Chapter Nineteen: The Mysterious Woman

Mysterious Woman

"Brat, what are you staring at? Be careful, or I'll gouge your eyes out!" The voice, which had been hoarse and parched, suddenly turned melodious, sweet as heavenly music, completely at odds with the gloomy, eerie hall.

Startled by the sudden change in tone, Bai Qi paused, then quickly lowered his head a little more, awaiting the woman's judgment. Yet curiosity gnawed at him—the woman in the painting was so captivating it was impossible to look away. Were all women in this world so beautiful? No, such common words could not capture it. Bai Qi's mind kept wandering.

"Boy, come here!" The woman's voice rang out abruptly, causing Bai Qi to hesitate for quite some time.

"Why are you dawdling? When I call you, you come. If I wanted you dead, you’d have been eaten by beasts outside the hall long ago." The voice was clearly feminine, yet the figure was shrouded in black cloth from head to toe, making it impossible to discern any features.

Bai Qi shuffled forward, and even when standing before her, he couldn't see a single patch of exposed skin. He stood quietly, fully aware that if he harbored any improper thoughts, his skull might soon adorn one of the columns, like those other grisly decorations. The thought sent a chill down his spine.

Suddenly, from the depths of that black fabric, a hand emerged—slender, snow-white, delicate as if it might break at a touch. The index finger, probing like a curious sprout, began to peel back Bai Qi’s clothes layer by layer over his chest, revealing his left side. His heart thudded faster, unsure what her intentions were. Amid the silence, the only sounds were their breaths—and Bai Qi’s pounding heartbeat, loud and quick.

After a moment, the graceful hand withdrew. There was a pause, then she repeated her question, "What is your name?"

"Bai Qi."

"Where are you from?"

"Liang Prefecture."

"Are you telling the truth?"

"I can indeed be considered a man of Liang Prefecture."

Page 2/3

"What do you mean, 'can be considered'? Are you from somewhere else or not?"

"Alright, to be honest, I’m not from this planet—I come from another world."

"I thought so. That faint blue lamp mark on your chest must be the legacy of some great being. For you to possess such fortune, you must have encountered someone—or something—extraordinary..."

Bai Qi tensed inwardly, at a loss for how to respond. She had guessed nearly everything about his bizarre experiences, and he felt it best to keep silent; explanations would be impossible. Glancing down, he saw nothing unusual on his chest save for the two small, plump... features of his own body—no blue lamp mark in sight. Was she speaking nonsense? But on second thought, she had no reason to deceive him. He frowned, puzzled.

She spoke again, "Stop looking. With your current strength, you're not qualified to know. Perhaps you’ll trigger it by chance someday, but otherwise... heh." Her tone dripped with mockery, making it clear she considered him nothing more than a novice. Bai Qi felt a thousand silent glares of disdain rising within him, but outwardly, he kept his composure and dared not show any sign of offense.

Not knowing how mercurial her temper might be, Bai Qi dared not act rashly. Should he entertain any ideas, the consequences would surely be dire...

"I suppose that person is scheming, while I am simply overthinking things," she muttered, half to herself, half as if explaining to Bai Qi. Then she said, "I see you’re badly injured inside. Did you force yourself or overdraw your strength?"

"Your insight is truly sharp, seeing through me at a glance. Yes, I was forced into a fight; the opponent was too strong, and I had no choice but to use techniques beyond my ability, which left me in this state."

"Don’t call me 'senior.' Do I look old to you? You really don’t value your eyes, do you?" The woman, upon hearing his explanation, seemed more concerned with her age than his wounds, leaving Bai Qi sweating nervously. He realized he had made a misstep—complimenting her with honorifics without seeing her face, inadvertently touching upon a woman’s most sensitive subject.

He quickly apologized, "I’m sorry, truly sorry. I simply don’t know your appearance, only that you’re shrouded in black, so I had to address you with respect. I hope you understand."

"Brat, your glib tongue is quite something. Men, none of them are any good, but I rather like it," she said, her change in tone so abrupt that Bai Qi was momentarily at a loss.

She continued, "You, come here. What are you afraid of? I won’t kill you. Closer, let me see your wounds." Her impatience was obvious, so Bai Qi obeyed immediately, drawing so near he was less than a finger’s width away.

"Why are you trembling?"

Page 3/3

"I’m... not."

"Then is your hand cramping? Do you need me to give it a little massage?"

"Uh, no, that’s not necessary!"

"Enough, no more nonsense. Steady your mind, gather your spiritual energy, contract your core, and slowly channel your energy from the core, directing it to the Heavenly Gate point." Her voice turned stern.

Bai Qi didn’t understand, but obeyed nonetheless; aside from her commands, everything else was idle chatter. Suddenly, in the shadowy hall awash with eerie green light, the air currents began to stir, fanning the ghostly flames atop the columns into a frenzied dance.

The haughty woman extended her right hand, and with a finger, pointed from afar at Bai Qi’s navel. A red line, thin as a needle, shot forth, extending about an inch before piercing Bai Qi’s core as though performing acupuncture. Yet this needle seemed more medicinal than metallic as it entered his body.

Bai Qi convulsed, as if plunging into ice-cold water that chilled him to the bone. Yet after the initial shock, a deep comfort spread through him, as if his very blood and sinews were being revived. His internal injuries were instantly healed, and his core felt fundamentally changed, more refined than ever. Even the conflicting energies from the various techniques he’d learned were now perfectly fused, as if those skills had been trained together since birth, leaving no risk of backlash. This left Bai Qi quietly overjoyed.

With the mysterious woman’s help, Bai Qi was immeasurably grateful. Though their acquaintance was limited to words, she had extended a hand to save him, and he sincerely wished to thank her.

Yet as that thought arose, she barked out coldly, "Fool! What are you daydreaming about? Sit and meditate, calm your spirit, regulate your breath, and strive to break through your special cultivation level. I want to see if the heavenly tribulation I haven’t witnessed in countless years dares to make a scene in my domain. Heh!"

Bai Qi was startled—she had seen the legendary special ranks beyond the Yellow Grade. But then, with her mysterious and unfathomable cultivation, that was only natural. He wasted no more thought on it, focusing instead on feeling out this even more enigmatic level of power: the twelfth realm, the Heavenly Tower stage!

He quickly gathered his energy, swirling it within his core like a storm. The momentum was fierce, so much so that even the woman on the chair, despite being shrouded in black, allowed a brief glint of light to flash in her eyes—a fleeting, subtle hint, almost hidden, as Bai Qi’s transformation continued under her watchful gaze.