Penglai, located on the far western edge of the continent, lies across from Su Luowei's birthplace on Dongji Island, with the entire continent stretching between them. The distance is so vast that it would take an ordinary person three to five years to traverse it on foot. As a result, most people from Dongji never set foot on Penglai's land.
Penglai, situated in the extreme west, is said to be the birthplace of the Buddha in ancient legends. Thus, the Penglai Pavilion practices only Buddhism, not Daoism. Furthermore, there are no female disciples in the entire Penglai sect, only bald-headed monks, whether young or old.
While the rest of the mortal world suffered under the invasion of the demonic race, Penglai and Dongji remained untouched due to their remote locations. In contrast to the chaos inland, Penglai appeared peaceful and serene.
The fact that their land remained unscathed was a key reason why Penglai Pavilion had yet to take action. The demons were ferocious, and if Penglai were to send their people into battle, it would result in inevitable casualties. Thus, they chose to remain as a hidden observer, safe within their territory.
This policy of self-preservation, watching from the sidelines, had become the consensus within Penglai. When the Danyang Alliance was destroyed, one of their elders had sent a message to Penglai, pleading for help from their old allies. But Penglai's leader and elders found excuses to decline and shut their doors.
If this was how they treated their friends, it was easy to imagine how they would respond to a disciple of Qingxu with whom they had little connection.
Had anyone else come today, they would have faced open disdain from Penglai.
But the person standing before them today was Su Luowei. She hailed from the esteemed Su family of Dongji, was the personal disciple of the Qingxu Sect's head, and was the Dao partner of the fearsome Meng Shuying.
Most importantly, she was the first cultivator in hundreds of years to survive the tribulation and ascend to immortality. She was indisputably the strongest person in the mortal world.
Because of this, Penglai's people hid their arrogance and adopted an attitude of utmost respect. The pavilion leader and all the elders personally greeted her at the mountain gate to welcome their honored guest.
A disciple who had guarded the mountain gate for over fifty years had never seen such a spectacle before and was so nervous that he didn't know where to place his hands. It wasn't until a senior brother quietly reminded him that he remembered to salute as the guest approached.
As Su Luowei walked closer, the monks folded their hands and nodded slightly, greeting her with, "Amitabha."
The leader of the group was the head of Penglai Pavilion, a man with white eyebrows and a snow-white beard. He seemed more composed than those around him, bowing respectfully but with dignity. "I wonder what has brought the immortal here from so far away."
Su Luowei glanced around but did not see the face she remembered from long ago. She stepped directly toward the leader of Penglai and said, "I need to see Mingjing."
The head of Penglai exchanged a glance with the elder beside him, looking troubled. "I wonder, how did the immortal hear that such a person exists within Penglai Pavilion?"
Master Mingjing had been present since the establishment of Penglai Pavilion, rarely showing himself. Few even within Penglai knew of his existence, and there were rumors that he had already ascended to immortality, which explained his longevity. He was Penglai's greatest secret, their source of courage to remain isolated from the world and their protector.
Su Luowei responded, "He and I are old acquaintances." She then frowned, "Why? Has Mingjing left Penglai?"
As she spoke, she prepared to release her divine sense to search Penglai for him herself.
Penglai's protective barrier was powerful, but Su Luowei had been the one to help set it up all those years ago, so how could it stop her?
Sensing her divine sense spreading like flowing water, the pavilion leader hurriedly waved his hand. "Please, there's no need…"
Before her divine sense could reach the front of the mountain, a voice echoed, "I'm here. Come in." A crane flew out from the depths of Penglai, gracefully landing before Su Luowei to lead the way.
With Master Mingjing personally receiving the immortal, there was no need for anyone at the gate to trouble themselves further. The pavilion leader touched his white eyebrows, somewhat disappointed that he couldn't take the opportunity to seek advice from Su Luowei.
He had been stuck at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage for many years, waiting for a breakthrough that never came. Now, with old age approaching, he couldn't help but feel anxious.
Sighing softly, he resigned himself. Fate could not be forced.
Following the crane to the back of the mountain, Su Luowei soon saw a massive Bodhi tree whose canopy blotted out the sky. Beneath the tree sat a monk in white robes, his face handsome and serene. In front of him was a chessboard, a game half-played, as if he were in the middle of a match.
Seeing her approach, the monk gestured for her to sit and picked up a black stone, smiling. "You've arrived just in time. I was just thinking about my next move."
With a calm, practiced motion, the black stone landed on the board.
