Chapter 1783: Immortal Lord's Wife

Chu Chuyan and Pei Mianman both tumbled down the hillside. Ordinarily, their movement techniques were so refined that falling on such a slope would have been impossible for them.

However, they had been struck by their opponent's "Eternal Slumber Gaze." A profound weariness, reaching even into their souls, overwhelmed them, and their control over their bodies was far weaker than usual. This was why they fell.

Fortunately, the intense sensation of falling kept the two women partially conscious, preventing them from succumbing completely to sleep.

It is well known that a sudden fall is the most effective way to rouse someone from deep sleep.

Unable to control their movements, they instinctively embraced each other, using their combined backs to shield themselves from the jagged rocks and branches.

Soon, both were scratched and bruised. The combination of the stinging pain and the continuous fall kept them from losing consciousness entirely.

After an unknown duration of rolling, they suddenly collided with a mountain wall that contained a large boulder.

They had braced themselves, knowing the immense force generated by such a fall. For ordinary people, hitting a large boulder directly would have meant certain death. However, as cultivators, their bodies possessed enhanced resilience and flexibility, meaning they wouldn't be killed but would undoubtedly sustain severe injuries.

Unexpectedly, just as they were about to crash, several mysterious runes suddenly appeared on the wall. The very next second, as they made contact, the entire boulder flipped inward. A gentle force enveloped both women, absorbing the enormous impact.

The two women looked at each other, their faces suddenly flushing as they realized they were still clinging tightly. They could even distinctly feel each other's breath.

Hastily pushing each other apart, they shakily rose to their feet.

"What is this place?" Chu Chuyan asked, a little disoriented. *No wonder Ah Zu couldn't help but call her 'Big Manman' every time; it's truly... ample.*

Pei Mianman also felt a touch of awkwardness, having never been so intimate with another woman. Hearing Chu Chuyan, she looked around. "I don't know," she replied, "It seems to be a cave."

Inside, simple stone tables and chairs were visible, as if someone had once resided there.

Everything was incredibly simple, suggestive of an ascetic existence.

The cave was small; one could see its entirety at a glance. The only other feature was a female statue carved into the furthest wall. In front of it, a tattered prayer mat lay on the ground, likely where the former inhabitant had sat for cultivation, though it had decayed considerably with the passage of time.

The two women instinctively approached the statue. Just as they were about to examine the woman's features, both subtly frowned and anxiously exchanged words: "Oh no, I feel the drowsiness returning."

Both women saw the deepening concern in each other's eyes. Given their current cultivation levels, they wouldn't normally feel sleepy even after several days without rest. This situation was clearly abnormal.

"It must be those two rays," Chu Chuyan mused, recalling her earlier glance back. "They seem to possess a power that induces sleep."

"We just don't know how long we'll be asleep," Pei Mianman said, frowning. "If it's only a few days, we can endure it here. This cave is quite secluded, so there's no fear of danger while we're unconscious."

Yet, both understood that a formidable Ghost King's technique wouldn't merely induce a few days of sleep.

While a few months of sleep might be sustainable for their cultivation, several years would deplete their internal energy, making it impossible to sustain their lives for such a duration.

Moreover, the Ghost King's ability might cause them to sleep for an even longer period, perhaps even forever.

Fearing they would succumb to sleep, both women simultaneously drew their weapons and plunged them into their thighs, using the sharp pain to temporarily combat the overwhelming drowsiness.

"What do we do?" Pei Mianman asked Chu Chuyan, hoping her sect, being from a renowned lineage, might possess a solution.

Chu Chuyan's delicate brows were tightly furrowed. She had mentally cycled through all her sect's techniques but found no solution. Despair was evident in both their eyes.

If they were to fall asleep outside, defenseless, it was not difficult to imagine what fate would befall two women of their stunning beauty.

But if they fell asleep here, Ah Zu would have even less chance of finding them, and they might remain in this darkness forever.

"It's all my fault," Chu Chuyan said apologetically, feeling that if it weren't for her, Pei Mianman wouldn't have fallen into such a dire predicament.

"We're best friends," Pei Mianman sighed, knowing there was no escape. "You would have saved me too. I never thought two people with such different personalities would end up falling for the same man."

"Yes, life is unpredictable," Chu Chuyan sighed softly, thinking how they had subtly competed in the past, only for it all to come to naught in the end.

"It really vexes me to think of other vixen benefiting," Pei Mianman said sullenly. "I'd rather have just given that guy to you." She knew about the many women surrounding Ah Zu, and now that she and Chu Chuyan were out of the picture, it would simply be an undeserved boon for them.

