“Let’s go. As per the rules, the Immortal Seed must first pay respects to the Master, and then be assigned an Immortal Cave by the Master for cultivation.”
Leng Mei followed Yue Gui, then, as if still somewhat uneasy, turned her head to glance at Changqing.
“But when you’re assigned, you know who to choose, right?”
“Fairy, rest assured, among the Four Guardians, the one I admire most is you, Fairy. If I could serve you, it would be my great fortune in three lives.”
Changqing replied.
“Good.”
Leng Mei nodded in satisfaction.
......
Inside the Caiyun Hall, the atmosphere was slightly heavy.
Sect Master Liu Lu sat cross-legged in the glazed pond in the hall. She was dressed in a luxurious brocade robe, her figure curvaceous and still charming. But her eyes were tightly shut, and her expression was one of pain.
Of course, if Changqing had seen her, he would have known that beneath her clothes, her enchanting body was composed of countless venomous snakes coiled around her.
Beside her were a beautiful woman in a red dress and a young girl in a green dress, who were none other than the Flower Protector, Rose, and the Wind Protector, Feng Ling, among the Four Guardians.
At this moment, both knelt on either side, helping her “heal.”
However, this method of healing was exceptionally bizarre.
Rose’s eyes were crimson, and the six strange eyes on her forehead flickered with red light.
Six extra arms grew from her ribs, dragging something from her slender waist. A closer look revealed that they were crystalline threads pulled from her navel.
The threads passed through her eight arms, and finally, her jaw opened at a strange angle. Two large fangs from a retractable proboscis in her mouth clamped the threads, winding them in circles around Liu Lu’s body.
Feng Ling looked even more terrifying.
She was bare-chested, her slender waist exceptionally “bony.”
There was almost no flesh on her waist, and at first glance, it looked as if it would break, her entire spine exposed.
From the sides of her spine, where ribs should have been, countless fine tentacles grew, twisting and turning, grasping Liu Lu’s body, seemingly injecting liquid into her spine.
This made her look like a standing centipede, over two meters tall.
Changqing, following Yue Gui and Leng Mei, stepped into the hall and showed no surprise at the sight before him.
He had seen these demonesses in all their forms in his previous lives, so there was nothing strange about it.
What caught his attention, however, was a strange young woman standing outside the glazed pond.
She was tall and slender, and unlike most of the women in this mountain who dressed to compete for beauty, she wore only a simple white dress, yet it still couldn't hide her graceful curves, her elegant and swaying posture, her shoulders like carved blades, and her slender waist.
Looking further up, above the woman’s swan-like neck, she wore a wooden mask, densely carved with various complex Talismanic Incantations. Although exquisite, it obscured the beauty’s face, making it seem extremely incongruous.
“Strange, since this woman can be in this Caiyun Hall, her status must not be low. But why do I have no impression of her in my previous lives?”
As Changqing pondered this, Yue Gui, who had entered the hall, spoke first.
“Sect Master, Leng Mei and I have arrived, and we’ve also brought a new Immortal Seed. I wonder if you need the Immortal Seed for healing?”
Liu Lu opened her eyes, saw Changqing before her, and nodded in satisfaction.
“Excellent. It has been many years since we had an Immortal Seed in the Immortal Cave. Hongyan, lead him to the Dan Room. I have some questions I wish to ask him personally.”
“Yes, Master.” The one who responded was the masked young woman Changqing had never seen in his previous lives.
“Follow me.” The young woman lightly moved her lotus steps, leading Changqing out of the main hall towards Liu Lu’s study.
Along the way, Changqing’s thoughts raced.
“I already understand the information I gained in previous lives. To leave this Hehuan Sect, the key lies with this Sect Master Liu Lu. I heard that the Hundred Flowers Token on her is the key to leaving here.”
In his previous lives, he had also tried to sneak out, but this Immortal Cave seemed boundless, without end. No matter how he walked, he would always get lost and go in circles.
Finally, he learned from Rose that the Hundred Flowers Cave, where the Hehuan Sect was located, was a separate dimension, distinct from the outside world. Only the Hundred Flowers Token in Sect Master Liu Lu’s hand could allow someone to leave.
But this Hundred Flowers Token was exceptionally precious. It was said that Liu Lu always carried it with her, and other Disciples, even the Four Guardians, were not qualified to use it.
Changqing had originally planned to use this opportunity to meet her to find a way to stay by her side, and then devise a plan to steal the Hundred Flowers Token.
But the current situation was beyond his expectations.
In previous lives, when he, as an Immortal Seed, met Liu Lu, the process was simply a brief physical examination, and then he would choose whom he wished to serve.
But this time, Liu Lu actually said he was to go to some Dan Room, which was completely different from the process in his memory.
“This time, my Rebirth was pushed back by a month. Could it be that something I don’t know about happened during this month, changing the course of events?”
After a brief surprise, Changqing did not panic.
He would adapt to whatever came his way. There might be some changes in events, but these key figures, they hadn’t changed.
Their temperaments, preferences, and weaknesses were all well known to him through his experiences in previous lives.
“To defeat your enemy, you must first understand him. Although these demonesses are terrifying and bizarre, with the information asymmetry I possess, if I use it well, I might not be unable to break the situation.”
Thinking this, Changqing looked at the young woman leading the way in front of him and couldn’t help but frown.
“The strangest thing is this woman.”
Changqing had been reborn four times in this Hehuan Sect, each time for nearly three months, adding up to almost a year of living there.
It could be said that among the thousands of demonesses in this Immortal Cave, any with distinct features, he could even remember their names. Even if he couldn't remember their names, he would at least have a general impression.
How could he have no impression at all of the young woman leading the way in front of him, who was so noticeable?
He liked to have accurate information, a comprehensive understanding of his opponents, and absolute certainty of victory; that was his style.
The young woman leading the way was undoubtedly a new, unknown variable. This feeling was like having a thorn stuck in his heart, making him very uncomfortable.
“Fairy, your beauty is so outstanding, why have I never heard your esteemed name?”
Changqing tentatively asked.
“Luo Hongyan.”
The young woman’s voice was calm, without joy or sorrow. She simply stated her name and said nothing more.
Changqing desperately searched his mind for information related to this name.
But unfortunately, he was very sure that in these four Rebirths, he had never heard the name Luo Hongyan.
“So it’s Fairy Luo. My apologies, my apologies. Fairy, to be able to reside by Sect Master’s side, your status must be exalted. I will rely on your kind care in the future.”
“I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. I don’t practice any Dual Cultivation or replenishment methods, nor do I need any Immortal Seed to serve me.”
Luo Hongyan’s voice carried a hint of coldness.
“After Master finishes her questions, dutifully choose one of those four monsters to serve and do what you’re supposed to do.”
“As for me, I advise you to give up on that idea early. Don’t covet what you shouldn’t.”
Her words made Changqing fall into thought.
His feigned attentiveness was naturally not because he had any improper thoughts about Luo Hongyan; it was purely for probing.
But Luo Hongyan’s answer was very intriguing.
“What does she mean by that? She is a member of the Hehuan Sect, her status is not low, and she is also Liu Lu’s Disciple. But she said she doesn’t practice Dual Cultivation or replenishment methods, nor does she need an Immortal Seed to serve her. Strange, strange.”
“What did she call those four Protectors? Monsters? What does that mean? Aren’t all these demonesses various forms of demon creatures? Why does she call others monsters? Then what is she herself?”
“Unless…”