PID Chapter 95

(2/5)

---

Fenxiu—the demon Fenxiu!?

 

All eyes turned toward the “ordinary” demon now pointed at by Chu Jinglan’s sword. Fenxiu’s expression darkened: So Chu Jinglan really knows my identity.

 

And that last sentence—what did it mean? Who was he talking about? Judging by how Chu Jinglan stood alone, could it be referring to that boy who was supposedly his Dao companion? Ridiculous—how would he know?

 

Then there was Chu Jinglan’s aura—it was an undeniably solid Divided Spirit stage. His advancement speed was already unnervingly fast, but with his spiritual energy in chaos and his mind unstable, there were clear signs of him falling into qi deviation.

 

Fenxiu wouldn’t let Yingyue Sect rally against him again. He had already prepared for this moment. Without hesitation or giving anyone a chance to act, he stepped onto a pre-arranged teleportation array beneath his feet.

 

In one swift motion, he grabbed Su Baimo beside him and disappeared together with him in a flash of light.

 

Chu Jinglan’s sword intent slashed toward the teleportation array, but it was ultimately a step too late. His blood-red eyes glared fiercely, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth as he growled: “The Demon Domain… go to the Demon Domain…”

 

Xiao Mo must still be there, waiting for him. He had to go and bring him back.

 

Chu Jinglan stepped forward, but his chaotic spiritual energy caused his meridians to seize painfully, halting his movements momentarily. Everyone around could see that something was wrong with him. Yet even after this brief pause, Chu Jinglan ignored everything and tried to charge forward again.

 

“Chu Jinglan, focus your mind!”

 

Several Yingyue Sect Divided Spirit cultivators chased after him, shouting loudly. But Chu Jinglan didn’t listen; his aura was on the verge of collapse, and the killing intent in his eyes was so intense that even those at Divided Spirit stage felt a chill and involuntarily trembled.

 

Chang Daozi’s expression turned grim. Seeing that Chu Jinglan wasn’t responding to anyone and his energy was spiraling out of control, he acted decisively. Raising his hand, he sealed several of Chu Jinglan’s major meridians to prevent further spiritual energy chaos. Chu Jinglan coughed up congealed blood but still glared with reddened eyes—and shockingly, he forced himself to lift his sword again.

 

What kind of hatred and anger could drive someone to such extremes, refusing to lower their weapon even in this state?

 

Chang Daozi was stunned. Another Divided Spirit cultivator reacted quickly and followed up by striking Chu Jinglan’s vital point with a palm strike, knocking him unconscious.

 

Chang Daozi caught Chu Jinglan as he fell but noticed that even in unconsciousness, his muscles twitched unwillingly for a moment—and the sword in his hand… he hadn’t let go of it.

 

Today was the day everyone exited the Nine Secret Treasure Tower. Members of the Wang family were stationed outside the tower entrance. They had already heard from others that only four people had entered the ninth floor this time.

 

Four people—one suspected to be the Demon Sovereign had taken Lingxiao Sect’s Su Baimo and fled; one was unaccounted for; and the last remaining person seemed on the verge of madness—Chu Jinglan.

 

If they wanted answers, they could only ask Chu Jinglan.

 

Wang Yichen immediately stepped forward and said: “Senior, please bring him to our Wang family’s lodging for treatment. Whatever you need—whether it’s medical cultivators or medicine—our family will spare no expense.”

 

Chang Daozi nodded at him in acknowledgment. At that moment, Yue Ming approached with a pale face, holding something in his hands.

 

“Elder Chang…” Yue Ming swallowed hard before raising the items in his hands. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

 

The items Chu Jinglan had dropped were none other than the East Clear Pearl and Phantom Moon Core—both of which had fallen into his arms after Xiao Mo disappeared. Yue Ming didn’t recognize Phantom Moon Core, but he did recognize East Clear Pearl—it was something Chu Jinglan had bought for his Dao companion.

 

Now these items were stained with blood—and Xiao Mo was nowhere to be found.

