The Entire Sect is Full of Villains, Yet the Junior Sister Conquers All

Chapter 118 : Big Senior Sister's Inner Demon

It took Tantai Ming a full half day to wake up from the illusion.

As soon as he emerged from the illusion, he collapsed on the ground spread-eagled, looking like a deflated fish, "Ow, this little lord is exhausted..."

The fact that the usually lively and active husky could be worn out to this extent showed that his half day in the illusion must have been extremely perilous.

However, blessings often come disguised as misfortunes. The spiritual energy in his body had become noticeably denser, showing signs of breaking through to the peak of the Golden Core stage.

Chu Sang tossed him a few Spirit Replenishing Pills, which finally helped him recover. He pouted and said, "You have no idea, I just met someone in the illusion who looked exactly like me. That person wanted to replace me, and even had the same strength and sword techniques as me. Whatever move I made, he made the same one. It was incredibly tough. I had to push myself beyond my limits to finally defeat him!"

He had thought he was the first one to come out, but was surprised to find that three senior and junior sisters had already emerged.

Tantai Ming turned his head to look at Big Senior Sister, who was still unconscious, and blinked, "Why hasn't Big Senior Sister woken up yet?"

The illusion tests a cultivator's state of mind the most. Logically, among them, Big Senior Sister seemed to have the most steadfast mind, focusing solely on pursuing the peak of the sword dao without being distracted by worldly affairs.

Unexpectedly, Big Senior Sister was trapped the longest.

"It's probably not that simple. Big Senior Sister... might be entangled with her inner demon," Si Ku Qiu said in a deep voice, stroking her chin.

She had just encountered her inner demon and had almost been successfully induced.

Tantai Ming sprang up from the ground like a carp, looking worried, "Big Senior Sister has an inner demon?"

"Saying it's an inner demon isn't quite accurate. For Big Senior Sister and me, it's more like karmic obstacles before the inner demon takes shape."

"If one can eliminate these karmic obstacles, the path ahead will be a hundred times smoother. But if one fails to eliminate them, these karmic obstacles are very likely to transform into inner demons someday in the future..."

This Mirror Thorns illusion did have some substance to it. Chu Sang thought for a moment and took out her all-purpose Xiao Bai, "Can you take me to see Big Senior Sister's illusion?"

Xiao Bai's functions weren't limited to just devouring all things.

After devouring enough of a certain "thing," it had a high probability of learning part of that "thing's" skills.

For example, after devouring so many ghost corpses and wandering souls in the ghost city, it learned a skill called [Netherworld Transformation], which allowed it to transform its body into a netherworld form to pass through walls at will.

However, Chu Sang had always found this skill a bit useless before, so she hadn't used it much.

"Mistwess, wet me twy~"

Xiao Bai shook its head, and the crescent moon-like mark on its forehead emitted a faint purple light.

Under the amazed gazes of the other three, the forms of the human and the beast slowly began to turn transparent, gradually leaving the ground and floating in the air, truly like wandering lonely ghosts. They could not only pass freely through stone walls and trees, but also enter others' sea of consciousness.

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

Big Senior Sister's sea of consciousness was a world of ice and snow.

In the cold snow of the twelfth lunar month, on a street in some mortal town, pedestrians were walking and stopping intermittently. Perhaps because it was a common sight, no one spared a glance at the alley where foul language and sounds of fighting could be heard.

In a secluded alley.

A group of street ruffians were bullying a girl who was only seven or eight years old.

The girl's hair was loose, covering half of her face. She was dressed in very old clothes. Despite the bitter cold, her coarse linen clothes were unusually thin, with many scattered patches. Her exposed calves and arms were purple and cracked from the cold.

She was pushed to the ground by those young ruffians, laughing mischievously.

"Bang!" Her forehead hit the corner of the wall, and fresh blood mixed with mud and snow slid down, instantly dyeing a small patch of snow red. She was unable to get up.

One of the ruffians, about fifteen or sixteen years old, kicked her twice and clicked his tongue, "She's not dead, is she? Can't she take a bit of fun?"

Another kick hit her abdomen, and the girl curled up, letting out a low cry of pain. She was awakened by the pain, the blood from her forehead smearing half of her face, looking particularly terrifying, like a fierce ghost.

She slowly raised her blood-smeared face, staring blankly at the people in front of her, her gaze particularly empty and lifeless, like a stagnant pool of water.

Though she was a living person, she was as numb as a walking corpse that had long since died.

Seeing her ghostly appearance, the ruffians felt a chill and couldn't help but curse, "Did she turn stupid from the fall?"

