The Beloved Master's Mad Dog Disciple - Chapter 10

Guan Caimei’s terror of the Soul-Searching Technique was not without reason. The technique gradually tore the soul into fragments, extracting memories from the shattered remnants. The pain was unimaginable. Moreover, cultivators with specialized training methods could forge exceptionally resilient souls; as long as the soul remained intact, they could not truly die. However, the Soul-Searching Technique not only extracted memories but also annihilated the soul itself.

Guan Caimei trembled in fear and agony, dreading the annihilation of her soul.

As Bo Xuenong had predicted, Guan Caimei was intimately familiar with the Soul-Searching Technique, having even used it on others. Her target had been the original owner of this very body.

Bo Xuenong, still a novice with the technique, managed to extract only a small portion of Guan Caimei’s memories. Yet even this fragment sent shockwaves through her.

Guan Caimei was not from their world. She hailed from another cultivation world, where she had been an Elder of the Joyous Union Sect. Day after day, she had sought suitable Human Cauldrons, preying on countless young men and women. Despite possessing immense cultivation power—gained through Dual Cultivation—she was lazy and afraid of pain, lacking any true combat prowess. Instead, she relied on her spiritual energy to bully the weak.

That day, Guan Caimei had set her sights on a young woman. The girl possessed both striking beauty and exceptional innate talent. If Guan Caimei could drain her spiritual energy, her own cultivation would undoubtedly reach a breakthrough.

What made the girl particularly appealing was that she hadn’t yet begun cultivating. Guan Caimei believed she could easily subdue her and immediately launched her attack. Only after striking did she realize the girl had been concealing her true cultivation level with a magical artifact. Within ten moves, Guan Caimei, a dignified Elder of the Spirit Transformation Realm, had her life stolen.

Guan Caimei had assumed she was dead for good. To her surprise, she awoke in another world, inhabiting someone else’s body.

She immediately used the Soul-Searching Technique to kill the original soul within the body. Not only did she obtain the memories, but a book also appeared in her mind.

The book was titled Dual Immortals of Tribulation. Its plot revolved around the male and female leads, who had known each other since childhood, growing up together in the same village. When the male lead was very young, he lost all five senses while saving the female lead. With no cure in sight, the female lead, consumed by guilt, vowed to repay him for life. At the age of ten, a wandering physician crossed their path and pointed her toward a possible solution: human doctors couldn’t help, but perhaps immortals could. Thus, the female lead embarked on a perilous journey to seek immortality and save the male lead. After enduring countless hardships, she finally gained entry into a small sect, only to face bullying and abuse from her senior brothers and sisters. Meanwhile, the male lead, blessed with extraordinary innate talent, had been taken in by the wandering physician as his disciple, receiving meticulous care and guidance.

The wandering physician was actually the Supreme Elder of the Nethergate Sect, a figure even the current Sect Leader addressed as Martial Uncle. It was his discovery of the Male Lead’s exceptional Innate Talent that led him to approach the Female Lead. Knowing the Male Lead had lost his senses while saving her, and fearing she would become a burden to him, the Elder feigned guiding her toward a path, secretly intending to send her away and take the Male Lead as his disciple. He looked down on the Female Lead’s ordinary spiritual root.

While the Female Lead endured bullying from her fellow disciples, still desperately seeking a way to restore the Male Lead’s senses, he not only received meticulous guidance from his Master but also a top-tier cultivation technique tailored specifically for him. With diligent practice, his senses would gradually recover as his Cultivation advanced, and he would even begin to forget the Female Lead.

Though they were hailed as the Dual Immortals of Tribulation, in reality, aside from the Male Lead’s childhood loss of senses, all other calamities were borne by the Female Lead alone.

When the Female Lead was ambushed by her fellow disciples during a Secret Realm trial, plummeting into the Demon Abyss and teetering on the brink of death, the Male Lead smoothly reached the Core Formation Stage, regaining his sense of touch.

After barely escaping the Demon Abyss, the Female Lead inadvertently became tainted with demonic creature Bloodline, transforming into a half-demon and being relentlessly hunted by her fellow disciples. As she faced despair and helplessness, the Male Lead, under the protection of his Master, effortlessly broke through to the Golden Core Stage, recovering his sense of hearing.

