A Girl Dies Every Day in Her Dream Life 209

Chapter 209: The Might of Immortal Slaughter, Dugu Di’s True Purpose

Although Luo Xue had witnessed the fall of countless celestial ships, this was her first time actually boarding one.

Everything on the celestial ship felt familiar, not because she had seen it before, but because of its style.

This strange combination of the Immortal Martial world and technology felt… familiar.

Thinking about it carefully…

“It seems similar to the Suspended High Towers of the post-apocalyptic world?”

Luo Xue blinked, but this was just a feeling. She didn’t see anything that resembled the Suspended High Towers.

However, what was certain was that what operated on the celestial ship wasn’t restrictions, but formations.

Indeed, these were formations from the almost lost inheritance of the ancient era. Their complexity even made Li Guijiao express her admiration through voice transmission.

Even in the nine provinces and four domains, there were very few who could compare to Li Guijiao in terms of formation mastery.

The White Tiger spirit, having once reached the Saint Realm, could help her deduce even more powerful formations, and all the resources of the barbarian lands were at her disposal. Such conditions were rare.

Coupled with Li Guijiao’s talent, the formations she created could even give Sea Crossing Realm experts a headache.

In Li Guijiao’s judgment, the interconnected formations on the celestial ship would require at least five Sea Crossing Realm experts to construct.

And among Li Guijiao’s own works, only the grand formation covering the entire barbarian lands could compare.

But Luo Xue knew very well that besides Li Guijiao, there were no true formation inheritances in the Great Thousand Worlds anymore. Even she was just a novice.

Therefore…

This celestial ship couldn’t have been created by Dugu Di. He must have obtained it from somewhere.

Li Xiuiming was still introducing the celestial ship to Luo Xue, explaining the functions and destructive power of the various formations, essentially showcasing the might of the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty.

Luo Xue listened half-heartedly, her seemingly distracted demeanor making Li Xiuiming think that she was overwhelmed, sighing inwardly that even a Nascent Soul cultivator couldn’t handle it.

When they reached the central control room of the celestial ship, Li Xiuiming stopped, bowed respectfully towards the door, and said,

“Your Majesty, Miss Luo Xue and her attendant have arrived.”

“Let her in.” Luo Xue’s familiar voice, the Immortal Emperor’s, came from inside. “The attendant can stay outside. I only wish to meet with Miss Luo Xue.”

Luo Xue and Li Guijiao exchanged glances. Li Guijiao gave a silent “good luck” gesture, then lowered her head and remained silent.

This was expected. The Immortal Emperor didn’t want a third person present, and neither did Luo Xue… but Li Guijiao and Luo Xue were considered one.

Furthermore, even if the Immortal Emperor used restrictions to block their communication, he couldn’t prevent Luo Xue and Li Guijiao from interacting.

Their connection was special. The resonance between puppets wasn’t something the Great Thousand Worlds, where puppetry was a lost art, could block.

Otherwise, how could Luo Xue and Li Guijiao dare to use voice transmission so openly on the celestial ship?

No matter how encrypted, ordinary spiritual voice transmissions, before a Sea Crossing Realm expert, were no different from speaking directly.

“As you command, Your Majesty.”

Li Xiuiming bowed again, then turned to Luo Xue and said apologetically,

“I’m sorry, your attendant can only go this far. His Majesty only wishes to meet with you.”

Luo Xue ignored Li Guijiao’s muttering of “Why didn’t he apologize to me too” and nodded slightly.

“I understand. Can I go in now?”

“Of course.” Li Xiuiming stepped aside.

“Is there anything I need to pay attention to when speaking with His Majesty?” Luo Xue asked before entering.

“Don’t interrupt him when he’s speaking.”

“And?”

“Just talk to him like you normally would—that’s what His Majesty instructed.”

…

Having seen the combination of science fiction and Immortal Martial styles on the celestial ship, Luo Xue had thought the central control room would be more futuristic, but she was greeted by a familiar sight.

“The imperial study…”

It was almost identical to the imperial study in the palace. Luo Xue even saw the Detailed Explanation of Puppets she had taken before, and the version here was even more ancient, probably the original.

