Escape from the Demon Realm (3)
A wave of heat pressed against her cheek, intensifying with each passing moment. Lin Qianshuang’s eyes widened as she watched Xiao Lanle, in her semi-conscious state, lean towards her. Xiao Lanle’s crimson lips brushed against Lin Qianshuang’s, her tongue tracing the outline of her lips. Then, the tip of her tongue darted towards the still-healing cut on Lin Qianshuang’s face.
Xiao Lanle’s actions left no room for refusal. The words that emerged from her lips, though seemingly a question, were in reality a demand, a psychological preparation for Lin Qianshuang.
Startled by Xiao Lanle’s sudden intimacy, Lin Qianshuang instinctively raised her hand to shield her face. The searing heat of Xiao Lanle’s kisses landed on the back of her hand.
Xiao Lanle furrowed her brows, a look of grievance etched on her face. She wrapped her arms around Lin Qianshuang’s neck, biting down on the back of her hand in a gesture of dissatisfaction.
Lin Qianshuang winced at the pain, a clear tooth mark left on her hand. She channeled her demonic energy, wrapping it around Xiao Lanle’s limbs and pulling her away.
Lin Qianshuang knew how much Xiao Lanle disliked her. If Xiao Lanle woke up and realized what she had done, she would be mortified, her thin skin unable to bear the shame.
Lin Qianshuang used her demonic energy to heal the wound on her cheek. A chill of fear ran down her spine. If Xiao Lanle possessed the same cultivation level as her master, with her blood-sucking methods, she would have drained Lin Qianshuang of all her life force long ago. This physique of hers was just too alluring, she had best protect herself first.
Xiao Lanle’s body felt like a furnace, her internal organs burning with pain. She struggled to break free from Lin Qianshuang’s demonic energy, which held her limbs captive, and more demonic markings spread across her face.
Above, the sky churned with ominous clouds of tribulation, the first flashes of lightning crackling within them. Lin Qianshuang watched, her pupils constricting as she gripped her sword.
Han Shengyao would surely notice this powerful Golden Core formation, and they needed to escape before the thunder tribulation struck.
“Xiao Lanle, you must hold on,” Lin Qianshuang urged, her voice filled with worry. “I can’t help you with this, only you can overcome your inner demons.”
She continued, her words laced with desperation, “Think about Penglai Immortal Sect, your master and fellow disciples who are waiting for you. Think about Liang Jingxuan, the one you’ve always loved. If you fail, you’ll never see him again.”
Xiao Lanle was dimly aware of being carried, her mind consumed by the torment of her tribulation.
The person’s back, though slender, felt warm and safe. She touched their waist, finding no excess fat, only firm, flexible strength beneath her hand. This man must be handsome, she thought. He moved with such gentle care, he must be a kind person. Except for his incessant chatter, which she found a bit distracting.
This was the smoothest her meditation had ever been. After the initial confusion, her meridians felt like they were bathed in a spiritual spring, nourishing her energy points. It was incredibly comfortable and enjoyable.
She didn’t know who was carrying her, but instinctively she clung to the body that provided her with comfort and security. She loved the feeling, the warmth, and especially the faint fragrance emanating from their sweaty neck. She couldn’t help but inhale it deeply.
It smells so good, she thought, I could eat him.
Xiao Lanle’s thoughts were hazy, but her consciousness gradually returned to her body. The Golden Core within the cloud of mist in her dantian was finally taking shape, and her breathing steadied.
Lin Qianshuang, carrying Xiao Lanle on her back, transformed into a ball of demonic energy and sped towards the passage left by the beast cultivator.
Landing smoothly in the dilapidated wooden pavilion, Lin Qianshuang set Xiao Lanle down, gently placing her arm on her shoulder. She led her step by step towards the hidden passageway that appeared beneath the stone table.
“Senior Sister Lin!”
The surprised male voice from behind made Lin Qianshuang pause.
