Into The Sea

In the silent desert, a sleek black figure moved swiftly across the dunes, running eastward. Xuan Yu straightened up, her hand resting on the soft fur beneath her, and gazed at the distant town’s twinkling lights. She whispered. “Yao Zhu.”

The fox beneath her hummed questioningly.

“After being away for so many years, do you think my father will still accept me when I return?”

“Why wouldn’t he?” Yao Zhu retorted.

“But all these years, he never came looking for me. The position of Young Mistress of Yunxiao Pavilion probably isn’t mine anymore.”

“If it’s not yours, then take it back.”

Xuan Yu paused. “Didn’t you always want me to give up that position?”

“Voluntarily giving it up is one thing. But having it taken from you is different, isn’t it?” Yao Zhu said. “You once told me that because you’re a girl, Xuan Rulin never intended for you to become the Young Mistress. It was only because you outperformed your two brothers that he had no choice but to give you the position. Since you earned it yourself, how can you give it up so easily?”

Xuan Yu laughed. “Why didn’t you think this way before?”

Yao Zhu muttered, “Even demons can be… a little immature sometimes.”

Xuan Yu pursed her lips. “Alright.”

Facing the night wind, she said easily, “I’m going back to reclaim my position as the Young Mistress of Yunxiao Pavilion.”

“I’ll support you!” Yao Zhu agreed.

“I won’t listen to my father’s orders anymore. I’ll act according to my own will.”

“Great!”

Xuan Yu laughed loudly. “I’m going to take his place. I want to be the Pavilion Mistress of Yunxiao Pavilion!”

“Ambitious!” Yao Zhu praised.

“Will you stay with me?”

“Amazing…”

Yao Zhu, halfway through her praise, suddenly realized what Xuan Yu meant and came to an abrupt halt. Xuan Yu, caught off guard, nearly fell off but managed to steady herself by grabbing onto the fox’s fur. “What are you doing?”

Yao Zhu turned her head, her emerald-green eyes wide. “Really? Did you just say you wanted me to stay with you?”

“Of course.” Xuan Yu, embarrassed, cleared her throat, her gaze drifting away. “Do you want to?”

Yao Zhu’s face split into a wide grin, her fox mouth nearly reaching her ears. “Of course!”

She leaped into the air, whooping and bounding across the desert. Xuan Yu, dizzy from the bouncing, smacked the fox’s head in annoyance. “Stop fooling around.”

The light tap didn’t faze Yao Zhu, who grinned and began to trot lightly.

“Run faster.”

“Why so fast? We don’t even know what’s waiting for us in Shiling City.”

Just as Yao Zhu was about to argue the benefits of taking it slow, a rumbling sound echoed from the desert behind them, causing the sand beneath their feet to tremble.

“What’s that?” she cried. “Is the ground splitting open?”

Xuan Yu looked back. A dark shadow was spreading across the horizon, like a flood engulfing the dunes.

As they drew closer, Xuan Yu saw that it was a dense mass of demons. Her eyes widened. She looked towards the distant barrier. “They’re attacking Shiling City!”

“What?” Yao Zhu sped up, no longer dawdling. “Didn’t they agree not to attack before the peace talks?!”

“How should I know?” Xuan Yu tightened her grip on Yao Zhu’s back. “Hurry! We need to warn Shiling City!”

***

In a quiet room, a mirror on the table glowed faintly. A hand reached out, picking it up. “Miss Chu?”

Chu Jiao’s anxious face appeared in the mirror. “They’ve made their move!”

Lan Wu paused. “So soon?”

“They’ll be there soon. Take me to the cultivators guarding the barrier. Hurry…”

Before she could finish, the mirror’s glow faded, and the figure on the other side disappeared. The room plunged back into darkness. Ji Lingyue, standing nearby, her red eyes glowing faintly, said, “I’ll go to the barrier.”

Lan Wu nodded. “I’ll go get Chu Ji.”

As soon as she spoke, the woman transformed into black butterflies and flew out.

Lan Wu turned and knocked on another door. “Danqing!”

A moment later, Danqing opened the door, rubbing her eyes. “Master?”

Lan Wu stroked her face. “Sorry for waking you, but I have an important task for you.”

Half an hour later, a white gyrfalcon wobbled out of the small courtyard, heading towards the center of Shiling City. Looking at the dark outline of the houses, she cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and yelled, “Help! Demons are attacking!”

Her loud voice broke through the silence. Doors and windows were thrown open. A murmur of voices rose from the streets. Danqing flew further away, her urgent warnings echoing through the streets, waking every cultivator who was resting for the night.

Meanwhile, Lan Wu hurried to Chu Ji’s residence. His home was far from the town center, secluded and quiet. As soon as Lan Wu arrived, she saw Chu Ji being dragged out by several cultivators.

