Lian Yunzhi’s heart pounded furiously, his palms slick with sweat.
But his sweaty hands still gripped the Soul Scattering Needle tightly, because if he loosened his hold even slightly, the needle would plunge straight into Mu Cheng’s spine under the force of the other man’s grasp.
“What was that just now?”
Lian Yunzhi closed his eyes and then opened them again. His mind buzzed, and he barely knew what he was saying, but anger had already crept into his voice.
“Was that Divine Soul Dual Cultivation? Were you trying to harm me? Even after fusing our Divine Souls, you still want me to kill you. Do you want us both to die together?!”
Mu Cheng blinked slowly and said, “No. Complete Divine Soul Dual Cultivation requires the full fusion of all Divine Souls and Primordial Spirits. We only fused a small part, so my death won’t affect you.”
Lian Yunzhi opened his mouth: “…Oh.”
Lian Yunzhi was stunned for a moment, then suddenly thought of something else and said rapidly, “And the Dao Companion Contract—the Dao Companion Contract—”
He stopped midway through his words.
Because he suddenly spotted a faint, familiar inscription on Mu Cheng’s bare arm.
Mu Cheng smiled warmly and said, “I’ve inscribed a permanent Oath-Breaking Inscription. Even if I die, your cultivation realm won’t drop.”
Lian Yunzhi: “…”
Lian Yunzhi’s throat went dry. He didn’t know what else to say.
But the Soul Scattering Needle was already poised to pierce Mu Cheng’s skin under his control—
In Mu Cheng’s eyes, Lian Yunzhi saw a hint of amusement, along with that familiar madness, obsession, and dark red hue.
“Pa!”
Lian Yunzhi shoved Mu Cheng away and stowed the Soul Scattering Needle. He pried open Mu Cheng’s eyelids and examined them solemnly. “Your eyes are still red. You’re not clear-headed. You’re going mad right now. Talk to me once you’re sober.”
A trace of bewilderment colored Mu Cheng’s expression.
Even the world behind him, in the midst of destruction, halted mid-collapse.
Yes.
The current Mu Cheng was not sober.
Lian Yunzhi let out a breath of relief and casually patted Mu Cheng on the head.
Mu Cheng blinked, still looking at him in bewilderment with wide eyes.
Lian Yunzhi tilted his head and used the dagger to cut off a long lock of his own hair. The hair transformed into a fresh, thumb-thick vine. He stuffed the vine into Mu Cheng’s mouth. “Eat it.”
This vine was part of Lian Yunzhi’s main body and had gained the powerful ability to purify Black Mist through millennia of mutations.
To Mu Cheng, who was driven mad by the Black Mist, it was an irresistible temptation. Without the slightest hesitation, he opened his mouth and chewed it up.
Lian Yunzhi: “…”
It didn’t hurt, but Lian Yunzhi felt heartbroken.
He couldn’t help but pat Mu Cheng on the head again.
Mu Cheng paused his chewing and looked up at him.
Lian Yunzhi said, “Finish eating and then sleep.”
Mu Cheng nodded, swallowed the last bite, smacked his lips, then reluctantly licked Lian Yunzhi’s lips before finally collapsing onto him and falling asleep.
Lian Yunzhi sighed.
Lian Yunzhi looked up at the sky.
The sky had turned completely black—one half the black of night, the other half collapsed into the black of Black Mist.
At this point, with the world in such a state, Lian Yunzhi’s best option was to wait for the world to restart, pick up the infant Mu Cheng at the first opportunity, and plan from there.
But Lian Yunzhi didn’t want to lose this version of Mu Cheng who retained all his memories.
This feeling was strange, and Lian Yunzhi didn’t quite understand it—just like he didn’t understand why he hadn’t wanted to kill Mu Cheng moments ago.
Lian Yunzhi stroked Mu Cheng’s hair, then his ears, and finally leaned in to gently rub his cheek against Mu Cheng’s.
Just like when it was still a small Spirit Capturing Grass, countless times pressing its branches and leaves against Mu Cheng.
.
Lian Yunzhi didn’t dwell on the past for long.
Soon, he pushed Mu Cheng off him, cast Dust Removal Technique on himself and dressed, then sat on the prayer mat to cultivate seriously.
The memories of ten millennia were too vast; he needed to digest them properly.
He also needed to digest the more proficient, profound, and immense “purification” ability buried deep in those memories.
The world stood frozen.
The destroyed world had turned into Black Mist, while the undestroyed parts remained fragmented and stagnant.
Every remaining gust of wind, every leaf, every speck of dust in the world was still. Only Lian Yunzhi continuously absorbed, purified, cultivated, and breathed.
A long time later, Lian Yunzhi opened his eyes.
