"Where is this place?" A chilling wind howled past her ears. Chu Lian opened her eyes to find herself in a pitch-black world. Aside from a faint bluish glow on the distant horizon, there seemed to be no other source of light, making it impossible to tell where she was.
"Chilling wind, dark clouds, blue light, endless night... is this the set of some horror film?" Even though she knew the situation was urgent, Chu Lian's habit of sudden, erratic thoughts surfaced again.
Fortunately, she managed to rein herself in this time. After only a brief distraction, she clenched her teeth and looked ahead. "Forget it. First, I need to find where Xiu'er might be hiding. If this is the territory of some powerful ghost cultivator, then there must be a base of operations. I just need to find that."
"Xiu'er's position." She took a couple of steps, then closed her eyes, sensing the aura on Li Xiu'er. She needed to know exactly where she was.
"Found it." She raised her hand and pointed to her right—the northeast direction. Though she didn't know how far it was, Chu Lian chose to proceed on foot.
It wasn't that she didn't want to summon Suicune. Rather, she discovered that many of her abilities were unusable in this place.
Her greatest losses were undoubtedly the Divine Spirit Art and Tírnas' Blessing—Undying Body. One enhanced her damage and techniques, while the other provided exceptional protection, ensuring she wouldn't easily fall into danger.
"Cold Beauty works. The Devourer's Soul Orb works. The Seven Illusions Bow works. Ordinary Punch works. Mystic Eyes of Death Perception works. If all of these still function, then it's fine. It's just that Teleport is gone... what a pity." Chu Lian had feared most that all her core abilities and weapons would be sealed. But now it seemed that aside from Teleport, everything essential remained usable—so the situation wasn't too bad.
"Stop! Who are you?" As she advanced and crossed a small hill, several grotesque ghost officers guarding a small shop atop it spotted her and immediately shouted.
Concerned only with Li Xiu'er, Chu Lian paid them no mind. With a flick of her right hand, the jade blade condensed, and Cold Beauty appeared in her grip. She moved swiftly past them, her blade flashing as she cleanly cleaved them in two.
"Ah—!" With a miserable cry, these souls—already dead and inexplicably summoned here to serve as ghost officers—vanished like melting snow under her strike.
"Annoying." Leaving behind a single word, Chu Lian continued forward without looking back. Now that ghost officers had appeared here, there would certainly be more ahead. She was already prepared to fight her way through.
Sure enough, not long after crossing the hill, wave after wave of ghost officers rushed toward her. It was unclear whether they were patrolling or had learned of her arrival and come to capture her.
But under Chu Lian's "Depart, O Weaklings" aura, all of them vanished within this eerie domain.
With a single strike, she beheaded a towering ghost warrior. Leaning slightly on Cold Beauty, Chu Lian let out a slow breath and shook her head with a bitter smile. "There are more and more enemies, and they're getting stronger. Without the Divine Spirit Art, both the power and recovery speed of my spiritual power have dropped significantly. If this drags on too long, it'll become troublesome."
If she still didn't realize that these ghost officers had come specifically to capture her, she might as well turn back. Though she didn't know why they were attacking in waves for her to eliminate, they were undeniably a growing nuisance.
"I'll cut my way through. No hesitation. Xiu'er must be ahead—I'm going to save her..." Chu Lian lifted her gaze toward the faintly visible city at the foot of the mountain. She raised Cold Beauty and charged forward without the slightest wavering.
Since she had already chosen to fall into this trap, failing to rescue Xiu'er was something she would never allow.
Step by step, she advanced. Ahead, tens of thousands of ghost officers stood in formation. Several Earth-rank ghost generals sat astride spectral horses, wielding long weapons as they stared at her. Chu Lian gave a faint smile. "Stalling for time while gathering more forces to form a formation against me? You—this ghost cultivator far beyond Heaven rank—why won't you show yourself personally? And why not send Heaven-rank cultivators to capture me? What exactly are you planning?"
"What am I planning? I'm thinking about how to capture you and make you obediently become my new bride." The voice belonged to a young, handsome man. His hair was tied in a neat topknot, and he wore a flowing blue hanfu adorned with water patterns. With sharp brows, bright eyes, a tall build, and fair skin, his roguish smile alone would easily make him a superstar in the modern world.
He sat inside a house decorated like a bridal chamber. On the edge of the ornate bed behind him sat a petite figure. She wore a red bridal veil, obscuring her face, but judging by her figure, it was almost certainly Li Xiu'er.
Sure enough, after he spoke, the girl under the veil responded. "Didn't you say you only needed me? Why do you also want Chu Lian? She's innocent—this has nothing to do with her. Please let her go." Her voice was cold and steady, completely unlike her usual timid self.
Hearing this, the ghost cultivator shook his head. "No. You possess the Spiritual Illusion Body—an exceedingly rare constitution. Even over a thousand years, there hasn't been another whose innate talent surpasses yours."
"But her... she carries the soul of Overlord Xiang Yu, a once-in-an-era existence. Perhaps her spiritual constitution isn't much stronger than yours, but that rich fragrance steeped in a thousand years of history—how could a mere young girl like you compare?"
