Chapter 369-370 On How to Conquer System Fairies and Make Them Your Wives 369-370 |
Abyssal Gaze Realm. Yu Manor.
Yu Ling sat in the study, idly flipping through a book, while her parents, Yu Zhen and Liu Xiangyun, spread out several scrolls on the table before her, their voices gentle and coaxing.
“My dear daughter, what do you think of this one? The second young master of the Qi family. Handsome and talented, reached the Dao Realm at seventeen, the Immortal Realm at thirty, now a commander in your brother’s Qian Yuan Palace.”
“Or this one, the eldest son of the Xu family. Controls over a thousand trading companies in the Abyssal Gaze Realm. Gentle and courteous.”
They were being very cautious. After the last incident, they had realized that their daughter was a force to be reckoned with, someone to be treated with respect, not like a child.
But Yu Ling quickly grew tired of their matchmaking attempts and waved her hand dismissively. “Are you misunderstanding something? I asked you to find me a husband, not to present me with a bunch of… mediocre candidates. Do you really think any of them are worthy of entering my chambers?”
Her parents exchanged glances. “Then what does my dear daughter have in mind?”
“This.”
She tore the scrolls to shreds and spread out a large sheet of paper on the table, writing four large characters:
Yu Zhen frowned, and Liu Xiangyun said softly, “Ling’er, what is the meaning of this?”
“Exactly what it says,” Yu Ling said, her arms crossed, her voice firm, “if they want to be my husband, they have to defeat me first. Do you really think those weaklings are worthy of me?”
Her parents were speechless.
“Spread the word,” she continued, her gaze unwavering. “I want this competition to be grand, the biggest event in the Abyssal Gaze Realm. Everyone will have a chance to challenge me.”
Her parents were stunned. The Abyssal Gaze Realm was vast, encompassing countless worlds and billions of beings. Such a large-scale event, even for the Yu family, would be a monumental undertaking.
They looked at each other, their faces creased with worry, but they didn’t dare to disobey her. They sighed and left, trying to convince themselves that it wasn’t such a bad idea, after all. It’s a good way to show off our family’s power and prestige.
After they left, Yu Ling sat back in her chair, a smug grin on her face, and picked up a book.
A small bird with colorful tail feathers landed on the windowsill and chirped, its voice surprisingly deep and resonant, like a man’s.
“There’s no need to trouble your parents. If you need to stall for time, I can keep him occupied.”
“You’ll just make things worse,” Yu Ling said, without looking up, “if you, a Dao Venerable, interfere, he’ll just challenge you to a fight. And don’t underestimate him. He might actually be able to defeat you now.”
“Then why bother with this elaborate charade? This martial arts competition?”
Yu Ling glared at him, annoyed. “We had a deal! I become a Dao Venerable and help you with the Heavenly Dao Tribulation, and you stay out of my business!”
“I was just asking.” Qian Yuan didn’t seem offended, his voice still calm and steady.
“You wouldn’t understand,” Yu Ling sighed, waving her hand dismissively. “This is the fastest way for him to find me. I can’t wait too long… he’s improving too quickly. I’m afraid he’ll reach the Dao Realm before me.”
Qian Yuan tilted his head slightly. “Are you really willing to… fight against him?”
“What choice do I have?” she said, kicking the table lightly, her voice filled with a quiet frustration. “Do you want him to become a Dao Venerable and replace the Heavenly Dao? You don’t understand him. That idiot would actually do it! The only way to stop him is to defeat him first! I have to disrupt his plans!” Her eyes lowered slightly, a shadow of sadness crossing her face.
She knew him too well.
She had to make him worry, to make him come looking for her, so he wouldn’t have time to cultivate, to reach the Dao Realm before her.
And… if he wasn’t distracted, if his heart wasn’t in turmoil…
…she might not be able to defeat him.
Qian Yuan didn’t say anything, just watched her silently.
“How confident are you about your breakthrough?” he finally asked.
“…Fifty percent,” she closed her eyes, her face pale with exhaustion, “two Daos, and the Dao of Time… fifty percent is already quite high.”
