An Encounter with the Tsundere Immortal Lady Chapter 17

In the darkness, Lin Wuxi spread out her divine sense. She only knew she was in a vast, boundless grassland. But strangely, there were no clouds in the sky. It was as if this entire world consisted of nothing but the land beneath her feet.
This was definitely not Yudai Village where she had been before. As for where it was, Lin Wuxi had no way of knowing. She could only rely on a faint feeling in her heart and walk in one direction.
Even before entering this place, Lin Wuxi had felt a strange sensation in her heart when looking at the jade platform. And now that she had completely entered this place, that feeling had grown even stronger, so much so that it allowed Lin Wuxi to vaguely determine a direction.
Following this strange feeling, she moved forward. Earlier, Lin Wuxi couldn’t accurately determine the direction and could only put away her flying sword and travel quickly on the ground. But as the feeling grew stronger, Lin Wuxi could accurately find her way even while riding her flying sword.
Even so, Lin Wuxi flew on her sword for a long time but still found nothing. If not for the feeling that clearly pointed her in a direction, Lin Wuxi would have even thought she was just going in circles.
In the darkness, it was impossible to tell how much time had passed. It might have been a few days, or perhaps over a month. Lin Wuxi couldn’t tell. It wasn’t until she was utterly exhausted that the wondrous sensation she felt grew stronger.
Only then did Lin Wuxi understand what that feeling was. It was a strange, powerful resonance. It had nothing to do with any spells. This strong, deep resonance, originating from her soul, traveled across a vast distance to match the frequency in Lin Wuxi’s mind, showing her the way.
What, or rather, who, could share such a resonance with her? Lin Wuxi couldn’t suppress her curiosity and sped up, flying towards the source.
But then Lin Wuxi saw corpses on the ground. They were a team of demonic cultivators dressed in black, just like her. Lin Wuxi counted them—thirty-five. None had been spared.
And beyond all the corpses, Lin Wuxi saw a colossal creature, the likes of which she hadn’t seen in her more than ten years of life.
It was a nine-headed demon dragon.
Its enormous body stood like a small mountain on the boundless dark plain. Its massive scales shimmered with a silver light. Slender necks supported nine huge heads, and eighteen eyes, each larger than Lin Wuxi herself, were half-open, gazing at her.
Even though she had been somewhat prepared, Lin Wuxi was still startled by the sight. The nine-headed demon dragon was a legendary creature, said to exist only in the demon realm. Legend had it that an adult nine-headed demon dragon could easily kill a renowned immortal. How could such a terrifying creature appear in the cultivation world?
What astonished Lin Wuxi even more was that such a powerful creature was bound by chains as massive as small hills. An incredibly complex and vast formation also flickered with a dim light, sometimes visible, sometimes hidden, around the demon dragon.
“They were here to save you, so why did you kill them?” Lin Wuxi asked, not understanding. From the equipment the black-clad demonic cultivators carried, she was sure their goal was to kill it. And yet, recalling the jade platform ceremony, the elders and other demonic cultivators had seemed both terrified and reverent towards this demon dragon. Why else would they have paid such a high price to open the gate to this place?
The demon dragon finally lifted its gaze. Its huge, brown eyes stared directly at Lin Wuxi, but it said nothing.
Lin Wuxi sighed. “I think you understand some things too. It just… shouldn’t be like this.”
“Hatred and despair might indeed hold incomparable power, but even so, you shouldn’t give in to them.”
“What right do you have to say that?” A deafening voice boomed, powerful enough to shake the earth and make mountains tremble. “You’ve only lived for a little over ten years! You’ve never experienced millennia of darkness and despair, never had your heart gouged out by bone-deep hatred! What right do you have to stand there and preach so self-righteously?” As it spoke, the demon dragon grew agitated, its once-lowered necks now half-raised.
“It’s true, I’ve only lived for a little over ten years. I haven’t experienced millennia of darkness and loneliness. But loneliness and despair have been my constant companions since birth. I, too, have been tormented by hatred night after night. I, too, have wanted to cast everything aside and indulge, to kill everyone. But I didn’t. Despair never gave me anything; it only dragged me deeper into an endless, dark abyss. Only by giving up hatred, by letting go of all attachments, did I barely survive the corrosion of my inner demon. Why can’t you do the same?”
“This world might have a lot of darkness, many things that breed hatred. But even in the darkest moments, there’s always a glimmer of light. We can’t change the many hardships fate throws at us, but… are you really going to give in like this? You’re not willing to, are you? I’m not willing either. My strength is still insignificant now, but I’ve never given in again. And you,” Lin Wuxi stepped closer to the nine-headed demon dragon, her voice growing louder, “you have incredible talent, a powerful body, and strength I can’t even imagine, so much stronger than mine. Why don’t you dare to resist? Why would you surrender to despair, surrender to this fate, to this heaven?”
“Don’t think I wouldn’t dare kill you!” An enraged roar filled Lin Wuxi’s ears. The nine-headed demon dragon’s enormous, sharp claw had, at some point, closed around Lin Wuxi, holding her tight. Yet, Lin Wuxi didn’t struggle. In the face of such absolute power, her cultivation was meaningless, like a fleeting cloud.
“Do you believe I’ll kill you right now?” a hoarse, vicious voice rasped, filling the entire dark space. The demon dragon unleashed its immense pressure, so overwhelming that Lin Wuxi, merely at the late Enlightenment stage, nearly suffocated.