 

The blood on East Clear Pearl and Phantom Moon Core belonged to Chu Jinglan; outsiders wouldn’t know this. But Yue Ming also noticed an extra storage device on Chu Jinglan—a device that had clearly belonged to Xiao Mo before.

 

Holding these “pieces of evidence,” Yue Ming spoke hesitantly: “His Dao companion… I fear something has happened.”

 

If that person truly was Fenxiu—the Demon Sovereign—and Chu Jinglan’s Dao companion was a demon, they would naturally be suppressed by such a powerful demonic presence… The others were equally shocked by this revelation.

 

Years ago, Moon Lord had disappeared after losing their Dao companion—never returning and ultimately perishing early, likely following their partner into death. Now Chu Jinglan seemed like another deeply devoted soul. With his Dao companion in trouble and his youthful heart unstable… what would become of him? No one dared imagine it.

 

The Wang family provided a place for them to stay while Yingyue Sect brought along their own medical cultivators. Physical injuries could be treated—but what about wounds to the heart? No one knew how to heal those.

 

Midway through treatment, Chu Jinglan began struggling to wake up again. The medical cultivators observed his expression before regaining consciousness—his brows furrowed deeply in pain and anguish. It wasn’t time yet for him to wake up fully, so they administered acupuncture to send him back into sleep once more.

 

When Chu Jinglan woke up, a day and night had already passed.

 

His expression was dazed as he opened his eyes, feeling as though he had just emerged from a long dream.

 

But now that the dream was over, the person in it was gone—and all that remained around him was emptiness.

 

Yue Ming had volunteered to look after Chu Jinglan. When he entered the room with medicine in hand, he froze in shock at the sight before him. Chu Jinglan was awake, but the floor of the room was scattered with treasures—precious items that could make anyone envious and eager to fight over them. Yet Chu Jinglan had let them fall carelessly to the ground.

 

It seemed as though he had hurriedly taken them out of his storage device without bothering to organize them.

 

Chu Jinglan sat in the center of the room on the floor, clutching a piece of letter paper in his hand.

 

Yue Ming wasn’t sure if Chu Jinglan was ready to talk or how to approach him. He placed the medicine down and cautiously stepped closer.

 

It was Chu Jinglan who spoke first.

 

But his words sounded more like murmurs than conversation.

 

“He said he’s special—that he’d be fine.” Chu Jinglan held tightly onto Xiao Mo’s handwritten letter, muttering softly, “But I can’t feel him—not even a trace…”

 

His spiritual consciousness was clear, and his inner demon tribulation had been passed. At this moment, he understood this fact with absolute clarity.

 

Yet despite their Dao companion bond, he couldn’t sense Xiao Mo at all. And considering that Chu Jinglan hadn’t immediately gone mad trying to rush to the Demon Domain to find him upon waking, Yue Ming realized: Xiao Mo hadn’t been captured—he was gone.

 

There was no need to ask further questions now.

 

Yue Ming pressed his lips together and crouched down beside Chu Jinglan, meeting his gaze directly. “Fenxiu has infiltrated human sects multiple times. Various factions are already discussing countermeasures—we can’t remain passive anymore. We can’t let him roam unchecked. You need to heal your injuries and cultivate properly so that… you can personally avenge Xiao Mo.”

 

“Avenge him?”

 

Why did it always come down to losing someone before seeking revenge? All Chu Jinglan wanted was to keep the people who mattered most to him—but his mother, Xiao Mo—he hadn’t been able to keep even one of them. Not a single one.

 

Is it wrong for someone to become important to me? Why must they be punished like this?

 

Chu Jinglan’s grip on the letter tightened, veins bulging on his hand as it trembled with anger and hatred. Yue Ming feared that saying anything more might inadvertently provoke him further. Leaving the medicine behind, Yue Ming stepped out of the room to give him some space but stayed in the courtyard nearby. If there were any disturbances or if Chu Jinglan’s spiritual energy spiraled out of control again, Yue Ming could notify others immediately.

