GD Ch. 25 Part 2

Chapter 25: Where the Immortal Energy Comes From

Huacheng Sect occupied several snow-covered peaks, each dedicated to a different school of cultivation, with even their robes differing slightly.

The corridors were lined with jade-like pillars, arranged in perfect symmetry. Winding pathways connected towering pavilions, their rooftops layered like bird beaks, covered in a pristine blanket of snow, creating a scene straight out of a celestial paradise.

Zhuyou had read the disciple’s memories, so she understood the purpose of each peak and the hierarchy among the sect’s members.

The three disciples she had picked up weren’t exactly favored, but at least they were inner disciples, and, coincidentally, they were under the sect master’s command—though the sect master had never personally instructed them.

These three were accustomed to idleness, relying on their noble backgrounds to act superior to other disciples.

The sect master had been deliberate in his decision, selecting these three good-for-nothings to be sent to Wuwang Ravine to die. He likely never expected them to survive.

As for the bell she had crushed, she still wasn’t sure what it was. She had only wanted to extract its spiritual energy to examine it, but instead, the bell had self-destructed, leaving not even a trace of dust behind.

According to the disciple’s memories, the location of Shenhua Mountain had remained unchanged for the past century. However, before it was opened, it was impossible to enter.

When the mountain gate opened, the entire Huacheng Sect would tremble, the ice over the cold pools would shatter, and one would have to dive beneath the water to find the entrance to Shenhua Mountain.

Zhuyou had never entered Shenhua Mountain herself, only overheard some discussions about it. They said the landscape beneath the cold pools was entirely different, and passing through the gate was like stepping into another realm. This realm was said to connect the Immortal and the Devil Realms. It wasn’t uncommon for wandering people and devils to stumble into it before the mountain opened, though entering was one thing—leaving was another, entirely dependent on their fate.

Following the disciple’s memories, Zhuyou passed through the main peak. As she neared the base, she sensed an aura of celestial energy above.

Celestial energy had a distinct scent—cold, elusive, feigning detachment, aloof and distant.

She had once possessed such an aura herself, but after having her immortal bones extracted and replaced with diabolic ones, the scent had disappeared.

She never missed it. In fact, she had found it bothersome.

But why would a mere mortal sect like Huacheng Sect be worth the attention of celestial beings?

Zhuyou felt something was off. This matter was definitely connected to Shenhua Mountain. With that in mind, she turned and rode the wind toward the main peak.

The disciple’s token hanging from her belt lit up. As she crossed the boundary gate, the restriction remained undisturbed.

At the summit stood a white jade tower, ten stories high. The celestial energy was drifting down from the top floor.

Riding the wind, she concealed herself and ascended silently. The snowstorm parted around her, and just as she reached the top of the tower, she heard voices from within.

“Immortal one, the bronze bell has been removed from the demon beast’s body, but after extraction, it vanished without a trace.”

The voice was familiar—it belonged to the sect master, the same man who had sent a telepathic message to her before. His cultivation had already reached the Great Ascension stage, just one step away from transcending. Compared to ordinary cultivators, he was already an unfathomable existence.

She waited for a long time but heard no response from the supposed immortal. The wisp of immortal energy within the tower was not particularly strong—if anything, it was thin and weak, as if on the verge of dissipating due to a lack of divine power.

This kind of energy could only be found on a soon-to-perish immortal.

Zhuyou smirked slightly. She wondered which dying immortal was putting on a show here. Extending her hand into the tower to investigate, she was caught off guard when the previously weak immortal energy suddenly expanded, surging out in a flood of overwhelming spiritual power.

In an instant, her heart shuddered. The violent surge of energy was sharp and ruthless—clearly intent on taking lives. Accompanying the torrent of spiritual force was a long, piercing roar that reverberated through her ears like a sound splitting through the heavens.

Others might not recognize it, but she knew this cry all too well—it was, unmistakably, a dragon’s roar.

