The Young Lady Only Wants to Cultivate Immortality Chapter 96

Lightning flashed, winds howled, and the rain poured ceaselessly, growing stronger, lashing the earth like countless whips.
In the darkness, there seemed to be endless wails and cries, which even the downpour couldn’t drown out.
The heart-wrenching screams echoed as if floating above everyone’s heads, and everyone’s faces froze into ice in the darkness.
“We can’t fight with this rain,” A’Ling said heavily to Gu Jingyang after landing.
Gu Jingyang nodded in agreement.
All along the way, the night was dark and the rain was heavy. Not only could they not see the road clearly, but without the lightning, they wouldn’t even be able to spot the beasts or their appearances.
“Jingyang! You’re here!”
Gu Jiangxue, seeing people arrive at the Gu family’s courtyard, quickly finished bandaging the injured civilians and hurried out to meet them. Her face lit up with surprise when she saw Gu Jingyang.
Gu Hongjue, who was guarding the backyard, also came to the front yard upon hearing the news.
The Gu family had a protective barrier set up by Gu Jingyang before she left, making it the safest place in the eastern part of the city.
So, upon receiving the news of the beast attack, Gu Jiangxue had already notified the nearby civilians to seek shelter.
She had also arranged for cultivators to stand guard at various positions around the barrier.
No beasts had attacked this place yet, so they didn’t know what kind of beasts they would face this time.
If they were as large and ferocious as the ones Gu Jingyang had eliminated before, the abilities of these outer disciples would not be enough.
Gu Jingyang was somewhat relieved to see that Gu Jiangxue and Gu Hongjue were safe.
Gu Jiangxue’s eyes flashed with surprise when she saw A’Ling. Gu Jingyang’s insistence on leaving earlier was to save her. Seeing her safe now, Gu Jiangxue could also be more at ease.
A’Ling greeted Gu Jiangxue and Gu Hongjue, but this was not a time for catching up. After greeting them, she immediately stated her plan.
“We can only defend now. Let’s just get through this night,” A’Ling told everyone her thoughts.
Everyone knew that with the harsh weather and the difficulty of seeing at night, defense was the priority.
However, they also had their worries. Could they really withstand the fierce beasts they had seen along the way?
Gu Jiangxue shared the habits of the beasts she had discovered: “These beasts always attack at night. They seem to be nocturnal. Perhaps they will retreat on their own when morning comes.”
If they could hold out for one night, perhaps the beasts would retreat in the morning as they had before, giving them a chance to breathe.
Seeing that everyone had no objections, A’Ling laid out her arrangements.
Since the main focus was defense, it would be best to gather the civilians in one place.
However, Longyin Town, despite its name, was not small. The Gu family’s shelter alone was not enough. She planned to find a location in each of the four directions of the city—east, south, north, and west—and set up a barrier. She, Gu Jingyang, Heng Qingyi, and Zeng Bilan would each lead a team to guard them.
They would also take in as many nearby civilians as possible to survive the night.
Gu Jingyang nodded, and Heng Qingyi also agreed with the plan. Zeng Bilan, though worried that she might not be able to handle it, knew that this was the best plan at the moment.
Seeing that everyone had no objections, A’Ling quickly assigned positions one by one.
Gu Jingyang would stay at the Gu family’s residence to protect the civilians in the east of the city.
Heng Qingyi would go to the south of the city, Zeng Bilan to the north, and A’Ling to the west of the city, which was currently the furthest from them.
Lan Fushang wanted to go to the west of the city with A’Ling, but A’Ling refused, concerned about the danger along the way.
“The Gu family needs medical cultivators.” She had just seen many injured people in the Gu family. Gu Jiangxue, a demon tamer, had been bandaging people, clearly showing a shortage of medical cultivators.
As for the west of the city, A’Ling was not worried, knowing that Apothecary Yang Xia was there.
When A’Ling arrived at Hongjian Academy with her team, they encountered a group of beasts attacking the barrier set up by Elder Zeng, even creating a crack in it.
“Little Wandering!”
A’Ling roared, whipping her whip as she jumped down from her sword. The purple-gold light, accompanied by a faint glow that couldn’t be hidden by the night, carried a fierce killing intent as she lashed out at the most ferocious beast at the front of the beast group.
