Goldy Ascendance: Limitless Celestial!-Chapter 41: Calm before... Ah, Well...

Everyone immediately stood, grabbing themselves and preparing for the journey ahead.

Her command was as sharp as the edge of a blade, and even the disciples who had been carefree moments ago snapped to attention.

As we made our way out of the inn, I couldn’t help but steal a glance at Chu Fengxian.

He still played the part of the stoic, calm cultivator, but I knew better. The chaos that had followed the attempted marriage arrangement still lingered in the air between him and Yue Linxi.

They would never acknowledge it, of course. But it was there.

I smirked, amused by the complexity of it all. Yue Linxi and Chu Fengxian, Yue Liqin and I—it was a web of relationships that even the heavens would struggle to untangle.

And I had no intention of making it easier for any of them.

"Let’s see how this plays out," I whispered to myself as we started down the path.

****

The air was heavy with tension as we departed from the inn, the wind carrying whispers of the dangerous mission ahead.

The path to the demon sect’s hideout was lined with dense trees, their twisted branches blotting out the sun, casting long shadows on the trail. We marched in silence, each of us lost in thought, preparing for what lay ahead. My sister, Yue Linxi, led the group with quiet grace, her aura still crackling with the remnants of her Heavenly realm energy.

Behind her, Shi Wenyan and Chu Fengxian followed, their expressions calm, while I walked beside them, observing our companions.

Long Zhen and Bai Lifen were further up ahead, discussing something in hushed tones, no doubt about their "strategy."

Ling Xueying and Lin Xuiying walked side by side, their eyes scanning the forest for any signs of movement. The younger disciples were jittery, their nerves on edge as we neared the location of the demon sect.

And then, as we approached a clearing, the atmosphere changed. A cold, dark presence loomed ahead, faint but unmistakable.

"Seems we’ve arrived," I muttered, feeling the shift in the air.

The clearing opened up into a wide expanse of rocky terrain, with jagged cliffs on either side and a thick mist swirling at the base. The demon sect’s hideout was here, hidden within the crags of the cliff.

Their members awaited us.

But something was off. The group of demon sect members that emerged from the shadows didn’t seem like the fierce warriors we had anticipated. They looked... weak.

"Are these the infamous demons we’re supposed to be worried about?" Long Zhen scoffed, cracking his knuckles as he stepped forward. His massive frame towered over the sect members, who looked more like malnourished bandits than fearsome cultivators.

Bai Lifen followed closely behind him, flipping his fan open with a dramatic flourish. "Maybe they just skipped breakfast? Should’ve joined us at the inn."

I smirked, leaning back against a tree as I watched the scene unfold.

My sister, Shi Wenyan, Chu Fengxian, and I weren’t going to bother lifting a finger. This was clearly a fight our companions could handle on their own.

Without hesitation, Long Zhen charged forward, his massive body moving with surprising speed. He slammed into the first demon sect member like a battering ram, sending the unfortunate soul flying into a nearby boulder with a sickening crunch.

"One down," he said with a grin, flexing his muscles for dramatic effect.

Bai Lifen shook his head, sighing as he waved his fan lazily. "Always so brute-force. You’ll never learn finesse, will you?"

Long Zhen shrugged, clearly unbothered. "Why bother with finesse when this works just fine?"

Meanwhile, Ling Xueying had already begun her assault, her golden sword flashing through the air as she weaved through the demon sect members like a graceful whirlwind. Her movements were fluid, each strike precise, and her opponents barely had time to react before they were cut down.

"Too easy," she muttered under her breath, though a small smirk played at the corners of her lips. She clearly enjoyed the thrill of battle. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Lin Xuiying wasn’t far behind, her spear flashing in the dim light as she danced around her opponents. Her style was more elegant, more refined, but no less deadly. Each move was a calculated strike, aimed to incapacitate rather than kill.

"This is hardly a challenge," Lin Xuiying commented, side-stepping an attack and slicing her opponent’s leg with one smooth motion. "I expected more from a demon sect."

"Don’t get too comfortable!" Ling Xueying called out, slicing through another opponent with ease. "Who knows what else is lurking deeper inside?"

The battle was intense, but there was an undeniable sense of playfulness in the way they fought.

Long Zhen’s brute strength, Bai Lifen’s casual elegance, Ling Xueying’s speed, and Lin Xuiying’s precision—each of them showcased their abilities with a confidence that bordered on cockiness.

Long Zhen, in particular, seemed to be having the time of his life. "Come on! Is that all you’ve got?!" he roared, lifting a demon sect member by the collar and tossing him aside like a ragdoll.

"Careful, Long Zhen," Bai Lifen called out, waving his fan lazily. "Don’t break them too fast. We need some entertainment before lunch."

"I’ll break as many as I want," Long Zhen shot back, landing a heavy punch on another opponent. "Lunch can wait!"

Ling Xueying rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t hide the smile tugging at her lips. "Is everything food and women with you two? We’re in the middle of a battle."

"Food is important, Ling Xueying!" Bai Lifen protested, sidestepping a clumsy attack. "A well-fed warrior is a strong warrior."

Long Zhen let out a booming laugh as he continued plowing through the enemies. "Exactly! Now, let’s finish this up so we can eat!" They avoided the women part.

As the fight raged on, more demon sect members tried to emerge from the shadows, but their numbers were quickly thinning. It was clear that they had underestimated us—or perhaps overestimated themselves.

Ling Xueying’s eyes flickered toward a group of disciples struggling against a particularly stubborn demon sect member. "Lin Xuiying, let’s help them finish this quickly."

Lin Xuiying nodded, her daggers gleaming as she moved to join her. "Let’s make it quick. I’m getting bored."

Together, the two women made quick work of the remaining enemies, their coordinated attacks leaving no room for counterstrike. The demon sect members fell one after another, their once-menacing presence reduced to nothing more than a footnote in our journey.

Finally, the last demon sect member collapsed to the ground, defeated and broken.

Long Zhen wiped the sweat from his brow, his grin still in place. "Well, that was fun."

Bai Lifen flicked his fan closed with a satisfied nod. "I’d say that was a decent warm-up."

Shi Wenyan glanced at me, a slight smirk on her face. "They certainly know how to put on a show, don’t they?"

I shrugged, still leaning casually against the tree. "More like a circus act than a fight. But hey, they got the job done."

Yue Linxi, who had been silently observing the whole time, finally spoke. "We should move forward. This was only the beginning."

Ling Xueying sheathed her sword, her eyes still sharp. "Agreed. The real challenge lies ahead."

As we gathered ourselves to move deeper into the demon sect’s territory, I couldn’t help but chuckle. It was rare to see such a blend of deadly combat and comedy, but our group managed to pull it off effortlessly.

"Let’s hope the next group puts up a better fight," I mused, falling in line with the others.

Bai Lifen waved his fan lazily, a gleam of amusement in his eyes. "Or at least gives us something to talk about over lunch."

Poor lads they didn’t know what the heavens had in store for them!