I was carried by a group of immortals all the way to the Immortal Death Platform.
Although it's called the Immortal Death Platform, it's not a place where immortals are killed, but rather where they're pushed down to the mortal realm.
Just ten days ago, I had pushed down the last immortal king infatuated with love, and then imprisoned his equally unrepentant lover in the Heavenly Prison for reflection.
That day, when I separated them, the immortal king cursed me harshly, the fairy wept bitterly, and the surrounding immortals were silent and subdued.
But I remained unmoved.
Unexpectedly, that silence was the calm before their outburst.
Now, it was my turn.
The immortals slammed me hard against the edge of the Immortal Death Platform. I groaned and rolled twice, nearly falling off.
I dangled on the edge, glaring at the immortals before me, whimpering and trying to utter a word. The immortals stared back at me with tired, dark-circled, deadened eyes.
"I won't write the five-day summary even if the Lord of Heaven comes."
"What God of Law? You're just the Extinction Fruit Immortal, showing off your power with the golden bell!"
"It's been a hundred days. I've been separated from my beloved for a hundred days. Who knows how I've spent these hundred days..."
"I'd rather destroy a temple than break up a marriage. You're cold-hearted, callous, and merciless, torturing us. We'll make you suffer endlessly!"
They stared at me with resentment.
I struggled, finally freeing my mouth from the red string by using my facial muscles. The red string slid down my neck like a death sentence.
"How dare you!" I shouted, still maintaining my composure. "Don't you think about why the ancient gods sent me here? Of course, it's because you've been so indulgent and neglected your duties! The people of the lower realms are so innocent! I'm supposed to restore the laws of nature! Release me immediately! Do you really think I can't deal with you without the golden bell?"
I'd grown and borne fruit in the divine realm. Throughout my life, my greatest skill had been competing with my seven hundred and ninety-nine fruit brothers and sisters for sunlight and nourishment from the mother tree.
I hadn't learned any immortal magic, but I could intimidate them.
I said calmly and confidently, "I am the God of Law."
Their faces remained tired and grim after I finished speaking, but some hesitated, as if wary of my previous drastic measures.
I calmed myself and was about to continue when a golden bell rang from behind the immortals.
This made not only me but all the immortals before me tense.
"Bang!"
It wasn't thunder striking from the sky, but someone imitating the sound of thunder, making an onomatopoeic noise.
The immortals almost instinctively moved aside.
But then, nothing happened. Only Shen Yuan's hearty laughter echoed from behind, as if he was about to shatter the jade chimes themselves.
"Little Fruit Immortal, I've watched you for over a hundred days. Your pretense won't fool me a second time."
The immortals automatically made way, allowing me to stare directly at Shen Yuan standing at the back. He swung my golden bell, just as he'd swung his wine glass the first time I met him. His tone was filled with contempt and amusement.
"If you're truly capable, why not deal with me now?"
"Wrong!" I cried inwardly. I'd even wanted to apologize before returning to the Divine Realm! I struggled with words. "The gates of your Acacia Palace have been sealed for a hundred days. How could you have watched me for a hundred days? Immortal Lord Shen Yuan, have you forgotten what it feels like to be struck by thunder?"
Shen Yuan smiled. "It seems the God of Law can't even see through my true form. Truly incompetent."
I was startled. The immortals nearby were already sneering.
"Immortal Lord Shen Yuan is an immortal from a love tree, so he has the right to care about matters of love. He has taken root in the Nine Heavens since the dawn of time, and all the love trees in the Nine Heavens are controlled by Immortal Lord Shen Yuan!"
A love tree immortal?
Could the tree in the Acacia Palace be his true form?
Did he take both of my thunderbolts that day?
One intentional, hitting Butterfly's face, and one accidental, hitting his true form...
Then I really do have a grudge against him.
The immortal who spoke had no idea of my inner turmoil. He simply continued, "That fairy fruit orchard is half fairy fruit trees, half acacia trees. You've been here for a hundred days, every day, and you still don't know?"
Acacia trees in the orchard...
So I've been here for a hundred days! All this time, I've been acting under his nose!
No wonder he dared to attack me! No wonder he wanted to steal my golden bell! Those individuals who entered and exited his Acacia Palace weren't simply there to visit him after he was struck!
They were all plotting this day with him!
I cursed Shen Yuan. "You're planting acacia trees in the fairy fruit orchard! You're despicable!"
Shen Yuan looked at me and chuckled. "Eight hundred immortals in the Nine Heavens—they don't yearn for immortal fates, they yearn for mortal ones. Little Fruit Immortal, isn't that what you said? When they're in love, and their love is deep, why don't they plant acacia trees instead of fruit trees?"
