When the Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Meets the Unbeatable Protagonist | Chapter 60

When Lin Ji woke up, the sunlight outside streamed through the window, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and earth after the rain.

He propped himself up, took off the towel from his head, and touched his forehead, which felt slightly warm—definitely a sign that the fever was subsiding.

He recalled the events leading up to this moment.

Dizziness isn’t something one can control; if he could, he would never want to lose consciousness in front of Lu Xiaobai.

Lin Ji put on his shoes, picked up the sword resting against the wall, and pushed open the door to leave.

Behind him, Lu Xiaobai's voice rang out, tinged with a hint of amusement, “Didn’t you just ask my master about me not long ago? Now that we’ve just met, you’re leaving without even saying hello. Isn’t that a bit rude?”

...Why bring that up now! Lin Ji turned around and shot a fierce glare at him.

Lu Xiaobai smirked slightly, “Just joking. Come sit down for a bit. Your fever has just gone down; even if there’s something on your mind, there’s no need to rush.”

“Unless, of course, you’re afraid I might do something to you?”

Lu Xiaobai knew how to provoke him. Lin Ji scoffed coldly and slowly moved to sit at the stone table in the back of the courtyard, “What do I have to fear?”

He also knew that if Lu Xiaobai wanted to harm him, he could have killed him countless times while he was unconscious.

Lin Ji just didn’t want to see that face right now, didn’t want to face that person.

Lu Xiaobai then sat down beside him, placing a bowl he had been holding for a while in front of Lin Ji, “Eat something.”

The medicine had already been forced down Lin Ji’s throat while he was unconscious, so what Lu Xiaobai brought was porridge.

Lin Ji looked at the well-presented porridge and then coldly glanced up at Lu Xiaobai.

Lu Xiaobai said, “This was specially made by the innkeeper’s kitchen after hearing about your condition. If you don’t appreciate their kindness and don’t want to drink it, that’s fine.”

“I know you’re fasting and won’t starve, but aren’t you feeling sore and exhausted all over? Eating something will help you regain your strength.”

Lin Ji: “…”

After a long pause, he sighed, scooped a spoonful of porridge into his mouth, and his eyes lit up.

The inn’s cooking was indeed quite good. The millet porridge was soft and just right, sweet and delicious. Lin Ji’s appetite opened up, and he quickly finished it spoon by spoon.

He knew Lu Xiaobai was watching, but his mindset was like having too many lice to care about the itch; since he had already been seen at his lowest point, what did it matter if he looked a bit more disheveled?

What he didn’t see was the gentle smile that appeared in Lu Xiaobai’s eyes as he watched him.

Over the years, Lu Xiaobai had been looking forward to seeing Lin Ji, but unfortunately, Lin Ji was always focused on his cultivation and rarely appeared in public, so they hadn’t met often.

When he learned from his master that Lin Ji had inquired about him, Lu Xiaobai was quite happy.

He had never forgotten their promise from years ago, and he really wanted to bring Lin Ji closer, but he had been struggling to find the right opportunity.

After finishing the porridge, Lin Ji wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and finally looked at Lu Xiaobai.

He also realized that Lu Xiaobai had changed quite a bit; his appearance and voice had both changed, giving off a sense of maturity and growth, and his temperament had settled down.

He was more composed and calm now; although he still smiled, it wasn’t as pure as before, and his gaze had deepened significantly.

It seemed that time wouldn’t spare anyone; after experiencing so much, it was hard not to change.

After sizing him up, Lin Ji took the initiative to say, “This time, you saved me… so tell me, how should I repay you? I don’t want to owe you anything.”

After thinking for a moment, he self-deprecatingly smiled, “Seeing me like this, you must be quite pleased, right?”

To see his most concerned rival standing before him in such a pitiful state, and to have saved him, was truly the worst feeling.

To avoid being mocked by Lu Xiaobai, Lin Ji simply broke the ice, exuding a sense of self-destructive resignation that suggested Lu Xiaobai could laugh if he wanted to.

Lu Xiaobai paused at this, sighing inwardly.

