Chapter 14: This Generation’s Master of Penglai Island Has a Serious Problem

She had a rather soft waist.

Because Cheng Huan’s Primordial Spirit Power had saved Gu Chuan and Lu Qing’an from certain death, the two of them had found a safe cave to heal and rest.

Gu Chuan’s injuries were all superficial; nothing serious, but the blood loss had left his face rather pale.

Lu Qing’an, however, was not in good shape. The wound on her arm was still bleeding profusely. No matter how many times she applied Golden Wound Powder, it was useless. She could also feel the wound swelling, and its edges had turned a purplish-red. It was a sign of poisoning.

Lu Qing’an circulated her Spiritual Power and found her Spirit Sea was stable and clear, her Golden Core Realm functioning normally, completely unaffected by the toxin. It seemed the poison was limited to her flesh and blood.

“What’s wrong?” Gu Chuan asked, seeing Lu Qing’an still so pale. “Is your Spiritual Power damaged? I still have some Spirit Gathering Pills here.”

“It’s nothing,” Lu Qing’an shook her head. “After a short rest, we need to find the Sect Master quickly.”

Gu Chuan stared at her right arm. “Why hasn’t your wound healed yet?”

“The things in this Secret Realm are too strange. I was injured by a stalk of Spirit Grass. The wound won’t close, keeps bleeding, and the surface is purplish-red, but…” Seeing the anxiety on Gu Chuan’s face, Lu Qing’an hurriedly added, “But… my Spiritual Power is undamaged, my Spirit Sea is calm, my Golden Core Realm is functioning normally. It’s just blood loss for now, nothing life-threatening yet.”

Gu Chuan’s brow furrowed deeply. “Even the Golden Wound Powder is useless?”

Lu Qing’an placed the empty bottle of Golden Wound Powder on the ground. “I used an entire bottle. No effect whatsoever.”

“Then we must find the Sect Master and the Elders as quickly as possible,” Gu Chuan stood up. “They will definitely have a way to treat your wound.”

Lu Qing’an nodded, picking up her Cloud-Cutting Sword. “Let’s go.”

Gu Chuan stepped forward, offering his hand. “Let me support you.”

Lu Qing’an dodged his hand, her expression indifferent as she walked ahead. “No need.”

Gu Chuan looked at his empty hands, a deep sense of loss in his eyes. He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. Seeing Lu Qing’an’s back, still so straight and upright, he chased after her.

Cheng Huan swept her palm forward, brushing aside the thick fog piled before her. Seeing the dozen or so Sky-Cleaving Spiders lunging at her, she gave a light flick of her fingertip. The spiders burst apart in mid-air, their blood merging into the misty clouds and gradually dispersing.

Cheng Huan closed her eyes and sent out her Primordial Spirit to search.

Just moments ago, she had sensed a disturbance in her Primordial Spirit Mark. It must have been Gu Chuan encountering danger, triggering the mark she left on him.

Though—

Cheng Huan stopped, opening her eyes to observe the chaotic scene before her. A great battle had clearly taken place here just recently; otherwise, the Primordial Spirit Mark wouldn’t have activated.

The Little Hedgehog poked its head out. [Host, the Male Lead’s Primordial Spirit Mark has disappeared now. How are we supposed to find him?]

Cheng Huan looked at the soil soaked with blood. “They shouldn’t have gone far. We can still catch up.”

[They?] The Little Hedgehog had only seen Cheng Huan plant the mark on the Male Lead. [Wasn’t it just the Male Lead alone?]

Cheng Huan raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t find this place solely by relying on the mark inside the Male Lead.”

The Little Hedgehog’s eyes showed confusion. [What do you mean?]

Cheng Huan straightened up and, as if guided by something, headed southeast.

She had only taken a few steps when she saw several Skeletons still struggling to dig themselves out of the dirt. Cheng Huan smiled slightly and greeted them: “Hello?”

The Skeletons: “…??”

They smelled the scent of a living person and began waving their sharp, pointed finger bones wildly. A bloodthirsty, cruel desire to consume lurked in their empty eye sockets.

Cheng Huan’s smile faded. She added: “Bye-bye.”

The Skeletons: “…?”

They had no real consciousness yet, acting only on primal desire and obsession. But the moment they saw Cheng Huan’s smile disappear and her gaze turn icy, they actually felt an urge to burrow back into the soil to hide.

Unfortunately, they were too slow. Cheng Huan crushed their bodies, one stomp at a time.

Crack— Crack—

The sound of shattering bones echoed through the Oracle Mystic Realm, adding a layer of horrific, sinister atmosphere.

Lu Qing’an and Gu Chuan finally found the Sect Master and the others. The Primordial Pavilion was in a tragic state, with no more than ten people left.

Jing Chen was gravely injured, his right arm nearly bitten off by a Skeleton that had burst from the ground. It was only thanks to Guan Zhengping’s timely rescue that his arm and life were saved.

You Luan had only superficial injuries, but his Spiritual Power was severely depleted. He was meditating cross-legged on the ground to recover.

