Chapter 3: The Eerie Immortal Master
“You are too slow.”
This abnormally soft voice seemed to ring in everyone’s ears, gentle yet overwhelmingly oppressive.
Even Luo Xue, for a moment, thought he had detected her awakening, and her body instinctively tensed.
However, she quickly realized that this must be some kind of sound transmission method. If she had truly been discovered, it certainly wouldn’t be this calm.
“We… we apologize, Immortal Master. Recently, the government has been strictly investigating, and it’s difficult to bring so many people out unnoticed…”
“That is no excuse.” The soft voice interrupted their explanation.
As soon as the words fell, two thuds were heard, presumably the two traffickers falling to their knees. Even their voices revealed barely concealed terror.
“It is our fault for being ignorant and delaying the Immortal Master’s important matters. Please spare our lives!”
The sounds of kowtowing rose and fell, but soon the Immortal Master’s voice rang out again, laced with impatience.
“Noisy.”
In an instant, the two traffickers fell silent, as if muted, making no further sound.
Could they have been… killed?
Having experienced the apocalypse, Luo Xue always viewed others with the utmost suspicion, especially in this Immortal Martial World where mortals were like ants.
“Oh… right, didn’t you want to step into the Innate Realm?” The Immortal Master’s gentle laughter came. “I promised you. I will help you now.”
At the same time, a subtle chewing sound accompanied his words, as if some kind of insect was gnawing on flesh bit by bit.
In the otherwise silent surroundings, this subtle sound was particularly jarring, particularly terrifying.
Luo Xue didn’t even dare to breathe. She huddled in the corner, suppressing the fear surging within her as much as possible, afraid that even the rhythm of her heartbeat might betray her to this “Immortal Master.”
“What kind of luck do I have… What kind of world is this…”
It seemed the world of cultivators was no less cruel than the apocalyptic world.
And at this moment, Luo Xue had another question. Why did this Immortal Master go to such lengths to gather these little girls?
Moreover, they all seemed to be around the same age…
Was it for some kind of ritual? Or to refine magical treasures? Or perhaps cultivation cauldrons?
Luo Xue didn’t know whether such actions were considered evil cultivation or normal for immortals in this world.
But in her current situation, even knowing the answers wouldn’t help.
Able to effortlessly eliminate a few traffickers, this Immortal Master could do anything he wanted to Luo Xue and the others, and they had no power to resist.
“…Such a bother. I’m almost out of time. I’ll just pick a few here.”
The Immortal Master muttered to himself. Then, the tightly sealed carriage exploded open, and blinding sunlight poured in.
Luo Xue’s eyes, accustomed to the darkness, were momentarily unable to adapt, but she resisted the urge to close them, risking a peek through a narrow slit.
She finally saw the environment outside the carriage. Endless green mountains filled her vision.
Two figures knelt in front of the carriage, their human outlines vaguely discernible.
But these figures were now covered in small insects, the dense gnawing sounds making her scalp tingle.
The Immortal Master stood suspended in the air beside the kneeling figures, a thin, cruel smile on his soft face, his sharp, snake-like eyes gazing indifferently at the shattered carriage.
Whether he hadn’t noticed Luo Xue’s peculiarity or simply disdained to pay attention, the Immortal Master merely waved his sleeve. Purple-red mist spread out, enveloping all the girls.
“What… what is this…”
Intense dizziness assaulted Luo Xue, her conscious mind once again suffering a heavy blow.
The scene before her eyes became distorted, bizarre illusions interweaving like a revolving lantern.
Only a line of bright red text remained exceptionally clear:
[New Abnormal Status: Yin Breath Poison]
[Allocating Survival Points: Yin Poison Resistance +10]
[…Survive]
Just as Luo Xue lost consciousness, the Immortal Master’s cold voice echoed in her ears once more.
“I wonder how many ‘seeds’ will remain from this batch…”
…
“Sir, she seems to be waking up.”
A faint, childish voice came from somewhere unknown. Luo Xue slowly opened her eyes.
She instinctively curled up but found herself covered in a soft, comfortable silk quilt, a sensation she hadn’t felt in a very long time.
Luo Xue looked up and saw several pairs of large, watery eyes staring at her. Beside them sat a gentle and refined man.
She was no longer in the dark carriage. Bright sunlight streamed into this antique room, and she was lying on a soft, comfortable bed.
“You were unconscious for quite a while, but thankfully you pulled through.”
The man, addressed as “Sir,” smiled gently. Despite his caring gaze, Luo Xue couldn’t help but feel goosebumps.
“But Sir, she’s so ugly! Like a monster!”
One of the little girls pouted, undisguised disgust on her face. Children of this age were mostly very straightforward.
Luo Xue turned her head blankly towards a dressing table not far away and saw herself in the mirror.
Indeed… very ugly.
Her small face was bumpy and uneven, as if melted pieces of flesh had been piled together. Twisted scars covered half of her face, only her eyes remaining clear.
Luo Xue could barely recognize herself beneath the scars.
“Now, now, children, you mustn’t mock others.” Sir gently stopped them with a smile, then looked at Luo Xue, observing her carefully. “However, from the appearance, it seems to be burn scars. But the internal flesh and tissue are perfectly formed, more like it’s… congenital…”
Hearing this, Luo Xue stiffly turned her head towards Sir, a trace of shock lingering in her eyes.
Sir paused, assuming Luo Xue’s expression was due to her ugly appearance being revealed, and comforted her.
“But you needn’t worry. Congenital appearance isn’t unchangeable. As long as you embark on the path of immortality and step into the Innate Realm, you can reshape your mortal body. Then… any kind of beauty will be within your reach.”
Before Luo Xue could reply, the other girls started chattering.
“Really? Sir, I want to be beautiful too!”
“Hmph… I’ll definitely be prettier then.”
“Can we become immortals like Sir?”
Faced with such a noisy environment, Sir merely smiled gently, nodding repeatedly.
“It’s all possible. Sir also started from a mortal body, step by step, to reach where I am today.”
With that, he cast an encouraging glance at Luo Xue, but noticed her eyes darting around.
“Is she… that self-conscious?”
The thought flickered through Sir’s mind, but he didn’t dwell on it.
How could it be self-consciousness…
Luo Xue had experienced so much; a little mockery wouldn’t shake her.
Appearance wasn’t worth mentioning in the apocalyptic world. No matter how ugly she became, Luo Xue wouldn’t feel anything.
However, her reaction wasn’t feigned either.
Because Luo Xue had realized something.
The Sir in front of her… was the Immortal Master who had killed the traffickers!
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