The Transmigrated Male Lead Confessed to Me - Chapter 30 (Part 1)

Eastern Domain Border.

The valley was shrouded in mist, with towering pines draped in emerald hues, vines hanging in tangled clusters, and occasional faint insect chirps echoing in the forest.

Several young cultivators were moving swiftly through the dense woods, chasing after a fleeing demonic creature ahead.

The rain had only just cleared, leaving the ground muddy and soft. Yet most of them moved with light, graceful steps, their feet scarcely touching the earth, leaving no trace behind.

That demonic creature was a dark-yellow ball of light, only three or four inches in diameter. It had no limbs, yet its speed was astonishing.

It darted through the forest like lightning, slipping skillfully through every gap.

The cultivators pursued relentlessly, hurling spells and sword qi at it from all directions. But none of the attacks struck true, all landing just behind it.

The chase lasted a quarter of an hour, covering several dozen li, before the demonic creature finally came to a halt.

It hovered in midair, abruptly turning around, revealing the side of its body that had a mouth facing the cultivators behind.

At the same time, several streaks of light suddenly shot out from the dim forest, each one a dark-yellow sphere.

“There are four more Firefly Demons!”

One of the cultivators cried out in alarm.

Although they were merely low-level demonic beasts, each of them was still equivalent to the Foundation Establishment realm. Fighting a single one was manageable, but against a group, the pressure was far greater.

The sword cultivators quickly drew their weapons, their blades radiating dazzling light, while two spell cultivators had already formed seals, golden runes faintly flickering beside them.

A cultivator standing at the rear hesitated, gripping his sword, and said, “Should we ask Senior Sister Pei for help?”

“Wait!”

The cultivator in the lead shouted back.

He had already clashed with the oncoming Firefly Demon, his longsword transforming into countless blades of water to block the fiery flames spewing from the creature’s mouth. Steam erupted in the air, forming thick clouds of white mist.

Within the mist, a faint purplish-red hue began to spread.

The young cultivators instinctively held their breath.

Having already reached the Foundation Establishment realm, holding their breath for a short while was no issue. Moreover, with their spiritual energy protecting their body still intact, they were not overly fearful of such poisonous miasma.

“If we ask for help now, then all our effort these past hours would have been wasted—”

The leading cultivator said, “Why don’t we try first? If we truly cannot hold on, then we’ll ask Senior Sister Pei to step in.”

“Senior Sister Li is right.”

Another chimed in, “Besides, even if our efforts go to waste, it’s fine. The real issue is missing out on the Master’s reward. We’re all about to form our cores. Don’t you all want that top-grade Spirit-Condensing Grass? One stalk for each of us!”

“Of course I want it! Who doesn’t? But if we die here, then it’s all for nothing.”

“That shouldn’t happen. Isn’t Senior Sister Pei nearby?”

“She’s a dignified Earth Immortal realm expert. With her ability to shrink the earth to inches and traverse a thousand li in a single step, she may not necessarily be guarding us the whole time.”

The group conversed while fighting, but before long, they could no longer afford to talk, concentrating fully on the battle at hand.

After persisting for more than half an hour, they finally brought the grueling fight to an end. The miasma in the forest gradually dispersed, and the group collapsed to the ground, each panting heavily.

“See, I told you we could do it.”

One of them said, “Let’s head to the town and wait for Senior Sister Pei to bring us—”

Before he finished speaking, three figures suddenly appeared in the clearing ahead.

Their attire was ordinary, indistinguishable from common rogue cultivators, yet purple-red miasma churned around their bodies.

Demon cultivators.

The young cultivators’ faces all changed drastically.

There was no need to say more; the very manner in which these demon cultivators appeared was enough to reveal that their cultivation far surpassed theirs.

One of the demon cultivators swept his gaze across them and said, “…All from Tianyuan Sect.”

He seemed to be speaking to his companions.

Before the others could respond, he lifted his hand, and a terrifying pulling force manifested in the air, dragging the young cultivators toward him.

They all felt a searing pain in their necks, their throats nearly crushed, as they were dragged forward by an irresistible power.

Suddenly, a sharp streak of azure light slashed through the air.

That sword light was as fast as thunder, flashing across their eyes. The sweeping wind it carried blasted them backward, and only a heartbeat later did the sharp sonic boom pierce the air.

The young cultivators were thrown back, crashing to the ground.

The demon cultivator groaned, his entire right arm severed, blood spraying wildly into the air.

Yet before he could retaliate, his body suddenly convulsed, then exploded violently, bursting into a cloud of blood mist.

An azure wind blade shot forth, pinning his primordial spirit to the ground. Immediately after, the blade detonated into countless fragments of azure light, shredding the golden primordial spirit to pieces.

One after another, relentless wind blades surged forth, their gales as sharp as steel knives, filling the surroundings with eerie, howling winds.

