Sunlight pierced through the dense mist, while a distant, thunderous roar echoed vaguely from afar.
Li Li slumped in a crudely fashioned prisoner transport cart, her limbs and neck bound in heavy shackles, exposed to the scorching sun. Her pale lips, cracked and parched, seeped bright red blood, adding a haunting, bewitching quality to her appearance. To set an example, the Law Enforcement Hall had explicitly ordered that no spiritual energy be used for the journey, insisting even that the cart be pulled by ordinary horses.
The Black Prison was located on the remote Fifteenth Peak. Having already left the central grounds of the sect, the party looked out to find no one else in sight. Li Li tilted her head toward Yousong, who walked in front. Her eyes slanted upward, and her tone was familiar, though her words were anything but.
"Second Senior Brother, we’re halfway there. Why haven’t you made your move yet?"
Yousong stopped and turned around. The smile on his refined yet callous face remained unchanged, though murderous intent surged in his eyes. He chuckled in response: "Don't be impatient, Junior Sister. Once we enter the Fifteenth Peak, I promise you won't leave it alive."
The other disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall stared straight ahead, keeping their eyes on their noses and their mouths shut, silently pretending they hadn't heard a word of the exchange.
Li Li shrugged and said nothing more. As she gazed into the distance, she couldn't help but reminisce about the past.
They hadn't always been like this. As the head disciple, their Eldest Senior Brother was incredibly busy and rarely had time to guide her cultivation. The Fourth Senior Brother always saw the shadow of the Third Senior Sister, Liu Qing, whenever he looked at her face, and he, too, had no interest in training her. Only her Second Senior Brother, Yousong, had taught her step by step. Even the Sect Leader had once teased Bugui Chen, saying he hadn't taken on a disciple, but rather a grand-disciple, as every move she made mirrored Yousong.
That was until she stumbled upon a secret—a secret that left Yousong with no choice but to kill her.
The cart jolted along the bumpy road; the Fifteenth Peak was now close at hand. It was a peculiar place, standing apart from the other peaks. In truth, this peak shouldn't have existed, but centuries ago, a venomous snake tainted by foul qi had been born here. To prevent it from ravaging the world, Bugui Chen, a genius of the sword at the time, had struck two blows. The first cut off the snake’s escape route, and the second sliced the flat plains into a sheer cliff, trapping the foul qi serpent here for eternity. Thus, the Fifteenth Peak was born.
Since Yousong had vowed she wouldn't survive the Fifteenth Peak, it meant he would never let old sentiments soften his hand.
Foul qi was the bane of spiritual energy, and the Fifteenth Peak was shrouded in thick, churning foul qi year-round. Yet, for Li Li, this was a glimmer of hope—especially with what she had acquired four days ago. Her gaze grew dark and inscrutable as she thought of it.
Ever since that thing had promised to hold off the System, the System had indeed vanished. Even when she had destroyed the Ji Tu, that grating mechanical voice had not stepped in to intervene. In the past, if she so much as touched the Ji Tu, the System would pop up, acting holier-than-thou, declaring that the weapon was vital to the future plot and must not be used. As for what that plot actually was, it had never told her, its host. For three years, she had blindly followed the System’s dictates—until the day another voice, one that did not belong to the System, had echoed in her mind:
"Want to draw a card? Bind with me, and I’ll grant you a free ten-pull to start."
At first, Li Li hadn't believed it. She wanted to kill anything that claimed to be a system. But that languid voice had accurately predicted every event that would occur over the next four days, offering to help her restrict the System if she only bound herself to it.
"Don't you feel tempted, darling? My Card Pool is filled with the children of destiny from the other three thousand worlds."
"What are your conditions?"
"No conditions. I just find you pitiful."
Li Li had ignored the voice then, knowing that free things were always the most expensive. But that same night, unable to contain itself, it had volunteered its requirements, calling this a win-win transaction.
"Bind with me. Once you complete the tasks, the merit will be credited to me; that annoying thing from before will effectively be working for free. As for you, you won't just get my Card Pool—I’ll also help you keep Number One in check and give you considerable freedom. Don't you think that’s the best of both worlds?"
...
A wave of foul qi hitting her face pulled Li Li from her memories.
The prisoner cart shook violently as the horses, startled, tore away from their tethers and bolted. They had arrived at the borders of the Fifteenth Peak. Before them lay an endless, ink-colored forest, as alluring and deep as an abyss, covered in a dense fog that churned and flowed, heavy with mystery and danger.
Yousong opened the door of the cart, staring at Li Li with a mocking smile.
"Junior Sister, if you please."
Li Li stepped out, her heavy shackles clanking. The moment her feet touched the ground, she activated the card draw.
In an instant, time seemed to freeze. The surrounding scenery melted as if under intense heat, rippling continuously; a mirage, like one seen on sun-baked asphalt in summer, shimmered on the ground. The colors in all directions faded away, leaving only a void of pitch-black space.
The only light source was in the center of the void. As she approached, she saw that the "Card Pool" looked somewhat like an enchantment table from the sandbox games she used to play. A magnificent, ancient-looking book rested upon a glowing stone. The pages flipped without a breeze, and the text upon them caused a dizzying sensation.
Li Li placed her hand on the book.
The light within it flared brilliantly. A sudden, violent wind whipped through the calm space, and the pages turned rapidly before finally coming to a halt. Li Li looked down and couldn't help but read aloud: "Grade A Card, Immortal Race, Rune Master, Lü Ning."
The space before her let out a sound of tearing fabric.
"Who needs my help?" A crisp, cheerful voice echoed through the quiet space.
Before the figure appeared, the voice arrived first. Stepping out was a boot woven from celestial silk, followed by a beautiful young girl. She wore a white, wide-sleeved fairy dress adorned with all manner of ornaments, each movement causing a melodic chime of colliding jewelry.
Li Li squinted, blinded by the shimmer of her accessories.
Lü Ning’s eyes lit up when she saw Li Li. "Big Sister, was it you who sent the call for help?"
"Don't you worry! I’m very strong—I’ll definitely save you." She patted her chest with confidence.
The time for the card draw was coming to an end, and the space was about to vanish. Li Li didn't have time for words; she could only urge Lü Ning to hide her presence and aura once they were out.
The flow of time returned to normal.
Li Li allowed Yousong to drag her into the dark, foul-qi-choked forest. Yousong, acting as her Senior Brother, could not wait even a second. He funneled his spiritual energy into his palm and struck out at her with full force.
Li Li, now no stronger than an ordinary mortal, could not dodge. She flew back dozens of meters before slamming into a tree and collapsing. Crimson blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
Yousong sauntered up to her and reached out to wipe the blood splatter from her face.
"Junior Sister, Senior Brother really has no choi—"
Yousong stopped mid-sentence, his voice cutting off abruptly. He looked down, his eyes widening in disbelief.
Li Li lifted her head, a wild, exhilarating smile spreading across her lips.
"Senior Brother, the times have changed."
Clutched firmly in her hand was a pitch-black gun that glinted with a cold light. A bullet had punched clean through Yousong’s heart, and the blood that sprayed from the wound drenched Li Li’s body.