Tian Fuling… such a distant name.
Su Luowei suddenly recalled hearing about Meng Shuying's close companion, a demon woman named Ling, when she was still in Kunlun. The night she returned to Yanmo Peak, Meng Shuying had also mentioned this name. And aside from her, it seemed Meng Shuying knew another demoness named Mingyou.
Su Luowei gently set down her wine cup and glanced at Meng Shuying. "I've been meaning to ask you, what exactly happened with Tian Fuling? And who is Mingyou?"
"She…" Meng Shuying's eyes flickered with unease, clearly reluctant to explain. Seeing Su Luowei's expression darken, she unconsciously tightened her grip on the crystal cup, stammering, "It's… a long story."
"Then make it short," Xie Hanzhu chimed in, always eager for drama. She propped her elbows on the table, resting her chin in her hands, and glanced between Su Luowei and Meng Shuying.
No doubt about it, something was definitely off between these two!
With three pairs of eyes fixed on her, Meng Shuying realized she couldn't dodge the question any longer. Reluctantly, she set down her chopsticks on the holder, seriously considering where to begin.
"Do you remember when we encountered Tian Fuling at Tiger Fort?"
Su Luowei nodded. Of course, she remembered. While it might feel like ages ago for others, to her, it felt like just yesterday.
"That day, I accidentally fell into Tian Fuling's enchantment and couldn't break free for a time, which is why you saw that scene. They can attest to the fact that I was under a spell."
Wen Miaomiao nodded. "That's true. There was a strange fragrance in the room, and she was indeed enchanted."
Su Luowei thought back to that moment and recalled some inconsistencies. Now that she considered it, Tian Fuling's enchantment wasn't particularly sophisticated; she had simply been too agitated at the time to notice.
"Before I went to find you, I had already trapped her. With Tian Fuling's level of power, she couldn't have escaped easily.
The reason you didn't see her was that by then, she was no longer Tian Fuling, but Mingyou, the Demon Tribe's top artifact refiner.
Mingyou had a complicated history with Tian Fuling's family and had personally crafted a magical garment for her—the sheer veil she wore at the time. If she were ever in danger, she could summon Mingyou once using the veil."
Xie Hanzhu's curiosity was piqued. "How exactly does this summoning work? And what do you mean she wasn't Tian Fuling anymore? Was she possessed by Mingyou?"
Meng Shuying shook her head. "I'm not entirely sure of the details. I only know that when I next saw Tian Fuling, she wasn't the same person."
"It's a descent spell," Wen Miaomiao interjected. "Mingyou is a demigod capable of using divine magic."
"A descent spell? And what exactly is a demigod?" Xie Hanzhu asked, still confused.
This story was getting more complicated, with new terms she had never heard of.
Wen Miaomiao explained, "A demigod is a being between a regular cultivator and a celestial being. Their cultivation has reached the Great Ascension stage but hasn't yet broken through. They've also obtained a divine bone through some fortune, giving them divine power and the ability to cast divine spells. The descent spell is one such spell, allowing the caster's consciousness to descend into a believer's body using divine power."
Before the fall of the celestials, descent spells were often used to project their consciousness into their followers' bodies, demonstrating their presence and power to attract more believers.
Since the fall of the celestials, it had been many years since anyone used a descent spell, and the old followers had long since scattered.
A divine bone?
Su Luowei's thoughts turned inward.
Meng Shuying also had half a divine bone. Did this mean that once she reached the Great Ascension stage, she could become a demigod?
But that didn't make sense… According to Xiao Ba, in the original story, Meng Shuying hadn't obtained the fox servant's half of the divine bone; she had ascended to immortality on her own.
Although Su Luowei had known her presence would inevitably alter Meng Shuying's fate, she hadn't expected Meng Shuying would lose her chance to reach the pinnacle because of it.
After processing all this information, Xie Hanzhu turned to Meng Shuying. "You still haven't explained why Mingyou sought you out."
It made sense if Tian Fuling had come looking for her, given their past grudge. But now that Tian Fuling had become Mingyou, it didn't add up.
"She came for the half of the divine bone in my body," Meng Shuying said, lowering her gaze. Her tone was steady, betraying no emotion.
"I traded the divine bone to her in exchange for a way to bring Senior Sister back."
"No wonder…" Wen Miaomiao murmured.
Xie Hanzhu added, "So Mingyou became a demigod because you gave her that half of the divine bone?"
Wen Miaomiao thought for a moment and shook her head. "No, she could already use the descent spell before obtaining the divine bone."
"Then why did she want the divine bone?" Xie Hanzhu wondered, rubbing her chin. After pondering for a while, she muttered, "Maybe I'm biased against the Demon Tribe… but I always feel like whatever they do, it's part of some grand conspiracy."
Especially when it involved something as powerful as a divine bone.
Su Luowei suddenly spoke up, "If I'm not mistaken… she wants to use the divine power in the bone to heal the Demon Lord, Fu Guang."
As soon as she said this, Wen Miaomiao glanced at her, seemingly unsurprised that Su Luowei knew about Fu Guang's injury.
Just as Su Luowei didn't question how Wen Miaomiao knew about divine magic and divine bones.
