Staring blankly at Yukari Yakumo in front of her, Chu Lian asked in confusion, "What did you just say?"
"I said, I'm becoming more and more interested in you, little girl." When she grew serious, she no longer referred to herself as 'I' in her usual archaic tone. Her eyes locked onto Chu Lian's as she let out a faint sigh. "It's been so long since someone has piqued my interest. Life these past years has been unbearably dull."
"H-Huh? What are you talking about?" The confusion on Chu Lian's face deepened. She truly could not understand the temperament of the woman before her, nor what she was trying to do. This felt completely different from the so-called setting she had imagined.
"Hehe, that's not something you need to know. Just remember what I said. The answer will come to you eventually." Yukari Yakumo shook her head, offering no explanation as she lightly brushed the matter aside.
"Fine. I probably won't get any answers no matter what I ask right now. I won't ask anymore." Chu Lian decisively stopped pressing further. For now, Yukari seemed to be in a decent mood. It was best not to provoke her. If she suddenly turned tsundere, she would be the one to suffer.
"A wise choice." Opening her folding fan to conceal her crimson lips, Yukari turned to look at the graveyard, now resembling a barren wasteland, clicking her tongue in amazement. "I truly didn't expect you to have such a method. If I hadn't been paying attention just now, even I might have suffered a bit of damage. Freezing time and space, then using destructive particles that can annihilate everything... such a rogue-like combination technique. Did you come up with it yourself?"
"Uh, hehe..." Chu Lian let out an awkward laugh. She herself had no idea what had just happened. How had Nina come out from that space? And in such an unexpected manner, helping her wipe out all the enemies before her? Everything had been far beyond her expectations.
"Seems like you don't know either. Lucky little one. There are quite a few people standing behind you, supporting you. I hope you can hold on." Resting her cheek lightly in her hand, Yukari could tell from Chu Lian's expression that she had no answer to give. She gave up probing further.
"Here, this fan is a gift from me. Take it." Closing the Folding Fan of Silence, Yukari handed it to Chu Lian with a smiling expression.
"Thank you, Sister Yukari, for setting aside past grievances and gifting me something so precious. Deloris is deeply grateful." Chu Lian had no desire whatsoever to accept the fan again, but Yukari's smile already made everything clear. If she refused, the woman would definitely turn hostile.
Who asked for this fan?! Damn it! And wasn't this originally mine already?! You took it back without asking, and now you're returning it while making me accept it so respectfully—what exactly are you trying to do?! You ten-thousand-years-per-cycle eternally-eighteen old hag! If you want to confirm my location so you can teleport over anytime to bully me, just say so! No need to make up an excuse! There's definitely your mark on it, right? Definitely! Otherwise how could you appear the moment I took it out? You must've prepared this long ago!
Chu Lian's inner thoughts erupted in a frenzy, yet her face wore an extremely sweet smile, her expression so friendly it was almost nauseating.
The trades in Origin Land aren't as reliable as I imagined! How did a deal like this even get completed? Now I'm constantly on edge. I don't even know if I'll dare to trade there again. What if the next trading partner is another Yukari? I'll be played to death, okay? One of her is more than enough. If there's another one—even two Yuuka-level beings wouldn't be able to handle it. Should I consider making a trip to Tyrael to cling to Tírnas' thigh? If I hug her leg, forget one Yukari—even ten Yukaris would just be my playthings...
Chu Lian stared at Yukari's swaying figure, her inner complaints never ceasing. This sudden appearance had genuinely frightened her. She hadn't expected the fan to come with a tracking function. The moment she took it out, she basically turned into a teleportation marker in Yukari's eyes.
Still, she had been lucky this time. When attacked by a Transcendence Realm-level enemy, a series of coincidences had brought Yukari here as well. Not only had she escaped disaster, but it even seemed as if Yukari's ill will toward her had been reset to zero.
Of course, what would happen afterward was another matter entirely. She could only pray she wouldn't provoke her again. From now on, she would rather sell anyone's doujinshi than Yukari's. That woman was simply too terrifying.
Well... even if she couldn't sell Yukari's books, she could still read them herself, right? Since Yukari dared to bully her, then she would watch her get thoroughly dominated in those books. That counted as a different kind of revenge. Becoming the protagonist of a doujinshi herself held no interest—but watching someone else become one was rather delightful.
Come to think of it, Yukari becoming a Spacetime Traveling Merchant was truly unexpected. Didn't that require extremely difficult prerequisites to unlock? No matter how she looked at it, Yukari didn't seem like someone who had experienced death.
While Chu Lian was lost in her thoughts, Yukari, walking ahead, was also aware of her condition. She roughly understood what was going on in the girl's mind, but she neither exposed it nor spoke. Instead, as they gradually approached a massive crater, she slowed her steps.
