The Villainous Demon Lord’s Handbook for Success: Rebirth - Chapter 32

Chu Qingqiu was indeed beautiful, yet hers was not the common beauty of ordinary women. She was like the moon in the highest heaven, not only pure and bright but also carrying the weight of ancient ages upon her shoulders. If it were not for her overly cold temperament, her eyes alone would have been enough to capture the souls of countless people.

For instance, at this moment, as the two of them inadvertently locked eyes, Ning Fuyi felt as though all the surrounding clamor had vanished from her ears.

Right then, Ning Fuyi suddenly threw the veil down, blinked suspiciously, and pulled it completely open after ensuring nothing was wrong with her eyes.

The flush from a moment ago was gone. In its place was a sharp, piercing gaze that made Ning Fuyi shiver, though it also put her mind at ease. She reasoned that the sun must have been too bright just now, causing her eyes to play tricks on her.

“Let go,” Chu Qingqiu said through gritted teeth. Pressing down on her bamboo hat, she dispersed the thinning crowd and strode toward the outskirts of the city.

“I was only trying to help you think of a way, yet you still act like this. What a strange temper,” Ning Fuyi muttered to herself as she stood in place. She then shouted for the remaining onlookers to disperse, placed her hands behind her back, and followed.

The two of them left Dongyang City ahead of the others. After finding a secluded spot, they stopped and sent a voice transmission to Qiu Yi. Once Qiu Yi arrived, Chu Qingqiu released Bai Lin, and they soared into the clouds once again.

Ning Fuyi thought she would be hoisted up by her collar like before, and she had already prepared herself to be choked. Unexpectedly, Chu Qingqiu flicked a white silk ribbon from her sleeve this time, wrapping it around Ning Fuyi’s waist to bring her into the sky.

“Chu Qingqiu is actually quite considerate,” Ning Fuyi thought to herself.

For the rest of the journey, Chu Qingqiu remained silent. Only Qiu Yi would occasionally speak a few words to converse with Ning Fuyi, but they would inevitably end up arguing within two sentences. In the end, Chu Qingqiu lost her patience. She cast a silence spell on both of them to seal their mouths, finally securing a moment of peace.

Perhaps because Bai Lin had slowed down its speed, Ning Fuyi managed to sleep through two full sessions on its back. When she woke up from her second sleep, she suddenly felt a lightness all around her, and the scenery beneath her feet had transformed entirely.

Unlike the mountains, rivers, and seas of the mortal realm, the landscape below was far more magnificent and grand. Divine mountains and sacred sites extended in every direction. The flowers covering the mountains bloomed eternally, and as they mingled with the vast sea of clouds, they formed a colorful mist that stretched into the distance.

Bai Lin suddenly descended from the clouds, its massive body hovering mid-air. Its roar triggered a chorus of responding bird calls from all sides.

Bai Lin was a divine beast by nature. Now that they were surrounded by sacred mountains filled with abundant spiritual energy, it felt completely at home. It charged joyfully into the flocks of birds, waving its four paws excitedly.

“Bai Lin,” Chu Qingqiu spoke, and only then did the beast restrain its playful mind. It properly moved its four hooves, treading on the wind through the mid-air.

Ning Fuyi had seen such a scene before, but back then, she was already the God-Defying Fiend. When facing beautiful scenery, her thoughts had been focused on destruction rather than appreciation. Seeing it now as a youth, her state of mind was entirely different from the past.

She could not help but stand up and extend her hand. Instantly, flocks of divine birds flew toward her, circling around her palm in a ring, their rainbow-colored tail feathers shimmering with radiant light.

“Why can you do that?” Qiu Yi was dissatisfied and extended her hand toward the sky as well.

With a soft splat, a passing wild goose flew from somewhere and dropped bird droppings right onto her palm.

Qiu Yi was speechless.

Ning Fuyi could not help but burst into laughter. Qiu Yi was so angry that she wanted to wipe the droppings onto Ning Fuyi’s head, but she suddenly heard Chu Qingqiu speak, “We have arrived at Zhaoyao.”

