“Cough!” Ye Chuan, thrown to the ground once again, seemed to be so severely injured by this blow that he would cough up blood. But he only choked out a mouthful of black smoke.

Ye Chuan looked at Mu Sui restraining him. In the first instant, he was intimidated by the killing intent in Mu Sui’s eyes, but the next moment, Ye Chuan’s gaze shifted, and he caught sight of the dazed Meng Ruji beside them.

She was only looking at Mu Sui, surprised because he had subdued her.

Humiliation surged from the bottom of Ye Chuan’s heart. The pain brought by emotion exceeded even his current physical pain and fear.

Ye Chuan gripped Mu Sui’s wrists with both hands. This time, the black smoke no longer gathered from all directions, but emanated directly from Ye Chuan’s body.

The whites of Ye Chuan’s eyes were instantly consumed by blackness, and the smoke transformed into flame-like shapes, burning with “whooshing” sounds as they scorched directly toward Mu Sui’s body.

This technique was truly sinister!

“Something’s wrong with him! Let go quickly!” Meng Ruji shouted.

Mu Sui naturally saw this, but he didn’t take these smoky flames seriously. He didn’t want to waste time and only wanted a quick resolution. However, seeing that he hadn’t released Ye Chuan, Meng Ruji stepped forward to pull him away.

The flames would climb along Mu Sui’s body to reach Meng Ruji as well.

Mu Sui’s expression tensed. He immediately released Ye Chuan and kicked him away with one foot.

Ye Chuan rolled far down the hillside.

Mu Sui hurriedly brushed off the “flames” that had touched his body, then immediately turned to examine Meng Ruji. Seeing that she hadn’t been contaminated by the smoke, he breathed a sigh of relief, then scolded in a low voice: “You just arrived in the Realm of No Return. If you don’t understand, don’t interfere.”

“Are you so certain I don’t understand?”

Meng Ruji rubbed her fingertips. When she had grabbed Mu Sui just now, she had touched a little of this black smoke.

The smoke didn’t burn her, but when she touched it, an irrepressible killing desire surged in her heart.

Mu Sui was somewhat surprised: “You’ve encountered a malevolent aura before?”

“This is a malevolent aura?” Meng Ruji asked. “Is this why he could directly control your rabbit without using silver coins as a medium?”

Upon hearing this, Mu Sui’s expression turned slightly cold: “I advise you not to harbor evil thoughts about this aura. Malevolent aura won’t help you.”

“What kind of person do you take me for? Someone who would borrow any power just to make money in this place?”

After rolling her eyes at Mu Sui, Meng Ruji thoughtfully patted her fingertips. “I’m just somewhat surprised that this thing exists in the Realm of No Return, too.” Her voice turned cold. “I’ve suffered a great loss because of it.”

Mu Sui was startled, his hands at his sides tightening slightly.

Meng Ruji didn’t look at him, only gazed toward the bottom of the hillside.

There, Ye Chuan, who had just been kicked away by Mu Sui, was walking over step by step with a rolling malevolent aura, “flames” covering his body.

His pupils were completely black without any whites visible, appearing terrifying. With each step he took, the grass and trees beside his feet were drained of life force. Moreover, behind Ye Chuan, the entire illusory world began collapsing from the sky downward.

The black flames devoured all light and color like burning a scroll.

The illusory world was consumed bit by bit until finally, only despair-inducing darkness remained.

Ye Chuan raised his hand toward Meng Ruji and Mu Sui, black flames gathering in his palm.

Mu Sui once again blocked Meng Ruji’s path. In his sleeve, Mu Sui’s fingertips formed hand seals, but before he could act, a hand passed through his waist, warm palm pressing against his waist and abdomen, at his dantian.

The burning heat of this palm made Mu Sui freeze:

“Mountain Lord Meng?”

“I said I’ve suffered from a malevolent aura before, so I know how to deal with it. Do you trust me?”

