Inner Demons

But Li Yunxin did not leave this place in the end. Because he was now certain that the restriction on Lord Dongting was something he could not break no matter what.

So let's face the worst possible outcome—after all, his life has never been smooth sailing.

But two breaths later, both he and Kunwuzi were slightly surprised.

Because of the reaction of the Lord of Dongting.

The great aquatic demon was stunned for a long time after hearing Kunwuzi's words, and the fiery mist surrounding him suddenly vanished without a trace. He gaped, like a fish gasping for breath: "Not dead?! You saw me with your own eyes?! Where?!"

Kunwuzi frowned slightly. He had already made himself quite clear—Li Yunxin had seized Chiwen's possession. Therefore, the content of Dongting Jun's three follow-up questions sounded almost sarcastic.

But the other person's tone and expression... didn't sound sarcastic at all!

Zhenzhen was extremely concerned about where the Chiwen was!

After a moment's hesitation, Kunwuzi tentatively spoke again: "I have already made myself very clear. That Chiwen is not dead, but he is no longer the Chiwen you know—this little brat has devised a plan to seize his body!"

This time, he even raised his hand and pointed at Li Yunxin.

Li Yunxin sneered, taking everything that was happening at that moment into his mind. But it seemed that Kunwuzi didn't care about his thoughts.

But... Lord Dongting didn't care.

Instead, he raised his eyebrows again and shouted angrily, "Don't try to be mysterious! If you dare to use this to make fun of me—no matter what kind of master you are, I'll make sure you never leave Dongting Lake! Where is he?!"

Kunwuzi finally turned his head and looked at Li Yunxin, and saw a look of surprise in each other's eyes.

Lord Dongting… is no foolish demon. Li Yunxin had dealt with him before and knew that even if he wasn't exactly "cunning and shrewd," he certainly wouldn't be so oblivious as to miss a single word. Kunwuzi knew even more about Lord Dongting, knowing full well that this demon was no easy opponent.

But now...

If this Lord of Dongting is not deliberately mystifying things, then an unexpected event has occurred that even cultivators in the Profound Realm cannot understand.

Before Kunwuzi could speak again, Li Yunxin looked at Dongtingjun and calmly said, "The Ninth Prince is dead. I plotted to kill him and then seized his body. Now, I am Chiwen."

Lord Dongting finally turned to Li Yunxin. He stared at him for a while, scrutinized him, and then sneered, "I don't know what method you used to create dragon energy on your body, but you are not Yazi."

He looked at Li Yunxin with a gloomy expression: "But you are indeed a spirit of the underworld, not a human—what exactly are you plotting?"

...They're not on the same wavelength at all.

This was the only thought in Li Yunxin's mind. The conversation between the three had taken an unexpected and peculiar turn, and Li Yunxin's conclusion so far was that as long as the topic was related to "possessing the dragon prince," Dongting Jun would automatically ignore it. This strange situation... far exceeded the scope of ordinary people's understanding, but it was achievable in the fields he had previously explored.

But the problem is that in his previous world, even achieving this—regardless of the intervention method—was extremely difficult. The physical and mental condition of the person being intervened in, as well as many other external factors, would directly affect the outcome.

Moreover... this world, and a great demon like Lord Dongting.

Before today, Li Yunxin had never truly witnessed the power of a high-level cultivator. Yue Yunzi was considered a high-level cultivator, but unfortunately, his foolishness and arrogance led him into a trap, and the power he displayed in the battle was less than one-tenth of his true strength. But today, Li Yunxin saw Kunwuzi's methods.

The power of high-level cultivators is not merely a matter of physical strength. It cannot be summarized simply by phrases like "incredibly strong, extremely fast, and possessing abundant spiritual energy."

How could such a condition occur in someone like Lord Dongting?

The displeasure she felt earlier from being looked down upon by Kunwuzi was quickly replaced by astonishment—and this astonishment was positive and encouraging. Li Yunxin took another step forward, staring at Dongting Jun: "I have possessed Chiwen."

Lord Dongting stared at him and sneered, "Not going to speak? Hmph, do you think that just because you brought a Taoist priest here, I will be afraid of him?"

