Chapter 2
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Chapter 2: Qing Luan Is Still Outside the Window!
The place where the Demon Lord resides is an inconspicuous cave on a sea island.
When Si Yunshang led Bai Lian into the cave, the Demon Lord had indeed woken up from his daze, but his body was still covered in black runes, which looked like long hair from afar.
"What’s going on here?"
Bai Lian stood by the bed.
The Demon Lord was exceptionally weak at this moment, like a candle in the dark, with a feeble breath and dim light, far from the imposing aura he had on Yaochi Holy Mountain in the past.
Bai Lian felt like she could stare the Demon Lord to death with just one look.
When this thought crossed her mind, the system task also popped up.
[Task 1: Kill the Demon Lord without a second thought to eliminate future troubles (Reward: Burning Moon Branch)]
[Task 2: Ask the question first before killing the Demon Lord (Reward: the Seal of Heavenly Circles)]
[Task 3: Inquire Only, No Superfluous Actions (Reward: Hard Skill +2)]
Upon realizing that the reward for Task 2, the Seal of Heavenly Circles, was worth more than a high-grade Spirit Tool, Bai Lian’s heart skipped a beat.
Goodness gracious!
Just as she had suspected before, there was definitely more to the story about the Demon Lord’s severe injuries and near-death state!
After all, he was the leader of the demon path, and he must not be underestimated.
Bai Lian took a step sideways, blocking the Demon Lord in between her and Si Yunshang.
By doing so, even if the Demon Lord wanted to resort to sneaky tactics like a surprise attack, he would have to get past her first before he could lay a finger on Si Yunshang.
The Demon Lord, lying on the bed, slowly opened his eyes when he heard the sound and, upon seeing Bai Lian before him, squeezed out a faint smile, "I didn’t expect White Emperor Bai Lian would arrive so much earlier than I had imagined. It seems that the position of the witch Zhi He in White Emperor Bai Lian’s heart is quite different."
Bai Lian’s expression remained unchanged, "Stop with these useless words. Weren’t you supposed to kill the Demon Emperor of the Demons of the Outer Realm? How did you end up like this?"
The Demon Lord gazed upon the drab cave ceiling.
"It should have been so… But in the end, I was careless."
"Careless?"
"Long story short."
The Demon Lord nodded softly and began to recount his experiences after leaving the Yaochi Holy Mountain.
As all the demons from the Outer Realm who went to the Yaochi Holy Mountain died, only he returned. At first, he was contemplating how to lower Demon Emperor’s guard.
But when he really met Demon Emperor, things went smoother than he expected.
Demon Emperor simply asked a few questions and then asked him to present the Future Mirror.
The Demon Lord hesitated, fearing that this was a trap to test him, as the demons from the Outer Realm were always cunning. He thought it might be better to cancel his original plan and look for another opportunity.
"Opportunities are not easily come by. It is not an easy task to integrate the way of the Great Tao that doesn’t belong to me into Demon Emperor’s body. After realizing this, I still decided to proceed with the plan." The Demon Lord shook his head and sighed, his face full of vicissitudes, making people have an involuntary sympathy for him.
If it were not for the remainder of the system task, Bai Lian would have comforted him. Now she just pursed her lips discreetly.
The Demon Lord, who received no feedback, continued to speak, "In fact, my ideas were not wrong. Even if the plan was delayed, things wouldn’t get any better, just because I underestimated the true strength of the Demon Emperor."
"Human Immortal?"
Bai Lian was surprised.
The Demon Lord said solemnly, "It was even worse than that."
Huh?
Bai Lian was a little confused.
"Could it be that he has reached the Earth Immortal realm?"
According to Ruomu, even if the cultivators in this world tried their best, they could only cultivate to the level of Human Immortals. If a real Earth Immortal appeared, it would mean that the rules of heaven and earth had been reconstructed.
