Waiting for the Immortal Tower
Chao Du drew his sword and surveyed his surroundings: the crimson moon hung in the sky, its light illuminating the bloodstained, eerie words "Jinxiu City" on the dilapidated city wall.
Looking out from the city gate, one can see mountains of corpses and seas of blood within the city, with broken wreckage and swords scattered everywhere.
Another person stood a little closer to her, saying uneasily, "Perhaps because of the formation, all my defensive magic artifacts have failed. This place is terrifying... Jinxiu City? Is this Jinxiu City?! Is this the scene from the demonic cultivators' raid on Jinxiu City many years ago?!"
Chao Du gazed at the dilapidated city gate with a complex expression, then silently nodded.
It was a terrible and cruel battle. The demonic cultivators launched a surprise attack, catching the cultivators off guard. Moreover, the cultivation sects in Jinxiu City were not good at exorcising demons, but rather at various skills related to clothing, food, housing and transportation.
For example, the Immortal Garment Pavilion, where Chaodu once worked, was skilled in weaving, embroidery and clothing making. It accepted orders from various sects to customize exclusive immortal garments for each sect, and its reputation spread far and wide. However, it was almost powerless to fight back when facing the ferocious demonic cultivators.
Chao Du could recall that terrible battle as soon as she closed her eyes: she was not at the Immortal Robe Pavilion at the time, but was learning swordsmanship at the Mountain and Sea Sect. When she received Xie Luyao's distress message and rushed over, the blood had already stained the entire city, and countless cries and screams mixed with the roars of demons pierced her eardrums.
Another Chaodu clearly recalled that battle as well, saying bitterly, "Those despicable demonic cultivators launched a surprise attack on the city and killed many of us. I received the message and rushed back immediately, but the demonic cultivators in the city were still there. I almost died there. When I was exhausted from fighting the Demon Serpent King, Buci suddenly appeared in front of me, holding his sword to block the Demon Serpent King's fangs for me. I will never forget that moment..."
Asawa: "..."
"Back then, I wasn't with him yet, and we weren't even that close." Another of Chaodu's thoughts drifted away, "Yet he risked so much to save me, bringing me out of the city despite my serious injuries. He really was a very good person, you know, his white clothes were stained with blood then, but his eyes were brighter than the edge of his sword..."
Seeing that the other party's memories were going nowhere, Chao Du coughed lightly and reminded him, "Let's look at the sword formation in front of us first, it's about to begin."
“Ah, okay.” Another Chao Du smiled sheepishly. “I can’t help but think of him back then… By the way, why is the illusion array here called Jinxiu City? I remember when he broke through the array, it was the Battle of Wuxiu City.”
Chao Du recalled for a moment and nodded: "I was also involved in the Battle of Mingming City back then."
That was a great victory for the Immortal Alliance a hundred years ago, when they vanquished demons in the demonic stronghold of Mingming City. To commemorate this great victory and destroy the demonic stronghold, the Immortal Alliance set it up as the layered illusion array of the Waiting Immortal Tower, so that every successor would remember the mission of cultivators to vanquish demons and protect the righteous path.
Chao Du searched for more memories: "In my world, it was the Immortal Alliance that decided to change it later, to warn future disciples that demonic cultivators and evil paths still exist, and we must never be complacent. Your side is probably for a similar reason. Let's go, let's meet these demons again." Chao Du drew his sword and walked into the city gate.
The scene inside the city was even more horrific. Not a single intact house could be found. The air was filled with a stench of blood and gore, and there were mangled remains and severed limbs everywhere.
Another person bent over, wanting to vomit, but forced himself to hold it in: "After the Battle of Jinxiu City, I had nightmares for a long time. I never expected to see it again today. Yaoyao died here too... I tried my best but couldn't save her and those people from Xianyi Pavilion."
Chao Du was silent for a moment, then gently patted her shoulder: "It's okay, you did your best. They're living very well in my world."
"...How did you do that?" Another Chao Du looked up at her in astonishment. The white-robed immortal stood quietly, like a clear and bright lamp, illuminating a pure land in the turbid and scarlet world.
Three massive, small, rat-like monsters, their eyes red, roared as they approached the "pure land."
"Let's talk about it later, let's deal with the immediate trouble first." Chao Du and his other self were standing side by side, but now Chao Du took a step forward, protecting his other self behind him. Then he gently swung his sword, sending out a flash of light, as if throwing a peach blossom covered in dew.
