ILDV Chapter 47.3

The tribulation lightning’s power had somehow increased to the point of forcibly splitting open the double Nine-Curve Myriad-Ravine Array. The hundred-meter-deep rock layer was split with huge cracks, lightning flashing ceaselessly within, still continuously expanding the fissures.

Spiritual qi fluctuated violently. Xu Rong was about to be awakened.

Yin Lang was very calm, though anyone looking at him now would think he’d been driven mad with rage.

“Zhao Hejing, can you guarantee that not a single word you’ve said after death is a lie?” The hand gripping the soul slowly tightened, squeezing the transparent soul completely out of human form. Too terrified to even scream, it only repeated over and over with effort, “I didn’t lie! I really didn’t lie! How would I dare lie to you, boss?!”

“That’s good then.”

He looked at ‘Zhao Hejing’ and smiled lightly. The demonic qi in his palm completely dissipated. A glimmer of faint purple light drifted over, enveloping the fragile soul, beautiful as a dreamland fantasy. The soul body felt tingly and numb, the pain from demonic qi stimulation washing away bit by bit under the purple light. ‘Zhao Hejing’ relaxed. Just as he was about to praise the boss for keeping his word, he heard him softly chant—

“Soul-searching technique.”

Pain like tidal waves submerged him. ‘Zhao Hejing’s’ last remaining consciousness was of scarlet lips smiling at him. “My name is Yin Lang. Little ghost, remember this for your next life—not a single word a demonic cultivator says can be trusted.”

‘Zhao Hejing’s’ eyes turned blood red. In his final ghostly moment, he actually transformed into a malicious spirit, shrieking, “Yin Lang… Yin Lang! I curse you—curse you to inevitably have your true identity discovered by Xu Rong, to have every bone crushed by the enraged protagonist and ground into bloody pulp, soul scattered and spirit destroyed, never to be reborn!”

“Puhahahaha—” The fierce wind subsided slightly. For the first time when being cursed, Yin Lang laughed sincerely. “This is the first time I’ve heard such a ‘feeble’ curse. Expecting your ‘protagonist’ to kill me? You should first pray he survives today!”

His five fingers closed. The soul that had become a malicious spirit yet remained fragile completely vanished in a scream, not even given the chance to become a nie demon.

Complex information from another world poured in. Yin Lang closed his eyes and quickly sorted through his mind, discarding the useless and checking item by item against what ‘Zhao Hejing’ had explained before, completely ignoring the increasingly frequent and violent purple-black tribulation lightning from all directions.

He hadn’t used the soul-searching technique at first to prevent the possibility that this soul, like the person Qin Xun had once caught, had a ‘system’ or something hidden in its soul. If he searched the soul directly and the thing wasn’t figured out while the information source was destroyed—how could he make such a mistake of trying to steal a chicken only to lose the rice a second time?

Original novel? Fanfiction?

Xie Tingxuan had casually mentioned to him the differences between story books, but he didn’t know which of the two versions he knew was what this world was based on.

The one Ah Xun brought said ‘Yin Lang’ was a complete ‘villain boss’ with no direct interaction with the protagonist. In the one ‘Zhao Hejing’ had read, ‘Shen Muxuan’ had the dual identity of ‘final villain’ and ‘protagonist’s best friend,’ manipulating the protagonist throughout.

But this wasn’t important.

Yin Lang opened his eyes, his black pupils filled with indifference. If killing the ‘protagonist’ meant the world would end, did it matter which was real?

He stepped toward the plaza.

Xu Rong on the sacrificial platform had just completed the inheritance and slowly opened his eyes, meeting the white figure steadily approaching from the distance.

Even living through this moment again, when he opened his eyes, he still felt as if the entire world was composed of array symbols. But when this person appeared, the array symbols that once attracted him instantly lost their luster. Only that expanse of white remained purely unchanged.

Living two lives, only you never harbored the slightest covetousness toward my Xu family’s secret techniques; only you reached out to me each time when I was in trouble and others avoided me like a snake or scorpion; only you could disregard worldly eyes and single-mindedly do what you believed was right, refusing the sword path without betraying your original heart…

This world is filthy and muddy, but only you have a pure heart, spotlessly white.

He raised the corners of his lips and strode toward him.

I have never been so grateful that Heavenly Dao gave me a chance to relive this life.

It doesn’t matter—even if you care more about Feng Lan, it doesn’t matter. I’ll gradually replace his position in your heart, then make that person completely disappear from your life.

