This celestial master cultivates both physical and magical arts; why did you provoke him?

Chen Guodong was stunned.

Xia En had said this before.

The last time he said those words, he went to the basement of the East Suburb Chemical Plant, where he faced seven evil beings and a fallen Taoist.

He came back that time.

What about this time?

Chen Guodong didn't know.

But he didn't ask.

He simply nodded. "Okay."

Xia En smiled, turned around and left.

Fang Zijian chased after him. "Who are you going to find?"

"Shen Ye."

Fang Zijian was taken aback. "Shen Ye? Hasn't he been with us the whole time?"

"He's not Shen Ye," Xia En said. "He's someone else."

Fang Zijian was stunned.

Xia En offered no explanation.

He walked quickly, passing through alley after alley, and finally stopped in front of an abandoned residential building.

This is the building where Su Wanqing used to live.

He went up to the third floor and pushed open the slightly ajar door.

The room was dark, and the curtains were drawn tightly shut.

A person sat on the sofa, wearing a black hoodie with the hood pulled low.

Shen Ye.

But it doesn't seem like Shen Ye.

He exuded an aura that Xia En had never seen before.

It wasn't evil energy, nor was it yin energy; it was an ancient, vast, and profound aura, like the earth itself.

"You've come," Shen Ye said, his voice different from usual.

Normally, Shen Ye's voice is cold and aloof.

But today's voice is deep and resonant.

Xia En stood in the doorway, looking at him. "Who are you?"

Shen Ye slowly raised his head, revealing his face beneath the brim of his hat.

That face was still Shen Ye's face, but those eyes...

One is silver-white, and the other is gold.

In that golden eye, there was no pupil, only a burning light.

"You can call me... Xuanming," he said.

Fang Zijian followed behind Xia En, and his legs went weak when he heard the name.

Xia En stood there, looking into those eyes, silent for a long time. Then he smiled.

"So you've always been here."

Xuanming.

Or rather, Shen Ye, who was controlled by Xuan Ming, also laughed.

"Yes, I've always been here. I've been here since the first time you met Shen Ye. Shen Ye is my vessel, just as Shen Yue is the sealed vessel. He thought he had escaped the Evil Spirit Cult, but he never actually escaped. He just brought me with him all along, until he came to you."

Xia En nodded.

"So you sent Mingyuan to test me, to confirm my strength."

"right."

Xuanming said, "Now it's confirmed. You're very strong, much stronger than I expected. That's why I came."

He stood up and opened his arms.

"Shaun, join us. The Cult of Evil Spirits needs someone like you. Your power shouldn't be used to protect weak humans, but to rule the world."

Xia En looked at him and remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he spoke.

"What are you going to offer me in exchange for terms?"

Xuanming's smile froze.

"What makes you think you can go toe-to-toe with me?"

Xia En took a step forward. "You're just a parasite hiding in someone else's body. You have no body of your own, no power of your own; you can only survive by devouring other people's souls. What makes you think you can fight me?"

A flash of anger crossed Xuanming's golden eyes. "You!!!"

"Palm Thunder".

"boom--!!!"

A bolt of lightning erupted from Xia En's palm and struck Shen Ye directly.

No, Xuanming's chest.

Shen Ye's body was blasted backward, crashing into the wall, then bounced back and fell to the ground.

But Shen Ye was not injured.

The lightning bolt did not strike him.

The instant the lightning struck him, a golden light surged from his body, blocking the attack.

That golden light was very similar to Xia En's invincible golden light, but it was darker in color and had a deeper aura.

Xuanming got up from the ground and dusted himself off.

"I told you, you're strong. But I'm not weak either."

Xia En looked at him and cracked his knuckles. "Not weak? Then try taking one of my punches."

He took a step forward, his right fist clenched tightly, lightning flashing and golden light flowing across its surface. A powerful, overwhelming force.

"boom--!!!"

He punched Xuanming in the chest.

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The golden beam of light pierced through Shen Ye's body, but was blocked by the deep golden light.

Xuanming took three steps back to steady himself, a trace of golden blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

He looked at Xia En and smiled. "Not bad. That punch hurt me."

