Ye Qin sized up the giant tree in the distance, calculating the odds of success based on the proximity of the Ice Lotus Seed and the Blood-Colored Demon Vine.

Since he had launched the Ice Lotus Seed while plucking the Vermilion Fruit from the giant tree, the seed had fallen near the tree's roots, placing it perilously close to the blood-colored vine. He estimated that the vine intensely despised the icy aura, batting the Ice Lotus Seed a hundred zhang away.

The Ice Lotus Seed’s spiritual waves and aura were exceptionally potent. Although the presence of the Blood-Colored Demon Vine kept ordinary demons away, with time, it was inevitable that it would attract the scrutiny of high-tier demons. His window of opportunity was rapidly closing.

“The safest method is to execute the Immortal Body Great Law and use my Dharma Body to retrieve the Ice Lotus Seed! If one attempt fails, I will try several more times to see if I can bring it back!” Ye Qin pondered in his mind.

Ye Qin executed the necessary hand seals, manifesting two Dharma Bodies, then swept his gaze across the battlefield, searching for the optimal angle of attack.

Just then, he suddenly paused, a sharp gleam flashing through his eyes.

He spotted a still-smoldering ember of a blood vine not far ahead.

This was a section of the blood-colored vine severed by the Skeleton Demon using Nether Flame. This remnant was nine hundred zhang from the giant tree, situated at the very edge of the vine’s attack range.

The Blood-Colored Demon Vine stretched for a thousand zhang, and what the Nether Flame had burned off was merely the tip of the vine, about a zhang long. Moreover, this meter-long tip hadn't been entirely consumed, leaving about half a foot resting on the ground—ash-gray and devoid of any vital aura, which was why Ye Qin had initially overlooked it.

“This unknown demon vine possesses incredibly vigorous life force; I wonder if it can still be revived!? If I could bring it back to life, its power might rival that of the Ice Lotus Seed.”

Ye Qin considered this, then controlled the two Dharma Bodies with his divine sense, sending them rushing forward from opposite directions—front and back.

One Dharma Body went to retrieve the Ice Lotus Seed.

The other Dharma Body was tasked with securing the blood vine ember.

The withered vine wrapped around the giant tree instantly sprang to life, unleashing two savage whips of blood-colored light shooting out with terrifying ferocity. Their speed was utterly incomparable to that of the two Dharma Bodies.

“Crack!”

“Crack!”

With two loud reports, both Dharma Bodies were instantly obliterated, dissolving into light.

However, the outcome still filled Ye Qin with surprise.

The Dharma Body sent to retrieve the Ice Lotus Seed was blasted apart hundreds of zhang before it could even approach the seed, well within the vine's attack radius.

But the other Dharma Body had already snatched up the blood vine ember and managed to retreat several dozen zhang before being struck down by the blood whips. This meant the chance of successfully taking the ember was significantly increased.

Ye Qin downed some spiritual wine to restore his mana, then performed another spell, conjuring two more Dharma Bodies to retrieve the blood vine ember.

After considerable effort, he finally managed to bring the ember clear of the Blood-Colored Demon Vine’s attack range.

Ye Qin held the vine ember, patted it gently, and dusted off the surface.

The ember was burned to a dull ash, completely devoid of any sign of life. He couldn't tell if the Nether Flame had truly killed it or if it was merely in a state of suspended animation.

Ye Qin tucked it into his sleeve, and with a thought from his divine sense, sent it into his Purple Mansion’s Wood Manor.

The vine ember landed in an empty patch of soil.

Ye Qin was not stingy, pouring the spiritual energy from hundreds, perhaps thousands, of high-grade spirit stones into the patch. The vine ember, which had seemed entirely lifeless, absorbed the massive influx of spiritual energy and, astonishingly, sprouted a tiny, vibrant new shoot.

“It's alive!”

Ye Qin could not help but rejoice.

