Chapter 31: City of the Undying
Watching the unconscious Qin Yuan in Mu Tao’s arms, Li Yu sighed inwardly.
In the original story, the little protagonist would only argue timidly when encountering problems, quickly falling silent if her arguments were ineffective.
But now, she could resolve issues directly and decisively, without hesitation.
While this might be a good thing, such a direct approach could easily offend people.
But then again, the little protagonist’s personality had become much more vibrant, no longer as timid and submissive as before.
Qin Yuan was easygoing; she probably wouldn’t mind.
Li Yu: “Lord Zhao, what should we do with her?”
Zhao Xianchen, snapping back to reality, pointed nearby. “There’s an inn up ahead…”
Without a word, Mu Tao lifted Qin Yuan and carried her in the direction Zhao Xianchen indicated.
Her small frame and immense strength astonished Zhao Xianchen.
Before their departure, Li Yu specifically instructed Zhao Xianchen to keep a close watch on Qin Yuan and prevent her from going near the City of the Undying.
Mu Tao, hearing this, raised her right hand and said seriously, “Should I knock her out again, so she’ll sleep until tomorrow morning?”
Li Yu: “…”
Sometimes it was hard to imagine what strange things this girl learned during the days when she couldn’t cultivate.
“Young Immortal Mu, are you sure your strike won’t cause any lasting effects…” Zhao Xianchen anxiously blocked the bed, relieved when Mu Tao lowered her hand. He then took out a talisman. “Let me handle this.”
The talisman floated into the air, glowing with a golden light, and then multiplied, forming a barrier around the bed.
“Now we can rest assured. Even if the princess wakes up now, she won’t be able to get out for a while.” Zhao Xianchen breathed a sigh of relief.
He turned to the three immortals and thanked them. “I’m incredibly grateful that you allowed the Princess to stay behind!”
“Once you leave the town, head south. With advanced speed-enhancing techniques, you’ll reach the city in half a day.” Zhao Xianchen bowed. “With your immense power, you will surely resolve this centuries-old problem. The Princess and I will await your return here!”
His tone was solemn, his feet seemingly rooted to the ground, unwilling to move even a step further.
Now that Qin Yuan was unconscious, he didn’t even intend to see them off.
Seeing a renowned high-ranking cultivator so terrified made Li Yu feel a little apprehensive.
But for the sake of the mission and the system rewards, she had to press on.
【Assistance for [Advanced Speed-Enhancing Technique] is ready!】
【Host, please raise your hand.】
Well, wasn’t that considerate.
【Naturally!】
Even a sarcastic remark made it proud.
But shouldn’t a speed-enhancing technique involve…moving your feet? Why raising a hand?
Confused, Li Yu still followed the system’s instructions and raised her right hand.
A soft blue light enveloped her and Mu Tao, then flowed downwards towards their feet.
Li Yu felt her body become lighter, as if she could fly with a single step.
“Thank you, Master!”
Mu Tao’s sweet voice brought Li Yu back to reality.
Looking at Mu Tao’s joyful expression, she silently praised the system.
It was still somewhat thoughtful.
She almost forgot that Mu Tao only knew basic speed-enhancing techniques; the system hadn’t.
Of course, she wouldn’t thank the system out loud.
After all, creating favorable conditions for the little protagonist to enter the main storyline was its job.
“Let’s go,” Li Yu said calmly, looking at Mo Yichu.
—Please, lead the way.
She only understood directions relative to herself, not compass directions.
Sudden, unexplained stares from an elder were perhaps even more terrifying than sudden silence.
Mo Yichu froze under Li Yu’s gaze, unsure what to do.
In the small room, one person was lying down, and four were standing. It should have been somewhat noisy, but an eerie silence filled the air.
Zhao Xianchen, completely oblivious to the source of the awkwardness, sensed the tense atmosphere and quietly retreated to a corner.
Mu Tao, tilting her head, looked at Li Yu, thought for a moment, then seemed to understand. She looked at Mo Yichu seriously.
“Senior Brother, we’re leading the way. This is training!” With that, she turned and rushed out of the room.
