Demon Sword Maiden

Even for Lily herself, the boundless thunderclouds overhead were too much to handle. At best, she could force her way through several hundred kilometers, even if it meant injury. But if she didn’t retreat in time, she would likely collapse from exhaustion. And that was assuming she didn’t get lost. Once disoriented within, death was almost certain. The hidden dangers within the thunderclouds remained unknown, for aside from the Great Imperial God, nearly no one had ever dared charge through them. And those who did almost never made it back.

As for Rei, she definitely wouldn’t have survived it.

Now that Lily saw these endless thunderclouds with her own eyes, she believed Riyuki’s words without a doubt.

“According to the map, there should be a passage nearby that allows safe passage through,” Lily said. She had never intended to charge into the thunderclouds to begin with, but had instead followed the route Riyuki marked on the map.

Passages like these were either naturally formed, or planned in ancient times by the Great Imperial Gods themselves. Core formations were designed first, then guided by Supreme Gods leading vast teams of cloud craftsmen

¹ and formation masters. Over tens of millions of years, they painstakingly constructed mechanisms and formations to carve a stable route. Yet even such roads could become impassable during periods of intense thundercloud activity.

Lily kept her distance, staying dozens of kilometers from the thunderclouds as she followed the map. Before long, she spotted in the distance—between the mass of black thunderclouds—a narrow gorge. It rose five thousand meters high, cleaving the storm in two, allowing a sliver of sky to shine through.

The sight was breathtaking, and both Lily and Rei couldn’t help but marvel.

“To have carved a valley through the thunderclouds… it’s simply unimaginable.”

“Let’s go into that thundercloud gorge, Sister.”

“Mm.”

Lily held Rei’s hand and flew directly into the gorge. From afar, it looked like a single slash dividing the heavens, but once inside, it spanned several kilometers in width.

However, flying too close to the edge of the gorge risked being swept up by the unstable thunderclouds.

Anyone above the Big Dipper Stage could withstand glancing blows from the outer edge. The wind was relatively weak here compared to the interior. The real danger lay deep within, especially if struck by lightning that occasionally lashed out along the valley walls.

Even a stray bolt could rival a strike from Wakarai himself.

Lily noticed in the distance a caravan of Azure Ox carts moving slowly through the gorge, it was likely a merchant convoy heading to Yuten Castle.

Yuten Castle stood surrounded by these vast thunderclouds for thousands of kilometers. The gorge housed two major checkpoints along the way. As long as those were guarded, no other part of the storm could be used for invasion. Truly, Yuten Castle was a fortress where one warrior could hold back ten thousand enemies.

Though the gorge was several kilometers wide, the thunderclouds loomed from either side like heaven collapsing in. Thunder rumbled, lightning flashed, and the overwhelming sight struck awe and fear into all who beheld it.

Just then, a sweeping cold wind blew in. With a deafening roar of thunder, torrential rain began to pour within the gorge.

The rain hit the Azure Ox caravan hard, causing it to sway and halt. Several Big Dipper Onmyoji began casting spells to hold it together. If the ox carts were blown into the storm wall, it would be certain death.

To Lily, though, it was merely ordinary rain. Aside from their clothes being completely soaked, she and Rei were unaffected.

Before long, they overtook the caravan. Watching it sway in the storm, Lily couldn’t help but feel a small sense of pride.

This time, she had finally shown her strength before Sister Uesugi.

The two continued flying through the rain, overtaking several more ox caravans and even a unit of Celestial Maidens in formation. These maidens were also flying in the air, their clothes drenched. Among them were Big Dipper warriors. Their formation was led by a Celestial Maiden of the Celestial Stage, connected to the others via spirit energy, forming a flying battle formation. Even the Big Dipper maidens within could fly using the formation.

Still, none of them appeared to be that female interrogator. She was a Supreme God, after all. Had she been present, Lily would’ve noticed immediately. Besides, the female interrogator wasn’t a Celestial Maiden, Lily would’ve known at a glance.

The maidens also noticed Lily and Rei, but simply assumed they were powerful Celestial Maiden warriors. With the storm raging around them, it took all their effort just to maintain their formation. None of them had time or energy to worry about others.

Lily and Rei quickly left them behind as well.

Still, Lily didn’t dare fly too fast. Doing so would draw too much attention, and the narrow gorge ensured that every few dozen minutes, one would encounter another traveler or caravan moving ahead or approaching from the opposite direction.

As night fell, the wind and rain grew fiercer, and Lily’s flight began to slow.

Rei, held by Lily’s hand, found it puzzling. While she knew flying while carrying someone was tiring, she was also well aware of Lily’s endurance. They weren’t even flying at full speed, this level of effort shouldn’t have worn Lily down.

So why was she slowing?

Rei noticed Lily’s palm had grown unusually hot. She turned to look at her. Drenched by rain, Lily’s long hair fluttered in the wind, her cheeks flushed red. Her chest, soaked and rising rapidly with breath, revealed how labored her breathing had become.

What was happening to Lily?

“Lily, are you okay?”

“I’m f… fine…”

“Do you want to stop and rest for a bit?”

