The Divine Stele was located right in the chest of the Headless God Corpse.
Unlike Jing’s Divine Stele, its body was pitch black, engraved with the golden character “You,” and it emanated a somewhat oppressive, heavy aura.
Xian Yuan slashed out with her sword and instantly exhausted herself. After landing on the ground, she propped up her body with the sword, gasping for breath in great heaves. Her face was deathly pale, and she couldn’t even speak.
Yin Luan immediately sprang into action, hopping back and forth across the god corpse before quickly slipping into its chest cavity.
The immortal’s corpse was hollow inside, without even a spot to land. She took careful aim at her target and leaped across, pouncing straight for the Divine Stele.
Sizzle!
Half a zhang from the Divine Stele, an invisible barrier let out the sound of clashing energies. The mark on the back of Yin Luan’s hand lit up, and the obstruction vanished in an instant.
“Gotcha!”
The Little Snake Demon hugged the Divine Stele tight, kicked off the inner wall of the corpse’s skin, and bounced back out, emerging smoothly into the open air.
Xian Yuan panted for a while and recovered a bit of her strength, though her face remained ghastly pale, as if she might faint at any moment.
Still clutching the Divine Stele, Yin Luan started to run over to regroup, but then remembered she was in her half-transformed state. She blinked quickly to revert to normal before walking the rest of the way.
“Are you okay?”
She eyed Xian Yuan’s condition with worry.
“I used a secret technique and temporarily lost my ability to fight,” Xian Yuan managed to reply. “You really scared me back there… Was that the kind of power a human could even have?”
“Well, who knows? Seems like the madder I get, the stronger I become…”
The Little Snake Demon rattled off the excuse without a second thought.
The process had been perilous, but they’d reached their goal.
You’s Divine Stele was now in their hands. All that remained was to destroy it and complete the mission.
Xian Yuan stared at the pitch-black Divine Stele, her mind wandering for a moment.
After enduring so many hardships, they’d finally gotten a good result…
And it had come with the help of this new “friend” she’d just met.
Right then, a headless shadow projected outward from the Divine Stele.
“Jing’s got some luck on her side,” You said. “She found herself suitable help.”
“Senior Immortal…”
Xian Yuan hurriedly cupped her hands in salute.
“Pass a message to Jing for me,” it said flatly. “I’ve never regretted befriending her.”
Xian Yuan opened her mouth as if to speak, hesitated, then gave a deep nod.
“Go on,” You’s projection said as it gradually faded, seeming to blend into heaven and earth itself. “Leave Clear Seclusion Mountain, then destroy this Divine Stele.”
“But… can the traces of someone who once existed truly be wiped away completely…?”
Rumble…
The mountain trembled violently as cliffs and sheer walls came crashing down one after another. The sheer scale of it was ten or a hundred times greater than before.
The two women didn’t dare linger. Clutching the Divine Stele, they fled down the mountain at top speed.
At the base, they spotted Black Peach and Su Paopao waiting for them.
“Huh? What are you two doing here?”
Yin Luan asked, equal parts surprised and pleased.
“Um,” Su Paopao scratched her head sheepishly. “We felt kinda bad about ditching our teammates like that. Even if we couldn’t help, we figured we should at least be here to cover your retreat if things went south…”
“What do you mean ‘we felt’? I never had any such idea!”
“Ah, yeah, yeah, you’re right—it’s just ‘I felt.’ Nothing to do with Senior Black Peach…”
“But judging by the looks of things,” Black Peach said, glancing at the object in Little Snake Demon’s arms with a snort, “you pulled it off?”
“We got lucky and succeeded,” Xian Yuan said. “Let’s get out of here quick—it’s not safe anymore.”
They retreated all the way to the open plains.
Glancing back, they saw Clear Seclusion Mountain entirely shrouded in darkness, standing out starkly amid the chain of peaks.
Yin Luan set the Divine Stele down.
“Right here.”
Gripping her sword, Xian Yuan approached the stele step by step.
The mark on the back of her hand erupted in brilliant light such as she’d never seen before, enveloping the entire blade.
“Senior,” she said, raising her hand for a powerful slash. “Rest in peace!”
Crack.
Her sword struck the stele, and a fissure snaked from top to bottom across its surface.
Wooo——!
A sound like howling wind or anguished weeping echoed through heaven and earth. A fierce gale swept across the plains, bowing every flower and blade of grass toward Clear Seclusion Mountain.
“Roar!”
A long roar thundered from the mountain. Far in the distance, a colossal figure that seemed to prop up the heavens rampaged wildly, reducing the surrounding mountains to rubble.
The shattered Divine Stele crumbled to powder bit by bit, scattering on the wind. The chaos engulfing Clear Seclusion Mountain grew ever more frenzied.
And so, one immortal met his end, dissolving into chaos as every trace of his existence in the world was ground away.
