Full Moon Lake, Island at Heart of the Lake.
Within a dark and damp cave, a sweet, cloying fragrance drifted through the air.
The source of this peculiar scent was none other than the Qingqiu Fox Girl, Zuo Qiu Li.
At this moment, she held a silver bowl in her hands, laughing at times, crying at others, her expression wild and unhinged.
Yet beneath this absent-minded behavior, a pure, gentle white light seeped from between her brows, gradually enveloping her entire body.
This radiance was like a cocoon, wrapping Zuo Qiu Li softly. Each time the light brushed over her, it cleansed a bit of the filth that had tainted her Purple Mansion.
This white light was no ordinary energy; it was the most authentic Bloodline Power of the Qingqiu Fox, something Zuo Qiu Li had once abandoned.
Over these years, she had killed countless people.
Endless cultivators had been preyed upon as mere meat to nourish her qi and blood.
By this method, her cultivation had soared, allowing her to leap across the Purple Mansion Stage.
But feeding on blood was a grave taboo for the Qingqiu Fox Clan, famed for their noble and pure bloodline.
Those bloods and the spirits of the dead, twisted by her hatred and anger, transformed into terrifying monsters called Obsession, gradually polluting her bloodline and eroding her mind.
Sometimes, even she could not discern what truly drove her.
Was it the will called “Zuo Qiu Li”?
Or was it the Obsession named Vengeful Spirit?
The power deep within her bloodline had once resisted but was corrupted.
The remaining good intentions tried to awaken but were sealed away.
For the sake of revenge, she had no choice but to lock away all those beautiful yet painful memories, along with her pure self, deep within her heart.
Only by doing so could she avoid sorrow; only by doing so could she avoid hesitation.
But now, this lock quietly unlocked amid the shock to her spirit.
This power had never disappeared.
The past Zuo Qiu Li had never truly changed.
As she awakened, the Bloodline Power of the Qingqiu Fox suddenly surged forth.
It was like an antivirus program, swiftly cleansing the filth within Zuo Qiu Li’s Purple Mansion.
Yet this power was far from enough. The Obsession still occupied the position of master over the Purple Mansion; the Zuo Qiu Li known to Limuqun remained the true owner of this body.
Fighting and resisting it would only lead to being sealed again.
So she came up with a bold idea.
Instead of trying to oppose the Obsession, all the Qingqiu Fox power transformed into a sharp blade, slicing down into the Purple Mansion and cutting off the cleansed portion.
Then, she attached herself to this pure fragment of the Purple Mansion and forcibly separated from her original body.
“No, in this weakened state, I need a host.”
Her divine consciousness scanned the surroundings and finally rested on a familiar human figure.
Yes, it was him—the one who had drawn “me” into memories, giving me a chance to fight back.
He must be hiding some secret within!
Resolute, she transformed into a streak of light and shot toward that human.
Limuqun, standing dumbfounded nearby, had no idea what was happening inside Zuo Qiu Li’s body.
All he saw was the demon girl drinking a bowl of soup, then laughing and crying before being enveloped by the cocoon of light.
What did that mean? How did a sip of soup make her look like she was evolving in a digital monster game?
Is the System messing with me again?
But the immediate concern wasn’t to wait here for Zuo Qiu Li to emerge from the cocoon.
Though this differed from his original plan to trade the “True Recipe” for freedom, once the cocoon enveloped Zuo Qiu Li, all the Sect-Prohibiting Restrictions on Limuqun disappeared.
The direction might have been wrong, but at least the result was correct.
Too bad, he could have extorted a hefty supply of Immortal Path Supplies!
The loss of a single Moist Sun Fruit from the failed task, the mental shock from being startled, and the downtime from several days of interrupted cultivation—
He had originally planned to make up for it all from this Purple Mansion Stage cultivator.
Well, no use dwelling on it. If not now, then when?
Desperate times call for bold measures. Not many cultivators like me can afford to make such a big sacrifice!
With his mind set, he rose with the wind and flew straight out of the cave toward the sky.
Fly faster, hurry back to the sect.
If this demon girl wakes and crosses the Sea of the Great Void to catch me again—
I’ll be in big trouble!
He summoned all his Immortal Foundation strength, transforming into a streak of light.
But as the light shot out of the cave, another white beam suddenly shot from the milky cocoon.
“Plop.”
Too late to dodge, the white light collided directly into Limuqun’s body.
???
Limuqun froze midair, his divine consciousness sweeping over his body repeatedly, desperate to find that white light.
The most terrifying part was that no matter how hard he searched, he could not detect any abnormality.
Could it be that my stress has caused hallucinations?
He tried to comfort himself.
Just then, a familiar yet strange voice suddenly sounded beside his ear: “Why aren’t you flying faster? That old hag is about to wake.”
???
Startled, Limuqun took a swift step forward, preparing for battle.
All kinds of magical treasures and spirit weapons shot out, just to buy a moment to escape.
“Bang bang bang.”
Surging spiritual power stirred waves of sound in the sky, but looking out, the air above Full Moon Lake was empty—just blue skies and white clouds, no sign of anyone.
Where is she?
That demon woman?
Could she have hidden again in the Tai Xu?
As he wondered, the familiar yet strange voice spoke again in his ear: “Stop looking, I’m right here.”
Here?
Where is here?
Limuqun’s shocked and incredulous gaze searched repeatedly before realizing:
The voice seemed to come from within his Sea of Consciousness.
It was over. This time, it was really over.
“My lord, my lord, I was wrong, I know I was wrong.”
He wailed.
The Sea of Consciousness was the core of a cultivator, and now that demon girl could even speak inside it.
Whether he lived or died depended on her whim.
“I shouldn’t have tried to escape while my lord was weak. I really know I was wrong.”
“Hmph, you know you’re wrong? Then why aren’t you flying faster?”
“Huh?”
Limuqun froze.
Is that your line to say?
“My lord, did I hear correctly? You said: keep flying?”
“What else? Want to turn back?”
“Y-yes.”
Anyway, turning back meant a dead end.
So Limuqun gritted his teeth and sped forward.
Maybe, just maybe, something unexpected would happen.
But just as he neared the Cloud Expanse Sect, only half a step from stepping into the sect’s boundary—
The voice in his head sounded again:
“Fine, fine, hurry inside. Even I probably wouldn’t dare break into the defensive array of the Three Sects and Nine Schools.”
Huh?
What is going on?
“My lord, p-please don’t joke with me.”
Limuqun was at his wit’s end when a sweet laugh rang in his ear:
“Who said I’m joking?”
A sudden itch pricked his brow as a white light shimmered into view.
Before he could make sense of it, the light shot toward him and transformed into a graceful, stunning young maiden.
Her face and figure bore a striking nine-tenths resemblance to Zuo Qiu Li, but without the deadly, captivating allure.
Instead, she possessed a contrasting beauty that was both pure and sensuous.
Most notably, she had inherited Zuo Qiu Li’s full hips—and in addition, a fluffy teal tail swayed behind her.
She swung happily in midair, swaying back and forth.
“Nice to meet you. Let me introduce myself. I’m Zuo Qiuli, and from today on, I’ll be living in your Sea of Consciousness.”
“Oh, by the way, just a heads-up— that old witch is sure to be hunting me down everywhere. With all the old grudges and new hatred, you better be careful.”
Limuqun stared at the delicate white hand she offered and suddenly felt dizzy, almost losing balance and falling from the sky.