A surge of resentment welled up in my heart.
"Stop talking to her!" the immortals started clamoring.
"Push her down!"
"Prevent her from ascending! Stop torturing us!"
"She despises love! Let her have a taste of it!"
"Yes! Let her have a taste of it!"
With those words, countless magical instruments shone down on me. Another burst of brilliant red, blue, green, and purple light struck me, sending me plummeting from the Immortal Death Platform.
I cried out in shock and began to fall uncontrollably.
Gazing at the receding Nine Heavens, I caught a last glimpse of Shen Yuan standing by the platform, playing with my golden bell and gloating over the spectacle.
Besides him, the other immortals were cursing me.
The Nine Heavens, eight hundred immortals, united in purpose, cursed me.
They told me to find true love in the human world.
They said if I couldn't find it, I wouldn't be able to ascend, and would die.
I never imagined that the hundredth day wouldn't be the day I lit incense and prayed to the gods for my return, but the day I was wrongfully cast down and began an even more outrageous mission!
True love!
What the hell is that?!
Isn't it just a matter of romance?
How hard could it be?
I was thrown into a forest on earth. As the dust of the world stained my face and body, the immortal arts that bound me vanished, leaving only Shen Yuan's red string firmly dangling from my neck.
I angrily threw the string away, stepped on it twice, and tried to leave, but after two steps, I circled back and picked it up.
Isn't this the red string that the God of Love and the Matchmaker use to connect couples across vast distances?
Although Shen Yuan was hateful, his red string was waste to me before, but now I could take this waste and use it.
I made up my mind. I'd follow this mountain path and tie up any man I saw. Once we were tied, we'd become true love, and then I'd complete my mission.
After all, they didn't say I had to stay with this true love.
I'd find it first, wouldn't I?
After finishing this "mundane matter," I'd work hard at cultivating immortality, ascend to the upper realms, return to the pinnacle, and reclaim the golden bell. Finally, I'd strike that god of love to death with thunder!
As if to align with my plan, a sudden, rumbling roar of thunder echoed from the sky.
I glanced at the patch of sky from which I had fallen. There was no wind, no clouds, only the relentless rumble of thunder.
Without dwelling on the cause, I patted my clothes and uttered a harsh, "Just you wait!"
The immortals' curses didn't dampen my spirits; instead, they only strengthened my resolve. I rallied, and like my first day in the Ninth Heaven heading for the Acacia Palace, I walked the forest path with unwavering confidence, hoping to meet my destined "soulmate"!
And heaven granted my wish!
Not far down the mountain road, just as I turned a corner, I truly encountered someone!
But this destined person looked a little ominous.
He was sturdy, dressed in black, with his hair tied up, holding a short-bladed dagger in his hand, half lying on a large rock by the roadside. Wounds covered his body as if he'd been chopped by knives and axes. His flesh was exposed from under torn clothes, and blood was flowing.
The sticky blood flowed along the surface of the stone, just flowing over a bulge in the rock, then continued to drip to the ground.
Combined with his slow and heavy breathing, I thought he might be dying.
"Knight!" I held the red thread in my hand and immediately ran toward him. "Hold on a little longer."
I ran to the knight's side and half squatted down. Just as I was about to use my "fruit" abilities to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, grabbing some spiritual power from the surrounding air to heal his wounds, the short-bladed dagger swung directly at my neck!
I was so scared that I fell on my backside, barely avoiding his attack.
But he didn't pursue me. He simply rolled over and lay against the rock, panting heavily, the sharp edge of his dagger pointed at me, as if he'd pierce me if I took a step closer.
He had a handsome face, but also a strong sense of wariness.
"Don't worry, I'm not someone who wants to harm you," I raised my hands, trying to comfort him. "I want you to help me. I'll help you heal your wounds, and then you'll fall in love with me. How about that?"
The mountain path was silent for a moment, with only his breathing.
He seemed to find this ridiculous, as if he thought I was insane. He stared at me, speechless.
I thought about it, realizing my words had been a bit abrupt, so I adjusted my tone. "Or maybe I could love you. I see you have strong features and a good figure. If you're tied with red string, I should fall in love with you easily..."
Before I could finish my words, I saw the knight in front of me suddenly turn his head and look up the mountain, his eyes wide with shock.
I also heard a rumbling sound. I turned to look where he was looking and saw a huge boulder! It had already crushed the trees and grass on the slope! It was rolling directly toward my face!
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