jdhmnovel Chapter 36 The Transformation is Complete, A New Path Awaits
Chapter 36 The Transformation is Complete, A New Path Awaits
"Outside...there are so many people! They...they claim to be..." The disciple trembled like a leaf, unable to finish his sentence, "...Special envoys of the Immortal Alliance!"
"Special envoys from the Immortal Alliance?!" Zi Yan suddenly stood up, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "What are they doing here? Are they here to freeload? Our Demon Palace's food service doesn't cater to idlers!"
Dai Yao's heart skipped a beat; her ominous premonition instantly became a reality. This Immortal Alliance, nominally dedicated to maintaining peace in the Ether Realm, was in reality a powerful interest group comprised of various sects, and their arrival was certainly not well-intentioned. She glanced at Blood Shadow; his expression grew even more grave in the dimly lit hall, his eyes filled with worry, clearly indicating that he too realized the seriousness of the situation. It seemed this was a much bigger scoop than she had imagined.
Almost simultaneously, a deafening roar erupted outside the main hall, causing the entire Demon Palace to tremble. Inside, the candlelight flickered violently, casting danced shadows on everyone's faces, as if foreshadowing the impending crisis.
"Oh no! They've started attacking!" Leng Xing exclaimed, his voice echoing through the trembling hall.
"Let's go, let's go out and take a look!" Dai Yao made a quick decision and rushed out first.
Outside the Demon Palace, the sky was a ghastly white, illuminated by the light of magic. Banners blotted out the sun, and battle cries shook the heavens. A dense swarm of cultivators, like locusts, surrounded the Demon Palace, leaving no escape. The interplay of various spells resembled a grand fireworks display, only this "fireworks" carried deadly danger. Under such a fierce attack, the Demon Palace's defensive formations began to flicker, seemingly on the verge of collapse. The Demon Palace disciples were thrown into chaos, frantically trying to defend themselves, but were clearly at a disadvantage.
"Hold on! Hold on, everyone!" Blood Shadow's voice, like thunder, rang out amidst the chaos. Wielding a blood-red longsword, he charged to the front lines like a god of death. A biting wind howled past, ruffling his robes and adding to his chilling aura.
Lingfeng Mo's face turned deathly pale, his lips trembling as he stammered, "What... what should we do? This Immortal Alliance is so unethical, attacking without warning!" Although he was a veteran late-stage Golden Core cultivator, he couldn't help but feel fear in the face of such a scene. His body trembled slightly, his gaze wandering among the panicked crowd, searching for a glimmer of hope.
Dai Yao took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She knew this wasn't the time to panic; she needed to come up with a solution as quickly as possible. She gathered everyone together, and they crowded around, their faces filled with anxiety and anticipation. Dai Yao's tone was steady: "The situation is urgent. We must unite to overcome this crisis!"
"Sister Yao, I think we should just go for it! Let's fight them!" Zi Yan waved her fist, looking eager to try, her eyes burning with anger.
"You brute!" Leng Xing retorted without any politeness. "Do you think the Immortal Alliance is a pushover? A head-on confrontation will only result in heavy losses for us!" Leng Xing frowned, a hint of disdain in his eyes.
"Then what do you suggest we do? Just wait to die?" Zi Yan retorted defiantly, her face flushed red.
Xueying glanced at Dai Yao and said in a deep voice, "Sister Yao, what do you think?"
Dai Yao glanced around at everyone, a glint of shrewdness flashing in her eyes: "I have a plan..." She paused, her gaze falling on the Immortal Alliance army in the distance, a slight smile playing on her lips, "However, it requires everyone's cooperation..."
Dai Yao's lips curled into a smile that suggested she had everything under control.
"The Immortal Alliance may seem formidable, but they're nothing but a disorganized mess! Their weakness lies in..." She paused, lingering in suspense, and only slowly uttered two words when everyone's attention was focused on her, "Greed!"
"Greed?" Zi Yan scratched his head. "Sister Yao, what do you mean? What are they greedy for?"
“Of course, it’s because they’re greedy for treasure!” Dai Yao smiled mysteriously. “I sensed that the Immortal Alliance’s deployment this time, besides the so-called ‘maintaining peace,’ has an even more important purpose, which is to find treasure! They received news that our Demon Palace has ancient artifacts, so they couldn’t wait to come knocking on our door.”
"An ancient artifact?" Leng Xing's eyes lit up. "Sister Yao, could it be that you're talking about..."
Dai Yao nodded: "That's right, it's that... the 'Qiankun Mirror' that can bring people back to life!" She deliberately spoke with great seriousness, but in reality, this "Qiankun Mirror" was just an ordinary mirror in the Demon Palace. She had just "modified" it a little and spread it around with embellishments.
