Chapter 500 - 499: Why is the Holy Maiden Laughing?

Chapter 500: Chapter 499: Why is the Holy Maiden Laughing?

Chapter 499: Why is the Holy Maiden Laughing?

"Never mind, I don’t care about the reasons you want to become Sect Master. What I’m more curious about is that legendary opportunity that supposedly allows one to break through from Early Nascent Soul to Peak Nascent Soul in just a month... Don’t worry, I know such things are secret."

Lin Meixiang smiled casually. "It’s just that if you were to encounter such an opportunity again and instantly break through to Divine Transformation, I doubt there would be much resistance left to your claim for the Sect Master position."

As she spoke, a peculiar expression flashed across Ling Shuangxue’s face.

Ling Shuangxue knew that her initial breakthrough from Early to Mid Nascent Soul could still be attributed to the reshaping of her Sword Heart and the accumulation of her cultivation. But the subsequent breakthroughs were rather extraordinary.

The assistance from the Sword Emperor’s legacy was one factor, but the dual cultivation with her Dao Companion, who was an unparalleled Cauldron Furnace, played an equally crucial role.

It was just by chance that while receiving the Sword Emperor’s legacy, Ling Shuangxue also refined the residual traces of energy her Dao Companion had left within her body. Yet, her cultivation realm began to skyrocket.

Though she didn’t oppose such rapid advancement, a nagging sense of unease lingered in her heart.

However, advancing to the Divine Transformation realm would prove far more challenging.

At this level, simply pursuing spiritual energy cultivation was no longer meaningful. What mattered most were the Dao and enlightenment.

Transforming the Nascent Soul into a Nascent Spirit, condensing spiritual awareness into divine awareness, and gaining mastery over the Great Dao’s laws—where thought arises, the Dao arises; where thought vanishes, the Dao vanishes...

Countless Peak Nascent Soul grandmasters spent their entire lives trapped at this threshold, unable to break through.

"...Speaking of which, Yuliu hasn’t emerged from his seclusion yet?"

Just as Ling Shuangxue was lost in thought, Lin Meixiang subtly changed the subject and asked.

Ling Shuangxue paused, then nodded. "She is indeed still in seclusion."

"But didn’t she already successfully condense the Sword Core? Why hasn’t she emerged? Could something have... gone wrong?" Lin Meixiang’s expression grew solemn.

That junior nephew was now not only their benefactor, who helped her and her Dao Companion achieve their cultivation breakthrough, but also the Sword Sect’s foremost prodigy. Such a talent was too precious to lose.

Ling Shuangxue hesitated, then shook her head. "Nothing has gone wrong." After a moment’s thought, she added, "She has encountered another opportunity."

Lin Meixiang still looked puzzled, but Ling Shuangxue’s gaze flickered toward the window.

Some things Ling Shuangxue had only recently discovered herself.

For instance, at this very moment, her disciple’s body contained two strands of Heaven-grade Soulblade Specter-level sword intent energy. One was the strand she had helped her absorb seven days ago, but there was an additional one...

. . .

In the pale, void-like space, Luo Wusheng frowned slightly.

While he had set out to investigate the changes brought about by the awakening of his Diabolic Saint Physique, the operation proved far less straightforward than he had imagined. Physique, in essence, primarily enhances innate talent, such as a Sword Body that naturally aligns with the Way of the Sword or a Dao Body that resonates with the Way of the Dao.

Cases where a physique itself possesses special effects are actually quite rare.

For instance, the initial awakening of his Diabolic Saint Physique had greatly amplified his talent, but unlike this second awakening, it hadn’t granted him the unique ability to coalesce and unify his power.

As for the Empress’s Supreme Dao Body, it was also special, but its uniqueness lay solely in its ability to cultivate the Empyreal Qi Synthesis: Trinity of Pristine States.

Therefore, to investigate the secrets of the second awakening of his Diabolic Saint Physique, Luo Wusheng could only methodically examine himself for any peculiar changes.

It seemed there was a slight, but not significant, increase in his affinity for spiritual energy and Dao Rhythm.

He could sense the power of the Integration, but had no idea how to activate it.

The ability to trace cause and effect also showed no response for now.

Luo Wusheng fell into deep contemplation.

’There are currently two explanations for the Buddha Head’s scheme: one from the Rat, which claims the Buddha Head will possess me to achieve Bodhisattva status, and another from the Buddha Head itself, which states I am the manifestation of his Arhat fruition. In reality, they’re not so different, both likely aim to merge with me to achieve his Arhat fruition.’

’Yet both claims have some basis. I did gain the ability to "integrate incompatible things" during the second awakening of my Diabolic Saint Physique, and the Sword Ancestor confirmed the Buddha Head’s identity...’

’Never mind, neither explanation is particularly trustworthy. They’re best treated as mere references.’

’If that’s the case, could it be that the second awakening of my Diabolic Saint Physique is simply... this?’

He had indeed gained a bug-level ability, and calling it an "awakening" seemed appropriate.

