IVYSCP - Chapter 120
Chapter 120
At the main peak of Shangtianqiong Sect, dozens of immortal cranes and golden-winged great peng birds circled in flight. Zhaoyang Hall at the summit stood imposing and majestic. Sunlight pierced through the clouds, enveloping the great hall, only to be scattered by the spirit jade used in its construction into a thousand strands of fragmented golden light. Zhaoyang Hall resembled a sword with its edge concealed, poised to strike.
On the high seat within the hall sat a woman. One hand propped against her temple, the other rested on her knee, her fingertips gently brushing over the faint half-moon patterns embroidered on her ritual robes.
Her eyes were impossibly deep, like a well that had never seen the light of day, carrying an oppressive weight that made one's heart palpitate at a single glance. No one knew what venomous, bloodthirsty thing might lie dormant within.
Suddenly, a set of hurried footsteps disturbed the woman's distant gaze.
She slowly raised her eyes. Her stare landed on the newcomer like a sword.
It was the disciple assigned to guard the hall entrance today.
The disciple had not even reached the center of the hall when Lou Wudu's stare pinned her in place. Her legs went so weak she could not lift them, and she could only salute from a distance. "Sect... Sect Leader!"
Lou Wudu said, "What is there to panic about? Speak."
No joy or anger could be heard in her voice, so the disciple could only steel herself and report the message she had just received. "Reporting to the Sect Leader, the Great Wilderness seems to be stirring."
Lou Wudu frowned at that. The Great Wilderness?
She did not know why, but her first thought was of Ling Qingyue. They had managed to investigate the old Yuelou site. Could they possibly trace things to the Great Wilderness as well, and uncover the truth of Zhiwei's death?
"What sort of disturbance?"
The disciple carefully lifted her gaze. "A hundred li of dark clouds, Demonic Qi surging. There are rumors that a new sovereign will soon be born among the Demon Race."
Lou Wudu's expression shifted abruptly. Before she could even process this, a nameless restlessness and greed welled up deep within her, flashing past before she could grasp it.
She waved the disciple away, then swiftly formed a hand seal.
As the seal took shape, a sharp call rang out. "Cui Heng!"
Cui Heng's figure coalesced from illusion into reality within the hall. She met Lou Wudu's probing, dangerous stare without the slightest fear.
"What were you just thinking?" Lou Wudu's tone was hostile.
Cui Heng shot back with a question of her own. "Don't you already know everything I think? In front of you, I cannot hide a thing."
"Is that so?" The corner of Lou Wudu's lips twisted as she appeared before Cui Heng in an instant. "I haven't even asked yet and you are already rushing to explain. Trying to cover something up?"
Cui Heng let out a cold laugh. "You really are paranoid. You haven't asked, but do you think I don't know what you are thinking? You made me in the first place because you couldn't trust anyone else to do things for you. What now, you don't even trust yourself anymore?"
Lou Wudu watched her, her eyes brimming with mistrust.
Cui Heng calmly closed her eyes and spread her arms wide. "If that's the case, then kill me."
"You know I won't kill you at a time like this. Why bother with this act?"
Lou Wudu turned, and with a flash she was back on the high platform, seating herself once more.
"When word of the Great Wilderness disturbance came just now, why was your heart so unsteady?"
Cui Heng opened her eyes, puzzled. "The Great Wilderness?"
Lou Wudu narrowed her eyes at her, intimidating without needing anger.
Cui Heng's expression shifted to sudden understanding. "I wasn't paying much attention to what was being said here. You told me to watch over Meng Qi. My mood naturally shifts because of her. Her talent is astonishingly high, and the cultivation art she practices is of the same lineage as Ling Qingyue's. She just broke through another minor realm, comparable to Ling Qingyue back then. If you watched her cultivation advancing so fiercely, you wouldn't be able to keep your heart calm either."
At the mention of Ling Qingyue, Lou Wudu's hands unconsciously clenched. She knew all too well how dazzling and piercing her dear junior sister could be.
Lou Wudu murmured under her breath, "She broke through again..."
Cui Heng keenly sensed that a certain decision in the depths of Lou Wudu's heart had just changed.