"Bringing the dead back to life? That's amazing?!" Zi Yan perked up immediately upon hearing this. "Sister Yao, doesn't that mean we're rich?"
Dai Yao rolled her eyes: "Get rich? You wish! This 'Qiankun Mirror' is my bait now, understand?" She explained her plan to everyone in detail, leaving them all stunned.
As planned, Dai Yao used her ability to sense the flow of Qi to accurately locate the weak point in the rear of the Immortal Alliance army, and led Zi Yan, Leng Xing and others to sneak over there quietly.
Instead of a direct confrontation, they used various traps and illusions to disrupt the enemy's formation. The Immortal Alliance cultivators, like headless flies, stumbled aimlessly through the illusionary fog. The fog, like a thick white curtain, trapped them, and their once orderly formation instantly crumbled. Some cultivators were tightly entangled by vines in the traps, the vines covered in sharp thorns that pierced their bodies. In their struggles, their spells went out of control, accidentally injuring their own comrades, resulting in a chorus of screams. Meanwhile, Dai Yao and her group moved through the fog like ghosts, and wherever they went, Immortal Alliance soldiers fell, their faces filled with terror and despair, completely unprepared for such a scheme.
As Dai Yao had predicted, the Immortal Alliance army was blinded by the legend of the "Qiankun Mirror," and they all rushed desperately into the depths of the Demon Palace, completely unaware of the danger behind them.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Dai Yao and her group launched a fierce attack on the enemy's rear, catching them completely off guard. Dai Yao led the charge, her figure moving like a nimble phantom, silently weaving behind the Immortal Alliance army. Zi Yan followed closely behind, his body wreathed in flames, like a fire god descending to earth. Wherever he went, the Immortal Alliance soldiers screamed in agony from the scorching heat, the flames distorting the surrounding air. Leng Xing, meanwhile, used ice magic to create slippery areas beneath the enemy's feet. The ice shimmered coldly in the sunlight, causing the Immortal Alliance soldiers to slip and fall, their formation thrown into disarray. The three of them worked in perfect harmony, like a sharp scalpel, precisely cutting into the rear of the Immortal Alliance army, instantly causing chaos.
In an instant, the Immortal Alliance army was thrown into chaos and began to fight amongst themselves.
Seeing the enemy's defeat inevitable, Lingfeng Demon watched as Dai Yao methodically directed everything, and he couldn't help but look at this young woman with newfound respect. He recalled his past resistance to change, which he realized was merely a stubborn adherence to old traditions. Now, witnessing Dai Yao's wisdom and courage, he understood that the Demon Palace truly needed such changes to survive. His gaze shifted from hesitation to determination, and he secretly resolved to fully support Dai Yao and contribute his strength to the future of the Demon Palace. Therefore, he publicly announced his full support for Dai Yao's reforms and led the traditional forces to join her camp. Upon hearing this news, the Demon Palace disciples gathered around, cheering and shouting, their faces radiating the joy of surviving a calamity and anticipation for the future.
Inside and outside the Demon Palace, jubilation reigned. Dai Yao's reform plan was fully implemented, and the entire Demon Palace was revitalized.
However, while everyone was celebrating their victory, Dai Yao went alone to the highest point of the Demon Palace. The wind was strong there, making her hair fly wildly. She looked up at the starry sky, a complex light flashing in her eyes.
Suddenly, the Qiankun Mirror in her hand trembled slightly and emitted a dazzling light...
“This…this is…” Dai Yao murmured to herself, “It…it wants to…”
The light from the Qiankun Mirror grew even brighter, almost blinding Dai Yao.
In her hands, this thing was just an ordinary broken mirror, so how did it suddenly come to have a built-in flashing effect?
Could it be... the legendary awakening of a divine artifact?
Dai Yao was internally screaming "666" (a Chinese internet slang for "awesome"), but on the surface she pretended to be calm. Her inner monologue was: Stay calm, don't be reckless!
Just then, a cute little girl suddenly appeared in the Qiankun Mirror. She had two pigtails sticking up, wore a pink tutu, and had big, watery eyes blinking on her chubby little face. She was so cute that it made people swoon.
"Congratulations, you've activated the spirit of the Qiankun Mirror!" the little girl said in a sweet, childlike voice. The moment she appeared, the surrounding air seemed to become sweeter, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible, floral fragrance.
Dai Yao's inner thoughts: ?
?
?
Where are the ancient artifacts we were promised?
This style of painting is wrong!
Where did the aloof and domineering aura go?
What's up with this adorable baby?
!
Before Dai Yao could even complain, the little girl spoke up again: "As a spirit, I'll always be by your side! Please take good care of me in the future!"
Dai Yao's lips twitched, her inner voice screaming: Who needs your guidance!
I'd like to keep a low profile!
How are we supposed to live from now on?!
