Chapter 539: I’m Courting My Husband’s Sweetheart
Little Duan Immortal blinked, thinking to herself: "The top-butt girl mistook me for my husband."
Back when she was still Little Duan, Wen Wuyu and Chen Shi had been playing top-butt in the Ten Thousand Mountains together, and she had been hiding inside Chen Shi's small temple, witnessing the whole scene. Later, she had challenged Chen Shi to a top-butt match herself and had even knocked him unconscious. Because of that, she remembered the top-butt girl vividly.
Wen Wuyu's fair face grew redder and redder, the blush spreading down toward her neck, even her delicate pink neck turning crimson. She hung her head and whispered, "I... I've been these past days, these past days..."
She stood on the cloud, aimlessly kicking at the clouds, scattering little puffs of cloud one by one. Before she knew it, she kicked a flood dragon that happened to be swimming by.
The flood dragon grew angry, turned back, and glared at her ferociously.
Wen Wuyu clasped her hands behind her back, kicked that flood dragon flying with a single strike, then grew even more shy and bashful. Gathering her courage, she said, "I've missed you too."
Little Duan Immortal was somewhat bewildered, thinking: "This girl likes my husband. How should I respond? According to Great Shang law, for trying to steal a princess's consort, should she be punished by having her feet amputated, or boiled, or burned at the stake? But then again, Great Shang has fallen. I'm now married to my husband, and my husband is the True King of the Ming Dynasty. According to Ming law, I probably can't interfere."
Wen Wuyu's face was bright red. After saying those words, she scurried away in a flash.
Little Duan Immortal thought for a moment and didn't chase after her, thinking: "My husband is in seclusion meditating on the Dao. I should take this opportunity to go find Grandpa and the others."
She looked toward the Cloud Barrier and murmured, "So then, the place they're going must be behind these clouds. How should I cross this Cloud Barrier?"
"Hey!"
Wen Wuyu came back again. Though her face was still flushed, she now seemed poised and composed. In a crisp voice, she said, "Despair Slope is extremely dangerous. If you wander around carelessly after risking your life to come here, it'll be easy for someone to see through your identity and lose your life!"
Little Duan Immortal opened her mouth, hesitating as if about to speak.
Wen Wuyu came to her side and laughed: "But with me here, you don't need to worry so much. Do you know, I'm a Celestial Way Walker now? My status at Despair Slope is much higher now. I can take on disciples. Recently, many people have died at Despair Slope, supposedly killed by the Demon Emperor. My master got promoted and became a Celestial Way Immortal, so I became a Celestial Way Walker. From now on, you're my disciple. Stick close to me and behave, understand?"
Little Duan Immortal nodded lightly.
Wen Wuyu said softly, "I'm so happy you came all the way to Despair Slope to see me..."
Little Duan Immortal felt conflicted inside, thinking: "Should I transform into a cow and knock her out with one head-butt? No, I should stabilize her and have her lead me around here to get familiar with the terrain."
Wen Wuyu said, "After we parted last time, so many things happened at Despair Slope that I never had the chance to go out... Why aren't you saying anything?"
Little Duan Immortal finally spoke: "Ever since we parted at Heavenly Pool Kingdom, I've also often thought of you..."
As she said this, she felt incredibly awkward, thinking: "Am I courting my husband's sweetheart right now?"
But Wen Wuyu suddenly grew wary. Her previously warm tone turned ice-cold as she pressed a short sword against Little Duan Immortal's neck and said coldly, "Are you really Little Ten?"
Little Duan Immortal steeled herself and said in a soft, gentle voice: "Top-butt... Sister Wuyu, of course I'm your Little Ten."
Wen Wuyu snorted: "You're lying! Your tone is wrong! Little Ten would never be this gentle with me! Who are you really? How do you know about the top-butt incident? Do you know that with a single word from me, I can make sure you die without a burial place?"
Little Duan Immortal revealed her Dao Unification small world - Chen Shi's small temple - and laughed: "Look at this temple behind my head, and you'll know whether I'm real or fake."
Wen Wuyu's heart melted like soft silk. She sheathed her short sword, linked arms with Little Duan Immortal, and pressed against her sweetly: "Little Ten, I knew you would come to see me. Why are you disguised as a little girl?"
