SCP Gacha System In A Cultivation World

Jing’s water clone wasted no time in speeding towards Ying and the others with the plate. It took around five minutes before it appeared at the ancient palace. Everyone looked at it with confusion and wariness. Despite its naked look, these disciples have been put through the wringer for the last few days. Anything new and unusual was to be feared and placed on guard against. So, in the eyes of the disciples, this naked girl made of water could be some sort of new ghost that wanted to kill them all. 

Jing ignored the eyes of everyone and made it to the top of the stairs leading to the palace’s doors. This was where Ying, Bing, Jie, and... Zhai Shang was sitting? She formed an umbrella of water that blocked the view of her body and held it in front of Shang’s eyes. It was too early for him to see something like this of her. This body of hers might be a clone’s body but its bodily features are identical to her original body’s. 

“Jing!” Shang called out. 

“Don’t tell me this is Hu Tao’s replacement...” Jing glanced toward Ying. 

“He’s way better than Hu Tao could ever be!” Ying defended her choice. 

Jing couldn’t help but sigh as she reached into her naval and took out the plate floating within her stomach. 

“Do you know him, Jing?” Jie felt something was off. 

“I guess you could say that...” 

Why was she only blocking the view of herself from Zhai only? Didn’t that mean that she had some sort of connection or relationship with him? Jie and Bing started whispering to themselves. Wondering what kind of history Jing had with Zhai. 

“Do you think he’s another slave?” Bing guessed. 

“That can’t be it... If Hu Tao was here, she wouldn’t do that.” Jie figured. 

“That’s true... She’s also letting me look all I want.” Bing wasn’t particularly happy about this though.  

The Empress had no sex appeal in his eyes whatsoever. Small butt, small bust, tiny body, and dark skin. None of them were qualities that Bing looked for in a woman. However, she was very scary and strong. This was more than enough to make up for her lack of appearance to Bing. 

“I’m her boyfriend! Zhai Shang is the boyfriend of Jing!” Zhai Shang was not ashamed to let everyone know of their relationship. 

If anything, he was elated to finally get it off his chest. He didn’t care for the bewildered looks in the eyes of his fellow disciples or looks of disdain. His love for her went beyond his position in the sect. Shang couldn’t control the rapid beating of his heart once he saw that familiar figure appear at the bottom of the stairs. 

Everyone looked at Shang as if he was crazy. What the hell was he screaming about? Before anyone could fully take in the words shouted by Shang, a great change took place in their surroundings that quickly took hold of their attention. The fog was disappearing! The endless white fog that covered every part of the Endless Plains of Yin was rapidly receding into the distance. No one could believe their eyes nor understand why this was happening. 

As everyone’s attention was taken away, Jing mouthed a few words to Shang. 

“Save it for the real Jing, not a clone.”  

Ying also used this time wisely. She snatched the plate given to her by Jing and inserted it into the indented spot in the palace doors. Now all three plates were in and Ying figured the doors could be opened now.  

“Come on! Let’s go!” Ying whispered to the group. 

Bing and Jie quickly followed behind her. Shang stayed behind with Jing’s water clone. 

“Go.” She told him. 

Jing jumped off the top of the stairs and blasted a funnel of water into the air to capture everyone’s attention. After doing that, she soon blasted high-pressure jets of water towards the strongest cultivators here, excluding Wuying Tang, Gong Jun, and Juju. Then she ran into the now clearer forest without a word after almost killing her fellow disciples. She was soon chased by those she nearly assassinated and this gave the group more time to explore inside the ancient palace. 

Of course, her distraction only lasted for a few seconds for those she didn’t target. It wasn’t like she could have everyone there chase after her even if she tried killing them all. Not everyone was mesmerized by the disappearing fog. But Jing felt that those few seconds she gave them were more than enough. They were her angels after all. 

Excluding Jie and Shang, Bing and Ying should be enough to take care of them if they run into any trouble. If not, they should be able to escape with Shang’s movement spells. Jing soon dissolved herself as her job was complete. Leaving those following after her very confused and pissed off. The thing that tried killing them killed itself! Now they just wasted time chasing after it for nothing. 

“Follow me! The Mystic Flame is this way!” Ying ran forward with everyone behind her. 

They ignored the luxurious interior of the entrance of the palace and followed Ying. As they made it past the entrance of the palace, ghosts of all kinds began to show up. Ying grinned as he gripped her amulet in her left hand and sword in her right. Bing and the others watched Ying tear through the frightening butlers and maids with relative ease. Her huge sword sliced them in half as if they were light pieces of cloth while her amulet captured their remains. 

The hallway was slashed, crushed, sliced, and torn apart by Ying’s fierce swordsmanship. Bing kept his eye out for any surprises and his shield raised. If Ying ran into something she couldn’t handle, he would jump in and defend against it for her. Then the two of them would work together to take out the ghost. Thankfully though, their group didn’t encounter anything like that. 

Eventually, Ying led them to a dark spiral staircase that extended into the basement of the palace. Bing was the first to go down, Shang second, Jie third, and Ying last. Ying was upset that she could walk behind Bing but knew that if something attacked them on these spiral stairs, she would be helpless to retaliate. Her sword was too big to be used effectively on these narrow stairs. If she tried using her flames, she would burn everyone behind and in front of her.  

Bing had to squeeze himself down the stairs because of how narrow it was. His arms were scrapped against the wall and pillar in the middle of the spiral stairs. The only thing he could do was walk down and raise or lower his shield. He wasn’t too upset about this, what more did he need to protect himself or those behind him? While his arms were uncomfortable, a little discomfort was nothing compared to the safety of himself and those behind him. 

“I wonder why the ghosts didn’t chase us down here.” Ying casually asked. 

“Please don’t jinx us.” Bing just hoped they could make it to the bottom of these stairs already. It has been more than five minutes of them walking down them. 

“Maybe there’s something that even the ghosts are afraid of down here.” Shang shared his thoughts. 

“Then are we walking straight to our deaths?” Jie questioned. 

“Just because the ghosts are afraid, doesn’t mean we have to be.” Ying tried to calm everyone’s nerves. “Don’t forget you have me!” Ying’s hair lit up with a bright orange light and allowed the rest of the group to see more of the staircase they were walking down on. 

“Let’s get off this staircase first before talking about anything...” Bing said. 

“Is there even an end to this stupid thing?!” Ying could feel the presence of the Mystic Flame below her. 

“Hmm...” This question got Shang thinking. 

He placed a talisman on the wall of the staircase. Thirty seconds later, he placed a different talisman on the wall. Shang continued to place talismans on the wall every thirty seconds to see if what Ying said had any merit. Of course, the others questioned him on what he was doing and if it could help them. 

“It might.” Shang answered. 

The results of his testing didn’t take too long to come to light. After several more minutes of walking down the endless staircase, eventually, the group stumbled upon talismans stuck to the walls.  

“We’re in an illusion or on a spirit tool.” Shang shared. 

“Hang on! I can find out which it is!” Ying shouted. 

Ying struggled to turn around with Hao Gang giving her trouble in this endeavor. After a few seconds of struggling, she crouched down low and punched the staircase with all of her strength. The staircase chipped from her powerful punch and Ying grabbed that chip. With even more difficulty, Ying placed the piece from the staircase into the mouth hidden behind Hao Gang’s demonic eye. 

“Hehehehe... It looks like it wasn’t an illusion after all!” Ying victoriously laughed as her sword started transforming into a case of stairs with a sword hilt.