The Villain Marked the Protagonist's Fiancée (Through the Book) - Chapter 8

A’Luo extended her Divine Sense, carefully examining the surroundings, but found nothing amiss.

Unable to detect anything with her Divine Sense, she began investigating each area methodically.

Finally, she sensed Formation fluctuations in the rear courtyard of Zhao Manor. Though her mastery of Formations wasn’t exceptional, her dual cultivation in Formations and cultivation was sufficient to dismantle the one before her.

Outside the city, the Demonic Cultivator, focused on battling Yun Xiao, sensed his Formation being breached and panicked.

Every deadly strike he unleashed was either evaded or countered by Yun Xiao.

Against any other Nascent Soul Demon Cultivator, he would have already claimed victory.

Yet this Demon Cultivator controlled Thunder and Lightning. Not only had he failed to eliminate her, but she had left him utterly humiliated.

No, I can’t let the Cultivators discover my secret.

With a desperate resolve, he ignited his Divine Soul, channeling all his remaining power into a single, lethal strike against Yun Xiao.

Sensing the imminent danger, Yun Xiao swiftly conjured a Thunder and Lightning barrier around herself, denying the Demonic Cultivator any opening.

Enraged by his inability to reach her, the Demonic Cultivator spat bl00d. “Today, I will grind your bones to dust!”

Yun Xiao tossed another High-Grade Spirit Herb into her mouth. Within moments, her Spiritual Energy surged back to its peak.

This time, she abandoned her defensive stance and launched a full-force attack on the Demonic Cultivator, summoning ninety percent of her Thunder and Lightning to obliterate his physical body into dust.

Before leaving, A’Luo had warned her to be wary of the Demonic Cultivator abandoning his body to escape.

Spotting the transparent Nascent Soul rapidly fleeing, Yun Xiao disregarded her dwindling Spiritual Power and unleashed a Thunder strike.

The Nascent Soul couldn’t evade in time and was reduced to ashes.

Yun Xiao casually picked her ear, then consumed a Mid-Grade Spirit Herb to replenish her Spiritual Power.

Excellent, she thought. I’ve already reached the threshold of the Nascent Soul’s peak.

Spirit Herbs truly work better in combat than during ordinary cultivation. Should I challenge that Heavenly Wave City Lord to another fight after returning to the Heavenly Origin Realm?

Never mind. I need to refine Pheromone Suppression Pills once I’m back. I’ll deal with the Heavenly Wave City Lord if he comes looking for trouble.

Returning to Zhao Manor, Yun Xiao sensed A’Luo’s presence and found her in an underground Cave Abode.

Such dense Spiritual Energy!

Stopping beside A’Luo, Yun Xiao stared in awe at the vast expanse of blue Spirit Stones before her.

I’ve struck it rich overnight!

She excitedly smashed a Spirit Stone, revealing it to be a High-Grade Spirit Stone.

No wonder the Demonic Cultivator was so desperate earlier.

No, a mere High-Grade Spirit Vein wouldn’t require a Divine Transformation Stage cultivator to guard it day and night. More importantly, mining Spirit Stones doesn’t necessitate killing people and draining their bl00d to create a Bl00d Pool.

The Demonic Cultivator must be hiding other secrets.

Yun Xiao turned to look at A’Luo.

Unbeknownst even to A’Luo herself, a hint of tenderness had crept into her eyes. She said softly, “Come with me.”

Yun Xiao followed A’Luo along the Spirit Vein for about a hundred feet, where they spotted a massive egg perched on a circular platform in the distance.

As they drew closer, the bl00d-red patterns on the egg’s surface became clearly visible.

Realizing something, Yun Xiao pointed at the giant egg, her voice filled with astonishment. “Don’t tell me… that Bl00d Pool was for this thing?”

“That is the truth,” A’Luo replied coldly.

Yun Xiao moved closer, wanting to examine the sinister egg more closely.

But the moment she stopped, the giant egg began to tremble.

Before she could react, the egg rolled to her feet, as if seeking her affection.

