Volume 1 Volume 6 Chapter 144

Volume 6 Chapter 144: Message, Experiment (Part 1)

As the Demon Ancestor’s voice completely disappeared from his ears, a thoughtful expression appeared on Xu Qingfan’s face.

One is thinking of Ting’er’s current situation, unexpectedly so complicated. Her true nature is lost in endless demonic energy, acting only on instinct and the urge of the demonic energy. Although Xu Qingfan has found the reason, he feels at a loss about what to do.

The second is thinking about the warning from the Demon Ancestor before leaving. Xu Qingfan didn’t pay much attention to the first point; in his opinion, as long as he is around, Ting’er will not go out of control and will not do anything extreme.

What truly concerns Xu Qingfan is the second warning. He thought that by merging with the "Demonic Pearl" while also merging the "Holy Spirit Buddhist Relic," nothing untoward would happen. At most, he would just become a mix of good and evil, but from what he just heard from the Demon Ancestor, it seems it is not that simple.

At the same time, what worries Xu Qingfan even more is the cold indifference deep inside him. Beneath this coldness, he realizes he is starting to think only of himself and has a tendency to sacrifice others to achieve his goals. Even though he had resisted the control of Demon Thought, he was still unknowingly influenced while resisting it.

"The situation with Ting’er is very troublesome; I must think of a solution slowly. Or maybe under my guidance, helping Ting’er understand the Heavenly Way to match her strength could work, but looking at Ting’er’s current state, she seems to have forgotten even human speech. I might have to start teaching from the very beginning, which is quite a headache."

"From what this ‘earth’ says, my merger with the ‘Demonic Pearl’ is far from over; there are still other problems. However, when I checked my body earlier, I didn’t find anything, or perhaps I was too rushed at that time. Once everything is finished, I must enter seclusion and carefully examine my current condition. This kind of situation shouldn’t be delayed, but unfortunately, there are too many things to do now."

"Also, under the influence of Demon Thought, my state of mind is changing. I understand all the principles, and all the memories are lost, but the cold indifference lurking deep within is constantly affecting my thoughts and decisions. Now, this coldness is still being suppressed by my rational mind, and I must find a way to change this; otherwise, one day I will inevitably do something I will regret for life because of it."

Deep in thought, Xu Qingfan begins to contemplate the current situation.

"Right now, I look just like a demon cultivator. I can’t dare to show my face until I return to my original appearance; otherwise, I would surely be attacked and killed by righteous cultivators. Also, when I killed the corrupted Sect Master, Old Beggar and his group of weapon masters, as well as Junior Brother Jin, saw me. At that time, it was crucial for me to resist the ‘Demonic Pearl,’ and I didn’t have time to explain anything to them. Now, I must find a way to clarify things to them. Moreover, after the Sect Master was corrupted, I don’t know how many low-level cultivators from the Righteous Alliance he killed; handling the aftermath is also a troublesome matter."

"During the time I merged the ‘Holy Spirit Buddhist Relic’ and the ‘Magic Pearl’, it seemed that many things happened in the cultivation world. If the ‘Earth’ did not deceive me, the ‘Underworld’ organization was actually destroyed by the Righteous Alliance. I just don’t know if the Shura Clan has returned."

As he thought, Xu Qingfan turned to look at the still unconscious Dongfang Qingling, Wang Zegang, Zhang Ningmei, and others, his brow slightly furrowing, "Weren’t they acting together with the main force of the Righteous Alliance? Why are they here at this moment? Did something happen?"

At this point, Xu Qingfan suddenly had a bad feeling in his heart.

Xu Qingfan instinctively thought about the current situation, but even he did not notice that while he was thinking about this, he was simply analyzing the situation and considering how to respond. Under the influence of a cold indifference in his heart, unless it involved his own interests, he rarely had any emotional fluctuations while thinking.

As he pondered, Xu Qingfan walked over to the nearest Dongfang Qingling, placed his hand on her forehead, and slowly released his ‘Flourish Qi’. As it flowed, Dongfang Qingling let out a soft moan, her long eyelashes quivering for a moment before slowly opening her eyes. The first thing she saw was the black patterns on Xu Qingfan’s face and his pitch-black eyes, along with an expression of cold indifference. With a soft gasp, she showed a look of fright.

Dongfang Qingling shrank back, wanting to move her body away, but suddenly noticed something and hesitantly asked Xu Qingfan, "Senior Brother Xu?"

Xu Qingfan smiled slightly, wanting to reassure the frightened Dongfang Qingling, but little did he know that his smile made his expression look even colder.

"Yes, it’s me. Don’t worry."

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s response, she seemed to regain her clarity. Dongfang Qingling carefully looked at Xu Qingfan, her panic gradually fading, and her face showing a look of surprise as she asked, "You are not…?"

Xu Qingfan shook his head and said, "There have been some unexpected events. My body may show some traits of a demon cultivator for a long time, but my mind is not controlled by Demon Thought, so you don’t need to worry."

Hearing Xu Qingfan say this, Dongfang Qingling finally showed a look of relief. She looked at Xu Qingfan, whose appearance and aura had changed greatly, as if she wanted to wipe away the dark lines on his face and return his eyes to their normal state.

