Conquering That Great Demon Lord [Xian Ni Fan Fiction] - Chapter 41: Seclusion

Chapter 41: Seclusion

In that borderland, where peach blossoms bloomed in abundance, this place brimmed with Spiritual Energy, making it an ideal location for seclusion.

After scanning the area with her Divine Sense and confirming it was uninhabited, Li Muwan immediately deployed hundreds of Restrictions using her Restriction Banner. Unless one possessed a Cultivation level beyond the Nascent Soul Stage, it would be nearly impossible to detect the scene within the Formation.

Before the mountain rocks, she built several small courtyards using wooden branches. The main courtyard faced south, where pushing open the door revealed a garden of flowers and plants. The eastern and western courtyards included one left vacant and another furnished with a qin, chess set, books, and a desk.

In the open space of the front yard, she cultivated several plots for growing Spirit herbs and flowers. A grape trellis stood before the small courtyard, and after months of diligent care, it had taken on the appearance of a secluded paradise.

During this time, she rarely used Magical Arts. Unless she was refining pills, she concealed her Cultivation level, living in the valley like an ordinary mortal.

Returning from her work in the Herb Field, her sleeves were stained with mud. The midday sun was scorching, causing beads of sweat to form on her skin.

Xiao Ling circled overhead, its wings stirring gusts of wind that brushed against her cheeks. Li Muwan raised a hand to shield her eyes, squinting as she looked up at it. “Xiao Ling, from now on, this will be our home.”

Xiao Ling flitted around the courtyard, sometimes dipping down to sniff the Spirit herbs that had just sprouted buds, other times skimming the pond and sending ripples across the water.

Watching its joyful movements, Li Muwan felt content. “You like it here too, don’t you?”

Xiao Ling plucked a flower and offered it to Li Muwan.

“Thank you, Xiao Ling.”

Gazing at the setting sun beyond the valley, she lost herself in thought. “I wonder what your master is doing right now?”

In the Southern Garden pavilion of the Cloud Heaven Sect, the Grand Ancestors had used tracking spells throughout the Chu Kingdom but failed to find any trace of Li Muwan.

In the Southern Garden pavilion, Wang Lin’s aura pressed down on the Grand Ancestors so heavily they could barely lift their heads. Under the shockwaves of his power, they had to exert their full strength just to remain standing.

“The sect master has hidden her tracks. She must have left the Chu Kingdom via a teleportation array. Otherwise, with our Cultivation levels and tracking spells, we would have found some clue.”

“Although the sect master’s Cultivation level has remained at the Core Formation Stage these years, her intellect is exceptional. Even if she has gone elsewhere, she will surely survive.”

After a long silence, Wang Lin, who had been standing with his hands behind his back, finally moved. Hidden within his wide sleeves, his palms were clenched into tight fists.

A sharp pain pierced Wang Lin’s heart. The message she had left for Zhou Lin on the Jade Slip made it clear she was intentionally avoiding him naturally, she would leave no traces behind.

Zhou Lin stood to the side, his brow furrowed without respite. After the Grand Ancestors departed, Wang Lin remained alone in the rear courtyard. The Spirit herbs had withered, and the Southern Garden was now silent, devoid of the sound of the qin.

At this time, the Immortal Realm of Rain had opened. While his True Body and Clone separated the True Body delving underground to cultivate along the Star Veins the Clone, Wang Lin, gazed at the teleportation light pillar in the sky. A rain cauldron rested in his palm. “Wan’er, once I return from the Immortal Realm of Rain, I will search every corner of the Vermilion Bird Star to find you.”

Li Muwan sat at the edge of the cliff, where fierce winds whipped through, tousling her long hair.

Before her stood a sandalwood low table, upon which a qin was placed. Li Muwan lifted her fingers to the strings, and the melody drifted beyond the valley. Yet it was not like before, when the figure holding a wine pot would always watch her from behind. Even without words, they could feel each other’s presence.

Beyond the valley, the clouds faintly trembled with external Spiritual Power fluctuations. She looked up and saw the teleportation light pillar descending from the sky perhaps this was what Wang Lin had mentioned, the opening of the Immortal Realm of Rain. Li Muwan watched the cyan-blue light pillar.

“Senior Brother, take care.”