Between them had been multiple schemes – what was there to talk about regarding trust?

Mu Sui said coldly, “In the Realm of No Return, without silver coins, spiritual power cannot be used.”

“I know, but since this malevolent aura can be an exception in the Realm of No Return, then when my Inner Core targets it, it might also be an exception.”

“Mountain Lord Meng, you’re gambling.”

“Then, Qianshan Jun…” Meng Ruji’s palm pressed against Mu Sui’s dantian with slight pressure. She didn’t pull his body, but with this more urgent gesture, Mu Sui felt as if they had come closer together. “Are you willing to gamble with me?”

Mu Sui glanced sideways at Meng Ruji behind him. He saw her lips near his shoulder, her words seeming playful, but her expression firm and serious. In a trance, Mu Sui thought of the first time he had seen this “Mountain Lord Meng.”

She had sealed herself in thick, bone-piercing frost.

Within the frost, she had her eyes closed, expressionless, yet possessed an intimidating dignity. Though the heavenly god was already cut off from the mortal world, on that day, he seemed to see a deity again.

And that cold, sealed demeanor was now truly appearing beside him.

“Moreover,” Meng Ruji continued behind him, “didn’t you want to know the method for using the Inner Core?”

Mu Sui’s eyebrows moved slightly.

“Look ahead, focus your mind. I’ll help you mobilize the Inner Core’s power,” Meng Ruji said. “I hope we’re lucky and win this gamble with our lives.”

Meng Ruji’s words carried warm breath that fell on his shoulder, heating his skin.

When she finished speaking, the warmth on his shoulder dissipated, bringing some coolness, but soon the place where Meng Ruji’s palm pressed became even hotter.

Actually…

He didn’t have to listen to her.

Didn’t have to gamble.

But when Ye Chuan’s malevolent aura poured down like rain from ahead, Mu Sui didn’t move.

“Qi follows the heart’s movement, techniques follow intention’s emergence.” Meng Ruji softly recited the incantation. Following her voice, Mu Sui felt as if a spring was surging in his dantian. Spiritual energy overflowed from around his body, forming an invisible barrier around him and Meng Ruji. All the rushing black smoke was blocked outside the barrier.

The smoke flowed like rapids past the seemingly fragile glowing barrier.

In danger, he became distracted and looked back at Meng Ruji.

Meng Ruji’s expression surprisingly carried some relaxation. She even spared a glance to give him a faint smile:

“You see, little Sui, we won the gamble.”

It shouldn’t be…

But Mu Sui distinctly heard his heartbeat.

Mu Sui immediately turned his gaze away. He instinctively blamed the rules of being a life-sustaining object, but couldn’t explain why he could violate those rules at this moment—

He could control himself and turn away from looking at her…

The Inner Core’s power circulated through his body for the first time. He wasn’t incompetent – he had experienced times when his power flowed abundantly through his meridians. But this Inner Core that had stayed in Meng Ruji’s body for over a thousand years brought him a completely different sensation from his power…

Just like her palm, soft and warm.

Soothing the restlessness that had been submerged in his heart for years.

After Mu Sui fell into the Nai River and recovered his memories, he no longer craved touching Meng Ruji as much, or rather, he had brutally suppressed his desire to touch her.

However, at this moment…

He seemed to have become that version of himself who had lost all memories again, with only overwhelming irritation and killing intent that she could easily soothe.

The fragile light not only didn’t weaken under the assault of the dark, malevolent aura, but grew stronger, finally forming a semicircular barrier confronting the malevolent aura head-on.

Ye Chuan, across from them, seemed increasingly strained. His face grew paler, appearing even more deathly white against the dark smoke.

“Mu Sui, we can’t drag this out.” Meng Ruji’s expression turned serious. “If we continue like this, that person will die. Feel the aura within your body…”

Before Meng Ruji finished speaking, Mu Sui raised his hand. Understanding her intent, a white light condensed into an arrow from within the barrier, piercing through the center of the malevolent aura and flying rapidly toward Ye Chuan!

