Chapter 120

In the dark, damp dungeon, Shi Ran tried every method but could not break free from her bonds. The iron chains were etched with magic seals that suppressed spiritual power; each struggle provoked a piercing pain. She bit her lip, tasting blood, yet refused to give up.

I don't know how Master is doing now, nor my senior fellow disciple; I hope Si Tong won't make things difficult for him!

"Save your strength." Si Tong's voice drifted from the darkness, tinged with teasing: "These chains are forged from Nine Nether Profound Iron, specifically to counter cultivators like you."

Shi Ran lifted her head and saw Si Tong leaning against the prison door, her purple robe shedding an eerie gleam in the dim light. Her heterochromatic eyes shone especially bright in the darkness, deep violet like an abyss, alluring like a gemstone; if she were the male lead, he surely wouldn't let such a beauty go—too bad the plot is now fragmented and the male lead is off somewhere catting around.

"What do you want?" Shi Ran coughed, her voice hoarse: "If anything happens to my Master, I will make the demon realm pay with blood!"

Si Tong let out a light laugh, stepped closer, and lifted Shi Ran's chin with her fingertip: "How deep your affection and loyalty are..." She suddenly leaned in and whispered in Shi Ran's ear: "Have you ever wondered why the Demon Sovereign takes an interest in Ling Xiao?"

Shi Ran's heart jolted; she was about to deny when heavy footsteps suddenly sounded outside the dungeon. Si Tong's expression changed, and she immediately stepped back a few paces, lowering her head respectfully.

"Demon Sovereign."

The air seemed to freeze in an instant. Shi Ran felt a bone‑chilling cold rise from her spine; she held her breath and looked toward the prison door.

A tall figure slowly entered the dungeon. He wore a dark‑blue brocade robe embroidered with dark gold demonic sigils on the cuffs and hem; each step exuded a suffocating pressure. When his face was fully revealed in the dim light, Shi Ran's pupils contracted sharply and her heart almost stopped.

Mas... ter?

The man before her resembled Ling Xiao by seventy percent—same sword‑shaped brows and starry eyes, same facial contours—only his eyes were slightly upturned, his lips curled in a half‑smile, and he exuded a wicked charm that Ling Xiao would never have.

"Is this Ling Xiao's little disciple?" the Demon Sovereign's voice low and pleasant yet bone‑chilling: "Actually, you're even more enchanting than I imagined—no wonder he likes your type!"

He stepped before Shi Ran, looking down at her. She then noticed his eyes were pure black, without whites, like two bottomless pits, sending a chill down her spine.

"You…" Shi Ran forced herself to calm: "You are the Demon Sovereign??

The Demon Sovereign gave a light chuckle, his long fingers brushing Shi Ran's cheek, sending a shiver through her: "I am called Hui Ying; you can recognize me at a glance, which shows we truly resemble each other!" He paused, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes: "Do you know our relationship?"

Si Tong shifted uneasily beside him: "My lord Demonic Sovereign, I have brought her as you ordered; Ling Xiao's side..."

"Not urgent." Hui Ying raised a hand to interrupt her: "I still have a few words to say with this young cultivator. You may withdraw."

Si Tong glanced resentfully at Shi Ran, but still bowed respectfully and left the dungeon.

Hui Ying flicked his sleeve, and the chains on Shi Ran's body snapped. She staggered to her feet, warily eyeing the Demonic Sovereign before her.

"No need to be nervous." Hui Ying turned and walked toward the stone table in the center of the dungeon, where a jug of wine and two cups had appeared at some point. "Sit, let's talk."

Shi Ran didn't move: "What do you want to talk about?"

"Let's talk about... Ling Xiao..." Hui Ying poured two cups for himself, pushing one toward Shi Ran. "For instance, how did he grow from a son of the Demonic Sovereign into the 'Immortal Sovereign' everyone praises?"

"Nonsense!" Shi Ran shouted: "My master never had any dealings with the demonic realm! He cultivated in the Floating Dream Sect from childhood, a paragon of the righteous path!"

Hui Ying burst into loud laughter, echoing in the dungeon: "Naive! Do you think a person's origins can be so easily erased?" He suddenly sobered, a hint of gloom flashing in his eyes: "Su Changhen sought to destroy the demonic realm, even killing his own biological child, but she was mistaken—do you think I would have only Ling Xiao as my child..."

Shi Ran pressed her lips, inwardly scoffing: This couple is so cold-hearted; they deserve to end up alone, one growing old in solitude, the other forever accompanied by a green lamp.

"You don't look surprised, do you?" Hui Ying raised his cup and drained it. "Did Ling Xiao tell you he is the Demonic Sovereign's son?"

