Chapter 73 - 66: Off You Go

Within her Sea of Consciousness.

Su Ling’er’s divine soul was immersed in the profound and powerful mysteries of the *Supreme Heart-Clearing Soul-Stabilizing Skill*.

She had once again received the grace of Mr. Qian, who had imparted his teachings to her.

This righteous senior, though enslaved by a demon and trapped in a devil’s den, still taught a technique that was upright, honorable, and boundlessly majestic.

’Mr. Qian, I will forever remember your great kindness.

If one day I can break through the Immortal Path, I will certainly find a way to free you, helping your soul return to the Nine Netherworld to rest in peace.’

Finally, she gave a deep bow to the gradually fading, ethereal figure.

Her consciousness, too, began to slowly ascend from the endless darkness.

...

She felt her body swaying back and forth.

Her hearing was the first to return, and she heard the whistling of the wind.

Next came her sight, and the scene before her eyes left her somewhat dazed.

’Wasn’t I just...’

She saw lanterns glowing above her head, the bluestone-paved ground rushing backward, and the red lanterns on either side stretching into long afterimages.

It seemed as if the entire world was shaking violently at a strange angle, spinning around her.

’What’s happening?’

’Shouldn’t I be at the Inquiry Golden Autumn Spirit Gathering, answering questions?’

’Didn’t I just receive an impartation?’

’What’s going on now?’

’Where am I?’

’How did I get here?!’

She looked to her side and saw only the lower half of a figure.

Those familiar, dark-colored robes.

!!!

’It’s Senior Brother!’

’I’m done for!’

’Looks like Senior Brother is taking advantage of me receiving the wondrous technique from Mr. Qian to do something to me?!’

’Could the "special job" he mentioned before be this?!’

’He really didn’t let me go!’

Instantly, her mind flashed to the brothels of the mortal world, with their red lanterns and the pitiful women forced to sell their smiles...

’Is this really my destiny?!’

’This demon actually took advantage of my unstable mind after the impartation to so brazenly abduct me!’

’And he’s going to make me do such a filthy deed?!’

’I understand now!’

’No wonder he made me answer the questions alone earlier!’

’It was so he could move me to another place while I was unconscious from the Cultivation Technique impartation, forcing me to do all sorts of filthy things the moment I woke up!’

’This is horrible!’

’This is horrible!!!’

The thought of her pure, untainted body about to suffer unimaginable humiliation in this devil’s den...

A wave of fear, indignation, and shame instantly washed over her sanity!

"AAAAAHHH—HELP ME—!!!"

Her bloodcurdling scream tore through the night sky.

"There’s a pervert!!! Who kidnapped me?!"

"Help meeeee!"

"You beast!"

"My innocence is ruined!"

Clinging to a final shred of hope, she didn’t dare say who had abducted her, only screaming in vague terms.

...

Lin Qingfeng was holding Su Ling’er by her belt, rushing to the next event location, all the while calculating how to maximize his junior sister’s contribution.

Suddenly, an earth-shattering scream erupted next to his ear, startling him so badly that his hand jerked, and he nearly threw his junior sister away.

He looked at the junior sister still dangling from his hand, his face a mask of confusion.

’Are you kidding me?’

’Why are you screaming again?!’

’Can you please stop assuming someone is always trying to do... things to you?’

’What in the world is going on in that little head of yours?!’

’What kind of wild fantasies is this girl having all day?’

’You should really read less of... that kind of stuff!’

’I’m just carrying you by your belt! I’m barely even touching you, and you can scream like this?’

’The world has gone mad!’

’A great senior brother like me, being mistaken for a pervert... How terrifying!’

He glanced at the countdown on his panel. The Immortal Path Spirit Travel event was about to start; he didn’t have time to fool around with her here.

If they missed it, his junior sister would have to wait for the next round of the activity to begin.

So, with a jolt of his arm, he channeled his strength and gave a mighty heave.