 

Chu Jinglan’s hand turned pale from gripping too hard, but just as the paper threatened to tear, he snapped out of it and quickly loosened his hold—afraid of damaging Xiao Mo’s letter.

 

For Xiao Mo to leave such a letter meant he had been prepared for this all along. Chu Jinglan didn’t know whether Fenxiu had the ability to kill an inner demon—but… the host certainly did.

 

After waking up, Chu Jinglan found himself inexplicably bearing wounds caused by Daybreak. When he and Xiao Mo entered the illusion earlier, these injuries hadn’t existed—so where did they come from? Why had he lost consciousness?

 

Was Xiao Mo’s disappearance caused by Fenxiu—or… by himself?

 

Just the thought of it made Chu Jinglan feel his blood and spiritual energy reverse flow, leaving him dizzy and disoriented. He refused to use the word “death.” Xiao Mo’s letter had said he would definitely be fine—so it wasn’t death. It couldn’t be death… it absolutely wasn’t.

 

But where could he find Xiao Mo? How was he supposed to find him?

 

He truly couldn’t bear losing someone again.

 

At that moment, there was another movement from the spirit pet pouch.

 

The pouch, which should only open for its owner, opened on its own. The Fortune Spirit Butterfly fluttered out gracefully, its crimson wings faintly coated in golden light. It landed delicately on the edge of the table.

 

Something was clearly amiss, but Chu Jinglan simply stared at the butterfly without moving a muscle.

 

All his strength was being used to resist the pain in his heart—he had no energy left to move.

 

The butterfly gently flapped its wings, and a voice echoed in Chu Jinglan’s mind.

 

[This is Heaven’s Will speaking through this spiritual creature. I am Heaven’s Will, borrowing this vessel to communicate with you.]

 

If it had been anyone else, hearing the words “Heaven’s Will” would have been like a thunderclap, shaking them to their core. But Chu Jinglan’s lifeless black eyes merely shifted slightly as he processed the words slowly: …Heaven’s Will?

 

Can it save Xiao Mo?

 

[Chu Jinglan, you and Xiao Mo were once guardians of my path. Now that my Dao has achieved great perfection and is about to ascend, Heaven’s Will should no longer be entangled with mortal karma. I have come to settle our karmic ties and repay you for your service as guardians.]

 

At the mention of Xiao Mo’s name, Chu Jinglan finally showed more reaction—his eyes regained a faint glimmer of light.

 

[As my first repayment, I will restore your past memories so you may understand everything clearly. Afterward, you may make two reasonable requests.]

 

A glowing point descended onto Chu Jinglan’s forehead. Pressing his hand against his brow, he closed his eyes as vivid and chaotic images flooded his mind.

 

—

 

“…Host, Host…”

 

The voice was faint and indistinct at first but grew increasingly urgent. Amidst the hurried tone, Xiao Mo struggled and finally managed to open his eyes.

 

Before him was a vast expanse of white—the same barren space fissure where he had temporarily landed after transmigrating into the book. It was still as empty and familiar as ever.

 

The system exclaimed: “You’re finally awake!”

 

Xiao Mo still felt traces of the emotions from his parting with Chu Jinglan lingering in his chest. He pressed a hand against his heart. “I…”

 

The system interrupted urgently: “There’s trouble! Listen to me first!”

 

Xiao Mo’s eyelid twitched—when the system said something was wrong, it usually meant things were very wrong. He immediately stopped speaking and focused on what the system had to say.

 

“This space fissure was originally located within the inner layers of the cultivation world, unaffected by the shell placed around it by the old Heaven’s Will. Its time flow used to be synchronized with that of the cultivation world—but just now, I discovered that the time flow has changed!”

 

Xiao Mo was shocked: “What!?”

 

“The current flow rate can’t be measured yet, but we must immediately finalize your identity and items and return to the cultivation world as quickly as possible! If we stay here even a moment longer, years might pass outside. The situation is urgent—you need to act fast!”

