The Fairy: From the Traveling Merchant

Chapter 1041 Thoughts and Perseverance (Part 2)

Dong Caiyu, who was being nagged by Bai Xue, was currently enjoying a drink in the pavilion of her own manor.

She lay sprawled on a wooden chair, her clothes disheveled, her eyes closed, her rosy lips opening and closing rhythmically, and a faint blush on her fair cheeks, much like a woman taking a nap after indulging in a drink.

But in reality, she was comprehending the principles and methods of a supernatural power called "the Way of Passion".

Yes, the female swordswoman, who is usually heroic, sharp, and has a stunning appearance, is actually practicing the "Path of Passion" as a secondary cultivation method, and she seems to have mastered it to a high level, not far from "comprehensive mastery".

The "Path of Passion" is not a heretical or evil path in essence, but a proper and orthodox method derived from the "Yin-Yang" Dao. It is said to have originated from the elusive "Taiji Daojun", and similar lineages can be found in the scripture pavilions of various major sects.

For example, within the "Flower Goddess Sect" there is a lineage of "Lust and Desire," whose highest achievement in the true transmission of the "Six Illuminations of the Lotus Sutra," "Twin Blossoms of One Heart," is ranked second only to the Great Supernatural Power.

Of course, Dong Caiyu's "Begonia Spring Rain Technique" was far inferior to the true teachings of the upper sect, and she had only mastered one of the sixth-grade divine abilities of this technique, "Flower Blooms in an Instant".

This is an auxiliary divine power, with an effect similar to the "emptiness of the four elements" state that Zhao Chen achieved after "dual cultivation." It can temporarily enhance a cultivator's comprehension, allowing them to perceive laws and comprehend principles.

Dong Caiyu kept the secret of how she cultivated this supernatural power a secret, not even telling her fellow disciples in Fengyin Pavilion.

After all, the reputation of the "Path of Passion" is well-known, and even if it is a legitimate path, it is not easy to talk about it... Especially since "Wind Chant Pavilion" is a sect dominated by female cultivators, and it also operates many entertainment industries on Three Immortal Islands. If word gets out, not only will the sect's reputation be damaged, but her carefully cultivated image as a cold and aloof sword cultivator will be completely ruined.

Speaking of which, the female disciples of "Wind Whisper Pavilion" have always had a good reputation. They are the first choice for surrounding sects and families to find partners for their disciples. In fact, many female cultivators join Wind Whisper Pavilion in order to use it as a stepping stone to marry into a powerful family...

The current sect leader, Ling Wei, was quite pleased with this. Firstly, it would give the disciples another way out and a brighter future. Secondly, it would help the sect build good relationships. Thirdly, it would give them a reason to intervene when some forces were declining. Why not?

However, these are the choices of ordinary disciples; female cultivators who aspire to supernatural powers rarely seek a Daoist partner early on.

Is it because they have unwavering faith in the Dao and only have the path to enlightenment in their eyes?

Dong Caiyu knew she wasn't one of them. As a sixth-grade cultivator with no future prospects, she wasn't qualified to talk about Dao heart. As far as she knew, among the four cultivators with supernatural abilities in Fengyin Pavilion, only Pavilion Master Ling Wei might truly be single-mindedly pursuing the Dao and therefore didn't have a Dao partner. The others were just like her, merely creating a "persona" and waiting for a better price to sell.

Senior Sister "Palace Master Fuyao" Fu Man is portrayed as "noble and elegant" and "knowledgeable". After all, the Fu family she comes from used to be a prominent family, but it declined more than a hundred years ago. However, the last bit of the Fu family's heritage is in Fu Man's hands, so she is still quite popular.

Junior sister Bai Xue, nicknamed "Yunxiu Qingpin," follows the path of "deep affection" and "strength" that evokes pity. Although she claims to have a Daoist partner who was inspired to travel after Bai Xue's advancement in supernatural powers and has not returned since, Dong Caiyu has never seen this Daoist partner... Or rather, this person probably did exist and can withstand investigation, but the specific relationship between him and Bai Xue is uncertain.

As for Dong Caiyu herself, her innate divine power is "Wind Chant Sword," which naturally makes her a "cool and aloof swordswoman." She is sharp and intimidating, yet exudes a unique charm. In addition, in terms of appearance, she is one of the best in Wind Chant Pavilion, and she and Pavilion Master Lingwei each have their own merits, so she has won many fans.

However, none of these suitors caught her eye. They were mostly of low to mid-grade magical abilities, and some were even at the Gang Sha realm, which was less promising than her.

She actually dreamed that her future husband would find her the "treasure of reincarnation" or the "moonlight" potion from Taixi!

—For cultivators below the fourth rank with supernatural powers, the path ahead in Great Xia is blocked. Their only hope is to risk becoming a "wizard," but the prerequisite is to first cross the third ladder of supernatural powers.