“Sister, I’m fine. I—”

Suddenly, Lily’s grip loosened. Rei was nearly swept away by a violent gust, but reacted quickly and grabbed Lily’s ankle.

“Lily!?”

Lily’s body began to sway, her flight growing increasingly unsteady.

“Sister Uesugi… I’m sorry… I… I…”

“Lily? What’s wrong!?”

Lily began to fall.

She was about to plunge straight into the thunderclouds.

“Lily!”

Her whole body felt unbearably hot. Though brimming with energy, she had no strength. She felt faint, overwhelmed by some force surging within her that she couldn’t resist. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to stabilize midair, barely managing to change direction, swaying as she flew forward.

But even if she told Sister Uesugi her body was acting up, what good would it do? All she could do was push through. After flying with great difficulty for dozens of kilometers, she finally saw a Hizan ahead. Half of it was shrouded in thunderclouds.

She couldn’t continue any longer. Pulling Rei along, she flew toward the mountain.

Splash!

Rain poured as Lily and Rei crashed into the mountain forest, tumbling into a rushing stream. With no strength left, Lily was dragged downstream by the rushing water, heading straight for the cliff’s edge. Below the waterfall lay a bottomless abyss, roiling with thunderclouds.

Rei slashed through the rushing stream with a single swing, parting the flood and sending up a mist that rose a thousand meters into the air. She dashed forward and grabbed Lily just in time at the edge of the waterfall.

Gripping the dazed Lily tightly, Rei fought against the current and finally managed to pull her onto a patch of safe, shallow land.

Though it hadn’t been overly exhausting, the danger just moments ago had her breathing heavily from the tension.

“Lily, are you alright? Can you hear me?” Rei touched Lily’s forehead. She didn’t seem to have a fever, but her body felt incredibly hot to the touch.

For a moment, Rei found herself worrying rather foolishly. Lily had a Supreme God physique, how could she possibly fall ill?

Rei herself had some minor healing abilities, mostly water and ice-based, but she hadn’t practiced in a long time and her powers were weak. She tried channeling healing energy into Lily, but it didn’t help at all.

At that moment, Lily’s face was flushed, her eyes closed, and her breathing came in rapid gasps.

Reaching out, she instinctively grabbed Rei’s hand. “Sister Uesugi… what’s happening to me? I was just flying, and then suddenly… I ended up like this… I… I feel so hot…”

Rei grew increasingly anxious. Lily’s condition was clearly abnormal, but with a Supreme God physique, she couldn’t possibly fall ill, and catching a chill in the rain was even more ridiculous. Yet it was precisely because of that fact that her condition was so concerning.

Out of desperation, Rei suddenly thought of something. She placed her hand gently on Lily’s lower abdomen.

“Nn… no…” Lily trembled slightly, her body reacting more sensitively than before.

But Rei hadn’t done it to provoke a reaction. The moment her hand touched Lily’s feverish abdomen, the voice of Rinne echoed in her mind.

“Uesugi Rei, enter the Mirror Dimension immediately.”

Rei entered the Mirror Dimension and saw Rinne seated on a couch, her expression filled with concern.

“Lady Rinne, what’s wrong with Lily?” Rei asked anxiously.

“That was a close one. If you hadn’t caught her in time, I would’ve had to step in myself. But this spiritual form of mine has very limited energy, if I act externally even once, I’ll fall into another long period of slumber,” said Rinne.

Watching Rei’s obvious concern for Lily, Rinne nodded to herself in silent approval. She truly was a strong and reliable woman.

“Lily’s condition, while not life-threatening, couldn’t have flared up at a worse time. It’s likely that the thunderclouds of Takamagahara affected her body, triggering this state. My poor little sister… this is a condition that only someone as powerful and beautiful as her could possibly suffer from.”

“What kind of condition is it?” Rei was so anxious she couldn’t even stay still.

“Don’t worry too much. Strictly speaking, it’s not an illness. It’s a side effect of her rapid progress in training. The fluctuations of her Charm Heavenly Path have become too intense. Under the unique conditions of Takamagahara, the overflowing charm energy has begun to backfire and take control of her body. You could call this the side effect of an overly powerful Charm Heavenly Path.”

“Then… what should we do?”

“I called you here precisely for this,” Rinne said. “I was supposed to handle it myself, but I don’t have enough energy left to appear in the real world. These side effects don’t harm the body, but when the buildup becomes too much, it needs to be released. Otherwise, it only grows stronger and harder to manage, especially at a time like this. That’s what makes it dangerous.”

“Senior Sister… then what should I do?”

“Mm…” Rinne’s heart twisted slightly with discomfort, but for Lily’s sake—and with no other option at hand—she made up her mind.

“Uesugi Rei, to ease the overflowing Charm Heavenly Path, the only way is to guide and release this surging energy. Lily can’t do it on her own. Right now, you’re the only one who can help her release it. I’ll… teach you the method.”

Footnotes:

1. 
   
   

   Syl: Interesting… they’re crafting with clouds…

2. 
   

   Syl: Mhm… next chapter’s gonna be spicy isn’t it?