Into The Sea

By the time their conversation ended, the sky was already beginning to lighten.

Lan Wu sat in place for a while, lost in thought, until she heard movement nearby and instinctively turned her head.

Ji Lingyue had just finished changing into a clean set of clothes. Her silver silk sash, white silk headband, and simple attire were elegant. She stood facing the courtyard, which was covered in snow from the night before. Her fingers were idly playing with her loose hair. As she moved, her wide sleeves slipped down to her elbows, revealing her slender arms.

Lan Wu watched, transfixed. “It’s loose,” she said.

Ji Lingyue paused, glancing at her with clear, bright eyes.

Lan Wu stood up and walked over, helping her untie her ribbon and re-tie it. Ji Lingyue obediently lowered her head. After her hair was done, Lan Wu turned her around and adjusted her collar.

She couldn’t help but look at the woman so close to her. Lan Wu’s expression was gentle, her eyes lowered, her long lashes distinct, dividing her blue eyes into shimmering pools.

She pursed her lips, her mind starting to stir with mischief. But before she could act on it, Lan Wu stepped back, looking her up and down. She said with satisfaction, “You still look best in white.”

Ji Lingyue instinctively retorted, “I haven’t really worn many other colors.”

“True. It’s either black or white,” Lan Wu teased. “When we have some free time in the future, I’ll buy clothes in every color and make you wear a different one every day.”

“I’m not your doll.”

Lan Wu chuckled, reaching out to pinch her cheek. “There’s no doll in the world as petty as you.”

Ji Lingyue’s eyes narrowed, and she opened her mouth to bite her hand. Lan Wu skillfully dodged, flicking her forehead lightly. “You shouldn’t turn into a cat anymore. A puppy would suit you better.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Ji Lingyue pounced on her, retaliating by pinching her face. Lan Wu yelped, spinning them both in a circle. “See? I told you you’re petty.”

As they were laughing and joking, a gust of wind suddenly blew in from outside, followed by a deafening roar. Lan Wu was startled, frowning as she looked out the window at the swirling snow. After the loud noise, a chaotic clamor rose from the streets.

They exchanged a look, and Ji Lingyue, with her arm around Lan Wu’s waist, instantly appeared on the long street.

Startled cultivators poured out of their residences, all rushing towards the barrier. Lan Wu’s heart tightened as she said in surprise, “Are they making their move already?”

Ji Lingyue said, “Let’s go see.”

They lived on the outskirts of the city, close to the city gates. Ji Lingyue, carrying Lan Wu, flew over the heads of the agitated crowd. Soon, they were outside the city walls, at the barrier a hundred feet away.

By now, dozens of cultivators stationed in the watchtowers had already come out. They stood alert, their robes flapping in the wind, completely unaware of the newcomers.

Lan Wu hovered in the air, glancing at the scene beyond the barrier and suddenly froze.

The small town that had once stood outside the barrier was now in ruins. The cultivators who had been stationed there lay scattered on the ground, groaning in pain. Only one slender figure stood firmly among the wreckage, her palm pressed against the golden rippling barrier.

As if sensing something, the woman’s long lashes fluttered, and she looked up at the two figures hovering in the air, a faint smile spreading across her face. “Lan Wu.”

She said softly, “I’ve come to see you.”

The howling wind ruffled her silken silver hair. Across the golden barrier, two mermaids stood facing each other, their gazes locked.

“Aunt,” Lan Wu said, glancing at the groaning figures on the ground. “You’re even more powerful than I imagined.”

Lan Yueyao nodded slightly, studying her. “And you’re more resilient than I expected. You’re still alive without your mermaid pearl.”

Upon hearing this, Lan Wu could feel the demonic energy around Ji Lingyue almost solidify. She calmly grasped Ji Lingyue’s cold hand. “If I remember correctly, our agreed meeting time wasn’t today.”

“Agreed?” Lan Yueyao curled her lips coldly. “After receiving that message from the fox demon, did you think I’d have the patience to wait for three days? Or perhaps…” She glanced at the crowd gathering behind Lan Wu, and said mockingly, “You wanted me to give you time to set a trap so your cultivator friends could kill me?”

“You shouldn’t say that,” Ji Lingyue suddenly spoke, her voice icy. “Otherwise, I might think Lan Wu’s kindness was wasted on the wrong person.”