Su Luowei took a seat opposite him, her gaze briefly scanning the board before she casually placed her sword scabbard across it, disrupting the entire game.
"Why such a temper the moment we meet? I was really happy to see you, you know," Mingjing looked up at her, his eyes clear and innocent.
"It's been a while, Shifang." He looked her up and down. "This new body of yours looks quite good. If it weren't for your aura, I wouldn't have recognized you."
Su Luowei, uninterested in pleasantries, crossed her arms and coldly stared at him.
Feeling guilty, Mingjing avoided her gaze after only a few seconds. "Say what you need to say. Don't look at me like that; you're making my roots feel chilly." As if to confirm his words, the giant tree above them shuddered, a few leaves and Bodhi fruits falling from its branches.
Mingjing was a Bodhi tree spirit, and the massive tree beside him was his true form. Many years ago, when Su Luowei had been known as Shifang, she and Mingjing had shared a certain camaraderie.
Though he was a spirit, his temperament was pleasant, and unlike many other spirits, he didn't harbor hostility toward humans. That was why, in her previous life, Su Luowei had secretly sought Mingjing out to entrust Meng Shuying to his care before she left.
But despite his promises, Mingjing had broken his word.
Su Luowei's visit to Penglai this time had two purposes: to persuade Penglai to join the other four sects in resisting the demons and to demand an explanation from Mingjing.
Sensing that his old friend would not let him off easily, Mingjing shrank back, the tree branches above him swaying slightly. "I had my reasons. When you entrusted your little disciple to me, you didn't mention that she had demon blood. You know my situation…"
Mingjing spread his hands helplessly. As a Bodhi spirit, he was naturally repelled by anything impure. This included mixed-blood beings like Meng Shuying. That was why, upon first seeing her, Mingjing had immediately decided to break his promise and never showed himself again, no matter how difficult things became for her.
"Besides, I eventually paid for it, didn't I? Your little disciple… She's fierce, I couldn't even beat her. I had to move the entire sect to Kunlun. You know how cold and miserable it is there; I didn't grow a single new leaf the entire time."
His tone was pitiful, but Su Luowei showed no sympathy. "Your Buddhist teachings emphasize karma. You broke your promise to me, and this is your consequence."
Mingjing pressed his lips together, flicking away the fallen leaves on his robe without a word.
Su Luowei wouldn't let him off so easily. She got straight to the point: "So this time, will Penglai remain on the sidelines, or…?"
Mingjing pondered for a moment but didn't answer directly. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "I haven't asked yet, but in this life, did you take that young girl as your disciple again?"
He figured she must have. After all, even in her past life, Su Luowei had been deeply concerned about that little disciple.
Back then, despite being nothing more than a fragile wisp of a soul, she had traveled all the way from Qingxu to Penglai just to entrust the girl to him.
Mingjing stroked his chin, recalling how weak Su Luowei had been during their last meeting. Her saying that it was all karma was actually a kindness, as she could have outright declared it retribution.
"It seems you've been out of touch for a while and aren't familiar with what's been happening in the world." Su Luowei idly adjusted her hairpin, her tone calm, though Mingjing could hear the pride in her voice. "She is now my Dao partner."
At the foot of Kunlun Mountain, Yutian City.
The small frontier city, blanketed in heavy snow, was shrouded in a thick cloud of dread.
Although the sturdy, ancient city walls and the protective barrier above them were holding the demon army at bay for now, everyone knew it wouldn't last.
High above, Kunlun's protective array had been activated, casting a silvery-white shield over the entire mountain range. Yutian, situated at the base of Kunlun, was just within the barrier's outer edge. Compared to other towns and villages, the people here were undoubtedly lucky.
Beyond the shimmering barrier, countless demons swarmed like locusts. They flew overhead in black clouds and descended upon the surrounding villages, their bloodstained hands mercilessly snatching away lives.
On the city walls, the guards stood in a line, each with their ears stuffed with cotton. The wails of the dying outside were relentless, and without the cotton, the guards would have long lost their resolve. Even with their hearing dulled, the stench of blood in the air turned their faces pale, their grips tightening on their weapons.
Just a few days earlier, some hot-headed young men, unable to bear the sight of their fellow humans being slaughtered, had jumped off the walls with their weapons, only to be torn apart by the demons in moments.
The strength disparity between ordinary humans and demons was too vast. Even against demon children, they stood no chance. Only cultivators could stand against the demonic forces.
From the lookout tower, a small group of people could be seen desperately running down the distant road. They were men and women, young and old, their clothes tattered as they fled toward Yutian City, screaming for help.
