Chapter 411: The Endless Dream

Columns of water erupted continuously across the lake. In the night sky, meteors seemingly fell one after another.

Xi Lian, whose desperate attempts to escape had been repeatedly cut off, was now covered in wounds. Although she could heal from her injuries quickly, the blood that had splashed onto her already dyed her back red.

She could not escape or turn into a devil.

Blood light flickered endlessly in her normally alluring phoenix-shaped eyes. Rage, pain, and a faint confusion she could not suppress now shifted in them.

Still, Xi Lian hadn't given up. Even though her enemies had trapped her in a perfect net and resisting only bought her a few extra minutes, she still fought with all her strength.

She had once been sealed before she could speak. Unable to solve her inner turmoil, her heart devil ate away at her, ultimately turning her into a devil. She was also the reason Santong couldn't peacefully devote himself to the Pure Lands, was forced to sever his cultivation, and endured the accusations of Buddhist cultivators.

After getting saved by Santong and returning to her senses, Xi Lian couldn't bring herself to die. She foolishly hoped to see Qinglin one last time. When she had finally escaped, she drowned herself in wine and dreams. Now, other cultivators were trying to use and force her to turn into a devil again.

Why does it always have to be me? Am I only fated to suffer?

She was nothing more than a wild fox spirit of the mountains until Santong took her under his care, somewhat brightening her life. Still, she ultimately couldn't enjoy the simple blessings of being human like other cultivators.

She had personally slain fiends that wreaked havoc on the mortal world and had cut down corrupted cultivators who killed without mercy.

Xiaomiao looked up and tearfully called out, "Big Sister?"

Xi Lian forcibly kept her eyes open. "Xiaomiao, I can barely suppress the devilish qi."

She didn't even dare blink. If she found herself in complete darkness even for just a moment, her heart would sink further into the endless abyss below it.

"Big Sister... Big Sister!" Xiaomiao anxiously cried, pulling Xi Lian back from the edge of collapse.

Xi Lian instinctively hugged Xiaomiao tighter, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. She twisted her body to dodge the sword radiance cleaving toward them from the front and then flew up. However, two palm phantasms drove her back.

The space she could move in had almost shrunk by half.

Xi Lian quickly had an even more terrifying realization: if she turned into a devil and lost all rationality, the person she was currently protecting as best as she could would be her first victim.

She looked down, finding Xiaomiao looking anxious. Though she could barely hear what the little girl was saying, she still smiled bitterly.

Is Xiaomiao afraid of what I might become or worried that I'll harm her if I turn? If I negotiate with the enemy and willingly turn into a devil, will they let Xiaomiao go?

"Big Sister!" Xiaomiao suddenly bit Xi Lian's chest. Xi Lian's Dao Body was stronger than cultivators at the same realm, but the slight pain still brought her back to her senses.

With a trembling voice, she whispered, "This isn't the way, Big Sister! You can't keep suppressing yourself. You should let all your anger out instead. Didn't you say that you can maintain a thread of rationality even as a devil? You can just engrave the way to the Shu Sword Sect into your mind before turning into a devil, then!

"That's the only way we can get to their sword spirit. He should be able to suppress your devilish nature. When my brother returns, we can find another solution!"

Xi Lian bit her lip. She didn't know how she managed to hold back her tears at that moment. "No, Xiaomiao. I'll hurt you if I turn."

In a calmer tone, Xiaomiao swiftly replied, "You won't, Big Sister. You love me the most. Even if you turn into a devil, you still won't harm me. Now, stop hesitating, or we'll both die here. This is the only way we can survive! You don't have to sacrifice yourself for others. My brother said that you always pursue humanity, unaware that you are more human than anyone! You'll be fine—"

Xi Lian's lips curved in a gentle smile. "Foolish girl. Do you really think I'm so easily coaxed?"

The strands of her hair that were already tinged with blood glowed silver. She took a deep breath, hugged Xiaomiao tighter, and plunged at full speed. The two ancient cultivators blocking her path missed her as she darted past, but they continued pursuing her relentlessly.

After so much preparation, all of her plans had to be executed in these few minutes. She could not afford to fail.

"Big Sister? What are you trying to—"

Xiaomiao lightly collided with the water beneath, interrupting her. All she could see now was the shimmering reflection of the lake.

Xi Lian lowered her right hand, and the clear water boiled instantly. The ground shook violently, and a palm-shaped, meter-deep crater appeared at the bottom of the lake.

A sword radiance slashed down from the sky from their rear, splitting the lake in two. Behind Xi Lian, a snow-white fox spirit over ten meters long materialized and used itself to block the massive sword radiance.

Xi Lian grunted, but she just stared at Xiaomiao, her phoenix eyes full of tenderness. Seemingly sensing what was about to happen, Xiaomiao's eyes filled with tears. She tried to speak, but a surge of water poured into her mouth.