Little Duan wasn't used to such intimacy with another woman. She coughed and tried to pull her arm free, but couldn't. She said, "This way, no one will know I'm the True King."
Wen Wuyu laughed: "What a great idea! You came to Despair Slope not just to see me, right?"
Little Duan Immortal mimicked Chen Shi's tone and laughed heartily: "I've been seen through by my little sister. To be honest, I came for two reasons. One is that I missed you and risked my life to come see you. The other is to investigate Despair Slope. Despair Slope is planning to move against me and the Empress of Earth. Though I may not be their match, I cannot simply sit and wait for death."
Her mind had become sharper than ever before. With a resolute expression, she said: "Sister Wuyu, I know full well that this journey holds tremendous danger. But if I could see you one more time at Despair Slope, I would die without regrets."
Wen Wuyu's heart blossomed with joy at her words: "You scoundrel, you're disturbing my Dao Heart again. What am I supposed to do with you, you rascal? After all, I'm still a Celestial Way Walker of Despair Slope. I can't betray Despair Slope..."
Little Duan Immortal said with a melancholy air: "Wuyu, I won't put you in a difficult position. Having seen you once, my heart is at ease. In the future, if I'm destined to die at the hands of someone from Despair Slope, I hope it's you..."
"Stop it!"
Wen Wuyu covered her mouth and said, "Little Ten, please stop talking. I'll agree to everything!"
This girl had always been straightforward by nature, but she was also clever. Suddenly remembering something, she became wary again, thinking: "Although Little Ten and I share deep affection, we haven't reached the point of entrusting our lives to each other. There's something fishy here!"
"Little Ten, show me the small temple again so I can take a look." Wen Wuyu said.
Little Duan Immortal summoned the small temple once more. Wen Wuyu examined it from every angle. It was indeed Chen Shi's small temple.
"Could it be that my relationship with Little Ten has really advanced to this stage?" The girl felt bewildered.
However, she quickly lost all reason under Little Duan Immortal's sweet words.
"Little Ten, this is only the outer perimeter of Despair Slope. The true core of Despair Slope lies beyond this Cloud Barrier."
Wen Wuyu said, "Disciples of Celestial Way Walkers don't have the qualifications to cross the Cloud Barrier, but since I'm a Walker, I can take you across."
Little Duan Immortal was deeply moved and said, "Wuyu, you don't have to risk betraying Despair Slope for my sake..."
Wen Wuyu raised her Walker's token and led her into the Cloud Barrier. Wherever the token's light shone, the clouds and mist continuously parted, and even the lightning and thunder retreated to all sides.
The deeper they went, the more they advanced, until suddenly the view opened up before them, revealing a pure land like a fairy paradise.
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth here had no trace of demonic energy. The first thing that caught the eye was a great Dao spring in the sky. Normal springs typically grow from within the earth, but this spring was in the air, its tendrils winding downward like the roots of a plant.
Those roots spread throughout the sky, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and the power of the Great Dao, transforming them into spring water that fell into a jade pool below. Water droplets struck the spring, producing a clear tinkling sound.
This was the Li Dao Spring of Despair Slope.
The water from this spring could be said to be the finest spiritual energy in existence, second only to the ancestral energy of Sky Measuring Cliff at Qianyang Mountain. It contained the power of the Dao and was enormously beneficial for advancing one's cultivation!
And on a fairy mountain not far from Li Dao Spring, a resplendent immortal palace shone with treasure light that pierced the clouds, radiating waves of immortal might so astonishing it was beyond words!
"That's the Eternal Immortal Pavilion, where Despair Slope stores its immortal treasures."
Wen Wuyu said quietly, "All of Despair Slope's magic treasures are concentrated in the Eternal Immortal Pavilion. Over the years, they've amassed several hundred immortal artifacts. Among them, more than forty are from the Ming Dynasty. The rest are relics from the Great Shang Era."
Little Duan Immortal's mind went blank. Several hundred immortal artifacts!
Even the current True King's court, having swept through the Thirteen Great Clans, possessed only a dozen or so immortal artifacts, and that was counting the Golden Coin That Falls Treasures from Heavenly Pool Kingdom!
The True King's court was far inferior to Despair Slope in accumulated heritage.