But if that was all, would it be worth the Buddha Head’s effort to specifically set up a restriction for him, come out in person, and orchestrate a grand scheme to bring an unexpected development back into alignment with the plan?

Luo Wusheng pondered this as he continued to examine his body.

"Hmm?"

Just as he was digging deeper into the depths of his sea of consciousness for anomalies, a fleeting vision flashed before his eyes.

The ability to trace cause and effect, which had remained in a triggerable state, activated.

Though it lasted only an instant, Luo Wusheng recognized the scene at a glance.

The Ancient Heavenly Gate!

Not the ruins explored by later generations, but the Heavenly Gate of primordial times!

The vision vanished in an instant, and before Luo Wusheng could get a clear look, a sharp pain shot through his brain.

Forcing himself to trace an unknown karmic link was still too much for him at this stage.

Yet a light ignited in Luo Wusheng’s eyes.

He had discovered another special aspect of the Diabolic Saint Physique’s awakening.

"But... why does the ability to trace cause and effect show scenes from the Ancient Heavenly Gate? Could it be that the Diabolic Saint Physique is somehow connected to it?"

Luo Wusheng felt a strange sense of unease.

It seemed his connection to the Ancient Heavenly Gate was growing deeper and deeper. Could he truly be a reincarnation of the Heavenly Emperor?

"If I can enter the Heavenly Gate this time, I’ll go see the Heavenly Court for myself. And while I’m there, I’ll replenish my Star–Moon Jade reserves... For now, I need to figure out what that special sensation I just felt was."

Luo Wusheng focused his mind, and his consciousness once again delved into his sea of consciousness, locating the spot that had triggered the The ability to trace cause and effect.

The next moment, a dizzying sensation struck him.

His consciousness seemed to enter a realm of swirling mist.

"This is..."

Luo Wusheng glanced at his now ethereal body and realized he was likely in a mental realm, akin to a spiritual space.

’If this is my mental space...’

With a thought, Luo Wusheng willed it.

Below him, the mist began to churn and surge, parting to reveal a path.

But contrary to what Luo Wusheng expected, a portion of the swirling mist inexplicably coalesced, forming a panel sculpted from the mist itself.

After a moment’s thought, Luo Wusheng guided his illusory form to land before the panel.

Only then did he notice that the panel bore residual writing. The characters were crooked and uneven, yet they evoked a sense of familiarity.

The words, arranged from top to bottom, read: Sword Principles, Nine Nether, and Immortal Remnant.

What did these mean?

Luo Wusheng tentatively pressed his hand against the mist panel before him.

His consciousness violently surged as a segment of memory was forcefully injected into his wisp of awareness by the panel.

The memory scene also depicted a hand pressing against a mist panel, but unlike the one before him, that panel had no writing initially.

The hand in the scene differed from Luo Wusheng’s as well—it was fair-skinned and delicate, clearly the palm of a woman.

Luo Wusheng felt the palm looked familiar, but unfortunately, he hadn’t invested any skill points in the "Recognize Hands" ability.

There was no need to click anymore, as the view in the memory image gradually stretched, revealing the full scene.

He discovered that the panel in the memory image wasn’t a single piece, but three.

Three familiar, stunningly beautiful girls stood before the panels, their gazes fixed on the changes that appeared on the previously blank surfaces after they extended their hands.

"Damn! Isn’t that my Little Yuli, Bai Xiaoyao, and Her Majesty— No, is that Fan-Fan?"

Seeing Fan-Fan (Miss Kirin) in the image, draped in a loose white male robe, Luo Wusheng seemed to understand something.

’Could this memory image depict what happened after Miss Kirin and I killed the Black Flood Dragon? No, could it be what happened when my consciousness was pulled to the Netherland that day?’

’After I woke up that day, Miss Kirin had already left the Demon Moon space all by herself...’

No sooner had Luo Wusheng thought of this than he saw a spatial rift appear behind Miss Kirin in the memory footage. The text on the panel before her changed, then slowly faded away.

"Primordial? Another inexplicable term... Immortal Remnant appeared here, followed by..."

Luo Wusheng murmured to himself, watching Miss Kirin vanish into the spatial rift.

Literally, it meant that Miss Kirin had wanted to leave, and so she was sent away.

Frowning, Luo Wusheng turned his attention to the other two girls.

As he expected, Lu Yuliu and Bai Xiaoyao were also experiencing changes.

The panel before the Sword Fairy displayed Primordial, but the next word that appeared was Sword Principles.

Luo Wusheng looked towards Bai Xiaoyao... the same pattern, but the second word changed to Nine Nether.

As the characters faded and shifted, he was stunned again.

Sword Principle·Nascent Soul? Wait, isn’t that the sword intent energy of a Heaven-grade Soulblade Specter?

Seeing the black mist fall into Lu Yuliu’s hands, Luo Wusheng immediately recognized its nature and was momentarily bewildered.

But when he saw the characters appearing on his Junior Sister’s panel, his mind went blank, leaving only a void.