The light arrow’s passage created a whirlwind that swept away the surrounding malevolent aura. Piercing through his heart, it knocked Ye Chuan down while completely clearing all the malevolent aura from his body.

The surrounding light and color were brought back by this arrow.

Still on that small slope full of withered trees, Ye Chuan lay in a disheveled heap on the ground, eyes tightly closed, not opening them for a long while.

But Meng Ruji knew that Mu Sui’s arrow wasn’t meant to kill Ye Chuan but to save him. Somewhat surprised, she released Mu Sui and walked beside him to observe.

The moment her hand left, Mu Sui’s fingertips moved. He spent some effort controlling his actions, not pulling her palm back.

“Worthy of being a city lord whose wealth could accumulate a thousand mountains – such comprehension ability. I hadn’t even explained how to use it yet.”

Mu Sui looked down, staring at his own hands, not meeting Meng Ruji’s gaze: “Being able to feel spiritual power flowing through my body, I can use it.” He answered coldly. “Didn’t you say you’d teach me how to use the Inner Core? Why only a guide without teaching?”

Meng Ruji touched her nose: “Isn’t guiding the same as teaching?”

“Then teach me how to ‘guide’ out the Inner Core’s power.”

“This… comes naturally, arising from emotion and restrained by propriety. There’s no trick – I just used it that way.”

Mu Sui watched Meng Ruji’s nonsensical explanation with misused phrases, but didn’t get very angry. He just shifted his gaze to look at Ye Chuan lying on the ground: “He’s awake.”

Meng Ruji glanced over and saw that the malevolent aura had left Ye Chuan’s body, his eyes had regained clarity, and he was already struggling to get up while lying on the ground.

“Qianshan Jun didn’t deliver a killing blow this time. Merciful.”

“Isn’t this what you wanted? Save people, don’t kill them.” He crossed his arms, staring at Meng Ruji. “Mountain Lord Meng shouldn’t have become Demon Lord – should have become a Bodhisattva.”

Meng Ruji smiled: “I have my scale. When it’s time to kill, I haven’t been soft-hearted either.”

With that, she walked toward Ye Chuan.

Mu Sui watched her retreating figure, then examined the spiritual power that had completely disappeared from his body. His eyes darkened slightly, pondering something unknown, not following.

Ye Chuan was far less composed than Meng Ruji and Mu Sui.

He lay on the ground, clothes disheveled, hair messy, face covered in dirt. He braced his hands on the ground, trying to sit up, but his limbs were weak, and he couldn’t manage it despite struggling.

He seemed to have returned to years past, when he was framed by his martial uncle, trapped in dire straits, embarrassed and desperate.

And like back then, footsteps approached from far to near, bringing hope and miracles.

Only this time, unlike the confusion and coincidence of the past, this person walked clearly to his front, then crouched down and looked at him.

“Stop lying there…”

Ye Chuan looked up at her.

Meng Ruji didn’t smile, didn’t anger, didn’t help him, didn’t harm him. She only said calmly:

“…get up.”

Or perhaps, back then, it hadn’t been as he remembered… salvation and a miraculous encounter.

Back then, perhaps it had been calm too.

Ye Chuan propped himself up, first kneeling on the ground, then turning to sit quietly.

“So many years…” He looked down at himself, silent for a long time, as if he hadn’t looked at himself in ages. “Like a dream in Nanke.” His voice was no longer agitated, just like those legendary immortal cultivators – pure-hearted, desireless, calm, and untroubled.

“Now it seems the dream has awakened…”

With his words, the illusion, as if blown by wind, slowly dissipated – withered trees, small slope, swamp, all the scenery gradually disappeared.

As if…

The dream had truly awakened.

This week has been unusually busy, so there was no update yesterday. Making up for it today!