“I’ll protect you. Begin as soon as you’re ready.”
Yu Ling nodded.
She had spent the past few days studying every text related to the Dao Realm, preparing for her breakthrough.
“I’m ready.”
“And… while I’m in seclusion, protect me. Don’t let anyone disturb me.”
“Don’t you trust me?”
“It’s not that,” she said, her voice filled with a playful annoyance, “it’s that… he has a Qing Fox with him, one who can travel through the Void. Make sure she doesn’t sneak in. And he’s a powerful swordsman. He can be quite reckless when he’s angry. Tell my parents to make the competition last longer, so he doesn’t reach me too soon. And he has a System, with all sorts of strange and dangerous items. Be careful. And he knows me too well. If he can’t find me, he’ll try to lure me out with wine. Don’t let him get close. I might not be able to resist…” Her voice trailed off, her cheeks flushing slightly as she realized she was rambling.
Qian Yuan listened patiently.
“He’s… he’s very strong. If… if he finds me…”
“You don’t have to do this, Little Sister. I can handle him—”
“No! You can’t interfere! If you two fight, it will be a battle between Dao Venerables! The Heavenly Dao won’t be able to withstand it! I have to do this myself… I have to…” Her voice softened, her eyes dimming slightly.
Qian Yuan didn’t say anything, just watched her silently.
Finally, she took a deep breath, her voice regaining its strength.
“No more distractions! This time, I have only one goal! To break through, to become a Dao Venerable, and then… to beat the crap out of that brat!”
“Begin!” She sat down, cross-legged, her eyes closing as she entered a meditative trance.
The small bird transformed into a shimmering mist, enveloping the Yu Manor in a protective barrier,
Like an egg, waiting to hatch.
At the center of the Desolate Origin Realm, before the magnificent tower of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches Palace…
The golden-armored general, Jia Chou, sat slumped on the ground, his eyes wide with terror, his body trembling, his earlier arrogance and confidence gone.
Before him lay a mountain of corpses.
Bronze Soldiers, Silver Generals, even Golden Generals like himself, their bodies scattered across the ground, their blood staining the white stone of the plaza.
And among the corpses, a man stood, his sword in his hand, his gaze cold and indifferent, as if the carnage around him couldn’t even touch him.
Jia Chou had seen it all.
He had watched as this demonic man, with a single sword, had slaughtered every member of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches Palace who had come to his aid.
Each of them an Immortal, a being of immense power, almost impossible to kill.
But they had fallen like wheat before a scythe, their immortal energy, their life force, devoured by that terrifying sword.
He had never seen anything like it.
Not even the Dao Venerable could have done this.
And he, Jia Chou, was just a newly ascended Immortal.
“Have you seen enough?” the man’s voice, cold and calm, echoed through the silent plaza.
Jia Chou’s blood ran cold, and he scrambled backward, his voice trembling. “Y-you… you’ll pay for this! When the Dao Venerable returns, he’ll send you to hell!”
Chen Yin chuckled, his voice filled with a chilling amusement. “Don’t worry. I’ll be taking him with me.”
The shimmering sword in his hand transformed into a beautiful young woman, who walked towards him, her steps slow and deliberate, her gaze fixed on Jia Chou.
“No… please… spare me…!” he begged, his voice filled with terror.
Sword Maiden didn’t seem to hear him.
She placed a finger on his forehead, and a scream, filled with unimaginable pain, echoed through the Void, as if a thousand swords were tearing his body apart from the inside.
Then, silence.
Chen Yin stood amidst the carnage, looking at Sword Maiden, her beautiful face now stained with blood, and gently stroked her hair.
“It’s over,” he said softly.
“Let’s go home.”
Sword Maiden looked down, her brow furrowed slightly. “I killed them… but I still feel… sad. Why?”
“Because that’s what it means to be human. There are things we can’t change. But we can still do what’s right.” He pulled her into his arms, his embrace warm and comforting. “…It’s over. Let’s go.”
