Chapter 150

The group continued to walk deeper into the Snow Cold Jade Cave following Song Pianxian.

The moss underfoot became increasingly thick, soft, and sticky when stepped on, while the holes on the side of the stone walls were as densely packed as a beehive, making one’s head spin at a glance.

With so many holes, Elder Qin couldn’t hear even the slightest sound of the wind. Apart from the occasional sound of dripping water from the nearby stone walls, which brought a hollow echo, the only sounds were the faint noises they made as they moved.

Following Song Pianxian’s instructions, the group moved slowly while spreading their spiritual awareness, exploring for more information along the winding and deep paths, like spiders spreading out a large web, searching for their target.

Elder Qin followed suit, but soon encountered a problem—there was no fog blocking them here, yet every time their spiritual awareness extended, it was swallowed up completely by the darkness, like a mud cow into the sea.

It seemed that Elder Song also realized that this method wouldn’t work, so she led the team to a halt. At that moment, they had reached a broad plateau where several paths intersected, and Elder Qin took a glance and counted exactly nine paths.

They had seen three such formations along the way. The first time it seemed novel, but now it had become so common that the strangest part was:

“It’s nine again,” Elder Qin sighed.

“It looks dangerous outside, but after coming in, nothing happens.”

“This cave is indeed mysterious. Elder Song must have noticed it too. Let’s come up with a plan. We’ll follow your lead.”

With a few words from everyone, Song Pianxian nodded.

“Well, there are nine directions here. Yu Yi and I will go one way, and the other elders will split up here. We’ll each explore a path.”

“The details of the cave are unknown, so let’s set a time first. After two incense sticks, we’ll gather here again. If there are no surprises, we’ll continue to explore separately. If we encounter anything, we can act together after regrouping. How does that sound to everyone?”

It was imperative to split up, and everyone present except for Yu Yi had a foundation in cultivation and life-saving treasures. Holding on for the time of two incense sticks in case of any accidents wasn’t difficult. Although it couldn’t guarantee complete safety, this was the path of cultivation, and they were already accustomed to it.

Elder Qin was the first to say, “I’ll follow Elder Song’s lead.”

The rest of the group also responded in twos and threes, leaving only Chu Feng.

Chu Feng’s cultivation was second only to Elder Song’s, so Elder Qin didn’t dare to be careless. He asked proactively, “Does Master Chu Feng agree with this approach?”

Only after he finished speaking did he look up at Chu Feng and paused.

He hadn’t noticed earlier when Chu Feng was following behind, but now, he saw that Master Chu Feng’s complexion was becoming paler, almost transparent. The usually meticulous black hair at her temples was disheveled, covering the corners of her temples.

Under those few strands of hair, it seemed like there was something…

“I have no objections.”

The indifferent female voice interrupted Elder Qin’s thoughts. He realized he had been staring directly at her, which was too offensive. Elder Qin didn’t dare to look any longer and quickly lowered his head, saying, “In that case, let’s…”

“Whoosh—”

Before Elder Qin could finish his sentence, a continuous wind blew from all directions in the cave where there was never any wind before, stirring up an endless howl through the holes in the purplish-gray cave, echoing endlessly, louder and louder.

It was eerie how it came about. When the wind blew onto Elder Qin, it immediately caused him to break out in a cold sweat, his soul in turmoil.

This wind was incredibly mysterious!

Elder Qin was horrified and pulled out his Hunshun Whip to defend himself.

Like him, within a few moments, everyone was covered in goosebumps and shaken by this wind, subconsciously taking out their artifacts to guard themselves.

Song Pianxian said in a deep voice, “Don’t panic, lest the hidden ones seize the opportunity.”

This sentence was like a divine needle in the sea, calming the minds of the others.

“Yeah, as soon as we mentioned splitting up to explore, something unusual happened. It’s probably the hidden demonic cultivators who are panicking.”

“Doesn’t that mean we were right?”

Feifen, from the Liuyan Sect, was the most impatient: “There’s no time to waste. Let’s hurry up and split up to find them and wipe out these demonic cultivators—It seems like these demonic cultivators have no ability at all, just playing tricks on us, blowing wind. I was just feeling bored, and this grandson is so filial to his grandpa, haha.”

Feifen’s words were particularly arrogant, obviously someone responsible for sacrificing themselves in the cultivation world. For a moment, no one paid him any attention.

