The timeline winds back slightly.
What was Lu Xiangyu doing?
“…Lu Xiangyu, how much of your memory is actually left?” Using a tree branch, she repeatedly traced a crude, ugly circle on the ground, her eyes gradually narrowing.
She bit her lip. Her heart felt cold.
First, it was essential to understand that Lu Xiangyu knew her own memories were fragmented. This was a side effect of severing her Demonic Soul. To ensure the original body could act independently, she had to leave behind enough memories—both from the original Lu Xiangyu and the “transmigrator” Lu Xiangyu.
She tapped the circle.
She was engraving a Soul Manifestation into this physical shell. The Soul Manifestation directly carries memories. As a transmigrator, her memories were doubled; combined with the strange physiological structure of this body, the memories she currently carried… were not many.
Lu Xiangyu had prioritized preserving the precious memories of her past life: her childhood growing up under her parents’ care, the few rewards and praises she earned at school, the happy times with friends, and most importantly, her knowledge of the novel The Immortal-Slaying Sword. Of course, to guard against certain possibilities, she also kept fragmented memories of this world’s original Lu Xiangyu.
But that was only her plan. A drop of cold sweat trickled from her brow; she knew the Soul Manifestation in this physical body couldn’t carry that much. A portion was missing.
After a moment of thought, she drew another circle of equal size near the first, leaving a small gap between them.
These were the memories Lu Xiangyu completely lacked.
These included the experiences of the “original” Lu Xiangyu from The Immortal-Slaying Sword: why she was born in the Demon Realm, what opportunities led her to achieve the True Demon Body, and how she was seduced by her Demonic Soul to become one of the Twelve Ghost Kings, imprisoning young men and women for her pleasure… Lu Xiangyu only kept key information for these, discarding the rest.
Then, there were the memories of the period after her transmigration. Her branch hovered over the outline of this circle. She had no clarity regarding this span of time.
“Did I give all of those to you too…?”
No, that wasn’t right. Lu Xiangyu lacked these memories, but she couldn’t possibly have told all these things to the “self” that was about to go to her death.
She had left the shell engraved with the Soul Manifestation in the dungeon. If she had given that shell these memories, the body would have become extremely dangerous.
Therefore…
In the middle of the two circles, she drew a third, larger circle that intersected with both.
“Memories drifting outside.”
Lu Xiangyu knew many memories that should have stayed were stripped away. Her recollection of The Immortal-Slaying Sword was also incomplete—though that might just be because the novel was too long and full of filler…
“When I tore the Demonic Soul early and attached it to this body, the shell had no life and couldn’t wake up. At that time, memories began to leak through the cracks in the soul…” Lu Xiangyu tapped the large central circle. “It must be so.”
“As my original body died and life force transferred, her fragmented soul was reclaimed by the Abyss. The intense sensation of detachment I felt when I gained life and woke up…” Lu Xiangyu’s eyes darkened, her face showing displeasure.
the Demonic Soul’s influence on demon cultivators is profound; it doesn’t just change one’s nature, but also stirs the inner evils and desires, forcing demon cultivators into a united front to be used by the Demon Lord.
“…” Lu Xiangyu pursed her lips as a sliver of despair began to spread through her heart.
“Song Shenshi’s control over me also offered a form of protection. I had to leave her, but without reclaiming my True Demon Body, I don’t have the strength to escape her… Yet this ‘golden cicada shedding its skin’ maneuver has cost me all my leverage just to barely escape His entanglement.”
She whispered a question to herself: “To break this deadlock, must I return to the starting point?”
In the original book, the time it took for Song Shenshi to go from achieving an Immortal Body to fully ascending to the Immortal Smithing stage wasn’t long—less than a hundred chapters. If she reached Immortal Smithing, the first thing she would do is eliminate the threat that is Lu Xiangyu.
“…What should I do…”
As Lu Xiangyu was deeply contemplating her plan, the sky suddenly changed. Ghostly winds howled, and a powerful pressure condensed in the air, feeling as though a hand had suddenly gripped her heart.
Cold sweat poured down her face like a spring.
“The Immortal Ancestral Hall… is watching this place.”
How could they have found her so quickly…
She couldn’t move. The terror in her eyes made every second feel like an eternity. Innumerable invisible palms in the air seemed to submerge her, crushing her toward dust. Her internal organs vibrated violently, on the verge of collapsing.
But just as Lu Xiangyu was about to give way, she suddenly collapsed. The aura vanished instantly. Lu Xiangyu swallowed the metallic taste of blood in her throat.
…It lasted only a fleeting moment.
Lu Xiangyu scrambled up from the ground, not daring to look toward the heavens.
The Immortal Ancestral Halls represent the endpoint of the path to immortality; they are the eyes of gods from another world. Of course, Lu Xiangyu knew they weren’t entirely divine. Perhaps they were mighty beings who fell from godhood, experts who lost their divinity, or cultivators who gave up the struggle before becoming gods.
There is only one mortal realm, but the sea of stars is infinite.