"Yes, if I had known this, I would have let you have him," Chu Chuyan echoed. The two women exchanged a smile, feeling as though they were back in the days when they were close friends.

Just then, Pei Mianman suddenly said, "There's something you should know... about your master..."

She stopped mid-sentence, hesitating. She had witnessed intimate moments between Yan Xuehen and Ah Zu, and revealing it now might wound Chu Chuyan's feelings. After all, having her master "steal her home" was hardly a pleasant revelation.

Yet, speaking of it now would also feel like gossiping and sowing discord, which made her hesitate.

"What about my master?" Chu Chuyan asked, struggling to keep her heavy eyes open as she gazed at Pei Mianman with a bewildered expression.

Pei Mianman thought, *We're about to die anyway, what's the point of holding back? At least let Chu Chuyan know the full truth—that Ah Zu has more than just tempting hussies around him; there are some truly unexpected people too.*

"Your master and Ah Zu..."

Mid-sentence, a light suddenly emanated from the nearby statue, and a spectral female figure slowly ascended from it.

Only then did they realize the spectral figure was identical to the stone sculpture. Her face exuded an air of dignified serenity, and her eyes seemed to hold a profound compassion for all living beings.

"Whose blood has awakened me?"

They looked down and realized that, in their fight against the drowsiness, the blood from their self-inflicted wounds on their thighs had continuously dripped onto the ground. There was a subtle, imperceptible slope between the ground and the wall, and the blood had unknowingly flowed to the base of the statue on the stone wall.

"Senior, who are you?" the two women asked, startled.

"The world calls me Bao Gu," the spectral figure replied, as if expecting astonished exclamations. "This is a wisp of divine consciousness I left behind. Your bloodline seems somewhat unusual, which is why it activated me."

However, confusion filled the two women's eyes. They were not from this world and had never heard that name. (They had heard of "king oyster mushrooms," which sounded similar, but were wary of mentioning it lest they offend her.)

The spectral female figure visibly stiffened, then conceded, "Then, have you heard of Immortal Lord Baopu?"

The two women nodded. "We have," they replied.

In this world, Immortal Lord Baopu was almost a household name, being the only person to ascend to immortality in thousands of years.

The spectral female figure's expression clearly soured, and she finally stated, "He is my husband."

The two women's faces registered complete bewilderment.

"Immortal Lords have wives?"

The spectral figure replied curtly, "He wasn't born an immortal, so of course he had a wife."

"So you are the Immortal Lord's wife. Greetings, Senior," the two women said, bowing again. The wife of an immortal was practically a legendary figure.

"Do you think I wanted him to become this kind of immortal?" the spectral figure retorted, her expression displeased. The thought that they only knew her because of her husband made her feel even more vexed.

Displeased, she was about to depart with a flick of her sleeve, but then she noticed the women's state. "Oh, you seem to be injured," she remarked.

The two women gave a wry smile. "Our physical injuries are minor," they explained. "The main problem is we were hit by a strange ray from the Ghost King. We're incredibly drowsy, holding on purely by sheer willpower, and could fall asleep at any moment."

The two women exchanged a glance, a glimmer of hope appearing in their eyes. Even though the figure before them was merely a wisp of residual spirit, she had been an immortal's wife in her lifetime. Perhaps there was a chance she could save them.

"Ghost King?" The spectral figure frowned, a look that suggested either unfamiliarity or deep thought. "Judging by your condition, you seem to have been afflicted by 'Eternal Slumber Gaze,' a supreme art of the Yin-Yang realm. Once this technique hits, one falls into an eternal slumber, never to awaken, until only bones remain."

Pei Mianman and Chu Chuyan's hearts sank. It was indeed the worst-case scenario.

"Senior, do you have any way to save us?" Pei Mianman hastily asked, a flicker of hope appearing in Chu Chuyan's eyes as well.

The spectral figure shook her head. "If you had come before me in my prime, I would have had a way to save you," she said. "However, I am now merely a wisp of residual spirit, devoid of power. I am helpless in your situation."

Hearing her words, the two women immediately despaired.

"Pitiable, regrettable," the spectral figure said, shaking her head as she prepared to turn and depart.

Seeing her move toward the cave's exit, Chu Chuyan suddenly spoke up. "Senior, can you leave?"

The spectral figure nodded. "Indeed, I can feel the grand tomb reopening," she replied. "Some unresolved earthly attachments must finally be concluded."

Realizing her words implied she was headed to the grand tomb, Chu Chuyan's heart stirred. "I wonder if I could ask a favor of Senior."