Behind them, several demon beasts lazily followed. Riding on the beasts were demon maidens, their bare feet unbothered by the freezing snow. The maidens urged their mounts forward, laughing and joking as if the whole thing were a fun game.
Occasionally, one of the demon beasts, driven into a frenzy by the scent of blood, would snatch a villager and tear them apart. The maidens paid no mind, merely scolding the beasts for dirtying their clothes.
The guards on the city walls could read the desperation in the villagers' faces, even if they couldn't hear their cries. Unable to bear witnessing more bloodshed, they closed their eyes.
This scene had played out several times a day. At first, they had been angry, but now they were numb. There was nothing they could do. If they opened the gates to let the refugees in, the demons would surely follow, putting the entire city at risk.
Knowing the gate wouldn't open, the villagers running down the road despaired. They screamed and wept, begging for salvation.
A winged demon beast suddenly swooped down from the sky, snatching an infant from its mother's arms, lifting the child high into the air.
"Here's a baby! Baby meat is the tenderest—it's perfect for feeding the little beasts!"
Though demons didn't care for human flesh, demon beasts loved it, especially newborns still shrouded in primal energy. For them, it was a delicacy.
Dangling the baby upside down in the air, the beast carried it higher and higher. The infant, too young to understand what was happening, could only wail, crying out in distress for having been separated from its mother's arms.
On the ground, the mother collapsed, her hands covering her face, oblivious to the demon beast approaching from behind.
The same horrors were playing out across the land. Against the overwhelming might of the demon race, humanity seemed pitifully small.
Just as all hope seemed lost, a sword shot through the sky, piercing the demon beast's chest. Dark green blood sprayed from the wound, and the beast's eyes glazed over as it plummeted to the ground, lifeless.
A dark figure followed the sword, catching the infant midair before calmly landing on her sword and speeding toward the remaining demon beasts.
In a flash, the infant was returned to its mother's arms, though the woman barely caught a glimpse of her savior before being pulled to her feet by family members.
"A celestial being has come to save us! Hurry, run!"
In the blink of an eye, a flash of silver light cut through the air, and the demon beasts, along with the maidens riding them, were sliced into pieces before they could even scream.
As the villagers fled toward the city, the guards finally opened the gates a crack, urging them to hurry inside.
While the refugees were being ushered in, the soldiers parted, making way for a tall figure.
Clad in silver armor, his face lined with exhaustion, the man was none other than Yutian City's lord, Weichi Xiong.
Stepping forward, Weichi Xiong bowed to the villagers. "I'm deeply sorry, but we couldn't save you sooner…"
One of the village elders, tears streaming down his bloodied face, rose to his feet. "There's no need to apologize, my lord. We understand."
His eldest son had been killed during their flight, and the grief weighed heavily on him. But his second son lived in Yutian, so he understood the city lord's concerns.
Like many others, he had relatives within the city, and he knew they couldn't open the gates to the refugees, risking everyone's lives. There was no one to blame, only an ever-deepening hatred for the demons.
As they were given warm clothes and hot tea, Weichi Xiong climbed the city walls to survey the situation outside. The dark figure had already disappeared, diving back into a swarm of demons. Alone, she slaughtered hundreds of them within moments.
Like a grim reaper, Meng Shuying mercilessly harvested demon lives.
Once she had slain the last of the demons and started heading back toward the city walls, the guards erupted into cheers.
The soldiers, their eyes brimming with tears, were overwhelmed with relief. The demons had tormented them for so long, resorting to psychological warfare when they couldn't breach the walls, slaughtering their fellow humans before their very eyes, and hanging the heads of the victims on demon beasts as gruesome trophies.
But now, those demons were dead, and the soldiers could hardly contain their excitement.
Without waiting for orders, they threw open the gates to welcome the celestial being inside. But Meng Shuying showed no intention of entering the city. She simply found a relatively clean spot on the stone path outside the gates, sat down, and leaned against the walls, staring off into the distance.
For two days and two nights, she sat there, guarding Yutian City. Thanks to her, even the refugees from the surrounding villages were able to make it to the city safely.
On the third day, just past noon, Meng Shuying stood up. The guard in the watchtower followed her gaze and saw a group of people dressed in green approaching on the main road.
They were disciples of the Qingxu Sect, led by Wen Miaomiao and Xie Hanzhu. Several paces behind them were disciples from Danyang Alliance, dressed in purple.
These two groups of cultivators had been traveling separately, slaughtering demons along the way, but they had eventually crossed paths and joined forces.