Who hasn’t been through a low point? Wasn’t he saved by Lin Ji during his own darkest times? Moreover, Lin Ji didn’t even remember or recognize him as the person he saved back on Fengming Mountain.

But he couldn’t say that; Lu Xiaobai knew Lin Ji might have gone through something and absolutely couldn’t be further provoked.

“Brother Ji.”

Lin Ji was taken aback by this form of address and looked at him.

Lu Xiaobai smiled gently, “What do you mean by that? My master and I took the new disciples out for training, and we encountered some murderous monsters here. Unfortunately, they were too cunning to lure out. If you hadn’t suddenly appeared, we might have been delayed for a long time.”

“Ultimately, I should be thanking you. By the way, I haven’t asked yet, why are you here?”

Lin Ji was puzzled, “You…”

Lu Xiaobai asked, “What’s wrong?”

Lin Ji replied, “…Nothing.”

Didn’t he recognize the person who knocked on the door last night?

Sometimes, people just need a step down. Lin Ji didn’t know whether Lu Xiaobai was being genuine or not, but since he had said it, it was fine to let it slide. He finally relaxed both physically and mentally.

But then Lu Xiaobai suddenly leaned in closer, “Since you’ve taken the initiative to offer your help, I won’t stand on ceremony!”

Lin Ji: “…”

Lin Ji suspected he had been played by Lu Xiaobai and felt quite displeased throughout the journey. But since he had said he wanted to repay him, he could only suppress his anger.

Lu Xiaobai insisted that Lin Ji join him in eliminating the monsters, and Lin Ji disdainfully asked, “What kind of monster could you, the great Lu Xiaobai, not handle alone? Why drag me into this?”

Lu Xiaobai replied, “I’ve noticed that in the past two years, monsters have suddenly become much more rampant and violent, causing chaos everywhere. Since I have a helper, of course, I want to bring you along!”

A hundred years ago, Mo Shangxian had sealed the group of monsters he controlled in Jueyuan, and the seal had automatically lifted twenty years later.

After breaking free, the monsters rampaged, causing harm indiscriminately. Many powerful cultivators had exterminated a lot of them, and since then, they had gone into hiding.

Ultimately, it was Mo Shangxian’s fault; originally, the monsters were scattered across the Nine Provinces. Some would harm people, while others just wanted to hide and cultivate. He had forced all the monsters together, leading to such severe consequences and forcing cultivators to clean up the mess.

Since then, the remaining monsters had wanted nothing more than to hide deep in the mountains and forests, avoiding human detection. The number of monsters that came out to harm people had significantly decreased, allowing the mortal realm to enjoy decades of peace without disturbance.

But in recent years, monsters had begun to appear frequently again, and Lu Xiaobai found it quite strange.

“Brother Lin, you’re incredibly capable, so I naturally trust you. And aren’t you curious about how much our cultivation has progressed over the years? Why don’t we have a little competition?”

Lin Ji had always hated being compared to Lu Xiaobai, but when the other party brought it up himself, he surprisingly didn’t feel any resentment.

Lin Ji asked, “Then where did the people from Peifeng Sect go?”

Lu Xiaobai replied, “The old man… no, my master took them to another place. We can just follow our own path.”

After all, the new disciples from Peifeng Sect were only just starting out, and bringing them along would only lead to dealing with minor monsters, mostly for observation and guidance, which wasn’t very interesting.

Being with Lin Ji, of course, meant looking for more challenging monsters, and Lu Xiaobai admitted he was doing it on purpose.

“…”

Lin Ji realized that as long as there were no outsiders around, he and Lu Xiaobai had no real conflicts when they acted together.

The two of them teamed up to hunt down the evil monsters, battling giant pythons, killing vicious bears, and even raiding a bat demon’s nest, all while rescuing children who had been captured by monsters.

During this time, Lu Xiaobai often used spells to trap the monsters before killing them, showing off his skills. Lin Ji, on the other hand, would break through the air with a single sword strike, subduing them in three moves.

Neither of them was inferior to the other.

Outside of monster hunting, perhaps it was just that Lu Xiaobai understood how to interact with people better; being with him felt like a breath of fresh air.