His cultivation remained at Early Nascent Soul, but it had solidified greatly. His aura was elusive and profound, and the Black Mist retreated from around him.
When he spread out his Divine Sense, he could see that the entire world was a phantasm of Black Mist, with the densest concentration at Mu Cheng’s spine.
Yet that Black Mist was now in an extremely unstable state, on the verge of complete dispersal at any moment.
Moreover, the Black Mist not only crawled over Mu Cheng’s back but also flowed along his spine into every meridian and drop of blood, even invading his skull and polluting his Knowledge Sea—the fatal cause of his loss of reason and mad actions.
Lian Yunzhi climbed onto the vine bed, cast Dust Removal Technique on Mu Cheng and straightened his clothes, then positioned him in a meditation posture. He sat facing him, their fingers interlaced and foreheads touching.
Next, Lian Yunzhi directed a strand of his Divine Soul to invade Mu Cheng’s Knowledge Sea.
Lian Yunzhi’s Knowledge Sea was that small courtyard where it had taken root for over ten thousand years.
Mu Cheng’s was the same.
The only difference was that while Lian Yunzhi’s courtyard was filled with endless Black Mist, the area around his Primordial Spirit was pristine, untouched by even a wisp of Black Mist.
Mu Cheng’s Primordial Spirit, however, was tightly entangled by the Black Mist, nearly fused with it.
Lian Yunzhi’s Divine Soul attached itself and began the long process of isolation, purification, and cleansing.
.
After an unknown amount of time, Lian Yunzhi finally cleared Mu Cheng’s Primordial Spirit into shape—it was that youth nailed to the tree.
The youth’s eyes were tightly shut, his entire body tainted by Black Mist.
Lian Yunzhi’s Divine Soul hovered in the air for a moment before gently approaching to cleanse the Soul Locking Chain and Soul Fixing Needle formed from the Black Mist.
This was truly a massive undertaking.
It made Lian Yunzhi feel like an ant trying to Swallow Heaven.
When exhaustion peaked, Lian Yunzhi even thought—maybe let all the Divine Souls and Primordial Spirits in for Divine Soul Dual Cultivation. That would surely speed things up manyfold.
But he quickly banished that terrifying, mad idea from his mind.
The effects of Swallow Heaven were gratifying.
When Lian Yunzhi finally cleansed the Soul Locking Chain and Soul Fixing Needle formed from Black Mist, he witnessed for the first time the youth sliding down the tree trunk and breaking free of his bonds.
Lian Yunzhi’s Divine Soul floated over, endured intense trembling and discomfort to pick up the youth-form Primordial Spirit, laid it on the grass far from the giant tree, and began the next round of cleansing.
…
Lian Yunzhi cleansed most of the Black Mist from Mu Cheng’s Primordial Spirit, leaving only a cluster lingering at the back of the youth’s head.
He had a premonition: once he cleared every last bit of Black Mist from the Primordial Spirit, Mu Cheng would fully regain his sanity. And a sane Mu Cheng would immediately realize this world was the Reincarnation Illusion imprisoning him, causing the world to restart once more.
Lian Yunzhi sighed.
What a hassle.
Lian Yunzhi’s Divine Soul gave Mu Cheng’s Primordial Spirit one last gentle touch before departing. But before leaving, he deliberately separated off a tiny portion of his Divine Soul, which took root beside Mu Cheng’s Primordial Spirit as a Spirit Capturing Grass to ward off further Black Mist invasion.
Lian Yunzhi’s Divine Soul withdrew from Mu Cheng’s Knowledge Sea.
He and Mu Cheng opened their eyes together.
With his Primordial Spirit cleansed, Mu Cheng looked as if he had eaten a hundred purifying vines. His pupils returned to pitch black, the madness vanished from his face, leaving only a lingering bewilderment deep in his eyes.
“Zhi Zhi,” Mu Cheng called.
Lian Yunzhi crooked a finger at him.
Mu Cheng blinked and leaned his face over.
Lian Yunzhi pinched his cheeks, tugged his ears, messed up his hair, yawned exhaustively, and hugged him as they collapsed onto the vine bed. “Don’t bother me. I need to rest.”
“Got it, Zhi Zhi.”
Mu Cheng extended his arms and quietly pulled Lian Yunzhi into his embrace. When Lian Yunzhi nuzzled against him, Mu Cheng considerately pressed his own cheek to Lian Yunzhi’s.
Cheek to cheek, Lian Yunzhi finally fell into a peaceful sleep.
Too close, Mu Cheng couldn’t see Lian Yunzhi.
But that was fine.
The fragmented moon on the horizon, the remaining stars in the sky, the solidified Black Mist overhead, and the stagnant wind—all became Mu Cheng’s eyes, quietly watching over Lian Yunzhi for him.
