Queen of Ten Thousand Demons Insists on Marrying Me - Chapter 60

The Violet Lightning Vines were tightly wrapped around Luo Mu and Wan Qingyi, constricting at an alarming speed.

A scorching scarlet flame, hot as the blazing sun, suddenly shot out from the entrance. Carrying an irresistible force and heat, it struck directly at the purple vine ball, which was about ten feet in size.

The moment the Violet Lightning Vines made contact with the flame, they emitted a series of desperate, shrill shrieks that echoed throughout the confined space.

Immediately after, accompanied by a deafening explosion, the originally tough purple vine ball shattered as if torn apart by an invisible giant hand. It dissolved into countless scattered purple fragments that shimmered with an eerie glow. The air was permeated with a scent that was a mixture of scorched earth and a strange floral fragrance.

Tantai Jing’s graceful figure slowly emerged from the tunnel. Gui Chen (Returning Dust) quickly retracted, wrapping around her wrist and transforming into an ink-jade bracelet.

“We ran into some trouble on the way and were delayed for a bit. Are you alright?” Seeing Luo Mu stooping to shield a woman, Tantai Jing asked with concern.

Wan Qingyi only breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Tantai Jing’s voice. Realizing the demoness had enclosed her, she immediately stood up and forcefully pushed Luo Mu away: “What are you doing? Why were you holding me?”

Caught off guard by the push, Luo Mu stumbled and fell. The wound on her abdomen suddenly reopened, staining her white dress with blood.

“Hiss—”

Luo Mu looked at her injury, feeling a surge of anger: “I saw your low cultivation and protected you. Not only are you ungrateful, but you also push me away. You simply don’t recognize good intentions.”

Tantai Jing reached out and helped Luo Mu up, then turned to look at Wan Qingyi: “I didn’t expect you to be here, too. Are you hurt?”

Luo Mu pointed to the obvious wound on her abdomen for Tantai Jing to see: “You don’t care about my injury, and you ask her?”

Although Wan Qingyi was dissatisfied with Tantai Jing’s role as an undercover agent in the Jade Aura Palace, the fact that she saved her was undeniable. She took a bottle of healing elixir from her pocket and threw it to Luo Mu. After saying “Thank you” to the two of them, she walked out alone.

Luo Mu accepted the elixir and swallowed a handful without hesitation. After all, nobody rejects medicine, especially since products from the Jade Aura Palace were always top-notch.

“Isn’t Aunt Zhao with you? I saw you two flying over together at the entrance.”

Tantai Jing watched Wan Qingyi’s retreating figure and replied casually: “She was, but she ran into some issues, so I had to come and get you alone.”

Luo Mu put away the medicine bottle and also started walking outside: “Then let’s go find Aunt Zhao first.”

“No rush.”

Luo Mu stopped: “You are truly a good person, but she might not appreciate it.”

Three days after Wan Qingyi was rescued, on the swampy ground…

Wan Qingyi walked alone across the swamp. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to fly on her sword, but the spiritual energy here was scarce and full of hidden dangers, so she had to conserve her spiritual power.

About a mile behind her, Tantai Jing, with Gui Chen in hand, casually struck down a Seven Luminaries Bird  that was attempting to ambush Wan Qingyi.

Luo Mu’s wound had mostly healed by now, and she looked radiant. Watching Wan Qingyi ahead, an unconscious smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

“Have you been in the Jade Aura Palace for so long that you genuinely think you’re one of their disciples? At a time like this, you’re not looking for Lu Xiaoxiao, but instead protecting the Young Palace Master of the Jade Aura Palace. It feels a bit strange.”

Tantai Jing continuously deployed her divine sense. A range of dozens of miles was covered by her sense, and she could quickly detect even the slightest abnormality: “Don’t talk nonsense. Xiaoxiao has the Primordial Sword in hand; she will be fine. Besides, I still…”

“Still what?” Luo Mu asked when Tantai Jing suddenly went silent.

But Tantai Jing’s expression suddenly turned serious. She raised her hand and summoned a spiritual boat, pulled Luo Mu onto it, and quickly sailed forward. When passing Wan Qingyi, Gui Chen flew out swiftly, wrapped around Wan Qingyi twice, and pulled her onto the spiritual boat as well.

“There are Jade Cicada Steel Bone Worms (Yuchan Ganggu Chong) here. It is not advisable to linger.”

Wan Qingyi saw her grave expression, which didn’t seem feigned. She hadn’t been completely oblivious to the fact that the two had been secretly protecting her for three days.

“What are those things? I’ve never heard of them?” Wan Qingyi looked behind her, seeing only the blue sky, white clouds, and the endless swamp.

Tantai Jing quickly steered the spiritual boat to escape, saying: “This insect is called the Jade Cicada Steel Bone Worm. I was blocked by them when I arrived. This insect has low intelligence and is known for its hard body and sharp teeth. Although the attack power of a single one is not strong, they often appear in overwhelming, fast-moving swarms.”