Mo Yichu quickly followed.
Li Yu blinked, and the two figures were gone.
In the past, when playing games and using support skills on her teammates, she would shout, “Charge! You’ve been buffed!”
Now, she just wanted to yell, Wait for me!
To avoid being left behind, Li Yu hurried after them.
This was the first time she was using such a spell; she had no prior experience.
The moment she took a step, she felt a sudden gust of wind beneath her feet. The speed was incredible; she almost crashed into the opposite wall upon leaving the room.
Thankfully, an unseen force pulled her towards the inn’s entrance, preventing a disastrous collision.
But that near-miss made her face pale.
That was terrifying!
Was there any safety guarantee with this thing?!
【The host’s control over spiritual energy is still weak. Slightly more complex spells pose a safety risk.】
【But don’t worry, Host, the system can still assist with spells of this level. However, for more advanced spells, the system cannot guarantee the host’s safety.】
But hadn’t it promised to unlock more advanced skills after this mission?
【Yes.】
Then why was it unsafe?
【Exactly.】
What should she do if it was unsafe?
【Although the system cannot guarantee the host’s absolute safety when using advanced skills, it can still ensure relative safety.】
So, she might not be fine, but she wouldn’t die, right?
【Correct!】
It felt like she was heading towards a giant pit!!!
Could she still turn back?!
The answer was—no.
Her mind was filled with hesitation, but her feet moved relentlessly, propelled by the spell, following the two protagonists.
It was the system’s fault!
She had said it before, all these transmigration systems were kidnappers, human traffickers, shameless scoundrels exploiting her for free!
【The host needn’t be so nervous. The original owner possesses protective spiritual energy. It takes considerable effort to injure the host in the human realm.】
Li Yu: “…”
Although slightly comforted, she still felt a hint of sarcasm in the system’s words.
Fine, she was here now, couldn’t leave, and had to see the city anyway. Since the system said she would be fine, she might as well trust it.
They headed south after leaving the town.
The City of the Undying, once a nation’s capital, must have been prosperous.
The path beneath their feet was clearly a major road, wide enough to have possibly been an official road three hundred years ago.
But now, untraveled for years, it was overgrown with weeds and littered with rubble.
As the path became more desolate, the resentment in the air grew stronger.
Resentment was everywhere in this world, invisible to the naked eye unless sensed with spiritual awareness.
But here, the resentment was so thick it was visible, like a dark miasma clinging to the dim sky.
There was a central point in the distance, radiating tendrils of blood-red resentment outwards.
The closer they got, the more uneasy Li Yu felt.
But she knew this unease stemmed from her own fear.
The original owner of this body was an Exalted Immortal.
The immortal’s protective spiritual energy was passively active within her. Even if she couldn’t use any powerful spells, she shouldn’t be affected by a mere human calamity.
But knowing this and feeling it were two different things.
Seeing the intensifying resentment, she couldn’t help but feel nervous.
This nervousness reached its peak when she saw the City of the Undying in the distance.
For the first time, she felt a suffocating pressure.
Qin Yuan hadn’t been exaggerating.
The overwhelming resentment, like a blood-red sea of clouds, silently covered the sky above the city.
More accurately, it wasn’t like clouds.
The resentment seemed to have solidified, hanging heavy in the sky, churning like waves in the wind.
But it wasn’t foam or spray.
It looked viscous, as if it could drip from the sky at any moment, yet it remained suspended, blocking the sun and moon.
The more Li Yu looked at it, the more terrified she became.
The sky and the earth seemed to merge into a giant, gaping maw.
It hung open, silently devouring the dead city, awaiting its next victim.
The city gates were dilapidated, the characters for “Moon Capital” on the gate tower barely discernible, worn away by time.
As rumored, a crumbling seal surrounded the city.
Tendrils of resentment, not yet ascended to the sky, drifted in the air, occasionally colliding with the weakening seal.
Like smoke hitting a broken piece of cellophane, most of it drifted back, but some seeped through the cracks, silently spreading outwards.
But the wind wasn’t hindered by the seal.
