263 - Elasia Saga

Chapter 263 - Novel Translation When Fu Yan was yanked into a realm of darkness by the black tail, she was utterly shocked. In such a confined space, she didn’t have time to react. True essence surged rapidly, and her instinctive response was to strike out forcefully with her palm. But in that split second, she felt something wind around her wrist. The sensation was cold and clammy, carrying with it a dark, damp aura that sent chills down her spine. Before Fu Yan could steady her breath, the thing on her wrist turned and bit her. A wave of deathly energy, as if from decaying corpses, began to seep into her bones and blood from the wound. In that moment, alarms rang in Fu Yan's mind. Even though she didn't know what had bitten her, she suddenly felt her hand starting to dissolve. In a critical instant, without time to dwell on the implications, she yanked herself forcefully upright. The formidable spiritual power within her body severed from her left arm. Her arm was torn off just like that. Fortunately, seizing this opportunity, Fu Yan augmented the force of her move and barely managed to leap out of the black coffin. She glanced at her severed arm, feeling a sense of shock. If she had lingered inside for even a moment longer, she would've likely ended up as a pool of corpse fluid. Being in a puppet body had its benefits — there was no blood to splatter. Compared to being instantly interred here, losing an arm was already the best possible outcome. However, the danger still lingered. As her thoughts resettled, Fu Yan stood resolutely beside the coffin, her gaze fixated on it with furrowed brows and a look of fierce determination. Everything that had just transpired happened in a flash. By the time the demon spirit realized what had occurred, Fu Yan had emerged with one arm missing. "This... this..." The demon spirit gaped at Fu Yan and then at the dark coffin, shock filling its face as it struggled to articulate its thoughts. Hiss— At the same time, a sound, reminiscent of a snake hissing, emanated from the coffin, making the silence even more eerie. Sensing that something inside was about to emerge, Fu Yan quickly retreated a few steps. Sure enough, a moment later, a serpent with a completely black head rose proudly from the coffin. Strangely, the creature's body seemed already rotten and putrid, with eyes of a terrifyingly pale hue. Despite its semblance to a dead thing, it exuded the unmistakable aura of a living being. Hiss— As Fu Yan watched in amazement, another black serpent crawled out of the coffin. In no time, the two serpent heads stood erect, their forked tongues flicking as they stared at Fu Yan. Fu Yan: "..." She couldn't deny that it was fortunate she reacted swiftly when pulled in; otherwise, had each snake taken a bite, her body might not have survived the ordeal. The confined space of this chamber left Fu Yan with no room to retreat; the two snakes seemed poised to strike at any moment. Fu Yan had to focus, her eyes fixed on them, her hand instinctively gripping her sword's hilt, ready to draw it and cut them down at any moment. Yet, after staring at Fu Yan for a moment, the snakes made no further moves. It was unclear whether they sensed danger from her or simply lost interest in her. Raising her eyes to the floating demon spirit, Fu Yan noticed its gaze resting on the serpents and asked, "Do you know what these things are?" The demon spirit thought briefly before replying, "They seem like nothing special, just ordinary snakes." They didn't even qualify as mystical beasts. Indeed, that seemed true; Fu Yan couldn't detect any formidable presence from the snakes. However, labeling them as ordinary was misleading; anyone bitten by them without sufficient cultivation would likely perish. "Oh, I understand." The demon spirit suddenly seemed to grasp something, its expression one of sudden realization. After a moment, it explained to Fu Yan, "They are probably just regular snakes, but lacking food in this place, they could only feed on the rotting corpses inside the coffins." Having ingested so much necrotic energy, they've transformed, yet strangely, they haven't died, becoming a dangerous poison in this world. Fu Yan glanced again at the snaky silhouettes, asking the demon spirit, "Do you need them to restore your power?" Demon spirit: "..." "Even though I'm not afraid of deathly poison, I can't absorb it!" The demon spirit gritted its teeth, visibly annoyed. It had no intention of absorbing such a vile thing — even it had standards! Since they served no purpose, Fu Yan decided not to overthink it. Grasping her sword, she intended to finish off the snakes, but paused