Chapter 1 The Inferno

Endless pillars of fire erupted from the summit of the Divine Shrine Mountain!

The fire pillars were too dazzling!

So much so that they pierced through the inky clouds overhead!

The woman stood, umbrella lowered, silently gazing into the distance. Enveloped in the swirling flames, she resembled a deity descended to earth. Black blossoms danced and fluttered around the fire, like butterflies… It was a beautiful scene, in truth.

If it weren’t for the dead.

All the extraordinary individuals of the Li Clan Elder Council were rooted to the spot, stunned.

The heat of ten thousand degrees had just washed over them.

And after the boundless fire subsided…

The Second Elder, who had stood in its path, had completely vanished.

Li Xuan sat sprawled on the ground. At its closest, the blazing flames from the Flame Demon Umbrella were only inches from him… He could even feel his eyebrows singeing.

He felt as though he had just witnessed a magic trick.

Turning a living person into thin air.

Or rather… burying a living person alive.

The clear, cold voice echoed once more from the mountaintop.

Chu Ling shook the scalding hot Flame Demon Umbrella and said softly to the elders, "That one just now… he passed peacefully, without pain."

Having said that,

She raised her head and asked earnestly, "Who else wants to try?"

Silence.

Unprecedented silence.

Not even the sound of swallowing could be heard.

On the summit, only the black blossoms fluttered like butterflies, and the inky clouds, scattered by the fiery pillar.

"Divine Maiden…"

Someone called out, the first to break the silence.

Immediately after, another called out.

“…Divine Maiden, Your Grace!”

A subtle shift occurred in the address.

More and more people began to cry out the name of the Divine Maiden. As the cries surged like a tide, the posture of the extraordinary individuals surrounding the mountaintop also changed. They made way for Chu Ling, and for the two sisters of the Li Clan.

Such is the nature of the “human” collective.

Sometimes, gentle words are far less effective than an iron fist.

Chu Ling lowered her head thoughtfully, looking at the hissing, smoking tip of the umbrella, feeling the subtle, complex emotions transmitted from the "self" in her mind… So this was "learning through practice."

She would never have experienced such real emotions sitting in the Ling Ling Yao’s carriage.

If you want people to listen, you don’t need a loud voice.

But your fist must be hard enough.

……

……

The situation seemed to have returned to control.

Li Qingsui’s face was pale.

When the Flame Demon Umbrella unleashed its boundless pillar of fire, she was almost knocked over by the fierce wind. She clutched tightly at her sister's sleeve to keep from staggering… It was a scene that could almost be called a “miracle.”

However, the little girl's perception was extremely acute.

She had once held the Flame Demon Umbrella and felt the impact of its full power, so she knew very well… that she could never unleash that level of "destructive force."

No matter who the master was, it would be the same!

Because the Flame Demon Umbrella's storage capacity was limited.

The destructive force of this umbrella depended on the amount of "extraordinary source material" the host could wield!

When that pillar of fire erupted, she saw the black blossoms fluttering and dancing in the distant sky, and she saw those black blossoms being consumed and annihilated after the pillar of fire had dissipated… turning into nothing more than ethereal embers.

Clearly… every such attack consumed the extraordinary source material of Divine Shrine Mountain.

There were countless black blossoms here, inexhaustible and inexhaustible.

And the "Divine Maiden's" power seemed to be able to directly harness these "collapsed order" of extraordinary source material?

This was… too terrifying.

Li Qingci's lips were somewhat parched.

As the "Guardian," although her will was firm and her faith had never wavered… deep down, she still had "doubts." Why did so many Guardians of the Li Clan firmly believe that the Divine Maiden's appearance would directly resolve the crisis of "Divine Shrine Mountain?"

Now she understood.

Divine Shrine Mountain was a disaster for mortals.

But for "Miss Chu," it was an endless treasure trove.

Here, she could use the black blossoms to fight to her heart's content… Every black blossom was her battle power. It was more accurate to say that the Guardians of the Divine Shrine were waiting for her birth, but rather this Divine Shrine Mountain was waiting for her birth.

The entire mountain was her "birth gift!"

But…

She also sensed something "unusual."

The Divine Maiden's body did not seem to be made of flesh and blood.