Everyone felt a stir of emotion in their hearts, but no one was in the mood to voice it. With a collective sigh, they pressed on toward the teleportation gate.
Another full day and night passed before they returned to the Golden Light Gate.
With a final glance back toward Clear Seclusion Mountain, Xian Yuan, Yin Luan, Black Peach, and Su Paopao vanished one by one from the Barbarous Frontier.
~~~
In Bottle Pure Heaven, Immortal Jing waited patiently.
For a being like her, time had long lost all meaning. Whether three or five days, or three or five years—it was all just the blink of an eye.
The Golden Light Gate shimmered with light, and several young maidens emerged.
Su Paopao handed the Jing Divine Stele to Yin Luan, who hopped forward eagerly, ready to present it to the Immortal Lord.
“Whoa!”
As expected, the Little Snake Demon’s foot slipped. The Immortal Lord’s stele slipped from her grasp and flew into the air.
Everyone knew the monument wouldn’t crack from a mere drop, but cold sweat still broke out on their foreheads…
Jing raised her hand, and a surge of power caught the Divine Stele, drawing it into her protective golden light.
“Very good,” she said. “You’ve completed the task.”
Yin Luan let out a breath of relief and quickly tried to lighten the mood with a laugh. “Yeah, we went through a real ordeal…”
“You all,” Jing said as she stored the Divine Stele, pausing for a moment before asking, “do you know about those events? Was it he who told you?”
The group was mildly surprised, but they accepted it without question.
For the Immortal Lord, peering into events on the other side of space was hardly remarkable.
“Yes,” Xian Yuan replied. “He also asked me to pass along a message: ‘I’ve never regretted befriending you.'”
“Is that so…”
Jing’s voice carried a subtle tremor, a departure from her usual serene, detached tone that seemed to see through the world’s fleeting dust.
After a moment of silence, she spoke. “That’s just like him… a stubborn, sentimental immortal.”
Yin Luan had always sensed that the bond between Jing and You ran deeper than mere friendship, but she didn’t dare pry.
Asking outright would likely earn her a sound thrashing…
“Since you now know what happened to me,” Jing continued, “I hope you won’t share it lightly with others. It’s for your own good. ‘Don’t meddle in immortals’ affairs’—that’s wise counsel.”
“Don’t worry,” the Little Snake Demon said, patting her chest. “My lips are sealed tighter than steel—no one’s prying them open!”
The others chimed in with their own assurances.
Jing had no desire to dwell on the matter and swiftly changed the subject. “You three, come here.”
Three beams of golden light shone upon the foreheads of Yin Luan, Black Peach, and Su Paopao. The trio approached the Immortal Lord and bowed respectfully.
Moments later, a new technique appeared in the Little Snake Demon’s mind.
《Heart Moon Art》, a Breathing Circulation method that harnessed Moonlight Power to accelerate the refinement of Innate Qi. It could boost cultivation speed several times beyond ordinary Breathing Circulation.
“I see you’re still a blank slate in the Innate Realm,” Jing’s voice echoed in her head, “relying purely on raw talent to wield power haphazardly in battle. If you wish to hide your Demon Qi from others while still tapping into Innate Realm strength, you’ll need to refine a secondary energy to cloak your pure ‘Qi.'”
“I’ve chosen Moonlight Power for you. It’s gentle and highly accommodating—ideal for demons.”
“As for your transformation issue, I suspect it’s tied to your current method of channeling power. Cultivate the 《Heart Moon Art》, and it may bring about a change.”
“Got it!” the Little Snake Demon replied in her mind. “Thank you, Immortal Lord!”
The Immortal Lord was so thoughtful—truly a good woman…
“Thank you, Immortal Lord!” “Thank you, Senior Immortal!”
Black Peach and Su Paopao beamed with excitement, cupping their hands repeatedly. They had likely received exactly what they desired.
The three of them had been rewarded with cultivation methods, directly imprinted into their minds.
Xian Yuan’s prize, however, was something far more tangible—a true treasure.
“You, come here.”
Jing said.
Xian Yuan exhaled softly and walked forward with steady steps, her head bowed.
“The Jade Gourd Bottle is my natal treasure,” the Immortal Lord said. “It requires my personal acknowledgment to wield. You understand this, yes?”
“Yes, you mentioned it before.”
Xian Yuan replied.
“I never wanted to part with the Jade Gourd Bottle,” Jing said. “It’s not that I begrudge the treasure itself, but its power is immense and can easily lead one down the Evil Path… In truth, every immortal’s natal treasure carries that risk.”
The natal magic treasure of an Immortal differed fundamentally from ordinary Innate Treasures.
This distinction lay in the very nature of their power.
An Immortal’s possessions drew upon forces that only Immortals could wield. In mortal hands, they could heal the masses or wreak havoc upon the world.
“I understand,” Xian Yuan replied, bowing her head. “I can swear a venomous oath right here that I will never use the Jade Gourd Bottle for evil ends.”