Time flowed by. She had lived in this valley for ten years, already possessing the disposition of a mortal. She no longer thought about how to improve her cultivation level, refine longevity pills, or how to complete missions to retrieve her Soul of Life.

[Soul Pearl: Are you just giving up like this?]

[Li Muwan: Didn’t you say that once the favorability reaches eighty, the Fiend cannot be changed anymore?]

[Soul Pearl: Then why don’t you go back? You’ve been lingering in this valley for ten years. Over these ten years, you’ve attempted Nascent Soul Formation without success. With the elixirs you’ve taken, your lifespan and physical body have at most a hundred years left.]

[Li Muwan: A hundred years is but a snap of the fingers for immortal cultivators, yet it’s a long time for mortals. Then I shall spend my remaining hundred years with the disposition of a mortal.]

[Soul Pearl: Mad, mad, you’re truly mad.]

[Li Muwan: Soul Pearl, if a cultivator whose Soul of Life was devoured by you dies, will that Soul of Life remain within you, or will it eventually return to its original body?]

[Soul Pearl: If no one retrieves the Soul of Life for you, it can only remain within the Soul Pearl.]

[Li Muwan: After a hundred years, will someone retrieve the Soul of Life for me?]

The sound of the zither gradually turned sorrowful. Over these ten years, every night when she lay on her bed, the records about the Soul of Life from the Jade Slip would flood her mind, along with the illusions generated beneath the cold pond, which repeatedly tempted her countless times.

In the illusions, after her death, the Fiend completely descended into madness, yet because of her death, the Fiend truly became a demon who slaughtered the world.

Could it be that the loss of the Soul of Life is unsolvable?

But she was already about to give up on conquering the Fiend.

Li Muwan spent her second decade in the valley. She forgot about time, spending her days watering and tending to spirit herbs, playing the zither and painting. The room in the study was filled with portraits. The faces of the men in the portraits were similar, only their clothing and hair color differed.

Wang Lin with black hair as a disciple of the Cloud Heaven Sect; Wang Lin with silver hair wearing dark daoist robes and holding a Restriction Banner when he crashed the wedding.

And Wang Lin with white robes and white hair when he went out with her.

She had guarded at the Cloud Heaven Sect for nearly a hundred years, and when she saw him again, he already had the body of a red-haired Ancient God.

In that Southern Garden pavilion, over several days and nights, his long hair entangled with hers, intimate and affectionate.

Recalling how he got angry with her over a painting by Ma Liang, Li Muwan couldn’t help but smile as she traced the contours of the eyebrows and eyes.

“Senior Brother doesn’t like it when Wan’er paints you in Ma Liang’s style, so from now on, I’ll only paint you.”

The more she painted, the more she felt that face gradually blurring in her mind. Although she had painted countless portraits and should have engraved that face in her heart, when she stared at the contours in the painting, she actually felt somewhat unfamiliar in her daze.

Looking at the leisurely Xiao Ling by her side, Li Muwan knew that his master was safe and sound. If Xiao Ling were to die one day, it would mean that Wang Lin had died in the Immortal Realm of Rain.

***

Li Muwan’s tranquility was broken one day when disciples from the Azure Water Sect of Tian Shu Nation barged in.

Tian Shu Nation was a third-level cultivation nation on Vermilion Bird Star, and the location of this valley belonged to Tian Shu Nation. The Azure Water Sect was the foremost alchemy sect in Tian Shu Nation. Hearing that many rare spirit herbs grew in this valley, the disciples came to gather them under their sect’s orders, never expecting to find Restrictions placed here.

Li Muwan originally didn’t want to cause trouble, so she opened the Restrictions to let the juniors gather the herbs and leave. Unexpectedly, after over a month, people from the Azure Water Sect returned with several Core Formation Stage cultivators to gather herbs here again.

Xiao Ling stood guard before her, intent on killing anyone who threatened them. Li Muwan, who was stepping through the herb field, wore loose cloth robes that couldn’t conceal her transcendent grace a beauty like a lotus emerging from clear water, natural and unadorned.

With a flick of her sleeve, restrictions snapped shut, separating several Core Formation cultivators outside the barrier. “This is the territory of our Tian Shu Kingdom. Since when have outsiders claimed our Azure Water Sect’s back mountain as their own?”