The Prayer Technique endowed her with a perception far beyond that of others… Li Qingci had once used her magic to look at Chu Ling. What she saw was a "divine body" shimmering with golden light. Pure extraordinary source material flowed through that divine body, as well as the basic emotions transmitted by the four bronze figure lamps.

Could such a body really exist in the world for long?

Both of them were worried, but this hint of worry was not written on their faces.

They thought… there would be another great battle next.

But looking at the situation,

There would be no more… With Li Changchi dead, the Elder Council had wavered once again. Perhaps this was just feigned "compromise," but with the Divine Maiden present, at least within Divine Shrine Mountain, there was no need to worry about accidents.

"You… why haven't you left yet? What are you waiting for?"

After a moment's thought, Chu Ling spoke again.

She thought to herself that she was the Divine Maiden that the Li Clan had waited six hundred years for… and she was wearing such an ancient robe. Perhaps speaking in more ancient terms would be more convincing.

However, this small detail went unnoticed.

These words were a relief to many people.

These extraordinary individuals gathered on the mountaintop had long wanted to leave… but with the Divine Maiden not speaking, who would dare to leave first?

The Second Elder had already been "evaporated."

As soon as these words were spoken, these extraordinary individuals hurriedly began to descend the mountain. A breeze blew by, and some noticed… there were black butterflies fluttering in the air.

No.

On closer inspection, these were not butterflies.

But rather, "black blossoms" of collapsed order!

These black blossoms were falling in the air, descending the mountain with them… Those who noticed this scene were terrified. Clearly, the Divine Maiden was watching them!

Halfway down, the Divine Maiden's voice echoed in everyone's heart.

"Only descend the mountain, do not leave the boundary… Next, the Clan Head will issue orders."

……

……

The summit of the Divine Shrine Mountain regained its tranquility.

Li Qingsui's tense expression finally eased. She stared blankly at the Divine Maiden who was independent of the world in the distance, and did not recover until the embers of the Second Elder fell in front of her, realizing that all of this was real.

"Chu…"

Li Qingsui said cautiously, "Divine Maiden Sister?"

Chu Ling, who was expressionlessly gazing into the distance, turned her head after hearing the voice, her expression gentle, and smiled, "What are you going to do with these people?"

Li Qingsui had a headache.

In her plan… there was not even a concept of "dealing with" them.

She thought that the game would be long, and that she might have to walk the path that her "Gu Nanfeng" brother had taken.

The worst-case scenario was to go far away to North Continent.

But now it seemed… that this game was very short.

"These people who besieged Divine Shrine Mountain are all guilty of treason…"

Li Qingsui said with lowered eyes, "I don't want to let them leave, but they are the backbone of the Li Clan, the mainstay. Without them… the family will suffer a great blow."

Chu Ling listened quietly.

The little girl was very smart.

She raised her head to look at Chu Ling and said her biggest concern, "Divine Maiden Sister, if you leave Divine Shrine Mountain… can your divine power still be used?"

Just now, that strike had borrowed the source material of the Divine Shrine Mountain boundary to have such a vast divine power.

But once she left this wondrous realm,

She would lose her greatest "treasure"… Without the support of boundless black blossoms, could she still unleash the destructive force she had just displayed?

Chu Ling shook her head.

She raised her head, looked at the inky clouds gathering in the sky, and murmured softly, "The rules of this world are already a miracle to allow me to be born, how dare I expect so much?"

In the end, she was just the "god" of this mountain realm.

How could she use her power so unscrupulously when she went to the outside world?

Li Qingsui was somewhat disappointed.

As expected… although Divine Maiden Sister's power was strong, it was also limited.

She took a deep breath.

At this moment, the scene of her father before his death suddenly flashed back into Li Qingsui's mind.

["Qingsui…"]

["If possible, be a kind person, but don't be too kind."]

["If you want to become the Clan Head… you can't be soft-hearted."]

She slowly raised her head.

Li Qingsui's voice was firm, "Divine Maiden Sister, I hope you can imprison them… at least for these few days, don't let them out."

What would these people become once they left the boundary and lost their restraints?

She knew very well.

Never expect so-called "opportunists" to turn against the wind towards you.