While the Female Lead endured countless hardships to transform her constitution, enhance her strength, and earn the Cloudmist Sect Leader’s recognition as a disciple—all to secure more cultivation resources for the Male Lead and help him regain his senses—the Male Lead, under his Master’s guidance, received the finest cultivation resources and swiftly advanced to the Nascent Soul realm, restoring his vision.

During the Female Lead’s leadership of Cloudmist Sect disciples on a Secret Realm training expedition, where they narrowly escaped death from demon beasts multiple times, the Male Lead fell head over heels for another woman. And that woman was… Shen Yanting.

The expedition was a grand event organized by the Cloudmist Sect, drawing participation from renowned sects across the continent, including the rarely venturing Imperial Tranquility Sect.

Shen Yanting personally led the Imperial Tranquility Sect disciples to the training grounds. In her youth, she had been a celebrated figure within the Cloudmist Sect, envied by countless individuals. When news spread of her departure to a minor sect, many sought revenge to avenge past humiliations. The moment they entered the Secret Realm, they were ambushed and forcibly separated from Shen Yanting.

Guan Caimei’s account of the Male Lead rescuing Shen Yanting was incomplete. In truth, he had saved the entire group of junior disciples, preventing them from being killed by Shen Yanting’s enemies and becoming a demonic obstacle in her path.

The Male Lead fell in love at first sight with the aloof and beautiful Shen Yanting. Given his high seniority—he was on familiar terms with the Sect Leader—he decided not to return to the Nethergate Sect and instead traveled with them.

Since he had saved the Imperial Tranquility Sect from certain destruction, Shen Yanting couldn’t refuse his company and tacitly allowed him to join their journey.

The Male Lead intensified his pursuit of Shen Yanting, but she remained indifferent to everyone. No matter how passionately he courted her, she remained cool and distant. Though discouraged at times, he accidentally glimpsed a cursed mark on her wrist. When he curiously asked his Master about it, he learned that Shen Yanting’s coldness wasn’t directed at him personally, but stemmed from Bo Xuenong.

Bo Xuenong’s Bloodline did indeed have issues, but not the kind Guan Caimei had described—she wasn’t a feral beast.

In ancient times, when demons roamed rampant, divine beings descended upon the world riding Divine Beasts to protect living creatures. After the demons were eradicated, the divine beings returned to the Divine Realm. However, the Divine Beasts, lacking the ability to purify themselves, had their Bloodlines inadvertently tainted by demonic bl00d. Their once-noble Bloodlines became bloodthirsty and savage, making it impossible for them to return to the Divine Realm.

The divine beings left behind formations to suppress the beasts’ physical strength and ferocity. Over time, the Divine Beasts adapted to life in the mortal realm, some even marrying and raising families, establishing homes among humans.

If things had remained this way, it would have been acceptable. But the Divine Beasts had long since withered away. Their descendants inherited the Bloodline but not the divine nature, growing increasingly brutal and bloodthirsty. Unable to suppress their Bloodline, they began killing and devouring humans, gradually losing their divine status and becoming feral beasts. As the formations left by the divine beings weakened, these beasts intensified their slaughter, some even consuming their own kin, devoid of any humanity.

Five hundred years ago, the Three Great Sects united with all Sects of significant strength, gathering their strongest cultivators to launch a campaign to exterminate the feral beast Bloodline. Shen Yanting was among the elite cultivators dispatched by the Cloudmist Sect. She was no boundless saint; she would relentlessly hunt down adult feral beasts that had devoured humans. However, after slaying two such beasts, she encountered two tiny children. One was Bo Xuenong, just four years old, while the other was even younger. Unable to bring herself to kill them, Shen Yanting carried them to her Master, the Sect Leader of the Cloudmist Sect.

When Shen Yanting arrived, she encountered several fellow disciples and Fellow Daoists who shared her sentiments. They were all carefully concealing Little Ferocious Beasts in their arms, some still swaddled in infancy. Having inherited the Orthodox Cultivation tradition of World-Saving and Benevolence, they had been taught to protect the weak. They had only launched the extermination campaign to prevent the feral beasts from devouring the common people. They simply couldn’t bring themselves to harm these innocent, bloodless children who could barely walk steadily. Even setting aside the fact that their ancestors were Divine Beasts who had guarded the mortal realm, the human bl00d flowing through their veins made it impossible.

