon her remnant soul.

But for Real Person Red Lotus, we managed to recover some fragments...

From what little we gathered, she was killed by a sword cultivator in black robes and white hair —

someone already at the Eighth Stage of Void Fusion."

"And they say... they say that sword cultivator...

might be the Sword Pavilion Ancestor."

"But I remember..." the elder’s voice grew smaller and smaller under Yuyao's increasingly terrifying glare,

"...the Sword Pavilion Ancestor was only at the Fifth Stage of Void Fusion not long ago."

"Then it is the Sword Pavilion Ancestor," Yuyao said grimly, murder flashing in her eyes.

"Good, very good —

he’s ruined my plans again and again.

If not for the fact that..."

She coughed, swallowing the rest of her words.

She couldn’t let it slip that she had been unable to locate Sword Pavilion’s base or the Ancestor himself.

"He’s elusive and slippery — a real headache to deal with," the elder said cautiously.

"If Real Person personally—"

"No," Yuyao cut her off.

"This Venerable One has more important things to do."

Her expression grew solemn as she covered up her true motives:

"Nothing matters more than refining the Five-Element Perfect Physique.

It’s the foundation of my ascension!"

She continued toward the palace, her voice echoing faintly:

"It won’t be long now.

The day I complete the Five-Element Perfect Physique

will be the day I leave seclusion...

and personally slay the Sword Pavilion Ancestor!"

The elder watched Yuyao’s retreating figure,

feeling her blood surge with excitement at the dream Yuyao was painting.

But then she heard Yuyao call out again:

"Prepare an elegant room for me."

The elder froze for a moment — then immediately understood what Yuyao meant.

"Real Person, weren’t we going to wait three more days?"

"No need."

Yuyao’s steps paused briefly.

"No time like the present!"