The sound of the wind came and went, sweeping through the vast and complex cave, lingering for a long time, leaving no one in the mood for idle chatter.

Song Pianxian listened attentively, feeling a growing sense of crisis.

What was behind this wind? Strangely, although the wind was eerie, it didn’t cause any actual harm to them. If anything, it could be described as gentle, at least it didn’t drive them away.

Why was it wandering around the cave like this?

Feifen paced back and forth on the flat ground, unable to stop. Seeing everyone deferring to Song Pianxian from the Lingyun Sect, who remained still, he sneered, implying something: “It seems that objects and people on the side are different. Even with formidable cultivation, their courage…”

With that, he turned and headed towards a side path. “Well, you can think about it slowly. I’ll take the first step.”

Feifen openly provoked Song Pianxian, while others dared not intervene, remaining silent.

Song Pianxian paid him no mind, nor did she have any intention of being overly kind. She stood in place, lost in thought, her hair fluttering in the wind.

The atmosphere became tense, with only the sound of the wind persisting.

Someone muttered, “The wind keeps blowing, making such a racket, it’s giving me a headache.”

The wind—yes.

Song Pianxian raised her head. “It’s the sound of the wind.”

“What?” Elder Qin was puzzled for a moment before nodding. “Yes, there is a sound of the wind.”

Song Pianxian tightened her grip on the knife handle, scanning her surroundings, and finally fixing her gaze on the path Feifen had entered. Her voice tightened, signaling an impending storm:

“This sound of the wind isn’t for us to hear.”

“What?” Elder Qin exclaimed.

If it wasn’t for them, the outsiders in the Taoist tradition, then wasn’t it… for those inside, the demonic cultivators they were seeking?

Everyone tightened their formation and followed Song Pianxian’s gaze towards where Feifen had disappeared.

At some point, perhaps just as Feifen had vanished at the mouth of the cave, the wind ceased.

With the wind gone, a commotion arose.

Step, step, step.

In their consciousness, countless rustling sounds, friction noises, and subtle movements floated in the air.

Far more than they had anticipated, it seemed that apart from this flat ground, the rest of the caves, including their own path, were filled with strange sounds and the incessant sound of footsteps.

Song Pianxian could even see the outlines hidden in the darkness through her consciousness.

But in an instant, those interwoven and overlapping silhouettes tore through the darkness, rushing towards them. Feifen was just a small stone on their path, hardly even an obstacle, and was trampled over in the blink of an eye.

Screams rose high, then abruptly stopped.

No one had time to care about Feifen anymore as those shadows rushed towards them.

They were demonic cultivators, all of them!

In the pitch-black chaos, they didn’t give them a chance to react or even fight back.

Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, even Unity stage cultivators, all charged at them with fierce momentum, hideous faces engulfed in a savage and malevolent aura.

When there were fewer people, they could still put up a fight, but with so many demonic cultivators, including high-level ones, it was like an ant swarm overwhelming a heap of corpses on the ground, sending shivers down their spines.

Elder Qin was pushed aside by two Nascent Soul stage demonic cultivators from beside Song Pianxian. His spells struck one of them, knocking them down, but two, three, or even more rushed in, swarming towards him. He trembled with despair, but to his surprise, the anticipated pain and torment never came. Instead, his body moved involuntarily.

These demonic cultivators… seemed to have no intention of harming them? They were just like a surging flood, dispersing everyone in all directions.

Song Pianxian held Yu Yi tightly by her side, wielding her blade with one hand. Seeing that everyone, except for Yu Yi, whom she protected the most tightly, was being torn apart by the demonic cultivators, she felt a sense of urgency and pondered the demonic cultivators’ intentions.

Now, it seemed that apart from killing Feifen, they were just separating the remaining people? Were they trying to divide and conquer? And who was behind them?

The demonic cultivators here clearly retain their consciousness, and demonic cultivators are even more eager for strength than Dao cultivators. Their hierarchy is strict. If it weren’t for someone with a high status and extremely strong power, how could they control so many demonic cultivators like puppets?

It’s as if they’re all puppets of that person.

Song Pianxian’s wrist turned, splitting open a demonic cultivator wielding a sword. She was provoked by this trick, so she decisively pointed the tip of her Seven Star Double Phoenix Blade downwards, plunging it three inches into the ground.

The Seven Star Double Phoenix Blade trembled incessantly, emitting a buzzing sound like ripples.