The Sect Leaders of the Three Great Sects were not ruthless individuals. After deliberation, they remained concerned that the feral beast Bloodline might erode reason and pose a danger. To keep the Little Ferocious Beasts, they would need to prove that they could overcome the Bloodline’s innate bloodlust and aggression. This required experimentation. At the time, Bo Xuenong was the largest of the Little Ferocious Beasts, making her the obvious choice among the beasts. However, selecting a Human Cultivator to conduct the experiments proved far more difficult.

At the time, only the Sect Leaders of the Three Great Sects, a few exceptional Elders, and those who had taken the Little Ferocious Beasts back with them participated in the discussion. The fewer people who knew about this matter, the better. Naturally, the ones tasked with teaching the Little Ferocious Beasts had to be chosen from among them. During their infancy, the Little Ferocious Beasts couldn’t suppress their Beast Bloodline, easily revealing non-human traits. The Three Great Sects had many disciples with extraordinary Innate Talent and Elders with profound Cultivation, making it nearly impossible to conceal their identities. Therefore, the chosen individuals would have to take the Little Ferocious Beasts far away from the Sects, effectively forfeiting the Sect’s annual resource allocation.

The Sect Leaders and Elders, as the pillars of their Sects, couldn’t shoulder this responsibility. That left only disciples like Shen Yanting from the various Sects.

In the Cultivation World, strength reigned supreme. Even the greatest Innate Talent required resources to nurture. While they might have been willing, they still had to consider their own futures, or at least the well-being of their Masters who had painstakingly cultivated them. At the time, only the Sect Leader of the Cloudmist Sect had three personal disciples, making Shen Yanting the obvious choice.

They used a formation to freeze the Little Ferocious Beasts in ice, inducing a deep slumber. The feral beast Bloodline would ensure their continued survival.

The agreed-upon timeframe was five hundred years. During this period, Shen Yanting was to properly nurture the Little Ferocious Beasts. After five centuries, she would bring Bo Xuenong out to face her trial. If Bo Xuenong could overcome her Bloodline, the other frozen Little Ferocious Beasts would be released. If she failed, they would all be killed alongside her.

Shen Yanting monitored Bo Xuenong, while the Sect Leaders of the Three Great Sects monitored Shen Yanting.

As a sword cultivator herself, Shen Yanting left her Sect and Master, bringing Bo Xuenong to the Imperial Tranquility Sect—a remote Sect where disciples rarely participated in Sect trials. With its isolated location, unreliable Sect Leader, and emotionally detached fellow disciples, Shen Yanting naturally missed the Cloudmist Sect and appeared less enthusiastic. Though she was Bo Xuenong’s master, she was also her monitor. She couldn’t appear too approachable or grow too close to Bo Xuenong; otherwise, if Bo Xuenong failed her trial, Shen Yanting would be unable to fulfill her promise to kill her.

Shen Yanting leading the expedition down the mountain wasn’t a coincidence; it was time for Bo Xuenong’s trial.

This was Shen Yanting’s secret.

The Male Lead had initially praised Bo Xuenong’s beauty upon their first meeting, but he soon grew to hate her, believing she had turned Shen Yanting into an ice queen. He convinced himself that Shen Yanting’s heavy responsibilities prevented her from reciprocating his feelings.

Bo Xuenong’s hatred burned even fiercer. She loathed the Male Lead’s relentless pursuit and clingy obsession with Shen Yanting.

They began plotting against each other, each determined to kill the other.

Guan Caimei, like the Male Lead’s master, was clearly biased toward him. Despite their mutual scheming and the Male Lead’s own desire to kill her, she blamed everything on Bo Xuenong, even feeling sorry for the Male Lead. In reality, he was no good at all; even without Bo Xuenong, he didn’t deserve Shen Yanting.

