The Young Lady Only Wants to Cultivate Immortality Chapter 101

Inside the secret chamber of Summer Shadow Peak, Shan Xinci watched with wide eyes as the pillar of light before her gradually dissipated, finally vanishing like the last speck of dust in the wind.
Shan Xinci’s lips quivered. From the moment the light began to dim, her hands trembled as she reached out, desperately trying to grasp it, as if she could hold onto the light this way.
“No, no, don’t move, don’t disappear!” The instant the pillar of light vanished, Shan Xinci’s eyes were clouded with gloom. Her hands, gripping the air, clenched so tightly that her knuckles stood out, the skin on the back of her hands taut, veins bulging.
She seemed unable to accept this. After the immense shock, fear and panic flickered across her face.
This was her only means of contact with Saint Venerable Dao Rong. This pillar of light had existed since she took over Summer Shadow Peak. To Shan Xinci, it wasn’t just a channel for messages; it was her spiritual pillar for so many years.
How could it, how could it just disappear all of a sudden?!
Saint Venerable Dao Rong… Shan Xinci murmured to herself, “Did something happen to the Master?!”
She gazed at the empty secret chamber. The thought of the Master possibly being in trouble filled her with a greater sense of panic than seeing the pillar of light disappear.
“Yes, something must have happened to Saint Venerable Dao Rong!” Shan Xinci grabbed Shan Lei’s arm, asserting with certainty, “It’s the Master, something happened to the Master!”
Shan Lei allowed Shan Xinci to grip her arm. The pain in her arm was less than the heartache she felt from witnessing the Mutated Beasts devour the disciples of Mystic Crane Mountain earlier.
She looked at the empty space where the pillar of light had been, a space that had received their message but sent no reply, and now the light itself had vanished.
She let out a bitter laugh, her voice filled with mockery and sarcasm, unsure if she was mocking Shan Xinci’s naivety or her own foolishness.
They had likely been deceived by Saint Venerable Dao Rong again.
Shan Lei tightly grasped Shan Xinci, who was about to collapse from shock. “If he could retract the pillar of light, it means he’s fine!”
If something had happened to him, at most they wouldn’t have seen a reply. Why would he go to such lengths to retract the pillar of light? This clearly indicated he no longer wished to receive Shan Xinci’s messages.
This meant he had definitely seen the plea for help they had sent into the light.
In it, Shan Xinci had described the perilous situation Mystic Crane Mountain was currently in.
Shan Xinci didn’t necessarily need Saint Venerable Dao Rong to descend from the Qiongdian Peak to help. She had even considered his injuries. She simply sought a solution, believing Saint Venerable Dao Rong might have a way.
Shan Xinci, hearing Shan Lei’s words, asked in confusion, “If he’s fine, why did he retract the pillar of light?”
At this point, seeing Shan Xinci still trusting Saint Venerable Dao Rong, Shan Lei couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger. “Because he doesn’t want to receive your messages anymore, he doesn’t want to deal with this matter, and moreover, this matter might have been caused by him!”
“No, how could that be? This has nothing to do with the Master. These Mutated Beasts were all created by me,” Shan Xinci defended Saint Venerable Dao Rong.
If it weren’t for the fact that Shan Xinci had raised her since childhood, she would have loved to punch her to snap her out of it.
“You did it because of his orders. You believed him when he said the Mutated Beasts could be controlled. If it weren’t for him, would you have created these ferocious, mutated demonic beasts?!”
Shan Xinci was stumped by the question. “No, it’s not…”
She wanted to say no, but some images flashed through her mind, making her unable to voice her denial.
Shan Xinci recalled the beginning of this matter. It seemed she hadn’t agreed at first, but Master Rong Sheng had explained the benefits, and Shan Xinci had believed him completely.
“No, Saint Venerable Dao Rong surely didn’t expect the Mutated Beasts to lose control,” Shan Xinci said with certainty.
She looked anxiously at the empty space before her. Was the Master worried that if the situation became unmanageable, she would betray him? No, she had planned to take all the blame.
She had to go to the Qiongdian Peak. She wanted to explain everything to Saint Venerable Dao Rong.
However, without the Master’s Moon Eclipse Token, she couldn’t ascend. Shan Xinci felt a wave of despair.
Just then, the alarm for the Summer Shadow Peak barrier sounded. Shan Lei quickly helped Shan Xinci out of the secret chamber. A disciple rushed to report that the demons had already brought the Mutated Beasts to attack the Twelve Cave abodes. It was likely that a large force would soon ascend to the Three Peaks.
