I Can See Through Everything - Chapter 860

Chapter 858 A Tragic Couple, The Five Treasures Taoist’s Request (Happy New Year)

“Fellow Daoist Lu, a little further ahead, and we’ll reach the sect from which I, Wu Bao, originated.”

Several figures were slowly flying in the sky, the two at the forefront being Lu Qing and Wu Bao Daoist.

However, this time, only Xiao Yan and Xiao Li had accompanied them; Qin Zheng and the others were still in seclusion in their caves, their enlightenment not yet fully digested.

At this moment, Wu Bao Daoist pointed ahead and spoke to Lu Qing.

Lu Qing looked ahead and saw a blessed land of abundant spiritual energy.

Flowing clouds and waterfalls filled the air, and spiritual peaks stood tall.

Cranes and spirit birds flew among the mountains, and the dense spiritual trees created a breathtaking scene.

“It seems the sect you belong to, Daoist, is quite powerful, able to occupy such a large blessed land,” Lu Qing said with some surprise.

It should be known that although the Tianyuan Great World was vast and incredibly rich in resources

, as a great world where the path of cultivation had flourished for countless years, the competition was extremely fierce.

The vast majority of blessed lands had already acquired owners over the long course of time.

The sect of the Five Treasures Taoist, occupying such a large area of blessed land, must be quite powerful. “I wouldn’t dare,”   the Five Treasures Taoist said, his expression complex as he spoke of his sect.

“My sect is only a second-rate power in the Tianyuan Great World, barely comparable to the bottom-ranked of the Thirty-Six Upper Clans.”   There was pride mixed with a hint of resentment; it was unclear what he had experienced there.   ”Daoist Master, now that you’re here, you should be prepared to ask me for help,” Lu Qing asked.   The Five Treasures Taoist hesitated, then, as if making a decision, said, “It’s nothing much, really. I want to ask Fellow Daoist Lu to kill someone for me!”   ”Oh?” Lu Qing raised an eyebrow. “Kill who?”   ”Our sect’s young sect leader, and also our sect leader’s only son, Shao Sidao!”   The Five Treasures Taoist spoke each word with deliberate emphasis, his tone filled with hatred.   It seemed that just uttering that name stirred up countless resentments within him.   The murderous intent in his words surprised Xiao Yan and Xiao Li.   It was the first time they’d seen Wu Bao Daoist like this; was this the same cheerful, chubby Daoist who always seemed so friendly?   ”Your sect’s young master?” Lu Qing was even more surprised. “What grudge does he hold against you that makes you so murderous?”   Lu Qing knew a thing or two about Wu Bao Daoist’s personality.   He was usually very peaceful and rarely got angry; he had an exceptionally good temper.   Although shrewd and calculating, he was also very principled, otherwise Lu Qing wouldn’t have become his friend.   For such a good-natured person to harbor such resentment, something extremely serious must have happened.   ”Actually, it’s just a very ordinary matter. Don’t laugh at me, Fellow Daoist Lu, but it’s for a woman, the most important woman in my life,”   Wu Bao Daoist said bitterly.   Lu Qing remained silent, waiting for him to continue.   Wu Bao Daoist seemed lost in memories, recounting a past deeply buried in his heart.   Above, a fierce wind howled, brushing against Wu Bao Daoist’s slightly plump body, yet unable to dispel the unyielding bitterness and melancholy on his face.   The sacred mountain and blessed land beneath his feet grew increasingly clear, with a cluster of Daoist temples nestled among the peaks, their green tiles and flying eaves gleaming warmly in the sunlight. Cranes circled overhead, their clear cries echoing, making the scene even more serene and sacred.   But this scene, so idyllic in the eyes of others, was like a series of icy knives to Wu Bao Daoist; each glance added to his heart’s pain.   He slowly withdrew his gaze, lowering his head to brush against the tai chi pattern embroidered on his sleeve. The edges of the pattern were worn, mended by his junior sister years ago.   As his fingertips touched the rough stitches, Wu Bao Daoist’s voice finally rang out again, trembling slightly, as if afraid to disturb the gentle past hidden in time.   ”Her name is Yun Shu. She was an orphan my master picked up during his travels in his early years. She joined the sect three years after me.”   Wu Bao Daoist’s gaze drifted into the distance, as if seeing through layers of clouds to the scene of decades ago.   Back then, he was just a young novice Daoist who had just entered the sect. His talent was mediocre, and his cultivation progress always lagged behind his fellow disciples. In addition, he was chubby and was often teased by his fellow disciples.   Only Yun Shu, the little girl who had just been brought back by her master and timidly clutched the hem of her master’s clothes, would silently offer him a sweet spiritual fruit when he was laughed at.   ”My master said that she had exceptional talent and was a rare talent in cultivation, so he took her under his wing, and we became fellow disciples.”   From then on, the two were inseparable.   He always struggled to get up for the sect’s morning lessons, so Yun Shu would stand outside his door early, calling him “Senior Brother” in her clear voice. When   he encountered a bottleneck in his cultivation and frowned at his techniques, Yun Shu would sit beside him, patiently helping him to untangle the pathways and explaining her own insights to him.   Even when they went down the mountain for training, the two always traveled together.   Although his aptitude was average, he was meticulous and always managed to avoid danger.   Yun Shu, with her outstanding cultivation, protected him and helped him safely navigate through crisis after crisis.   The flowing clouds of Mount Ling witnessed their daily companionship, their laughter echoed beside the waterfall, and even the orchard full of spirit peaches held the memory of their youthful promise.   ”Back then, everyone in the sect said I was a toad trying to eat swan meat,”   the Five Treasures Taoist laughed self-deprecatingly, but his eyes reddened.   ”Yun Shu is the most dazzling pearl in the sect. Her cultivation progresses by leaps and bounds, reaching the Foundation Establishment stage before she was even twenty. Her appearance is also exceptionally beautiful. From the inner sect elders’ personal disciples to newly initiated geniuses, who among the sect’s young disciples doesn’t admire her?”   Lu Qing listened quietly, his gaze fixed on the Five Treasures Daoist’s face.   He could imagine what Yun Shu looked like back then, and he could understand the Five Treasures Daoist’s state of mind at the time.   In the cultivation world, aptitude and appearance often determine a person’s starting point.   Yun Shu, such a dazzling existence, chose to stay with the mediocre Five Treasures Daoist; this affection was far more precious than any magical treasure in the world.   ”But she never cared about any of that.”   The Five Treasures Daoist’s tone softened, as if he were immersed in sweet memories.

