Chapter 396: Stealing Your Business

"Lu Ye!"

A bright voice called out as Shangguan Huanling appeared in the grand hall. The moment she entered, she saw many people meditating cross-legged.

Their energy felt like...

Shangguan Huanling’s smile vanished.

Because the aura on these people was painfully familiar to her.

It was the aura of the Celestial Silkworm Nine Transformations!

Shangguan Huanling was stunned. What the hell? She hadn't even started selling it yet, so how were these people already cultivating the Celestial Silkworm Nine Transformations?

No way!

The cultivation technique Shangguan Huanling practiced was called the "Primordial Devouring Art," specifically designed to devour the essence of various treasures to boost her cultivation.

The true essence cultivated through this technique was useless in a fight.

The reason Shangguan Huanling could stop Yue Hongling from self-destructing was only because Yue Hongling was weak. If Yue Hongling had been even slightly stronger, Shangguan Huanling wouldn't have been able to stop her.

In fact, because of this technique, she once hit rock bottom by failing to trigger a heavenly tribulation even when attempting to undergo one.

Only techniques like the Heavenly Demon Bloodmorph Dash, which had no requirements for true essence, could be used with this true essence. As for other skills, out of the countless techniques in the world, she could maybe use one in a billion.

Normally, Shangguan Huanling gathered the resources she needed for cultivation by selling the Celestial Silkworm Nine Transformations.

She’d had it too easy.

When low on resources, she’d just sell another batch of Celestial Silkworm Nine Transformations.

She didn’t know the struggle of real cultivation.

She’d even convinced herself that it didn’t matter whether Lu Ye was around or not. With Lu Ye, he would feed her. Without him, she could just sell the Celestial Silkworm Nine Transformations and keep herself fed and thriving.

Lu Ye didn’t even need to implant the Extinction Dao Seed into Shangguan Huanling’s body.

All he had to do was leak the Celestial Silkworm Nine Transformations, letting everyone know how to practice it.

What could Shangguan Huanling do?

The Primordial Devouring Art was a bottomless money pit. Fueling this technique was thousands—no, tens of thousands—of times harder than nurturing a normal cultivator!

Shangguan Huanling glanced at the crowd before locking eyes with Lu Ye, her smile gradually fading.

"Lu Ye, what are these people cultivating?" Shangguan Huanling asked, still in denial.

Lu Ye gave her a firm reply.

"Celestial Silkworm Nine Transformations!"

Before Shangguan Huanling could say anything else, Lu Ye spoke again calmly.

"I will have the Heavenly Gate release the Celestial Silkworm Nine Transformations to the world. Everyone will be able to cultivate it."

Even if Shangguan Huanling was slow to react, her expression changed drastically.

"For free?!"

Lu Ye delivered the final blow to her.

"For free!"

Shangguan Huanling's eyes instantly reddened.

Her voice quivered with hurt.

"Brother Lu Ye, how could you do this? You can't steal my business..."

Lu Ye laughed.

Oh, now she cries?

In his past life, when he died, Shangguan Huanling hadn't shed a single tear.

Now she suddenly knows how to cry?

"If you go teach the Celestial Silkworm Nine Transformations now, you might still earn some treasures. Any later, and you’ll get squat!"

Shangguan Huanling burst into tears.

"I hate you!"

She fled, face buried in her hands, sobbing.

Lu Ye exhaled in satisfaction.

Damn right!

It wasn’t just Shen Xitong who was angered by Shangguan Huanling’s insincere apology—didn’t it piss Lu Ye off too?

The Extinction Dao Seed—the very essence of the Extinction Dao.

If it had erupted during his tribulation in his past life, his Dao would have instantly withered by more than half. Though it could recover eventually, would those ancient Celestial Lords have let him recover?

Now that he had cut off Shangguan Huanling’s cash flow, truly hitting her where it hurts, Lu Ye finally felt satisfied!

Honestly, he had considered this idea before, but he couldn’t care less. First, he was alone, and spreading this divine ability would be too troublesome.

Second, the people of the first four heavens simply were beneath him.

Take the Fourth Heaven, for example. So many factions had hunted him down. Though they admitted their mistakes and compensated, did they really think he would teach them the Celestial Silkworm Nine Transformations? In their dreams!

But the Fifth Heaven was different.

There were factions that had sent assassins after him, yes.

But compared to the entire population of the Fifth Heaven, they were insignificant.

So, Lu Ye had no regrets about tossing out the Celestial Silkworm Nine Transformations.

If humanity mastered it, they could go head-to-head with the Demon Tide in the future.

Shangguan Huanling stormed out in tears.

How could he treat her like this?

He was so close to forgiving her… wasn’t he?

How am I supposed to train if he keeps this up?

Where am I supposed to find cultivation treasures now?

Why is Lu Ye being so annoying all of a sudden?

Shangguan Huanling ran off to a quiet spot and burst into tears.

Ugh!

So annoying!

Jerk!

She was absolutely miserable by now.

If she couldn’t make money off the Celestial Silkworm Nine Transformations anymore, how could she continue cultivating?

If she couldn’t train, how would she ever ascend?

How could she ever follow in Lu Ye’s footsteps?

Suddenly, a tendril of black energy flickered at Shangguan Huanling’s forehead.

"Ding! Host! An Li’s trail has been found!"

The system’s prompt rang out instantly.

Had An Li really fallen this far?

This was Tianmen Star—Lu Ye was right here! How dare the Dark Origin’s power show up here?

At that, Lu Ye’s eyes narrowed.

"Track her. This time, let’s finish her off for good!"

An Li had been lying low—she must’ve been planning something big.

And now she finally shows up?

Guided by the system, Lu Ye vanished in a flash.

By now, Shangguan Huanling was fuming.

"How could Lu Ye do this? It’s too much!"

"All I did was slip him an Extinction Dao Seed—it wasn’t like Hong Ling’s Primordial Morning Mist, which tortured him, or the Vermilion Bird’s Lotus of Slaughter, which made him go berserk, or Jiang Die’s Eternal Obsession. The Extinction Dao Seed doesn’t even do anything to you!"

"It’s been ages—aren’t you over it yet? Why is this still dragging on?"

"Besides, I’ve already apologized! What else do you want from me?"

The black mist curled around her, whispers hissing endlessly, only fueling Shangguan Huanling’s irritation.

This is driving me crazy!

An Li was thrilled.

She had previously assailed Shangguan Huanling, but failed utterly, yet she secretly left behind a very faint mark.

To her surprise, Shangguan Huanling's resentment was enough to awaken An Li.

This was a perfect opportunity!

She immediately attempted to enchant Shangguan into submitting to her.

Right away, she activated her power, sending tendrils of black mist toward Shangguan Huanling's brow!

"Could this be Brother Lu Ye putting me through trials?"

Shangguan Huanling sobbed.

An Li？？？

What’s going on? Did overstimulating the darkness backfire?

The black mist surged back out of Shangguan Huanling's body.

"But he shouldn’t put me through trials like this! I can’t even cultivate properly now! Lu Ye, how could you be so cruel!"