"Ah..." Dong Caiyu let out a long breath, the rosy color fading from her face. She stood up, straightened her clothes, and sighed:
"Although the 'Flower Blooms in an Instant' supernatural power is effective, its duration is too short and it cannot be used continuously. Moreover, the most profound understanding it brings is of the 'lust' law..."

"But this is still much better than when I try to perceive the profound meaning of the laws myself!"
"If I rely on myself alone, I'm afraid I won't even be able to touch the edge of the Third Heavenly Ladder in my lifetime..."

After her reflection, Dong Caiyu glanced at the "Seven Illusions of Love Wine" on the small table—an auxiliary item she had specially brewed to use the "Flower Blooms in an Instant" supernatural power. She shook her head and said, "This wine isn't as effective as before. Perhaps my inner world has adapted. Next time, I'll have to choose a different kind of medicinal wine that can immerse me in the 'Illusory Realm of Desire'."

"We have to secretly collect the recipes and ingredients, without getting caught..."

As she was pondering, Dong Caiyu's consciousness was suddenly triggered, and she couldn't help but be surprised: "At this time, who would contact me by telegram?"

The moment the thought crossed her mind, the telegraph machine in the manor automatically received the message, and a series of encrypted messages entered her mind in an orderly fashion, quickly being translated into text.

"Junior Sister Bai is in danger off the coast of Kashima, off course? She wants me to go and meet her?" Dong Caiyu frowned upon seeing the telegram. Instead of rushing off, she thought for a moment and then invited several friends to go with her.

After all, Bai Xue is a fourth-grade divine power expert. If she can't handle the danger, it would be pointless for me to go alone.

When the group arrived at the "Seeking Immortals," they found a ship full of wounded, but the enemy they had anticipated was nowhere to be found.

After sending her "friends" to treat the disciples of Fengyin Pavilion, Dong Caiyu pulled Bai Xue aside and, while covering the surroundings with her divine sense, asked in a deep voice, "What happened?"

Knowing the urgency of the situation, Bai Xue succinctly recounted the predicament of the Three Immortal Islands and the recent incident of "Young Master Wang" slaying the monster with his sword. She concluded by saying, "Although Young Master Wang is quite strong, he may not be able to defeat those demons and monsters. We need to organize reinforcements as soon as possible."

After hearing Bai Xue's words, Dong Caiyu's "cold" face showed obvious anxiety. Although she had all sorts of ulterior motives, she still had a lot of feelings for the sect.

Moreover, her relatives are all on the Three Immortals Island. Once the island's protective formation is breached, the consequences are unimaginable.

Knowing that her senior sister was flustered, Bai Xue quickly took her hand and comforted her, "Senior Sister Dong, there's no need to panic. Young Master Wang has already gone to the Three Immortal Islands. With him there, the sect should be safe for the time being."

She had been just as panicked as her senior, but after Zhao Chen agreed to the rescue, she was miraculously relieved, after all, she had witnessed firsthand how powerful he was.

Influenced by her junior sister's composure, Dong Caiyu also calmed herself down, forcing herself to remain calm, and said with a wry smile, "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, junior sister... I've always prided myself on being calm and composed, but I never expected to panic like this..."

She paused, not continuing, and then rationally analyzed, "Just as that young master Wang said, given the current situation around Deer Island, the 'Commander of the Army' would certainly not leave the island to rescue us. Inviting allies will take time, and nighttime is not suitable for crossing the sea together; the earliest we can do is tomorrow morning." At this point, she couldn't help but ask worriedly, "Is that young master Wang really as strong as you say? Can he buy that much time on his own?"

"You'll naturally have doubts if you haven't seen it with your own eyes... But I can say with certainty that although Young Master Wang has only recently achieved supernatural powers, his actual combat strength is probably above that of the Pavilion Master."

"Moreover, he is most likely accompanied by a protector, and may even be carrying other powerful treasures." Bai Xue said this with great certainty, and there was also a hint of "sharing the honor".

With such an obvious tone, how could Dong Caiyu not understand? Even though she was nervous, she couldn't help but tease her with a bit of amusement: "What? Are you feeling the heat of spring and want to eat some tender grass?"

Bai Xue didn't take this kind of teasing to heart. Instead, she shook her head and said, "I've already pledged myself to the sect... If Young Master Wang really saves the Three Immortal Islands, I'll have to be his slave from now on."

Dong Caiyu was taken aback upon hearing this, then her eyes widened and she said, "Playing this big?"

She never expected that her junior sister, who was also trying to cultivate a persona and "wait for a high price," would act so impulsively and unwisely.

“You don’t understand…” Bai Xue shook her head and didn’t say anything more, but she thought to herself: You have no idea about Young Master Wang’s charm! It wasn’t obvious when we met last time, but after seeing his demeanor in battle, it’s impossible to shake it off from my mind.

Even if it meant being a slave or servant, I would be willing to follow such a person.

Dong Caiyu didn't understand, but was quite shocked. She even suspected that her junior sister had been possessed by some evil supernatural power, since the "Begonia Spring Rain Skill" she practiced also contained similar seductive methods.