He was approachable to everyone, never putting on airs or being arrogant. He was also very expressive, saying what needed to be said and never hesitating to praise Lin Ji’s swordsmanship.

When Lin Ji looked at him, he found Lu Xiaobai’s eyes shining brightly, his expression completely genuine. Lin Ji lowered his gaze, feeling a bit shy. He actually recognized Lu Xiaobai’s character and actions, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything complimentary, so he remained silent.

However, Lu Xiaobai also understood the boundaries of friendship. When he saw Lin Ji lost in thought, he never interrupted. If he noticed, he would simply change the subject, never prying into Lin Ji’s personal matters.

After spending several days together, he had never asked Lin Ji what had happened recently.

Lin Ji’s feelings toward him were truly conflicted.

When they were apart, he was deeply hurt by the rumors and held resentment, jealousy, and disgust toward Lu Xiaobai.

But as long as he spent some time with Lu Xiaobai, even if he had some pent-up frustration, it would be soothed, and he would even feel… that the days spent with him were quite easy, and his mood would improve.

Why was there someone in the world who made him feel both repulsed and irresistibly drawn to? Yet they were bound and opposed by the outside world and certain negative emotions within, ultimately unable to get close, as if they were not on the same path.

After traveling together for a while, they would eventually part ways.

Lin Ji felt dejected for a moment but still had to pull himself together and complete what he needed to do.

After eliminating the monsters with Lu Xiaobai, the two borrowed a bamboo house from the locals to rest. Lin Ji then mentioned he had something to leave for.

Lu Xiaobai lowered his gaze and remained silent for a long time before finally asking, “Can you tell me what you need to do? Is there any way I can help you?”

Lin Ji looked at him in surprise, hesitated for a long time, but his tone was no longer as stiff as when they first met, “Do you think we can have a mutually supportive relationship?”

Lu Xiaobai quickly replied, “As long as you’re willing, it can be.”

Lin Ji scoffed, “I don’t believe you haven’t heard the rumors about us. You’ve never had any opinion of me in your heart, have you?”

Lu Xiaobai closed his eyes; he knew that every time he encountered Lin Ji, he would stop others from speaking ill of him, even going so far as to silence them.

But the more he explained, the more excited the gossip became, and the more he tried to stop it, the more it spread. He couldn’t possibly kill everyone who spoke carelessly.

Just like in the rumors over the years, in the eyes of the outside world, he had been deeply in love with Luo Xiang, unable to bear hearing anyone mention her name, because she had died in obscurity, and he didn’t want to touch the pain in his heart. Thus, outsiders were not worthy of mentioning his white moonlight.

The rumors had at most one part truth, and nine parts were pure nonsense.

Similarly, when he publicly expressed that he and Lin Ji appreciated each other, there was no distinction of strength or weakness; he admired Lin Ji and hoped it wouldn’t cause them any trouble.

But when it reached others’ ears, it became a humble expression, with some even distorting it to suggest he looked down on Lin Ji and didn’t want to be associated with him, claiming they had a grudge…

Explaining was useless; people only believed what they wanted to believe.

To be honest, sometimes Lu Xiaobai really wanted to curse.

He believed the only way to resolve this predicament was to bring Lin Ji closer to him.

Then, when they appeared together, as close as brothers, the rumors would naturally fall apart.

Lu Xiaobai thought about whether to hold back or speak out, even if saying it would be misunderstood by Lin Ji as being hypocritical.

Forget it! Lu Xiaobai spoke up, “Listen to me.”

Then he expressed his true feelings, and while Lin Ji was taken aback, he said, “I’ve never had any ill feelings toward you. On the contrary, I’ve always admired you. Whether you believe it or not, no matter how you see me, I stand by this.”

“If you think I’m being hypocritical or that I’m just talking without feeling any pain, then feel free to scold me! I’m sorry I can’t handle these rumors well; I don’t know why they came about. Clearly, you and I have never had any public or private enmity!”

Lin Ji was dumbfounded: “…”

At that moment, Lu Xiaobai’s storage bag glowed, and he activated it with spiritual energy. A red bird flew out and perched on his shoulder, “Master, is this something we can talk about?”

