“Come here.”
Qu Weichen looked up, thinking, speak of the devil.
She held her breath and walked toward the door.
“Palace Master.” She bowed, feeling the woman sizing her up.
Qu Weichen hesitated, but still took the initiative to ask, “Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Come with me.” Chen Qingjue shoved a big red flower into Qu Weichen’s hand and turned to leave.
Qu Weichen, holding the flower, was completely confused but had no choice but to follow.
“Wu Weinuo still needs to be reorganized, and the academy won’t resume normal classes so soon.
I’ve had the textbooks you’ll need sent to your room.
Keep them with you, you don’t need to go to the academy anymore.”
“Yes.”
“You’re special, but your strength is still too weak.
Maybe growing up peacefully isn’t for you.” Chen Qingjue seemed to have already made up her mind.
She deliberately stopped halfway through her sentence.
Qu Weichen felt a bit uneasy but quietly followed behind her.
It wasn’t until they left the Prison Sanctuary that she heard the palace master whisper, “I’m going to throw you into the Abyss.”
Qu Weichen: “!!!”
“Relax, the Abyss is divided into several zones.
I won’t send you to your death.” As she spoke, she raised her hand and poked Qu Weichen between the eyebrows with her index finger.
Qu Weichen instinctively wanted to dodge, but held back.
The cool fingertip slid from her brow to the tip of her nose, and the places she touched felt faintly hot.
Qu Weichen looked into Chen Qingjue’s light brown eyes and saw her own reflection there.
“Food, water, daily necessities, fire starters, fuel, clothes… I’ll give you time to shop.
Here, three hundred thousand yuanlang, spend it however you want.” Chen Qingjue withdrew her hand, and in the next instant, a new spatial ring appeared in her palm.
She slipped the ring into the pocket of Qu Weichen’s training uniform and said gently, “I’ll also give you a pair of daggers made from the twin horns of a fifth-rank Thunderhorn Deer, with built-in lightning damage.”
“…What do I need to do?”
“Come to my room tonight, I’ll explain everything.” Chen Qingjue smiled, giving Qu Weichen a gentle push on the shoulder.
“Go on, buy what you need.”
“If you want to run, you can try, if you think you can get out of Wu Weinuo.”
Qu Weichen gave a wry smile.
“Palace Master, why tease me?” She took out the spatial ring.
It was empty except for a yuanlang card and a pair of purple-gold daggers.
This ring was much bigger than the one Constance had given her before—definitely higher grade.
The previous ring only had about ninety cubic meters of space, but this one… was at least ten times that.
Qu Weichen even thought she could happily move in and live inside.
[This is great! A free grinding opportunity, don’t waste it!] Before Qu Weichen could think more, Number Nine was already excited.
Qu Weichen hadn’t even gone in yet, but it was already imagining the host leveling up in the Abyss, summoning an army of undead to sweep the imperial city and strangle the Third Prince.
Qu Weichen watched Chen Qingjue leave.
Clearly, for more details… she’d have to go see the palace master tonight.
Luckily, with Number Nine’s help, those mental tricks of the palace master didn’t work on her.
Otherwise, Qu Weichen wouldn’t dare go alone at night.
As for Number Nine’s daydreams—”Undead creatures are twice as strong in the Abyss.
When they come to the Floating Continent, they’re suppressed.
The stronger they are, the more the continent suppresses them.
How am I supposed to level up in the Abyss? Am I supposed to hunt down the weakest skeleton grunts one by one?”
That’s also one reason the Floating Continent can suppress the passage.
But as the Abyss has been around longer and more portals appear, the continent’s suppression of abyssal creatures is slowly weakening.
Even if the instructors never said it outright, plenty of books in the library speculated that one day, the Abyss might merge with the Floating Continent.
[Just take your time.
Look at that skill tree, so many branches, and all those buff skills underneath!] Qu Weichen sighed, unable to swallow Number Nine’s pie-in-the-sky promises.
She seriously considered her future life in the Abyss.
Since the ring was so big, she had to stock up.
Even if she was thrown into the Abyss, she had to maintain her quality of life.
Pots, pans, seasonings—couldn’t do without them.
Food and water were top priority.
She needed to buy plenty of warm and protective clothing, just in case the Abyss had climate changes.
Qu Weichen decided to stock up on sleeping bags and tents.
She bought some good charcoal, plus medical supplies and healing potions.
Qu Weichen even used up her savings from two years of hunting, buying five boxes of healing potions and five boxes of white bubble nutrient solution.
Ten per box, twenty thousand yuanlang each—Qu Weichen went bankrupt on the spot.
After all, in a life-or-death fight, those bubble nutrients that could quickly restore stamina could save her life.
Same with the healing potions—no matter how expensive, she had to have plenty.
When Qu Weichen dragged her broke self back to her room and lay down on the soft bed, she stroked the mattress, looked at the fluffy quilt and pillows, and suddenly thought: since she’s going to the Abyss anyway, why not bring the bed along? If she found a place to settle down, she couldn’t sleep in a sleeping bag on the ground every day.
[But what if you go see the palace master tonight and she tells you it was all a joke, and she never planned to send you to the Abyss?]
