966 - I Became a Villainess and Was Pestered by Beautiful Girls

The trial of the Dark Inner Heart was not overly complicated, yet it was inherently perilous. Anything related to consciousness, soul, or the spiritual world always came with immeasurable risk — a single mistake could provoke catastrophic consequences. Anruo Elder had already warned: once you enter the trial state, no external force can forcibly awaken you. To escape from the absolute stillness, there was only one way – to obtain the recognition of the Dark Inner Heart. "Although I'm not someone who can endure loneliness," Tang Xin said, "but if it's to achieve my goal, I can force myself to endure it." Anruo glanced at her but said nothing more. Senior Sister returned to the ground and meditated cross-legged for a moment. Once she had adjusted her state, she nodded towards the Great Elder of the Dark Clan. Two powerful figures escorted her, flew down from the city, arrived above the Dark Inner Heart, and then retreated to a safe distance. “Let’s begin.” Tang Xin closed her eyes, allowing her body to naturally float into the boundless darkness. …… At first, it was a peaceful darkness. All external perceptions and awareness of the flow of time vanished, as if becoming blind and deaf. Although it was uncomfortable, as a cultivator, it was still bearable. Furthermore, Senior Sister had her special "way to fight boredom." “Monday, Su Ling; Tuesday, Shui Qiu; Wednesday…” A different one for each day, never the same week! However, such simple distractions soon lost their effectiveness as the immense passage of time went by. She began to grow restless. How many times must I count before I pass this trial? The most terrifying aspect of the Dark Inner Heart’s trial was not the “silence,” but the fear of “time.” Fear of an endless duration, not knowing how long the torment would last, could steadily drive one's mind to madness. "Calm down!" Tang Xin told herself. But even these words, over time, became increasingly useless. At this moment— [Main Quest Triggered] [Play String Figures] [Quest Reward: Divine Spirit Power-Enhancing Material] “?” Why did the system suddenly reappear? Hadn’t this guy been out of sight recently? And what’s with this mission? Playing string figures? Seriously? As Tang Xin's mind was filled with questions, a white-haired woman appeared before her—it was herself. The White-haired Witch raised her hands, already weaving the string figures, seemingly wanting her to take over. Playing with oneself? Senior Sister seemed to understand something. She took over the string figures, then extended her hands again, allowing the counterpart to continue. Just like that, two people, the White-haired Witch and Senior Sister, played string figures in the endless darkness. Who knows how long had passed, when suddenly a voice echoed in her ear. “Are you lonely?” “Not lonely.” Tang Xin answered. The darkness remained unchanged, and the flow of time still couldn’t be felt. But it didn’t matter; with someone to play string figures, the process of the trial was not so boring. Who knows how much longer, the voice spoke again. “Are you lonely?” This time, Senior Sister thought seriously and frowned before answering. “Not lonely.” From her experience, lying was useless, or worse, had side effects in the face of world power. She genuinely wasn’t lonely now with someone accompanying her. Who knows how much longer again, the string figures had been played into countless patterns, and the voice sounded once more. “Are you lonely?” Senior Sister's mouth twitched. Is this endless? How many times must you ask? “Okay, okay, I’m lonely, does that work?” Seriously, can't I speak my mind? Is it so hard to be honest? “Do you wish to dissolve into nothingness?” the voice asked once more. “Of course not. I don’t want to die yet,” Tang Xin replied while continuing to play string figures. The voice fell silent. Wait, should I have said “I wish”? In front of the Dark Inner Heart, should I display a “negative mindset”? Whoosh— Suddenly, a gentle breeze brushed against her face. Tang Xin was taken aback. After having her senses closed off for so long, regaining them all of a sudden took some time to process. Then, other sensations returned to her body one by one, as if an ancient machine had started moving again, making her feel reborn. Correspondingly, the White-haired Witch playing string figures in front of her seemed increasingly ephemeral. The White-haired Witch smiled faintly and extended her hands one last time. Tang Xin instinctively caught them. [Main Quest Completed. You have obtained “Divine Spirit Power-Enhancing Material.”] The White-haired Witch vanished. "The system helped me pass the trial of the Dark Inner Heart..." Tang Xin exhaled slowly, opened her eyes, and muttered to herself. Before her, she saw the Dark Inner Heart within reach. However, Senior Sister felt no elation in successfully passing the trial; she simply fell into contemplation. “Thinking back, although the system continually gives me crazy options and tasks, it never really hinders my growth... Could it be that the system is actually helping me?” From the beginning, she had been wary of the system. An entity that affected her life and death, with unknown origins, couldn’t be taken lightly. Especially with its recent changes, Tang Xin had become even more cautious. Previously, she hadn't had the ability to control this entity. Now, as she encountered higher levels of power, she knew that one day, its secrets would be unveiled. "First, let's acquire the Dark Inner Heart." Tang Xin brushed aside these thoughts, cupping her hands around a small cluster of dark energy from the Dark Inner Heart. Unlike the Radiant Inner Heart, its fluctuations were calm and restrained, showing no remarkable strength. Seeing Senior Sister successfully obtaining the Dark Inner Heart, the two powerful figures watching from afar flew over together. “Unbelievable, truly unbelievable…” Anruo mumbled repeatedly. “What’s wrong?” Tang Xin asked perplexed. “Do you know how long you took?” Guang Meng asked her, twitching slightly. “I’m not sure,” Senior Sister replied, “Was it long? It kind of felt that way…” “Quite the opposite,” Anruo Elder said through gritted teeth, “It only took you half an incense stick’s time! This nearly breaks the historical record of the Dark Clan!” “What? Just that short?” Tang Xin was shocked. “Is this good or bad?” The two elders rolled their eyes at her in unison. Feigning ignorance? If it were a bad outcome, would they be speaking in such a tone? “If you don’t possess the Dark Clan ancestors' abilities and will,” After a moment, Anruo Elder remarked, “then you must have used some kind of cheating method... truly, both the Radiant and Dark Inner Hearts, you obtained them through unorthodox means!” “Well, you didn’t say cheating wasn’t allowed,” Tang Xin replied, touching her face and laughing sheepishly.