The Demon Palace stood at the center of Dead Spirit City, the capital of the Demon Realm. The city was lifeless and heavy with the air of death. Not one living creature could be found within it.
Its residents were wraiths. When someone died with an obsession too powerful to release or resentment too deep to fade, they became such a being. Whether they had been human or spirit beast in life, becoming a wraith made them part of the demon race.
Wraiths retained every ability they had possessed while alive. By devouring their own kind, they could continue evolving and gather ever greater amounts of demonic energy. The lowest wraith could eventually become a Wraith Emperor, a sovereign capable of commanding and creating countless others.
Every wraith in Dead Spirit City had been created by Wraith Emperor Pang Ying. Together, they served as Demon Lord Feng Lingruan’s personal guard.
Inside the magnificent Demon Palace, Feng Lingruan sat high upon her throne. Pang Ying stood below the raised platform with her head lowered respectfully.
“Has Lanxin been busy with that useless business again?”
Feng Lingruan reclined lazily against the throne as though she had no bones. The pose revealed all the charm in her features.
“This subordinate saw her three days ago,” Pang Ying answered. “She happily informed me that Water-and-Sky continues to grow. She believes she may someday become the wealthiest spirit beast on Windcloud Continent.”
Feng Lingruan curled her lip. Shui Lanxin was her right protector, yet somehow remained even busier than the Demon Lord herself. Days could pass without a single meeting because the woman constantly traveled to the Mortal Realm. If Feng Lingruan had not known her so well, she might have suspected Shui Lanxin of being a spy whose heart belonged to another camp.
“Demon Lord, should this subordinate bring her back?” Pang Ying asked.
Feng Lingruan shook her head. “This lord’s injuries have not completely healed, so there is little to accomplish. Calling her back would serve no purpose. We will make plans after this lord recovers.”
Pang Ying bowed and resumed standing as straight and silent as a decoration.
Feng Lingruan sighed from boredom. Her injuries had been too severe. Becoming furious afterward had further disturbed her damaged body, so her internal wounds would not heal quickly. Recovering slowly would delay her plans yet again.
It was all that human insect’s fault.
The moment Feng Lingruan thought of Wen Xian, the anger she had calmed over several days burst back to life. Whenever that irritating face appeared in her mind, she wanted to slap it apart.
“Pang Ying, this lord has a task for you.”
Pang Ying immediately knelt on one knee. “Please command me, Demon Lord.”
“Find a human insect who looks like this.”
Feng Lingruan pointed one slender finger. Purple spirit-beast energy gathered in the air and formed a face identical to Wen Xian’s, including her infuriating expression.
Pang Ying memorized it. “This subordinate will send the wraiths to search at once. Once she is found, they will kill her.”
“No,” Feng Lingruan said calmly. “This lord wants her alive and with all four limbs whole. I must torture this human personally before the hatred in my heart will fade.”
Wen Xian had dared strike her… there.
When Feng Lingruan captured the insect, she would slap Wen Xian’s bottom until it was ruined.
Pang Ying suppressed her questions and obediently agreed. She understood that Feng Lingruan hated having others question her decisions.
A spinning whirlpool of water suddenly appeared against the hall’s left wall.
Feng Lingruan showed no surprise and did not even look toward it.
“You finally decided to return.”
One long, pale leg stepped from the whirlpool, followed by Shui Lanxin. She cheerfully greeted Pang Ying. Only when Pang Ying began signaling urgently with her eyes did Shui Lanxin look toward the platform and see Feng Lingruan’s dark expression.
“Oh, the Demon Lord is here too. What a coincidence. Fortunately, this subordinate has brought you something wonderful.”
Wen Xian had praised Shui Lanxin as thoughtful, clever, and skilled with people. In front of Feng Lingruan, that intelligence seemed to turn into its opposite.
Feng Lingruan’s face grew darker. Shui Lanxin pretended not to notice, and even the hall’s rapidly falling temperature failed to spoil her mood.
“You had better mean wonderful for this lord. Otherwise—”
“Demon Lord, this subordinate promises that you will consider it excellent news,” Shui Lanxin interrupted.
Smiling, she removed three objects enclosed in water spheres from her storage ring. One flick of her finger sent them flying toward the throne.
Feng Lingruan waved a hand. The spheres burst, leaving three objects floating in the air. She curled one finger, and all three scrolls landed in her palm.
“What are these?” she asked.
Shui Lanxin continued smiling. “Open them and see.”
Feng Lingruan was helpless before the woman’s love of mystery. She casually opened one scroll, and her pupils widened. She even sat upright.
Pang Ying glanced at Shui Lanxin, silently asking what the scrolls contained. Shui Lanxin answered with a secretive look and continued watching Feng Lingruan with interest.