The two remaining demon cultivators were struck simultaneously.

One could withstand a few blows, but the other could not even take a single strike. Just like the first, his physical body was destroyed and his primordial spirit quickly annihilated.

In the blink of an eye, two out of the three demon cultivators were dead.

The last survivor, covered in wounds, was forced to shout.

“Impressive skill, Pei Xianjun. Truly worthy of being the disciple of Chongyun Xianzun—”

Before the rest of his threatening words could be spoken, a short sword shimmering with azure light was already at his throat, piercing straight through it and cutting off his voice entirely.

The sword-wielder stepped back and released her grip, leaving the blade embedded in the corpse.

On the sword’s edge, dark-silver runes flickered faintly. With the sword left in place, the body’s primordial spirit was bound, unable to escape.

“Senior Sister Pei!”

The young cultivators, who had narrowly escaped death, finally recovered their senses. They rushed up to thank her, though they dared not get too close while the demon cultivator’s primordial spirit still lingered.

She remained where she stood, turning back to admonish, “You have already completed your task. These people do not count. Take your medicine as needed. There is no need to hold back.”

The group breathed a sigh of relief and hastily took out various pills and powders, some for healing and others for restoring spiritual energy, and swallowed them without hesitation.

They were all named disciples of Chongyun Xianzun, each possessing considerable talent. Though they were not personal disciples, as disciples of the Sect Leader, their treatment was far superior to others.

Soon, someone stepped forward to offer thanks, “As expected, Senior Sister Pei is formidable. If not for you saving us…”

He spoke with eyes full of admiration, gazing at the figure before him.

She was striking in appearance, refined and graceful, tall and slender, dressed in a dark-blue brocade robe. A jade-green hairpin rested askew in her hair, while luminous pearl earrings gleamed by her ears.

One hand was still lifted in midair, her sleeve slipping back to reveal several hollow-carved silver bracelets on her wrist, each inlaid with azure-blue crystals that shimmered like scattered stars.

She gave a slight nod. “No need to thank me, Junior Brother Wang. It was only what I ought to do.”

Pei Xun was one of the Sect Leader’s personal disciples and also one of the top experts among the younger generation of Lingxiao Peak.

She and her twin brother were born into a prestigious family. Both were somewhat aloof in temperament and did not easily grow close to others, though neither would deliberately make things difficult for their juniors.

And at times like this, she was especially reliable.

“Master has said that unless you call for help, or unless you are on the verge of death, I am not allowed to act. But that rule only applies when it comes to the targets she designated.”

Pei Xun said calmly, “These few clearly are not.”

As she spoke, she lifted her head toward the forest, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes, clearly sensing something amiss.

She gestured with her hand.

“Close your eyes and turn around!”

The group of young cultivators obeyed without hesitation.

Before her words had even finished, a dazzling white light shot over from the distance!

The young cultivators all turned their backs and shut their eyes, yet they could still feel the searing heat burning against their eyelids. Even their eyeballs ached as though stabbed with needles, the sharp pain piercing into their minds.

They did not know what happened behind them, but they could hear the deafening roar that shook the forest. Rampaging spiritual energy shattered trees, and chaos erupted in every direction.

The light quickly faded.

After a while, one of them mustered the courage to turn his head.

Pei Xun stood there, her expression grim, two azure short swords in hand. The blades surged with violent currents of wind, emitting a low, eerie howl.

“…What about that demon cultivator just now?”

Pei Xun shook her head.

“Dead.”

The group froze in surprise.

They had assumed the demon cultivator had escaped, which must have been why she looked so displeased.

“…Someone came to save him.”

Pei Xun said quietly, “That companion only struck once, but retreated quickly.”

Though she had landed a sword strike, destroying the body, the primordial spirit had already fled back to the Demon Realm.

At any other time, she would certainly have pursued and slain him. But with a group of Foundation Establishment juniors here, she could not risk it.

Demon cultivators should not have appeared in this place at all. She did not know why they had come, but unwilling to gamble with their lives, she had to let it go. This left her in a foul mood.

She ordered the group to take out their teleportation jade talismans and watched as they crushed them, white light arrays slowly emerging beneath their feet.

These talismans required time to activate; they were not instantaneous.

After waiting a while, the disciples vanished one by one, returning to Tianyuan Mountain.

Only then did Pei Xun breathe a sigh of relief, before heading straight toward another mountain several dozen li away.

Following the trail of spiritual energy, she quickly located another group of cultivators.

They were disciples of Weiyun Peak, named disciples of Yuchen Xianzun. Over ten in total, both at Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment realm, they were locked in fierce battle against another horde of demonic beasts by the lakeshore in the valley.

Pei Xun cast a brief glance over them, then turned away and ascended to the mountaintop, where a white-clad youth stood watching the battle.

These batches of young cultivators sent out for training were usually accompanied by high-level experts of the Upper Seven Realms as protection. After all, traveling in groups made them more likely to attract trouble.

