"You two..." I muttered, grunting as another round of qi was slurped in by that insufferable obsidian statue altar. "This Movement Restricting Array is aimed at me. If...my qi is removed...it should deactivate...and you two...should run..."
"No! Immortal Laoshi Xia, you can't give up now!" shouted Xu Yun passionately. "The world needs generous, wise immortals like you! You can't let it suck away your qi!"
"Um...y-yeah..." Li Cheng agreed, still trembling in fear from the garish giant obsidian statue leering down at us. "D-don't g-g-give up..."
I scowled.
"Who told you I was giving up? Don't label this immortal as a weak-o who's just gonna let this stupid demonic altar suck out my qi! I was just saying, in case. Plus...I'm just trying to jog my ideas by speaking! This immortal laoshi hasn't given up, pah!"
"Sorry..." Xu Yun said sheepishly. "...We thought far too little of you, Immortal Laoshi Xia. But...what are you going to do?"
I grumbled, my mind racing. If I channeled enough qi, I could probably break out of this array. Honestly, I should've done that a lot earlier. Now, that was a risky choice.
With this damn demonic creepy-ass statue sucking away my qi, if I channeled that much qi, it'd probably just get torn away from me even faster. No, that wouldn't do...So then, what other options were there?
Whew...it was seriously getting cold in here. Or was that just my life force dwindling away? Heh heh...Heh...
Shit!
I was zoning out like crazy. Yep, that was definitely my life force slowly seeping away.
I needed to do something, and fast.
Unfortunately, the drawing out of my qi seemed to be messing with my thoughts. Everything in my head was blurring together. I kept thinking about the Jade Heaven Sect, and Lady Du, and even all the way back to the day I landed in this life after choking on some instant noodles, sent here by that stupid xianxia system...
Wait!
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The xianxia system!
"Hey! Stupid xianxia system! Don't you usually help people out in situations like these in Isekai books? You got any ideas? Any gifts you can drop out of the sky or something? An easy level? Anything?! The person you transmigrated is seriously about to die over here..."
Xu Yun and Li Cheng stared at me like I was stupid, but I totally ignored them.
My vision was starting to go black at the edges now.
Not a good sign.
Worse, there was no answer.
Fuck this customer service! I mean, I knew I hadn't talked to the system in forever, but was it seriously just gonna watch me die without a comment?!
I was about to give up and just push all my qi into one last surge to allow us to possibly escape, when the a Siri-like voice suddenly spoke in my head.
"System reboot complete. Updates downloaded. How can we help you?"
"Hey! You're here! Why were you so slow?! Nevermind! System, can I put this on easy level or something? I'm about to die over here!"
"The system default is 'Easy Level', allowing our customers to rapidly ascend to immortality. Would you like to spend a Survival Recommendation Token?"
"I'm already on easy level?! Fine! Spend the token, whatever! It's not like I knew I had them in the first place..."
"Survival Recommendation Token spent. The xianxia system detects a sealed demonic being in the next cave over. Would you like to summon this sealed demon for assistance?"
Holy shit...I'd totally forgotten about that ratshit demon Wu Zai! Hadn't he promised to serve me until his debt to the Jade Heaven Sect was repaid?
"Yes! Yes, summon the ratshit demon Wu Zai!"
Xu Yun and Li Cheng looked at me like they were worried I'd gone mad from losing too much qi.
Suddenly, the glittering cave walls rumbled. Chunks of lavender sparkling stone fell from the ceiling — and a hole opened up in the wall across the lake.
Out zoomed a green jade rat figurine, screeching in confusion and rage. It landed right at my feet with a smack!
"WHAT'S HAPPENING? WHO INTERRUPTED MY BEAUTY SLEEP?! WHO THREW ME?! I'LL MURDER YOU! CURSE YOU AND EIGHTEEN GENERATIONS OF YOUR FAMILY! RAAAAAH — oh, it's just you. What d'you want, you phony immortal?! Pah!"
I growled back, my vision blurring.
"Wu Zai, you promised to serve me, right?"
The jade rat figurine spat little jade spit at my feet, scowling and twisting its whiskers. "ONLY UNTIL MY DEBT IS PAID! Don't forget that part, you phony immortal! Only until I've paid up! Got it?"
"Yeah, yeah...whatever. I need you...to...call up an army of rats and have them destroy this stupid demonic altar statue."
The jade rat figurine's eyes suddenly shone with glee. It rubbed its tiny rat hands together.
"You want me to release some rats, phony immortal boss? Heh, heh! Why didn't you say so sooner? I'm on it! But first, you gotta take off the seal on my back, heh he."
Wu Zai turned around to reveal a painted character seal on his rat back.
With the last bit of safely directable qi I could muster, I erased half of the seal.
"I'm not stupid, you little ratshit demon. If I erase the whole thing, you'll be unleashed. That should be enough. Now, do your stuff, fast!"
"You got it, phony immortal boss!"