Just then, a rumbling hum came from afar, shaking one's mind into dizziness and making one's chest vibrate with resonance.
Little Duan Immortal followed the sound. It seemed to come from the mountains behind the Eternal Immortal Pavilion. But the fairy mountains were too tall, blocking her view. She couldn't tell what was making the sound.
"That sound is from the Recreate Heaven-and-Earth Furnace."
Wen Wuyu took her hand and flew toward the mountains, saying, "Let me take you to see it... Little Ten, your hands are so soft!"
Little Duan Immortal laughed: "My mother said that men with soft hands also have soft hearts, and they treat girls well."
"Our mother said that very well." Wen Wuyu said joyfully.
Just as the two women were about to fly over one of the fairy mountains, Little Duan Immortal suddenly caught sight of a jade platform in the distance where huge bronze mirrors floated, and asked: "What place is that?"
"It's where the True God is worshipped."
Wen Wuyu said, "Last time Despair Slope awakened the True God, it was right there."
Little Duan Immortal had once seen Chen Yindu activate that sacrificial altar from afar with Chen Shi, offering up the sun and moon of the Upper Realm to revive the True God. Her heart stirred with emotion, and she very much wanted to go take a look.
Not for any other reason. She wanted to see her father's face again.
When the altar was activated, the sky would split open, revealing the true countenance of the Celestial True God. Back then, outside the Bronze Great Wall, she hadn't been able to see clearly. She wanted a closer look.
But she held herself back and continued flying forward with Wen Wuyu.
After a moment, between the mountains, a colossal immortal furnace came into view.
This immortal furnace was several times larger than the fairy mountains themselves. Majestic and awe-inspiring, it was surrounded by over a dozen Celestial Way Immortals and dozens of Celestial Way Walkers, all with formidable cultivation bases. Each raised their Primordial Spirits to hold the furnace aloft in the sky.
Some of their Primordial Spirits were a thousand zhang tall, some ten thousand zhang tall, towering and magnificent. But before the immortal furnace, they all seemed rather small and insignificant.
Under their ritual refinement, flames blazed fiercely within the furnace. The immortal furnace alternately swelled and shrank, emanating a strange aura of the Great Dao.
"This aura is somewhat similar to Grandpa's." Little Duan Immortal thought.
Wen Wuyu said: "Little Ten, the one presiding over the Recreate Heaven-and-Earth Furnace is Immortal Palace. Immortal Gong Wanqing is ritual-refining this treasure to produce a batch of heavenly soldiers. These heavenly soldiers have strength equal to Dao Unification immortals, making them incomparably powerful."
Her expression turned gloomy as she looked at Little Duan Immortal with tearful eyes: "Little Ten, you can't defeat Despair Slope. Surrender..."
Little Duan Immortal laughed: "For a true man to live in this world, if he retreats in the face of difficulty, if he clings to life and fears death, wouldn't that betray this manly body of mine? Wuyu, don't try to persuade me. Which one is Immortal Palace?"
Wen Wuyu was inspired by her bold declaration and grew even more smitten with her. Gazing at the immortals beside the furnace, she said with surprise: "Immortal Palace always stays by the furnace, but she's not there now. I know where she lives. It's called the Falling Flower Palace, named after the line 'The appointed one doesn't come past midnight, idly tapping chess pieces, lamplight blossoms fall.' There are rumors at Despair Slope that Immortal Palace chose this name because she waits half the night for a man who never comes."
She led Little Duan Immortal to the Falling Flower Palace, but found it empty both inside and out. There were no dao attendants or maidservants anywhere.
When Wen Wuyu saw Little Duan Immortal barging into the palace, her heart jumped. She quickly followed her and transmitted a message: "This is where a Celestial Way Immortal resides! You can't just barge in!"
Little Duan Immortal made a shushing gesture and, turning the tables, led her deeper into the Falling Flower Palace.
Ahead lay layer upon layer of white curtains, swaying in the wind. The two women crept forward on tiptoes, not daring to make a sound, passing through the curtains. From up ahead came the voice of Immortal Palace.
"Chen Lang, oh Chen Lang, I thought you would never return. But here you are, back at Despair Slope once again. Back then, you were so heartless to abandon me. Did you ever think that today, you would fall into my hands?"
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