Into The Sea

The vast sky suddenly revealed a figure plummeting toward the rushing river below. Lan Wu’s eyes snapped open, her breath coming in sharp gasps. The suffocating sensation that had gripped her was gone. She flipped mid-air, her robes flapping wildly as the dense forest below rapidly grew larger in her vision. Clenching her fists, she felt the surge of demonic power flowing back into her body.

Strangely, after being swallowed into the scroll, she hadn’t felt any pain. On the contrary, the atmosphere here felt… comforting.

The sound of rushing water grew clearer. Lan Wu braced herself and plunged into the river, being carried far by the rapids before she resurfaced. The air was filled with the chirping of birds and a gentle breeze. The world within the painting was eerily peaceful.

But soon, her attention was drawn to a tiny black dot in the sky, surrounded by a chaotic, flashing golden light. Around it, there were several other shadows entangled. Lan Wu’s heart skipped a beat, and she dove back into the water. Her legs merged into a powerful tail, propelling her swiftly toward the distant figure.

Her mind raced, confused as to why Ji Lingyue hadn’t summoned her. Now that they were both trapped inside the painting, struggling was useless. Ji Lingyue should have summoned her to her side.

A streak of silver light shot through the clear water like an arrow. Once she reached the general area, Lan Wu burst out of the river and flew toward the dense forest where the sounds of battle echoed.

“Ah Yue!”

The woman in the center of the chaos turned at the sound of her voice. Her beautiful face was stained with blood, and the crimson on her white robes covered almost half of her body. Seeing Lan Wu, she relaxed slightly. She stabbed her sword at the demon in front of her and, taking advantage of its distraction, ducked under its arm and rushed towards Lan Wu.

Lan Wu caught her, immediately smelling the pungent scent of blood. The person in her arms was breathing heavily, her brow furrowed, as if exhausted. She clutched Lan Wu’s clothes, her voice hoarse. “There’s no spiritual energy here…”

“No spiritual energy?”

Before Lan Wu could ponder the meaning of that, the demons that had been attacking Ji Lingyue turned around, glaring at them. The leader, a leopard demon with orange eyes and black-tipped yellow ears, held a sharp sword and said menacingly, “If you’re a demon too, why are you protecting this human?”

Lan Wu pushed Ji Lingyue behind her, frowning. “She’s done nothing to you. Killing her without reason is unjust.”

“Nothing to me?” The leopard demon’s eyes flashed with malice. “I’ve been trapped here by that old man Xuan Rulin for decades. I’d gladly tear him apart with my teeth! Since I can’t get to him, killing his disciples will have to do!” He pointed his sword at Lan Wu. “If you don’t move aside, I don’t mind killing you too. We’re all trapped here anyway. Taking your demon core to boost my power might just help me escape this cursed place!”

Lan Wu pressed her lips together, remaining still.

The demon stared at her for a moment before narrowing its eyes. “You wouldn’t happen to be contracted, would you?”

As soon as he said that, the demons behind him burst into laughter. Seeing that Lan Wu didn’t answer, the leopard demon raised an eyebrow, mocking, “So it’s true. No wonder you’re shamelessly acting as a human’s slave.”

Lan Wu’s face grew cold. “I’m not a slave.”

“Then kill your master,” the leopard demon said, his tone persuasive. “You must have noticed by now—this place is filled with demonic energy, but there’s no spiritual energy. It’s perfect for demons, but for human cultivators, staying here will drain their spiritual power until they’re nothing but weak, helpless mortals…”

Lan Wu’s lips tightened, and she couldn’t help but glance at Ji Lingyue. Her face was pale, and she subconsciously touched her forehead. After a long moment, the lotus flower appeared, but without its usual vibrant color, looking dull and lifeless.

The leopard demon continued to tempt her. “The power of the contract has weakened. If you’re afraid of the backlash from killing your master, just step aside and let us handle it. Don’t worry—even if she dies, you won’t suffer much. You’ll be free. Isn’t that what you want?”