He claimed it was love at first sight, vowing to follow her forever, yet he flirted with every beauty he encountered along the way—Demon Sect Demonesses, Senior Sisters from his sect… After stirring their hearts, he’d add, “I only love Shen Yanting.”

He didn’t love Shen Yanting at all; he was deliberately causing her endless trouble.

Later, when the Female Lead, who had been chasing after him, finally caught up, he didn’t recognize her at all. While claiming he didn’t like her, he brazenly accepted her advances, taking full advantage of her affections. Afterward, he’d explain to Shen Yanting that the Female Lead had seduced him, as if Shen Yanting even wanted to hear it.

Such a philandering scoundrel deserved to die. Why was it Shen Yanting who had to die instead?

What tormented Bo Xuenong most was that Shen Yanting’s death wasn’t accidental. In the book’s final act, Bo Xuenong ambushed the Male Lead while he was gravely wounded. Suddenly, Shen Yanting seized her hand and plunged Xuan Mo into her own chest. Shen Yanting had committed suicide… suicide!

She hadn’t even left a final word, offering no explanation for her death. She simply gazed calmly at Bo Xuenong and called her “Nong’er” one last time.

To save Shen Yanting, the Female Lead willingly revealed her true form. The demonic creature’s bl00d she had absorbed in the Demon Abyss was no ordinary demonic bl00d, but the bl00d of the Buddha Fruit.

Though classified as a demon, the Buddha Fruit existed solely for World-Saving and Benevolent purposes, to deliver all living beings from suffering.

Throughout its life, it could save ten people. After saving ten lives, it would dissipate on its own. Calling it a demon was an insult; it should have been revered as a sacred artifact. This explained why the Female Lead’s Innate Talent had grown stronger and her cultivation speed had accelerated.

Having merged with the Buddha Fruit’s Bloodline, the Female Lead could also produce the fruit to save ten lives. Originally, Shen Yanting could have been revived, but the Buddha Fruit could only save those who wished to live. Shen Yanting had no will to survive, so even when fed the fruit, she didn’t recover. Realizing what had happened, Bo Xuenong followed suit and took her own life.

After Shen Yanting’s death, the Male Lead gradually accepted the Female Lead, finally remembering that she was his childhood sweetheart. They enjoyed a period of happiness together. However, once he learned of her unique constitution, he began making her use her life-saving fruits to save others. He reasoned that as long as she kept the final two fruits, she would remain immortal, and he could even reserve one for himself to ensure his own survival. He never imagined that the Female Lead had already used two fruits in her early years. After giving away the eighth fruit, her life would end. In the end, the Male Lead did indeed live out his days in solitude, but while the two women he loved most had died, his other romantic interests remained alive.

If the story hadn’t ended three days after the Female Lead’s death, who knows how it might have unfolded?

The Male Lead deserved to die, but the Female Lead… perhaps she didn’t. The one who deserved to die was her!

Bo Xuenong’s body began to tremble uncontrollably. She spread her hands, staring at her palms.

Crimson bl00d stained her hands, but it wasn’t Shen Yanting’s. Yet her palms burned as if the bl00d were about to sear through them.

Had she truly killed Shen Yanting? With these hands?

Bo Xuenong bit her lower lip, her teeth grinding against it until beads of bl00d welled up. Suddenly, she snatched a knife from Guan Caimei’s corpse and slashed at her own hand. The blade stopped just short of her skin as a sliver of rationality returned. None of this has happened yet.

She plunged the knife back into Guan Caimei’s body, staring at the still-bleeding corpse. A realization struck her: she finally understood why Shen Yanting had taken her own life.

The Male Lead had saved her… No matter how despicable he was, the fact remained that he had saved Bo Xuenong when they first met. Though they had engaged in mutual schemes and assassination attempts, her actions had always been more blatant than his. Shen Yanting had witnessed Bo Xuenong repeatedly trying to kill her own savior, sealing her fate: she would never pass the trial.

Shen Yanting must have struggled countless times over whether to kill Bo Xuenong. In the end, unable to bring herself to do it, she had turned the sword on herself.

Her Master hadn’t died by accident, nor by shielding the Male Lead from a blow, nor by being dragged into the path of a blade. Her Master had refused to kill her and had chosen suicide instead.