Chapter 63 Confessed Everything

Under Xueyue's coercion, the female assassin finally confessed everything, revealing all the details of the layout.

In this entire matter, Chen Pengfei had only played a deceptive role: first luring Mengyao away, and then giving the female assassin the opportunity to abduct her.

The ultimate target was always Moxuan; otherwise, with such a powerful practitioner of the Heavenly Heart Realm roaming around nearby, she would have had no chance at all.

Knowing how important Mengyao was to Xueyue, the assassin had used her as leverage to force Xueyue into submission.

Originally, she had intended to kill Xueyue outright, but after capturing her, she sensed the formidable demonic aura surrounding Xueyue's body and decided against immediate execution.

Instead, she planned to take her to a hidden location to extract her inner core. If Xueyue proved obedient, she could even take her in as a spirit fox pet—such a lucrative prospect was impossible for her to ignore.

She had also guessed Mengyao's true identity, meaning Mengyao's ultimate fate would have been the same. Even if Chen Pengfei had genuinely tried to stop it, it would have been futile, and Mengyao had already been taken by Chen Pengfei to North Creek Ridge.

Naturally, in his anxiety, Moxuan had asked one more question regarding the forces behind the scenes.

The female assassin had merely smiled dismissively and kept silent, instead offering a sarcastic taunt: "Do you people even deserve to know? Heh, even if I die, someone even stronger will come. You won't have good days ahead."

In truth, Xueyue was not afraid of her; she was merely worried that her current weakened state might not be enough to protect Mengyao.

Taking advantage of a moment of distraction, the female assassin had managed to slip away.

Of course, Xueyue's own condition was far from optimistic. She could not maintain her current form for much longer; otherwise, she would never have been caught off guard, nor would she have been unable to keep the assassin from escaping.

As for that person, Xueyue would handle her in due time.

North Creek Ridge!

It was a rather tranquil place, located just north of the Aurora Forest, separated by a river flowing toward Illusion Creek Town.

On the opposite bank lay a vast expanse of peach orchards, with peach blossoms drifting everywhere across the hills, giving off the distinct atmosphere of a recluse's sanctuary.

Regardless of the people living here, the aesthetic was quite exquisite, rivaling the peach grove of the Netherworld's Three Paths—though falling far short in scale. It was clearly planted according to a deliberate layout.

That peach grove was far from ordinary; it contained a formation.

In truth, the least patient of them all was Xueyue. Although she was severely wounded, the moment she arrived here, she rushed straight in, subdued Chen Pengfei with a single move, and demanded Mengyao's whereabouts, casting aside all her usual poise.

Faced with Xueyue's overwhelming pressure, Chen Pengfei did not panic in the slightest. Without any concealment, he confessed directly: "Since I have lost, kill me if you will."

It had to be admitted that this man possessed a considerable backbone.

Moxuan looked around, his keen perception quickly locking onto a rather unusual room whose perimeter was sealed by a formation: "Let's check over here!"

It was a Tier 4 formation!

Moxuan initially intended to decipher it methodically, but Lan Bing had no desire to wait. With a single slash of her twin swords, she shattered it instantly and glanced at Moxuan with a hint of showmanship: "You're too slow!"

Moxuan desperately wished he could reach that level of proficiency, but it was truly too difficult. No matter how gifted a person might be, without seven or eight years of painstaking effort, how could one possibly reach such a height? Fortuitous encounters did not happen every day, nor were there endless opportunities handed to one to level up.

Sure enough, she was inside.

Yet the reality inside seemed somewhat different from what they had imagined.

There was food and drink aplenty, the amenities were quite complete, and the environment was pleasant, elegant, and serene!

It seemed that Chen Pengfei must have genuinely cared for Mengyao; otherwise, he would never have gone to such lengths.

The door opened. Believing that Chen Pengfei had returned, Mengyao did not even bother to look. Lying on the bed with her back facing the door, she said bluntly, "Don't think I don't know what you're up to. I will never agree. Given how well you've taken care of me, I can let the rest slide."

"It seems you're doing quite well here after all—we worried for nothing!" Lan Bing could not help but let out a light, relieved chuckle.

Hearing that voice, Mengyao sat up instantly and hurried out, appearing anxious as if afraid something might have gone wrong: "You're here! That's wonderful... Haha."

Out in the courtyard, Xueyue was about to finish off Chen Pengfei directly, but Mengyao stopped her: "Sister Xue, let him go! He's not a bad person, and he didn't do anything to me."

Hearing this, Xueyue released her grip, desisted from further action, and merely uttered a single word: "Get lost!"

Chen Pengfei lingered for a moment, casting one final, lingering look at Mengyao before turning and departing without saying another word.

Xueyue had not mentioned the matter of the inner core, but Mengyao was far from foolish. Ever since this incident, Xueyue had remained in her true beast form for an extended period, and her injuries stubbornly refused to heal.

Moxuan was also deeply apologetic. The primary reason for this whole ordeal was him; if Xueyue had not intervened twice to thwart the female assassin,

she would not have been driven to desperate measures specifically targeting Xueyue, and none of this would have happened.

An inner core contained the most concentrated essence of a demonic beast's power. Once lost, the beast's strength would be halved, and its regenerative abilities would plummet drastically.

Even if her strength were halved, Mengyao possessed the enhancement of the Purple Gold Heart-Burning Flame, which could fully compensate for the deficit.

Xueyue was different. Lying devoid of such protective treasures, losing her inner core meant she would not only remain in a prolonged state of weakness, but her cultivation realm would also be nearly impossible to recover, forcing her to sustain her current condition solely through her original beast form.

Anyone with half a brain could figure it out upon a moment's reflection, and Mengyao soon uncovered the truth.