The air in the dungeon seemed to solidify. Shi Ran gave a faint smile: "To me, he is simply himself—whether a common folk of rice, flour, oil, and salt, or the Immortal Sovereign revered by myriad people, he is still Ling Xiao alone!"

"Oh?" Hui Ying rose, his black robe stirring without wind. "Even if he is the next Demonic Sovereign, does it not matter to you?"

He raised a hand and traced a black rift in the air; within it appeared an image—Ling Xiao unconscious, the demonic markings on his brow more pronounced than before, nearly covering half his face. Worse still, his features were slowly shifting; he was still him, yet felt different.

"Do you see it?" Hui Ying's voice slipped into Shi Ran's ear like a venomous snake: "The demonic poison is awakening the slumbering memories and power within him. Soon he will recall who he is... or rather, who he originally was."

Shi Ran greedily traced Ling Xiao's brows and eyes with her gaze: "So, letting him be afflicted with demonic poison... was also your doing..."

"Not entirely stupid..." Hui Ying stepped closer, looking into her eyes: "Your master has never been the person you thought he was; he belongs to this demonic realm, he is its sovereign! He ought to bear the burden of the demonic realm!"

Shi Ran shoved him away violently: "So for your demonic realm, you had Si Tong administer the demonic poison? No, even earlier, you had Si Tong captured and then flee back to the demonic realm, luring my master into the demonic realm to awaken his memories?"

"You've gone around in a big circle just to scheme against your own biological son? He's had eight lifetimes of bad luck to run into a pair of parents like you!"

Hui Ying didn't get angry, he laughed: "He should be grateful! Without me and Su Changhen, could he have such power? Whether cultivating immortality or demonic arts, Ling Xiao is a heaven‑chosen prodigy—what is there to complain about?"

"Now that the demonic poison has entered his body, his true nature is awakening. Soon you will see a completely different 'Ling Xiao'."

Shi Ran gritted her teeth: "But my master does not wish to become the Ling Xiao you envision; he refuses, and I will certainly not let you have your way! I will surely find an antidote for the demonic poison!"

"An antidote?" Hui Ying raised his brows: "The demonic poison isn't really a poison; it's a catalyst to awaken his origin. How do you intend to 'solve' it? Unless..." He deliberately drew out the syllable: "you are willing to pay a price."

"What price?" Shi Ran asked warily.

Hui Ying did not answer immediately, but suddenly changed the subject: "That kid named Luo Changfeng—is he also a disciple of Ling Xiao?"

Shi Ran blinked: "He is my senior martial brother."

"Oh?" Hui Ying smiled meaningfully: "I notice Si Tong pays particular attention to him."

Shi Ran recalled Si Tong's gaze toward Luo Changfeng, her heart skipping a beat—could Si Tong have taken a liking to Luo Changfeng? "What does that have to do with saving my master?"

"Of course it's related." Hui Ying paced to her front: "I can temporarily suppress the demonic nature within Ling Xiao's body, but the condition is... you must hand Luo Changfeng over to Si Tong for disposal."

"Impossible!" Shi Ran flatly refused.

Hui Ying was unfazed: "Don't rush to answer. Think about it—Ling Xiao doesn't have much time left. Every moment he suffers immensely. Would you really watch his hundred years of cultivation go to waste, turning him into a traitor denounced by all in the immortal cultivation world?"

Shi Ran fell into painful struggle; she clearly despised coercive moral blackmail, and had just righteously lectured Hui Ying and Su Changhen for ignoring Ling Xiao's wishes, yet now she was genuinely considering surrendering Luo Changfeng, disregarding his will.

"I... I need time to consider."

Hui Ying smiled satisfactorily: "A wise choice. However..." He suddenly reached out and pressed his hand on Shi Ran's shoulder, a chill demonic qi seeping into her body: "I must make sure you don't pull any tricks."

Shi Ran felt a bone‑chilling cold surge through her whole body, then her vision went black and she lost consciousness.

In a daze, she dreamed. In the dream, Ling Xiao stood amid a sea of blood, half his face his original self, the other half completely indistinct. He reached out his hand to her, voice pained and struggling: "Don't… mind me..."

Shi Ran jolted awake, finding herself confined in a splendid chamber, her Daoist robe replaced by a thin gauze garment. She hurriedly checked her body; aside from a black demonic marking on her shoulder, there was nothing else abnormal.

"Awake?"

Shi Ran turned her head, seeing Si Tong sitting on the soft cushion by the window, idly playing with a dagger.

"Where is this?" Shi Ran asked warily.

"The Demonic Sovereign's side chamber." Si Tong hopped off the cushion and walked to the bedside: "He ordered me to look after you until you make a decision."

Shi Ran sneered: "Surveillance is surveillance; no need to dress it up so nicely."

