Having walked for half an hour, Tora began feeling anxious and irritated. The Demonic Cultivator's Base was nowhere in sight.
There was no denying the crap that was in her hands anymore. Even after following the path depicted in the book, she still couldn't find the base.
"If they're going to make it difficult for me, I'll just burn down the forest." The wind suddenly intensified, trees rustling wildly as if responding to her threat.
The ground vibrated, sending tremors up her leg.
"You think I don't dare?" The book in her hand burned instantly.
Flames gradually became stronger, consuming the entirety of its existence. Tora chugged it behind her, allowing them to fall onto the lush bush without the slightest bit of care. The charred remains of the bush made the tremors worse.
With a large swipe of her hand, she fanned the flames in all directions. The greens became red, illuminating her face into that of a demon's.
The wind tousled her outerwear, exposing the bright color hidden beneath it. The red of her hanfu blended in seamlessly.
So this is why Jing Zhan wears this color...
Tora developed a newfound appreciation for the Jing Clan's color. Although her favorite color was royal purple, she wouldn't mind wearing red if that meant she would look good while burning nuisances.
"It's a pity such a beautiful forest filled with an abundance of qi will turn into a sea of blackness. But then again, I don't have enough patience to play mind games with a sentient being."
The rustling became louder as if protesting her words.
"Why is an immortal finding trouble?" The words were etched into the ground before her, prompting her to frown. "You want to know why? Give me the Demonic Cultivator's Base."
The dirt stirred and a new sentence replaced the one before.
"Stop the flames and a path will open." Tora chuckled at its words. She quiets down the flames with a spell, leaving a single tree burning. "I will keep the flames contained until I get my hands on what I want."
As if answering her, the atmosphere became wonky. The blur was intense, blocking her vision from seeing clearly, but Tora could still spot the shapes and sizes moving around. The rift in her vision was fleeting, returning to normal with a large path that led into darkness.
The nothingness consumed her whole, each step leading into an unknown area. Her fingers tingled, whether it was from anxiety or excitement, Tora couldn't tell, only the slight curve of her lips remained on her poker face.
A large temple came into sight. The nauseating smell of decay permeated the area, overpowering the beauty of nature in an instant. Her right eye twitched a few times, causing her to raise them with curiosity.
Was it bad or good luck when the right eye twitches?
'Depends. As a man, it means meeting a fated partner.'
As a man? Tora nearly forgot that in between her legs was a resting rod of flesh.
'I sense romance incoming. This will be fun.'
In this place filled with dead bodies? What the fuck is wrong with you?
She looked around with utter disgust. The place was clean, with no signs of a living being anywhere, yet it smelled strongly of death and blood.
Do I have to greet Buddha for the bodies to appear?
A single statue of a monk sat crossed-legged in the middle of the temple. Its body was chipped, broken in areas that felt unnatural.
The closer she got, the clearer its image became. What's up with the hair? I thought monks were bald or something.
The posture was reminiscent of an immortal cultivating. Its hands hovered above one another in front of the dantian, a single finger missing from the usual ten. The eyes were closed, its nose slightly cracked, and the lips had a pair of teeth sticking out of the edges.
What is this? A vampire?
'Handsome, no?'
"What? You like men or something, Asier?" She blurted out her inner thoughts. Every time a decent-looking guy appeared, Asier always complimented it.
'I like what you like.'
"..." She took a hard look at the statue again, analyzing every detail available. The life-like figure had his torso exposed, muscles greatly defined, and the outline of his lower body showed the slight bulge in his pants. "What the fuck?"
What is wrong with this world and dicks?
'See... it's what you like.'
"Come down here and box me straight. That brain of yours needs a little knocking." She felt her vision darken with anger. Her body burned.
Tora decided to ignore Asier for the sake of her sanity. Her blood pressure was always high whenever they interacted.
She kneeled on one knee, allowing herself to better scrutinize the figure and the surroundings.
I know that there are more big bad bosses that Li Weisheng needs to fight, but is this one of them? Looks too real to be a carved stone.
If it's in a place like this...the real Demonic Cultivator Lord?
Should I break off a finger to find out? Her eyes lingered on the long slender fingers, immersed in the curvature of its form.
But why does it have to be right above the sleeping dragon in his pants? I don't want to accidentally touch that shit.
Tora tapped the finger with the tip of her fan, trying to figure out which one she wanted to break off.
The middle finger it is. As she thrust the fan downwards, a tingling sensation caused her blood to run cold. Her left shoulder felt numb, and her intuition told her to dodge.
The place where she kneeled was suddenly struck by a few needles. The person who threw that noticed her movements, throwing a few more in her direction again.
Tora flung the needles away, sprinting forward toward a dark corner of the empty temple. Her right hand reached into it, gripping the soft flesh tightly.
"AH!" A surprised gasp escaped their lips, hands gripping hers, struggling to free themselves from Tora.
A girl?
"Is this how you greet guests?" Tora was surprised at how dangerous her own voice sounded. The deep husky anger paired with her slanted eyes made her look fearsome.
Tora raised the slender body by the neck with little effort. Her grip intensified, nearly breaking the delicate bones of the other.
"I should break those pretty hands of yours first before we have a nice talk." The glow of her eyes frightened the other.
In the quiet temple, multiple loud cracks echoed along with muffled groans.
"Now then, speak." The girl kneeled with tears streaming down her face. Her mangled arms dangled painfully on her sides. She gasps for air, trying her best to swallow the pain.