"There's a great deal of karma surrounding her, and it's very peculiar. If I obtain her body, combined with yours, acquiring two such rare spiritual physiques at once, I will undoubtedly step onto the supreme path. At that point, not only would this place fail to imprison me, but even if I return to the Otherside, there would be few who could stand against me."
"Do you think I would give up such an opportunity? Or rather—having lost everything—what right do you have to make such a demand?" With each word he spoke, Li Xiu'er fell further into silence. She truly had nothing left she could offer.
This body? He would take it whenever he wished. Offering it willingly now would achieve nothing but degrade herself.
Moreover, she couldn't think of any bargaining chip that could make him choose between gaining only her or gaining both her and an enhanced version of herself—and abandon the latter.
"You shouldn't have come..." Tears suddenly slipped from her eyes. She truly hadn't expected Chu Lian to be so foolish—knowing full well that coming here might end in failure, yet still so stubborn, just like that figure who had never once retreated, never once admitted defeat.
"You shouldn't have come..." Her fists clenched tightly as memories from the moment they met until now flashed through her mind. Those were the most precious moments she shared with the girl—and the very reason she had held on until now without giving up.
"You shouldn't have come..." Tears fell onto the back of her hand, shattering into droplets. Her heart twisted in pain. The more she missed her, the deeper her feelings grew. The more she recalled, the deeper she sank into it... was this what love was?
Yes... she loved her. Why had she only admitted it now? Was it because she was her cousin? Because she lacked strength? Because the girl was too outstanding—so she didn't dare?
All of that was nothing but illusion... all false, wasn't it? The girl had never hidden her feelings. So why did she have to hesitate so much?
They had already crossed the line. Their relationship had long ceased to be pure—wasn't that so? Then why, why, why...?
Her teeth sank into her lower lip, biting down hard—hard enough that she tasted a trace of iron. It was the taste of blood, the taste of her heart's tears.
"Oh? Crying? What a pity—it's useless. I must have her, and I must obtain her without relying on my own power. Only then will it feel satisfying."
The ghost cultivator seemed to know Li Xiu'er's current state. He glanced back at her and spoke casually before turning once more to the mirror before him, watching the girl fight tirelessly against what seemed like an endless tide of ghost officers.
"I will definitely bring you back, Xiu'er..." Even though fatigue had begun to creep in, Chu Lian's eyes never once blinked. She stared at the enemies before her, her heart calm as an ancient well.
"If this blade must carry hatred, then let that hatred stretch on endlessly."
"What are mere mortal barriers to me? I raise my blade and demand a ringing answer."
"What can this myriad host of ghosts do to me? The bright moon still shines upon half my heart."
"May I gather the passing years into my arms, and let fleeting splendor dance across the eight wastes..."
To keep her mind from wavering, Chu Lian began to sing on the spot. Even her casual humming carried a unique charm. Combined with the girl's ethereal and resplendent presence, the slightly desolate melody took on a grand and majestic tone.
She wanted to declare it loudly to her enemies—she was here. As long as she refused to stop, no one could block her path. No one.
"Good, good, good! What a line—'I raise my blade and demand a ringing answer.' Such fearlessness truly befits the woman I've taken a liking to. You indeed possess the valor of Xiang Yu of old—truly capable of dancing across the eight wastes!" The ghost cultivator was visibly moved and began clapping upon hearing Chu Lian's song.
He had never expected that even under such circumstances, Chu Lian could remain so bold and unrestrained. How was this any different from Xiang Yu singing before tens of thousands in his time?
She was truly a rare woman of this world. The longer he looked at her, the more he liked her.
Such a remarkable beauty—how could she not attract countless admirers in this world?
But not anymore. She would belong to him, and no one else would ever lay a hand on her.
Clang— Cold Beauty blocked the spear thrust toward her, but Chu Lian was forced to take several steps back. Two long spears pressed down from behind, forcing her body toward the ground.
Cold Beauty stabbed into the earth as Chu Lian resisted with all her might, refusing to kneel. She would kneel to heaven, to earth, to her parents—but never to these ghost officers.
"So stubborn!" The final ghost general approached and swung his spear, striking heavily at the back of Chu Lian's knee.
With Teleport unusable and the Undying Body gone, Chu Lian, surrounded and outnumbered, had no way to cope without using the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. In less than half a minute, she was defeated and reduced to her current state.
Yet she refused to yield. Even as intense pain shot through her leg, she kept her head raised, looking at the remaining eighty thousand ghost soldiers and generals before her with a proud smile. "I may have lost—but don't think I'll ever submit."
"Stubborn?" Seemingly enraged by her attitude, not only did the ghost general who struck her knee continue, but the two restraining her shoulders also swung their spear shafts, striking her again and again.
"I will never... submit..." Gritting her teeth, she refused to kneel or beg for mercy. Her eyes locked onto the ghost generals before her, that innate pride shining through.
Pfft... She spat out a mouthful of blood. Her internal organs throbbed with pain, yet she still smiled—a bleak, resolute smile.
Not yet... this wasn't the moment. She had to endure...