The people within the barrier watched the figure descending from the sky, radiating an electric glow, fearless in the wind and rain. Within a few exchanges, she forcefully repelled the group of beasts attacking the barrier back several meters.
“You all go in first.”
After repelling the beasts, A’Ling protected the accompanying cultivators into Hongjian Academy.
Once everyone was inside, she set up a pit-killing array with her techniques and, with Elder Zeng’s support, leaped into the barrier.
After entering the barrier, A’Ling immediately set up another layer of barrier inside.
The beasts whose skulls she had cracked earlier, seeing that the people had fled into the defensive barrier, stared with blood-red eyes and, ignoring their injuries, rammed against the barrier.
But this time, they found that the barrier had become stronger and harder to break.
Not only that, but in the places they stepped on, the pits suddenly revealed cracks. Even in the heavy rain, the “crackling” sound of breaking could be heard, spreading rapidly to the sides.
Soon, within a few breaths, a bottomless chasm formed there.
The leading group of beasts all fell into the deep trench, struggling to get out.
For a moment, angry roars mixed with surging rage, transmitted into the barrier in the heavy rain.
A’Ling did not look back. She walked directly to Elder Zeng’s side and looked at his wrinkled face, covered in sweat. His face looked much older than the last time she had seen him.
She greeted him politely, “Elder Zeng.”
Elder Zeng never expected that when he was about to collapse, A’Ling would descend from the sky to save him and the students behind him.
She had changed greatly compared to before.
The one who had been unable to establish her foundation for so long now seemed to have a cultivation of Golden Core or Nascent Soul. The technique she had just used was sharp and beautiful.
She must have worked hard over the years.
Many of the people in Hongjian Academy were A’Ling’s peers from back then. They were all shocked when they recognized her.
“It’s A’Ling!” one of the girls couldn’t help but exclaim, “A’Ling is back!”
Soon, shouts of A’Ling’s name erupted one after another.
A’Ling was surprised and tilted her head to look at the excited people behind Elder Zeng. Seeing the smiles on their faces and the admiration in their eyes, A’Ling unconsciously scratched her ear.
She didn’t remember being this popular at Hongjian Academy.
If it were Shi Qingqian or Gu Jingyang standing here, she would have understood their reaction.
A’Ling remembered that she had no friends at the academy back then.
A’Ling probably didn’t know that after she left, many legends about her had sprung up in the academy.
The deeds of geniuses were naturally talked about, but the inspiring stories of ordinary people could also spark discussions among these young people.
When A’Ling first entered Hongjian Academy, she couldn’t establish her foundation for a long time. Moreover, due to her relationship with Shi Qingqian, with one being like heaven and the other like earth, they were often compared.
A’Ling, who used to provoke Shi Qingqian everywhere, was naturally disliked as someone who lacked ability but loved to seek attention.
But then one day, A’Ling changed. She stopped provoking Shi Qingqian, became steady, and suddenly began to cultivate diligently.
She no longer messed around with Zhao Diqing, Xing Yanchu, and others during classes. After this change, she established her foundation.
Not only that, but she also defeated Shi Qingqian in a trial, helping their team win the Qi-Gathering Primordial Pill. The person who exclaimed first was someone from A’Ling’s team back then.
Many of them felt that A’Ling had been a bit lucky to win that time, but later A’Ling successfully formed her core in a short period.
Then it couldn’t be just luck.
They guessed that A’Ling must have been working hard in secret where they couldn’t see, which was why she had such “good luck” time and time again.
Seeing the appearance of this rare inspirational figure in the history of Hongjian Academy, the previously sad emotions of the crowd were somewhat healed.
A’Ling was a little unaccustomed to this scene. Seeing more and more people waving and greeting her, she could only grin and wave back unnaturally.
After retracting her gaze, A’Ling said to Elder Zeng, “Elder Zeng, Mystic Crane Mountain has sent people to support Longyin Town, but the night is dark and the rain is heavy, so a rash attack might be dangerous. After discussion, it has been decided to set up barriers in four locations around Longyin Town and gather the surrounding civilians.”
