131: Chapter 131: Shimizu Shrine

[ "How is it? Am I handsome?" ]

[ You put the last person's storage bag into the system space and raised an eyebrow at the expressionless Feng Qiange beside you. ]

[ "Hmph!" ]

[ Feng Qiange let out a cold hmph, turning into a stream of light that entered the halberd, and a gritting-teeth voice resounded in the empty underground space. ]

[ "You'd better pray you don't get caught by this seat." ]

[ You curled your lips and muttered softly: ]

[ "Tch, aren't you just jealous that this young lady was more handsome than you just now…" ]

[ With a slight thought, you put the halberd away. Looking at the pitch-black space rapidly spreading before your eyes, you instantly withdrew your divine sense and tightly clenched the jade pendant in your hand. ]

[ The next instant, the entire world plunged into endless darkness… ]

[ … ]

[ After an unknown amount of time, consciousness finally broke free from the chaos. ]

[ The first to recover was hearing. The chaotic footsteps and the vibration of the wooden boards quickly allowed your sense of touch to regain perception. ]

[ Beneath you was not a soft bed, but a hard and constantly jolting wooden board. ]

[ At this moment, your body finally fully recovered its perception. The next instant, a sharp pain exploded from all your limbs and bones simultaneously, as if your body was being forcefully torn into countless fragments. ]

[ "Hiss~" ]

[ You couldn't help letting out a soft gasp. ]

[ Damn Feng Qiange, he promised everything would be fine, but you almost bit the dust in the spatial turbulence… ]

[ "You're awake?" ]

[ Just at this moment, a clear and melodious voice suddenly came from beside your ear. ]

[ You slowly opened your eyes. ]

[ There was no blinding sunlight. Above your head was a patch of shadow, as sky-blocking trees completely blocked everything in the sky. ]

[ "Are you alright?" ]

[ That voice sounded beside your ear once more. ]

[ You finally adapted to the glaring light, turned your head slightly, and looked in the direction of the voice. ]

[ Coming into view was a young girl with slightly dark skin but bright eyes, who was currently looking at you with curiosity. ]

[ Looking further ahead, a long procession meandered through the mountain range, and their attire was quite… primitive. ]

[ They draped rough animal skins over their bodies, and their exposed skin was daubed with wild totems using dark red paint, perfectly matching your imagination of a primitive tribe. ]

[ Seeing the young girl wave her palm in front of you once more, you finally withdrew your gaze and raised a gentle smile toward her. ]

[ "Thank you for saving me." ]

[ Your voice was slightly hoarse, exuding a touch of frailty like one just recovering from a severe illness, yet the smile blooming on your lips was as bright and moving as a spring breeze brushing against willows. ]

[ This pitiful yet breathtakingly beautiful appearance instantly struck the young girl's heart, and she couldn't help covering her mouth and exclaiming: ]

[ "Older Sister, you are simply too pretty!" ]

[ At this moment, the burly man riding on the back of the beast pulling the cart ahead also turned his head back. ]

[ "Little girl, you look really pretty!" ]

[ Hearing this, you smiled in return, but your palm was rubbing the black jade pendant. ]

[ Their personality was honest enough. Given your appearance and the seemingly expensive dharma robe on your body, nothing had been touched, and the storage bag at your waist containing three hundred low-grade spirit stones was likewise untouched. ]

[ At this moment, you had recovered some energy, and your divine sense instantly spread out, making all the conditions of this procession clear at a glance. ]

[ The strongest was a one-eyed youth located in the center of the procession with the cultivation of the eighth layer of Qi Refining. All the others were early-stage Qi Refining cultivators, with very few in the middle stage. ]

[ There were even many quasi-cultivators at the Spirit-Guiding Realm. ]

[ "What is this place called?" ]

[ Since it was still relatively safe for now, you dispensed with those roundabout probings. Meeting the young girl's clear eyes that were eagerly gazing at you, you asked softly in a peaceful tone. ]

[ "This place is called Qingshui Sacred Mountain. Older Sister, did you come from the outside?" ]

[ The young girl's eyes flickered with a curious light. ]

[ "Mhm." ]

[ You nodded slightly, gave a casual acknowledgment, and smoothly steered the conversation downward: ]

[ "I haven't heard of Qingshui Sacred Mountain before. Can you tell me about it?" ]

