The Villainous Demon Lord’s Handbook for Success: Rebirth - Chapter 39

Ning Fuyi’s move was sudden, and Chu Qingqiu felt her feet leave the ground. By the time she reacted, she had already fallen into the young girl’s embrace. A rush of crimson immediately mounted her face, and she opened her mouth to reprimand her, only to be interrupted by Ning Fuyi’s urgent shushing.

“There are demons nearby. Let us leave this place first before making further plans,” Ning Fuyi said, masking their aura as she strode rapidly toward the opposite end of the stone chamber.

Nudging a protruding stone brick with the toe of her shoe, the stone door before them opened soundlessly.

Ning Fuyi quickly ran out of the chamber. Outside was a broad corridor. Judging by the dust-covered murals, this place must have been magnificent in the past, though several millennia had passed, and all that grandeur had been buried by time.

Chu Qingqiu nestled in the young girl’s arms, her body swaying along with her movements. She had no choice but to reach out and hold her shoulder, forcefully closing her eyes afterward, unwilling to imagine the sight of herself being carried by Ning Fuyi.

Yet she had to admit that although Ning Fuyi was young, her arms were soft and steady.

Therefore, she said nothing more and did not struggle.

Ning Fuyi followed the route in her vague memory to find a hiding spot. Walking through a winding maze of corridors, her right foot pressed a mechanism switch, and she turned into a secret chamber.

In her past life, she had hidden from the Shaoyao Saintess in this very spot.

The moment the secret door closed, she set Chu Qingqiu down on the ground. Although a cultivator’s physique was superior to an ordinary person’s, she ultimately possessed the body of a young girl, making it difficult to carry an adult woman for too long.

Chu Qingqiu bit her lip to endure the pain, turning her head away the moment she touched the ground, as if unwilling to look at Ning Fuyi’s face.

Ning Fuyi ignored her reaction, lowering her head to inspect the wound on her own before searching through the Yinian Bead. Finally, she extracted a glass vial, which was the holy water she had obtained during the contest that day.

As she moved to unfasten Chu Qingqiu’s clothes, a sharp sting struck the back of her hand, which was slapped away by a palm.

“Exalted Goddess,” Ning Fuyi said with a touch of helplessness. “I am merely treating your wound. I harbor no ill intentions.”

“This Venerable does not require anyone to treat her wounds,” Chu Qingqiu murmured. She reached out to take the glass vial, but the moment she extended her hand, blood and demonic aura bubbled out together.

She let out a sudden gasp, tilting her head back against the wall as beads of sweat broke out on her slender neck.

“Why are you pushing yourself?” Ning Fuyi said, crouching in place. With no outsiders around, she did not bother to feign respect, snatching the glass vial back from her grasp.

Chu Qingqiu did not speak further this time, keeping her head turned away, revealing only half of her profile.

Ning Fuyi unfastened Chu Qingqiu’s robe with one hand. The body that was usually tightly concealed finally revealed its contours. Ning Fuyi’s hand paused, the scenes from the illusion that day suddenly manifesting in her mind.

She hurriedly closed her eyes, forcefully driving the images from her thoughts.

Once her mind was entirely clear, she opened her eyes again. She did not continue unfastening the robe but manifested a sharp little knife instead, slowly cutting away the fabric surrounding the wound to reveal the blood-soaked skin beneath.

She did not know what had caused the injury, but the wound was exceptionally severe; a fraction higher and it would have struck her life veins. Feeling a lingering fear, Ning Fuyi poured the holy water onto the torn skin.

Chu Qingqiu suddenly let out a muffled groan of agony that sounded almost like a whimper, her hand snapping out in a desperate attempt to grasp onto something.

In a rush of adrenaline, Ning Fuyi extended her own hand, and her wrist was instantly caught in a tight grip.

The slick sweat carried the woman’s warmth, the sensation vividly distinct. Ning Fuyi nearly let her hand shake, but she ultimately maintained her control, ensuring that not a single drop of holy water was spilled.

This was not the first time she had seen Chu Qingqiu injured, but her emotions this time were completely different from the past.

Her gaze fell upon Chu Qingqiu’s sweat-slicked neck, moving upward to find those beautiful teeth biting down hard on her lower lip, her peach-blossom eyes shut tightly in forced endurance.

Ning Fuyi’s gaze darkened as she lowered her head to focus on treating the wound.

The injury was truly severe, but fortunately, the holy water was genuinely effective. Soon, the demonic aura was dispelled, and the skin healed at a visible pace, finally turning as smooth as jade.

Ning Fuyi searched through the Yinian Bead and asked, “Do you need clothes?”

Chu Qingqiu seemed to have depleted all her strength. She shook her head weakly, her fingers twitching slightly, causing her torn garments to return to pristine condition.

