Chapter 117: Another Encounter with the Sirens
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
Lady Hua stood frozen at the entrance of the passageway, her eyes wide with shock as she took in the treasures before her. If Yu Zhao hadn’t been standing beside her, she might have succumbed to temptation and stored every last piece of treasure into her storage space without a second thought.
“Lady Hua, why are you just standing there?” a voice called out, snapping her out of her trance.
Turning, she found herself staring into a pair of cold, emotionless eyes. The icy gaze felt like a bucket of freezing water had been poured over her, instantly quelling the restless desire that had begun to bubble inside her.
With Yu Zhao present, there was no chance of claiming these treasures for herself. Besides, they hadn’t even reached the Sirens’ territory yet. If they started fighting amongst themselves now, it could spell disaster for everyone.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Lady Hua quickly composed herself, keeping her gaze straight ahead as she stepped further into the passageway. The married couple who had been with them hesitated for a moment, but Yu Zhao gently nudged them forward with a wave of spiritual energy, guiding them into the passage. She then leisurely pulled Ji Han Zhou along, her calm demeanor contrasting sharply with the tension in the air.
Bringing up the rear, Boss Wu couldn’t resist glancing to the sides, his large hands itching to grab something. After an intense inner struggle, he finally gave in, snatching up two beast cores the size of human heads and quickly stashing them in his storage space.
Yu Zhao noticed his sneaky actions but chose not to stop him. It wasn’t just Boss Wu—Lady Hua and the couple ahead of them were also stealthily stuffing treasures into their bags. As long as it didn’t slow them down, Yu Zhao decided to turn a blind eye to their actions.
The group walked through the passage for nearly half an hour, none of them showing any signs of irritation. On the contrary, their faces lit up with joy, their eyes sparkling with excitement. Realizing that Yu Zhao wasn’t stopping them, they grew bolder, openly stuffing their storage bags until they were nearly bursting.
Yu Zhao herself picked up a few pretty gemstones and corals, intending to give them to Senior Sister Jin Yue and the others when she returned. She didn’t forget about Ji Han Zhou either. Seeing how much effort he had put in, even though he was still unconscious, she found an empty storage bag and carefully filled it with treasures as they went along.
“We’re almost at the exit,” Lady Hua called out, spotting the end of the passage ahead. A flicker of regret crossed her face, mirrored by the sighs of disappointment from the others.
In the next moment, everyone quickened their pace. If the passageway held such a bounty of treasures, who knew what awaited them in the Sirens’ territory?
At the end of the passage was a thin, translucent barrier, almost like the wing of a cicada, through which spiritual senses couldn’t penetrate. Under normal circumstances, Lady Hua would have carefully considered whether to enter. However, after the dazzling experience of the passageway, she barely hesitated before leaping through.
The married couple gritted their teeth and followed suit, jumping in after her.
When Yu Zhao reached the barrier, she paused, a sense of unease creeping into her mind. Everything had gone too smoothly, which made her wary.
“Cultivator Yu Zhao, we’re already here. Whether it’s fortune or disaster, we have to face it head-on,” Boss Wu said with a hearty laugh, sensing Yu Zhao’s hesitation.
Yu Zhao’s wandering gaze settled, and she smiled slightly. “You’re right, Boss Wu. I’m probably overthinking things.”
With that, she stopped hesitating and stepped through the barrier. Boss Wu laughed loudly, taking large strides forward. As a bright light flashed before his eyes, he instinctively closed them. When he opened them again, he found himself standing in a magnificent palace, glittering with treasures.
“This… this…” Boss Wu stammered, his voice trailing off as he looked up at eight massive, translucent pillars made of spirit stones, sparkling brilliantly. He was speechless for a long moment.
“This is Aged Abyssal Gold! Such a huge piece of abyssal gold! Its value is beyond estimation!” Zhao Xian exclaimed, leaning against a table, his fingers caressing its surface with a greedy glint in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Wang Zhen held up a bracelet she had found, admiring it under the soft glow of the room’s light. It was crafted from rare pearls harvested from the depths of the Southern Sea, and it sparkled with an unmatched beauty. Her eyes gleamed with delight as she lifted her wrist to appreciate the piece further.