"Find a way to make her consume a Bloodburst Pill. Make sure she doesn't die too quickly. Keep her until the Ranking Tournament." Lou Wudu's voice was flat, as if discussing some inconsequential matter.
Cui Heng lowered her gaze. "Understood."
The Bloodburst Pill. Upon ingestion, it caused no sensation or reaction whatsoever, yet a few days later it would turn the body into a spirit-absorbing stone, causing one's cultivation to skyrocket during practice until the meridians could no longer bear the surging blood and burst.
This type of medicinal pill was extremely insidious and vicious, impossible to guard against. By the time the victim realized something was wrong, it was already far too late. They could only watch helplessly as their body was pushed beyond its limits.
In the Great Wilderness, both banks of the Wuding River were already packed with people.
They had been waiting here for three days. No sign of activity had emerged from within Wuding City, and the dark clouds overhead had thinned considerably compared to before.
Some of the more impatient Demonic Cultivators and demon heads who had arrived later did not understand what had happened in the beginning. They did not see why the two Demon Lords, Youling and Qingyan, were so wary of Wuding. The people led by the Wuding Demon Lord on the opposite bank numbered only a fraction of their forces. They could easily force their way across.
So, they crossed the Wuding River and forced their way over.
But before they could even get to the Wuding Demon Lord, they stepped into a silent Formation. Before they could even react, countless strands of Spiritual Energy transformed into golden threads that wrapped around them, then tightened and crushed them.
No one dared to cross again. They could only hold their breath and wait. Three days had passed, and news of a new sovereign's birth among the Demon Race had already spread across the entire Great Wilderness.
Youling narrowed her eyes, staring into the distance. "Is it truly the birth of a new sovereign?"
Qingyan clicked her tongue. She had grown sick of hearing that question.
Hearing a noise, Youling turned and asked her, "Do you think Wuding was just idle and bored and stirred all this up on purpose? And that person from Cangshan, could Wuding possibly be conspiring with Immortal Realm cultivators to..."
"Shut up!" Qingyan had had enough of these speculations. Even if she herself had not been overthinking, Youling's words made her unable to stop growing suspicious.
Youling was stunned by the shout for a moment, then fury rose within her. She stood up, ready to fight. "Qingyan! I have put up with you for far too long!"
At that, Qingyan also shot to her feet. Youling thought she was actually going to strike and instinctively retreated half a step. Realizing it a beat later, she stepped forward again in secret irritation. "Come on then! I'm not afraid of you!"
But Qingyan was not looking at her. Qingyan's gaze was locked tightly onto the distance. She could not even steady her breath.
Youling immediately caught on and followed Qingyan's line of sight.
From the direction of Wuding City, a crushing pressure swept over heaven and earth. This pressure was different from that Cangshan cultivator three days ago. It carried a rich, full Demonic Qi, towering above all demons of the Great Wilderness. It was a new sovereign beyond all doubt.
The long-waiting crowd on both banks of the Wuding River erupted into commotion. They scrambled to their feet, raising their hands high and shouting, "New Sovereign! New Sovereign!"
"It really is... a new sovereign." Compared to the fervor of the others, Youling seemed somewhat dazed and lost.
No one knew who started it, but a sea of figures began to kneel, bowing their heads like an undulating tide, their voices rising in unison. "We respectfully welcome the new sovereign's descent!"
The scattered few who still stood were deeply shaken. After a moment's hesitation, they too knelt.
A new sovereign of the Demon Race had been born. The Great Wilderness belonged to her alone. What good end awaited those who refused to submit or obey?
Youling and Qingyan remained standing.
The crowd watched the mass of Demonic Qi reach the Wuding River. As they were preparing to bow again, a tendril of Demonic Qi suddenly shot out and yanked the Wuding Demon Lord on the opposite bank straight into the air. They could not see through the dense cloud of Demonic Qi. Speculation ran wild about the Wuding Demon Lord's fate.
In the next instant, the long-awaited new sovereign, without showing her face or uttering a single word, took the Wuding Demon Lord and bolted toward the direction of Great Sorrow Valley.
For a moment, silence fell over both riverbanks.
Youling blinked.
What did that mean?
A dark shadow shot past in her peripheral vision, giving chase.
It was Qingyan!
Youling snapped out of it and gave chase as well.