Li Yunxin then turned to look at Kunwuzi: "What's going on?"

The Taoist priest from the Xuanjing realm didn't look too pleased. He glanced at Li Yunxin, then at Kunwuzi, and frowned: "You two—"

“We’re not in cahoots,” Li Yunxin said sincerely.

But his words could not prevail over the facts—a powerful demon in the Xuan Realm seemed to be controlled by some mysterious force, behaving like a puppet to be manipulated. This made Kunwuzi, who was also a Xuan Realm cultivator, uneasy.

Profound Realm cultivators can be fearless—when they believe they can understand and control it. But Profound Realm cultivators also cherish their lives more than anyone else—when situations arise that they cannot fully comprehend.

"Life and fortune" are not things to be risked lightly—especially when hundreds of years of effort and dedication have been devoted to this cause.

Therefore, after Kunwuzi remained silent for a few more breaths, Li Yunxin had an ominous premonition—this Taoist from the Xuanjing realm seemed to be planning to leave.

Just as he hadn't immediately killed a demon who had just advanced to the True Realm because of that great formation, he now had to withdraw due to an unexpected situation.

This was a Taoist priest who was overly cautious; fortunately, this "virtue" did not exist in the original Yueyunzi.

Lord Dongting also realized the strange situation. He fell silent, calming down from his extreme anger, and also wanted to figure out what had happened between the three of them.

However, Kunwuzi finally spoke: "This is utterly nonsensical."

After saying that, he raised his hand, as if to leave.

At that critical moment, a sentence slipped out of Li Yunxin's mouth.

This time, Kunwuzi heard his words, and Dongtingjun also heard them. They were clear and concise, yet neither of them understood what he was trying to say.

That seems to be... a different language.

Li Yunxin repeated the sentence, then raised her hand and wrote several symbols in the air: "This is the restriction on the Clear Jade Slip—did you know that the Clear Jade Slip has restrictions?"

As he expected, this sentence kept Kunwuzi in check. The Xuanjing Daoist slowly lowered his arm and whispered, "This humble Daoist does not wish to know this matter!"

“But you already know,” Li Yunxin replied immediately, turning to Dongting Jun at the same time. “You should know too. The Tongming Jade Slip is with you—you must have handled it. If you handled it, your demonic power would have activated it. So, did you see this line of text?”

The line of words he wrote in mid-air with his spiritual power remained suspended there. Lord Dongting glanced at the words and his face showed surprise: "That thing... is the Transparent Jade Slip?!"

“Look. I’m telling the truth.” Li Yunxin spread his hands toward Kunwuzi. “The Tongming Jade Slip is with him. Moreover, I’ve seen the Tongming Jade Slip and know what the restriction is.”

He then turned to Dongting Jun: "It is indeed this thing. The relic of the Painting Sage, the thing that the two sages specifically requested. It has been kept in the Daoist lineage for a very long time, and no one has been able to open it. Even if they could open it, they could not break the restriction. Now that it has fallen into your hands, you are in big trouble—Kunwuzi may not be able to do anything to you, but if the two sages come in person—you will be helpless."

Lord Dongting stood there, stunned, and blinked his big eyes.

“I’m here for this thing,” Li Yunxin said to him. “And for the Red Maiden. Give me both, and I won’t tell anyone you ever had it—Kunwuzi can vouch for it.”

However, upon hearing his words, Kunwuzi and Dongtingjun almost simultaneously let out a cold snort.

"What does this have to do with me?"

Lord Dongting sneered, "You little ghost spirit, how could I know that you just happened to see that jade slip and then made up some weird story to deceive us? My daughter? To you? What a joke!"

"Will you help me or not?" Li Yun sighed and turned to look at Kunwuzi.

The Taoist priest smiled and said, "This situation is not what I expected. If you can explain what evil spirit this old thing was under, I will consider it for a moment."

"Don't force me." Li Yunxin stepped forward, staring intently at Kunwuzi and then at Dongtingjun. "I may not need the Tongming Jade Slip today, but I absolutely need Hongniangzi today."