Lin Ji didn’t know how long it took him to react, quickly blinking and awkwardly changing the subject, pointing at his shoulder, “This is…”

Lu Xiaobai replied, “Xiao Yanyu, my spiritual pet. It’s quite intelligent; I’ve been teaching it to speak human language. Do you want to pet it?”

“…” Lin Ji: “No, no need.”

At that time, he didn’t realize that Xiao Yanyu was actually the Yan Yu Beast, and it looked no different from an ordinary bird.

Lin Ji thought over Lu Xiaobai’s words a few times in his mind, incredulously asking, “But why do you admire me?”

Hearing this question was even more shocking than hearing Lu Xiaobai say he disliked him.

Damn it, Lin Ji realized his ears were suddenly burning.

In truth, asking someone to bare their heart is always a bit embarrassing. After Lu Xiaobai had said so much in one breath, he felt a bit shy as emotions surged back.

However, seeing Lin Ji’s inquisitive gaze and recalling his desire to bring him closer, Lu Xiaobai decided to go all out.

Since he had already said so much, he didn’t mind saying a bit more.

“Because you helped me, but you’ve forgotten it yourself.”

Lu Xiaobai recounted the incident on Fengming Mountain when Lin Ji had saved him.

“Was it you?”

Lin Ji truly couldn’t remember the face of the disciple he had brought out from Fengming Mountain, who had been injured.

He looked at Lu Xiaobai now, feeling that it didn’t quite match up, but he forgot that people change a lot as they grow up.

This information was a bit too sudden for Lin Ji; he indicated he needed to digest it and hurriedly left the bamboo house.

Lu Xiaobai pretended to admire the view outside, and after the awkwardness passed, he chuckled.

He stroked the beautiful feathers of the Yan Yu Beast, “Master, let me teach you a principle of being human: often, conflicts between people arise from unequal information, so never hesitate to explain. Having a mouth means you should say something useful.”

Xiao Yanyu replied, “But I’m not a human!”

Lu Xiaobai: “…”

After a while, Lin Ji returned, no longer treating Lu Xiaobai with indifference, but rather feeling a bit awkward.

Because he felt that since Lu Xiaobai had so openly expressed his views on him, if he continued to take out his anger on him because of the rumors, wouldn’t that make him seem petty?

He never expected Lu Xiaobai would say he admired him. Although he had felt that Lu Xiaobai had always been quite gentle and friendly toward him, he had sensed it.

But Lin Ji still couldn’t bring himself to mention his plans for revenge; he didn’t know how powerful his family’s enemies would be and didn’t want to involve Lu Xiaobai.

Moreover, even if that were the case, they didn’t have much of a bond; why should he make someone else bear the risks for his own matters?

Seeing that the other party was unwilling to speak, Lu Xiaobai let it go, but after thinking for a moment, he tentatively asked another question, “Lin Ji, are you happy at Yunshang Immortal Sect?”

Upon hearing this, Lin Ji’s expression turned cold, and he scoffed, “Don’t mention it.” After a pause, he seemed to grasp something from Lu Xiaobai’s style and revealed a bit more, “I’ve already decided to leave Yunshang Immortal Sect. After I handle my matters, I don’t want to go back.”

Lu Xiaobai thought to himself, good opportunity! So he leaned in closer, pressing on, “Since you don’t want to stay at Yunshang Immortal Sect, why not come to our Peifeng Sect?”

As soon as he said it, Lu Xiaobai realized his intention was a bit too obvious and quickly added, “What I mean is not for you to change sects; you can come visit our Peifeng Sect sometime. Consider it an invitation to my home, okay?”

Step by step, taking it slow.

Lin Ji asked, “Home…?”

Lu Xiaobai smiled, “Yes, Peifeng Sect is like home to me.”

Lin Ji thought for a moment, “Is it the home where you were chased and beaten, or the one where you deliberately stole your spiritual herbs and ruined your eyesight?”

Lu Xiaobai: “…”

This kind of conversation was getting boring!

