My Master, Do You Have a Dao Companion?

The Ancient God's voice appeared in the Inner Demon's dream.

Li Yan knew this wasn't so simple. It was probably not that Longyue was bloodthirsty; rather, she had been influenced by the Ancient God.

During the battle at the Divine Tomb, her mind had been tainted by the Bloodline Emperor Lord to some degree.

The Blood Dynasty, founded single-handedly by the Bloodline Emperor Lord, craved blood.

Li Yan could be certain that after the battle at the Divine Tomb, many immortals had been tainted.

This corruption wasn't visible on the surface.

Take Longyue, for example. She appeared to be a cold and aloof immortal maiden, yet inside, she couldn't suppress her frenzied killing intent.

If she kept going like this, it was only a matter of time before she became a Sword Demon.

Once she became a Sword Demon, she would turn into a monster that knew only how to pursue slaughter and had lost herself.

She was destined to have no chance of breaking through to the Mahayana Stage and ascending to the White Jade Capital. Instead, she would become the Ancient God's sword slave.

Li Yan raised his head and looked toward the stone coffin in the darkness.

"Truly, you just won't stay dead."

"I didn't expect him to be able to enter your dream and interfere with your Inner Demon."

The projection in the darkness vanished. In its place, another Moonlight Sword Immortal stood across from them.

The Moonlight Sword Immortal opposite them wore a twisted expression, her eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

A line of text also appeared before Li Yan.

[Bloodline Incarnation · Moonlight Sword Immortal's Inner Demon]

Most likely, the Ancient God had planted a seed in the Sword Immortal's heart.

The Ancient God before them could willfully awaken cultivators' killing urges.

Just as Li Yan was thinking this over,

the system prompted him again.

[Moonlight Sword Immortal is being corrupted by the Bloodline Incarnation.]

[Host, you activated Side Effect Shelter for her. You are now bearing the side effects on behalf of Moonlight Sword Immortal.]

[Side effect: In the nightmare created by the Ancient God Bloodline Emperor, you will be caught in endless slaughter and eventually lose yourself.]

[Side effect converted to a boon: The host will benefit from slaughter. While remaining fully lucid, you will gain practical combat experience.]

Seeing this, Li Yan's lips curved upward.

"Longyue."

"Master, I..."

Longyue lowered her head in shame. She hadn't expected to split off a bloodthirsty Inner Demon.

But Li Yan spoke up. "Don't suppress yourself. The so-called Path of Ruthlessness is actually what binds you."

"We cultivators pursue freedom and follow our hearts. Our thoughts must flow freely. If they don't, then what's the point of cultivating immortality?"

"Follow your heart. Strike decisively, and love and hate with all your heart!"

Moonlight Sword Immortal was stunned. She couldn't help asking,

"Master, shouldn't cultivators restrain themselves and seek peace?"

Li Yan replied calmly, "If you suppress your emotions too much, they'll become your Inner Demon."

"Go on. Enjoy the fight. Don't be ashamed."

When Li Yan said this, the Ancient God in the coffin laughed mockingly from the darkness.

"Let her enjoy the fight? Are you trying to hand her over to me?"

Faced with the Ancient God's taunt, Li Yan only smiled in silence.

He knew that Moonlight Sword Immortal had constantly repressed her desire for battle to maintain her image as an immortal swordswoman.

What she wanted was a thoroughly satisfying battle. As long as she was allowed this one time, and released the restraint she had imposed on herself for thousands of years,

then at least for the next few thousand years, she wouldn't have to live so repressed.

This was a way to cure her Inner Demon swiftly by fighting poison with poison.

Besides, with Li Yan there to protect her and bear all the side effects, what was there to fear?

Since her master had said so, Longyue, who had always prided herself on being an immortal swordswoman and restrained her urge to kill, decided to let herself go.

"Since Master says so..."

She slowly drew her treasured sword, casting aside the composure and aloofness she'd displayed in the past.

Now, Longyue's eyes brimmed with a yearning for battle. She longed to burn everything to ash and fight a powerful foe.

