Chapter 113 - The Harem Rescue Project

As the acting sect leader, Xiao Lanle was ambushed at the Xiaoyao Cave Palace, a clear indication that someone within the Penglai Immortal Sect was plotting to seize the leadership. The sect must be in turmoil by now. Xiao Lanle held an incantation talisman between her fingers, casually muttering a few words into it. However, before the yellow talisman could float away from her side, it dropped to the ground. The talisman couldn't reach the outside world, as the trial secret realm was isolated. The surrounding scenery was familiar, reminiscent of places within the Penglai Immortal Mountains where she had trained and lived. With a calm mind, she gazed at the illusory scene ahead. The mermaid pearl floated beside her, a faint illusionary glow wrapping around her. "Junior Sister Xiao, can you hear me? Hey, hey?" A voice suddenly echoed from the mermaid pearl. Xiao Lanle heard Lin Qianshuang’s voice and initially thought it was a hallucination from the trial. But when another familiar female voice spoke near Lin, she believed it was indeed them. The Tianshu City Lord interjected at some point, saying, "If you speak to Lanle like this, she won’t believe it, thinking it’s just a trial illusion. It would be better for me to explain it to her instead." Xiao Lanle was momentarily stunned. Why would Senior Sister Lin be with the Tianshu City Lord? The City Lord’s subordinate retorted, "My Lady, I know the ins and outs of the sect leader trial better than you do. Let me explain it to my junior sister. Ow... it hurts." "I warned you to move gently. Hold me tighter and don't shout about the pain, or you'll attract unwanted creatures," the City Lord remarked sternly. "My Lady, I think it would be more convenient to remove your outer garment... Now, could you let me climb up? Otherwise, you’re in my way," came the reply, holding a hint of awkwardness. Hearing the rustle of clothes and the ambiguous whispers between the two, Xiao Lanle couldn't help but feel odd, blurting out, "Senior Sister, where are you? What are you two doing?" Before she could get an answer, the glow of the mermaid pearl dimmed, and the voices faded, leaving only the method Lin Qianshuang shared to break the trial in her hands. Suddenly, Xiao Lanle recalled the scene that had filled her with jealousy at the heart of the lake. Could it be... the Tianshu City Lord was forcing Senior Sister Lin again? Pondering over their conversation, indecent images populated her mind. Senior Sister Lin might be outwardly seeking to protect herself by accommodating, while inwardly unwilling, perhaps planning to escape when the City Lord's outer garments were off. Mu Weiyin must be coercing her; otherwise, why would she cry out in pain? The more Xiao Lanle thought about it, the more indignant and ashamed she felt. Her mind wandered to the precarious state of the Penglai Immortal Sect. Who in the sect could still maintain order now? She gripped her spiritual sword tightly, her inner treasure becoming increasingly agitated with her turbulent emotions. A terrifying force transformed into a murderous sword aura, annihilating the obstructive wicked illusions before her. Amidst the green shade and swirling yellow sand, a menacing evil beast loomed, approaching her menacingly. The trials opened layer by layer, with the mermaid pearl brightening momentarily around her, only to darken again. The lingering spiritual consciousness of the trial secret realm sensed a threat and obstructed the connection to the pearl. Lin Qianshuang forcefully wedged her sword into the rock wall, hanging precariously over a dark abyss, a shell-shaped spiritual artifact floated by her ear. She attempted to contact Xiao Lanle several times, eventually giving up when she saw no responses. Mu Weiyin stood on a horizontally grown stone spike below Lin Qianshuang, having removed her luxurious outer clothes, now wearing only a thin inner garment. Seeing Lin release the sword, she asked, "Could you not find the spiritual connection?" Lin Qianshuang replied, "City Lord, the spiritual link between Junior Sister Xiao and me has been severed." Anticipating Lin Qianshuang's response, Mu Weiyin continued, "You, come down, and continue down this path as we just did. It should lead to the bottom." Lin Qianshuang looked at the complex mechanisms on the protruding stone spikes on the cliff face, then glanced at Mu Weiyin, who had reverted to her adult form and rolled up her sleeves, seemingly ready to catch her again. It made her feel a bit awkward. She regretted impulsively jumping down with Mu Weiyin. Despite Weiyin's injuries, they didn’t hinder her spiritual skills. Lin Qianshuang initially intended to save her, yet it seemed she had become a cumbersome burden. "The City Lord's garment is impervious to water, fire, and toxins. The weak should have the awareness of their weakness. If you don’t wish to die, jump down and stay close to the City Lord," Mu Weiyin instructed. Lin Qianshuang thought she wasn't that weak, but faced with this strong-willed woman, she chose to obey her. Experience is invaluable, following a seasoned expert like her was surely better than fending for herself. Focusing below on the rotating blades, Lin Qianshuang leapt through the gaps with speed and precision, transforming into a small silver beast, landing in Mu Weiyin's arms. The furious winds intersected as decapitating blades swept past, hidden dark shafts in the earth randomly shot arrows, spinning from side to side. Lin Qianshuang, nestled in Mu Weiyin's arms, felt a chill of fear. She remembered stepping on a trap right after jumping down, narrowly avoiding the first wave of arrows and almost being hit by the second. Had it not been for Mu Weiyin’s quick thinking in tossing her a defensive talisman, giving her time to block with her sword, she feared