The Villainess Always Tries to Seduce Me - Chapter 15

True to her reputation for holding grudges, Yun Chuanzhi was clearly retaliating for Bai Fenghuo pinching her cheek while she was unconscious. With great effort, Yun Chuanzhi managed a nod in Bai Fenghuo’s palm.

This woman was truly strange. Just days ago, she had been wary and probing, yet now, seeing her about to activate her Spirit Root, she seemed more interested in watching the spectacle. Didn’t she fear she might rebel after rebuilding her cultivation?

Enough, Yun Chuanzhi thought, too weary to decipher Bai Fenghuo’s motives. She snatched her face back from her palm, expressionless as she rubbed her cheek, and stepped into the center of the four millennia-old ice blocks.

Sunlight pierced the translucent ice, refracting into a kaleidoscope of colors that converged at Yun Chuanzhi’s feet. She beckoned to Cheng Jinshu, who stood nearby, still dazed.

“Immortal Master,” Yun Chuanzhi said apologetically, “how do I open this…?”

Cheng Jinshu stood to the side, her expression complex as she observed their exchange. In her memory, Bai Fenghuo had been ruthless and unpredictable, tolerating no slight whatsoever. Yet now, having been brazenly deceived by a mere Immortal Servant, she was willing to forgive her. How could anyone not be astonished?

She couldn’t understand it, truly couldn’t understand it.

Still, she stepped forward and twisted the millennia-old ice several times until she heard a series of clicks, like locks disengaging. Only then did she release her grip.

Yun Chuanzhi had been searching for the legendary three gates, wondering where they might appear, when the ground suddenly gave way beneath her feet. With a startled cry, she vanished instantly from the spot.

The pebble that had disappeared earlier quietly returned to its place. A sweet breeze swept away the fallen leaves, leaving the area peaceful and undisturbed, as if no one had ever been there.

“Big Dog!” Cheng Jinshu couldn’t help but call out her name, then pressed her ear to the ground, muttering, “Damn it, she doesn’t even have a self-defense artifact. I hope she doesn’t die in there.”

She looked up at Bai Fenghuo, who seemed utterly unconcerned, even somewhat amused. She casually produced a white jade coral chaise lounge from her sleeve, draped herself languidly across it, and then conjured a plate of melon seeds from thin air, cracking them open with her pearly teeth.

“Want some?” Bai Fenghuo pinched a melon seed between her fingers, offering it to Cheng Jinshu with a mischievous smile.

While this scene of tranquil leisure unfolded, Yun Chuanzhi was tumbling head over heels, landing in a muddy heap on the ground, unable to rise for a long moment.

Sect Leader Mingcun, what kind of heartless person are you? Couldn’t you have at least put a cushion down when you placed the Eastern Divine Stone on the ground?

Yun Chuanzhi struggled to retrieve the bottle of medicine Bai Fenghuo had given her from her robes. She swallowed a pill to suppress the metallic taste of bl00d rising in her throat.

Finally managing to stand, she surveyed her surroundings and gasped in awe.

The ground resembled water, rippling at her touch without wetting her shoes. The waves stretched for miles, converging into a distant horizon line. Overhead, stars flickered, clustering into a celestial river before slowly dispersing like scattered diamonds. Three massive, pitch-black gates loomed against the sky, resembling silent, orderly mountains in the distance.

Though the surface appeared ordinary, the breathtaking spectacle beneath left Yun Chuanzhi feeling inexplicably nervous. She took a deep breath and stepped through the first gate.

The stars and water vanished, replaced by a vast, square stone chamber. At its center stood a black stone throne, facing a humanoid stone sculpture that protruded from the opposite wall.

The stone hall’s appearance shifted constantly before her eyes, sometimes resembling a gentle woman, other times a green-faced, fanged demon.

“Who comes here?” a soft, feminine voice echoed. Though gentle, it was mechanical and emotionless, like the words of a puppet.

“Xiao Nu, Cui Ergou,” Yun Chuanzhi replied softly.

“Liar!”

The moment the words left her lips, the voice that had been as smooth as silk transformed into a demonic, ear-splitting roar. The force of the sound sent Yun Chuanzhi stumbling backward, her eardrums throbbing with pain.