Earlier, a few flying Mutated Beasts had carried the demons towards Summer Shadow Peak. Fortunately, the barrier had blocked them.
But now, Shan Xinci was injured and not yet fully recovered, so the barrier she had set up was naturally much weaker.
Shan Xinci glanced down. The dark mass of Mutated Beasts had already attacked the cave abodes. A wave of panic washed over her, making her legs unsteady.
She looked up at the Qiongdian Peak. She couldn’t ascend, and the [Gathering Spiritual Energy for a Hundred Miles Talisman] had been used during the last demon attack.
The disciples of Summer Shadow Peak retreated to Summer Shadow Peak. Upon seeing Shan Xinci, they collectively pleaded for her to evacuate Summer Shadow Peak, either to hide in the depths of Mystic Crane Mountain or to escape Mystic Crane Mountain altogether.
Shan Xinci’s eyes turned red as she looked at the disciples, each bearing injuries. They had retreated together, wanting to protect her first before leaving.
Her heart ached as if being sliced by a knife. As the peak master, she couldn’t protect Summer Shadow Peak and was now being protected by these disciples.
Shan Xinci tightened her grip on Shan Lei’s hand, closing her eyes as if she had thought of something. Gasping for breath, she said, “Help me inside first.”
Shan Lei frowned. She agreed that Shan Xinci should evade first. In her current state, going into battle would mean certain death. It was better to live to fight another day.
She didn’t understand the current situation. Shan Xinci wasn’t leaving, nor was she preparing to fight. Instead, she wanted to be helped back to the cave abode. What was she trying to do?
Shan Lei guessed she might be going to retrieve something. She quickly helped her inside. They didn’t have much time to linger.
Indeed, as soon as they entered the cave abode, Shan Xinci asked Shan Lei to retrieve a magical artifact from a hidden cabinet in the secret chamber.
After Shan Lei left, Shan Xinci let out a sigh. She hoped this could somehow make up for the mistakes she had made. Suppressing her grief, she formed a hand seal and quickly began to activate her magic.
When Shan Lei returned with the item, she saw Shan Xinci collapsing onto the bed and cried out in alarm, “Esteemed Master, what’s wrong?!”
Blood trickled from Shan Xinci’s lips, her face turning purplish, her lips severely dry. She looked as if all her vital energy had been drained away in an instant.
“Protect… protect them for me…”
Shan Xinci painfully raised her hand, stuffing the item into Shan Lei’s hand. These words seemed to have used up her last ounce of strength. As soon as she finished speaking, her hand, stained with blood, lost its strength and fell limply to her side.
“No, no, Esteemed Master, wake up!” Shan Lei tightly hugged the person in her arms, shaking Shan Xinci’s body with all her might, yet with restraint.
The item in her palm was still warm, but the person in her embrace was gradually growing cold.
Shan Lei’s tear-filled eyes couldn’t see the item in her palm clearly. She only saw a large gash on Shan Xinci’s abdomen, blood flowing down the edge of the bed.
She didn’t mind the dirt on her hands and forcefully wiped her eyes before she could see what Shan Xinci had given her.
She had actually taken out her golden core. What she had given her was her golden core!
“No—” Shan Lei cried out in despair, “Esteemed Master—No, don’t die!”
Perhaps to others, Shan Xinci was not a good person. She was foolish, selfish, and hypocritical. But to Shan Lei, she was the one who had raised her, taught her cultivation, and taught her skills. She was her only family in the world!
Shan Lei clutched Shan Xinci’s golden core and sobbed uncontrollably. Those outside heard the commotion and rushed in to check. Upon seeing Shan Xinci’s demise, they all knelt down in unison.
Upon receiving the news of Shan Xinci’s death, Ye Bingfeng and Jiang Qiuchun rushed to Summer Shadow Peak immediately.
Soon, the news of the fall of Venerable Min Ci spread throughout and beyond Mystic Crane Mountain.
The prefects who were supporting from outside received news of the attack on Mystic Crane Mountain, and then immediately received the news of the fall of Venerable Min Ci.
The demon race had attacked, the peak master of Summer Shadow Peak had fallen, and they needed to return quickly to defend Mystic Crane Mountain.
Heng Qingyi hesitated as she glanced at the barrier before her. If she led her people away, only this one barrier would remain to protect everyone here. If the Mutated Beasts broke through the barrier, then all these people would be finished.
As she hesitated, the Mutated Beasts outside the barrier, blocked by the ravine created by Gu Jingyang and A’Ling, stood up with a roar.