she’d have been shredded to pieces. She gingerly touched a deep wound on her waist that still ached, indicating the sharpness of the arrows like they could slice through iron. Mu Weiyin's shoulder down to her collarbone was a mess of bloody flesh, a sight painful to witness. Yet, she seemed completely unaffected, moving her arm freely and swiftly navigating through the protruding rock formations to avoid the traps. Lin Qianshuang found Mu Weiyin’s condition odd. After all, she had just been in a fierce battle with Chen Shangqing. It was unusual for her to be this energetic after that encounter. Cautiously, Lin Qianshuang asked, "City Lord, I've figured out the traps. If you're not feeling well, I can carry you." Mu Weiyin's tone turned colder as she replied, "No need. Why would I require protection from someone like you? Just take care of yourself." With that, Lin Qianshuang held her tongue, not wanting to provoke Mu Weiyin's displeasure. Two purple shadows blurred across the intricate network of traps as they dashed through, Lin Qianshuang feeling like she was on a hellish roller coaster ride. Her silver-white fur stood on end, feeling as though it might be torn from her body. In contrast, Mu Weiyin descended with grace, her attire untouched and landing smoothly on the ground. Not a single hair or edge of her clothing was out of place, exuding the aura of a formidable master. Lin Qianshuang jumped down from Mu Weiyin's arms, transforming back into human form. She looked up, relieved to see the trap above had closed; otherwise, things could have gotten dire with falling rocks. Turning her gaze, she was about to ask Mu Weiyin their next direction, only to find her unconscious on the ground, reverted to her child form. Her previous composure seemed almost illusionary. Kneeling down, Lin Qianshuang noticed Mu Weiyin was still bound by a spiritual array, a handiwork of the righteous cultivators from the Penglai Immortal Sect that hadn’t yet been removed. They hadn't retreated. Mu Weiyin had been feigning composure, pushing herself beyond her limits for Lin Qianshuang’s benefit despite her depleted spiritual energy. How stubborn one can be for the sake of pride, Lin Qianshuang thought, a chuckle escaping her at the thought of Mu Weiyin’s stoic expression earlier. Lacking any protective qi, she was as vulnerable as any regular cultivator. Reflecting on it, thirty-odd righteous cultivators ganging up to ambush one person was indeed quite disgraceful. She mused to herself, noting that most of them were likely just tagging along, seeking to share in the merit without understanding the City Lord of Tianshu City’s true situation. An ashen butterfly orchid underfoot snapped its stem. Lin Qianshuang lifted Mu Weiyin's arm, helping her back to her feet. She noticed the strange, dark-blue butterfly orchid on the ground, puzzled by its presence in this subterranean palace where even the streams were toxic. Plants shouldn't exist here. Recalling a breeze she felt before they descended, she surmised there might be a habitable area connected to the outside world somewhere in this great underground palace. Supporting Mu Weiyin, Lin Qianshuang followed the scattered dark blue petal paths. A moment later, a woman's voice filled with complaint drifted past her ear. "Linsha, this is the one hundred and twentieth time you've failed to show up. You're too heartless." In the midst of the dark blue butterfly orchids, a beautifully dressed woman in earthen red stood, clad as a devil cultivator. A faint magical emblem on her forehead was beginning to transition into a spiritual glyph, indicating she was nearing ascension to the higher realm. Lin Qianshuang deduced she was a grand-stage devil cultivator close to transcending. Lin Qianshuang was about to greet her when a hand rested on her shoulder. Mu Weiyin slowly awoke, her expression unchanged, giving a quick glance at the beautiful woman. Her voice was weak as she said, "Ignore it. This is the domain of this fallen devil cultivator. These are illusions, remnants of her memories. Just pretend you don’t see them and move forward." Lin Qianshuang indeed soon perceived a human cultivator appear out of nowhere, seeming oblivious to their presence as they walked past towards the devil cultivator. These were indeed illusions, just as Mu Weiyin had described. Yet, the attire of this human cultivator bore the mark of the Penglai Immortal Sect, suggesting she was likely a sword cultivator given her descent by flying sword. Watching the romantic exchange between the devil cultivator and the human one, Lin Qianshuang was taken aback when the human turned her head, revealing her face. Astonishingly, she was also a woman, bearing striking features similar to Xiao Lanle. When did the righteous cultivators of Penglai, who prided themselves on the path of true cultivation, start to take devil cultivators as their Dao companions? Listening to the devil repeatedly call out the name Xiao Linsha, Lin Qianshuang finally recalled who this human was. The plank dedicated to the original sect leader in the spirit lamp hall of the Penglai Immortal Sect bore the name Xiao Linsha. The original leader of the Penglai Immortal Sect was actually a woman, a rarity in the typical harem novels filled with male protagonists. No wonder, when the male lead of the original text obtained the first sect leader’s inheritance spirit pearl, the lingering spirit that emerged was a female ghost, noted for both beauty and presence. In hindsight, it was undoubtedly the remnant consciousness of the first generation sect leader herself. Lin Qianshuang pondered for a moment, her imagination running wild as she concocted a dramatic tale of love and revenge, speculating whether this underground palace was not merely the leader’s tomb but a love nest shared with the female devil cultivator.