The tunnel spiraled downward, shrouded in darkness. Su Luowei supported Meng Shuying as they walked for what felt like an eternity, the blackness around them oppressive and silent. Once Su Luowei was certain no one was following them, she retrieved a firestarter from her Qiankun bag and lit it, casting a small circle of light around them.
The flickering fire illuminated their faces, and Su Luowei noticed that Meng Shuying looked even paler than before. Judging by the worn state of the tunnel, it had been here for a long time, hidden away by an array that Meng Shuying must have dispelled to reveal the entrance.
Holding the firestarter in one hand, Su Luowei used the other to support Meng Shuying, who walked with her back straight but her steps unsteady. The effort to break the array had drained her of most of her spiritual energy, leaving her vulnerable despite the numerous spirit-gathering pills she had swallowed.
The fire flickered, and Su Luowei lifted Meng Shuying's arm, placing it over her shoulder and wrapping her other hand around Meng Shuying's waist to support her weight. It was ironic; as her senior sister, Su Luowei should be the one leading and protecting, but ever since they entered the demon realm, it had always been Meng Shuying shielding her.
With most of Meng Shuying's weight resting on her, they trudged forward, their footsteps echoing in the otherwise silent tunnel. Apart from the crackling of the fire, the only sounds were their shallow breaths.
The firestarter's light barely reached beyond their immediate surroundings, leaving the distant corners of the tunnel shrouded in shadows, as if some monstrous creature lay in wait, ready to swallow them whole.
Uncomfortable with the silence, Su Luowei tried to make conversation. "How did Tian Fulings suddenly become so powerful?"
"Because Fuguang gave her a drop of his blood," Meng Shuying replied quietly. "The blood of a Demon Lord, also known as sacred blood, can significantly enhance a demon's cultivation."
"Would his blood help you as well?" Su Luowei asked abruptly, turning to look at Meng Shuying. The firelight danced across Meng Shuying's face, highlighting her long, thick eyelashes that resembled the wings of a butterfly poised to take flight.
Her expression was serious, as if she were already planning a way to bleed Fuguang if Meng Shuying confirmed it would be beneficial.
Meng Shuying thought for a moment and shook her head. "It wouldn't. We share the same lineage, so his blood wouldn't have any effect on me."
Su Luowei's face fell with disappointment.
Meng Shuying chuckled softly. "There's no need to worry, Senior Sister. We're already Mahayana cultivators. With enough patience, we'll eventually reach the pinnacle."
Meng Shuying spoke lightly, but Su Luowei knew that becoming an immortal was no easy feat. Over the years, many Mahayana cultivators had appeared in the cultivation world, but like the fleeting bloom of a flower, they had disappeared just as quickly, leaving no lasting impact.
After a brief silence, Su Luowei asked quietly, "Do you want to become an immortal, Ah Ying?"
Meng Shuying turned to meet her gaze, the firelight reflected in her eyes. "If you want it, then I want it too." She paused before continuing, "But I don't place much importance on these things. Whether it's cultivation or the path to immortality, the only meaning it holds for me is that it brings me closer to you."
In those early years when she couldn't cultivate, even though her senior sister was right beside her, Meng Shuying often felt a great distance between them. It wasn't until she stood on the Immortal Inquiry Platform and began her cultivation journey that she felt that gap between them slowly closing.
She didn't aspire to dominate the world or achieve immortality; all she wanted was to stay by her senior sister's side forever.
Meng Shuying had said something similar once before, and Su Luowei had promised that they would always be together. But fate had not been kind. Not long after making that promise, Su Luowei had died in Meng Shuying's arms.
A heavy feeling of sadness settled in Su Luowei's heart.
Meng Shuying must have suffered greatly during those years, enduring countless lonely nights on her own.
Su Luowei tightened her hold around Meng Shuying's waist, drawing her closer. Just as she did so, the firestarter suddenly went out, and Meng Shuying's weight collapsed against her.
Su Luowei initially thought Meng Shuying was playfully leaning on her, but when she didn't move after falling onto her, Su Luowei grew alarmed. She called Meng Shuying's name softly by her ear, but there was no response.
Panic welled up inside Su Luowei. She tossed aside the extinguished firestarter and quickly checked Meng Shuying's pulse, only to find that her spiritual energy was nearly depleted. Su Luowei spent several long minutes transferring her own energy into Meng Shuying.
The exertion left Su Luowei feeling drained, and unable to support their combined weight, she collapsed to the ground with Meng Shuying on top of her.
Even in her unconscious state, Meng Shuying instinctively protected her. Though they fell together, the only sound was a heavy thud as Meng Shuying's body hit the ground first.
The noise sent a shiver through Su Luowei, her head throbbing in sympathy.
She quickly sat up and pulled Meng Shuying into her arms. Meng Shuying's body felt fragile, like a paper kite in the wind.
