Chapter 105 - The Harem Rescue Project

The clear sky suddenly transformed, dark clouds rolled in, and lightning cracked down from the heavens, striking the crowd below. Lin Qianshuang withdrew her hand after tossing an apple, staring in disbelief at the crack in the ground where the lightning had struck. Above her, the thundercloud loomed, as if fixating on her as an anomaly that shouldn't exist within this realm, seemingly ready to eliminate her. This Heavenly Dao sure is petty. She had merely adjusted the storyline—ensuring that those meant to face justice did so, while sparing the innocent, wrongfully burdened souls. Her adjustment of karma conformed to the rules of heaven and earth. All she did was teach a scumbag, whom she truly despised, a small lesson. How did it come to provoke the anger of the heavens? Lin Qianshuang took a bite of an apple to calm her nerves, clicking her tongue. The Heavenly Dao was being overly sensitive. Liang Jingxuan was fundamentally a child of fate in this realm; except for her, an anomaly from the original work, no one else could kill him. Moreover, she hadn't even challenged the authority of the Heavenly Dao. Was it so eager to erase her? A beam of violet-gold light descended from the sky, engulfing the near-lifeless Liang Jingxuan on the altar. A dragon swam through the beam, its green slitted eyes reflected the image of Lin Qianshuang, and as the rolling thunder faded into the flocked grey clouds, it vanished from sight. The crowd watched in astonishment as Liang Jingxuan disappeared miraculously from the altar. Xiao Lanle raised her Suwen Sword, which released a sword aura to block the light, but a mysterious force pushed her into the crowd. Fortunately, a fellow disciple caught her and helped her to her feet. Lin Qianshuang looked at the gathering thundercloud above her and was inwardly shocked. The half-eaten apple dropped to the ground. "Heavenly Dao, come on, I was just kidding! Do you have to take it seriously?" Since her last encounter with tribulation clouds at the demonic baby stage, this was the second time she saw such aggressively ominous clouds. Back then, Xuan Luowan had sacrificed a tail and a century’s worth of cultivation just to save her. Although this wasn't a tribulation cloud this time, its power was not to be underestimated. Thinking of Xuan Luowan brought a sense of melancholy to Lin Qianshuang. She retrieved the Han Chan Zither from her storage jade slip, quietly leaving the crowd for an open space. Knowing that these clouds wouldn't spare her easily, staying among the crowd would inevitably involve innocent bystanders from her sect. It was better to leave early to avoid unnecessary trouble. Suddenly, someone tugged at her sleeve. The Suwen Sword blocked Lin Qianshuang's path. Xiao Lanle noticed Lin Qianshuang's troubled expression, and a foreboding feeling arose in her heart. "Senior Sister, where are you going?" Pointing at the thunderclouds above, Lin Qianshuang pushed aside Xiao Lanle's sword and spoke earnestly, "It's dangerous around me right now. This thundercloud is targeting me, Junior Sister Xiao. It's best if you keep your distance." Xiao Lanle looked with confusion at the thundercloud that moved with Lin Qianshuang's steps and froze for a moment. "Senior Sister, your cultivation has reached the later stage. Are you advancing to a new realm? I've never seen Jindan-stage cultivators summon such clouds." Lin Qianshuang rummaged through her storage jade slip but couldn't find a defensive artifact. She ended up pulling out a series of blank yellow talismans and used her demonic energy to inscribe mid-level lightning-avoidance symbols, haphazardly sticking them all over herself. Better to try something hopeless than nothing at all—these lightning talismans were better than nothing. Xiao Lanle watched Lin Qianshuang plastering herself with talismans like a walking yellow monster, and suddenly, the stress and negativity she had felt evaporated, and she couldn't help but let out a laugh. Lin Qianshuang couldn't understand why Xiao Lanle laughed, but seeing her pause, she quickly said, "Junior Sister, yes, keep this distance. Don’t come any closer, or you might get implicated." If the lightning cloud struck her and harmed the soul of Xiao Wan within the Han Chan Zither, it would be troublesome. She didn’t want to lose the soul she had painstakingly condensed. Lin Qianshuang