"Junior Sister! The Great Dao is simplicity itself! Cultivation should not be bound by convention!

Today, I shall teach you to cast off the shackles of your mortal shell to ascend to the heavens in a single step!

Off you go—!"

Su Ling’er felt a massive force as she was launched into the air, tracing a graceful arc...

Well, not quite graceful. It was more of a pathetic-looking parabola.

The wind WHOOSHED past her ears, and she could even see the astonished gazes of the senior brothers and sisters on the ground below.

"Wow! Junior Sister finally made it!"

"Look! Junior Sister can fly before even reaching Foundation Establishment!"

"Uhh... It looks like she doesn’t know how to land..."

The next moment, with a loud THUD, Su Ling’er landed squarely on the ground, getting a mouthful of dirt.

"Ptooey! Ptooey, ptooey!"

The sudden humiliation made her dizzy, but the new divine soul Cultivation Technique she had just acquired forced her to remain clear-headed.

’That damnable demon actually threw me over here!’

Then, she saw those familiar dark robes and that face, always wearing a smile of pity for the suffering of the world.

Senior Brother Lin Qingfeng appeared before her in an instant.

’He still has the nerve to smile?!’

’How dare he smile!!!!’

The little avatar of her rage was already jumping up and down in her mind, pummeling Lin Qingfeng:

’You bastard!’

’Can’t you just walk like a normal person?’

’Did you have to carry me?’

’If you were going to carry me, couldn’t you have slung me over your shoulder?’

’What do you think I am, a grocery basket?!’

’Carrying me was one thing, but you threw me?!’

’What did I ever do to you to deserve this?!’

However, she looked around and saw that the area was brightly lit and bustling with people. It seemed to be another event location, not the filthy den she had imagined.

’Thank goodness, thank goodness...’

’At least my innocence is safe.’

’That scared me to death.’

Lin Qingfeng, on the other hand, couldn’t help but sigh inwardly as he looked at his junior sister’s "sole survivor" expression.

’It’s a good thing I only carried her by the belt. She was already screeching her head off.’

’If I’d slung her over my shoulder, who knows what kind of huge scene she would have made.’

’Junior Sister’s Dao heart really needs more tempering!’

He walked up to Su Ling’er, stood with his hands behind his back, and offered a gentle smile.

"Junior Sister, get up.

You see, by simply breaking the shackles in your mind, arriving at our destination becomes an instantaneous affair.

This, too, is a form of cultivation."

Su Ling’er looked at his outstretched hand and wanted nothing more than to bite it.

’Cultivation?’

’Cultivation my ass!’

But she still scrambled up from the ground, patting the dust off her clothes, and pouted, refusing to look at him.

’She’s angry already?’

’I was just trying to save time, wasn’t I?’

’Junior Sister has such a temper. No wonder she looked so furious when she found out about the sect’s hidden dangers before.’

’I just hope she doesn’t get so angry that she bursts a vessel when a large number of red-named mobs appear.’

Just then, a brilliant light flared from a white jade platform up ahead.

Mr. Qian’s figure appeared before the platform and announced:

"The time for the Immortal Path Spirit Travel has come!"

"Let the travel begin!"

As music began to play, an invisible and irresistible force instantly enveloped all the disciples in the event area.

Su Ling’er felt her entire body lighten, as if bound by invisible shackles, unable to move a muscle.

Then, an even more horrifying scene unfolded.

’What’s going on?’

’Is Senior Brother going to do something to me again?!’

Then, she saw the various Daoist robes worn by all the senior brothers and sisters around her, as well as her own red dress, simultaneously become enveloped in a layer of blood-red light.

In an instant, regardless of who they were—man or woman, whatever their appearance or equipment—everyone was now wearing a set of bright red robes!

The event area turned into a blinding sea of blood-red.

And her own clothes, though they were also red, had changed into a completely different style.

Su Ling’er was dumbfounded. ’What is happening now?!’