024 Dinner Time.
But clearly the Two-Faced Demon’s protest was useless. Although it didn’t know who Xie Diao was, it felt an inexplicable aura of fear the moment he smiled at it. As a demonic creature that grew stronger by devouring wandering souls, it suddenly felt the terrifying sensation that it would be disassembled and swallowed whole.
Before it could react, Nan Yao’s sword shot straight toward its chest.
It instinctively tried to block, but as it raised its hands, Nan Yao abruptly changed her sword’s trajectory, aiming directly for its eyes.
The more sensitive the area, the more fragile it is.
The Two-Faced Demon’s eight eyes could detect movement from miles away, making it impossible to ignore the purple qi sword light Nan Yao gathered. The light felt like countless sharp needles piercing its eye sockets. It let out a painful howl, stumbling backward, only to feel the sharp blade brutally gouging out its eyeball the next second.
The Two-Faced Demon released its grip, covering its eyes as it staggered back, its massive body teetering on the verge of collapse.
Xie Diao used the momentum to land gracefully on the ground, then stood aside watching Nan Yao’s brutal slaughter.
Multiple pairs of eyes around stared at Xie Diao, seemingly questioning why he had been captured by the Two-Faced Demon earlier.
Xie Diao rubbed his nose, his acting as terrible as ever: “Whew, that was close. Saved.”
The hangers-on: “…” Could you at least put some inflection in your voice?
Nan Yao gouged out the Two-Faced Demon’s eyes.
Nan Yao severed the Two-Faced Demon’s hands.
Nan Yao cut off one of the Two-Faced Demon’s heads, turning it into a Single-Faced Demon.
Nan Yao took a break, tired from fighting.
Nan Yao chopped off its other head.
The Two-Faced Demon stopped breathing.
The Array Cultivator watched this scene from a distance, jaw dropped in shock.
Xiao Huang found Nan Yao’s monster-slaying too bloody. As a cute pet, it couldn’t bear to watch such cruelty, so it perched on a branch above the Array Cultivator’s head, munching on nuts while comforting him: “Don’t be so surprised. You’ll get used to it.”
Finally, seeing the Two-Faced Demon collapse, Xiao Huang jumped down from the tree onto Nan Yao’s shoulder: “Finished?”
Nan Yao looked at the massive creature on the ground without saying a word.
Massive creature: …
Massive creature: What? Did she discover that even if my heads are cut off, as long as my heart remains intact, the rest of my body will regenerate after devouring dead souls?
Massive creature: That shouldn’t be possible. I’ve never died before, so no one should know this information?
“Yeah, it’s dead,” Nan Yao said.
The massive Two-Faced Demon breathed a sigh of relief.
But Nan Yao’s next words were: “But my mother taught me to always finish off monsters completely.”
The Two-Faced Demon panicked!
After saying this, she summoned a sword swarm. Swords rained down like torrential rain, thousands of sharp blades piercing the Two-Faced Demon’s body.
Two-Faced Demon: Stay calm, my heart can still pull through.
Then, Nan Yao turned to look at the trees knocked down by the Two-Faced Demon earlier. Using her spiritual power, she made the trees float and began pounding the Two-Faced Demon with them like rolling pins.
Two-Faced Paste: burp
Excellent.
Nan Yao finally looked satisfied with the unrecognizable paste on the ground. She stretched lazily, flexing her muscles while rubbing her arms, then turned to meet the Array Cultivator’s terrified gaze.
The others were clearly accustomed to this. They rushed over to massage Nan Yao’s shoulders and back, then stood beside the Two-Faced Paste to mock it like bullies taking advantage of their master’s power.
The Array Cultivator grew even more terrified.
Th-these people are really scary!
He slowly turned to look at Xie Diao, his eyes filled with sympathy and pity. He said: “It seems you’re the only normal, kind-hearted cultivator among them.”
Xie Diao frowned in confusion: “?” What nonsense are you spouting?
Nan Yao was also confused: “?” What? Didn’t Xie Diao give me the chance to show off earlier? Why is he still the one getting praised?
Xiao Huang: Don’t force it.
The scene was utterly shocking.
Everyone before the God-Peering Mirror fell silent. They suddenly felt that the back-and-forth, majestic battle on Xiao Wuji’s side seemed rather ordinary in comparison.
The presiding elders fell into deep thought. Reason told them they should award points now, but for some reason, when they wrote down “bonus points,” they vaguely felt like they were aiding and abetting tyranny.
Only Ye Yin wore an extremely sweet expression.
He even propped his chin on his hand, gazing delightedly at Nan Yao: My daughter is so kind-hearted, righteous and polite. Hehe, my daughter is the best in the world.
In the Thousand Crane Pavilion, Chengyang Daoren remarked: “This Miss Nan Yao does seem more formidable than Xiao Wuji. Though she appears careless, she’s actually quite cautious. She’s truly a rare talent.”
Chen Wuxin: “Ha.”