“You seem very familiar with my imperial study,” a deep voice rang out, but it lacked the usual authority, “but I don’t recall ever meeting you.”

Luo Xue looked up. Dugu Di, the Immortal Emperor, dressed in simple robes, sat at his desk, seemingly writing something.

From the moment she entered, Dugu Di had been observing Luo Xue, her every move under his scrutiny.

And the slight changes in Luo Xue’s expression upon seeing the control room didn’t escape his notice.

“Your Majesty hasn’t met me, but I have seen Your Majesty.”

Luo Xue walked over and sat down on the left chair in front of the desk.

The Princess Xue in the imperial study had sat in this chair, silently watching Luo Xue.

“A remarkable young woman.”

Dugu Di looked at Luo Xue and, after she sat down, said these words, like an evaluation.

He could see that this “Miss,” after noticing his scrutiny, had become expressionless, to avoid revealing anything.

A mere Nascent Soul cultivator, being able to control herself to the point where even a Sea Crossing Realm cultivator couldn’t see through her, was truly rare.

…Actually, Luo Xue had just turned off the puppet’s expression synchronization, leaving only mechanical responses.

Luo Xue had enveloped this puppet body with the will of immortality, and coupled with the immortal aura emanating from her Eternal Soul of Antiquity, no matter how Dugu Di probed, he couldn’t see through her disguise.

Although this was quite damaging to the puppet. Luo Xue had already used up a dozen of Li Guijiao’s puppets, including those from her reckless experiments.

“Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty,” Luo Xue smiled faintly, her smile slightly stiff due to the lack of expression synchronization. “Regarding the matter of opening trade routes between the barbarian lands and the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty, did Brother Li inform you?”

“He did,” Dugu Di waved his hand dismissively, “but let’s not talk about that today. To be honest, I’m more interested in you than the barbarian lands.”

“…Me?”

Luo Xue was slightly stunned.

She suddenly remembered that the Immortal Emperor’s most beloved wife and daughter both had white hair. Could it be that this old man…

“Don’t misunderstand, I’m not interested in you in that way.” A faint smile appeared on Dugu Di’s lips. “But you do bear some resemblance to my most beloved daughter.”

“I’ve heard of Princess Xue’s beauty, but I’m just a country girl, I can’t compare to Her Highness’s nobility.” Luo Xue shook her head, thinking that this old man was trying to get close to her.

Who didn’t know his intentions…

“I’m not joking. If my daughter wasn’t unwell, I would have brought her here to meet you. Perhaps you could become friends.”

Dugu Di maintained his amiable smile, treating Luo Xue like a junior.

This was a negotiation tactic. At least with this attitude, it was difficult for Luo Xue to retort.

He was an old man who was thousands of years older than her…

Even if cultivators judged seniority based on cultivation, not age, Luo Xue was still far inferior to Dugu Di.

“If there were such an opportunity, I would be honored.” Luo Xue’s reply was impeccable.

“Hahahaha…”

Dugu Di suddenly burst into laughter, stood up, and waved his hand.

The surrounding scenery instantly changed. It was no longer the familiar imperial study, but an ancient battlefield.

Countless flames fell from the sky, the ground covered in blood, an aura of death and despair permeating the air, a shocking sight.

“An illusion?”

Luo Xue was startled by the Immortal Emperor’s move.

It was too realistic, even the air carried the stench of blood and the heat of battle, the scene as if within reach.

“This was the beginning of my conquests, the might of Immortal Slaughter.” Dugu Di said slowly. “I rarely show this to outsiders, but I think you’re qualified to witness it.”

“…Is this a threat?” Luo Xue’s eyes flickered.

She didn’t believe that Dugu Di’s intentions were so simple. Threatening the barbarian lands with Immortal Slaughter wasn’t something even a foolish ruler would do, let alone Dugu Di, the founding emperor, during the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty’s golden age.

“A threat? No, I want you to see… what Immortal Slaughter truly is.” Dugu Di said softly.

As his voice fell, the falling flames froze in mid-air.

