CHAPTER 39

— The Gate of Hell —

What... just happened?

Tong Tong shook her head, dizzy from the sudden weightlessness, and opened her eyes, only to meet a pair of eyes as deep as the night sky. Her bl0od rushed, her heart pounded like a drum, and she found herself unable to move—how could there be such beautiful eyes in this world?

If only she could gaze into them for a lifetime, how wonderful that would be...

Su Yan was half a head taller than her. When the white light flashed, in her urgency, she had wrapped an arm around Tong Tong's waist, pulling her close to protect her. As a result, their bodies were pressed tightly together—Tong Tong looking up, Su Yan looking down, their lips less than three inches apart. So close that she could feel the warmth of the other's breath, so close that it seemed a slight, inadvertent lean or rise onto her toes would bring her lips to that pale cherry color... just a slight, inadvertent movement...

As if enchanted, Tong Tong half-closed her eyes and slowly rose onto her toes... Watching the girl's tender lips draw nearer, Su Yan's brows unconsciously furrowed. The hand resting on Tong Tong's waist stiffened, torn between stillness and retreat.

Gazing into the misty brown eyes beneath those trembling lashes, Su Yan's expression softened, silently allowing Tong Tong's cautious approach... Just as their lips were about to meet, a frivolous male voice abruptly rang out: "Hey! We of the Tianwei Sect are conducting trials here! Who are you? State your names!"

As if suddenly awakened, Su Yan tightened her grip on Tong Tong's waist, pulling them apart. She turned and summoned Changhong, the softness on her face vanishing completely, replaced by a cold, stern demeanor that masked the annoyance and fluster of being interrupted.

Behind her, a dramatic "井 [water well]" character appeared on Tong Tong's forehead as a wave of fury surged within her.

T/N: [The Chinese character 井 (jǐng, meaning "water well") looks exactly like a # (hash or pound sign), authors use it to describe that "vein-popping" look. It represents the physical manifestation of high bl0od pressure or a "throbbing" temple caused by irritation.]

—'D@mn it! Where did these guys come from?!'

'We were... we were just about to kiss... Sob... Even though I wasn't ready to shift from being senior brother and junior sister to lovers with the big iceberg, it was such a rare chance to steal a kiss—and her lips looked so soft, they must feel amazing... A kiss wouldn't get anyone pregnant!'

But such a perfect moment was completely ruined by these so-called Tianwei Sect members!

—'So frustrating!'

Tong Tong suppressed the urge to vomit bl0od, silently took a few steps back, and picked up Cookie, who now had a few extra golden tufts of fur on its forehead. Inwardly, she prayed with a dark heart that Su Yan would unleash her divine might and wipe out these clueless fools.

"Well, well, look at this pretty boy! Such a delicate face—come here and let me have a feel!" The young man who had spoken was stunned by Su Yan's beauty as she turned around, his expression instantly turning lecherous. Yet, he remained oblivious to the imposing aura radiating from her—either he was incredibly powerful or lust had clouded his judgment. Clearly, he belonged to the latter category.

A more composed man beside him whispered, "Junior Brother, don't be careless. This person's cultivation is not ordinary..."

Hearing this, the young man immediately focused his spiritual sense to probe, only to find he couldn't discern the cultivation level of the "pretty boy" he had just belittled—only those with higher cultivation could see through others, and even those on the same level could barely manage. This could only mean that the exceptionally handsome cultivator in black robes before him had a higher cultivation level than his own.

The young man instantly regretted his recklessness, but after comparing the numbers on both sides, he regained some courage. For this outing, their sect had dispatched all its elite members. As the son of the sect leader, his father had assigned three mid-stage Golden Core cultivators and one late-stage Golden Core cultivator as his bodyguards. Combined with his own mid-stage Golden Core cultivation, even if this beautiful "pretty boy" was at the peak of Golden Core, they still had a fighting chance. As for Tong Tong, who was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, and Cookie, who looked utterly non-combative, he had already chosen to ignore them.

"What's there to fear? We have five fighters on our side..." Before he could finish his sentence, he saw the corner of Su Yan's lips curl slightly, and a flash of crimson light sped toward him, too fast for him to react.

"Now there are four." The icy voice sent an involuntary shiver down his spine, filling him with a chilling dread. Then, he heard his senior brother cry out in terror, "J-Junior Brother! Y-Your arm!"

—His arm? What was wrong with his arm... It hurt!

"Ahhh—!" It was only then that he felt an excruciating pain erupt from his left shoulder, bl0od spurting out as his entire left arm separated from his body.

The intense agony knocked him unconscious.

"Spare us, Great One! Spare us Great One..." Seeing how she had severed one of their own's arm with a single sword strike, even while they were surrounded and protected, the remaining disciples were terrified out of their wits, kneeling and begging for mercy.

