"It really worked..." Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on the ground, staring at the crystal pagoda suspended in his palm, unable to suppress a sigh of astonishment. He had originally acted with a gambler's mindset, a last-ditch effort with little expectation. Yet the Dragon Phoenix Art had truly managed to replicate the bloodline power within Qing Yanjing's body.
The effects of the Dragon Phoenix Art had far exceeded his expectations. Not only had it copied her bloodline power, but even the Sacred Buddha Pagoda she cultivated was reproduced. Though it couldn't fully match the original in power, it still surpassed ordinary peerless Saint Artifacts. Most importantly, it could merge with his own Tower of Spiritual Refinement, forming an even more formidable entity.
Unlike the pleased Xiao Yan, Qing Yanjing lay silently to the side, numb and dazed. Her hollow eyes reflected the depths of disbelief—never had she imagined Xiao Yan would truly succeed in manifesting the Sacred Buddha Pagoda, let alone that he would use the one method that inflicted the greatest harm upon her.
The realization that her purity had been taken caused a cascade of emotion to overwhelm her once tranquil heart—resentment, regret, numbness, fear, rage... Emotions she had rarely experienced now surged all at once.
When Xiao Yan turned his gaze toward her, some color finally began to return to her vacant eyes. Suppressing the pain still lingering within her body, she forced herself to sit up from the ground, fixing him with an icy glare.
"You'd best kill me now. Otherwise, one day, I'll tear you apart limb by limb!"
Listening to the hatred laced in her voice, Xiao Yan merely chuckled. His eyes drifted toward her flawless form, still cloaked under his black robe.
"If I were you, I wouldn't say that," he replied with a smirk.
"So what? Death isn't such a terrible thing," Qing Yanjing said coldly. For someone who had already lost her most precious possession, the thought of death no longer inspired fear.
"Sure, death is simple. But what happens after you're dead?" Xiao Yan gently lifted her chin. "Nothing changes. No one will shed a tear for you. The ones you want revenge against will continue living in peace. Don't you want to take vengeance yourself?"
"Of course I do!" Qing Yanjing gritted her teeth. "But if I die, the rest of my clan will avenge me!"
"That's where you're wrong," Xiao Yan replied calmly. "If you die, they'll come looking for me, but not for your sake. They'll come for the Endless Radiant Body. To them, a dead person has no value. As long as I give them a plausible excuse and hand over the Endless Radiant Body, they'll treat me like an honored guest. After all, it's a priceless gift."
"So I won't die. And your Buddha Clan... do you really think those ancient clans are so united? Once you're gone, plenty of people will scramble for your position. Sure, you can choose death, but those who supported you? They'll be finished."
Qing Yanjing's expression changed slightly. What he said was true. The Buddha Clan had internal factions. Her branch had been rising in prominence thanks to her. If she died in the outside world, their hard-won privileges would vanish, and those factions she had suppressed would unite to crush her lineage. Their fate would be bleak.
"That's why you need to live on," Xiao Yan said softly. "Once you're dead, there's nothing left."
In truth, he didn't particularly care whether she lived or died. His only concern was fully replicating the pagoda bloodline through the Dragon Phoenix Art, which required prolonged dual cultivation. Before he could completely absorb its power, he couldn't let her die. He had no interest in being anyone's therapist.
Qing Yanjing didn't respond, but her clenched jade-like fists and the stubbornness on her face revealed she had taken his words to heart.
Seizing the momentum, Xiao Yan continued, "So next, you'd better start listening to me. Do everything you can to please me, and you'll live quite comfortably. After all, I'm not really a devil."
"Please you? In your dreams!" she snapped, ashamed and furious.
"See? I just said something, and you've already forgotten it." Xiao Yan seemed unfazed by her anger. He pinched her cheek gently and added, "I told you—living is the most important thing. Your life is in my hands. If you don't please me, why should I let you live?"
"If staying alive means losing my dignity, then I'd rather die!" she scoffed.
"Dignity? What's that worth?" Xiao Yan sneered. "And even if you die, I can still strip away your dignity."
Her expression changed drastically. "What do you mean?"
"For example, after you die, I could strip you bare and hang your corpse at the Buddha Clan's gates. That'd be enough to ruin your name forever, wouldn't it?" He wore a sunny smile, but his words made her skin crawl. "If you don't like that idea, I've got others. Like turning you into a puppet and making you dance in Daqian Palace..."
"You devil!" she shrieked before he could finish, but Xiao Yan remained unmoved. He gently stroked her cheek again.
"If you think insults can kill me, go right ahead. Otherwise, shut up. If you say one more word, I'll carry out every one of those ideas."
"You..." Qing Yanjing started to speak but quickly remembered his earlier threats and shut her mouth. Still, her eyes were filled with venomous hatred.
"That's more like it," Xiao Yan whispered by her ear. "Do as I say, win my favor, and not only will you live, but you might even get your chance for revenge."
"You'll really give me that chance?" Qing Yanjing glared at him. If looks could kill, Xiao Yan would have been torn to pieces.
"Opportunities are for you to seize, not gifts from me. I'm not your father. Why should I teach you everything?" Xiao Yan shrugged. "But hey, at least now you've got something to look forward to, right?"
(End of Chapter)
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