Pfft...
Lost in thought and failing to notice the scene ahead, Chu Lian walked straight into Yukari's back. After catching a faint, elegant fragrance, she quickly stepped back and apologized, "Sister Yukari, I'm sorry. I didn't notice you stopped. I was thinking about something."
"I'm not that petty. No need to mind it." Yukari waved her hand dismissively before pointing at the crater ahead. "Little girl, do you see anything?"
Hearing her words, Chu Lian stepped forward curiously. She gazed at the meteor-like crater below, focusing intently for a while, but found nothing unusual. Raising her head in confusion, she asked, "Is my strength too low? Why don't I see anything strange?"
"There is something very strange." Yukari covered her mouth as she laughed, her demeanor almost like that of a young maiden.
After finishing her laugh, her large violet eyes narrowed slightly as she spoke softly, "Something very sinful... and it's connected to you by a thread. It seems to be related to you. Little girl, you've offended quite a few things. Now even these have set their sights on you. You'd best be careful in the future."
Frowning, Chu Lian truly saw nothing unusual down there. But since Yukari could see it, it must exist. She couldn't help but grow curious—just what exactly was it?
"Condensed from the most evil desires of this world, a wicked entity born from the very beginning of the universe... how long do you intend to keep hiding?" Yukari murmured softly.
As her words fell, she raised a hand. A talisman appeared between her fingers. Violet energy bloomed outward, forming something akin to a barrier, isolating this place from the outside world.
"Is this the power of a Transcendence Realm expert—or simply Yukari Yakumo's own ability? Creating another space so casually. We're clearly still within the same world, yet it feels impossible to touch anything beyond the barrier. How strange..." Chu Lian watched her movements, her longing for the realm of Transcendence deepening.
"Little girl, watch carefully." Yukari's voice carried a hint of amusement. "This scene may determine whether you can swiftly step into your next stage. If you comprehend it, at most three years—or as little as half a year—you'll break through. By then, just how powerful will you become? I'm quite curious. I want to see how great your potential truly is."
As she spoke, her slender hand wrapped in a white long glove pulled open a gap in the air. She reached inside—no one could tell where the opening led—and when she withdrew her hand, she was dragging out a fierce-looking man.
Perhaps because he had been seized and dragged here so suddenly, the man looked dazed at first. But the malice in his nature quickly surfaced. Ignoring his surroundings, he glared at the two girls and barked, "Who the hell are you? Why did you bring me here? Let me go right now, or you're dead!"
"A weakling who doesn't understand his situation." Chu Lian pressed a hand to her forehead. Did this man even possess intelligence? Someone capable of grabbing him here so effortlessly—how could that be someone he could oppose? Why threaten instead of begging for mercy?
"Noisy human." Yukari's expression turned ice-cold. Ignoring his struggles entirely, she casually tossed him into the deepest part of the crater.
The impact shattered several of his bones. The intense pain only stirred his vicious nature further. He glared at Yukari and roared, "You old hag, how dare you treat me like this! You're courting death! When my retainers get here, I'll make sure they capture you and turn you into my personal toy! Let's see if you're still so arrogant then! An old woman like you won't understand you're past your prime without proper discipline!"
"It's over..." Chu Lian could already imagine what would happen next. The girl beside her was now radiating endless killing intent. That meant she was truly angry.
"In a moment, we'll see whether you're still in the mood to laugh." Yukari lifted her eyes and glanced at the man indifferently, her voice utterly devoid of emotion.
"Hah, you think I'd be afraid of an old wom—ah... ah! What is that?!"
Before he could finish his sentence, a black sphere appeared behind him, its surface covered in writhing tentacles.
Several tentacles shot out, binding his limbs and hoisting him into the air. Another tentacle extended and pierced directly into the center of his scalp. Then the sphere floated upward along that tendril, splitting open a crack and swallowing him whole.
"Ugh..." Chu Lian immediately felt her stomach churn. That was utterly disgusting.
"Did you see that, little girl?" Yukari explained calmly from the side. "That sphere is the source of all this disaster. You cannot see it with your eyes. You can only sense it with your spiritual sense. As long as there is a suitable host nearby, it will merge into that host's body and then... become like this."
As she finished speaking, she raised a finger and pointed at what had once been a 'human,' now twisted into something else entirely.
"Is that some kind of tentacle monster?" Chu Lian's lips twitched as she asked.
Yukari shook her head. "Not exactly. Those tentacles are its sensory organs—equivalent to a human's five senses. However, they are also its most powerful weapons. It poses no threat to me. But to those who do not understand it... they may become its food in the very next second."
Yukari's explanation allowed Chu Lian to grasp the principle behind the creature. Yet as she stared at it, she truly did not know how to describe it.
It was simply far too revolting.