PID Chapter 121

(5/5)

(˵ •̀ ᴗ – ˵ ) ✧

 

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Fenxiu had seen Xiao Mo looking utterly devastated after hearing his words that night—it was clear this person truly cared for Chu Jinglan. But today, why did he seem so composed?

 

Had Chu Jinglan fed him some kind of mind-altering potion? Or perhaps human nature was just like this—maybe this so-called new flame had ulterior motives toward Xianzun after all.

 

Yes, that made more sense than any talk of genuine feelings.

 

Still, the fact that Chu Jinglan had given Xiao Mo such a unique protective mark and even his treasured jade flute proved that Xiao Mo held significant importance in his heart.

 

Fenxiu sneered and taunted: “Little beauty is so deeply infatuated—why don’t we see how much weight you truly carry in Chu Xianzun’s heart?”

 

His words were meant to remind Su Baimo to target Xiao Mo first.

 

But Su Baimo hardly needed reminding—when picking targets, one always goes for the weakest link. On both sides, Xiao Mo and Fenxiu were clearly the vulnerable ones—the perfect bullseyes for attack.

 

Xiao Mo swallowed a pill that temporarily boosted his cultivation without side effects. His mid-stage Divided Spirit cultivation was too low to make a significant impact in this battle.

 

He briefly considered taking more pills to push his cultivation all the way to Great Perfection stage, but overusing them could harm his body. Taking Chu Jinglan’s feelings into account, Xiao Mo decided to raise his level only to peak Divided Spirit for now.

 

After all, Fenxiu currently had no cultivation at all. In terms of combat strength, Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan clearly held the advantage.

 

Su Baimo stared at Chu Jinglan’s disguised face, his fingers gripping the blood shadow tightly. “Chu… Jing… Lan.”

 

“Was it you who destroyed Heaven’s Will?!”

 

Fenxiu turned to Su Baimo in surprise: Heaven’s Will?

 

Chu Jinglan didn’t intend to waste words on Su Baimo and remained silent. But to Su Baimo, that silence was as good as confirmation.

 

Finally, Su Baimo’s anger found a target for release.

 

“I could’ve lived comfortably under Heaven’s Will’s protection! If it were still here, how could I have fallen to this state? It’s all because of you!”

 

Xiao Mo leapt backward slightly, positioning himself in a spot ideal for music cultivation techniques. While Chu Jinglan preferred not to speak, there were some things Xiao Mo couldn’t tolerate hearing.

 

“Let’s be reasonable, Su Baimo,” Xiao Mo said sharply. “You’re where you are today because of your own choices. Why did Lingxiao Sect expel you? Was someone forcing you to deceive others for emotional manipulation and treasures—forcing you to play people against each other? And who made you become a demon cultivator, forcing you to harm innocent people?”

 

Su Baimo knew that the turning point in his downfall had been when Lingxiao Sect expelled him. It was the greatest pain in his life—something no one around him dared mention over the years. But Xiao Mo’s blunt words tore open that wound as if dragging him back to that day of utter humiliation—

 

Back then, Su Baimo had charmed several people into orbiting around him like planets around a sun. He was held in high regard by everyone; disciples treated him with respect and politeness, and even his senior brothers—known for their fiery tempers—spoke to him gently out of pity for his supposed ordeal of being abducted by demons.

 

Until the truth came out.

 

In the chaos of exposure, all his disguises were ripped away. Under the scrutiny of countless eyes, he had nowhere to hide. The expressions of those around him shifted from anger and shock at being deceived to disdain and contempt—as if they were looking at something filthy—and finally settled into disappointment and quiet sighs.

 

He tried to flee but found no escape. Everyone was watching him, their gazes cutting into him like knives. His attempts at justification were weak and unconvincing; no one believed him anymore. He was left roasting over the flames of their judgment.

 

The pleasure of deceiving others for personal gain had been so intoxicating that it made him forget himself—forget that the thin veil of lies he relied on hid only a cliff and an abyss behind it.

 

When he fell, he shattered completely. Amid the condemnation of those he had tricked, his smug dreams crumbled into dust.

 

“Shut up!” Su Baimo roared furiously and commanded the towering blood shadow to strike at Xiao Mo with a massive palm.

 

The Blood Shadow Mountain Puppet was an evil secret technique crafted by Su Baimo through years of blood refinement. Every person he killed contributed blood used for refining this puppet, which had become his most powerful weapon—a monstrous entity whose mere aura could obliterate weaker cultivators.

 

To Su Baimo, it wasn’t just a puppet—it was practically an extension of himself.

 

Xiao Mo had anticipated being targeted and remained vigilant throughout. By creating distance earlier, he had also given Chu Jinglan space to act.

