All of the protagonist's Daoist partners are mine!

"Golden Lotus Earth Fire!"

The battle lasted for three days and three nights, and Xing Moxie finally won a narrow victory after activating his two great demonic talents, the Heavenly Demon True Body and the Netherworld Eye.

Yan Lingyun watched the whole thing with trepidation, her heart pounding with worry for her mother's safety.

At the same time, she also felt strange, because Xuan Yuanrong became happier and happier as the fight went on, as if he had put life and death aside from the beginning, but he did not have the slightest tragic determination to sacrifice himself.

After the defeat, Xuan Yuanrong's behavior was even more surprising to her.

Xuanyuan Rong threw down his gun and lay on the ground in a spread-eagle position like a tired child: "Ah, I'm defeated. He actually had such a powerful move hidden away, that's too cheating."

"You're a strange woman. You're perfect in every way, yet you lack physical constitution and bloodline." Xing Moxie planted the halberd in the ground and sat down cross-legged.

Chapter 146: 63 The Two Who Resisted

In response to Xing Moxie's doubts, Xuan Yuanrong, known as the world's number one genius "Peerless Sun Crown," could only give a bitter smile: "Haha, because this is my limit."

"what?"

"I am a cultivator who was created. From the beginning, I was not allowed to have a special physique and bloodline. Just to transplant top-grade spiritual roots and strengthen my primordial spirit, I have already exhausted all the potential of my body."

Upon hearing this, Yan Lingyun, the third party in this memory, widened her eyes in disbelief. This was a super secret that even she didn't know, a mystery about her origins that Xuan Yuanrong never mentioned to her until the very end.

The very phrase "the created cultivator" is enough to overturn the worldview of ordinary cultivators.

But Xing Moxie's face showed only a moment of astonishment before he quickly returned to normal: "So that's how it is. So-called artificial cultivators? I've heard of them, but this is the first time I've seen one... Moreover, the Great Sun Immortal Sect can even create artificial cultivators at the Mahayana stage?"

Xuanyuan Rong was a smart man and immediately understood what he was worried about. He comforted him, "You don't need to worry about being besieged by the artificial Mahayana cultivator army. My descent has exhausted the foundation accumulated by the Great Sun Immortal Sect for nearly four thousand years. It is said that there will be no technological breakthrough for at least ten thousand years."

"No wonder the average quality of disciples of the Great Sun Immortal Sect has been lower than that of the other four great immortal sects for nearly a thousand years. It turns out they have all been used on you."

While artificial cultivators sound incredibly high-tech, even in a fantasy world they seem quite absurd. However, they weren't difficult for Xing Moxie to accept.

To give an example, Nezha's reconstruction of his physical body using lotus roots is a typical example of a man-made cultivator.

"Your physical body..."

"Sculpted using a large amount of rare and precious materials."

"Your primordial spirit..."

"It is said to have been created based on the primordial spirit of a child who died before birth, and nurtured over a thousand years using a soul-nourishing method."

"Then your spiritual root..."

"It's also a spiritual energy circulation organ formed by imitating spiritual roots using rare and precious materials. Isn't that amazing?" Xuan Yuanrong sat up with a jolt, and although she was talking about something very sad, the smile on her face never stopped.

Yan Lingyun never imagined that her mother, who was even more talented than herself, had such a sad background.

She thought her childhood, confined to a small courtyard and forced to cultivate within her own boundaries, was already lonely, but Xuan Yuanrong's birth, without anyone's blessing, was clearly even more filled with loneliness.

Yan Lingyun frowned and looked at Xing Moxie. Hearing such words, even that cold-blooded and perverted demon should have shown a trace of sympathy...

not at all!

"Excellent! Excellent, utterly excellent!" Xing Moxie was as excited as a pirate who had discovered a jewel chest or a minotaur who had discovered a beautiful wife: "What a wonderful birth, what a wonderful existence! All life in this world is created by the Heavenly Dao, and all wills should follow the principles of the Heavenly Dao, except for you, the Great Sun Saintess Xuanyuan Rong!"