A faint Buddhist light shone from Xi Lian's forehead as she leaned down and pressed it against Xiaomiao's. The small, bottle-shaped jade pendant around her neck fell gently. The Buddhist light from her forehead entered the bottle.

Xiaomiao coughed. "What are you doing, Big Sister?"

Xi Lian shook her head and pressed her right hand to Wang Xiaomiao's neck, applying a restraining spell. "This technique will automatically lift in about five minutes. Xiaomiao, once I turn, I'll try to eliminate the two ancient cultivators. Otherwise, your brother will face trouble when he returns. I don't know if you'll survive, but I'll do my best."

The lake water washed away Xiaomiao's tears as Xi Lian gently set her down in the palm-shaped crater.

Above, two daggers filled with purple light shot down, and sword phantasms smashed into the water. Unable to withstand the impact, the lake boiled violently.

Behind Xi Lian, the snow-white fox raised its head as if about to howl deeply, but no sound came. Barely able to shield Xi Lian and Xiaomiao, it was quickly covered in wounds. The sword radiance almost destroyed it.

Xi Lian removed the pendant and crushed it, revealing an object no larger than a fingernail: Santong's bone powder.

Xi Lian forced from her forehead the power of the

sarira

that Santong had bestowed upon her after forming a contract with Wang Sheng. It was meant to one day bring her back to her normal self should she turn into a devil.

The moment the

sarira

reappeared, Xi Lian quickly formed hand signs. Buddhist light formed a protective layer around Xiaomiao with the

sarira

as its core.

"No one except for those two Tribulation Realm cultivators will be able to harm you in there."

Xi Lian looked up at the two attacking the snow fox as deep and shallow wounds appeared all over her. Its injuries seemed to be transferring to her.

"Big Sister..."

"Wait here. Whether you survive depends on whether I can kill those two bastards. I may not be as clever as you, but no one can take advantage of me that easily. If I completely turn into a devil and fail to regain my senses, you have to persuade your brother to kill me. Do not let my fate harm anyone else..."

Xiaomiao's eyes turned red. She didn't know what to say.

Xi Lian slowly closed her eyes and seemingly stopped resisting. She spread her arms and floated. Blood spread into the lake as she merged with the trembling snow-white fox.

The girl trapped at the bottom of the lake could only cry and tremble.

The fox fiend slowly rose through the water. Illuminated by the Daoist arts raining down on her, her red-and-white hair spread out around her like flickering flames.

***

In a small, drafty bamboo hut in the middle of a bamboo forest.

At dawn, the girl on the bed finally stabilized, though her aura remained weak. The elderly monk who had worked tirelessly for days finally relaxed and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Outside, a Daoist priest leaped into the hut with a sword and a porcelain bottle. He shouted,

"I've brought the pills! Is Xi Lian feeling better?"

"Hurry. We've been waiting long enough for that."

𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

The monk nodded. The Daoist priest opened the bottle, and a precious pill filled with immortal light flew out. Soon, it was fed to the silver-haired girl, and her pale face regained some color.

The Daoist sighed and sat down.

"You were too reckless, Santong. Xi Lian is only at the Nascent Soul Realm. How could you make her face a millennium-old fiend, not to mention a fox fiend like herself?"

"Amitabha. I disagree with your criticism. Xi Lian only wanted to protect the people."

"Am I wrong?"

The Daoist priest snorted.

"Purging fiends is one thing, but Xi Lian isn't a human. I know you want her to cut ties with fiends, but don't you think fighting her kind would bother her? Did you just assume that she likes killing her own kin?"

The elder monk frowned.

"Qinglin, you still do not see Xi Lian as a cultivator like us."

"Things are what they are. Why should we force her to change? Why must all beings be the same as us? What does being a human or a fiend matter?"

The Daoist priest laughed softly and rolled up his robe sleeves.

"Come, let us debate."

The elder monk looked at the girl on the bed.

"Let's go to the bamboo forest. We shouldn't disturb her rest."

"You think I'm scared? Come, let's go. The loser will drink twelve cups of wine as punishment."

"Oh? Why twelve?"

"Three is too few, one hundred is too many. Don't tell me you plan to finish all the fine wine on your own! Ha ha ha!"

The faint laughter gradually faded.

The girl on the bed smiled faintly. Her eyelids twitched a little as she peacefully fell asleep again.

***

At the bottom of the lake, a blood-red whirlpool had formed.

With a gentle expression, Xi Lian smiled faintly. Her eyelids flickered as though she were asleep.

A blinding crimson beam suddenly burst from her forehead.

Countless water columns erupted from the small lake, and a terrifying aura spread in all directions. Two figures rushed out of the water, struggling to fly and flee diagonally.