Chapter 179

It seemed that Bai Lian's threat had an effect, and Mu Xing He's movements came to a stop. This gave Bai Lian a glimmer of hope. She knew very well that Mu Xing He wasn't certain if she was really the previous White Lian. This was her biggest reliance when facing Mu Xing He. In some respects, Mu Xing He loved only the "previous" Bai Lian, and not the present Bai Lian. In this regard, she believed that the situations with other female leads and Mu Xing He were similar. On one hand, as reborn individuals carrying memories from their past lives, they naturally associated the shadow of the previous White Lian with her in this lifetime, thus fostering complex feelings toward her. But on the other hand, she and the previous White Lian had almost no similarities. After all, she was a modern homebody, whereas the previous White Lian was the game character she controlled. Strictly speaking, Bai Lian was only a part of her, so she was White Lian, but White Lian wasn't entirely her. It was because of this that even though the female leads could see familiar traits in her daily habits, they could never be certain if she was really the previous White Lian. She thought that perhaps this was the real reason why, in these years since her rebirth, the sect leader, the master, and the other female leads had been very close to her but rarely went beyond certain limits. Thinking of this, Bai Lian felt a great sense of loss. Though she was extremely unwilling to accept it, she had to admit that - in the eyes of the female leads, she was actually more of a substitute for "White Lian." Just now Mu Xing He said that she could be the recipient of her tenderness, and could also be casually discarded by her. But wasn't that what she was? If she really wasn't White Lian, would the female leads still treat her with such extreme tenderness? She didn't dare to think about it. After all, the heavenly way, which guided her like a sword, would turn her into a plaything if she revealed her identity to the female leads... What difference did it make if she wasn't White Lian? Bai Lian bit her lip lightly and shook off the self-pitying thoughts in her mind. Now wasn't the time to think about these things. The most urgent matter was to quickly appease Mu Xing He. She looked up at Mu Xing He and found a sense of dejection on her face. In the time after her death, Mu Xing He must have been very lonely. It was perhaps because she had accumulated too many emotions in her heart that it led to the birth of this inner demon. When she was reborn, she might have been thrilled or deeply resentful, but no matter which, she must have wanted to see White Lian again. But when she came looking for her, she saw the 'replacement' of White Lian as a woman. The indescribable sense of loss must have been very hard to bear. She sighed faintly in her heart, feeling somewhat guilty. This sense of guilt made her tone of voice sound apologetic, "Senior Mu, I know you've mistaken me for someone else." "But you've indeed misunderstood. I...I am just Bai Lian, so please don't do those things to me, can you?" "Just wait a little while, I can help you return to normal..." "What difference does it make?" "What?" "What's the difference between you and him?" Mu Xing He raised her head and looked into her eyes, emphasizing each word. "You are Alain, no matter how you change, your essence will not change." "What..." Bai Lian's pupils shrank slightly, staring at Mu Xing He blankly, and a strong sense of resentment and anger suddenly rose within her heart for some unknown reason. She struggled violently, trying to break free from Mu Xing He's embrace. She gritted her teeth and angrily exclaimed, "Mu Xing He, what do you mean?!" "Let go of me!" "How many times must I say it! I am Bai Lian, not anyone's substitute. Can't you understand human speech?!" "Why do you get to arbitrarily decide that I am him?!" "Bastard...let go of me!" Perhaps she hadn't expected that her resistance would be so intense, so Mu Xing He couldn't hold on tight enough. She struggled out of Mu Xing He's embrace and ran away from him, but she hadn't run a few steps before she fell to the ground. The Celestial Star Concealing Moon Formation was, after all, a maze. Even late-stage cultivators would find it difficult to break free from it. And as someone who couldn't use her spiritual power, she was nothing more than a plaything in Mu Xing He's hands within this formation. Mu Xing He grabbed her delicate ankle and dragged her back. At this moment, she had completely shed her usual gentle and graceful senior sister appearance, rough as a wild beast while Bai Lian was nothing more than her intended prey. Bai Lian could even imagine what the outcome would be if she fell into Mu Xing He's hands at that moment. "Mu Xing He! Let go of me!" She had to desperately crawl away from Mu Xing He, attempting to kick off his hand. But how could she resist Mu Xing He's strength at this moment? She was like a lamb in front of a hungry wolf, her futile resistance against the inevitable being useless. Soon, she was dragged under him by Mu Xing He. Mu Xing He firmly gripped her wrists, pressing her hands on either side of her head. Here, looking down on her, Mu Xing He's eyes became even more profound, seemingly about to swallow her whole. "Alain, why did you reject me just now? Isn't that what you most enjoyed doing?" "Please...I understand. It must be because you've turned into a girl, so you're not used to it, right?" "It's okay, I will help you remember." "In the past, the joy you brought me was what you taught me. Now it's my turn to teach you." "Please...Mu Xing He, let go of me." "I will truly hate you for a lifetime." "Please...don't..." She pleaded as if she were begging Mouxing He to let her keep a shred of dignity. But her only response was the sound of fabric tearing. The celestial garments could resist magical attacks, but under Mu Xing He's brute force, they were as fragile