The remaining Disciples were covered in wounds, large and small. Some were almost entirely drained of Spiritual Power, slumped weakly against trees, gasping for breath.

As for the Disciples from the other Sects, they had seen none of them. The current situation was fraught with danger; they could only look after themselves and had no energy to spare for the safety of others.

Lu Qing’an saw that You Luan wasn’t in good condition and didn’t approach him with questions about her wound. She could still endure it for now. She and Gu Chuan worked together to tend to their fellow Disciples. Everyone’s supply of medicinal pills was nearly depleted.

And this was only the Outer Sect Grounds of the Oracle Mystic Realm. They probably wouldn’t live long enough to even set foot inside its Burial Ground.

Jing Chen swallowed his pill with difficulty and said, gasping, “Eldest Senior Sister, seeing you both return… I can rest easy.”

“Don’t speak for now,” Lu Qing’an said, giving him some water. “Conserve your strength.”

Jing Chen nodded and closed his eyes.

Gu Chuan walked over, looked at Jing Chen’s injuries, and sighed. “Is he going to be alright?”

Lu Qing’an said, “The Golden Wound Powder is gone, there’s only one Blood-Stanching Pill left, and the Spirit Gathering Pills are finished. As for other pills, there are fewer than twenty remaining.”

At this point, they had exhausted all their resources.

Gu Chuan clenched his fists and said through gritted teeth, “Should we… should we just leave?”

Lu Qing’an frowned slightly.

Gu Chuan continued, “If we keep going, we’ll all die here. This is only the Outer Sect Grounds, and it’s already this perilous. We’ve suffered heavy losses, and our pills and Spiritual Power are nearly gone. We have no way to enter the Inner Nether Domain of the Oracle Mystic Realm.”

Everything Gu Chuan said was true.

How could Lu Qing’an not know that the Primordial Pavilion was at its absolute limit, on the verge of destruction? If they continued, total annihilation was inevitable.

“You all go,” You Luan opened his eyes and stood, looking at them. “Qing’an, Gu Chuan, take the remaining Disciples and leave the Oracle Mystic Realm immediately.”

Lu Qing’an asked, “Master, what about you?”

You Luan glanced at Guan Zhengping and said, “Elder Guan and I will proceed to the Burial Ground of the Oracle Mystic Realm.”

Gu Chuan hurriedly said, “But… but that place is too dangerous.”

You Luan sighed. “The resurrection of 100,000 Demon Cultists is imminent. There is no time to waste.”

Lu Qing’an closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said, “Master, I will stay, and face the 100,000 Demon Cultists with you.”

Gu Chuan’s eyes widened in panic. “Qing’an, are you insane? You’ve just advanced to the Nascent Soul Realm. Staying here would be suicide!”

You Luan locked his brow. “Qing’an, I understand your intentions, but your injury is unhealed, you’ve just broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm, and your Spiritual Power is not yet stable. You absolutely must not act on impulse.”

Guan Zhengping also urged, “Qing’an, take the remaining Disciples and leave. It’s too dangerous here; you cannot stay.”

Lu Qing’an wanted to say more, but suddenly Guan Zhengping’s expression changed. His face grew grave. “Quick! Quick! Tell everyone to leave now! We must not linger here a moment longer!”

Hearing this, everyone panicked instantly. Gu Chuan hurriedly supported Jing Chen, while Lu Qing’an summoned her Cloud-Cutting Sword, vigilantly scanning the surroundings.

You Luan also seemed to sense something. His expression turned terribly grim. He said in a deep voice, “There’s no escape. We’re surrounded!”

As soon as the words fell, the sound of “crack—” “crack—” came from beneath the thick fog around them.

Everyone present was familiar with this sound. Just hours ago, they had been beaten half to death by these very things.

Judging by the frequency of the sounds, they were densely packed, like a vast crowd, surging inward in droves. Listening carefully, besides the “crack” sounds, there was also the noise of soft-bodied creatures slithering across the soil, along with faint “buzzing” and “swishing” sounds.

The group stood back-to-back, swords in hand, watching all around them. Just as You Luan had said, they were completely surrounded!

Now, they could finally see clearly who—or what—was coming.

Datura Serpents, Gold Blast Poison Bees, and Sky-Cleaving Spiders—every Spirit Beast was lethally venomous and above Spirit-Rank in cultivation! And then there was the dense, endless horde of Skeletons. These things had no cultivation, but they were unkillable. Even if you scattered their bones, they could automatically reassemble and resurrect. The only way to destroy them was to completely pulverize and burn them. But at this moment, everyone’s Spiritual Power was so severely depleted that they couldn’t possibly resist this overwhelming onslaught of ferocious Spirit Beasts and Skeletons.

Even in such a hopeless situation, no one from the Primordial Pavilion simply gave up and waited to die. They fought back with everything they had.

Jing Chen watched the bone fingers aiming straight for his throat. Powerless to deflect them, he could only close his eyes and accept death—only to see the Cloud-Cutting Sword fly over and sever the skeletal arm, white bone splattered with blood and flesh.