The Demon Lord shook his head, and after a moment of silence, said, "At the moment of his severe injury, I sensed several breaths inside him that were no weaker than the way of the Great Tao in White Emperor Bai Lian’s body."
"…"
Bai Lian’s mouth quivered slightly.
Having mastered many ways of the Great Tao, what else is Heavenly Lord if not?
She finally understood why Demon Emperor was able to defeat her master and why Younger Martial Brother Chen and Martial Sister He couldn’t heal An Lan’s injuries.
The Demon Lord continued, "The plan went very smoothly at first. The moment we touched the Future Mirror, your way of the Great Tao drilled straight into the Demon Emperor’s body. Crushed under the weight of the way of the Great Tao, the Demon Emperor’s body was instantly turned to dust. I immediately realized that something was wrong…"
Driven by anxiety, without hesitation, he picked up the Future Mirror and headed outside the Pavilion of Mountain and Sea.
But it was already too late.
The bright sky was covered by a storm of black clouds that spread for miles. Terrifying vortexes spiraled incessantly, beginning to devour all sources of light around them. In this vast space, besides the Demon Lord and a few of the Demons of the Outer Realm, there was no sign of any other life.
Black.
Very black!
Unseen monsters roamed the darkness, each strike causing ripples that twisted space itself.
Eroded by the Heavenly Demon Magic Spell, the Demon Lord’s body was riddled with wounds, akin to a sinking, battered ship.
"Fortunately, my cultivation method was rather unique. After sacrificing all of my avatars, I barely managed to escape the Pavilion of Mountain and Sea. The journey to the Duxian Sect was far and treacherous, with the Demons of the Outer Realm hot on my heels. I could only flee to North Luzhou. Perhaps fortune favored me, as I stumbled upon Zhi He halfway there."
"I see."
Bai Lian didn’t completely trust the Demon Lord’s words.
Although he appeared on the brink of death now, he was once the Demon Lord who oppressed the demonic path of the East Divine Land with his presence.
All demon sects in the East Divine Land are evil, only the difference between more or less malevolent ones.
In the past, Bai Lian might have even ventured outside to set off fireworks.
[Yay, the dogs are biting each other!]
However, she is now too preoccupied to celebrate this.
The news she received from the Demon Lord was like a heavy stone weighing on her.
[Heavenly Lord]
She will have to face not human immortals, not the Earth Immortals, but most likely a Heavenly Lord level Demon of the Outer Realm who has lived for countless years!
Unlike the muddle-headed Lord of Reincarnation, this Demon of the Outer Realm has a normal mind, and even if their previous strength was weaker than that of the Lord of Reincarnation, it is now hundred times more terrifying.
This is absolutely the most frightening opponent she has encountered so far.
Moreover, unlike before, the method of calling her master to help in times of crisis is no longer useful. She must face the enemy alone.
It is foreseeable that the day will come soon.
Even if she hides and ruthlessly abandons those she cares about, the Demon of the Outer Realm who is determined to possess the Sansheng Stele will eventually find her.
And then…
How to fight?
The system panel floated in front of Bai Lian’s eyes.
Considering all aspects, her strength is actually not weak anymore. Among ordinary immortals, she has almost no rivals.
However, this time her opponent has already reached the Earth Immortal level!
Even if she were to consume all the Immortal Spirit Stones that Yue Wuyang gave her, she still would not be able to defeat a true immortal.
This level of quantity cannot compensate for the disparity in quality.
Due to the system’s reminder, Bai Lian has always been afraid to break through to the Transmigration Stage. For now, she can only focus on the basics.
Her four basic skills are: Soft Skill, which is the closest to 1000 points, now at 998 points, but Focus is lagging behind at only 976 points.
To improve all of her basic skills to 1000 points in a short amount of time…
It’s probably only possible in her dreams.
Bai Lian regrets now that she didn’t work hard in her daily life. When "the big exam" arrived, she had nowhere to turn.
