Li Li did not open her eyes immediately, letting the other person hoist her up and carry her back to the sea cave.
Cold, damp moisture enveloped her. She didn’t need to open her eyes to know she had been picked up by a disciple of the Hehuan Sect. The Inner World was where the demon tribes lived, home to countless sects, most of which were composed of various demon races. The Hehuan Sect, however, was a unique exception; the entire sect consisted of only one species: the Merfolk.
Perhaps because the mermaid felt guilty about what she was doing, there was no sign of anyone near the sea cave, and they hadn't encountered a single person on the way there.
Yu Linglang placed her intended "furnace" on the stone bed and turned to retrieve her refining tools, muttering smugly, "This way, everything will be foolproof."
"Indeed, this way, everything will be foolproof."
Li Li slowly sat up, her black hair clinging to her porcelain-white cheeks. She looked up at the mermaid, her eyes—with their faint whites showing—emitting a cold, spectral light, like a vengeful ghost.
Yu Linglang pulled out her silk ribbons and turned to look at Li Li. As a mermaid, whose kind were known for their resplendent beauty, Yu Linglang was a disappointment; her features were plain and lackluster, entirely unmemorable. Jealousy flared in her eyes as she looked at Li Li’s face, and she threatened through gritted teeth, "You had better lie there obediently, or I can't guarantee I won't be ruthless with you."
Li Li propped up one leg, blinked at her, and asked with an air of innocence, "And if I don't?"
A violent attack was the only reply.
The red silk ribbon coiled toward her like a snake; though it appeared soft, its edges were as thin as a cicada’s wings, capable of slicing through a person's neck with ease. Li Li tapped the ground with her toes, swiftly dodging the attack, and vanished from Yu Linglang’s sight in an instant.
Yu Linglang’s entire body tensed as she frantically searched for Li Li’s silhouette.
"Are you looking for me?" The ghostly voice sounded from behind her. A slender, fair hand clamped onto her chin like an iron vise, pinning her in place.
Yu Linglang wasn't overly concerned, however. After all, this human was merely at the Qi Condensation stage, while she had long since broken through to the Golden Core stage.
Li Li saw through her thoughts and chuckled softly.
How naive.
She possessed a top-tier Water Spiritual Root. After her other spiritual roots were gouged out, she had painstakingly cultivated her water abilities, accidentally stumbling upon a method that could completely suppress aquatic demon-kind.
Her spiritual power surged through her body and concentrated in her palm, transmitting a translucent white light onto Yu Linglang. A babbling stream of water appeared in the air, gradually widening as time passed.
Pinned in place and unable to move, Yu Linglang watched in terror as the moisture was drained from her own body, feeling the suffocating agony. She wept and begged for mercy, her shrill, miserable cries echoing through the cave.
Li Li merely shook her head in silence. Although her own morals and values were twisted, she harbored a deep loathing for the act of turning women into cultivation "furnaces." Eventually, Yu Linglang could no longer even maintain her human form. Her voice rasped like a broken bellows, and amidst the rattling of her gasps, she withered into a dried corpse.
Li Li pushed the body aside and sat exhausted on the stone bed. She hadn't rested since fleeing the Dichen Sect, and her already battered, riddled body couldn't take much more.
No sooner had she lain down than the persistent voice of the System rang in her mind.
[Warning: The trajectory of events has deviated significantly. Please correct the course, host. Furthermore, the Lingnan Secret Realm is about to open. Please locate the Ancient Divine Sword and hand it over to the mission target, Lou Fengyin. Failure to complete this task will trigger an S-level penalty.]
The "S-level penalty" it spoke of was mental destruction. She had triggered it once when she first transmigrated into this world and resisted after having her spiritual roots ripped out. The System had shattered her mind and Divine Sense into fragments; while under the punishment, she hadn't even remembered she was a human with dignity and consciousness. In the end, she had been forced to suppress all her resentment, carve out her own four spiritual roots to offer to the sect and Lou Fengyin, and even smile through gritted teeth at the very person who possessed her stolen power. What a grand punishment that had been.
Li Li clutched her throbbing forehead. She wanted to kill Lou Fengyin and be done with it; if it came to it, they could just die together. But she couldn't die. There was something far too important left to do.
Now that she had offended the Dichen Sect, she had essentially offended the entire cultivation world. She certainly couldn't enter the Lingnan Secret Realm with her real face.
Li Li shifted her gaze leisurely toward the dried corpse on the floor. Spiritual power and a cultivator’s face were the most effective ways to identify someone, so a simple human-skin mask wouldn't suffice. She needed to disguise herself as a mermaid and mimic the aura of her spiritual power.
It seemed she had no choice but to draw another card.
A searing heat enveloped Li Li, bringing her into the familiar space with its familiar layout. The ancient book in the center still emitted a faint white light—not blinding, but impossible to ignore. The pages turned rapidly before stopping at the title page.
Unlike last time, the entire space had become dreamlike, as if she had entered another dimension. Deep green trees grew wildly, obscuring the sky, and a low, ethereal singing drifted into her ears. It felt as if an ancient breeze, carrying the refreshing scent of grass and trees, was brushing against her face. In this dense forest, Li Li beheld the card she had drawn this time.
She was so breathtaking that to look longer felt like a desecration.
"S-rank card: Elf Queen, Master of Illusions, Nie Ai."
The hallucination in the space vanished, and a woman with long silver hair descended from above, landing before Li Li. She wore a pale green dress. Her porcelain-white, translucent face featured perfect, flawless features, and magnificent wings refracted a soft light. Those cherry-blossom-glass eyes were fixed intently on Li Li.
Her voice was like a clear mountain breeze, filled with infinite indulgence. "I felt your call, my dear. How may I assist you?"
Li Li appreciated all beautiful things, but she was no slave to looks. Yet, facing Nie Ai’s face, she couldn't help but be momentarily struck speechless.
"Can your illusions change my temperament and spiritual power?"
Nie Ai cast her gaze toward the dried corpse, her wings fluttering. Luminescent light rained down upon Li Li. "Of course. I have come to this world for you; I am happy to resolve any difficulties you may have."
The feeling of being bathed in the light was miraculous; every pore on her body seemed to open and sigh in relief. Li Li raised her hand and unleashed a water-based attack; the rock she struck split in two, but what surged forth wasn't spiritual energy, but the demonic aura unique to the Hehuan Sect's secret techniques. Even her face was now identical to the late Yu Linglang.
"Remove the illusion from my face. There are too many capable people in the cultivation world; they might spot the flaw."
Nie Ai nodded, her slender fingers brushing over Li Li's face.
Li Li hoisted the dried corpse onto the stone bed and pressed a blade against that unrecognizable face. Just as she was about to cut, she sensed someone approaching rapidly. The newcomer had significant cultivation and immense speed—in the blink of an eye, they had reached the entrance of the sea cave!