Returning to Secluded Doom Island: Su Li's Situation

It was the twelfth lunar month, Azure Sea was blanketed in its first snowfall.

Almost every island, large or small, was now adorned with a touch of snow-white.

However, the Azure Sea Market was filled with a lively atmosphere.

It just so happens to coincide with the Laba Festival, an important festival after we defeated the Sea Race.

Many cultivators put aside their daily affairs and came to the market to either buy spiritual items or simply to join in the fun.

The streets were bustling with people, and both sides were lined with all sorts of stalls.

After Xiao Chen took the neatly arranged pastries from the Azure Sea Pavilion, he was about to leave.

But looking at the dazzling array of festival specialties, he thought for a moment and also bought some snacks like Laba Congee and Sugar Melon in the market.

And some decorative items such as paper-cuts and Hanging Painting.

Although Xiao Chen always slept on the beach on Secluded Doom Island without even having a humble abode, the main reason was that he simply found it troublesome.

In contrast, Su Li only knew to prepare a small stone house for herself.

Therefore, although these small items may not have any practical use, bringing them home can at least add to the festive atmosphere.

"This trip seems to have taken quite a while."

Xiao Chen estimated that he had been away for over a year. "I wonder what the situation is like on the island now."

Although there are no landmarks nearby.

But he still easily found the location of Secluded Doom Island in the vast ocean.

It is worth mentioning that, due to his improved cultivation level, he can now directly detect the Concealment Formation and Surveillance Array on the periphery.

For Xiao Chen, these things were long gone, and he couldn't even be bothered to care.

However, upon receiving the report from the Internal Affairs Elder, Iron Fan True Monarch's heart skipped a beat, recalling the several unusual situations that had occurred previously.

At this time, a True Lord entered the Secluded Doom Island.

His identity is all too easy to guess—it can only be Xiao Chen.

At the same time, Iron Fan True Monarch quickly realized that the time when he first noticed the anomaly in the Secluded Doom Forbidden Land was almost the same as the time when Xiao Chen made a public appearance in the Compassion Sea.

He was immediately startled. Could the Sect-Destroying Demoness his entire family be related to Daoist Xiao?

No, it should be said that the Moon Witch Saintess might be related to the Xiao Family?

I feel like there's a secret here!

Iron Fan True Monarch's mind raced, but outwardly he remained calm and instructed, "Hmm, I understand. As before, keep the news under wraps and strictly forbid it from spreading."

Even if you know something, it's best to pretend you don't.

God knows what the situation is like on the Secluded Doom Island.

As long as the Curse Moon Witch Saintess doesn't affect the outside world, everything else is fine.

Regardless of outside speculation.

When Xiao Chen returned to Secluded Doom Island, he was stunned in mid-air.

If he remembered correctly, when he left, the entire island was already lush and green.

However, what lay before them was a shocking scene of desolation.

Large swaths of Spirit Herb withered and died on the spot, and the bare tree trunks, stripped of their leaves, revealed a pitch-black color.

There used to be a small forest on the east side of the island, which provided him with a lot of food.

But now, looking across the entire island, you can't find even a single flower or a single green leaf.

It's clear that something has happened on the island.

"Strange, what's going on?"

Xiao Chen's first reaction was to suspect that enemies had come to the island.

However, when he used his Divine Sense to cover the entire island, he found no trace of the battle.

On the contrary, it was observed that in a newly built Spirit Herb Garden in the middle of the island, many Spirit Plant with strong vitality were also not spared.

It was as if, in a very short time, it was drained by some powerful force, leaving only withered remains.

Even the branches of the few Fourth-Tier Spirit Wood on the island were twisted into strange symbols.

Colorful spheres appeared on the thick tree trunk.

Their surfaces are so smooth they appear almost unnatural, and they even shimmer with a metallic sheen when exposed to sunlight.

When viewed individually, they resemble some kind of peculiar mushroom, but when mixed together, they inexplicably evoke a sense of disgust.