Only then did the two of them look forward together.

As if a scroll were being unrolled, the divine mountains on the left and right suddenly parted to both sides. The wind stirred by Bai Lin blew away the mist, revealing the panoramic view of Mount Zhaoyao before their eyes.

Qiu Yi gasped, her eyes wide with wonder.

A saying often circulated across the six realms: “Penglai above, Zhaoyao below.” This meant that apart from these two places, no other grand immortal paradise existed. Mount Zhaoyao towered into the clouds, with jade palaces and magnificent buildings stacked along the mountainside. Uneven trees extended past the jade-white pavilions, covered in blooming flowers whose petals resembled scattered stars. As the wind blew, a pervasive fragrance filled the air.

Even from such a distance, the long cries of divine birds could be heard. The sound seemed capable of stripping away all distracting thoughts from the mind, vibrating deep within the heart.

“Look, what is that?” Qiu Yi could not help but cry out. Ning Fuyi followed her gaze and saw streaks of light suddenly cutting through the mid-air, looking like a spectacular shower of falling meteors.

“They are people,” Ning Fuyi answered lazily.

Thousands of cultivators were currently rushing toward Mount Zhaoyao together. The light points formed by their flying swords were exceptionally brilliant even under the sunlight. Mount Zhaoyao strictly forbade anyone from entering casually on ordinary days, so this sight could only be witnessed during the Zhaoyao Grand Tournament.

As they drew closer, the full view of the mountain vanished, replaced by the grand scenery of rising clouds and glowing mists. Every blade of grass and tree was as clean as if it had been washed. Beneath the mountain lay a massive glazed mirror, and the cultivators landed upon it one after another, putting away their spiritual swords.

The appearance of Bai Lin attracted everyone’s attention. People rarely saw such a massive white tiger, so they pulled their companions back, fearing that Bai Lin might accidentally step on them.

“Look, who is that on top?” someone exclaimed.

“I cannot see clearly, but that spiritual beast seems to be the divine beast White Tiger. There are not many people in the world who can possess a divine beast, let alone the White Tiger, one of the four great divine beasts!” another person said in amazement. “Could it be that this is the legendary Divine Venerable Chu Ling?”

While they were speaking, Bai Lin’s four paws landed upon the glazed surface. The previously flat surface actually rippled with massive waves, and only then did Ning Fuyi realize that what lay beneath them was not a mirror at all, but an boundless, shallow beach.

The water came from an unknown source, perfectly clean and transparent, with smooth jade stones beneath that glowed with a clear, translucent green light.

Chu Qingqiu acted as though she had not heard their words. She elegantly spread her arms, her clothes fluttering as she flew down from Bai Lin. When her feet touched the water’s surface, she did not even wet her shoes.

Ning Fuyi and Qiu Yi followed her down, resulting in a loud splash. Both of them were drenched in water, and they avoided looking at each other in embarrassment.

“Divine Venerable Chu Ling! Divine Venerable Chu Ling!” Seeing Chu Qingqiu land, several people ran toward her. Leading them was a short old man with a white beard. He brought a group of people and stopped panting in front of Chu Qingqiu, his wrinkled face flushed red with excitement.

“I did not expect it to truly be Divine Venerable Chu Ling. It has been five hundred years since our meeting at Donghuang Ridge, yet the Divine Venerable remains as elegant and unmatched as ever.” The white-bearded old man blew at his mustache in excitement. “Everyone, a thousand years ago, my master broke through to the Mahayana stage thanks to a single word of guidance from the Divine Venerable. From then on, I have regarded the Divine Venerable as my grandmaster. Why have you all not stepped forward to greet the Divine Venerable?”

“Greetings, Grandmaster!” The group of people dressed in splendid attire placed their hands against their foreheads and bowed deeply.

“Grandmaster?” Ning Fuyi glanced at the old man, then at Chu Qingqiu, tightly pursing her lips to keep herself from laughing out loud.

“You may rise,” Chu Qingqiu replied. She had long grown accustomed to such scenes, merely raising her chin slightly without even offering a polite gesture to assist them up.

