Chapter 13
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Chapter 13: I Will Definitely Come Back!
If we consider Bai Lian being taken back to the Qiongming Peak by An Lan as the first year of the Qiongming Peak.
Then it is a long journey crossing nine years.
The first year of the Qiongming Peak.
On the mountain road leading to the Qiongming Peak, An Lan turned around and held Bai Lian’s hand for the first time.
The second year of the Qiongming Peak.
Bai Lian fell in the snow because of a breakthrough failure, and the way An Lan held her in a princess carry made her heart beat for the first time.
"I wish my partner in the future will be someone like my master."
Near the end of the third year of the Qiongming Peak.
Bai Lian, who had recovered her memories related to the game, strengthened such thought in her heart.
The fourth year of the Qiongming Peak.
Bai Lian and An Lan went to the Lantern Festival together for the first time.
Then came the fifth, sixth year of the Qiongming Peak…until now.
It was the ninth year of the Qiongming Peak, early February, and a chilling spring wind blew against the face.
Holding An Lan, Bai Lian spoke the words she had already said once, a long time ago.
However, due to the difference in time, environment, and experience, the willpower she showed this time was many times firmer than ever before.
This time, An Lan no longer had the ability to "erase" Bai Lian’s memories.
She shrunk into Bai Lian’s embrace, like a delicate puppet without the ability to move.
This isn’t real.
This must be a dream.
If not a dream, then it must be a joke!
However…
When her gaze lifted and met Bai Lian’s eyes, An Lan was "stung" by the burning passion contained in them.
She couldn’t deceive herself that Bai Lian was just joking.
This time, Bai Lian was no longer hiding her feeling towards her master and had written it clearly on her face.
An Lan hastily turned her head, and her heart in her chest began to beat quickly and uncontrollably.
Thump, thump, thump.
Like the sound of beating drums.
"You…I…"
"Master."
Bai Lian adjusted An Lan’s head.
She gazed intensely into An Lan’s eyes, where countless stars scattered in her pupils gathered together, shining brighter than the moon in the sky.
"I don’t want my master to die, at least not in front of me. It may seem selfish, but…"
A shallow smile appeared on Bai Lian’s face.
"I was already selfish enough. It shouldn’t matter if I become a bit more selfish, right?"
"You, you, you…"
An Lan suddenly snapped out of her trance but trembled uncontrollably like she had been hit in a vulnerable spot.
"Let go of me!"
She clenched her teeth and glared fiercely at Bai Lian.
Bai Lian didn’t immediately do as told; instead, she propped her master against the beam and waited until she stood firmly before gently letting go.
An Lan gasped heavily for a few moments.
With the sturdy pillar behind her, she pointed fiercely at Bai Lian, unleashing all her anger.
"Rebel, rebel, you who defy the law and order! Do penance by facing the wall! You better stay in my cave for good unless you repent sincerely!"
Bai Lian promptly shook her head, "I won’t go."
If there were any other solution, she wouldn’t have taken such a risk.
She was not timid, yet not foolishly brave enough to overlook matters of life and death.
With her eyes widened in fury, An Lan clenched her chest with one hand, "You… do you want to kill your master with your rebellious nature?"
"Certainly not," Bai Lian sighed lightly, showing her deep concern, "I have no intention of harming my master."
She walked up to her master and lifted her chin, which was full of confusion.
"I have many things to say, but I will tell you all of them when I come back."
Saying that, Bai Lian slowly approached her master.
But when she was still halfway there, a small hand suddenly raised up and covered her mouth.
"…"
An Lan raised her hand again.
"Traitor!"
Puff~
This was the sound of the wind caused by the movement of the hand, but the expected snap didn’t appear.
An Lan’s hand stopped one inch away from Bai Lian’s cheek.
"Go away, you traitor! Get out of here as far as possible and never come back!"
Her body kept trembling.
Until Bai Lian caught her raised hand.
There was temporary silence.
Bai Lian silently pushed her master’s hand back to his sides, then she half-crouched down and carefully tidied up her slightly messy clothes.
"I’ve already told Martial Sisters. After I leave, the Third Martial Sister and the Fourth Martial Sister will take care of Master’s daily life, the Second Martial Sister will be responsible for cooking for Master, and the Fifth Martial Sister said she recently bought some storybooks to read to Master."
"…"
"Stop arguing with Master Yan Yue, well, at least don’t argue with her when you’re not feeling well. You won’t win in this situation."
