Seduce The Villainess (GL)

(Secret Headquarters Of The Crimson Demon Sect)

(Hidden Mountain Range)

Yang Xia held out her palm and gestured for Xu Lu to grab it. 

The former saintess held on to the hand in front of her and discovered that the sect leader\'s palm was covered in callouses and scars.

That didn\'t make any sense.

At her cultivation level all wounds that did not immediately kill her should fully regenerate within a matter of minutes if not seconds.

Before Xu Lu could think about the matter further, the world around her trembled and her vision slowly faded to black.

When she opened her eyes, she discovered that she was now standing in front of what appeared to be an endless forest.

Except something was strange about the plants in this place…

There was a faint white mist lingering around the bottom of the trees that smelled vaguely of sulphur and ash.

The trees themselves were gnarled and twisted with their branches intertwined in strange formations that formed a sort of maze-like structure.

Howls, yelps, and other eerie noises echoed through the forest and Xu Lu could make out vague humanoid shadows running between the trees.

"This is the Shadowed Forest," Yang Xia calmly explained as she withdrew her hand from Xu Lu\'s grasp.

"It is the main barrier that protects us from the outside world. A dense forest with many traps, monsters and runes that would prevent even the most determined of foes from reaching us."

"Some brave disciples like to use the forest as a training ground but just be warned that at least fifty disappear every year and their corpses are never recovered."

"Why don\'t you stop them?" Xu Lu asked curiously as she took a few steps backwards away from the mist.

Yang Xia stared into the forest with no emotion in her eyes. When she turned to face Xu Lu, there was the barest hint of a smile on her face.

"In this place… human life is easily discarded. Only the strong, the vicious and the cruel can survive here," Yang Xia whispered quietly.

"And you will one day be the leader of this den of vipers…"

Yang Xia\'s voice was lighthearted and yet Xu Lu could detect a tinge of bitterness in her seemingly nonchalant tone.

The sect leader remained frozen in place for a brief moment and then turned and began to walk in the direction of the vast mountain range.

Now that she was outside, Xu Lu got a chance to properly look at the mountains that the Crimson Demon Sect called home.

The mountains were tall, and their peaks were covered in a light layer of snow. 

Palaces, buildings, and small towns were neatly tucked away in the jagged ravines, valleys, and low peaks.

The narrow paths leading to the towns were treacherous and did not seem safe for travelling on foot.

Xu Lu squinted her eyes and saw cultivators flying through the air to get from place to place and very few bothered with walking on the ground.

That was not to say that the entire sect\'s infrastructure was based in the mountains because Yang Xia was leading her to a couple of buildings at the bottom of a large hill. 

"Come… we still have more areas to cover," Yang Xia spoke lazily as she waved her hands and beckoned for Xu Lu to follow.

The former saintess walked behind the beautiful woman whose footsteps did not make even the slightest sound as she moved.

As they neared the mountain, disciples of the Crimson Demon Sect noticed them and soon Xu Lu felt dozens of eyes land on her body.

The disciples of the demonic sect wore different coloured robes and styles. 

Some wore long black robes and a hood that concealed most of their facial features, others adorned themselves with jewels that glinted and sparkled under the sunlight and others… barely wore anything at all.

Xu Lu tried not to stare as she passed a voluptuous young woman wearing a transparent see through dress that seemed more like a sexy lingerie set than a proper item of clothing.

There was only one thing in common between the disciples and that was the respect and fear in their expressions as the sect leader approached them.

"Sect leader…"

"We greet the sect leader…"

"Is that the successor?"

The disciples bowed their heads respectfully as Yang Xia walked past them, but most could not resist sneaking glances at the masked figure following her.

A silvery grey mask covered her face, and she wore a simple white robe that seemed plain compared to what the disciples wore.

A longsword was securely attached to her hip and her long hair was tied into a neat ponytail that rested gently against the back of her neck.

Xu Lu kept her body straight and continued to walk without a hint of hesitancy, fear, or doubt in her steps.

This was her first test.

If she wanted to be accepted by the Crimson Demon Sect as the successor, then she would need to make sure that she projected an aura of confidence.

Still, she could hear the whispers coming from the crowd of onlookers as many lowered their voices and discussed her appearance amongst themselves.

"What cultivation level do you think she reached?"

"I\'m not sure… qi tide stage at least… but maybe the void? Her smell is pretty young… she can\'t be older than thirty…."

"Why do you think she is wearing the mask?"

"This is just a rumor, but I heard that her face is too beautiful… one glance at her appearance is enough to send anyone into the throes of lust…"

Xu Lu\'s footsteps paused for the slightest moment before she resumed her gait while forcing down the unpleasant emotions in her heart.

She had spent the last two months cultivating non-stop, so she did not have time to work on her self-esteem and acceptance of her appearance.

That could not be put off any longer. 

Especially in such a dangerous place where she was sure that any weakness would be exploited by those that were hostile to her.

Yang Xia continued to traverse the interior of the sect until they finally arrived at the entrance to a long and narrow building covered in dark steel plates.

In front of the building was a narrow red gate where statues of horned demons perched on its wooden structure.

There was a cold chill in the air around this place. The disciples around this area were oddly quiet and moved with their heads bowed.

"The Soul- Weaving Pavilion…" Yang Xia calmly spoke as she lingered by the entranceway but did not go inside.

"If you are interested in learning about false resurrections and corpse puppeteering techniques then this is the perfect place to find a willing teacher."

Xu Lu looked around and suddenly noticed that the disciples wandering around the building were not… healthy looking.

The colour of their skin was extremely pale and clammy. They were shuffling with slow zombie-like movements, and she finally realised why most kept their heads down.

Their eyes… they were missing their eyes…

"Sect master!" a cheerful voice rang out through the air. Xu Lu turned in the direction of the sound and noticed a woman walking towards them with a sway in her hips.

"You should have told me that you were visiting! My darlings have been waiting to see you again!"

The woman purred sweetly as she snapped her fingers and several of the living corpses wandered over with open mouths.

"And who is this sweetheart?" the mysterious woman asked gently as she approached Xu Lu and looked at her with a friendly smile.

"She is the successor… not one of your future toys…" Yang Xia sternly warned as she noticed the glint of curiosity mixed with a darker emotion in the eyes of her junior sister.