Cultivating Immortality :I Obtained The Villain's Ascension Code-Chapter 75: Only one Remained

Shan He’s eyes widened in disbelief, but the light within them faded the next instant. Death claimed him before he could utter a final word.

Xiao Ning let out a long breath, as if dusting off a speck on his sleeve.

"Loyal dogs, traitor dogs... in the end, all bark and no bite."

From the side, Mo Wuyin’s face twisted. He had already begun to retreat, inch by inch, sweat pouring down his back.

"You—You dare kill him?! Do you know who we are?! The Evil Ghost Sect is backed by the Pale Phantom Ancestor! A cultivator at the peak of the Heavenly Tribulation Realm! If I die here, you die next!"

Xiao Ning turned his gaze on him. His expression didn’t change, but something in his presence grew colder.

"Oh? So that walking corpse is still alive? I almost forgot he existed."

Mo Wuyin’s eyes narrowed. "He left the Evil Ghost Sect to seek a breakthrough. Not long after, he joined the Four Demonic Halls. Now, he’s one of the Nine Wraith Elders—a full Heavenly Tribulation expert."

"Mm," Xiao Ning nodded slightly. "I remember now. He used to be your sect master, didn’t he? Left you all behind and never looked back."

Mo Wuyin stiffened. "He didn’t abandon us! He carried the burden of seeking strength for our future!"

Xiao Ning chuckled softly.

"Did he? Or did he see the writing on the wall and decide to trade you in for better backing?"

"You—!"

Xiao Ning raised a hand, silencing him.

"You call on his name like it still holds meaning. But tell me... in all the years since he left, has he returned even once to defend you? Sent a message? Left a token of protection?"

Mo Wuyin hesitated.

"No?" Xiao Ning said. "Then why are you still clinging to his shadow?"

He stepped forward slowly, his voice lowering.

"The Four Demonic Halls... yes, I’ve heard of them. Four Divine Transformation realm experts, each guarding their own little corner of the Sea and Mountain Realm, waiting for the world to forget they exist."

"And the Nine Wraith Elders... nine old monsters who fear the light of day. Nine ghosts pretending to rule from the shadows."

He looked at Mo Wuyin with a faint smile.

"And now you expect their titles to scare me?"

"You’ll regret this!" Mo Wuyin howled. "You think you’ve won something here? Once word spreads, none of the Four Demonic Halls will spare you! The Nine Wraith Elders will flay your soul bare!"

"Ah," Xiao Ning raised a brow. "So now you’re counting on the Four Halls and the Nine Wraiths. Anyone else you’d like to name-drop before you soil yourself?"

"You—!"

Xiao Ning smiled thinly.

"Tell your Pale Phantom Ancestor this—if he wants to crawl out of whatever coffin he’s meditating in, I’ll send him company."

The third petal on the lotus began to stir.

Mo Wuyin’s face changed drastically. Without another word, he pulled out a jade talisman and slammed it into the ground.

Boom!

A burst of pale white light erupted around him, his body dissolving into mist. He turned into a streak of escaping soul essence, fleeing like a shadow in full retreat.

Xiao Ning sighed.

"So predictable."

He flicked his finger.

The third petal shot forward like a streak of silver moonlight, cutting through the air in a clean arc.

A shriek rang out from the mist—high-pitched and animalistic, filled with despair.

Then silence.

A few heartbeats later, the mist faded.

All that remained of Mo Wuyin rained down like a soft drizzle of charred ash, vanishing before it touched the earth.

"One bends, the other runs. Not one with a spine among them, right?"

Of all the four experts only one figure remained.

Han Zhi.

He stood frozen in place, trembling from head to toe, his lips pale, eyes bloodshot with fear.

Even after Mo Wuyin’s soul had been reduced to dust, he hadn’t moved an inch.

Xiao Ning slowly turned to him, his gaze indifferent—neither hostile nor kind.

Han Zhi flinched. He dropped to his knees without hesitation and kowtowed deeply.

"S-Sect Master Li! This humble one was forced to come! I—I swear on my cultivation, I had no part in the planning! I didn’t even know we’d be facing you until we landed!"

His forehead struck the stone with a dull thud.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

"I have no grudges! The Soul Refining Sect didn’t want to fully participate in this, I was sent just to make up the numbers!"