The little girl seemed to see through Dai Yao's thoughts, and pouted, "Hmph! I'm very powerful! Don't underestimate me! I can help you..." Before, Dai Yao had occasionally felt that the Qiankun Mirror seemed to have a mysterious power fluctuation, but she had never been clear about it. Now that she thought about it, perhaps it was the power of the artifact spirit at work.
"Stop!" Dai Yao interrupted her quickly. "I know you're very capable, but I just want some peace and quiet right now."
The little girl tilted her head, looking puzzled: "Who is Jingjing?"
Dai Yao: "..."
Suddenly, the light from the Qiankun Mirror surged again, enveloping Dai Yao and the little girl.
Dai Yao felt a sudden dizziness, and heard the little girl's excited screams in her ears: "Wow! I leveled up! I leveled up! I finally leveled up!"
As the light faded, Dai Yao found herself and the little girl in an unfamiliar place.
Surrounded by swirling clouds and mist, the scene was ethereal and otherworldly, like a fairyland. The clouds here seemed to have a life of their own, flowing slowly and occasionally brushing against Dai Yao's cheek, bringing a cool sensation.
"Where is this place?" Dai Yao asked.
The little girl proudly puffed out her chest: "This is of course...my new home!" She pointed to a magnificent palace in the distance and said excitedly, "Look! That's our new palace! Isn't it beautiful?"
Looking at the glittering golden palace, Dai Yao had only one thought in her mind: This is too ostentatious!
She took a deep breath and said slowly, "I think... we can be a little more low-key..."
The little girl grabbed Dai Yao's arm and said coquettishly, "Oh, don't worry about the details! Let's go inside and take a look!" With that, she pulled Dai Yao and ran towards the palace.
Dai Yao sighed helplessly. It seemed that developing the business discreetly was no longer an option...
Just then, a voice came from behind: "Yao'er, what are you doing here?"
Dai Yao turned around and saw Miao Wan standing not far away, looking at her with curiosity. Although Miao Wan seemed innocent and cute, she was meticulous in managing the logistics of the Demon Palace. She remembered the allocation of supplies to every Demon Palace disciple and the supply reserves of every defensive fortification clearly. While talking with Dai Yao, she would occasionally check the supply list in her hand, her eyes showing seriousness and focus.
Dai Yao's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly said, "N-nothing! I'm...I'm..."
Miao Wan blinked her big eyes, pointed to the magnificent palace behind Dai Yao, and asked, "What's that?"
Dai Yao: "..." What else can I say?
"Yao'er, you..." Miao Wan was about to speak when Dai Yao covered her mouth.
"Shh!" Dai Yao whispered, "There are some things we can't say right now..." Dai Yao quickly covered Miao Wan's mouth and looked around nervously.
Thankfully, there was no one around.
She lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "Wan'er, let me tell you, I've discovered a shocking secret!"
Miao Wan blinked her big eyes, looking very curious.
Dai Yao let go of her hand, leaned close to her ear, and vividly described the story, of course, the content was artistically embellished, turning it into a "strange adventure into a fairyland".
"So... you fell down a rabbit hole and ended up here?" Miao Wan was stunned, looking at me with a "you're kidding me" expression.
Dai Yao nodded solemnly: "Yes! That's exactly right! Absolutely true! More real than pearls!"
Miao Wan: "..." She seriously doubted that she had made a fake friend.
"Ahem," Dai Yao coughed twice, changing the subject, "Let's not talk about that. How's the reform of the Demon Palace going lately?"
When it came to serious matters, Miao Wan became earnest: "Elder Blood Shadow has completely taken control of the situation, and Elder Spirit Wind Demon has also expressed his support. Those die-hards are now behaving themselves and dare not cause any more trouble."
Dai Yao nodded in satisfaction: "Very good! Next is..." She suddenly stopped, her gaze falling on the Qiankun Mirror, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.
"Yao'er, what's wrong?" Miao Wan noticed Dai Yao's unusual behavior.
Dai Yao smiled mysteriously: "It's nothing, I just suddenly thought of something very important." She turned to look at the little girl and said gently, "Little one, we should get to work."
The little girl immediately popped out of Dai Yao's sleeve, excitedly waving her little fist: "Yay, yay! I can't wait any longer!"
"Can't wait for what?" Miao Wan was completely confused.
Dai Yao kept everyone in suspense, only saying meaningfully, "A major event that could change the entire Ether Realm..." Before she finished speaking, she felt a strange movement from the Qiankun Mirror. A powerful force enveloped her and the little girl, and then the two of them instantly disappeared from the spot, leaving only a bewildered Miao Wan behind.
Miao Wan stood there blankly, muttering to herself, "Yao'er... what is she going to do..." Just then, a cold voice sounded behind her: "Want to know what she's going to do? Why don't we go and see?"