Gu Chengyin leaned back on the soft couch, his mind rapidly sorting through the preparations for the sect inspection tour.
The roster for the expedition had been finalized, and there were no issues on the aristocratic families' side.
He had just met with the Azure Sword Sect; Jiang Jianli and Jiang Qingzheng were both very cooperative, explicitly stating they would obey his overall arrangements.
Was there anything else he had missed?
Just as Gu Chengyin was pondering, Lin Qingyan suddenly spoke up.
Do you have any other matters to attend to?
Gu Chengyin paused and turned to look at her.
Lin Qingyan was still sitting upright, her clear, cold eyes looking at him with an indiscernible meaning.
Gu Chengyin thought about it carefully.
As it stood, he only needed to announce the departure time. There really wasn't anything else to do.
Gu Chengyin answered truthfully, I don't have anything else going on today. What's wrong, Auntie?
Lin Qingyan didn't answer, merely looking quietly at Gu Chengyin.
After a long while, she finally spoke:
I want to check on the inner demon again.
Gu Chengyin blinked. He didn't quite understand what she meant.
Check on the inner demon?
How?
Did she want to actively comprehend the Immortal Dao like last time, causing the inner demon to erupt?
But that incident had almost killed him!
Gu Chengyin asked cautiously:
What do you mean, Auntie?
Lin Qingyan explained, Didn't the inner demon erupt last time because I was comprehending the Immortal Dao?
I want to try it again, mainly to see how well you can control it.
Now Gu Chengyin understood.
Lin Qingyan was uneasy about his hypnosis and wanted to confirm it once more before they departed.
It made sense. After all, an entity like an inner demon was far too dangerous, especially the inner demon of a Golden Core cultivator.
If it went out of control, the consequences would be unimaginable.
If Gu Chengyin's control wasn't solid, the risks of this journey would drastically increase.
So it was perfectly normal for Lin Qingyan to want to double-check before leaving.
But Gu Chengyin wasn't too worried.
So far, even though his System was a bit of a scam, it was surprisingly stable when it came to Lin Qingyan.
It was quite miraculous, actually.
A hypnosis that even Luo Zhao could break free from was somehow able to control this inner demon so steadily.
Gu Chengyin agreed, I don't have a problem with that.
As long as you don't lock the door again and tell me to run for it.
He was referring to the last time in the Meditation Tower when Lin Qingyan's inner demon erupted. She had told him to run, but hadn't unlocked the door.
Hearing this old grievance brought up, Lin Qingyan showed a rare moment of embarrassment, but quickly regained her composure.
Rest assured.
I will control it well this time. It won't be like last time.
Gu Chengyin felt relieved. That's good.
He instructed the coachman outside:
To the Tianshi Mansion.
Yes, sir.
The coachman acknowledged and turned the carriage around.
.....
Gu Chengyin and Lin Qingyan stepped out of the carriage, walked through the Tianshi Mansion, and arrived at the Meditation Tower once again.
Upon entering the tower, Lin Qingyan first pressed a few spots on the door panel, using a special restriction technique.
Then she asked Gu Chengyin, Did you memorize that?
Gu Chengyin nodded. I got it.
Only then did Lin Qingyan walk toward the futons, saying:
Good. This way, you can open the door yourself.
Gu Chengyin nodded, feeling much more at ease. If something went wrong again this time, at least he could open the door himself.
He then walked over and sat down on the futon opposite Lin Qingyan.
Even though he knew how to open the door, he was still a little uneasy.
What if he died before he could even get the door open?
He couldn't help but ask again, Auntie, are you sure you can really control it?
This question made even Lin Qingyan roll her eyes at him.
Didn't I just teach you how to open the door?
True.
Gu Chengyin thought about it. If worse came to worst, he would just keep his eyes glued to Lin Qingyan.
The moment something felt off, he would just run.
After all, he was a Late Foundation Establishment cultivator now. He should be able to endure long enough to open the door.