One full of murderous intent, one full of joy.

For his protagonist, Heavenly Dao had no choice but to act personally.

Familiar white mist shrouded the entire world. The ‘mist figure’ stood on the necessary path forward, blocking every position from which he might act.

“If I let you choose, which would you prefer?”

“I choose neither.”

Yin Lang tore both story books into powder bit by bit before ‘its’ face.

“Heavenly Dao, I’ll only ask you one question. Answer it to my satisfaction and we’ll continue playing your master-disciple game. If you can’t satisfy me… then today everyone can go down together as burial companions for the ‘protagonist’!”

“Ask.”

After a brief standoff, Heavenly Dao ultimately chose to yield.

“This person Xu Rong—is he this world’s pillar?”

“No.”

Heavenly Dao was probably being pushed to this point for the first time. Its mechanical answer actually produced a human-like sense of ‘urgency.’

“This world was indeed born based on what you understand as a ‘story book,’ but since ‘I’ came into being, it has completely broken free from the ‘author’s’ control and become a completely free and independent world.”

“The world at this time is not yet complete. I need the world to be completely whole, but having lost the power provided by the ‘author’ and ‘original novel,’ I must seek another force that can help me make up for the world’s deficiencies. I chose fate—what you understand as ‘merit.'”

“Fate cannot be produced from nothing; it needs a nurturing ‘matrix.’ ‘Xu Rong’ is the ‘Child of Destiny’ I selected based on the source of birth—the ‘story book’—the fate ‘matrix.’ He is not unchangeable. His death won’t lead to this world’s destruction either.”

After hearing this long explanation, the violent aura floating around Yin Lang calmed slightly, though doubt remained in his heart. “If that’s the case, killing him wouldn’t hinder you from perfecting the world’s rules, so why did you jump out in such a panic to stop me?”

The ‘mist figure’ said, “That is a second question. According to your requirements, I may choose not to answer.”

Seeing Yin Lang’s emotional fluctuations about to be stirred up again, it said mechanically, “You must follow the transaction rules you established. A demonic cultivator’s words cannot be trusted, but to me, you are equally one of the countless living beings.”

“You need to understand one thing. My appearance and answering your question is to compensate for the unexpected situation you shouldn’t have encountered due to my oversight in the previous transaction, not because I was threatened by you.”

“You need the Primordial Jade. I need someone strong enough and upright in character to protect the ‘protagonist’ I selected through the plot. So we reached a transaction. If you unilaterally tear up the transaction, then I likewise have the right to take back what I gave you before.”

Yin Lang was quiet for a long time.

“I… upright in character?”

Against Heavenly Dao’s logical reasoning results, his first sentence didn’t question the ‘plot,’ didn’t refute the unfairness of the transaction, but instead asked such a taken-for-granted strange question.

The ‘mist figure’ still used that matter-of-fact tone. “At the level you understand as peak Tribulation stage, you are the most suitable person for this task. Otherwise why would I seek you out? Heavenly Dao does not suffer losses.”

Yin Lang mocked himself. “So it’s because everyone else is abnormal beyond standards, while I can barely pass?”

Heavenly Dao didn’t know how to ‘sympathize’ or ‘comfort.’ It said coldly and emotionlessly, “Since there are no more matters, I’m leaving.”

“Stop.”

Yin Lang said coldly, “Who told you I have nothing else?”

Though it was a non-corporeal temporary body, the ‘mist figure’ produced that human sensation of ‘a chill down the spine.’ “What is it?”

Yin Lang said, “Did you forget to count the matter of taking my Heaven-Concealing Stone without my consent back then?”

“…”

“As Heavenly Dao, I think you should be clear how much trouble your actions brought me. I believe you must compensate me for this loss.”

“………..”

This… was this the feeling humans called being extorted?

Heavenly Dao didn’t understand bargaining. Heavenly Dao needed to follow the rules of equivalent exchange.

The ‘mist figure’ said, “I can provide you with the whereabouts of the other Primordial Jade fragments.”

Yin Lang ruthlessly refused. “Do I need you for that? This Venerable figured it all out long ago.”

‘Mist figure’: “I can answer one more question for you, such as the second question you wanted to ask me earlier.”

Yin Lang propped his chin and smiled. “But I don’t want to know now.”

‘Mist figure’: “…”

“You can make a request. I’ll consider whether I can agree.”