Could this egg be her long-lost sibling?

Get out of here! The original owner’s mother had never mentioned anything like this.

A’Luo had silently approached Yun Xiao’s side, arms crossed, and glanced at the egg nestled against Yun Xiao’s leg. Her gaze then shifted to the array inscribed on the high platform. With unwavering certainty, she declared, “That Bl00d Pool is for this egg.”

The elaborate efforts to revive this egg suggested it was no ordinary specimen.

Thinking this, she turned to Yun Xiao and asked, “What kind of demon are you, exactly?”

Yun Xiao’s eyes flickered. “Didn’t I tell you before? A Thunderbolt Snake,” she said, shifting slightly. “Don’t I look like one?”

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust A’Luo, but she didn’t want to drag her into trouble.

Though she hadn’t read much in her modern life, she knew the consequences of opposing the Male Lead.

Even if the Male Lead discovered her connection to A’Luo, as long as A’Luo remained unaware and the Sect protected her, he likely couldn’t harm her.

Sensing Yun Xiao’s reluctance to reveal the truth, A’Luo didn’t press further.

Ignoring the strange feeling in her heart, she warned sternly, “Something on you—perhaps your bloodline—is attracting it.”

After a closer examination, she concluded, “This is likely a Dragon Egg.”

Yun Xiao’s mouth fell slightly open. If this thing really was a Dragon Egg, she finally understood why it had been drawn to her.

The Mind Nourishing Ganoderma her original body’s mother had guarded so fiercely was meant for the dragon race.

Was this plot point even in the original story?

Shaking her head, she voiced her deepest concern: “If it hatches like this, will it be good or evil?”

If it became an evil dragon and grew to full strength, it could wreak havoc on the region.

Though she didn’t yet feel a strong sense of belonging to this world, she couldn’t bear to watch innocent lives perish before her eyes.

A’Luo shook her head slightly. “Unclear.” She shifted the topic. “Cultivators corrupted by Demonic Qi can still be cured, provided the corruption hasn’t reached their bloodline.”

She placed her hand on the Dragon Egg, slowly channeling Spiritual Power into it to sense its condition.

Meeting Yun Xiao’s curious gaze, A’Luo glared at her and turned away. “Sense it yourself.”

The Dragon Egg resisted her, revealing nothing.

Yun Xiao felt unjustly glared at, but she kept her resentment to herself.

Following A’Luo’s example, she channeled Spiritual Power into the egg. To her surprise, the little dragon responded.

This discovery intrigued her, but she didn’t lose sight of the matter at hand. The Dragon Egg was only coated in a layer of Demonic Qi tainted with bl00d.

According to A’Luo, it could still be cured.

Yun Xiao withdrew her hand and gently kicked the Dragon Egg. “If you want to come with me, give me a sign.”

The kicked Dragon Egg rolled back to Yun Xiao’s feet, giving her an affirmative response.

Unwilling to store the Dragon Egg in her Inner Space, Yun Xiao turned to A’Luo for help.

A’Luo tossed Yun Xiao a Spirit Beast Pouch, drew her sword, and found a spacious area to mine Spirit Stones.

“With such a massive Spirit Vein, how long will it take just the two of us to mine it all?” Yun Xiao wondered, her eyes turning to the Dragon Egg again. She communicated with it telepathically: “This Spirit Vein was prepared by your family, right? It’s your food supply. If you’re coming with me, shouldn’t you figure out how to bring your food along?”

The Dragon Egg shook slightly. In the blink of an eye, the entire massive Spirit Vein vanished without a trace.

Even A’Luo, who had retreated quickly, choked on a mouthful of dust.

Ignoring Yun Xiao, who was trailing behind her, A’Luo strode straight out of Zhao Manor.

Noticing traces of Demonic Qi scattered throughout the city, she halted and retrieved a Formation Plate, channeling Spiritual Energy into it to cleanse the Demonic Qi.