"That's—how did you get in here?" She spat out words through gritted teeth. Her damp eyes filled with malice, wanting to shred the person who looked down with condescendence. Disgusting immortals!
"Do I need to break your legs also?"
"No one except us guards are allowed near the Lord!"
"Are you making me repeat myself? I said—speak." Tora condensed a blade of qi with her foot, piercing it deep into her thighs. The harder she pushed, the deeper it stabbed the flesh.
"UGH! I—I'll speak!" Her whimpering did not make Tora feel any pity for the young girl. "This is sacred ground, outsiders are not allowed in here."
"Where is the leader of your Demonic Cult?" Tora wondered if the sentient forest had led her to a different place, but the girl's widening eyes were telling. "I have a thing for statues. You see, I love breaking them. It's very pleasurable." Seeing her reluctance to speak, Tora threatened her with the statue.
"The current leader is busy investigating a forest fire. As for the Lord..." Her eyes cautiously glance toward the figure in the middle of the room. "He is slumbering..."
Tora followed her gaze. To think that I was staring at a real dick is frighteningly disgusting. Should I punch a hole through it?
'You have weird fantasies.'
"Tsk!" She clicked her tongue in annoyance at the paper in her hand.
"What is an immortal doing around here?" Hoping to recapture the immortal's attention, she quickly spoke. The angered gaze in the man's eyes was enough to make her shiver with fear. He wouldn't hurt the Lord...right?
"To burn down a forest." Her heart sunk at his words. It was clear that the immortal was strong enough to do as he said. "Which way to the hidden base you people set up? Is it up?"
The girl nodded. Seeing that her gaze held a bit of relief in them, Tora's lips curved seductively into a smile.
"Oh? So it's below." Her tone was playful, teasing almost as she watched the panicked girl shiver under her gaze. "What are you shivering like a wet puppy for? A murderer acting like a victim, how funny?"
If Tora hadn't heard the ridiculous story told by Ningli and Madame Fu, she wouldn't have bothered with the Demonic Cultivators. The missing children and the blood runes and the pungent smell of death in this specific location, how could she not connect the dots?
"Say...how many innocent lives are needed to awaken your Lord? It couldn't be that a town full of children is not enough. With such a broken body like that of your Lord's, it can't be that you're finding a substitute to be his vessel?"
If the girl could choke to death, she would already do so. The man wrapped his qi around her like a snake, forcing her to stay in place, unable to move an inch.
She wondered how this immortal had come across such confidential secrets. Their efforts in keeping it hidden were no longer of use.
"That vessel doesn't happen to be a man called Li Weisheng, does it?"
"Immortal, please cease your anger." A calm voice interrupted the tension. His footsteps echoed along the wooden floor, walking closer to them with relaxed steps. "I do not know how you found this place, however, let us talk over tea."
Tea again...
"On the condition that this girl stays here waiting for me to return."
"Whatever pleases you." He guided her towards the corner, drawing a talisman symbol with his blood on the wall. A rune suddenly appeared on it, glowing brightly as the scenery shifted. "Take a seat."
They were now in a small cabin, with a bed and table. He casually pulled out a set of cups and magically poured tea from an empty pot. The dark green twirled, making Tora feel dizzy.
"I don't drink from strangers."
"Hm...of course." He pulled the teacup back, drowning the hot scalding tea without flinching as he stared her down.
The man's gaze lingered on her face, tracing it down to her neck, and ending it at her hands. His lips pursed momentarily as he cast his gaze elsewhere.
"You must be the infamous Jing Yi who reached Nascent Soul Realm. Your appearance alone is quite immortal. A walking beauty, I dare say."
"Enough with the flattery. Those eyes...tell me my fate."
"Hm? So you really do know. I am curious where you heard all of this from, would you mind sharing?"
"Chenxi, either read my fate or I dig out those eyes, what do you say?" Tora wasn't here to find out about her fate, although she was interested in what the man could see, her true objective was something else.
"A death crueler than death itself. You seem to mingle with the likes of those who will always betray you." The glow in his gaze was off-putting. His lips curled as he placed the cup down. She could feel the invasiveness in her soul, making her shift uncomfortably.
"You truly do have fate-seeing eyes. What else?" Tora tapped the tip of her fan to her lips, grinning cunningly at the man, waiting to see what else he was going to say.
"Although I can't say it with words, your soul is darkened with hatred. Even praying to Buddha won't help ease the deep-seated anger, you are better off joining us, Demonic Cultivators."
"I'm not fond of being under people. Abandon your Lord and I might consider."
"I'm sure you figured out that we need a vessel. Becoming one with the Lord is not a loss of identity. You both will rule above all. I can guarantee complete servitude of all."
What a sweet tongue. You hear this, Asier? This is how to coax people to join your fucked up cause.
'Is that right? How should we become one? Do I just put it in you?'
That doesn't sound right...
'What a thought. I meant my soul in your body, but putting something else in is more interesting.'
What the fuck are you saying?
"I'm not becoming one with anyone." Perhaps her anger at Asier was too much, her reply to Chenxi was through gritted teeth, startling him slightly.
"Will you help me get my hands on Li Weisheng? I can offer you the dream of every immortal, to become a transcendent, a god if you will." Chenxi was a smart person who knew how to make deals. Noticing her spiked anger, he quickly offered an alternative.
"Won't you finish reading my future? Why the rush to make a deal?"
"Why do you want to know your future so badly?"
"Because, if you truly could see it..." Tora leaned forward, her eyes narrowed dangerously as she spoke, "Then you would know that I am here to feed you to the Demon Lord."