“If you can’t agree, it just gets scrapped?”

“…”

The cunning Demon Venerable smiled. “Don’t play word games with a demonic cultivator. Think carefully before you speak—can you outplay me?”

The white mist looked like it was about to dissipate from anger.

“Equivalent exchange, respected Heavenly Dao.” He said leisurely, “Can’t argue so you run away—that’s not what a mature Heavenly Dao should do.”

“…………”

After much verbal sparring, Heavenly Dao finally held its ground with difficulty, not truly fleeing in disgrace.

Yin Lang obtained the Heavenly Dao’s promised condition. Without violating the world’s operating rules, he could have the Heavenly Dao do anything for him once without compensation, whether erasing someone’s existence or something else.

The Heavenly Dao had thought he would use this condition to kill Yuan Daozhu or Feng Jiangcheng, since in the world’s trajectory, these two people had brought Yin Lang the greatest pain of his life.

“Are you kidding? This is a Heavenly Dao condition—how could I possibly waste it on something I can do myself?”

The ‘mist figure’ said, “According to analysis of human behavior over millions of years, the emotion called ‘hate’ most easily causes humans to lose rationality and do irreversible things under the emotion called ‘impulse’ that lead to the emotion called ‘regret.'”

“Listening to you talk is truly unbearable. ‘Called,’ ‘called,’ ‘called’… If you’re going to learn human speech, at least do it properly. What kind of neither-fish-nor-fowl thing is this?” Yin Lang waved his hand dismissively, signaling him to scram quickly. “If I couldn’t control my emotional fluctuations, I’d have been ground to dust hundreds of years ago. Could I still be standing here talking to you? Trying to trick me into using the condition carelessly? Practice for a few more tens of thousands of years before trying!”

The white mist dispersed.

Time was completely frozen within the white mist. Their conversation seemed to take a long time, but in Xu Rong’s eyes, Shen Muxuan’s advancing steps never stopped.

He radiated visibly high spirits, his steps so light he seemed about to bounce.

“Shizun!” Xu Rong stopped beside him, his admiring smile perfect and flawless.

Yin Lang also smiled and reached out to pat his head, seemingly completely unaware of the changes in Xu Rong’s mentality and behavior.

Fair trade, following rules.

Good disciple, our future is still long. Your master has plenty of time to play this master-disciple game with you.

The two walked outward.

Xu Rong intentionally shortened the half-step distance he should have maintained behind, picking topics to prevent silence between them. “Shizun, I forgot to ask—how did you get out of the Nine-Curve Myriad-Ravine Array last time?”

Yin Lang thought to himself that the old bastard had pushed this Venerable to desperation, so this Venerable had held the God-Slaying Spear and pierced straight through his broken array toward the array eye all the way. What’s the big deal about not understanding arrays? Killing the array master leads to the same result anyway.

He said vaguely, “Same method as when I came to save you.”

Xu Rong understood immediately—violent array-breaking. If you can’t find the array eye, just demolish your way out.

Though they were thinking of completely different things, they bizarrely reached the same conclusion.

After walking a few steps, sunlight poured down from huge cracks in the rock layer.

Xu Rong looked up at the sky, then down at the cave before him, his face showing rare confusion.

“Shizun… when we first came down, this place didn’t look like this, did it?”

Indeed it didn’t.

Yin Lang declared, “Disciple, you remembered wrong. It’s always been this way. Your master waited outside much longer than you. You probably received too much inheritance content and it scrambled your memory.”

Is… is that so?

But I came to this place in my past life too! Shizun, don’t try to fool me!

“Over here! There’s a huge crack here. Fellow Daoists, please wait. Let this one go down first to explore!”

“Fellow Daoist Mo is injured. How can you take such a risk? Let me go instead!”

“Just a scraped arm, nothing serious. I’ll go!”

Above, voices suddenly rose in confusion. Through the gaps, many figures could be vaguely seen coming and going.

“All this talking, one after another.” A low male voice lightly scolded. Before anyone could react, he leaped first from the crack. His movements were excellent—borrowing force from the cliffs on both sides, he landed steadily.

Dusting off the floating dust on his robes, the newcomer looked up.

“…Master!” The composed eldest disciple instantly turned into a crybaby, pouncing into his master’s embrace and refusing to let go.

The completely ignored junior disciple stared at those two arms, beginning to consider whether to chop them off, cut them up, or boil them.