as an idea struck her, her eyes lighting up. "If they're accustomed to consuming decayed corpses, perhaps they could also eat the Corpse Walkers or even the Corpse Kings of the Ghost Corpse Sect?" Fu Yan suggested with a smile, eyeing the demon spirit. Besides, using such a poison could catch an adversary completely off guard. The demon spirit, alarmed by Fu Yan's smile, sighed, "Perhaps... maybe they could." With this in mind, Fu Yan sheathed her sword and retrieved a flower from her pocket, tossing it into the coffin. Its pollen instantly spread within. Hiss— After a few more hisses, the dark serpent silhouettes fell into a stupor. Fu Yan suspected there were more than just two serpents in the coffin, so she waited until the pollen's scent dissipated, then approached to inspect. This time, the demon spirit reluctantly floated into the coffin first. Once assured it was safe, Fu Yan vaulted back into the coffin. Enveloped in darkness, she retrieved a luminous pearl to provide a faint glow around her. Inside the coffin, six or seven serpentine forms lay in slumber. Without hesitation, Fu Yan used a spatial artifact to collect them all. Only a spatial artifact could store living creatures. "It seems there’s a passage beneath the coffin," the demon spirit murmured, examining a slit. Fu Yan had thoroughly surveyed the cramped chamber outside and found no exit, implying the way out must be within the coffin. Uncertain what mechanism might unlock the passage, Fu Yan decided brute force was her best option. With a loud bang, an explosive noise echoed from within the coffin. The ground beneath Fu Yan's feet shifted dramatically, and she fell into the revealed passageway. Fearing further toxic creatures below, Fu Yan quickly expanded her true essence, shielding herself with a protective barrier. Soon, Fu Yan tumbled out of the passage. Regaining her footing, Fu Yan surveyed her surroundings in the pearl's glow, only to be startled by what she saw. The spacious chamber was filled with coffins of various sizes, resembling a true cemetery. The sleeping flower she had discarded lay beneath her feet, with a few snakes scattered nearby. Trying to suppress her shock, Fu Yan promptly collected the remaining serpents. Lacking intelligence, they couldn't be tamed — once used, they were gone for good. Contemplating her surroundings momentarily, Fu Yan sighed softly, "Let's focus on finding a way out." For some reason, Fu Yan felt an eerie malevolence lingering here, suggesting it wasn't a place to linger nor harbor any hidden treasures, but perhaps concealed great danger. Regardless, they needed to leave quickly. Determined, Fu Yan diligently began examining the space, hoping to swiftly discover an exit. But despite searching for some time, there were no results. The chamber held nothing but countless coffins, devoid of any secret portals or exit mechanisms. "You should check above," Fu Yan directed to the demon spirit. Flight was impossible here, but the demon spirit could still float upwards to scout. Before long, the demon spirit returned, shaking its head. "There's nothing. This place is like a sealed cage with no way out." In essence, it was a cage one could enter but not exit. Hearing this, Fu Yan knitted her brows tighter, realizing not only was there no apparent exit, but the oppressive aura of death here posed great risk to cultivators if they lingered. Having searched futilely for a while longer, the demon spirit lamented, "There's no hope. This place, interring so many, must be sealed off entirely with strong restrictions, allowing entry but not exit, unless we can tear through space ourselves." Fu Yan, yet to ascend, couldn't tear through space even at full power. But surrendering to fate was not an option. Fu Yan even began to strike outwards, but it was as if her actions vanished into the abyss, eliciting no response. In the end, all she could do was sheath her sword. At that moment, Fu Yan recalled she still possessed a treasure map related to this tomb. It might hold some clues. With this thought, she hurriedly retrieved the map. The brown parchment, adorned with cryptic markings, prompted Fu Yan to sit atop a coffin and ponder whether the treasure map served as a key of sorts. With little choice, the demon spirit moved closer to join her. In the darkness, the pair silently scrutinized the map, the time quietly ticking away in the mausoleum. “Crack!” Before long, a sudden noise split the silence, followed by a figure abruptly plummeting from above. Fu Yan and the demon spirit simultaneously turned to look. ... With a loud rumble, the stone door was pushed open by Shui Liu Qing. Cautiously, she stepped