The two of them stood there in a silence for a long while, until finally, Chen Yinyin couldn't take it anymore.
She plopped herself down on a nearby stone step and began her cultivation, deciding to ignore him altogether.
"Hey, hey, hey, little girl, don't just sit here and cultivate in front of my door!"
Chen Yinyin blinked at him in disbelief.
"This is your house?" Her eyes swept over the area, taking in the rugged terrain. "A place like this actually has an owner? And you're at the Qi Refining stage?"
Xie Ren puffed out his chest with exaggerated pride. "Yep, that's right. I'm the Sect Leader of Taishan Sect, Supreme Master Xie Ren. If this isn't my house, then whose else could it be?"
"Supreme Master Xie Ren?"
Chen Yinyin burst into laughter, pointing at him with pure mockery in her eyes. "You, a Qi Refining weakling, dare to call yourself Supreme Master? Hahaha! You're killing me with laughter!"
Xie Ren crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny? Haven't you seen enough? Is Qi Refining really that bad? You're at Qi Refining yourself, aren't you?"
Chen Yinyin's laughter died instantly. Her expression darkened, and she sprang up as if someone had just stepped on her tail.
"You scoundrel! What's wrong with being at Qi Refining? If you're so confident, come out here and let's see if I can cut you down!" she snapped, clenching her fists in anger.
Xie Ren smirked. "Oh? You wanna cut me down? Then come in and try!"
"You… You shameless coward! Fine, I'll stay right here! Let's see if you ever dare to come out!" Chen Yinyin huffed, folding her arms as she planted herself stubbornly outside the formation.
Xie Ren chuckled, leaning lazily against a rock. "Oh? So you want to wait me out? Alright, I'll play along. But tell me, little girl, I can stay inside my house forever. Can you really stay out here forever?"
He paused, then grinned mischievously. "I don't think you're a good person. If your enemies find you, with your looks, they'd definitely snatch you away to-"
Before he could finish, a sinister, dark aura erupted from Chen Yinyin's body.
Xie Ren's grin froze. is she… about to go berserk?!
The once playful atmosphere shattered as black mist coiled around Chen Yinyin like living shadows. The ground beneath her cracked slightly, and the temperature seemed to drop.
Is this the real power of a Demon sovereign Is she about to unleash her ultimate move?! He mused inside.
Sure enough, her once bright eyes began glowing a deep, eerie red. Without warning, she summoned a massive black blade and swung it fiercely at the Celestial Currents Formation repeatedly, each strike carrying terrifying force.
Yet, no matter how much she attacked, the formation remained unscathed. The spiritual barrier rippled gently as if mocking her efforts.
Is this really the Demon sovereign's ultimate move? Xie Ren squinted. No… this feels different.
Her wild, uncontrolled movements, the reckless slashes, and the desperate rage weren't the power of a Sovereign. It looked more like she was struggling against something within herself.
Inner demons?
Seconds stretched into minutes. Then, just as suddenly as it began, the dark aura around her flickered and faded.
Her energy drained, Chen Yinyin swayed before finally collapsing onto the ground.
Xie Ren narrowed his eyes. "What should I do?"
…
A whole day passed in the blink of an eye.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Chen Yinyin finally stirred. Groggy and disoriented, she blinked, trying to get her bearings.
"Little girl, who is the Ruthless sovereign?" Xie Ren asked. "You spent the entire day muttering about revenge. If you were hoping to keep it a secret, you failed spectacularly."
Chen Yinyin's eyes sharpened instantly. A storm of murderous intent flashed through them, but she quickly suppressed it. 'Damn it! I was talking in my sleep?'
She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palm. She couldn't let anyone, especially not this shameless scoundrel pry into her past.
Then she realized, she was inside the formation that had kept her from advancing up the mountain earlier.
And standing a few feet away, casually leaning against a boulder, was the infuriating scoundrel.
Her pulse quickened, her rage from earlier bubbling up again. She gritted her teeth, rising to her feet in a blur of motion.
Without hesitation, she reached into the air, summoning her black blade from the shadows once again. The black blade was almost an extension of her rage, it sparked with her fury.
"Scoundrel! Let's see how you talk back to me now?"