Seeing this, Yun Xiao’s eyes darted around, and she chuckled sheepishly. “I was just testing it earlier. Who knew it would absorb the entire Spirit Vein without a sound?”

Her gaze kept flicking toward A’Luo, and she was about to speak when A’Luo abruptly tossed her a Formation Plate.

“Cleanse it quickly,” A’Luo urged.

The commotion they had caused was likely to have alerted nearby towns.

If other cultivators learned that Yun Xiao possessed a Dragon Egg about to hatch, it would undoubtedly trigger a massive uproar. Yun Xiao would become the target of universal condemnation throughout the Heavenly Origin Realm.

Greed was inherent in human nature. If one could contract a dragon as their Spirit Beast, not only would it bring immense prestige, but it would also significantly increase their chances of attaining the Great Dao.

After all, the Heavenly Dao had always favored those with profound karmic fortune.

Yun Xiao, less concerned with such matters than A’Luo, dutifully picked up the Formation Plate and began clearing the Demonic Qi.

Realizing the Formation Plate was slower than her Thunder, she soon abandoned it and resorted to using her Thunder directly.

With the area cleared, Yun Xiao entered the mountain at A’Luo’s urging.

Fortunately, she had come prepared. Before heading here, she had stopped by a pharmacy to purchase a book detailing the properties and growth environments of hundreds of medicinal materials.

She had memorized the book’s contents on the journey. By identifying the specific environments where her desired herbs grew, she had already gathered six different types within half a day.

As the pharmacy owner had warned, these medicinal herbs grew in perilous locations. Even a moment’s carelessness could lead to bites from snakes, insects, or rodents.

With nightfall approaching, it was no longer safe to continue searching for herbs. Before darkness completely enveloped the mountain, Yun Xiao hunted two wild rabbits for their evening meal.

A’Luo had never been one to indulge in worldly pleasures, so she naturally had no interest in the mundane food of the Mortal Realm, which lacked Spiritual Energy.

She activated her Defensive Formation Plate, retrieved over a hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, and settled into meditation to cultivate.

Having spent so much time with A’Luo, Yun Xiao couldn’t help but feel inferior when witnessing A’Luo’s relentless dedication to cultivation.

One day, she couldn’t resist asking A’Luo why she was so diligent.

A’Luo replied, “In the Cultivation World, the weak are preyed upon by the strong. Strength is paramount.”

Yun Xiao couldn’t deny the logic in A’Luo’s words, but she didn’t entirely agree. If relentless cultivation alone could elevate one’s cultivation level, the cultivators of the Heavenly Origin Realm wouldn’t be fighting tooth and nail over a single Spirit Fruit.

Everyone had their own optimal cultivation method, and it was clear that constant, uninterrupted practice didn’t suit her.

Even ordinary rabbits, when roasted by Yun Xiao’s hands, became irresistibly fragrant.

She offered a slice of rabbit meat to A’Luo, tempting her, “Won’t you try just a little? It may lack Spiritual Energy, but the taste is unparalleled.”

A’Luo kept her eyes tightly shut, simultaneously resisting the desires stirred by her Heat Period and absorbing Spiritual Energy from the Spirit Stones.

Yun Xiao didn’t disturb A’Luo further. After finishing one rabbit, she retrieved a Spirit Fruit from her Inner Space and ate it before settling into meditation herself.

For some reason, primal urges became harder to suppress at night.

Abandoning cultivation, she instead pulled out the books she had scavenged from Zhao Manor and began to read.

The book’s title was so proper, but when she opened it, she discovered it was a manual on boudoir arts.

Feeling guilty, she stole a glance at A’Luo and patted her chest in relief—A’Luo hadn’t noticed.

Should I take another look and learn some techniques?

Her hand moved faster than her mind, already turning to the next page.

Before she knew it, she had flipped through the entire book.

The longing within her surged, and she unconsciously moved closer to A’Luo. Her peach-blossom eyes misted over as she gazed at A’Luo with a pitiful expression, whining, “A’Luo, I feel so uncomfortable.”