The scent of blood within the cramped space finally faded. Ning Fuyi let out a breath, her knees buckling as she sat down in place to wait for Chu Qingqiu to recover.

Although Chu Qingqiu’s strength had always been an enigma to others, it was evident that she had just exerted herself to sustain the Primal Chaos Realm and had now lost blood, leaving her physical condition near its breaking point.

If those demons managed to catch up, they would stand almost no chance of victory.

Ning Fuyi could not help but feel frustrated. In her past life, she had dominated the entire demon realm, and no demon would ever dare to provoke her. Yet now, trapped in this weak body, she was no match for just anyone.

She had to obtain the Emei Piercers and restore her power as soon as possible.

With this thought, Ning Fuyi suddenly raised her hand to cast a barrier over Chu Qingqiu, rising to leave the secret chamber. However, Chu Qingqiu’s hand remained gripped around her wrist, tightening its hold to pull her back.

“Where are you going?” Chu Qingqiu asked, enduring the pain.

“To find an exit. The demons are nearby; we cannot remain trapped here waiting for death,” Ning Fuyi said in a low voice.

She could not tell Chu Qingqiu that she was searching for the Emei Piercers, so she could only offer an excuse.

“It is useless. The exit has already been sealed by them; we cannot leave for the time being,” Chu Qingqiu shook her head.

“Furthermore, I can barely withstand that person’s demonic aura. If you run into them, you won’t even have the chance to cry for help,” Chu Qingqiu added.

“But,”

“Shh,” Chu Qingqiu suddenly interrupted her. She supported herself with the Baigu staff to rise. Although her body was still unsteady, she looked much better than before.

“They are here,” Chu Qingqiu spoke in what was practically a whisper.

Even though she forced herself up, her back remained perfectly straight, her tall figure standing elegantly. Her bloodless face could not conceal the sharp intensity radiating from her.

At the same time, Ning Fuyi also sensed the approaching demonic aura. Her mind sharpened, and she slowly retreated to a corner.

“This secret door cannot stop them,” Ning Fuyi said, her toe brushing past another mechanism switch. Another large door appeared behind them, opening slowly to reveal another area beyond.

Chu Qingqiu watched her actions, a flash of surprise flitting through her eyes, though it quickly faded, as if she had grown accustomed to it.

At this critical juncture of life and death, Ning Fuyi was no longer afraid of exposing the fact that she had been to the Divine Ruins before. She grabbed Chu Qingqiu, pulling her along as they vanished from the secret chamber and plunged into the glittering gold and silver behind them.

This room seemed to be designated specifically for storing treasures. The ground was covered with various fine jades, gold, and silver. Precious treasures and unknown dharma artifacts were discarded carelessly like refuse, piled into small mountains.

The Shaoyao Saintess had guarded the Divine Ruins for generations precisely to protect the treasures buried within for countless millennia, preventing the world from fighting over them.

However, Ning Fuyi held no interest in any of this. She simply strode rapidly through the rare treasures, quickly making her way out. This time, what greeted her eyes was a heap of skeletal remains scattered upon the ground. Judging from the size of those bones, the guardian that had once stood watch here must have been a terrifyingly massive creature.

When she had used a formation to search for the Emei Piercers back then, she had roughly deduced the direction of their location. Combining that with her memory of having visited the Divine Ruins, she could broadly determine which way to go.

However, the demonic aura behind them drew closer, seeming to surround them from all directions, making escape difficult. Just then, a faint sound of breaking air reached them, causing Ning Fuyi and Chu Qingqiu to halt simultaneously. The two retreated in unison, evading an exceptionally slender silver thread.

The silver thread brushed past their noses, striking a crumbling wall. It retracted rapidly afterward, followed by a deafening crash as the entire wall was torn to shreds like a piece of paper, sending dust billowing into the air.

Chu Qingqiu pulled Ning Fuyi away from the wall. Once the dust settled, a monster appeared before them, causing even Chu Qingqiu to feel a wave of revulsion.

“What on earth is that thing,” Ning Fuyi closed her eyes in disgust, too repulsed to look further.

The creature possessed eight distinct, hairy legs that elevated its body nearly to the impossibly high ceiling. The slender thread from earlier had been expelled from its abdomen. At this moment, those eight legs moved in tandem, rotating its massive body to reveal its front.

Upon the body of a spider grew the face of a weasel. This weasel was not furry like an ordinary one; its face consisted of pitch-black skin, its eyes wide and round, its mouth curled into a bizarre smile. Staring at it for long made it resemble a human face, sending shivers down one’s spine.

“It is a demonic beast,” Chu Qingqiu said, holding the Baigu staff across her chest, her voice weak. “It must have been trapped within the Divine Ruins for tens of thousands of years to transform into this state.”

Enduring the visual assault of the creature, Ning Fuyi pulled Chu Qingqiu, intending to leave. However, the moment she took a step, several silver threads shot out, instantly forming a massive net before them that cut off their escape route.