Under the shock of the blade’s energy, the surrounding demonic cultivators screamed in agony. Their Golden Cores, Nascent Souls, and even their Unity stage souls were annihilated. Those who were in the Unity stage could only barely hold on. In the chaotic space just now, there were now only a few demonic cultivators left.

Demonic cultivator: I was really scared at that time.

Three or five Unity stage demonic cultivators had their figures distorted by the shockwaves of the blade energy, their faces contorted in pain. However, they still refused to give up and flew towards Song Pianxian, their attacks becoming more fierce.

Song Pianxian single-handedly confronted them, managing to fight them on equal terms. Her doubts grew even stronger. How come these Unity stage cultivators didn’t exhibit any signs of unity? Their attacks were even milder than those of Core Formation cultivators she had slain before.

Were the demonic cultivators too weak? No, demonic cultivators were known for their ruthless methods.

Thinking this, Song Pianxian swung her blade backward, severing the left arm of a demonic cultivator. Blood gushed from the wound, splattering on the purple-grey stone wall.

But the demonic cultivator remained unfazed, and the others showed no concern for their companion’s plight, not even glancing sideways.

If they didn’t understand cooperation like this, then there was still a chance. Song Pianxian planned to use the same strategy again, exploiting the weakness of the uncooperative demonic cultivators, when she saw two of them stiffen simultaneously, then change targets, swinging their blades towards her side—

Yu Yi.

Song Pianxian’s pupils contracted. As she moved to block for Yu Yi, Yu Yi acted faster, pushing Song Pianxian aside with a forceful shove, separating the two of them.

The demonic cultivators missed their mark, stumbling in their movements.

Song Pianxian steadied herself, standing with her blade raised, immediately turning to check on Yu Yi.

These demonic cultivators were not afraid of her, but they posed a grave threat to Yu Yi. She couldn’t risk Yu Yi’s safety.

Now the nine passages were extremely spacious, and the other demonic cultivators had already swept away with the cultivators. If she could keep the Unity stage cultivators here, Yu Yi would be safer leaving this place.

Song Pianxian promptly made a decision and glanced at Yu Yi:

“Stay away, wait for me.”

This sentence was divided into two parts, concise and succinct, but she knew Yu Yi understood her meaning.

Standing up against the towering and rugged demonic cultivator, the slender girl leaned against the stone wall. There were traces of purple-grey stone dust on her skirt as she looked up, lips pressed tightly together, and whispered softly:

“Big Sister, be careful.”

After the girl finished speaking, she glanced at Song Pianxian again, then slipped into the passage along the stone wall, disappearing from this miniature battlefield.

Before they could finish speaking, the demonic cultivators attacked. Disregarding her concerns, Song Pianxian tilted her neck to each side, emitting a crisp sound of loosened joints. Her gaze was focused, her expression solemn, as she wielded her blade, initiating a fierce and exhilarating slaughter.

Because of this, Song Pianxian missed the last look the girl gave her.

That look, filled with guilt and reluctance.

…

The last Unity stage demonic cultivator stumbled back, clutching the wound in his abdomen, and collapsed on the ground. His body was riddled with holes, demonic energy escaping like a fleeing tide, following the same path as his companions, until his life force dissipated and he ceased to exist.

In the relatively small clearing, now littered with severed limbs, silence reigned. Only the graceful figure of a woman remained standing upright.

She wore a crimson robe, rich as blood, her dark red hair swaying with spiritual energy, ethereal and alluring.

The Seven Star Double Phoenix Blade in her hand was stained with demonic blood, its original color obscured. Although she was clearly a cultivator, she resembled a demon lord more than the demonic cultivators on the ground.

Song Pianxian glanced at the splattered blood on the purple-grey stone wall, suppressed her aura, and let her dark hair fall gently behind her as she lowered her long eyelashes. With a thought, she cleaned the blade and the blood stains from her body before going to find Yu Yi.

But she didn’t find her.

Song Pianxian exhaled slowly, bending down to pick up something from the dim alley.

Her fingertips brushed over the smooth jade.

It was a jade token with Yu Yi’s divine consciousness left behind.

“You can withdraw now, guard outside, and don’t let anyone disturb us,” a deep and hoarse female voice sounded in the luxurious palace.

The semi-transparent dark blue veil partially obscured the bed curtain, revealing only a glimpse of a woman lying inside.

In front of the bed, a silver fox only as tall as a person’s calf commanded casually and naturally.