In contrast, Lady Hua and Yu Zhao stood nearby, their expressions somber and tense, as if they were bracing themselves for something ominous. The atmosphere felt charged with a strange energy.
Suddenly, a sharp, eerie melody filled the air, piercing through the silence. Yu Zhao’s spine tingled with a cold shiver as her pupils constricted. The haunting tune was unmistakable—it was the song of the Sirens.
Before she could fully process this realization, the palace around her warped and transformed into a gruesome scene of chaos—a mountain of corpses surrounded by a sea of blood. In the midst of the carnage, a lone figure stood tall, commanding attention. In her left hand, she gripped a long, purple flute, while in her right, she clutched a bloodstained pouch. Although the design on the pouch was smeared, the outline of a ferocious beast was still visible.
Yu Zhao’s body shook with fear. That figure in the midst of the destruction was… her!
Her gaze swept over the blood-soaked ground, and she recognized the bodies sprawled there—they were her senior brothers, her master, and everyone who had ever insulted or mistreated her. The figure opposite her slowly raised their head, revealing a face twisted with bloodlust. They sneered wickedly, their eyes gleaming with malice. “I killed them for you. Are you happy now?”
Yu Zhao remained silent, her mind racing with conflicting thoughts.
“Why aren’t you smiling? These were your enemies! They wronged you! They deserved to die!” The other figure’s voice grew louder and more agitated, their tone accusatory as they listed every wrong done to Yu Zhao.
For a fleeting moment, Yu Zhao felt as if she were staring at a reflection of her past self—the version of her that had been mired in self-pity, feeling trapped with no way out.
“Yes, I am you, and you are me. We are one and the same,” the figure continued, their voice dripping with a dark chuckle. Then, without warning, they lunged at Yu Zhao with the speed of lightning.
Yu Zhao instinctively tried to dodge, but her body refused to move. She was paralyzed, unable to do anything as the other version of herself closed in and merged with her.
Immediately, a flood of negative emotions surged within her, overwhelming her senses. Her mind was bombarded with memories from her past, flashing by in a chaotic blur.
She relived the terror and helplessness she had felt when she was imprisoned in the Black Prison.
She felt the sting of shame and sorrow when her senior brother had scolded her.
She experienced the pain and frustration when her second brother made life difficult for her.
All the emotions she thought she had left behind came rushing back, stronger and more intense than ever before.
Biting down hard on her lower lip, Yu Zhao forced herself to remember that this was merely a heart demon—a trick of the mind. She reminded herself that she no longer feared loneliness, nor did she crave the bonds of family that had once hurt her so deeply. The things that had once had power over her were no longer chains that bound her.
But the voice in her mind refused to be silenced. It grew louder and more frantic with each passing second.
“Yu Zhao, don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you from now on. I’ll kill them! I’ll kill everyone who dares to hurt you!”
“You don’t need friends. I’m your friend. I’ll stay with you forever and ever!”
“Yu Zhao, open your spiritual heart and accept me. Together, we’ll storm the Five Elements Sect and kill everyone who ever mocked you!”
Yu Zhao’s brows furrowed in deep concentration, her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She was locked in an intense internal struggle.
The voice in her mind grew more and more deranged, speaking faster and faster, urging her to give in.
Then, suddenly, there was a sharp crack from deep within Yu Zhao’s body.
She exhaled slowly, a long breath of release, and opened her eyes. They were clear and bright, filled with newfound determination.
“Thank you for helping me break through,” she said calmly, her voice steady.
Her chosen Path had strengthened through this ordeal, becoming even more resolute.
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
The voice in her mind stuttered, momentarily frozen in shock before erupting into a stream of vile curses, crude and foul.
Yu Zhao’s expression twisted in disgust as she forcefully yanked the heart demon out of her spiritual heart. “If you’re going to be a heart demon, at least do it well. All you did was pollute my mind with your nonsense.”
With those words, she clenched her fist, and the space around her began to tremble. The barrier that had confined her started to crack and crumble.
In an instant, the horrific scene around her dissolved, and she found herself back in the palace, surrounded by familiar faces, the eerie melody of the Sirens long gone.