Moreover, Lin Qingyan would be trying to control it too.
So nothing should go wrong, right?
Gu Chengyin suppressed the doubts in his heart.
Without another word, he obediently began to circulate the Azure Cloud Incantation.
He then slowly released his aura.
He released it very slowly, and very cautiously.
Countless runes and Dao charms began to emerge from his body one by one.
This time, Gu Chengyin didn't close his eyes.
Instead, he stared unblinkingly at Lin Qingyan opposite him.
If anything went slightly wrong, he would immediately cut off the Azure Cloud Incantation and make a run for it.
After all, his little life was the most important thing.
At this moment, Lin Qingyan didn't immediately immerse herself in the comprehension of the Immortal Dao like last time.
Instead, she focused all her attention on her own Sea of Consciousness.
Deep within her Sea of Consciousness curled a mass of dark red shadow.
It was her true inner demon.
Right now, the inner demon looked harmless.
But Lin Qingyan knew this was merely a facade.
The essence of an inner demon was desire, obsession, and an amalgamation of negative emotions.
It would never truly sleep; it would only lie dormant temporarily, waiting for the right moment to erupt.
As the ethereal immortal qi permeated from Gu Chengyin's body,
Lin Qingyan clearly felt the inner demon move.
First, it trembled slightly.
Then, those tightly shut blood-red pupils slowly opened.
The inner demon was starting to grow restless.
Although it was still faint, it was definitely restless.
Lin Qingyan furrowed her brows.
She didn't immediately suppress the inner demon; instead, she began to comprehend the Immortal Dao.
But she did so very slowly, very carefully.
She immersed her consciousness into the immortal qi and Dao charms released by Gu Chengyin, attempting to understand those ancient, mysterious runes.
The process was profound and mystical.
It was like pushing open a door to a new world, with mesmerizing scenery waiting behind it.
But Lin Qingyan didn't lose herself in it.
She only comprehended for a brief moment before actively severing the connection.
Then, she pulled her consciousness back into her mind space to observe the inner demon's state.
As expected.
The inner demon had visibly grown a fraction stronger than before.
Lin Qingyan's frown deepened.
The growth of the inner demon was synchronized with the growth of her cultivation base and her comprehension of the Dao.
It was directly proportional, in fact.
The stronger she became, the stronger the inner demon became.
This was not a problem that could be solved just by keeping it under control.
Although Gu Chengyin's control over the inner demon was strong, even stronger than her own suppression,
If she wanted to comprehend the Immortal Dao and advance her cultivation,
The inner demon absolutely had to be eliminated, no matter what.
And to eliminate the inner demon...
Lin Qingyan withdrew from her Sea of Consciousness and slowly opened her eyes.
Her gaze met Gu Chengyin's, who was sitting right across from her.
His expression was focused, his eyes vigilant. He was staring at her with rapt attention, as if guarding against something.
Gu Chengyin.
Gu Chengyin paused, instinctively replying:
Hmm?
The rate at which the inner demon weakens is slower than the rate at which it grows.
Lin Qingyan's voice was grave:
If this continues, it will very likely erupt again.
Gu Chengyin's heart instantly leaped into his throat. He asked worriedly:
Then... does that mean when it erupts, you need me to help you forcibly suppress it?
Lin Qingyan shook her head. Suppression only works for a moment, not a lifetime.
You can't possibly be by my side every single time it erupts.
Gu Chengyin thought about it and agreed. Even though he could control Lin Qingyan's inner demon,
What if he wasn't around when it happened?
He couldn't help but ask, Then what should we do?
Lin Qingyan stared straight at Gu Chengyin and said softly:
"The solution... don't you already know it?"
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
ver to a world of cultivation and returned invincible. Modern medicine is child's play compared to elixirs; technological might crumbles before true cultivation. My name is Qin Ning, Earth's sole cultivator!
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
