Inner Demons

Chapter 89: Defense Line

After Lingkongzi said these words, Li Yunxin knew that he could never "return to the mountain" with her.

If it were an ordinary treasure, so be it. But since it was something the "Two Saints" were waiting for, something related to their ascension... he didn't quite know what others would do. But he knew that if it were him, he definitely wouldn't let someone who knew this secret live freely in this world.

Not necessarily have to kill them but...

It's something related to ascension.

Waiting... for a thousand years? Or two thousand years?

"The Painting Saint was here two thousand years ago, only a thousand years ago..."

"During that thousand years, such a long time, no one was able to open that jade slip?" Li Yunxin frowned slightly, "The Painting School existed for a thousand years, right? Did the Painting Saint not have a successor?"

"Since you have seen that jade slip, you should know what the writing inside is like." Lingkongzi was silent for a moment, and her voice suddenly became steady, saying, "Of course people have seen that jade slip and read the writing inside. But the writing in that jade slip has extremely profound meaning and is quite obscure. The writing itself is also simple symbols used by the ancient saints. Some of us understand this writing, but we need more people to brainstorm and study it together. So we also need you—coming with me is not a bad thing."

"Oh. So that's how it is." Li Yunxin raised his hand and rubbed his forehead, as if he had a slight headache from drinking and being excited.

But in reality, the hairs on his body were standing on end. He raised his hand to conceal the subtle fluctuations on his face that might be detected by the other party. It was as if he had suddenly seen a fierce beast or venomous snake about to pounce, and a chill suddenly burst from his bone marrow, instantly spreading throughout his body!That sentence just now was wrong.

Lingkongzi's current state was also wrong.

She seemed to have suddenly become a different person—he couldn't read her tone.

If Lingkongzi had been defeated by him just now, and her entire inner world was laid bare before him, then at the moment she discussed the topic related to the Lucid Jade Slip...

It was as if an alarm in her inner world was triggered, and her subconscious level was instantly armed by a powerful force, constructing an unbreakable Mental Defense—someone, or something that happened in the past, had given her an extremely strong psychological suggestion!!

This strong psychological suggestion had built an alarm mechanism in her heart—once any event or person triggered this alarm, she herself seemed to become unusually calm and steady...

At this moment, she broke free from Li Yunxin's control over her!

However, under this premise... Lingkongzi didn't seem to be aware of it herself—she herself didn't seem to know that the alarm in her subconscious had been triggered!

She said, "Since you have seen that jade slip, you should know what the writing inside is like"—Li Yunxin had seen it.

Therefore, he knew that the writing inside was something that everyone in this world could understand.

She also said, "Of course someone has seen it, but they couldn't understand it"—if someone had seen it, it would be impossible not to understand it. What he could see at his current level were cultivation methods—written in the writing of this world. And the Painting Saint had set some restrictions on that thing through a certain method of magic that only existed in this world, so that he needed to advance further in his cultivation to see other things.

But as far as he knew at the moment, there was absolutely no such thing as "not being able to understand".

This meant that neither she nor the "certain people" she mentioned had truly opened this "Lucid Jade Slip" and seen its contents.

She lied—a lie that was easily seen through, but if successful, was extremely effective.

This was because she or they probably assumed a premise—it was impossible for anyone to know the writing that opened the Lucid Jade Slip. So she could freely spout nonsense about "simple symbols used by the ancient saints".

—Since so many powerful individuals from the Daoist Orthodoxy and Grotto-heaven had never seen it, then Li Yunxin shouldn't have seen it either—Li Yunxin shouldn't be able to open this Lucid Jade Slip.

Then Lingkongzi was actually deliberately and with a rather casual attitude hinting to herself—"Of course we know how to open this thing. And we have even read this thing. Whether you can open it or not, whether you can read it—we can. And now we are very willing to accept you as one of us."

Any other person in this world...

Would probably have fallen for it.

This woman's thinking at the moment...

Is simply...

Running rampant!

Li Yunxin took two deep breaths and returned himself to a rational and sharp state.

He had done many things and laid out many lines at this Treasure Blossom Assembly. Now, he was trying to find a line again, to quickly get out of the current dangerous situation, so that he would have a chance to make a long-term plan.

After two seconds, he put down his hand, raised his head again, and smiled: "Okay. I'll go with you. Actually, I already... had this arrangement."

He looked at the people in the hall who were neither seeing, hearing, nor moving, and pointed to the Old Daoist Liu beside him: "I caused so much trouble today, partly for you, and partly for him. Painting this picture is the same. I was thinking I might have to show some of my value—I'm not only the holder of the jade slip, but also a powerful Painting Daoist."

"The Daoist Orthodoxy and Sword Sect lack people like me, I'm not a pawn that can be sacrificed easily. But if I leave, this old Daoist..."

"I've been with him for so long, I like him." Li Yunxin was silent for a moment, "You know I've cultivated to the Manifestation Realm, I need to find my Dao Heart, and I still have to Transcending Tribulation. I'm not sure if this old Daoist is my Dao Heart or my tribulation. Since some people's Dao Heart is a frog, it's also possible that my Dao Heart is a person."

"If he could become my Dao Heart, then he can't be harmed. If he is my tribulation, then he certainly can't be harmed—you also know that if he, as the tribulation, dies, this tribulation will be even harder to cross."

"So I did these things today, and I will also bestow favors on these wild Taoist priests later—it's so that he can live better after I leave. My friend Young Master Nine has seen this old Daoist, and I fear he will harm him, so... from this perspective, I also want to eliminate that Dragon's Son."

Lingkongzi seemed to smile slightly: "Then why not take him with you. Grotto-heaven is the immortal realm in the hearts of people like them."

"You know what kind of people you, I, and high-level cultivators are. Mortals say cultivators are Immortals, but speaking of reason—after we cross one tribulation after another, we feel more familiar with demons. He won't like that environment. I don't like being caged—he won't either. And there's no Qionghua Tower or Wood South Residence there."

"Actually... it's like a besieged city. People outside the city want to come in. Once they come in, they are no longer free, and they can't even have the thought of leaving."

Lingkongzi seemed very satisfied with his answer, and there was laughter in her voice: "Talking to you is always interesting. Then let's talk about... the ghost you want me to catch. What for?"