 

Piercingly cold sword energy surged from all directions, freezing the blood shadow’s malevolent aura instantly. If this were the outside world, Su Baimo would have only one thought upon seeing Chu Jinglan: Run.

 

But today, Chu Jinglan had already declared “kill”—he wasn’t planning on letting Su Baimo go. The secret realm lacked the escape routes available in the outside world; this was truly a life-or-death situation. With Chu Jinglan suppressed to peak at the Great Perfection stage like Su Baimo himself, Su Baimo boldly harbored killing intent as well.

 

This was likely Su Baimo’s only chance.

 

Su Baimo slammed the celestial demon blood he had just obtained directly into the blood puppet. The ghostly face of the puppet twisted in agony and rage, letting out a long howl as it surged forward with overwhelming malevolent energy, intent on crushing the tiny figures before it.

 

At the same time, Su Baimo moved swiftly, leaping off the blood puppet’s shoulder with a crimson blade in hand, aiming straight for Xiao Mo.

 

From above, a torrent of icy sword energy descended like a storm. A single strike pinned the blood puppet’s hand firmly in place. Chu Jinglan broke through the malevolent aura with wind and snow, his sword light cutting through everything in its path as he struck decisively at Fenxiu.

 

Fenxiu still had enough strength to laugh loudly and taunt: “See? He’s focused on killing me—he doesn’t care about you.”

 

Xiao Mo, far from being shaken or disheartened, smiled instead: “I’m glad.”

 

If Chu Jinglan were still plagued by an unstable spiritual consciousness and unresolved inner turmoil, he might have kept Xiao Mo tied to his side at all times. Outsiders wouldn’t understand that Chu Jinglan’s ability to turn away now came from enduring countless trials of frost and thorns to reclaim his sword heart.

 

It wasn’t that he didn’t care about Xiao Mo.

 

Back when Xiao Mo was young and inexperienced in love, he prioritized worrying about Chu Jinglan’s safety above all else—leading him to make decisions that were ultimately excessive.

 

But now, they had learned how to continue writing their story together, understanding what each other truly wanted.

 

Even at the edge of life and death, they weren’t afraid.

 

Bound by life and death, trusting each other completely—they were fearless.

 

Chu Jinglan could afford not to look back, but Su Baimo couldn’t risk it.

 

He suspected that Xiao Mo might still have a protective mark on him—one strike likely wouldn’t kill him. Meanwhile, Fenxiu only had a few magical artifacts that Su Baimo had just given him and might not survive even a single moment against Chu Jinglan.

 

Su Baimo originally intended to attack Xiao Mo to distract Chu Jinglan but quickly realized that Chu Jinglan wasn’t falling for it at all. Forced to change tactics hastily, Su Baimo launched a half-hearted strike before turning back to save Fenxiu.

 

Su Baimo couldn’t afford to gamble with his own life. The reason he had survived this long was precisely because of his caution.

 

As Su Baimo spun around, a brilliant-winged Golden Flame Flowing Fire Phoenix emerged beside Xiao Mo. Qiuqiu spread its wings wide and intercepted Su Baimo’s attack effortlessly, ensuring Xiao Mo remained unharmed.

 

Even if Su Baimo hadn’t retreated earlier, he wouldn’t have been able to injure Xiao Mo.

 

Xiao Mo twirled his flute lightly in his hand and narrowed his eyes slightly.

 

Chu Jinglan didn’t kill Fenxiu in one strike?

 

The blood puppet retreated defensively, taking Su Baimo and Fenxiu with it. Su Baimo’s expression shifted in shock as he noticed Fenxiu’s aura suddenly surging to Great Perfection stage.

 

Fenxiu’s dantian had been destroyed—only two people in the cultivation world had successfully rebuilt their dantian. Even for someone as gifted as Chu Jinglan, it took an entire year. Yet Fenxiu had restored his cultivation to early Great Perfection stage in mere moments—a feat beyond belief.

 

Though Chu Jinglan was seeing this for the first time, he observed Fenxiu’s aura carefully. Based on the flow of spiritual energy through his meridians, he immediately identified the issue: “Blood ignition.”

 

That’s right—Fenxiu’s dantian hadn’t been repaired. The only reason he had temporarily regained his cultivation was that he was burning the celestial demon blood within his body.

 

“He won’t last more than fifteen minutes,” Chu Jinglan concluded coldly.

 

“Fifteen minutes is enough,” Fenxiu sneered, licking the blood off his teeth. “Your new flame is only at Divided Spirit stage. Even if he’s boosted himself to Great Perfection with pills, he won’t last longer than me. If I kill you within fifteen minutes, we win.”