“Once, a genius disciple from the sect proposed to her, offering a thousand-year-old spiritual herb as a betrothal gift. But she declared in front of everyone, ‘I will never marry anyone but me.’”

He was hiding behind a peach tree in the grove at that moment. Upon hearing this, he was so moved that he dropped the spiritual peach he was holding.

He rushed out, grabbed Yun Shu’s hand, and stammered a promise: “Junior Sister Shu, wait for me. Once we both reach the Golden Core stage, I will ask Master to arrange for us to become Daoist partners. I will protect you for the rest of my life.”

Yun Shu’s cheeks flushed, and she nodded gently, placing the peach wood sword pendant she had carved herself into his hand: “Senior Brother, I believe you. No matter how long it takes, I will wait.”

The Five Treasures Daoist always carried that peach wood sword pendant with him, never parting with it even after weathering many storms.

As he spoke, he took out a peach wood pendant from his robes, its surface smooth and warm from years of wear. The sword-shaped outline was small and exquisite, with a tiny “Shu” character carved on it.

“For this promise, I cultivated with all my might.”

The Five Treasures Taoist gripped the peach wood pendant tightly, his knuckles turning white.

“Even with the worst aptitude, I persevered day and night, and Yun Shu always stayed by my side, teaching me her cultivation insights without reservation.

At that time, I thought that as long as we worked hard enough, one day we could achieve our wish and stay together for life in this sacred mountain.”

Xiao Yan leaned against Lu Qing, her eyes already reddening as she listened.

Xiao Li also suppressed her usual liveliness, standing quietly to the side, her long ears drooping.

No one expected that this usually cheerful, plump Taoist would hide such a deeply unforgettable past.

But fate was unkind; the gears of destiny quietly veered off course when Yun Shu was in the late Foundation Establishment stage, about to break through to the Golden Core realm.

“Yun Shu’s physique is a naturally born ‘Spiritual Furnace Body’.”

The Five Treasures Taoist’s voice suddenly deepened, carrying a chilling aura.

“This physique is extremely rare, unknown to ordinary people. Even I only learned about it later.”

The Spiritual Furnace Physique is not the mortal cauldron that the world mistakenly believes, but a very special innate physique.

Those who possess this physique have incredibly rich spiritual energy.

During dual cultivation, they can allocate 30% of their spiritual energy to help their partner regulate their meridians and break through cultivation bottlenecks, without harming themselves.