As the group wailed and pleaded loudly, Su Yan twirled her sword, its tip pointing directly at them, and said coldly, "Begone."

Panicked, the disciples scrambled to lift the unconscious young man, with one of them clutching his severed arm, and fled as fast as they could.

With a cold snort, her ink-black eyes devoid of any emotion, Su Yan glanced back at Tong Tong, who stood there dumbfounded as if in shock. An inexplicable irritation surged within her, and she curled her lips mockingly. "What, scared?"

—Good. She was no saint to begin with. Let this foolish girl see her true nature early on and stay far away. That way, she wouldn't have to worry about being driven mad by this troublemaker in the future... Though her mind reasoned this way, the bitterness welling up in her chest couldn't deceive her—indeed, she still cared somewhat.

"Wow! Senior Brother, that move just now was so cool!" After a moment of silence, Tong Tong suddenly spoke up, her words catching Su Yan off guard. The chill in her eyes melted away like ice and snow. "He actually dared to harass you—even if you hadn't taken action, I would've taught him a lesson myself!"

Raising an eyebrow, clearly not expecting Tong Tong's reaction, Su Yan stared intently into her eyes, as if trying to peer into her heart. "Don't you think..."

"Ah, I know what you're thinking. Actually, I wasn't really scared... well, maybe just a little! Though cutting off someone's arm is a bit excessive... but who told him to harass you first! If it were some other delicate girl, who knows what might've happened! Besides, you spared his life—that's already showing him a lot of face!" Tong Tong tilted her head, speaking with an air of seriousness.

Her clear, transparent gaze didn't seem like she was lying, yet it made Su Yan frown slightly. She didn't feel much comfort from her words—from what she implied, in her mind, Su Yan was a ruthless, cold-bl0oded demon. So, merely cutting off that person's arm this time was already an act of extraordinary leniency, and she shouldn't feel any psychological pressure at all?

—'I really shouldn't expect too much from this girl...'

Su Yan sighed silently, feeling somewhat helpless, yet the knot of frustration and bitterness in her chest suddenly dissipated.

Glancing around briefly and comparing it to the beginner's guide she had once read, she confirmed their location—the Gate of Hell.

The rectangular cave seemed man-made, yet the jagged, eerie rocks on both sides made one marvel at nature's uncanny craftsmanship. The reddish-brown clay reflected a hazy, bl0od-like hue under the dim light, sending chills down one's spine... They were already beyond the range of the Hundred Ghost Cave, but this place was even more perilous. It was said that many elite disciples had perished here. Who knew whether being teleported here was a blessing or a curse?

Her gaze swept past Cookie's forehead, and understanding dawned on her: there was an extra tuft of gold on its forehead, a sign of advancement. Perhaps it had gained new insights into formations, inadvertently triggering the teleportation array and bringing them here... It seemed the Ningzhi Ghost's body was indeed a rare treasure. Unfortunately, they had come in a hurry and hadn't brought it along. Now, they had no idea how to return to the Hundred Ghost Cave, so they could only take things one step at a time.

Having made up her mind, Su Yan instructed Tong Tong to stay put. She formed several ice arrows in her hand and shot them toward the Kan [North] and Li [South] positions according to the Eight Trigrams. However, with two "thud" sounds, the ice arrows seemed to hit something solid, shattering into ice dust after a crisp crack—yet when she looked up, there was clearly nothing there.

Tong Tong, who had been holding Cookie and watching closely, paled. Unconvinced, she rubbed her eyes but only saw dust particles floating in the air, with no tangible object that could block the ice arrows.

"This is... a ghost wall." Su Yan frowned and shot two more arrows toward the *Gen [Northeast]*and Dui [West] directions—the result was the same, confirming her judgment.

"G-g-ghost wall?" Tong Tong repeated, her mind recalling the scientific explanation her middle school teacher had given: "A cognitive disorder caused by biological signal disruption, leading to a loss of directional awareness..."

—Wait, that doesn't make sense? It doesn't match the current situation at all!

At this thought, Tong Tong immediately pulled out that little yellow booklet, squinting as she flipped through it again and again, until she finally found a short passage of introductory text: "The division of heaven and earth, the qi of yin and yang, elusive and confusing, like a ghost wall, the path of life and death, easy to know but hard to change, a minor formation may yet break it."

—'What does that mean?'

Tong Tong pinched the little yellow booklet between two fingers, shaking it until it rustled noisily. She mumbled the mantra-like introduction, half-understanding, half-confused, unable to make sense of it.

Seeing her frown in frustration, Su Yan actually chuckled lightly, crossing her arms and tilting her chin toward her. "Have you forgotten about Cookie?"