Despite the scorching summer heat, an icy wind, colder than winter, blew from within the city.
The source of the wind was shrouded in darkness, but not the darkness of night.
It was the oppressive darkness of a violent storm without lightning, where you could see the path ahead but no glimmer of hope.
—A deathly silence that made it hard to breathe.
Li Yu stopped and looked at Mu Tao.
A flicker of worry crossed her eyes, then vanished as she met Mu Tao’s gaze.
For a moment, she had been worried that Mu Tao would be affected by the city’s resentment.
Although Mu Tao’s cultivation was low, she possessed the Demon Bone. According to the novel, with the right method, her body could absorb an unlimited amount of resentment. How could she be harmed by it?
When Mu Tao arrived at the City of the Undying in the original story, she couldn’t even maintain her human form without assistance and was far weaker than she was now, yet she hadn’t been harmed by the city’s resentment.
She was overthinking it, forgetting basic plot points.
Mu Tao was the protagonist, she had plot armor. Better worry about herself.
As she thought this, Li Yu saw Mo Yichu entering the city gates and quickly composed herself, pretending to be calm as she followed.
But she didn’t realize that the fleeting worry in her eyes hadn’t escaped her little disciple’s notice.
Mu Tao suppressed a smile, lowered her gaze, and gently tugged at Li Yu’s sleeve, following closely beside her.
The city was eerily quiet, so quiet that their footsteps echoed clearly.
There wasn’t a single person, not even a mosquito, in sight.
The sea of resentment hanging overhead made no sound, and everything around them was as silent as that sea.
Only the wind, whistling through the deserted city, made a near-piercing sound.
The wind itself wasn’t that loud, but the surrounding silence amplified it, making it sound out of place.
It was said that the City of the Undying was a dead city during the day, only coming “alive” at night.
But the resentment here had already blotted out the sun; it was impossible to tell when night would fall. She didn’t know if those earthbound spirits would suddenly appear and startle her.
Li Yu considered herself relatively brave; she enjoyed horror and disaster movies.
But enjoying them didn’t mean she wasn’t afraid.
She would be hard-pressed to remain calm if something strange suddenly jumped out at her.
She was genuinely scared now, her anxiety growing with each step deeper into the city.
Please, no jump scares, and no blood rain from the sky. Otherwise, her compatibility might really drop to zero in front of the two juniors.
Praying silently, Li Yu continued walking.
She tried to recall what the protagonists experienced in this city.
But it had been too long, and she had read too carelessly. She couldn’t remember any details beyond what she already knew.
Perhaps due to the oppressive atmosphere, no one spoke after entering the city.
This prolonged silence was unsettling. In such a tense situation, someone needed to lighten the mood.
And this creepy place was making her nervous; she desperately needed to hear a human voice.
She didn’t know what the author was thinking, making neither the male nor female protagonist talkative.
Seeing the two walking silently, one in front, one behind, Li Yu sighed inwardly.
Since expecting them to speak was unrealistic, she, with her supposedly aloof and noble persona, would have to initiate the conversation.
But how could she start without sounding abrupt?
After much thought, Li Yu settled on her opening line.
“I wonder what time it is now; we need to find that spirit summoning formation quickly.”
A simple, yet perfectly reasonable statement in this situation.
She waited expectantly for a response.
But after five steps, still no one spoke.
Li Yu stopped.
Her little disciple, who usually responded to her every glance and every word, now seemed oblivious to her presence, following Mo Yichu without a word.
How could a junior ignore their elder?
Even if such a thing was possible, it shouldn’t happen to a disciple of Mount Chao Yao!
What was going on? Were they possessed?
Li Yu was startled, forgetting about her compatibility, and shouted their names.
Receiving no response, she hurried after them and shook them.
“What the hell!”
Where were they going? Were they being drawn in by the formation?
Mu Tao’s cultivation was low, so being affected by the formation was understandable, but Mo Yichu shouldn’t be so weak!
Li Yu gritted her teeth, following them, and quickly scanned through her unlocked basic skills.
She found her only offensive spell.
If they couldn’t be woken up by calling or shaking, perhaps a good smack would do the trick?