However, Xu Qingfan’s somewhat cold and sharp aura was impossible for Dongfang Qingling to ignore. Coupled with the amazing aura that naturally radiated from Xu Qingfan after becoming a grandmaster, it created a shocking feeling that made Dongfang Qingling feel that Xu Qingfan was somewhat strange and dangerous.

Sitting up, Dongfang Qingling noticed that Xu Qingfan’s hair was a bit messy. She hesitated for a moment and instinctively reached out to smooth it down, which had become a natural act between the two of them without them even realizing.

However, just as Dongfang Qingling reached out her hand, without touching Xu Qingfan’s head, Ting’er beside Xu Qingfan finally couldn’t hold back. A faint black flame suddenly erupted from her body, and a killing aura emerged from her slender figure so clearly.

Ting’er had been holding back for a long time. When Xu Qingfan was talking to Dongfang Qingling earlier, she felt a strange irritability. She thought that Xu Qingfan should only pay attention to her and not to anyone else. Seeing the affectionate gesture from Dongfang Qingling, her pent-up anger finally erupted.

Xu Qingfan immediately noticed Ting’er’s unusual behavior as she summoned a ball of black demon flame in her hand, raising his hand to strike at Dongfang Qingling’s head, shouting angrily, "Ting’er, stop it! What are you doing?"

As he spoke, he positioned his body in front of Dongfang Qingling to block Ting’er’s attack, glaring at her, clearly displeased with her baffling actions.

Seeing that Xu Qingfan seemed angry, Ting’er first shot a fierce glare at Dongfang Qingling behind Xu Qingfan, and then looked at Xu Qingfan with a very aggrieved expression.

Looking at Ting’er’s pitch-black eyes, which showed no trace of human emotion, Xu Qingfan felt a softness in his heart as he realized Ting’er had lost all sense of self. She was acting purely on instinct, and the only reason for all of this was to save him. He could not find the words to blame her.

However, he recalled what the Demon Ancestor had said before leaving.

"The so-called Demon Thought is the obsession and suppressed desires in one’s heart, magnified to an infinite extent. To achieve these obsessions and desires, one can go to any lengths. From what I observed, Ting’er’s obsession is her care and attachment to you. Once this obsession is amplified, you must be careful."

Thinking of this, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but smile bitterly in his heart, realizing that things had indeed become quite troublesome.

After warning Ting’er not to act recklessly, Xu Qingfan smiled apologetically at Dongfang Qingling. Dongfang Qingling shook her head, indicating that she did not mind, but looked at Ting’er with curiosity, recalling Ting’er’s sudden attack on her earlier, finding it increasingly strange. She asked Xu Qingfan, "Senior Brother Xu, what happened to Ting’er?"

Xu Qingfan reached out and pulled Dongfang Qingling up from the ground, letting out a slight sigh. He then recounted what the Demon Ancestor had told him. Hearing that Ting’er had transformed into this state to save Xu Qingfan, despite nearly being killed by her twice in just half an hour, Dongfang Qingling could no longer blame Ting’er. Instead, she gazed at Ting’er with pity. If Ting’er hadn’t looked at her with such an unfriendly expression, Dongfang Qingling might have held Ting’er close to comfort her.

Ting’er’s eyes were strange and terrifying, and Dongfang Qingling did not dare to meet her gaze. She turned to Xu Qingfan and asked, "Senior Brother Xu, what just happened? Why did we faint?"

As Xu Qingfan used his magic to revive Wang Zegang, Wang Zegang was startled by Xu Qingfan’s appearance. Xu Qingfan had to explain to Wang Zegang again, just like before, that he had not been corrupted; he only had some demonic traits in his body.

He then explained to Dongfang Qingling, "A powerful being came and restrained you, but they have already left."

Listening to Xu Qingfan, it seemed he did not want to say much, so Dongfang Qingling wisely chose not to ask any more questions.

Then Xu Qingfan began to wake up Zhang Ningmei, Bai Yu, Tian Zhenling, and Tian Zhenxian one by one. Each time he woke someone up, that person would be startled by Xu Qingfan’s appearance. Unable to help it, Xu Qingfan had to comfort and explain again. When he woke Bai Yu, he had already explained the same thing six times and only felt dry in his throat.

Though Xu Qingfan was effortlessly engaging with everyone, his words and actions remained unchanged from before he combined with the "Magic Pearl." Only Xu Qingfan knew that deep inside, he still felt a chilling detachment, with hardly any emotions. His comforting words and smiles were just a common response, a way to mask the coldness within him so that others wouldn’t see. Simultaneously, it was also a way to fool himself. Xu Qingfan was afraid to confront how suddenly cold and distant he had become. He tried hard to pretend he was the same person as before. Even though he was fooling himself, this made him feel more at ease.

…

While rescuing people, Xu Qingfan kept asking them various questions. He finally understood the details of the battle between the Righteous Alliance and Zhang Xusheng, but these people did not know that the "Ming" organization had been completely destroyed by the Righteous Alliance.