 

Fenxiu wouldn’t have resorted to the Blood Ignition Technique so easily under normal circumstances. But as long as there was life, there was hope. Earlier, Su Baimo could have defended him in time, but Fenxiu had already realized that Su Baimo couldn’t kill Chu Jinglan.

 

Today, it was a matter of life and death between them and Chu Jinglan. If they held back any longer, there would be no chance of survival—they had to strike together.

 

Chu Jinglan’s refusal to look back earlier made it seem like Xiao Mo had no effect on him. This led Fenxiu and Su Baimo to focus the bulk of their attacks on Chu Jinglan once again.

 

What they didn’t know was that Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan were bound by life and death—if they did know, they would likely think both of them were insane. Even with all the protection Chu Jinglan had given Xiao Mo, no one else would dare to be so bold in such a perilous situation.

 

After all, this was a matter of life and death—just look at Su Baimo as an example.

 

If Su Baimo were in Xiao Mo’s position, even surrounded by layers of protection, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from crying out for help and distracting his companion.

 

With Fenxiu now at Great Perfection stage, Xiao Mo unhesitatingly swallowed more pills to further boost his cultivation. Ignoring the pain in his meridians and dantian, he forcibly raised himself to early Great Perfection stage. Looking up at Fenxiu, he said calmly: “But we’ve also confirmed something—you’ve definitely done something to Su Baimo. If you die, he’ll be finished too.”

 

Fenxiu smirked mockingly: “Couldn’t it just be that he likes me? Maybe more than Chu Jinglan likes you?”

 

“Impossible,” Xiao Mo replied flatly. “Do you even believe that yourself?”

 

His response carried a double meaning:

 

First, both Su Baimo and Fenxiu prioritized their own survival above all else. The idea that they wouldn’t abandon each other in a life-or-death situation out of affection was something even they wouldn’t believe.

 

Second, even if—by some far-fetched chance—Su Baimo truly liked Fenxiu, it could never compare to the depth of Chu Jinglan’s feelings for Xiao Mo.

 

Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan entrusted everything—including their lives—to each other. Could Su Baimo do the same?

 

To even compare Su Baimo to Chu Jinglan was laughable.

 

Xiao Mo raised Phantom Moon Core with a wave of his hand and unleashed the most oppressive and expansive illusion realm he had ever created. The sky split into day and night—one half sunlit, the other moonlit—while beneath it lay an intricate landscape of jagged peaks and treacherous ravines. Xiao Mo’s figure disappeared into the illusion.

 

Now it was two Great Perfection cultivators against two Great Perfection cultivators on either side. It seemed like the outcome would depend on who could hold out longer—Xiao Mo or Fenxiu.

 

The blood puppet let out a deafening roar and tore through the sky curtain with its massive hand. But instead of collapsing, the illusion revealed an endless expanse of stars beyond the torn veil—a vast cosmos accompanied by soft flute music echoing in the air.

 

Su Baimo’s eyes flickered with unease as panic surged within him. He immediately popped a Clarity Pill into his mouth.

 

“His spiritual consciousness is this strong?!”

 

For ordinary music cultivators, their melodies only caused limited effects on spiritual consciousness—most attacks relied on sound waves and spiritual energy to harm the body directly. However, for music cultivators with exceptionally powerful spiritual consciousness techniques, they were natural nemeses of demon cultivators. Even with significant differences in cultivation levels, such techniques could destabilize the already fragile minds of demon cultivators.

 

A strange thought crossed Fenxiu’s mind.

 

Chu Jinglan’s original Dao companion, Mo Lan, had also favored this tactic—in fact, during their time in the Nine Secret Treasure Tower, it was Mo Lan who had used illusions to protect Chu Jinglan.

 

The illusion was likely activated by a magical artifact. To think that Chu Jinglan had given away his original Dao companion’s flute and artifact, and even taught Xiao Mo to use them so proficiently—was he really treating Xiao Mo as nothing more than a substitute plaything?

 

This thought briefly crossed Fenxiu’s mind, but he didn’t dwell on it. Time was of the essence, and since he couldn’t provoke them into turning against each other, there was no point wasting time.

 

Fenxiu leapt forward decisively: “Kill Chu Jinglan first!”

 

Su Baimo drew the remaining celestial demon blood and painted a mark on himself, preparing to absorb the blood naturally during the fight to maintain his sanity.

 

Their focus shifted entirely away from Xiao Mo. Given Fenxiu and Su Baimo’s personalities, they would never guess that Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan had formed the Red Luan mark.

 

In their minds, someone like Xianzun would never do something as foolish as entrusting their life to another—not even to a Dao companion.

 

This was a classic case of projecting their own worldview onto others, assuming that everyone must think like them.

 

Their goal was clear: as long as Chu Jinglan died, the rest would be easy to deal with.

 

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