Wan Qingyi was astonished: “You are a Great Ascension stage cultivator. How can their speed be faster than yours?”

“Normally, they wouldn’t be faster than me, but the Jade Cicada Steel Bone Worms here are a bit abnormal,” Tantai Jing’s eyes deepened. As she sped up the hand signs, the spiritual boat also burst out with unprecedented speed.

“How are they abnormal?” Wan Qingyi urged, seeing that she only spoke halfway.

“These Jade Cicada Steel Bone Worms are all at the Great Ascension stage.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a buzzing sound suddenly came from behind, like the sound of a large number of insects flapping their wings.

Luo Mu and Wan Qingyi looked up and saw overwhelming numbers of thumb-sized small insects quickly surrounding the spiritual boat. The sky itself darkened, and not a trace of sunlight could be seen.

Wan Qingyi’s face turned ashen. She had been protected like a pearl in the palm by Wan Xuan’er since childhood; she had never witnessed such a scene.

“Tantai Jing, what is the ultimate goal of the Demon Race holding the Sun and Moon Grand Competition? Now all of us are trapped here. It’s truly ridiculous—shooting oneself in the foot.”

Luo Mu retorted, seeing her harsh words: “Don’t talk nonsense. What does this have to do with Tantai Jing? Everyone just has bad luck.”

Tantai Jing, holding the scarlet Gui Chen, lashed out with a whip, instantly striking down a large number of Jade Cicada Steel Bone Worms. Gui Chen’s flames burned, and everywhere it reached, the Jade Cicada Steel Bone Worms fell to the ground. However, the outer worms merely circled twice in the air, as if dazed by the blow, and then vaguely followed behind the spiritual boat again.

“I am one of the administrators of the Sun and Moon Grand Competition, and this matter is indeed not entirely unrelated to me. But this is definitely not the original intention of Hook Mountain (Gouwu Shan). It is Yan Gengshen who is interfering, intending to…”

Wan Qingyi interrupted: “Intending to wipe out all the human cultivators in Dongchang City, right?”

Tantai Jing nodded, constantly wielding Gui Chen. However, the sheer number of these insects was too immense; Gui Chen’s efforts were like pouring a cup of water on a burning cart of firewood (a drop in the bucket).

As time went on, more and more Jade Cicada Steel Bone Worms gathered. They seemed endless, gradually enveloping the entire spiritual boat in a thick layer of the swarm.

The originally sturdy barrier now seemed precarious under the dense assault of the insect swarm, with not a single visible gap for breathing.

Luo Mu stood on the spiritual boat, looking at the frightening sight. A strong sense of crisis rose in her heart, and she nervously looked at Tantai Jing: “What should we do now?”

Tantai Jing stood at the bow, frowning slightly: “When I came here, there weren’t this many. I relied entirely on instant teleportation to evade them.”

Wan Qingyi: “Then you can take us out with instant teleportation!”

Tantai Jing shook her head, looking outside the cabin without answering.

Luo Mu: “Instant teleportation can only take one person…”

Today, after driving away the third batch of demon cultivators pursuing human cultivators, Lu Xiaoxiao was so exhausted that she found a rock to sit on and frantically fanned herself with her hand.

Lin Yizhi stood nearby, clutching her sword, and asked in confusion: “Sect Master, aren’t you being a bit too indecisive? You always prioritize driving them away, but they will soon return. When will this ever end?”

Lu Xiaoxiao glanced at her, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes. Then, without hesitation, she picked up her water bottle, tilted her head back, and drank over half of it in one go, as if trying to wash away the frustration and unease in her heart with the cool water.

She knew this, of course. But one of the demon cultivators just now was clearly a demon from Hook Mountain. She vaguely remembered that when she accompanied Tantai Jing back to Hook Mountain, that elder woman had shown great care for Tantai Jing.

Bai Shitao’s gaze moved back and forth between Lu Xiaoxiao and Lin Yizhi, finally settling on Lu Xiaoxiao.

“Sect Master, there are many opportunities, cultivation methods, pills, and celestial herbs in this Lan Cang Demon Territory. But not many are truly useful to human cultivators. Why don’t we find a spot to set up camp and quietly wait for the three months to pass?”

Lin Yizhi nodded in agreement: “Shitao makes sense. We now have thirty-five people in our team, but things are complicated, and management is lax. If this continues, it will certainly descend into chaos. Moreover, if we gather in one place, cultivators seeking refuge might also be drawn to us when news spreads.”

Seeing Lu Xiaoxiao’s tightly furrowed brows gradually relax, Bai Shitao added: “And if we gather in one place, fewer short-sighted demons will dare to attack us.”