Si Tong took no offense, instead drawing closer: "Do you know? I actually envy you."

Shi Ran frowned: "What do you mean?"

They all care about you, especially... Luo Changfeng, he looks at your eyes... "In Shi Tong's heterochromatic eyes a hint of jealousy flashed, 'Just like looking at the whole world.'"

Shi Ran felt a sudden pang, then burst out laughing. She and her senior brother could only be senior brother and junior sister in this lifetime; she wasn't Luo Changfeng's insignificant weed, and Luo Changfeng wasn't her sweetheart. This Shi Tong probably has bad vision, seeing everyone as a love rival!

But now is not the time to think about these things; she must find a way to escape and get the antidote to save her master.

"I want to see the Demon Lord." Shi Ran suddenly said.

Shi Tong raised an eyebrow: "Have you figured it out?"

Shi Ran neither confirmed nor denied: "I have something I want to ask him in person."

Shi Tong scrutinized her for a moment, then finally nodded: "Come with me."

They walked through the winding corridors and arrived before a black hall. The hall doors opened automatically, revealing the deep, dim interior. Hui Ying sat high on the throne, chin resting on one hand, looking at them with a half-smile as they approached.

"You figured it out so quickly?" Hui Ying's voice echoed in the hall.

Shi Ran took a deep breath: "I have a question."

"Speak."

"If... if my master truly regains his demonic power, does his spiritual energy still remain? Is he considered an immortal or a demon?"

Hui Ying fell silent for a moment, then slowly rose and stepped down from the dais: "That's a good question."

He stood before Shi Ran and said, "Strictly speaking, Lingxiao is a demon; his cultivation of immortality is merely a means that that scoundrel Qingchen gave him to preserve his life. Back then, Su Changhen's sword was meant to kill him outright, but Qingchen added a thread of spiritual energy to him in order to deceive Su Changhen's ruthless sword..."

"So you're saying my master is a demon?" Shi Ran's voice trembled.

"Not entirely." Hui Ying rarely explained patiently, "It's like a river flowing into the sea—the water is still the same water, merely become... vaster."

Shi Ran lowered her eyes: "Then what if... I don't want him to become like that?"

A strange light flickered in Hui Ying's eyes: "Then there is only one way, but it demands a tremendous price."

"What price?"

Hui Ying suddenly tapped her forehead: "Your spiritual root, your cultivation, and... " His finger slid to her chest, "your purest feelings for him."

Shi Ran... so these are what's needed? Spiritual root and cultivation aren't important to her; she came from another world, so her spiritual root and cultivation were never hers to begin with. As for feelings, that seems a bit tricky…

Just as she was torn inside, a commotion suddenly came from outside the hall. Immediately, a familiar figure burst through the guards and stormed into the hall.

"Shi Ran!"

It was Luo Changfeng! His clothes were tattered, covered in blood, but he still looked spirited.

"Senior brother! Are you alright?" Shi Ran exclaimed, wanting to run to him, but Hui Ying grabbed her.

"Interesting." Hui Ying sneered, "With nothing but reckless courage, you actually managed to get here."

Luo Changfeng's starry eyes were icy, his sword pointed at Hui Ying: "Let her go!" Then he dazed, wondering how this person resembled his master so closely.

Taking advantage of his daze, Shi Tong suddenly stepped in front of Luo Changfeng, her heterochromatic eyes flashing with complex light: "Do you still remember our wager?"

Luo Changfeng's heart sank, his gaze sweeping past her: "Get out of the way!"

Shi Tong's face paled, but she quickly recovered: "Do you think you, alone, can oppose the entire Demon Palace?"

Luo Changfeng sneered: "Give it a try and you'll find out."

As the clash was about to erupt, Shi Ran suddenly broke free of Hui Ying's grip, rushed between them, and shouted: "Stop! Everyone stop, don't fight, let's talk properly!" She added, "After fighting for so many chapters, I'm exhausted!"

She turned to Hui Ying: "I accept your terms, but you must guarantee our safe departure!"

Luo Changfeng stared at her in shock, face full of disbelief: "Shi Ran, what nonsense are you agreeing to again?"

Hui Ying wore a victorious smile: "A wise choice." He looked at Shi Tong: "Take Luo Changfeng down to treat his wounds, then... send him away."

Shi Tong's eyes flashed with a hint of joy as she reached to pull Luo Changfeng, but he shoved her away.

"I'm not leaving!" Luo Changfeng stared fixedly at Shi Ran, wishing he could bore a hole through her. He said these past days his back had felt chilly, and now he knew the source— "What exactly did you agree to with him?"

Shi Ran blinked desperately, her eyes almost cramping: "Senior brother... this is the only way to save the master..."