"Master is right. If I force myself to suppress my emotions, what's the point of cultivating immortality?"

In that instant, a terrifying sword intent rose from Moonlight Sword Immortal.

An aura of slaughter, utterly unrestrained and undisguised, swept over them like a tidal wave.

Even Li Yan, standing behind her, felt that surging sword intent.

As a spectator, Li Yan found it exhilarating too.

That pure sword intent cast aside all thought, pursuing only the ultimate art of slaughter.

Moonlight Sword Immortal's sword swept out and directly cut down the Bloodline Incarnation.

But the Ancient God who had invaded the dream let out a sinister laugh.

"She's about to become my sword slave. You like killing, do you? I'll let you kill to your heart's content!"

The coffin cracked open, and torrents of blood poured through the gap.

When the blood hit the ground, it formed one humanoid clone after another, each a copy of Moonlight Sword Immortal.

Longyue couldn't be bothered with any of that. She followed her master's advice and unleashed her innermost desires.

What Path of Ruthlessness? What maintaining serenity? Calm as still water, day after day, year after year.

The emotions she'd suppressed for so long burst free in that moment.

She frantically cut down every Bloodline clone in sight. Blades clashed, and swordlight flashed.

Longyue slew the Bloodline clones faster and faster. Though she was drenched in blood, she laughed with unrestrained delight.

She had never fought with such exhilaration. Her swordsmanship grew more refined with every stroke, all of it focused on pursuing the ultimate art of slaughter.

Meanwhile, Li Yan silently bore every emotion, allowing her to do as she pleased.

That powerful intent swirled around Li Yan.

Lines of text appeared before his eyes.

[You bore Longyue's killing intent and comprehended the Crescent Moon Sword Technique.]

[You bore Longyue's killing intent. Crescent Moon Sword Technique: Beginner → Minor Achievement.]

[You bore Longyue's killing intent. Crescent Moon Sword Technique: Beginner → Major Achievement.]

[You bore Longyue's...]

As the prompts kept popping up, Li Yan watched helplessly as the sword technique broke through from Major Achievement to a perfect, qualitative transformation.

[Crescent Moon Sword Technique (Grade One) transformed → Taiyin Guixu (Immortal Grade).]

Li Yan watched from the side, continuously bearing all the side effects and negative emotions.

Moonlight Sword Immortal no longer had to worry about losing herself, and so she didn't need to hold back.

At that moment, she didn't need to hide or suppress her emotions in front of her master. She could enjoy everything to her heart's content.

Every swing of her sword, every clone she cut down, filled her with boundless exhilaration.

While Li Yan and Longyue were both having a wonderful time, the Ancient God who had invaded the dream had begun to question everything.

The Ancient God in the coffin simply couldn't understand.

"Why..."

"She killed the thousand or so clones I released, yet still hasn't fallen to the Demonic Path?"

"On the contrary, the pleasure slaughter brings her is slowly fading."

"Could Li Yan be helping her steady her mind?"

The Ancient God had never seen anything like this. He had gone to great lengths to invade Longyue's Inner Demon dream,

and expended a tremendous amount of divine power, only to gain nothing in the end?

Watching Moonlight Sword Immortal's expression grow ever more serene, the Ancient God in the coffin gave an unhappy snort and vanished from Longyue's Inner Demon dream.

By then, Longyue had slain over a thousand Bloodline clones. The web between her thumb and forefinger, gripping the sword hilt, had been jolted until it throbbed with pain.

But after the killing intent she had suppressed for thousands of years was released in full at last,

her heart gradually grew calm, no longer trapped by that urge to kill.

"Master, I understand now."

Having abandoned the Path of Ruthlessness she had pursued, Moonlight Sword Immortal pressed a hand to her chest and looked at Li Yan.

"Master... do you have a Dao companion in the White Jade Capital?"

Hmm?

Li Yan raised an eyebrow, sensing something strange.

Was his female disciple asking if he was single? What was she hinting at?