I Ruined the Long Ao Tian Script-Chapter 119

Journey to the Demon Realm

Seeing the cultivators tightly guarding the lake, inspecting every passing fish, Xu Shulou decided there was nothing left for her to do here. She strolled back to the temporary residence at the Cangzhu Courtyard.

After a while, Bai Roushuang also slipped back, carrying two fresh fish in her hand.

"Did you catch these right under the noses of the cultivators searching the lake?" Xu Shulou gave her a thumbs-up. "Your audacity has improved."

"...All thanks to Senior Sister's excellent guidance," Bai Roushuang replied with a smile. "But I didn’t catch them—they were a gift from a junior sister."

Xu Shulou touched her cheek. "To have figured out our preferences so quickly—truly, the younger generation surpasses the old. These youngsters nowadays are not to be underestimated."

"Honestly, you didn’t even try to hide it," Bai Roushuang shrugged. "What flavor do you want, Senior Sister? One stewed with tofu, and the other sliced for a sour-spicy fish dish?"

"Perfect!"

Soon, smoke rose from the small courtyard, and the aroma of fish soup wafted through the air. The Cangzhu Courtyard was a bamboo-filled retreat, lush with flowers and plants, serene and secluded. The occasional rustle of leaves in the wind made it feel like a world of its own.

In such an environment, Xu Shulou sat by the stove, waiting for the meal. As she waited, drowsiness crept over her.

During this brief nap in the rocking chair, her dream finally shifted.

A dagger, its hilt adorned with pearls and gemstones, looked less like a weapon and more like an ornamental plaything.

Yet it was this very dagger that sliced through the darkness of her dream, tearing apart the words "The End" as if lifting the curtain on a stage, revealing the vivid characters behind it.

The dagger was in Luo Fusheng’s hand. She gazed at Lu Beichen, who sat meditating not far away, and unconsciously dragged the blade across a stack of rice paper.

On the paper were floral patterns she had just sketched, meant to be taken to the tailor’s for embroidery.

She looked down at the ruined designs and suddenly stabbed the dagger deep into the stack.

With a sharp "thud," Xu Shulou jolted awake, sitting up abruptly.

"Senior Sister?" Bai Roushuang looked at her in surprise. "What’s wrong? A nightmare?"

"Originally, it was a nightmare—one filled with flowers and false beauty," Xu Shulou mused. "But then it turned into something slightly more real."

"..."

Xu Shulou lowered her gaze. The dream had reached its conclusion, yet it continued. Was this the unwillingness of those within the dream?

After the flowery, perfect ending, was it time for reality to set in? When "The End" came, Lu Beichen had embraced his wives and concubines, all smiling brightly. Now, was it time to peel back those smiles and see the rot beneath?

"Senior Sister," Bai Roushuang handed her a bowl of fish soup. "Drink this and rest in your room. I’ll keep an eye on the upcoming matches."

"Alright." Xu Shulou didn’t refuse her junior sister’s kindness. After savoring the delicious soup and washing up, she fell into a deep sleep to the sound of wind rustling through the bamboo.

This time, no strange dreams came. She slept peacefully until dawn, stretching contentedly before rising to watch the sunrise.

Xu Shulou stood atop a pavilion, watching the sun slowly rise. Bathed in golden light, the world seemed to come alive—mist receded from the forests, and the lake shimmered with reflections of the morning glow.

As she admired the view, her thoughts wandered. After ascending to immortality one day, would the sun still look the same? Was the celestial realm above or below the sun? At this angle, the sun resembled a persimmon... Hmm, it had been a while since she’d eaten dried persimmons.

"Senior Sister Xu!" Someone called from below.

Xu Shulou looked down to see a junior sister from Biqiu Peak. "Good morning. Up so early for training?"

The girl brandished her emei daggers. "Senior Sister Bai has been encouraging me lately, and I’m feeling fired up!"

Who wouldn’t adore such an energetic youth? Xu Shulou smiled. "Care to spar with me?"

When Bai Roushuang woke, she found the two dueling by the lake. The junior sister exclaimed, "Senior Sister Xu is already so strong, yet she still trains this early! I have so much to learn!"

Her ever-reliable senior sister replied without batting an eye, "Mhm."

Bai Roushuang: "..."

Xu Shulou stood her ground, using only a folding fan to parry the girl’s attacks. "If you can force me to retreat even half a step, you win."

"Deal!" The junior sister attacked eagerly, her emei daggers weaving through fourteen different techniques.

"Not bad," Xu Shulou praised. "Did you study martial arts before entering the cultivation world?"

"Yes, I’m from the Emei Sect!"

"No wonder." Xu Shou smiled. Today, she had transformed her fan into a Sun-Moon Qiankun Fan. No matter how many variations the girl used, Xu Shulou countered with the simplest moves, always blocking perfectly.

Undeterred, the girl adjusted her tactics. With a twist of her wrist, she executed "Serpent Emerges from Cave," then seamlessly transitioned into "Black Dragon Swings Tail," lunging forward with a bow stance and striking at Xu Shulou’s chest and legs simultaneously.

True to her word, Xu Shulou dodged—but took a step back. She paused. "You win."

The girl immediately sheathed her weapons. "Any advice, Senior Sister?"