Huh—?

Xing Moxie, moved, pressed her shoulder: "You are someone unseen by Heaven, someone who shouldn't exist. You are the only one qualified to take my life. I crave an ending that defies destiny, and you are the only one qualified to write it!"

His words seemed inexplicable to Yan Lingyun, but they touched a chord deep within Xuan Yuanrong.

"Oh my! Demon Lord, are you also searching for an ending different from the predetermined one?"

The two men came from different backgrounds and had never met or spoken a word to each other before. However, after just one encounter, they hit it off immediately, becoming like long-lost friends.

They can understand each other's pursuits and recognize each other's constraints.

If Xing Moxie holds back in battle or intends to die, he will be hindered by the Heavenly Dao. This is because he exists as an experience pack for the growth of the Chosen One, and the Heavenly Dao will not allow him to self-destruct before the final battle with Xiao Fan.

Xuanyuan Rong is similar; she was placed under various restrictions from the moment she was born. She will carry out any orders given to her to the fullest extent, and she cannot destroy herself.

They can only race on the track set for them by their creators, and then face their destined fate.

That's how it should be.

Until these two most rebellious and defiant people in the world met, sparks flew that could even ignite destiny.

The two chatted so happily that they forgot the time.

Finally, a teleportation jade talisman on Xuanyuan Rong's body lit up, causing her figure to gradually fade: "The sect has summoned me back. It seems they have finally realized that my spiritual power is exhausted."

"Tch, what a bunch of clueless idiots." Xing Moxie clicked his tongue, then looked at her and asked, "Great Sun Saintess, when we meet next time, will you have the power to kill me?"

"The purpose of the artificial cultivator project is to create the strongest cultivators in the world, to open the path to immortality and the gate to heaven for those old people whose life force is about to run out and who cannot break through, and to take them to ascend together. But it is obviously not mature enough at the present stage. My basic conditions mean that the early stage of Mahayana is the limit and I cannot break through even half a step."

"Yeah."

Xuanyuan Rong changed the subject: "However, battles between cultivators are not just about cultivation level and innate conditions! With my comprehension, I will soon be able to comprehend more high-grade cultivation techniques. The Great Sun Saintess is changing rapidly; next time we meet, it will be your turn to be defeated."

Xing Moxie recalled a famous quote from a great man: "Isn't the outcome of a battle determined by the performance of the machine?"

"And what about you, Demon Lord? Next time we clash, will you deliver the final blow you owe me today?" Xuan Yuanrong asked tentatively. If she could be killed by this forsaken person before her, it would be the greatest act of defiance she had ever committed in her life.

Xing Moxie knew her thoughts and naturally wouldn't dampen the spirits of this friend he felt he had met too late: "Very well! I promise you, next time we fight, even if I only win by half a move, I will fight to the death to take your head."

"Fine! In order to die by your hand, I will study and accumulate knowledge and skills with all my might, and then I will spare no effort to kill you!"

"I hope you can do this before I break through to the middle stage of Mahayana."

Before Xuanyuan Rong was absorbed by the jade talisman and forcibly removed from the battlefield as a stream of light.

The two clashed their Jiyuan Halberd and Fentian Zhuodi Luo Divine Spear, forging a vow that was unrelated to the Heavenly Dao, to their inner demons, and to all the rules of the world—a vow that belonged only to them.

Behind the two crossed weapons, Yan Lingyun watched this scene with a worried expression, lost in thought.

Could it be that Mother truly died willingly at the hands of the devil? No, it shouldn't be like this.

……

In the following scenes, Yan Lingyun witnessed their second, third, fourth... encounters time and time again.

Just as Xuanyuan Rong declared, after returning, she comprehended and absorbed even more supreme techniques, and applied them in actual combat, repeatedly fighting the demon to a standstill.

