PID Chapter 83

Here we are~

Another wave of updates, thanks to Choco for the kofi!

(1/5)

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Chapter 83

 

The Nine Secret Treasure Tower would remain open for two months this time. Before entering the tower, Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan received more detailed information about it—for instance, communication jade tokens could be used but only up to the seventh floor. Additionally, time perception on the ninth floor differed from outside: one day outside equaled one month inside.

 

If nothing else, being able to cultivate on the ninth floor alone would make this trip worthwhile.

 

However, reaching the ninth floor relied heavily on luck—even members of the Wang family didn’t know where its elusive entrance was located.

 

Chu Jinglan’s landing point was quite far from the Plain of Dao. Fortunately, his location matched up with the map provided.

 

Each floor of the Nine Secret Treasure Tower contained different secret realms with minor areas that often shifted unpredictably. If someone found themselves in a location that didn’t align with the map, they would need to extend their spiritual sense or take flight to find their way.

 

However, flying too high could make one an easy target.

 

Chu Jinglan’s communication jade token flashed—it was Chang Daozi asking for his location. After receiving Chu Jinglan’s reply and comparing positions on the map, it turned out that Chang Daozi and the other two Divided Spirit cultivators were even farther from the Plain of Dao than Chu Jinglan was.

 

It seemed that after arriving at their destination, Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan would need to find a place to wait first.

 

Yingyue Sect had three Divided Spirit cultivators leading their group into the secret realm, which was similar to other major sects. Chang Daozi, whose cultivation was originally at peak Divided Spirit stage, had been suppressed to early Divided Spirit stage upon entering the Nine Secret Treasure Tower. Within the tower, early Divided Spirit was the highest cultivation level allowed, making those at this stage capable of dominating most other cultivators.

 

The first floor of the tower featured forests and plains. Nascent Soul cultivators could ride the wind, so Chu Jinglan traveled by low-altitude wind-riding, while Xiao Mo sat on a flying artifact resembling a leaf or a shuttle. After all, as a “Golden Core” cultivator, he couldn’t fly on his own.

 

As they traveled, they kept their senses alert for anything valuable. If they encountered treasures worth their time, they certainly wouldn’t pass them up.

 

Xiao Mo’s flute had already been replaced with a new one.

 

Xi Tie’s master had managed to finish refining the flute that Chu Jinglan had requested before Yingyue Sect’s main group departed. It was delivered to Xiao Mo by Chang Daozi.

 

The new flute was upgraded from the earth-tier jade flute that Chu Jinglan had won during a competition in the Middle Realm to a heaven-tier artifact. The original materials were already excellent but lacked sufficient age; after refinement, the flute became even better than many flutes that were originally heaven-tier.

 

It was still a white jade flute, but visibly more lustrous and delicate than Xiao Mo’s previous one. Its spiritual light shimmered beautifully, and its tail was engraved with a ghostly night-blooming cereus flower as per Xiao Mo’s request.

 

Xiao Mo carefully stored away his old flute and replaced it with the heaven-tier jade flute at his waist. Now, he was practically covered in treasures from head to toe.

 

A heaven-tier artifact naturally deserved a name. Although Xiao Mo was the one using it, it had originally been won by Chu Jinglan. When Chang Daozi handed the flute to Xiao Mo, Xiao Mo turned to Chu Jinglan and said: “You should name it.”

 

Chu Jinglan’s mind flashed through several potential names, but when it came to his personal preference… After some thought, he tentatively suggested: “Jing Mo—how does that sound?”

 

Xiao Mo froze for a moment before bursting into laughter. “You’re copying me now—picking characters straight from our names.”

 

After laughing, Xiao Mo rubbed the flute thoughtfully and said: “But it sounds nice. Turns out our names work well together in any combination. Alright—Jing Mo it is.”

 

Although “Mo Lan” was just an alias, Jing Mo became the flute’s true name. As Xiao Mo fiddled with the flute at his waist, Chu Jinglan watched him quietly. Beneath the faint frost in his gaze lay an almost imperceptible glow of warmth. He replied softly: “Mm.”

 

And so, the newly named Jing Mo hung at Xiao Mo’s waist.

 

On their way to the Plain of Dao, they encountered spiritual items and treasures occasionally but deemed them unworthy of their time. As people who were now well-off in terms of resources, they prioritized value over simply grabbing whatever they came across—time was precious too. They focused on what held greater worth.

