The white pill floating in mid-air was cleaved in two by a single strike from Li Li’s blade.
The System fell into an uncharacteristic silence.
Ever since it had bound itself to its host, she had always been meek and obedient. Even during her past manic phases, she had never dared to defy it so flagrantly. But humans were fickle creatures, and Li Li was already an entity of great uncertainty, so the System decided not to dwell on the matter.
[Host, return to the male lead immediately. You are supposed to be in the Black Prison during this period.]
Li Li took a deep breath, her fair, slender fingers gripping the hilt of her blade so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She did her best to keep her voice steady. "I’m not going back."
"I nearly killed Yousong. The sect ancestors must have discovered his identity by now. Returning to the sect would be a death sentence. Besides, the mission is to make Lou Fengyin fall in love with me; I can accomplish that even if I am not in the sect."
[Impermissible. The host must follow the established trajectory to complete the mis—]
[Zzzzt—]
The System’s mechanical tone was interrupted by a burst of static, and the voice inside Li Li’s head cut off abruptly.
After a long pause, a distorted, fuzzy voice returned: [In light of your past performance, there will be no punishment this time. You are ordered to immediately self-destruct your spirit veins and return to the Dichen Sect. Furthermore, your blood is special; do not allow yourself to be wounded or bleed again.]
[Due to an attack on the Main System, I will be unable to assist you for some time. I advise you to earnestly complete the mission of increasing Lou Fengyin’s favorability, otherwise, this world will be annihilated, and you shall never enter the cycle of reincarnation.]
The static crackled and faded until the System went silent.
Li Li threw her blade to the ground and let out a cold, expressionless laugh.
They wanted her to go back? That was nothing but a fever dream.
She would destroy the System sooner or later. Sooner or later.
Her long, damp hair, dripping with water, veiled eyes full of gloom.
But what did the System mean by saying her blood was special?
She had been in this body for three years, transforming from a mortal into a cultivator, yet she had never sensed anything unusual about her own blood. After all, anything she possessed that had any value had always been extorted by the System for the benefit of the sect and Lou Fengyin.
At this thought, the cold light in her eyes intensified.
No one would ever use her belongings without consequence again. Ji Tu was only the beginning. They owed her, and one day, she would make them pay it back tenfold.
A dense, tingling itch spread across her left arm. Li Li looked down.
Where the arm had been nearly severed, it looked as if a plant had sprouted new growth; pink flesh buds were pushing out and knitting together. The torn muscle tissue was recovering, leaving behind only a layer of pale pink skin.
Even Li Li couldn’t help but shrink her pupils in shock.
The System was definitely hiding crucial information from her—information regarding this body.
Just as Li Li was about to examine it more closely, the world began to spin. The Fangen Fish she was inside seemed to have been swept into some kind of underwater current, leaving her with nothing to brace herself against.
She was only at the second level of the Qi Condensation stage and had two draws left for her gacha system, but she didn’t want to waste them here.
The spinning sensation grew more violent. Using her Divine Sense, Li Li grabbed the short blade tossing about in mid-air. Concentrating all her cultivation into a single point, she swung the small blade with lethal precision, carving strike after strike into the exact same spot.
Such an attack would have been like a mayfly shaking a tree against the outer layer of the Fangen Fish, but the interior of the creature was exceptionally delicate. When Li Li was on the verge of total exhaustion, she finally cut a small wound—enough for her to escape.
The Fangen Fish had indeed been caught in an underwater current.
But it was nothing like what she had imagined.
It didn't look like an ocean current; it looked more like a tunnel through time. Blinding blue fluorescence streaked past like meteors, or curled into rings under the force of inertia.
Li Li was swept a hundred meters away the moment she emerged, bringing on a fresh wave of dizziness.
*Dammit*, she thought, *how unlucky can I be? I’ve entered a tunnel between two worlds.*
The inter-world channel was the only path between the Surface World and the Inner World, formed naturally by heaven and earth. Unless one was a master at the Deity Transformation stage or possessed a powerful artifact, no one could pass through this channel while remaining conscious.
Li Li gritted her teeth, but she still lost consciousness amidst the chaos.
...
The atmosphere within the Dichen Sect had been deeply depressed lately.
The once-magnificent mountain gates had been cleaved in two, leaving behind a scene of ruins. Both inner and outer disciples took pains to avoid the Second Peak.
The Second Peak was no different from a demon’s lair now. Anyone who approached would be relentlessly chased by sword qi, which struck out indiscriminately, like a rabid dog.
Ever since the soul lamps of Senior Brother Yousong and Junior Sister Li Li had extinguished at the same time, the people on the Second Peak had become obsessed.
Especially Lou Fengyin. On that day, he had brandished his sword and stormed the Law Enforcement Hall, demanding the elders produce the Junior Sister. He had been knocked unconscious by a single strike from the furious Sect Master and imprisoned within his own cave dwelling, forbidden from leaving.
In the quiet, desolate bamboo grove, the shadows of swaying leaves danced against the dim, gloomy stone door. A gentle, soothing voice came from within: "Junior Brother, this matter is suspicious. I, too, believe that the Second Senior Brother and the Junior Sister have not met with disaster. Please, do not distress yourself and let inner demons take hold."
Liu Qing sat in the light, dressed in white disciple robes, continuously persuading Lou Fengyin, who remained submerged in the darkness.
"Li Li won’t be in trouble. She is so strong—back then, even when they dug out her Spiritual Root, she could still smile and comfort me. How could she be dead?" Lou Fengyin’s voice was hoarse, repeating the same words over and over.
"Yes, I am curious about that too. The Law Enforcement Hall keeps saying the Junior Sister’s soul lamp has gone out, but they won’t let us examine it. And why did they only bring back the bodies of the Law Enforcement disciples? Where are the bodies of the Senior Brother and Junior Sister?" As Liu Qing spoke, tears fell from her eyes, but as she lowered her head, she carefully observed Lou Fengyin’s expression.
Lou Fengyin froze for an instant. His bloodshot eyes grew brighter, and he suddenly stood up and headed for the door. "That’s right, that’s right—the Junior Sister is definitely not dead. I have to go find her."
Liu Qing remained seated, watching Lou Fengyin’s figure disappear from view. Under the cover of the shadows, her gentle smile twisted into something sinister and terrifying, her voice vanishing into the bamboo forest like a breeze.
"Junior Brother, you must find her..."
The environment of the Inner World was slightly different from the Surface World.
The deep blue seawater had turned into a gorgeous, vibrant orange after passing through the inter-world tunnel.
In the early morning, the waves washed a person up onto the shore.
This was a common occurrence on the Unfallen Islands of the Inner World. Disciples of the Hehuan Sect located on the islands often picked up penniless, powerless wretches from the Surface World. They usually fleeced them for everything they had before letting them go.
But Yu Linglang decided not to rob the unconscious Li Li this time.
After all, the person she had found was excessively beautiful and was only a cultivator at the Qi Condensation stage.
It would be a pity not to use her as a cultivation vessel.
"Perfect. With this vessel, I will surely be able to promote from an outer disciple to an inner disciple."
This was the first thing Li Li heard after regaining consciousness.
In an instant, her killing intent surfaced.