Thirty-four Immortal Ancestral Halls had descended upon this world. They were revered by the cultivation world, and the “Great Dao” they represented was highly esteemed. On the surface, the halls maintained a protective stance over the cultivation world, holding cooperative relationships with various sects… but getting too deeply involved with a specific sect could affect a Hall’s own destiny.
The Haiqian Sect was a “wild” sect without the protection of an Immortal Ancestral Hall. However, due to its unique location, two Halls were willing to maintain friendly ties. Lu Xiangyu didn’t know which one was involved this time…
She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, the shock in her eyes yet to subside.
That killing intent just now… was no joke.
It was the murderous intent of a supreme being.
“I’m back among the living now…”
She had neither the ability nor the ambition to aspire to godhood. As for Song Shenshi’s legendary journey to immortality, she only wanted to see this initial part of it.
…
“Truly terrifying.”
Only after sensing that gaze vanish behind the clouds and the sky turn completely dark did Lu Xiangyu tug at her sweat-soaked collar, making such a broad gesture.
Song Shenshi walked out from the courtyard. Seeing Lu Xiangyu’s terrified state as she hid behind a tree, she asked with a worried expression, “Are you alright?”
“Heh… hehe…” Lu Xiangyu gave a dry laugh, her breath burning. “What was that just now? Did you cause that?”
“…” Song Shenshi shook her head. “It was an Immortal Ancestral Hall. The aura should belong to the one from the Lingxi Ancestral Hall.”
“Oh…” Lu Xiangyu couldn’t remember all thirty-four Halls. Even if their status seemed high and terrifying now, they were merely “shrimp soldiers and crab generals” (underlings) once the female lead fully grew in power. She really wasn’t sure who specifically resided in the Lingxi Ancestral Hall.
“What’s an Immortal Ancestral Hall? I don’t get it. Are they gods?” Lu Xiangyu asked.
Song Shenshi came before her. In the darkness, her deep gaze watched her quietly.
“They are gods, but He will not harm you again,” Song Shenshi said softly, making her promise.
“With what do you guarantee that?” Lu Xiangyu laughed in spite of herself, then sighed and spread her hands. “Whether it’s out of kindness or hypocrisy, you don’t need to do this, Senior Sister Song. This humble one has a worthless life; just focus on your own business.”
“…” Song Shenshi didn’t speak, nor did she get angry at the provocation. She simply reached out and straightened the crooked hairpin atop Lu Xiangyu’s head, her gaze completely blending into the night.
Lu Xiangyu watched her actions, confused. Before she could say anything, Song Shenshi walked away.
Frowning, Lu Xiangyu thought: Since when did this person have such a strong sense of responsibility? Although Song Shenshi’s “universal love” was a facade—she might care for the sect and save mortals in passing—she would kill just as readily as a demon cultivator if they became an obstacle. And Lu Xiangyu was not just a demon cultivator… she was also an obstacle.
With her current strength, it was not wise for Song Shenshi to offend the Immortal Ancestral Halls.
Lu Xiangyu rolled her eyes, feeling even more puzzled.
“Why worry about her? I should worry about my weak and pitiful self!”
Thinking about how the Immortal Ancestral Halls would trip Song Shenshi up later, she actually looked forward to seeing it! Song Shenshi’s backbone needed to be humbled a bit; look how arrogant she is now, daring to provoke a True Immortal!
“Thank you, Senior Sister,” Lu Xiangyu beamed a smile and followed after her.
Song Shenshi only spared her a glance, offering no further explanation.
Returning to the Flowerless Small Courtyard, Lu Xiangyu hurriedly rested. Because of her Immortal Body, Song Shenshi didn’t need sleep and spent the time meditating.
At dawn, Lu Xiangyu hadn’t had enough sleep. She rubbed her eyes and let out a deep yawn.
Reading about it in a novel was one thing, but experiencing these light-regulating formations in person was pure torture. Although Lu Xiangyu had been frightened during the day, her sleep quality was excellent; upon waking, her sense of crisis had vanished completely.
“Senior Sister!”
Lu Xiangyu went into the courtyard and shouted toward the roof, where Song Shenshi was meditating.
“Senior Sister, I’m going to eat breakfast!” Lu Xiangyu shouted with great vigor. She had no choice; she didn’t want to disturb the female lead, but she wasn’t allowed to go out alone.
She contentedly tapped her empty wooden bowl, waiting for Song Shenshi to come down from the roof.
“After breakfast, go to the Library Pavilion to find the cultivation methods you need,” Song Shenshi instructed on the way.
Lu Xiangyu’s expression visibly slumped. “Senior Sister, don’t be so fast~”
Song Shenshi’s expression didn’t change as she turned back. She gave a very gentle, shallow smile, her tone sounding as if she were possessed by Senior Brother Li.
She said, “At most half a month. I will give you extra guidance on your cultivation.”
“If you don’t take first place in the Entry Trial, you can only be an outer disciple and will have nothing to do with my Bishui Peak.”
“…” This was blatant coercion!
She might as well just be stabbed to death. How could a cultivation newbie who just joined the sect take first place in a test? Besides, the rules weren’t even like that…
“…Heh, heh.” But now, she could only twitch the corner of her mouth, not daring to say another word.