Zhuyou swiftly withdrew her hand. Amidst the lingering echoes of the dragon’s cry, she seemed to hear something shatter with a loud crack—a sound reminiscent of a bronze bell bursting apart in the snowy plains.

Turning on her heel, she rode the wind away, retreating a hundred meters in an instant, narrowly avoiding the impact of the unleashed energy.

Still, she couldn’t quite understand—why was it another dragon’s roar? And why did something just break? Was that bronze bell-like trinket unable to tolerate the presence of a devil?

***

Inside the tower, a massive luminous pearl at the peak radiated light, engulfing the entire floor in its glow.

The white-robed sect master coughed up blood from the sheer force of the defiant spiritual energy, nearly being thrown against the wall. He barely managed to summon his life-bound sword to brace himself.

Lifting his head, he coughed up another mouthful of blood. Before him, a jade pendant floating midair suddenly fractured, and the accompanying dragon’s roar sent a deafening hum through his ears, leaving him unable to hear anything else.

The pendant shattered into dust, and before half of it could even touch the ground, it completely vanished without a trace. A wisp of silver-white energy slipped free from the fragments and disappeared in an instant.

The sect master stared in stunned disbelief. He hastily reached out, attempting to grasp the falling remnants, but the coldness seared his palm, leaving it numb and devoid of sensation.

He sat there in a daze for a long moment before quickly crossing his legs, focusing his spiritual energy to heal his wounds.

Throughout the entire ordeal, he remained completely unaware that a devil had ever been outside the tower.

***

The furious wind howled, and snow cascaded down like a waterfall.

After leaving the main peak, Zhuyou arrived at a secluded frozen pool. A thick layer of ice covered its surface, and a powerful formation had been placed over it—one that would only be removed when the sect’s sacred grounds were opened.

She bent down, about to shatter the ice, when she suddenly sensed that the restriction spell she had placed on the bamboo house had been disturbed.

Without hesitation, she turned away from the frozen pool and swiftly returned to the small courtyard on the side peak where the disciples resided.

Stepping through the restriction, she entered the house and immediately saw Hanzhu collapsed on the floor.

Blood trickled from Hanzhu’s mouth and nose. Her eyes were open and unmoving, as if she had died with unresolved grievances.

Zhuyou quickly emerged from the disciple’s body, and the male cultivator’s form slumped to the ground with a heavy thud.

Only then did Hanzhu blink and say, “Mistress, I almost couldn’t stop her.”

Zhuyou turned to look at Changying, who stood calmly at the side. The young girl met her gaze without a ripple of emotion, her expression plainly stating a sentence—

It was not me.

The sound-sealing spell on Changying’s ears had already been undone. Since Hanzhu wouldn’t have helped her, she must have removed it herself.

“She suddenly started convulsing out of nowhere, then woke up. After a while, she became filled with murderous intent and rushed straight for the exit. I tried to stop her, but the next thing I knew, I was slammed into the restriction.” Hanzhu looked utterly miserable.

Zhuyou found it difficult to imagine the little dragon charging out in a fit of rage—especially since she seemed so calm and indifferent at this moment.

Was raising a young one supposed to be this troublesome?

As Zhuyou scrutinized Changying, she finally noticed something odd—the girl’s legs were no longer trembling.

Zhuyou frowned slightly. Had she missed something important while she was away?

She asked, “Why did you want to leave?”

Changying remained silent, her small face pale. Though her legs had stopped trembling, she still looked soft and fragile. 

Such a delicate child—one that seemed like she could be crushed with little effort. Her golden eyes, which had originally been slitted like a dragon’s, gradually shifted to round pupils as she met Zhuyou’s gaze.

Still sprawled on the ground, Hanzhu wiped the blood from her face and stammered, “Mistress, she said she… she… she—”

“I wanted you,” Changying interrupted, lowering her eyes, her voice cold yet strangely obedient.

Hanzhu immediately sensed something was off and hurriedly corrected, “She meant—she wanted you to come back.”