On the contrary, they can nourish each other and progress together during dual cultivation.

Such a physique is considered a treasure in the cultivation world, and if word gets out, it would attract the covetous eyes of countless cultivators.

Yun Shu’s master, who is also the master of the Five Treasures Daoist, discovered her physique early on and kept the news strictly confidential. He

only informed a few highly respected elders in the sect, repeatedly instructing them not to divulge it, hoping that Yun Shu could cultivate safely and achieve her wish as soon as possible.

“Master said that once Yun Shu and I have both formed our Golden Cores, he will preside over our Daoist Couple Ceremony, and then inform us of this matter, so that we can support each other and ascend the Great Dao together.” The Five Treasures Daoist’s tone was filled with regret. “But despite our best efforts, we still couldn’t guard against the hearts of men.”

Shao Sidao, as the only son of the sect leader, had been showered with love and affection since birth.

He possessed exceptional talent, and with the sect leader’s tireless nurturing, his cultivation consistently ranked far ahead of the younger generation.

He successfully formed his Golden Core in his early twenties, becoming the youngest Golden Core cultivator in the sect.

On the surface, he was elegant and humble, his actions always in accordance with the Dao, making him a role model for the sect’s disciples.

Even the Five Treasures Daoist initially admired this young sect leader, never imagining he could be so narrow-minded and ruthless.

Yun Shu’s brilliance naturally also caught Shao Sidao’s eye.

At first, he was just like any other disciple, harboring feelings of admiration for Yun Shu. Using his position as the young sect leader, he frequently tried to win her favor.

He presented her with rare cultivation techniques, precious spiritual herbs, and even used the sect leader’s connections to find suitable materials for her cultivation, all in an effort to please her for a moment.

But no matter how much he gave, Yun Shu remained unmoved.

“Shao Sidao first confessed his feelings to Yun Shu in the peach grove,”

the Five Treasures Daoist’s voice carried a hint of coldness.

“That day, I had just returned from a sect mission when I saw him standing before Yun Shu, holding a top-grade pill. He said that if Yun Shu agreed to become his Daoist partner, the pill would be hers, and he could even get the sect leader to accept her as his personal disciple.”

At that time, Yun Shu was in the late Foundation Establishment stage, and the top-grade pill would greatly help her break through to the Golden Core realm.

Becoming the sect leader’s personal disciple was an opportunity countless disciples dreamed of.

But Yun Shu merely glanced at him indifferently, holding the peach wood sword pendant before him: “Young Sect Leader, I have already made a vow with my senior brother that I will marry no one but him in this life. I appreciate your kindness.”

Rejected in public, Shao Sidao’s face darkened, but he quickly regained his gentle demeanor, smiling and saying, “Junior Sister Yun Shu has someone she loves; I was presumptuous.”

At that moment, the Five Treasures Taoist, hiding behind a tree, was moved by Yun Shu’s steadfastness and grateful for Shao Sidao’s “magnanimity.”

He thought the matter would be over, unaware that this humiliation of rejection had already sown the seeds of hatred in Shao Sidao’s heart.

From then on, Shao Sidao continued to “care for” Yun Shu, but secretly began investigating everything about her.

Wu Bao Daoist later learned that Shao Si Dao had used his position as the young sect leader to access the sect’s top-secret records and bribed an elder who knew the inside story, thus discovering the secret of Yun Shu’s Spiritual Essence Cauldron Body.

“What he valued was never Yun Shu herself, but her physique,”

Wu Bao Daoist gritted his teeth, his eyes blazing with hatred.

“He knew that with the Spiritual Essence Cauldron Body’s assistance, breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm would be a piece of cake, and he could even rapidly advance within that realm, becoming a pillar of the sect’s future.”

Yun Shu was completely unaware of this, still wholeheartedly accompanying Wu Bao Daoist in cultivation, drawing ever closer to their agreement to form their Golden Core.

With Yun Shu’s help, Wu Bao Daoist’s cultivation finally reached the threshold of the Golden Core Realm.

The change occurred on the day Yun Shu descended the mountain to carry out a sect training mission.

It was a relatively harmless mission, simply going to the sect’s subordinate markets to collect the annual offerings.

As was customary, Yun Shu only needed to bring two outer disciples to complete the journey smoothly.

Before setting off, Yun Shu even prepared the Five Treasures Taoist’s favorite spirit cake, smiling as she said to him, “Senior brother, when I return, we’ll go into seclusion together to break through to the Golden Core stage, and we’ll definitely succeed in one fell swoop.”