But she wouldn’t accept giving up like this.
She feared death and even more so the death of those she cared about.
Her master, Martial Sisters, elders, and peers from the Duxian sect were all people she couldn’t easily let go of.
There must be a way, there must be!
While the Demons of the Outer Realm had not yet acted officially, she could upgrade her skills through completing tasks, while also thinking of a solution to break the deadlock.
There is no time to continue bantering with the Demon Lord here, Bai Lian turned to leave.
At this moment, the Demon Lord suddenly called out to her, "White Emperor Bai Lian."
Bai Lian turned back patiently, "Is there anything else, Your Majesty?"
The Demon Lord took out a mirror from his pocket, "Now that the plan has failed, the Future Mirror is useless to me and it should be returned to its rightful owner."
Bai Lian stared at the Future Mirror in amazement.
She was certain that this was the Future Mirror and that the mirror had not been tampered with.
Is regaining what was once lost the surprise in one’s life?
She took the mirror and couldn’t help but ask, "Why did you have to kill Demon Emperor?"
The Demon Lord looked up to the sky again and said, "I have a dream."
It was a standard opening move.
However, Bai Lian listened attentively all the same.
The Demon Lord said, "Although the demonic path is declining now, it once shook the four seas and towered above all beings. My dream is to lead the Pavilion of Mountain and Sea back to that era."
"Couldn’t you just join forces with the Demons of the Outer Realm to achieve your dream?"
The Demon Lord smiled and said, "I would rather not have something that I didn’t obtain with my own hands."
"…"
After waiting for a while without any response from Bai Lian, the Demon Lord asked again, "Is White Emperor Bai Lian thinking about killing me to prevent future troubles?"
Bai Lian graciously admits, "I have had such thoughts."
The Demon Lord laughs heartily, "If you miss this opportunity, there may never be another."
"Who knows the future?"
Perhaps at that time, she had already died in the hands of the Demon of the Outer Realm, and even the most beautiful future was nothing but a pipe dream.
Bai Lian finally turned and left, pushing Si Yunshang all the way out.
On the path outside the cave, Si Yunshang suddenly stopped.
"Why did we stop?" Bai Lian asked in confusion.
Si Yunshang turned around, a light smile on her face.
She reached out and lifted the strands of hair dancing in the wind at her ear, with an attitude somewhat similar to that of a gentle and graceful lady.
"I…" she reached out and grabbed Bai Lian’s right hand, "am deeply moved."
"?"
Si Yunshang continued, "After receiving my message, you came here as soon as possible. And when we entered the cave earlier, you deliberately or unintentionally blocked me from harm."
Bai Lian didn’t pull her hand away and explained, "It’s just a small matter."
Si Yunshang gently stroked the back of Bai Lian’s hand, "It’s these small things that make me like you even more."
Bai Lian opened her mouth to say something but Si Yunshang silenced her with his finger.
"I’ve never expected you to only love me. Since the day we joined the Lingxu sect, my dream of living like an ordinary person has completely disappeared. Even my current life, which seems unattainable to me, is already satisfying enough. I only have one request."
Si Yunshang moved his index finger away, and Bai Lian asked, "What’s your request?"
"You will ascend to the Immortal World one day, but I will most likely stay here. I hope that even after you go there, you will still remember me."
Si Yunshang’s gaze was so serious that Bai Lian burst out laughing.
Therefore.
The hazy starry sky was like a sudden rise of a gentle dawn.
"What are you laughing at?" Si Yunshang asked discontentedly.
Bai Lian said, "Do you know what I want?"
Si Yunshang shook her head.
Bai Lian said, "To find a place with beautiful scenery, no disturbance, and build a big house with you guys. Oh, and it’s even better to have a very large bed and a very big open-air bath."
Si Yunshang gave Bai Lian a coquettish look with her eyes and said, "You really don’t hide your desires at all."
"You are the one who came over!"