The demonic beast seemed to have been starved for a long time, desperate to swallow them into its belly. It opened its massive maw, lunging toward the two with a fouled breath.

At the same time, a powerful hissing sound emerged from Chu Qingqiu’s sleeve. The figure of a white tiger manifested in the room, expanding to several times its original size. Although it could not reach the ceiling, it shattered the left and right walls to pieces. Letting out a long roar, Bai Lin lunged at the demonic beast.

The two massive bodies instantly entangled, colliding with a force that shook the ground. Dust and debris flew everywhere, obscuring one’s vision, leaving only a few blurred afterimages visible.

“There is miasma,” Chu Qingqiu suddenly called out, her voice sounding faint amidst the din of battle. The moment her words fell, Ning Fuyi also detected a pungent odor.

Any skin that came into contact with the air began to itch, indicating that merely holding one’s breath would not suffice. Ning Fuyi’s back was already pressed against the wall, and she hurriedly groped along it with her eyes closed, finally locating the mechanism.

Pressing it down firmly, the wall behind her suddenly gave way, and she fell backward into a secret chamber. At the same time, she gripped Chu Qingqiu’s hand tightly, pulling her along into the darkness as the door slammed shut.

Her surroundings plunged into absolute darkness, isolating the noise outside until only a faint murmur remained.

However, another sound grew increasingly distinct, sounding almost deafening. Ning Fuyi processed it for a moment before realizing it was her own heartbeat.

It was not because of anything else, but rather because this stone chamber was far too narrow, causing the two to be pressed nearly face-to-face, close enough to fully perceive each other’s warmth.

She could also smell the crisp fragrance lingering on Chu Qingqiu.

Ning Fuyi felt her entire body go rigid. She strained to stand on her tiptoes against the stone wall, trying to prevent the tip of her nose from brushing against Chu Qingqiu’s chin.

Meanwhile, Chu Qingqiu supported herself with one hand against the wall behind Ning Fuyi, creating an impression of holding her within her embrace.

Stop beating, Ning Fuyi commanded her heart, but it completely ignored her, continuing to thud loudly.

She did not know if Chu Qingqiu could hear it. Ning Fuyi closed her eyes, waiting for the battle outside to subside.

However, her concern was evidently redundant, as Chu Qingqiu seemed unable to stand steady, her body slowly sliding down against her. Ning Fuyi hastily extended both arms, wrapping them around her waist to offer some support.

That waist was even slenderer than she had imagined, so thin that it felt as if it might break in the next second. This caused Ning Fuyi to worry whether Chu Qingqiu would lose her life here.

“Chu Qingqiu,”

“Quiet,” Chu Qingqiu spoke in a whisper, her voice weak yet firm.

Ning Fuyi said no more. She redirected her attention away from the person before her, listening closely to the movements outside.

After a very long time, the noise outside finally ceased, returning to a silence that made it seem as though no battle had ever occurred. Supporting Chu Qingqiu, Ning Fuyi shifted her body outward, reaching for the mechanism to press it down.

The door swung open abruptly, revealing absolute darkness outside. The original night-glowing pearls had been destroyed, leaving shattered rocks scattered everywhere. Bai Lin and the demonic beast were nowhere to be seen.

“Chu Qingqiu,” Ning Fuyi said softly. Chu Qingqiu gave an acknowledgment, pulling away from her embrace.

Her arms suddenly felt empty. Ning Fuyi dropped her hands, walking ahead of Chu Qingqiu.

Bai Lin had vanished to some unknown location, and hiding alone would never allow them to evade the demon. Only by locating the Emei Piercers as quickly as possible would they stand a chance of survival.

Chu Qingqiu clutched her chest, her clear peach-blossom eyes lifting to stare at Ning Fuyi’s hazy silhouette in the darkness. When Ning Fuyi turned back to look, she slowly followed.

Ning Fuyi silently climbed over the debris on the ground, walking along a path that had long lost its light for a considerable duration until the view before them finally opened up.

The moment she stepped forward, hundreds of lamps suddenly ignited, floating in midair to illuminate the entire space.

The circular main hall was currently covered in dust, with several stone sculptures shattered upon the floor, concealing the original gemstone-paved ground. The ceiling above rose several zhang high, painted with strange patterns utilizing a translucent lacquer.

The two exchanged a quick glance before averting their eyes, stepping into the space cautiously.

This appeared to be the main hall of the Divine Ruins. Ning Fuyi had never been to this location, but the moment she entered, she sensed a strange feeling of connection.

The Emei Piercers were here; she was almost certain of it.

“What is that,” Ning Fuyi whispered. In the center of the hall, a sword seemed to be thrust into the ground, looking plain and covered in dust.

Chu Qingqiu reached out to grip the hilt, pulling with force, but the sword remained completely immobile, as if rooted to the ground.

