"If you don't mind me asking, just what are you guys? Banished souls? Does this mean you're dead?" Yuan suddenly asked the shadowy figure.
"Dead, huh? While we're not truly dead, we might as well be considered dead since we cannot leave this place," she said.
"We're souls— evil spirits so to speak, and our physical bodies have long rotted from this world."
"Why? Why were you guys banished here? Did you do something wrong?"
The shadowy figure giggled in a graceful tone before speaking, "Maybe. Some considered us as sinners while others considered us as heroes— it all depends on which side you stand."
And she continued, "As for what we did… Well, we waged war against heaven and the ruler of the Nine Heavens— the Celestial Emperor. And as you can probably tell from our current situation, we lost the war and were banished to this Shadow Realm."
"The Celestial Emperor? Why would you do something like that?" Yuan couldn't understand their motivation at all.
The shadowy figure immediately sneered in a cold voice, "That bastard is nothing more than a tyrant who abused his power by controlling the resources in the Nine Heavens. A Cultivator should not have to get on their knees and kiss the Celestial Emperor's feet to obtain resources, yet that's what we had to do! If we don't become his dogs, we would be denied the good resources and could only cultivate the low-tier resources!"
"Imagine being told you cannot drink water no matter if it's water from a natural spring or a store, and you're forced to drink the dirty water on the streets unless you decide to give up your dignity and become the Celestial Emperor's lapdog! This is why we waged war against that bastard! But alas, he had too much power and influence. It was a one-sided slaughter."
"However, it would still require a lot of effort and resources to kill all of us, so they decided to banish our spirits into this place."
"I don't know how long it has been since the war, but the majority of souls in this place have long lost their minds and gone crazy. They're now just mindless spirits wandering the Shadow Realm with an insatiable bloodlust."
"How come you seem to be fine?" Yuan couldn't help but ask her, who seemed perfectly sane and was even talking to him calmly.
"Do I seem fine? It might not seem like it, but I am actually trying my best to not consume you even now."
"Eh?" Yuan immediately stopped moving when he heard her words, and he stared at her figure with a dumbfounded look on his face.
"Hahaha!"
The shadowy figure suddenly burst out laughing after she saw Yuan's reaction.
"I'm just joking! You should've seen your face just now!"
"R-Really?" Yuan became even more dumbfounded.
"Although most of the spirits in this place have long lost their mind, there are still some who are completely rational and sane, and they all used to be incredibly powerful Immortals. Of course, I am one of these individuals." The shadowy figure pointed at herself.
Although she didn't have any facial features on her face besides two glowing red eyes, Yuan could somehow see a prideful expression on her face right now.
"Do you know why?" She suddenly asked.
"No… Why?"
"Because I have hope that I will be able to leave this place one day," she said, taking him by surprise.
"Eh? I thought you were trapped here for eternity? And how can you leave without a body?"
"Having a physical body is the least of my worries. As an Immortal, even if my physical body is destroyed, I won't die as long as my soul remains unharmed. Also, I can recreate my body if I have enough resources. The only problem is leaving the Shadow Realm. I cannot do it by myself."
The shadowy figure then pointed at him.
"This is where you come into play. I want you to help me by bringing me out of this place," she said in a solemn voice.
"Of course, I won't ask you to do it for free. The fact you're in this place means you're special, and judging by your cultivation and young appearances, you're also very talented. Whether it be cultivation techniques or treasures, I'm pretty sure you already have it all. Therefore, I will give you something more valuable than any treasure or technique there is in this world."
The shadowy figure then turned her finger, pointing at herself.
"Me. I will give myself to you."
"Eh?" Yuan stared at her with wide eyes.
"If you help me leave this place, once I recreate my body, I will give my everything to you— my body, my heart, and even my soul."
Before Yuan could even respond, she continued to speak, "I will have you know that I used to be one of three Ethereal Immortal Fairies, a title that's exclusive to the most beautiful and powerful women in all Nine Heavens. Even the Celestial Emperor coveted me— to the point where he was willing to forgive me for attacking him if I gave myself to him."
"I… I don't know what to say…" Yuan said in a dazed voice, as this was too sudden.
"Even if I want to help you, I don't know how to…"
"It's okay if you don't know. I will give you the instructions," she said.
"I—"
However, before Yuan could even respond, another voice suddenly resounded.
"Don't be fooled by that sly vixen, young man. Everything that comes out of her mouth is nothing but fart— only to seduce naive young men like you so that you would do all of her biddings."
Midway through the sentence, another shadowy figure appeared in their location, and this figure had the shape of a tall and muscular man.
"W-Who are you?" Yuan asked.
"I used to be the Sect Master of the Immortal Monastery, one of the top sects in all of Nine Heavens during the Primordial Era. If you help me leave this place, I will grant you any wish that you may have. Power, status, wealth, women— anything at all."
Author's Note: Check out my antihero novel 'Hero's Carnage'.