PID Chapter 94.2

(1/5)

♪(๑ᴖ◡ᴖ๑)♪

 

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Fenxiu wasn’t about to let such an opening slip by. With a gleam in his eyes, he raised his blade and aimed straight for Chu Jinglan’s vital point.

 

As Fenxiu envisioned his blade piercing through Chu Jinglan’s body, a massive white barrier descended from the sky, enveloping Chu Jinglan in an instant and blocking Fenxiu’s attack.

 

The white wall wasn’t particularly sturdy but dissolved Fenxiu’s blade momentum with wave after wave of rippling energy.

 

Fenxiu stepped back and noticed that Xiao Mo had also disappeared. He examined the white wall thoughtfully. “An illusion?”

 

Indeed, Xiao Mo had used Phantom Moon Core to create an illusionary realm that enveloped both himself and Chu Jinglan.

 

An illusion could be used to trap enemies—but conversely, it could also be used to protect someone.

 

Xiao Mo helped Chu Jinglan sit down. Chu Jinglan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said hoarsely: “…Sorry.”

 

“What are you apologizing for? Take some healing medicine quickly,” Xiao Mo replied while handing him a pill. “It’s fine. The Nine Secret Treasure Tower is about to close—this illusion can hold until we’re out.”

 

Chu Jinglan nodded, swallowed the pill, and began circulating his inner energy. Xiao Mo glanced at the blood on Chu Jinglan’s hands and couldn’t help but wave his hand to clean it away with a spell.

 

Blood—it really was so jarring to see. Just looking at it made him feel uncomfortable.

 

As Xiao Mo watched Chu Jinglan heal himself, the system’s clock ticked steadily in his mind. Though not much time remained, every minute felt excruciatingly long. The ticking sound only heightened his anxiety.

 

Still, Xiao Mo didn’t let it show. Outwardly, he appeared calm as he watched over Chu Jinglan, but internally he was counting down every second in restless anticipation.

 

In such a state of agitation, one’s mind tends to wander—and sometimes inspiration strikes in moments of desperation.

 

Suddenly, Xiao Mo’s eyes widened slightly.

 

He… thought of another possibility.

 

Is it really impossible to undergo the inner demon tribulation within the Nine Secret Treasure Tower? No—if his guess was correct…

 

Xiao Mo swallowed hard; even that simple action made his throat ache painfully. Amidst the relentless ticking of the clock in his ears, he gripped his palm tightly and asked: “System.”

 

“You said he has to be at Divided Spirit stage to undergo the inner demon tribulation. Right now, thanks to the pills, his cultivation has been temporarily elevated to Divided Spirit stage—does that count?”

 

The system—now more emotionally attuned due to its upgraded emotional module—was momentarily stunned by its host’s audacious idea. But its processing speed was unparalleled; within moments, it scanned and analyzed everything before calculating a final result.

 

“The results show—it’s possible.”

 

“And after passing the inner demon tribulation, his cultivation will definitely rise. If he undergoes the tribulation now, he’ll become a true Divided Spirit cultivator!”

 

The system excitedly announced the results: “Host!”

 

The fact that the host asked this question meant he was preparing to act. The timing, the setting, and the circumstances—everything was perfectly aligned! But unlike the system’s enthusiasm, Xiao Mo’s mind went completely blank the moment he heard the answer.

 

He released his tightly clenched fists and stared at Chu Jinglan in a daze.

 

Chu Jinglan’s breathing was uneven as he tried to regulate his energy. Swallowing a mouthful of blood, he opened his eyes and reached for more healing medicine—only to see Xiao Mo’s vacant expression.

 

Chu Jinglan’s heart skipped heavily, and just as he was about to speak, Xiao Mo’s sudden movement cut him off.

 

Without warning, Xiao Mo lunged forward and hugged him tightly.

 

Chu Jinglan’s eyes widened in shock.

 

Xiao Mo’s embrace felt cold yet warm at the same time. Chu Jinglan didn’t understand what had happened. His expression froze for a long moment, and it felt like an eternity before he finally came back to his senses. Carefully yet firmly, he wrapped his arms around Xiao Mo in return.

 

Because Xiao Mo was trembling.

 

Could it be that Fenxiu’s presence had frightened him?