 

The system rattled off its explanation at lightning speed—so fast it sounded like beans spilling—but remarkably maintained clarity in its speech despite its rapid pace. In mere moments, Xiao Mo fully understood their predicament.

 

Without wasting another second on sadness or hesitation, Xiao Mo swiftly opened his panel and began adjusting data frantically. He needed to act quickly—and there was absolutely no room for error.

 

While Xiao Mo was redeeming items from the system’s store and packing them into his upgraded inventory, his gaze briefly swept across his status bar. His cultivation level had already been elevated to Great Perfection stage by the system.

 

Without pausing his movements, Xiao Mo multitasked and asked: “Can’t my cultivation be raised further?”

 

“That’s already the upper limit for your temporary identity,” the system explained. “This is considered your reward identity for completing the side mission, which is why your cultivation level was directly increased.”

 

To truly stay in the cultivation world, he would need to complete the main mission.

 

As soon as Xiao Mo finished organizing his items, the system promptly popped up the next panel: “Choose your cultivation technique!”

 

Previously, Xiao Mo had used sword techniques. This time, having learned musical skills, he planned to return with a human identity. Inner demon techniques could no longer be used, but musical techniques had overlapping principles—controlling minds with sound and killing enemies with melody were skills Xiao Mo had already mastered.

 

Since he had learned them, naturally, he would choose both.

 

Xiao Mo and the system worked tirelessly to finalize everything. The system seized every opportunity to brief him on critical matters while he prepared: “Resisting the old Heaven’s Will and pulling you back into the world consumed a significant amount of my energy. I haven’t dared to rest until now. Host, once you return, I’ll enter sleep mode for two days to recharge my power. Basic panel functions won’t be affected—you’ll just need to wait for me.”

 

Xiao Mo replied simply: “Alright.”

 

The system continued: “Departure imminent. Please set a location.”

 

Xiao Mo responded: “Canggui Mountain.”

 

It was at Canggui Mountain that he had first discovered Chaos Energy. Since it was its place of origin, starting there again made sense. Moreover, Canggui Mountain was far from Yingyue Sect—far enough that encountering Chu Jinglan would be unlikely.

 

Until this mission was completed, Xiao Mo wouldn’t go to see Chu Jinglan. If they happened to cross paths accidentally, he would make sure to avoid him carefully and ensure Chu Jinglan wasn’t dragged into anything again.

 

In his past life, Chu Jinglan had walked a lonely path where Xiao Mo couldn’t see him—protecting Heaven’s Will alone and enduring enough pain and suffering for several lifetimes.

 

The pale fissure space began to fade away as colors surged in. When Xiao Mo’s vision brightened again, he found himself standing at the foot of Canggui Mountain.

 

Dressed in striking red robes, with a face as radiant as an autumn moon and eyes like spring water reflecting peach blossoms, Xiao Mo’s appearance was breathtakingly beautiful—it was now entirely his own.

 

In his chest, a heart beat steadily; blood flowed through his veins. Xiao Mo gently clenched his fist—warmth filled his palm instead of icy coldness.

 

As the system entered sleep mode, Xiao Mo checked his panel. The inventory function worked normally, as did the scanning feature. However, with the system asleep, voice commands were temporarily unavailable—many functions required manual activation instead.

 

Xiao Mo activated Heaven’s Will monitoring within his range. If detected, a mechanical voice would notify him. Since there was no direct time-tracking feature on the panel, despite their efforts to act quickly within the fissure space, he needed to confirm how much time had passed in the outside world.

 

The fastest way to find out was naturally by asking someone.

 

He wondered how Chu Jinglan had been doing since his departure—whether seeing that letter had led him to trust and let go like many close comrades might have chosen to do.

 

The lingering sadness in Xiao Mo’s chest and at the corners of his eyes hadn’t entirely faded. He gently brushed his fingers over his eyes.

