Transmigrated as The Cannon Fodder Bride of The Villainess

Qu Weiyin barely had time to react before she was left staring at the space where Luo Jinxiao had been. She sighed, touching her cheek to wipe away the rising warmth. She could only wait outside, her heart pounding with worry.

Beyond the small door lay a short, pitch-black narrow passage. Luo Jinxiao didn’t dare use her spiritual energy, relying only on her senses to cautiously move forward. Qiongqi followed, looking timid, her head barely poking forward.

Luo Jinxiao rolled her eyes. For a fearsome beast, she sure lacks the dignity of one, she thought disdainfully.

They reached the end of the passage in just a few steps. Luo Jinxiao felt around and discovered an iron door secured with a heavy lock. Her movements alerted those inside, but they seemed to be bound and unable to move.

Luo Jinxiao guessed the lock was made of black iron, impossible to break without a key.

She pondered for a moment, then turned and patted Qiongqi, urging her towards the door.

With a resounding crunch, the young girl bit down on the lock and spat it out.

Luo Jinxiao stared in amazement. She patted Qiongqi’s head in approval, then pushed open the door and stepped inside. A slanted skylight provided a sliver of light, just enough to illuminate the figures of a man and a woman lying on the ground, their hair disheveled, bearing signs of torture.

Besides them, another figure lay huddled in the corner. This person seemed more agile than the others. As soon as they saw Luo Jinxiao, they scrambled towards her, attempting to bite.

Luo Jinxiao swiftly dodged, narrowly avoiding a bite to her ankle.

“Shh, I’m here to save you,” she whispered, clamping her hand over the person’s mouth and pushing their head back down. When they continued to struggle, she pressed them firmly to the ground.

“If you want to live, stay still,” Luo Jinxiao threatened.

The threat proved effective. The person froze, not daring to move.

Luo Jinxiao instructed Qiongqi to carry one of the Wuhui Sec* disciples on her back and then hoisted the other over her own shoulder, rushing towards the door. But just as Qiongqi squeezed through the iron door with the unconscious disciple, the situation outside changed drastically.

A powerful wave of demonic energy surged through the narrow doorway and passage. Luo Jinxiao reacted instantly, summoning a shield of ice with her spiritual energy to block the demonic energy.

This demonic energy was far stronger than anything she had encountered before. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead as she struggled to maintain the shield. The confined space offered no room to retreat or dodge.

“Luo Jinxiao, get out of there!” Qu Weiyin’s voice, laced with a rare note of panic, reached her from beyond the door. There aren’t many who could make her panic, Luo Jinxiao thought, her heart clenching. Gritting her teeth, she dragged the unconscious figure with her and charged out the door.

Qu Weiyin stood protectively in front of the injured Wuhui Sect disciples, her hair whipping around her, her eyes blazing with fury. She held a massive fireball in one hand and her Crescent Star Sword in the other, bolts of lightning-infused energy arcing from the blade towards the figure before her.

Perhaps “figure” was too generous a term. The being was covered in mottled patterns, resembling a withered old man, yet his hair was long, sleek, and black, flowing down his back. Demonic energy practically engulfed him, seeping from his ears and nose.

“The Netherworld Diagram,” Qu Weiyin breathed, her voice laced with disbelief. “The third level?”

“How do you know about the Netherworld Diagram?” the being rasped.

Qu Weiyin could hardly believe her eyes. The Netherworld Diagram was the most powerful cultivation technique in existence, but it was also the most evil. Since its creation, everyone who had attempted to cultivate it had succumbed to its backlash, devoured by its insatiable hunger.

The diagram required the life force of others to fuel its power. The first level demanded ten souls, the second a hundred, and the third a thousand. The horrors that the fourth level would unleash were unimaginable.

That was why, even when the Demon Realm had been nearly annihilated in her past life, she had forbidden anyone from cultivating this wicked technique.

She hadn’t succumbed to demonic cultivation in this life and assumed the Netherworld Diagram would remain buried and forgotten. She hadn’t anticipated Yu Gui’s return, nor his determination to unearth it.

“You dare trespass in my Demon Realm? You shall all die!” the being roared, demonic energy erupting from him. A long blade formed from black energy materialized in his hand, its aura radiating a corrosive power that gnawed at the body and soul.

“Luo Jinxiao, take them and go!” Qu Weiyin’s voice trembled slightly, though she fought to remain resolute. She fixed her gaze on Luo Jinxiao. “Listen to me!”

Despite her reluctance, Luo Jinxiao chose to obey Qu Weiyin’s command. She grabbed Qiongqi and lifted the three people lying on the ground. She intended to take the stairs down but found the way blocked by a horde of demons.

“Through the window!” With no time to hesitate, Luo Jinxiao acted decisively. A single palm strike blasted a hole large enough for them to pass through the wall to her left.

The desert wind and sand whipped through the opening, threatening to sweep them away. From afar, the tower’s top would have resembled a raging inferno, golden light clashing with swirling black energy.

