Inner Demon.
No one knew what had happened in the Oracle Mystic Realm. They only knew that the Nameless Island had completely vanished from the South Sea in a colossal explosion.
As if it had never been there at all…
The Immortal Legacy was nowhere to be found.
The 100,000 Demon Cultists had disappeared without a trace.
Everyone who had been to the Oracle Mystic Realm and survived had seen a flash of white light. In the moment they closed their eyes, it felt like only a few seconds had passed. But when they opened them again, they found themselves ejected from the Secret Realm. They had been unconscious on the shores near Taizhang Port in the South Sea for a long time, until two world-shaking “explosions” jolted them awake.
The sound and scene of the first explosion matched what had been passed down by predecessors—the vision unique to a Primordial Spirit Self-Detonation.
But the second explosion’s sound and fury were even more terrifying and grand than a Primordial Spirit Self-Detonation. It was a catastrophic force that threatened to collapse the heavens, crack the earth, and make the seas flow backward—a power bent on total destruction.
That magnificent and horrifying explosion in the South Sea would be forever etched into the world’s memory.
—
Lu Qing’an stood on a cliff overlooking the South Sea, staring out at the boundless expanse of water. The unfathomably deep sea reflected perfectly in her eyes.
Profound and chilling.
Bleak and piercing.
Devoid of any human warmth, she was like a statue erected on the cliff’s edge.
“How much longer are you going to stay here?” Gu Chuan stood behind Lu Qing’an, watching that slender, lonely figure.
The wind at the cliff was fierce, whipping her pure white Plain Robe with a constant rustling sound.
Seeing her unmoving, Gu Chuan stepped forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her. He looked out at the same boundless, bottomless South Sea. “You’ve been here for five years now. Shouldn’t that be enough?”
“The Sect Master and all your fellow disciples are waiting for you to return to the Primordial Pavilion. They miss you very much…”
Gu Chuan clenched his fist, but he still couldn’t bring himself to say: “I miss you too.”
Lu Qing’an said nothing.
Seeing her stubbornly stuck in her ways, Gu Chuan took a deep breath and spoke indignantly, “Five years! Ordinary people observe mourning for three years at most. You’ve been here for five—it should be enough.”
“She chose to Perish Together with 100,000 Demon Cultists for the sake of all life. That is great righteousness, a worthy death. What are you still holding on to here?”
“A worthy death?”
Lu Qing’an turned her body stiffly. Her empty, cold eyes stared Gu Chuan down. The sound that scraped from her throat was as raw as if the sea wind had torn it to shreds—hoarse, grating, like a heartfelt, blood-soaked curse.
“The one who truly… deserves a worthy death… is me.” Lu Qing’an let out a cold, mirthless laugh, but the expression on her face was uglier than weeping. “She died… too unjustly.”
Gu Chuan’s expression changed. “Qing’an, what do you mean by that?”
Lu Qing’an’s eyelids trembled. In an instant, her eyes rimmed red.
Gu Chuan saw it clearly. That redness wasn’t from the wind.
Her voice was hoarse, as if someone were throttling her. “I received… her Good Fortune. She bore… my Evil Karma.”
Those empty eyes were full of a terrifying resentment and agony.
Tears streamed down unhindered, but before they could hit the ground, they were scattered by the howling gale. Not a single trace could be salvaged.
Gu Chuan knew Lu Qing’an’s refusal to return to the Primordial Pavilion was because of Cheng Huan. He understood her actions. After all, Cheng Huan had helped Lu Qing’an so much, saving them in moments of crisis, asking for nothing in return. When the Oracle Mystic Realm exploded, everyone who was alive inside had been mysteriously ejected. Then the realm exploded. Everyone knew it had to be connected to the Penglai Island Master.
She had chosen to Perish Together with 100,000 Demon Cultists single-handedly, preventing a world-ending catastrophe. To commemorate the Penglai Island Master’s great merit, the world had erected a tombstone for her at the Corner of the South Sea, a place for people to pay their devout respects.
“I know the bitterness in your heart, but…” Gu Chuan’s voice trembled. “We have to keep living, don’t we?”
“She liked you so much. She certainly wouldn’t want to see you wasting away, day after day, so despondent and broken.”
“If you keep wallowing like this, how can you ever live up to the expectations she once had for you?”
“Like? Expectations?” Lu Qing’an sneered twice, grinding her teeth. “She’s nothing but… a liar.”
Gu Chuan’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean by that?”
Lu Qing’an clenched her fist. The Storage Ring on her finger dug painfully into her knuckle.
“You know what? Over these five years, I’ve come to understand one thing.”
Gu Chuan asked, “What is it?”
A self-mocking smile touched Lu Qing’an’s lips. “She never liked me.”