She estimated that Liang Jingxuan, having obtained the Purple Heavenly Sword, must have seen Xiao Lanle’s transmission note and followed their trail.
With a deliberately confused expression, she turned to face Liang Jingxuan, looking him up and down. “Senior Brother,” she said in a strange voice, “are you also a disciple of the Penglai Immortal Sect? Do you recognize me?”
Liang Jingxuan surged forward, wrapping his arms tightly around Lin Qianshuang. His chin rested against her hair as he spoke, his voice seeming to come from another world, “It’s wonderful. I’ve waited so long for you. I knew you weren’t dead, that you would return.”
Lin Qianshuang stomped hard on Liang Jingxuan’s foot. When he cried out in pain, she feigned panic, hiding behind Xiao Lanle’s slumped form and supporting her waist. Her eyes blazed with anger as she addressed Liang Jingxuan, “Where did you come from, you scoundrel? You try to take advantage of me the moment we meet. I don’t know you! If you dare to take another step forward, don’t blame me for ignoring our fellow discipleship and teaching you a lesson.”
Liang Jingxuan’s focus was solely on the resurrected Lin Qianshuang. He couldn’t bring himself to consider Xiao Lanle’s well-being.
His heart overflowed with joy. This intense feeling of reclaiming what he thought he’d lost made him want to press her against the cave wall and kiss her passionately.
He shoved Lin Qianshuang towards a wall, and as she stumbled, he wrapped his arms around her waist. With a sly smile, he whispered in her ear, “Senior Sister, it’s alright if you can’t remember me. I’ll help you rediscover the feeling of being together.”
Lin Qianshuang’s eyelids twitched rapidly, a bad feeling washing over her.
In the next second, Liang Jingxuan pressed her arm against the cave wall, pinning her in place. Her body, enveloped by Liang Jingxuan, felt like melted marshmallow, so soft that she couldn’t muster any strength.
[Warning: The original male protagonist (Liang Jingxuan) is releasing the King’s Aura on the host!]
[Warning: The original male protagonist (Liang Jingxuan) is releasing the King’s Aura on the host!]
The system repeated the warning several times in Lin Qianshuang’s ear. All the demonic energy in her body was sealed, leaving her feeling weak and unable to move. As she watched Liang Jingxuan’s lips inch closer, a wave of disgust washed over her.
While reading the original story, she couldn’t understand how the usually strong female characters became so helpless in the face of Liang Jingxuan’s advances. Now it was clear: this “King’s Aura” was a debilitating buff, designed to weaken its target both physically and mentally.
Lin Qianshuang tried desperately to turn her head away, but Liang Jingxuan’s face, which she found repulsive, continued to close in, almost touching the tip of her nose.
“Liang Jingxuan! What are you doing? How dare you kiss another woman in front of me!”
Before Liang Jingxuan could reach her lips, he turned his head and was met with a stinging slap from Xiao Lanle.
Xiao Lanle pulled Liang Jingxuan away from Lin Qianshuang and helped her to her feet.
Lin Qianshuang opened her eyes to see Xiao Lanle staring at her with disdain.
“Senior Sister Lin, how could you be so shameless? My Daoist companion kissed you, and you just closed your eyes and enjoyed it, waiting for him to kiss you?”
Lin Qianshuang was speechless, unable to explain herself. She knew that no one would believe her about the King’s Aura affecting her.
She took a few steps back, distancing herself from the couple.
But Xiao Lanle walked towards her, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her aside.
“Senior Sister, is the fragrance on your body a hallucinogenic drug? Why is it so fragrant?”
Lin Qianshuang heard a heartfelt message from Xiao Lanle and suddenly felt a cold hand rubbing against her neck, and another hand pinching her waist.
She shivered in resistance, her eyelashes twitched slightly, and she looked towards Xiao Lanle with a hint of surprise.
She raised her hand and sniffed, fragrant? Does she have fragrance on her body? Why can’t she smell it?
