Chapter 111: The White Nightmare Serpent

Luo Yunshang recognized the voice immediately; it was that of her master, the Demon Venerable Xuanyuan. Upon hearing it, the Demon Venerable Baigu dared not make another move and held his breath. Suddenly, a cloud of black mist materialized between them, and a slender figure emerged slowly from within. It was none other than the Demon Venerable Xuanyuan herself, clad in the Xuanyuan Nine-Nether Dress and wearing the Purple Fiend Mask.

"Master!" Luo Yunshang cried out to the figure in front of the mist, overcome with excitement. There was no mistake; it was undoubtedly her master. Not only the voice and the attire, but the graceful figure and the faint spiritual aura emanating from her were identical to her master’s. Who else could it be? Besides, who would dare to impersonate her master?

The Demon Venerable Baigu was stunned to see the Demon Venerable Xuanyuan appear here. Had the legends not said she was killed three hundred years ago by the legendary Flute Immortal? The entire cultivation world had celebrated for a whole year, even erecting a golden statue of the Flute Immortal, and the sect leader of the Fanyuan Sect had been replaced. Was all that just a joke? Baigu could also tell that the spiritual aura radiating from this Xuanyuan was indistinguishable from the original. He attempted to probe her cultivation level, only to find it unfathomable, with no boundaries to be found. It was clear that her cultivation far exceeded his own; she had to be the real Demon Venerable Xuanyuan.

"Demon Venerable Xuanyuan, how would I dare to bully your disciple? I was only playing with her," Baigu said with a sheepish grin.

The Demon Venerable Xuanyuan replied with a cold, sharp laugh, "Then let me play with you properly from now on."

"Demon Venerable Xuanyuan, I have a ninety-seven-year-old mother and a three-month-old infant at home, both waiting for me to care for them. Let’s play another time," Baigu said, preparing to flee.

"Wait!" At this command, Baigu froze, not daring to move.

"You think you can just leave like this?" The Demon Venerable Xuanyuan tilted her head slightly, as if ready to strike. Feeling a chill down his spine and sweat dripping from his palms, Baigu said, "I know what must be done." He formed his right hand into a claw and plunged it directly into his own abdomen, blood immediately gushing from the self-inflicted wound.

"Demon Venerable Xuanyuan, are you satisfied? May I leave now? If I don't get back, my poor three-year-old child will starve."

"Didn't you just say your child was three months old?"

"Oh... that... that is my other child. I have two."

"Go."

"Thank you for your mercy. My two children and my ninety-seven-year-old mother will be grateful."

"If you don't leave now, I may change my mind."

"Leaving at once!" No sooner had he spoken than the giant three-eyed toad beneath his feet burst from the ground, swallowed him whole, and burrowed back into the earth to escape.

Luo Yunshang flew to the side of the Demon Venerable, her eyes brimming with tears. "Master, I knew you weren't dead. I always believed you were still alive."

"Stop crying. How pathetic. Follow me," the Demon Venerable said coldly.

They arrived at a bamboo forest in a nearby valley. As the Demon Venerable walked ahead and Luo Yunshang followed at a respectful distance, she felt a sense of profound happiness. During her master's absence, even a character like Baigu had dared to bully her. Now that her master had returned, she had her pillar of strength and her faith back; she no longer had to live like a salted fish.

However, Luo Yunshang suddenly noticed something amiss. From behind, her master’s hips seemed a size smaller, which made her gait look slightly different than before. Before she could dwell on it, her master turned around and said sternly, "My beloved disciple, come, strip off your clothes. I shall now teach you the art of dual cultivation."

Hearing this tone, Luo Yunshang’s expression changed instantly. "You stinking snake! How dare you impersonate my master!" She stepped forward and ripped off the Purple Fiend Mask. Beneath it was a delicate, fair-skinned face with blood-red lips and alluring, almond-shaped eyes. While the face was beautiful and sultry, it was clearly not that of Qin Xuanxi.

"It really is you, you stinking snake!" Luo Yunshang stomped her feet in anger. Her heart plummeted into an abyss of disappointment. The one she thought was her master was actually a demonic snake raised by her. This creature, known as the White Nightmare Snake, had once received a drop of blood essence from Qin Xuanxi and had practiced alongside her in the spiritual pool. After gaining a human form, she possessed a unique aura reminiscent of Qin Xuanxi and had also become her disciple, receiving the name Bai Ruoling.

Bai Ruoling was a spirit-beast adept at shapeshifting. Although she had never seen Qin Xuanxi’s true face—as her master always wore the Purple Fiend Mask—she only needed to replicate the figure, don the mask and dress, and project the familiar spiritual aura to successfully pass as her master. The reason Baigu had been unable to fathom her cultivation was due to a treasure called the "Void Tooth." This object, shaped like a serpent's fang, could mask one's true spiritual power, allowing the user to pose as an Emperor-level cultivator to intimidate enemies.

"Bai Ruoling, take off that dress and change your figure back! How much longer do you intend to blaspheme against Master?" Luo Yunshang demanded.

"Senior Sister, don't be so angry. If I hadn't changed into Master's appearance, I couldn't have scared off that Baigu. In the end, I saved your life; you should be thanking me," Bai Ruoling replied. Having joined the sect later, she addressed Luo Yunshang as Senior Sister.

"I know. You saved me, so I owe you," Luo Yunshang said, her tone softening. After all, it was a desperate measure to save her. "But Bai Ruoling, has your shapeshifting regressed? The figure you created is flawed. I remember Master’s hips were not as small as yours."

"Senior Sister, I specifically made them smaller. It's an improvement," Bai Ruoling chuckled. "The only flaw in Master’s figure was that her hips were too large, which caused too much swaying when she walked, damaging the dignity of an Imperial Demon Venerable. Besides, only mortal women care about having large hips for childbearing. Our master is the supreme female sovereign of the demonic path; she doesn't need to have children, so large hips are useless."

Luo Yunshang rolled her eyes. "Bai Ruoling, your master’s figure is not for you to critique. Change it back immediately!"