“Who is this?” Ning Fuyi nudged Qiu Yi and asked curiously.

Qiu Yi glared at Ning Fuyi with disdain and said proudly, “That is Elder Xiangsong of the Tianji Sword Sect. Do you see that? Even an elder from the number one sect must be respectful to my master.”

“Tch,” Ning Fuyi curled her lips.

While Elder Xiangsong was still trying every possible way to converse with his Grandmaster, a sudden gust of strong wind blew from above, nearly knocking Ning Fuyi off her feet. She shielded her face and looked up at the sky.

The rainbow clouds were shattered by a massive black dragon. The black dragon flipped once in the sky, then spread its four claws and charged fiercely toward the ground. With another massive splash of water, the black dragon, which was as large as a small mountain, landed in the water and coughed flat against the ground.

Its abyss-like maw opened wide, and a bright red snake tongue extended. Ning Fuyi thought it was hungry and wanted to eat a person or two for fun, but unexpectedly, a person appeared on the tip of its tongue. Afterward, more individuals dressed entirely in black crawled out from the dragon’s mouth, walking down along the tongue to land on the ground.

This scene was highly bizarre. Ning Fuyi raised her eyebrows and watched for a long while before recognizing which sect these disciples belonged to.

The Guijian Sect, commonly known as the Ghost’s Dread, practiced cultivation methods that perfectly matched the literal meaning of their name. No ghost would not feel dread upon seeing them. The people of this sect did not like to gather in various immortal or spiritual mountains like other orthodox sects. Instead, they built their sect outside the ruins of the ancient battlefield where the gods had fallen. They claimed to borrow divine power, but in reality, they were absorbing yin energy.

The reason they could still rank among the six great sects despite this method of cultivation was that it was genuinely effective. The overall strength of the Guijian Sect ranked second among the six great sects. Although their appearance often caused people to mistake them for the demon race, they cultivated using the dead rather than the living, so they were still considered a reputable and orthodox sect.

The black dragon retracted its tongue and retreated into invisibility. The grandmasters and disciples of the Guijian Sect remained in a long line, not casting a single glance at anyone else. They walked rigidly toward Mount Zhaoyao, and people stepped aside to clear a path wherever they passed, not daring to make contact.

Just as the Guijian Sect left, another clamor arose behind them. Ning Fuyi looked up again and saw a dense, black mass of objects flying from an unknown location. They combined into the shape of a butterfly high in the sky, with over a dozen people standing upon it. Regardless of gender, every single one of them was enchantingly beautiful and full of charm. At the same time, a strange fragrance drifted past. Upon smelling it, everyone’s vision became hazy, and they assumed expressions of ecstasy.

Before the strange fragrance could enter her body, Ning Fuyi covered her nose with her sleeve. She watched safely from the sidelines as a foolish smile appeared on Qiu Yi’s face, and her body began to move forward involuntarily.

Fortunately, Chu Qingqiu let out a light cough, causing Qiu Yi to snap awake instantly.

“I was almost enchanted by them,” Qiu Yi said, covering her nose in lingering fear. “The Hehuan Sect is truly bold to release such a strange fragrance in broad daylight.”

The butterfly-shaped entity dispersed in mid-air, revealing that they were indeed real butterflies. For a moment, the sky was filled with the colorful wings of fluttering butterflies. Those men and women floated down gracefully from the butterflies. The leading woman was the most beautiful, adorned elaborately from head to toe. Her sleeves were decorated with clusters of blooming flowers, and her feet moved swiftly until she landed in front of Chu Qingqiu.

Though her figure looked slender, she managed to push Elder Xiangsong so hard that he nearly sat flat on the ground.

“Divine Venerable Chu Ling,” the woman said, her eyes filled with affection. She smiled and covered her lips, reaching out her other hand to place it on Chu Qingqiu’s wrist, though Chu Qingqiu stepped away imperceptibly to avoid her.

“Who is this again?” Ning Fuyi’s gossiping heart was instantly ignited, and she walked over to Qiu Yi’s side to ask.