When a gentle breeze blows, the faint fragrance of osmanthus blossoms wafts from among them.

"Could it be that the Moon Eclipse Curse has struck again?"

Xiao Chen recalled the indescribable feeling he had when he first arrived at Secluded Doom Island: "Strange, Su Li didn't mention anything about such changes before."

Although they haven't spent a lot of time together, it's been several months.

During their conversation, they also discussed matters related to Moon Eclipse.

According to Xiao Chen's understanding, the Moon Eclipse Curse has remained largely unchanged over the past hundred years.

Initially, even the timing and range of their appearances were very regular.

Later, it was because Su Li chose to fight back that the timing of the outbreak became unstable, but it did not affect the forest on the other side of the island.

But looking at the current situation...

It's not hard to deduce that the scope and severity of the Moon Eclipse Curse seem to have increased significantly.

How could this happen?

Xiao Chen was a little confused as to why the Moon Eclipse Curse had suddenly gone out of control.

He reactivated his Divine Sense to investigate the stone house he had deliberately avoided.

Originally, he intentionally avoided the house out of politeness to prevent Su Li from feeling embarrassed.

But he's been back for quite a while now, and the other person hasn't shown up.

Xiao Chen felt it was necessary to find out the specifics.

However, the stone house was enveloped by an even more powerful Divine Sense.

Generally speaking, if a powerful Divine Sense is found to be entrenched in a place, preventing exploration, it means that the place has already been occupied by an even stronger being.

The smart thing to do is stay away.

However, Xiao Chen was quite bold, and he landed directly in front of the stone house.

Then he called out, "Su Li, are you inside?"

"Just let me know if you're there, or I'm coming in!"

A brief silence fell over the room.

Xiao Chen raised his hand to push the door open, but as soon as he did, he felt a tremendous force slam the door shut again.

Then came Su Li's slightly panicked scream, "Don't look at me!"

Um?

What does this mean?

Xiao Chen was bewildered by her strange reaction.

He was a little confused; what was wrong with the other person? They seemed a bit off.

It's important to know that Su Li is not only a Nascent Soul True Lord, but also Nascent Soul Great Perfection, making her one of the top combatants in the entire Compassion Sea.

Moreover, she has single-handedly killed Sea Race Great Demon; she's not the kind of weak and delicate little girl.

But why does her voice sound so panicked?

Could it be that an enemy with the cultivation level of Spirit Transformation has attacked?

Thinking of this, Xiao Chen couldn't help but become wary.

Meanwhile, inside the house, Su Li pressed her hands against the stone door, her heart filled with conflict.

The two hadn't seen each other for over a year, and she really wanted to run out and see him immediately.

The problem is that, under the influence of the Moon Eclipse Curse, she has now been completely transformed into a hideous monster.

How could I possibly go out and face anyone in this state?

"Are you... alright?"

Xiao Chen thought for a moment, realizing that simply being vigilant wouldn't solve the problem, so he took the initiative to ask, "I see something unusual on the island, has something happened?"

"And what are you doing hiding in the stone house?"

Another long silence followed.

If Su Li hadn't just been talking inside the stone house and had even reached out to hold the stone door shut...

Xiao Chen almost thought he was talking to himself.

But the more he did this, the more confused he became.

What exactly happened? Give me a straight answer!

After about half a cup of tea's time, Su Li spoke again, "I'm sorry, I killed all the flowers, plants and trees on the island."

"All the Spirit Plant that were born when you broke through are gone too."

ah?

What are you talking about?

Xiao Chen was stunned. What time is it? Can we stop talking about these irrelevant things?

Who the hell cares about those flowers and plants!

More importantly, what should he say now?

Tell Su Li: It's okay, I don't mind.

Wow, that's outrageous!

For a moment, Xiao Chen was speechless, unsure how to respond.

Fortunately, Su Li only paused for a moment this time.

He then finally explained, "There's something I haven't specifically told you before: I've actually started cultivating again."