 

After traveling for a day, Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan reached the edge of the Plain of Dao. The plain itself was located centrally and surrounded by mountain ranges on its edges. Yue Ming had arrived half a day earlier; following his location signal, Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan found him at a corner of the mountain range bordering the plain..

 

Beside Yue Ming were six Nascent Soul cultivators and two Golden Core cultivators, all disciples of Yingyue Sect.

 

When Yue Ming saw Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan approaching, he waved them over. “Over here.”

 

Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan landed, and the other disciples stood up. Following protocol, they bowed to Chu Jinglan based on seniority.

 

Although Chu Jinglan’s name was now widely known, not many Yingyue Sect disciples had seen him in person. For many, this was their first time meeting him. They greeted him formally and loudly: “Greetings, Little Martial Uncle.”

 

Xiao Mo found the scene quite amusing. Despite Chu Jinglan’s young age, his aura was commanding enough to make everyone act respectfully. With a calm nod, Chu Jinglan acknowledged their greeting. Glancing at Xiao Mo out of the corner of his eye, he added, “No need to be so formal.”

 

The disciples straightened up. Some of them sneaked glances at Chu Jinglan but hesitated when their gaze fell on Xiao Mo. They seemed unsure whether to address him with a junior’s bow as well—after all, while it was widely known that Chu Jinglan had a Dao companion, it hadn’t been officially announced by him. Calling Xiao Mo something inappropriate would feel awkward, but not addressing him at all also felt wrong.

 

Xiao Mo caught on to their dilemma from their expressions and quickly said, “Hello, everyone. It’s nice to meet you—just call me Mo Lan.”

 

With one sentence, he successfully resolved the issue of how they should address him.

 

After the greetings were exchanged, Chu Jinglan turned to Yue Ming and said, “There are others in the nearby mountains.”

 

“Yes,” Yue Ming replied, raising his hand to point outward. “It looks like Tian Ge Sect and Lingxiao Sect are also gathering nearby. Look over there—that’s Lingxiao Sect’s group.”

 

There was no need for spiritual senses—it was visible to the naked eye.

 

Tian Ge Sect already had a Divided Spirit elder present. Everyone stayed within their respective territories without interfering with one another.

 

In Lingxiao Sect’s group, Mu Jian and Wen Qing Shui had already arrived. It had been a while since they’d last seen Mu Jian; his aura was now even more robust. He seemed focused on the communication jade tablet in his hand, clearly maintaining contact with someone.

 

Chang Daozi would arrive in half a day, so the Yingyue Sect disciples would have to wait a bit longer.

 

As night fell, some people activated talismans while others lit spiritual lamps or glowing lanterns. Around Xiao Mo floated a cluster of spiritual light conjured by Chu Jinglan, making the area around him especially bright. Qiuqiu perched on Xiao Mo’s shoulder and dozed off.

 

Yingyue Sect’s team of thirty included three Divided Spirit cultivators, three Golden Core cultivators (including Xiao Mo as a pseudo-Golden Core), and the rest were Nascent Soul cultivators—a very strong lineup overall. Several more disciples arrived throughout the night. Since no one planned to sleep on the first night, there was no need to assign extra guards—everyone remained alert naturally.

 

Initially, having someone as senior as Chu Jinglan present made everyone feel a bit stiff and formal. However, after a few lively disciples chatted with Yue Ming and noticed that Chu Jinglan didn’t seem bothered by it, the atmosphere gradually relaxed. Soon enough, everyone began talking naturally.

 

Chu Jinglan sat under the lantern light flipping through a sword manual while Xiao Mo sat beside him, eating spiced spiritual dried fruits and listening to the other disciples’ conversations. The dried fruits had been roasted with five-spice seasoning and gave off a rich aroma. Yue Ming couldn’t resist commenting: “It must be because I’m hanging around you two that I’ve started craving snacks—are those five-spice flavored? Let me try one.”

 

Xiao Mo handed him one without hesitation. Yue Ming took it but said firmly: “I’ll only have one—I’m just tasting it.”

 

Seeing Yue Ming trying to balance his cravings with self-discipline made Xiao Mo chuckle. “Alright.”

 

Nearby, a Nascent Soul disciple glanced over curiously before boldly speaking up: “Can I try one too?”