The dew-covered "peach blossoms" drifted lightly and gracefully onto the three demon rats.
They roared and ran a few more steps, then suddenly broke into six neatly cut pieces, falling outside the "pure land" and resting peacefully in front of the white-robed swordsman.
The other man, Chao Du, was dumbfounded.
As the red moon rapidly waxed and waned, six more enormous, armored demonic wolves surged forward, charging toward the two at incredible speed. But all they were met with was "a single peach blossom."
As the "peach blossoms" gracefully passed by, petals scattered all over the ground, and the thick, pungent smell of blood spread like the fragrance of flowers.
Their imposing, blood-stained armor looked like paper in front of "Peach Blossom".
"Too powerful..." another Chao Du murmured in shock, "Even Fu Buci couldn't do this. You really are an immortal. Only an immortal could wield such sword light... What's that sound? Rustling... Could it be... a snake?!"
Asakawa nodded slightly: "Yes, a swarm of demonic snakes."
Another man, Chao Du, couldn't help but gag again, saying painfully, "I remember now... back then, snakes crawled all over the city, biting and eating people everywhere. This place is so realistically recreated."
Chao Du gently patted her shoulder, sending in a wisp of calming spiritual energy. At the same time, countless demonic snakes surged up from all directions. The thinnest of them were as thick as a water bucket, and the thickest one was as thick as a dozen people could hug. Instead of attacking, it leisurely coiled upwards around her, seemingly trying to obscure the blood moon. Its body resembled a small mountain.
Another Chao Du gasped, trembling uncontrollably: "It's the Demon Serpent King! It swallowed Lu Yao and several people from the Immortal Garment Pavilion! Swords and blades couldn't pierce its scales, and its teeth were highly poisonous!"
Chao Du's eyes shone like stars: "I didn't have the chance to kill it and take revenge back then, but I can make up for that regret here."
Another Chaodu looked at Chaodu in astonishment, gradually calming down, and muttered, "That's right, you should be able to kill it, but with so many snakes, is one sword aura enough? Ah, they're surrounding us!"
Asakawa smiled: "This time, we don't need sword energy; there's a better way."
The swarm of demonic snakes attacked, and another Chaodu tried to retreat, only to find himself surrounded by them from behind.
There is no way to escape, no way to retreat!
Asakawa put his hand on her shoulder, a calm and composed smile on his face: "Don't worry, they won't get close."
She slowly raised the black jade longsword, its tip pointing upwards, with tiny sparks of lightning flashing eagerly across its blade.
"Oh, and remember to close your eyes." Asaka's voice was still lazy and casual, but her usually relaxed and carefree gaze had become sharp as a sword.
"It's about to begin—Rain!"
The black jade longsword shone brightly, and a sudden burst of snow-white, boundless lightning appeared, so bright that it was blinding and impossible to look directly at.
Streaks of lightning danced wildly in the air like a swarm of dragons, flashing intensely and illuminating the entire world, making even the blood moon pale in comparison.
Before the lightning even struck, the swarm of demonic snakes had already retreated frantically.
"They're actually so afraid of lightning!" The other Chaodu didn't close her eyes at all. Even though her eyes were stinging and tearing from the lightning, she didn't want to miss a single moment of Chaodu wielding her sword.
Perhaps it's because of these moments, which she should have had, that she has missed out on so much.
Chao Du used his free hand to gather some spiritual energy and placed it on her eyes, helping her see through the violently flashing lightning. He explained, "This isn't ordinary lightning; it's heavenly lightning that tests those who are undergoing ascension. It's extremely pure, yang, and the nemesis of such evil things. When I ascended and underwent tribulation, Qianjun Sword and I withstood eighty-one bolts of heavenly lightning and were tempered eighty-one times. When we successfully ascended after surviving the last bolt, we discovered that some of the heavenly lightning had merged into me and Qianjun Sword, becoming part of my power. In fact, if it weren't for this power merging with me, the heavenly lightning of this world might have directly reduced me to ashes."
The other man looked on with admiration and envy, his eyes glistening with tears.
As Chao Du chatted and laughed, countless bolts of heavenly lightning struck down with the tip of her sword, cleansing the world of its filth, vanquishing evil, and leaving peace and tranquility in the heavens and earth. Even the light of the blood moon became as clear as snow.