Xia En frowned. The overwhelming force hadn't killed him.

"I've said it before, I'm not weak."

Xuanming wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "But I'm not here to fight you today. I'm here to negotiate."

"What are the conditions?"

"Shen Yue".

Xuanming said, "You return Shen Yue's soul to me, and I will return Shen Ye's body to you. One for one."

Xia En fell silent.

"Think about it."

Xuanming smiled. "I'll come back to see you in three days. I hope you'll give me a satisfactory answer then."

His body began to fade, like mist dissipating in the sunlight.

Finally, Shen Ye's body went limp and he collapsed to the ground, returning to normal.

Xia En walked over, squatted down, and checked Shen Ye's pulse.

It's still jumping, but very weakly.

He sighed, picked up Shen Ye, and walked out of the room.

Fang Zijian followed behind, trembling all over. "Xia En, that Xuan Ming... what conditions did he say..."

"I know," Shane said calmly. "I will give him an answer in three days."

As Fang Zijian watched his retreating figure, he suddenly realized that the burden this man carried was far heavier than he had imagined.

three days later.

The three-day deadline given by Xuanming has passed.

Xia En didn't go to him, and he didn't come. But another group of people arrived.

That afternoon, Xia En was sunbathing in the courtyard of Qingheju.

With a lollipop in his mouth, the rattan chair swaying gently, and Cuihua fanning him from the side, he lived a more comfortable life than a retired cadre.

Fang Zijian squatted on the steps scrolling through his phone, Liu Ruyan sat beside him reading a book, and Shen Ye...

The real Shen Ye has recovered from Xuan Ming's control.

He was holding a porcelain jar and leaning against the wall, his silvery-white eyes half-closed and half-open.

Everything was peaceful.

Then, the peace was broken.

A strong demonic aura surged from the west, and a gust of wind swept up the fallen leaves.

Cuihua dropped her fan, trembled all over, and her teeth chattered.

Fang Zijian's phone slipped from his hand and fell to the ground, cracking a corner of the screen.

The wind rustled the pages of Liu Ruyan's book, and she quickly closed it, clutching it tightly.

Shen Ye opened his eyes, his silvery-white pupils suddenly contracting.

Xia En opened one eye and looked at the sky.

On the western horizon, a dark cloud was moving rapidly. It was no ordinary cloud; it was a cloud formed from condensed demonic energy.

Below the cloud, a dozen dark figures moved at great speed, heading straight for Qinghe Residence.

"We have guests."

Xia En sat up, took the lollipop out of her mouth, and handed it to Cuihua, saying, "Hold this for me."

Cuihua took the lollipop, her hands still trembling.

A dozen or so dark figures landed in the courtyard of Qingheju. Once the dust settled, their true forms were revealed.

There are twelve people.

No, it's not a person.

They resemble humans in appearance, but each one has distinct features:

Some have horns on their heads, some have tails, some have blue skin, and some have vertical pupils.

demon.

Moreover, it wasn't an ordinary demon; it was a powerful demon that had cultivated for at least several hundred years.

The leader was a middle-aged man wearing a blue Taoist robe.

He at least looks middle-aged.

He had regular features and a refined demeanor.

But those eyes were golden vertical pupils, exuding a chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine.

He stood in the center of the courtyard, looked around, and finally his gaze landed on Xia En.

"You're Xia En?"

"It's me. Who are you?"

The middle-aged man smiled slightly and bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

"I am from Qingqiu Mountain, Tushan Jing. These are my fellow disciples."

"Qingqiu Mountain?"

Fang Zijian jumped up from the steps. "Isn't that the Nine-Tailed Fox's hometown?"

Tu Shanjing glanced at him, his smile unchanged.

"Young friend, you are very knowledgeable. Indeed, Qingqiu Mountain is the ancestral home of the fox clan. I am but a humble one, having cultivated for 1,200 years, and can barely be considered an elder of the fox clan."

Fang Zijian's legs went weak.

A 1,200-year-old fox?

Wouldn't that eat Xia En alive?!

Don't miss this exciting chapter: Chapter 53 - Clearing Obstacles with Lightning Magic, You're So Awesome and Extravagant! Full text available now, click here.