Heng Qingyi immediately drew her sword and became vigilant.
She worried that the demons had found a way for the Mutated Beasts to cross the ravine. Fortunately, things were not as she had guessed.
The Mutated Beasts, under the command of the demons, retreated.
The heavy rain continued, and the sky had turned terrifyingly dark. The movement of such a large group of colossal beasts was no less than the sound of thunder.
Heng Qingyi did not dare to relax, and only breathed a sigh of relief after watching the figures of the Mutated Beasts disappear into the rain.
She quickly contacted Zeng Bilan, Gu Jingyang, and the others, asking about the situation.
Upon learning that the Mutated Beasts at all the barriers had retreated, Heng Qingyi felt as if they had survived a calamity.
But soon, she received information that made her realize a greater calamity had arrived.
The demons, along with all the Mutated Beasts, had gone to Mystic Crane Mountain.
The cultivators at Elder Zeng’s location exclaimed in unison upon receiving this news.
“What do we do? All the Mutated Beasts have been taken to Mystic Crane Mountain!”
“We have to go back and support them!”
“Go back to our deaths? We can’t even deal with the Mutated Beasts here, let alone so many!”
“These damned demons, I knew they would come back!”
Elder Zeng, who had been listening nearby, had heard all the news, including the attack on Mystic Crane Mountain, the demons bringing Mutated Beasts to attack, and the Mutated Beasts blocked by the ravine outside their location also leaving under the command of the ‘demons’.
The Master had informed them immediately that the demons outside the barrier were fake ‘demons’, only possessed by ghostly fiends, with demonic energy only around their bodies but not within.
She had extracted a few of the possessed ghostly fiends. These ghostly fiends were extremely fierce and malevolent. She didn’t know who had refined them and were impersonating demons to frame the demon race.
The Master had warned them not to expose their demonic energy amidst the public outcry.
Yang Xia, the Apothecary, rushed from the back mountain after hearing the loud noise. She happened to hear the cultivators’ discussion and exchanged a look with Elder Zeng. Elder Zeng quietly stepped aside.
“The demon race attacked Mystic Crane Mountain? Now that the Demon Lord has returned to the Demon Realm, who dares to act without permission?” Yang Xia was unaware that someone was impersonating demons and wondered which demon dared to be so bold.
Jin Quecong, upon hearing that the demon race had attacked Mystic Crane Mountain, had the same thought. The last time she led her people to Mystic Crane Mountain to seize territory, it was before the Demon Lord appeared.
Now, the entire Demon Realm knew that the Demon Lord had returned. Who would dare to act without permission at this time and attack Mystic Crane Mountain with such fanfare?
What made Jin Quecong even more curious was how she hadn’t received any news before, that the Demon Realm had something she didn’t know about?
The more she thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong. There were only a few great demons in the Divine-Demon Realm, and they were all in the Demon Realm. If there was someone powerful who wasn’t in the Demon Realm, wouldn’t that be only the Demon Lord?
She didn’t stay in the Demon Realm for long before disappearing again. Only the [Demon soul Congealed Esteemed Barrier] on the Iron Pagoda, which she might have used as her residence, proved she had been there.
Could it be the Demon Lord?
Jin Quecong’s brain, which didn’t often work, managed to piece things together this time.
“It must be the Demon Lord. Only she has this ability, and only she would dare to not inform me, and happen to be absent.” The more she spoke, the more reasonable it seemed.
A subordinate demon beside her asked with some confusion, “Since the Demon Lord is going to attack Mystic Crane Mountain, why didn’t she notify you, my lady?”
Jin Quecong snorted, “It must be that before, I trespassed into Mystic Crane Mountain to seize territory, and she was displeased. This new Demon Lord is quite petty.”
The subordinate demon worried, “Then what should we do? Will the Demon Lord trouble you in the future?”
Jin Quecong was also a little worried. After thinking about it, she stood up, “Go and notify everyone to come with me to Mystic Crane Mountain!”
She intended to atone for her sins by helping the Demon Lord capture Mystic Crane Mountain. She had also taken a liking to Mystic Crane Mountain. After capturing it, she could also claim a portion of the land.
With this grand move by Jin Quecong, she took away more than half of the demons in the Demon Realm.
She didn’t have that many demons obeying her orders. Including the other great demons of the Divine-Demon Realm, they all rushed to show their faces upon hearing that Jin Quecong was assisting the new Demon Lord in capturing Mystic Crane Mountain.