Lin Yizhi clapped her hands and cheered: “Exactly! Unless they also form a concentrated group of demons, our few dozen people should scare the wits out of them.”

Lu Xiaoxiao: “Bah, bah, bah! Unlucky, unlucky.”

After a pause, Lu Xiaoxiao continued: “I remember that a young girl named Lin Yu joined us a couple of days ago because she was driven out of a spiritual mine. Shitao, aren’t we close to that place? Why don’t we set up camp there? Everyone can mine to get rich, and it would be nice to stay there for three months before leaving.”

Seeing her suddenly look happy, Bai Shitao finally handed over a piece of roasted spiritual beast leg.

“Yes,” Bai Shitao’s voice was soft and firm, her eyes revealing sympathy for the girl’s plight. “We are very close to that place, within a few miles ahead. That girl, she was truly pitiful. Originally, she and a few friends found a precious spiritual vein, hoping to use this opportunity to raise their cultivation. Unexpectedly, they encountered a series of misfortunes.”

“They were first heartlessly driven out of the spiritual vein area by those two Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivators, which was already infuriating. However, what was even more terrifying was that those people even intended to seize their treasures. Only she managed to escape by luck, saving her life. Her friends, unfortunately, weren’t so lucky. They were all left behind, suffering the hardships of slavery, their fate unknown.”

At this point, a hint of sadness flashed in Bai Shitao’s eyes. She deeply understood the cruelty and ruthlessness of this world and could better empathize with the despair and pain the girl experienced.

The more Lu Xiaoxiao interacted with Bai Shitao, the more she felt that Bai Shitao was a rare talent—smart, witty, and possessing management talent, which saved her a lot of trouble. Although Bai Shitao was deliberately guiding her to seize the spiritual vein, Lu Xiaoxiao didn’t find it offensive.

Lu Xiaoxiao bit into the golden, dripping roasted meat and said indistinctly: “Alright, let’s rest up. Go notify everyone. We’ll set off this afternoon and meet those bandits.”

Seeing Bai Shitao stand up, Lu Xiaoxiao didn’t forget to instruct: “Tell them now that we are setting up camp. Those who don’t want to stay can leave with our blessing.”

After a short while, Bai Shitao returned with the news. To Lu Xiaoxiao’s surprise, not a single person had left.

After resting, dozens of people continued their mighty journey toward their destination, arriving just before You Shi (5 PM – 7 PM).

Lu Xiaoxiao stood on a high vantage point, looking at a mine in the distance, and asked Bai Shitao beside her: “How was the scouting? Do we have any reliable information?”

“According to the scouting results, the mining area is quite large, likely with several spiritual veins intertwined. There are an estimated forty to fifty people, mostly Nascent Soul and Elite Core stage cultivators. Currently, we’ve spotted two Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivators.”

Bai Shitao paused: “Sect Master, we do have quite a large number of people, but we don’t have a single Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivator. Perhaps we should reconsider.”

Lu Xiaoxiao waved her hand dismissively: “It is a little tricky, but it’s fine. I can handle it.”

“We’ll launch the attack at Hai Shi (9 PM – 11 PM). We’ll catch them off guard under the cover of the night. Pass down the order: Elite Core stage cultivators will form groups of five and surround the area. But remember, our goal is to drive them away, not to make them fight to the death, so we must leave an exit in the encirclement to encourage them to retreat in the face of difficulty. The Nascent Soul stage cultivators will follow me.”

Bai Shitao saw her confidence, hesitated, but didn’t stop her. After all, with a divine weapon like the Primordial Sword, dealing with a few Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivators by fighting above her level shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

“Then, Sect Master, please be careful and ensure your safety. But why not eliminate future trouble entirely?”

“If I don’t stir up some trouble and spread the word, how will Senior Sister, Tantai Jing, and Auntie Wan find me? When they arrive, do we still need to be afraid of a few Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivators?”

As soon as Hai Shi arrived, nine Nascent Soul stage cultivators infiltrated the mine with Lu Xiaoxiao.

In the distant hills, two people stood guard in each of the four directions.

“Attack!”

With Lu Xiaoxiao’s command, the nine Nascent Soul stage cultivators shot out like arrows from a bow, instantly surging toward the four directions of the mine. Their speed was so great that only streaks of black afterimages were left, tracing arcs in the night sky.

Lu Xiaoxiao herself crept toward the due north direction.

Just as she was about to approach her target, a low murmur of conversation suddenly came from behind a nearby rock. Lu Xiaoxiao immediately stopped, held her breath, and pressed her body tightly against a thick tree trunk.

Under the cover of the night, she vaguely saw that her nine allied cultivators had reached their destination.

With a sharp bird cry, the cold light of the Primordial Sword flashed. Lu Xiaoxiao suddenly leaped forward and launched her attack.