“I… cough… I believe you.” The immense draconic might turned the corpses on the ground to dust, which the wind scattered into the night. “But I’m making a bet. I’m betting that your heart isn’t completely consumed by hatred. I’m betting that you still want to fight back.” Lin Wuxi lifted her head, her calm, dark eyes meeting the colossal eyes before her.
Pushing her Qingluan sword to its limits, Yu Huang paid no heed to anything else and finally reached Xiao Xi Village in the north on the third day.
Yu Huang landed her sword directly in front of the person in charge of Xiao Xi Village. Ignoring the dust her landing stirred up, she demanded, “Where is Lin Wuxi? Give me her registration token.”
“Yes, I’ll get it right away.” The person in charge of Xiao Xi Village had long recognized her as Senior Sister Yu Huang from his own sect. Seeing her urgent and imposing demeanor, he wouldn’t dare delay. He quickly led Yu Huang to the room where registration tokens were kept and found Lin Wuxi’s.
Registration tokens were used during special missions to track a disciple’s whereabouts and well-being. They could roughly indicate a disciple’s location and issue a warning if they were in danger, allowing for timely rescue.
Yu Huang now held Lin Wuxi’s registration token, her expression grim.
Lin Wuxi’s registration token was blinking erratically—a clear sign of danger. What worried Yu Huang more was that the token couldn’t indicate Lin Wuxi’s current location at all. These tokens were crafted using a special secret technique of the sect; not even a Nascent Soul elder could completely erase its aura. Theoretically, as long as Lin Wuxi was still in the cultivation world, the token should be able to pinpoint the approximate location of a Wanhen Sect disciple.
“Where did she go?” Yu Huang’s voice was so cold it seemed to chill the air. The person in charge shivered, then hurriedly found the disciple who had received Lin Wuxi and had them report her movements to Yu Huang.
“Yudai Village?” Yu Huang let out a cold laugh, summoned her Qingluan sword, and prepared to leave.
“Wait, Fairy Yu Huang! Yudai Village is overrun with demonic cultivators now! It’s too danger—” Halfway through his sentence, the person in charge was silenced by a single glare from Yu Huang and retreated into the house. Terrifying! This fairy’s aura… it’s like she’s about to devour someone!
Watching Yu Huang speed away, leaving a trail of dust, the person in charge silently prayed for the demonic cultivators in Yudai Village while simultaneously taking out a voice transmission sword to report Yu Huang’s destination to the Wanhen Sect Master.
Yudai Village. Three days had passed since the ceremony ended, yet all the demonic cultivators, including the ever-mysterious elders, remained. They already knew the entire team they had dispatched had perished. Still, they were unwilling to leave. This ceremony was crucial to the very survival of the demonic cultivators; they had poured all their resources into it and couldn’t accept utter failure.
“Old Ancestor, is it really wise to pin all our hopes on someone who is likely a spy from the righteous path? All our demonic cultivator elites died in there. How could a mere Enlightenment stage girl possibly still be alive?”
The elder who had brought Lin Wuxi to the jade platform nodded slightly at these words. “Perhaps it was a mistake. But in that instant, I had an inexplicable conviction that she… she might be able to save us.”
The black hood was lowered, revealing an extremely ancient face. None of the other demonic cultivators spoke further. Cultivators, by nature, placed importance on such ethereal intuitions. Besides, the one before them not only possessed unfathomable cultivation but was also the oldest among them. This Old Ancestor’s sixth sense was, at times, incredibly accurate.
Suddenly, the elder who had spoken earlier changed his expression. His eyes narrowed, and a voice filled with age and authority resounded. “Who dares trespass into our demonic cultivators’ sacred ground!”
Yu Huang had already arrived above Yudai Village. A quick scan revealed no trace of Lin Wuxi, and anxiety gnawed at her. Looking at the elder who had spoken, she announced clearly, “I am The Boundless Fairy of the Wanhen Sect. I have no wish to disturb you, but a disciple from my sect has inadvertently trespassed into your territory. Her whereabouts are currently unknown. I hope you can tell me where she is.”
Hearing she was The Boundless Fairy, the demonic cultivators were all rather surprised. Yu Huang’s name was renowned, thundering even in the ears of demonic cultivators.
The elder who had spoken before said gravely, “This place is filled with demonic cultivator disciples. How could there be anyone from your Wanhen Sect? Instead, it is The Boundless Fairy who trespasses on our sacred ground. Do you think us demonic cultivators are nobodies?” As he finished, his words were laced with true energy, subtly shaking the listeners’ minds.
Yu Huang replied, “Elder, your words are too severe. I am only here looking for someone. If I find her, I will certainly apologize for this intrusion. But the matter is urgent. I hope you can tell me her whereabouts.”
“Everyone here is a disciple of the demonic path. How could there be anyone from the Wanhen Sect? Fairy, you are looking in the wrong place indeed.”
Yu Huang’s expression grew cold. “I am searching in earnest. Why must you be so evasive? Though it’s true a disciple of my sect trespassed on your grounds first, she is only at the Enlightenment stage. Most of you are seniors at the Golden Core stage or higher. Why make things so difficult for a junior?”
“Enlightenment stage?” The demonic cultivator elder’s voice turned grave. “If you mean an Enlightenment stage cultivator, we did see one. She entered the Nether Realm connected to this jade platform three days ago. Fairy, I’m afraid you won’t be getting her back.”
“What! She went to the Nether Realm!”