solemnly handed the Han Chan Zither to Xiao Lanle, looking into her eyes seriously, "Junior Sister, this zither is precious to me, please keep it safe. If I am gravely injured, give this zither to the Lord of Tianxu City and have her place it in the Tianxu Treasure Pavilion." Xiao Lanle took the Han Chan Zither, in the face of Lin Qianshuang's surprised expression, tossed it to a sect disciple nearby, and then grabbed Lin Qianshuang's wrist. Rising with her onto the suspended Suwen Sword, they landed on a distant hill. She withdrew a lightning-repelling treasure gifted by the Lingxiao Sect's leader during the Golden Lake competition from her storage slip, and created a barrier to protect them both. Just as the two steadied themselves, a cloud of lightning formed a mushroom-shaped light globule, pounding down on the lightning protection barrier over Lin Qianshuang's head. After just one lightning bolt, Xiao Lanle's lightning-repelling treasure already showed cracks, as though it were about to shatter. Seeing things go awry and Xiao Lanle unable to escape the lightning's range, Lin Qianshuang turned and shielded Xiao Lanle in her embrace, unleashing unrestrained demonic energy to protect her with her own flesh. Unlike Xiao Wan, who had multiple lives to spare, if something happened to Xiao Lanle, it would be over. Lightning after lightning transformed into glowing spheres crashing against the barrier. Lin Qianshuang’s demonic energy was already depleted and couldn’t sustain the shield. Struck by a lightning mark on her back, she was slammed to the ground, bleeding all over, as furry beastly ears emerged through her dark hair, and her now ink-colored eyes reverted to their original bright blue. Supporting herself on one arm, Lin Qianshuang's deep blue eyes grew increasingly blurred as she gazed down at Xiao Lanle, who was struggling to maintain the barrier. A demonic mark appeared on her forehead as she swallowed a mouthful of bitter blood and said, "Quick, escape while the thundercloud is still gathering. Junior Sister, I'll be fine, but your presence here distracts me." Xiao Lanle looked at Lin Qianshuang's unusual eyes and the furry beast ears emerging from her hair. She reached out with curiosity to touch her face, noticing how the tear mole under her left eye accentuated her alluring features. Her eyes flickered with intrigue. Senior Sister, what other secrets do you have? Why do you appear in this strange form? Xiao Lanle gently wiped the sweat from Lin Qianshuang's forehead with the back of her hand, her dark eyes filled with resolve as she looked at the thunderclouds. She summoned her natal sword, which transformed into a sword light to shield them from above. "Senior Sister, don't think you can fool me. You’re trying to send me away because you can’t hold on any longer. Even if it means dying, I want to die with you." "Whether you live or die, you must not leave my side." Lin Qianshuang was momentarily startled. Her chin was suddenly grabbed, and Xiao Lanle slightly lifted her head, biting her lips and kissing her deeply, ignoring her resistance. She wrapped her arms around her waist, and the two toppled over, switching positions so Xiao Lanle was now shielding her underneath. The Suwen Sword hovered above, forming part of the protective barrier. Its thin blade gave Lin Qianshuang the sense it might shatter at any moment. Straining to maintain her guise, which was on the verge of reverting to her original form, Lin Qianshuang reached upward, burning her inner demonic core to create a continuous stream of demonic light to fend off the downward assault. "Burning your demonic core will exhaust you within half an hour. Even if you fend off the heavenly thunder, your cultivation will be utterly depleted. Dear Yanyu, it seems you're more loyal to my destined partner than I." A figure cloaked in violet appeared overhead. Mu Weiyin elegantly descended beneath the thunderclouds, her gaze lingering for a few seconds on Xiao Lanle’s arms enclosing Lin Qianshuang, a subtle frown briefly crossing her refined brows before she looked away. She formed eighteen seals with her hands, sending them against the thunderclouds, dissipating the light globules crashing from above into the air. The lingering power of the seals resonated with Lin Qianshuang’s demonic energy, softly enveloping her in a protective embrace, stabilizing her fragmented aura.