 

Now, in the eyes of others, he would appear with his true face. Even if he were to meet Chu Jinglan face-to-face, as long as he kept his flute hidden, Chu Jinglan certainly wouldn’t recognize him.

 

Stop thinking about it, Xiao Mo told himself. Focus on the task at hand. But Chu Jinglan’s image remained firmly etched in his mind. Well, maybe thinking about him won’t interfere with my work. I can think while I act.

 

At the base of Canggui Mountain was a bustling town. Xiao Mo stepped into the town and entered a teahouse, ordering a cup of tea.

 

With a jade flute hanging at his waist and a face too strikingly beautiful, he naturally attracted many curious glances upon entering. However, he simply chose a seat in the corner and called over the waiter.

 

After ordering tea, Xiao Mo was about to ask the waiter some questions when the storyteller at the center of the teahouse suddenly slammed his wooden clapper and began: “Today, we’ll continue discussing Chu Xianzun[mfn]”Xianzun” (仙尊) is a Chinese honorific title that can be translated as “Immortal Venerable” or “Revered Immortal.”[/mfn] of Du-E Sect.”

 

Xiao Mo froze.

 

His pause caused the waiter to turn away to prepare tea. The waiter’s hurried steps meant it was already too late to call him back.

 

Xiao Mo had no choice but to wait for the tea to arrive before asking questions. Meanwhile, an ominous feeling began creeping through his heart.

 

Du-E Sect… Chu… These familiar words pieced together made him feel deeply uneasy.

 

A tea guest below scoffed: “You’ve told us about Chu Xianzun’s victories and how he captured the Demon Sovereign eight hundred times already! Don’t you have anything new to say?”

 

The storyteller stroked his beard leisurely and replied: “No rush—we won’t be discussing those tales today.”

 

“People say that Chu Xianzun has become excessively ruthless and cold-hearted in his actions. But if we look back to earlier days, Chu Xianzun wasn’t like this at all. His change in temperament stems from one thing—his Dao companion’s death.”

 

Someone exclaimed: “Chu Xianzun had a Dao companion?”

 

“You didn’t know? It’s quite famous! Chu Xianzun formed a bond with his Dao companion at a young age, but unfortunately, they died early—leaving him as a tragic lover.”

 

The storyteller continued: “Indeed. If we trace back Chu Xianzun’s later behavior, it all leads to the death of his Dao companion in the Nine Secret Treasure Tower. Because of this event, people praise him for his devotion—and countless stories have been written about it, earning tears from readers everywhere. Chu Xianzun’s reputation is mixed; among the praise he receives, much is attributed to that single word—love.”

 

Dao companion… Nine Secret Treasure Tower.

 

Xiao Mo’s hand trembled slightly.

 

Soon enough, the waiter returned with tea. Xiao Mo picked up the cup to conceal his expression and feigned calmness as he asked: “May I know this Chu Xianzun’s full name?”

 

Seeing the waiter’s surprised expression, Xiao Mo added: “I’m just a humble rogue cultivator from the countryside—I don’t know much about worldly affairs. Please forgive my ignorance.”

 

As he spoke, he handed over a spirit stone. The waiter smiled brightly and answered without hesitation: “Naturally, it’s Chu Jinglan—Chu Xianzun himself! In today’s world, who else could bear the title of Xianzun?”

 

With a loud clang, Xiao Mo accidentally dropped the teacup onto the table.

 

It wasn’t intentional—his hand simply couldn’t hold onto it anymore.

 

Chu Jinglan… Chu Jinglan is now Chu Xianzun of Du-E Sect!?

 

Chu Jinglan wasn’t even part of Yingyue Sect anymore!

 

And what was this about being ruthless and cold-hearted? While Chu Jinglan had always been reserved and indifferent, his coldness was like that of snow-capped mountains—pure and noble like moonlight through pine trees. His demeanor had always been proud yet frosty, like an immortal ascending to the clouds—how could it possibly be associated with cruelty or malice?

 

How many years have passed? What has happened!?

 

---

 

1 Kofi = 1 Extra Chapter