 

Xiao Mo handed some over to him as well. After taking a bite, the disciple’s eyes lit up with delight: “This is delicious!”

 

Xiao Mo grinned warmly. “Tasty, right? Your Little Martial Uncle prepared them.”

 

The disciple was stunned for a moment before thinking: Wow! Little Martial Uncle looks so cold on the surface but is so thoughtful toward his Dao companion?

 

Xiao Mo’s words instantly brought out the human side of Chu Jinglan, giving the disciples a new perspective on him.

 

Just as one of the disciples was about to say something, his expression suddenly turned serious. Not only him—the rest of the group also looked up, gripping their magical tools tightly.

 

There was a rustling noise near the ground, something approaching rapidly, followed by—

 

“Help! Help!”

 

A cry for help grew louder as it approached.

 

The Yingyue Sect disciples immediately stood up. The cries were indeed heading in their direction and were becoming clearer. Chu Jinglan and Yue Ming leapt into the air to investigate and saw a fifth-rank beast chasing two Golden Core cultivators.

 

The two Golden Core cultivators looked utterly exhausted, unable even to summon the strength to ride their swords. Upon spotting people ahead, they shouted desperately while sprinting forward. In their panic, one of them stumbled and fell to the ground, leaving them vulnerable to the beast that was about to pounce on them. Two streaks of sword energy slashed through the air and instantly cut down the beast.

 

The beast let out its final roar before collapsing in unwilling defeat, its blood splattering onto the two Golden Core cultivators. They sat trembling on the ground for a moment before crawling toward Yingyue Sect’s group. Once they confirmed they were truly safe, they collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion and wiped their faces while expressing their gratitude.

 

“Th-thank you! Sorry—my legs are too weak to stand right now. Please forgive me for not being able to bow properly.”

 

No one seemed bothered by this.

 

With no elders present to lead them, Chu Jinglan was temporarily in charge. He stared silently at the two Golden Core cultivators. They didn’t have sect badges, suggesting they might be rogue cultivators. After resting for a while, they managed to stand up and bowed deeply toward Yingyue Sect’s group.

 

One of them still trembled as he raised his head: “Thank you so much. May I ask if we could rest nearby? We’re still shaken and haven’t recovered yet.”

 

Chu Jinglan replied coolly: “You may stay 100 meters away.”

 

The man still seemed terrified, clearly traumatized by the beast attack: “But at 100 meters away… what if another beast ambushes us…”

 

His voice trembled as he spoke, but Chu Jinglan showed no sign of changing his stance and replied curtly: “No.”

 

The man’s eyes reddened as he began bowing repeatedly in desperation: “I beg you—please! I’m truly scared—I just need a little time! Thank you!”

 

Meanwhile, his companion glanced at the badges worn by Yingyue Sect’s disciples and spoke with a mix of fear and subtle accusation: “We’ve helped Cloud Peak Six Sects before. Aren’t righteous sects supposed to set an example by helping those who follow them?”

 

That was quite a heavy accusation to throw around. Among Yingyue Sect’s group, one Golden Core disciple hesitated before softly saying: “They do seem pitiful… It wouldn’t take much effort for us—”

 

Before he could finish his sentence, he noticed several senior disciples looking at him with peculiar expressions. His words cut off abruptly as he shrank back nervously: “D-did I say something wrong?”

 

Yue Ming scoffed: “Which pavilion did this little fool come from? Is this your first time out on a training mission?”

 

With so many people in Yingyue Sect, it was impossible for Yue Ming to remember everyone. He only recognized those from the core lineages.

 

The Golden Core disciple’s face alternated between red and white at Yue Ming’s words. Though he shut his mouth, his expression still showed defiance.

 

Another disciple chuckled and said, “He’s definitely not from our Wenjian Pavilion. Even our Golden Core disciples have fought countless battles outside.”

 

The Golden Core disciple glared angrily, looking at the two “pitiful” individuals on the ground as if about to say something. But before he could, Xiao Mo gently stroked the now-awake Qiuqiu and spoke leisurely: “You two don’t need to keep pretending. With so many Nascent Soul cultivators here, you dared to come so close? You must have used some artifact to alter your aura.”

 

Xiao Mo added calmly, “Your killing intent is impossible to hide.”

 

His words were light and unassuming, but as soon as they fell, a sword hummed sharply, and spiritual energy surged. Xiao Mo’s casual remark carried the weight of a thousand pounds.