As Xu Qingfan was saving people, everyone kept observing him. Their looks were filled with worry and doubt. Apart from his changed appearance, his aura had changed even more, carrying an indescribable, powerful force that made people feel awed. Tian Zhenling and Tian Zhenxian had already decided to immediately ask Xu Qingfan to take them as his disciples once he woke up, but seeing Xu Qingfan’s current demeanor, they didn’t dare to speak. Although Xu Qingfan was trying to suppress his power, the pressure he unintentionally revealed through his movements still shocked everyone. No one could sense what level of strength Xu Qingfan had reached.

As they observed him, everyone was hesitating in their hearts.

Why was Xu Qingfan almost consumed by darkness? Why did he suddenly arrive in Jiuhua to kill Zhang Hualing? What had happened these days? Those present were the people who trusted Xu Qingfan the most in the world; otherwise, they wouldn’t have come to see him even knowing about his dark side. They knew that Xu Qingfan always had his reasons for acting, but too many questions were hidden in their hearts, making them uncomfortable and eager to ask.

However, since Xu Qingfan woke up, the others had only this chance to speak with him, mostly with him explaining Ting’er’s situation, the reason for everyone’s fainting, and inquiring about the news they knew. As for the "Shadow Tear Worm" and Gongsun Huasa’s matter, they never found the right moment to speak or knew how to start.

The most important thing is that no one really understands Xu Qingfan’s true situation right now. He appears to be awake, talking and responding just like before, and nobody notices the cold indifference hidden in his heart. However, the chilling aura that naturally shows through his expression is impossible to hide. Although Xu Qingfan tries hard to imitate his previous self, everyone still feels a strange distance from him. They want to ask questions about this matter, but they fear that bringing it up might unsettle Xu Qingfan, so they hesitate and end up not speaking.

During the conversation, time passes quickly. Before they know it, only Bai Qingfu has not yet been awakened. As Xu Qingfan walks towards Bai Qingfu, he asks the group, "By the way, why did you not move with the main force of the Righteous Alliance? How did you find me? It seems like you already knew about my near-demon transformation?"

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s question, everyone’s eyes flickered, but they remained silent.

Finally, Zhang Ningmei spoke up, "Master, not only do we know, but all the cultivators in the Righteous Alliance also know about your situation. However, they don’t know that you are not under the control of the Demon Thought and think you have completely turned to darkness. We were worried, so we sneaked away from the main group to find you."

Upon hearing Zhang Ningmei’s words, Xu Qingfan’s body trembled, and he suddenly turned around, looking at everyone in disbelief. At the same time, the energy he had been purposely suppressing burst forth, and everyone felt the cold force rushing at them, causing them to step back in fear.

Xu Qingfan understood very well how huge the impact would be if the people from the Righteous Alliance believed he had turned to darkness. No wonder everyone looked at him with such strange expressions; it turned out to be this way.

Seeing the frightened faces of everyone under his released aura, Xu Qingfan took a deep breath, gradually calming his emotions, and asked, "What exactly happened?"

"It was Gongsun Huasa. He placed ‘Shadow Tear Worms’ around Sect Master Ancestor."

Zhang Ningmei explained clearly and concisely.

Although the explanation was simple, Xu Qingfan quickly understood the whole story. It seemed that Gongsun Huasa had made public the image of him killing Zhang Hualing. In that moment, he didn’t just kill Zhang Hualing; he was surrounded by dark energy, looking like he was possessed.

Thinking about how Gongsun Huasa’s actions hurt him and Jiuhua, Xu Qingfan felt surprisingly calm. Yet, within that calmness, an incredible sense of danger was brewing.

To hide it, fearing that his killing intent would scare everyone, Xu Qingfan began to turn and continue helping Bai Qingfu.

He placed his hand on Bai Qingfu’s forehead, and healing energy flowed within Bai Qingfu’s body.

Noticing the questioning looks from the crowd behind him, Xu Qingfan realized they all wanted an explanation. They wanted to know why he almost lost himself to darkness and why he killed Zhang Hualing. What had happened these past few days?

Thinking about these people who still trusted him even in such dangerous times, risking punishment from the Righteous Alliance and the threat of being killed by the possessed Xu Qingfan, he felt a warmth in his heart, even though deep down he was filled with indifference.

As for the crowd’s questions, Xu Qingfan paused for a moment. He knew that these people were his close friends. In times of trouble, true feelings show. Their arrival meant they deeply trusted and valued him. If he kept hiding things, it would seem too selfish. So he decided not to hide anything from them and to tell the whole story. Organizing his thoughts in his mind, he prepared to speak.

Just then, under Xu Qingfan’s care, Bai Qingfu woke up. He was the only one among the group who suddenly saw Xu Qingfan and didn’t show fear. Instead, he smiled slightly and asked, "Are you still Xu Qingfan?"

Xu Qingfan smiled back and nodded, "Of course."

"Could it be possessed?"

Xu Qingfan shook his head, "No."

Bai Qingfu nodded and said, "As long as you stay awake, that’s good. I came to find you for two things. Li Yuhan asked me to bring you a message, and Zhang Xusheng asked me to deliver something to you."