Not wanting a new sovereign to rise was one thing. Getting to the bottom of what was really happening was another.
Inside the mass of Demonic Qi hurtling away was the skyship it had swallowed. The moment Qiu Feng entered the inner cabin, she was thrown into someone's embrace. Enveloped by the familiar presence, that sliver of discontent and anger instantly evaporated without a trace.
"The two of you, go next door."
At Pei Yin's words, Yu Liuli, holding Qiu Feng, nodded. "Alright."
Qiu Feng lifted her gaze. Pei Yin was holding Ling Qingyue. Ling Qingyue's appearance had already changed. Her eyes were tinged crimson, as if suppressing something deep within. The Demonic Qi around her was still unstable, clearly not yet past the Desire Phase.
The Demonic Desire Phase could be as short as half a month or as long as several months. The higher a demon's cultivation, the longer the Desire Phase lasted.
Given Ling Qingyue's condition, it would naturally be best to pass the Desire Phase in the Great Wilderness. Departing in such a rush meant something must have happened. Fortunately, the Desire Phase was not uncontrollable.
Once there was no one else in the inner cabin, Pei Yin set up another barrier. She held Ling Qingyue, seeing the sweat beading on her forehead and the tip of her nose. Her heart aching, she gently nuzzled Ling Qingyue's cheek and asked softly, "Is it very hard to bear?"
Ling Qingyue shook her head, leaning her entire weight against Pei Yin. "It's alright."
The first three days of the Desire Phase had been so utterly unrestrained and indulgent that now, after she had suppressed it, she could clearly remember everything that had happened in those three days. What she had done. What she had said.
Ling Qingyue wanted to die.
Being struck by lightning would have been better. Why did her Desire Phase have to be physical desire! She had lost all face!
Scene after scene flashed through her mind. Taking Pei Yin's hand, guiding it from top to bottom, from outside to inside, not even satisfied with just the index and middle fingers...
Help.
Ling Qingyue shut her eyes tight, consumed by shame and mortification.
Pei Yin quietly watched her expression shift again and again, the curve of her lips lifting higher and higher. She guessed the reason, so she leaned close to Ling Qingyue's ear and breathed, "Remembered now?"
Ling Qingyue reflexively denied it. "No! I can't remember anything!"
The woman's teasing laughter sounded by her ear. Ling Qingyue felt as if she were laid bare before Pei Yin's eyes. Blushing, she turned her head to bury herself in Pei Yin's embrace. Her eyes cracked open a sliver and caught a glimpse of an ambiguous mark peeking out at the woman's collar.
Beneath those cold, restrained ritual robes, that body of glistening white jade bore many more such marks.
The sight made Ling Qingyue's blood heat. Afraid of triggering the Desire Phase again, she hurriedly shut her eyes, but the scent continuously flooding her nose kept stirring the restlessness in her heart.
Logically, if she wanted to suppress the Desire Phase, she should not stay so close to Pei Yin. Yet after three consecutive days of such intimacy, suddenly separating was something Ling Qingyue simply could not accept. It felt like having a beloved, cherished treasure snatched away. So she had to stay right by Pei Yin, cling to her, grow attached to her.
"Pei Yin."
"Mm."
"Pei Yin."
"Mm."
"Pei Yin."
"Mm."
...
Ling Qingyue called out, and each time she heard that gentle, patient reply, a warmth spread through her heart. Her arms tightened more and more around the woman's waist.
After suppressing the Desire Phase, Ling Qingyue attempted to rein in her Demonic Qi. The Clear and Turbid Qi of the world gave rise to Spiritual Qi and Demonic Qi. The two shared the same origin. Although the cultivation methods differed greatly, the techniques for wielding them were similar.
Before they reached Great Sorrow Valley, Ling Qingyue had already drawn back all the surrounding Demonic Qi.
Youling and Qingyan, who had been chasing them from behind, watched with their own eyes as a skyship shot out of the mass of Demonic Qi.
The skyship paused over Great Sorrow Valley for a few breaths, seeming to retrieve something.
By the time the two demons were about to catch up, the skyship was already being steered toward the Great Wilderness border.
Youling cursed under her breath and continued the chase.
Arriving at the Great Wilderness border, countless Formations spun atop the barrier. The skyship did not pause. It passed straight through.
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