In front of her, three Unity stage demonic cultivators stood with their hands bound, unusually obedient, like servants summoned at her will.

To an outsider, this scene would seem extremely bizarre, but those involved didn’t find anything amiss.

The demonic cultivators even remembered to close the door of the palace, moving cautiously, afraid to make any noise and incur the displeasure of their master.

Before the demonic cultivators withdrew, Manzhi had already turned around and lightly jumped onto the soft bed, stepping on the silk quilt as soft as clouds, and approaching the unconscious Chu Feng.

After explaining the plan to Yu Yi, she ordered the demonic cultivators to disperse them all, bringing Chu Feng here—

Of course, to make Chu Feng “behave,” she directly ordered the demonic cultivators to knock her unconscious.

Since seeing Chu Feng again, this was the first time Manzhi could take a good look at her.

Chu Feng’s skin was extremely pale, exuding a coldness as if it were crafted from eternal mountain snow.

The remaining snow formed this delicate and aloof face on her cheeks.

Manzhi allowed herself to be tempted by her beauty, getting closer to Chu Feng—

The next moment, she swiftly moved away from the fox’s head.

It was nothing, the fox’s white whiskers accidentally brushed against her face.

Manzhi regained her composure, noticing Chu Feng’s slight furrowed brows even while unconscious. Unable to stay calm, she then focused on the task at hand.

Using her fox claws, she pulled up Chu Feng’s sleeve.

As expected, the hand holding the grayish-green prayer beads, formed of ice and snow, now had most of the back covered in white scales, shining like pearls under the light, and spreading towards her wrist. The remaining area was covered by the monk’s robe, hidden from Manzhi’s view.

“With such limited ability, you still dare to enter the illusion formation? Aren’t you afraid of revealing your true form?”

Taking advantage of the other party not being able to hear, Manzhi chuckled to herself:

“If it weren’t for me, you would have failed this time. You should thank your lucky stars.”

Though she cursed, Chu Feng on the bed only showed a slightly uncomfortable expression. Manzhi eagerly took out the mustard seed ring she had just retrieved from Yu Yi, and with nimble hands and feet, she rummaged through the cave, soon finding the Lingering Spirit Liquid.

Even seven thousand years ago, Lingering Spirit Liquid was an extremely precious elixir. It could enhance a cultivator’s control over their own soul, making the core more coherent. It could be said that every cultivator used it; it was an enhancing elixir that was never enough.

Using it on Chu Feng, who couldn’t control her transformation, would make it easier for her to switch between her beast form and human form and control her posture better.

Manzhi herself couldn’t bear to use up this little surplus.

There was no hesitation in giving it to Chu Feng at this moment.

Manzhi considered herself of good character, with no thoughts of feeding medicine mouth to mouth. She sat very upright, using a technique to levitate the bottle, tilted it, and let the silver Lingering Spirit Liquid drip onto Chu Feng’s lips.

Chu Feng’s thin lips were tightly pursed, and the Lingering Spirit Liquid seemed to shimmer on the surface, only staying on the surface. Manzhi used her technique to open her mouth, allowing the Lingering Spirit Liquid to flow into her mouth along her lips and teeth.

But… it had to be said, as the Lingering Spirit Liquid gathered between Chu Feng’s pale lips, her lips, which often recited Buddhist verses, immediately showed a thin light, becoming moist and tender.

“…”

Manzhi glanced at her once, then twice, and looked away.

She felt a wave of heat, and with disdain, she pulled the bed curtain a couple of times. This gauze curtain was said to last for tens of thousands of years, but how come it didn’t let any air through after just seven thousand years?

But the Merfolk tribe had been wiped out by cultivators seven thousand years ago, and now there was no one to hold accountable.

Speaking of which, nowadays, cultivators like to call that time the battle between righteousness and evil, grouping together demonic cultivators and monster cultivators. But in fact, during that time, demons, monsters, and humans were all fighting each other, and the Demon Queen and the Monster King, despite their significant statuses, were never equals.

The occasions when she led demonic cultivators and monster cultivators together were few and far between, and the extinction of the Merfolk was one of them. It was because the Merfolk were monster cultivators, but the Demon Queen liked the gauze made by the Merfolk, so the demonic cultivators also protected the Merfolk.

Unfortunately, the Merfolk clan was sparse and overly dependent on the East Sea, so they were completely wiped out by cultivators.