Li Muwan casually plucked a spirit herb, replying leisurely, “When I arrived here, there were no traces of previous visitors. For twenty years I’ve resided here, these immortal herbs and spirit beasts have flourished under my spiritual energy nourishment. Now the Azure Water Sect suddenly remembers to come claim this land?”

“You a mere rogue cultivator dare oppose our Azure Water Sect? If you don’t remove these restrictions immediately, we’ll make sure you die without a burial place!”

“I never sought conflict, but you’re too overbearing.” A sharp glint flashed in Li Muwan’s eyes as she grasped a Restriction Banner, flicking it to cast dozens more restrictions that forced the Core Formation cultivators back hundreds of miles.

Seeing she wasn’t someone to be trifled with and possessed such magical artifacts, the cultivators could only return to their sect to report and reconsider their strategy.

“Xiao Ling, it seems we can’t stay here anymore.” Li Muwan sat before her courtyard, gently fanning herself with a palm leaf fan. The breeze lifted her skirt hem while Xiao Ling lay atop drying medicinal herbs, holding an elixir in hand.

Most of the elixirs Li Muwan refined from these spirit herbs became Xiao Ling’s snacks. Gazing at the valley courtyard she’d called home for twenty years, she felt reluctant to leave.

“What a pity. It won’t be easy to find another place like this,” she calculated inwardly.

Sure enough, as night fell, several Core Formation Stage cultivators from Azure Water Sect returned accompanied by a Nascent Soul cultivator. With such a formidable lineup, they were determined to reclaim this spiritual land.

The Nascent Soul cultivator’s voice transmitted across the distance: “Fellow cultivator, this is Azure Water Sect’s territory. You’ve lived here twenty years isn’t it time to return it?”

Li Muwan set aside her fan and picked up a teacup, savoring it leisurely. “What proof do you have that this belongs to your sect?”

Hindered by the restrictions, they dared not approach. The Nascent Soul cultivator examined them carefully. “These restrictions are exquisite this woman masters restriction arts. If we force our way through, victory isn’t impossible.”

Five Core Formation cultivators plus one Nascent Soul cultivator though she had restrictions and a fiend protecting her, fighting them would be disadvantageous, plus she didn’t want to expend spiritual power.

With a thought from Li Muwan, Xiao Ling bared its fangs ferociously and flew into the air. Through the barrier, the demon beast emitted tremendous power that shook the cultivators outside the restrictions back several miles.

“What origin does this demon beast have?” The men clutched their chests, their spiritual power in turmoil.

“That female cultivator can control such a demon beast and possesses so many restrictions. If we join forces to attack, she might have even more magical artifacts.”

Seeing them frightened off, Xiao Ling proudly sought rewards from Li Muwan, who smiled beautifully and tossed it a bottle of elixirs. “Good Xiao Ling.”

Xiao Ling fluttered its wings behind her.

The returning cultivators saw the spirit pill in the demon beast’s hand, wreathed in spiritual energy. Even through the restrictions, they could sense its rich, fragrant aroma.

The Nascent Soul cultivator was one of Azure Water Sect’s Fourth-Grade Alchemists, obsessed with pill crafting. He knew this place contained many rare immortal herbs and spirit beasts that could help him research higher-grade elixirs, hence his desire to claim it.

The Nascent Soul cultivator sighed in amazement: “To actually feed a Fourth-Grade spirit pill to a demon beast… This female cultivator is no ordinary person.”

“Ancestral Master, this person can cultivate the spirit herbs our Tian Shu Kingdom urgently needs in this place, and casually refined elixirs can be used to feed demon beasts. If we can recruit them for our sect, the fifth-grade elixir you’ve been pursuing might finally be refined,” one of the Core Formation cultivators persuaded.

“Finally, someone with eyes.” Li Muwan waved her hand to recall Xiao Ling, who tossed an elixir into her mouth before swiftly returning behind Li Muwan.

“Are you still going to fight or not?” Li Muwan brought two fingers together, preparing to activate restrictions for attack.

“Immortal Maiden, we meant no harm initially. Although our Azure Water Sect hasn’t developed this land, it’s located near our back mountain and has been uninhabited for years. If you fancy it, our sect would be willing to cede it to you,” the Nascent Soul cultivator observed her reaction.

Li Muwan remained silent, her leisurely demeanor radiating a pressuring aura.

“One shouldn’t accept unearned rewards. Just moments ago, you all swore to take my life and confronted me aggressively. Now you claim you’re willing to gift it to me?”

