First Step into Dragon Ridge
1771 Words
"This…"
Mu Qiuhan was both shocked and furious. It took her a long while before she could finally utter a complete sentence.
"Elder Shang is, after all, an elder of the sect. Even if she only holds the title in name and doesn't manage affairs, she's still our senior. Isn't our method a bit… inappropriate? Is there truly no other way?"
Master Yuyang waved her hand.
"Han'er, you don't understand."
"That Shang Ningye was originally a Yehé Tree that grew here on Longxuan Mountain. In the days of our Ancestral Master, he often cultivated in the shade beneath it."
"Perhaps from absorbing the essence of the sun and moon, combined with the spiritual energy accumulated during the Ancestral Master's cultivation, the tree gained sentience and eventually took on human form."
"The Ancestral Master, moved by the shade it had provided, took it in as a disciple, taught it carefully, and gave it the name Shang Ningye."
"However, Shang Ningye was, in the end, a plant spirit. Though she received the Ancestral Master's personal teachings, her intelligence was limited. She only managed to cultivate a low-grade spiritual root, no different from the most ordinary disciples on the main peak."
"After the Ancestral Master passed, Shang Ningye vanished for a time. She only returned to Longxuan Mountain a century ago."
"The Ancestral Master's third-generation disciple, Master Tongyang—also the master of Elder Xuanqing from the Ziyang Hall—was still alive at the time. He recognized her as the youngest disciple taken by the Ancestral Master."
"Out of respect for her seniority, Master Tongyang addressed her as Martial Aunt and bestowed upon her the title of Elder. Otherwise, with her low-grade root, she would have never qualified."
"Han'er, I know what you're worried about."
"You've always had a kind heart. I saw that from the time you were a child."
"But rest assured, Shang Ningye is merely a plant that gained human form. She isn't truly a person. What we are doing isn't harming a human being."
Seeing Mu Qiuhan still hesitate, Master Yuyang continued, "We're only taking her heart's blood for alchemy. Her life will remain intact. What is there to hesitate over?"
Mu Qiuhan said nothing.
Such cruelty—yet Master Yuyang could speak of it so calmly.
To imprison Shang Ningye and extract her heart's blood day and night without pause… that torment was far crueler than simply killing her.
A cultivator's life is life. But is the life of a tree spirit any less valuable? Are human cultivators truly nobler than demons and spirits?
Master Yuyang, seeing her still silent, finally lost her temper.
"Do you mean to say that the thousands of lives on Dongtian Peak are worth less than a tree?"
Mu Qiuhan froze.
Why was she even arguing with this old woman?
This wasn't her Demon Realm. The woman in front of her might be vicious, but her cultivation was far superior. If it came to a fight, she would be the one at a disadvantage.
The Demon Lord does not make foolish moves.
Forget it. Shang Ningye, Yulong Ridge—it's none of her concern.
Her top priority was to find a way back to the Demon Realm.
Her expression softened. "Master, you've given me a proper lesson. I understand the greater picture. I was just momentarily confused. Please don't be angry."
Master Yuyang, seeing her attitude shift, cooled off quickly as well. Her tone softened.
"Good. That's how it should be."
She looked at Mu Qiuhan without speaking further for a moment.
That gaze gave Mu Qiuhan chills.
This venomous old woman definitely wouldn't be so easily appeased.
Sure enough, in the next second, she heard Master Yuyang say, "By the way, Han'er, I forgot to mention—since you've taken the Marrow-Cleansing Pill, there will be some side effects."
"From now on, on the fifth of every month, you must get a pill from your Senior Sister Qin and take it. Otherwise, within half a month, you'll die from heart-devouring bloodworms."
…
This venomous woman.
She really hadn't misjudged her.
How could Mu Qiuhan not know? The effects of the Marrow-Cleansing Pill ended the moment her meridians were broken and reformed.
This so-called "heart-devouring bloodworm" must be something the old woman added to the pill, just to control those who managed to survive.
Mu Qiuhan was furious.
To think the dignified Demon Lord had not only lost all her cultivation and become a weakling, but had also fallen under another's control without even realizing it.
What on earth had the original owner of this body done? It was infuriating!
What should she do next?
Should she really go along with these people and harm an old tree spirit that had gained the Dao?
Forget it—for now, she could only take things one step at a time.
Staying alive was most important.
When Mu Qiuhan escorted Master Yuyang out, Rou'er was still waiting at her door.
Once the woman had gone far, Rou'er ran up to her and asked, "Senior Sister! What did Master say to you?"
Mu Qiuhan, in a foul mood, deliberately put on a stern face to scare the girl. "She said I'm not allowed to go to the selection competition."
But the little girl didn't fall for it. "That's impossible! Senior Sister, you're currently the strongest in spiritual power among all of Dongtian Peak's disciples. All of our hopes are riding on you. If you don't go, there's no way we'll place in the top three!"