"…"
"There’s nothing else to mention at the moment. When I think of something, I’ll send it to Master through the Jade Message Slip."
An Lan looked at Bai Lian in a daze, "Didn’t you hear what I just said?"
Bai Lian stood up, "Master was just talking nonsense. If you really wanted to drive me away, you would have returned my spirit fragments first."
An Lan became agitated, "I am about to… just…"
She just kept making excuses without actually taking any action for a long time.
She only defended herself, "I am injured now and cannot retrieve the soul fragment. You come and take it yourself!"
Bai Lian shook her head and stepped back, "Master, I am leaving, take care."
She didn’t want to attract any attention from others, so she couldn’t continue to argue anymore.
An Lan reached out her hand and watched Bai Lian walk further away from her.
She suddenly felt like she forgot to breathe, and the pain from her stomach began to be covered by a powerful force in her chest.
"Go, go away, the faster you go, the better!"
However, when Bai Lian reached the entrance of the small courtyard, a weak voice still called out.
"Stop right there!"
Bai Lian stopped and turned around, and saw An Lan making a parabolic motion with her right hand.
"Take this."
"Huh?"
Suddenly, a long lance flew out of the courtyard illuminated by the bright flames hanging on the wall.
Bai Lian instinctively caught it, and gestured that the lance was more than two heads taller than her. There were two delicate small blade notches near the tip, and the overall shape was antique and seemed to have rust.
But she knew that this was not an ordinary lance, this was the Heavenly Lord’s Lance that had made a great reputation accompanying the Immortal Heavenly Lord in the Immortal World!
The number of Immortal Emperors who were pierced by it couldn’t even count with both hands.
Even in the game, this lance had stabbed deep into the body of "Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian" many times. Of course, the personality of "Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian" is not for nothing, when she was hit repeatedly, she immediately stabbed the lance back in revenge.
An Lan said, "If you encounter danger, sacrifice part of your soul to this lance. As long as you come back alive, I will find a way to help you complete it."
Sacrifice the soul?
Bai Lian’s mouth tightened.
Her soul was simply impossible to ignite, except for the part that her master "cut" away. Even on ordinary days, she found it difficult to divide her own soul.
Nevertheless, she still agreed.
"I understand."
Now, all she had to do was to do her best to reduce her master’s worries about her.
This time, her master came with injuries to stop her. Who could guarantee that her master would not go out to look for her with injuries later?
"When I come back, I will have a good talk with my master."
There was a lack of uninhibited and profound communication between her and An Lan.
Even though she had already expressed her feelings, it would be better to speak certain things candidly.
Under the bright moon.
Bai Lian’s body gradually dissipated like flowing water.
After a moment, the enormous courtyard was left with only An Lan leaning against the beam, and the last words that Bai Lian left behind, "I will definitely come back."
She stood there for a while before staggering towards her own cave.
To most members of the Duxian sect, it was just an ordinary day.
Continuing the cultivation.
Continuing the patrol of the mountain.
Continuing to perform miscellaneous tasks.
Bai Lian’s departure scarcely caused any ripples beyond the Qiongming Peak.
For most people of the Qiongming Peak, this was just another ordinary excursion.
Sitting on the stone chair beside the Blood Tree Patriarch, Yan Yue propped her chin up and joyfully licked the cherry held between her fingertips.
"Once An Lan recovers, I will make sure to squeeze out everything Bai Lian owed me before!"
Inside the bamboo hut of Qingyu Peak.
Tong Yao, dressed only in cool clothing, lay on the bed with her legs raised and swaying incessantly.
"What gift will Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian bring me when she comes back?"
She smiled as she stroked the Netherworld Seal resting on the pillow.
After much hard work, she was finally able to unleash the true power of the Netherworld Seal. When she completely "subdues" the Netherworld Seal, her strength should undergo a significant improvement, after all, this is a holy artifact that has been passed down for many years by the Hades Hall.
Next to the cold pool behind the Qiongming Peak.
Ling Xuan extended her feet into the cold pool, holding the jade rabbit in her arms.
"Martial Sister Jade Rabbit, Martial Sister Jade Rabbit, have I seen you somewhere before?"
"Chirp, chirp?!"
"I probably haven’t seen you before, but it looks familiar somehow. Especially Martial Sister Jade Rabbit’s ears, they seem quite recognizable, unlike the other rabbits."