Sand stung Luo Jinxiao’s eyes, blurring her vision with tears. She summoned her divine sword and leaped through the opening, one of the unconscious figures still slung over her shoulder. A quick glance revealed it was the one who had tried to bite her earlier.

“I’ll put you down below. Can you hold off the demons yourself?” Luo Jinxiao shouted, struggling to control her sword against the fierce wind.

“My leg is broken, and my spiritual energy is sealed! I’ll be killed if you leave me here!” the figure cried, clinging desperately to Luo Jinxiao’s waist.

Luo Jinxiao’s mind was preoccupied with Qu Weiyin’s safety. The swirling red sand obscured everything, and even when she looked back, she could only make out faint figures as if shrouded in a lantern’s glow.

As soon as they reached a somewhat stable patch of ground, Luo Jinxiao deposited the figure on the sand and turned to search for Qu Weiyin. But the figure refused to let go, clutching at her legs and nearly tripping her.

“Let go! There are no demons here right now. I’ll be back soon,” Luo Jinxiao urged, her patience wearing thin. Qiongqi had disappeared into the swirling dust with the other Wuhui Sect disciples.

“How do I know you’re not lying? If you leave me here and something happens, my father will never forgive you!” the girl cried, her voice thick with fear.

Anger flared within Luo Jinxiao. She was already on edge, worried about Qu Weiyin, and this spoiled girl’s stubbornness was pushing her to her limit.

“If your father’s so capable, why isn’t he here to save you himself? Let go, or I swear I’ll…” Luo Jinxiao began, her voice tight with frustration.

“Enough! No more excuses.” With a final tug, Luo Jinxiao broke free and erected a transparent, dome-shaped ice barrier around the girl. “This is as far as I go. I’ve released your spiritual energy. Once you’ve rested, you’re on your own.”

Without another word, Luo Jinxiao vanished, leaving the girl calling after her into the empty desert.

Wiping away her tears, the girl huddled within the protective barrier, her arms wrapped tightly around herself.

Luo Jinxiao had no time to think about anything else. She soared through the air, battling against the wind and sand. Despite her protective spiritual energy, the abrasive force had already left several cuts on her face and hands.

Luo Jinxiao pressed on, oblivious to the pain, her only thought to reach Qu Weiyin as quickly as possible. Even with her superior cultivation, Qu Weiyin was facing an unfathomable foe. If anything happened, Luo Jinxiao would never forgive herself.

Luo Jinxiao didn’t dare to think anymore. She knew her cultivation was low, and going up there would be like throwing an egg against a rock. So, she thought about helping Qu Weiyin by creating a diversion, escaping first. She stealthily crawled to the outside of the tower, stepping on protruding stones, and hid herself.

Occasionally, falling debris and fireballs whizzed past her, creating a dangerous situation.

Luo Jinxiao took a deep breath, placed her palm on the wall, and slowly channeled her spiritual energy throughout the tower. The originally scorching surface gradually cooled, then exuded a chilling coldness.

She gritted her teeth, spreading her spiritual energy as fast as she could.

Gradually, the demon felt something strange beneath his feet. Looking down, he was startled to find his legs frozen solid, unable to move. Panicking, he tried to lift his legs but lost his balance and almost fell.

Qu Weiyin was also nearing her limit, but her expression remained unchanged. Seizing the opportunity, she threw her burning Crescent Star Sword, plunging it straight into the demon’s abdomen.

The demon roared in pain, recklessly releasing demonic energy. Qu Weiyin tried to dodge but suddenly felt dizzy. In a daze, she saw Yu Gui’s face appear behind the demon.

And the bone whistle in his hand.

Yu Gui’s skin was even paler than before. With tears in his eyes, he threw away the bone whistle and said to the demon, “Ah Chu, stop! We can’t kill her, we have to take her back!”

Ah Chu heard him, but his body seemed to disobey, unable to retract the released demonic energy.

Everything seemed to slow down before Qu Weiyin’s eyes. She closed her eyes and used the last of her strength to roll to the side, her red figure tumbling several times on the ground before falling down the edge of the pagoda.

“Demon Lord!” Yu Gui cried out.

At the same time, another figure climbed over the edge of the tower. Luo Jinxiao caught Qu Weiyin at the last moment, holding her tightly in her arms. Together, they plunged down through the wind and sand.

Luo Jinxiao could feel something hit her, a corrosive sensation seeping into her skin. The pain brought tears to her eyes. She forced her eyes open and, in midair, pressed two fingers to her forehead, summoning Qiongqi.

This was the first time she had summoned Qiongqi in this way.

In the next instant, with a roar, the massive Qiongqi flew from the horizon, its wings spreading wide like falling stars. . It reached them just in time, and Luo Jinxiao, holding Qu Weiyin, twisted mid-air to land on Qiongqi’s soft, furry back.

Fortunately, Qiongqi’s back was covered in soft fur, so the fall wasn’t too painful.

Qu Weiyin’s entire body fell on top of her. They were so close that they could hear each other’s heartbeats.

“Junior Shishu…” Luo Jinxiao struggled to say something, but her vision suddenly went black, and she knew nothing more.