"It doesn't matter if she's stupid, she's just an abandoned orphan anyway, no one cares about her."

"Even if we play her to death, no one would know."

In recent years, the feng shui had been off, with frequent droughts and floods, and famines often occurred in many places.

At such times, in some feudal and backward remote villages and towns, girls who were considered "money-losing goods" became the only hope for the whole family.

This hope, not that hope.

The girl had been sold by her parents a few years ago in exchange for grain money. Her parents left, taking only her baby brother who was less than a month old.

She was sold to a wealthy landlord's family as a slave, enduring beatings and scoldings daily. One day, she found an opportunity to escape.

It should be known that she was only a seven or eight-year-old child at the time. A young girl could hardly stand on her own in the outside world. Besides going hungry without food, she also faced many unexpected dangers and harassment.

Later, she relied on each other for survival with an old woman who made a living by scavenging. But this year's cold season was too severe. The old woman fell ill and, without money to buy medicine for treatment, passed away in the middle of a cold winter night a few days ago.

She dug a grave for the old woman with her hands, giving her a burial of sorts. From then on, she became a lonely, wandering child once again.

Without any support and all alone, she naturally became the best target for these street ruffians to vent their frustrations. Even if she were beaten to death, no one would care.

"...Forget it, forget it, she looks really disgusting like this. Let's leave quickly."

For some reason, when these ruffians met the girl's gaze, they inexplicably felt their scalps tingle, wanting to leave quickly.

However, the leader of the ruffians laughed and said, his gaze roaming over her with a wicked gleam, "Leaving just like this is too easy on her... Actually, she doesn't look too bad. Why don't we sell her to a nearby brothel? We could get some money, enough for us to enjoy ourselves for half a month."

"She's bound to end up in a brothel anyway, so why don't we..." A ruffian beside him grinned lecherously and stepped forward to grab the girl's overly thin arm.

The girl stared at them in a daze, not even struggling, allowing them to drag her to a secluded corner...

Just then, a sword light slashed through the air. The ruffians didn't even have time to let out a scream before they fell to the ground, lifeless.

"A bunch of scum, living is just a waste."

The newcomer was a woman in purple robes. She looked at the group of ruffians lying in pools of blood with disgust, flicking her sleeves. Her tone was indifferent, "Although cultivators are not allowed to use force in the mortal world or harm ordinary people, you scum are better off dead than alive. If you lived, you would only harm others. Even if it means incurring some karmic retribution, I must deal with you."

After saying this, the purple-robed woman looked at the small girl collapsed on the ground with a numb expression, her eyes showing some pity.

She walked over and said softly, "Little girl, what's your name?"

"......"

She raised her head and stared blankly at the woman and the blood-stained sword in her hand, without saying a word.

The purple-robed woman frowned, "Tch, did she really hurt her head? Oh well, I suppose it's because I have a kind heart. I'll take you home first, and we'll find a medical hall along the way to check your injuries."

The girl's expression finally showed some change. She spoke woodenly, "I... I don't have a home. They... sold me, and grandmother passed away a few days ago. The thatched cottage has been occupied by other beggars..."

Hearing this, the woman's expression became even more complex. Pity ultimately prevailed, and even though she could see that the girl's aptitude was ordinary, she decided to take her back to the sect. "If you have nowhere to go, then come home with me."

"From today onwards, you will have no more connection with this mortal world. No self, no self... Your presence will no longer be here. Forget the memories of this place, come with me, and seek your true heart..."

The woman's words seemed to contain some power, causing a glimmer of hope to gradually appear on the girl's numb face. She stood up shakily from the ground. Snow fell on her thin, bony shoulders, making her shrink back. She reached out to clutch her torn collar tightly and staggered towards the woman.

"That's right, good child, come with me."

The woman smiled gently at her, but a hint of sinister intent flashed in her eyes, contrasting sharply with the gentleness on her face, as if they were two different people. "Come with me into the demonic path, and no one will dare to bully you again."

"...Into the demonic path?"

The girl suddenly stopped in her tracks, staring blankly at her.

This scene seemed familiar, as if she had experienced it before, but she couldn't quite remember.

But she could be certain of one thing.

The figure in her memory had not said these words to her.

The purple-robed woman was still smiling gently, reaching out a hand to her, barely concealing her eagerness, "Why did you stop, good child? As long as you follow me into the demonic path, you will possess great power. Then no one will dare to bully you, and all these people will be trampled under your feet, becoming stepping stones for you to grow stronger and stronger!"

Seeing that the girl was still staring at her blankly, the woman's last bit of patience was exhausted. She rushed forward, intending to grab the girl and leave.