“For the west of the city, would you be willing to let Hongjian Academy serve as a shelter?”
Elder Zeng understood her meaning. This was his original idea, but his cultivation was average, and he had almost failed to protect the people behind him just now.
Now that he saw support arriving, he was naturally willing to save more people.
When A’Ling saw him nod, she was about to search for scattered civilians, but Elder Zeng covered his chest, stabilized his breathing, and reached out to stop her.
A’Ling looked at Elder Zeng in confusion. Since earlier, when he saw her, there was an emotion in his eyes that A’Ling couldn’t understand.
“What’s wrong? Is something the matter?” A’Ling asked, puzzled.
Elder Zeng had wanted to speak earlier, but to prevent the barrier from breaking, his spiritual energy was almost depleted. When the beast broke a crack in his chest, he felt a bloody taste surge in his chest.
If A’Ling hadn’t arrived in time, he would have fallen by now.
He forcefully swallowed the blood, steadied his slightly trembling body, clasped his hands together in front of his chest, and bowed deeply to A’Ling, performing a great courtesy among cultivators.
This gesture was generally used for expressing gratitude for great kindness or for apologizing in shame.
A’Ling quickly helped him up. She hadn’t done much and didn’t deserve such thanks from Elder Zeng.
However, Elder Zeng’s words caught her by surprise.
“This old man must apologize to you, young friend. Back when you were at the academy, when you were wrongly accused, I held prejudice and judged you without hearing your defense. I also failed to apologize to you sincerely afterwards.”
“Now you have come to help, disregarding past grievances. This old man is deeply ashamed.”
A’Ling opened her mouth. She hadn’t expected to hear an apology at this time.
She didn’t know why, but her heart felt a little bitter, and her mouth tasted bitter. She had always felt that an apology after hurting someone was useless, but at this moment, she felt a different sentiment.
The students and cultivators behind Elder Zeng fell silent when they saw him perform the great courtesy. When they heard Elder Zeng mention the incident back then, many of them also recalled their own actions.
At that time, due to their own prejudices, they had concluded that A’Ling was at fault without knowing the truth.
They had disliked and ostracized A’Ling because of it, and now the person they looked down on had come to save them.
It was unclear who it was, but someone first shouted, “I’m sorry!” Then A’Ling heard many apologies. Some said they shouldn’t have thrown things on her desk, some said they shouldn’t have disbelieved her, and some said they shouldn’t have believed Shi Qingqian.
A’Ling raised her eyebrows, her feelings deepening. Looking at those faces that seemed to be sincerely apologizing and wanting her forgiveness, A’Ling suddenly smiled.
“It’s all in the past.”
She didn’t want to forgive the harm these people had caused her just because of a few apologies. That was the real malice she had received from her past self. What right did she have to forgive these people and these things for her past self?
However, this scene did bring her some joy. This matter had come to an end, truly a complete conclusion.
A’Ling pursed her lips. It was all in the past. She turned and walked out of the barrier to find those who needed protection.
Now, she no longer needed spiritual comfort in the form of an apology.
But it was not conflicting for these people to know they were wrong, and for her not to need an apology.
A’Ling was in a good mood.
Deep within the demon realm, an Iron Pagoda stood alone. It was said that no one knew when this Iron Pagoda had existed; it seemed that as long as the demon realm existed, the Iron Pagoda had been there.
If A’Ling were here, she would definitely explain to Shi Qingqian that she chose this place as her residence purely because it was the first building she saw when she opened her eyes after waking up in the demon realm.
And it happened to be empty.
Shi Qingqian looked at the interior of the Iron Pagoda, which A’Ling had decorated with her techniques. It was exactly as she had seen it in the “illusion.”
If there was anything different, it was that A’Ling was not in the Iron Pagoda.
Shi Qingqian looked at the empty white jade bed in front of her, imagining A’Ling sitting and resting, and couldn’t help but purse her lips.
But in the next moment, she saw the figure of another person. They had the same face, but for some reason, Shi Qingqian found her utterly repulsive. Thinking about what that person had done to A’Ling, Shi Qingqian smashed the white jade bed in front of her with a palm strike.
It was as if, by doing so, she could shatter all that had happened on this bed into dust and scatter it into the air.