The Demon Lord's sister had exchanged the method to revive Su Luowei for Meng Shuying's divine bone. And she needed this half of the divine bone to heal her brother. Coupled with the recent demonic disturbances in the south…
Even though Xie Hanzhu and Meng Shuying didn't fully understand the implications of this new name or the Demon Lord's injury, they immediately grasped that the Demon Tribe was up to something.
Xie Hanzhu abruptly stood up, too anxious to finish her meal. "No, I need to inform the Sect Master about this so she can make preparations."
"Hanzhu, calm down," Wen Miaomiao said gently. "This is all just speculation for now. And if Mingyou has already used the divine bone to heal the Demon Lord… spreading this information would only harm Meng Shuying and Qingxu Sect."
It wouldn't just be harmful; they would immediately be branded as "allies of the Demon Tribe."
"In my opinion, we should first investigate Danyang Alliance to see if the demonic energy fluctuations are indeed related to the Demon Tribe, and then report back to the Sect Master," Wen Miaomiao suggested.
Xie Hanzhu frowned, considering her words, and eventually nodded. "Alright, we'll do as you say."
After the meal, Su Luowei and Meng Shuying went to see Zhan Xuehan.
Zhan Xuehan, as befitting the leader of a great sect, was meticulous and far more composed than Xie Hanzhu. When she saw Su Luowei, her first reaction wasn't to be overwhelmed with emotion but to grasp Su Luowei's wrist and carefully examine her. Only after confirming that this was indeed her resurrected niece did her eyes show a hint of moisture. She patted Meng Shuying's shoulder, saying, "Well done."
Upon learning that Su Luowei intended to accompany them to Danyang Alliance, Zhan Xuehan initially disagreed.
Holding Su Luowei's hand, her eyes were full of concern. "You haven't been back long, and your cultivation might be unstable after having shattered your golden core. It's too dangerous for you to venture out."
But Su Luowei only smiled and released her spiritual energy.
Sensing her cultivation level, Zhan Xuehan was momentarily surprised. When she looked at Meng Shuying beside her, that surprise turned to understanding.
Of course, if Meng Shuying could find a way to bring her back, she would have a way to restore her cultivation as well.
Since Su Luowei was now a Nascent Soul cultivator, Zhan Xuehan had no reason to object.
However, before they left, Zhan Xuehan pulled Su Luowei aside and whispered, "Since you've already become Dao partners, it's time to bring her back to Dongji Island to meet your parents."
"I know, Aunt," Su Luowei replied, clinging to her arm playfully. "Once we've resolved the situation in the south, I'll take her back to Dongji Island."
The journey from Qingxu Sect to Danyang Alliance was long, even for cultivators flying by sword, taking two to three days.
Fortunately, they had the Phoenix and Azure Dragon.
Upon hearing that her master was heading down the mountain, Hongdou immediately insisted on accompanying them. With Hongdou going, how could Yunu not follow?
At first, Su Luowei was concerned that a group of six might draw too much attention, potentially getting noticed before they even reached Danyang Alliance. But Hongdou quickly transformed into a small bird and perched on her shoulder, blinking up at her as if to say, "This way, I can go too, right?"
Seeing her transformation, Yunu wasn't to be outdone. The dragon instantly turned into a small green snake no larger than a hand, slithering up Su Luowei's pant leg to coil around her wrist.
"Take me along too. I can protect you if anything happens," the little snake said, nuzzling Su Luowei's fingers with its head, its obsidian-like eyes gleaming brightly.
Su Luowei figured it was just in high spirits and eager to join the adventure, so she didn't think too much of it. Patting its smooth little head, she agreed, "Alright."
With the Phoenix's wings covering a thousand miles in a day and the Azure Dragon capable of flying through the clouds, the four of them reached the Danyang Alliance's stronghold, Nanyi City, in less than half a day.
They landed outside the city and made some simple preparations—Xie Hanzhu and Wen Miaomiao would pose as servants, while Su Luowei and Meng Shuying would play the roles of a traveling couple from the north.
Nanyi City's walls were tall and imposing, like a slumbering beast nestled in a sea of green. Due to the climate, the vegetation here was particularly lush and verdant.
A carriage carrying a few people rolled along the stone-paved road and passed through the city gates. After a brief inspection of their identities, the guards allowed them to enter.
As the carriage moved on, several guards crowded around the one who had done the inspection, nudging him playfully. "Well, Old Li, how about it? That little maid was quite generous, wasn't she?"
"Of course," Old Li boasted, tossing the silver ingot in his hand with a smirk. "If she weren't so generous and pretty, do you think I'd have let them in so easily?"
The others jeered. "Oh, Old Li, you're thinking about women again?"
Another added, "That pretty boy is lucky, huh? If the maid is that pretty, the wife must be a real beauty."
Old Li's eyes gleamed with lust as he shook his head. "You guys missed out. That lady… she was stunning. If I could spend just one night with a woman like that, it'd be worth meeting Yama tomorrow!"
As he was getting more excited, his eyes suddenly rolled back, and he dropped dead.
In the carriage, Meng Shuying withdrew her spiritual sense as if nothing had happened. When Su Luowei cast a questioning glance her way, she smiled and said, "Don't worry, Senior Sister. The guards didn't suspect a thing."
"That's good," Su Luowei nodded. "We must be cautious while we're away from home."