 

It was Chu Jinglan who acted first—before anyone else could even react.

 

This level of trust in Xiao Mo was absolute—there wasn’t even a shred of doubt.

 

While the other Yingyue Sect disciples were still processing what had just been said, Chu Jinglan’s sword light had already struck. The “pitiful” Golden Core cultivator suddenly moved with startling agility, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow. However, his shoulder was still grazed by Chu Jinglan’s attack, leaving a wound.

 

The Golden Core disciple from Yingyue Sect who had been about to scream froze mid-breath, his voice dying in his throat.

 

How could an ordinary injured Golden Core cultivator possibly dodge Chu Jinglan’s sword?

 

The two impostors had hidden their killing intent well—but unfortunately for them, Xiao Mo had used his inner demon abilities to read their emotions.

 

No one could hide their thoughts from him if he chose to look.

 

Not even Chu Jinglan could escape Xiao Mo’s perception, though Xiao Mo refrained from using this ability on him out of respect. However, when it came to identifying potential threats in an unfamiliar environment, Xiao Mo felt no need to be polite.

 

The two “Golden Core” cultivators’ auras suddenly surged—they were clearly Nascent Soul cultivators in disguise. Realizing their cover was blown and that they had failed in their ambush, they quickly activated several artifacts to detonate them before attempting to flee.

 

Chu Jinglan was closest and immediately threw out an artifact of his own to block them. Even though it was destroyed in the resulting explosion, he didn’t hesitate or show any regret.

 

The other Yingyue Sect disciples quickly formed a sword array. In terms of both numbers and cultivation levels, they held the upper hand.

 

Sword light shattered the night’s silence. Moments later, the two Nascent Soul cultivators disguised as Golden Core were successfully killed.

 

Their techniques had been vicious and ruthless—someone had almost fallen into their trap earlier. It was clear they came prepared with one goal: to take lives.

 

“They probably wanted to infiltrate and kill as many as they could,” Yue Ming said as he rummaged through their storage devices. However, as soon as he touched the seals on them, the devices self-destructed. Clearly, these two hadn’t intended for their belongings to ever fall into anyone else’s hands—if touched by outsiders, everything would be destroyed instantly.

 

Yue Ming tossed the ruined devices aside and raised his hand to use spiritual energy to throw their bodies far away. But Xiao Mo stopped him: “No need.”

 

He gestured toward Qiuqiu. The bird opened its beak and spat out flames that incinerated the bodies completely.

 

Yue Ming clapped his hands clean and turned to Xiao Mo: “By the way, how did you sense their killing intent? I didn’t notice anything.”

 

Xiao Mo stroked Qiuqiu’s feathers and replied casually: “My unique path of compassion gives me a heightened sense of people’s good and evil.”

 

Since Xiao Mo was the only one following this unique “path of compassion,” whatever he said was taken as fact. The other disciples nodded in sudden understanding, while the Golden Core disciple who had spoken up earlier looked like he wanted to bury his head in the ground out of embarrassment.

 

The two assassins had likely discovered the Yingyue Sect group and decided to strike before the Divided Spirit cultivators arrived. Their early attempt at causing trouble was undoubtedly due to taking on a specific assassination contract, targeting members of the sect.

 

Even though Tian Ge Sect and Lingxiao Sect were nearby—and Tian Ge Sect even had a Divided Spirit elder present—if someone from Yingyue Sect had been killed, the elder from Tian Ge Sect wouldn’t have batted an eye. It would already be merciful if they didn’t take advantage of the situation to make things worse.

 

Despite both being part of the Immortal Alliance, sects like Tian Ge Sect and Lingxiao Sect wouldn’t necessarily help each other. Even within the Cloud Peak Six Sects, such indifference or opportunism wasn’t uncommon.

 

This was how battles in secret realms had always been.

 

With the assassins’ bodies burned to ash, everyone sat back down, now more vigilant than before.

 

Xiao Mo carried over a glowing orb of spiritual light as another memory fragment flashed through his mind.

 

It was from his past life—he had returned to Chu Jinglan’s side one day with a poison mark on his hand.

 

The moment Chu Jinglan saw the mark, his expression darkened. Without a word, he grabbed Xiao Mo’s wrist and checked his pulse. Only after confirming that the poison had been neutralized and that only the mark remained did his expression ease slightly. “How did you get hurt? And where is the person who hurt you?”