 

Holding Xiao Mo close, Chu Jinglan spoke in a soothing voice meant to reassure him: “Don’t be afraid—I’m here.”

 

In response, Xiao Mo only tightened his grip.

 

The hug seemed to last an eternity, though in reality, only a short amount of time passed according to the system’s ticking countdown. Chu Jinglan felt Xiao Mo’s hold loosen slightly, and then he heard a barely audible whisper in his ear: “…I’m sorry.”

 

That was the last thing Chu Jinglan heard before his mind went completely blank.

 

Utterly blank—he knew nothing anymore.

 

Because Xiao Mo had fully taken control of his body and suppressed his consciousness.

 

Xiao Mo let go of him and stepped back from Chu Jinglan’s embrace. He looked at Chu Jinglan, who now stood frozen and unable to move, and gave a smile that was more bitter than tears.

 

…From the moment Xiao Mo decided to help Chu Jinglan undergo the tribulation, he had secretly planted an inner demon seed in Chu Jinglan’s sea of consciousness. Chu Jinglan trusted him far too much—so much that he hadn’t noticed at all.

 

If Xiao Mo were truly an inner demon intent on taking over Chu Jinglan’s body and erasing his soul, he could have succeeded with ease.

 

Chu Jinglan… you trust me so much… I’m sorry.

 

Now that the seed had sprouted into chains, it locked down Chu Jinglan’s consciousness entirely, rendering him unconscious. Though his eyes remained open, he was unaware of anything happening around him—his body reduced to an empty shell.

 

Xiao Mo raised his hand and gently touched Chu Jinglan’s brow and eyes. His own eyes were red-rimmed as he listened to the countdown ticking away in his ears. Reluctantly, he lowered his hand.

 

He placed his storage device on Chu Jinglan, ensuring it contained the letter he had written for him. Then, gazing intently at Chu Jinglan’s face one last time, Xiao Mo moved his fingers slightly to control Chu Jinglan’s body.

 

Chu Jinglan’s arm slowly lifted, holding the sword, and pierced it into Xiao Mo’s chest.

 

But that alone wasn’t enough. Xiao Mo drew upon Chu Jinglan’s spiritual consciousness and energy, channeling it into the sword. As the blade poured its power into the inner demon’s spiritual body, it began to burn silently, consuming the inner demon bit by bit.

 

The system had activated pain-free mode, so Xiao Mo couldn’t feel any physical pain. Yet… his chest hurt so much.

 

Chu Jinglan… Chu Jinglan.

 

Xiao Mo’s vision began to blur, but he stubbornly kept his gaze fixed on Chu Jinglan, refusing to look away until the very end.

 

As the inner demon’s spiritual body gradually melted away, the chains within Chu Jinglan’s sea of consciousness began to loosen. His lifeless eyes flickered slightly, and a faint struggle appeared in his expression.

 

Don’t look. Don’t open your eyes.

 

Xiao Mo raised his hand and covered Chu Jinglan’s eyes.

 

When you wake up, everything will be over. It’ll be fine, Chu Jinglan.

 

I… I really can’t bear to leave.

 

The hand covering Chu Jinglan’s eyes grew increasingly transparent. Xiao Mo could no longer hold on and collapsed into Chu Jinglan’s arms. The sword slipped from Chu Jinglan’s hand as his entire body began to struggle violently—so much so that he accidentally injured himself.

 

Chu Jinglan, fighting against the suppression, held onto both Xiao Mo and the sword tightly. He was desperately trying to wake up.

 

Stop moving… stop moving, Xiao Mo thought as he was held tightly by Chu Jinglan. I can’t press down on your wounds anymore—don’t let the sword hurt you further.

 

Chu Jinglan’s blood flowed along the blade and into Xiao Mo’s body. Normally, the essence of a host would be a inner demon’s favorite sustenance; such blood should have been beneficial to him. It seemed as though it was trying to hold onto Xiao Mo for Chu Jinglan’s sake.

 

But now, it was useless—completely ineffective.

 

Xiao Mo tried to speak, but instead of words, Chu Jinglan’s blood trickled from his lips.

 

…Alright then, I guess I’m not allowed to talk.

 

Chu Jinglan… goodbye… I have to go do what I need to do now. After we part ways, you must take care of yourself.