Chu Ji struggled. “I said I’m not leaving! Did my father send you? How dare you treat me like this?!”

“Young Island Master, now is not the time to be stubborn!”

“Stubborn? I’m not a child anymore! I’ll make my own decisions!”

As they argued, lights flickered on in the distance. Chu Ji frowned. “What’s that…?”

A golden light flashed. The person in front of him suddenly sealed his voice, then bound his hands and feet with spirit locks. “Sorry, Young Island Master.”

Chu Ji’s eyes widened in shock. He made muffled noises of protest, but he was thrown into a carriage outside. He thrashed on the floor, trying to break free, but his feet suddenly hit something.

He froze, turning his head to see a woman sitting calmly in the corner, smiling at him. “Long time no see.”

Chu Ji stared at her in shock and confusion.

Lan Wu grabbed his collar, putting a finger to her lips. “I’m here to help you escape, Young Island Master.”

With a practiced teleportation spell, she didn’t need to chant or form seals. A blue circle appeared beneath the carriage, and Chu Ji fell through, followed closely by Lan Wu, who landed lightly on the ground.

The teleportation exit was not far from Ye Qingjun’s residence. She glanced over. The three-story house was brightly lit. Danqing had clearly succeeded in alerting them.

The seal on his voice was suddenly released. Chu Ji gasped for breath, then coughed, thanking her. “Thank you… thank you, Miss Lan. Please, Miss Lan, help me get these spirit locks off.”

Lan Wu looked at his red face. “Don’t rush. You can thank me later.”

At the barrier, the cultivators on duty had been controlled by parasitic Gu lost their minds. Ji Lingyue knocked out several masked cultivators and, with a wave of her hand, shattered the jade flute in Chu Jiao’s hands. Chu Jiao tried to flee but was ensnared by Ji Lingyue’s demonic energy, her mask ripped off.

“It’s you.”

Ji Lingyue gave her a deep look before slamming her into the barrier. Chu Jiao slid to the ground, coughing up blood before passing out.

Then, another masked figure charged out, his sword aimed at Ji Lingyue’s face. She lightly stepped aside, dodging the attack, but the man twisted his body, slipping past her and stabbing the fallen masked cultivator through the dantian.

Ji Lingyue paused, realizing his intent.

He was silencing witnesses.

The sounds of battle outside were growing louder. She sent out a demonic spike, stopping his blade as he was about to kill another of his companions. The next moment, a strong gust of wind swept through, whipping her robes.

Ji Lingyue turned to see the barrier before her being engulfed by a spreading black mist. The combined demonic energy of countless demons slammed into the barrier, creating continuous, thunderous impacts. The barrier’s golden light grew brighter and brighter under the assault, nearly blinding her.

“How did you get here so fast?” the man growled, glaring at her. “How is it possible… that you got here faster than us?”

Ji Lingyue said coldly, “Because I’m smart.”

Boom!

Another deafening crash shook the ground. Ji Lingyue’s heart jumped. Dozens of demonic spikes appeared behind her, ready to attack. But then, she heard a cry: “Ji Lingyue!”

The voice came from outside the barrier. She turned instinctively and, to her surprise, saw two familiar figures deep within the demon horde. Yao Zhu, covered in blood, was desperately shielding the woman behind her, screaming, “Help!”

In that split second of distraction, the man stabbed downward. Unexpectedly, he didn’t kill his accomplice but instead knocked off their mask. Ji Lingyue didn’t have time to think. She flew toward the barrier, pressing her hand against the golden shield, unsure how to get through.

The jade token to open the barrier was with the cultivators on duty. But opening the barrier, even a small opening, would let the demons in, and they would widen the gap. Her chest rose and fell rapidly. Seeing Yao Zhu about to be overwhelmed, she bit her lip. Just as she was about to grab the jade token, a voice said, “I’ll go.”

Ye Qingjun had arrived. Her hair was disheveled. She held the jade token, her voice firm. “I’ll save them. You guard the barrier. If any demons get through…”

“They won’t,” Ji Lingyue said. “I won’t let them in.”

Ye Qingjun paused, looking at her for a moment. “Okay.”

Under the night sky, Ye Qingjun’s slender figure, glowing with a faint azure light, slipped through the barrier and hovered in the air. She lowered her eyes, forming a seal with one hand. A rumbling sound echoed from deep beneath the ground, as if a long-dormant beast was awakening. In the next moment, the earth bulged like a serpent’s back, and massive tree trunks burst through the sand.

A towering tree, its branches stretching to the heavens, rapidly expanded, forming a natural fortress. Behind it, Ji Lingyue stood alone at the barrier’s opening, slowly raising an arm.

With a swish, a thousand sword shadows materialized in the air. She stared unblinkingly at the oncoming tide of demons and murmured to herself, “I will protect this place.”