He piled more spirit stones around the patch to allow the blood vine to grow slowly, then withdrew his consciousness from the Purple Mansion.

Regardless of losing a Nether Flame and an Ice Lotus Seed, gaining a Vermilion Fruit and a section of the blood vine meant he hadn't suffered a loss. Furthermore, the effects of the Nether Flame and the Ice Lotus Seed were not something he would need for a considerable time. However, the Vermilion Fruit’s effect was immediate, capable of propelling him to the peak of the ninth layer of Nascent Soul cultivation as quickly as possible.

Ye Qin had already given up hope of retrieving the Ice Lotus Seed. If he couldn't even get within a hundred zhang of it, retrieving it was out of the question.

Too much time had been wasted chasing the Vermilion Fruit; this place was not safe to linger in. Ye Qin slightly composed himself, intending to conceal his aura and find a secluded, secure location to consume the Vermilion Fruit before heading to rendezvous with Suoluo Qian and the Holy Emperor.

“Tee-hee, what little cub dares to provoke the Ancient Blood-Devouring Demon Vine? Aren't you afraid of being eaten?” A soft, enchanting female voice echoed from behind him.

Hearing that voice, a chill instantly shot through Ye Qin’s entire body; he dared not move.

This voice was positioned barely ten zhang behind him.

For this woman to approach him so closely without him sensing her presence beforehand meant that taking his life would be easier than crushing an ant.

Ye Qin’s face instantly turned ashen, his body plunged into an icy cave, yet an absurd thought flashed through his mind: ‘This Demon Realm truly is not a hospitable place.’

He waited a moment. Seeing no movement from behind, he slowly and stiffly turned his head to look behind him.

Perched upon the branch of a giant tree behind him was a woman who had appeared at some unknown moment. She was as vibrant as a peach blossom, her delicate body curvaceous, her hips pert, her feet lovely, possessing a peerlessly bewitching allure, nearly perfect. A cinnabar mark rested between her brows; every subtle movement captivated the heart. In the mortal world, she would undoubtedly be a beauty capable of toppling nations, justly called a "Peerless Calamity."

Ye Qin had to admit that her beauty rivaled Bing’er’s. However, Bing’er possessed an immaculate, pristine beauty, entirely different from this woman’s seductive glamour.

The woman was currently observing Ye Qin with wide, curious eyes, a slight smile playing on her lips, seemingly quite astonished.

Ye Qin’s mind struggled to process the situation for a moment.

Was this woman a demon cultivator? Or a cultivator from the Eastern Sea?

Demon cultivators reaching the Tenth Rank could assume human form, but they usually retained noticeable demonic characteristics—lingering scales, or perhaps sharp teeth, tails, or wings—making them easy to identify.

Yet, this peerlessly beautiful woman before him was absolutely flawless, showing no trace of demonic origin. If she appeared in the Eastern Sea Cultivation World, no one would ever suggest she was a demon.

However, Ye Qin couldn't be entirely certain. Rumor had it that the higher a demon’s cultivation, the more complete their transformation. Demon cultivators who reached the Demon Sage level transformed so thoroughly that no trace remained.

“Senior is…?”

Ye Qin muttered internally, his mind churning.

This woman had zero spiritual pressure or aura. The technique she used to silently appear within ten zhang of him was clearly beyond the capability of a mere early Nascent Soul cultivator like himself.

If she were human, she would undoubtedly be a Soul Transformation stage cultivator, qualified to be called a venerable Senior. Since he, the Holy Emperor, and others could be present in this Demon Realm, Soul Transformation cultivators could easily access this place too.

If she were a demon, then she must be a Demon Sage level existence.

“This vine is called the Blood-Devouring Demon Vine, an ancient vine that remains a formidable entity even within the Demon Realm. Even a Demon Sage would be reluctant to tangle with it casually. For someone of your weak cultivation to dare provoke the Ancient Blood-Devouring Demon Vine suggests you are unaware of its fearsome reputation. You must be a cultivator who entered the Demon Realm from the Eastern Sea, correct?”