The Primordial Sword accurately pierced the dantian (core energy center) of one Nascent Soul stage cultivator. The other cultivator, in horror and despair, only managed to let out a brief scream before also falling under Lu Xiaoxiao’s sword.

The entire process was clean and neat, without any delay. Lu Xiaoxiao stood beside the corpses of the two cultivators, quietly catching her breath.

She watched the blood of the two men gradually spread to her feet but didn’t move away, letting the blood stain the soles of her shoes.

In the distance, a fierce explosion suddenly erupted from the mine entrance, accompanied by blazing fire and rolling smoke. The entire night sky was illuminated red.

That was the signal that the other cultivators of the sect were launching their attack according to the plan.

Lu Xiaoxiao cut off her thoughts and swiftly dashed toward the entrance under the cover of the darkness. Upon reaching the entrance, she asked the nearby Bai Shitao: “How are things inside?”

“Reporting, Sect Master, this mine has three entrances. Two have already been blown up. We are just waiting for the people inside to come out through this one. If Lin Yu is correct, there are probably two Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivators and thirty-plus Elite Core stage cultivators left inside.”

Lu Xiaoxiao’s expression darkened. She patted Bai Shitao’s shoulder: “Have you distributed the Five Thunders Talismans (Wulei Fu) and the Swift Wind Evasion Talismans (Jifeng Dunxing Fu)? If you can win, fight. If you can’t, just run first.”

Bai Shitao had never seen a Sect Master who personally fought, yet instructed her own sect members to retreat if they couldn’t win.

“Don’t overthink it. It took a lot of effort to recruit these people; we can’t let them all die before we even leave.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Lu Xiaoxiao stopped in the air with her sword. The long sword in her hand glittered with a cold light, its tip slightly lowered, concentrating a heart-pounding spiritual power fluctuation. Her eyes were like torches, fixed on the mine entrance where debris was constantly rolling down, and a palpable aura of killing intent surrounded her.

The night wind gently brushed by, bringing a hint of coolness, but it couldn’t cool the passion and resolve in Lu Xiaoxiao’s heart.

Just then, there was finally movement at the entrance. Two figures stumbled out amidst the debris and smoke—they were the two Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivators.

Their clothes were somewhat dishevelled, and their faces were pale; they had clearly suffered considerable injuries in the explosion just now. However, even in such a state of distress, their eyes still flickered with malice and unwillingness, clearly not intending to give up resistance easily.

Lu Xiaoxiao took a deep breath, adjusting to her best state. The spiritual power in her body circulated more smoothly, and the light on her long sword became increasingly dazzling, as if it could erupt with earth-shattering power at any moment.

“No more nonsense. Prepare to die!”

“Profound Heaven Dawn Break!” (Xuantian Po Xiao)

With a clear cry, Lu Xiaoxiao gripped her long sword with both hands, pointing the tip toward the sky. A majestic spiritual power surged out from her body, like a river bursting its banks, unstoppable. This spiritual power condensed in the air, gradually forming a dazzling sword qi (energy). Arcane runes flowed on the sword qi, shimmering with a frightening light.

At the same time, behind Lu Xiaoxiao, a red sun actually rose in the pitch-black night sky, illuminating the surroundings as bright as day. The light of the red sun scattered upon Lu Xiaoxiao, dressing her in a crimson battle armor.

On the mining mountain, the originally dim environment was illuminated by this red sun. All the debris and smoke had nowhere to hide under this light.

Seeing this, the two Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivators’ faces drastically changed. They had never seen such a bizarre and powerful move before, and an unprecedented sense of crisis rose in their hearts.

“This… is this Lu Xiaoxiao’s Profound Heaven Sword Art?”

The voice of one cultivator trembled, filled with fear and disbelief. She had witnessed Lu Xiaoxiao performing this move during the Sun and Moon Grand Competition, and she never expected it would be used against her today.

The other cultivator gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stay calm: “Never mind what sword art it is! If the two of us at the Tribulation Transcendence stage join forces to resist, we might still have a chance of winning!”

However, Lu Xiaoxiao no longer intended to give them any chance of escape.

Her figure moved like a phantom, sweeping toward the two cultivators. The long sword in her hand carried the might of destroying heaven and earth, fiercely slashing down. Wherever the sword qi passed, the space seemed to be torn apart, leaving shocking cracks.

A gust of night wind blew through the smoke. Where the two Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivators had stood, only two tattered, top-grade spiritual swords remained. Not even their corpses were left.

“One great move is enough to conquer the world! Bai Shitao, clean up the battlefield.”

Lu Xiaoxiao looked at the group of Elite Core stage cultivators walking out of the cave with terrified faces and instructed Bai Shitao.

The battle was over, but the red sun, condensed from spiritual power, still hung in the night sky, forming a stark contrast with the scene of desolation around it. Lu Xiaoxiao retracted her long sword, the tip lightly tapping the ground with a crisp sound, announcing the end of the battle.