The Five Treasures Taoist still remembered seeing her off at the mountain gate, watching her ride the crane and lead her disciples further and further away, his heart filled with anticipation for the future.

He thought that in just half a month, he would see his beloved junior sister again, but he never expected that this departure would be their last.

Ten days after Yun Shu left, the sect received news from the market that Yun Shu and her group had been attacked by demonic cultivators on their return journey, two outer disciples had died on the spot, and Yun Shu’s whereabouts were unknown.

This news struck the Five Treasures Taoist like a thunderbolt, leaving him utterly terrified.

He didn’t even have time to think, and without even packing his bags, he grabbed his peach wood sword pendant and rushed out of the sect like a madman.

“At the time, I thought it really was the work of demonic cultivators,”

Wu Bao Daoist’s voice choked with emotion.

“Demonic cultivators have always lurked in the human realm of the Tianyuan Great World. There were also faint rumors about them in the market. I hate myself for not going with her, I hate that my cultivation was too low to protect her.”

He searched every mountain and forest, every valley where Yun Shu had disappeared, asking everyone he met for news of her.

He fought with demonic cultivators, suffering numerous injuries, yet he still refused to give up.

He exhausted all his spirit stones, offering a reward for information about Yun Shu, rushing to her side even for the slightest clue.

Days passed, but news of Yun Shu disappeared without a trace.

Wu Bao Daoist’s cultivation, due to the constant travel and mental exhaustion, not only failed to break through to the Golden Core stage but actually regressed by half a step.

People in his sect advised him that Yun Shu had probably already met with misfortune and that he should accept his fate, but he refused to believe it. He firmly believed that Yun Shu was still alive and waiting for him.

This search lasted for five years.

For five years, he traversed the vast expanse of the Tianyuan Great World.

From bustling sect holy lands to remote wilderness, his Daoist robes wore out one after another, and the childishness on his face faded, leaving only vicissitudes and unwavering resolve.

His master, heartbroken, urged him to give up, but he knelt before his master, kowtowing until his head bled: “Master, Junior Sister Shu is still waiting for me, I cannot give up.”

Until the autumn of the fifth year, in a desolate ancient cave, he encountered a severely wounded Nascent Soul Realm demon beast.

The demon beast intended to devour him, but he fought back desperately, ultimately perishing together.

Just when he thought he was doomed, he inadvertently triggered a mechanism on the cave wall, revealing a scroll of cultivation techniques and a compass-shaped treasure hidden within.

The scroll of techniques was the “Purple Star Destiny Scripture,” a long-lost divination technique.

It could deduce the ins and outs of things from the slightest clues, but cultivating this technique required a great deal of mental energy and a certain level of cultivation.

The compass, named the “Ziwei Star Compass,” was a secret treasure used in conjunction with the *Ziwei Destiny Scripture*.

The Five Treasures Taoist priest survived thanks to the remaining spiritual herbs in his cave.

After recovering, he began cultivating the *Ziwei Destiny Scripture*.

He was naturally perceptive and possessed an innate aptitude for divination; coupled with five years of honing his skills, his resolve grew even stronger.

In just three years, he mastered the *Ziwei Destiny Scripture*, reaching the entry-level stage.

At this time, his cultivation also broke through to the Golden Core realm by chance.

However, he felt no joy; his only thought was to use the *Ziwei Destiny Scripture* to find Yun Shu’s whereabouts and her killer.

He took the Ziwei Star Compass back to the place where Yun Shu disappeared.

He placed a strand of Yun Shu’s hair into the compass and, using his own blood essence as a guide, began to calculate.

The compass spun rapidly, emitting a faint purple light, and countless obscure runes appeared on its surface.

The Five Treasures Taoist sat cross-legged, eyes closed, his mind completely absorbed in calculation.

He saw Yun Shu leaving the market, saw the scene of her being attacked, but the attackers were not demonic cultivators, but several people dressed in sect robes.

Those people were Shao Sidao’s personal guards.

Upon reaching this point in his calculations, the Five Treasures Taoist’s heart sank to the bottom. He suppressed his unease and continued calculating, the images becoming increasingly clear.

He saw Shao Sidao emerge from the shadows, a cold smile on his face, and abduct Yun Shu.

He saw Shao Sidao lead Yun Shu into a hidden cave.

He saw Shao Sidao set up a barrier to isolate spiritual energy in the cave, and took out a strange magic array, trapping Yun Shu within.