When the lightning stopped, only ashes remained, silently melting away under the clear, snow-like moonlight.
Oh, and there's also a huge, frantically fleeing figure.
Another person was so shocked that he couldn't utter a word.
Chao Du sighed softly, "The Heavenly Dao has restricted my power, otherwise I could have killed that Demon Serpent King as well. If I had had this power when I encountered that Demon Serpent King back then, I could have saved many more people."
As he spoke, Chaodu rose into the air and looked towards the Demon Serpent King, who had already fled down a street.
She raised the corners of her mouth slightly: "You escaped pretty quickly, but you can't escape."
She unleashed a flash of sword light.
This sword light seemed to be formed from moonlight, brighter and clearer than the moon in the sky, and faster and more powerful than a flying eagle or a sharp arrow. In an instant, it landed right on the serpent king's "seven-inch spot".
The Demon Serpent King crashed to the ground, completely crushing several dilapidated houses nearby.
Another Chaodu was deeply shocked: "Too strong, even that Demon Serpent King is no match for it, just one sword... But the third level is already this difficult, if it weren't for you, the others would probably have stopped here, hmm? That blood moon is starting to change again, does that mean a new level has begun?"
Chao Du landed beside her and nodded: "Every time the blood moon goes through a cycle of waxing and waning, it begins a new challenge."
"Huh? I don't see any monsters?" Another Asakawa looked around, increasingly puzzled. "Where are the monsters?"
“If you had come alone, you would have already lost.” Asahi tapped her eye with his fingertip again, helping her activate her spiritual vision. “Take a closer look.”
"If I came here by myself, I would have already stopped at the first level... This is! So many tiny insects!" another Chao Du exclaimed in surprise, "Such tiny, fine insects! They're densely packed! Is the spiritual energy shield you've set up next to us?"
Chao Du: "That's right. This is a puppet gu worm that likes to eat brain marrow. After eating it, it can control the person who is infected. Moreover, even if the person who is infected is dead, as long as the head is still there, it can still control them."
Another Chao Du exclaimed in astonishment, "That's terrifying! I remember now! After Bu Ci rescued me and took me out of the city, the demonic cultivators released these Gu worms to deal with the supporting cultivators. I heard that a large number of people were killed or injured... Bu Ci later thanked me, saying that if he hadn't left Jinxiu City early to save me, he would have died there too. But I also remember him saying 'something's not right' after he saved me. Maybe he had already sensed something and that's why he had to leave early... By the way, is your spiritual energy shield reliable?"
"What do you think?" Chao Du chuckled. "Don't be afraid. Everything here is an illusion. Even if you are infected by the Gu worms, nothing will happen to you. It's just that the Immortal Tower will only open up to the third level."
Another person, Chao Du, breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Then how do we get rid of these disgusting bugs?"
Chao Du glanced at the extremely dense Gu worms around him, and slowly raised his hands: "My spiritual power contains the power of heavenly thunder, which can overcome all evils, including these. They want to taste our brains but are afraid of my spiritual power and dare not move forward. They only dare to circle around us. So I have no choice but to take the initiative to find them."
In the next instant, her spiritual power surged, and the pure and surging spiritual power flowed outwards like a tide, appearing and disappearing in an instant. Wherever the spiritual power passed, countless Gu worms fell like a fine rain, covering the ground with a dense layer.
“Everything has its strengths and weaknesses. The puppet worms are very troublesome once they enter the brain, but they are quite vulnerable before they enter the brain.” Chao Du withdrew his hand, his white clothes spotless, as if there was a blood moon in the sky and a snow moon on the ground.
The blood moon has gone through another cycle of waxing and waning, while the snow moon remains serene and unchanging, seemingly eternal.
Another woman looked at the person beside her, her expression complex and hard to describe: envy, jealousy, melancholy, admiration... she couldn't even explain it herself.
"You stayed in Jinxiu City until the Gu worms appeared?" another Chaodu asked with mixed feelings.
Chao Du nodded: "Yao Yao was seriously injured at that time, and there were also many wounded from the Immortal Robe Pavilion and other sects. I couldn't take so many people away, so I simply stayed there, thinking that we could completely reverse the situation once more reinforcements arrived, but I didn't expect..."
Suddenly, a strange "click" sound rang out.
Asakawa sighed softly, his gaze darkening slightly: "Almost all of the reinforcements were wiped out."
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