“Junior Brother Jiang.”

Pei Xun greeted him. “Has anything unusual happened on your side?”

As the disciple of the Peak Master, Jiang Wang serving as a guard was only natural.

At this moment, he stood atop the mountain, a dilapidated pavilion behind him. Within the pavilion sat a young woman, who also rose and bowed respectfully when she saw Pei Xun.

Pei Xun gave a slight nod. “Junior Sister Liu.”

Jiang Wang stepped forward. “Just now, Senior Sister Pei, you were the one battling them? Were they from the Moon-Worship Sect?”

“Three, or rather, four, all came from your direction.”

Pei Xun looked at him. “Though not very close to you, it was still from this direction. You did not sense anything at all?”

She was not here to accuse him or blame him for not lending aid, since he had to guard the lower-realm disciples here.

She only wished to deduce where those demon cultivators had appeared from.

“By the time I sensed their presence, you had already begun fighting.”

Jiang Wang was truly confused. “There is no boundary gate nearby. What became of them?”

“Three dead, one escaped.”

Pei Xun gave a cold snort. “If an expert escorted them into the Human Realm, then no boundary gate would have been necessary.”

Jiang Wang frowned.

He did not mistake her tone as veiled reproach. He knew it was a warning to stay vigilant. But considering the identity of the junior sister behind him, he still could not help but feel some unease.

Behind him, Liu Yunyao showed surprise. “Demon cultivators appeared?”

Pei Xun turned her head slightly. “Junior Sister Liu, are you undertaking your monthly training?”

“Yes.”

Liu Yunyao answered with some embarrassment. “But I was injured just now, so I withdrew.”

Pei Xun saw that she truly bore injuries and thus believed her words, yet vaguely sensed that Liu Yunyao’s emotions were somewhat off.

Especially when their gazes met, Liu Yunyao’s heartbeat quickened and her pupils contracted.

Why?

This woman had poor relations with her cousin, but so what? Did she fear Pei Xun would kill her over that?

…Though Pei Xun would not particularly mind doing so, she suspected Liu Yunyao’s anxiety stemmed from something else.

After several thoughts flickered through her mind, Pei Xun only said, “Be careful.”

Then she turned and left.

Liu Yunyao secretly let out a sigh of relief.

Jiang Wang immediately turned his head to glance at her. “Why are you so nervous?”

Liu Yunyao opened her mouth. “She is Senior Sister’s cousin.”

“And what of that?”

Jiang Wang, though not fond of the Pei siblings either, knew well that they were proud and aloof in nature and would not pick quarrels without reason.

“She is an Earth Immortal realm cultivator…”

Anyone with a shred of dignity would not trouble a mere Qi Refining cultivator.

Jiang Wang still felt something was odd, but he had no time to dwell on it, for several more spiritual energies were approaching swiftly from the west.

This mountain range stretched for hundreds of li, lying on the border between the Eastern Domain and the Central Domain. Any cultivators coming from the west must have crossed over from the Central Domain.

“They are disciples of the Shangji Sect.”

Jiang Wang recognized their attire from afar. “The very sect I told you of earlier, the foremost immortal sect of the Central Domain.”

“Yes, I remember.”

Liu Yunyao nodded. “It is one of the very top sects in the entire cultivation world. Their Sect Leader, Cangming Xianzun, and the Vice Sect Leader, Jiangxiao Xianzun, are also the City Lords of Tiandu, the First Immortal City.”

The two brothers were both Saint realm experts. The sect also had three Quasi-Saints, each one a figure of renowned prestige and overwhelming power.

Before Chaohua Xianzun returned to the mountain, the Shangji Sect was regarded as the foremost sect in the cultivation world. No other sect could contend against it.

All three thousand immortal sects of Tiandu City bowed to the Shangji Sect. More than half of the aristocratic clans and immortal estates across the Fourteen States also heeded their command.

Jiang Wang gave a slight nod. “The one in front, Xie Changfeng, is the personal disciple of the Grand Elder of Wenjian Peak in Shangji Sect…”

Before he could finish, that group had already approached, forcing him to step forward to greet them.

Five people arrived in total. Their robes were of different colors, but the style was similar, the fabric shimmering faintly, with hems embroidered with landscapes of mountains and rivers.

“Jiang Xianjun, it has been a long time.”

The leading youth greeted him with a radiant smile.

He was tall and graceful, strikingly handsome, with gentle, affectionate peach blossom eyes. Yet his demeanor was scholarly and refined, without a trace of frivolity.

At that moment, he looked at them with a faint smile, and his clear gaze shifted toward another person.

TL Notes:

li – A traditional Chinese unit of distance, now standardized as half a kilometer (500 meters or about one-third of a mile). It was historically used to measure travel distances and ranges over time but is commonly known as the “Chinese mile”.