“That’s the ‘Spirit Extraction and Yuan-Stealing Array,’ an evil array that has long been listed as a forbidden technique,”

the Five Treasures Taoist’s voice was as cold as winter snow.

“This formation can forcibly extract the spiritual energy and cultivation of those with special physiques and transfer it to the one who sets it up. The one whose energy is extracted will instantly lose all their cultivation, their spiritual energy will be depleted, and their life force will be severely damaged.”

He witnessed that horrific scene firsthand through the star chart.

Shao Sidao activated the formation, and a pale purple light enveloped Yun Shu. She struggled in agony, constantly crying out, “Senior brother, save me!” Her eyes were filled with despair and resentment.

Shao Sidao stood outside the formation, his face devoid of any pity, instead displaying an almost insane greed.

He watched as Yun Shu’s cultivation was gradually extracted and absorbed into his own body, watching his own cultivation rise from the late Golden Core stage all the way to the perfect Golden Core stage before slowly stopping.

And Yun Shu, at the moment the formation stopped operating, lost all her spiritual energy, her face as pale as paper, like a puppet devoid of all life force.

Shao Sidao walked up to her, looking down at her coldly, “Yun Shu, if you had agreed to be my Daoist partner earlier, you wouldn’t have ended up like this. The Spiritual Essence Cauldron’s body is now in my hands, making the best use of it.”

Yun Shu slowly raised her head, her eyes filled with no fear, only endless hatred and humiliation.

She looked at Shao Sidao and said, word by word, “Shao Sidao, even if I become a vengeful ghost, I will never let you go.”

With that, she suddenly raised her hand, pulled out the hairpin from her hair, and plunged it fiercely into her heart.

The hairpin was a birthday gift from the Five Treasures Daoist, carved from ordinary peach wood, yet she treasured it dearly.

At that moment, the peach wood hairpin pierced her heart, blood staining her white Daoist robe and also staining the Five Treasures Daoist’s eyes red.

He watched from within the star chart as Yun Shu slowly collapsed, watched Shao Sidao coldly turn and leave, watched as only a gradually cooling body remained in the cave.

Upon calculating this point, the Five Treasures Taoist could no longer hold back, spitting out a mouthful of blood that stained the Purple Star Chart.

He collapsed to the ground, trembling all over, the grief and hatred in his heart like a raging torrent, almost destroying his Dao heart.

He finally knew that his junior sister, whom he had been searching for for five years, had already been brutally murdered.

He finally knew that the seemingly gentle and refined young sect leader was actually so vicious.

From that day on, the Five Treasures Taoist changed.

He put away his smile and hid all his emotions deep inside.

He remained in the sect, still the seemingly mediocre Five Treasures Taoist, but secretly accumulating power, cultivating the “Purple Star Destiny Scripture,” improving his cultivation, and at the same time using the star chart to collect evidence of Shao Sidao’s crimes, seeking an opportunity for revenge.

But after seizing Yun Shu’s spiritual essence and cultivation, Shao Sidao’s cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds.

In less than ten years, he broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm, becoming the youngest Nascent Soul cultivator in the sect.

Now, in just a few decades, he has entered the middle stage of the Nascent Soul realm, wielding great power in the sect’s headquarters, surrounded by numerous protectors, far surpassing the Golden Core cultivator of yesteryear.

Although the Five Treasures Daoist had encountered fortuitous events and his cultivation had reached the late Golden Core stage,

coupled with the blessing of the *Ziwei Destiny Scripture*, allowing him to evade the sect’s detection, he

was still worlds apart from Shao Sidao.

He knew that with his own strength alone, let alone revenge, even getting close to Shao Sidao was an impossible task.

Over the years, he had considered seeking external help, but this matter involved the sect leader’s son, and Shao Sidao had already erased all traces of the past. Without concrete evidence, even other forces were unwilling to easily antagonize his sect.

Until he met Lu Qing.

“Fellow Daoist Lu,”

the Five Treasures Daoist sheathed his peach wood sword pendant, bowing deeply to Lu Qing, his eyes filled with pleading.

“If this grudge is not avenged, I, the Five Treasures Daoist, will never have peace in my life, and my Daoist heart will never be fulfilled .

Shao Si Daoist has the support of the Sect Master and the entire sect, but I truly have no other choice. I

can only shamelessly beg you, fellow Daoist, to lend a helping hand.”

Having said this, he was about to kneel down in gratitude. (End of Chapter)