LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 68: Not a Joke
Chapter 68: Not a Joke
Luo Jiuyan halted her attack, her pupils dilating as she watched Ye Shu emerge from the Slaughter Tower.
At this moment, Ye Shu was a complete mess. His clothes were in tatters, barely covering his private areas, with only his face remaining relatively clean.
The moment he stepped out, he collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted. “Almost died…”
“You—such recklessness!”
The thought of him battling that Soul Separation-stage vengeful spirit made Luo Jiuyan want to slap some sense into him.
But seeing how weakened he was, she suppressed the urge and instead stepped forward to heal him.
As expected of the supreme demonic sovereign, Luo Jiuyan. Within a few breaths, Ye Shu’s complexion improved significantly.
Yet, as she healed him, Luo Jiuyan’s delicate brows suddenly furrowed. “You brat… you’ve actually reached the Nascent Soul stage?!”
“WHAT?!”
Her words sent shockwaves through the crowd. None of them had noticed the change in Ye Shu’s aura.
“Nascent Soul stage? So fast? He’s not even nineteen yet—is the Sect Master joking?”
“Probably not. Look, even she was caught off guard.”
“Then this is terrifying! Eighteen years old at Golden Core was already monstrous, but breaking through to Nascent Soul in less than a year? This is unheard of in the entire cultivation world!”
“Damn it! He’s already caught up to us. What face do we Senior Sisters have left?!”
Expressions varied across the crowd, but the shock on their faces was unanimous. The way they looked at Ye Shu was as if he were some kind of freak.
Even Luo Jiuyan couldn’t see through him. “How did you do it?”
From mid-Golden Core to Nascent Soul in less than ten days? That wasn’t just progress—it was a qualitative leap.
She wasn’t the only one curious. Everyone was.
Yet, Ye Shu’s next sentence left them all speechless:
“Got lucky. Broke through by chance.”
“Lucky?!”
The crowd couldn’t help but sneer.
If luck alone could let someone break through to Nascent Soul, then the entire cultivation world would be filled with geniuses.
Seeing their disbelief, Ye Shu didn’t bother explaining further.
He was telling the truth. If not for his cultivation technique being a natural counter to all ghostly entities, he would’ve died a hundred times over inside the tower.
“If you won’t tell us, fine. Regardless, breaking through to Nascent Soul is a good thing.” Even Luo Jiuyan refused to believe the “luck” excuse.
Ye Shu didn’t elaborate. Instead, he stared intently into Luo Jiuyan’s eyes, lost in thought.
What if I commanded the Seductive Demon to invade Luo Jiuyan’s consciousness right now? What kind of chaos would ensue?
The idea was thrilling—and terrifying.
She was the strongest demonic sovereign, peerless in every aspect. A mere Seductive Demon would probably be crushed with a flick of her wrist.
And then he’d face her wrath.
“No, that’s a stupid idea.” Ye Shu shook his head, dismissing the fantasy.
After questioning the three who had entered the Slaughter Tower, Luo Jiuyan confirmed the dire state inside.
The first five floors had been cleared of vengeful spirits, but the sixth floor was now a death trap—even Nie Qing, the eldest senior sister, couldn’t withstand its horrors.
When the other disciples were asked if they wished to enter for training, not a single one agreed.
“The sixth floor is filled with late-stage Nascent Soul vengeful spirits. Going in there is suicide!”
Yet, while everyone else recoiled in fear, Ye Shu’s eyes gleamed with determination.
“When I get the chance, I’ll go back in.”
To him, the Slaughter Tower wasn’t a nightmare—it was a buffet.
The vengeful spirits that terrified others were nothing but nutritious supplements to him. Absorbing them boosted his cultivation, and breaking through to Nascent Soul was proof of its benefits.
“There’s still the sixth floor and above… I haven’t even scratched the surface of what’s inside.”
“Let’s go.”
With nothing else to discuss, Ye Shu prepared to leave. After days of relentless battle, he was exhausted.
He needed rest—the Disciple Grand Competition was coming soon.
As he stepped out of the hall, several senior sisters followed him, seemingly wanting to ask something.
Ye Shu stopped and turned. “Senior Sisters, if you have something to say, speak now. I’m tired and need to rest.”
They exchanged glances before Nie Qing stepped forward.
“How did you escape?”
Ye Shu smirked. He knew what they meant—how had he survived the ghost general?
“I killed it and walked out.” His tone was calm, matter-of-fact.
“IMPOSSIBLE! How could you defeat a Soul Separation-stage ghost general?!”
“Stop joking! There’s no shame in admitting you ran!”
“Lying to save face? Pathetic.”
They laughed in disbelief. To kill a ghost general, one would need at least Soul Separation-stage strength. Ye Shu had just broken through to Nascent Soul—there was no way he could’ve won.
Only Nie Qing and Lan Caidie remained silent.
They had seen it themselves—Ye Shu, at Golden Core, slaughtering Nascent Soul vengeful spirits like they were nothing.
But was he bluffing now? They couldn’t tell.
“Haha, you got me! Just kidding!” Ye Shu shrugged, playing along. “I pissed myself in fear, crushed my puppet, and barely escaped!”
The senior sisters brightened, satisfied. This was the answer they wanted.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.” Ye Shu cupped his hands and turned to go. Staying here any longer would only invite trouble.
As they watched his retreating figure, the sisters scoffed.
“Hmph, did he really think becoming the ‘Demon Prince’ made him invincible? Look at him now—scared shitless in the Slaughter Tower, still trying to act tough!”
The others nodded in agreement.
Most of them hated Ye Shu. After all, he had once violated sect rules by harassing senior sisters. They’d love nothing more than to skin him alive.
But then—
“Eldest Senior Sister… why do you look at him differently now?”
The group immediately turned to Nie Qing, their eyes narrowing in suspicion.
She had once led the charge to expel Ye Shu, even begging for his death.
But lately, she’d gone silent—even seeming to protect him at times.
Something was very wrong.
Nie Qing’s face flushed under their scrutiny. Desperate to divert attention, she pointed at Ye Shu’s distant figure and exclaimed—
“Look! His escape puppet—he never used it!”
“WHAT?!”
The revelation shocked them all.
Turning back, they saw it—a wooden puppet still dangling from Ye Shu’s waist, swaying in the cold wind.
He had never activated Luo Jiuyan’s life-saving puppet.
Which meant…
“He wasn’t joking after all?”