The woman scrutinized Ye Qin, chuckling teasingly.

“That is correct!”

Ye Qin knew there was no point in lying and answered honestly.

“You needn’t be nervous. For you to dare venture into the Demon Realm alone with such meager cultivation truly broadens this Saint’s horizons. In the past thousand years, you are the first Eastern Sea cultivator this Saint has encountered in the Demon Realm! This Vermilion Fruit is only effective for low-tier cultivators; it serves little purpose for this Saint. Since you took the risk to steal food from the Blood-Devouring Demon Vine, this Saint won't compete with you for it.”

Seeing Ye Qin standing still and hesitant to move, the woman was not surprised. She gracefully floated down from the tree, her lazy, beautiful eyes sending shimmering glances as she appraised Ye Qin, smiling faintly.

‘She is a Demon Sage?’

Ye Qin was startled, but immediately felt a wave of relief. Based on her words, it seemed she had arrived late and missed the scene of him harvesting the Vermilion Fruit. Otherwise, she would have already demanded he surrender it.

As the female demon cultivator moved, Ye Qin sensed a faint, intoxicating fragrance drift towards his nose.

Although the female demon cultivator made no overtly provocative movements, in Ye Qin’s eyes, her demeanor shifted rapidly—one moment pure and innocent, the next seductive and vibrant, showing a look of shy resistance mixed with ardent invitation... utterly captivating and naturally charming.

“Charm Technique!”

Ye Qin instantly felt his blood surge, countless distracting thoughts and inner demons flashing through his mind. Alarmed, he stepped back, holding his breath and centering his focus. He furiously circulated the cultivation method of the Zuo Wang Jing (Sitting in Oblivion Sutra/Sitting in Oblivion and Forgetting Self), clearing his mind and stabilizing his spirit. With great difficulty, he managed to suppress the state of mind that was nearly causing him to suffer qi deviation and finally calmed down.

After shaking off the influence of the Charm Technique, Ye Qin’s expression remained unchanged, but his heart churned like a stormy sea.

Among the demon races, the Fox Clan is inherently gifted with top-tier Charm Techniques. A Fox Clan cultivator who ascends to Demon Sage status gains nine tails, becoming a Nine-Tailed Fox Demon. A technique capable of nearly forcing an early Nascent Soul cultivator like him into qi deviation in an instant could only be the Charm Technique of a Fox Clan Demon Sage.

Ye Qin immediately understood this woman's origin.

At this point, Ye Qin abandoned any thought of seizing an opportunity to flee. Even cultivators like the Holy Emperor avoided Demon Sages. With his current cultivation, he was nothing more than an ant in the eyes of a Demon Sage, capable of being extinguished with a mere flip of a hand.

This woman’s Charm Technique was innate; every move and gesture was already capable of stealing a person’s soul—instantly robbing them of their senses and turning them into puppets.

The Zuo Wang Jing he practiced demanded an extremely high level of mental fortitude. Had it not been for that, he might have already lost control of his mind in that last instant.

“Oh? You are actually immune to this Saint’s Charm Technique?”

The Spirit Fox woman couldn’t help but utter a soft sound of surprise when Ye Qin stepped back. However, her Charm Technique was innate, not intentionally deployed. She was not bloodthirsty and had no intention of harming Ye Qin.

Just as the Spirit Fox woman was about to speak further, she frowned, her beautiful eyes darting toward another direction.

In the distant sky, a streak of golden light flashed and vanished. In the blink of an eye, a tall, thin, cold-faced middle-aged man, clad in a dark-gold robe, materialized out of thin air a hundred zhang away. He stood there, coldly staring at the Spirit Fox woman among the trees. His grim face concealed barely contained rage, as if they shared a deep, irreconcilable hatred.

This man did not restrain his aura like the Spirit Fox; a terrifying pressure enveloped the entire mountain range, spanning dozens of li.