In a nameless mountain, within a deep, dark cave, sat a gaunt old man.
He had been in the cave for an unknown amount of time. His clothes had completely faded, and his body was covered in white spiderwebs. Countless rats scurried over him, jumping back and forth.
"Crack!"
Suddenly, the bony fingers of the old man moved, emitting a creaking sound.
The sudden noise startled the surrounding rats, which fled in all directions.
They hadn't expected the person beneath them to move.
The old man opened his eyes, and a bewitching red glow instantly filled them. His skin-and-bones body was rapidly covered in white fur. At the same time, as if spring had arrived after a harsh winter, his body began to recover at an astonishing speed.
In just one or two breaths, his skin instantly transformed to resemble that of a youth.
The youth patted the dust off himself, a chilling smile on his lips. "This is quite interesting. I've finally found an opportunity."
With that said, he walked towards the cave's entrance.
Before long, the entire forest outside erupted with wails and screams. However, after a brief uproar, an eerie silence fell upon the land.
On Penglai Mountain.
Su Xi's eyes were closed, her body still under the manipulation of True Person Tiangang. The color drained from her face, and her breathing grew increasingly weak.
Observing Su Xi's pallor, True Person Tiangang frowned, knowing her condition was precarious.
He formed another hand seal, and a white light shot towards Su Xi, increasing the flow of spiritual energy into her body. Otherwise, he feared she wouldn't survive until morning.
His actions were not to harm Su Xi, but to help her remove something from within her.
Su Xi, whose breathing had been faint, did not show a significant improvement after True Person Tiangang's technique, but her breathing became much steadier.
Seizing this moment of respite, a sharp glint appeared in True Person Tiangang's dark eyes, and he roared, "Get out!"
As soon as he spoke, several black threads shot out from Su Xi's body, desperately trying to escape in panic.
"Trying to run!"
True Person Tiangang let out a cold laugh and abruptly grabbed them.
The black threads struggled violently in his grasp, emitting heart-wrenching shrieks that made one's scalp tingle. However, True Person Tiangang's grip was like iron pincers, showing no signs of loosening.
"This is quite interesting. Those people's reach is growing ever longer," True Person Tiangang sneered, feeling the black threads thrashing in his hand.
If he hadn't noticed a slight abnormality in Su Xi's body when she used her techniques, he would never have detected this anomaly.
With a sudden surge of strength, he crushed the black threads into fragments.
After eliminating the black threads, True Person Tiangang looked at Su Xi, who had collapsed on the ground, and sighed helplessly.
He had finally found a suitable successor, and yet someone dared to plot against his precious disciple. Of course, he couldn't allow it.
It seemed that some people had forgotten his existence during his long absence.
However, True Person Tiangang now felt a sense of weariness.
He was merely a soul entity, and he had expended so much spiritual energy on Su Xi. He needed time to recuperate and restore his strength.
Fortunately, Su Xi had the inner core of a divine beast within her, allowing her to recover quickly.
As soon as she opened her eyes and saw True Person Tiangang before her, she was startled and immediately stood up from the ground, backing away. She hadn't forgotten what True Person Tiangang had done to her just moments ago, and instinctively felt fear.
"What are you afraid of? I'm not going to eat you," True Person Tiangang said to Su Xi, looking quite exasperated.
He had tried to help her out of kindness, yet Su Xi still harbored resentment.
"Then what were you doing just now?" Su Xi took another step back, indicating she wouldn't trust True Person Tiangang so easily.
Seeing the wariness on Su Xi's face, True Person Tiangang pointed to her head with a sigh. "Don't you feel much lighter now?"
"Much lighter?" Su Xi carefully felt her body and indeed discovered she felt much lighter. She looked at True Person Tiangang with confusion.
Observing the expression on Su Xi's face, True Person Tiangang continued, "Do you believe me now?"
"Grand Ancestor, what did you do?" Su Xi felt the change in her body but had no idea what had happened.
Just moments ago, True Person Tiangang seemed to be trying to kill her, yet now it appeared he had helped her.
True Person Tiangang didn't conceal anything. "Because a demonic mark was planted on you."
"A demonic mark?" Su Xi's expression instantly became tense upon hearing True Person Tiangang's words.
During her time in the Five Great Immortal Mountains, she had come to understand that demons were not welcome there. Anything related to demons would lead to severe consequences.
Su Xi calmed herself down and looked at True Person Tiangang. "Grand Ancestor, why would I have a demonic mark?"
Now, she finally understood why True Person Tiangang had brought her here. If anyone else discovered the demonic mark on her, she would surely perish without a burial place. Even with Lin Qing's full guarantee, she wouldn't survive.
True Person Tiangang looked at Su Xi with a hint of helplessness on his face. How could he know why Su Xi had been marked by demons?
Moreover, if he didn't know Su Xi's true nature, he would have believed that Su Xi was indeed connected to demons.
After asking the question, Su Xi quickly realized she had asked a foolish one.
True Person Tiangang hadn't known her for long, so how could he possibly know what she had done?
"What should I do now?" Su Xi didn't want to be plotted against and was determined to find the person behind it.
True Person Tiangang glanced at Su Xi and said, "You don't need to do anything. I believe someone will come looking for you soon."
The demonic mark she bore was no ordinary mark; it was a mark of a Demon King.
Such a powerful mark wouldn't have appeared on Su Xi for no reason. Therefore, those who paid such a great price would surely have demands.
Upon hearing True Person Tiangang's words, Su Xi also realized the situation and nodded solemnly.
If you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you catch the tiger cub?
She would use herself as bait to lure out the person who had plotted against her.
"Wait a moment," True Person Tiangang called out to Su Xi, sending a black light towards her.
Su Xi looked at True Person Tiangang, not understanding what he was doing.
"If the mark on your body disappears, those people will surely become suspicious. So, I've made a fake one for you, so we can find out what those behind it intend to do."
Having dealt with demons for so long, True Person Tiangang found it effortless to imitate a Demon King's mark.