“I’m not so sure. I heard she’s close to people from the Demon Realm. Who knows if her mind…” A nearby elder had barely spoken a few words when he felt an icy gaze piercing through his back.
Chen Wuxin: “Hmph.”
So the elder’s words took a sharp turn, forcibly changing direction: “…Who knows, she might be able to enlighten those from the Demon Realm. After all, a good girl like her—cheerful, sunny, pure, understanding, brave and resourceful—is truly rare.”
Chen Wuxin: “Ha.”
Chengyang Daoren: …? Why is Master acting like this?
After the most terrifying and ferocious Giant Demon in the Soul Summoning Forest was reduced to a pile of flesh paste, this spring outing team once again found themselves with nothing to do. To make matters worse, due to the earlier commotion, all the Bone-eating fish they caught fell to the ground and were crushed, completely inedible.
No dinner.
This was a fatal blow to the spring outing team.
The Array Cultivator stood out awkwardly among this group. After sitting nervously for a while, he cautiously said: “When I was running over earlier, I saw a courtyard on a hillside not far away. It seemed like it was left by people who lived on this mountain before Soul-Calling Mountain became a secret realm. Perhaps—”
Before he could finish, the group had already packed up energetically: “Shall we go then?”
The Array Cultivator was speechless: “I mean, that place might be strange and potentially dangerous. After all, Soul-Calling Mountain has been a secret realm for decades, yet the courtyard looks spotless. There might be…”
Nan Yao asked: “Are there snakes inside?” She now had post-traumatic stress about snakes.
“…No,” the Array Cultivator said.
Nan Yao said: “When are we going then?”
The Array Cultivator exploded: “Are you even listening to me? That place might be dangerous. Aren’t you worried?”
“We should indeed be worried,” Nan Yao nodded. “So are we leaving now?”
The Array Cultivator, having given up struggling, led the spring outing team toward the strange courtyard on the hillside. The group lined up in an orderly fashion, with only Xie Diao remaining stationary.
The Array Cultivator stopped: “Young master, aren’t you coming?”
“Ah, you go ahead,” Xie Diao didn’t even blink. “I’m frightened. I need to recover here for a while.”
No one believed Xie Diao except the Array Cultivator, who sighed and seemed about to persuade him to come along to avoid misfortune. But Nan Yao poked his arm: “It’s fine. Let’s go first.”
After much hesitation, the Array Cultivator led them away, constantly looking back: “That young master seems so frail. Is it really okay to leave him behind?”
The cultivators before the God-Peering Mirror fell silent.
Redefining “frail.”
After the group left, peace returned to the Soul Summoning Forest.
The swirling dead souls finally seemed to be settling down. They whimpered as they slowly descended, but then seemed attracted by something, lingering over the Two-Faced Demon paste.
After an unknown period of time, the bloody paste began to squirm.
The Two-Faced Demon had no vision or hearing, but it could sense the terrifying girl moving further away. It laughed sinisterly in its heart, beginning to slowly reconstruct its body.
Yes, although its heart was destroyed, the place it died was special.
Beside the Soul-Igniting Lanterns.
This area gathered tens of thousands of dead souls. Because the lanterns remained unlit, these souls couldn’t be guided onward, trapped forever near the Soul-Igniting Lanterns.
These souls were the perfect nourishment for its resurrection. By devouring their power, its heart would regenerate. In just the time it takes an incense stick to burn, it could revive.
When that time came, it would definitely find that damned girl and…
“Hurry up, I have no patience,” Xie Diao’s voice came.
The Two-Faced Demon shuddered, stopping its squirming.
Xie Diao apparently found leaning against the tree tiresome. He rubbed his shoulder, walked over to the paste, and crouched down: “I’m waiting for you to revive. What are you waiting for?”
Two-Faced Demon: whimper Stop rushing me. I’ll just go die.
The small courtyard was even newer than everyone imagined, as if someone cleaned it daily. But standing outside, they felt no human presence. It was eerily quiet, without even a single wandering ghost in sight.
The Array Cultivator stood before the courtyard, asking seriously: “Are you sure you want to go in?”
Nan Yao said: “I’m tired.”
“…” The Array Cultivator fell silent.
Then, the spring outing squad very naturally walked into the courtyard.
After Soul-Calling Mountain became a secret realm, it was impossible for anyone to live there. So this courtyard being so spotless definitely meant something was abnormal.
There were six rooms inside the courtyard, as if prepared specifically for visitors. Each room had brand new bedding, with melon seeds, almonds, and fruits on the tables.
The four hangers-on squatted in the courtyard, playing rock-paper-scissors to decide room selection order.
As the team’s powerhouse, Nan Yao had priority. So while the four were playing rock-paper-scissors, she had already started choosing the room she would sleep in for the night.
The Array Cultivator followed behind her: “Miss Nan Yao, there are six rooms here, as if specially prepared for you all. But including that young master, we have seven people.”
At this moment, the presiding elders of the Profound Darkness Hall noticed something wrong.