Sword Maiden nodded, her lips pressed together tightly, her heart filled with a strange mix of sadness and relief.
Like a true human being.
An unknown amount of time passed.
A Silver General stumbled through the carnage of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches Palace, his body trembling with fear. He had been away on a mission, and he couldn’t believe his eyes. Bodies were scattered everywhere, the corpses of his fellow generals.
“How… how is this possible…?” he whispered, his voice filled with horror and disbelief. He couldn’t understand how anyone could have slaughtered so many powerful immortals.
A faint, yet powerful aura suddenly emanated from behind him, and he turned, his eyes widening with hope, scrambling towards the source of the aura like a drowning man clinging to a lifeline.
“Dao Venerable! Dao Venerable!”
The aura coalesced into a figure, a man with a stern face, his features blurry, his aura vast and immeasurable, both near and impossibly distant.
“Dao Venerable!” the Silver General cried, his voice choked with tears, “they’re all dead! Everyone! What happened?! Which Dao Venerable would do this to us?!”
But the Solitary Dao Venerable’s voice was calm and steady. “…It wasn’t a Dao Venerable.”
The Silver General looked up at him, his eyes wide with confusion. “Impossible! Who else could have done this?!”
Gu Tian was silent for a long moment.
He could sense the faint remnants of sword intent clinging to the corpses, and he knew who was responsible.
The ant he had once dismissed.
The boy who had grown into a monster in the Lower Realm.
The one who had killed Jiazi and the others in the dimensional passage, who had even matched his own power.
…Chen Yin, he murmured, his eyes closing slightly.
“Do you know who it was, Dao Venerable?” the Silver General asked urgently. “Please avenge our fallen brothers!”
He had already sentenced this defiant cultivator to death in his heart.
But to his disappointment, the Solitary Dao Venerable didn’t answer.
He remained silent, his gaze distant and unfocused.
“Dao Venerable… why…?” the general’s voice was filled with despair and confusion.
“It’s not time yet,” Gu Tian said, his voice calm and indifferent, “I can’t… deal with him right now.”
He had been absorbing the remnants of Heavenly Dao Fragments from countless worlds, refining his own Dao—the Dao of All Creation. He was on the verge of a breakthrough. He couldn’t afford to fight against someone who might be a Dao Venerable. Not yet. It would only hasten the collapse of the Heavenly Dao. He had to wait, until he was certain of his victory. Once I become the Heavenly Dao… He closed his eyes.
“Dao Venerable…” the Silver General pleaded, his eyes filled with a desperate hope.
But Gu Tian just shook his head slowly.
“No.”
“I understand your desire for revenge.”
“But it’s not time yet.”
“When the time is right, I will avenge you.”
The Silver General, his heart filled with resentment and frustration, lowered his head. “Yes… Dao Venerable.”
On a deserted island, at the border between the Desolate Origin Realm and the Abyssal Gaze Realm…
Luo Qiaoqiao sat alone on a rock, her gaze fixed on the horizon, her heart pounding with anxiety.
Luo Luo had taken her here, then returned to retrieve Chen Yin.
She didn’t know what was happening at the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches Palace, but she had sensed powerful auras before they left. She was worried about Chen Yin.
“Sister Qiaoqiao!” a cheerful voice suddenly called out from the Void.
She turned and saw Chen Yin and Luo Luo emerge, their hands clasped tightly.
“You scared me!” she exclaimed, relieved, then glared at him playfully. “Don’t be so reckless next time!”
“I wasn’t being reckless,” Chen Yin shrugged. “If Luo Luo hadn’t taken you away, I wouldn’t have been able to finish them off.”
“How did you escape?”
“I killed them all.”
Luo Qiaoqiao stared at him, speechless.
After a long silence, she said, “I know you’re strong, but… isn’t that a bit… excessive?”
“Who knows?” Chen Yin didn’t seem particularly pleased with his victory.
He was still just at the initial stage of the Immortal Realm.
Although he hadn’t reached the Dao Realm yet, with his two Daos and the Changming Sword, even Dao Realm experts were no match for him.