Gu Chuan’s eyes widened in disbelief. “H-How… how could that be?”
Anyone with eyes could see that Cheng Huan treated Lu Qing’an differently. If that wasn’t affection, what was it?
Lu Qing’an’s voice was flat, the smile on her face weary. “All she wanted was for me to Attain the Dao and Ascend, to help me achieve success and fame as quickly as possible.”
“From beginning to end, she felt no romantic love for me.”
“Her kindness towards me was perhaps just to make me her successor, the next Island Master of Penglai Immortal Island.”
Just like their very first meeting, Cheng Huan’s only thought was to take her as a disciple.
Just that—
It was her own wishful thinking, her own delusions, her own self-inflicted torment. She had nobody to blame but herself…
“How could that be?”
Gu Chuan didn’t believe it. Cheng Huan’s attitude and behavior towards Lu Qing’an were clearly brimming with intimacy and care. Some of her actions were even beyond what a friend would do.
“Why couldn’t it be?” Lu Qing’an’s face was creased with undisguised misery. “What if she never understood what love was, from the very beginning?”
That was why Cheng Huan could face her overwhelming feelings with such calm detachment.
From beginning to end, she was the only one tossed about in the tides of love, drowning in it. Cheng Huan was always on the shore, watching her sink.
“So…” Lu Qing’an saw Gu Chuan’s shocked expression and found it utterly ridiculous.
She burst out laughing, holding her belly, completely unaware of the tears covering her face. “I don’t blame her. I brought this on myself. No one else is to blame.”
Gu Chuan opened his mouth but couldn’t utter a word.
Lu Qing’an’s strength drained, and she collapsed to her knees, hands covering her face. She wept silently, her shaking body looking as if the cliff winds would blow her away at any moment.
In all the time Gu Chuan had known Lu Qing’an, he had never seen her so shattered and fragile. In his eyes, Lu Qing’an was always calm and composed, diligent and hardworking, steady and reserved. She would never let external matters affect her cultivation or emotions.
But the Lu Qing’an before him now was like a child who had lost her most cherished toy, as if crying was the only option left to her.
Gu Chuan couldn’t bear to see her like this. And even less so could Cheng Huan.
Her physical body had long since turned to dust in the explosion over the South Sea. Her Primordial Spirit had vanished into the space between heaven and earth. The Penglai Island Master no longer existed in this world. All that remained of Cheng Huan now was the “Spirit Body” that allowed her to leave this plane.
Cheng Huan had thought that once Lu Qing’an absorbed the Immortal Legacy, she would be able to break through her realm and Ascend to Immortality.
The result had been Lu Qing’an being stuck at the Late Tribulation Transcendence Stage. Though Cheng Huan was internally exasperated, she understood that instant breakthroughs were rare. So, she kept her hopes pinned on the Female Lead, believing that with another year or two of hard work, she could definitely break through the Tribulation Transcendence Stage and become an Immortal.
But unexpectedly, Lu Qing’an had become so despondent. She didn’t return to the Primordial Pavilion to cultivate properly. She spent every day on this South Sea cliff, staring out into the distance. If it weren’t for her still having some life force, Cheng Huan would have thought the Female Lead had passed away meditating right there.
A full five years. Cheng Huan was in a Spirit Body state, invisible and imperceptible to anyone in this world. Like an outsider.
So, all Cheng Huan could do was fret on the sidelines, watching Lu Qing’an waste away on the cliff every day—no cultivation, no eating, no talking. It was making even Cheng Huan feel aimless and detached.
Over the years, people from the Primordial Pavilion frequently came to urge Lu Qing’an to go back, but Lu Qing’an was unmovable. She absolutely would not go.
Today was Gu Chuan’s twelfth attempt to convince her to return to the Primordial Pavilion. In the past, they mostly just stood in silence. This time, they actually exchanged a few words, but the conversation hadn’t gone well. They’d even managed to make Lu Qing’an cry.
Cheng Huan had never seen Lu Qing’an weep like this, as if she were trying to cry out all her internal organs, letting everyone feel the agony she was in.
Cheng Huan knew her death would deal a blow to Lu Qing’an and cause her some grief. After all, Lu Qing’an wasn’t a cold, heartless person; a close friend’s death would naturally be very painful.
She understood. But she couldn’t stand seeing Lu Qing’an cry so bitterly and appear so heartbroken right now. Cheng Huan had believed these five years were enough to move on.
But now, it seemed Lu Qing’an couldn’t move on at all.
And as for the reason why she couldn’t get past it, Cheng Huan seemed to have caught a few clues.
The Plain Robe Lu Qing’an wore, a perfect reflection of her own. The Storage Ring she clutched so tightly, even pressing it to her chest when she slept.