Lan Yueyao narrowed her eyes, turning to look at her. “You’re that human?”

“I’m no longer…”

“Ah Yue.” Lan Wu squeezed her palm reassuringly. “If you think I invited you here just to lure you into a trap, then why did you come?”

“I just wanted to confirm something.”

“Alright,” Lan Wu nodded. “There are too many people here. I’ll come out and tell you the truth myself.”

Ji Lingyue was stunned. “Lan Wu!”

“Don’t worry…”

“She really does treasure you,” Lan Yueyao interrupted, her tone indifferent. “In that case, I don’t mind if both of you come over.”

This time, it was Lan Wu’s turn to hesitate. She pursed her lips, unable to make up her mind. Then, a voice came from behind her. “I’ll go with you.”

Lan Wu was surprised. “Master?”

Ye Qingjun stepped forward. “Don’t worry. If there’s anything you don’t want me to hear, I can seal my own hearing.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I’ll go too!” Qi Yueyao pushed her way through the crowd. She had only taken two steps when her father ordered her, “What are you doing? Get back here!”

She paused, clutching her spear tightly. She turned back and looked at Qi Yun with a deep gaze. “I won’t.”

Qi Yun’s face changed. “You’re really defying me now! I knew it—you’ve been spending too much time with the wrong people. I never should have let you have your way!”

“Sect Leader, that’s not fair,” Wen Shiyu also squeezed through the crowd, smiling casually. “Wasn’t it you who insisted on having Senior Sister follow Lan Wu and the others? How is it her fault now?”

“You… you two…” Qi Jun gritted his teeth, but mindful of his position as a sect leader, he held back his anger, his face turned pale. Just then, someone in the crowd shouted, “She’s all alone out there. There are so many of us. Can’t we kill her if we all attack at once?”

As soon as the words were spoken, the noisy crowd fell silent for a moment. People looked at each other, whispering, “That’s right. Even if she’s a Demon Queen, there are so many of us.”

“All the sect leaders and elders are here. The strongest are already in the Nirvana stage. Our chances of winning are high.”

“If we all attack together, even if we can’t kill her, we can seriously injure her.”

“Nonsense!” Ye Qingjun suddenly interrupted them, raising her voice. “Everyone, stay inside the barrier! Haochen Mountain disciples!”

Numerous voices echoed from the crowd. “Here!”

“Keep an eye on them. Don’t let anyone leave.”

“Sect Leader Ye, what are you doing?!” An old cultivator widened his eyes, both shocked and angry. “This is the perfect opportunity to kill the Demon Queen. Why are you stopping us? Are you siding with her?”

“Kill her?” Ye Qingjun found it laughable. She pointed to the outside of the barrier. “Look at the cultivators out there, and look at this barrier! A barrier created by the combined power of thousands of cultivators, and she broke it with one strike, it sent a shockwave for miles. Don’t you understand?”

She pursed her lips, staring at Lan Yueyao’s calm eyes. “If I’m not mistaken, the Demon Queen’s cultivation is already close to Tribulation Transcendence.”

Lan Yueyao scoffed, turning her back, remaining silent.

“If everyone attacks together, we might be able to kill her, but we’ll also pay a heavy price. And that’s without considering the possibility of her having demon reinforcements.”

Ye Qingjun said seriously “It’s been a long time since anyone reached the Tribulation Transcendence stage. With her power, if she and the demons launched a full-scale attack on Shiling City, this barrier wouldn’t last. So, why hasn’t she made her move all these years?”

Lan Wu, standing nearby, blinked and couldn’t help but interject, “Maybe it’s because… she wants to obtain the Guling flower with the least amount of casualties.”

Ye Qingjun was taken aback. “The Guling flower?”

Lan Yueyao narrowed her eyes, saying coldly, “Lan Wu, are you coming out or not?”

Lan Wu said, “Of course.”

She took a step forward, and the others immediately followed, even Danqing fluttering over from a distance and landing clumsily on Lan Wu’s head, her wings still not fully healed.

Lan Yueyao took in the scene and couldn’t help but sneer. “Are you all so afraid that I’ll hurt her?”

“Why wouldn’t we be?” Ji Lingyue shot back. “You’ve done it before.”