Ling Xuan gently caught hold of the jade rabbit’s ears.
The jade rabbit immediately pulled its ears back and showed its teeth in anger towards Ling Xuan.
"Chirp, chirp, chirp!"
Ling Xuan murmured, "Maybe I got it wrong, after all, Martial Sister Jade Rabbit is not pure white, you have a bit of green on your body."
The jade rabbit scooped up a handful of water with its ears and splashed Ling Xuan, and then a playful water fight broke out between the two in the cold pond.
…
At this moment.
In an unknown stream, thousands of miles away from the Duxian sect.
The tranquil flowing stream suddenly became noisy, and shortly after, several water currents twisted and entangled upwards, gradually forming into a transparent human figure amidst the rushing water.
Tick-tock–
When one of the water droplets rolled into the stream, the water-formed figure finally displayed a peculiar radiance.
A glimmer of light flashed, and Bai Lian emerged from within it.
She stood silently on the water, and the task options that had just surfaced floated in front of her.
[Task 1: Proceed directly to the Pavilion of Mountain and Sea (Reward: Lower-grade magic weapon – Shanhe Huixue Chapter)]
[Task 2: Wait for the Demon of the Outer Realm to appear elsewhere before proceeding to the Pavilion of Mountain and Sea (Reward: Focus +24)]
[Task 3: Proceed directly to the Yaochi Holy Mountain (Reward: Focus +19)]
[Task 4: Give up the search for the Demon of the Outer Realm (Reward: Light Skill +5)]
There is no need for much hesitation on how to choose.
The risk of Task 4 may be low, but Bai Lian would never give up. She is simply perplexed as to why there would still be a risk in giving up; it is illogical.
Task 3, although equally lethal, at least left her a glimmer of hope.
After cultivating with the Second Martial Sister, Bai Lian’s strength has significantly increased. Coupled with the Heavenly Lord’s Lance, which is now unsealed and lent to her by her master, the risk represented by the Focus of 19 points is no longer enough to easily kill her.
Bai Lian’s current concern lies in the intelligence revealed behind the first two task options.
She knows that the Demon Lord of the Pavilion of Mountain and Sea has a connection with the Demon of the Outer Realm, but now it seems that their connection is much deeper than she imagined.
It is important to note that the reward for Task One is a low-grade immortal weapon!
In light of this, it is highly likely that the Demon of the Outer Realm’s lair is located in the Pavilion of Mountain and Sea.
How unfortunate.
Bai Lian shook her head helplessly, wishing she had broken through to the Transmigration Stage normally. With her strength enhanced, she might have been able to charge straight into the Pavilion of Mountain and Sea with her lance and resolve all her problems in one fell swoop.
"What is the reason, after all?"
Bai Lian gently pressed her belly, where her spirit Qi gathered and surged like a tide.
Ever since she cultivated with the jade rabbit in her dreams, her cultivation base had already reached the peak of the Transcendency Stage. However, the system repeatedly warned her that once she broke through to the Transmigration Stage, she would encounter certain and imminent danger.
Therefore, she dared not provoke the Guafeng Disaster.
Bai Lian knew that her master could not break through to the Transmigration Stage because there was a certain probability that it would attract Red Dust Heavenly Lord’s attention.
It is not necessarily going to be discovered by Red Dust Heavenly Lord, even though the probability is high. In the game, there is a route where the master successfully crosses the tribulation unscathed.
Her situation seems to be more severe.
"The Future Mirror!"
Bai Lian placed her hand on the surface of The Future Mirror and, as expected, it cracked open.
As expected, this guy can’t be counted on.
Perhaps things will turn out differently once she obtains the other side of The Future Mirror.
"Perhaps, my ability to come to this world was not an accident."
With this thought in mind, Bai Lian selected Task 3.
The newly acquired 19 points were enough to further enhance her strength.
Bai Lian closed the system panel, confirmed her direction, and once again used the Five Elements Escape Technique to rush towards the Yaochi Holy Mountain.
Although spatial travel was convenient, it was also too conspicuous.
If she was unlucky and intercepted by the Demon of the Outer Realm on the way, she could easily get lost in the chaos of space.
After half an hour of wandering, Bai Lian finally arrived near the Yaochi Holy Mountain.
It was a mountain range located in the southwest of the East Divine Land.
Unlike any mountain she had previously visited, most of the Yaochi Holy Mountain was flat at the top.