"Things suddenly got chaotic outside. I thought I should perhaps improve my cultivation level, at least to have the ability to protect myself."

As she said this, she looked up through the stone door and glanced in the direction where Xiao Chen was.

Then he continued, "But I don't have a systematic Cultivation Method. Ever since I reached the Nascent Soul Great Perfection, I haven't been able to find a direction to move forward."

"Until three months ago, I received another copy of the Witch Tribe Heritage during the Moon Eclipse."

"I tried to absorb the Moonlight Power to aid my cultivation, following the method described above."

"But I never expected that the Moon Eclipse Curse would suddenly become extremely severe after that."

"And even though I've stopped cultivating, it seems like everything is already beyond repair."

"It seems like I've become an uncontrollable jinx again."

As she spoke, especially the last sentence, Su Li's voice became noticeably softer, seemingly carrying a hint of self-reproach and regret.

However, Xiao Chen breathed a sigh of relief.

Oh, so that's how it is. Why didn't you say so sooner?

His hesitation had made him nervous just now.

Since they have cultivated the Witch Tribe Heritage, there shouldn't be any major problems.

There's no reason for the Moon Witch Tribe to deliberately give out a wrong Cultivation Method, thereby harming their own Saintess.

Therefore, it is easy to conclude that the situation is completely under control and there is no need to worry excessively.

Xiao Chen was even somewhat surprised, because theoretically Su Li should have been able to understand this principle as well.

So what is she afraid of now?

He actually locked himself in his room; it's like burying his head in the sand.

After all, if the Moon Eclipse Curse were to take effect, a mere stone wall wouldn't be enough to stop it.

Adhering to the principle of asking questions when in doubt, Xiao Chen directly voiced his doubts. "Since it's Witch Tribe Secret Method, it shouldn't cause you any harm, right?"

"Why don't you come out and talk? What are you doing hiding inside?"

"You know I'm not afraid of Curse, so it definitely won't affect me."

However, Xiao Chen didn't know that Su Li didn't care about this at all.

As the power of the Moon Eclipse Curse increased dramatically, the various effects of the Curse also increased several times over.

This includes the fact that the horrific marks that originally covered her cheeks have now spread to most of her body.

Now, not only is his face hideous, but his hands, arms, and other parts are also completely covered with twisted, blood-red runes.

Let alone outsiders.

Even when she saw her own reflection in the puddle, she felt utterly ashamed because of the strange, blood-red patterns.

Actually, after seeing so many scenes of Inheritance Scene before...

Su Li could already recognize that they were not random graffiti.

On the contrary, many of them are War Mark of the Witch Clan, which can produce various effects if used skillfully.

In ancient times, only the elite warriors of a tribe were qualified to have Witch Runes tattooed on their bodies by Priest to enhance their strength.

But from the perspective of today's era...

These patterns that look like earthworms will probably only invite ridicule and contempt.

Su Li even felt like crying.

Now that I've become like this, how can I face people, especially Xiao Chen?

What will he think?

What would a normal person think?

After offering insincere comfort, they will surely distance themselves and reject you secretly.

If that's the case, it's better to hide and avoid seeing each other.

Leave a less bad impression on the other person.

"Su Li, tell me the truth, what happened to you?"

Xiao Chen suddenly asked, "I don't understand, why do you insist on hiding?"

"Therefore, I now have reason to suspect that the Human Race's Spirit Transformation couldn't bear to see the birth of a new Fifth-Tier Great Witch among the Witch Clan, so they captured you."

"Now, the only things left in the room are mechanisms used to conceal the situation and Memory Stone."

"Or perhaps the Sea Race have Fifth-Tier Great Demon lurking in the shadows, here to avenge their Patrol Sea Envoy and, incidentally, to seize their territory."

"After all, there are too many secret techniques in the Cultivation World that can fake sounds."

"There may be other situations, but I won't go into details."

"In short, I'm counting to three now. If you don't come out, I'm going to tear this stone house down."

