Chapter 14: Isn’t This the Main Storyline?
Although slightly disappointed, Li Yu quickly reminded herself that Mu Tao had now fully manifested her human form!
In the novel, even with the male protagonist’s careful guidance, the female protagonist hadn’t achieved a complete human form until the day she left Mount Chao Yao. She ultimately relied on a transformation talisman drawn by the male protagonist to freely travel in the human world.
Therefore, the cultivation manual she gave Mu Tao was a resounding success!
To celebrate this minor mental victory, Li Yu suggested adding two more dishes to lunch—since she wasn’t the one cooking.
Mu Tao was overjoyed at the idea of a celebration, counting her spirit stones, preparing to go down the mountain to exchange them for fresh ingredients.
The girl’s cultivation was weak; she only knew basic speed-enhancing techniques, so every trip down the mountain took a considerable amount of time.
Li Yu had made the suggestion casually, not realizing they were running low on ingredients. She quickly called out to Mu Tao, who was already heading out.
“The mountain path is long, why not skip it today?”
It felt a bit inconsiderate to make her run errands on such a happy day.
Mu Tao stopped and looked back hesitantly.
“But if I don’t go today, I’ll have to go tomorrow.” She tilted her head, thought for a moment, and said with a determined smile, “Master said today is worth celebrating. If it’s worth celebrating, but we don’t celebrate, wouldn’t that be regrettable?”
“…” That seemed logical.
“Wait for me, Master, I’ll be back soon!” Mu Tao said with a grin, turning and running out of the courtyard.
Her light steps were like a deer in the forest, as if a gentle breeze could carry her away.
Youth is wonderful, so full of energy.
Li Yu, only twenty-seven but already living a retired life, sighed with such sentiment, then returned to her room and leisurely made herself a pot of tea.
By the time Mu Tao returned, the scorching sun had been high in the sky for a long time.
The little girl hurried in, carrying two large food boxes.
Layer by layer, she unveiled a feast of meat and vegetable dishes, arranging them neatly on the table.
Usually, there were only a few simple dishes. Seeing this abundance of food, Li Yu almost thought it was New Year’s Eve.
But on the immortal mountain, time held little meaning. Cultivators, with their lifespans of hundreds or thousands of years, often overlooked the passage of time and didn’t celebrate human festivals.
This feast was simply because Li Yu had casually mentioned it was a day worth celebrating.
Mu Tao, having lived on Mount Chao Yao for over two hundred years, had never heard the word “celebrate,” not even on the day she became a disciple.
She knew that some days were special, some events worth celebrating.
But she never imagined that those special days, those reasons for celebration, would one day be related to her.
This was the first celebration she could remember.
She didn’t know what to do, so she simply prepared this feast and brought it to her master.
Afraid of delaying her master’s meal, she had rushed back and forth. Although her breathing had calmed, her sweat-soaked clothes clung to her body, making her feel uncomfortable.
A gentle spiritual light, like a spring breeze, swept over her, dispelling the discomfort.
Mu Tao looked up at Li Yu, her heart filled with surprise and joy.
“Don’t run so fast next time,” Li Yu said softly.
“Mm!” Mu Tao nodded happily.
Her eyes curved like crescent moons, and even though she bit her lip, she couldn’t suppress her smile.
Li Yu, satisfied, withdrew her hand.
Although she still didn’t understand how to use spiritual energy, the system’s assistance was truly convenient.
For simple spells like dispelling cold or heat, all she needed to do was focus her mind, raise her hand, and the spell would be cast automatically.
It was effortless for her, yet the little protagonist was overjoyed, as if she had stumbled upon a fortune, her smile never leaving her face throughout the meal.
Li Yu thought they wouldn’t be able to finish all the food and would have leftovers for the next two days.
But as soon as she put down her chopsticks, Mu Tao, like a little glutton, devoured everything on the table.
Perhaps a happy occasion truly stimulated the appetite.
Li Yu was astonished but pretended to be indifferent.
Mu Tao let out a loud burp after finishing her meal.
