“Lin’er, I heard you’ve had a bit of a falling out with that lad Yan Li?”
True Person Wuyan’s smiles were growing more frequent by the day, looking as if he had grown decades younger, with none of that “transcendent immortal” demeanor he usually displayed in public.
Of course, having finally settled a major burden that had weighed on his heart for twenty years—seeing his and Han Ji’s Lin’er successfully break the fate of a “Rootless One”—he was naturally overjoyed.
Yan Lin, looking at the completely oblivious True Person Wuyan, hesitated for a moment before eventually sighing. He could only say in his heart: That’s because you don’t know what kind of thoughts that lad Yan Li harbors toward your precious son!
But the matter of Yan Lin’s original fate as a Rootless One had previously consumed all of Wuyan’s focus. Although he was grateful for—and puzzled by—Yan Li’s willing sacrifice, he hadn’t thought about it in that way at all.
Now, having settled his heart’s burden, Wuyan’s attitude toward Yan Li had undergone a complete reversal. He was throwing piles of sect resources at the lad, finally truly regarding him as his own disciple.
With the plot warped to this extent, the future event where the protagonist seeks revenge and wipes out the Yaoguang Sect probably wouldn’t happen either.
At the thought of the protagonist’s morbid feelings, Yan Lin couldn’t help but shake his head.
Later, Yan Lin received news that True Person Wuyan was entering seclusion to break through to the Tribulation Transcendence Stage. Originally, Wuyan’s cultivation had been stagnant at the peak of the Soul Formation Stage for over twenty years; once the burden on his heart was lifted, the bottleneck naturally began to loosen.
Because of this, the sect was in a state of jubilation. If True Person Wuyan succeeded, it meant the sect would add a great cultivator of the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, and the status of the Yaoguang Sect in the cultivation world would rise accordingly.
After all, if a sect possesses a Tribulation Transcendence cultivator, other powers would think twice before looking for trouble, and the sect would hold significant sway in the immortal world.
Yan Lin was naturally happy for True Person Wuyan, though he figured he’d be a bit happier if the protagonist weren’t constantly following him around.
“Senior Brother, what are you thinking about?”
Now that both sides had essentially laid their cards on the table—presumably knowing that Yan Lin had seen through him—Yan Li no longer hid his intentions. Even Xiao Xiao’er had to wait until he wasn’t around to occasionally sneak a visit.
Admittedly, the protagonist was still submissive in appearance, but Yan Lin would rather he still be hiding his feelings. Right now, one could only say that everything was a total mess.
Yan Lin knit his brows slightly and glanced at him. Yan Li looked normal—composed and restrained, no different from before—when a question suddenly occurred to Yan Lin.
“These past few days… have you felt any discomfort in your body?”
The “plummeting cultivation” described in the plot hadn’t happened, and the “lingering on the brink of death” hadn’t appeared either. One could perhaps argue that True Person Wuyan had used some holy healing medicine to keep him stable, but the fact that he looked perfectly fine seemed a bit abnormal, didn’t it?
Yan Li stared at a stray lock of hair hanging in front of Yan Lin, twining it around his fingertip. Upon hearing the question, he let out a low chuckle.
“Is my older brother concerned about me? …This Junior Brother is perfectly fine. Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother.”
Yan Lin didn’t quite believe him, but he failed to see Yan Li’s eyes darken. Looking at that nearby, pearly earlobe, Yan Li’s Adam’s apple bobbed imperceptibly.
…No rush.
He said to himself.
After agonizing for a moment, Yan Lin relaxed his brow. Putting aside the crumbling plot, even the protagonist himself was “broken” now; seeing more things that didn’t fit the script seemed par for the course.
Actually, if he just let go a bit and ignored the protagonist’s feelings for him, things were essentially the same as before. The only thing was that he had to constantly guard against the protagonist potentially getting “handsy.” For example:
Yan Lin turned his head slightly, and that lock of hair slid from Yan Li’s fingers with a hidden, lingering tenderness.
…
Half a month later, sudden dark clouds shrouded the sky above the Yaoguang Sect—a heavy, black mass with terrifying lightning snaking through it.
Suddenly, a figure burst out from True Person Wuyan’s place of seclusion, meeting the thunder with an unstoppable momentum.
There was a thunderous roar. A moment later, the dark clouds dispersed, and golden light poured down from the cloud layer, as if coating the Yaoguang Sect in a layer of radiance.
Yan Lin watched with his own eyes as the plants and flowers in the courtyard grew wildly, blooming into one vivid flower after another in an instant. Simultaneously, the cultivation within his own body rose slightly.
He looked up to see True Person Wuyan drifting down from the sky. The sound of his “Hahaha!” laughter echoed, likely audible to the entire sect. It was clear: True Person Wuyan had successfully broken through to the Tribulation Transcendence Stage.
However, before the sect could celebrate, a message from the major sects reached True Person Wuyan’s hand.
The content: True Person Wuyan was needed to discuss the seal on the Demon Abyss.
Now that True Person Wuyan had entered the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, it was impossible to hide it from the major sects of the immortal world. He truly now had the qualifications to participate in matters concerning the Abyss seal. As they say, an extra bit of strength provides an extra bit of security.
Tens of thousands of years ago, the Abyss had been sealed by ten of the strongest Tribulation Transcendence masters of that era, but thirty years ago, signs of the seal loosening began to appear. Although the demons escaping from within were weak, no one knew where the cracks caused by the loosening seal would open. Moreover, mid-level demons already possessed the initial ability to mimic human forms, making them truly difficult to guard against.