[ "Qingshui Sacred Mountain is the sleeping place of the Mother of All Gu." ]

[ Hearing this, the smile on the young girl's face receded a bit, replaced by an almost fanatical reverence. ]

[ "Legend has it that a long time ago, a divine Gu that fed on demons was bred in the cold pool at the peak of the sacred mountain. The breath it exhaled turned into clear springs, purifying this mountain range that was originally tainted by demonic qi. But the divine Gu was too lonely, so…" ]

[ "Landuo!" ]

[ The burly man driving the cart spoke with knitted brows, interrupting her words. ]

[ The young girl's expression stiffened, and she did not continue speaking. ]

[ Your gaze flickered slightly. There really was a secret? ]

[ You gently took the young girl's hand, smoothly brushed past the previous episode, and asked softly: ]

[ "Your name is Landuo?" ]

[ "Mhm mhm, what about you, Older Sister?" ]

[ The young girl nodded hard, and that trace of unhappiness from just now was instantly cast to the winds. Her sparkling eyes were filled with anticipation. ]

[ "My name is… Bai Youyou." ]

[ Looking at her naive and romantic appearance, a trace of gentle smile surfaced in the depths of your eyes, and you raised your hand to gently rub the crown of her soft hair. ]

[ Even while situated in this cruel world that ate people, there were still such pure and beautiful things, enough to make one feel a moment of peace. ]

[ … ]

[ After several inadvertent guidances, you finally determined your approximate current location. ]

[ The good news was that the spatial turbulence didn't throw you into some absolute desperate land of ten deaths and zero life; you had truly landed within the borders of Chanming Prefecture. ]

[ The bad news was that this landing point was completely contrary to your true destination. ]

[ The family where Lin Qianqian belonged was entrenched deep within the Bone-Eroding Poison Forest in the western part of Chanming Prefecture, ]

[ while the area you were currently in belonged to the sphere of influence of Chandu Palace. Before coming, you had looked at a rough map; it was in the eastern region of Chanming Prefecture… ]

[ Sigh~ Mental exhaustion. ]

[ At this moment, you really missed Xiao Fanzi a bit. After all, his golden finger was truly very useful! ]

[ Nightfall gradually settled like thick ink, and the procession finally reached the end of this trip. ]

[ This was a tribe piled up from countless wooden houses. ]

[ The entire tribe was built against the mountain terrain, spreading upward in layers, resembling a giant beast's nest dormant in the darkness. ]

[ However, deep within those shadows, a few runes would occasionally flicker on and off, demonstrating the unusual nature of this place. ]

[ You followed a wide mountain road all the way up, stopping only at the plaza on the peak of the mountain. ]

[ After returning, Landuo seemed even more lively. She enthusiastically linked her wrist with yours, and her voice carrying anticipation rang out: ]

[ "Sister Youyou, why don't you come stay at my house?" ]

[ "No!" ]

[ The burly man immediately objected, and then smiled apologetically at you. ]

[ "Miss Bai, apologies, we have rules here. Outsiders have a designated lodging place." ]

[ You nodded slightly with a calm expression, indicating understanding. ]

[ Having recovered for nearly a day, your body actually had no major issues anymore. The physical body doubling brought to you by the Qinghuang Sacred Body was far more than just strength. ]

[ An all-around doubling meant that your already formidable resilience was now even more terrifying, allowing ordinary injuries to even scab and heal at a speed visible to the naked eye. ]

[ Finally, amid Landuo's reluctant gaze, you followed the one-eyed youth and walked toward the outside of the crowd. ]

[ Piercing through the surging heads, your line of sight collided without warning with a pair of calm, waveless eyes. ]

[ In an instant, you only felt the hairs all over your body stand on end. That indescribable repulsion came from who knows where, yet it was extremely real. ]

[ You stopped in your tracks, exchanging a distant gaze with the black-haired youth in the crowd, and immediately averted your eyes from each other… ]

(Only had time to update two chapters today. Re-modified the general plot slightly; feel free to continue reading, it won't be affected.)

(The protagonist's cultivation progress hasn't changed, but the good girl can no longer go on a killing spree across the board in a single simulation…)

Currently available public information:

The protagonist's Three Spiritual Roots have evolved into "Lower-grade Metal-Fire Dual Spiritual Roots".

The Red Dust Immortal entry has been updated once more; you can turn to Chapter 27 to review it.