Lu Xiaobai stood up, “Have you ever heard the saying, ‘In a big forest, there are all kinds of birds’?”

“Indeed, I’ve encountered foolish and mean people at Peifeng Sect, and I’ve had some bad experiences. But the situation can’t be generalized; overall, I still like Peifeng Sect. Some people treat me poorly, but many others treat me well, so Peifeng Sect is my home.”

As Lin Ji listened, he felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.

Unfortunately for him, he had never encountered any good people in his life, let alone anyone who treated him well.

The people who had treated him well had long since passed away, and even his mother had been indifferent toward him while she was alive.

If he had to argue, the person in front of him treated him…

Lin Ji quickly blinked and raised his chin, not wanting the other party to see his weakness.

After a moment, he stood up, picked up his sword, “Then let’s leave it at that.”

Lu Xiaobai sighed, “Alright, will you accept my invitation?”

After a long time, Lin Ji turned back and smiled, “Let’s talk about it after I finish what I need to do.”

If he could return alive after taking his revenge.

Lu Xiaobai was momentarily dazzled by Lin Ji’s handsome face, then even more so by his rare smile.

On a whim, he said, “Wait, how about you stay for half a day?”

“I’ll go buy some good wine and dishes, and we can drink to our heart’s content. Tomorrow morning, I’ll send you off.”

Lin Ji: “…”

If their relationship could stop at this point in their past lives, that would be great.

But fate is a tricky thing; that night, Lu Xiaobai didn’t return.

Lin Ji waited and waited, thinking that the other party was strong and wouldn’t encounter any danger, and he decided to go out to take a look.

That day, the wind was clear and the moon bright, the weather was great, showing no signs of trouble.

Lin Ji didn’t feel any ominous premonition in his heart; in fact, he was in a good mood.

But when he reached a certain spot, he suddenly felt something flash behind him, making him alert.

Just as he was about to turn around, a powerful surge of spiritual energy struck him, hitting his neck.

The intense pain prevented him from turning back, and immediately after, he was struck on the back, causing him to spit out blood continuously.

Then, a sword pierced through his shoulder blade, and as it was pulled out, Lin Ji fell to the ground weakly, hearing a voice beside him say, “You’re really too easy to trust others.”

With blood all over his hands, he struggled to crawl, wanting to send a warning.

Because the person who ambushed him was at a much higher realm, Lu Xiaobai might not be able to withstand it.

But a wave of pressure hit him, and Lin Ji found himself unable to move.

The voice chuckled maliciously, “How naive you are.”

The sudden change caught Lin Ji off guard, and this time he clearly heard it was Lu Xiaobai’s voice.

In that moment, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

Lu Xiaobai was behind him, saying, “You and I are natural enemies; there’s no friendship to speak of. Two tigers can’t coexist on the same mountain. If you’re stronger than me, my reputation will suffer. I must keep you under my foot to remain in the spotlight, understand?”

Lin Ji’s wound was brutally pressed down, blood gushing out.

He fainted.

Lin Ji never expected to wake up again, and the other party hadn’t taken the opportunity to kill him.

What he didn’t expect was that he had lost half of his cultivation, plummeting from the brink of the Nascent Soul realm back to Foundation Establishment.

Lin Ji looked at his hand, gathering spiritual energy, feeling as if he had been struck by lightning.

He had gone mad. The collapse of his world couldn’t be more brutal than this moment!

The identity of his enemy had finally come to light, yet at this moment, he had lost his own support and ability for revenge!

Years of effort had vanished in an instant.

No! He must be dreaming! It must be fake; he was definitely dreaming…

Lin Ji clutched his wound and stumbled back to the bamboo house, searching for Lu Xiaobai’s figure.

In his heart, he shouted: Come back! Come back!

Could it be that the one who attacked him from behind and drained his spiritual energy was really Lu Xiaobai?!

Were all those words he said fake, just to lower his guard?

But why would he do that? Lu Xiaobai already had everything; why strip him of his last bit of support?

He knew very well that his only pride was his cultivation.

In other words, even if he wanted to scheme against him, why not just kill him directly? Why leave him with half?