Simultaneously, countless invisible silver threads shot from the walls and ceiling, writhing like snakes as they pierced into Yun Chuanzhi’s body. The needle-like pain instantly made her legs buckle, and she frantically shouted, “Yun Chuanzhi! I am Yun Chuanzhi!”

The silver threads abruptly withdrew. Yun Chuanzhi slumped against the wall, gasping for breath, the pain making her want to curse her ancestors.

Activating her Spirit Root had always been simple with that person’s help—a few incantations and cultivation techniques, and it was done. But now, in this new body, she had to endure such agony.

Yun Chuanzhi had never been ambitious, and in this life, she only wanted to laze around. If cultivating immortality meant suffering like this, then she’d rather abandon the path altogether.

At worst, she’d just take a whipping outside. Surely that couldn’t be half as painful as the needle-like torture she’d just endured.

As she grumbled inwardly, the statue’s voice shifted again, this time speaking in a female tone: “This gate is called the Body-Molding Gate. Only those with exceptional endurance may pass. Cultivator, please take your seat.”

“I’m not sitting anymore. I have no endurance. Send me out,” Yun Chuanzhi said, wiping sweat from her face and dusting off her robes as she stood up.

“What?” The statue’s usually calm voice suddenly rose, almost cracking like a real person’s.

So surprised? Yun Chuanzhi glanced up at it. “I said I’m giving up. Send me out.”

“No!” The statue leaned out from the wall in its agitation. “How can you leave halfway through the trial?”

Yun Chuanzhi’s curiosity was piqued by its reaction.

“I’ve already given up. I won’t sit. If you want to drag me up there, go ahead. My life is worthless anyway. I might as well die here—it would be a fitting end.”

With that, she lay down on the ground and closed her eyes.

The statue, being just a statue, had no cunning. Its anxiety was now fully exposed, its voice growing shriller, transforming from a woman’s to a child’s. “What would I do with your life? Just sit down! I’ll make you suffer a few times, but if you endure, you’ll pass this trial!”

So agitated, Yun Chuanzhi thought, suppressing a smile. The more agitated the statue became, the calmer she grew. She simply plugged her ears.

The statue eventually began to plead, “Please, just help me out.”

Yun Chuanzhi slowly sat up, her curiosity piqued. “Why are you so desperate for me to pass through this gate?”

“To be honest, I’m just a malevolent spirit from these mountains. A thousand years ago, I made a few mistakes—ate a few people—and Xie Cun captured me, embedding me in this statue to guide those who come here.”

“She told me that once the Divine Power within the Eastern Divine Stone is exhausted, and if I never eat another human again, I’ll be freed.”

“Now, only a sliver of Divine Power remains in the Divine Stone. If you pass the trial and obtain that power, I’ll finally be free!” The statue’s stone face contorted into a comical expression of weeping, its appearance utterly absurd.

Xie Cun… that must be Bai Fenghuo’s Master, Sect Leader Mingcun, Yun Chuanzhi thought.

So that’s how it is. Yun Chuanzhi lowered her head to hide her smile, coughed twice, and sighed with feigned solemnity, “But I’m terribly afraid of pain…”

“Then I’ll just consider you as having passed! Don’t give up now!” the statue urged urgently. A slender silver thread timidly emerged from the wall, offering a crimson pearl into Yun Chuanzhi’s palm.

Another silver thread emerged from the side, offering Yun Chuanzhi a blue pearl.

“I oversee the second gate as well. Now that I’ve given you the fruits of both gates, you can use these three pearls to find the Eastern Divine Stone once you obtain the fruit from the third gate.”

The two silver threads made a pleading gesture. Yun Chuanzhi’s vision darkened, then brightened again. The stone chamber had vanished, and the first two gates were nowhere to be seen.

Only the final gate remained, standing steadfast in its original place.

Surprised by how easily she had passed, Yun Chuanzhi lowered her gaze to the pearls in her palm. A sense of unease washed over her, as if something felt wrong.

Even if she chose not to proceed, others would inevitably come seeking the Eastern Divine Stone. In the Qianyuan Realm, cultivators were revered, and the stream of those seeking the Dao never ceased. There should have been no shortage of challengers.

Could someone be deliberately guiding her to enter this third gate?

Yun Chuanzhi pocketed the pearls, chuckled softly, and stepped forward.

The surrounding scenery remained unchanged, but the gate behind her had vanished. She still stood beneath the vast starry sky.

