Facing an enemy, Luna had only one principle:
Hit first, think never.
With Tianyu in hand, she leapt down lightly, landing as though weightless.
The hawk-eyed man took one look at the delicate young girl before him and instantly dismissed her as no threat.
But he had underestimated Luna.
Even back when she'd been a minor immortal living the salted-fish life to its fullest, she'd never neglected her cultivation. She simply hadn't fought anyone in this world yet—so she might as well take this chance to stretch her limbs.
Her fingers tightened around Tianyu. Man and sword became one. Familiar spiritual power surged through her, running through her meridians and bone, colliding with sword intent in sparks of lightning. The sword gave an eager hum.
Moonlight caught her bright eyes; the lift of her brow and the curve of her lips dripped with provocation.
"I'm going to kill you now—"
Before the words had even left her mouth, the small figure before the gravestone vanished. The man froze, instinctively swinging his blade to block.
Clang!
Tianyu met the long knife, both weapons shuddering from the impact.
"You use a knife?" Luna arched a brow. "A little weak."
Shock flashed through the hawk-eyed man's gaze. He dared not take her lightly again. His counterattack failed, and he immediately leapt back.
Luna's footwork was flawless. Tianyu's blade was thin and light, sliding in close without a whisper.
Irritated, the man's strikes turned deadly. Spiritual energy surged into his blade, his killing intent rolling out as he slashed for her legs.
Luna's toes tapped against the ground, and she sprang—landing right on the flat of his blade.
Her intricate steps danced arcs of swordlight in the air, each stroke scattering spiritual force like petals drifting apart. She didn't look like she was fighting—she looked like she was dancing on the tip of his weapon.
When their blades clashed again, pain bloomed in the man's chest. Blood welled at the corner of his lips.
This girl… fragile-looking as she seemed, was no easy prey.
Luna positioned herself in front of Chi Su, aura flaring, slicing down the last of the black-clad attackers with the grace of a butterfly weaving through flowers.
Only then did she glance over at Chi Su. "How are you? Can you hold on?"
He didn't reply, but his breathing had turned shallow and ragged.
She saw him kneeling, veins bulging on the back of his hand, as if enduring some immense pain.
Her sword tilted, pointing toward the hawk-eyed man. "What did you do to him?"
The man sneered, ready to speak—until his gaze caught on the jade token at her waist. The insignia of Lingjian Peak under the Taihe Immortal Sect.
His face changed instantly. A thick black mist poured from his hands.
A sudden force yanked Luna aside. The mist was so toxic it corroded a gravestone in seconds.
The man used the distraction to leap into the night and vanish.
Luna gave brief chase, then stopped. Chi Su's injuries took priority. She turned back—
"Chi Su—" she started, sheathing Tianyu and hurrying forward, "are you—"
The last word froze in her throat.
Chi Su's expression shifted—and then, without warning, he vaulted straight into the gaping rift of the Ghost Realm.
Luna: "…"
Chi Su's sudden leap caught her entirely off guard. She hesitated for only a heartbeat before plunging in after him. Tianyu followed like a streak of light.
The Ghost Realm—humanity's forbidden land, a gorge built to imprison evil spirits.
At its depths, the air was damp and heavy with death. The darkness was pierced only by drifting green ghost-fires, and blood-red mist swallowed the sky.
Luna lit a torch and walked on, her barrier shimmering faintly around her. Hidden in the shadows, ghost cultivators eyed the pure-blooded girl greedily, but her powerful aura kept them from moving.
"Strange… where did he run off to?"
She'd seen him falling with her. There was no reason she shouldn't be able to find him.
Tianyu spoke in her mind: "Luna, use the Jade Butterflies."
She nodded, tossed the torch aside, and summoned several crystal-clear butterflies from her fingertips.
Her natal Jade Butterflies—perfect for tracking and finding people.
They scattered in all directions, one staying close. Luna perched cross-legged atop a boulder. From behind it, a ghost cultivator bared his fangs—only to retreat under her cold glance.
Soon, the butterflies found Chi Su's trail.
Luna dropped lightly from the rock and followed their glow. The ground was soft with rotting leaves, forcing her to lift her skirts as she went. After some time, she reached a half-hidden cave.
The butterflies alighted on the vines at its mouth, casting a pale glow.
Holding her breath, she listened—and heard a faint, uneven sound. Less noise, more… pained breathing.
Her pulse quickened. She slipped closer, parting the overgrown weeds.
Inside, the butterflies lit a damp, jagged cave, every surface slick with moss.
A young man lay curled on the ground. His silver hair was tangled, his breath uneven, his body drawn taut like a bow on the verge of breaking.
His fingers dug deep into the rock, leaving bloody gouges. Skin split at the knuckles, veins bulging, his whole frame trembling under some unspeakable agony.
Sensing her, he stirred. Heavy-lidded eyes lifted to meet hers.
His face was pale as snow, wet strands clinging to his skin. In his black irises, red light flickered—a sign of soul damage. He was on the brink of complete qi deviation.
Yet even like this, his killing intent had not faded.
Luna's breath caught.
This… was Chi Su?
He'd changed—hair turned silver—but the face was unmistakably his.
And this state… she knew it all too well from her years of novel reading. He must have been struck by some kind of lust poison.
No wonder he'd seemed off before.
Recalling that look in his eyes earlier—the one that had promised to eat her alive—she decided the polite thing to do would be to leave.
She began to pull the weeds back into place when—
[Beginner Mission Issued. Please access the Control Panel to receive your starter quest!]
…The familiar voice froze her mid-step.
Of course. Work had arrived.
She entered her spatial interface at once.
The Heavenly Dao Palace, ever concerned about tribulation-takers failing to get into character, had thoughtfully set up beginner guidance missions. According to veterans, they were laughably easy—pick a herb, run an errand, that sort of thing.
Luna expected the same. She cheerfully opened the quest icon—
[Beginner Mission: Chi Su's "Burning Desire" toxin has flared up. Relieve his pain within 30 minutes to proceed to the next plotline. Reward: 200 Tomato Coins.]
Her pupils shook for a full ten seconds.
Relieve… what? What pain?
Did it mean that kind of—?!
…
So this tribulation wasn't just about raising/protecting/redeeming the villain—she also had to… deal with certain delicate needs?! No. Absolutely not. The system had to be wrong.
She shut the mission screen. Opened it again. Shut it. Opened it again.
After repeating the process several times, she stared at the massive countdown timer—and finally accepted her fate.
Other people's beginner missions were errands. Hers was a headlong dive off the cliff of self-preservation.
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