However, it was useless. Some things, the moment you saw them, you knew you would never forget.
Shi Qingqian gathered demonic energy in her palm and recreated an identical white jade bed.
She slowly sat down by the white jade bed, reaching out to stroke the tassels hanging from the bed curtains. The trembling tassels swayed in the dim light, their amplitude slightly larger than what she had seen in the illusion.
Shi Qingqian felt that she was truly going mad. Not only could she not forget those images, but the details were also becoming clearer with each recollection.
She reached out, her fingertips oozing demonic energy. As her fingers moved, the luminous pearls that illuminated the entire Iron Pagoda were all covered with demonic energy, as if a black cloth had been draped over them.
The Iron Pagoda instantly plunged into pitch darkness, and the scenes in Shi Qingqian’s mind were finally covered by a black curtain.
She slightly bowed, breathing softly.
She wondered what A’Ling was doing now.
When Shi Qingqian took the Demon Lord’s Tear from A’Ling’s body, she had hesitated for a moment whether to leave a trace of demonic energy in A’Ling’s body, which would make it easier for her to know her whereabouts in the future.
But in the end, she gave up the idea. Demonic energy was not a good thing. She could not leave something that might endanger A’Ling in her body for her own selfish reasons.
However, the most dangerous thing now was not this trace of demonic energy, but the true demon.
As long as he remained in Mystic Crane Mountain for one day, A’Ling would be in danger.
Thinking of this, Shi Qingqian looked up at the void. She had mentioned in Mystic Crane Mountain that the Ten Fiend Ghost Soul was with her. Why hadn’t that person come yet?
Did he not believe her?
Shi Qingqian carefully recalled everything. When she arrived at Immortal Rainbow Platform, the demonic energy she emitted had immediately transmitted the words of Qi Yu interrogating A’Ling about whether the Ten Fiend Ghost Soul was truly lost in Pi Lingyun Valley back to her ears. A’Ling was certain that the item was lost, which was why Qi Yu had desperately sought the Demon Lord’s Tear.
Since the item was not with A’Ling, then saying it was with her was the most logical explanation.
Why didn’t Dao Rong believe her? No, he couldn’t not believe her.
But for something so important, he should have come as soon as he heard.
Why didn’t he come?
A puppet? Shi Qingqian immediately thought of a possibility. She immediately retrieved the “Demon Lord’s Eternal Covenant” given to her by Jin Siliu from the void.
This book not only recorded the names of the demons who signed the contract but also the various difficult problems encountered by these demons and the solutions devised by the book’s owner.
Shi Qingqian had now confirmed that the owner of this book, the former Demon Lord Shi Yu, was her mother.
She reopened the book, which she had previously been somewhat resistant to, and flipped to the page she seemed to have seen before.
She remembered that there was a page in this book that recorded a demon that Demon Lord Shi Yu had encountered, who had been refined into a puppet.
Although there was a difference between cultivators and demons, they were both puppets, so the method might be similar.
Shi Qingqian discovered that Qi Yu was a puppet only when demonic energy invaded Qi Yu’s brain.
Found it! Shi Qingqian saw the words “heart’s blood” written on the book and curled her lips, revealing the first smile she had managed that day.
So that was it. If she killed Qi Yu, the person who used the puppet technique with heart’s blood would also suffer a backlash.
Very good, she finally understood why Dao Rong hadn’t come to find her.
Shi Qingqian’s face tightened, her narrowed brows revealing trembling eyes. This should be the demon’s most vulnerable moment.
If she took a risk now, perhaps she wouldn’t need divine power…
Shi Qingqian’s brow twitched fiercely. Perhaps this was her only chance.
But if the demon didn’t come down from Qiongdian Peak, how would she get up? How could she break through the barrier above Qiongdian Peak?
As she pondered, a sound echoed in the dark night.
Shi Qingqian raised her hand and waved gently, dispersing the dark mist covering the luminous pearls. The tower’s interior returned to brightness.
She looked at the iron door that had made a sound, got up, and flashed out.
Mu Ling heard the movement behind her and turned around to see her master appear behind her.
“What is it?”
