An Encounter with the Tsundere Immortal Lady Chapter 43

A bright sky was close at hand. Clouds swirled above, mist billowed, and in the azure sky, numerous immortals floated in twos and threes, all staring at her dumbfounded. Lin Wuxi turned her head to look back. The Nine Heavens Immortal Steps were now behind her. Below, the mountains and palaces had shrunk to the size of rice grains. Far and near, there were rows upon rows of palace complexes. Magnificent and opulent buildings were constructed on the highest point, overlooking the entire Immortal Realm like an emperor.
A hundred meters ahead, an immensely high gate stood tall in the clouds, as if reigning over everything. Its surface was painted vermillion. A drum, about a hundred zhang wide, stood beside the gate. The drum’s design was simple, but its surface was carved with intricate patterns of soaring dragons and phoenixes, with auspicious beasts heralding good fortune. One glance told her that this drum, like the palace, was no ordinary item.
On the drum rack beside the drum, there were two jet-black wooden drumsticks. Even though they were just drumsticks for striking the drum, they were many meters long and over half a meter wide.
Lin Wuxi expressionlessly sized up the drum for a moment, then walked straight towards it, clearly intending to strike it.
The surrounding immortals, who had been observing her, now held their breath and fell silent. They were all waiting to see how things would unfold.
A faint green light flashed. Lin Wuxi summoned her Qingyu Brush, which soared into the air. With a flicker of her green-robed figure, two drumsticks appeared in Lin Wuxi’s hands. She flew on her sword to the front of the drum. A light flashed from Lin Wuxi’s fingertips, and the drumsticks in her hands were about to fall.
“Wait.” A voice suddenly appearing in the air startled everyone. Everyone searched around, wanting to see who had spoken out to stop her at such a critical moment.
Without any warning, a grey figure suddenly appeared in the previously empty space of the Immortal Palace. None of the immortals present saw how it happened. By the time they recovered their senses, the grey-robed figure was already standing there.
Lin Wuxi paused. Looking at the grey-robed figure, she asked doubtfully, “Who are you? Why are you stopping me?”
“Do you truly not recognize me,” the grey-robed figure stared into Lin Wuxi’s eyes, taking a step closer, “or are you pretending?”
“If you stopped me just to ask this question, then please wait a moment.” Lin Wuxi paid them no further heed. Light flashed from her fingertips again. She raised the drumsticks, about to continue striking the drum at the gate of the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace.
The grey-robed figure stood to the side with hands clasped, and did not try to stop her again.
A deep “Dong!” resonated. The rich, melodious sound of the drum spread out from the highest point of the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace in all directions. Following that, three or four more increasingly resonant drumbeats emanated from the drum, stirring up the dense spiritual energy surrounding the Immortal Palace and spreading into the distance with unstoppable momentum.
“This is…” In the center of the main hall, a figure seated on a gilded, phoenix-carved throne slowly lifted their head, their hazy gaze drifting towards the gate outside. Jet-black hair cascaded down on both sides, obscuring part of their vision, making it impossible to clearly see the emotions in their eyes hidden behind the strands of hair.
“Now that you have struck this drum, your agreement with the Immortal Palace is fulfilled. Your Purple Lotus now belongs to the Immortal Palace. In return, if you have any request, you can state it here. As long as it is within the Immortal Palace’s permissible range, we will help you achieve it.” After the drum’s sound had completely spread, the grey-robed figure walked over, expressionless, and said to Lin Wuxi.
“I want to join the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace,” Lin Wuxi said.
Some things, she could only be certain of after truly understanding them herself. Staying in the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace, to see, to think, to ask—this was the only thing Lin Wuxi could do at the moment.
“Alright. Follow me.” The grey-robed figure gave Lin Wuxi a meaningful look and gestured for her to follow.
Passing through a group of guides who had come upon hearing the drum, Lin Wuxi followed the grey-robed figure into the inner part of the Immortal Palace. The palace, which looked grand and imposing from afar, was even more exquisite and opulent up close. They passed through numerous palace gates, hall after hall, and crossed several official pathways. The grey-robed figure led Lin Wuxi to a building even more magnificent than the other halls, pointed inside, and said, “Go in. The Purple Lotus transfer ceremony will be held inside. This is your last chance to back out. Once you step into this main hall, there will be no opportunity to withdraw.”
Lin Wuxi raised her hand and summoned the Purple Lotus. Looking at the lotus still swaying gently in her palm, she felt a pang of guilt. She gently pressed a swaying petal with her forefinger and said in a very soft voice, “Purple Lotus, thank you for your companionship and protection for so long. But now, we must part ways. I hope you can forgive me.”
The Purple Lotus continued to sway in her hand. Lin Wuxi sighed, put away the Purple Lotus, and stepped into the hall.