After several bloody battles, neither side could kill the other.

Chapter 147: 64 Discussing the Immortal Embryo Over Wine

After the nth encounter.

Xing Moxie and Xuanyuan Rong sat on a riverbank that had been battered so badly that the mountains collapsed, waterfalls flowed backward, and lakes overflowed. They set up a table of wine and chatted happily.

It became a tradition between them to eat, drink, and chat after fighting until their spiritual energy was exhausted.

Xing Moxie was the first to notice his friend's unusual behavior and asked, "Did something interesting happen?"

Why do you ask that?

"You look much happier than before. Perhaps it's just my imagination... but I feel there's an unfamiliar gentleness about you."

Xuanyuan Rong seemed to realize something, and his hand holding the wine glass paused slightly.

Then she revealed a kind expression, looked at her reflection in the glass, and said, "I have a child."

"Pfft—" The mighty Demon Lord nearly choked to death on a mouthful of wine. He stared at Xuan Yuan Rong in disbelief: "You, you..."

“I understand what you mean. Humans are amazing, aren’t they? When that child was born, an unprecedented feeling welled up inside me, a warm and gentle feeling that I never imagined I would have. Anyone can have this feeling, but it shouldn’t belong to the two of us… That’s why I’m hesitating whether I should tell you.”

"No, you... you actually had this ability?"

"So that's what surprised me!" Xuan Yuanrong stood up, laughing and crying at the same time, and slapped his chest hard with the back of her hand, complaining.

She had mistakenly believed that by abandoning Xing Moxie and gaining love disguised as kinship, she would become a traitor in this relationship and anger Xing Moxie, who was also a lonely person.

Now it seems that her fellow traveler is very generous... even though Xing Moxie is extremely stingy and petty in other aspects.

Xing Moxie rested his elbows on his knees, propped his head up with his arms, and looked at her with great interest: "Is it a man or a woman?"

"It's a girl. Although she was all wrinkled when she was born, I heard she'll become plump and radiant soon."

"After all, she's your daughter, she definitely won't be ugly when she grows up."

Xuanyuan Rong secretly observed his reaction: "Aren't you curious about who the child's father is?"

"Anyway, it was those old fogies from the Great Sun Immortal Sect who arranged it for you, right?" Xing Moxie had already guessed the general outline of the matter: "You are the property of the Great Sun Immortal Sect, so naturally they won't allow you to have offspring with men as you please."

Despite having known each other for so many years, Xuan Yuanrong was always amazed every time he witnessed Xing Moxie's calm logic and uncanny foresight.

At the same time, I feel sorry that such a talented cultivator was destined to be abandoned by the heavens.

"This was also something that was decided before I was born. For artificial cultivators, the Mahayana stage is the limit, so I left behind a child born from the combination of the best bloodlines, hoping that she can open the path to immortality and open the gate to heaven," Xuanyuan Rong said, touching the rim of the cup.

When these words reached Yan Lingyun's ears, the shock was comparable to when she heard that her mother was a man-made cultivator.

Am I really just a tool for those old fogies in the upper echelons of the Immortal Sect to open the Heavenly Path and Heavenly Gate? Was the purpose of my birth to help those old people whose life force is about to run out and whose lives are about to end ascend to immortality and prolong their lives?

No, I will never admit to such a thing!

Yan Lingyun was an extremely proud person. She seriously suspected that everything before her was a fabricated scene created by the demon, but reason and experience told her that the content of this memory was completely genuine.

She thought that after so many years, she had seen the deceit and filth of the cultivation world, but she never imagined that she had never actually come into contact with the truly cruel place.

With her pearly teeth clenched around her lips, Yan Lingyun continued reading.

Xing Moxie drank his wine, showing little reaction to what had just been said. Instead, he joked, "Open the Heavenly Gate? Based on your premature little girl?"

“Yun’er wasn’t born prematurely. She stayed in the womb for a full ten years,” Xuan Yuanrong retorted angrily.

