Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 6] Chapter 42
[Vol. 6] Chapter 42: Yazi
After her brief shock, or perhaps delight, Violet quickly realized something was amiss.
Impossible. How could it be?
It was absurd.
Violet had considered countless possible roles Hen might play within the [Ancient Spirit Realm], but never once had she imagined Hen could be the Spirit Maiden herself. Someone so close, yet shrouded in mystery.
After all, in her previous correspondence, Hen had explicitly instructed Violet to travel to [Spirit Veil Immortal Island] to find her. That message had all but confirmed Hen was on the island, and Violet had understood it as such.
Hen was not one to speak frivolously or make baseless claims. If she truly was the Western Origin Spirit Maiden, putting aside how she came to hold such a position, what need would there be for Violet to journey to Spirit Veil Immortal Island?
It simply didn’t make sense.
Even up until the very moment she activated [Information Detection] and saw the unexpected details, Violet had been far more inclined to believe Ling Feng was the Spirit Maiden. After all, it’s common for important people to travel in secret.
Everything about Ling Feng pointed to it. Whether it was her innate noble aura, her extraordinary knowledge, her strength that was at least at the level of [Eternal Life], coupled with the presence of Bai’er. All of these clues strongly suggested her identity.
But now it seemed that wasn’t the case at all.
Wait a second… could that flawed skill of hers be acting up again?
Under the slightly puzzled gazes of the two women before her, Violet, unconvinced, inspected the jade token again. Unfortunately, the result was exactly the same as before.
“Violet, is something wrong? Could the [Evil-Repelling Jade] somehow repel someone from outside this realm? Your expression… it seems a bit unusual,” Ling Feng asked.
“Ah, no, it’s nothing… really, it’s nothing. I was just startled by its effect. This is quite the treasure,” Violet replied with a forced smile.
Damn it… What’s going on?
Knowing this was not the right moment to ask questions, Violet suppressed her urge to probe Ling Feng for more details about the Western Origin Spirit Maiden. She casually tucked the [Evil-Repelling Jade] into her robes.
“Does this mean we’re fully prepared now?”
A fleeting look of doubt crossed Ling Feng’s noble face, but she refrained from pressing Violet further. Instead, she gave a slight nod.
“We’ll go in together. Stay vigilant, Bai’er.”
“Understood!”
Bai’er drew her sword and took the lead, advancing cautiously. Violet and Ling Feng followed closely behind, walking side by side.
However, the moment Violet set her left foot within the palace’s bounds, she suddenly furrowed her brow.
An unpleasant sensation swept over her, a feeling as if some strange energy had brushed against her. Instinctively, she cast a sidelong glance at Ling Feng and Bai’er, only to find that both remained composed, their gazes fixed ahead with vigilance. Neither seemed to notice the subtle, intangible presence Violet had felt.
Was this the “malevolent energy” they had mentioned earlier?
It didn’t seem like it.
The jade charm Ling Feng had given her, the [Evil-Repelling Jade], did not react to this strange energy. It was as if sunlight had passed through an impermeable glass window. The protection was still there, but it wasn’t being triggered.
No, this wasn’t malevolent energy. It felt more like a gaze, an intangible sense of being watched. It reminded her of the peculiar entities drifting through the skies of Yangyuan City, only this presence was subtler and far more dangerous.
So, there *is* something filthy here…
Violet kept her thoughts to herself and simply advanced with the other two women.
The group traversed the opulent corridors of the Crystal Palace, the vast, silent space devoid of any other presence. Finally, they arrived at the palace’s central chamber.
Here, the master of this domain came into view.
The palace’s central area was open to the sky, where seven colossal pillars, each several meters in diameter, reached toward the heavens. Intricately patterned, they stood in a peculiar arrangement, forming a formation of sorts. Thick silver chains coiled around each pillar, extending outward and converging on the central figure.
The chains pierced the being within and held it firmly in place.
It was a massive beast, rivaling the size of a qilin.
Its head resembled that of a qilin but was sharper and more angular, giving it a menacing and commanding appearance. A single horn curved backward from its head, its shape more akin to a blade than a smooth curve.
The creature had four legs, but instead of hooves, it possessed razor-sharp claws designed for attack. Its body was long and sleek, ending in a tail shaped like a blade, mirroring the horn’s form. Its body was covered in sturdy scales, thicker and more imposing than a qilin’s, radiating an aura of dominance and power.
This was undoubtedly Yazi. The fierce and violent one among the Dragon’s Nine Children.
…And, incidentally, its appearance reminded Violet of a certain demon lord who, despite having been banished to his homeland, constantly shouted “kill, kill, kill, kill, kill.”
Apparently, that guy was searching for a suitable mount. These two would actually make quite the pair…
Yazi crouched in the center of the Crystal Palace. Its four legs, chest, and tail were pierced by chains extending from the seven pillars. Even the curved, blade-like horn on its head was bound by the final chain.
These silver chains, forged from some unknown metallic material, firmly pinned the massive beast to the ground. Aside from the slight ability to move its head, Yazi was completely immobilized.
However, its dark red eyes, brimming with wild and violent energy, were already fixed on the newcomers.
[It has been a thousand years since I last saw a living being. Are you here to fulfill her promise?]
Yazi’s voice did not emerge from its sharp-toothed maw. Instead, it resonated as a grand and overwhelming will, echoing through the palace and entering the minds of the three women present.
This familiar technique surprised Violet slightly, prompting her to reassess the creature’s capabilities. Yet, she maintained her composure, knowing there was someone better suited to handle the conversation.
Ling Feng stepped forward, meeting the enormous beast’s gaze with calm confidence, showing no fear.
“Yazi, why are you trying to break the seal?”
The beast’s dark red pupils lowered slightly, focusing on the diminutive girl before it. Its sharp teeth curled into what seemed to be a mocking sneer.
[For freedom, of course. The thousand-year pact has expired, yet she still hasn’t shown herself. If that’s the case, what’s wrong with creating a little disturbance to remind her?]
Ling Feng’s expression grew serious.
“I don’t know what kind of pact you made with the First Saint of the West, but there’s no way she would have allowed you to recklessly break the seal and cause such tremors. Do you realize the devastation that single earthquake brought to the lives above?”
“If you’re dissatisfied, we can negotiate, but there’s no excuse for—”
[ROAR!!!]
Suddenly, Yazi let out a thunderous roar, its deafening sound cutting off Ling Feng’s words.
[Negotiate? Negotiate again! Back then, you deceived me with sweet words, tricking me into self-imprisonment beneath this sea, claiming that some secret method would dissipate my so-called malevolent energy for the good of the world. Did any of you ever care about how *I* felt?]
[She lied to me! The so-called malevolent energy is an innate part of my being, it cannot disappear! If that’s the case, why should I remain imprisoned beneath the sea? Because I don’t fit the rules you mortals created? Because I’m supposedly a threat to your so-called world? Does that justify treating me like a prisoner!?]
[You cannot eliminate the seeds of destruction, so you imprison and erase those who are inherently innocent. What kind of reasoning is that?!]
[I am the Dragon’s child! Why should I bow to mere mortals, ants beneath my notice!!!]
Yazi’s overwhelming fury surged forth, transforming into a visible storm of violent energy.
*”Buzz~”*
The warding jade Ling Feng had given off a warm light, automatically activating to shield the three women from the force that could have otherwise shattered their courage, or even their very lives.
“Yazi, calm yourself… ah—!”
[Sweet words! Lies! All of it is deceit!!!]