“Why do you have so many questions?” Qiu Yi rolled her eyes at her crossly. “That is the Sect Master of the Hehuan Sect. Her name is Li Handan, and others call her Fairy Handan.”

She spoke with a highly disdainful expression, clearly disliking this Sect Master of the Hehuan Sect.

Ning Fuyi originally wanted to ask for the reason, but after taking another look at Chu Qingqiu, she understood completely. She crossed her arms over her chest and happily watched the entertainment.

“Divine Venerable Chu Ling, it has been a century since we last met. I did not expect the Divine Venerable to still be so elegant and unmatched; it truly makes my heart flutter.” Fairy Handan curved her affectionate eyes. She claimed to be exchanging pleasantries, but her entire body was practically leaning into Chu Qingqiu’s embrace.

Chu Qingqiu’s face turned a bit pale. She swung her sleeve to unleash a wave of energy, pushing the woman away. Suppressing her anger, she said, “Yes, it has been many years.”

Although Chu Qingqiu has a bad personality, she is indeed popular. Even though she stays cooped up in the mountains to cultivate all day, she still attracts so many admirers whenever she shows her face, Ning Fuyi could not help but lament.

However, before she could take out some snacks to watch the show, another person descended from Mount Zhaoyao. That person possessed the posture of an orthodox cultivator, wearing a silver robe with a fur cloak, a long lotus crown on his head, and a heavy steel sword in his hand. He moved as swiftly as the wind and offered a gentle greeting upon seeing Chu Qingqiu.

Ning Fuyi genuinely recognized this person. He was Tang Wenshu, the Sect Leader of the Tianji Sword Sect. His cultivation was extremely high, and he was famous for his erratic sword path. In her past life, after Ning Fuyi became a demon, she had fought him for three days and three nights before subduing him under her Emei piercers, so she had a deep impression of him.

Seeing him arrive, Fairy Handan instantly restored her normal demeanor. She stood properly, greeting him generously, though her eyes still darted toward Chu Qingqiu from time to time.

“Divine Venerable Chu Ling,” Tang Wenshu said, putting away his heavy sword and cupping his hands. “I did not know of your arrival, Divine Venerable. Please forgive my lack of a proper welcome.”

“Sect Leader Tang,” Chu Qingqiu returned the gesture.

“I heard that the Divine Venerable has taken charge of the Yunji Sect now, so”

“They are moving slower; they will likely arrive shortly,” Chu Qingqiu answered.

Tang Wenshu smiled and extended his hand in an inviting gesture, “Then I must ask the two Sect Masters to move ahead to rest first. The Holy Maiden of Zhaoyao, who manages Mount Zhaoyao, is indisposed today and cannot entertain everyone, so she has entrusted this matter to me.”

“Elder Xiangsong, please trouble yourself to lead the two Sect Masters to their resting quarters.”

Chu Qingqiu nodded and took the first step forward. Fairy Handan massaged her wrist, her eyes turning with shifting emotions, before gracefully following behind.

Qiu Yi naturally went along with Chu Qingqiu. Ning Fuyi did not know where to go by herself and wanted to lift her foot to follow, but unexpectedly, Tang Wenshu reached out an arm to stop her.

She took a cautious step back, furrowing her brows as she stared at the man.

“Do not be afraid, young immortal friend,” Tang Wenshu smiled gently. “May I ask if you are the daughter of Sect Master Ningtian, Ning Fuyi?”

Ning Fuyi froze, not expecting that someone would actually recognize her. She nodded and lowered her head to bow, but he quickly caught her to support her.

“Ning Fuyi” He spoke the name in a low voice, his eyes shimmering as if with tears, which gave Ning Fuyi a full coat of goosebumps.

“You must not be afraid. It is only because you share a seventy percent resemblance with Sect Master Ningtian that I was able to recognize you at a single glance.” Tang Wenshu retracted his hands, yet his gaze remained fixed on Ning Fuyi without moving away.