After checking, I found nothing. I could only sigh that I might have misjudged her... Maybe Bai Shimei's "deep affection" is not a persona, but her true nature?

Seeing this, Bai Xue was speechless. She quickly interrupted her senior sister's wild thoughts and began to discuss with her which family to ask for help from.

……

The protective formation of the Three Immortal Islands is called the "Three Lights Welcoming Immortals Formation". It is a variation of the basic Three Talents Formation. It uses the three lights of the sun, moon and stars as a guide to bring back some spiritual imprints left by the "Dongxuan" ancestor of Fengyin Pavilion.

To be honest, while the defensive capabilities of this formation are quite good among those at the supernatural level, they are not top-tier. Its greatest function is actually to gather energy and reduce some of the calamities faced by supernatural cultivators on the island, especially the lightning tribulations when crossing the Heavenly Ladder.

It can be said that the formation played a crucial role in Ling Wei's ability to cross the third heavenly ladder, despite her humble background.

But at this moment, facing as many as twelve demons and monsters at the supernatural level, and countless sea beasts of all sizes, the formation appeared to be on the verge of collapse...

Fortunately, Ling Wei is not the only one with supernatural powers on the Three Immortals Island. In addition to Fu Man, the "Palace Master of Fuyao" of her own Fengyin Pavilion, there is also a retainer from the Fuhai Chamber of Commerce who came to check the accounts.

Although this Yu Gongfeng is only an eighth-rank supernatural being, he happens to be in charge of the "star" position of the "Three Lights Welcoming Immortals Formation," allowing the power of the formation to be fully displayed, which is why it has lasted until now.

At this moment, Lingwei Pavilion Master, with her full head of silver hair fluttering in the wind, stood in the sky above the "Sun" position. Above her head was her foundational artifact-type divine power, the "Heavenly Ruins Gale Tower." She waved a command flag in her hand, wielding the power of the grand formation to condense a golden phantom. She unleashed a beam of light carrying blazing flames at the various grotesque monsters and sea beasts surging in like a tidal wave from the sea, illuminating most of the night sky and setting the enemies ablaze.

But the divine light that should have reduced the sea beasts to ashes was blocked by a black flame unleashed by a tall, humanoid monster covered in black and red armor, and both were extinguished at the same time.

Among the demons and monsters that emerged from the sea and besieged Ling Wei, there were seven whose auras were just as powerful as the humanoid figure in black and red armor!
In addition, five other heads are attacking the "Moon" and "Star" positions located in the other two locations of the Three Powers.

From the afternoon until now, close to midnight, even with her profound magical power, Ling Wei felt the fatigue creeping into her body... Although she hadn't reached her limit yet, continuing to fight would likely make her increasingly powerless.

But she had no choice but to fight. If she allowed the enemy to attack the formation, the "Three Lights Welcoming Immortals Formation" would have been broken long ago.

Ling Wei glanced back at the county town below, gritted her teeth, and decided to hold on a little longer to see if there was any chance of a turnaround. After all, she could still retreat back to the Fengyin Pavilion in the center of the island and rely on the "magic weapon" passed down by her ancestor to hold out until reinforcements arrived. But if she did that, the residents of the three counties on the island would be doomed.

Although she was selfish, exchanging sect resources for materials to make longevity pills, she also had her own principles!
Thus, this supernatural master, with her stunning beauty, graceful figure, and appearance resembling a young woman of sixteen, resolutely activated her secret technique, burning away her remaining lifespan.

She needs to concentrate all her efforts on killing one or two monsters first. This will not only relieve the pressure later, but may also temporarily intimidate the enemy and give her side a chance to catch their breath.

She spat out a mouthful of blood essence onto her innate divine power, the "Heavenly Ruins Gale Tower." The tower, whose surface was already riddled with wounds, immediately expanded and merged with the golden phantom formed by the array, unleashing a terrifying storm of light.

That wasn't all. The "Heavenly Ruins Gale Tower" also took advantage of the storm to fly over the head of the black and red armored monster, suppressing the strange "domain-type" divine power surrounding it.

—The supernatural powers of objects like towers and palaces, regardless of the laws they contain, inherently possess the ability to suppress.

On the other side, Zhao Chen had just approached the Three Immortal Islands on his sword when he saw Ling Wei's desperate attack.

He couldn't help but nod to himself. Whatever his previous thoughts were, seeing this scene now, he decided that he had to save the Three Immortal Islands no matter what.

"Since we have the ability, we can't let such cultivators suffer..." As Zhao Chen thought this, he scanned the monsters and beasts besieging the island with his divine sense and quickly discovered something was wrong. They all had some "dragon" bloodline.

"This can't be a coincidence... In other words, it's very likely that it was lured here by the pearls of the Crimson and Azure Dragons?"

"After all this time, isn't it still my and Danfei's fault?!"

(End of this chapter)