as cicada wings. The fabric made from spirit silkworms was easily torn, exposing Bai Lian's body before Mu Xing He. In that moment, Mu Xing He seemed to see the most magnificent sight in the world. On that fertile land, the towering snow-capped mountains first caught her attention, and the stars scattered across the sky shone on the snow-capped mountains, exuding a radiant, divine feeling. Though she herself was not barren, seeing those towering mountains, she couldn't help but marvel - how could there be such a beautiful and pure place in the world? It was a masterpiece, as if created by divine beings. But clearly, she wasn't content with only seeing this scenery. So, she ventured beyond the white snow-covered plateau to view the barren yet not desolate land, where she could faintly discern hidden valleys in the hills, arousing a desire to explore. She was like an unsurpassable immortal, surveying everything in this land. Looking back, the young girl's luscious cherry lips were a delicacy she had carefully tasted. Her fingers lightly brushed across the snow-capped peaks, which induced the land to tremble and occasionally produced ethereal echoes. This feeling of controlling everything greatly satisfied her vanity. She could no longer tolerate her desire to explore the bountiful land. "Alain, you're truly beautiful." she whispered softly. "The first time I saw you, I thought you were so beautiful, more attractive than at any other time." "Did you know, when I sealed the charm spell on you, I endured it really painfully." "I really want... to take this opportunity to devour you." She murmured, gently leaning down, her blue strands intertwined, as if an omnipotent goddess had descended into her own divine realm. The moment the clothing was torn open, Bai Lian had already ceased all futile resistance. Without any mercy, Mu Xing He relentlessly explored the uncultivated land on her body. Mu Xing He was right; she used all the knowledge taught by Bai Lian in her past life on Bai Lian's body. Every sensitive area on her body suffered Mu Xing He's attention without exception, and the surging waves of pleasure overwhelmed her body, causing her to involuntarily tremble. The seductive charm on her lower abdomen that had been dormant for a long time was stimulated, as if it was about to shatter the seal, emanating astonishing heat that prevented her from thinking clearly. She gazed weakly at the starry sky in front of her, suddenly feeling a sense of hopelessness. Yes, it used to be something she enjoyed so much, but now all she could experience was endless humiliation and sorrow. She was just an ordinary homebody, yet she was reborn into this dangerous world, facing the pressure of retaliation from the female lead, needing to carefully navigate and integrate into this world. Despite her determination and even her delusions of saving the female leads she had harmed in the game, in the end, she couldn't even protect herself. At this moment, what exactly was she in Mu Xing He's eyes? Was she the target of Mu Xing He's revenge for what she had done in the game or was she a substitute for 'White Lian', becoming the object of Mu Xing He's desires? Or both? But she was 'Bai Lian'. Why must she endure the suffering that belonged to 'White Lian'? The burning heat in her lower abdomen spread throughout her body, stimulating her nerves. All the accumulated emotions of humiliation, injustice, resentment, guilt, and fear since her rebirth finally erupted at this moment. Tears gushed from her eyes, and Bai Lian tightly bit her lower lip, not wanting Mu Xing He to hear her weeping. Less than four years ago, she was still a genuine man. But now, facing the torment from the same girl, Mu Xing He, she could do nothing but weep. Not crying out loud was the last vestige of dignity she had left in front of Mu Xing He... But she couldn't hold back and let out a few sobs. Hearing Bai Lian's sobs, Mu Xing He paused for a moment, then looked up and chuckled, "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" "I'm sorry, I haven't been doing this for too long since you left, so I'm not used to it." But what she saw was Bai Lian's tear-stained face. In that moment, it felt as if a knife had been plunged into Mu Xing He's heart. This unprecedented piercing pain temporarily detached her from the inner demon. She hastened forward in a panic, wiping away the tears streaming down Bai Lian's face with the back of her hand, but no matter how she wiped, she couldn't clean them up. "Alain... Bai junior sister!" "Why are you crying?" "It's all my fault, all my bad deeds against you." "Don't cry, it's okay, please don't be scared." She spoke and hurriedly took out some clothes from her storage ring. However, when she intended to help Bai Lian put on the clothes, she saw the mess on Bai Lian's body. She stood still, staring at the ugly marks and scratches all over Bai Lian's body. Those marks covered Bai Lian's entire body, like stains on a masterpiece, piercing her eyes. And those stains... were what she had inflicted on Bai Lian. Just now, the memories had flown through her mind like a slideshow, and Bai Lian's pleading and sobbing echoed in her ears, turning into sharp knives piercing her heart. Her face turned ashen, and she took a few steps, then knelt in front of Bai Lian, holding her tightly in her arms. "Bai junior sister... I... how could I do such a thing to you..." she murmured, her voice filled with self-blame. She knew she had an inner demon, and she knew that her inner demon would eventually erupt. But in the end, the inner demon was only an extreme amplification of the desires deep inside a cultivator, turning them into instinctive puppets. She had thought that her inner demon was her obsession with her parents, her feelings toward White Lian, and other things. However, she hadn't expected the deepest desire in her heart... was actually for Bai Lian. How could she have such a desire for Bai Lian? How