Yin Luan felt like she was truly a good person.
She had reluctantly parted with the millennium bamboo shoot that she couldn’t bear to eat herself, simply because she saw the other woman was injured.
“Goodbye, Little Bamboo…”
Before handing it over, the Little Snake Demon licked it a couple more times with great reluctance.
“It’s only half. No need to act like that…”
Even though she wore a mask, Yin Luan could still sense Xian Yuan’s profound embarrassment.
Truth be told, if she hadn’t truly needed it for healing, she might have turned around and left right then.
But licks aside, the bamboo shoot’s medicinal effects were undeniably real.
After receiving it, Xian Yuan thanked them and said she needed to go into secluded cultivation for three days. She would meet them again once she emerged.
The Little Snake Demon readily agreed. She hoisted the still-unconscious Su Paopao over her shoulder and left the auction house.
In the days that followed, Yin Luan spent three days wandering around Flame City. Along the way, she gathered some basic information on the sects and powers in the vicinity of the Great Zhou Kingdom.
In a word, these sects were not strong.
Take Su Paopao’s Wonderful Immortal Sect, for example. The sect had a total of seven or eight hundred disciples and elders combined, but fewer than fifty Innate Experts among them. Even their core elders were, at best, on the same level as Senior Sister Zou Lian.
That might sound impressive—a crushing force against a minor nation like the Fire Valley Kingdom. But compared to the Great Zhou Kingdom, it fell short.
The Demon Subduing Division alone boasted at least several hundred Innate Experts, to say nothing of the Forbidden Army, whose members could stand against those in the Innate Realm.
To put it bluntly, even if every sect in the area banded together, they still might not measure up to the Great Zhou Kingdom Royal Family.
“Why is the Great Zhou Kingdom Royal Family so strong?” Yin Luan asked. “Or are your sects just too weak? How did that happen?”
“It seems to have something to do with geography,” Su Paopao replied, her knowledge only half-baked. “The Eastern Wastelands are too barren. Any sect that sets up shop here is probably one that couldn’t make it elsewhere… If they were truly powerful, why would they root themselves in a dump like this?”
No matter how much you exploited barren land, it could never compare to an immortal sect planted in a fertile region—just look at Xian Yuan, who had come from afar.
As for how the Great Zhou Kingdom had grown so mighty, the outside world buzzed with all sorts of rumors. Some said the royal family had unearthed some miraculous treasure that allowed them to mass-produce Innate Experts. Others claimed that several super-experts from beyond the region were secretly guarding the palace…
The truth of such matters was probably known only to a select few at the pinnacle of power.
After a few days, Xian Yuan successfully emerged from seclusion. She sent a messenger to contact the Little Snake Demon, and they arranged to meet at a teahouse.
“Thanks to your bamboo shoot, the effects were even better than I’d hoped.”
Xian Yuan hadn’t removed her mask, but her voice carried more vigor than before. Clearly, the bamboo shoots—along with the several large crates of ginseng she’d won at auction—had done wonders for her injuries.
“I’ve sought you out this time to repay the favor… Don’t refuse just yet. I know you’re not interested in pills or cultivation arts. But what about ‘Immortals’? Does that pique your curiosity?”
“Immortals?” Yin Luan blinked in stunned silence for a moment before confirming. “You mean the Immortals I think you mean, right…?”
“That’s what you call them here, isn’t it?” Xian Yuan said. “By walking the Incense Fire Path and earning the acknowledgment of the Heavenly Path, humans become Immortals, while monster spirits become Gods. Once they attain a Divine Position or Immortal Position, their power and lifespan both surge, allowing them to shatter the innate limits of their physical forms.”
“That’s right. Immortals…”
The Little Snake Demon nodded on instinct.
“The truth is, outside the Eastern Wastelands, they’re not called Immortals. They’re known as ‘Dao Achievers,'” Xian Yuan continued. “There are paths to these positions beyond the Incense Fire Path… but that’s the one most people take, and it’s by far the quickest and most straightforward.”
“Dao Achievers…”
Yin Luan had just learned yet another new term.
“To be frank, I came to the Eastern Wastelands to find an Immortal Relic,” the masked woman said, extending an invitation. “Are you interested in coming along?”
“An Immortal Relic?!”
Little Snake barely reacted, but Su Paopao leaped to her feet in shock.
“Aren’t the homes of Immortals supposed to be the utmost secrets? Living Immortals would never let anyone know their outposts, and even on the brink of death, they’d raze their mountains to the ground to prevent desecration. Does an Immortal Relic really exist?”