Why humiliate him like this?!

The bamboo house was stained with Lin Ji’s blood, and after losing too much blood, he fainted on the ground.

But he was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and his body had self-healing abilities, so he woke up again.

The next day, Lu Xiaobai still hadn’t returned.

Lin Ji waited for Lu Xiaobai for three full days, and on the last night, he barely stopped the bleeding, bandaged himself, and left.

The oil lamp in the bamboo house was still lit, but it was empty.

What kind of dark days were those?

Lin Ji walked like a walking corpse, throwing aside everything—searching for the old man, borrowing the Dust Viewing Mirror, seeking revenge… all of it was forgotten.

But as he walked, he was suddenly pursued by righteous cultivators.

The first one to discover him, the pursuer, delivered another piece of bad news.

Xuan Yi Zhenren was gone.

Lin Ji’s mind was sluggish, and it took him a long time to snap back to reality.

“...Who did you say died?”

“How dare you ask! You, the scoundrel who betrayed your master and destroyed your clan! Your poor master took in such a white-eyed wolf! Come and pay with your life!”

…How could this be?

His master had been fine before they parted… No, he had coughed up blood! Could it be that Xuan Yi Zhenren had died from anger because of him?

Lin Ji was at a loss: “I, I didn’t!”

I’m not, I didn’t; no one would believe such explanations.

Yet when faced with the situation, his mouth could only utter this kind of defense instinctively.

From that moment on, Lin Ji transformed from a walking corpse into a fugitive, hiding everywhere. He didn’t know much, but too many coincidences began to happen to him.

If he really died, he would be nailed to the pillar of shame in the cultivation world for the rest of his life!

Lin Ji fled in all directions, like a dog with its home destroyed.

But he was injured, and half of his cultivation was wasted; no matter how fast he could run, he would still be caught.

He saw Lu Xiaobai again several months later.

He blocked the pursuers for himself, openly taking Lin Ji away on his sword amidst the confusion of other cultivators.

When they landed, Lin Ji immediately attacked Lu Xiaobai with his sword.

But now their cultivation levels were worlds apart, and Lu Xiaobai easily caught the tip of his sword, “What’s going on?”

Lin Ji sneered, “I want you dead!”

Lu Xiaobai was horrified. Lin Ji was attacking him as if he had lost his mind.

He could only dodge repeatedly, unwilling to hurt him, “Brother Ji! I saw the blood in the bamboo house! Who hurt you?”

And why did he feel that Lin Ji’s cultivation had suddenly dropped so much?

Lin Ji’s eyes were bloodshot, “Where have you been? Why didn’t you come back?!”

Lu Xiaobai dodged while hurriedly explaining, “My master, Ling Yun Zunzhe, you know! He was attacked by monsters! I had to go find him!”

“Didn’t I send you a message talisman? Didn’t you receive it?”

“To this day, my master is still unconscious; I really didn’t mean to stand you up!”

After venting, Lin Ji finally calmed down, standing there with a gloomy face.

Once his rationality returned a bit, he realized that the person from that night was very likely not Lu Xiaobai.

Because if it had been Lu Xiaobai, there would have been no need to strike at his neck, preventing him from turning back, and then later revealing his identity.

In the cultivation world, mimicking someone else’s voice isn’t difficult. After ambushing him, the other party had also wanted to sow discord between him and Lu Xiaobai.

But Lin Ji felt wronged and utterly hopeless.

He didn’t know who had harmed him! Could it be that his enemies knew he was about to get a lead and had acted early to cripple him?

But the fact before him was that he had become a cripple.

Lin Ji turned stiffly, wanting to leave.

Lu Xiaobai hurriedly blocked him, his face filled with urgency, “Tell me what exactly happened?”

Lin Ji asked, “Have you heard the rumors that I killed my master and betrayed my sect?”

Lu Xiaobai replied, “I don’t believe it!”

Lin Ji snorted through his nose, “If that’s the case, step aside.”

He didn’t want to kill anyone, even though he currently couldn’t kill him at all.

