Did everyone in your Demonic Cult grow up listening to this?

"Hey, tell me what happened out there over the past three years."

Perhaps he was too bored, because Lin Yuan actually struck up a conversation with Gu Yi.

Gu Yi counted the days. He had already spent nearly a month inside this barrier.

He had originally expected to die within half a month, but that session of soul cultivation had extended his life somewhat.

He had been observing Lin Yuan over the past few days, and since Lin Yuan could not see, he had grown even more brazen about it.

This young immortal lord worked very hard. He cultivated when he woke and slept when he was tired.

Yet he was only a teenage boy. Gu Yi had no idea how he had endured three years alone inside this barrier.

After just thirty days trapped inside the barrier, Gu Yi already felt each day drag on like a year, let alone Lin Yuan, who had been trapped in this cave for three years.

"The past three years... Well, a lot happened..." Gu Yi chuckled. "Would you like to hear about the righteous sects or the Demonic Cult, young immortal lord?"

"Whatever you like. Tell me something interesting." Lin Yuan sat cross-legged with his chin propped on his hand, looking very expectant.

"All right, then I'll tell you about your Qingling Sword Sect. Your grandfather, Old Sect Master Lin..."

Gu Yi had a lovely voice. He spoke in an easy, unhurried flow, as though telling a story, recounting everything Lin Yuan had missed over those three years without the slightest error.

As Lin Yuan listened to his voice, his mind began to wander.

What exactly did Gu Yi look like? What sort of face went with a voice like that?

Back in the sea of consciousness that day, he had gotten the hazy impression that Gu Yi was probably quite good-looking.

And there was the feeling of lying on top of him. He was neither fat nor thin, and the way he felt to the touch...

Lin Yuan suddenly blushed. Why was he sitting here thinking about how a man felt to the touch?

Perhaps he had spent too long inside this barrier. Now, no matter what wandered in here, he would probably think it looked rather nice.

"The Qingling Sword Sect wasn't among those who joined the siege against the Demon Venerable. Probably because you were missing, and they were all too busy looking for you to have time to besiege him... Haha..."

A great deal had happened over three years, and Gu Yi spent several days talking. Once he finished with the righteous sects, he naturally moved on to the Demonic Cult.

And when discussing the Demonic Cult, he could hardly avoid talking about the Demon Venerable.

"That Demon Venerable was already at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage. Why didn't he keep cultivating and ascend? What good did signing an agreement with the righteous sects do the Demonic Cult? So what if he united the Demonic Cult and became its Demon Venerable? He was a poor judge of character and ended up surrounded and killed, with all his efforts benefiting He Yan instead. What an endearing fool!" At this point, Lin Yuan could not resist interrupting.

"Whose side are you on, young immortal lord? Wasn't it a good thing that a fiend like the Demon Venerable died?" Gu Yi gave a bitter smile.

He was right. If Gu Yi had not been so intent on completing his missions and going home, never considering that those around him had long harbored ulterior motives, how could he have met such an end?

Ever since entering the book, he believed he had never done anything heinous. Even when carrying out missions, he had always acted honorably.

In his lofty position, everyone who saw him had been terrified and utterly deferential. How could he have imagined that a venomous snake like He Yan was lurking at his side?

"Although that Demon Venerable belonged to the Demonic Cult, what he did still counted as good deeds. Now that he's dead, with a scoundrel like He Yan taking charge of the Demonic Cult, that may no longer be the case."

Lin Yuan scoffed. "He Yan became the Demonic Cult's new leader, broke the peace agreement, and sparked a war between the righteous and demonic factions. Won't that bring devastation to countless lives again? They would have been better off letting that fool remain the Demon Venerable."

Gu Yi knew Lin Yuan was right, but he was already dying. He could no longer concern himself with the lives of everyone in the world.

Even the system had abandoned him. Why should he care whether anyone else lived or died?

"But how do you know so much about the Demonic Cult? Do you belong to it?" Lin Yuan tilted his head, blinking his vacant eyes toward Gu Yi.

Gu Yi pressed his lips together. "I... was... one of the Demon Venerable's subordinates. When he died, people were hunting me down too."

"Oh." Earlier, he said he was an independent cultivator... There really wasn't a single truthful word out of this man's mouth.

Lin Yuan seemed to lose interest. He lay down with his back to Gu Yi. "Stop talking. I'm going to sleep for a while. You'd better not make a sound, or I'll kill you."

Somewhat amused, Gu Yi nodded. "All right."

The threat to kill him carried no weight at all. He had no idea why this young immortal lord was sulking at him again.

Lin Yuan was still upset over how he had suddenly blushed and felt his heart race earlier.

Gu Yi was in poor physical condition. He would probably still die before long.

Then Lin Yuan would be the only one left inside this barrier again.

If Gu Yi's corpse rotted here, that would annoy him even more!

Before, he had thought keeping this fellow around would be good, even if only for ten days. But now he thought he ought to keep him alive a little longer, so he could stay with him.

He could die after Lin Yuan got out of here.

In any case, he could not die now.

And so the two spent another few days together. During the day, Gu Yi would tell Lin Yuan stories.

He had finished recounting everything that had happened over the past three years, but Lin Yuan was still bored.

Thinking he could still be of some use and leave something behind before he died, Gu Yi said, "I'll tell you some other stories. I guarantee you've never heard them. Myths or fairy tales. Pick one."

Over the past few days, Lin Yuan had fallen asleep listening to Gu Yi's voice. It was as though the stories of these few days had dissolved all the loneliness of those three years.

"What's a fairy tale?" Lin Yuan asked, playing with a small stone.

Gu Yi thought for a moment. "A story full of fantastical things."

"Then tell me a couple." Lin Yuan put the stone aside and leaned languidly against the "wall" again.

For some reason, Gu Yi felt a pang in his heart. Lin Yuan could not see. How did he keep track of how long he had been here?

By counting?

Three years, over a thousand days. A sixteen-year-old boy had cultivated here day and night, all so he could get out.

"Hey, get on with it!" Lin Yuan frowned impatiently.

"Ah, right. I'll tell you 'Snow White' and 'Little Red Riding Hood.'" Gu Yi came back to himself and cleared his throat. "Once upon a time, a princess named Snow White lived in a castle... She had skin as white as snow... Moved by the princess's beauty, the prince woke her with a loving kiss."

Lin Yuan had begun frowning halfway through. When Gu Yi suddenly fell silent at this point, he could not help asking, "That's it?"

"Yes, that's it..." Gu Yi had finished the story and had no idea why Lin Yuan was reacting so strongly.

"Haha, what an interesting story." Though Lin Yuan said that, his tone was full of disdain.

"Then... shall I tell you another? Do you still want to listen?" His words had robbed Gu Yi of his confidence.

"Go on!" Lin Yuan lowered his head. "Is the next story you're telling a fairy tale too?"

"Yes. Once upon a time, there was a girl named Little Red Riding Hood... In the end, a brave hunter appeared, rescued her grandmother and Little Red Riding Hood, and killed the big bad wolf." Gu Yi smiled as he spoke. "The end."

"Mm. Your stories are all quite interesting. They're rather like that Demon Venerable you mentioned. Did he grow up listening to these too?" Lin Yuan suddenly said mockingly, "Or does everyone in your Demonic Cult like listening to this?"