Qu Weichen: “…”
“Who would spend so much yuanlang on a joke?” Qu Weichen lay on her back.
Although the palace master still hadn’t revealed her identity, since the Third Prince was the Sixth Demon King and didn’t get along with the palace master… was Chen Qingjue also a demon king? Or some other demon who rose up against the demon kings? Either way, they’re all from the Abyss.
The fact that they could come from the Abyss to the Floating Continent was impressive.
The Third Prince even managed to take over a royal identity.
Sure, the original Third Prince wasn’t favored or noticeable, but Qu Weichen still had to admire these demons who could get things done despite being suppressed on all sides.
Tsk, how did she—just like that—go from the Prison Sanctuary to being someone from the Abyss!
[It’s fine, you’re a necromancer anyway.
Even if you become a demon king’s lackey, it’s no big deal.
Laying low for a while during your growth is nothing~]
Qu Weichen: clenched fist.jpg
Qu Weichen thought she was pretty even-tempered, but every time she heard Number Nine’s deliberately outrageous comments, she wanted to drag it out of her head and beat it up.
[Seriously, your real enemy is the Sixth Demon King.
And Chen Qingjue is his rival.
She’s saved you so many times, given you so many resources and opportunities to train—obviously, the enemy of your enemy is your friend.
Not to mention, this friend is your benefactor!]
“You didn’t talk about her like this before.”
[Well, I didn’t know who she was before.
Now that I do, she’s not mysterious anymore, her threat level drops way down.]
[Don’t worry, once we’re in the Abyss, I’ll help you! Even though you haven’t triggered many achievements, I’ve got some savings.
Tomorrow I’ll apply for a basic detector.
Once we’re in the Abyss, you won’t have to worry about sneak attacks.] Number Nine was quite pleased.
Even if it could only afford a basic version, it should be enough.
“Thanks, but if it’s too expensive, forget it.” Qu Weichen felt that even if she detected something, it wouldn’t help much.
She didn’t reply to Number Nine, just thought to herself: If she ever maxed out as a necromancer, maybe she could write an autobiography called “Me and My Useless System.”
[…I can hear you when you think of me, you know.
Are you polite?]
Qu Weichen was a little embarrassed for a second, but still replied smoothly, “Polite.
Are you grateful?”
[…]
Going to the Abyss, the hardest thing for Qu Weichen would probably be the loneliness.
It wouldn’t be a familiar environment anymore, but a world of the undead.
Qu Weichen didn’t think she could make any particularly friendly connections with the undead there, so in that situation… having Number Nine for company was probably a blessing.
Qu Weichen napped for a while, then got up for dinner.
After tidying up her clothes, she went to find the palace master.
…
“Come in.”
“Palace Master.” Qu Weichen pushed the door open, bowed, and closed the door behind her.
The palace master was sitting at her desk reading, a steaming cup of tea at her side.
“Sit wherever you like.” Chen Qingjue looked up at Qu Weichen.
“You’ve been here a while.
Have you only been focusing on martial training?”
“…Yes.” Qu Weichen sat properly on the sofa, back straight, answering honestly.
She added, “After all, I don’t have any magical talent.”
“You’re a necromancer, what magical talent do you need?” Chen Qingjue tapped her fingers lightly on the table.
“Can you only summon those trash skeletons? Haven’t you made any contracts with others?”
“…No, I’ve never met any demons, and I’ve never studied necromancy.
I only learned that summoning by accident.” Qu Weichen half-lied, acting a bit nervous, hands deliberately gripping her pants on her knees.
“I see.
No wonder I can’t smell that demon stink on you.” Chen Qingjue stood up, pulled out a chair, and sat down next to Qu Weichen, deliberately leaning in to “sniff” her.
“Don’t be scared.
I’m curious, but not that desperate for answers… Do you want to go to the Abyss?”
“When the undead come to the Floating Continent, their power is suppressed.
So, once you’re in the Abyss, you won’t even be able to beat the undead knights you used to kill.” Chen Qingjue’s tone was gentle, like an older sister talking to her little sister.
Her light brown eyes watched Qu Weichen, full of concern.
“You’re still so weak.
Once you’re in the Abyss… who knows if you’ll make it out alive.”
“You’ve saved me so many times, Palace Master, but I can’t do anything for you.
I—I’m willing to go to the Abyss to train, even if the undead there are stronger, it doesn’t matter.” Qu Weichen showed a bit of struggle, but finally said firmly, “I don’t have much talent, and I don’t know how far I can go.
Staying here, I can’t help you, I’d just be a burden… I’m willing to go to the Abyss to get stronger.
Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it.”
Chen Qingjue kept her gentle expression, just quietly watching Qu Weichen.
It was hard to tell if she believed her or not.
“Besides, I have my own reasons.” Qu Weichen turned her head, hands clenched into fists on her knees, eyes shining with tears.
“That Third Prince… you said he’s the Sixth Demon King.
He’s the one who sent the undead to attack Wu Weinuo.
He’s the reason… the reason my mother and everyone in my village died.
I want revenge.
I want to get stronger.
I—I’ve been working so hard, but…”
Qu Weichen let out a whimper, as if she couldn’t go on.
[…Brilliant.] Number Nine was in awe.
