Chapter 11: Fish San Niang

Yu San Niang's enchanting allure would certainly leave anyone else utterly captivated. However, for Xu Yang, this kind of illusion was far too weak.

"If your tricks continue to be this ineffective, I'll have to consider whether to kill you," Xu Yang said. As he spoke, a murderous intent began to coalesce in his eyes.

Meeting Xu Yang's gaze, Yu San Niang felt an unexpected chill penetrate to her very bones.

"You brat, you're choosing the hard way." With her words having reached this point, the Golden Core spiritual power within Yu San Niang began to circulate. The light veil draped over her body flew out directly, like a large net attempting to envelop Xu Yang. As the veil shot out, Yu San Niang's figure retreated swiftly backward. Most of her abilities lay in illusions and cultivation arts; close-quarters combat was not her forte. At that close distance just now, if Xu Yang had attacked directly, her chances of survival wouldn't have exceeded thirty percent.

Xu Yang made no discernible movement, yet by the time the light veil reached him, his figure had already vanished from his original spot. Meanwhile, Yu San Niang, who had been retreating rapidly, suddenly froze. Xu Yang was now standing right behind her; another step backward would have caused her to collide with him.

"These paltry tricks aren't enough."

"Then I'll show you something truly impressive." Yu San Niang's body darted away like a swimming fish, rushing in another direction. Simultaneously, the mysterious aura she had dispersed throughout the hall instantly converged. Streams of pink aura coalesced in mid-air, forming beautiful women, each with perfect features and figures. Among these illusory beauties, some held flower baskets, others paper umbrellas, and still others cradled lutes.

Under Yu San Niang's control, these enchanting women attacked Xu Yang. The beauty cradling a lute plucked its strings, sending an invisible sound blade slicing towards Xu Yang. The beauty holding a flower basket tossed it, and the flowers within transformed into flying daggers, sweeping towards Xu Yang. The last beauty opened her oil-paper umbrella, and a divine light directly shone upon Xu Yang. The instant the divine light enveloped him, Xu Yang felt his body slightly falter, and a binding force enveloped him.

Xu Yang scoffed coldly, and the binding divine light immediately lost its effect on him. With a slight flick of his Life-Protecting Sword, the flying daggers formed from flower petals were shattered into dust by Xu Yang. As for the invisible sound blade, it had already fragmented into countless pieces the moment Xu Yang scoffed.

Seeing Xu Yang effortlessly break her techniques with a mere lift of his hand, Yu San Niang's expression drastically changed. This surprised her even more than the fact that Xu Yang had been unaffected by her illusions. With just this one exchange, Yu San Niang understood. Xu Yang's true strength far exceeded the description provided by the Tianwu Commandery Prefecture. Such a person could not be fought head-on; to do so would be suicidal.

The light veil that Xu Yang had evaded earlier now returned to Yu San Niang's body of its own accord. Draped in the light veil, Yu San Niang's graceful form was half-revealed, half-concealed, appearing exceptionally alluring. However, she was no longer in the mood to entice. After hearing Xu Yang's next words, Yu San Niang's complexion worsened.

"The dignified Heavenly Demon Dance has been reduced to this in your hands." Xu Yang looked at Yu San Niang's posture and shook his head in dissatisfaction. Xu Yang had witnessed the techniques Yu San Niang employed tens of thousands of years ago. That spectacle was absolutely incomparable to the paltry tricks Yu San Niang had performed today. In that scenario, hundreds or even thousands of Heavenly Demonesses would appear simultaneously, making it difficult even for cultivators in the Grotto-Heaven Realm to maintain their composure. Anyone who witnessed it would never forget it. What Yu San Niang had just performed was nothing short of an insult to such a profound divine ability.

"It's clearly a great divine ability capable of dominating an entire region, yet in your hands, it's become such a common trick. Truly pathetic." Xu Yang swung his Life-Protecting Sword, and the light veil Yu San Niang had conjured was directly cut in half. This low-grade magic treasure was no different from a piece of paper under the blade of the Life-Protecting Sword.

Witnessing the destruction of the magic treasure she had painstakingly refined according to her cultivation technique, Yu San Niang immediately spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. The light veil was a magic treasure intrinsically linked to her life; with Xu Yang's sword slicing it apart, Yu San Niang suffered a significant backlash.

Taking a single step, Xu Yang appeared before Yu San Niang. Yu San Niang circulated her spiritual power, and a phantom ghoul head materialized before her. The ghoul head was just about to break free from its confinement when Xu Yang seized it, causing it to instantly vanish into nothingness.

"Do you have any other tricks?" Xu Yang put away his Life-Protecting Sword, looking at Yu San Niang with utter disdain.

"Ancestor Xu, whose fame has recently spread throughout Tianwu Commandery, truly lives up to his reputation. This humble one has now witnessed Ancestor Xu's profound abilities." Although her painstakingly refined magic treasure was destroyed and her cultivation significantly damaged, Yu San Niang could only strive to suppress her hatred and adopt a submissive demeanor in front of Xu Yang. Xu Yang had no desire or inclination to concern himself with Yu San Niang's thoughts. In the face of such absolute crushing power, any resentment or hatred Yu San Niang harbored would be utterly futile.

"This junior is Yu San Niang, one of the revered retainers of the Tianwu Commandery Prefecture. I have come to discuss some matters with Senior." Yu San Niang's words were not false; she had indeed come under the orders of Tianwu Commandery to establish contact with Xu Yang. Her original intention, however, was to use her illusions to engage in intimacy with Xu Yang. Then, in bed, she planned to turn Xu Yang into a beast of desire, completely under her control. She hoped to leverage this to enhance her own strength and elevate her status within Tianwu Commandery.

Despite all her calculations, Yu San Niang had never anticipated Xu Yang's immense strength. Her full-power illusions had no effect on Xu Yang whatsoever, and the magic treasure she had painstakingly refined was shattered by his single sword strike. This expedition truly felt like a double loss. Moreover, she now had to face the immensely powerful Xu Yang. All her tricks were utterly useless in the face of Xu Yang's formidable power.

Yu San Niang was now certain that Xu Yang's strength was far beyond that of an ordinary Golden Core cultivator; at the very least, he had one foot in the Nascent Soul Realm. It was even possible that Xu Yang was already a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. There were very few Nascent Soul Realm cultivators to be found in all of Tianwu Commandery. Thinking this, Yu San Niang's mind began to churn with different thoughts. A Nascent Soul Realm cultivator was truly a powerful patron; if she could attach herself to him, her own cultivation might very well advance to the next level. At this moment, Yu San Niang's heart burned with fervent excitement; attaching herself to a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator could bring her endless benefits.

"This humble one, Yu San Niang, is willing to follow Senior from this day forward and serve by your side."