 

I’ll stay far away from you for now—I won’t drag you into harm again. Once I’ve finished my tasks alone…

 

As the inner demon’s hand disappeared completely, the system’s countdown reached zero.

 

Chu Jinglan’s consciousness snapped awake.

 

But he saw nothing.

 

The Phantom Moon Core and East Clear Pearl fell into his arms.

 

Accompanied by a blinding flash of light, he was forcibly ejected from the Nine Secret Treasure Tower.

 

The sudden silence around him was replaced by a cacophony of noise—voices shouting and bustling all around. Struggling to get up, Chu Jinglan felt his vision flicker between black and white; it hadn’t fully recovered yet. In his dazed state, only one thought surfaced: Where is Xiao Mo?

 

Why couldn’t he feel their Dao companion bond anymore?

 

No—this wasn’t right. Xiao Mo… Xiao Mo!

 

Chu Jinglan hastily channeled spiritual energy into his eyes, forcing them to recover faster. Once he could see clearly again, he immediately looked around frantically. This was outside—the entrance to the Nine Secret Treasure Tower. People were pouring out everywhere—but there was no sign of Xiao Mo. Where is Xiao Mo?

 

[Xiao Mo?]

 

Chu Jinglan sent out a voice transmission—but this time, there wasn’t just no response. The connection itself felt empty—utterly void of anything.

 

The main body often couldn’t accurately sense an inner demon—but now Chu Jinglan realized something else: their Dao companion bond had vanished entirely. And for the first time ever, he felt an unprecedented clarity in his spiritual consciousness.

 

The inner demon… the inner demon was gone.

 

 

Chu Jinglan lowered his head in confusion, repeatedly sending voice transmissions to Xiao Mo in his mind, calling his name over and over, desperately trying to get a response.

 

No, it can’t be… it can’t be…

 

And then there was his cultivation—shouldn’t the effects of the pills have worn off by now? Why was he still at Divided Spirit stage? This wasn’t right—why had his cultivation suddenly skyrocketed without reason?

 

Xiao Mo’s storage device was with him, and both the East Clear Pearl and Phantom Moon Core were by his side. Why? Where was Xiao Mo? Where had he gone?

 

Ignoring the fresh sword wound on his body, Chu Jinglan, nearly despairing yet clinging to hope, tirelessly sent voice transmissions again and again. Suddenly, he sensed a faint movement coming from the spirit pet pouch.

 

Even the slightest movement was enough to send Chu Jinglan’s frayed nerves into overdrive. Almost frantic, he raised his hand and hastily pulled out the spirit pet pouch.

 

And then he saw it—the butterfly cocoon that had been dormant for days was glowing faintly. The soft cocoon slowly began to break open, and a beautiful little butterfly emerged bit by bit, spreading its delicate wings.

 

It fully emerged from its cocoon in a stunning display of rebirth, greeting the world with its first touch of light.

 

But there was no trace of Xiao Mo’s aura on its body.

 

The aura that Xiao Mo had carefully imprinted onto the cocoon under Chu Jinglan’s guidance—it had vanished completely.

 

Chu Jinglan stared blankly at the butterfly as he heard something shatter in his ears.

 

Ah… it was himself breaking—inside and out. His soul, his heart.

 

The crowd that had just exited the Nine Secret Treasure Tower suddenly heard an ear-piercing scream erupt from among them—a cry so agonizing it didn’t sound human. It resembled the howl of a beast clawing its way out of hell—a scream born from the pain of a soul being torn apart.

 

Everyone turned toward the sound in shock. What they saw was a prodigy with blood-red eyes, his entire body radiating chaotic spiritual energy. He held a sword, devoid of any celestial grace. The terrifying aura surrounding him resembled endless frost stretching across thousands of miles—akin to the horrors of Avici Hell itself.

 

He raised his sword, and all of his killing intent surged toward an ordinary-looking demon.

 

“Fenxiu—!”

 

Everyone clearly heard Chu Jinglan’s hoarse roar of rage.

 

“Where is he!? Give him back—to me!”

 

Give Xiao Mo back to him!

 

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T/N: should we stop at cliffhanger?? hehheheeh

1 Kofi = 1 Extra Chapter