They hadn’t received any orders from the new Demon Lord. They thought the Demon Lord only contacted Jin Quecong because she had an opinion of them, so they quickly came out to pledge their loyalty.
With Jin Quecong’s grand display, the entire Demon Realm now knew that the first thing the new Demon Lord would do upon returning was to capture Mystic Crane Mountain and find a better place for the Demon Realm.
Suddenly, the Demon Realm was like a pot boiling over. After a thousand years of silence, it once again stirred up a commotion.
The news spread rapidly. Even Jin Silu in the Corrupted Corpse Forest learned that the new Demon Lord had gathered the entire Demon Realm to attack Mystic Crane Mountain.
After learning that her little master had returned to the Demon Realm, Jin Silu wanted to go and see her. However, her current appearance was truly terrifying.
She looked at her missing feet, where only a mass of corpse energy now swirled. If she left the Corrupted Corpse Forest, even this aura of decay would likely dissipate.
Upon hearing that her little master was going to attack Mystic Crane Mountain, she immediately thought of A’Ling. A’Ling was at Mystic Crane Mountain.
She was anxious, worried that A’Ling might be in danger.
When Gu Jiangxue received the message from Heng Qingyi, Gu Hongjue happily ran in and told Gu Jiangxue that all the Mutated Beasts had retreated.
But before he could rejoice, Gu Jiangxue told him the news from Heng Qingyi.
Upon hearing that the demon race had brought Mutated Beasts to attack Mystic Crane Mountain, Gu Hongjue was greatly alarmed. “Could it be that these retreating Mutated Beasts have all gone to Mystic Crane Mountain?”
Gu Jiangxue got up from the bed. “You go to the front and keep watch. I’ll go notify Jingyang and the others.”
Seeing her serious expression, Gu Hongjue dared not delay. As he walked to the front, he cursed, “These damned demons! Don’t let me get my hands on them, or I’ll twist their heads off!”
Gu Jiangxue sighed. One problem after another.
She vaguely felt that this matter was not that simple. When did the demon race gain such great ability to mutate so many demonic beasts and control them?
If these Mutated Beasts all obeyed the demons, then Mystic Crane Mountain would likely be taken within a day.
And after that? Would they stop there?
It was unlikely to be that simple. If they only wanted Mystic Crane Mountain, then why did Longyin Town end up like this?
Recalling how the Mutated Beasts devoured people on sight, clearly a one-sided massacre, Gu Jiangxue sighed heavily and pushed open the door to the adjacent room, pressing a button on the mechanism.
Gu Jingyang was still unaware of the new troubles brewing outside. She had many questions in her mind, but because A’Ling was present, she could only set them aside for now.
She asked the most crucial question first.
“If Saint Venerable Dao Rong comes looking for us, can we defeat him?”
A’Ling listened to the question and looked at Shi Qingqian, only to find Shi Qingqian looking at Gu Jingyang.
After her gaze flickered between the two, A’Ling immediately sensed the low and obscure emotions in their eyes.
A’Ling disliked the habit of denying oneself before even trying.
“He’s not a god. Although his cultivation is a bit higher, everyone has weaknesses. With so many of us, if we think hard, we can definitely find a way to deal with him!”
Gu Jingyang admired A’Ling’s courage to be so bold at this moment, but she was indeed finding it difficult to be optimistic.
They were already struggling to face the Mutated Beasts, let alone Saint Venerable Dao Rong, who had created them.
Lan Fushang, upon learning that the vicious Mutated Beasts were created by Saint Venerable Dao Rong, was filled with indignation. The benevolent master she had thought of was so black-hearted.
Unlike others, she was a medical cultivator. Although she had not participated in the fighting that night, she had the most direct experience of the cruelty of this chaos.
The shattered limbs, the wails of those who had lost loved ones, the mothers who held their children until their death without letting go.
She had saved many people, but she couldn’t save many.
Every time she watched a living person die before her eyes, she wished she could tear apart the beasts that committed evil a thousand times over. Now, she knew that these Mutated Beasts were not naturally mutated, but were created by the person they revered as a master and admired from the bottom of their hearts.
Now, she wished she could control those Mutated Beasts to bite that hypocritical, shameless wretch to death!
Thinking of this, she suddenly looked up at A’Ling. “Perhaps, if we could control those Mutated Beasts, could we use them to fight back?”
Her idea was met with A’Ling’s admiration. “How didn’t I think of that? Yes, if we can control these Mutated Beasts, at least we can resolve the immediate troubles.”
Gu Jingyang looked up at Lan Fushang. She had always known her to have many novel ideas, but she hadn’t expected her to be so bold.