Su Luowei wiped her hands on her clothes before gently patting Meng Shuying's cheeks, her voice softening involuntarily. "Meng Shuying? Meng Shuying?"
Even though Su Luowei had transferred over half of her spiritual energy to Meng Shuying, she remained unconscious, her eyelashes still.
Su Luowei pressed her hand to Meng Shuying's forehead, finding it burning hot as if she had a fever. Her neck was equally warm, almost scalding to the touch.
Carefully positioning herself, Su Luowei let Meng Shuying rest on her lap, massaging the spot where she had hit the ground.
"Meng Shuying, wake up."
No response.
Su Luowei sat in the darkness for a long time, waiting quietly for Meng Shuying to wake. But instead of waking, Meng Shuying's body grew hotter. Knowing they couldn't stay there much longer, Su Luowei steeled herself and stood, hoisting Meng Shuying onto her back. Slowly, she continued down the tunnel.
The passageway seemed to lead nowhere, and Su Luowei's uncertainty gnawed at her. She considered turning back but feared running into Fuguang and his men. Taking a deep breath, she decided to respond to the call that had been tugging at her mind.
Ever since entering the demon realm, Su Luowei had sensed something in the Demon Palace calling out to her. The closer she got to the palace, the stronger the sensation became.
She had no idea what was calling her and had been hesitant to respond, worried it might be a trap laid by Fuguang. Though Wen Miaomiao had mentioned a piece of the immortal's divine bone in the palace, Su Luowei couldn't understand why it would summon her, a mere mortal. The idea that it might be an opportunity seemed far less likely than it being a trap. So once inside the palace, Su Luowei had pushed thoughts of the divine bone aside, focusing instead on survival.
Following the call, Su Luowei carried Meng Shuying for what felt like ages until they reached an empty underground cavern.
The cave seemed to have been deliberately carved out rather than formed naturally. Long-burning lamps were placed around the cave's perimeter, and as Su Luowei passed one, she saw that it was filled with oil from South Sea sharks.
The oil was extremely precious, with just a small amount able to burn for a thousand years.
Who could afford such an extravagance, lighting this many lamps?
Despite the wealth displayed by the numerous lamps, the cave was sparsely furnished. The only object of note was a large block of white jade in the center, smoothed to a fine polish as if intended to hold something valuable.
Su Luowei had been looking for a place to rest Meng Shuying, and upon seeing the jade, her eyes lit up. The jade's size and height were perfect for lying someone down.
She gently lowered Meng Shuying onto the jade, adjusting her position so she was comfortable. Once Meng Shuying was settled, Su Luowei took a moment to examine the cave more closely.
To her disappointment, the cave contained nothing else of interest. It seemed that the previous occupant had cleared everything out before leaving.
Curiously, Su Luowei noticed that the summoning sensation had vanished upon reaching the cave, as if it had been nothing more than an illusion.
Despite the risk of staying, with only one entrance to the cave, Su Luowei couldn't continue dragging Meng Shuying through the tunnels in her current condition. For now, this would have to be their refuge.
She set up a few illusionary and concealing arrays at the entrance, hoping they would buy them some time if Fuguang tracked them down.
With the protective spells in place, Su Luowei returned to the jade block and began a thorough examination of Meng Shuying. While her spiritual energy seemed to be functioning normally, Meng Shuying remained unconscious. Su Luowei cleaned the dirt from her clothes and sat beside her on the jade, sword across her lap, and gritted her teeth as she took Meng Shuying's hand, preparing to delve into her spirit sea to find her.
This wasn't the first time Su Luowei had entered Meng Shuying's spirit sea; during their dual cultivation, their souls had merged countless times. As such, Su Luowei was quite familiar with the terrain of Meng Shuying's inner world.
But as soon as she entered, Su Luowei noticed something different. Meng Shuying's spirit sea felt colder and darker than it had before.
For a cultivator, the spirit sea is a sacred space, fundamental to their cultivation. It's a place they would never allow anyone, aside from their closest loved ones, to enter. A damaged spirit sea could mean the end of a cultivator's path, resulting in catastrophic consequences.
Though Su Luowei felt the difference in Meng Shuying's spirit sea, she didn't have time to investigate further. She searched every corner of the sea, but Meng Shuying's Nascent Soul was nowhere to be found.
How could this be?
Su Luowei opened her eyes and, refusing to give up, repositioned Meng Shuying so she was lying on her back. Su Luowei then leaned over, resting her head in the crook of Meng Shuying's neck.
This posture allowed them to be as close as possible, facilitating the smooth transfer of spiritual energy. As Su Luowei continued to channel energy into Meng Shuying, she once again sent her Nascent Soul into Meng Shuying's spirit sea.
But the sea remained empty. Unable to find Meng Shuying's Nascent Soul, Su Luowei climbed to a high vantage point, hoping to call Meng Shuying through their Dao bond.