“Indeed, Immortals fear desecration, even after death,” Xian Yuan affirmed with a nod. “But there are always exceptions to every rule—especially in a remote place with such a long and storied history. I have reliable intelligence confirming that an Immortal Relic truly exists here.”
Su Paopao gulped hard.
Immortals—those were beings countless times more powerful than Innate Experts. The treasures hidden in their home were beyond imagination…
This woman was terrifying. She actually had access to information like this.
If word got out, it wouldn’t just alarm the powers surrounding the Great Zhou Kingdom—the royal family itself would be shaken.
“Such a golden opportunity,” Little Snake said after a moment of silence, her brow furrowing slightly. “Why come to me?”
Xian Yuan had come alone, without a single helper. Her movements were shrouded in utmost secrecy.
Anyone with half a brain could figure it out: the more people who knew, the greater the risk. And with more explorers, whether it was venturing inside or splitting the spoils, complications were inevitable.
She had only known Xian Yuan for a few days—just shared a casual fling—and now the woman was spilling secrets like this?
“I’m injured,” Xian Yuan replied. “With my wounds unhealed, going alone carries too much risk. Besides, I find you trustworthy enough.”
Hiss…
The scent carried more lies than truth.
Folks from the Barbaric Wastes had no idea that the Little Snake Demon could sniff out truth from deception.
Most of what she said was mere smokescreen… though not entirely malicious.
Yin Luan mulled it over. Xian Yuan probably did want a partner for the expedition, but she had chosen Yin Luan not out of trust in her character, but because she was weak and easy to control. Even if a dispute arose over treasures, Xian Yuan could seize the upper hand.
Truly, you never knew a person’s heart—especially when they hid behind a mask.
“And what about the treasures we find?” the Little Snake Demon asked calmly, probing further. “You won’t just kill me and take everything halfway through, will you?”
“We’ll divide the treasures based on the situation,” Xian Yuan answered without missing a beat. “That said, there are a few items I’ll specify in advance. If we find them, they go straight to me… After all, both the relic’s location and the main exploration effort come from me. It only makes sense.”
That much rang true, at least.
So she was after specific treasures in the Immortal Relic.
“There must be tons of treasures in that Immortal Relic,” Su Paopao daydreamed. “The big shots can have the prime cuts; I’ll be happy sipping the broth. If luck’s on my side, I might even become the richest disciple in the Wonderful Immortal Sect…”
The Little Snake Demon crossed her arms and pondered seriously for a moment.
The Immortal Relic tempted her greatly, of course. But this wasn’t Du Xuan or Zou Lian—someone she couldn’t fully trust.
Venturing in meant facing unknown risks.
And she had promised to reach the Luo Royal Capital before the Summer Solstice. What if she got framed and couldn’t make it back…?
“Got it,” Yin Luan finally said. “Count me in. I feel a real connection to Immortals. Who knows? I might uncover something special.”
At worst, she’d regret going once. Not going? She might regret it for life. An Immortal Relic—how could she pass up a chance to see it?
“Yes!”
Su Paopao cheered excitedly.
Xian Yuan glanced up at her, then back at the Little Snake Demon, her look clearly asking, This cannon fodder’s tagging along too?
“Oh, leave her out of it,” Yin Luan said with a shrug. “I picked her up on the road and held her captive. She’s a sneaky one—bound to cause trouble if she comes.”
“Nooo, Senior! Take me with you! I promise to be good and listen!”
Su Paopao latched onto the Little Snake Demon’s leg, wailing dramatically.
“Didn’t you keep saying you wanted to leave? I’m not holding you anymore. Go on—we’re square.”
“Who cares about settling scores? I just want to stick by Senior’s side and learn a thing or two! Senior’s so beautiful—she must have a heart of gold!”
“Last night you called me cruel and violent…”
Truth be told, Su Paopao’s strength was leagues away from being relic-ready. Even Ren Tan, with her Divine Dragon Bracelet, outclassed her by far.
But the girl was clever, bold as brass, and handy at everything outside of fighting.
After a bit of teasing, Yin Luan relented and agreed to bring her along.
“In that case, shall we set out in two days?”
Xian Yuan asked.
“Hm, where exactly is this relic?”
“Not far from here. If we move quickly, we can reach it in a few days,” she replied. “And we won’t need to enter Great Zhou Kingdom territory.”
“Perfect. Two days it is.”
Xian Yuan departed once more, while Yin Luan teamed up with Su Paopao to gather supplies for the relic expedition.
With no clue what dangers awaited, they could only prepare for the worst.
“That woman, once she finds the treasure, might turn on us right then and there. To keep the secret, she’ll come back and give each of us a slash,” Su Paopao said with a sly grin. “So we’ve got to strike first! Use this blood-seals-throat powder and send her off to meet King Yama!”