The massive celestial ship slowly appeared, as if emerging from the depths of the water.

Luo Xue had initially thought that these flames were Immortal Slaughter’s attacks, but she was wrong.

The overwhelming flames were targeting the celestial ship, but it was dodging them, only reappearing when the flames weakened.

And this dodging method…

Luo Xue’s pupils constricted.

Could it be… using deep space?

She held her breath. Could the celestial ship actually travel through deep space?

However, Luo Xue didn’t have much time to think. The next moment, the celestial ship counterattacked.

The chain-targeting formations unleashed a barrage of attacks, unlike traditional techniques and abilities, these attacks seemed to be precisely calculated. Each individual attack seemed ordinary, but in combination, they struck down the cultivators who were unleashing the flames.

“What you’re seeing now is the battle where I ambushed and killed the old demon Youshan. He used the blood of ten thousand demons to refine medicine, trying to break through to the mid-stage of Saint, and I, with the Immortal Slaughter Army, killed him.” Dugu Di said casually, revealing a shocking piece of information.

This was a battle against a Saint Realm expert…

Even an early-stage Saint was still a true Saint, not something ordinary Sea Crossing Realm cultivators could compare to.

Even ten Sea Crossing Realm cultivators together would struggle against a true Saint.

The qualitative change brought about by the laws was a world of difference.

Luo Xue didn’t speak, still processing the battle.

This was completely different from any battle she had seen before, almost like modern warfare.

“Unpredictable mobility and extremely efficient killing power, these are the trump cards of Immortal Slaughter.” Dugu Di said faintly. “Those old fogies see battles between cultivators as just large-scale duels of techniques and abilities. This outdated mindset led to their defeat, and my rise.”

“True war is all-encompassing. Only by utilizing everything at your disposal can you achieve true victory, not just relying on a few powerful cultivators.”

The reason Dugu Di could conquer the world after the ancient era, when spiritual power was weak, forcing the ancient clans to submit, besides the Nangong clan’s help, was because of his own strength.

His strength wasn’t just his own cultivation, but also his army, which he was most proud of.

And today, Luo Xue saw the terrifying might of the Immortal Slaughter Army.

Dugu Di waved his hand again, and the illusion disappeared, the surroundings returning to the imperial study.

“Having seen this, Miss, do you have a deeper understanding of Immortal Slaughter?”

“…”

Luo Xue was silent for a moment, her eyes flickering, then she looked up at Dugu Di.

“You want me to help repair Immortal Slaughter, right?”

“…”

Dugu Di was also silent for a moment, then turned his back and said,

“I thought you might figure it out, but I didn’t expect you to be so quick.”

“Immortal Slaughter isn’t yours, at least not originally.” Luo Xue said, repeating what Li Guijiao had told her. “It uses ancient formations, intricately interconnected, even with self-repairing formations. It’s incredibly sophisticated.”

“If Immortal Slaughter is damaged, as long as it’s left alone, it will recover over time.”

“…Indeed.”

Dugu Di didn’t let Luo Xue see his expression, but it probably wasn’t very pleasant.

“But this also means that if Immortal Slaughter suffers irreversible damage, with your current understanding of formations, you can only abandon it.” Luo Xue continued. “Immortal Slaughter is limited. Losing one weakens the Immortal Slaughter Army.”

“The reason you came to the barbarian lands wasn’t to find medicine for your daughter, nor was it to conquer the barbarian lands. You deceived everyone… you’re only here to repair Immortal Slaughter.”

“It’s not entirely deception,” Dugu Di said slowly, “just… unlikely.”

Dugu Di was a cunning old fox. How could he not see Luo Xue’s true status in the barbarian lands?

She was involved in minor matters, but not major ones.

To put it bluntly, she was just a figurehead.

Trying to gain the support of the barbarian lands by currying favor with Luo Xue was a fantasy.

So, his main purpose…

Was noticing Luo Xue’s (Li Guijiao’s) exceptional formation skills in the barbarian lands and wanting to invite her to repair the damaged Immortal Slaughter, a transaction.

This was the true purpose of Dugu Di’s southern tour, kept hidden from everyone.