Mu Ling, startled back to her senses, quickly told her master about Yang Xia’s plea for help: “Master, Yang Xia said Longyin Town was attacked tonight. The beasts are fierce and numerous, and they fear they won’t be able to resist.”
After speaking, she felt that perhaps this matter was not her concern. When the demon realm attacked Mystic Crane Mountain this time, they were accompanied by a group of beasts. Many people in Mystic Crane Mountain had already determined that the beasts were created by the demon race, and it was possible that tonight’s incident would also be blamed on the demon race.
After hearing about Longyin Town’s attack, Shi Qingqian immediately thought of A’Ling. Given her personality, she would definitely go to support them.
She quickly gathered demonic light in her palm, placed a protective barrier around the Iron Pagoda, and stepped into the void with Mu Ling.
Shi Qingqian didn’t know that when she left, the entire demon realm knew that the new Demon Lord had returned to the demon realm.
Many demons, hearing the news, rushed to the front of the place rumored to be chosen by the new Demon Lord as her residence.
Looking at the ordinary, even rusty Iron Pagoda, it seemed that there was nothing valuable inside, except for its height, there was nothing good to be seen.
If the Demon Lord was willing to have a residence in the demon realm, they only needed to give a command, and these demons would immediately build a magnificent residence for her, no less splendid than an immortal mansion.
“Is this really the Demon Lord’s residence?” one demon said doubtfully.
Another demon hit him on the head with a club: “If you’re brainless, you still have eyes, right? Look at the barrier on this Iron Pagoda. It’s the [Demon Soul Condensation Venerable Barrier].”
The [Demon Soul Condensation Venerable Barrier], like the [Demon Soul Crimson Phoenix Zen], could only be performed by a Demon Lord of the Immortal-Demon realm.
The one who was hit rubbed the back of his head, feeling very unconvinced. He punched back: “You’re the blind one. Do I not know this barrier? Does a barrier automatically mean it’s the Demon Lord’s residence? Couldn’t the Demon Lord use this Iron Pagoda to hide something?”
“Such a big tower, what is she hiding? Is she afraid people won’t know!” The demon who was punched looked at the foolish demon in front of him with disdain.
At this moment, the onlookers, who enjoyed stirring up trouble, started shouting for the two to fight.
These two hot-tempered demons actually started fighting.
They fought without restraint. If it weren’t for the [Demon Soul Condensation Venerable Barrier], they might have dented a piece of the Iron Pagoda.
A’Ling had also encountered demons fighting at her Iron Pagoda entrance many times when she was in the demon realm. At first, she was annoyed, but later, when she was bored, she found it quite interesting to watch demons fight.
If A’Ling were here now, she would definitely be munching on melon seeds and shouting “Good.”
Unfortunately, A’Ling was now the one being surrounded. She felt that the beasts circling around her without making a sound were like spectators waiting to see her get beaten.
The person beside A’Ling held her tightly, trembling as if only A’Ling could provide a shred of security.
Being held like this, A’Ling found it even harder to move. She knew she couldn’t blame the young girl. Surrounded by such large beasts with bared fangs, being able to stand was already brave.
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll throw you out first. Don’t worry, there are disciples from Mystic Crane Mountain inside the barrier. They will catch you.”
A’Ling had just seen this young girl trapped in the beast encirclement. She had intended to quickly take her out with her sword, but after flying in, she was discovered by these beasts. They quickly closed the trees on their backs, making it difficult to fly out now.
If it were just herself, A’Ling was confident she could break through, but now, carrying someone, she was afraid of hurting her.
A’Ling used a sound transmission talisman to notify the Mystic Crane Mountain disciples within the Hongjian Academy barrier to pay attention to the person she would throw out.
She couldn’t care about the young girl’s fear anymore. A’Ling wrapped the young girl entirely with the Nine Heavens Immortal Binding Net. When Little Wandering pulled aside a piece of tree, she quickly threw the girl out.
She then wanted to take the opportunity to fly out, but was blocked by the rapidly closing trees.
Nearly being struck in the face by branches, anger surged within A’Ling. The moment she landed, she was about to lash out with her whip, but her steps faltered.
A hand appeared in the void and pulled her into a darkness.