The mountain range was covered in red-leafed trees while the open spaces were filled with indigo and blue pools, like jewels shining brightly in flames when viewed from above.
Whenever there is heavy rain, white mist floats in the mountains, making it feel like a Immortal World that is captivating.
The name of the sacred mountain comes from this.
However, the situation today is very unusual.
Bai Lian squatted down beside a turquoise pond.
The pool water was still clear and transparent, but for some unknown reason, there were several bird carcasses floating on the surface of the water.
It was so quiet around her that it made her feel uneasy.
Bai Lian reached out her hand, but pulled it back again. She messaged Ying Shi and after half a moment, still didn’t receive a reply.
She stood up and looked into the distance at the main body of the Yaochi Holy Mountain, which was shrouded in clouds and mist.
After a moment, she extended her right hand and blue butterflies flew off the back of her hand one after another.
"Illusory Butterfly"
This is a very ordinary exploration spell.
Bai Lian watched as the butterflies flew away, and at a certain moment, her pupils suddenly shrank.
"!"
Only to see those butterflies dispersing like lit paper.
"Indeed there is a problem."
Bai Lian felt as if she fell into an ice cave.
She stared intently at the dreamlike cloud of mist and seriously suspected that the Demon of the Outer Realm was inside it.
"Should I go in now, or wait a while longer?"
Her purpose for this journey was, on one hand, to capture a strong Demon of the Outer Realm, to search for a way to save her master, and on the other hand, to obtain the other side of the Future Mirror.
In order to achieve the second goal, she cannot neglect the Yaochi Holy Mountain.
Just as Bai Lian hesitated, there was a slight sound coming from beside the Qingchi.
Someone is there!
Bai Lian quickly turned around.
A circular magic circle appeared on the ground, and with a flash of white light, a young girl suddenly appeared.
"Ying Shi?"
Bai Lian widened her eyes, and the person who came was Ying Shi.
Ying Shi was wearing the white fairy dress of the Yaochi Holy Mountain, sitting on the side of the ground, her long hair that was originally tied behind her head was scattered, and her pearl hairpin was nowhere to be seen. She supported the ground with both hands, and blood slid down her palms.
Hearing the voice, she hurriedly lifted her head.
Upon discovering that the person standing before her was Bai Lian, she stood as still as if she had been struck by an acupuncture needle.
"Is it Lady Ying Shi?" Bai Lian cried again.
Ying Shi still didn’t move, but this time she spoke, "Is it an illusion?"
Bai Lian crouched in front of Ying Shi.
She checked Ying Shi’s injuries, which were severe but not fatal.
Fortunately.
"Open your mouth."
Bai Lian took out several Medicinal Pills.
Seeing Ying Shi not moving, she forcibly opened Ying Shi’s mouth and stuffed the Medicinal Pills inside.
"What happened here, Ying Shi?"
Bai Lian shook Ying Shi’s shoulders, but Ying Shi repeated the sentence "Is it an illusion?" as if she had been enchanted.
Is the best remedy at this moment to slap in the face?
She lifted her hand.
With her palm about to land, Bai Lian stopped again. She stared at Ying Shi’s flustered face for a long time before suddenly opening her arms and embracing her.
"Ying Shi, this is not an illusion, I am right here. Tell me, what happened?"
Perhaps it was the gentle and infectious tone, or perhaps it was Bai Lian’s embrace that always made people feel safe.
After trembling for a while, Ying Shi slowly lifted her head.
"White Emperor Bai Lian, Saint Lord, master, senior uncles, and my sister, they all stayed at the Yaochi Holy Mountain."
Hot tears streamed down.
Bai Lian wiped away her tears. "Was it the Demon of the Outer Realm?"
"Yes, it came with the Demon Lord and others from the Pavilion of Mountain and Sea who suddenly rushed up." Ying Shi lowered her head. "The Saint Lord asked me to go for reinforcements, but they all stayed there and only I was sent out."
"I understand."
Is this considered as arrived just in time?
Bai Lian never imagined that the Demon of the Outer Realm would act so quickly.
But with this, a problem has arisen.
The Demon Lord of the Pavilion of Mountain and Sea is renowned as the number one in the demonic path. With his presence and that of the Demon of the Outer Realm, why is the system only giving a risk assessment of a Focus of 19 points?
Bai Lian gazed up at the still pure white mountain mist.
She has to climb the mountain, whether she likes it or not.