“Our Azure Water Sect has always valued forming good connections. Today’s conflict can be considered the start of a friendship,” the Nascent Soul Stage cultivator said. “Azure Water Sect is renowned throughout Tian Shu Kingdom for pill crafting. Since you can cultivate numerous immortal herbs here, your Pill Crafting techniques must be profound. If you’re willing to share your knowledge with our sect, we would honor you as a Guest Elder.”

“I don’t refine elixirs for others.” Li Muwan’s tone was light and indifferent. As the esteemed sect master of Chu Kingdom’s Cloud Heaven Sect, the title of Guest Elder, while impressive-sounding, held little significance for her.

“We don’t require you to refine elixirs for our sect, only to teach Pill Crafting to our disciples. Our Azure Water Sect possesses a warm pool that can nourish the body and prolong life. If you accept the position of Guest Elder, this warm pool will belong to you, along with this valley territory. Without your permission, no Azure Water Sect disciple will set foot here. What do you say?”

She hadn’t really intended to fight them from the beginning. As for whether the Azure Water Sect’s warm pool truly possessed such effects – she could test it herself. If they tried to attack while she was opening the restrictions, Li Muwan had countermeasures prepared.

“Lead the way.” Xiao Ling stood at the front, glaring fiercely at the group. The Core Formation cultivators, having witnessed her power earlier, instinctively maintained some distance while flying on their swords.

Beyond Azure Water Sect’s back mountain stood an uninhabited courtyard, simple yet elegant, containing the warm pool.

This location wasn’t too far from the valley where Li Muwan originally resided – one could reach it directly by circling around the cliff behind. However, the back entrance was guarded by Azure Water Sect disciples and protected by mountain restrictions.

Forcing entry was impossible without the sect master’s permission, and entering through the main gate daily would be too conspicuous. Li Muwan obtained a passage token from the sect master, making travel between the valley and the back mountain warm pool much more convenient.

After several months of soaking in the pool, it seemed to have remarkable effects on her physical recovery. Previously, she could only absorb thirty percent of her spirit elixirs’ efficacy, but after treatment in the spirit pool, she could absorb fifty percent.

While it couldn’t completely resolve the issue of her Soul of Life being exhausted and her lifespan dwindling, it could at least prolong her life.

Over the past twenty years, she had attempted Nascent Soul Formation several times. If not for Xiao Ling’s timely protection during one attempt, she might have nearly depleted all her cultivation level.

As a Guest Elder, with her gentle and amiable nature, she taught and answered questions for Azure Water Sect disciples, yet none knew where she came from.

From the cultivation anecdotes she shared, they could deduce she had trained in the Sea of Demonic Cultivation. The disciples knew the Sea of Demonic Cultivation was an extremely dangerous place where survival required formidable means, which only increased their respect for her.

Her mastery of Pill Crafting was so profound that even the Grand Ancestor of Azure Water Sect couldn’t match it. The disciples loved listening to her lectures. Though Li Muwan had initially agreed to teach once every half month, she couldn’t resist the disciples’ enthusiasm and later changed it to once every seven days, then eventually to once every three days.

Whenever male disciples approached too closely, Xiao Ling would bare her teeth with a fierce glare, frightening them into keeping their distance without daring to come closer. Li Muwan never scolded her for this.

Afterward, every time Li Muwan taught, Xiao Ling would hang upside down from the peach tree, listening boredly until she eventually fell asleep. The disciples would take advantage of her slumber to gradually inch closer to Li Muwan.

Xiao Ling would pretend not to notice, waiting until people came near before suddenly baring her fangs to startle them back.

During other times, Li Muwan would stay in her valley courtyard, taking out those calligraphy and paintings to air them. She specifically instructed Xiao Ling to keep watch, still remembering how Ma Liang’s painting had been burned by Wang Lin when she aired it in the Southern Garden – Xiao Ling had clearly witnessed it.

“That time when your master burned my painting, you saw it. Why didn’t you speak up?” Li Muwan stood with hands on her hips, holding the small hoe she had just used for digging.

Xiao Ling buried her head sadly in her wings and turned her back.

How dare she speak up? Her master’s methods were ruthless and could truly cost her life, while her mistress was gentle and kind, at most scolding her a few words or deducting her snacks. She knew perfectly well which was more serious.