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't acted so rashly and fallen into someone else's trap, this wouldn't have happened to you!" Mengyao's heart weighed heavy with guilt. This was the second time she had become a burden; back in the depths of the mine, she had almost caused Xueyue's death, and now she had caused Xueyue to lose her inner core.

"It's fine. My foundation is strong; I'll recover in a few months." What Xueyue said was not entirely untrue, but the problem was that growing a brand-new inner core of equivalent power would take far longer than just a few months. Consequently, she would remain in a prolonged state of debility. Even if her cultivation eventually returned, she would barely be able to unleash half of her original strength, making her no match for that female assassin should they meet again.

Seven-Colored Water Begonia!

Moxuan suddenly thought of this flower. While it might not completely heal Xueyue's injuries, it could at least provide substantial relief, and it was the most precious item he had at his disposal.

Therefore, keeping it from Lan Bing, he went alone to Mengyao's dwelling.

It was not far—just the distance of two alleys.

As it happened, Mengyao was out. Plagued by guilt over the incident, she had gone out to seek out and gather various precious spiritual herbs in an attempt to make amends.

When Moxuan knocked on the door, Xueyue was naturally at home, but the person who opened the door was draped in a black cloak that concealed her snowy white fox ears and tail, as if she were terrified of being seen by visitors.

"Shh! Is anyone else out there?" Xueyue quickly reached out, pulled Moxuan inside, and shut the door.

They were spirits, but currently unable to maintain human form. If outsiders discovered this, trouble would ensue, especially given that they were half-spirit foxes.

Existing in a semi-demonic state made them all the more precious in a certain sense.

Far away from their clan, they had to exercise caution in all things.

In truth, Moxuan cared little for such prejudices. He had never spoken of it to anyone, nor did he harbor any aversion toward them; on the contrary, he found them gentle-natured and far superior to many humans.

And both of these women truly recognized and trusted Moxuan from the bottom of their hearts.

"I am deeply sorry for what happened last time! I know that, um..." Moxuan expressed his sincere apologies. Although still young, he understood the weight of responsibility, even though the events back then had unfolded so abruptly.

"There's no need to apologize. You saved our Mengyao twice; the matter of the inner core is of no consequence!" Xueyue looked at Moxuan with her habitual icy expression, though she knew what he wanted to say. "Furthermore, I am a married spirit. Do not speak of that matter again; consider as though nothing ever happened."

Since she had put it that way, Moxuan could not press the issue further.

"This is a Seven-Colored Water Begonia, obtained by chance. I hope it proves useful for your injuries!" Moxuan handed the fully matured Seven-Colored Water Begonia to Xueyue.

"This..." Xueyue hesitated for a moment before finally accepting it. This flower possessed no fixed grade, yet its effects on demonic beasts were profound, capable of both great help and unpredictable side effects. While any unforeseen complications remained unknown, it was undeniably a boon. "Help me refine it into a potion!"

Could demonic beasts not simply swallow them directly?

Moxuan was quite puzzled as to why it needed to be made into a potion.

"Are you expecting me to swallow it raw? I am not some uncivilized beast," Xueyue rebuked him coldly, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

Without delay, Moxuan set to work. However, completely refining such a flower into a medicinal potion proved to be a time-consuming endeavor.

It took a full twelve hours, lasting until deep into the night, before the potion finally took shape. By then, Mengyao had already returned. Seeing Moxuan busy refining something in the living room, she refrained from disturbing him and instead tiptoed quietly over to Xueyue to converse in hushed tones.

She had brought back several special spiritual herbs she had hunted down today that might aid Xueyue's recovery. Realizing they currently lacked a dedicated apothecary, she was pleasantly surprised that Moxuan had taken the initiative to come over and help.

Naturally, Moxuan wanted to achieve the best possible outcome, so he poured all his effort into refining the batch to a super-grade standard.

Up until now, Moxuan had only successfully brewed super-grade potions twice: once during the rainy night boat ride, and another time when refining a meridian-clearing potion for the City Lord—both of which were Tier 3.

This time, there was only a single ingredient, eliminating any issues of medicinal conflicting properties.

For reasons unknown, whenever Moxuan maintained a mindset focused on saving lives, recalling the profound insights he had gained on that small boat, he was able to successfully brew super-grade potions.

Yet whenever he acted out of greed for wealth or personal gain, achieving the super-grade level remained an elusive dream. Fortunately, this time he did not fail.

Success on the very first attempt.

"This aroma!" Upon witnessing this for the first time, Xueyue's gaze immediately sharpened.

"It's done!" A wave of satisfaction washed over Moxuan as he handed the finished product to Xueyue.

"What kind of spiritual medicine is this? Why does it exude such a potent aura, as if a strange energy is coursing through it?" Failing to recognize it, Mengyao stared with intense curiosity, a look of disappointment crossing her face as she compared it to the herbs she had painstakingly gathered herself.

Without hesitation, Xueyue drank it down. Truth be told, the medicinal efficacy of such unranked, rare spiritual medicines was truly extraordinary.

Coupled with the super-grade refinement, a gentle cluster of spiritual energy tinged with the hues of the water begonia instantly began swirling around Xueyue's body.

Without a moment's pause, Xueyue sat down cross-legged right where she was, closed her eyes, and began absorbing the surging energy.

The water begonia, blooming as though in a marsh, resembled a pristine lotus, radiating a luminous glow and emitting tiny, floating clusters of light. Tiny, fluorescent specks drifted across the room, creating an ethereal beauty that gradually filled the entire space.

"What wondrous fluctuations of spiritual energy!" Mengyao could not help but exclaim in admiration, lifting her fair hand slightly to gently touch the floating points of light.

By comparison, the herbs she had managed to find paled drastically; high-grade herbs did little to improve such severe conditions, while inferior ones had effects so negligible they could be ignored entirely.