Silence fell in the room once again.

"One!"

Xiao Chen wasn't lying; he gathered his true energy in his hands, ready to make his move.

"Wait a moment!"

Su Li finally realized what was happening, and was both amused and exasperated.

She couldn't understand why Xiao Chen would have such a strange idea.

"Two!"

Xiao Chen wasn't going to listen to her explanation; he just wanted to see her.

You should know that Blood Crystal are a treasure that can increase the Total Vitality!

Furthermore, he believed that the Spirit Transformation Venerable had many ways to resolve the problem of the Curse Power within the Blood Crystal.

Given this, it cannot be ruled out that a certain Human Race -Spirit Transformation, after learning about the situation on Secluded Doom Island, came to eliminate the Witch Clan Remnant.

They also discovered the valuable resource of Blood Crystal, leading to the possibility of secretly capturing her.

Perhaps, the other party is observing me nearby right now, pondering the false background of that so-called Hidden Dao Heritage.

"Can you listen to me first?"

Su Li's voice was filled with anxiety and a slight tremor. "I can't see you in my current state."

oh?

Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes; he knew immediately that there was indeed something wrong inside the stone house!

So he immediately pressed, "Why? What's wrong?"

"Give me a good reason, or I'll really take action."

Upon hearing this from inside the room, Su Li was both anxious and angry.

This annoying kid, why is he so disobedient!

But at the same time, she felt a strange warmth and happiness in her heart.

Worried that Xiao Chen would really demolish the stone house, Su Li didn't dare to waste any more time.

She bit her red lips and asked in a low voice, "If I told you that I've been affected by the Moon Eclipse and turned into a monster, would you still want to see me?"

"I look like a monster now, are you still going to see me?"

Su Li didn't know why, but subconsciously asked twice, "Do you want to see me?"

He even deliberately exaggerated his own situation.

Um?

Xiao Chen was stumped by her question again.

What does it mean to be as terrifying as a monster?

I've killed dozens of Great Demon, and you're telling me this?

Do you really think I, a dignified Nascent Soul True Lord, would be afraid of monsters?

Who do you think you are, looking down on someone like that!

Xiao Chen immediately declared confidently, "What's the big deal? Of course I want to see you."

"Come out here, let me see what's wrong with you."

Hearing this almost unhesitating answer, Su Li seemed much more relieved.

She took a deep breath, gently pushed the stone door open halfway, revealing half of her body.

Then he preemptively asked, "Don't I look terrible now?"

Generally speaking, if a person stays indoors for two months without going out, they will become listless and have a sallow complexion.

However, Su Li's situation is rather special.

With the blessing of the Eclipse Power, her vital energy became increasingly abundant, and her vitality became increasingly strong.

In Xiao Chen's eyes, the figure behind the door, without any makeup, was radiant, full of energy, and beaming with joy.

She looks exactly like a young woman in her late teens.

It has absolutely nothing to do with any so-called monster.

This is quite normal, as the effect of the Eclipse Power on Su Li's cheek originally existed in the form of an illusion.

Even after being enhanced, it still exists in the form of an illusion, and thus is directly concealed by the Divinity Veil.

"Isn't it pretty?"

Xiao Chen bluntly stated, "I even feel that you look more energetic and vibrant now than you did a year ago."

He was about to say, "Aren't you female cultivators too concerned about your appearance?"

They make a fuss over the slightest change.

But after thinking about it, I felt it might be a bit inappropriate, so I didn't say anything.

Su Li witnessed all of this.

He watched as Xiao Chen tried very hard to praise him, but couldn't say anything more than "energetic."

I felt a pang of disappointment, but also a touch of emotion.

Because she could also tell that Xiao Chen's first words were very sincere.

This shows that he really doesn't mind his current appearance, and even sincerely compliments himself on his looks.

This... I can't believe he even said it.

Or perhaps it's more accurate to say that men all over the world are incredibly skilled at sweet talk?

Su Li herself dared not say that she was very beautiful now.