Xiao Ning give him assumed look, "...What’s your position in the Soul Refining Sect?"

Han Zhi was surprised upon hearing this.

"I—I’m just a guest elder! Truly! I only joined them two years ago! The sect master barely speaks to me—I don’t have any real authority!"

He looked like he wanted to bury his face into the stone.

"I... I was originally a disciple of the Heaven Fortune Sect, under Elder Jing. My master... he was framed by his senior brother—accused of killing the Sect Master’s son."

Xiao Ning’s brow lifted slightly.

"Oh?"

Han Zhi nodded desperately. "It was a trap! Everyone knew my master wouldn’t have dared touch someone of that status, but the evidence was... arranged. Once the charge was made, no one dared speak for him. Even I..."

He swallowed thickly. "I tried to defend him once. Just once. And from that day, I was marked."

He clenched his fists. "I was still in the Core Formation Realm back then, but they sent assassins after me. Every time I changed regions, changed my name, they would still find me. Righteous sects—they act like they’re noble, but they’re worse than any demonic cultivator I’ve ever met!"

A trace of bitterness crept into his voice.

"I wandered for years. Eventually... when I finally broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm, the Soul Refining Sect offered me shelter. They didn’t care about my past—only my strength. I didn’t join them because of ambition. I just wanted to live."

Xiao Ning said nothing for a long while.

"What were your orders?"

Han Zhi flinched at the question but didn’t dare hesitate. He immediately kowtowed again, forehead pressing hard against the stone.

"The sect master... he told me to accompany them and observe. That’s all!"

He said in a hoarse voice. "He warned me not to act rashly—said that if conflict broke out, I should step back and avoid offending either side."

Xiao Ning’s expression shifted slightly, and a quiet chuckle escaped his lips.

"Cunning old bastard..."

He let out a soft laugh, shaking his head slightly.

"So... he sent you along for show. That way, if the other two succeeded, he could claim to have offered support. If they failed, he could say his sect never truly joined in."

His tone was calm, almost amused.

"That kind of careful scheming... it suits the Soul Refining Sect."

Han Zhi raised his head slightly, not daring to speak, but his expression showed clear agreement.

Xiao Ning stepped forward slowly, each step as light as mist.

"And what about you? You had a choice, didn’t you?"

Han Zhi’s head lowered again. "I—I did, but..."

"You chose wrong," Xiao Ning said simply.

Han Zhi stiffened.

But before he could stammer another plea, Xiao Ning waved a hand lightly.

"It’s not your fault."

Han Zhi looked up, stunned. "Then... you mean..."

"But—why would I care about that?"

Han Zhi’s mouth opened, but no sound came.

Xiao Ning looked down at him, expression as indifferent as the wind brushing over the mountaintop.

"In this world, Han Zhi, fairness is a myth. Good intentions? Meaningless. Whether you were pushed, trapped, or simply unlucky... none of it matters to those standing above."

He turned his gaze toward the darkening sky.

"You want to live? Then prove you’re useful."

Han Zhi nodded quickly, kowtowing again. "Yes! Yes, of course—anything Sect Master Li commands!"

Xiao Ning’s lips curled into a slight smile.

"Good. Then listen carefully."

He leaned in just slightly.

"Return to Evil Dragon City."

Han Zhi blinked. "...What?"

Xiao Ning’s smile widened a fraction. "Go back. Say nothing. Don’t report the battle. Don’t tell them what happened. Just say—’they are on their way’—and that the four of you killed me."

Han Zhi’s face went pale again. "Killed... you?"

"Just do as I said."

"But—won’t they ask—"

"They will," Xiao Ning said calmly. "And you will act the fool. Say the body was destroyed. Say it was a chaotic fight. Say the Sect Masters handled everything. Say whatever you need to."

He gave Han Zhi a long look. "But don’t say a single word about this lotus field. Or about me."

Han Zhi swallowed hard. "Sect Master Li... may I ask... why?"

Xiao Ning didn’t answer right away. Instead, he raised a hand and gently closed his fingers around the black-and-white lotus above his palm. With a flick, it vanished like mist caught in a breeze.

"There are too many eyes watching. And too many ears waiting to hear the wrong story."

He turned, robes fluttering behind him. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Let them think I’m dead for a little while. It will make what comes next... more interesting."

Han Zhi knelt there, stunned.

"...I understand."