“A fallen sword,” Chu Qingqiu said. “When a god falls, their bound sword perishes along with them.”

Ning Fuyi gave an acknowledgment, paying no further attention to the weapon.

Yet strangely, although the feeling of connection was exceptionally powerful, no matter how she searched, she could not locate any trace of the Emei Piercers.

“What are you searching for,” A voice suddenly echoed near her ears, sounding like it emerged from the mouth of a dried corpse that had been dead for years.

The surrounding temperature plummeted abruptly, as if they had entered a glacier. Frost began to cling to the ground, and the faint, ghostly wails of thousands of people echoed near their ears, making it feel as if they had plunged into hell. Chu Qingqiu’s figure instantly appeared before Ning Fuyi. She gripped the Baigu staff tightly, staring into the void.

“Come out,” she said coldly.

The voice suddenly dissolved into a sinister laugh, swirling rapidly between her ears. Afterward, the figure of a man materialized from the air, standing staggeringly tall, his entire body tightly concealed beneath a long black robe.

His face was hidden by a hood, beneath which lay skin scorched into deep ridges, making his features indistinguishable.

Ning Fuyi knew things were looking grim, but she stared intently at the man. She felt that although this person was bizarre, he seemed familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before.

“Who are you,” Chu Qingqiu said in a low voice.

“Who I am is not important,” the corpse-like voice continued to resonate. “I am not looking for you; I am looking for her.”

As he spoke, a blackened fingertip pointed behind Chu Qingqiu. Ning Fuyi’s pupils contracted slightly, but Chu Qingqiu’s hand caught her at some unknown point, forcing her behind her back.

Ning Fuyi looked down at the hand gripping her; the small wounds remained, and it possessed little strength left.

“Are you looking for this,” The man raised his other hand, which was vanished within the black robe. When Ning Fuyi saw the object, her heart sank abruptly like a stone thrown into a pond.

Hanging from his hand was the Emei Piercers, which were emitting black smoke and had already recognized a master.

Ning Fuyi clenched her fists. How could something destined to be hers in her past life be easily taken away by someone else now?

“Exalted Goddess Chu Ling,” the man seemed highly satisfied, letting out a series of cackling laughs as he leaned forward. “You are left with only this fraction of your cultivation, yet you still dream of protecting her?”

“Foolish woman,” he said disdainfully.

Like a bolt of lightning striking her chest, Ning Fuyi looked at Chu Qingqiu in utter shock. What did he mean by a fraction of her cultivation?

Could Chu Qingqiu’s weakness be due to something more than just her injuries?

“Whether I can protect her or not, you are welcome to try,” a cold white flame began to spread along the Baigu staff, Chu Qingqiu said in a low voice.

“Run quickly,” Chu Qingqiu’s lips did not move, but her voice echoed near Ning Fuyi’s ear, cold and urgent. “Do not worry about me. When I count to three, leave this place.”

The moment her words fell, the number three escaped her lips. A brilliant white light ignited abruptly, and a powerful wind rushed in from all directions. The white silk and the Baigu staff moved in tandem, carrying a desperate force as they lunged toward the man’s chest.

“Chu Qingqiu!” Ning Fuyi cried out in alarm. A surge of intense fury welled up in her heart; she did not know why Chu Qingqiu was protecting her to this extent, nor did she understand why she herself felt this angry.

Debris continued to rain down around them as the man’s powerful demonic aura swept across the space. Ning Fuyi felt a sharp pain in her chest and dropped to one knee. The surroundings were submerged once more in black smoke and wailing cries, leaving only two blurred silhouettes visible within the billowing crimson mist.

The man’s delighted laughter echoed through the black smoke. The power of the Emei Piercers summoned heavenly thunder, which tore through the ceiling like a violent explosion, striking heavily into the thick smoke.

It struck the woman’s body.

Why on earth, even with a second chance at life, did the things belonging to her continue to be lost one by one? Why did she still have to be protected behind someone else’s back, watching another person die for her sake?

She was a piece of trash; no matter how many lifetimes she lived, she was merely a useless fool who could only hide behind others.

In the past, she did not believe in fate, but now she did. Fate seemed to offer her numerous paths, only to seal them off one by one just as she stepped forward with hope.

As debris cut bloodstains onto her face, Ning Fuyi suddenly let out a soft laugh, standing up amidst the dust, her slender frame unsteady.

Forget it, since heaven willed it so, she would accept her fate. If she could not cultivate as an immortal, and could not become a demon, she would become a vengeful ghost. When the time came, destroying heaven and earth would also count as a form of cultivation.

She reached out blindly into her surroundings, her hand brushing against a sword hilt, and she lifted it up. Her body transformed into a falling star, plunging into the billowing black smoke.

Exerting force with her left arm, she pulled the woman’s body securely into her embrace to shield her.

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