In the cultivation world, it is normal for a genius fetus conceived by a powerful cultivator to stay in the womb for three to ten years. Some people born with supreme destiny may even take a hundred years to be born.

But Xing Moxie was still shocked. He looked at Xuanyuan Rong's belly and said, "What? In the past ten years, I haven't seen your belly grow any bigger."

Good heavens! This is no joke.

They've fought more than once in the last ten years.

Murder and arson may bring fame and power, but beating a pregnant woman would be incredibly shameful if word got out.

At that point, throughout the entire Eternal Continent, not only righteous cultivators but also demonic cultivators will be spitting horns at him behind his back. How will the name of the Demon Lord remain?

"What are you thinking? Yun'er was born from a fairy embryo."

Xuan Yuanrong's physical potential had long been exhausted by her top-grade spiritual root and powerful primordial spirit. If she were to use this body to nurture a fetus, the day Yan Lingyun was born would likely be the day she herself was exhausted and died.

Therefore, the Great Sun Immortal Sect used a pool of innate spiritual liquid to shape the immortal embryo, and then incorporated the pure blood and essence of Xuan Yuanrong and another prodigy into it, thus giving birth to Yan Lingyun.

Xuanyuan Rong touched her lower abdomen and said wistfully, "I only recently had this thought. If possible, I really hope to use this body to give birth to Yun'er. Even if it means exchanging my life for hers."

She never imagined she would have such feelings. But after having Yan Lingyun, Xuan Yuanrong only wanted to be involved in her child's growth as much as possible, and felt a little regretful that she hadn't been able to help with the child's birth.

Seeing her mother's anxious and uncertain state, Yan Lingyun burst into tears again. The love she knew of Xuan Yuanrong for her was far less than one ten-thousandth of what her mother had truly invested in her.

Xing Moxie could see that she had completely changed. The two of them came into the world without blessings, but now Xuanyuan Rong had found redemption from exclusive love.

"What's your name, that child?"

“Yan Lingyun.”

"That man's surname is Yan?"

Xuanyuan Rong shook his head: "It was given by the person who created the immortal embryo. My name is the same."

"Hmph, a fellow whose fighting spirit has been corrupted by love." Xing Moxie said disdainfully, "In this way, I have once again become a lonely person unique in the world."

"Oh, envious? You arrogant demon lord." Xuan Yuanrong teased with a mischievous smile, "Perhaps one day in the future, you will also find such salvation."

"Ridiculous. The purpose of my existence is to defy the heavens. Sooner or later, I will shit on the head of the chosen ones, take everything from those favored by the heavens, and make their women bow down at my feet! Hehehe..."

Looking at Xing Moxie, who was pointing his middle finger at the sky and laughing wildly, Xuan Yuanrong smiled bitterly: "I really hope I can see that day. The day when you realize your wish and enjoy all the happiness."

Xing Moxie's laughter abruptly stopped: "Hmph, did you notice?"

"Ah."

After years of fighting and hundreds of bloody battles, Xuan Yuanrong was well aware of Xing Moxie's growth and vaguely sensed that his cultivation bottleneck was loosening, showing signs of breaking through to the mid-stage of the Mahayana realm.

At that time, Xuanyuan Rong, whose upper limit is the early stage of Mahayana, will no longer be his opponent.

They don't have many more opportunities left to enjoy the competition.

Chapter 148: 65 Oh no, the demon has decided to launch his plan to rob the chosen one of destiny.

The memory injection, which appears to be only a few moments to the outside world, has been a process of accumulation for Yan Lingyun over several decades in this sea of ​​thoughts.

She witnessed the birth of a bond that transcended friendship, love, and family ties, a bond that only those who had shared a similar fate could truly understand.

Of course, there were also awkward moments, such as when her beloved mother would occasionally end up in bed with the devil. She kept saying how embarrassing it was, but this was a memory implanted in her mind, and covering her eyes wouldn't help.