“Your face-changing speed is way too fast…”
The Little Snake Demon couldn’t help but retort.
“Who told her to wear a mask?” the little girl shot back. “Not daring to show her true face means there’s something seriously wrong. She’s on guard against us, so we’ve definitely got to watch out for her too, right?”
That did make sense. If someone wearing a mask attacked you, even if you luckily escaped, you wouldn’t know who to hunt down for revenge…
“What if her face really was ruined?” Yin Luan wondered. “Is she searching for the Immortal Relic to restore her looks?”
“That’s way too extravagant, isn’t it? Hunting down an Immortal Relic just for her appearance.” Su Paopao mulled it over and decided it was unlikely. “Besides, disfigurement shouldn’t be a big deal for the major powers outside. Does she really need to come all this way?”
In any case, there were too many mysteries surrounding Xian Yuan. They absolutely had to stay on their guard.
With the help of the Fire Valley Kingdom Royal Family, Yin Luan sold off all the jade stones she’d been carrying, along with every last bit of loot they’d scraped from those thugs on the road. She pooled the money and let Su Paopao exchange it all for nasty poisons and tricks.
Hopefully they wouldn’t need any of it. After all, they had no idea how effective these mortal-grade toxins would be against experts from the other side of the Barbaric Wastes…
Once they’d rested up, the two rendezvoused with Xian Yuan outside the city.
They bought a carriage and headed north, leaving Fire Valley Kingdom territory behind.
Xian Yuan didn’t talk much along the way, only answering a few words when Yin Luan asked questions.
From her brief replies, they pieced together that Heavenly Immortal Pavilion was a formidable power on a massive scale—countless times stronger than a sect like Wonderful Immortal Sect. Even Great Zhou Kingdom was beneath notice in their eyes.
As for her own background, Xian Yuan said little.
“Definitely the Eldest Young Lady.” “Nah, why would the Eldest Young Lady come out here herself…” “You don’t get it—this whole self-reliant storyline is all the rage these days…”
They speculated irresponsibly the whole way until they reached a wasteland lashed by ferocious winds and choking sandstorms that forced their eyes shut.
“Death Desert,” Su Paopao announced, her face wrapped in a cloth mask. “They say no one who goes in comes out alive… Uh, the relic’s in there? Should we maybe rethink this?”
The relentless gales never let up, and the sand was sharp enough to flay the skin from your face. Even an Innate Expert wouldn’t last half a day, and a carriage would come apart after just a couple of li.
But Xian Yuan seemed to have anticipated as much. She told them to step back a bit, then touched the ring on her finger.
Whoosh!
A white light flashed into existence from thin air. In the blink of an eye, a bizarre vehicle twice the size of their carriage, with six wheels, appeared before them.
“This, this…”
Su Paopao’s eyes bulged, her mouth hanging open in shock. She was speechless for a good long moment before she finally blurted out, “A Storage Ring?! The treasure that can hold anything you want? Too, too incredible! I’ve only ever heard that our entire sect has just one, and it belongs to the Sect Master—her most prized possession!”
“No need to be so surprised,” Xian Yuan said calmly. “These might be rare in the Eastern Wastelands, but outside, you see them all the time. Any traveler hauling a lot of gear needs a storage device.”
“Envious…”
The Little Snake Demon sighed wistfully.
If only she had one—she wouldn’t have to lug that bundle everywhere.
The Storage Ring was impressive enough, but the “Mechanism Vehicle” that followed left them even more stunned.
It didn’t need horses or any beasts of burden to pull it. Just feed it some blue stones for fuel, and it drove itself forward. The shell was tough as nails—not even a sandstorm could touch it, and rocks couldn’t dent it.
“No need to be surprised,” Xian Yuan said in the same even tone. “Mechanism Vehicles are outdated relics. The real tools the big powers use are called Flying Boats—faster, smoother, way better.”
“As expected from someone from the big leagues—such broad knowledge…”
The Eastern Wastelands were just too cut off.
The distant Barbaric Wastes had blocked all contact with the outside world for a thousand years, leaving everything frozen in time.
But this wasn’t the moment for lamenting.
The three climbed into the Mechanism Vehicle and plunged into the Death Desert, battling headwinds and blinding sand.
“Oh, right,” Su Paopao said suddenly, remembering something. “The relic we’re off to explore—did its owner die, or is it still alive? If it’s a Living Immortal’s lair, promise you’ll let me out first…”
“Don’t worry, it’s already dead,” Xian Yuan said gravely. “And it’s been dead for several decades.”