"Yes, yes, because I am a free-spirited witch."
Si Yunshang moved closer.
Their warm lips intertwined.
After a while, she stepped back and gently hooked the glittering thread hanging from the corner of her mouth with her pinky finger.
"Go back, I don’t want to ruin your relationship with your Martial Sisters because of me."
"I’m sorry."
Bai Lian bowed her head, always apologizing as a scum girl, but never letting go.
Si Yunshang, who had walked a few steps ahead, stopped again, "Actually, I deliberately said those sentimental words just now, are you angry with me?"
Bai Lian shook her head, "No."
Si Yunshang covered her face and laughed, "I made a beautiful dress, I’ll show you next time I wear it."
You truly are remarkable!
The conversation with Si Yunshang made Bai Lian’s nervous heart relax slightly.
However, when she returned to her bedroom, her smile immediately disappeared from her face.
She sat quietly for a while before taking out the two Future Mirrors.
"Just matching them together is enough?"
The usually active Future Mirror remained silent.
Bai Lian grabbed both mirrors, pressed them together on the left and right, and polished them several times in the end.
After some blind operations, the two mirrors’ glossy surfaces were seamlessly stuck together, and they began to merge!
Bai Lian’s eyes shimmered.
However, the newly risen hope was quickly shattered.
This was because the Future Mirror’s fusion speed was too slow, and it was impossible to complete it in a short time.
"We can’t rely on this anymore."
Moreover, even if the Future Mirror fused very quickly, it may not necessarily be of any help.
What Bai Lian needs now is to quickly improve her strength.
The thought of the opponent she is about to face having both human immortal strength and the foundation of the Heavenly Lord makes her feel hopeless about her future.
She paces back and forth in front of the window, as the mist-like moonlight delicately spills through the old window and falls on her palms.
Bai Lian stared at the shimmering moonlight, which looked like ripples in the water.
In fact, she has encountered many desperate situations all along, especially during the confrontation with Jiang Jing in the Bronze Valley. She had to go through many hardships, and it was only through many coincidences that she succeeded in killing Jiang Jing.
As she fell into the dark water along with the collapsing building, she almost gave up hope of surviving.
If it weren’t for the female cultivator, who came with Jiang Jing and "picked" her up, she would have been buried under the Bronze Valley long ago.
It is precisely because she has experienced so much that she becomes more and more afraid of death, knowing that there are still many things left undone.
"Master… sigh…"
Bai Lian pressed the pendant against her forehead.
The pendant she gave to her master and the one in her hand are a pair.
A chill slowly dispersed across her forehead and Bai Lian’s body shook suddenly.
She didn’t have much time left, so she couldn’t worry here!
Bai Lian quickly put away the pendant and then pushed the door and walked out of the room.
It was already late at night, with no one around. She chose a direction and flew straight ahead.
The probability of tasks appearing in crowded places is higher, so her preferred destination was the famous cities in North Luzhou.
Famous cities are still famous cities, and even though it was already late at night, there were still many pedestrians on the streets.
Bai Lian found herself lucky. After strolling for two-quarters of an hour, she activated a task.
[Focus +1]
"If she can maintain this efficiency, she can bring the basic skills up to 1000 points within ten days at most."
However, Bai Lian also knows this is impossible. If such efficiency existed, she would have been invincible long ago.
However, she never expected to be so unlucky that she couldn’t even find a new task to complete after half a day of searching. It wasn’t until evening that she finally found her second task.
The situation became even worse. She rushed around and even sent out many avatars, but still found nothing.
"Is it because my cultivation base is too high now?"
Previously, when her cultivation base was low, she could walk around and the system would automatically generate tasks for her.
"Elder Martial Sister, why are you out today?"
Bai Lian, with a concerned expression on her face, was stopped by the fourth Martial Sister in front of her bedroom.