When the seal first began to loosen, only low-level demons could pass through the cracks, which wasn’t much to worry about. However, by now, even high-level demons could pass through, indicating the seal was progressively weakening.
Eight years ago, the demon that had brutally murdered the protagonist’s entire village was a mid-level demon in disguise, showing signs of evolving into a high-level demon and possessing a cunning intelligence.
During those eight years, it had hidden in deep mountains and old forests, only occasionally disguising itself as a human to have a feast in mortal villages before immediately fleeing. It had actually managed to evade the pursuit of cultivators.
However, just as it was about to evolve into a high-level demon, it was found and slain by Yan Li, who had obtained its location from True Person Wuyan.
This was only one of many demons that had escaped the Abyss. Now that high-level demons were emerging from the cracks, the matter of the loosening seal was clearly urgent.
True Person Wuyan frowned, realizing this as well. Without further ado, he gave a few instructions to the sect and immediately set off.
Yan Lin watched his figure flying away on a sword from afar, once again lamenting that the original plot was gone for good. After all, according to the original story, True Person Wuyan never reached the Tribulation Transcendence Stage—not until the Yaoguang Sect was destroyed by the protagonist’s revenge—so he never would have been able to participate in the Abyss seal matters.
Yan Lin felt as if he could feel the world’s overwhelming malice toward him; it clearly didn’t want him to successfully complete his villainous tasks! Ugh!
However, the protagonist beside him seemed to misunderstand his sorrow. Taking advantage of his distraction, Yan Li pulled him into his arms again. His two arms were like cast iron, binding him firmly, while his voice softly soothed:
“Don’t worry, Master will be fine.”
Yan Lin: “…”
Say what you want, but can you stop getting handsy!
Yan Lin’s face flushed red with anger. But just as he wanted to struggle, the other party proactively let go and stepped back two paces, acting composed as if nothing had happened.
To an onlooker, it likely just looked as if Yan Li had stepped forward to comfort Senior Brother Lin’er and then quickly let go.
No one saw Yan Li’s increasingly deep gaze. He looked at his senior brother, whose face was flushed with anger and looked exceptionally enticing. His gaze shifted slightly downward, tracing those pale red lips…
…No rush.
He said to himself again.
Suppressing that turbulent, overwhelming desire that was nearly erupting.
His Senior Brother…
Yan Lin was completely unaware.
He was currently planning to follow the original plot: collude with demons, cause trouble for the protagonist, and fulfill his duty as a villain.
Yes, that’s right. Even though the plot had collapsed and even the protagonist himself was a total mess, Yan Lin still refused to give up. Since he couldn’t turn things around through the protagonist, he would have to work hard to save the plot itself.
He felt somewhat weary of life, yet the mission had to continue—all for the sake of resurrection, for the sake of going home!
Thus, after True Person Wuyan left, Yan Lin also used the excuse of “gaining experience” and sternly refused the protagonist’s company. After eight years, he finally stepped out of the sect once again.
The events of these past few days had felt like years. The moment he left the Yaoguang Sect, it was as if he had left a place of sorrow. Everything Yan Lin looked at seemed pleasant; even the unchanging mountains and forests appeared much more amiable in his eyes.
Ever since True Person Wuyan brought the protagonist back to the Yaoguang Sect as a disciple eight years ago, Yan Lin had been diligently fulfilling his duties as a villain without a moment’s neglect. Who would have thought that the protagonist would end up turning “crooked” despite being raised this way?
Yan Lin was also utterly puzzled by this, but there was no use speaking of it now. Time couldn’t be turned back, so he might as well do his best to patch up the broken plot.
Having reached this realization, Yan Lin unconsciously sighed again, drawing secretive glances from many people nearby. They didn’t understand why this handsome young master was sighing, while some young girls quietly blushed, their hearts fluttering.
At this moment, Yan Lin was in the midst of a mortal marketplace. People were coming and going, there were various shouts from vendors, stalls with all kinds of goods—it was quite prosperous.
This was the first time since Yan Lin came to this world that he was directly facing its differences. Usually, the scenery in the Yaoguang Sect felt like a fairyland, and the immortal-like means of the disciples gave off an unrealistic feeling.
Now, looking at this mortal market before him, amidst the extraordinary bustle, he finally felt a sense of being grounded. A hint of novelty appeared in his expression. He disguised himself as a mortal, peeking here and there, browsing with great delight. His gloomy mood seemed to improve along with it.
Of course, Yan Lin hadn’t forgotten his goal: to cross paths with a demon, then link up with them, collude, frame the protagonist, and forcefully save the plot.
He had gathered his information clearly: demons usually appeared in the mortal world. Especially mid-level or high-level demons with intelligence, they were better at hiding among mortals to evade the pursuit of cultivators. Putting the latter aside—as they were likely hard to encounter—most of those coming through the cracks currently were still low-level demons.
Low-level demons have no intelligence to speak of and are driven by appetite; they are also the easiest to deal with. Yan Lin’s primary target, however, was a mid-level demon he could “hook up” with to work together in villainy.
As Yan Lin continued to linger in the bustling marketplace, temporarily putting his mission to the back of his mind, he failed to notice a dark, brooding gaze staring at him covertly, eyes narrowing slightly.