Lan Wu remained silent, deep in thought. Just then, she felt a tug on her sleeve. She turned to see Ji Lingyue looking up at her, her dark eyes filled with trust. Lan Wu’s heart softened. “Don’t worry. I won’t listen to him.”

“I know,” Ji Lingyue lowered her gaze, burying her head in her shoulder. “I hate him.”

“Good,” Lan Wu replied. “I’ll kill him then.”

This wasn’t an impulsive decision. After this brief exchange, Lan Wu realized that the leopard demon was a problem. As he said, the ones who were sucked into the painting before were probably demons captured by Xuan Rulin. Only this time was an accident. Besides the dozens of contracted beasts that were pulled in by the fake Xuan Yu, there were countless others who were tricked by the counter-spell.

Trapped here for years, the demons with an intense hatred for cultivators, upon seeing the contracted humans who had fallen in, would be like sharks smelling blood, going on a rampage, not stopping until they were all dead.

“What are you two whispering about?”

As expected, the leopard demon, seeing that Lan Wu hadn’t moved, grew impatient. His eyes flashed with malice as he stared at Ji Lingyue, his voice sinister. “If you don’t do it, I won’t be polite. This human looks tender and delicious. I bet she tastes good… just thinking about it makes my mouth water.”

He licked his lips, his gaze lecherous, seeing Ji Lingyue as meat on a chopping block. Lan Wu was disgusted. She formed a hand seal, setting up a barrier around the woman. “Stay here. Don’t come out.”

Ji Lingyue nodded. “Be careful.”

Lan Wu nodded, turning around. She extended her hand, and a silver longsword materialized. Without giving the demon time to react, she attacked, the silver light like a falling star, aimed directly at his neck.

The leopard demon stumbled back in surprise, but Lan Wu was relentless. When her first strike missed, she immediately twisted her wrist and stabbed at his abdomen. Blood sprayed as the blade pierced his flesh.

Howling in pain and rage, the demon swung a clawed hand at Lan Wu’s chest, but the mermaid decisively released her sword and flew back. The leopard demon reached for the blade still embedded in his stomach, but as soon as he touched it, the sword dissolved into water, flowing out of his wound and reforming in Lan Wu’s hand.

“You… you…” the leopard demon roared, his eyes bulging with fury. “I tried to reason with you, but you’re so stubborn, willing to be a dog of the humans. You’re a traitor to our demon race!”

“Traitor? You just said you wanted to kill me for my demon core. Did you really think I’d trust you?” Lan Wu twirled her sword, her eyes gleaming as faint scales appeared on her temples and the corners of her eyes. A surge of demonic energy erupted from her as she formed a hand seal. The river behind her began to churn, and droplets of water floated in the air, trembling with power.

The leopard demon, clutching his wound, stared at her in shock. “What… what are you?!”

Lan Wu didn’t bother answering. The formation was complete. A wall of water, several meters high, rose from the lake, and the floating droplets sharpened into needle-like projectiles, all aimed at the leopard demon. Lan Wu’s eyes were sharp as she raised her hand and commanded, “Go!”

Instantly, the water surged forward, transforming into two roaring dragons that charged at the leopard demon. The needle-like droplets shot toward the other demons like a rain of deadly arrows. The leopard demon’s face paled as he realized he’d bitten off more than he could chew. He transformed into his beast form and fled.

Lan Wu gave chase, her robes billowing as her silver hair streamed behind her. She disappeared into the misty veil of water, leaving Ji Lingyue behind.

Ji Lingyue remained within the protective barrier, obediently waiting for Lan Wu to return. After what felt like an eternity, a series of agonized screams pierced the mist. A light rain began to fall, the droplets passing through the barrier and landing on her skin. Ji Lingyue paused, catching a few drops in her hand. The faint scent of blood lingered in the air. She looked toward the churning mist, where a slender figure gradually emerged, walking toward her.

Ji Lingyue smiled, extending her hand to Lan Wu. The silver-haired mermaid obediently bent down and hugged her, her body clean and untainted by the battle.

Lan Wu whispered, “Ah Yue, I will protect you.”