through to the other side, just as another sound resonated from the opposite side of the chamber. Startled, Shui Liu Qing swiftly moved to investigate, and as she lifted her gaze, she caught a glimpse of another stone door closing. Was someone here? The thought crossed Shui Liu Qing’s mind swiftly. Staring at the now-sealed stone door, she realized someone had indeed been in this room moments ago. By sheer coincidence, she and the other individual had opened the stone doors at the same time, and by the time she entered, they had already crossed into the next chamber. The stone door behind, the one Shui Liu Qing had just opened, also closed once again. The sound of it brought Shui Liu Qing back to her senses. She quickly took out her puppet paper figure, confirming that there were no other members of the Shuanghua Palace around. It seemed people from other sects were also present in these chambers. As she prepared to put the puppet away, Shui Liu Qing suddenly noticed Fu Yan’s presence had abruptly vanished. She had sensed her nearby just moments ago. What happened? Naturally, Shui Liu Qing didn’t assume Fu Yan had perished. Instead, she speculated that Fu Yan might be trapped in an enclosed space. Securing the puppet, Shui Liu Qing began to survey the surroundings. She found herself in an armory, with various weapons adorning the walls and a stand occupying the center. After a cursory inspection, Shui Liu Qing realized the weapons were no better than scrap metal. Perhaps there had been quality weapons before, but they must’ve been taken by whoever preceded her. Realizing this, Shui Liu Qing felt neither anger nor resentment. She accepted that luck played a role in opportunities, and having arrived later than others, she couldn’t be upset. Unfazed, Shui Liu Qing prepared to leave. While she didn’t mind someone taking the lead once, she had no desire to perpetually follow. Otherwise, she feared she would gain nothing from this journey. However, as Shui Liu Qing stepped to the center of the chamber, she felt an intangible vibration beneath her feet. Startled, she paused. Was something beneath her? Stunned for a moment, Shui Liu Qing stopped and crouched down. That same unseen vibration emanated from beneath the floor again, confirming the presence of something below. Tapping the floor, she heard the hollow echo. After a brief pause, she decided to channel her true essence, then abruptly struck the ground beneath her. A large fracture appeared instantly, and Shui Liu Qing quickly pried up a section of the floor. Beneath, a long groove was revealed with a box quietly resting inside. “Phew—” The box was dusted with a thick layer of dirt. Instinctively, Shui Liu Qing blew on it gently, revealing a black smear on the box surface. It was... poison. Recognizing the danger, Shui Liu Qing immediately blocked her breath. She contemplated the situation, then pulled out a small puppet. The puppet carefully retrieved the box from the trench and opened it swiftly. Inside lay an exceptionally clear spirit sword. With just a glance, Shui Liu Qing knew it was no ordinary spirit sword. “Fizz—” At that moment, the puppet holding the box was instantly disintegrated to ash, likely succumbing to the poison on the box. Fortunately, the box was now open. The sword emitted a subtle aura. After some thought, Shui Liu Qing decided to pick it up. “Dripping Water... Sword?” ... Back in the tomb. Ji Qing Jue realized what was happening just as her body slammed down, crashing through something and depositing her into a square space. Thanks to her protective true essence, she emerged unscathed. After a moment of mental reprieve, Ji Qing Jue reached to prop herself up, only to touch something hard. Momentarily confused, she grasped what felt like an irregular stone, slightly round with depressions. The darkness was impenetrable, obliterating any visibility. Nevertheless, Ji Qing Jue remained unperturbed. She extended her arm, revealing a string of beads on her wrist. These were no ordinary beads. Activating her true essence, Ji Qing Jue induced a soft glow to emanate from them. The light provided much-needed visibility, enabling Ji Qing Jue to discern her surroundings. Instinctively looking downward, she was startled to find a pale skull glaring up at her. Ji Qing Jue: “...” She finally realized that the object she had been feeling was a skull. Dumbfounded, Ji Qing Jue stared, stunned, for several moments. Recovering her composure, she hastily withdrew her hand. Glancing around, the square space appeared to be another coffin, the cover of which she had demolished upon her descent. Realizing this, Ji Qing Jue cursed silently. Ignoring other