But he had been pushed to his limits.
Any stronger, and he would have had to use his Third Sword.
And as for the Dao Venerable…
He wasn’t sure he could defeat him.
“I need to cultivate,” he sighed, “I’m not strong enough yet.”
He had to find Master and start cultivating immediately. Cultivation in the Upper Realm was much faster, the air thick with immortal energy. With his comprehension of two Daos, reaching the Dao Realm shouldn’t be too difficult.
Luo Qiaoqiao noticed Sword Maiden standing behind him, her usual indifferent expression replaced by a quiet sadness, her head lowered.
“Let’s find a place to rest,” she said. “There might be a human city nearby.”
After traveling for half a day, they arrived at a bustling town, its streets filled with mortals and cultivators.
They found an inn and settled in. Chen Yin, sensing Sword Maiden’s sadness, left her alone in her room.
He took Luo Qiaoqiao and Luo Luo out for a stroll.
As night fell, the streets came alive with the sounds of vendors and the laughter of children, the air filled with the sweet scent of street food.
“Look! They have sugar cakes here too!” Luo Qiaoqiao exclaimed, buying three and handing one to each of them. “Something sweet might cheer you up.”
Chen Yin took a bite, but he wasn’t hungry.
Neither was Luo Luo, her ears drooping listlessly.
After a moment of silence, Luo Qiaoqiao said, “Let’s go get a drink.”
“More drinking?” Chen Yin said, his voice filled with mock exhaustion. “We’ve been drinking ever since I arrived. Can you really handle that much?”
“Of course!” she said proudly, puffing out her chest. “I can drink a thousand cups and still be sober! Drinking is the best way to forget your worries! Let’s go!”
She dragged them to a nearby tavern, its main hall filled with a boisterous crowd of merchants, travelers, scholars, and even a few cultivators.
Luo Qiaoqiao didn’t ask for a private room. She chose a table in the center of the hall and ordered several jars of wine, then started drinking, ignoring Chen Yin and Luo Luo.
When her cheeks were flushed, and her breath heavy with the scent of alcohol, Chen Yin finally stopped her. “Slow down.”
“But when you’re worried, you should drink!” she said, her eyes sparkling, a hint of sadness in their depths.
“If you’re both so unhappy… I don’t know what else to do… so I brought you here to drink.”
She knew they were still grieving for Little Yao.
But she wasn’t good at comforting people.
The only thing she could think of was drinking.
It was what she always did when she was unhappy.
“You know… the reason I love drinking so much is because I was always sad when I was young,” she said, leaning against Chen Yin’s arm, pouring herself another cup of wine. “When I got my System, I knew I was going to die someday. And I was so young, so scared… I didn’t want my parents to see me cry, so I would sneak out and drink alone, somewhere no one knew me.”
Chen Yin was silent for a moment, then he raised his cup and drank with her.
Luo Luo, her face flushed, also drank a large cup.
“It became a habit,” Luo Qiaoqiao continued, “I would often sneak out and drink alone, somewhere far away, where no one knew me. I would drink until I forgot everything, until I forgot that I was going to die. It was the only time I felt happy.”
She hugged herself, her head resting on Chen Yin’s shoulder, her voice filled with a quiet sadness. “I’m so afraid of dying. My parents would be heartbroken. Sometimes, I even thought about… just disappearing… maybe they wouldn’t be so sad if they didn’t know what happened to me…”
“…Then I met you,” she said, a soft smile touching her lips, her eyes distant and unfocused, as if she was seeing a memory from long ago.
She remembered that tavern, the shy yet also flirtatious man, their rooftop conversation under the moonlight, their impulsive kiss, his sudden departure at dawn.
“It was the first time someone listened to me, someone who stayed with me for so long…”
“That day, I realized… it wouldn’t be so bad to fall in love… before I die.”
“Do you… understand?” she asked, her eyes peeking up at him shyly.
Chen Yin was silent for a moment, then gently stroked her hair.
“I do now.”