“Regarding your mother’s matter” Tang Wenshu let out a heavy sigh. “By the time I heard of it, she had already been buried. I did not even have the chance to see her off one last time. It is truly a regret.”

As he spoke, his eyes actually turned red. He pulled a pink stone from his robe, his expression full of nostalgic attachment, “This object was gifted to me by Sect Master Ningtian two thousand years ago. I have treasured it until now.”

Ning Fuyi looked at his expression suspiciously. His grief did not appear fake. Could it be that this person was also an old acquaintance of Ning Changfeng?

She knew that Ning Changfeng loved to travel freely and perform acts of chivalry, so her network of connections was vast. However, Ning Fuyi did not know exactly who her mother had been close with.

In all the years before, she had only ever seen Chu Qingqiu.

“Oh, please restrain your grief,” Ning Fuyi said, twitching her lips politely.

Tang Wenshu exhaled, using his sleeve to dab at his tears. He shook his head and said, “I should not speak of these things to you at a time like this. You must be exhausted from the journey. I will have someone take you to rest immediately.”

“Someone come,” he called out in a low voice, and a disciple from the Tianji Sword Sect quickly approached.

“Take the Young Sect Master to rest,” Tang Wenshu commanded.

Ning Fuyi bid him farewell politely and soared into the air alongside the short disciple. She had originally thought that not knowing how to fly with a sword would cause some trouble, but after leaping up, she found her body to be incredibly light, like a feather in the wind. She easily ascended a hundred meters into the air.

As expected of a sacred site, she thought to herself with secret satisfaction.

The two of them landed halfway up the mountain. From a distance, this place looked like rising clouds and glowing mists, but once inside, it was even more beautiful and magnificent. The paths were all made of jade, with small bridges and flowing water everywhere. The water sparkled as if gold had been scattered into it. Close up, the scenery was exquisite and beautiful, while from afar, layers of rainbow clouds swirled around, interspersed with various divine mountains. Occasionally, one could see the guarding divine beast, the Cyan Luan, flying across the sky, inspiring a sense of reverence.

The short disciple led her for a distance before pointing toward a three-story pavilion ahead with a crystal roof. He said politely, “Young Sect Master, this is the place arranged for the disciples of the Yunji Sect. Please go inside to rest. I shall take my leave.”

Ning Fuyi offered her thanks. Then, remembering something, she hastily stopped him and asked with a smile, “Do you know where the Sect Masters and elders are staying?”

“The Sect Masters of the six great sects are all accommodated in the Peach Blossom Source, which is right over there.” The disciple pointed with his hand. Ning Fuyi turned around to look and saw a quiet area behind the stacked pavilions, covered by a sea of pink mist and flowers. Within it, she could faintly see scattered terraces and buildings.

“The other minor sects are generally accommodated at the base of the mountain.” The disciple pointed toward the overlapping rooftops lower down the mountain.

“Alright, thank you very much,” Ning Fuyi said. She turned and walked into the pavilion. The building looked magnificent from the outside, but the interior was an entirely different world. Every room featured a fan-shaped window, outside of which a vast sea of clouds could be seen.

This is countless times better than the impoverished Yunji Sect, Ning Fuyi lamented as she picked a room with a good view and lay down.

The most comforting part was that various fruits and pastries had been prepared in the room. Although there was no meat, it was enough to fill her stomach, making it suitable for someone like her who had not yet achieved total fasting.

The neighboring pavilions were all residences for the disciples of the six great sects, so groups of people were constantly walking toward this area. There was occasional noise, but most of the time, only the singing of birds in the mountains could be heard. It brought peace to the mind and was highly suitable for cultivation.

Finding herself with nothing to do, Ning Fuyi sat down to meditate, practicing her meager cultivation along the way. The spiritual energy here was indeed abundant, making her cultivation speed much faster compared to the Yunji Sect.

Thus, Ning Fuyi fell into a deep state of meditation. By the time she opened her eyes feeling refreshed, the sky had already darkened.

The last trace of red sunset hung on the horizon, and lights flickered everywhere, illuminating thousands of pavilions.