Kunwuzi's smile faded: "So what if I force you? Hmm... Hong Niangzi. Could it be that she has become your tribulation or inner demon, and since you have just entered the True Realm and your state is unstable, you want to settle that matter with her as soon as possible? Hehe... Then I would like to see how you persuade this old thing—I have already summoned him from his lair, isn't that enough?"

Li Yunxin shook his head silently and sighed.

He remained silent for a while, then looked at the two Xuan Realm experts in front of him and sneered: "You two seem to really want to see me make a fool of myself—I can't beat you, so I have to beg you. But let me tell you, even a rabbit will bite when cornered."

Kunwuzi chuckled.

Li Yunxin ignored him and looked at Dongting Jun first: "First of all, you should know that the two saints really don't want others to know that they want the Tongming Jade Slip. That's why I wrote that string of words just now—that's why this person had that blind-dog reaction."

Then look at Kunwuzi: "The two saints have been working on it for so long, but they still haven't opened that jade slip—it's because of this matter."

He raised his hand, pointed to the line of words still floating in the air, and said clearly and slowly, "This line of words means—How are you?"

"This is Rakshasa script. It's written as—How-are-you?"

"Once the Jade Slip is opened, dozens of small spots of light will appear on its surface. The key to breaking the restriction lies in those spots of light."

Before Kunwuzi could speak, Li Yunxin had already raised her hand again and quickly wrote the second line of text in mid-air.

"Then the restriction on this line of characters can be lifted. Write—"

“I'm fine. Thank you. It means, I'm alright, thank you. It's that simple. You just haven't found the right way.” A strange expression appeared on Li Yunxin's face, as if she desperately wanted to burst into laughter, but had to maintain her cold and serious demeanor at this moment. “Now, you two both know how to lift the restriction—while the Twin Saints still don't. Do you two know what this means?”

An eerie silence lasted for three breaths.

“That brat has harmed me.” Kunwuzi took a deep breath and looked at Li Yunxin.

Lord Dongting also widened his eyes, looking at Li Yunxin and then at Kunwuzi, seemingly hesitating whether to make a decision.

"You forced me to this. Do you think I'd willingly give up this trump card?" Li Yunxin sneered. "Now that you two both know how to break this restriction, you still doubt whether what I'm saying is true. No problem, let me tell you, it's absolutely true. If you don't believe me, you can go back and ask the Twin Saints. But the problem lies in—"

"Those two want this thing. If they combined the power of the Daoist lineage and the Sword Sect, obtaining this Transparent Jade Slip would be effortless. But they still let it linger outside for so long, and they are still doing so in secret. This means that there is something in this jade slip that they absolutely do not want others to see."

"However, you now know how to open it—before they did."

Li Yunxin sneered: "Perhaps the outcome isn't so bad—your two high-ranking leaders only reprimanded you and let the matter drop, so I believe you really didn't impulsively open the jade slip and read it. Or perhaps... hehe. You say you see me as an ant, but what are you in the eyes of the two saints?"

Kunwu remained silent.

After a while, he said, "I could still kill you now."

“Then Lord Dongting would probably be happy to spread this news and kill you. Or, little do you know that I haven’t made arrangements long ago—someone will still tell the world this news after I die.” Li Yunxin turned to Lord Dongting and stretched out his hand, “Give me the jade slip.”

The demons in the Xuanjing realm had shifting expressions, seemingly still hesitant.

Li Yunxin looked at him and said, "There's a 50% chance what I said is true. If what I said is true, then there's a 50% chance that the Twin Saints will come to retrieve it themselves, and kill you in the process. All things considered, the most optimistic estimate is that you only have a 40% chance of dying. But the question is, are you brave enough to risk your life? Give it to me!"

After such a stern shout, Lord Dongting finally glared at him fiercely, and with a wave of his hand, a small, transparent treasure appeared in his palm.

Li Yunxin glanced calmly at the treasure, then smiled and said, "Mr. Kun, have you seen it clearly? This is the Transparent Jade Slip. Would you like it?"

Kunwuzi's face was extremely ugly, and he did not speak.