She always behaved this way. Most infuriating of all, after awakening everyone’s curiosity, she would refuse to explain a single word.
It made others want to beat her.
Feng Lingruan spent a long while reading all three scrolls. When she finally lowered them, undisguised delight covered her face.
The cultivation system had completely lifted her poor mood. Even her voice rose with pleasure.
“Lanxin, where did you obtain this complete system?”
“Someone sold it to this subordinate, naturally.”
Feng Lingruan handled the scrolls as though she could not bear to put them down.
“Your auction house has finally proven somewhat useful.”
It was rare for her to praise Shui Lanxin. Feng Lingruan regarded such dull business as a waste of time and effort.
Shui Lanxin secretly rolled her eyes. Not everyone was as painfully boring as Feng Lingruan, whose mind contained nothing but that single great purpose.
It was both pitiful and sad.
“Both of you may leave. This lord will enter seclusion for some time.”
Feng Lingruan was in the middle stage of Nascent Soul. She had expected to need several more decades to reach the late stage. With this complete system, which suited her exceptionally well, she could achieve mastery and break through much sooner.
She was another step closer to her lifelong wish.
Pang Ying and Shui Lanxin left the hall. Once outside, Pang Ying asked, “What cultivation system did you give the Demon Lord? Why did it make her so happy?”
“One that suits her extremely well. Why else would she be pleased?”
Pang Ying considered pressing further, then gave up. Shui Lanxin would never answer obediently. Besides, Pang Ying had a task to complete.
“Where are you going?” Shui Lanxin asked when Pang Ying moved to leave the palace.
This cold, unfeeling woman had remained inside for centuries without stepping beyond its grounds. Seeing her depart today was truly unusual.
Had the sun risen in the west?
Pang Ying looked back. “The Demon Lord ordered me to capture a human alive and bring her here.”
Before Shui Lanxin could ask more, Pang Ying transformed into black mist and flew away.
“When did the Demon Lord become interested in a human? How strange…” Shui Lanxin murmured.
Feng Lingruan’s moods were impossible to predict, so Shui Lanxin stopped trying. The Demon Lord would remain in seclusion for a while. Shui Lanxin could return to being Boss Shui in peace.
She ought to thank that young woman. She rather liked the title.
…
After defeating Ming Yuan, Wen Xian searched him carefully. She pulled away his storage belt and placed it inside her pouch.
These were the spoils of a battle she had won through hard work. A wonderful sense of accomplishment filled her.
Her cheat ability might have done all the fighting, but Wen Xian had still faced danger bravely. The victory therefore belonged entirely to her.
Once Ming Yuan had nothing valuable left, she walked toward Gu Ningxue.
The woman appeared only twenty-two or twenty-three, yet she had already reached the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. The surrounding corpses proved that she could kill enemies above her realm. Her strength far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators at the same level.
Wen Xian studied her. Although Gu Ningxue’s pale face held no color, its fragile beauty remained. She resembled an immortal maiden fallen into the mortal world, pure and untouched by dust.
Heaven truly favored its celebrated daughter.
Even Wen Xian felt jealous.
Gu Ningxue was so beautiful that Wen Xian wished she could move that face onto her own head.
Gu Ningxue did not realize that the mysterious stranger had stopped because of jealousy. She thought the “man” was threatening her and demanding the Blood-Remnant Sword.
She tried to move, but terrible pain spread through her body and forced her to remain still.
The sound pulled Wen Xian from her thoughts. In her disguised voice, she said, “Give me the Blood-Remnant Sword, and I will spare your life.”
Gu Ningxue sneered, clearly disbelieving her.
Wen Xian continued the threat. “You should understand your position. Killing you would be easy. Then I would obtain what I want anyway, along with every treasure you care about. I have no reason to waste effort deceiving you.”
“Shameless lecher!” Gu Ningxue shouted, glaring furiously. If she could move, she would have attacked at once.
Wen Xian froze.
What had happened? She had merely spoken the truth. Why was Gu Ningxue so angry?
How could someone who looked like a heavenly immortal possess such a violent temper?
Wen Xian did not know that in this world, many women regarded their chastity as their most precious treasure.
Gu Ningxue believed the stranger intended to violate her. That was why she lost her calm.
“I may be helpless before you, but I can still choose how I die. I, Gu Ningxue, will never allow someone like you to dishonor me!”
Wen Xian stared.
What was this woman talking about?
White light suddenly shone from Gu Ningxue’s body.
Wen Xian’s eyes widened. She remembered this scene all too clearly. The last time, self-destruction had dropped her and the demoness into an underground pit.
There could be no mistake. Gu Ningxue was about to—
This woman intended to destroy herself!