Li Yu looked at Mu Tao and Mo Yichu, then took a deep breath, her gaze settling on the latter.
She swore she wasn’t being biased towards the protagonist; it was simply that with his higher cultivation, he would suffer less from the attack.
Besides, from a combat perspective, waking Mo Yichu up first was more valuable.
She was absolutely certain this was the best choice!
—Sorry, buddy!
Li Yu thought this, gathered spiritual energy in her palm, and struck Mo Yichu with a swift chop!
She had imagined countless possible outcomes.
But the next second, a scene she had never anticipated unfolded before her eyes.
The male protagonist…shattered.
Literally shattered into specks of spiritual light, right before her eyes, beside Mu Tao.
More fragile than a loveless relationship, he simply…disintegrated!
This sudden disintegration startled her.
—Did I just…kill him?
Li Yu instinctively touched the Spirit Severing Hairpin in her hair.
The hairpin was still there, her cultivation suppressed. How could she possibly kill the male protagonist with a basic spell?!
Mu Tao didn’t seem to notice the person beside her vanishing. She continued walking, her expression blank.
Li Yu calmed herself and activated the Harmony Bells on her wrist with her spiritual power.
As expected, the bells on this “Mu Tao” didn’t chime!
Fake! Everything she was seeing was an illusion!
She had been separated from the protagonists, unknowingly, perhaps for quite a while.
This place was so eerie that even her protective spiritual energy couldn’t block the illusion. She didn’t know if the protagonists had realized something was wrong.
Li Yu took a deep breath, gathered spiritual energy again, and shattered the remaining illusion beside her.
As the illusion broke, she heard the faint chiming of the Harmony Bells.
Faint and distant, yet clear enough for her to pinpoint the direction.
For the first time, Li Yu found the sound of the small silver bells pleasant.
The chiming continued. She used the speed-enhancing technique, following the sound.
But just as the sound grew closer, it suddenly stopped.
She infused the bells with spiritual energy again, but there was no response from Mu Tao.
Seriously, she wasn’t even allowed to use her tracking device?
System, System…
Say something!
【The system is here!】
“Aren’t the Harmony Bells supposed to work regardless of distance? Why aren’t they working now?”
【The Harmony Bells don’t malfunction. No response means the other party is not responding.】
Not responding?
That was impossible. If Mu Tao could hear the bells, she would definitely respond, unless she couldn’t…
Resentment couldn’t harm the protagonist. Even if something was affecting her mind, it was only temporary, and the male protagonist would save her.
Now wasn’t the time to worry about Mu Tao.
The biggest problem now was that she was alone in this creepy place!
When night fell, she would definitely encounter ghosts!
Panicking, Li Yu asked, “What should I do now?”
【The system is attempting to activate mission guidance for the host!】
Holy crap! Mission guidance!!!
She thought she wouldn’t have that anymore after the novice missions. So, it was still available!
“Why didn’t you give it to me directly if you had it?!”
【The host didn’t request it.】
Li Yu was furious.
“So you won’t give it to me unless I ask?” She couldn’t help but shout, “You’re a fully functioning system, can’t you be more proactive?!”
As she fumed, a dark shadow suddenly flew past her ear, startling her.
After a few seconds, she recovered.
The shadow was now perched on a broken roof.
It was a pure black bird with dark red eyes, its wings slightly damaged, as if burned. It was about the size of a crow, but clearly not a crow, as it had two long, broken tail feathers.
Why was there a bird here?
And why was it staring at her?
Those dark red eyes, like drops of blood, were creepy.
Was it going to attack her?
Perhaps she should strike first…
Li Yu tried to gather spiritual energy in her palm.
But this time, the usually reliable system assistance wasn’t working.
Just as she was about to curse, a faint golden light, like a system prompt, appeared on the black bird.
Then, it flapped its wings and flew off in a certain direction.
Its long, black tail feathers, trailing golden light, left a faint guiding line in the air.
“…”
So, it was mission guidance.
Seriously, System, didn’t it think this mission guidance was a bit…ominous?
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