She looked at her hands and lamented for a moment before jumping off the couch to open the door. She saw that the surrounding rooms were now occupied as well. The other disciples of the Yunji Sect had arrived at some unknown point. Having flown for two whole days, they were currently sleeping like logs.

A dark and windy night was the perfect time to search for a demonic weapon. Ning Fuyi did not hesitate. She raised her hand to deploy a barrier to conceal her aura, pulled out the array formation she had drawn that day from her pouch, spread it flat on the ground, and injected immortal energy into it.

The brilliant golden light flared up once again. Ning Fuyi’s divine consciousness sank into an unfamiliar landscape. The place was so clean that it seemed to contain nothing at all. The ground reflected human silhouettes, and the surroundings resembled a flat horizon with no visible end.

Ning Fuyi controlled her divine consciousness to continue forward. The black clouds parted, and a tall tower suddenly appeared before her. The tower reached almost to the heavens, its top completely invisible, with only a small point of light resting upon the peak.

In the next instant, she returned to reality. Although she had only caught a single glimpse, she now knew exactly where the Emei piercers were hidden.

The branch mountain range of Mount Zhaoyao, the Divine Fall, was the ancient site where the true gods had fallen. It was also a forbidden area where no one had been able to set foot for tens of thousands of years.

In her past life, Ning Fuyi had broken into it, almost managing to enter completely. However, at the final moment, she was discovered by the Holy Maiden of Zhaoyao, who brandished a flaming spear and drove her out of Mount Zhaoyao.

Ning Fuyi stared out the window with deep, dark eyes for a moment. Then, without a word, she packed away the array diagram, dissolved the barrier, and leaped out of the pavilion.

Since she, Ning Fuyi, knew where the Emei piercers were, there was no reason for her not to go and seize them.

Mount Zhaoyao originally only housed the Holy Maiden of Zhaoyao and a few young immortal attendants, so there were no guards. Thus, Ning Fuyi walked through the darkness for a long way without encountering a single soul. She moved easily across the treetops, heading toward the Divine Fall.

However, just as she was drawing close to the branch mountain range, she suddenly sensed a wave of immortal energy from the dark shadows of the trees beneath her feet. She hastily vanished her aura and landed amidst the dense branches.

Two people passed ahead of her. Fortunately, she was still a fair distance away, so they did not notice her.

The hems of their dresses trailed behind them, indicating that both were women. The figure of one of them was slender and enchanting. With the help of the dim sky light, Ning Fuyi could determine that she was precisely the Sect Master of the Hehuan Sect from earlier today, Fairy Handan.

“Sect Master, must we truly do this? This is the Zhaoyao Grand Tournament. If anything goes wrong, we will be making fools of ourselves in front of the six great sects.”

“Making fools of ourselves? When has Li Handan ever feared such a thing? Besides, everyone knows how our Hehuan Sect cultivates. Our strength is great enough, so who among them would dare to say anything?” Fairy Handan swayed her body, letting out a sneer.

“Furthermore, I only see her once in many years. If I do not seize this opportunity now, I fear I may never see her again in the future.” Fairy Handan lowered her tone, her voice becoming seductive, “I have loved her for over a thousand years. Asking me to give up is absolutely impossible.”

“Then will our method work?”

“Why would it not? Whether dealing with men or women, our Hehuan Sect is most skilled in this art of seduction. Otherwise, how could we have cultivated to our current position?” Li Handan laughed, “Even if a true god were resurrected, they would not be able to resist my fragrance of Cold Plum Exceeding Snow.”

Hearing these words out of nowhere, Ning Fuyi hastily covered her ears. The greatest taboo in the cultivation world was learning the secrets of others, let alone those of a sect master. She did not want to bring trouble upon herself, so she turned her body, intending to slip away secretly.

However, right before she could leave, a familiar name suddenly drifted into her ears. Ning Fuyi’s heartstrings instantly tightened, and she froze in place with shock.

“That Chu Qingqiu, I am definitely claiming her today,” Li Handan laughed seductively.

Support