The Danyang Alliance and Qingxu Sect had once been at odds, but after the death of the Danyang Alliance's leader, the past grudges had dissolved. After fighting side by side against the demons, the two factions had formed a newfound camaraderie.
The moment Xie Hanzhu saw Meng Shuying, she began chattering excitedly, "The cultivators from Dongji are still three days away. They're too far, and it's taking them a while to get here. Have the people from Penglai arrived?"
"No," Meng Shuying shook her head. In her previous life, the cultivators of Penglai hadn't lifted a finger throughout the entire war. So, this time, Meng Shuying didn't expect anything from them either.
But Senior Sister had said she had an old acquaintance in Penglai…
Meng Shuying thought back to when she had stormed Penglai Pavilion in her last life, recalling that there hadn't been any particularly formidable cultivators there. The only one who had posed any challenge had been a Bodhi spirit.
But even that spirit hadn't lasted more than a few moves before begging for mercy, and she had taken a large handful of Bodhi seeds from him.
Not that she had any use for the seeds. She didn't meditate, so she had ended up feeding them to her demon beasts. She just hadn't liked the Bodhi spirit and had wanted to cause him discomfort.
He had looked quite old, so perhaps he was from the same era as Shifang.
The Bodhi seeds were round and white, known for their calming properties. Senior Sister would probably like them.
Rubbing her chin, Meng Shuying pondered. If she saw that Bodhi spirit again, she would definitely ask for more Bodhi seeds. Whether she got them peacefully or not depended on how cooperative the spirit was.
The sudden arrival of so many cultivators left Weichi Xiong overwhelmed with joy. With just Meng Shuying alone, they had been able to hold Yutian. But now, with so many more cultivators, perhaps they really stood a chance!
He was so excited that he quickly wiped his face and respectfully invited the cultivators into the city.
In the city lord's mansion, tea was served to every celestial. But one of the servants, upon seeing a familiar face, gasped in surprise, "Miss!"
Weichi Shao quickly gestured for him to be quiet and took the tea. "Don't tell Father and Mother."
She had been the first to sign up to fight against the demons. With her homeland under attack and her people suffering, how could she not?
She had grown taller since leaving home, her demeanor more composed. With so many people around, it was no wonder her father hadn't recognized her.
It wasn't that she didn't want to tell them, but she didn't want them to worry.
In the mansion's council chamber, Weichi Xiong unfurled a sheepskin map and laid it out in front of Meng Shuying.
"Yutian is backed by Kunlun, and these black circles mark the locations of every village on these three sides."
He pointed out several spots on the map. "To the north, the terrain is harsh, and the population is sparse. Even the largest village has no more than five hundred people. But even though there aren't many, each one is a living soul."
Apart from the city itself, Weichi Xiong's greatest concern was the surrounding villages. Before, he had been too busy trying to protect the city and hadn't had the resources to help them. But now, with so many cultivators here…
Weichi Xiong took a step back and knelt on one knee. His armor clanged against the stone floor, and the council chamber fell silent.
"Please, Celestials, save them!"
In her past life, Meng Shuying wouldn't have involved herself in such matters. She had never been a kind person and wouldn't go out of her way to save anyone.
To her, whether a thousand or ten thousand people died, they were just numbers. That was why she had agreed to the deal with Fuguang without ever considering how many people might perish because of it.
But things were different now. Senior Sister wouldn't approve of her leaving people to die. Just the thought of Senior Sister made Meng Shuying's mind up.
She reached out and circled two-thirds of the villages on the map. "The Qingxu Sect will handle these villages."
After a moment's thought, she added, "Do you need us only to defeat the demons, or should we bring the survivors back as well?"
Weichi Xiong hesitated. It would be ideal if they could bring the survivors back, but asking the cultivators to both fight demons and escort refugees would be asking a lot. So he hadn't dared to request it.
Meng Shuying glanced at the leader of the Danyang Alliance cultivators, who immediately lowered his head. "The Danyang Alliance is at your command, Immortal."
Satisfied, Meng Shuying extended the circle, encompassing all the villages under Yutian's jurisdiction.
"I will deal with all the demons. Your job is to bring the villagers back safely."
She calculated the time. Senior Sister should be back from Penglai soon. Meng Shuying intended to settle everything before Senior Sister returned, sparing her any worry.
When Senior Sister came back, it would be time to face Fuguang together.
Meng Shuying's gaze lingered on the top of Kunlun Mountain, calm as still water.
Fuguang was the source of all her misfortune, but now, Meng Shuying no longer blamed him.
Because she knew that Fuguang's end would come at her hands.