“Little girl,” Jing’s tone softened a touch, as though she were gently instructing a child. “Don’t make oaths like that lightly. The mortal world is full of helplessness and tangled fates. More often than not, things aren’t simply good or evil. Killing one person might be wicked, but what if that one death saves a hundred lives?”
“Please guide me, Senior.”
The Iron-Masked Girl murmured softly.
“Promise me this,” the Immortal Lord said, gazing straight into her eyes. “Even after obtaining the Jade Gourd Bottle, you will hold fast to the mindset you have right now and not lose yourself to power. Should you break this vow, the Jade Gourd Bottle will seal away all its power until it finds a new master.”
A slender golden thread extended from the Immortal Lord’s palm, linking to Xian Yuan’s brow.
An Immortal’s promise was no mere empty words. It carried tremendous binding force—at least beyond what any mortal could break.
“I promise you,” Xian Yuan said, enunciating each word carefully. “This heart of mine will not waver.”
The golden thread lit up with radiance. The Immortal Mark reemerged on the back of the girl’s hand, steadily shrinking, yet the aura it exuded grew even deeper and purer than before.
The mark Jing had given them earlier had been a temporary infusion of power. What Xian Yuan now bore was a permanent emblem—the Immortal Lord’s formal acknowledgment.
“Very good.”
With that complete, Jing swept her hand through the air, tearing open a rift in space. She reached inside and withdrew an object that was neither quite a pot nor a bottle, its form strangely unique.
Primarily golden in hue and roughly half an arm’s length tall, it featured a handle and a spout. The upper portion tapered into a slender neck like that of a vase, its entire surface etched with breathtakingly intricate patterns. It was undoubtedly a exquisite work of art.
“The Jade Gourd Bottle serves three main purposes,” Jing explained, caressing the treasure. “Purification, sealing, and nurturing. At your current realm, you can only access the first layer’s power of purification—but even that is immensely potent.”
With a gentle push, she sent the Jade Gourd Bottle drifting into Xian Yuan’s arms. The patterns etched upon it flowed with rhythmic light, as if bidding a fond farewell to its former master.
“My dear treasure,” the Immortal Lord murmured softly. “Has already developed a touch of spirituality. I hope you will cherish it well and not treat it merely as a tool.”
“This junior understands.”
Xian Yuan acknowledged the words, then mimicked her gesture by gently stroking the Jade Gourd Bottle, attuning herself to the subtle pulses emanating from it.
“I will also impart the matching incantation to you,” Jing said. She unfurled her palm, and a cluster of golden light descended into the Iron-Masked Girl’s mind. “It contains some of my own cultivation insights—a gift for you. After all, now that you’ve received the Jade Gourd Bottle, you can be considered half my disciple.”
Xian Yuan carefully set the Jade Gourd Bottle on the ground, knelt down, and performed the solemn rite of three kowtows and nine prostrations.
“Master’s boundless grace—this disciple will never forget it, not even in a thousand lifetimes.”
“Youngsters and their sweet tongues…”
Jing’s voice carried a hint of weariness now that the ritual was done.
“But don’t call me Master. I’ve made some mistakes—rather troublesome ones at that. People like you, who have no stake in this, shouldn’t get dragged into it.”
“Very well. We’ve each obtained what we sought. You’ve claimed your prizes, and I’ve reclaimed the Divine Stele. Let our karmic ties end here.”
As these words left her lips, a subtle repulsive force began to emanate from the four women, as if the very fabric of Bottle Pure Heaven sought to eject them.
“Hold on a moment,” the Little Snake Demon interjected. “I still have a few curiosities I’d like to ask about.”
“Hey, the Immortal Lord just said not to tangle with karma any further!” “Senior, maybe rein in that curiosity of yours—you might live a couple more years that way…”
Black Peach and Su Paopao’s eyes twitched violently; they itched to clap their hands over her mouth.
Had this woman ignored every single word of advice from the two Immortals? Willfully meddling in an Immortal’s affairs led straight to a path of doom!
“Don’t worry, it’s nothing risky.”
The Little Snake Demon reassured her companions before turning back to the Immortal Lord. Seeing no sign of refusal, she posed her question.
“What does it feel like to fall in love with a mortal?”
For an instant, the air in Bottle Pure Heaven seemed to solidify.
Suddenly.
Slender branches burst forth from the soil. In the span of a few blinks, the ground brimmed with vibrant flowers of every hue, blooming in riotous splendor, a sight of breathtaking beauty.
A gentle breeze swept through, carrying threads of sweet fragrance, as though it sought to lift restless hearts into that boundless, free sky.
Not until the golden light flared up, with the four of them on the verge of teleporting away, did Immortal Lord’s reply—tinged with amusement—echo in everyone’s ears.
“This is a feeling… that only someone who has loved can truly understand.”