Cheng Huan crouched in front of Lu Qing’an and reached out to wipe the tears from the corner of her eye. But her ethereal fingertips couldn’t touch those reddened, weeping eyes.
She curled her fingers back, as if in puzzlement, yet her tone was surprisingly certain: “Lu Qing’an, do you… like me?”
The moment the words left her mouth, Cheng Huan herself was slightly taken aback.
Lu Qing’an hadn’t answered her. But in her heart, Cheng Huan knew it for certain.
—
Near the cliff was an abandoned, thatched hut, battered day and night by the sea wind until it was utterly dilapidated.
Lu Qing’an lay on a plank bed, eyes closed, body curled up tightly, brow deeply furrowed.
She pressed the Storage Ring against her heart, as if it could bring her a sliver of warmth and comfort.
For the past five years, this was how Lu Qing’an had fallen asleep. Yet she had never once had a peaceful night’s rest.
Cheng Huan sighed. “I know how to leave this world now.”
The Little Hedgehog said, astonished: 【What?】
Cheng Huan sat by the bedside. “She has an Inner Demon. Naturally, she can’t transcend the tribulation and ascend.”
A cultivator’s greatest taboo was an Inner Demon. If an Inner Demon entered the body, mild cases led to Qi Deviation, and severe ones led to the spirit being shattered and the soul scattered.
If Lu Qing’an hadn’t had such an immense emotional outburst today, Cheng Huan might never have discovered Lu Qing’an had developed an Inner Demon.
The Little Hedgehog asked: 【Does the Host plan to eliminate the Female Lead’s Inner Demon? But she can’t see you right now?】
“She’ll see me when we enter a dream.” Cheng Huan’s fingertip passed through Lu Qing’an’s tightly clenched fist, touching the Storage Ring that had long been warmed by her body heat. “When I did my tasks, my favorite things weren’t just causing trouble and collecting money.”
She always left herself an escape route. Even if she had a hundred percent certainty, Cheng Huan would still hold back a single lifeline.
Over these five years, Lu Qing’an had never dreamed, because she had never slept deeply. But the scene before her now was so vivid it felt real. Yet she knew it was an illusory, ethereal dream.
Because she saw Cheng Huan.
Cheng Huan looked exactly as she had five years ago—her natural beauty was otherworldly, like an Immortal descended to the mortal realm.
Dressed in a Plain Robe as pure white as snow, with a smile as bright as the morning sun, the sight made Lu Qing’an’s eye sockets ache and tears stream down like rain.
Seeing Lu Qing’an’s face covered in tear stains, Cheng Huan felt an unpleasant pang in her own heart.
She raised her hand to wipe Lu Qing’an’s tears away, but then froze mid-air, not daring to touch her.
Cheng Huan was aware of Lu Qing’an’s feelings for her now. She didn’t know how to face them. But she was clear on one thing: a simple gesture like wiping away tears was no longer simple in Lu Qing’an’s heart. In this moment, the look in both their eyes had lost its innocence.
Seeing Cheng Huan stop and start to pull her hand back, Lu Qing’an immediately stepped forward. Her trembling hand caught Cheng Huan’s, holding it there.
When her warm palm touched the tear-soaked cheek, both their hearts jolted.
Cheng Huan forced a smile. Her voice was strained. “It’s been a while.”
Lu Qing’an seemed to be desperately suppressing her sobs, her shoulders heaving with the effort.
Cheng Huan drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. It felt like a dull knife sawing at her. Her fingertips moved slightly, wiping away the scalding tears. “Cry. I’m here.”
The words were like an order. Lu Qing’an could no longer hold back and burst into uncontrollable sobs.
Cheng Huan pursed her lips and sighed, pulling her into an embrace and patting her on the back. She could say many words of comfort, but when it came to Lu Qing’an, she didn’t know what to say.
“I know… know you’ve been… here all along…”
Cheng Huan’s pupils contracted. Her voice was hoarse. “What?”
Lu Qing’an held Cheng Huan tightly, her voice choked with sobs. “On the Bone Ring… your Primordial Spirit Power… never completely dissipated. So… I knew… you’ve always been here…”
A buzzing filled Cheng Huan’s head. Her heart felt as if a wad of cotton had been stuffed into it, a suffocating blockage. She sighed. “If you knew I was here, why didn’t you say anything?”
Lu Qing’an closed her eyes, full of grievance. “You didn’t want to see me.”
The choking feeling in Cheng Huan’s heart grew worse. The suffocation pricked at her brow. She sighed. “It’s not that I didn’t want to.”
It was just that she had assumed Lu Qing’an would smoothly Attain the Dao and Ascend. She had assumed Lu Qing’an knew nothing.
“Cheng Huan?” Lu Qing’an called her name softly.
“Mm.” She answered.