But Lu Xiaobai stubbornly stood in front of him, forcing himself to remain calm, “No matter what happened, come with me. I will protect you and find out the truth.”

Lin Ji’s expression was emotionless, “That’s impossible.”

If his cultivation hadn’t been wasted, there might have been a chance; perhaps he would really have relied on Lu Xiaobai’s abilities or gone to Peifeng Sect with him to find a way to clear his name.

But now, having become like this, he would have to rely on the strength of his rival, who had always kept him underfoot; that would be too much of a failure.

Lin Ji clearly had no misunderstandings, but those few words from that day kept echoing in his mind.

He pushed Lu Xiaobai away, stubbornly wanting to leave.

At that moment, they were suddenly attacked by lurking monsters.

With no choice, Lu Xiaobai had to deal with the monsters first. Lin Ji watched coldly as he handled them with ease, feeling even colder inside.

Jealousy and resentment toward fate surged within him.

What crushed Lin Ji was the next scene.

After Lu Xiaobai eliminated the monsters, he pulled out a deep blue pearl from his sleeve, dispersing the monster aura.

Recently, monsters had been rampant, and the monster aura was pervasive. The Mermaid Pearl just happened to have the effect of dispelling monster aura, so Lu Xiaobai took it out.

Lin Ji was stunned.

After Lu Xiaobai finished dealing with the situation, he worried that Lin Ji might have already left, but unexpectedly, the next moment, a strong wind rushed in.

He turned around in disbelief, watching Lin Ji charge at his heart with his sword, leaving no room for mercy in his moves.

Faced with the threat to his life, dodging was instinctive, but Lu Xiaobai was also stunned.

He had never seen Lin Ji look at him with such hatred, as if he were his father’s enemy.

Tears of blood flowed from his eyes as he attacked him recklessly.

The last thread in Lin Ji’s mind snapped, and in a fit of rage, he shouted, “I’ll kill you!”

The voice didn’t sound human.

Why did he have to treat him like this? What had he done wrong?!

In a state of extreme distraction, even with the vast difference in cultivation levels, Lin Ji still managed to strike Lu Xiaobai, causing him to stagger back several steps and spit out a mouthful of blood.

Lin Ji appeared to be mad, still attacking him recklessly.

Lu Xiaobai heard Lin Ji’s question, each word like a death knell: “Why do you have the Mermaid Pearl?”

At that critical moment, the pursuers from earlier arrived, trapping and subduing Lin Ji, saving Lu Xiaobai.

None of them knew why Lu Xiaobai, despite his high cultivation, had still been severely injured by Lin Ji, with multiple wounds all over his body.

As Lin Ji was dragged away, he glared fiercely at Lu Xiaobai, sneering, “I swear I’ll kill you!”

“Lu Xiaobai! Lu Xiaobai!”

“I will definitely kill you!”

At no moment had Lin Ji seemed more like a villain than now.

And Lu Xiaobai also stared intently at his face, looking into his eyes; he would never forget the look in his eyes.

When a cultivator tried to help Lu Xiaobai, he suddenly stumbled back a step, panicking as he looked at the blue pearl on the ground.

The Mermaid Pearl had been obtained by Lu Xiaobai at the cost of his life in a secret realm.

The cause was that an elder from an unknown sect had disguised himself as a disciple and entered the secret realm to steal their opportunities.

While in the secret realm, Lu Xiaobai discovered fellow cultivators who had been drained to the point of becoming mummified, their cultivation, essence, and blood all gone.

He had been investigating when he encountered the enemy.

A disheveled person had attacked him from behind.

Even though Lu Xiaobai’s cultivation was low, he was so desperate that he attacked without hesitation.

This person, though mad, still had the cultivation of the Golden Core stage, and Lu Xiaobai couldn’t defeat him, being choked to the point of near death.

The elder took out the blue pearl, laughing maniacally, “Don’t blame me! When you go to hell, just remember that name, Mo Qingming!

“If it weren’t for him scheming against me, stealing my Mermaid Pearl, and driving me out of the sect, I wouldn’t have ended up like this!”

“Hahahaha, he never expected that the Qi Ling Sect had a secret path! I’ve stolen the Mermaid Pearl back!”