Manzhi felt unhappy about this and didn’t hesitate to mock the Monster King for not even being able to protect his own clan. But she wasn’t one to be trifled with. Soon, she had her monster cultivators seize thirteen cities for herself.

…

In the past, it used to be lively.

Manzhi’s mind wandered, feeling even more depressed. She simply jumped off the bed, distancing herself from Chu Feng, and curled up on the cushion next to the bed.

When Chu Feng woke up, she would undoubtedly have to explain things to her. Manzhi had thought this through. She would directly pass the blame to Yu Yi, saying that Yu Yi was worried about Chu Feng and brought her along. As for the Lingering Spirit Liquid, it was originally in Yu Yi’s storage ring.

As for herself, Manzhi was just a clever little creature who knew how to seize opportunities. Seeing that Chu Feng had not woken up, she casually fed her a spiritual medicine.

As for whether Chu Feng believed it or not, it was none of her business. Manzhi snorted. She had already saved her life; did she really need to worry about how to cover up the truth? Wasn’t this the treatment a lifesaver deserved?

It would be best if Chu Feng were more sensible and didn’t ask too many questions.

However… Manzhi curled up tighter, resting her chin on her front paws. This world’s Chu Feng was without illness, calamity, or hardship, and had even become the head of the Buddhist sect in her monster form. She must be a person dedicated to goodness.

Different from the Chu Feng she was familiar with.

Thinking this way, Manzhi didn’t realize that she looked somewhat sad at this moment.

There were faint sounds coming from the bed.

Was Chu Feng awake?

Manzhi couldn’t care less about her jumbled thoughts and immediately jumped onto the bed with a snap, observing Chu Feng’s expression.

She wondered if the few mouthfuls of Lingering Spirit Liquid she had left would be enough.

She glanced at Chu Feng’s distinct joints, and hmm, at least the scales on her hands had disappeared, so the Lingering Spirit Liquid seemed to have worked.

Chu Feng furrowed her brows lightly.

Manzhi immediately shifted her gaze to her face, her translucent fox eyes blinking incessantly.

Under Manzhi’s gaze, Chu Feng’s eyes seemed half-open, half-closed, and her eyelids twitched a few times.

Was she really awake? Manzhi couldn’t help but move closer.

Chu Feng’s thin lips parted slightly:

“…Qin Yi?”

“……?”

Manzhi was furious and realized who saved her!

Also, the woman you keep thinking of looks like a fox? What kind of fox spirit in human form, damn it!

Manzhi grabbed the pillow next to her and slapped it on Chu Feng’s face.

Don’t wake up, it’s not miserable enough.

Yu Yi walked alone in the cave, with a lantern of tipsy yellow spiritual fire by her side.

The demonic cultivators who had swarmed out before were nowhere to be seen now.

As for the other cultivators…

She held a jade token in her hand, given to her by Manzhi just now, which had a very convenient ability – holding the token, she could “see” where the most demonic cultivators were gathered in this complex jade cave.

The three or two demonic cultivators who came to her door were just appetizers for Yu Yi.

Licking her lips, Yu Yi continued forward. However, as the demonic cultivators fell one by one along her path, she couldn’t even see the scattered demonic cultivators now.

These were just small details that Yu Yi didn’t care about. Her movements were swift, heading straight towards the densest cluster of lights on the jade token.

The sooner she finished, the sooner she could return to Big Sister.

The layers of caves blurred behind Yu Yi as she moved, almost becoming shadows. Suddenly, her figure came to an abrupt halt.

Before her eyes lay a desolate wasteland, devoid of even a blade of grass.

Desolate, cold, lonely, and dim.

Yu Yi stood at the boundary between the cave and the wilderness, with a maze behind her and a clear view ahead.

This sudden change was abrupt and illogical, as if someone had forcibly pieced these two places together, unwilling to even make a semblance of fusion.

Yu Yi glanced at the jade token in her hand – the gathering place of demonic cultivators was ahead, in the wilderness.

She tiptoed and looked towards the distant mountains on the wasteland. Those mountains were rugged and arranged in a disorderly manner, but shrouded in faint black mist, indistinct and unclear.

Yu Yi tiptoed and looked into the distance. Just now, she vaguely saw a building on the mountain that served as a backdrop to the mountain range, towering majestically.

And the direction indicated on the jade token was almost identical.

Without hesitation, Yu Yi rushed towards the mountain peak, her crane cloak unfolding behind her, resembling a faint cyan long wing soaring against the wind.

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu

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