Next, once the situation changes again, these people will become sharp swords pointed at her!

Imprisoning these extraordinary individuals… was also a bargaining chip, a bargaining chip to negotiate with the "Great Elder." Uncle Gao was still in the hands of the Great Elder, and the war was not over yet.

Killing just one Li Changchi was not enough!

"No problem."

Chu Ling said, "Just… just imprisoning them?"

"If there is to be a conclusion… I will do it myself." Li Qingsui said with a serious expression, "If possible, I want to personally… put an end to this war."

Chu Ling nodded slowly.

"No problem."

She stretched out her five fingers and gently clenched them.

The Li Clan extraordinary individuals who had descended the mountain had not had time to act on their own when they saw the black butterflies dancing more and more, and vaguely enveloping them… Those extraordinary individuals who were preparing to escape had their hearts turned cold. These were all "points of collapsed order." Once touched by mortals, they would shatter themselves.

In just a few dozen seconds, black blossoms surged in overwhelmingly, building upon each other, spreading to each other, vaguely forming a prison!

After the prison took shape…

Someone realized that this was the so-called "Clan Head order"!

After doing all this, Chu Ling said softly, "I have already trapped these people. They cannot break free from this prison, but next, I will leave the Divine Shrine for a while."

This was beyond Li Qingci's expectations.

She asked in confusion, "Divine Maiden Your Grace… Since you are invincible within the mountain realm, wouldn't it be…"

"There are still some important things that are more important than the Divine Shrine Mountain."

Chu Ling lowered her head slightly, "I am going to the Qingzhong Cemetery. This war… is not that simple."

Qingzhong Cemetery?

Li Qingci's expression was still blank.

She did not know what had happened outside.

But Li Qingsui seemed to have realized something. She murmured, "All of this… is not a coincidence…"

The predicament against Uncle Gao.

The impeachment against herself.

Too many things had happened tonight.

And this degree of huge blow… could not have been a temporary idea. It must have been planned for a long time.

And choosing tonight showed one thing… the drastic changes in the "Qingzhong Cemetery" were definitely not the "array pattern out of control" that the outside world was rumored to be!

"Of course, it's not a coincidence."

Chu Ling said softly, "I suspect… that it is the God Seat of the Outer Continent that is manipulating all of this."

No one knew what had happened in the cemetery.

Even 【Deep Sea】 had limited information.

From the moment Gu Shen stepped into the cemetery, Chu Ling lost contact with the other side of the mental link.

She could only sit in the Ling Ling Yao, constantly using the database for calculations and deductions… trying to clear away the layer of mist covering the cemetery. The final calculation increasingly pointed to that unknowable direction.

God Seat.

The calculation result was chaotic.

The more chaotic it was, the more Chu Ling believed… in that unpredicted "possibility."

All of this was a "forbidden event" controlled by the God Seat!

As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere on the mountaintop became heavy.

"God Seat…"

Li Qingsui murmured, "No wonder Uncle Gao didn't leave that room…"

The Li Clan Great Elder was indeed a very high-ranking title, but with such a title, it was too difficult to trap Uncle Gao!

Because he was too old.

So old that the bones would fall apart with a gust of wind.

And Uncle Gao… was known as the peak of the titled powers who were at the height of their careers in Nagano City!

Even if he carefully designed the extraordinary array pattern and prepared extremely strong sealing objects, it would be difficult to trap Uncle Gao in that small house… but with the appearance of the word "God Seat", all the impossibilities became possible.

Li Qingsui vaguely understood where these disturbances in the Li Clan's sect hall came from.

Only the God Seat.

Could push these people to make the crazy move of "changing the world."

And what was even more terrifying was… if the Li Clan was like this, what about the other clans?

With the God Seat's perspective, it was impossible to only stare at one aristocratic family… The latest news from Nagano was that all high-level extraordinary individuals, as well as the elites of the five great families and three great institutions, had decided to enter the cemetery.

"The cemetery… is a trap?!"

Li Qingsui said in a low voice.

Li Qingci also vaguely understood what serious events had occurred in the outside world. She asked worriedly, "Are you going to the Qingzhong Cemetery to resolve the crisis of the five great families?"

"I would like to say yes, but…"

Chu Ling shook her head.