A dark figure stood nearby. As she approached, the shadow grew clearer, yet remained a featureless, colorless silhouette.

The shadow slowly turned, its robes billowing like solid fabric before settling back down. Faint wisps of long hair drifted in the breeze—it was the shadow of a woman.

Yun Chuanzhi recognized a familiar presence and, rarely losing her composure, hurried forward. “Sister Guiren…”

“Who are you?” the shadow asked in a clear, resonant voice, like celestial music—solemn and ethereal.

Yun Chuanzhi’s steps froze. Her outstretched hands fell limply to her sides. Realizing she had mistaken the shadow for someone else, she felt a pang of disappointment and couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

This must be a wisp of Sect Leader Mingcun’s divine consciousness, she thought with a sigh. “I am Yun Chuanzhi,” she replied.

“This one knows,” the shadow said, her dark face betraying no amusement, though her voice carried a hint of mirth. “Asking just makes for better conversation.”

Is the renowned Sect Leader Mingcun truly this whimsical? Yun Chuanzhi remained expressionless.

“You’re not from the Qianyuan Realm, are you?” the shadow asked with a smile. “Your aura is different—clearer, more refined.”

Refined? Yun Chuanzhi thought. I come from Avici City, a place of scorching heat, suffocating smog, and endless suffering. My aura should be tainted with filth. It seemed this Sect Leader’s sense of smell was rather unreliable.

Yun Chuanzhi remained silent, and the shadow continued, “What brings you here?”

“To awaken my Spirit Root,” Yun Chuanzhi answered honestly.

“This one knows,” the shadow repeated, ignoring Yun Chuanzhi’s eye roll. She waved cheerfully. “Come closer.”

Yun Chuanzhi slowly approached, her palm being grasped and opened by the shadow. In the blink of an eye, a luminous green pearl appeared in her hand.

So easy? Yun Chuanzhi frowned warily.

As if reading her thoughts, the shadow chuckled. “Of course it’s not that simple. You must promise me one thing and swear an oath to uphold it.”

“What is it?” Yun Chuanzhi asked.

“If my poor disciple ever faces danger again, will you do everything in your power to protect him?” The shadow’s laughter faded, replaced by a solemn tone.

Disciple? Yun Chuanzhi stared blankly for a moment before realizing the shadow was referring to Bai Fenghuo.

“Very well, your oath is sworn,” the shadow sighed contentedly, patting Yun Chuanzhi’s clenched fist with maternal affection.

The shadow’s touch felt strange—neither like human skin nor any known material. Yun Chuanzhi recoiled, her voice rising in protest. “When did I agree to swear an oath to you?!”

“Ah, look at the time! You should take the pearl and go find the Divine Stone now. Turn right at the exit. Take care!”

Yun Chuanzhi wanted to argue further, but the shadow had already fled in a flurry of movement. The world around her shifted between light and darkness, and she found herself standing before a massive boulder.

Unlike the surrounding darkness, the boulder glowed with a pure, translucent white, like flawless jade but even more luminous.

Today was truly bizarre. Yun Chuanzhi felt utterly exhausted, but at least she had finally seen the spirit stone, making the trip worthwhile.

As for any oaths she might have made, to hell with them.

She stepped forward, palm outstretched. The three pearls dissolved into fine dust, and a vast radiance erupted from the surface of the giant stone, instantly illuminating the surroundings as bright as day.

When the light faded, a warm weight settled on her shoulders. Yun Chuanzhi squinted ahead, only to find herself back in One-Pillow Garden, surrounded by lush greenery and vibrant flowers.

Meanwhile, strands of Divine Power from the Divine Stone were seeping into her brow, flowing through her limbs and every part of her body.

“Heavens, Liu Dagou, you actually did it! And so quickly too!” Cheng Jinshu’s joyful voice rushed toward her, but just as she was about to embrace Yun Chuanzhi, a force yanked her out of sight.

In a daze, Bai Fenghuo’s voice echoed in her ears, gentle and melodious like the strings of an ancient zither.

“Thank you,” she said with a smile, then grasped the back of Yun Chuanzhi’s neck and leaned down. The moment their foreheads touched, the Divine Power that had been rapidly spreading through Yun Chuanzhi’s body was abruptly drawn into Bai Fenghuo’s own.

Siphoned away completely, leaving her utterly empty.