After Being Certified by the Immortal Lord on the Path of Ruthlessness - Chapter 2

At the summit of Mount Taibai.

The waiting plants grew restless, their leaves rustling anxiously as they whispered among themselves.

The lily of the valley trembled, calling out in worry, “Mianhao! Where are you?”

“Here!” Jiang Mianhao responded to her friend’s call. “Don’t be afraid, Lanlan. The moon will be here soon.”

The gathered plants buzzed with nervous energy. Most had traveled from distant lands, climbing the mountain in small groups, chatting in their native dialects. The scene quickly grew lively.

The sensitive plant, Mi Xiu, shrank into itself, trembling as it muttered, “Impossible, impossible… I’ve been here for three thousand years, and I’ve never seen celestial phenomena like this.”

“A great transformation is coming.”

Just as Mi Xiu finished murmuring, a bolt of lightning split the sky, tearing open a rift.

A cold glimmer flashed.

The moon, which should have hung in the heavens, had transformed into a silvery orb of light, plummeting straight toward the field of grass.

The plants at the front sensed the chill of moonlight and eagerly lifted their heads, ready to bathe in its glow.

The descending orb indeed carried spiritual energy. The plants at the forefront, sensing the moonlight, waved their branches with even greater fervor.

As the orb hurtled downward, the first plants touched by its light shimmered with excitement, their forms shifting into human shapes. Uncontainable laughter filled the air.

“Mianhao! I did it!” The lily of the valley had transformed into a youthful maiden, her pink hair cascading over her shoulders, complementing her emerald-green dress.

Hearing her friend’s voice, Jiang Mianhao felt the changes in her own body.

Her roots, once buried deep in the earth, lengthened into slender legs. Plant veins transformed into flesh and blood, and her jade-green hair fluttered in the wind.

In an instant, the unremarkable little grass had become a bright-eyed, radiant young woman.

“Mianhao, you’re so beautiful,” the lily of the valley murmured, her gaze fixed solely on her friend even as other plants around them took human form.

The newly transformed girl had skin as pale as snow and striking jade-green eyes, her every movement brimming with youthful charm.

Jiang Mianhao looked around in excitement, too overwhelmed to speak.

The newly transformed spirits reveled in their joy, completely unaware of the rapidly descending orb.

“Look out! The moon is falling!”

Someone’s panicked shout came too late. Before anyone could react, an overwhelming surge of spiritual energy blasted them aside.

The newly formed spirits, still unfamiliar with their bodies, scrambled clumsily toward the edges.

The orb crashed into the ground, plunging the surroundings into darkness.

Ye Qingge didn’t know how long she had been falling, but when she finally landed, she felt no pain.

The first sensation to return was her awareness of another living spirit.

The golden shield her master had given her shattered upon impact, and the spirit of her Frostblade Sword emerged, shielding her protectively.

The long descent had not weakened Ye Qingge.

The moment she broke through the heavens, she had released the last of her spiritual energy, aiding the plants in their transformation.

But she seemed to have landed on something.

Her silver-white lashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes.

The surroundings were empty, devoid of life.

Yet, in that moment of impact, she had distinctly sensed another presence.

Ye Qingge raised her hand, and Frostblade returned to her grip, helping her stand.

The plants that had once crowded together were now gone. The area was eerily silent, and impatience flickered in her eyes.

Her battle with the demon realm was far from over, yet now her master had packed her off to an entirely unfamiliar place to search for some so-called “love tribulation.”

Not a single person in sight. Not even a living creature.

Ye Qingge silently recited the incantation in her heart, preparing to summon her sword and return to the demon realm. Just as Frostblade materialized, a faint voice cried out.

“Ouch!”

The owner of the voice seemed to be in extreme pain, struggling to speak.

Sensing the disturbance, Frostblade swiftly turned its edge, pointing directly at the source of the sound.

Ye Qingge commanded, “Frostblade.”

Hearing the call, the sword obediently flew back and nestled by her side.

The pained cries continued, yet Ye Qingge couldn’t see a single figure.

Embedded in the black soil was a clump of grass, its veins already fused with the earth from the force of the attack.

Frostblade flew forward and scooped up the writhing mass of mud.

Ye Qingge scanned the surroundings once more, confirming no one was there before her patience wore thin. Just as she was about to mount her sword and leave, a voice echoed in her mind.

[Qingge, this before you is your love tribulation.]

Ye Qingge paused. “A clump of dirt?”

Hearing the remark, a leafy tendril shot out from the mud. Jiang Mianhao angrily retorted, “You’re the dirt!”

Only then did Ye Qingge see the source of the voice clearly. A plant resembling a narcissus, with leaves like arrowhead, now thoroughly tangled with black soil, a blade of grass.

“Roots up, bury it,” Ye Qingge said coolly.

Since the purpose of this journey was to sever the love tribulation, it was best to cut the knot with a swift blade.

[No!]

[Foster affection, then sever the tribulation.]

[Burying it alive won’t break the tribulation. Instead, the two of you must descend to the mortal realm and endure eighty-one trials before the path can be cleared.]

[This is the grass field beneath your palace. I’ll take Frostblade for now.]

Even the usually composed Master Wuji Xuan sounded urgent, as if fearing Ye Qingge might slash the grass the next second.

Frowning, Ye Qingge stared at the clump of dirt before her.

“It’s all your fault!” Jiang Mianhao wailed in agony. “I had just succeeded in taking human form.”

“I hate you!!!”

Mud caked Jiang Mianhao’s entire body, preventing her from straightening up to see her tormentor. All she could do was hurl accusations.

Observing the grass roots still tangled in the mud, Ye Qingge furrowed her brow and thought, What now?

[Help her take human form, then grow close to her.]

[Only when love is deepest can you—]

“Kill her,” Ye Qingge finished flatly. “Understood, Master.”

With that, Master Wuji Xuan withdrew from her mind.

Along with him vanished a faint golden barrier.

Only then did Ye Qingge realize the area was teeming with life. Spirits who had successfully taken form but now crawled on the ground, flowers and plants weeping softly for having missed their chance.

The cacophony grated on Ye Qingge’s nerves, especially now that she was without Frostblade.

And to the creatures around her, she was an anomaly.

Lily rushed over in three quick strides, scooping up the mud-covered Jiang Mianhao and tucking her into a pocket before rounding on Ye Qingge. “Who are you?”

Faced with a newly formed flower spirit who couldn’t even muster a proper attack, Ye Qingge remained expressionless. She extended a hand.

“Give it to me.”

Her blank stare and indifferent tone gave Lily pause. Gathering spiritual energy at her fingertips, she demanded, “What?”

“That clump of grass,” Ye Qingge said. “Hand it over.”