She said softly, "I may not be as noble as you think…"

After arriving at the summit of the Divine Shrine Mountain, her thinking seemed to have undergone some subtle changes.

As the 【Source Code】 of 【Deep Sea】, everything she did was to serve the interests of mankind.

The extraordinary events such as Qingzhong Cemetery were at least "S-level" rating level.

She would do everything in her power to reduce the casualties in the cemetery.

But after descending into the world,

She felt that she was no longer a wisp of spirit floating in the void.

At least, she had a heart, and it could be filled with wind.

She came, she felt, and she also had her own "desires" and "worries."

So the logic that ran perfectly in 【Deep Sea】 was at this moment submerged in the tide of emotions.

Now, Chu Ling was very worried about one person.

Gu Shen.

"I'm going to Qingzhong because Gu Shen is still inside."

Chu Ling brushed her hair, her voice a little dazed, a little confused, and more of the embarrassment of realizing it, "I want to… see him."

After leaving the cemetery,

She would no longer have the vast "source material" at her disposal.

Then, she would no longer be the aloof "Divine Maiden."

If the 【Deep Sea】's deduction results were correct, then after entering the cemetery, she would also encounter a huge crisis…

But… she still wanted to go.

Even if it was just to see Gu Shen once.

That would be enough.

……

……

The elders imprisoned by the black blossoms, as well as the accompanying extraordinary individuals, saw the figure descending the mountain.

"Divine Maiden Your Grace…"

"Divine Maiden Your Grace!!"

The woman in the red sacrificial ancient costume did not look back, did not even glance at them, but just walked towards the outside of the mountain realm on her own.

So they called out again.

"Miss Qingsui…"

"Clan Head!"

Li Qingsui stopped, she looked calmly at the pleading people, and said nothing.

She just glanced at them calmly, and then left without looking back.

She could not determine the final outcome of this war.

But she could decide the outcome of these people…

Since her father's death, she had secretly made up her mind.

She did not want to be a kind loser.

She wanted to win, to be victorious, to become the true Clan Head of the Li Clan!

And letting these people survive in the "Black Blossom Prison" was already her greatest kindness.

The two came to the edge of the Divine Shrine Mountain boundary.

Vaguely, they could already see the dawn light looming on Highway 447 on the other side of the mist.

The long night was coming to an end.

Chu Ling squatted down, stretched out her white and slender fingers, picked a small black blossom, pinned it to her ear, and said with a soft smile, "I don't know… if this flower can be taken out, do you think it will look good like this?"

Li Qingsui stared blankly at the woman in front of her.

Beautiful.

Of course, it was beautiful.

Such a woman was beautiful no matter what.

She suddenly thought of a scene from a year ago.

It was also here.

That was when Gu Shen first came to the Divine Shrine Mountain. She and Uncle Gao were picking him up. As they were about to leave the Divine Shrine Mountain, she warned Gu Shen not to have any improper thoughts about her sister.

And Gu Shen told her that he already had someone he liked.

The name… two words.

She racked her brains, trying to guess who Gu Shen liked.

This question had never been answered.

Every time she asked, she could only get a profound smile from Gu Shen in the end.

No matter how many times she asked, Gu Shen would just say that she couldn't guess.

Li Qingsui had always wondered, how could there be anyone in this world that she couldn't guess?

Now, she knew.

In this world, there really was.

Outside, a storm of wind came, blowing the black blossoms fluttering on the Divine Shrine Mountain, and blowing a ray of light.

"Divine Maiden Sister…"

Li Qingsui murmured, "Before coming to the Divine Shrine Mountain, where have you been all this time?"

"In… a dark and gloomy place."

"On… a bus that won't stop."

Chu Ling smiled and said, "I never thought that there would be today…"

Her voice was trembling faintly, with joy, but even more with nervousness.

Chu Ling stretched out her fingers and touched the mist outside the Divine Shrine Mountain. She did not know what was waiting for her next.

Passing through the mist was a gentle and soft light.

Falling on her face.

The wind also became gentle, making people want to squint their eyes involuntarily.

A long time ago, Chu Ling saw a sentence in a book, and she thought it was well written…

You come to the world once.

You have to look at the sun.