"Hey, I brought you your favorite snacks."

Xiao Chen stepped forward and pulled out a Golden Thread Glazed Crisp, handing it over. "And there's a little gift too, guess what it is?"

"Just a reminder, this is related to the Chinese New Year."

However, as he approached, he was surprised to see what was inside the stone house. "Hey, why is there a sculpture in your house?"

"It looks quite new. Did you carve it yourself?"

"I've never seen a sculpture of someone wearing a feathered robe on the island before."

At this point, Xiao Chen added with some curiosity, "And this feather robe looks rather familiar, like I've seen it somewhere before."

Su Li turned her head and glanced at it, her face immediately turning bright red.

He quickly took a step forward, closed the stone door, and also placed a layer of protection to prevent prying eyes.

Then, in a flustered manner, he explained, "No, you must have misread it."

Xiao Chen nodded in deep agreement. "That's true. I've been reading so many Ancient Books lately, my head is spinning. I must have mixed up some illustrations."

"Forget it, let's not talk about that anymore."

"Look what this is! I brought you a New Year's picture!"

As he spoke, Xiao Chen took out paper-cuts, Peach Charm, and other items. "In a couple of days, I'll help you decorate your little house."

"It's a holiday, so it needs some decorations to really feel right."

"Also, I'll tell you, I brought back a large piece of crab meat."

"It was taken from a level four Red Flower Crab, I guarantee it will be delicious!"

"It's no exaggeration to say that, apart from Frozen Fish, this is the second best thing I've ever eaten."

You must try it later.

Looking at Xiao Chen, who was beaming with joy and was exactly the same as when he returned before, Su Li was momentarily dazed.

She had just hurriedly closed the door when she suddenly jumped out.

The two are now less than a foot apart.

With her exceptional eyesight, she could even see her own reflection in the other person's pupils.

Even so, Xiao Chen never showed any discomfort or aversion.

In the past two months, none of the bad scenarios that Su Li had anticipated and worried about actually happened.

It seems as if the effects of the Eclipse Power mutation simply don't exist.

It turns out she was just overthinking things.

"Thank you!"

Su Li's beautiful eyes curved into crescent moons. "This is the best gift I've ever received."

ah?

Xiao Chen was slightly taken aback. You've never received a New Year's picture before?

Is she really that pitiful?

"The sun is about to set, how about we have grilled fish today?"

Su Li finally regained her usual composure and skillfully inquired, "There are no more fruits and vegetables on the island now. I'll look for any seeds left tomorrow."

This is how the two of them interacted on the island.

"Great! Speaking of which, I haven't had your grilled fish in ages, I'm really craving it."

Xiao Chen had gotten used to it; every night he would sit by a fire on the beach, sharing food and chatting with Su Li.

Of course, he also noted down the matter of the seeds.

There are still twenty days until the Chinese New Year, so there's plenty of time to take a trip to the New Cultivation World.

I'll bring back some Spirit Plant seeds when I go.

Fifteen minutes later.

While the fish is skewered and grilled over the fire...

Xiao Chen also took the opportunity to learn more about the specifics. "What exactly is going on with the anomaly of the Moon Eclipse Curse?"

"Tell me in detail what exactly the impacts were."

Su Li's biggest worry had been resolved, she naturally stopped hiding anything.

So he described in detail what had happened two months ago.

According to her, she didn't feel any difference when she first used the Witch Tribe Secret Method to absorb the Moonlight Power.

It was simply considered a special cultivation method of the Witch Clan.

However, during the Moon Eclipse, she discovered that the Moonlight Power she had absorbed was merely stored within her body and had not been fully absorbed.

As a result of the Moon Eclipse, the Moonlight Power was also corrupted and turned into Curse Power.

This resulted in an exceptionally severe Moon Eclipse.

As she spoke, she took out a Blood Crystal that was noticeably larger than usual. "Even the Blood Crystal produced during that Moon Eclipse was twice the size of the usual one."