“Wait,” Xuanxu Zhanglao frowned. “Why don’t I see this Array Cultivator on the participant list? Does any elder recognize him? Which master’s disciple is he?”
No one answered.
Xuanxu Zhanglao’s heart turned cold: “Could it be…”
The main reason Soul-Calling Mountain became a secret realm was because people kept mysteriously disappearing around the Soul Summoning Forest years ago. Disciples sent to investigate never returned. Over time, this place accumulated ghost qi and vengeful spirits. These dead souls were everywhere, forming an invisible barrier that isolated everyone from Soul-Calling Mountain.
Thus, the secret realm was born.
The Array Cultivator started acting strangely after entering the courtyard. Not that he made terrifying expressions, but he gradually became calm, unlike his anxious self outside.
He said: “So it seems one of us cannot stay in this courtyard.”
Nan Yao ignored him.
She inspected the rooms and successfully found several locked chests in the main hall. She picked them up and shook them—they rattled loudly.
She seemed to smell Mount Lingluo Cake inside these chests.
This was a famous pastry from the Immortal Realm. When she was young, the Celestial Venerable uncle set up a small kitchen for her, telling her to ask the cooks for whatever she wanted. So Nan Yao had the cooks make Mount Lingluo Cake for an entire month.
Nan Yao: Yay! There’s food!
The Array Cultivator looked at the chests: “These must be things left behind by cultivators trapped here. Ah, it’s such a pity—so many brilliant, promising young talents, now reduced to just these…”
Nan Yao interrupted him, standing before him with an outstretched hand: “Give it to me.”
The Array Cultivator was taken aback: “What?”
“The key,” Nan Yao said. “I checked—these chests are made of special material. Ordinary methods won’t pry them open, and smashing them might damage the pastries. So we still need the key.”
“You—what are you talking about? How could I…”
“You’re not one of the people who came in with us,” Nan Yao said. “When we entered the secret realm, Xie Diao publicly beat up a group of Immortal Realm cultivators. Now all cultivators are afraid of him, but you think he’s kind, pitiful and frail. So you definitely aren’t a participant.”
The Array Cultivator was silent for a moment: “Then why did you come with me?”
“There’s a small courtyard here,” Nan Yao said matter-of-factly. “I prefer sleeping in beds.”
The Array Cultivator paused, then suddenly laughed loudly: “Interesting, truly interesting. What a pity—though you had extraordinary skills outside the courtyard, inside here you’re no different from an ordinary person. The Soul Trapping Array I set up here has been tempered with the blood and spiritual bones of countless cultivators. Even if the Immortal Realm elders came now, they’d be nothing but trapped beasts. Let alone—Hey hey hey, what are you doing?”
Before he finished speaking, he saw Nan Yao tear off a bedsheet, twist it into a rope, and completely ignore his words as she began wrapping it around his arms, binding him tightly.
“What are you doing? Don’t push me! I originally wanted you to die more gracefully, but if you—”
“Because you talk too much and don’t seem willing to give me the key,” Nan Yao explained very politely. “But I need to eat dinner now. Considering my mother told me to eat on time, I’m preparing to take forceful measures.”
“But I’m a girl. I think casually touching you would be impolite, so I can only tie you up first.”
Then, Nan Yao pulled on the rope binding him, huffing and puffing as she dragged him toward the bed.
Wiping imaginary sweat from her brow, and considering their height difference, she stood on the bed before lifting the Array Cultivator upside down by the rope, shaking him vigorously: “Where’s the key? Where’s the key?”
Nothing fell out.
So Nan Yao shook even harder: “Isn’t the key on you?”
Clatter.
A large bunch of keys fell to the ground.
Nan Yao cheered, releasing the now-useless Array Cultivator and tossing him aside. She bent down to pick up the keys, shouting to the four hangers-on still playing rock-paper-scissors outside: “Dinner time—”
Array Cultivator: …whimper Could you please show some respect to the mastermind?
Author’s Note: Chen Wuxin: Because I have a cold personality, I can only “Ha” once.
Originally, after writing this chapter, the group was still in the Soul Summoning Forest, but I felt there wasn’t enough substantial plot, so I rewrote it completely.
Bowing in apology to everyone for being late. I’ll still update twice tomorrow.
Striving not to become an untrustworthy person again.
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided nutrient solution between 2022-01-11 23:14:36~2022-01-12 00:57:36~
Thanks to the little angels who threw landmines: A girl who loves to eat peaches, 1 each;
Thanks to the little angels who provided nutrient solution: Qianxia remembers the past 20 bottles; Do not wake up 14 bottles; Su Su Su, Tong, Wu Wu 10 bottles; A girl who loves to eat peaches 9 bottles; Moon arrives 8 bottles; Drunken rain with smoke.Hasegawa, Chenchen, Anqiu Yoki 5 bottles; it’s jia not coffee, 28379904, Feifeizi 3 bottles; poppy. 2 bottles; Ashu ya, Qingxu-, fried glutinous rice balls, zero degrees, little yellow label, the first snow of November 17, 2002, oh um 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!