Gu Chuan pulled Jing Chen back and stood in front of him. “Hide behind me!” Jing Chen’s eyes stung with tears. He choked out, “Eldest Senior Brother, I’ve been a burden to you all!” “Shut up!” Gu Chuan cleaved a Datura Serpent in two with one sword stroke. “We’re brothers. Don’t talk about being a burden.”

Lu Qing’an’s right arm had lost too much blood; she had no strength to lift her sword. Her left-handed strikes grew slower and slower. Unable to dodge in time, she was slashed by Skeletons all over her body. Her breathing became increasingly erratic, her consciousness fading, her whole body swaying.

She saw the Gold Blast Poison Bee closing in on her, the lethal, throat-sealing poison on its tail stinger thrusting toward her. She had no strength left to evade; she couldn’t even lift her sword.

Facing her impending death, Lu Qing’an had thought she would be afraid. But in this moment, only one person’s silhouette filled her mind. She had gambled once before, betting that if she were ever in danger, Cheng Huan would appear before her in time. But now, Lu Qing’an didn’t want to gamble anymore. This place was too dangerous. She couldn’t bear the thought of Cheng Huan coming here to die.

She fell backward, powerless. A Datura Serpent reared up from the ground below, opening its gaping, bloody maw, waiting for the meal falling into its mouth. But after waiting a moment, it received a decapitating blow instead.

Lu Qing’an felt a tightening around her waist as someone pulled her into their arms. The familiar scent and softness made her open her eyes. In disbelief, she stared at Cheng Huan, who had suddenly appeared before her.

Cheng Huan pushed Lu Qing’an slightly toward You Luan’s direction. With both hands, she formed a spell seal. A transparent, rippling barrier, like water waves, spread out and enveloped everyone from the Primordial Pavilion in a Protective Barrier.

The group watched as Cheng Huan repelled all the Spirit Beasts and Skeletons with a single move. Though the creatures were knocked back, they relentlessly threw themselves forward again.

“Look out—”

Trapped by Cheng Huan inside the Protective Barrier, they could only watch helplessly as she alone faced the countless Spirit Beasts and Skeletons. Most importantly, Cheng Huan was just standing there, as if waiting for the bloodthirsty horde to swarm her.

Lu Qing’an rushed forward, trying to break open the Protective Barrier to help her. She cried out urgently, “Cheng Huan—”

Cheng Huan turned her head back and smiled faintly. “Don’t be afraid.”

Everyone watched the sky-covering tide of beasts and Skeletons surge forward. They couldn’t understand how Cheng Huan could still smile.

But in the next second, everyone’s eyes widened, their mouths agape, as they stared in disbelief at the catastrophic scene before them.

They saw Cheng Huan casually toss a handful of objects. Over a dozen Golden Cores hurtled toward the mass of beasts and Skeletons.

Deafening blasts rose one after another, causing the entire island to tremble. A blinding white light flashed before everyone’s eyes. When they could see again, all the Spirit Beasts and Skeletons had been utterly annihilated.

They knew the Penglai Island Master had profound cultivation and unfathomable strength. But witnessing her resolve the crisis with just over a dozen Golden Cores still left them stunned and speechless.

Most importantly, what the hell were those Golden Cores?!

A single cultivator with over a dozen Golden Cores?

Exploding a Golden Core—exploding a Golden Core!

Cheng Huan took a deep breath and forced down the blood that had risen to her mouth. She had been affected by the residual blast wave when the Golden Cores exploded.

The Little Hedgehog asked worriedly, [Host, are you alright?]

Cheng Huan closed her eyes briefly. “I’m fine. I can handle it.”

She turned around and dispelled the Protective Barrier. Seeing Lu Qing’an frozen stiff, she thought the Female Lead had been scared silly. She waved a hand in front of her eyes. “Are you okay?”

She saw Lu Qing’an wasn’t moving, wasn’t even blinking. Cheng Huan became a little flustered. “Lu Qing’an, are you alright? You weren’t terrified into shock, were you?”

Lu Qing’an’s vacant gaze focused sharply. She threw herself at Cheng Huan and hugged her tightly. The force was so strong that Cheng Huan stumbled back a few steps.

Cheng Huan felt like her waist was about to be crushed. However, sensing the trembling and fear of the woman in her arms, she just patted Lu Qing’an’s back gently, soothing her. “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. I’m here now, aren’t I? With me around, you won’t be in any danger.”

Cheng Huan noticed how soft Lu Qing’an’s lower back was. The patting gradually turned into… stroking.

Gu Chuan’s face had already soured considerably the moment he saw Lu Qing’an initiate the hug with Cheng Huan. Now, seeing Cheng Huan taking the opportunity to feel her up, his face darkened like coal, his gaze as cold as frost.

Feeling Gu Chuan’s intense stare, Cheng Huan thought he was displeased by what she’d just said. She looked at him and explained kindly, “As long as you don’t actively court death, you won’t die either while I’m around.”

“…” Gu Chuan glared at her. “Mind your own business!”

Cheng Huan: “…”

The Male Lead’s foul temper was really asking for a beating.

It was better with the Female Lead. She was diligent, hardworking, eager to learn, and obedient.

Most importantly…

Her waist was really soft.