She lifted her head, her expression now changed to a smile, "I went out to gather information about the Demon of the Outer Realm’s recent movements. I didn’t find anything useful. I’ll try again tomorrow."
"I see." Yu Ying nodded, "Elder Martial Sister, I just learned a new dish."
"Oh really?"
"Sister Martial, come and taste this."
Yu Ying led Bai Lian into the house, not forgetting to call Qing Luan and Si Yunshang.
These were generally joyful days, but Bai Lian was always absent-minded.
Her spiritual body was still active outside, and she decided that after finishing this meal, she would personally go out to look for a new mission.
Dinner ended in a peculiar atmosphere.
For the next few days, Bai Lian repeated the same schedule, occasionally taking time to chat with the Second, Third, and Fifth Martial Sisters to confirm the status of their master and the Duxian sect. She heard that their master’s condition had improved considerably, and the wound had begun to heal, but she still couldn’t get out of bed.
This continued until the fifth night when Bai Lian had just returned from outside, and Si Yunshang stopped her.
"Come to my room."
Bai Lian followed Si Yunshang into the room.
After entering, Si Yunshang didn’t speak, but opened the wardrobe and changed her clothes in front of Bai Lian.
"You…"
Si Yunshang didn’t even turn her head and said, "Do you remember what I said before? I made a beautiful outfit."
She didn’t lie.
The red dress set her off like the most beautiful flower in the world. The white snowflakes could be vaguely seen among the red flowers, which made people feel breathless.
She bloomed little by little, giving off a fragrant scent.
Si Yunshang sat down next to Bai Lian and said, "It took me a month to sew this dress. Isn’t it beautiful?"
"Hmm."
Bai Lian looked down at her feet.
Si Yunshang suddenly grasped her shoulders and twisted her head around.
"After that conversation with the Demon Emperor the other day, I noticed something was off about you."
"I’m okay."
"Liar!"
"…"
"Let me guess, you’re feeling pressured? Because that Demon Emperor is extremely powerful."
Bai Lian hesitated for a moment. "A little."
Si Yunshang said, "That means there’s a lot."
Bai Lian tried to glare at Si Yunshang with force, but it was hardly an attack for Si Yunshang.
She turned her head, "I can’t think of any good ideas, so I can only help you with the most direct way."
Bai Lian asked, "What way?"
Si Yunshang and Bai Lian looked at each other, and said word by word, "Eat, me, up!"
"Huh?"
Bai Lian was stunned.
Si Yunshang explained, "The cultivation method I practice is the Spiritual Emptiness Casting Saint Law. It is originally a cultivation method that is used to benefit others. If you devour me, your strength should increase significantly. If I remember correctly, you also practice the Yin-Yang Fusion Technique."
Bai Lian immediately shook her head, "No, that’s not possible. Your cultivation base would be lost."
Si Yunshang shrugged indifferently, "Starting over is not a problem."
"No."
"So, do you want me to don’thing?"
Bai Lian snorted, "I’ll figure something out myself."
"Ha," Si Yunshang sneered. "When you die, I’ll come find you."
"…"
Bai Lian, of course, knew what the "come find you" meant.
Si Yunshang grabbed her hand and said, "Or is it that if I lose my cultivation base, you won’t want me anymore? If I am in danger, you won’t care about me anymore?"
Bai Lian denied it, "Of course not."
Si Yunshang smiled and said, "That’s right, I am now a country girl, what use do I have for this cultivation base? I did it only to protect you from dying. Also, hasn’t it been a long time since we were by the river last time? I am a little hungry now."
She gently hugged Bai Lian, and her fingertips dripped milkshake.
Warmth spread where their bodies touched, eventually turning into a warm flame that consumed them completely.
The moonlight gently spilled onto the door.
At this moment, Qing Luan was carefully crouched on the ground behind the window.
She pressed one hand on her chest, which rose and fell slightly, while the other hand tightly grasped the ground, as if she had heard an incredible sound!