concerns, she quickly flipped out of the coffin, removing the necrotic aura from her body immediately. Catching her breath, Ji Qing Jue suddenly sensed an unfamiliar presence closely watching her. She widened her eyes, turning swiftly toward it. In the distance, another circle of light flickered. A figure was seated atop a coffin, apparently observing her in return. "Who’s there?" Ji Qing Jue's demeanor turned cold and commanding. On the coffin, Fu Yan was somewhat taken aback. She hadn't expected anyone else to accidentally stumble into this tomb. Upon closer inspection, the figure seemed familiar. For a moment, Ji Qing Jue didn’t recognize Fu Yan. Cautiously still, she clutched her sword tighter, unwilling to approach recklessly. Thus, they remained in a silent standoff for a while, neither party speaking. "Ji Qing Jue?" Fu Yan's mind raced until she finally identified the figure before her. The person was indeed Ji Qing Jue, the renowned enchantress of the Northern Realm. Though their paths had crossed briefly in a past secret realm, they shared no significant acquaintance. Upon calling out, Fu Yan rose to her feet. A pause followed as Ji Qing Jue processed her name. Staring intently at Fu Yan, she recalled, "You’re... Fu Yan?" In a prior secret realm, Ji Qing Jue had intended to seek revenge on Fu Yan for exploiting her. But with Fu Yan’s eventual departure from the Northern Realm, their paths hadn’t crossed since. Neither had anticipated meeting here today. Despite knowing of one another, Fu Yan and Ji Qing Jue weren’t close and bypassed pleasantries. While Fu Yan harbored no hostility, she briefed Ji Qing Jue on their predicament. "Your arm..." Ji Qing Jue finally noticed Fu Yan's missing limb, feeling a surge of surprise. Fu Yan merely smiled nonchalantly, not bothering with an explanation. Initially skeptical, Ji Qing Jue became convinced of their situation only after her own futile attempts. Indeed, escape seemed impossible. Meanwhile, Fu Yan had returned to studying the treasure map, absorbed in thought, seemingly unconcerned about Ji Qing Jue. Simultaneously, Ji Qing Jue feigned searching for an exit while occasionally glancing at Fu Yan. Beneath her allure, traces of conflict flickered in her gaze. Unconsciously, she tightened her grip on the sword. Gradually closing the gap, Ji Qing Jue drew nearer to Fu Yan, who remained oblivious. Ji Qing Jue bit her lip, apparently firming her resolve. With a swift, decisive motion, a surge of formidable sword intent surged toward Fu Yan from behind, poised to pierce through her. Ji Qing Jue's grip tightened on her spirit sword, believing the moment of success was nigh. Yet, to her surprise, her sword halted a mere centimeter from Fu Yan, an unseen force immobilizing her mid-air. Above, the demon spirit let out a derisive laugh. Fu Yan rose again, turning to look at Ji Qing Jue, who was now firmly suspended by the demon spirit's power. Her expression betrayed no surprise at the current predicament. She had already noticed the hesitation in Ji Qing Jue's actions before she struck. Curiously, although Ji Qing Jue had intended to ambush her, there was no malice or greed in her eyes. Her attack was not aimed at any vital point, but seemed more akin to an attempt to subdue Fu Yan opportunistically. "Care to explain?" Fu Yan asked, watching her with an air of calm amusement. Ji Qing Jue seemed to come to her senses, her expression pained. She despised underhanded ambushes, yet here she was, attempting one herself. In a moment of despair, she bit her lip tightly and said, "There's nothing to explain. I just wanted to take the chance to kill and plunder." Fu Yan shrugged nonchalantly, "I don't mind a bit of soul-reading." "You..." Ji Qing Jue seemed on the verge of speaking, but held back. Fu Yan was patient, waiting for her explanation. When Ji Qing Jue opened her eyes again, a tinge of reluctance colored her gaze. "The one who formed the master-servant contract with Shui Liu Qing is you, isn't it? Fu Yan, what right do you have to bind her to you?" Fu Yan found Ji Qing Jue's response somewhat unexpected, yet not entirely surprising. Ji Qing Jue donned the attire of the Flower Spirit Valley, her identity clear. Before entering the lake, Fu Yan recalled Shui Liu Qing frequently glancing in the direction of the Flower Spirit Valley. It seemed that when they left the Northern Realm, they encountered the same black ship, and they had been together during the previous blood sacrifice array. Thinking back on these events, Fu Yan suddenly understood. Facing Ji Qing Jue once more, a smile played on her lips. "You came to kill me for her." "You have feelings for her."