"You’re still used to martial arts techniques, not fully integrating spiritual energy into your movements," Xu Shulou said kindly. "But you’ve just started cultivating. Take your time—you’re already impressive for a beginner."

"Yes!"

Xu Shulou retrieved a box of pastries from her Qiankun Bracelet. "Your reward."

"Thank you, Senior Sister!" The girl beamed, clutching the treats as she ran off.

Bai Roushuang walked over, handing her senior sister a steaming cup of dark tea. "You let her win on purpose?"

"She’s working hard. A little confidence boost won’t hurt."

Senior Sister really is growing gentler, Bai Roushuang thought fondly.

Xu Shulou glanced at her. "And your analytical skills are improving too."

"I’m not a novice anymore," Bai Roushuang said, pleased but feigning indifference. "I’m past the age of getting happy over simple praise."

"Oh? Then I suppose I’ll—"

Bai Roushuang cut in, "You still have to praise me."

"..."

———

Some time later, rumors began to swirl through the cultivation world that the demon realm was preparing for a large-scale invasion. No one knew where these rumors originated, but they seemed to spread overnight, even reaching the point where the giant fish tainted with demonic energy during the Trial Assembly was cited as evidence.

The more people talked, the stranger the claims became. Soon, even incidents like "a farmer’s hen has started crowing" were forcibly linked to the demons. Bai Roushuang found it absurd—did people really think a demon had disguised itself as a hen just to crow?

Xu Shulou paid little attention to the rumors. Tales of demon invasions surfaced every few decades, and she had heard far more outrageous ones before. However, she soon received a letter from the Dustless Island’s sect leader, instructing disciples to investigate and quell the rumors to prevent widespread panic.

It was common for major sects to step in and calm unrest, so Xu Shulou had no objections. Once the Trial Assembly concluded, she escorted her junior sister back to Dustless Island’s Jade Melody Peak before setting off with Bai Roushuang to investigate.

Bai Roushuang felt utterly lost. "Senior Sister, where do we even start?"

Xu Shulou replied breezily, "Since the sect leader wants us to look into the demon realm, why not just go there and ask?"

Bai Roushuang paled. "...I’m certain that’s not what the sect leader intended."

Xu Shulou laughed. "I’ll go take a look. You can wait for me at Bright Moon Peak."

Bai Roushuang hesitated, torn between fear and curiosity, but in the end, curiosity won. "With so many wild rumors flying around, I want to see the demon realm for myself."

By the time they reached the border of the demon realm, it was already deep into the night. At first glance, the place seemed unremarkable, indistinguishable from the mortal world—except that despite the bright moon hanging in the sky, the land remained shrouded in unnatural darkness.

Bai Roushuang took out a luminous pearl to light their way, but the glow barely illuminated her own hand, as if the darkness greedily swallowed all light.

"This place is strange," Bai Roushuang murmured nervously. "Senior Sister, how did you know this was a hidden entrance to the demon realm?"

Xu Shulou didn’t answer, silently hoping her dreams hadn’t deceived her. She pressed a seemingly ordinary protrusion between the rocks, and with a click, the ground beneath them gave way, sending them plummeting into a dark abyss.

Xu Shulou instinctively reached out to grab Bai Roushuang, only to find her junior sister had already summoned her sword to hover midair. Smiling, Xu Shulou withdrew her hand and praised, "Your reflexes are getting sharper."

Bai Roushuang, still tense, blinked in disbelief. "At a time like this, you could save the compliments for when we’re safe."

"..."

Xu Shulou landed gracefully. In her dreams, she had only seen the Demon Saintess describing this location to Lu Beichen. The saintess wore a veil, her face obscured, and the dream cut off just as Lu Beichen pressed a finger to her lips, murmuring that he didn’t want to trouble her further.

Not long after, Lu Beichen returned with the corpses of several demons, claiming he had slain them in defense of the cultivation world. The act earned him even greater renown, especially when he used it to persuade a minor sect controlling a spirit ore mine to submit to the Lingxiao Sect. The sect leader, whose ancestors had a blood feud with demons, was swayed by Lu Beichen’s "heroic deed."

So, Xu Shulou only knew the approximate location of this place. What awaited them inside was as much a mystery to her as it was to Bai Roushuang.

The underground cavern was cramped but at least dimly lit. The moment they landed, a headless skeleton charged at them, startling both. Bai Roushuang’s combat instincts kicked in—fear aside, her first reaction was to raise her sword in defense.

The skeleton’s arm clashed against her blade with a deafening clang. Bai Roushuang noticed it stood atop a trapdoor, likely another exit.

The headless skeleton moved with eerie creaks, its strength terrifying—it could fling Bai Roushuang aside with ease. Even severed bones crawled back to reattach themselves. No matter how they attacked, the creature refused to stay down.

Meanwhile, its skull sat perched on a high shelf, occasionally cackling mockingly at their futile efforts.

Bai Roushuang was still puzzling over how to defeat it when she saw Xu Shulou stealthily approach the shelf—and then cover the skull’s eyes with her hands.

To her astonishment, the skeleton’s body froze, turning in confused circles and groping blindly at the air, like a child playing a game of blindfolded tag.

Bai Roushuang gaped. This… this actually worked?

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