The decorations in the hall made Lin Wuxi feel a sense of déjà vu, as if she had returned to that hall in the Xuantian Secret Realm. When she first arrived in the secret realm, Lin Wuxi had felt that the hall’s style was out of place with the cultivation world. Looking at it now, that style was indeed identical to that of the Immortal Palace. Thinking about it now, the matter of opening a passage between the Immortal Realm and the cultivation world back then was likely related to the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace.
Many people were already waiting in the hall. Seeing Lin Wuxi, the leader, an old man with white hair and beard, nodded slightly to her and gestured for her to enter the formation in the center of the main hall. He explained, “Once a unique treasure acknowledges a master, it usually cannot be changed. However, fate works in mysterious ways, and there is always a turning point for all things. If the treasure’s master agrees, we have methods to make it change ownership. Just enter this formation and do as we say.”
Lin Wuxi nodded and stepped into the formation, which occupied two-thirds of the hall’s area.
Her vision suddenly went dark. She found herself in a chaotic void. Lin Wuxi looked around carefully and could vaguely see a dim point of light somewhere in the distance. Just as she was about to ask, she heard someone say, “This is your sea of consciousness. Now, walk towards that light. That is a sliver of the Purple Lotus’s divine sense, planted within your sea of consciousness. Do your best to soothe its emotions, then cup it in your palm. Leave the rest to us.”
Lin Wuxi remained silent, merely following the instructions to walk towards the purple lotus spiritual sense in her sea of consciousness. A thread of guilt unavoidably flashed in her heart. Up to this point, the purple lotus had helped her greatly, yet now she had to personally pull it out from her own spiritual sense.
Lin Wuxi’s hand touched this wisp of light within her spiritual sense. The light drifted in the air and didn’t dodge. She let herself relax completely, sending a wisp of her purest spiritual sense to communicate with the purple lotus: “Thank you so much for your constant companionship and protection, but I’m sorry, our fate together might end here. I have something I must do, and I hope to obtain your understanding.”
The light flickered slightly for a moment, and then a voice suddenly sounded in Lin Wuxi’s mind: “I understand your situation. Perhaps our fate together really can only end here. You don’t need to feel guilty; I don’t blame you.”
The voice in her mind was calm and peaceful, which instead comforted Lin Wuxi.
“Thank you. Maybe we’ll have a chance to meet again.” Lin Wuxi didn’t feel too good in her heart either, but fortunately, if nothing unexpected happened, the purple lotus should transfer to her senior sister. This made Lin Wuxi feel a little better.
She reached out her hand and carefully cupped the light in her palm. She felt a current run through her entire body. The darkness before her eyes quickly collapsed, obscured by a blinding light.
Lin Wuxi’s eyes were temporarily blinded. In the bright light, she only felt figures moving around her. She didn’t know who took the plant she was holding. Finally, after seeing a small grey shadow, she completely lost consciousness and fell in the hall.
“This…” The leading elder in the main hall walked over, frowning at the grey figure. “Palace Master, what do you mean by this?”
The grey figure waved a hand, tucking the fallen Lin Wuxi into their sleeve, and said to the elder, “This matter is of great importance. You need not ask. When the time comes, I will naturally provide an explanation to the outside world.” After speaking, they strode out the door, leaving only the elder with a slightly sighing gaze.
In a room in the most remote corner of the hall, Lin Wuxi was bound to a wooden bed without any bedding. Her hands and feet were shackled with iron rings infused with spiritual power, but she was still unconscious and had not woken up.
The grey figure creaked open the wooden door of the room. Looking at the unconscious Lin Wuxi, they pondered for a long while. Finally, they took out a jade-like porcelain bottle from their sleeve, carefully opened the stopper, and poured the contents of the bottle into Lin Wuxi’s mouth.
“Things have come to this. This is the best way for you… and for the Immortal Lord, isn’t it?” The grey figure sighed, turned, and walked out of the door. Only these words remained in the empty room.
Outside the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace, the grey figure paced slowly, followed by two rows of disciples wearing the attire of the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace. They began to speak to the immortals waiting around: “Lin Wuxi has already exchanged her unique treasure as a condition to join the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace. Soon, she will appear as a disciple of the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace. Please wait and see.” After speaking, the grey figure took another step and disappeared before everyone, their whereabouts unknown, leaving only the speculating crowd of immortals.
So that young woman’s original name is Lin Wuxi? Where is she from? What is her background? How did she obtain that unique treasure? And why is she determined to join the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace? These questions remained in the hearts of everyone in the immortal realm who was paying attention to this matter. Everyone kept making assumptions, but no one could give an answer that everyone would believe.
It seemed this matter could only be explained when that young woman, Lin Wuxi, reappeared as a disciple of the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace.