—Shameless creature! I will destroy your entire race for this offense!
A naked Shen Liling stomped her feet furiously, again and again, sinking the mountain inch by inch.
On the other hand, Nathan, though exhausted, enjoyed the beautiful view before him. He didn't miss a single detail of that woman's exquisite body. After all, he knew he was doomed the moment the illusion failed, so it wouldn't hurt to take advantage of the current situation.
It was known that, in this kind of universe, women protected their virtue as if it were their life, so they wouldn't tolerate just any man seeing them naked. This is one of the greatest humiliations for them. Some would even choose to commit suicide on the spot out of shame, while others would kill the man to erase their humiliation.
Shen Liling calmed down after sinking almost half of the mountain into the ground. She took a deep breath and quickly dressed in a beautiful pink dress that clung to her body, accentuating her splendid figure.
I glanced at Nathan who was still trapped in the cube, I evaluated him for a couple of seconds, then I made some strange seals in the air, where a strange golden river appeared in the sky, which led somewhere.
— "Creature, do you think that with your death you can escape from me? I will trap your soul, torture it for millennia, and then destroy it so that you will not return to the cycle of reincarnation."
Shen Liling leaped into the golden river and disappeared immediately. A long fifteen minutes passed before she returned.
Her face was somber, mixed with a hint of uncertainty, as no matter how hard she searched, she couldn't find the creature's soul. This should be unusual, given that it hadn't been long since it died. She had even nearly gotten into a battle with the river's protectors, who were lecturing her for breaking in. She had no choice but to give up and return to deal with more pressing matters.
She quickly undid the cube holding Nathan and slowly approached him, pressing her palm against his chest, freeing him from his paralysis.
—Descendant of knights, what is your name? Where do you come from? Are there others like you?
— ........ – Nathan shook his head, pointing at his bloody ears
- I see
Shen Liling opened a small doorway where she inserted her hand and began searching for anything useful to heal Nathan.
Several minutes passed, but she continued searching, shaking her head from time to time, until she stopped and gave a long sigh of resignation.
— "Nothing I have can cure a mortal, since the worst pill in my possession will kill him instantly, due to the large amount of Qi, so his body will not be able to endure"
Nathan didn't understand what was happening, but he knew he was the beautiful woman's hostage, so he didn't try to flee. Even if he regained his mental power, he felt he would be no match for her. If he wanted to stay alive, he had no choice but to stay still and obey everything she asked of him, for now.
Instead, Shen Liling looked at him as if he were a treasure that fell from the sky, as she grabbed something from her storage and threw it to Nathan.
It was a black robe with beautiful golden tree branch designs. She indicated that he should put it on, since he was currently in his underwear.
A little embarrassed, Nathan clumsily put on the robe. When he finished, he noticed that Shen Liling was looking off into the distance for some reason. She turned to him and indicated that he shouldn't move, then disappeared.
..........................
At a distant lake several kilometers from the mountain, a hundred or so cultivators stood on a platform. They all looked at each other suspiciously, but no one dared to act recklessly, as they had come to pay their respects to the immortal who had caused that commotion in space.
They were all famous leaders and elders of renowned sects from the Kurora continent, so they knew each other quite well; some of them were even sworn enemies.
Everyone quickly became serious, cupping their hands in unison in greeting to the beautiful, veiled woman who appeared floating in the center of the lake. This was Shen Liling.
— Leader of the Morning Star Sect! Pan Qiang, greets the Immortal
— Grand Elder of the Spectral Tiger Sect! Ji Wenyan, greets the Immortal
— Leader of the Stairway to Heaven Sect! Cui Shan, greets the Immortal
— Pill Saint! Niu Kang, greets the Immortal
— Matriarch of the Lan Family! Lan Mei, greets the Immortal
— Sunset Sword! Hou Ehuang, greets the Immortal
Several others greeted her, introducing their sect, status, or family.
Each of these figures could do as they pleased; no one would dare even breathe too loudly near them, fearing to offend them. Entire countries trembled at the mention of their names, but none of them dared to be arrogant in front of Shen Liling.
— Ha ha ha. Senior Shen knew it was you. It is an honor for me, Tao Duyi, to cross paths again. My Imperial Sect is taking good care of the two young men in my care. Let me tell you, they look promising.
— Junior Tao, I hope you will not give them privileges just to please me. Treat them as ordinary disciples. With real difficulty, they will be able to grow into true cultivators.
— Don't worry, Senior. This Junior understands what you mean. I'm leaving them in good hands, believe me. - Tao Duyi bowed again.
The rest of the cultivators looked at Tao Duyi with eyes of envy and anger, since they all came here for the same reason: to try to win the favor of the powerful immortal who shook the planet. Who would think that this arrogant Tao Duyi already knew her? What's more, he even entrusted two young men to look after her? This left them very frustrated, since the Imperial Sect would reach new heights with such great support. Who would dare offend her in the future? Only an idiot who doesn't know how great the heavens are would try to go against the Imperial Sect.
Shen Liling completely ignored the thoughts of such lowly figures. She had no interest in meeting them. If it weren't for the fact that she needed something from them, she wouldn't even honor them with her presence.
— Juniors, the reason I am here in front of you is because I need a body healing pill. Whoever can provide it to me will be greatly compensated.
Everyone was shocked. The eldest immortal was searching for a body-healing pill; it seemed she had been injured in the previous battle.
This was an opportunity they couldn't waste. They could curry favor with an immortal. This was worth more than any divine technique or spiritual vein in the world, much less a body-healing pill. But the problem was, there wasn't even a pill rich enough in Qi to heal an immortal's body.
— Great Immortal Shen, this Junior has been following the Dao of Pills for hundreds of years. If I say I am number two in pill concocting, no one would dare to claim to be first. Therefore, I would like to offer you my greatest pride, the 5th Grade, Heavenly Grade Tyrannical Strengthening Pill with 75% purity.
The Pill Saint, Niu Kang, took out a small, dark green pill from his storage ring, which exuded a rich amount of Qi, leaving everyone drooling over it. If it weren't for the immortal present, they would have already thrown themselves at it, no matter who got in the way.
It's worth noting that pills are classified by degrees of difficulty, with 1st being the simplest and 5th being the pinnacle of pill creation known to this planet. The categories are classified in order: earthly, near-perfect, perfect, near-heavenly, and heavenly. Their degree of purity is also evaluated, which can greatly affect the final product.
So it was unheard of for everyone that such a pill existed, nor did anything like it exist in the time of their ancestors. He well deserved the nickname Pill Saint.
Many gave up, as no one could match what Niu Kang offered, so they stepped aside, regretting losing such a great opportunity.
— Wait a moment, Immortal Shen, before you decide, this junior would like to offer you a treasure that has been passed down in our family for generations. Although it is not a high-grade pill, I believe it will benefit you more.
This was Cui Shan, Leader of the Stairway to Heaven Sect, who took out a peach from his storage ring, which shone like a rainbow, just looking at it made one feel relaxed, almost entering a trance-like state.
—It can't be! It's a heaven-grade fruit! — the Lan Family Matriarch cried in shock.
— How is it possible that such a miraculous ingredient exists? — said the Pill Saint in dismay.
Cui Shan proudly explained, as if the winner had already been decided.
— Fellow cultivators, as you may know, my founding ancestor is a higher realm, so when he founded my Stairway to Heaven Sect, he left us, his descendants, this Heavenly Peach, which would help us in times of need, as whoever eats it can completely heal both internal and external injuries, as well as help one break through a bottleneck.
— I was hoping to reach the 9th level of Soul Consolidation, to use it and be able to break through to a new realm, but since Immortal Shen needs it, this humble Cui Shan offers it to her with all sincerity.
Everyone breathed a cold breath, as that resourceful Cui Shan was acting like a humble servant, sacrificing his future for the sake of his master. After all, that peach could cause great wars, yet he handed it over as if it were nothing.
Shen Liling looked at him with ridicule, as his intentions were more than obvious, but to her, it was as if a child had rolled a ball of mud and told her it was an incredible treasure. If it weren't for the fact that she needed the pill, she would have killed him already.
— Juniors, I'm running out of patience. Tell me if you have a Body Healing Pill or not.
— Calm your anger, Immortal Shen. We're trying to find something worthy of your status. If you give me time, I'll speak with my sect and we'll look for something better for you. — Cui Shan exclaimed nervously.
— If that's correct, this Junior will mobilize the Lan Family to find something to your liking. — Lan Mei intervened.
— Senior Shen is the only one of the Order. The entire Tao Empire will offer its treasures so that you can choose the most suitable one for yourself.
— Great Immortal Shen, give me a few months, and I swear I can refine a better Body Healing Pill.
The vast majority of the cultivators present began sending transmissions to their families or sects, to find out if they had anything that could heal an immortal's body.
Shen Liling was on the verge of bursting with rage when the voice of a beautiful woman was heard. She was wearing a beautiful low-cut white dress that highlighted her athletic figure. She had black hair, beautiful almond-shaped eyes, and pretty pink lips. Her skin was as white as milk. On her back, she carried a large, obsidian-black sword, which belied her refreshing presence. She was Hou Ehuang, Sword of Sunset.
—This junior might have the audacity to ask, is the pill for you or for someone else?
— It's for someone else,- Shen Liling replied indifferently.
Everyone's eyes widened in surprise, because it had never occurred to anyone that the pill was for someone else. They had assumed it was for Immortal Shen who had just had a battle, so they looked for the best of the best. Who would have imagined that the silent Hou Ehuang would be so perceptive?
— Esteemed Immortal Shen, This Junior cannot compare her resources to the leaders of the great Sects or families, much less that of the Pill Saint, but I can offer you everything I have within this ring, perhaps there lies what you seek.
Hou Ehuang bet her luck on a hunch, which has gotten her out of many troubles and made her what she is today, she decisively threw her ring to Shen Liling, who grabbed it and inspected it, many of the cultivators present looked at her with contempt, although she was strong, she was not affiliated with any sect or family that backed her, so it was impossible for her to have anything useful in her cheap dimensional ring.
— "You're just trying to humiliate yourself, ha ha ha ha" – Lan Mei said, huffing and puffing.
— "Juniors these days don't know when to back down. This could lead to her death," the Pill Saint shook his head.
— "Wait until I tell my son how you embarrassed yourself before an immortal. That should ease some of the resentment he holds against you for refusing the marriage." Tao Duyi smiled expectantly.
In less than a minute, Shen Liling returned the ring to Hou Ehuang, which left everyone with mocking smiles, since for them it was to be expected, she overestimated herself, she still did not have the qualifications to try to win the favor of an immortal, now they were expectant, to see how they would humiliate the impertinent Junior.
— Junior Hou Ehuang, I'm returning the ring to you. I've found what I needed. Thank you. — Shen Liling held a small pink pill in her exquisite hand.
No one could believe it, they were completely speechless, what the immortal Shen was holding in her hand was a grade 1, earthly category aesthetic garbage pill, which was widely used by female cultivators to maintain their beauty, since it could regenerate the cells of your body and keep you young, it could easily be bought for half a low-grade Qi crystal.
— Great Immortal Shen, forgive my impertinence, but that pill is of the lowest class in existence, it is not worthy of you, if you want I can make a better one...
—Silence! Don't bother me with your chatter, brat. I've already decided that this is the pill that meets my needs, so you are no longer necessary to me.
Shen Liling waved her hand and sent everyone flying hundreds of thousands of kilometers, leaving them completely stunned. They didn't understand what happened, but they didn't dare to get angry as they didn't want to die, they could only lament the Immortal's eccentric tastes.
Hou Ehuang still remained in her place, she was not sent flying with the others, she nervously looked at the Immortal Shen, waiting for her next words.
— Junior Hou Ehuang, take this. — Shen Liling gave him a book and a small storage bag.
— Thank you so much Immortal Shen for your generosity!
Hou Ehuang did not dare to check the items, but bowed and thanked honestly.
— With this my debt is paid, goodbye - Shen Liling disappeared
The beautiful Hou Ehuang, excited, ran to a desolate place, using concealment techniques to avoid being chased. Once she was sure she was safe, she dug a cave and hid inside, sealing it with her illusion ability.
She quickly looked through the items given to her, almost fainting from shock. She couldn't believe it, her heart pounding with excitement. The book called Spectral Butterfly was a cultivation technique far beyond the Celestial Grade, which was suitable for her rare illusory constitution. With it, she could reach unimaginable realms and control the minds of her enemies at will.
As for the small storage bag, she sent out her divine sense and almost peed her pants in fright. Inside were hundreds of Qi crystals, the likes of which she had never seen before. Just a tiny strand of one of those crystals had completely filled her spirit, causing her to almost shatter a small realm.
— "What an incredible gain! I can't believe that just a small cosmetic pill could completely change my future."
—"I never thought I could take revenge on my enemies in this life, it seems my destiny is not tied to the planet Kepler."
Hou Ehuang took a deep breath to calm himself and immediately began to cultivate behind closed doors. Who knew that the next time he came out of seclusion, he would cause huge waves throughout Planet Kepler.