“How do we control them?” Gu Jingyang wasn’t trying to pour cold water on her idea, but these were questions that needed to be answered now.
Lan Fushang pursed her lips. Under A’Ling’s encouraging gaze, she stated some of her thoughts.
“Mutated Beasts, in the final analysis, are mutated demonic beasts. Most of them have undergone changes in appearance and abilities, but I think, in essence, Mutated Beasts should be the same as demonic beasts.”
“Everyone should know the methods for controlling demonic beasts: first, training from a young age; second, using spell light for control; and third, using special magical artifacts or unique medicinal pills.”
She paused at this point, her gaze sweeping over everyone. Seeing that they seemed to have no objections, she hesitated, but still finished her statement.
“In that case, if we can find a breakthrough from these three points, we might be able to resolve or reverse their controlled situation.”
A’Ling’s eyes brightened as she listened. As expected of someone she had admired before, her eyes sparkled as she looked at Shi Qingqian and Gu Jingyang, as if hoping they would offer some opinions and ideas.
She felt it was feasible.
Gu Jingyang nodded. Theoretically, it was like this, but in actual operation, she didn’t know how it would turn out. However, for some reason, Gu Jingyang felt that Lan Fushang might succeed.
Because A’Ling had once said that Lan Fushang would become a very powerful medical cultivator in the future.
“Let’s try to capture a Mutated Beast,” Gu Jingyang suggested.
A’Ling agreed. “I’ll go catch one. Let’s catch a smaller one first.” As she said this, she immediately stood up as if she were going to catch one right away.
Lan Fushang, seeing that they actually believed her words and were very supportive, felt deeply moved. This feeling of being trusted was wonderful.
She was about to say that there was no need to rush, when Shi Qingqian, before her, stopped A’Ling, who was about to leave.
“I’ll go,” she said.
After leaving these two words, she disappeared into the void.
Gu Jingyang’s mouth gaped, and she swallowed hard. Although she had witnessed it before, Shi Qingqian’s ability to move freely in the void still made her marvel every time she saw it.
After all, this was the Bilin Pagoda, and there was a barrier. Yet she could enter and exit so freely.
After marveling, Gu Jingyang became even more worried. A’Ling had told her that Shi Qingqian was injured by the barrier on the Qiongdian Peak when she went to the Qiongdian Peak, which caused her to transform into the appearance of a Mutated Beast.
If Shi Qingqian could freely come and go through the barrier of her Bilin Pagoda, but the barrier on the Qiongdian Peak could injure her to such an extent, didn’t that indicate how powerful Saint Venerable Dao Rong was?
Lan Fushang was seeing Shi Qingqian’s move for the first time. Her eyes widened in surprise. But before her astonishment was over, in the next second, Shi Qingqian reappeared before everyone, bound with a Mutated Beast.
Although the Mutated Beast she brought back was of a smaller size, it was still twice the size of a human body. The secret chamber suddenly felt cramped and constricted.
The Mutated Beast brought back by Shi Qingqian had a tiger’s head and a bull’s body, covered in scales as sharp as steel blades. The rings of tiger stripes on its head were not natural like those of ordinary tiger beasts; they seemed to be arranged artificially, giving off an indescribable strangeness.
It was bound by ropes by Shi Qingqian, unable to move. Its eyes were blood-red, appearing to have lost their consciousness.
A’Ling stepped forward to check on Shi Qingqian the moment she appeared.
Shi Qingqian could not expose her demonic energy in front of others, and facing the Mutated Beast was also very dangerous. If she hadn’t disappeared so quickly earlier, A’Ling would not have let her go.
Seeing that Shi Qingqian was fine, A’Ling breathed a sigh of relief. “How did you catch it?”
Shi Qingqian allowed A’Ling’s hands to roam all over her. Although she knew A’Ling was worried about her, some emotions in her heart could not be controlled and soared.
She pursed the corners of her lips forcefully, managing to straighten the upward curve.
In response to A’Ling’s question, she gestured, “I caught it like this.”
A’Ling, Gu Jingyang, and Lan Fushang froze collectively as they watched her movements.
Shi Qingqian gestured the action of throwing out a rope and then retracting it. Seeing the three people in front of her frozen, she asked in confusion, “Hmm?”
A’Ling tugged at the corner of her mouth. Gu Jingyang raised an eyebrow. Lan Fushang took a deep breath.
The three people had different expressions, but their thoughts were surprisingly consistent.
It was so simple.
Easier than catching a fish…