“When I break through my realm and become invincible, I’ll go back and take my revenge!”

Lu Xiaobai had almost been killed; he hadn’t expected this person to have gone mad, killing without mercy.

With the help of Elder Shuhua and a stroke of luck, Lu Xiaobai managed to kill the man before he was killed himself, but he was left half-dead.

The Mermaid Pearl naturally became his trophy.

The person was evil, but the Mermaid Pearl was a rare treasure.

His master, Meng Wanqiu, had purified the tainted aura that had invaded the Mermaid Pearl, restoring it to its original state.

Lu Xiaobai, with his mixed spiritual roots, found it difficult to change, and obtaining this item was indeed like finding sweet dew after a long drought.

Having taken it from someone who wanted to kill him, he felt no burden in using it.

However, Lu Xiaobai was also perceptive; he had pondered whether the madman’s Mermaid Pearl had been obtained from someone else. After all, if it had originally belonged to him, he would have surpassed his current level long ago and wouldn’t have needed to practice evil techniques to absorb others’ spiritual energy.

But once such a good thing was made public, it would be feared that the owner would be everywhere in the Nine Provinces.

So Lu Xiaobai kept it to himself, and he wasn’t the kind of pure and innocent person; he had indeed used the Mermaid Pearl to successfully refine his spiritual roots, changing his aptitude.

But after changing his aptitude, he hadn’t used it again, only bringing it out when dispelling monster aura.

Once the spiritual energy in the Mermaid Pearl was drained, it would disappear, as it was formed from the tears of a mermaid and not a pearl in the worldly sense.

The current Mermaid Pearl was just as bright as when Lu Xiaobai had obtained it, but he didn’t know what it had looked like when the madman had it.

Moreover, he was also an ambitious person; since his spiritual roots had already manifested, he didn’t want to rely on someone else’s cultivation. That way, the cultivation wouldn’t be his own.

He still wanted to compete with Lin Ji based on his own strength.

But now…

A terrifying suspicion surged in Lu Xiaobai’s heart, causing him to lack the confidence to resist Lin Ji’s attack, and he was injured by him.

Later, Lin Ji was imprisoned in the purgatory, and Lu Xiaobai went to visit him.

He went with answers in mind, fearing both his denial and his admission.

But Lin Ji remained silent, lifeless.

Lu Xiaobai didn’t want to see him like this, so he deliberately provoked him.

That terrifying bite mark became an everlasting imprint in his heart; Lu Xiaobai could have used spiritual energy to remove it, but he let it remain, a constant reminder of his mistakes.

Later, Lin Ji still managed to escape, and no one knew how he had done it.

Lin Ji fled, relying on the information he obtained from the Spiritual Artifact Library, arriving in that area and searching for a long time.

Finally, he fainted under an ancient tree, being sucked into a tree hole, where he met the old man.

He borrowed the Dust Viewing Mirror, merging his blood into it, learning the identity and appearance of his enemy.

Lin Ji stood against the mountain wall, looking at his shadow, which was also swirling with dark energy.

So it turned out he was just another pawn of his family’s treasure, becoming a plaything of a major sect.

Lingyun Sect, very good.

What use was evidence? For such a major sect, even if he provided solid evidence to the Punishment Division, it would be impossible to make the entire Lingyun Sect pay with their lives.

Even making those who had exterminated his family pay would be difficult.

Blood ties protect each other, and fellow disciples shield one another.

He was weak and crippled; what was he worth?

A voice deep within him kept conversing:

No one in this world will give you justice.

Everyone is gnawing at your flesh and blood, ignoring your pain, treating your entire family as stepping stones.

A general’s success is built on the bones of countless others.

So why can’t you be that general?

The justice that the world cannot provide, you must take for yourself.

Only you can take it…

Lingyun Sect. Bodies lay scattered everywhere.

Mo Qingming collapsed on the ground, questioning fiercely.

Lin Ji, covered in blood, turned back, looking down at him, a smile curling at the corner of his lips.

Surrounded by dark mist, demonic energy surged within him.