A sword intent slashed through the air. Chu Sang, descending from the sky, kicked her to the ground with one foot, smiling sweetly, "Don't you know villains die because they talk too much? You're just a small illusion, how dare you impersonate my master?"

It should be known that her master wasn't so serious.

Persistently trying to recruit people like some preacher.

If it were the real master, after failing to persuade twice, she would probably have found it troublesome and left.

She sent this fake master to meet her maker with one sword strike.

"Big Senior Sister, are you alright?"

Chu Sang looked at the young girl in tattered clothes before her. The familiar features that could barely be made out and the wound on her forehead allowed her to confirm the identity of the girl before her.

She cast a cleaning spell on the girl, then tore off a piece of cloth from her red Daoist robe and bandaged the wound on the girl's forehead.

Now she looked more like the grown-up Big Senior Sister who wore a headband on her forehead.

"Big Senior Sister, let's go."

"...Who are you?" The girl blinked, wary like a little cat. "You... know me?"

Chu Sang took her hand and smiled, "You'll remember after you leave with me."

"This is just an illusion meant to confuse people, bringing out the memories buried deepest in your heart, trying to draw out your inner demon."

"We won't go down the demonic path, we'll cultivate to become immortals."

She continued in a cheerful tone, "You are the Big Senior Sister of the Lingqing Sect, who has cultivated to the middle stage of the Nascent Soul realm with a four-element spirit root. You're one of Master's most prized disciples, the owner of the divine artifact Hundred Breaking Sword Case, and the only person in ten thousand years who can summon thirty flying swords from the Hundred Breaking Sword Case. You can beat others to a pulp, you're super awesome, and you're our pride!"

"Your goal is to become the world's number one sword cultivator, so don't be trapped by this small illusion!"

[Corruption Value: -10]

The flying vines all around were cut into pieces by the fierce sword light and fell to the ground. Big Senior Sister opened her eyes, a flash of light passing through her clear pupils. She retracted all fifty flying swords, her aura becoming even more fierce.

The disciples of the Phantom Sound Sect also woke up one by one, as if from a dream. "What just happened?"

Everything that happened in the secret realm was broadcast to the competition venue through light screens, and all the cultivators present had seen it clearly.

The outside world was in an uproar at this moment.

"Damn, did I see that right? The Hundred Breaking Sword Case that disappeared a hundred years ago has reappeared in the world?!"

"To be recognized as the master by such a divine artifact, this person's talent in the sword dao is extraordinary."

"This female cultivator looks young, yet she's already at the middle stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and can even contract the Hundred Breaking Sword Case, summoning dozens of flying swords... She's on par with that sword cultivation prodigy Mo Qingchen who has risen to fame in recent years."

Some marveled, while others were puzzled, "Why hasn't a cultivator with such talent entered one of the Eight Great Sects? We've never heard of her before..."

This dark horse that appeared out of nowhere really caught everyone off guard.

The elder of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect's eyes lit up, and he quickly had someone check this person's identity. To his surprise, she came from an unknown small sect, which was really a pity.

"Lingqing Sect? Never heard of it, but these few disciples all seem to be from the Lingqing Sect, and their talents are all quite good..."

"I have a feeling that this sect will definitely shine this year. The Eight Great Immortal Sects might need to change their name this year."

"Didn't anyone notice that red-robed young woman?" someone said. "She's also young, but already at the late stage of the Golden Core realm. Even the direct disciples of the Eight Great Immortal Sects are only at this level."

"She was the first to break through the illusion, without being affected at all. Such steadfast mind is truly good material for a sword cultivator."

But this red-robed young woman looked somewhat familiar?

An elder from the Alchemy Sect lowered his head in thought.

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

After breaking through the illusion, Big Senior Sister's inner demon and karmic obstacles completely dissipated. Her Hundred Swords Technique advanced further, allowing her to summon fifty flying swords simultaneously. No matter how fast these thorny vines grew, they would be mercilessly cut down by the sword light.

"Wait, Big Senior Sister, don't kill them all, leave some," Chu Sang said.

Chu Sang had a bold plan in mind.

"What are you planning to do now, Little Junior Sister?" Tantai Ming knew when he saw her smile that something was about to suffer.

He also got excited, wanting to join in the fun.

Big Senior Sister's brain was indeed damaged when she was young, which is why she has face blindness and her reaction speed is usually slower than normal people (except when fighting). Because some facial nerves were damaged by the cold when she was young, she has a slightly paralyzed face, so she rarely shows other expressions.

The grown-up Big Senior Sister wears a red headband on her forehead to cover the scar from her childhood.