“I like you.” The trembling voice was full of reluctance and regret, and it also concealed a thread of reckless courage.
Cheng Huan froze momentarily. After hesitating, she said, “Oh.”
She already knew. She just didn’t know how to respond.
Lu Qing’an straightened up. Looking at the awkwardness on Cheng Huan’s face, she gave a self-deprecating smile. “I know you don’t like me.”
Bean-sized teardrops fell with her words. One couldn’t bear to watch.
Cheng Huan wanted to say she was sorry, but Lu Qing’an cut her off. “Don’t apologize. You’ve never wronged me.”
“I just wanted to tell you that I liked you.” Tenderly, Lu Qing’an tentatively raised her hand, stroking Cheng Huan’s cheek. Seeing Cheng Huan didn’t pull away, a smile crept onto her lips. “And I wanted… to see you one more time.”
Lu Qing’an tried to hold back the tears, tried to make her words clearer. But her voice betrayed her terribly, every single word trembling. “Even if… it’s the last time.”
She knew again.
Cheng Huan’s act of entering the dream this time was done using the final wisp of Primordial Spirit Power on the Bone Ring. Once this power was used up, it would truly be a “goodbye” between her and Lu Qing’an.
So, she had to use this dream-entry to eliminate Lu Qing’an’s Inner Demon, which would then allow her to Attain the Dao and Ascend.
But just as Cheng Huan was about to counsel Lu Qing’an, to open her heart and release her Inner Demon, she heard the Little Hedgehog’s excited shout in her mind: 【Host, we can leave this Mission World!】
A choice appeared before Cheng Huan’s eyes.
【Retiree Cheng Huan, do you wish to exit the current world?】
【Yes?】
【No?】
Cheng Huan raised her eyes to look at Lu Qing’an. “She… has Attained the Dao and Ascended?”
The Little Hedgehog nodded. 【The Female Lead’s Inner Demon has been eliminated. She has successfully transcended the Heavenly Tribulation and become an Immortal.】
“Why was there no Lightning Tribulation?” Cheng Huan hadn’t heard a single thunderclap. It shouldn’t have been so silent.
The Little Hedgehog explained: 【So-called tribulations aren’t limited to Lightning Tribulations. Sentient beings face countless hardships, a myriad of tribulations. Among them, the Lightning Tribulation is the simplest. What the Female Lead has transcended is the most difficult: the Love Tribulation. Now that the Love Tribulation is overcome, she has naturally Attained the Dao and Ascended.】
“Love Tribulation?” Cheng Huan didn’t understand. “You say the Love Tribulation is the hardest to pass, so how did Lu Qing’an overcome it… so easily?”
The Little Hedgehog checked the data console. 【The moment you, the Host, appeared in front of the Female Lead, her Inner Demon was already dissipating.】
Cheng Huan froze. She looked at Lu Qing’an with a face full of shock.
So it turned out that Lu Qing’an’s Inner Demon was simply the desire to see her one more time. Such a simple thing, yet she had waited five years.
Cheng Huan looked at the options before her. The Little Hedgehog was also waiting for her choice.
She was clearly desperate to return, yet Cheng Huan hesitated now. Looking at Lu Qing’an’s tear-streaked face, a hint of reluctance stirred within her.
But the Primordial Spirit Power was fading, and this dreamscape was about to shatter.
Cheng Huan wanted to wait a little longer, but the dream couldn’t wait.
Lu Qing’an watched the crumbling dream, tears flowing down her face as she smiled. She appeared so carefree, yet her voice caught. “You’re leaving now, aren’t you?”
Cheng Huan didn’t dare to meet her eyes, those eyes brimming with tears and deep reluctance.
Lu Qing’an grasped her hand and brought it to her own cheek. She pleaded, “Will you remember me?”
Cheng Huan nodded. Her voice was firm. “I will.”
To Cheng Huan, Lu Qing’an’s existence was unique, different from anyone she’d met during her countless tasks. She genuinely considered her a friend.
Lu Qing’an gave her one last deep look, her lingering eyes shimmering with tears, like someone clutching at their last lifeline. “You must remember me.”
“I will.”
The dream shattered in an instant. Everything vanished before she could prepare.
A flash of white light passed before Cheng Huan’s eyes. She was back inside the thatched hut on the cliff’s edge, watching Lu Qing’an as she woke. Her eyes were clear as she stared through Cheng Huan and off into the void.
In the next moment, Lu Qing’an’s body slowly became ethereal, until it finally dissipated between heaven and earth.
The instant she departed, the entire world trembled. Everything ground to a halt.
Cheng Huan’s expression shifted, staring incredulously at the spot where Lu Qing’an had vanished. She murmured hoarsely, “So, she was actually a…”
Tasker!