Xie Ren didn't flinch. He just watched her, one eyebrow raised in amusement as if he were observing an amusing child.
"Don't try it, little girl," he taunted, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Or I might have to punish you."
Her eyes darkened as she closed the distance between them, her blade a streak of darkness in the bright daylight.
"Outside the formation, I had no choice but to begrudgingly look at you. But now that I'm inside-" Her sword gleamed under the sunlight as she raised it high. "it's time to take your eyes out!"
"You ungrateful little girl," Xie Ren sighed, shaking his head. "It seems you need a proper lesson."
Before she could react, he flicked two fingers forward, effortlessly clamping down on her sword. A surge of spiritual energy burst forth, wrapping around her like invisible chains, locking her movements in place.
Chen Yinyin's eyes widened. "You-"
Xie Ren smirked. "Still think I'm just a weak Qi Refining cultivator?"
Chen Yinyin found herself helpless, trapped in Xie Ren's hold like a small chick caught under his arm. She could barely struggle against the pressure.
Smack!
The sharp sound of a slap echoed in the air.
Chen Yinyin froze, stunned. She couldn't believe what had just happened, Xie Ren had actually slapped her on the backside.
The sting of the slap burned through her, and before she could even react, he slapped her again.
The force of the slap left her breathless. She had thought this was a nightmare, but now, the nightmare was only beginning.
"I just let you inside the formation, and already you wish to take my life? Do you have not know gratitude?" Xie Ren scolded, each word punctuated by another slap.
Chen Yinyin's sobs filled the air, her shoulders shaking. Xie Ren, for a brief moment, paused, realizing he may have pushed things too far.
Despite her fierce demeanor, Chen Yinyin was still just a young girl, a pure maiden in this new life, her past as a Demon Sovereign be damned.
But still, he couldn't possibly be at fault for making her cry, right?
"Little girl, why are you crying? Didn't I tell you I would punish you if you attacked me? What happened today is completely your fault, don't blame me!" Xie Ren's tone turned serious, trying to justify his actions.
Chen Yinyin went quiet, her sobs wind off as she wiped her eyes. Xie Ren had indeed warned her of the consequences.
Her lips curled in a pout as she straightened herself, trying to suppress her tears.
Once he released her, she sprung back to a meter, pointing her sword at him once again.
"Who are you?" She asked. There was no way a nobody at Qi refinement could humiliate her like this.
"I already told you," Xie Ren said calmly, "I'm the supreme master of the Taishan Sect."
Chen Yinyin took cautious steps backward, her body tensed as if preparing to flee, eyes locked on him, searching for any sign of movement.
"Little girl, don't look at me like that," Xie Ren chuckled, unfazed by her glare. "I don't have any grudges against you. But if you really want revenge, I can help."
His tone was playful as he stared at her. A reincarnated Demon Sovereign in a fragile, mortal body, carrying deep hatred? She was an interesting disciple candidate.
Chen Yinyin scoffed. "You? Help me?"
She folded her arms, a mocking smirk on her lips. "Do you even understand what a sovereign's power is? With your Qi Refining cultivation, a Sovereign could blow you away with a single breath!"
Xie Ren grinned. "So you admit the Ruthless Sovereign is your enemy? That means you actually have a Sovereign-level foe. Seems like you're not as simple as you pretend to be."
Chen Yinyin's expression twisted. "You scoundrel! You tricked me!"
She wanted to deny it, but it was too late, she had already walked into his trap. She ground her teeth in frustration, but she didn't lash out.
Attacking him again would be pointless. With her current strength, she wouldn't even leave a scratch on him.
Xie Ren leaned back lazily.
"Tricking you? Now, why would I do that?" His lips curled into a teasing smile. "With your Infernal Demon Body, it's only natural for you to have a Sovereign as an enemy."
At those words, Chen Yinyin stiffened. Her eyes, which had been filled with wariness moments ago, turned cold with fear.
She took an involuntary step back. "How do you know my name? How do you recognize my Infernal Demon Body?"
Xie Ren smiled, completely at ease. "I already told you, I am the Sect Leader of Taishan Sect, Supreme Master Xie Ren."
He waved a hand dismissively. "As for knowing your name and your special physique, if I want to know something, I'll know it. It's not that hard."