“I’ll just touch you like this, senior sister, and you’ll feel it. You’re really a promiscuous person who can’t do without women.”
Xiao Lanle inhaled the scent of Lin Qianshuang’s neck, the same aroma she had smelled during her unconscious state. The warmth of Lin Qianshuang’s skin against hers inexplicably calmed her heart. Though she couldn’t bring herself to speak kindly, she found herself strangely drawn to this closeness.
Lin Qianshuang stared at Xiao Lanle impassively, feeling her own intelligence inadequate to decipher the other woman’s thoughts.
Xiao Lanle, witnessing Lin Qianshuang’s clueless expression, felt a sudden surge of awkwardness. She disgustedly concluded that this woman must have bewitched her, causing her to lose control while delirious, even abandoning her usual elegant demeanor as a sect daughter.
Yet, she maintained an outward façade of indifference. This woman, she thought, seduced not only women but also men. Senior Brother Liang, smitten with her, had disregarded Xiao Lanle’s state and attempted to kiss Lin Qianshuang.
Jealousy gnawed at Xiao Lanle, and she sent a sharp, cruel message to Lin Qianshuang’s heart: “Penglai Immortal Sect forbids such inappropriate behavior within its ranks. You’re provoking both men and women alike. Don’t blame me for not reminding you. When the time comes, it won’t be as simple as copying the Calming Mantra four hundred times in the Library Pavilion. I will inform the headmaster and have you expelled from the sect.”
Lin Qianshuang, momentarily speechless at Xiao Lanle’s words, considered the situation. She understood that a normal girl wouldn’t tolerate seeing a man kissing another. Putting herself in Xiao Lanle’s shoes, her words didn’t seem overly harsh.
Ignoring the slap marks on his face, Liang Jingxuan pulled Xiao Lanle aside, attempting to soothe her with sweet nothings, while his gaze kept flitting towards Lin Qianshuang.
This was the first time the gentle and considerate Xiao Lanle had slapped him, and his face burned with shame.
He realized that his cowardly attempt to please others had been witnessed by Senior Sister Lin.
Liang Jingxuan felt humiliated, as if his male dignity had been trampled upon by Xiao Lanle. Yet, he was too intimidated to utter a word.
In the eyes of Sect Master Xiao Shen, Liang Jingxuan was nothing more than a shameless disciple who had seduced his daughter for personal gain. Every morning during training, Xiao Shen deliberately made things difficult for him, publicly ridiculing and humiliating him in front of the other disciples.
Liang Jingxuan, while cracking jokes to make Xiao Lanle smile, harbored a vengeful thought in his heart. He dreamt of the day he would seize control of the Penglai Immortal Sect, forcing Xiao Shen to kneel and beg for mercy. He envisioned Xiao Lanle, the headmaster’s daughter, as a lowly servant, subservient to him, forced to understand her own insignificance and reduced to nothing more than a breeding tool.
Xiao Lanle, oblivious to the malicious glint in Liang Jingxuan’s eyes, followed Lin Qianshuang as she walked by.
Lin Qianshuang swiftly opened the passageway, a ray of light from the human cultivation realm illuminating her path. Freedom was within reach, and she was finally leaving.
But Lin Qianshuang hadn’t forgotten Xiao Lanle’s impending thunder tribulation. Ignoring Liang Jingxuan, she urged Xiao Lanle, “Xiao Lanle! Hurry, get out of here. Once you reach the human world, return to the sect immediately. The thunder tribulation will take time to brew.”
Xiao Lanle, aware of the urgency, was about to step through the passage when a barrier of demonic energy materialized, blocking their escape.
A fierce crimson wind whipped through the air, carrying a breathtakingly beautiful woman in red, her footsteps leaving trails of dark purple demonic flames. Her phoenix eyes, cold and sharp, locked onto someone in particular before sweeping over the two Penglai Immortal Sect disciples. A chilling smile spread across her lips, carrying a potent undercurrent of murderous intent.
“None of you are going anywhere!”