Li Yunxin burst into laughter: "That's right. You don't dare to take it. I am one of the two saints, and I will definitely think that you have peeked into what's inside—you also don't dare to gamble on that one-in-a-quarter chance."

Having said that, he extended his hand. Lord Dongting then tossed the jade slip to him—and then let out a barely perceptible sigh, as if he had discarded a branding iron.

Li Yunxin held the jade slip in her hand, finally thinking to herself...

He also let out a long sigh of relief.

His tense body relaxed.

Finally... we got it back.

But Kunwuzi was still watching him. Dongting Jun was also watching him. The gazes of these two Xuan Realm experts were like those of beasts locking onto their prey, taking in every single movement of Li Yunxin.

Li Yunxin knew what they were waiting for. He poured demonic power into the jade slip.

Then the jade slip lit up. A beam of light flashed across the slip, and a melodious celestial melody began to play. Dongting Jun might have tried it before, but Kunwu Zi seemed to be seeing this for the first time. He stared wide-eyed, taking in every detail.

Then I saw the first line of text written by Li Yunxin—it was exactly the same.

Then I saw Li Yunxin tap the dozens of small light spots eighteen times below that line of text.

Then he raised his head and looked at Kunwuzi and Dongtingjun: "It's about to be untied."

He tapped his hand again—the two lines of text and the light spots disappeared, and the surface of the jade slip turned pale yellow. Several small, square patterns appeared.

Li Yunxin then wiped the jade slip with her hand, and it turned back into a small, transparent object.

"I've broken the seal placed by the Painting Sage." He smiled. "I'll ask you one last time, do you still want this?"

Kunwuzi snorted: "That's true. But... you probably don't have long to live either."

He laughed after saying this: "This humble Taoist will not kill you. Perhaps the Lord of Dongting won't either. But the whole world will know that the Jade Slip of Enlightenment is in your possession, and the Two Saints will soon find out as well. At that time—"

“So these are my conditions, you two,” Li Yunxin said calmly. “From the day I learned that the Twin Saints wanted this thing, I never thought I could live a comfortable life. I also knew that sooner or later this matter would become known to the whole world. But at least until the Twin Saints, or their people, find me—I want you to protect me and not let those self-righteous fools bother me.”

“If I can achieve this, I won’t talk about you two anymore. You can rest easy—I know what you’re going to say—why should you trust me, right? I have the same question: why should I trust you to really protect me? But my advantage is that I’m fifteen years old this year, while you two are over three thousand years old and several hundred years old respectively. If we’re going to die, we’ll die together. I have the guts and the means to drag you down with me.”

“If you two think you’re ruthless enough, you can give it a try.” Li Yunxin smiled gently. “After all, a man has to be ruthless to himself.”

Kunwuzi finally composed himself and gave Li Yunxin a deep look: "Good. You are indeed a ruthless hero."

Li Yunxin tilted her head: "And you?"

The demon from the Mystic Realm glanced at Kunwuzi, then at Li Yunxin. He realized this couldn't be a trap set by the other side—Kunwuzi was known for valuing his life and being extremely cautious. He would never use himself as bait.

He hesitated for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Tell me first, what exactly is going on with the claim that the Chiwen is still alive?"

“It’s because I took his body—but you can’t hear me.” Li Yunxin sighed. “Hand over Hong Niangzi to me first, then we can talk about this.”

"Let's talk about Chiwen first."

Li Yunxin stared at him for a while, then helplessly reached into her clothes. After rummaging around for a bit, she frowned and said, "Damn it..."

Then he stretched out his hand in front of Dongting Jun and opened it.

He has a Achilles' heel in his palm.

Lord Dongting stared at this inviolable scale for a while, then suddenly looked up: "This...this...this is..."

"Hand over Hong Niangzi to me first," Li Yunxin said calmly. "Then I'll tell you the truth."

=================

A playful girl – The Soul-Stealing Princess.

A playful mage – The Mage and the Demon King.

A fantasy novel about to be released – "The Skeleton Immortal".

A post-apocalyptic killing spree – The Bloody Throne.

A madman's cultivation story – "The Inner Demon".

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!