 

Xiao Mo pulled his hand back. “I saved a child… Don’t look at me like that—I was careful and didn’t trust anyone, but I still fell for it.”

 

Chu Jinglan said coldly, “You always have extra patience when it comes to children.”

 

He looked visibly upset. In this memory fragment, Xiao Mo’s past self reflected silently: Yeah… I grew up in an orphanage. Even though it was old and rundown and some people there weren’t good, children themselves are innocent.

 

Chu Jinglan continued: “You say you don’t trust anyone, but you still can’t help testing people sometimes—almost as if you want to see if there’s any hope for humanity… Xiao Mo, is that why you dared to form a blood contract with me back then?”

 

The memory ended abruptly without revealing much more information. However, Xiao Mo now knew that in his past life, he had grown up in an orphanage under poor conditions before being taken in by an elderly woman.

 

In this life, Xiao Mo had been passed around among relatives before being sent to a welfare home. Fortunately, the teachers and director at the welfare home had been kind people.

 

In both lives, he had weak familial ties—a rootless weed blown by the wind.

 

Additionally, he realized that in his past life, he had transmigrated into the book at age seventeen. Unless he had been exceptionally gifted and skipped grades all the way through school, it was unlikely he had finished university by that age.

 

…Seriously? Did I fail to experience college life in both lives?

 

Xiao Mo let out a soft sigh and stroked Qiuqiu’s feathers as he silently processed this realization about his life experiences.

 

Oh well, he thought. That’s all in the past now—it doesn’t matter anymore. Xiao Mo repeated this reassurance to himself several times before finally managing to set aside thoughts of university.

 

What’s done is done; all he could do now was keep moving forward.

Looking ahead, Xiao Mo fervently hoped that Chu Jinglan would take full advantage of the Nine Secret Treasure Tower to cultivate, especially on the ninth floor with its time dilation. If Chu Jinglan could break through to Divided Spirit stage in one go, he would finally be able to face his inner demon tribulation.

 

The tower provided an excellent opportunity—far more convenient than causing disturbances outside. Now all that remained was for Chu Jinglan to seize it.

 

Xiao Mo’s gaze drifted lightly over Chu Jinglan’s side profile. With his inner demon ability to probe emotions, he was now immune to deception. His ability to instantly expose the two assassins earlier had proven incredibly useful. However, in his past life, he hadn’t possessed such powers, which highlighted the subtle differences between him and Chu Jinglan when it came to suspicion.

 

Both were cautious and maintained reasonable skepticism toward outsiders, but they weren’t entirely alike.

 

Yet in the vast world, no two leaves are ever identical. The differences and mutual understanding between Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan were what made their bond so rare and precious.

 

The spiritual light floating around them quietly dispelled the darkness.

 

As night passed and dawn approached, everyone put away their illumination tools. At this moment, more people arrived at Lingxiao Sect’s camp not far away.

 

Xiao Mo glanced over and immediately spotted Su Baimo.

 

Su Baimo wasn’t alone—he was accompanied by another unfamiliar Nascent Soul cultivator who didn’t wear a Lingxiao Sect badge.

 

Xiao Mo’s spiritual sense was still extended outward, allowing him to overhear their conversation. Su Baimo mentioned that this person had saved him along the way.

 

A savior?

 

Moreover, this person seemed tactful and considerate. After escorting Su Baimo to Lingxiao Sect’s disciples, he didn’t insist on staying with them but instead moved two or three hundred meters away to sit and wait for someone else. His actions were so measured that even Lingxiao Sect couldn’t find fault with him.

 

If it had been anyone else, Xiao Mo might not have paid much attention. But a sudden appearance as Su Baimo’s savior? Xiao Mo narrowed his eyes slightly and instructed the system to scan the unfamiliar Nascent Soul cultivator’s identity.

 

The system completed its scan in an instant and delivered the answer:

 

“Host, this is Demon Lord Fenxiu—he has suppressed his cultivation and altered his appearance.”

 

Xiao Mo froze internally. Caught him again! Why is it him? Shouldn’t he be recovering from his injuries in the demonic domain? What is he doing here in the Nine Secret Treasure Tower?!

 

 

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1 Kofi = 1 Extra Chapter