[Luo Wusheng’s Diary - Page 1]

Luo Wusheng stared blankly at the page that had appeared in Bai Xiaoyao’s hands, its familiar style and the same crooked, familiar handwriting... Could this really be a page from his own diary?

He wasn’t sure if this was the first page, as he could only see a corner of the page with a few characters, and he couldn’t quite remember what he had written on the first page of his diary.

If it were just the diary, it should have been about the few days on the Sea-Crossing Boat... but that wasn’t actually what was on the first page.

The first page of the little notebook contained some random thoughts he had jotted down before deciding to start keeping a diary.

It seemed to include some plans for how he would deal with the Demon Purging War. He also complained about this yuri-themed world and wrote down his initial impressions of the beautiful Bai Xiaoyao that he had just met after awakening his memories... About how it’s a shame that she’s into girls?

Did he write about awakening his past memories? It didn’t seem to be explicitly mentioned.

"Hiss—"

Luo Wusheng gasped, only to see Bai Xiaoyao looking at the paper with a peculiar, thoughtful expression. After folding it and putting it away, she pondered for a while before taking out a piece of white cloth and writing on it in elegant script:

[On the Hundred Ways Senior Brother Can Die.]

He glanced at Little Yuli next to him. The young girl had absorbed the sword intent energy of a Heaven-grade Soulblade Specter and fallen into a deep sleep during the refinement process.

The mystery is solved

"No wonder Little Yuli was genuinely asleep that day, while Bai Xiaoyao was just pretending..." Luo Wusheng’s expression turned bitter. "Could her pretending to sleep have been a test, prompted by reading that page of the diary? So the consequences of the Star-Moon Jade’s exposure weren’t as severe as I imagined?"

In that case, it seems like a good thing?

Good thing my ass! Given the tone and content of those private diary entries, his carefully cultivated image of a wise and heroic senior brother must have been completely shattered.

And looking back at his thoughts from when his memories first awakened... they were so naive it was almost unbearable.

Social suicide...

In a daze, the memory images faded. Luo Wusheng’s hand still lingered on the characters [Nine Nether], trembling slightly.

. . .

On the Sea-Crossing Boat heading towards the Three Thousand Demon Domain, Bai Xiaoyao sat opposite the Way of Desire Divine Envoy, who was shrouded in a black robe.

They were playing a proper game of chess.

Suddenly, Bai Xiaoyao chuckled.

"Why does the Holy Maiden laugh?" the Way of Desire Divine Envoy asked, her hoarse female voice filled with confusion.

"I just remembered something amusing," Bai Xiaoyao said with a smile. "I was suddenly wondering, if you were to remove that black robe, would there be a cute girl underneath, completely contrary to your serious demeanor?"

"...The Holy Maiden worries unnecessarily. We of the Demon Sect act as we please. Such concealment would hinder our cultivation," the Way of Desire Divine Envoy sighed. "Why would the Holy Maiden think such a thing?"

"Because Senior Brother hides such a cute side! You can’t tell from the outside, but he’s actually quite silly and foolish—even more wooden than a log. And yet he still thinks about... Hehe~"

"Holy Saint? He’s really described like that by you?"

"Then what kind of person is Senior Brother in your eyes?"

"Hmm... The Holy Saint possesses peerless talent and a clear mind. His methods are varied. Even his obsessive fondness for jade shows that he acts solely from his heart. He was born to cultivate the techniques of the Demon Sect. After his revival, given time, he will undoubtedly claim a place at the pinnacle of this world."

Hearing these words, Bai Xiaoyao’s smile grew even brighter.

"That’s not entirely wrong... but the Senior Brother in my heart, after losing a game of chess, never plays with me again. He has so many thoughts, yet because he mistakenly believes I like women... well, for various amusing reasons, he’s incredibly slow to react. He only dares to sigh inwardly at the missed opportunity. He has everything he needs to achieve his desires, yet he’s always entangled in overthinking what others might think. He wants everything to be perfect and flawless, yet he doesn’t know how to resolve the issues..."

The Way of Desire Divine Envoy listened, utterly bewildered. After a long pause, she interjected, "Holy Maiden... could it be that you... have feelings for the Holy Saint?"

Bai Xiaoyao’s voice suddenly caught in her throat.

"Is... is it that obvious?"

"I’ve never seen anything more obvious."

Bai Xiaoyao’s cheeks flushed crimson. She abandoned her chess piece. "I’m not playing anymore! I’m going back to my cabin to refine my spiritual energy again!"

With that, she fled as if her life depended on it.

But she hadn’t run far when she stopped abruptly.

"Strange... why do I feel like Senior Brother is watching me?"

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Cultivation Realm:

1, Qi Refining

2, Foundation Establishment

3, Golden Core

4, Nascent Soul

5, Divine Transformation (Formerly Known as Tribulation Crossing)

6, Tribulation Transcendence

7, Land Immortal

Note: Link to the character Illustration:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lkIcPnCxeyuyZA4Kkb621dPC05UvWjhD

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Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more Chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.

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