"Cookie? What's wrong with it?" Confused, she lifted it up by its armpits, holding it high overhead, and met its round golden eyes. Tong Tong thought for a moment, then suddenly exclaimed with delight, "Right! How could I have forgotten! This little guy is a Zouyu!"

—Zouyu's ability: The eyes that shatter all laws, the tail that weaves all formations.

"Because you're slow." Seeing she had figured it out, Su Yan gave her a cool glance, mocking her—though the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, and a gentle smile flickered in her eyes.

Ignoring Su Yan's teasing, Tong Tong affectionately nuzzled Cookie's head and earnestly instructed, "Cookie! Whether your master can stand tall and proud in front of my senior brother depends entirely on you! You must not let down my earnest hopes and dedicated nurturing! Oh, and don't forget all those delicacies and exquisite snacks... Succeed, and you'll get double; fail, and they're all gone! Understood?"

The golden eyes blinked innocently. Cookie stuck out its pink tongue and licked Tong Tong's chin, letting out a soft cry: "Awoo!"

"Great, let's begin!" Full of confidence, Tong Tong set it down, took a few quick steps to Su Yan's side, and led her over to Cookie. Holding her breath, she waited for Cookie to activate the formation.

With its limbs stretched out, its long tail swishing rapidly, and its small body tensed, the golden rune on its forehead glowed brightly. Slowly, a circular wheel appeared on the ground, white light points gathered, and ancient characters began to form one by one... Just as the white light was about to surge, Su Yan's heart tightened. Moving like lightning, she wrapped one arm around Tong Tong, scooped up Cookie with the other, and leaped out of the nearly completed formation—two streaks of green light flashed past, and two feathered arrows embedded themselves into the circular formation. A sinister laugh echoed as four figures suddenly appeared within the formation—familiar faces.

Su Yan narrowed her phoenix-like eyes, a hint of k!lling intent in her tone: "Qianyu Sect?"

—The ones who had failed to ambush them and now occupied the formation were none other than the Liang Hui and Liang Yao brothers, Xue'er, whom they had encountered before, and the Young Sect Master of Qianyu Sect, Zhu Yingyi.

Liang Yao, dressed like an African tribesman, was the one who had just attacked. Seeing his strike had failed, he didn't seem too disappointed, as if that hadn't been his original intention. Meanwhile, the young sect master, who looked like a mere child, held a small black beast in her arms and sighed regretfully: "I never imagined Xue'er's concealment ability was so strong, yet you still detected a slight ripple. Otherwise, you definitely wouldn't have escaped the attack!"

With an innocent and harmless face, her words carried a viciousness that left Tong Tong wide-eyed—truly, appearances can be deceiving!

"Our sect has heard of the Zouyu's ability to break formations but has been unfortunate enough not to obtain one. Trapped in this formation for a long time with no solution, we had no choice but to borrow it. We hope you'll understand." Xue'er spoke softly and politely, but Tong Tong couldn't help rolling her eyes—seriously, stealing someone's opportunity and still making excuses!

"We'll take our leave first, haha!" Liang Hui's laughter faded as the four of them vanished into the white light.

"D@mn it!" Stroking Cookie, who was exhausted from activating the formation, Tong Tong felt both heartache and anger. She could only stomp her feet in frustration before turning to look at Su Yan.

Though her face was cold, her eyes seemed thoughtful. She stared at the spot where the teleportation formation had appeared for a long time, her beautiful eyes half-closed, and finally, she actually smiled.

—'Hey, hey! Could the big iceberg have gone mad from anger?'

Tong Tong stared at her in panic, debating whether to pinch her pressure points or simply push her down to perform CPR or artificial respiration...

Just then, Su Yan extended a jade-like finger and lifted the chin of—Cookie in Tong Tong's arms—gently saying, "Good child, it's your first time setting up an array. Making mistakes is only natural. Don't lose heart."

"Awoo~" The cookie obediently let her stroke its chin, letting out a cheerful little cry, its listless expression now gone.

"Huh?" Tong Tong stared blankly at the delicate fingertip, instinctively asking in return.

"Cookie didn't know the coordinates for the next level, so it reversed the array, turning it back toward where we came from." Su Yan explained unhurriedly.

"Heh heh..." Realizing something, Tong Tong's lips twitched slightly. She felt a lingering fear but couldn't help feeling relieved: 'Xue'er, my girl—words cannot express my gratitude for such a great favor. I owe you one!'

Inside the Hundred Ghost Cave, facing several piles of lotus-pink ice shards and the slowly creeping Ningzhi ghosts in the distance, the four members of the Qianyu Sect exchanged glances and retreated step by step.

The girl holding the black little beast, her face ashen, kicked the Liang brothers beside her to the ground. Pouting, she threw herself into Xue'er's arms, grumbling unhappily, "They're liars, wuwu—"

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