could she...? She knew that Bai Lian wasn't a substitute for White Lian. She knew she shouldn't invest the feelings she had for White Lian into Bai Lian. She knew it was unfair to Bai Lian. But she hadn't done any of that! She had even done something that deserved the cruelest punishment to Bai Lian! Full of regret, she lowered her eyes. Suddenly, she saw the Morning Star Chain gently resting in Bai Lian's limp hand. Her pupils contracted sharply, and her expression became increasingly pained. Even after being mistreated by Mu Xing He, Bai Lian hadn't thrown it away. Bai Lian had cherished the kindness shown to her by Mu Xing He all along, yet she... had done all of these terrible things! "I'm sorry..." "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry..." She muttered, blood slowly oozing from the corners of her mouth, her body swaying unsteadily. However, her hug around Bai Lian tightened, as if she intended to merge Bai Lian into her body. In a daze, Bai Lian suddenly felt a twinge in her waist. But she hadn't been transformed into a squishy maid by Mu Xing He just now, so it couldn't be kidney depletion. The pain in her waist became increasingly apparent, forcing her to come to her senses. She looked up to see Mu Xing He, and her expression suddenly changed. She saw that the evil energy on Mu Xing He's body was much denser than ever before, and her inner demon not only hadn't subsided, but had accelerated toward complete loss of control! If Mu Xing He continued like this, she might soon completely lose herself and become a puppet of her inner demon! "Mu Xing He, you idiot!" "You're going to self-destruct right after playing with me." "Can't you be less reckless!" she muttered under her breath. Fortunately, the suppression in her meridians had already dissipated, and things hadn't yet reached a point of no return. She immediately activated her cultivation method, the majestic spiritual energy transforming into the power of the Tai Xuan Heart Sutra, concentrating on her index finger, ready to directly poke Mu Xing He's forehead. But at that moment, black smoke suddenly emitted from Mu Xing He's forehead. The black smoke transformed into a demonic version of Mu Xing He, which fiercely bit down on her finger, preventing her from approaching by an inch. Bai Lian's face was instantly contorted in pain. It seemed as though the inner demon had bitten her finger, but it was actually attacking her primordial spirit directly. Moreover, as the saying goes, the ten fingers are connected to the heart. It was easy to imagine how much pain she was in at the moment. Enduring the pain, Bai Lian looked resolute and gritted her teeth, "Mu Xing He, if anything were to happen to you, I'll go find Xiao Miao at the Heaven Mystery Sect. I'll have her capture your soul and then make you watch us do to you what you've just done to me at your grave!" "You... dare..." Mu Xing He, who had closed her eyes, opened them suddenly, and as Bai Lian spoke, the chibi version of Mu Xing He, who was her inner demon, suddenly screeched and was pulled back into Mu Xing He's forehead by her. Taking advantage of the situation, Bai Lian stepped forward, and her two fingers poked directly into Mu Xing He's forehead. A flash of light appeared, and a black mist evaporated from Mu Xing He's celestial apex, then promptly dissipated into the air. With the demon dispelled, Mu Xing He finally regained clarity. She suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood and then swayed toward Bai Lian, calling out softly, "A... Lian..." Then, she finally fell into a complete stupor, falling forward. Bai Lian quickly embraced her, preventing her from falling to the ground. The Heavenly Pivot and Divine Pivot belonged to the art practitioners, specializing in spiritual power. Their physical strength was much worse than that of the sword cultivators, and without their spiritual power enveloping their bodies, Mu Xing He's constitution wasn't much better than an ordinary mortal's. Falling wouldn't trigger the defensive mechanism in her spiritual tool. If she were allowed to fall like that, she was sure to end up with a swollen face and bruises. Her eyes were filled with resentment as she frowned and muttered, "Alain, Alain, if it weren't for me, you would have turned into a puppet of the inner demon. Now you know who to ask for." "Annoying ghost, you always liked to tease me in the game, and now it's become a reality. You're still as annoying." She just complained for a moment and quickly began to tidy herself up. Her celestial garments had been torn into strips by Mu Xing He, so she couldn't say she was dressed properly, but at least she wasn't entirely exposed. The effects of the Celestial Star Concealing Moon Formation had been greatly compromised because of Mu Xing He's inner demon, and now that she was unconscious, the formation was likely to dissipate in no time. If she were seen in this state by someone, it would be better to find a rock to slam into and die. As expected, she had just changed into her new celestial garments when the Celestial Star Concealing Moon Formation slowly subsided. She saw Ye Pingting, Tang Mulian, and Xiao Cheng Yin standing at the entrance of this corner. Clearly, because of the greatly compromised effects of the Celestial Star Concealing Moon Formation due to the formation's caster being trapped in her inner demon, they had sensed a strong surge of spiritual power and come to check on the situation. The result was Bai Lian and Mu Xing He, as if they had been through a big battle. But this was the Sword-Testing Tower. As far as safety was concerned, only the imperial palace in the entire capital could compare to this place. What exactly had Bai Lian and Mu Xing He been fighting over? He asked tentatively, "Miss Bai, what happened?" Niang took care of yesterday's added chapter. Goodnight, everyone! She'll start today's chapter after a nap. Check 7 comments for the most efficient answer.