Instead of cleaning up and leaving as usual, she hesitated, then looked at Li Yu and said softly, “Master, it’s very lively down the mountain today.”
Li Yu: “Oh?”
Lively? What was happening?
She hadn’t heard any mention of special events from Si Qinglan.
“No one likes to talk to me, so I didn’t dare to ask. I only heard that the mountain gate isn’t open, but some humans have entered Mount Chao Yao, and many people have gone to see them…” Mu Tao said uncertainly. “It seems…it seems they are envoys from the human realm.”
The mountain gate isn’t open, human envoys…
Isn’t this the main storyline?
In the novel, Mount Chao Yao, although located in the human realm, was protected by divine power. When the mountain gate was closed, no mortal could find it.
Yet, a human ship, defying the scorching summer sun, passed through the protective barrier and landed in the lagoon north of Chao Yao.
The leader of the ship claimed to be an envoy of the True Dragon Emperor, bearing a token and seeking the aid of immortals.
He was able to find Mount Chao Yao precisely because of this token.
But the token wasn’t a promise made by one of the revered ones to the human imperial family.
It was a flower seed that Si Qinglan had accidentally dropped two hundred years ago during her travels in the human realm. The seed took root, bloomed into a spiritual flower, and was discovered by the imperial family, who placed it in their treasury.
Later, resentment surged in the human world, causing a series of demonic calamities.
The imperial sorcerers, though aware of the source of the resentment, were powerless to stop it due to their limited abilities. Even after recruiting talented individuals with hefty rewards, they couldn’t resolve the issue.
The dynasty was in turmoil.
Amidst this crisis, someone recognized the origin of the spiritual flower in the treasury and boldly suggested a path to seek immortal aid.
Thus, guided by the spiritual flower, the imperial envoy arrived at the legendary immortal mountain in the sea.
But Si Qinglan had never made any promises to mortals, and the laws of heaven dictated that—unless a demonic calamity threatened the world, immortals and gods should not interfere in human affairs.
So, when faced with the envoy’s request, she showed an unusual coldness, a stark contrast to her usual gossipy demeanor.
Despite her coldness, she had other thoughts.
If the resentment in the world became too strong, it might affect the Heavenly Demon’s soul seed sealed within the Upper Spirit Lamp, potentially turning human affairs into the beginning of a true demonic calamity.
With this concern, she summoned her two colleagues for discussion.
Weisheng Xuanzhu suggested—since they couldn’t directly intervene, why not let the younger generation gain some experience?
This was how the protagonists got the opportunity to leave the mountain.
In the original story, upon learning this, the female protagonist insisted on following the male protagonist. Concerned about her being bullied after his departure, he relented and took her along.
Now, there shouldn’t be such a bond between them, right?
So, could the male protagonist handle this main storyline quest alone?
【Host…】
What?
You startled me…
【The host’s mission is to—replace Li Yu, the Exalted Immortal, and experience the main storyline of Demon Bone, striving to survive until the end and successfully rewrite the final ending.】
Uh…
【Please don’t avoid the main storyline.】
Fine, the main storyline was inescapable.
She had to think carefully about how to make Mo Yichu take Mu Tao to the human realm…
If Mu Tao left, who would cook for her?
No, no, food wasn’t the most important thing!
What if the male and female protagonists secretly developed feelings for each other behind her back?!
She had worked so hard to break them up; she couldn’t let them get back together…
Should she follow them and supervise?
Was her peaceful, retired life about to end?
Lost in thought, Li Yu was startled by a green butterfly landing on the back of her hand. She gently touched it.
The butterfly transformed into two lines of text, appearing before her eyes.
—Cangming Revered One, Lingyao Revered One, please come to Qianlizhu for a discussion.
Mu Tao’s eyes widened with curiosity. “Is this a message from Qingxuan Revered One?”
Li Yu: “…Mm.”
Staring at the words “Lingyao Revered One,” she suddenly realized something.
This was a summons for a meeting of the Three Revered Ones.
Si Qinglan’s message… wasn’t this a death warrant?
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