The small figure of Su Luowei's Nascent Soul sat cross-legged on a lotus platform, a solemn expression on her face, as the mystical mark on her forehead flickered, calling out to her Dao partner.
There was no response for a long time.
Just as Su Luowei's anxiety reached its peak, and she considered diving into the depths of Meng Shuying's spirit sea to search, she finally saw a faint light approaching from the distance.
It was Meng Shuying's Nascent Soul.
Su Luowei breathed a sigh of relief, but then quickly realized that Meng Shuying's Nascent Soul was also injured. It wasn't as solid as usual, and there was a hint of it dissipating. Terrified, Su Luowei grabbed her hand and pulled her into her own spirit sea.
She then reached up and tore down a handful of petals from the blossoming peach tree in her spirit sea, stuffing them into Meng Shuying's arms.
The peach tree was Su Luowei's essence, and the petals it bore were manifestations of her own life force. As soon as the petals touched Meng Shuying's Nascent Soul, they dissolved into the purest form of energy, entering her body.
Absorbing that essence, Meng Shuying's complexion improved visibly. Once her breathing stabilized, Su Luowei had her sit beneath the peach tree to continue recovering while she herself exited the spirit sea to stand guard.
It took nearly half an hour before Meng Shuying finally opened her eyes, meeting Su Luowei's concerned gaze.
Su Luowei immediately took her wrist, guiding her spiritual energy through Meng Shuying's body. Satisfied that she was stable, Su Luowei asked, "What happened earlier? Why wasn't your Nascent Soul in your spirit sea?"
Meng Shuying moved Su Luowei's sword aside, then wrapped her arms around her, pressing her chin against Su Luowei's shoulder. She inhaled deeply, letting the familiar scent of lilies that clung to her senior sister's skin soothe her.
Su Luowei sensed that Meng Shuying was emotionally unsettled. She didn't pry, simply stroking her back in a calming manner.
Meng Shuying held Su Luowei for a long time, so long that Su Luowei finally patted her head, prompting her to loosen her grip. With a complicated expression, Meng Shuying hesitated before asking, "…Senior Sister, am I dreaming?"
"Don't be silly," Su Luowei smiled, poking her forehead with a finger. To her surprise, Meng Shuying didn't dodge, staying still and allowing Su Luowei to poke her.
In her carelessness, Su Luowei left a red mark on Meng Shuying's forehead, which she quickly massaged away, asking softly, "Did that hurt?"
Meng Shuying suddenly grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly. After staring at her for a long moment, she leaned in to kiss her.
This wasn't the right time or place for intimacy. Su Luowei was about to protest when Meng Shuying's face came closer, her long eyelashes fluttering like raven feathers, causing Su Luowei's heart to soften.
Well, fulfilling Meng Shuying's desire for closeness was her duty as a Dao partner.
With that thought, Su Luowei didn't pull away. Instead, she leaned in to meet Meng Shuying halfway.
Meng Shuying's lips were dry but soft, reminding Su Luowei of the petal she had found between the pages of a book back in the study on Inkstone Peak.
She gently kissed Meng Shuying's lower lip, wetting it before teasing her tongue, drawing her in.
Meng Shuying, growing bolder, responded eagerly, drawing Su Luowei into a passionate dance until Su Luowei was breathless, resting contentedly in her arms.
The connection between lips and skin was the most intimate act in this world.
Su Luowei's hand remained in Meng Shuying's grasp. She reversed her grip, entwining their fingers as she basked in the warmth of the moment.
She could hear Meng Shuying's heartbeat, steady and strong. When their breathing finally calmed, Meng Shuying lifted Su Luowei's hand to her lips, planting a soft kiss on it before speaking hesitantly, "Senior Sister, the reason my Nascent Soul wasn't in my spirit sea earlier is because I was trapped in a fog."
A thick, dark fog, filled with a destructive force.
"The fog appeared because I had a dream."
Su Luowei asked, "What kind of dream?"
Meng Shuying's voice trembled slightly as she answered, "I dreamed that… you died."
Her fingers trailed down to rest on Su Luowei's flat abdomen. Meng Shuying had kissed this spot many times, so she knew better than anyone else how smooth and flawless it was.
"And… it was I who killed you. I stabbed you with my sword, right here, and you fell to the ground, bleeding so much…"
Just recalling the scene caused Meng Shuying's heart to ache unbearably. Even though she knew it was just a dream, she couldn't bear the thought of hurting her senior sister, not even in her sleep.
The memory of that moment in the dream was so vivid that it nearly overshadowed everything else—the fact that, in the dream, her senior sister had treated her terribly, often teaming up with others to bully her. Her senior sister had even framed her out of jealousy for her rapid cultivation progress.
But all of that she had forgotten. All she remembered was that, in the end, on the back mountain of Qingxu Peak, she had killed her senior sister with her own hands.