"Stop teasing me. Hurry up and pack! We leave in half an hour."
Longxuan Mountain was always shrouded in mist, its true face hidden from outsiders. The main peak, Ziyang Peak, rose into the clouds.
Mu Qiuhan, along with hundreds of Dongtian Peak disciples, was led by Master Yuyang aboard a massive flying artifact headed for Ziyang Peak.
This grand gathering happened once every five years. All disciples who had reached Foundation Establishment would attend. Those who weren't selected participated as spectators.
Mu Qiuhan sat dazed on the massive boat-shaped treasure.
When she and Rou'er boarded, she'd caught her reflection for the first time in the mirror-like hull.
This body—the cultivator named Qiuhan—looked almost identical to her!
Mu Qiuhan had thought her arrival in this body was a coincidence. But now it seemed there was a deeper connection.
As she worried about the future, Rou'er excitedly peeked around, eyes full of wonder.
Still in Foundation Establishment, Rou'er couldn't fly or control high-level artifacts, so this rare privilege had her giddy.
Mu Qiuhan, meanwhile, feared encountering old acquaintances at the selection.
Her nearly identical face—and similar name—might bring trouble.
About half an hour later, the flying vessel reached the skies above Ziyang Hall.
As it descended, Mu Qiuhan felt as if she were reliving the moment from her past life, when a group of immortals had driven her into a corner.
The pain of detonating her own dantian still lingered in memory. She instinctively gripped the railing and shut her eyes.
Thus, she completely missed the moment when a purple light enveloped the ship—before quickly fading—as they landed in front of Ziyang Hall's white jade plaza.
The plaza stretched as far as the eye could see, like a small plain.
The moment Dongtian Peak's disciples arrived, they scattered like rabbits, darting in all directions.
Rou'er tugged her hand. "Hurry, Senior Sister! If we're late, all the good stuff will be gone!"
Mu Qiuhan was puzzled. Wasn't this supposed to be a selection tournament? Why had everyone run off?
She looked around for Master Yuyang and saw her walking alone toward the hall.
Rou'er noticed her gaze and explained hurriedly, "Master's going to meet the main peak's elders to discuss how the selected disciples will be assigned."
"Let's hurry! I already smell the scent of pills. The Chiyan Peak folks must be here already. If we're late, there'll be nothing left!"
???
The tournament hadn't even started—how were they already discussing disciple assignments?
Mu Qiuhan asked, "Rou'er, didn't you say the nine elders of the main peak must channel their spiritual energy into the ancestral artifact, the 'Three Purities Mirror,' to determine each disciple's attributes and potential?"
"Of course," Rou'er replied, looking at her strangely. "That purple light from the mirror already selected us earlier, didn't it?"
Mu Qiuhan's eyes widened.
So that sacred artifact left behind by Dao-You Zhenren had scanned them already?
She had thought it required individual testing.
It seemed the Taicang Immortal Sect had more treasures than expected.
Rou'er dragged her to a bustling area filled with people.
Only then did Mu Qiuhan realize—this so-called selection tournament wasn't just about testing strength. It was also a giant trade fair.
All the peaks had brought their disciples together to exchange the items they'd collected but didn't need—spiritual herbs, artifacts, pills, techniques…
It was practically a marketplace!
Mu Qiuhan, having misunderstood the event as purely a spiritual power competition, hadn't bothered asking Rou'er about anything else.
Rou'er had already bounded off, enthusiastically bargaining with a red-robed youth.
"This is reviving grass! It may be small, but it's worth a premium-grade Calm Heart Pill. Yours is only mid-grade—why won't you trade?"
"Junior Sister, you may not know… My pill refining skills are limited. I can't yet produce grade-two pills. And your herb won't keep long, so—"
Mu Qiuhan listened briefly, then scanned the surrounding "stalls."
The pills were all commonplace. She lost interest quickly and turned her attention to the crowd.
Each of the Eighteen Peaks had distinct robe colors. Dongtian Peak wore green, while the majority around her were clad in red—clearly from Chiyan Peak.
Rou'er soon bounced back with a grin.
"Senior Sister, what do you plan to trade for?"
Mu Qiuhan shook her head. "Nothing yet. I'm just looking around."
Rou'er nodded. "Makes sense! The Five Ridges have the real treasures. You won't be interested in this stuff later."
Mu Qiuhan smiled and held out her hand. "Let me see what you got."
"Here! A Calm Heart Pill." Rou'er handed her the newly acquired pill.
Mu Qiuhan sniffed it. "Not bad quality. But didn't you already have several of these? Why not get something else?"
"You can never have too many! It's the most popular pill among Dongtian Peak disciples. We're out in the wild gathering herbs all the time. Who hasn't been bitten by a venomous insect?"
"Good thing we got here early. If we'd been any later, the good stuff would've been gone!"
- Writer
